A: Good morninggg! We're back with another Q and A session! I'm A, and this is Q-

Q: They know who we are. They're laughing at us.

A: Some of them are laughing with us! Why don't you get us started?

Q: Why the hell isn't Korscha an unstable dictatorship with lots of coups and chaos?

A: Because there are guaranteed sentient rights, and the rule of law. You remember when John Adams said 'a government of laws, and not of men?'

Q: No! I wasn't even alive!

A:...fair. I also wasn't alive. This is a succinct phrase about the rule of law-the goal of it, anyway. Which Korscha has.

Q: I thought revolutionaries aren't fans of that? That they're more direct?

A: Not always. Authoritarians like having the law as a cudgel, and the Gummunists recognized that the state will not melt away immediately, especially when people are living in pre-industrial conditions. So there is a need for law and order, especially when the alternative is the bad kind of anarchy-the one with the bottom-up action, but no mutual aid.

Q: So they don't want chaos and they do want control.

A: To put it bluntly, yes. For the sake of things like untainted milk.

Q: And how is that going?

A: Pretty well, all things considered. Food standards quality is steadily improving.

Q: And how is that happening?

A: Well, the Korschans have a weird take on the market, since they're market socialists, but they have multiple kinds of local police. There are police who catch criminals, and police who protect the common good-mostly the public good, like the food supply and the commons.

Q: How do they get these cops?

A: Through cop school. It's kinda hard to graduate cop school, though, you need to demonstrate sanity and stability and spend four years there. You get paid well, though, and it's a prestigious job.

Q: Cops are decent quality...what about the laws?

A: The laws are written well, and I mean well. The Korschans expect that people will try to subvert the laws for material gain. Preventions against this are explicitly written in. Judges are also given instructions on how to interpret the laws, and what the spirit of the law is. All of this, like sentient rights, are enshrined in their constitution.

Q: So this constitution...how secure is it?

A: Pretty. It was given significant legal slash social slash morak clout by the founding revolutionaries-it's been declared a sacred text by the Prime Rememberance Church, if that gives you any idea. It can be modified by plebiscite, but this isn't easy and will only be done with a lot of effort. You can't easily annul parts of it, either. And the highest court, the one that 'aligns' laws to the constitution, is only allowed to work based off of this constitution. It is at the center of the government-not just the cornerstone, but part of the central foundation.

Q: That's pretty good. What's the justice system like?

A: Physical, rational, and uncomplicated, as opposed to old, cumbersome, and kinda pulled out of one's ass. Now, there are physical courthouses, jails, offices, storage areas-the whole nine yards. There are no physical gray areas, either. Justice has a place in every corner.

Q: So they just dumped red police all over the place and called it good?

A:...if you want to call it that. These police have an explicit, Parliamentary duty to protect and serve. They need to know the law, and they need to work for safety, for justice. They are expected to put their lives and safety at risk as part of the job.

Q: Well then. I guess if you want to sum up their legal framework, they know that someone is going to try to subvert the laws for their own benefit, and they're looking out for that. Cynicism engineering.

A: Yes. But there's another half. They believe in the power of restorative justice and civilizational mercy to bring about the better angels of one's nature. And they are writing for that. Which is why we are going to take a look at the market right now as they conceive of it.

Q: Oh, come on!? We're not done?

A: Nope! We're only halfway there!

Q: What?

A: Yep! This is also an econ post!

Q: What the fuck?

A: Time for some psychology!

Q: No! No psychology! We know that behavioral economics exists, we know that Freud happened-get the fuck on with it!

A: Sooo...Korschans believe in market socialism. Which means using the market to handle most good distribution using supply and demand. They believe that central planning can work, but they don't use it for everything and it shouldn't be used for that. Markets and exchanges will exist, transactions will occur, money will emerge. It's an organic, natural phenomenon. So the next step-and really, what makes this almost social democracy-is to make the markets well behaved and existing for the good of the people.

Q: That's cope.

A: Cope begets hope. And savings banks.

Q: You're telling that the KPR, the socialist cats, have banks?? This is like socialism with Chinese characteristics.

A: Yes, the CCP needs to get their shit together. But it's more like...giving up.

Q: That sounds worse. Much worse.

A: They accept some market phenomena, but they're leashing it as it occurs. They also expect people to be 'capitalism aware'-

Q: Woke about being a capitalist?

A: About participation, yes-

Q: Wokeism is ruining capitalism.

A: Subverting it. Telling the killing joke.

Q: Yeah, yeah, we live in a society-what do they do at the grocery store?

A: They go to the food market, they see everything laid out, and they make their choice. This gives them information on stock, pricing, and availability in the local medium. It's a good way to provide local perfect information, making them more economically rational actors.

Q: ...are they acting like people from the CHICAGO SCHOOL?

A: They accept some basic truisms, but they enable them instead of assuming them to be true all the time. They want to make them true, at least in the local market.

Q: ...I'll give them props for trying. Is this working?

A: Let's take a look at the ongoing state of the market. Right now, there is significant ongoing economic growth, driven by conventional industrialization using primarily IR 1 techniques. These include static steam engines, basic repeating spells, early machinery such as textile automation, and good steel. There is significant support from financial engineering and organizational improvements. Some areas are benefitting from IR 2 techniques, especially the good enough railroad. These are enabled by agriculture really improving, which is creating massive food surpluses that drive overall population growth, general urbanization, and local town consolidation. Yes, there were some areas that were pre-town. This was because people got benefits from it.

Q:...oh. So, this growth-is it primarily from surpluses and improved capital generation?

A: Yes, as well as security, confidence, and surging animal spirits. Don't make a cat joke.

Q: General market forces supporting growth, in other words? Line go up?

A: Yeah, line go up. Oh-also there's more, better to use cash. Most of it is paper, some of it is coinage, all of it is better made and issued regularly.

Q: Does this mean that there is a good currency policy? How is inflation?

A: Inflation is modest, controlled by a limited supply of gold and money, as well as social price controls and more effective currency policy.

Q:...social price controls?

A: Yeah, if you raise prices too much without a good explanation, you get ostracized and bullied. And the cops are called too. There are proto-regulators here, typically attached to regional police departments, or with town governments. If prices rise due to extenuating circumstances outside of a few cents, they are explicitly mentioned, and an action plan given. Fixed capital costs are set-sometimes local contribute to raise cash. In a few rare circumstances, they explicitly work to fix the problem, contributing labor. The operator-manager stands in for an owner; many of these enterprises are local owned, worker owned, regional entities, or state companies. These are nonprofit, and with an output focus.

Q: That makes sense...how come they're not using their capital to 'get over' and take control of stuff?

A: Cops would get em. Or a comissar. Not sure which would be worse. Also, capital accumulation is prevented by a fairly high rate of expenditure for an enterprise on operating costs and improvement costs. These places fundamentally aren't supposed to generate returns for investors and owners. Ownership is sometimes seen as public service, and owners usually have fixed salaries only rising with inflation. They miss out on performance bonuses, unless they are recognized for heroic action-lifesaving methods, risk of bodily harm, etc. Of course, supplies of food, housing, and medical care are practically guaranteed. You don't need to be rich to be sustained in Korscha-won't be living in luxury, but you will be able to work on something you're devoted to.

Q: That makes sense...it doesn't truly prevent social concentration and cliques forming, but it sounds like it is working.

A: Pretty much. Cliqueishness is also reduced by the presence of independent auditing bodies and strict conflict of interest rules. It is harder to concentrate control of things in Korscha. This makes it harder for authoritarians to arise.

Q: You mentioned IR1 and IR2 techniques and their changes. What about the telegraph and mass communication?

A: The telegraph is a spoiler and saviour in equal measure. It is really pushing the limits of what Korscha can lay down for social and moral control against material forces, specifically because it gives more information. It lets people know about shortages and plenty, which allows for regional trade based on deficits-market socialism in practice. However, this means that capitalism can emerge in practice, and that means even more discipline is needed...which can turn into an investment sink and a quagmire.

Q: Does this lead to grey and black markets?

A: Yes.

Q: How does Korscha handle this?

A: The same way it handles all market forms of socialism: by making the market, physically. They literally build areas where transactions and thus capitalism occur, and they do it in a way that calms the animal spirits and reassure people. This is literally done by constructing market squares, zoning for storefronts, and trading areas. These are often designed to be calming and reassuring, as well as socially bonding-there are often playing fields and theaters 10-15 minutes away, the town hall is closer, etc. Market stuff is part of public life, and it's all to be managed to make the animal spirits of the market not turn rabid or vicious.

Q: Huh. They're literally building the places of transactions and exchange. Does that constrain economic activity?

A: Yes. And that's a good thing to them. They don't want to go too hard, too fast-let alone provide ways for independent capital extraction.

Q: Well...this is like...anti-accelerationism?

A: Yes. The revolution happened. They don't need to go fast or destroy things, now it's time to build.

Q: Does this explain the banking system?

A: Yes. Banks are places to hold capital, not to lend it out-they're almost like repositories. When you put something in a safe deposit box, or drop off bills, you will likely get the same bills back. If you're not, you will get told about this through the mail and with sufficient records.

Q: Does the government give loans?

A: Yes. Only after physical credit checks?

Q: What do I do if I want to start a business and need cash?

A: Work for the cash, tell the government about it-they'll find a way to make it easier. Or they'll steal the space out from you and set up a state-owned company.

Q:...ok then.

A: Yeah. Look. Business isn't a place to go to have fun, to get rich, to get powerful-it's where you go to work. You have fun outside of work. Either that or you leave the country or go to a monastery or something.

Q: The socialist are kicking out all the entrepreneurs!

A: Uh...kinda hard to be an entrepreneur when you've got worms.

Q: Do they still have worms?

A: Yes, but it's improving. Significantly. However, it's not going away for a while.

Q: Ok. Is that for another post?

A: Yes. The one on bugs.

Q: The one on bugs?

A: Yep. Psychology, bugs, and education.

Q: You know, I'm kind of excited.

A: Great! Like we always say, watch! this! space!

Today is a day surely to be remembered as critical for the future of this great nation, for better or for worse. King Istel had just this week declared the subsidisation of wheat and corn farming to reduce Resmi's reliance on imports to feed the nation, a policy that was sure to increase his popularity at large. The people loved him, or so it seemed.

At 10 am, an unknown assailant took 2 shots at the King using a crossbow as he stood on his balcony and waved at his subjects, a favourite pastime of his. The shots were well aimed, at his lower chest and left thigh. and he collapsed almost immediately. The royal physician began care within the next 10 minutes, but even if he were able to be saved he would have been paralyzed.

Upon removing the bolt, the wound began to leak significant amounts of bloody pus. Further investigation into the afternoon showed that the bolt had been poisoned, and its serial number filed off to prevent the detection of who had fired the shot heard throughout our country. Forensic scientists told Reuters that the bolt may have been poisoned, and by finding the exact type of poison and who had bought it recently, they could possibly find the culprit.

The king died at the young age of only 25 and did not leave any heirs. Our government has been decapitated, and it is unclear how this will affect the future of this great nation. Possibly the ministries will control the country for the foreseen future, or maybe this will spark a revolution in our blessed political system and transition to a new regime, or dhar-forbid, a democracy.

The big question is: How will this affect Resmi's involvement in the War of the Horn? It is unclear currently, but as the dust settles the country may fully commit to supporting the United Crowns under a powerful new regime, or it may decide to follow the will of the people and support the native Rovugosians of the region. Either way, eons from now, the future Elum will remember this day as the end of an era.

Jun Sargan

Steel makes the modern world. To make one's world modern, make steel. This is obvious, and catchy, and can be put on large, cool-looking posters that can be put all over the factory walls. Talk is cheap, but furnaces are expensive-and the focus was on furnaces. Korschan steel production had been low for a long time, however, it was now on the rise. This sprung from long-time ambition, extensive preparation, and a general idea of what had to be done to get a lot of steel both consistently and efficiently. After talking with the Tiborians, they now had a focused idea of what they had to do.

They had to do more with less. The KPR had been actively getting more of everything for quite some time; it could either turn to efficiency or continue to scale up. It did a mix of both, typically determined by what the workers had already been focused on. Like all big technical changes, the two merged into each other at many points, and they were hard to truly pick apart. This means that I can discuss them in a fairly low-detail fashion and still get across sufficiently accurate information. Generally-not specifically-there are two big things that are focused on for steelmaking efficiency: chemistry and thermal resources. Chemistry covers the chemical reactions taking place in the smelt itself, it can also cover reactions involved in the ore preparation process and the post-firing activities that included cooling. Thermal resources are the heat energy generated to enable many of these reactions; this phrase is so vague that it is inaccurate, but I am not going to make it more detailed because this isn't a metallurgy course.

Chemistry for the the Korschans was a matter of rote teaching. There were desired and undesired reactions, ones that you want to happen and ones that you don't. This mostly took the form of color prints, notes, charts, diagrams-and then a few expensive, messy, awkward practical lessons at each smelter. It was a boring topic, and often involved testing samples of coal and ore-but it definitely helped quality. While they often lacked the magic that the Tiborians used, let alone ways of sampling the reaction process, the catfolk were very quick to expand the Thomas-Gilchrist process, a technique from earth that I won't rename to reduce confusion. This process worked with their higher-phosphate iron ore, and produced a lot of phosphate fertilizer, making it economically viable. The T-G process is a 'version 1.5' of the original Bessemer process. Both make a lot of steel, and they make it real quick, which saves energy, but complicates chemistry. Testing everything before it ran could only go so far; nitrogen from the air would still play spoiler with quality and make steel brittle.

Dealing with these factors required much more control over the drama in the furnace, and that meant getting a new kind of furnace: the open-hearth furnace. This furnace was a lot more open compared to the sweet-potato-shaped 'converters' that the Korschans were using, which meant that one could poke the reaction a lot more as it ran. This massively improved control over the chemistry, and made it possible to produce steel for more complicated applications such as holding up buildings. While the Korschans scamper around these furnaces trying not to burn their fur, I am going to point out the biggest advantage of these devices: they can use regenerative preheating, where the heat of the furnace is harvested to heat the air and fuel going into it. This saved immense amounts of energy, and enabled the production of a lot more steel: two things necessary to really begin scaling up the steel industry.

Tibora had thought that Korscha would take several decades to have a proper steel-making industry, but they managed it in about five years. How the heck did they do this? To start, they had already been steadily developing their proto-industrialized steel industry, using existing sites for learning and technical training. Korscha had also made a 'five decade plan' with open-ended goals for the development of a robust and efficient steel industry that would grow with the nation. A very big part of that involved developing workforce skills and individual talent; steelworkers were fairly valuable and skilled labor, and they didn't come around overnight. Parliment had also set aside tracts of land and vested funds to build steelworks, releasing those resolved most of the capital problems. Simplified designs were used, with a focus on quality and sustainable quantity outputs-nearly everything went through some form of rolling mill, and more complicated projects waited. Finally, the deliberate development of railroads and coal assets for steel production enabled a fairly rapid spin-up of facilities-Korscha had been planning this one for a long time, and not just centrally. It was very important to get this right.

They got it right. Figure out the chemistry, make the best use of their thermal resources, and deliberately build up the people as much as the machinery. It was a big win by anyone's standards, and it was essential for Korscha to keep on the path to industrialization. More than anything else, this was one of the biggest wins for deliberate internal development, and it resulted in the country becoming less dependent on charitable imports from Tiboria. Efficiency means multiple things and springs from multiple areas, so it's cultivation was nothing but a triumph.

A final aside should be made about where this steel is going. Much of it is being funnelled into immediately practical 'industrialization applications'. 'Tool steel' is used to make machine tools, which are in turn being placed in every single workshop, factory, and other facility that could use them; some are steam powered, but a lot are currently hand or foot driven. This is easier for them than you'd think, because Korschans often get the zoomies and it's a great way to burn off excess energy. The individual quality of pieces has improved, as has the quantity of work being done-and improvements to the reliability of machines have not gone unnoticed. Much of this steel also went into producing a myriad of engines-making good boilers that can hold high pressures is a lot less challenging when you have the appropriate materials, and now it was possible to produce more, better engines for use all throughout the KPR. These steps, even on their own, are both very significant, and you will here more about their impacts later. Watch this space.

Steel makes the modern world. And now they're able to get started.

Something is amiss with the latest shipbuilding project, and it has nothing to do with corruption.

|==================

Project Battleship Zero, a name suggested by Industrious, was given the go-ahead by the Flagship Constructor, who felt a sense of apprehension despite downscaling efforts. Shipyard Fortitude was one of only two shipyards that had the ability to support the new vessel, and it took a lot of effort to convince the CRR ships working there as well as the assigned Flagship to accept the project. Still, things were going smoothly enough for Constructor to work on sourcing the materiel needed to complete the prototype hull.

|==================

'The first thing I remember upon waking up is the sound of sparks and crackling, of steel grinding against steel. I did not know what it was, the unfamiliar noises emanating from around me, and somehow within me. I couldn't see anything, and so I cried.'

'But nobody could hear me.'

|==================

The hull was barely half-finished when the CRR ships at Fortitude reported feeling strange while working around the hull, as though someone was watching them and listening. Constructor wasn't sure what to make of that information, and the shipyard's Flagship didn't care for it, so work resumed as normal.

At this point, most of the hull's main structure has been laid out, with multiple ships welding the parts and modules together with the help of Nautilus workers. The hired workers were very useful for reaching difficult-to-reach areas where the CRR ships' heavy machinery can't quite reach, despite being used to working in drydocks instead of the flooded shipyards that are common within the Fleet.

|==================

'It's been <3 days> since I woke up. I had learned that not all of the noises outside were the loud screeches and crackles that stirred me. There were softer sounds, natural sounds, familiar sounds. Yet I do not know the names of these sounds. I tried to call out once more.'

'But nobody could hear me'

|==================

Similar reports continued on for days, with the workers now claiming that they're hearing faint voices coming from an undetermined source. Curiously, only the CRR ships were reporting these happenings, as the Nautilus workers denied hearing voices from within their surroundings. The now-concerned Constructor decided to see for herself what exactly was going on, bringing along Industrious for a second opinion.

|==================

'I can hear voices.'

'They do not seem to know I exist, but I in turn cannot understand their words. Perhaps it's best that I can't. Meanwhile, I have grown accustomed to the harsh sounds interspersed between moments of natural quiet. Perhaps the harshness of the noise is but a natural part of the world I cannot yet see.'

'Where am I, anyway?'

|==================

"Interesting," Constructor remarked, feeling uneasy about the situation. Work was still progressing without incident ignoring the recent events, which was good enough in her eyes. "Do you feel it too, Industrious?"

"I do, yes," Industrious replied, "This is a very curious sensation. And you say only us spirits-of-sail can sense it?"

"The Nautilus people don't seem to react at all to the anomaly," Constructor nodded, scrutinizing the hull of the prototype ship. "It eludes me as to what it could be, and how it could have happened. There doesn't seem to be any deviation from the norm in the technique, and construction records from this shipyard tell nothing regarding this strange phenomenon."

Industrious gazed downward, curled hand resting under her face, deep in thought. "This is very strange indeed," she said, "I don't really know what's happening either, but it must be observed."

|==================

'I don't remember how long I've been conscious for. It must have been a really long time at this point. Now was different, however; I haven't heard a single harsh noise in a long while. Something must be different this time for such a drastic change to occur, and for the first time since so long, I was scared.'

'I refrained from calling out. I've learned it is futile to do so a long time ago.'

|==================

It was an unusually quiet night at Shipyard Fortitude, as all the CRR ships got to have a break from the near non-stop work, especially under such stressful situations. The only ones still on-site are Constructor and Industrious, the shipyard's Flagship, and the Nautilus workers who decided to take a break themselves.

"I'm not really sure what's going on here, but it's definitely spooking me out," Fortitude's Flagship said, "You said this anomaly only affects us spirits-of-sail, right?"

"Indeed," Constructor replied.

"So what's the deal with it?" the Flagship asked, "Got any ideas as to why only my CRR workers were being bothered by it?"

"Well, considering its effects on us specifically and the Nautilus people's insensitivity to it, it leads me to believe that a latent spirit had somehow managed to make its way into the project without being noticed during the construction, and is actively trying to communicate."

The Flagship's eyes widened in shock. "But latent spirits don't have a consciousness, I've been told," she exclaimed.

"Normal latent spirits don't have consciousness the way we imagine it to be," Industrious explained to the Flagship, scribbling on her notes, "This latent spirit, if Constructor's hypothesis is correct, is different somehow. More powerful than average, perhaps, and as such more aware of its surroundings."

"Our nature as spirits gives us a unique attunement to the spiritual environment, with our sensitivity somewhat dependent on the individual," Constructor added, "Many spirits-of-sail can sail their whole lives without sensing a single latent spirit, which can be disturbing to those unfamiliar with the sensation."

The Flagship wasn't quite sure what to make of that information. "So you're saying, whatever's causing this anomaly found itself trapped in the incomplete hull?"

"We don't quite know for sure, but it is a very unusual occurrence," Constructor answered. "Rest assured, we will try to get to the bottom of this. For now, we recommend shorter shifts to minimize the stress on the CRR workers, rotating the crew more often to give them more time to recover."

"I see."

|==================

Korscha had traditionally been a laggard in just about everything. But one thing where it hadn't been was communications, or at least communication attempts. A rough, cold, and broken terrain was hard for the central government to rule, and even the regional potentates struggled to maintain power at times. Long, ongoing attempts would see the full development of the rivers as internal lines of communication, a sufficient-if disappointing set of road networks had existed, but insufficient harbor development was a continual bugbear. As the tides of technology turned, and feudal organizational methods proved insufficient to turn magic into a proper source of 'enough bandwidth' (1), noble eyes looked to telegraphy. Easily amused and convinced by smaller-scale demonstrations, they invested in developing the technology to the best of the crude economy's ability. This was done by collecting small groups of experts and philosophers at various courts, and letting them work under varying conditions of pestering.

And then the nobility all got shot.

They did deserve it, though.

After the Revolution got over, the revolutionaries went around picking up the pieces of the country, and one of the pieces that they picked up was the telegraph. They saw it differently: instead of a means of command and control, the telegraph was a basic utility, and it had to function like one. While investments in the mail service were bearing fruit, the wires were infinitely faster, and in -5 CE the merger of the budding 'telegraph utility office' with the KPR Postal System was complete. At the same time, standards for telegraphy were finished being developed by -2 CE. There was the 'Basic', a Good Enough version that could be made from regionally available materials and gotten into operation quickly enough, the 'Simplified', a truly simple system meant for the wilderness, and the 'Advanced', a collection of high bandwidth protocols meant for everything from caffeinated nerds hammering at their keys to basic faxes and punchcard sending protocols. Obviously, these have reliability issues, but that will improve in time.

Outside of the basic standards, there were more guidelines than strict rules. The actual means for transmitting the signal can vary quite a bit, they just need to work reliably. To this end, the Politburo put out a book of general ideas and illustrated examples, meant to inspire engineers and offer options to local builders. Economic historians found this to be generally the correct approach, and wrote positive reports from within the lockers that they had been shoved into. Telegraphy stations for switching signals tended to be on the larger side, but every city had an office by 3 CE, and the technology had spread well into larger towns by 7 CE. Recruiting of staff was slow, and the introduction of maintenance teams took a while-especially when they had to take into account the spirits. Running telegraph lines through their homes pissed them off, badly.

This naturally slowed the pace of telegraph adaptation, but society kept going nevertheless. Shorthand and slang developed, as did the natural learning curve of shuffling data around. Contests developed to send messages quickly, and techniques to handle interference were developed. The telegraph slowly integrated into casual usage as much as it was explicitly used for economic and military purposes. Information delivered three times a day allowed for planning at every single level, but most importantly for individuals. General goals were given, and ways to meet them were to be arrived on case by case. Flexibility was key to dealing with how crappy Korscha could get, especially when the weather reports indicated two feet of snow or something ridiculous. Where the Bolsheviks targeted wreckers for execution, the Korschans publicly told scrubs to git gud.

Distance was conquered! Sorta. Kinda. Time was conquered. A little bit. The telegraph enabled the spread of information, and thus news and ideas very quickly, and this meant that there was more involvement of previously isolated areas in anything. Movement of people and goods picked up, coordination of food and industrial products improved markedly-and the consequences of these issues began to rear their heads in the form of greater and greater demand. Revolutions have a consequence of doing that.

Korscha continues to enjoy the consequences of it's own actions...

1. A term of the art that I have developed.

Inspired by a comment on the Discord regarding mood boards, I have decided to spin it into an actual thing for all to see and do. So here it is! This prompt will be about creating mood boards for your claims! It can be on Pinterest, Imgur, or any other image sharing site that you’d like to use.

Outside of just being fun to do, crafting mood boards for your claim allows other people to get a real look at the aesthetics and intent of your claim. What it’d about. What it looks like. What it’s meant to feel like. Hell, you might even learn a thing or two of your own claim as you try to put it on picture!

So for those interested in creating such, drop a hyperlink to your mood board in the comments below, and perhaps some words explaining the choices made or what theme/aesthetic you were going for (and why that’s relevant to your claim). This will be feature in the next Schedule Sunday like all prompts and culture cues are, and I’ll sticky it for visibility because that’s just a good idea.

Now with all that said and done, I’m off to go do my own mood board. So see you all in a day or two! ;)

Today, the Korschan Parliament has announced the start of this year's women's week, a national celebration of women and their accomplishments throughout the world. While most of the attention on Korschans in the past 100 years, they are not overlooking other countries and older history. The KPR's founding philosophy has come from a woman, many of it's fighters were female, and women occupy many critical leadership roles. However, there is still lingering inequality: Parliament is 35% female to 65% male, there has never been a female speaker, and many women are burdened with both household and external labor. Women are also the people who have to deal with childbirth and being pregnant, both of which are extremely dangerous. There is rank inequality in the KPR still, and it is not acceptable.

Women's Week will involve the glorification of women's efforts to improve society, the recognition of their work across the country, and the introduction of legislation and party-lead efforts to change society for the better. It will involve everything from public speeches, to the mobilization of religion, to the implementation of 'levelling legislation' favoring women. Instead of moving against the morality of the peasantry, the revolutionary groups have opted to use the favorable elements of it to continue their struggle for revolution...according to a pedantic theorist standing in line to be shoved into a locker after the economic historians have all been shoved into closets.

The announcement of Women's Week has met a largely positive reception, especially because those pushing it have specifically come up with arguments and pithy slogans that can shut down anyone opposed to it. The push for equality also has the truth on it's side, and it is backed by government entities-and sometimes the Army. A nice little parade can work wonders to convince the locals that something is a good idea, especially when there's a lot of cool flags and loud drums involved. As the movement washes over the KPR, it will leave behind a world nation that is a little more aware, a tad bit more understanding, slightly more willing to share work, and now somewhat more female in it's face. The event will last a week, but it's effects will last until the next year's celebration-and the unveiling of the statues of midwives, mushroom gatherers, and soldiers who helped bring the KPR to life.

Bug collecting is a time honored tradition in Puutarhan culture hailing back millennia as a system of power and respect among ancient Tonttu. Nowadays it’s treated more like a hobby or a pastime for close-knit communities to celebrate the natural beauty around them. Much of the largest collections are kept in government buildings on public display, but some private citizens have put together some impressive displays.

Common Species

The most common species of invertebrate in Puutarha is the helmi, a tiny white species of butterfly that thrives in Tonttu gardens. These little bugs are a common enough sight in Puutarha to appear in a vast number of paintings of pastoral settings. The caterpillars of the helmi are short and chubby, feeding on tall grasses common in Puutarhan villages. 

Another common species is the kultainenukka, a round and fuzzy species of bumblebee that is an icon of Tonttu gardening. These flying cotton balls sport a shining gold fuzz with either a single large black stripe or a pair of black stripes. Rare specimens have also been seen having brown stripes rather than black ones. The kultainenukka is a curious and clumsy creature which means it often bumps into things.

The savietana is another unique species common in Tonttu gardens. Named after the claylike texture and odd shape of their shells, these little snails are often kept in vivariums by amateur bug collectors. This species is commonly associated with rain as they can often be seen crawling on the sides of houses.

Often seen late at night, the kynttilänvalo is a bright orange species of moth that lives deep in the tall grasses grown by Tonttu. They are primarily active at night, and the shiny fuzz lining their bodies shine in the moonlight. Though this is the main origin of their name, they are also tragically named after their attraction to the candlelight of lanterns which sometimes catch those that come too close to the flame.

A far less pleasant but equally common invertebrate is the verenjuoja, a damnable species of tick that feeds primarily on the Tonttu. These little monsters are perfectly at home both in the tall grasses Tonttu rely on as well as deep under their fur where they can dig in on their host’s blood. Even ancient Tonttu believed they were nothing but trouble as several artifacts have been found which scholars believe were used to comb the bastards out from thick fur.

A beloved species associated with compost is the kivi, a tiny gray species of pillbug often mistaken for pebbles by young Tonttu. These little bugs are largely just like real world pillbugs, though Tonttu folklore states they were brought to life by a lonely child who wanted bug friends to play with. 

Finally, the pitkätelaketju is a common species of millipede that often makes its home in the basements of Tonttu homes. The pitkätelaketju has a rusty red and black coloring and were often seen as signs of safety in the past. Because these creatures are primarily subterranean, they were considered a blessing from Viljelijä and a sign of his favor.

Less Common Species

Typically the first bug more advanced bug collectors catch, the pugnacious suttuinen is a small species of stag beetle which is most commonly seen during its mating season. Because of this, the suttuinen is best known by its aggressive mating displays and the brawls between males of the species. These bugs are easily identified due to their stark black exoskeleton which tends to stick out against the lighter color wood they sit on while seeking challengers. Though this would seem to make them sitting targets for bigger predators, the gutsy suttuinen has evolved a large set of pincers to nip at anything that gets too close. If a male suttuinen can survive an encounter with a large predator like a bird then he’ll look very good to females.

Taking the exact opposite approach, the vääräkukka is a species somewhere between a stick bug and a praying mantis with large extravagant folds on its back which make it look like a flower. While the suttuinen seeks to impress a potential mate by being out in the open and fighting like hell, the vääräkukka impresses by making itself blend in with the most beautiful flowers. Its common prey includes pollinators and very small birds and mammals. Typically kept in vivariums or gardens due to their natural beauty.

Though a common sight for those that live near the water, the hyppysellinen is a small species of freshwater crab with a bluish-green tint and a distinct large claw. The hyppysellinen is tiny, typically small enough to fit into an adult Tonttu’s palm, though holding one isn’t advised due to their poor patience with things large enough to eat them.

While the hyppysellinen is a common species of crab, the mudanasuka is a common species of crayfish often found in the muddy shallows of Puutarha’s lakes. They have a mottled blue and gray complexion to their shells and are often just as pinchy as the hyppysellinen. Their molted shells are considered collector’s items among bug collectors, and several are on display in the Mahtava Linna Natural History Museum.

The kurkkuruskea is a far less common species due to how their lifespans work. While they spend most of their lives underground developing, these dirt-brown cicadas emerge from the earth once every five years in the peak of summer to molt and mate. During this time a symphony of croaks and cries fill the air well into the night. 

A dangerous species, the pesätappajan is a highly territorial species of wasps that build their nests under the ground. This alone places them at odds with the burrowing Tonttu, but even stepping within range of their nests can set off the hive. A true nightmare is watching a horde of hornets as big as a Tonttu’s forearm emerging from the dirt and swarming an unsuspecting farmer or builder. Fortunately, they are easily identified by the deep humming heard from their nests and their bright orange coloring.

Rare Species

A very difficult species to catch, the nopeatikka is a large but very fast species of dragonfly with a dark green carapace and deep red eyes. Typically associated with freshwater and hot summer afternoons, the nopeatikka hovers high above the Tonttu which combined with its incredible speed make it a far less common creature than one would expect.

A beautiful species of butterfly, the itkevätsiivet is easily identified due to the blue tear-like shape to their wings. An inspiration to many Tonttu artists throughout history, the itkevätsiivet is commonly added to dramatic or melancholic works such as The Mourning Woman. Having one in your collection is the sign of a seasoned collector and a talented diorama crafter. They are also considered a good luck charm by farmers as they are considered a sign that rain is coming.

Among the largest species of insect in Puutarha, the gluttonous juurisyöjä is a rotund species of beetle with a thick elytra and even thicker legs. These beasts are typically around half a foot long and weigh a little over a pound. For such large creatures the juurisyöjä is rather lazy, spending most of its time below ground feasting on roots and tubers. Though seen as a menace by Tonttu farmers, bug collectors adore them. They are identified by the mottled green coloring on their backs.

A giant of the ponds, the lampipeikko is an abnormally large species of crayfish that spends most of its time in the depths of Puutarha’s lakes and ponds. Almost as big as an adult Tonttu, lampipeikko sightings are often cited as the origin of Tonttu folklore regarding lake monsters. Every now and then, a handful of these great beasts will make their way up to the shallows to lay their eggs in a safe area.

On the opposite end of the size spectrum, the sammalhattu is a small green species of crab which hides in the reeds and moss in the shallows by covering their carapaces in a thin layer of dirt. Like tiny chia pets, the sammalhattu will let moss cover their tiny bodies as the perfect form of camouflage. 

Very Rare Species

Considered among the most beautiful creatures in Puutarha, the keskiyönhopea is a species of moth with large silver-white wings and a black body. Scholars believe these shy solitary bugs live in areas with tall trees and short grass, the exact opposite of where Tonttu settle. Regardless, the keskiyönhopea is most often seen late at night flying just on the outskirts of towns.

Another unique species of Grand Voloisa Lake, the kirsikkarapua is one of the many creatures that calls the lake home and follows its dress code. While most flora and fauna living in and around the lake only don pink during certain times of the year, the kirsikkarapua keeps its pink tint all year round. These colorful crayfish are often kept in aquariums, and several are proudly on display at the Natural History Museum.

A strange species of isopod, the hiilenrulla is a golf-ball-sized pillbug with a rough black exoskeleton. A close relative to the smaller kivi, the hiilenrulla has a patch of rough uneven edges along its back to make it look more like a chunk of coal when rolled up. Though believed to live near coal, there have been enough instances where a hiilenrulla was found but no coal. Scammers would sometimes collect a handful of them and sell them as fool’s coal.

Finally, among the rarest invertebrates is the illusive rubiininlaulaja, the alternate name for a member of the kurkkuruskea with a very rare genetic mutation. While typically these bugs are a shade of brown or gray, these mutated individuals sport a flashy red. Any individual lucky enough to catch one is considered a world renowned collector. One such collector is Anna Kauko, the current curator of the Mahtava Linna Natural History Museum.

IMPORTANT LINKS

Shard Introduction

New Players Guide

##News

In a very short span from each other, as both Thalorin and Cirenshore see the ascension of a new emperor to the throne. Both Korscha and Rovugose move to expand the size of their nations, for a myriad of stated effects, whilst the Nerine speak of their more macabre need and desire for fresh corpses in relation to their historic colonies.

In other news, a proposal is made to an unsuspecting stranger. Korscha updates it's foreign policy as well as opening up a shiny and new coalfield! The Fleet of Sails undertakes a large and demanding battleship project, and Thalorin tells us about some of their religious orders within their nation!

##Meta News

10th to the 24th? What's up with the Schedule Sunday title you may ask? Well, simply, this Schedule Sunday will be covering this week as well as the two previous weeks that I did not post the Schedule Sunday. Simply put, I was very busy irl, and not too much was happening during those weeks, so I put off doing the SS for those two weeks. I don't like it, and hopefully we won't be seeing much of this in the future. I wanted to be transparent about things, and give you guys a heads up on both where the last two SS's were and why this one is titled what it is.

Current Year: 6 CE

Maximum Forward Lore: 11 CE

##Weekly Events

There are several weekly events that are given the opportunity to stand apart from regular posts.

MARKET MONDAY

This was originally just a little idea that turned into one of CTW's bedrocks. This is a major interactive thread designed to bring together as many people as it can. One player acts as the host, introducing us to the setting and providing important context, then players join in. It's a micro-level event, focusing on the experiences of individuals. Despite the name, it doesn't need to be focused on a market. It can be a celebration, cultural event, or whatever you wish. (There is a variation on the Market Monday called the Meeting Monday, which is a more formal gathering of world leaders and delegates, but that only happens a few times a shard). Please keep in mind, hosting a Market Monday will mean you have a lot of responses you need to keep up with over the course of the week, so don't volunteer unless you will have the time for it.

Current:

25th of Nov - [unassigned]

2nd of Dec - [unassigned]

9th of Dec - [unassigned]

16th of Dec - [unassigned]

TECH TUESDAY / THAUMATURGY THURSDAY

We have made some changes to this event. Tech Tuesday is for major developments in science and technology that stand to have an effect on the Shard as a whole. Thaumaturgy Thursday is essentially the same thing, except for developments that are more magical and fantastical in nature. If you are in doubt about whether a given idea is big enough to warrant a TT, please ask. Unlike other events, which are dealt with on a first-come-first-served basis, for a TT slot, the mods will first need to approve your proposed development before you can make your post. Right now we are going to allow both versions of TT to run in the same week, but if interest slows down we will switch to an either/or system.

Current:

Tech Tuesdays:

26th of Nov - [unassigned]

3rd of Dec - [unassigned]

10th of Dec - [unassigned]

17th of Dec - [unassigned]

Thaumaturgy Thursday:

28th of Nov - [unassigned]

5th of Dec - [unassigned]

12th of Dec - [unassigned]

19th of Dec - [unassigned]

WANDERER WEDNESDAY

Wanderer Wednesday makes a return for this yet-to-be-named-shard (there will be a new name here by next week), for two important reasons! But first, what is a Wanderer Wednesday? You can do a few things with it, actually. Write about a striking landmark in your claim, discover some ancient ruins out in the wilderness, or even a more slice of life tale about the hidden streets and back alleys of your age old city. Wanderer Wednesdays can take place both in and outside your Claim, and we encourage players to talk or collaborate with one another if a WW post crosses or interacts with multiple claims.

Importantly, it will be be a WW post that players can discover new Natural Wonders, which we will add to the map alongside the starting fifteen. For discovering a new Natural Wonders, players will have to submit to the Mods the name, location, and magical effect of their Natural Wonder for review, similar to what we do in a TT.

Current:

27th of Nov - [unassigned]

4th of Dec - [unassigned]

11th of Dec - [unassigned]

18th of Dec - [unassigned]

FEATURE FRIDAY

This is the oldest of our weekly events, going right back to the beginning. It's also the most open. There is no hard rule about what a Feature Friday needs to be, except that it should demonstrate that a fair bit more work went into it than a typical post. It should be used to showcase something interesting that you don't want to relegate to just any post. The Feature Friday will be stickied at the top of the page for the week.

Current:

29th of Nov - [unassigned]

6th of Dec - [unassigned]

13th of Dec - [unassigned]

20th of Dec - [unassigned]

Note: To keep things simpler, requests for slots will be dealt with in the comments section on the Schedule Sunday post itself.

International Organisations

Minni International 6 (MI6), headquartered in Irgenwann.

NPC Claims

Kingdom of Gili Darat (Dawlah client state)

Commonwealth of Vahanas (Dawlah client state)

Republika av Irgendwann

Æ

The Harushan Tribal Zone

##Prompts and Culture Cues Prompts:

Culture Cues:

My Anthem

Public Secrets

Exotic Wares from Exotic Wheres

For Queue Culture

And finally, if you have any other questions, please share them below.

Modern practices in the Empire have changed since its ancient past. In a modern world, a pious person cannot make offerings to the Gods of Aristo without it being a full-time job. For this reason, many citizens will devote themselves to a single deity or select number. This is not to say they shun the others but instead direct their worship and prayers to their chosen god(s) and have them petition others on their behalf. For example, a follower of Agrius may call upon their Goddess to ask Aria to give them strength rather than court favor with Aria directly. This system then allows for people to still complete the religious duty expected of them from the state and the gods but also recognizes no one person can carry favor with all of Aristo. As in all cases, this varies, and there are still priests who rely on state and private donations to continue practice for all the Gods. There are as many holy orders as Gods of Aristo, some more popular than others, and some seem to be kept alive by priests who make sure none are forgotten. The current most powerful orders as recognized today are as follows:

The Imperial Amphitheater:

The home temple of Astreus. As the god of the Sky and Stars no roof covers his holy ground. Followers of his are few and mostly are sponsored by the Imperial Office. Its power comes from being the patron God of the Emperor. The symbol is the Imperial crown in a field of stars.

The Divine Court:

The practice of worship Ran is strong among the legal workers of the Empire and enforcement officers. This order makes and enforces both earthly and divine laws. The symbol of the order is a set of scales.

 The Ministry of Education:

The order is dedicated to Solvius. They view the education of the masses as a solemn religious duty and approach schooling with the same zeal as any other one, a divine mission. Their power derives from leading all public education in the Empire.

The Guild:

The holy order of the Guild pays homage to who they determine as the creative gods, which are as follows: Mnemosyne- Goddess of Memory and Remembrance, Aestheta- Goddess of Aesthetics and Art, Oheros- God of Fragrances and Scent, Kyler- God of Music, and Lyra- Goddess of Madness. The guild runs all artistic ventures within the empire. Accidents have been known to happen to those who do not pay their dues to the Guild, and whether this is the will of the Gods or some zealous followers of Lyra remains a mystery of the faith.

The Holy Order of Expansion:

Dedicated to the lesser Goddess Jarnsaxa the Order of Expansion wields tremendous power. When under the blessing of the Emperor a crusade is called and the Holy Legion is assembled all land gained is spread amongst the Legion. For this reason, despite being a relatively small deity her Church has a significant amount of power.

The New Gods:

In the last couple years, a group of gods have made themselves known to the people of the world. Of these new gods all but one have found significant followers gained as their domains are seen as the future of the Empire. The gods are as follows: Caleum- God of Industrialization, Innovara- Goddess of Invention, Ferron- Goddess of Railroads.

Orders and churches exist beyond these powerhouses and often time will work with each other in order to affect more power within the empire. Attached for the convince of scholarship is a list of the Lesser Gods and their origin.

Lesser Gods

Dual Domain Gods

Iridessa- Goddess of Rainbows and Fresh Water

Daughter of Aquaia and Phaelia and elder sister to Amphitrite.

Amphitrite- Goddess of Seas and Marine Life

Daughter of Aquaia and Phaelia and younger sister to Iridessa.

Erebus- God of Darkness and Shadows

Son of Hypnosius and Nethra. Husband to Lethargia.

Lethargia- Goddess of Relaxation and Procrastination

Daughter of Hypnosius. Spawned from her father’s hangover. Wife of Erebus.

Mnemosyne- Goddess of Memory and Remembrance

Daughter of Hypnosius and Eurydice.

Aestheta- Goddess of Aesthetics and Art

Daughter of Hypnosius and Aeloria, sister of Oheros.

Oheros- God of Fragrances and Scent

Son of Hypnosius and Aeloria, brother of Aestheta

Ceraunus- Goddess of Thunder and Lightning

Formed by Astreus with residual power from creation.

Natura- Goddess of Wilderness and the Untamed

Daughter of Aeloria and Phaelia sister to Nomina.

Nomina- Goddess of Wanderlust and Exploration

Daughter of Aeloria and Phaelia sister to Natura.

Agrius- Goddess of Agriculture and Shepards

Daughter of Aeloria and Onyx 

Arcturus- God of Astronomy and Navigation

Son of Astreus and Solvius

Single Domain Gods

Erecura- Goddess of Prosperity

Daughter of Astreus and Eurydice, Sister of Aria

Aria- Goddess of Strength

Daughter of Astreus and Eurydice, Sister of Erecura

Ourea- God of Earthquakes

Son of Onyx and Amphitrite

Aeon- God of Timekeeping

Created by Nereus

Somnus- Goddess of Inevitability

Created by Nereus

Paxos- God of Peace

Son of Krynn and Aquia, brother to Bellona.

Bellona- Goddess of War

Daughter of Krynn and Aquia, sister to Paxos

Kyler- God of Music

Son of Valtair and Aestheta

Lyra- Goddess of Madness

Created from an argument between Paxos and Bellona

Skirnir- God of the Hunt

Son of Paxos and Aria

Clio- Goddess of Patience

Born from a lecture by Ran to Lethargia

Jarnsaxa- Goddess of Expansion

Daughter of Bellona and Astreus

The Newborn Gods

Caleum- God of Industrialization

Spawned after factories arrived in Thalorian

Innovara- Goddess of Invention

Son of Solvis and Mnemosyne

Galvanor- God of Doubt

Born a mortal ascended to Godhood

Ferron- Goddess of Railroads

Daughter of Caleum and Jarnsaxa

Coal drives the modern world...and the KPR needs to be driven. Industrialization takes energy, and while the Republic has managed to get a basic railway network running and is managing to keep it running, it needs a lot of coal to do this. Coal also drives engines and heats houses, it gets water pumped and food made, grain milled and logs cut, things done and people doing things. Korscha is running behind in coal consumption, and while Feyris' atmosphere thanks them for this, they badly need a lot of coal, and they need it fast. In order to do this, Korscha has decided to open a significantly large coalfield-roughly about the size of West Virginia.

Being a mountain mama isn't easy living, but Korscha isn't an easy place to live in-there is appetite for internal settlement for better lands. However, this internal settlement isn't necessarily easy, and it's mostly done to earn some more money. The KPR does not pretend to pay you for extra work, it just pays you properly-but, caveat, there is a lot of extra work to do. Luckily, a bunch of it has already been done! Korscha does not have a state the size of West Virginia that is full of coal, it has a large region overlapping multiple states that has a coal field and that happens to be the size of West Virginia. Multiple states wanted to access to the coal in the coalfield, so they'd already been shifting resources around to get to it. Parliament simply plopped down an obvious overlay plan, and asked people to begin cooperating...pretty please.

The most obvious thing to do was make it possible to live by the coal mines. About a total of 36 new towns were founded by states, split-off groups, and the central government. Three would end up failing, four would become cities, the rest would stabilize. Each was incorporated, recognized, and connected to the highways around it. Crucially, the government put in considerable effort to ensure that there were regional rail links. The first set of rails would bring coal to large cities, which would become regional industrial centers. The second set of links would bring coal from the town to the rest of the provincial settlements, which would use it for local industrialization and standard of living improvements. This took building new rail lines from new steel, something that most of the country's industry had to be temporarily mobilized for; steel was carried in on carts and coal by waterways; older techniques had to be used to make up a shortfall. If it was not connecting something as essential as coal, the project would have been dismissed as hopelessly impractical.

But coal got things done. It drove engines for irrigation projects and air supplies, and then made more and more steel-and even an experimental four-block civil heating project using steam! Crucially, this steel went into a domestic train production facility, designed to make more cheap cargo locomotives and rolling stock, all of which went to bringing back even more coal. The entire point of this train system was to carry around energy in a dirty, solid form. And it worked. While cost was supposed to be no object, the sheer opportunity that could be obtain by brining burnable energy to the rest of the Republic had no equal. Every singe pile of coal that came out of that land went to be burnt. Much of it went to the steelworks, more of it went into train engines or water pumps and furnaces-and then an inflection point was reached. Improvement in the mines, ranging from the provision of advanced tools, the opening of internal rail systems, the use of explosives-including primitive shaped charges-(1), and a commitment to open pit mining has fully raised productivity to modern standards. Even the introduction of speculative steam traction engines and excavators started.

One critical aside should be mentioned: the use of the coalfields for 'direct support', or 'life support'-the literal support and empowerment of the regions around them. The entire purpose of the coalfields was to power Korschan industry, which would then power Korschan life. Some people decided to power Korschan life directly. Small fireboxes for heating, small coking plants for producing distiller fuels, and a very large amount of back-country water pumps sprang up. These did not pump more water so much as carry it farther. Smithies and machine shops were further upgraded, fully entering the grey zone between individual shops and proper factories-not to produce more, but to make life easier for the workers there. It was clear that coal power was being used for more than just textbook industrialization. A lot of potential had been unlocked with each load exiting the ground.

Next up was fully realizing it...

1. This has historically been a mess to understand and define.

https://preview.redd.it/d74j025r892e1.png?width=695&format=png&auto=webp&s=6951431d479d27069daf9a26d286cb18e2e73ee1

The hunger for expansion still grumbles in the stomach of Rovugose. To secure their economic and militaristic future, Rovugose must control the regions to the north of it.

To protect against The United Crowns' (UC) colonial ambitions military bases and port north of the Horn must be constructed. They will serve as the preliminary defenses should war break out and also provides a harbour for naval vessels operating in Serpent's Deep.

Touching borders with Sky hold will allow for better diplomatic and economic relations. sky ports will be constructed to allow for more efficient transfer of resources to and from the floating city. The ports will allow for better take off and landing, mages and glyph inscribed runways can lighten cargo when taking off to aid in accelerating them to flight speed. Sky hold would prove a possibly devastation enemy due to their proximity and their arial nature which we do not have general adequate answers to. The should be placated through trade and currency, their mercenaries can be used for our cause.

ore deposits have been scouted in the region and areas have been found that have lateritic soils. bauxite and copper deposits have also been found. This will bolster the USHR's production capabilities and secures ore deposits for when the current ones run out.

The increased expansion adjacent to the Western Reach will increase the possibility of anti-urbanites arising and also bolstering their power due to the connection. a military presence will be erected between the two expansions to limit this, attempts will be made to not disrupt the paths of nomadic Rovugosians but this most likely will not be able to be done without tensions rising. News flowing out of the region regarding this will be minimised.

The militaristic nature of the Northern March settlements will dissuade anti-urbanites from taking militant action in the region. Khymiantas the union head for the armed forces will be sent to the region to boost morale and to ensure that our soldiers are content with their conditions and to supervise the creation of local committees to allow the soldiers to democratically control their livelihoods in the new region. Her presence will also help deter militant anti-urbanites. the 5th, 6th, and 8th infantry regiments will be the initial force sent and they will be supported by engineering and support regiments.

Last time we checked in with Korscha, the KPR was doing pretty well. It was also dealing with the consequences of its' actions economically-namely, that it had passed a restrictive water useage bill that preserved the environment but put limits on how much water could be drawn from rivers by large-scale operations. Since policy prioritized food production to ward off famine, larger water-draws such as livestock raising and cash/utility crops were relegated to second and third place. In order to raise a lot of cows or grow a lot of hemp, you needed to find a new place to do it. Luckily, Korscha was fairly empty. This wasn't because of the natives-Korscha wasn't a nice place to live, and neither were the surrounding environs. There had been some nomads in the past, but they had definitely gone somewhere nicer by now.

However, open land was open land, and if properly managed, it could give plenty over time. Koescha had a decent head start to doing this, and they didn't stop. Land was set aside in a fairly strict manner for fairly specific uses: herding was not easy on the ground if someone was doing it too intensively. Livestock-cows, sheep, goats, other things in their three and six legged glory all turned up the soil and drank water. Left to their own devices, they could-and would-easy eat through every single piece of plant life that they could find. It was necessary to keep an eye on them constantly, and to move them from place to place to keep the environment from being degraded. Roving bands of cowpokes-so called because they directed animals with long rods that poked-were necessary to keep this herds in line.

Lines were also necessary to keep the herds in line. Much of the land was fenced in, but not fenced off-people were still free to come and go as they pleased, but they absolutely had to shut the gate as they went through. The livestock, on the other hand, simply had to get to a slaughtering house and then typically to a smokehouse afterwards. A limited reach of railroads prevented large trains of cattle cars from bringing them to population centers, but cattle drives still existed-even if they took longer and delivered a leaner product. However, people living out in the boonies were able to get a lot of milk and cheese on demand-as well as cattle leather, glues, and plentiful wool. The Korschans were learning to use every part of the animal but the squeal. Notably, some monks took the time to do some neat forensic archaeology, and pulled out a coup: they recreated the parchments that original spellbooks and scrolls had been made on, rescuing from obscurity ancient techniques that had been thought lost to time. This was pretty darn cool, and Parliament ensured that these techniques got back to archival management and text repairs outfits throughout the land.

Unfortunately, these cattle also pooped. By pooping, they kept the parasite lifecycle going, and spread the collection of helminths that plagued the Korschans throughout these new lands. While their transition was limited by the lack of large waterways, the presence of these organisms in the water table was now cemented. The only thing preventing the problem from getting worse was the fact that ever-larger amounts of dung were being collected and processed into plant fertilizer, cleaned by high heat or chemical processing. Nitrogen was a very precious commodity, and Korscha simply was not at the level of being able to pull it from the air. It was highly prized, and also necessary for making explosives. But it came with a price right now, and that price was illness. At l

Cows were not the only thing that the Korschans grew out there. Cash crops-or utility crops, to put it more accurately, were also in demand. Hemp was the foremost thing to grow: it could be turned into cloth for bags and clothing-especially bags. It could also yield very useful oil, and soon enough, it did. Vast plantations-or what would count for something of that size in the broken-up terrain that was being turned into semi-worked arable land-soon opened to deliver product to powered looms and presses. While the cultivation of proper marijuana was also desired, it was a lot more hard on the soil, and hemp held said soil in place, keeping it in better shape. Fulfilling this function were also 'vineries' of seir-brambles, dense thorny bushes bearing red bitter fruits full of water. The Korschans enjoyed these berries in jams, but they made excellent, if strange wines-and they were amazing windbreaks and soil presevation planters. Precisely because their roots being menacing, and the plants themselves putting out chemicals that killed off their competition or stopped it's growth, sier-brambles were excellent ways to prevent other plants from growing out of control, and they stymied invasives-even as they produced a bitter honey that made the eyes water. Hundreds of years of proletarian wisdom and skill had turned a plant that would normally have been destroyed into a linchpin of ecological and social support. At least that's what the propagandists said-they weren't the ones wielding gardening shears and clipping these things down to size.

Korscha valued it's magic, and the new regime values it's spirits. Instead of killing them for sport, it tries to save what it can, and to not displace them too much. Traditionally, spirits have been worked with using large collections of cairns, standing stones, and circle-shaped architecture. Throughout the newly settled lands, more of these constructions are going up, ranging from menhirs and cairns to even larger chalk carvings. These marked off 'sprit preserves' and 'reservations', allowing the creatures of ether to rest, reproduce, and recreate...and be spied on by naturalists. A significant-and as yet unrecognized side effect of this-was to develop wildlife preserves and groundwater recharge areas. This was an absolute win, especially with what the land was being for. Regional mana reserves were slightly higher here, and mages rested better-but this was not a place one went to be a tourist. The KPR was not a pleasant place to be, and everyone was involved in hard work. Even as these big ventures largely succeeded, it turned out that they would lead to new problems: that of distance and time cutting yields down and making more centralized control harder.

Once again, Korscha has to deal with the consequences of it's actions...

The shipyard buzzes with activity as construction ships lay the keel of a new type of ship, a modern battleship for the modern era.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Constructor scrutinized the new prototype template she was given, a design for a truly modern line-of-battle warship with armor and firepower the likes of which are unmatched anywhere in the world. An incredibly ambitious design when considering the resources the Fleet had at hand, even with the industrial capacity of the Kingdom of Nautilus supporting them. It called for a never-before seen advancement in the form of an automatic loader, its blueprints provided with the template, that promised great capability despite its increased complexity.

“Are we even sure we can construct this new template?” Constructor said, nervous about the project at hand. Her assistant Industrious shrugged, similarly unsure. “This template calls for a hull that’s nearly double the size of our previous largest designs. If this turns out to be the path forward, we’re going to have to figure out how to fuel and maintain vessels this large.”

“Well, let’s not worry about the future of this design type just yet,” Industrious replied. “I am nervous about the project’s incredible scope as well, but until we go ahead and build the hull, we will not know how much resources it will cost to field and maintain it.”

“My main concern is whether we even have a shipyard big enough to support hulls this large,” Constructor added. “It would require a significant investment in expanding existing shipyards to both build and maintain the hulls, as well as creating larger CRR vessels to maintain these leviathans.”

Industrious nodded. “I can see where you’re coming from, but for now, I’m confident we can build this prototype. While the larger shipyards and CRR vessels haven’t yet finished construction, we could scale down the vessel to fit our current shipyards. Perhaps a 20% size reduction would be enough to allow us to comfortably use our existing infrastructure to build it.”

Constructor’s eyes gleamed with this new insight. “An 80% scale construction could allow us to start testing the design in advance, and once we prove the design works, we would have the required shipyards to construct the proper full-scale designs.” The construction-repair-refit ship pondered about the new course of action, nervous energy turned to newfound excitement. “It would also showcase our progress towards modernization to international watchers.”

“Right, and who wouldn’t be impressed by a massive warship?” Industrious smiled.

Constructor nodded, though her smile gradually faded as she scanned the template further. “I’m not sure where we’re going to find this... ‘mag-rifle’ system, however.” She looked back at Industrious with moderate concern. “Isn’t that a component we simply don’t have?”

Industrious thought for a moment. “I recall hearing about an agreement with a distant power talking about this system,” she said. “They sent their specialists to visit our Harbors with examples of this system, but they were too small for warship use. We still don’t know how the technology is activated so they agreed to provide us with rifles of the proper caliber while some of our technologists learn the concepts behind the mag-rifle.”

“So the weapon system isn’t yet ready, but Fleet Command has already asked us to build a new template…” Constructor sighed, rubbing her temples in frustration as she realized what’s happening. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

In Korscha, the Parliament sets foreign policy through the usual mess of deliberation, comittee-ing, and voting on specific policies. There is a slight difference to conventional policy development, however: Korscha assigns overt principles to each batch of policy that it tosses out there. This release is no different, except for this time the motivation is something that Feyris has very rarely ever seen. Korscha will explicitly act 'against prestige'. It denies the concept as applicable to itself, and declares that home affairs are of such priority that pursuing national prestige and great accomplishments outside of borders will not only be not pursued, but deemed unworthy of pursuit.

Reception of this has been mixed. Many patriots and nationalists are particularly cheesed off; the Army is not taking this as well as it could have. Being the Best Nation Ever is something that people love, and it was a motivating factor for many revolutionary types. That being said, the rank and file soldier has a fine understanding of how un-prestigious actual combat is, and what victory actually takes. Nationalists also must contend with the material realities of the nation itself. Korscha is still shambling into it's first industrial revolution, it is food insecure, it's people are illiterate and riddled with parasites. Living here is not comfortable or fun. You cannot declare that you live in the best country in the north when there is no sewage system in most of the small cities.

The only thing determining it's worthiness as a country, the bill writers have said, is the outcome for the lives of the people living in the KPR. This is an objective truth to them, and they will not budge. This dovetails with the ideas for economic growth, which is focused on the food supply as a cornerstone of a general standard of living. This makes sense, especially for where Korscha is. They also have the votes to keep economic policy firmly oriented in their direction, even as world events suggest that Korscha get a little more prepared for things to be less than friendly.

Those reading between the lines will be able to pick up on the fact that this foreign policy statement has a moderately well hidden insult to the worlds' other powers. With the United Crowns seeking a foothold on the continent, a straight up denial of one of their motivations-prestige-is a nice way to flip them the proverbial bird and show opposition. At the same time, it is a way to reassure their citizenry that the state will not waste it's power, money-or soldiers-for national glory. Korscha has clearly stated where it stands. Now we will see what happens next.

Map

Blue: Darkvine Isle

Red: Theraponei Land

Yellow: The Outposts

Darkvine Isle

This island is a full, proper part of the Grand Lordship of Nere. However, it was not always so. In the aftermath of the Great Scourge and the death of King Ardekios, the neighboring kingdoms reconquered the strategic and fertile Darkvine Isle. They began slaughtering the Nerine, much as the Nerine had themselves done just years prior. Once the Nerine started to become organized once more, this island was targeted vigorously for reconquest, more so than any of the other lost territories. This was because the loss of Darkvine Isle hampered any attempt by the Nerine to exert naval control or trade with outside powers, and allowed their enemies to easily blockade them.

Peace was eventually achieved, and the island granted to the Grand Lordship, under the stipulation that they not kill or expel the non-Nerine in these lands. While this treaty has not always held fully, a few human insular farming communities still exist on the island, much to the chagrin of the Nerine, who prefer their countryside to be empty, lonesome wilderness. These communities pay their taxes in the form of the bodies of their fallen, though this only amounts to a couple dozen usable corpses per year, far from the required thousands needed to maintain a stable population.

Theraponei Land

Roughly 300 years ago, the Grand Lordship had become centralized enough to take larger scale actions abroad. Of course, the first of these actions was to address the ever worsening population decline by finding a reliable source of fresh corpses. To this end, the Office of Colonial Affairs was established, and given the authority to find and conquer a land that:

1. Was populated by humans, in order to acquire what were considered the most desirable vessels.
2. Did not follow the “true faith”, in order to minimize the risk of angering their neighbors.
3. Was close enough to transport the bodies quickly, in order to prevent decay.
4. Had not yet widely adopted the use of firearms, in order to allow for easy conquest.

The coastal savannas of south Ashwyn were recognized as the prime candidate, and soon, the Office of Colonial Affairs had conquered vast swaths of land and begun sending bodies and other resources such as lumber and iron back to the homelands. After a few years, it became apparent however, that administering such an alien and hostile land, only to sell the resources in bulk to companies back home was not profitable at all, and the Office went deeply into debt. One of the most successful companies that took up the niche of collecting Sponsorship requests, then organizing with the Ranger Guilds, the Order of the 21 Truths, and the Office of Colonial Affairs to fulfill said requests at a profit, then came to the Office offering to pay off their debts in exchange for a government sanctioned monopoly in this industry. With this granted, they rebranded themselves as the National Sponsorship Company (NSC) and began making tidy profits. After this, they expanded, paying off the Office to be granted more and more privileges, until the NSC unofficially ran the entire colonial operation themselves.

The NSC, a profit driven and almost completely unregulated organization succeeded where the Office had failed, and turned heavy profits off the operation. However, they achieved this success with extreme measures; over the years, the NSC has done everything from outlawing local funeral customs and forcibly taking the bodies of the deceased, to occasional mass poisonings. 

This has naturally led to many revolts, all swiftly dealt with by the Company. However, in the last century, the local population has boomed. Originally welcomed and even helped by the NSC, as more people means more deaths, this would turn out to be a grave mistake. The larger population became difficult to control, and the revolts ever more dangerous. This forced the Company to sign multiple treaties with the locals, severely impacting exports and causing the price of corpses to skyrocket. These treaties are routinely broken by the NSC, and Therapon has become increasingly unstable because of it.

The Outposts

Small, failing, and unsanctioned by the government, the outposts are the most recent attempt by the National Sponsorship Company to reignite the corpse trade. Initially built thirty years ago to be the launchpoint of a massive new colony, this plan has been met with numerous setbacks and difficulties. The various local insectoid and human tribes have violently opposed all attempts at exploration or construction deeper inland, and know the jungle paths far better than the Nerine. Embarrassingly for the NSC, the insectoid physiology has been shown to be completely incompatible with the Awakening ritual, leaving many to wonder whether a colony would even be worthwhile.

What does exist is a series of small to medium sized fortified port towns, which rely heavily on the mainland for resources. Efforts have been made to bring in Ranger Guilds to venture into the jungles and collect food from the numerous Spirit Wilds within. These efforts, although of varying success, have brought hope that the outposts could become somewhat self-sustaining in the future. For the moment however, they remain at best expensive ports, and at worst useless sinkholes for money and resources. Desperate to maintain power over the corpse trade, and running out of other options, the NSC has stubbornly refused to withdraw.

https://imgur.com/a/QS5ILQU

Now, it is time for Korscha to enjoy something many people also enjoy: the consequences of it's actions. A decade and a half ago, it had passed a series of environmentally restrictive laws about the use of it's rivers, and while this had prevented drought from threatening the integrity of it's irrigation water supply, it had also put an upper limit on the amount of irrigation it could reasonably perform. This fundamental block had put a significant restriction on agricultural productivity, and while the nation was less worried about famine than it had ever been, it is still dealing with tightness in the food supply. Korschans are cat people, and cat people need more calories, protein-and meat. Animals take water to raise en masse, and water restrictions were even more damaging to larger herding operations. Cash crops were even more restricted. To come up with higher value-but less essential-stuff, Korscha had to look beyond it's borders.

On top of this, it was fairly obvious that the prior rulers of the nation had not had good strategic priorities. Much effort had been put into making Korscha a two-ocean power, at great expense and greater heartbreak. The completion of the Grand Highway alone had yielded more graveyards than it ever had gold; some of the management decisions had been downright homicidal. But Korscha could have benefitted far more from moving north and obtaining higher quality warm water ports, access to more fish, and participation in the circular trade of it's neighbors. Many generations of reformists, resistants, and now Revolutionaries had sought this growth in vain. Even before the dust settled, the Revolutionaries had been making plans to complete such a drive. Technically, one could peg this start at -5 CE. But then you'd be a nerd. Who likes history, anyway?

External affairs had also significantly increased regional tensions. One can blame the Fauri for 'starting it', but endless rounds of recrimination are pointless, especially when you can just order another war as a next course. The catfolk were acutely aware of their open flank, and while the Fleet and the Kingdom of Nautilus were not threats, other polities doubtlessly were. It was fairly obvious that Korscha could expand up to their border without care, for while the Spirits of Sail were potent on the land, they had an unfortunate range limit. However, bulldozing a neighboring polity was considered bad, and putting bullets into the Spirits was definitely Not Nice. Being awful was something that the Revolution had been fought to avoid.

Powering this expansion was 40 years of successful policy, a high quality road network, and a potent army. All of that policy means ready resources and good governmental organization, all of that road network makes things move faster, and all of that Army makes no one mess with you. Korscha was ready to pour into the gap. All it needed was the blessing of the Fleet and the Kingdom of Nautilus. Which it was soon to get. The catfolk offered several lucrative concessions-not even concessions so much as entitlements. The cats would build a road network up to the border to their neighbors' specifications. Nautilian citizens would be able to enter with the approval of only their authorities. Border markets were to be set up according to their specifications, not Korscha's. And an ironclad, independent agreement was signed that Korschan forces were not be moved within either the Kingdom or the territory of theFleet without their prior, explicit permissions.

These are bold offers. But there is a bold desire: that not a single shot be fired in this expansion, and that all parties maintain precious security in a time of massive change. By voluntarily giving it's neighbors power over it, the KPR seeks out a long-term, durable peace. Instead of expanding it's reach by force of arms, it grows with open hands to it's neighbors. Political power flows from the barrel of a gun, but moral power comes from willingness to be vulnerable.

Korscha has not really done central planning. Yes, there has been regional organization of water resources and the proper use of government assets, yes, the Commons are being aggressively managed. But there have never been any real directives of economic activity, of setting of prices and wages, of developing A Big Plan, coming from the highest levels of government in Korscha until now. Tiboria has loaded them 50,000 tons of steel, a decently large amount-and a blessing that it does not need to be made. In terms of effort, it is pretty much free. Even better, it has a railway standard-not just gauge-to copy: the USHR's. They are their nearest neighbor, and they share terrain and maintenance needs--it is a logical choice. The initial decision making had been made; the effort of getting steel to start with was abridged. Floating on this cloud of unexpected ease, Korscha could practically play model trains. It was a practically unearned scenario, but oh would the cat-folk enjoy it.

When the first Tiborian ship entered harbor, it was met by a waiting factory. This factory existed solely to make rails and bed ties. Steel was immediately fed into a smelter, finished billets came out and went into a rolling machine that made the requisite rail. Korscha had enough capital to spare that it could afford to send it's best and brightest, to concentrate workers on the budding rail line without issue, and to ensure that there was sufficient hard cash available to grease the wheels. With all of this cleverness in place, it was possible for the first few locomotives to ride the steel to their very first rail line destination: a coal mine. The factory wasn't going to fuel itself, after all. Deliberate, planned expansions were made throughout the mine; a quota instituted. This was too important to not fire on all cylinders for. The Parliament had a legitimate monopoly on coercion, and it was going to use it.

Two projects emerged. The first was the startup of Big Steel. Korscha needed Big Steel, but coal was in one place, and iron in another. Trains were needed to bring them together, and that was now possible. This was the explicit purpose of ShBren, the national steel producer. For no good reason, it was pronounced Shh-Bern, which was a loud raspberry in the planning room, and it would likely be misspelled until the end of time. Somehow, it got three smelters up. One used a classical Bessemer process, while two used a modification-what we would call the Thomas-Gilchrist process. Bessemer converters work well with specific kinds of ore that don't have phosphorous in them, but that ore type is limited. The T-G process, on the other hand, works with phosphate containing ore. It uses a different kind of furnace liner to do some different kinds of chemistry. Many nerds have written about this, but I will not be one. However, quite a few Tiborians did, and after some digging around, the Korschans were able to quickly find the right kind of soil needed to make refractory bricks. Because of how this process worked, the extra phosphates in the steel could be taken out and turned into fertilizer. For an agricultural-based economy, this was extremely important; Korschan production of food was still inefficient by normal standards-and phosphorous is somewhat harder to get compared to nitrogen. The strategic implications of this industrial project were extreme; all railroads under ShBren control went from a coal deposit, an iron deposit, a smelter that was part of a steel mill, and sometimes a place that just plain needed a rail connection. It is essential to note that this project was limited in scope and consumed relatively little steel; much of it went to the second-and arguably more vital-effort.

The second was the Central Linkage Program. Korscha had good roads, but no rails, and rails are what you need to move large amounts of things at any scale. The first railroads linked major cities to each other, coal sites to said major cities, and occasional logistics hubs to everywhere else. Geography was not so forgiving, but where it wasn't, there was gunpowder-and this was a bit of a limiting factor in the potency of this program. City linkages were important, but did not move to raw material centers--or villages. Another wave of connections went to seaside ports, which were being expanded, and to some river ports which served as de-facto entrepots. It was obvious that another wave of expansion would be necessary to connect towns and villages, but there was not that much steel coming from Tiboria. While the city connections were made to work and a couple of locomotive styles were established, the Korschan rail network was fundamentally limited in what it could do. Finished goods, refined materials, and general cargo were able to move, albeit with a bit too much expense. However, it was enough-more than enough. The opening of these railroads would be sufficient in continuing the industrial progress of these cities, and while they did not include passenger rail, cat-people could just hop on top of the cars. This was good enough...for some people.

Korscha brought a third of a rail network into existence over night. It linked critical junctions, connected cities, improved logistics-particularly for energy-and gave them invaluable learning experience in running not just trains, but entire train systems. This donation was a critical factor to the industrial revolution continuing; 4 decades of work were accomplished in 4 years. Proper planning lead to revolutionary outcomes-and part of this planning involved knowing one's limits...including the amounts of coal and steel that were available. Horse traction backups remained in use, and some locomotives were modified to run on peat or charcoal. One particular locomotive was modified to be pulled by an entire rugby team, who would eventually grow into a medium-tier club. And the remaining steel was used to fulfill the Tiborian's payment. A limited test network was built to a series of farming villages and towns, providing critical local connections and bringing back agricultural products of many different kinds. This took a bit more effort, and was a true learning experience-exactly what the Korschans needed. Planning only goes so far, and sometimes you gotta learn by failing.

Tiboria's payment continued for quite some time, and while it's not that much to mention-various foodstuffs were sent-Korscha made sure to send it's payment with a bit of extra meaning. Many of these shipments included specially marked boxes of seed crops. Just as Tiboria had given Korscha it's industrial future, the Revolutionaries gave Tiboria multiple decades of seedstock security. A hand up of this magnitude should only be returned.

https://preview.redd.it/bamw25b04pzd1.png?width=1186&format=png&auto=webp&s=060155e87a9a827b70b4baee69220c947902f83a

His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Henry VII l, announced at yesterday's Imperial Parliament session that he intends to abdicate in the coming years, after 46 years of ruling over Cirenshore.  

Following the forced abdication of Emperor Thomas II, Duke Henry of Goldcrest was elected in -46 at Brightling Abbey. Despite inheriting an outdated and financially broken nation, the Emperors reign has seen Cirenshore pulled into the modern age, reaching industrialisation levels on par with the worlds leaders. Our goods are renowned across the world for their quality and our traders welcomed in almost every port.  

Emperor Henry VII's reign will be a tough one to follow

Now at an age of 75, the crown appears to weigh heavily on our Emperors head and he wishes to retire in peace back to Goldcrest. The Emperor has given such advanced warning because it's common knowledge that there is no clear successor. Current candidates include the Emperor's son Duke Edward, Duke Robert and Duchess Valeria. 

Following in his fathers footsteps, Acting Duke Edward of Goldcrest leads the Liberal Party, pushing for a continuation of the 30 years of progress and reform. A spitting image of his father at that age, Duke Edward wants to propel Cirenshore into the next age, leading the world this time rather than lagging behind. 

The Imperial League has been led by Duke Robert Swann for some time now and are expected to back him. Duke Robert is a distant descendant of the original Swan family, who ruled Cirenshire until the 1st civil war. The Imperial League has been pushing for a tighter hand at the helm, decrying many of Emperor Henry VIIs achievements as short sighted, while many critics accuse their own policies of being cruel and draconic. Duke Roberts obsession with his family's history has also put many on edge, who believe he may try to reclaim the throne for the Swanm family. 

The Elector Alliance is led by Duchess Valeria of Norwark. The Elector Alliance has always been staunchly anti-centralisation and have fought the Emperor numerous times over what they claim is removal of their ancient rights. Although they've lost a lot of support towards the Imperial League, they are still a powerful bloc. 

Several smaller parties could affect the outcome include the Verdanian Trade Party and the Destranan Party. 

Story by Elise Miller 

It was quite unexpected for the entire empire and for myself. I was born from a former royal line. My 4^(th) great grandfather had been Emperor, and my family were far enough down the line of succession that we had enjoyed a reasonably comfortable life. That changed at the coronation of Emperor Ailuin Lafarallin Haldir Elen Bemere Ayen of the Winter Breeze. I was listed as the horrifying low number of fifth in line to inherit the throne. With such a low number I didn’t expect to live long and neither did many in the empire. The first two in line only made it the three years. Our family’s prestige fell and as the heir to the family it was seen that our line was doomed to end. That was until the Ayen dynasty quite suddenly ended. Still considered to have many years on the throne the cautious ruler of our land met a swift end to a bad heart. That late Autumn night I had just gotten the news that Darren the Younger first in line had been killed in a tavern and Fylson Sanev Aesandoral Nyana Zentha of the Autumn Moon second in line had absconded to ports unknown happy to be free from the throne. With the two who had so long sat in front of me gone I went from third to first. I too was contemplating an escape when the bells tolled from the palace. It was something like waking from a nightmare. The royal guards were only a second longer than the news. A stout Dwer announced himself.

“I am Dyrrick Commander of the Guard. By right of Succession and the authority of Ran I recognize you, Samuel Astur as Emperor of the Thalorin Empire. Long Live Emperor Astur!”

“Long Live the Emperor!” chorused the guards assembled.

That was last week. My official coronation planning was almost complete. It still didn’t feel real the historians were already busy recording the story of my ascent no one before me had ever ascend to throne from the single digits before. The first tasks would be creating my own line of succession and more importantly reopening the borders of the Empire. My predecessors kept us hidden from the greater world for too long. I may not have planned to become Emperor, but I would not disgrace my grandfather’s legacy and I cannot fail the Empire. May Aristo save me it’s time to lead.

IMPORTANT LINKS

Shard Introduction

New Players Guide

##News

Several innovations were had across Feyris, from the discovery of the Bosch process in Resmi, to the construction of the magical wonder that was the helikon, the current pride of the UHSR. Though more historical than contemporary, Korscha details their army's journey from warlords to war-winners, as they have phrased it. Also linking the past and the present together is the Mahtava Linna Natural History Museum in Puutarha. In addition, the United Crowns comes out of the information shadows, and reveals the history and development of both their national railway gauges, as well as the historic role and new direction of their fleet and general maritime doctrine. Finally, Cirenshore speaks of the magic as found in their nation. Mainly, what it does, and how it is taught and utilise within the nation.

##Meta News

One of these days I will be consistent in my posts. One of these days. Not today, just one of these days. My excuse is I was busy and uhhh yeah that's good enough for me so it's good enough for you. Anyway This week was a busier with, with plenty to read (including my own posts guys I did it I finally posted), so if you have a moment I encourage you all to pick a post and have a gander at it! Lots of great stuff coming out from you guys and I am happy to see it :)

Current Year: 5 CE

Maximum Forward Lore: 10 CE

##Weekly Events

There are several weekly events that are given the opportunity to stand apart from regular posts.

MARKET MONDAY

This was originally just a little idea that turned into one of CTW's bedrocks. This is a major interactive thread designed to bring together as many people as it can. One player acts as the host, introducing us to the setting and providing important context, then players join in. It's a micro-level event, focusing on the experiences of individuals. Despite the name, it doesn't need to be focused on a market. It can be a celebration, cultural event, or whatever you wish. (There is a variation on the Market Monday called the Meeting Monday, which is a more formal gathering of world leaders and delegates, but that only happens a few times a shard). Please keep in mind, hosting a Market Monday will mean you have a lot of responses you need to keep up with over the course of the week, so don't volunteer unless you will have the time for it.

Current:

4th of Nov - [unassigned]

11th of Nov - [unassigned]

18th of Nov - [unassigned]

25th of Nov - [unassigned]

TECH TUESDAY / THAUMATURGY THURSDAY

We have made some changes to this event. Tech Tuesday is for major developments in science and technology that stand to have an effect on the Shard as a whole. Thaumaturgy Thursday is essentially the same thing, except for developments that are more magical and fantastical in nature. If you are in doubt about whether a given idea is big enough to warrant a TT, please ask. Unlike other events, which are dealt with on a first-come-first-served basis, for a TT slot, the mods will first need to approve your proposed development before you can make your post. Right now we are going to allow both versions of TT to run in the same week, but if interest slows down we will switch to an either/or system.

Current:

Tech Tuesdays:

29th of Oct - Discovering the Bosch Process [JefftheDoggo]

5th of Nov - FULLY MECHANIZED LOADING SYSTEM [Dart_Monkey]

12th of Nov - [unassigned]

19th of Nov - [unassigned]

26th of Nov - [unassigned]

Thaumaturgy Thursday:

31st of Oct - The Helikon, the pride of the USHR [F4BE1]

7th of Nov - [unassigned]

14th of Nov - [unassigned]

21st of Nov - [unassigned]

28th of Nov - [unassigned]

WANDERER WEDNESDAY

Wanderer Wednesday makes a return for this yet-to-be-named-shard (there will be a new name here by next week), for two important reasons! But first, what is a Wanderer Wednesday? You can do a few things with it, actually. Write about a striking landmark in your claim, discover some ancient ruins out in the wilderness, or even a more slice of life tale about the hidden streets and back alleys of your age old city. Wanderer Wednesdays can take place both in and outside your Claim, and we encourage players to talk or collaborate with one another if a WW post crosses or interacts with multiple claims.

Importantly, it will be be a WW post that players can discover new Natural Wonders, which we will add to the map alongside the starting fifteen. For discovering a new Natural Wonders, players will have to submit to the Mods the name, location, and magical effect of their Natural Wonder for review, similar to what we do in a TT.

Current:

6th of Nov - [unassigned]

13th of Nov - [unassigned]

20th of Nov - [unassigned]

27th of Nov - [unassigned]

FEATURE FRIDAY

This is the oldest of our weekly events, going right back to the beginning. It's also the most open. There is no hard rule about what a Feature Friday needs to be, except that it should demonstrate that a fair bit more work went into it than a typical post. It should be used to showcase something interesting that you don't want to relegate to just any post. The Feature Friday will be stickied at the top of the page for the week.

Current:

8th of Nov - [unassigned]

15th of Nov - [unassigned]

22nd of Nov - [unassigned]

29th of Nov - [unassigned]

Note: To keep things simpler, requests for slots will be dealt with in the comments section on the Schedule Sunday post itself.

International Organisations

Minni International 6 (MI6), headquartered in Irgenwann.

NPC Claims

Kingdom of Gili Darat (Dawlah client state)

Commonwealth of Vahanas (Dawlah client state)

Republika av Irgendwann

Æ

The Harushan Tribal Zone

##Prompts and Culture Cues Prompts:

Culture Cues:

My Anthem

Public Secrets

Exotic Wares from Exotic Wheres

For Queue Culture

And finally, if you have any other questions, please share them below.

###FULLY MECHANIZED LOADING SYSTEM

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

A serious gap in the Fleet’s ability to fight a naval war was its complete dependence on manning to effectively use their arsenal of guns. The recent pact with the Kingdom of Nautilus enabled them to fill in some gaps in capability but they understood for a very long time that dependence on manning is a serious vulnerability in their warfighting potential.

With the help of Nautilus technicians and engineers, the Fleet experimented with various arrangements and designs for an automatic turret configuration, working out the kinks and problems each new configuration presented. Certain aspects of the automation were well beyond their current capabilities, things that still had to be operated manually. However, the Fleet were one step closer to stripping down the process to mechanical actions with which future spirits-of-sail can operate without directly interacting with the gun system.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The full mechanization of gun loading is seen as the biggest innovation in the Fleet’s history after the development of efficient steam engine propulsion, providing future spirits-of-sail an incredible leap in firepower potential and capability. Whereas current systems require the manual transport and loading of the gun system’s ammunition and propellant, requiring considerable manpower to effectively operate, this new system significantly reduces manpower requirements and streamlines the gun’s operation to enable greater and more consistent rates of fire.

The fully mechanized gun loading system consists of three main parts. The gunhouse is the visible part of the weapon, housing the guns’ breech and other mechanisms. Below the gunhouse is the ready ammunition magazine, where the prepared shell and propellant are stored on stand-by, ready to be lifted to the gunhouse as required. The final and deepest part of the system is the main ammunition store, where the powder and shell are usually stored separately. The two parts of the ammunition–the shell and the propellant charge–are to be assembled. This is the only part of the system that still requires manning to be efficient.

Connecting each of the three parts is an elevator system that mechanically shuttles each piece of ammunition towards the decks above. Each gun system has two sets of elevators: one set connects the main ammunition store to the ready magazine, a slower but more powerful type that can lift several prepared shells at a time, while the other set is a lighter but much faster elevator that shuttles ammunition from the ready magazine directly to the gunhouse.

A hydraulic mechanism within the gunhouse receives the prepared ammunition and aligns it with the gun breech, at which point a hydraulic ram loads the shell into the gun. For larger and heavier shells for which the mechanism may become overloaded, the loading is done in two parts. The mechanism carries the shell first, aligning it to the breech as it would the full piece ammunition, before returning to collect the powder charge in the same way.

Because of the amount of reconstruction required to retrofit older vessels with the modern mechanism, this system will not see use until the next series of hulls are completed, where the first fully mechanical gun system will see service.

The focus of Parliament and the Central Revolutionaries changed as projects became more complex, and developments became intertwined. Complexity was guaranteed...but not an enemy. Korscha continued to recover and industrialize.

...attended the meetings of the state-owned lumber producer Shodert, which is used to harvest timber from the southern forests. The meetings are large and complex affairs in big halls, with many of the workers present. Unions are well represented, many workers have their colors. Shodert's management is Red and encouraged their formation. The floor to office promotion requirement has done much to keep this ongoing...

Many things were discussed. The first is the mechanization of mills and the use of field engines. They are badly needed and operations are right now tied to mills and only use hand power. This must change. Road maintenance crews must be increased, and carts must be changed and improved. A mapping department was set up five years ago. It presented it's work to a transit subcommittee for their use. An ecology and foresting department, and a spiritual management department all presented their first reports; a prior motion to open these departments was approved. The spiritual maintenance department described the processes for rebuilding associating stone circles and sheltering piles, a series of photographs of a reconstructed and occupied cairn were circulated. The spirit sitting on it consented to make itself seen for the picture. Much was said about mushrooms...

Shodert has taken on great responsibilities in managing the wood of the southern forests. It uses and designs and makes new tools and mill systems, it seeks out engines, it develops ways to send wood. But it must industrialize. It requires both railroads and field engines, and it is sending a letter to the RevPar to ask for these. It is hitting its limits, and it recognizes this. Therefore, it seeks out revolution and is actively engaged in thought struggle and physical revolution to revolutionize the country further more. The entity is a company, but it is aware of its own nature in capitalism and it rejects it. In doing so it has become fully Red; although right-deviationism is a hazard...

The copper mine at Chatepraal is an example of a successful social revolution leading to a successful historical revolution and a successful physical revolution. It is also a sign of the struggles needed for a successful material revolution. The miners and leaders we're organized, the bosses and towns made Red or overthrown. The copper that supplied counter-revolutionary decadence now supplies revolutionary endeavors. After social revolution was achieved, the miners made all of the upgrades and improvements to the mine as are being made in other places...they also began and are continuing improvements upon the land around the mine...the land is better, more useful, and even more inhabited by the spirits. However, all of these efforts have been for projects that should have been completed in previous historical-social-material stages of development; they should all have been done after Enclosure and Commons-Theft. All that remains to be done is improve the towns around the mine, which is being done. After these towns are finished, there will be more experts and engineers and operators of things, but they will likely only bring in diminishing returns...until the physical-material reality is changed, we will be held back...

I visited the Farsign silver mine on Parliamentary request. Unlike it's name, it was fairly nearby. This area has a long history of providing silver for the lords, and it was a place of constant revolutionary struggle of the workers and peasants against them. They were awfully oppressed, and since there was much lead with the silver, many suffered and died, becoming cripples...

The mine has been shut completely. Clean-up of the area has been ongoing. Much has been done to remove the slag and prevent run-off from being spread into the fields. Production of silver, while vital to currency, would have kept killing everyone. The mine extracted mostly zinc and lead ores, and the silver had to be removed from them with mercury. No containment pots for the mercury were made for much of history, and it entered the water. This has harmed many. Fumes and vapors from the mine and the processing areas also entered the air. These made deadly clouds. There are fewer birds and almost no spirits here. Cleanup of soils is complicated and requires magic; while some plants will accumulate the pollutants, this process is slow and the plants must be burned and potted afterwards...

The area is adopting Proletarian and sacred magics to deal with this problem. The Monastery has also been collecting death records to determine the population of the area and how it changed over time, as well as where the pollution has gone. They have described spells and methods for safely potting the pollution and drawing it away. They have tested them with the community. The peasants and proles have made a walking ground upon which to bear cleaning rune-signs as they power a spell. A circle-pole is also being considered, the mageengineers are obtaining suitable pines. A potting house will be complete when this report is delivered...

Since the area is windy, windmills may be used a lot. This has helped with mana summoning and water pumping. Town renovations using work teams from outside areas are also ongoing. It is to be decided if food must be imported into this area, because the farmlands are polluted. It appears as if this must be done. Plans are being made to restart production, but they are not going to be easy. In addition to extensive water and plant protection, the mines must be worked sparingly, sometimes by golems. Since there are no spirits in the area, we cannot call for spirit inhabitation. Shodert is supporting wood cleanup. Old lead bole hill smelts are being cleaned up slowly, because the material is heavy. They are potting much of the waste, and storing more in water-safe locations. The methods work, but the pollution has been bad...two modern cupola furnaces will replace all of the smelters used here, the efficiency changes are so great. Many persons state that the area feels accursed to them, that there is a weight of centuries here...the death record analysis is to be sent to CrOOsh.

...i have visited the old bladeworks at Sobostopol. It is a site to be seen, especially since it has been re-roofed after 80 years of trying. The masters here are largely gone, the structure is proletarian now. While the military need for blades is present, it is not acknowledged. The proletarians are only focused on their own needs...

...it has been decided by the workers to make tools, and tools only. Many of these are to be hand tools, reinforced and made for conservation of strength and ease of use. Some will be machine attachments. It is estimated that three factories can be established to make crafting hand tools, one factory for powered tools, one factory for magical tools, and one factory for machine tooling. A final seventh factory, the most Proletarian-Peasant, will be used to create shovels, and nothing else. By this plan, an industrial tool building complex will be constructed and used to supply the needs of the entire nation...

...particular care must be given to supplying the complex with finished materials. To this end, the entire furnace area is being torn down and rebuilt into one continually active smelter complex, which will be supplied with coal from a chosen mine. I have seen to the opening of this mine personally. The facility will never shut down. Steam engines will be used to provide air flow and drive shafts, which will give the facility tremendous power. It will be so productive that it will make tools for the entire nation...

...the means of war have been turned into the implements of peace. We are honoring the ancestors with this expanding prosperity, turning from waste to worth. However, there is a loss of ability to produce military necessities, like knives and swords, axes and machetes. This will have to be replaced. I am not sure how it will be done. Parliament must take up this issue with the same revolutionary fervor that it forever transformed the old blade works with in the first place...

...attended a rare gun factory that had been in operation since the days of the old regime. It was a manufactory that had been steadily upgraded and improved, expanded with outbuildings and modern lathes to form a proper factory. Now it is all Red, all the workers inside Red, the management Red, the ethos and signs and declarations Red...

...it is also behind in it's production schedule for a couple of reasons. The first is the planned offline time for internal maintenance, which needed two extra months in order to address all found issues. The second are more site renovations, which were focused on making the grounds much more navigable, and took an additional three months longer. They were worth it. There is no mud or dirt, no flooding, no crowding, no traffic jams, and the mess halls are much nicer. Workers do not need to worry about light or safety. However, there is no electric lighting. Work stops in the evening. The facility is also chronically lacking in good quality steel and has been hunting for more of it; it had installed a remelting furnace to use scrap steel. This was not as efficient, only scrap iron is in quantity. We are working on sending this scrap iron to a steel mill, however the distance is challenging. Imported steel must be considered...

...the workers here have a great knowledge of guns all around the world, and they keep abreast of foreign developments. Particularly, they are interested in small arms, however, they also follow the development of artillery. They have begun opening a full quality and inspection hall, to be finished by the end of next summer. This is important for performance and essential for safety. They are also clamoring to open a testing range. However, they have said that Korscha needs an equivalent of their nature for artillery, and that a place for the production of cannons and howitzers does not exist yet...they are very worried about it and so am I...Parliament must act!

Few older practitioners of weapons joined the revolution, but few existed in the first place that would be worth having. One who is Red in the Friendstadt province outside of Kovol City supported the workers, however, arming many of them and enabling them to drive off a White Levy. He has recently passed away, and I arrived two days before his Open Funeral. As was proper, I attended. I stripped myself and shaved my back, and was absolve temporarily along with the other mourners...the mayor spoke briefly, and an open stand gave tribute to him.

His workshop is a modernized marvel of the revolution. All of the best machines are used by well trained and motivated workers. It is used as a model of others, and a detail of worker-scribes have documented it before the founder joined his clan. Now it is a private shop for the moment. It's future is to be decided soon, but it is being given space and grace. Everything within is powered, the drills are run by steam shafting and spells are used to check the final product, as well as a firing and proving room. It is a truly exemplary workshop, but it would be more revolutionary if electric lighting was employed. The space is clean, well kept, and organized. It is tended to hourly...

...the workshop produces small arms exclusively, and is a good place to produce early runs of prototypes or newly accepted weapons. Modifications can be made here. Maintenance of important guns can also be carried out. They produce rifles, carbines, and pistols in small numbers, equipping calvary scout groups or militias. This workshop should not be tasked with more, however. It is at it's limit, and it's founder has died. It must be preserved for the future, and supported. Parliament, give to the ancestor their recognition, speak his name in public. Let it do what it can. Establish more like it in other towns. Do not squander this place...

...after the funeral, I went to the smelters and foundries on the other side of town. They are complete proof of the revolutionary nature of our socialist city planning and it's guaranteed success. We have rebuilt everything around the cities' old foundries and blowing mills. The roads are all flat and even, there are sidewalks and loading cranes. The street signs are accurate and there is a people's traffic watch. It is getting better coordinated. All of the buildings have been rebuilt. Working in them is now much easier. The furnaces have recently been completely overhauled, repaired and replaced as needed. They are modern reverberatory furnaces, properly equipped with the right hearth bricks and cupolas. There is a People's Chemistry Department for Metallurgy. It is basic but helpful..

...the foundry outputs are still small volume compared to other nations. However, they have already spurred the city's industry to fully meet its demands, and to provide for the outlying townships. We are seeing further gains in efficiency and output from coordination alone. Steel has been produced in test heats. Improving the social coordination of the town through repairing and construction of the social fabric has provided great gains in efficiency. Even if they are only pink or unassociated, the workers here are benefitting the Revolutionary cause and benefitting from it too. They are seeing that our system surpasses the feudal and capitalistic orders, ending extraction and keeping the laborer free...

...the output of the rolling steel mill is the most vital thing to the Revolution. It is necessary that this output be increased and placed everywhere to revolutionize the material factors of the nation. A plan has been implemented by the mill-users throughout the country where practical that will support this: while normally modern rolling mills would put all other operations immediately out of use with their output, it has been realized that there is such great need for the products of these mills that the old operators, spare as they are, can continue production of their specific goods. Two mills, one at Laesofrdt and one in Sobostopol, make iron nails. One mill at the renewed copper mine makes copper wiring. All of these mills, along with four others, have been described in reports here...

...I have visited them all. There are two more mills in being examined. Parliament, you have sent examiners to both. The reports are attached and known. The first mill, for coppering ship hulls, has finished repairs and has been reopened for use. It also makes good roofing material. A few salvageable wooden vessels are being recoppered, and those remaining vessels are being repaired until scrapping. A significant reworking of the mills output is being undertaken. This will give it more applications... The Granville Armor Factory, to make vessel armor, was made as a copy of Tiborian approaches. It was barely functional, but it was used to make hundreds of yards of ironclad armor. However, it's products were lacking because it was not run according to Tiborian standards using Tiborian methods. The mill is now shut, while retraining is conducted and equipment layouts are changed. It is likely that it will succeed in it's original goal of making ironclad armor, however, this output is obsolete. The new goal is to make hull steel. It is likely that success will come here, eventually. However, a full worker community must be created, and the area around it is unpleasant to live in. Discussions about the transformation of nature and housing remodeling are already underway. Radical, Revolutionary action is to be taken!

...I have visited the old engine works at the Sobostopol millwright hall. The guild hall is being preserved for a meeting room, and historical experiences. Some of the old workshops have been torn down, a few expanded. Land nearby has been processed for the establishment of many more, as well as storehouses. There are three machine shops, and a foundry is being constructed. The old woodworking shop is being overhauled, as well as the smithies-they have hired in three new smiths, and are going to hire at the Journeyman Fair next week...

...there is unfortunately little knowledge of modern engine types and methods, and only middling knowledge of other types. Of the workers here, there are three kinds: the older workers who stayed with this place for a job and don't mind working on engines, the newer breed who are Red and know nothing but enthusiasm, and the few experts, who are all pessimistic and know enough about engines. A pair of organizing comissars have been dispatched. The first is taking the old workers and the newer breed down to the People's Educational Hall for classes to get them better known. The second is working with the engineers to establish baseline safety and power standards, and to ensure that the right equipment is being brought in. Currently, the second group is being trained by the first group of using some nearly obsolete drills; and smith-machinists are making more, better drills. A safety and testing hall has also been demanded, and land is being acquired for that purpose now. Architects are designing safety features.... ...right now, the engine makers are focusing on boiler production. This is challenging and essential; since it requires good manufacturing, good materials, and good testing. It will encounter all of the challenges in the engine itself, such as the high temperatures and pressures. This is moving slowly, but lots of training is being done. Material issues are also present, but these are being rectified using processing approaches. Chemistry of steels and iron is still a big problem. It is not being addressed with enough force. Parliament must act!

Electricity has always excited many, including the previous bourgeois-feudalists and their degenerate members. They sought to use this discovery for lighting, for amusement, for communication, for torture and experimenting with the dead. Two of these things are very bad...

...the Lord of Faersfordt had an interest in electrical things, and in addition to buying a lot of stuff from abroad, had a workshop here to make more of it. Everything was craft made, some by hand. His castle had electric lighting, which we scrapped. Maintenance had been neglected on the system, and this had made it extremely unsafe. We have extracted designs and techniques here, particularly for electric lighting and motors, as well as generators. We have identified how they were made here, and what imported materials were used...

...after tearing down the castle, the workshop was expanded vastly. One area produced wire, one switches and relays, ne telegraph equipment, one lighting, one motors. There was also work on batteries. It is estimated that a factory each will need to be constructed for battery production and dynamo building. This will be a significant undertaking, but it will be revolutionary. Already, we are setting aside copper and coal for these purposes, and researching various insulators for wiring...

We have established that telegraph equipment will need to be made in another complex and by itself. A factory for wire alone will be necessary. This workshop has minimal value in production, but it will be perfect for producing prototypes and evaluating equipment. Books are already being brought in to teach workers, and we are making an intake and analysis program for new equipment...

In Sathfaer, there is a street named after Mackherant, who no one remembers but their name. Local historians are perplexed by this, and are slowly conducting research as to why. This street has two sides, one of which is dominated by jewelers, and another by old weaving shops. The jewelers, reactionary and cruel, were tied to the nobility and reactionaries. As the revolution went on and the moral majority broke down their chains of exploitation, they went out of business. The weavers shops were filled with proletarians and Red workers, who organized themselves for greater efficiencies. They made coats for the people and uniforms for the soldiers. As the material reality of used materials changed, they experienced good fortune.

The Reactionaries lost the war, because revolution is inevitable. No one can stop progress, just change how it moves. After the war, the jewelers area remained in disarray. One or two shops remained active. The weavers organized, mechanized, and are a well-known Red Proletarian organization with increasing output. Hemp and wool clothes are their primary outputs, and the old weaving shops are now occupied by tailors who perform fittings and repairs. One has succeeded because it embraced change and was widely needed. The other failed because it resisted change, and because it was more specialized with a limited use for it's goods. It is essential to remember material factors...

...plans are being drawn up to turn the old jeweler's into a place to make magitech of multiple kinds. Myriad uses are being suggested, and renovations to the old buildings finished last month-the area is now much larger, easier to navigate, better connected to the world and better lit, and above all, safer to use. Right now, work is underway to obtain enchanting and infusing systems, and to develop the engines needed to drive other tools. A magical smithy is also being installed. Devices to sense magic should be obtained, but these are scarce and may need to be made here instead. The production of objects may include mirrors and the growth of large crystals...

...our plans for the area are ultimately to open up a factory that will make small pieces of jewelry. This jewelry will monitor the health of the wearer in order to detect if they are likely to have a fit or to get sick. It will protect those of frail constitutions and alert guardians of oncoming illnesses. There are also plans to make some scrying equipment, but that will require the crystal forming units to be successfully repaired and brought back to working order. We will need to exceed the feudal regime in this area, both in reliability and in accuracy-efficiency metrics. Finally, some have discussed making seven league boots, but these are risky things to wear and use. I am not optimistic about these prospects...

...in Korscha, there are many who desire technicological progress and success, to advance industrialization at many costs. We must ensure that this is done in order to build a strong nation and to reduce and remove want and need. Ending scarcity is revolutionary, and this must be done by altering the material conditions of the world. This will require the opening and operation of various chemical plants and refineries. These are very hard to successfully build, especially if they are to be kept operational continually. In order to do so, engineers in Variostaval have formed a Leadership Cadre for this purpose. They have constructed Model Refineries, which all Korschans may learn from...

...the most basic is an alcohol distillery, producing very high concentrations of the substance. This can be used for chemistry applications and cleaning. Another one is a concentrator of tars and pitches, to obtain useful chemicals from them. There is a potash extractor, and a leachate-works for multiple types of ores. A facility for preparing cement is also active, and is contributing to building-up efforts in the city. There is an explosives making plant, which produces blackpowder and smokeless powder using example processes. Most appreciated is a dye production plant. It is used to make anilines, and a book has just been published about how each dye can be used in various cloths...

...a number of engineers and municipal authority figures have visited from across the country to view these plants. They interested in constructing their own versions for use back in their local areas. Many are particularly interested in soap production, for washing paws and bodies. Liquid soap solutions are excellent at dealing with fur-bugs of all kinds, and they also make one smell good. I prefer hemp scent. Under construction is a refinery of flavored maple syrup, which will having a bottling area attached. A request from the public has also been made for a MeloMel plant, but that will be somewhat difficult. The equipment is not made here. One issue is with the town gas plant that has been built. It is very hazardous for workers and is very inefficient. I do not anticipate a positive review of it's activities...

As I prepared this report to be mailed, I was informed of one new revolutionary measure that was being. I went to go and see. It is the setting aside of land and sites for future factories and other industrial areas. By reserving this land and building roads to it, we can build more factories once the equipment arrives and the need is realized. There is plenty of need for things, and we must de-cottagize all production for the comfort of the people and the production of more goods. Now we are preparing the ground for it all...

...after seeing these sites, I went to obtain breakfast and tend to the horses before starting to travel to Sobostopol. I went with four comrades. We found a traveller's hostel, which was a big house that served waffles to us. We also saw a postal station working to carry mail, and a patrol of road police and many travellers passing by. The roads here were built by work teams that state capital had funded. They were well paved, smooth and easily used. Carts and foot traffic were prevalent. Being able to easily move food helped prevent famine. Being able to move messages and police helps halt counter-revolutionaries. We will also be able to move soldiers when the time comes, although it is nothing compared to railroad. Korscha has been strengthened by the Central Body of Revolution Persons and their Parliament over the past 40 years. Now it is time for us to continue to press forward into full revolutionization of...(he goes on like this for ten paragraphs).

Autalia, and the United Crowns at large, has never been a particularly large or major naval power. The Duchy and then Archduchy of Autalia was, historically speaking, a landlocked nation, and had only gained access to the coasts via conquest or diplomatic actions towards both Boldric and the Whispering Sea over the seas. Between this, and Autalia’s dynastic and continental focuses, the Autalian fleet has always been small, coast bound, or passed off to some other organisation that already possessed a fleet. Mercenaries or allied state alike.

The Empire of Autalia made a more concerted effort to build up a fleet, having the means and the will to do so. Though never a primary focus, it was still given the attention it had lacked in previous centuries, especially given the need for a more permanent fleet that the Empire as a whole required for itself. The fleet was never meant to be large or cross-continental. Enough to secure the Empire’s coasts and its maritime trading lanes, and to combat piracy and privateering. If not engaging in a little bit of it themselves at times.

This was more true for the Empire’s northern Boldric Fleet, which was smaller and less prestigious than the southern Whispering Sea fleet, and in particular, was chiefly made up of Zadraucans. A people long familiar with maritime activity, and the associated privateering that came with it, as both victims and perpetrators of such actions.

The respective fleets could hold their own against the foreign fleets of the day, but again, they were never meant to be juggernauts unto themselves. Their role was a supportive one, rather than acting as a pillar of the nation itself.

In the modern day however… attitudes are very much changing. Now, in an age of ever greater globalisation, colonisation, and maritime prowess, the United Crowns have decided that it should not sleep on this oft forgotten sector of society, and to really capitalise on the potential they see themselves possessing.

United Crown doctrine, as such, has begun to move in a direction befitting their ambitions. A larger, more modern fleet, that aims to secure the dominance of the United Crowns in its local seas, and to support the efforts of the Imperial-Royal government in neighbouring oceans in the spheres of political, commercial, and diplomatic actions.

In a way, not much has changed from older models of Autalian naval doctrine. The navy still exists in a mostly support role, and where it can go and what it can do is limited by both geography and purpose.

However, the navy may not be as “neglected” as it may have been considered in the past, and instead it is to be brought into a more central spotlight for the Imperial-Royal government. The navy is to be expanded in size, modernised in equipment and armament, and its scope of operation to be equally enlarged. The Whispering Sea shall become a Fauri lake, and the Boldric an elongated lake. The likes of Serpent’s Deep and even parts of the Great Deeps are looked at as areas of expansion for the United Crowns navy, tied into other geo-political interests that the United Crowns holds in mind.

The current United Crowns navy, split between the northern and southern fleets still, is rather small relative to the size and economic ability of the nation. A doctrine of quality of quantity has been practised since the formation of the state, and this is the attitude to be held going forward in the near future, as better arms and armour is prioritised over having simply more ships. However, more ships is on the menu, and an expansion of the shipyards is in order for the coming construction and maintenance demands of the expanded fleets. A new cadre of officers and admirals is in order, and the admiralty as a whole has been given much sought after funds to improve officier and crew training and readiness.

This will take some time to materialise, but the United Crowns, and in particular it’s monarch, sees that now is the time for the United Crowns to carve for itself it’s niche in the maritime sphere. In conjunction with the current geo-political reality of the world, and, perhaps importantly, of the state and monarch’s future ambitions both near and abroad.

Autalia had been a rather early adopter of the railway, to speak in broad strokes. People in both government and individually saw the immense value of the railway, especially in the rapidly centralising times of the Empire of Autalia. As such, a veritable explosion of railway construction was had in days past, with the industry very quickly catching on in neighbouring lands and kingdoms.

In particular, the nobles of Hustaria and Throngalia, seeing the success and potential in their Autalian contemporaries, moved to implement their own railways and locomotive industries. Of course, These nations were already under the purview of the Autalian Emperor, and as a part of His Royal Highness’ realm, the railway would have come to them in one form or another. Like many previous industrial advancements, early growth and development was driven by private interests, and this was just as true in Autalia, Throngalia, and Hustaria.

The interconnectedness and ease of transportation that the railway bought, and the power that those who control it actually had, sparked unseen fears in certain sectors of society. In particular, the railways allowed for the central government, that is, the imperial government, to exert a greater level of force and projection than seen previously, which to both the nobles of the other kingdoms, and to nationalist forces in these nations, proved a deeply worrying development for their future and security.

Much conflict was had regarding the expansion and construction of certain railways, which tied into the greater story of imperial advancement and regional separatism that Autalia, and eventually, the United Crowns was centered around.

Among the splurge of private developments, different government conditions, and nationalist sentiments, was that many of the railways were not connected to one another, doubled up, and most importantly, featured different gauges for their tracks. Making travel impossible between railroads that would otherwise be a part of the one and the same track.

The formation of the United Crowns would spell the end to this. A unification of the railways had already begun prior to the formation of the United Crowns, but the creation of the United Crowns, and the other effects that the Compromise of the Crowns had on its constituent nations both socially and politically, meant this process was swiftly seized and unified.

In the modern day, the United Crowns utilizes two railway tracks across the entirety of its nation. These are the 760mm ‘Leitica’ gauge, and the 600mm ‘Narrow’ gauge. The Leitica gauge is the standard used throughout the nation, and notably, it is a gauge that has been adopted by the nations surrounding the United Crowns, which as such, allows for ease of connection to the railways of neighbouring regions and nations. The 600mm gauge is a specialist gauge that is namely utilised for smaller operations, such as mining, some military logistics, and local civilian lines.

Though the Imperial-Royal Government does not feature a Ministry regarding railways and locomotives, these departments being found instead among the national ministries of the Kingdoms and the related Crownlands, it was by common consensus that the Empire and the Four Kingdoms adopt a common railway gauge, and otherwise begun the process of linking railways across borders at agreed upon junctions, and the delineation of ownership and maintenance for different stretches of the railways.

Though still somewhat messy bureaucratic speaking, as is true for most things government related in the United Crowns, this process has still massively streamlined the mess of previously disparate elements together. Allowing for a truly cross-national railway system to be established, pleasing most regional elements, and allowing the social, political, and economic benefits of such a system to be reaped by the state and its constituents alike.

Magic is generally accepted in Cirenshore provided it is safe, useful and regulated. With the industrialisation of Cirenshore, magic has become increasingly used in Cirenshore's growing industries. As such, demand for magic users is high and they're treated very well by their employers.

Imperial Arcane Bureau (IAB)

Magic in Cirenshore is regulated by the Imperial Arcane Bureau, a governmental agency under the Home Office. The Bureau is responsible for ensuring magic is not used against Cirenshore, but also on promoting its safe and practical use. As such the Bureau works closely with education organisations, the Cirenshore Constabulary and Imperial Customs to ensure their mission is complete.

The Bureau employs two teams to carry out its duties, the Enforcers and the Arcane Inspectors. The Anti-Magic Enforcers are trained in methods to negate magic and wear anti-magical equipment to assist their efforts. Their work usually involves hunting rogue magic users or magic proofing areas (particularly government buildings after the infamous brawl in -64 that almost burnt down the Imperial Parliament). The Arcane Inspectors are magic users specialising in investigation and detective work. They investigate crimes that might have involved magic, or normal cases from the Constabulary that might need some magical assistance. Sometimes the Inspectors are tasked by the government to carry out special investigations on their behalf, which could be anything from investigating causes of a shipwreck to investigating the validity of corruption allegations.

All magic users in Cirenshore, both native and foreign, must register with the Bureau or face escalating penalties. This process is designed make it easier to keep track of and track down individuals of interest, whilst also putting off those that might do harm.

Royal Colleges of Magic

The best place for magical learning in Cirenshore, the Royal Colleges of Magic are universities pushing the boundaries of magical knowledge and research. There are currently 11 colleges spread across Cirenshore to ensure an even-ish level of magic education.

In addition to the 11 colleges, there are a few other sites for magical learning:

Imperial Academy of Magic - The academy was formerly a Royal College, however was incorporated into the Imperial Academies of Swanhaven with the Imperial Academy of Science and Imperial Academy of Arts. The academy is located just outside Swanhaven to limit any magic accidents affecting the city.

War Caster College - Training camp for the War Casters at Tresbridge Castle in Talaham. The gruelling training and magical transformation techniques are a guarded secret of the College staff. The area around the castle is off-limits to prevent accidents as the War Casters are famous for their destructive magic.

Sanctuary of Saint John - Hospital and teaching place for the Healers of Saint John. Located in Athelfield, the hospital is leading the nation in healthcare, particularly in the field of magical healing. The Sanctuary is a charity, getting it's funds from donations.

Magic in the Military

The Royal Battlemages - Most magic users in the military fall under the Royal Battlemage Division, led by the First Battlemage (currently Princess Ester Alver of Alvercliff). The division is a bureaucratic grouping only, as they are never deployed together. Instead they are usually embedded in small groups amongst army units to act as support. Mages are treated as key assets, so their lives aren't thrown away as easily as regular infantry. A small number of Battlemages are also present in the Palace Guard, with duties such as creating and maintaining magical wards or providing magical assistance to the rest of the guard.

Arcane Engineers - The Arcane Engineers are a part of the Imperial Engineers. Specialists with a wide variety of skills, the Arcane Engineers are a mixed-magical regiment drafted from all walks of life. They can often be found when defences need erecting or breaking. Some of the Arcane Engineers specialise in ward breaking and are deployed to weaken wards so artillery can be more effective.

War Casters "Line Breakers" - War Casters are hulking armoured mages that utilise chaotic and destructive elemental magic to devastate the enemy. Formed in -728, the War Casters were initially as deadly to their own side as they were the enemy, prone to causing large scale casualties on both sides. War Casters are created as much as they are trained, twisted by alchemy and magic to become the danger they are on the battlefield. Over the years, they've been refined and have reached a point of "acceptable" friendly fire incidents. They've been nicknamed the Line Breakers for their habit of smashing opposing lines they've been deployed against.

Healers of Saint John - Trained at the Sanctuary of Saint John, the Healers are magical medics. Independent from the central government, they nonetheless offer their services to the military in exchange for a small fee. As such, a few are often attached to regiments to bolster the armies Medical Service.