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: The Longbay Colony

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.

The Longbay Colony

Ruled to varying extents by the Grand Lordship for just over three hundred years, this colony was established for the sole purpose of fulfilling the increasingly dire need for a single resource: Corpses. Composed of a majority population of humans, and a ruling minority of Nerine, the Longbay colony is officially administered by the National Assembly. However, most of its actual operations are run by the National Sponsorship Company (NSC), a company which largely controls the corpse trade in Nere. The colony, and thus the NSC exports many resources, from lumber to metals, however, corpses are by far the most valuable and essential of them. Longbay has been the main source of corpses for the mainland for centuries.

The locals take issue with this. In the past, 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 Longbay 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 launch point 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.

The central revolutionary government played a significant role in the pre-industrialization of Korscha. They specifically set up work groups and invested in the development and restoration of many sites developed prior to the revolution to ensure internal economic development-especially in heavy industry. Many times, they sent out leading revolutionary persons to oversee these developments and send back reports. Excepted are some of these reports.

...attended to the iron mines at Laesofrdt. The area is inhospitable and unforgiving. Settlements did not occur naturally, feudal and commerical forces needed to be used to lead to their foundation. Thus there is no peasant base, but a commercial and proletarian one, since it is in a more advanced stage of development, base Parxian theory more readily applies...

There is potential for long term growth and betterment in the region, but there must be care...all iron has been located by now, and open pit mining must be realized. Arrived and took control of local government using commissars, forced out four capitalist-readers and identified two anti-social persons after much work and care. Officials here overworked and overawed by scale of work, rested governing body and brought in shock bureaucrats to stabilize situation...recruited over 45 persons for various tasks...also hired more for school teaching.

Analysis of mine administration demonstrated unmodern practices, local administration willing to learn. Mines temporarily expropriated, area resurveyed, mines and assorted assets thoroughly inspected. Over one third of merchant classes arrested for overvaluation fraud, sentenced to labor until original valuations met. Conducted valuation using capitalist value methods, reports delivered.

All mines shut down for six weeks for emergency repairs. Replaced all mine shaft scaffolds, rebuilt mine entrances. All miner safety equipment inspected, repaired or replaced as needed. Significant causes of injury and death determined...All mine light and air sources overhauled. All mine pumps inspected, repaired, boilers replaced. Miner tools evaluated and repaired, repair centers formalized. Engine repair and maintenance shops formalized and established. Fuel delivery system overhauled. New cranes built on site....

Inhabitant housing inadequate if adapted to climate. Month of labor declared to repair houses, month of labor ordered for rebuilding. Road-building teams from nearby city reached region. Teams used to build local roads, then reinforced. Signage placed. Town lines redrawn. Provincial government modified slightly to accommodate. Internal party elections overseen. All candidates have mining related injuries, some chronic.

Mine overhauls took longer than planned to complete, but time expenditure required. Memorial garden planned to those lost in prior works. No commemoration of dead in towns organized or sufficient. Entire population judged still grieving. To this end, early retirement age laws declared. Monastery founded with extreme urgency, as were adapted sites of worship. Joint Parliament Potentiary and CrOOsh investigation opened into historical reasons. I am making it explicitly stated that the initial results are unsettling...

Train line plans by feudal authorities insufficient, only one main access road allowed. Road overhauled by work teams, multiple bodies from past criminal events found--work paused for CrOOsh forensic detail operations at time of publishing. Train line plans redone for entire region. Secondary rail lines of low gage, low vibration carts established to prevent the possibility of vibrations causing cave-ins. Rail lines established and made regionally. Horses sometimes used to pull cart, mini-locomotive works and mini-rail works established. Local strongmen will sometimes pull trains, several competing to hit 1 horsepower first. Regulations developed for civil use of specialty rail including cart racing and passenger activities.

Overall, cautious optimism for area. Protective forest zones and municipal investments in living conditions will likely improve productivity by making workers much more able and preventing problems emerging for two to four degrees of removal. However, ongoing CrOOsh investigations complicate development. Parliamentary judicial committee must form temporary subcommittee on issue. Investigations so far suggest nefarious intent in the deaths, but overall no conclusions yet reached... * * * Attended to the Old Steel Works, which is in the province of Cheirlandt. Cherilandt is a nice place with nice cheese. The OSW is not nice and has much counter-revolutionary sentiment. Accordingly, CrOOsh and commissariat personnel were brought to the area in force...

OSW is a 38 kilometer total zone where much steel is made. It has historically been an armory and gunsmithing province, but has been known most for producing much high quality steel and iron over the centuries. It is necessary to modernize it thoroughly. The proletarian towns around the Furnace Lines were occupied by agitationists to fight the social battles, who would halt attempts by reactionaries to organize; the local government was replaced by shock bureaucrats to begin modernization. Party officials encouraged the judges of the area to strike resolutely against the old culture, the old thought, and the old customs; and the priests in this area were informed of the importance of preaching on the correct path...

The works were surveyed thoroughly. This survey showed bad results. The forges are outdated and the smithies were worse; their operators are reactionary. Some traditional methods are put up above modern ones, and the current ones themselves are obsolete. Old bloomeries are still used, finery forges still run. The bloomery products are incorrectly given a Romantic assertion that they are better. This has been proven to be completely stupid, and I have tested it myself. The four finery forges were also semi-mechanised, not fully. The majority of the other furnaces produces blistered steel, which can be fed to crucibles for further work into a good metal...

For the sake the Revolution, the entire area was placed under Proletarian control. This was required in order to break the reactionary spirit and counter-revolutionary motives of the steelsmiths, who had total false consciousness. They defied curfew, and so the peasants were rallied to halt supplies. This was easy, because the peasants did not like them very much. Red police were brought in, and a small planning group formed... ...the group evaluated present assets and how the area worked. It delivered a 'central path operation plan' whereby the flow of iron ore and coal through the site was completely overhauled. They banned inefficient and old processes from being conducted, including bloomery and finery use, as well as the potting and stamping of iron. All furnaces and buildings were torn down and turned over to blister steel processes. This is still inefficient and backwards, but it is the best that the area is capable of. Coal and iron ore supply lanes and storage have been built up, and there are plans to lay rail lines as needed. Blowing engines are being procured for air supplies, and the older mill ponds and water supplies are being torn up and overhauled. Only water transportation will be used now, the rest of the rivers and water can run free.

I am pleased by this. Not only are the works forced into modernity, they will be kept there. Nature and there spirits will be healed a bit more. I have been told that we have made the output of the town less efficient, made it's steel production less. But we have made the Revolution more clean, less hindered. These Reactionaries could not be allowed to continue in such a critical role of the industrial revolution of Korscha! I relayed all of this to Parliament, and then was informed that I would undertake a new task: proletarian steelmaking...

...Duke Languedoc was a small, petty duke, but he was still a duke until he was shot for being feudalist scum. This was a good thing, because his lands were oppressed and ill governed and looted. Also he was supposedly very rude...

...he had imported two steel furnaces from Tiboria and made them work often...they had attempted to revolutionize industry in his fief and set up bourgeois to weaken him..he had placed them on a high hill and had the peasants load the smelters and carry the product back down...many peasants cursed the long paths, winding up and down them as their feet bled from the sharp rocks...

I arrived at the town to a general positive, if guarded reception. The villages were still getting used to being left alone and not bothered. They were worried because many Revolutionary persons accompanied me. We met the locals and inspected the area. They showed us how they had been living; the lord's castle had been broken down for foundation stones...

...smelters were inspected and discussed. They had been left out for a while, but were salvageable. We asked the locals what they could do with the steel, they told us many things. A plan was made for a small steel works that would be run continually...we also worked out what to use it for. Tools were important, and so were machines. Consumption of the steel had to be planned, otherwise production would be excessive and wasteful. Low consumption rates from immediate areas required wider steel provision to the entire province, more complicated but a revolution in production...supplies for iron ore and scrap metal provision were set up. Coal was allocated based on two furnaces running continually at 80%; and with a backup kept...consumption was also allocated and steel storage set aside...

Land was located for a smelter site, with ful main road access. Each smelter was carefully disassembled and removed from it's mounting, then transported to the new site. The smelters were reassembled and then put into proper towers, then tested...some more repairs were carried out...facility buildings were constructed on successful heat and production tests. Internal track ways and smelter systems were established, and safety walls built. Water transport was allocated as needed for supplies and finished materials...

...smelters were slowly brought up to full capacity, and the quality and nature of the steel that was made was tested before I left. It was found to be true and good for tools, useful also for springs. The production of metal has started to be revolutionized....

The Most Prestigious Institution in Puutarha

Among the most famous landmarks in Puutarha, the Mahtava Linna Natural History Museum is the one-stop destination for all the knowledge one would need on the flora and fauna in the land of the Tonttu as well as the history of the Tonttu themselves. Tall enough to rival the titular Mahtava Linna Palace, this building contains a vast collection of taxidermy animals, preserved plants and animals, pinned insects, fossils, and historic paraphernalia from famous Tonttu. 

Along with the many researchers and taxidermists, the museum has also provided fulfilling careers to woodworkers and artists who construct models and dioramas. Several restoration specialists work for the museum as well, with many brought on after the breaking of the divide. The smallest division of the museum is the three small teams sent out to find new exhibits, considering the museum has worked solely within the confines of Puutarha’s borders.

The museum is comprised of three floors of exhibit halls, an underground floor where exhibits are prepared and research is conducted, a fourth floor for management, and the curator’s office connected to an observatory on the roof. The first floor has intricate dioramas to display Puutarha’s fauna along with displays for preserved plant species. The second displays unique minerals as well as fossils discovered and hypothetical dioramas of ancient life. Finally, the third floor holds historical artifacts from prehistory all the way to the breaking of the divide.

Two statues stand at the entrance, welcoming guests in and looking down on the fountain displaying King Villiam II and four blubberns spitting water into the fountain. Though initially these statues displayed the last king of Puutarha as well, they have since been changed to the founders of the museum as monuments to their work.

A Brief History of the Mahtava Linna Natural History Museum

Originally founded in -85, the Mahtava Linna Natural History Museum had started its life as another tool to separate nobility and peasantry. Originally named the Mahtava Linna Royal Ministry of Natural Sciences, the museum had been more like a university under the king. Affluent Tonttu would research different phenomena around Puutarha, both natural and paranatural, to develop better technology and further their understanding of the world around them.

Unfortunately, it would also further enforce the divide as only those who could afford an education would receive one.

At the ministry, scholars would research topics such as the biology of Puutarhan wildlife, the ecology of Puutarhan ecosystems, the geology of Puutarha itself, and the anatomy of the Tonttu themselves. Here scholars would use trial and error to discover vast swathes of knowledge that they kept entirely to themselves. 

Centuries prior, a naturalist by the name of Bertil Hautala would discover that ethanol is very good at preserving organic tissues. Hautala’s discovery would inspire other scholars to begin collecting animals to keep as specimens, and would often be used to keep prized pieces of the current king’s royal menagerie. This original fluid would be used until scholars at the Mahtava Linna Royal Ministry of Natural Sciences would discover a more effective solution that has largely been in use since.

Among the biggest changes in the institute’s history was the initial discovery of fossils of lifeforms unlike any living in Puutarha today. In -58, the fossilized remains of a massive species of salmon was discovered in Central Puutarha where no water source had been located in Puutarha’s history. Many other fossils have been found since this bizarre find as well, which have stirred the imagination of Tonttu scientists across the nation and brought about a wave of art depicting what the land that would become Puutarha would have looked like in the deep past.

On a societal level, the biggest change in the museum’s history would come with the breaking of the divide along with the subsequent change in the institute’s name from the Mahtava Linna Royal Ministry of Natural Sciences to the Mahtava Linna Natural History Museum. With the end of the royal family, the building would be refurbished and the exhibit halls currently in place would be installed.

Notable Exhibits on Display

If you were to ask any Tonttu visiting the museum, they would likely tell you they had come to see Godsven and the Beast, a diorama located in the museum’s lobby depicting a statue of the legendary hero Godsven battling a genuine Kuolemavarjo. The great beast has been placed over 30 feet above the ground, allowing visitors to get a close look at the legendary hunter on the higher floors.

Another famous diorama depicts the various plants and animals of the Grand Voloisa Lake during the spring. Various preserved specimens have been placed together to create a vivid image of the lake during the glorious bloom as many species prepare for spring in a glorious pink manner.

The most iconic fossil on display would have to be the legendary fossils depicting a graveyard of massive salmon likely after mating season. Not only does it entice with the sheer size of the animals on display but also with the fame of being among the first fossils discovered by Tonttu paleontologists.

Another major paleontological find is the partial skeleton of an ancient Tonttu placed alongside a collection of small pebbles assumed to have been placed there by their loved ones. Along with this, a diorama has been made depicting a hypothetical prehistoric Tonttu burial with a number of Tonttu offering up pebbles to the dead.

Finally, a historical artifact of note is the collection of simple rifles used by commoners during the revolution. Having received the rifles disassembled as a way to safely smuggle them in, rebel soldiers were required to assemble the weapons themselves, which caused said faults. Several faults in their structure are due to the poor understanding that commoners had of firearms as they were kept solely by soldiers loyal to the nobility.

Some miscellaneous but still notable exhibits include several beautiful decorated copies of the Kalenteri, a unique display with several pienitähti which switches between day and night to show the bird’s unique feathers, the set of armor that had belonged to King Mikael IV, a greenhouse attached to the museum proper displaying more of Puutarha’s flora, and a collection of aquariums displaying Puutarha’s freshwater ecosystems along with some marine ecosystems on each coast.

Expanding to New Horizons

As of the year 3, the Mahtava Linna Museum of Natural History has found itself in a bit of a pickle. While scientific research is still ongoing in many different fields, parliament has been hesitant to provide funding to the museum as they have brought in fewer unique exhibits since the divide was broken. 

Unfortunately it seems they’ve run out of new exhibits from the natural world of Puutarha.

Fortunately, two bright minds have a very simple solution to this; search beyond the borders of Puutarha for new exhibits. Both of these scientists being the descendants of the first Tonttu paleontologists, Jesse Timonen and Kaapro Niskala have proposed the idea to the current curator, Anna Kauko, within a few months of each other. Though Kauko had initially feared the two scientists would cause trouble, especially considering the fierce rivalry between the two families, she would allow both to venture beyond to save the museum.

This would be the start of one of the most petty rivalries in Puutarha’s history with the strangest cultural impact.

A: Welcome back to another Q and A special with Q and A! I'm your host, A, and together with Q, we're going to-

Q: You're a poor host, A.

A: Why? What's wrong?

Q: You only have one-ply toilet paper.

A:...as I was saying, we're here for another Question and Answer session about Korscha! This time, we're going to be talking about what the heck happened during the latest military exercise.

Q: Did someone get shot for real?

A:...no, but just about everything else happened.

Q: Oh boy. Well...what did happen?

A: I'm going to start with what went right. The exercise was a large-scale, whole army maneuver and simulated combat event, designed to test the armed forces' structure for intense, continual maneuver and large-scale tactical combat. And it showed that they could do this. Army Bodies-army corps for us-were formed up, commanded, and operated successfully to accomplish large-scale goals. General staffs, formed before the exercise, demonstrated competence, aggression, persistence, and continual improvement. All levels of maneuver units-from the whole regiment to the individual squad. While they weren't able to use sophisticated squad tactics en masse, they did benefit from the overall organization improvements. People were able to stick together in confusion and low visibility, not mess up orders or lose information in the chaos.

Q: How realistic are these scenarios?

A: Pretty. They're very unrehearsed-no, unrehearsable. Basic scenarios are set up, objectives are given. Information is limited, and has to be found out. There is also...a unique form of pride. Getting your information from 'outside sources' aka metagaming is looked down upon. The Korschans place a priority on scouting and reconaissance, as well as general information collecting.

Q: Sounds good. What went wrong?

A: Nothing! They did great! They also confirmed that they were completely screwed!

Q: ...ah.

A: Yes. When the troops started 'shooting' at each other, they learned that previous studies about firepower dominating were VERY true. Rifled repeating weapons do awful things to people, and so field fortifications that were dug got better quickly. Not being shot is a priority. These fortifications only got more potent when field guns or howitzers are added, as well as hand-cranked repeaters. Getting around them takes elite assault infantry, heavy firepower-and really, both of these. Combat and tactics are attritional.

Q: Welcome to our world war one.

A:...yeah.

Q: Were you going to say that they did some other things right?

A: Yes. Their communications work, their ability to make support roads and set up in field camps is fine, they've mastered the shovel. They're making use of encryption, they're developing a framework for intelligence handling. They held very good tactical and operational magical capabilities drills. In other words, they're a great army...from the last century.

Q: Oh. Oh dear.

A:..yeah. They're...not happy.

Q: So what happens now.

A: The Korschan People's Army recognizes that it needs to get a lot of firepower, keep that firepower shooting, and handle being in situations it hates. It needs to rotate officers and troops. It needs field guns and howitzers, it needs to implement the telegraph, it needs to transition to train-based logistic systems, it needs to develop the ability to tie all of that together. It-

Q: That's a LOT of stuff.

A: Yes. That's a LOT of stuff. And it's going to require a very significant support network to do all of this. It won't be cheap, it won't be easy, and it will take time. The Army can do hard stuff, but resources are not infinite and neither is time. Events are kicking up in intensity here, and while the Army has done impressive stuff with this exercise-

Q: Like what, been the best Napoleonic army in the world?

A: No. It went into this exercise a collection of reorganized warlord forces, and it came out of this an Army. There is a working command structure, with political control of the military retained. Hell, the command structure is very good, and it's hard to disrupt. Orders are given quickly, decisively and properly; transmitted as quickly as possible and with no loss of fidelity; encryption is well used. Soldiers stick together well, retain their tactical edge and work towards defined operational goals-even if they don't properly articulate that quite yet. Some flexibility has been lost, but there are already discussions in place about how to make that up using 'pouncing detachments' and 'free brigades', even cavalry raids.

Q: But they're still screwed, aren't they?

A: Yes. They are in quite deep shit. Not completely in it, but they're pretty deep.

Q: Can they get out?

A: Well, we're gonna find out. Events are not completely in their hands...

The Helikon is a large, ironclad catamaran fitted with a modified glyph weaver. The modified glyph weaver allows mages stationed on the ship to pool their power together and channel it through the glyph weaver, giving the ability to create very powerful spells to be cast or potent enchantments to be attached and sustained. The vessel is meant to display the might and power of the USHR in both thaumaturgy, engineering, and military capability, its construction has been expedited in response to fears of colonial action by The United Crowns and possible conflict as a result.

The Helikon is a catamaran with two separate hulls and a large deck connecting them. This wider area allows for the glyph weaver to be installed and operate smoothly. The catamaran design also aids in giving the ship higher speeds and better fuel efficiency which allows it to have a wider operation range and to respond to threats quickly. Catamarans are ideal for use in shallower and calmer waters which makes it ideal for use within Serpent's Deep as the sea is comparatively shallow and with coastlines nearby. The catamaran also gives the Helikon more stability which ensures that the glyph weaver is aligned correctly and the mage's concentration isn't interrupted.

The Helikon will only be armed with small point defense weapons as it will be defended by cruisers and try to stay away from direct combat. The Helikon will be armed with two 200mm caliber cannons at the front of each hull and is supported by twelve 150mm cannons space around the sides and back.

The modified glyph weaver will be capable of casting spells more potent than any individual mage would be able to. In addition to the crew of 700, there will be 200 mages present on the Helikon who's sole purpose is to channel magic into the weaver and cast spells. When the weaver is not required to be operated the mages will spend their time aiding the crew in the running of the ship, and ensuring the glyphs attached to the vessel stay operational. One prominent spell that has been developed and tested is Heavenfeller, a magical spear that is around 60 meters in length, it gives off a blue glow and crackles with lightning. The purpose of the Heavenfeller is to act as a long range artillery and can reach ranges of 30 kilometers but the accuracy of the shot diminishes when reaching maximum range. The primary defensive spell is a simple shield that is generate above and around a target, typically the Helikon itself which prematurely detonates shells at a safer distance away from the vessel. Frostfilm is a spell designed to freeze the surface of the water surrounding a target, this is done to slow down a ship and to stop it maneuvering, this spell currently requires the Helikon to be close to its target but advances are being made to increase its range, it is very effective at interceptig torpedos, other spells will be developed to increase the Helikon's offensive and defense capabilities.

The Helikon will be adorned with the typical assortment of scripts and glyphs as to be expected of large naval vessels. The ships will have a lightening script which will make the ships less heavy as to increase its speed and lessen the strain on the materials. Anti-corrosion and Anti-rusting scripts will aid in lengthening the lifetime of the vessel and its components. The cannons, primarily the 200mm ones at the front will have a kinetic energy dispenser script that will store the concentrated vibration of the cannons when they fire and then slowly release the energy into the vessel as to lessen the wear of the gun components and the structural integrity of the vessel. New glyphs can be attached when necessary as the glyph weaver still retains it functionality.

This ship heralds the a new age for the USHR when all nations will respect its might.

By order of the Directorate unauthorized viewing of this document is punishable by imprisonment until such time as its contents are made public. Please stop reading without damaging the seal below and inform the proper authorities. You will be released upon the status of the seal being confirmed.

All seals are magically active and may not be replaced after removal.

----------- FOLD TO HERE -----------

Project Designation: PLASTER DAWN

Subject: Tiborian Spirit Populations

Observable Anomaly: Tiboria contains few if any sentient spirits within its territory. Most Tiborian spirits are entirely animalistic, and none are capable of complex two-way communication. Despite this, pre-revolutionary literature describes multiple such spirits within the same territory, with some even being revered as local deities.

Acceptable Explanations: Tiboria's rapid industrial development and/or the brutality and level of military technology displayed during the revolution caused sentient spirits to flee either out of a desire for survival or due to the belief they would almost certainly be captured or driven out.

Methods of Enforcement: Field is poorly understood, no explanation dominant. No active enforcement is needed.

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

"Is that damn fool thing ready yet?"

"Yes, sir. We're recording."

"About damn time. What'd you need me to say again?"

"Your story, sir. The one you were telling me."

"Right, right... About the bunkers."

"From the beginning please."

"I'm getting around to it. It would've been about... halfway into the revolution, just about when things were starting to get bad bad. Now, the army didn't know I was a wizard, and truth be told I'm not much of one. I've got the senses but no juice, can't even light the stove. The senses, though - they'd come in useful so far. The nobles started pulling these big fancy rituals, and I could feel em coming. The prickle in the air that means something flashy, the cold muck of a curse on its way. All kinds of things. Worked on supply shipments too, nothing like seeing a train come in and feeling prototype mage artillery in one of the cars.

The reason it's important the army didn't know, though, is because I was there when they put in the bunkers. That's what we called them anyway, had some fancy acronym on the front for the proper name. Nobody used it, far as I recall. Big, low things near the logistics building I was staying at while they kept me off the front. Concrete, too, and that was rare in those days. Once they were done they started bringing in whatever was supposed to stay in 'em, and they needed a few grunts to guard it before it was in. I got picked, but what I didn't know then was they'd been careful not to pick anybody with a speck of magic for the job.

I could feel something in the air before the train arrived, like... like the feeling before a lightning strike, all your hairs standing on end, and they tried lightning on us enough times I'd know. Only got stronger as it arrived, and by the time they finally unloaded those huge lumpy things all wrapped up in canvas I could barely stand still. As we were walking it to the bunkers, though, there was this... this light under the canvas, and I swear to the gods it started looking at me. As soon as I looked it in the eye, cause I know that's what it was, it felt like every inch of me was covered in boiling tar. They told me I screamed before I passed out. Chewed me out for not reporting what I could do, then they kept me in the back for the rest of the war. Guess they didn't want me putting two and two together. The thing that stuck with me, though... It wasn't the pain, people make plenty of things that hurt. It was the feeling. Whatever that thing was it was alive and it... hated me. More hate than you've ever felt in your life. There was something chained up in there, and it hated us for putting it there."

"Thank you for your time."

The production of fertiliser has long been a limit on crop growth throughout Feyris, particularly on the continent of Ithralis. The nation of Resmi has long relied on its fertile southern lands to grow its major crops, grapes, and olives. However, there will eventually come a time when we can no longer import wheat, corn, and other important crops from neighbouring countries.

The only issue with producing these crops is that we do not have enough fertile land to supply the entire nation. Many of the greatest Elum scientists have been working on this problem for many years, and it seems that the solution has finally come at the perfect time to expand the military and stop relying on our gummunist neighbours.

Fertiliser is a nitrogen-based mixture, and there is plenty of nitrogen in the air. The only problem is that it comes in the form of N2, which is both useless to us, and double bonded, making it very hard to break apart into useable nitrogen. Over the last 20 years, Carl Bosch (a renowned Elum chemist, for whom the process is named) has dedicated his research to discovering, and refining until economically viable, a process by which to convert this nitrogen in the air into liquid ammonia.

Fig 1. A flowchart of the Bosch Process

A step-by-step guide to the Bosch Process:

1. Nitrogen and hydrogen gas are passed over an iron-based catalyst at a high temperature and pressure (450˚C and about 20 million Pascals).
2. H_2 is used to turn the double-bonded N_2 into single-bonded N_2 with the catalyst acting as a mediator.
3. A second H_2 is used to break the N_2 molecule into 2 separate particles of NH_2 attached to the catalyst.
4. A third H_2 is used to remove the catalyst, forming NH3 or liquid ammonia

Fig 2. A step by step guide to the Bosch Process

This process is reversible, so within industrial manufacturing plants, it is important to use a condenser to filter out the liquid ammonia from reforming H_2 and N_2, as ammonia has a higher boiling point compared to hydrogen and nitrogen. The final product is liquid ammonia, which can be further processed into nitric acid and ammonium nitrate, which are key components of fertiliser. 

The infrastructure to utilise this discovery is being set up in the industrial cities of western Resmi, and to further encourage farming of staple crops, there are talks of introducing subsidies for farmers growing these crops. This discovery has also been sent through merchant vessels to the allies of Resmi. May increased agricultural output guide us into the modern age!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sources for images and my understanding of the real process (known as the Haber-Bosch process in the real world, but Haber is a bit fucked):

1. https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry_Textbook_Maps/Supplemental_Modules_(Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry)/Equilibria/Le_Chateliers_Principle/The_Haber_Process
2. https://chemistrytalk.org/haber-process/
3. https://studymind.co.uk/notes/haber-process/

Emperor Henry VII welcomes all to Empire Day, a celebration of Cirenshore's founding, it's storied history and glorious future. Empire Day is a national holiday, so most have the day off and is accompanied by a week of festivities and events. There's something for everyone, come see what Cirenshore has to offer! 

Events to see: 

• The Empire Day parade sees a procession, made up from both military and civil participants, march from East Gate to the Palace Square. This culminates in a speech from the Emperor himself, where he'll announce the recipients of this years Champion of the Empire honours. 

• Imperial Museum in Swanhaven has revamped its Cirenshore Exhibition, showcasing the wonderous history of our nation. See relics such as the Last Crowns of Cirenshire and Destrana, original works of Sebastian Wallingford, Emperor Edward III's Sword that executed King Stephen, the figurehead from Athel Swann's ship and more! 

• Royal Academy of Science is holding a fair where the latest inventions and discoveries can be seen, including a comprehensive exhibition on our maritime history and inventions.  

• Royal Elizabeth Theatre and others are putting on plays about historic Cirenshore events. Catch classic plays such as Edward III, A Drop In The Forest or Two Destranans and revel in our rich theatrical culture. 

• Bring your kids to the Imperial Exploration Society at Starglance hall, where they'll be running treasure hunts around the grounds. The IES Museum will also be holding speeches from esteemed members, including Winston Waterpole!

• The Imperial Navy flagship, the INS Royal Leviathan, will be anchored in the harbour for all to see the might of our fair navy. The Leviathan will be giving the gun salute following the Emperor's speech this year! 

• Displays will be held in many of the public squares to showcase our arts, whether that be mage-dancers at Sun Plaza, poetry at Polminis Square or the Royal Cavalry putting on a display in Palace Park.     

Outside of the celebrations, Swanhaven still offers an excellent experience for visitors. Whether you're browsing the markets in Unification Square or Athel Hall, enjoying a drink in our of 150,000 pubs or just wandering our streets, Cirenshore will have something for you. If you need directions or help, please look for a member of the Cirenshore Constabulary or the Tourism Office, who will be happy to help. 

Through Unity, Cirenshore Shines!

IMPORTANT LINKS

Shard Introduction

New Players Guide

##News

Korscha tells us a little bit about their rivers and all the ways they use and plan to use those little watery way. Speaking of water, an exploratory fleet of The Fleet takes them to new shores, even as sickness and illness takes hold amongst them.

##Meta News

Not much to report on here. Things are still chugging along, though there was less posts this week then the week prior, but that happens sometimes. So uhhh yeah how's your weekend going? :)

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:

28th of Oct - [Joec533]

4th of Nov - [unassigned]

11th of Nov - [unassigned]

18th 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 - [JefftheDoggo]

5th of Nov - [Dart_Monkey]

12th of Nov - [unassigned]

19th of Nov - [unassigned]

Thaumaturgy Thursday:

31st of Oct - [F4BE1]

7th of Nov - [unassigned]

14th of Nov - [unassigned]

21st 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:

30th of Oct - [unassigned]

6th of Nov - [unassigned]

13th of Nov - [unassigned]

20th 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:

1st of Nov - [unassigned]

8th of Nov - [unassigned]

15th of Nov - [unassigned]

22nd 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.

###Disease and Unease

========================================================

Exploration Fleet "Inspiration," a team of 8 ships led by the experienced Southern Star, sailed due north upon hearing rumors about strange behaviors exhibited by Fleet spirits of sail when they sailed near the far northern coastline. Stories of fellow spirits of sail succumbing to bouts of insanity were alarmingly common around the North Harbor-City, as well as reports of intense spirit activity around the affected region. "A terrible disease of the spirit's core, from which a full recovery is near impossible," described a hand-written note given to her from one of the repair fleets after a long-time friend of hers fell to this strange phenomenon.

"You understand the risk you're taking here, right?" a fleetmate asked. "There is no doubt that everyone in this fleet will be affected by the northern coast's anomalous effects, Flagship. So, I hope you know what you're doing."

"I understand your concerns, Soothing Weather, and I am fully aware of the risk," Southern Star answered, head held high as her steam engines burned with great black smoke. "It's just... I have to understand the cause of this effect. If nothing else, it should give me valuable information regarding this sickness of the core." She continued to face northward towards her destination, hiding her face from the rest of the fleet.

"This sickness you mention, the one that drove many spirits of sail into sheer madness..." Soothing Weather, concerned about her Flagship, asked. "Will you really learn anything by jumping straight into the abyss that is the Far Northern Coast?"

Southern Star let out a sigh. "I don't think it's a hopeless endeavour, Soothing Weather. Not right now, anyway. I have my theories regarding the cause of the sickness based on various descriptions of the afflicted region from those who sailed too close to the area, piecing together various common threads from their recorded testimonies." She flipped through the pages of her notes, taking care to avoid getting ocean spray splattered over the fragile papers. "From what I have gathered, this is a summary of the reports I had to sift through in my research: 'Smoke columns black as ink rose from deep inland of the coastline, with a brilliant yet ominous red glow persisting throughout the night. Spirits of sail experienced a stinging pain that caused even the hardiest of warships to crumble under the weight of the affliction, while whispers from unknown sources drove them to the brink of madness with strange words and piercing statements.'" She shuddered to think about the torturous pain the spirits of sail had to go through just by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. "I think there's some sort of destabilizing aura within that region that causes them to lose their sanity, and from what I've seen, they have not affected the Nautilus people who had been on some of the affected hulls at the time of the affliction."

"A destabilizing aura that affects spirits like us, and only spirits?" Soothing Weather remarked. "Interesting. So whatever is happening in that region, the local spiritual environment must have been thrown out of balance, and to such an incredible degree so as to affect nearby areas and even the local waters around it."

"It could also mean that the local latent spirits are agitated somehow, and if it wasn't already clear from the testimonies, there has to be some form of extreme deforestation or similar type of sterilization that's being done inland," the Flagship postied. "The whispering would then either have to be a cry for help, or a lashing out of sorts at the spirits of sail for reasons yet to be known."

"It could also be that a war is going on between the land-dwellers and the latent spirits," another one of the fleetmates interjected, much to the surprise and confusion of Soothing Weather and Southern Star. "Think about it. There is no reason for a land-dweller to deliberately and perpetually burn huge swaths of land for no reason. If they simply wanted wood or land for their own uses, woodcutting machines of any variety would be a far more sensible choice than an endless fire."

Soothing Weather let out an audible gasp. "You really think it's a war against spirits?"

"That could be another cause," Southern Star replied with a grave tone. "If that is to be the case, that's another possible risk factor for us if we were to consider the potential hostility of the local land-dwellers, and not just the local spirits. And to be quite honest with you all, that thought terrifies me."

Soothing Weather grimaced at the thought as well, eyes drifting off to the portside horizon "Well... let's hope they are at least understanding or otherwise neutral."

=======================================================

The exploration fleet immediately knew they were close to the Far Northern Coast with the telltale signs of the affliction, a dull pain and mild discomfort that attacked the spirits' very cores all at once. To their starboard side, the sight of dispersed black smoke from just over the horizon matched the descriptions of the previous testimonies. That the fleet hadn't yet gone mad was a sign that the sickness hasn't taken hold just yet. "We have to be fast here," Southern Star declared. "Once we see the coast, we will need to find a harbor and try to request the locals for permission to dock." She looked ahead of the fleet towards their destination, determined to understand the mystery of the Far Northern Coast.

Lines. Chaos. Pushing. Preferential treatment. Wait your turn. Keep your place. Be careful not to let others get ahead of you.

There are many people out there giving advice on how to queue properly, if at all. But what would you tell someone from your claim?

How is queue-forming culture in your claim? Is it orderly? Do you have to physically stand there or are queues just mentally there and you remember who were there before you? Is line-skipping okay - perhaps for some people only? Do you have to push yourself ahead or you will be forgotten, or are people content with standing in line, knowing that it most certainly will become their turn as well eventually?

Do queues form for every possible thing, or do they only happen when they are "asked" to form?

Please, do tell a little about how queuing is in your claim - you don't have to wait for anyone else to answer first.

The rivers of Korscha have traditionally been divided, partitioned off and fiercely fought over. Much of this was the hobby of the nobility, who depended on these flows of water for critical transportation and irrigation rights, and were not willing to tolerate anyone trying to break their vital monopolies over these assets. But at minimum, political power can be broken with the barrel of a gun, and the Revolutionaries were not hesitant to do so. After they had shot all of the nasty old nobles, they became occupied with Land Reform, a very big, very important topic for leftists. River management was a big issue that needed to be handled, even if it ultimately very important compared to other forms of modernization. This was a slime-level legislative obstacle to conquer, but it would also set a precedent for future work.

Korschan rivers are part of the Commons, the land that belongs to, can be used by, and is the responsibility of, everybody. This was officially defined by an act of Parliament, and in one stroke abolished the old divisions that had held for centuries. With the rivers both the resources and responsibility of all, regulations required caretaking and enabled resource taking. All old military shipyards placed on the rivers were either shuttered and demolished, or given over to civilians for personal shipbuilding and repair. Water transport was still essential to the growth of the nation-and care was taken that the relevant highways and specialists ended up near river ports and slip-yards. Technical upgrades and improvements to the quality of boats moving up and down soon followed, with primitive engines sprouting up like mushrooms. A standard toll system was established to collect fees for maintenance, and passage was streamlined as barrier dams and chains were removed. Civilian use of the rivers became far more productive, and canals finally began to give their money's worth. The industrialization of the country was further knit together on water.

More important than this was setting out irrigation rights and setting up systems. This was a continuation of agricultural development, and a crucial area of improvement in fending off famine. Farming efforts had been using local irrigation techniques in ever-increasing volumes and ranges. These techniques had extended to non-steam engines and included water storage--vital to handle droughts. Water rights were worked out on a case-by-case basis, with a focus going to irrigation that produced the most food for people. This privileged the growth of staple crops and vegetables, challenged those herding, and lead to a significant hiccup in cash crop production. While it was a clear allocation of sane priorities for national stability and safety, this policy definitely caused issues in other areas-and lead to the Revolutionaries being forced to be truly revolutionary in handling them...which will be discussed in a follow-up post.

One more thing deserves mention: early environmental policy also occurred. Korscha saw to it that it's rivers would be protected from dumping and runoff, and from excessive river traffic that could lead to crashes and jams. There had been too much misuse of the rivers, and to let it continue would be a crime in itself. Besides, people drank from those rivers, and letting poop and mud contaminated water in would be an awful thing. That was how you got cholera, after all! And while the Korschans didn't know it, it was also how the helminths that plagued their intestines partially reproduced. Environmental regulations had a direct impact on public health, and the country would reap the benefits starting in 5 CE. And then one fine morning, spirits could be seen flashing through the water again. Against life's drumbeat, magic was returning to the average Korschan life...

IMPORTANT LINKS

Shard Introduction

New Players Guide

##News

A dark hunt takes place in the woods of Veltmar, as across the seas in Cirenshore, new developments in ship engines proves both promising and potent for the future of shipbuilding and oceanic travel. Speaking of technological developments, new innovations in glyph weaving occur in Rovugose, as in Alsakhuizia, blood begets blood as the different regional laws of the land clash amongst one another. Leaving behind only grieving, and vengeful families.

##Meta News

Let's hope this is the last time I do this because that's not gonna look good for my credentials...

Hey look I posted on time this time! Guess I get to keep my position after all! as well as my dignity, which is nice I suppose

No major news to report on otherwise. Things are chugging along, stuff's happening. There's a fresh and shiny TT to look at!

Current Year: 1 CE

Maximum Forward Lore: 5 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:

14th of Oct - A Council Fair For the World [goop_lizard]

21th of Oct - [unassigned]

28th of Oct - [Joec533]

4th 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:

15th of Oct - Mantel Shipyards Pushes The Boat Out! [Joec533]

22nd of Oct - [unassigned]

29th of Oct - [unassigned]

5th of Nov - [unassigned]

Thaumaturgy Thursday:

24th of Oct - [unassigned]

31st of Oct - [unassigned]

7th of Nov - [unassigned]

14th 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:

23rd of Oct - [unassigned]

30th of Oct - [unassigned]

6th of Nov - [unassigned]

13th 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:

25th of Oct - [unassigned]

1st of Nov - [unassigned]

8th of Nov - [unassigned]

15th 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

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

10/07/01

Brief:

The Ithralis Bellow is an operation that aims to use the USHR's burgeoning navy to intimidate and hopeful discourage The United Crowns' [TUC]alleged colonial efforts. There has been an uptick in TUC light military vessels that have been loitering around the horn, in conjunction with this there have been rumors that the TUC is planning to establish colonies in Ithralis. This does provide satisfactory evidence that the TUC is planning to gain a foothold on Ithralis and threaten the sovereignty of the USHR.

The 4th and 6th Fleets will sail north to the horn of Ithralis and conduct training missions in the vicinity, primarily firing drills. The aim is to demonstrate the capability and power of the USHR's navy, this exercise can also double as training for the sailors. Do not fire upon or threaten vessel's directly. The objective of the mission is to project power, not it instigate or escalate a potential conflict.

More detailed orders and a operation calendar will be sent in the future but for the time being prepare all vessels for voyage and begin warm up training at your fleet's designated training grounds.

Signed : Hyven Juvin-Rook, Minister of Defense , Gogorn Oron-Eauvenn, Prime Minister.

(Continued from NEP)

Reader, they somewhat dropped the ball. Luckily, the Korschans were able to pick it right back up on a bounce, and call it a dribble. While the danger of famine slowly wound down, and isolated instances of hunger became more isolated, the economy remained focused on basic needs. And some of these included consumer goods. Many Revolutionaries were anti-luxury and anti-bourgoisie; many others were focused on achieving national goals at all costs. However, people needed things, and the logic of the revolution was focused on providing people with many of said things. This was essential for retaining popular legitimacy and actually succeeding at what you said they were going to do. To start, the Revolutionaries decided to focus on organizing internal city industries that already existed. This involved concentration, moderate scale-up, and implementation of worker ownership. The first two were simple-existing workshops were knocked down and rebuilt into larger, top-planned manufactories. In some cases, buildings were simply picked up and moved, either placed in the same industrial park or literally connected. Equipment was maintained, and ergonomics now considered-it was a lot easier to fuck something up when you couldn't reach properly. Workers were also herded into collective ownership agreements, with significant arm twisting and harranguing sometimes employed. The Gummunists were rebuilding entire cities around these specialists laborers. Better to go with the flow than get run over. Besides, going with the flow really helped production-logistics was something that was taken care of in a way that had never really lined up before. And with a more natural flow of resources, the manufactories slowly converted over to proper factories, with power and smokestacks and shift work.

Two particularly energy intensive areas of production were ceramic production and iron casting. These were not advanced industries, and they did not pretend to be. It was hoped that they would meet civil needs and increase production efficiency across the nation by consolidating sites and rationalizing effort. Many Revolutionaries hemmed and hawwed at these efforts being in civilian hands and not focused on revolutionary goals. However, the limited resources that they were working with were apparent, and it was better to work with a pottery clan and turn them in a small family-run factory than shut them down. Iron work became consolidated into one or two foundries per city, and records from the time show that small batches of tool steel were being made. Meanwhile, Revolutionaries were arranging marriages across families and quashing beefs. Organizational changes needed effective individual relations to work, after. People were the heart of the revolution, and if the heart was beating itself, nothing would work.

That being said, there were still physical upgrades and site improvements aplenty. Furnaces and smelters and kilns were completely replaced, tools given absolute overhauls or likewise traded out. These required everything from strange materials to line the furnaces and make the bricks to new tools--hand and machine powered--to meet production goals. But behind these local production plans was something different: the locals had set their own goals, and they wanted to meet them. It was possible to do a little more than survive, and there was room to breathe.

So far, this seemed like doctrinaire socialist heavy industry development. It was, even if the Gummunists were not pleased with what they accomplished. But the only constant is change, and what changed were living and working conditions. This lead to a small amount of that precious thing called Sentient Flourishing. And living things often like beauty and ornamentation. Korscha saw a groundswell of common physical culture, of people making art for their sake. Typically, this took the form of ceramic goods and murals, but a smattering of artists opened up studios and workshops, making pieces full time for public consumption...if one could call it that. Art met a need, and pieces were not consumed, but embraced. One part medicine, one part inspiration, and one part miracle, these works proved that the light at the end of the tunnel wasn't a train. As the Korschans rolled into -1CE, those living in the cities had a little something to be proud of, and a lot more to be happy about. For now, things were going right.

moniker : Glyph Weaver 5000

Glyphs are mechanically very similar to runes as they are both symbols that are associated with magical effects. Glyphs typically float slightly off the object that they're enchanting and appear as glowing symbols instead of being carved onto the object's surface. The majority of glyphs are permanent and will last until they are dispelled or it is cut off from a supply of magic energy. In Rovugose a lot of objects, buildings, and vehicles are enchanted with glyphs to increase their effectiveness or lengthen their lifespan. The most famous use is to make buildings lighter and stronger so they can be built taller and easier.

The weaving of glyphs have been an integral part of Rovugosians' arcane techniques since the beginning of their civilisation as nomadic peoples. It was initially done by hand and it was a very time consuming and only specialised mages did it. with the invention of wands, staffs, and other magic assistance devices glyphs got more complicated and was accessible to more people. The invention of the handheld mechanical glyph weaver allowed for the weaving of more complicated glyphs and cut down on the time as crystals used help channel and focus magic, as well as acting as a capacitor for the user's magic output. They are still used in the present day for simpler, smaller applications.

As the need for larger and stronger glyphs began surging during the industrial revolution and urbanisation of Rovugose, mages began to collaboratively weave long scripts of glyphs manually without the use of glyph weavers as the smaller handheld ones could not handle the large amount of magical energy needed. Large manually operated glyph weavers were invented to help with large scale projects, these however needed to be moved manually by hand or by magic which made it hard to coordinate complicated scripts.

By mechanising the weaver it allows the conductor to move the crystals with minimal effort and concentration so they can focus on writing whilst a large group of mages channel their energy into the glyph weaver so it can be manipulated by the conductor alone with increases efficiency and lowers the chance of errors arising from miscommunication.

High Capacity Mechanised Glyph Weavers are mostly used to enchant large vehicles like trains and ships, as well as buildings especially the tall Leyline hubs.

Ҳәiлвāднāҭә/Hilvādnātu, Banner of Duizhāⱬ, Year 406 of the Alsakhuizhan 3rd Era

Tuaazhu Dzhaaꝗam awoke later than he’d have liked; the sun was rising through his window, meaning it’d crested the mountain by this point. He heard activity in the kitchen below. He dressed himself, wearing casual, day-to-day clothing for a man of his station; the son of a landowner in his village, a man of high-standing in his tribe. He knew he would be working today. Emerging onto the open decking of the Piiztiid,* the large tower-house of the landowners of an Alsakhuizhan tribe, he was greeted by his father, Vlaab. Vlaab was sat on fur-lined chair positioned on a small wooden platform; he could gaze down to the valley-floor and inspect his land this way. They owned several pastures, fields of wheat, small patches of the local variety of rice and, most treasured of all, an olive plantation. Vlaab glanced away from his surveying and greeted Tuaazhu in the passively-negative tone he’d expected from a late rise.

“Шьаш āџ шәааз нiфiгрiiҩанҭаi?/ Šaş ādzh shaaz nifigriiyantai?”

“A late morning?”

“Шәашааi нā нафдiгiiџь, шәiiҽ дфааҩiiџь- /Shaşaai nā nafdigiiꝗ, shiitşh dfaayiiꝗ-“

“Forgive me father, I didn’t know-”

“Of course. Go downstairs and get some food; your mother has kept it warm. I know you’re a young man, but really, staying at the inn till the early hours?”

Tuaazhu cringed internally, and to his shame his face betrayed him. “Ah… you heard?”

“Of course. You sleep in the room next to us. Just… just be quieter, at the least. I would only go to the inn for four hours, if I were you. Think of your mother, your brother! You are the second son, I know, but you still need to maintain a good reputation – a good place in the tribe awai-”

“I know, father, I know. What do I need to do today?”

Vlaab sighed, resigned. Tuaazhu knew his father well enough to know that he didn’t want a fight here, not really. “Luckily for you, it’s an easy day, I think. Head to the olives, make sure no-one’s broken in. Then, check on our sheep.”

An easy day in theory. The olives were easy enough to check. There were… issues between the Dzhaaꝗams and the clan whose leading family owned the neighbouring plot of land. That plot was a tobacco field – extremely valuable these days, though this plot was not as valuable as some in the neighbouring towns. This lead to this clan, the Shiqaam, to occasionally try and take olives from their land. They sometimes left evidence, like a broken fence, though they were not fools and more often than not it was impossible to tell. It was really just a way to lounge and enjoy the summer sun – something that Tuaazhu was fully intending to do.

There was also the issue of the grudge against the Dzhaaꝗams that the Shiqaams held. The conflict over the field was one of many, some of which, regrettably, had come to blows. Blood had been spilt, and reconciliation between the two had proven impossible. Tuaazhu remembered he’d forgotten to tie his black ribbon over his arm… but the thought left his mind.

Checking the sheep was the issue. Again, it was probably fine, but like other families, Tuaazhu’s relied on Covjar shepherds for their sheep. Traditionally, sheep were the realm of the Alsakhuizhans alone, and there were many who kept to this, but Covjars were skilled shepherds, too, and Vlaab had, several seasons ago, struck a good deal with a local clan. The issue was that Tuaazhu’s Covjar was nonexistent. He needed to go to a different field, find their cowherd, an Alsakhuizan named Qhaam, and bring him away from their herd to speak to the Covjar. A lot of walking – at least for Tuaazhu’s donkey.

Tuaazhu went downstairs, to the second floor of the house, and ate breakfast with his mother – fried rice balls, made with egg and mint. He stayed and talked to his mother, Iƣmaa – who shared his father’s disappointment, but was at least kinder and more forgiving. They talked for half an hour, before Tuaazhu kissed Iƣmaa on the cheek, descended to the bottom of the Piiztiid, finding his cap – the traditional Alsakhuizhan style, leather with a white felt exterior and ram horns on the side – and slinging his rifle, an unfortunate necessity in this part of the world, over his shoulder. Finally, he mounted his donkey and set off. As he was leaving, his father called down:

“Шәii гьiнҭауа қьа āҿiiџь/Shii gıintaua kıa ātşiiꝗ!”

“*The Ancestors guide you!”

Tuaazhu called back: “Шәii гьiнҭауа џьаакәiiџь!/ Shii gıintaua ꝗaaⱪuiiꝗ!”

“The Ancestors Listen!”

The Alsakhuizhan town is made up of families of varying status within clans of the local tribe. In some towns, there are up to 7 clans – in Hilvādnātu, there are 4. Towns in the mountains consist of many Piiztiids, tall houses of varying levels. The most prestigious have 3 floors – the first floor, raised from the ground, is used for storage; the second houses a kitchen and guest room; the third, family rooms, i.e. the living spaces and bedrooms. The third floor is opulent and well decorated; the second and first, while decorated to varying extents, lack open windows, having only slits. These are meant for rifles to stick through, to defend against blood feuders as is the right of the family.

Smaller Piiztiids are also found, with only a ground and first floor. Many of these are owned by labourers who work in the central marketplace of the town, invariably near a shrine of some kind. Not every town is blessed by a Golden Oak - Hilvādnātu is not – and in their place, groves with statues of the Ancestors are created. Since there is a Covjar community, too, Hilvādnātu has a Temple of The Ancestor, their one God, on the outskirts of the town.

As is typical in an Alsakhuizhan town, there is a statue of a common ancestor guarding the town’s marketplace – in this case, at the junction of the three roads that made this collection of shops and stalls up, watching over a well. Other towns have statues guarding the entrance to their towns. Hilvādnātu also had an old fortress sitting on a rocky outcrop, jutting into the sky above the Piiztiids. The Banner-Bearer occasionally came to visit, and there were tales, tall perhaps, of tunnels and vaults. This is a less common feature of these towns – though rumours of tunnels are common.

The ancestor serves as the unifier between the clans and the tribes of the town. Alsakhuizhans believe that it is possible for gifted people to communicate with them, to learn lessons and receive guidance through the Golden Oaks. As for the Tribes… the most common term, gıābsi and the less-common term, naf, mean tribe and clan respectively. They refer to different bonds of kinship, known through written and oral records; how a tribe is a tribe and a clan is a clan is somewhat lost to time. In this banner, following the Codex of Naausa (Naausa Hāⱬantaii/Наауса Ҳәāӡәанҭаii, one of several law codes), the two mean the same thing; it is just that some are clans, and some are tribes. If there is a difference to be found, then tribes are somewhat larger.

In the valleys, many people – Alsakhuizhans and Covjar alike – live in smaller, wooden huts. Occasionally, there are hamlets of such dwellings. In the villages in the valleys, a single, three-floored Piiztiid will rise above these wooden huts – a symbol of Tribal authority. The situation in the lands where the Pıavan’s Law is strongest have different architectures to these settlements. In the Highlands, the name of the day is authority and law. Of course, there are different kinds of law…

Tuaazhu made his way to the floor of the valley, doffing his cap at the statue of the town’s ancestor to pay homage. He saw a few members of the Shiqaam clan staring coldly at him, a coldness he gladly returned. Before turning away, he could’ve sworn one of them looked alarmed for a moment… he carried on, his donkey’s feet drumming the cobbled road. The road was steep, mildly busy with people going on more or less the same commute he was embarking on. People grew tobacco, grain, cotton and rice; others were shepherds and cowherds, each with their own unique term – such is the reverence owed to pastoralists in this part of the world.

As he came to the plot of land, Metha, the Covjar shepherd was waiting for him, and waved. Tuaazhu sighed; By the Ancestors, not now… He made his way over, hoping that, somehow, he would be able to manage communication. He started with the one phrase he knew:

“Zhop zhukla, Metha!”

“Xhëma Dzhaaꝗam, dyjdhor vib sho nigazh! Thesë në dun mav; nu pë dun maxhto!”

Tuaazhu did not understand a word. Well, he understood “Master Dzhaaꝗam”, he’d heard it before, but the rest…

“Uhh… nëzh? Malmav vuj?”

Metha raised his head in frustration before hurriedly pointing at the olives. “Sho vizhy ka Sho Thobë! Argh, uhhh… Man… Man go tree. He… he stick? Branch? I see. No go!”

Tuaazhu sighed a sigh of relief. He’d been too late to catch them, but it was only the usual. “I see, the Shiqaams were here, yes? Stealing olives?”

Metha jumped excitedly. “Mëlti, mëlti! Xë zu, pom Sho Thobë! No go!”

Tuaazhu laughed. “Yes go! They’re, uhh… steal? Vib vo? I will be ok.” He felt like he was speaking to a toddler. He kicked his donkey, starting her off trotting to the olives – but Metha got in the way.

“Vodhor!!! Vodhor; nu dhy vy xë! Vy!!! Branch!!”

Tuaazhu had had enough. “I don’t care that they were using a branch to take them. Odd choice but I’ve heard of it being used before. Out of my way before I tell my old man you slowed me down! Uhhh…” he pointed at his house – “Xhëma Dzhaaꝗam” - before pointing at Metha again. He then waved dismissively, ending the conversation with “go and find Qhaam, he’ll be able to speak for us.”

Metha cursed – at least, Tuaazhu thought he did – and relented. Tuaazhu continued on his way to the olives. The sun had now risen, radiating through a clear blue sky, broken only by Feyris’ ring. The olive grove the family owned was a sizeable, with many trees based around two small hills. Tuaazhu scouted round the fencing – there was a section which had clearly been recently damaged, and some trees were missing some of their crops. As he expected, Metha was wrong.

He took his donkey to his favourite tree in the grove – an old monster of a tree at the bottom of a small promontory. He got off, stroking the neck of the beast, before looking round and taking in the view. He could see the town on the side of the opposite hills; behind him, the mountain snaked towards the sky. He sat, leaning against the tree which he had named Khıazhāzhtıu, Oldie, put the rifle on the ground next to him and took out his pipe.

Their neighbours, the Khuās, owned a tobacco field, and Tuaazhu had taken some of their stock with him today. He’d been sweet on one of their daughters, Giitu, for a long time. He filled his pipe, and as he set the tobacco aflame, he thought of her, of the fleeting glances they’d shared last night, of the stolen kiss that followed. As he exhaled, he swore he could see her face in the smoke. He closed his eyes, taking it all in, seeing the glint in her eyes under the light of the stars, the moon and the rings…

He heard a noise; he did not know exactly what it was, but it sounded like the approximation of a shout. He thought maybe it was Metha, calling from the path to the grove – but he could not see him from here. That made him feel uneasy, and he reached for the rifle.

He did not feel the bullet as it passed through his eye and shattered his skull. At the sounds of flesh bursting, bone cascading and the pop of a rifle, Tuaazhu’s donkey fled.

Several moments later, Vriqı Shiqaam came by the corpse of Tuaazhu Dzhaaꝗam to inspect his handiwork. The man who had slain his first cousin lay dead at his feet. He put his rifle next to the corpse’s, placed both his hands on the dead man’s chest and prayed to the Ancestors that they may accept his blood as vengeance for the slight against his family, that Tuaazhu would be welcomed to their great halls, and that they may great him a long period of peace before his end. He arranged the corpse in the proper manner, moving it out of the pool of blood forming by the tree, straightening the legs and folding the arms over the chest. He retrieved Tuaazhu’s rifle and placed it by his side, representing a warrior’s death.

It was only then he noticed that Tuaazhu was not wearing his black armband – the sign of a killer and of a dead man walking. This was not good. The laws would not look kindly on this killing. Vriqı, who had calming walked to the scene of the defining act of his life, paced hurriedly away and down to the path. He came across a Covjar and an older Alsakhuizhan – about 45 judging by his beard. The Covjar gasped, with a strangely sad shocked expression on his face. He turned to his companion.

“Nu tu xha nu, A ge nu.”

His companion frowned at Vriqı. “You’re not one of their workers. Do you know the family, boy?”

Vriqı just kept walking. He turned to them, looked this older man in the eye, pointed to the promontory and simply said “he’s by the big tree. I have killed him.” The Covjar swore and the two ran into the olives.

Vriqı walked back to Hilvādnātu, where, in front of the statue of the town’s ancestor, he announced his deed. Soon, it was being called from window to window. He could’ve sworn he’d heard an anguished cry from the Piiztiid of the Dzhaaꝗams, but it could’ve equally been his imagination. He was too busy walking with pace back to his own Piiztiid now – they could only ask for peace if he made it back. Until then, he was fair game for revenge killing.

Asariilantai*, literally “the Vengeance of the Blood” is a common feature of the many different law codes of Alsakhuizhia. Each code has different provisions for the different forms of life – the code in the banner of Duizhāⱬ is Naausa’s Codex and is different to the surrounding forms, including the more centralised Pıavan’s law to the north. Under Naausa’s Codex, the nearest male relative of the same generation of the tribe is obligated to avenge any death in the family. After the act, they must wear a black ribbon and may only be killed if they are wearing it. Failure to wear it results in exile – something deliberately chosen by some, though due to the ties Alsakhuizhans feel to their ancestors, it is a small minority.*

After the killing, the family of the slain offer a peace of either 8 or 32 days, corresponding to the Alsakhuizhan week and month. During this time, reconciliation may be attempted by either party. Failure to reach this by the end of the 32^nd day results in the legality of a revenge killing.

Vriqı waited by a small window in his Piiztiid, his rifle by his side in case he needed to fend off an attack. He saw many things that night. He heard shouting and wailing – killing was not uncommon in the town, but it was still a sad occasion. He saw his father and uncle leave the complex to negotiate the peace with the Dzhaaꝗams. He saw Giitu, the usually happy-go-lucky daughter of the Khuās come to the entrance of their complex crying. She paced around, looked like she wanted to shout something at the Piiztiid, changed her mind, silently stared at the wall – or, Vriqı felt, right at him – and leave after 4 minutes. Why she did this, he could not say; he wasn’t aware of anything going on between her and Tuaazhu.

One sight he saw gladdened him. From the balcony of his uncle’s Piiztiid, Vriqı’s aunt took down the blood-stained shirt of his cousin, to be burned and offered to the Ancestors, as per tradition. His mother came down shortly after this, and simply said: “his shirt is to be burned; he’s been avenged and can rest now. Well done, my beautiful boy.”

He heard a noise; his uncle and father had returned.

What may be the last 4 weeks of Vriqı’s life began.

Earlier this year, the trade runner CCS Edmondson was launched to little fanfare from the Mantel Shipyards in Moonmouth. The Edmondson, named after it's engineer Michael Edmondson, looks like any other trade runner, but under it's deck it hides an exciting new development. This development has meant the Edmondson has completed it's run from Swanhaven to Thalorin and back in record time, sparking a surge in orders and panic from it's competitors.

The ship is owned by the Imperial Trading Company, the state owned trading corporation, who are very excited about the new development. Company Director Sean Riding had the following to say, "We've been working with Mantel Shipyards for a few years now on a new trade runner design and they have not disappointed. We've already got several more on order and look forward to adding them to our fleet."

So what's so special about the Edmondson? Well powering the Edmondson is a Triple-Expansion Engine, the first of it's kind to be installed on a large steam ship. These types of engines have existed on land for nearly 20 years now, but until now boilers on ships couldn’t handle the high pressure. Michael Edmondson solved this problem with a new boiler design which can withstand the pressure and ensures the benefits of the new engine can be fully realised.

How does this Triple-Expansion Engine work you might ask? Steam is heated and fed into a cylinder like a normal steam engine, where the pressure and heat causes expansion which moves a piston. The steam is then fed into a second cylinder and then third cylinder to repeat the process, giving it the triple part of it's name. Coupled with the high-pressure improvements to the boiler, not only has fuel efficiency been greatly increased, but so has the amount of available power to drive the ship (allowing for faster travel).

Another thing to note is this might spell the end of sails, as the potential of the new engine means less need to have auxiliary sails on ships. Sails have seen decreasing use since the introduction of steam ships, but could the Triple-Expansion Engine be the final nail?

Story by Nathaniel Clarke