• Fallout RP: The Old World
    146 replies, posted
[QUOTE=TheBloodyNine;50157210]story about a postman is in ireland even though i invented the postal service blyat noob messengers nice story tho[/QUOTE] Lancashire is in england
[QUOTE=TheBloodyNine;50157210]story about a postman is in ireland even though i invented the postal service blyat noob messengers nice story tho[/QUOTE] I didn't realize Ireland included north west England
My bad.
also gtfo letters have been sent along the swiss route for years
U fokin wish you had mail like me ye fukin cheese makin fop [editline]20th April 2016[/editline] War me u wont
1vs1 me n see what happens ye wee commie bastard
[B]WTF MAN YOU THREATENING MY RUSKI!?!?!? THIS IS WAR, LET'S SEE IN BATTLEFIELD YOU SKANK. [/B][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/AQHyOPr.jpg[/IMG]
everyone v 1 me rite now biches not one step bak
perkele the only player left to send in a turn is euskalduna of the vikingr come on kurwa get in ur turn so I can finish this before my holiday to ES spurdo sparde land
Send your turns fags. Don't have all day to take over Europe.
[QUOTE][IMG]https://sellsword.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/jacob_de_gheyn_-_wapenhandelinge_4.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE] Artist's rendering of the New Model of the Cavanite Army
no turn this week due to being busy with holiday stuff and the like but i promise to have one out either before or immediately after i go to finland
immediately gets a 7 day ban.
[QUOTE=Mr. Face;50196701]immediately gets a 7 day ban.[/QUOTE] So people know he isn't here for time being :godzing:
[QUOTE=robinkooli;50199865]So people know he isn't here for time being :godzing:[/QUOTE] what? everybody knows i'm in britain right now, writing the turn like i'm meant to and certainly not watching Pasila [editline]2nd May 2016[/editline] shit
[QUOTE=Sobotnik;50241071]what? everybody knows i'm in britain right now, writing the turn like i'm meant to and certainly not watching Pasila [editline]2nd May 2016[/editline] shit[/QUOTE] just like how i'm absolutely writing my turn in my rp right now.
[QUOTE=Sobotnik;50241071]what? everybody knows i'm in britain right now, writing the turn like i'm meant to and certainly not watching Pasila [editline]2nd May 2016[/editline] shit[/QUOTE] Fascinating.
I apologize for the wait gentlemen, but I shall be starting to work on it now and I will reserve this post for the turn.
And so my waiting intensifies. Hope my nation gets good luck next turn :weeb: :weeb:
[img_thumb]http://i.cubeupload.com/6DKkCv.png[/img_thumb] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEpuPUacKig[/media] [quote]The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together. - Shakespeare[/quote] Events of the years 2195 – 2200: -Like any other century, this one has been a mixture of miseries and pleasures. Despite the annihilation of much of the human race in a nuclear war, the numerous survivors picked up the pieces, dusted themselves down, and carried on as though nothing had happened. People still ate and drank, slept and danced, loved and lost, fought and created. Although the deluge destroyed much, it did not touch everything. Much of the last civilization survived, even some of the civilization before that, and ones even older. At the end of the twenty-second century there are those who still listen to the music of the Beatles, men who speak reverently of Napoleon and Caesar as though both were mythical figures. The ruins of castles and cathedrals are revealed every day by the rays of the rising sun, reminding all those who dwell in their shadows of a world long gone. But now a new civilization has been born kicking and screaming. It is a young baby covered in blood, crying and fragile. It shall inherit the legacies of the multitude of nations connecting the first pharoah of Egypt to the last monarch of the United Kingdom, it remains to be seen whenever or not this will be an inheritance of darkness or of light. [img]http://i.imgur.com/HTfI9Er.png?1[/img][img]https://facepunch.com/image.php?u=440820&dateline=1453437183[/img] [b]Kingdom of Cavan – Native Hunter Leader: Peter Ó Raghallaigh Capital: Cavan[/b] -The end of the century is bringing with it the end of an era – the end of an anarchic Ireland. A century ago the collapse of order was accompanied by soldiers, policemen, and IRA revolutionaries that roamed the increasingly desolate Irish nation. In the 2190s Cavan was locked in a struggle with the last of these roaming bands, unable to secure victory. Peter Ó Raghallaigh halted the IRA, but at a great cost in the battle of Dundalk. In front of the rundown cathedral of Cavan, Peter announced the creation of a “New Model Army”, news of which spread to Carrickfergus where Sean had holed himself up. Raiding parties continued to batter away at the outposts of Cavan, but they were unable to break in – for the Cavanites were now well-equipped with crude shotguns and simple metal plate armour hammered together out of scrap. Cavan now has a new policy – land acquisition. Promising his supporters land, Peter has been encouraging thousands of farmers, traders, tinkerers, artisans, and soldiers to scour the land for every bit of usable scrap they could find. Scrap metal was slowly hammered into breastplates and helmets by blacksmiths eager for the promise of wealth. For the first time in over a century, rusted old cars were pulled out of ditches, only to be torn to shreds. With money borrowed from all sorts of sources (including a bag of gold from an Italian who claimed Aloys sent him), Peter managed to fund the creation of something not seen in a very long time – a professional standing army. All those that enlist are given good rations, suitable equipment (usually armour and a shotgun as standard), and most importantly the promise of land. They are drilled for eight weeks before being sent off to fight, and their key to success is the humble firearm. Peter has managed to use some of the old prewar knowledge available to begin manufacturing gunpowder on a large scale – enough to the point that he can afford to equip all of his men with it. It is the beginning of the end for his rivals. -In the hot summer of 2196, three hundred valiant men with rough tunics and orange breeches marched down a dusty country road into Antrim where they lay witness to the ruins of Belfast. Once the most important city of Northern Ireland it had slowly faded away into the vegetation. Scattered hamlets and villages occupied the area, and they all unwillingly gave lodging to the soldiers. They were glad to see the IRA “squeezers” (their term for tax collectors) gone, but the fact that hundreds of men were eating their food was not something they enjoyed either. In tow were a dozen horses pulling an old field gun, and several wagons of supplies – the first artillery battery in post-apocalyptic Europe. The castle at Carrickfergus sealed up the entrances and began taking potshots with improvised bows and guns. The field gun was designed to kill soldiers – not to blast through walls of stone a thousand years ago. Days turned into weeks as the siege continued, mainly on account of the poor supply lines and constant raiding by IRA groups as a last desperate attempt to hold off the inevitable. But the final end came in August when a gap in the wall was finally starting to give way. Repairs could not be made for a constant watch made sure to shoot at anybody going near it, and when it crumbled the order was given to charge into the compound. Leading the assault was Malcolm McDouglas, a brother in law to Peter and the leader of a band of Gallowglasses from Stirling who had found themselves under employ of the Irish. The brutal fighting lasted for hours, and by the evening both sides were thoroughly exhausted and ready to give up. Malcolm hacked his way to the top of the tower where he found Sean defending the Irish flag with a spear. Despite his lack of training in the spear, Sean mortally wounded Malcolm. Malcolm responded by grabbing the spear off Sean and snapping it in half before grabbing him and strangling him to death with his bare hands. With his dying steps he grabbed the last Tricolour in Ireland and cast it down from the battlements. -After this point, there was nothing really to challenge Peter anymore. The number of soldiers flocking to his banner only grew, as did his possessions. Virtually the whole of Northern Ireland was brought under his control, as were many other towns. Although the horses he had were horribly inbred to begin with, a few fresh horses from the mainland and other parts of Ireland were also brought in to add a little variety to the gene pool. Their numbers grew enough to permit the creation of an equestrian cohort – armed with broadswords and in chestplates they became rightfully feared. The remaining bandits were chased away from the roads and were either hacked down or shot by the cavalrymen who were given explicitly instructions to take what they liked from those that they killed – the state was so bankrupt it could not afford to pay them. A large part of Ireland is now safe, but deeply impoverished due to the burdens of war. Peter ends up eventually defaulting on his debts to Stirling, forcing him to give most of the hardwon gains in the war to Scottish mercenaries in the form of land. His new model army is also given land to tide them over for now, but they are still restless and some of them mutiny over being paid in arrears or not at all. Many of the Scottish mercenaries settle themselves throughout Ulster, where they cannibalize old housing to rebuild themselves comfortable homes out of brick. But for Peter his growing age and impoverishment has left him in a dangerously precarious situation (even after Seppo befriended him and became his personal bodyguard). He sent a monk to the pope that took so long that in the intervening months Peter thought his man surely dead. But with this monk returned a bishop from Rome also, who confirmed that his right to rule Cavan and by extension the whole of Ireland was duly accepted in return for his efforts to maintain the Christian faith and the promotion of good works. The bishop was also kind enough to baptise Peters newborn son Malcolm, in memory of his uncle-in-law. The birth of the baby was followed by great celebrations throughout the land as a battered but new nation, young and soaked in blood, began to emerge. [img]http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/0c9f/vlg4wofk1ihg4m9zg.jpg[/img][img]https://facepunch.com/image.php?u=542325&dateline=1411600431[/img] [b]Eisen Coalition – Dr. Critic Capital: Eisenhollow Leader: Aloys Aidonidis[/b] -The ruthless Varn ruled much of what was formerly Switzerland and northern Italy, but even as his age progressed, his skin shriveled away, and his hair fell out the autocracy remained unchallenged. To find a suitable successor, Varn opted for a solution much befitting of the Italian race – a fight to the death between two bodyguards. The selection process was interesting enough as his entire personal retinue was reserved the right to vote on who those two would be. Two factions soon formed around Valerio Vespa and Torben Scheer, each proclaiming their right to rule. Naturally they were each supported by the Italians and Germans respectively, and the expansion into Italy (and the deaths of many former bodyguards in the conflict) had resulted in their ranks being diluted with Italians who survived the mercenary wars and had thrown in their lot with Eisenhollow. As a result they were eager to try and work their work up the hierarchy, perhaps something that Varn was aware of. This century was slowly drawing to an end, and with it, so too was his life. But his ability to steer events began to slip out of control as the civilian administration began to take advantage of his dementia and insisted that they had lost orders or commands (the lack of writing and a regular postal system worsened much of this). The bodyguards soon held an election and unsurprisingly voted for Valerio and Torben, who then made preparations to fight in the marketplace of Eisenhollow near to the casino. It was certainly a grand event as many of the casinos patrons came to watch the fight. Drunken and squeezed for all the pennies they had, this was pretty much the only free entertainment around (although there were those who sold seats and snacks to the audience) in Eisenhollow. An old car horn was used to signal the start of the fight, and the two men began to hack at one another while the crowd cheered them on. After severely wounding one another, Valerio came out on top after his exhausted opponent passed out from blood loss and was hacked to pieces. The gamblers were angry as they considered Italians to be too cowardly and inept to fight, claiming the game had been fixed. They stormed the stage and started a drunken riot that swept the town. It had to be put down by the remaining bodyguards (12 died), who were already at unease since Valerio had never been personally vetted by Varn. -When the smoke cleared, Varn was left in a really difficult situation as it turned out that Valerio had stupidly decided to get an infection from his wounds. Over the course of several weeks he suffered agonizing pain as his blood poisoning advanced and he lost all feeling and motion in his left arm. Bedridden and deeply unwell, he was on the road to recovery before an outbreak of measles swept the region. With more than a century separating them from the last stocks of viable vaccines (or the ability to manufacture them), the Swiss were left practically helpless in the face of the microscopic warriors. Valerio soon died, and then shortly afterwards so too did Varn on a dark October day in the year of our lord 2199, in addition to many exchange students in the new Eisenhollow school set up by Zurich. It was said that shortly before his death he was visited by a wandering man who looked strangely familiar, and as if he hadn't aged a day since the last time Varns eyes had been cast upon his features. Varn expressed surprise and refused to believe the man when he spoke, calling him “a bullshitter”. But alas the wanderer warned Varn that God told him that these bunkers contained a deep and dark secret from before the war that could not be simply ignored. Varn laughed hard until tears ran down his face, calling the man a liar, before ordering his guards in to seize the man. But by the time the guards had gotten inside, the man had vanished – Varn had died from the final stages of measles. His body was carried out of bed, bloated and rotting. Buried before the victory ceremony could be even held for Valerio, the aftermath left a rather bad impression on the soldiers as now the three most capable men in the whole country were now dead. The line of succession then passed on down to a very strange and elusive man who had been put in charge of the campaign to secure Milan. Having come from nowhere seemingly, he spoke a curious language not unlike Italian where the word for yes was “óc”. His story began a few years earlier, in 2196. -Aloys Aidonidis began his professional life as a sellsword in the employ of the Milanese before their conquest by Eisen. He had been in numerous exploits throughout his life and had become fluent in many languages (including subterfuge) before he turned down the offer from Eisen to capture Milan. In this he was wise, and being the only major military commander of any worth left in Northern Italy he then pledged his loyalty to the sovereign of Eisenhollow and joined his bodyguard. Surprisingly he did not partake in the factional politics and instead happily agreed to take on any and all expeditions. He led several to Venice where he brought messages to the city on the behalf of Varn and used the opportunity to build relationships there and allowed for the mutual protection of trade routes between them. He used his knowledge of the land and the people to hunt down the bandits and remaining mercenary bands, before lending money to a merchant travelling to Ireland. His popularity within the bodyguard steadily grew as he redistributed stolen guns and equipment amongst those who came on his expeditions (leading to his influence growing). By 2198 he had convinced Varn to form a Milanese axillary and during the time of the duel in the city he managed to somehow convince the rebellious city to allow him to enter and to finally assert Eisenhollows authority on the city for good – an act for which he was rewarded the governorship of the city of Milan in its entirety. Having now secured himself a powerbase, he then brought out an interesting piece of technology recovered from before the war. From out of an old basement he uncovered a working Alfa Romeo Arna – albeit modified to run on nuclear batteries. After having gotten it up to operation again he then planned on sending it to Eisen as a gift – but alas he received the news that his lord had died from a measles epidemic. Moving quickly, Aloys drove to Eisenhollow with his supporters and barged into a meeting of the bodyguards discussing the succession crisis. After hearing the sound of a car horn outside they gathered at the walls and lay witness to the last working Italian car struggle up the hill with a small army in tow. They saw the last sunset of the century casting a dying light upon the German soldiers stationed in the town, while bright electric lights illuminated the Italians. Aloys then declared he was now the ruler of Eisenhollow and that he had already convinced half of the confederation of this fact (he lied) – at which point his rivals surrendered and conceded defeat. [img]http://i.imgur.com/A8YB8EO.gif[/img][img]https://facepunch.com/image.php?u=599411&dateline=1455383136[/img] [b]Vikingr - EuSKalduna Capital: London Leader: Bard the Ass rider[/b] -Disaster continues to sweep down onto the Vikingr like the blizzards they have been facing in recent years. A cripplingly cold winter in the year 2196 destroyed the crops and lead to famine, while with each passing day more and more people abandon even perfectly good farmsteads to flee west and south. Although Asmund decried those that fled as cowards and tried to stem the tide he was unsuccessful. Denmark has nay a person left – and has been reclaimed by the beasts of the wild. The refugees crowd into Bardyburg but refuse to stay for long. Rumours of monsters from the north have grown wilder and wilder, and many claim to have seen them in person for themselves, while raids from the Dutch hit hard and frequently. An outbreak of measles later devastates the town and kills hundreds of people, before then even more dreaded news comes to pass as now even those of the other religions submit to slavery under the Vikingr for safety. As it turns out, a number of people had assembled themselves on the banks of the Elbe and built a fort near to the city of Hamburg with the intention of holding it against the “shadows”. The next news to come about was that half of the inhabitants had gone missing, and the rest were dead. A few survivors claimed that they had seen one man stolen in the dark of night and taken away, while others were found in the morning – unnaturally pale and dead. The news was enough to suddenly cause a minor warband leader from the Norwegian settlements (Aleks Tanberg) to declare he was going to leave Bardyburg. A recent arrival, he claimed to have left home on account of the monsters – but others say he had murdered a man and sought refuge from his vengeful relatives. And so it was on the fifteenth anniversary of Bards birth that a third of Bardyburg left for good and went to England. -On their arrival in England they sailed up the Thames where they discovered numerous petty settlements which had only been lightly touched by raids in recent years. A community of Moslems living within the ruins of London were enslaved and were taken to Aldwych where they were forced to clear land for the newcomers, whereas numerous other farmsteads were established in East Angila. The old buildings were repaired and expanded using the rubble left lying around while a crude rampart was built to protect the new settlement from incursions by the vengeful and savage inhabitants of London. But Tanberg was still nervous and jittery in his new home, and was eventually compelled to reveal his secret by his close followers in a meeting in the new “bar hall” where they drank cheeky vimtos from before the war. Tanberg showed them a most curious device that he had uncovered when on an expedition years ago in Norway. Three cubits high and four wide, it was evidently a prewar device but now with golden plates bolted onto it and held within a cradle of birchwood, with a many coloured lid. He demonstrated the device by pressing a combination of buttons on the side before it made a loud grinding sound and out of it came perfect prewar bullets. This most wonderous device possesses the capability to seemingly make anything out of thin air, but he did not use it much until now out of fear. Tanberg reckons that it could very well be the key to their survival and that it could be used to make weaponry for their protection. To demonstrate this, he makes a number of guns and bullets from it and hands them around. With such a device they could do much more than merely survive, but even thrive within the ruins of London. Mysterious as it is useful, the only information on it is that it was constructed by a “John Smith” and it has the name “Special Atomic Matter Procurement Object” written on the side. This device also possesses a telephone, but nobody there has any idea as to the number one ought to dial on it. -News of the new settlement in England spreads quickly among the Vikingr. More migrants stream westwards as the attacks on people and livestock are increasingly reported. Those that made their way to London were initially settled within the walls, and then on the southern bank of the river with the Moslem slaves until such a time that they could expand the walls of the town. The Moslems themselves were stubborn with regards to conversion – but their usefulness could not be denied. A “heretics” battalion was formed from their numbers where they could gain some respect and class by fighting for the Vikingr, since they were found to be useful against the numerous other petty settlements and tribes of London (attacks on their fishing boats, farms, and livestock has produced decent returns and during the winter many of those starving were forced to submit). Back home there has been fewer successes in battle. Bard himself eventually was forced to leave shortly before his sixteenth birthday when an entire flock of sheep were found dead and desiccated in a field with the nearby village entirely abandoned. He was packing when the dreaded news came – contact with Denmark had been cut off entirely as no scouts or messengers ever returned. With no way to verify what had happened, the worst was assumed by the terrified inhabitants of Bardyburg. They fled in such a panic that many houses were left intact (even with the valuables inside) and some in their flight had taken to picking up their livestock and children alike and running. Some of the boats that left became so overloaded that one capsized and all onboard ended up drowning. As those that fled early noticed, all of the lights in the town appeared to be extinguished all at once and the cries of the people faded away. Dark shadows were seen throughout the town – one was sworn to have been seen gliding over the water. [img]http://i.cubeupload.com/5T5tPY.png[/img][img]https://facepunch.com/image.php?u=393181&dateline=1389053714[/img] [b]United Nu Zurich - Ruski v2.0 Capital: Zurich Leader: Julien Walliser[/b] -On a foggy April day in the year 2196, a boy was born. He was a fortunate boy indeed because he was son and now heir to one of the few postwar nations on the planet. Stretching over large parts of Southern Germany and some of Switzerland, this was a nation held under the iron tight grip of General Julien Walliser. Like many babies, he was covered in disgusting fluids and resembled a small monster that had torn its way out of a placental prison. For a brief moment he existed in a state of equality shared with all humans, but it would not last long. Julien lifted up the baby and declared him Rupert, the son of Julien Walliser – once a general – now 'Protector of the nation'. This nation has been recently renamed United Nu Zurich, and Julien has reason for these changes. After all, who else can lay claim to electric power? The nuclear reactors at Bernau continue to generate ever more power, albeit sporadically throughout the year as a stream of carts and donkeys carry batteries to and from one of the last functioning nuclear power stations in Europe, possibly even the world. Although the fuel is brought together and more repairs are made, it becomes apparent that supplies are extremely limited. A few batteries have been discovered down in a few mines, abandoned military bases, and bunkers in addition to a little fuel, but it is nowhere near enough. While these batteries can hold a great deal of power, only eight years of power remains at current consumption rates – even with careful rationing. The only hope for now appears to be a rumour that the ruins of Aachen hold a major prewar installation with a great deal of unrefined nuclear material hidden in a bunker guarded by “metal soldiers” underground. Julien has already introduced a law which mandates that lights shall operate from 9pm to 1am in the central square of Zurich (subject to variation as a result of daylight savings) so as to increase the length of the working day. For now, the lights remain on and the party continues – immigrants continue to stream into the towns seeking employment. Farmers are now a common sight, trekking down dirt roads with donkeys and sacks of potatoes. -But immigration has brought new problems, many related to the troubles up north. While some immigrants later tried to return home north after hearing about the construction of a fort at Hamburg, twice their number fled to Zurich when rumours spread of the inhabitants being killed. What's more, even the Vikingr were said to be fleeing west. Like ripple on the surface of water, thousands of Germans and Scandinavians have now settled (for better or worse) in Southern Germany. Zurich has proven itself largely incapable of controlling them, so they have been steered to the Rhineland where a number of communities (autonomous in all but name) have established themselves. Why? Largely because it's rather safe and connected (however thinly) with a network of safe roads from the Rhine to the Po. Handling a great deal of trade, the immigrants are all too eager to take advantage by pawning goods to the traders that sail up and down the Rhine. While the Drenkelinge used to prey upon these traders, the death of their old leader and the rise of a saner ruler has resulted in their increasing openness towards outsiders and a sharp drop in the number of raids as activities instead are directed against the Vikingr. With a breathing space now open, small markets and villages sprout up like mushrooms all throughout the Rhineland and despite frequent small conflicts between the resettled tribes and villages there is now a definite trading zone stretching from Italy north into the Netherlands, almost entirely under the control of Zurich north of the Alps and Eisen south of them. Such is the wealth flowing into the city that the first 'university' in the country is founded. Little more than a combination of a engineers college, an existing school that taught the three r's, and facilities owned by the Catholic Church, it is however the first step towards re-establishing higher education in Europe. -The rapid expansion of the state and the steady economic revival is bringing many more changes with it – some people are wealthy and powerful enough (particularly the petty rulers of the migrant tribes and the merchants) that they have started using a combination of blackmail and patronage to secure positions or favours in the government. Out of the ramshackle collection of advisors and friends that constituted the “executive” of the nation now emerges a much larger and informal council. Julien has allowed it to exist more or less unimpeded as its much easier to allow them to manage local affairs than it is to intervene directly. The result is that the autocracy weakens, decaying into an oligarchy where power is broadly shared between the major trading towns and organisations, the tribes, and Julien himself. Unfortunately it has also led to more and more struggles as where Zurich ends and the wilderness begins is rather hazy. Many of the special interests within the country have taken it upon themselves to begin plotting small-scale wars between the tribes so as to seize more land (the central government can barely participate in them, let alone control them). The rise of a rival state in Munich nearby has prompted the military to begin work on a line of fortifications to the northeast (mostly simple ramparts and blockhouses). But these ramparts have not made people feel much safer. A measles outbreak decimates not just the nation, but the thinly-stretched soldiers who patrol the borderlands to the north and east. On a ranging expedition to the north, one badly undermanned patrol discovered a village recently abandoned save for two children. When questioned, the children begged to be taken south by the patrol. But during the night, one of the soldiers during the night watch had his back turned for long enough that after he turned back around, he discovered both children had lost their original form and turned into black demons of some kind. They had changed into something like a shroud that then passed over and wrapped around the soldiers bodies. The awake soldier could not attack them without harming those within the shroud, for the more he slashed the more the shrouds tightened. The demons seemed to ignore him, and as soon as they finished they unwrapped themselves from the bodies and turned into ravens that then flew out into the night. The soldier ran back to his barracks and relayed that that he was the sole survivor. [img]https://i.imgur.com/VsYTxlf.png[/img][img]https://facepunch.com/image.php?u=526496&dateline=1429466025[/img] [b]Pohjoismainen Unionia (Nordic Union) - Robinkooli Capital: Tukholma Leader: Kustaa Urho Suomalainen[/b] -An Irish horse trotted down a road into the town square of Tukholma, upon its back a man of considerable worth. Once named Pieni Hevonen, this horse was now called Blondi, the man on top was Kustaa. Together they were watching the latest military exercises of the recently formed “Erikoisjääkärit”, a unit intended for special purposes in warfare. They typically are given the (few) good firearms and other weaponry owned in the union, while being trained extensively for a kind of special war (the nature of which is yet unknown). For the first time in many years, the Finns now possess something that resembles an army much more than it does a roving band of ill-trained part-time warriors. In addition to being an example that the rest of the armed forces should strive to, Kustaa has devoted considerable resources to making sure they are literate and capable of arithmetic. The fact that many people are unable to read is something that has embarrassed him, and luckily for Kustaa the nearby monastery was able to provide some help. The monastery was able to spare enough time to devote towards education, to the effect that after three years most of the Erikoisjääkärit can write their own name and read Finnish literature (although works in Latin and other languages remain difficult). The success of this program led to Kustaa ordering the introduction of a national schooling program intended to revive literacy and knowledge amongst all of the Finns under his rule. Lasting eight years from age seven to age fifteen, there is a major focus on exercise and military themes throughout education as well. Unfortunately, it is perhaps not as bright and hopeful as first intended. While more schoolhouses are brought back into usage and the monastery devotes itself to training teachers fulltime, the knowledge they transmit is often imperfect and incomplete. About half of the people in Tukholma can read now, although few in the countryside can even read at all. Most of those that can read are barely able to do much more than write down names and often struggle to express themselves through it. Language continues to change all the while. The monks at the Albertian monastery frequently complain that their students are committing grave writing errors like replacing ”maito” with ”milkkiä” in writing. -Travellers from Germany come here occasionally (although their numbers have been reduced in recent years) to occasionally trade or represent other societies. The existence of ”Zurich” and ”Eisenhollow” are known amongst the educated in Finnish society, although knowledge on both is extremely scanty and unreliable. They bring news that the Germans have managed to switch on the lights for the first time in many years – a fact which prompts Kustaa to declare that he too is also working on his own project to restore electricity. After conferring with the monks once more, he decided to send an expedition to the Älvkarleby hydroelectric power station. Once there, the expedition searched around the facility and discovered that one of the turbines could be salvaged, whereupon they began restoring the plant and fortifying it against intruders (mainly Sami bands and bandits) that roam in the nearby area. But progress was slow, and even after eight long months they only were able to test the turbine once before it broke down and they were forced to buy replacement parts from overseas. A trader who was granted permission by the Vikingr to trade in Denmark went to Zealand, where he reported that “The towns are entirely deserted, and nobody dares land upon the shores for fear of the demons upon them”. What's more, is that very few people seem to be braving the waters anymore and that it's not uncommon to discover an abandoned boat drifting quietly in the sea. The only other trader around was the Whiskeyman who continues to provide barrels of quality Scotch whiskey to Tukholma twice a year. He too reported that although he had seen no living humans in these parts he did manage to salvage the missing parts after meeting with an old man on the shores of Norway. The old man introduced himself as “Old Benjamin” and said that he had found the salvage from “The Pohjola bunker” which he also drew on an old roadmap for the benefit of the Whiskeyman, which he offers to part with in return for a tax exemption. He claims that the map also has a route to the “Draugr”, something which Kustaa has been preparing a second expedition for. -After some more repairs, the sluices were opened and the turbine began to slowly spin for the first time in over a century. The lights in the power station begin flickering on, and soon the whole fortification was shining brightly in the midst of the cold winter of 2198. But the downside is that the infrastructure has decayed considerably since then, and so in order to power up Tukholma a boat must make regular trips from the power station and back with a load of batteries. The other big problem is that there doesn't really seem to be anything that can use electricity for besides light and a few weak electrical motors – most of the prewar equipment has more or less decayed or been damaged over the years to the point that they cannot be used anymore. Other projects by the government have had even less success – the attempt to start a national bank died on the drawing board after it was pointed out that money wasn't even used at all. A mint was quickly established to rectify this issue as it began churning out the markka, but very few people seem to even use it. There's nothing to make the markka useful in itself as nobody pays taxes, while land is plentiful. Barter remains common, although bottles of whiskey and jewellery remain as a medium of exchange. Attempts to revive the production of electrical and optical equipment go poorly as well, for the families that settle in Älvkarleby (which they have taken to calling Jokikaarlepyy) are unable to produce very much beyond some lightbulbs and radio repairs. Trade with the outside world is still unreliable (even after Kustaa lifted many restrictions on outsiders), on account of the growing threat of the beasts from Norway. These monsters have become such a nuisance that the Tukholma government decided to grant refugees the freedom to settle in lands under Finnish control – on the condition they behave themselves. For now they are grateful for the safety, albeit frustrated as these Swedes and Norwegians are put under considerable pressure to adopt Finnish language and customs. These concerns are put to a side when reports of attacks on the western borders come in. [img]http://puu.sh/nglc9/c43d4f67aa.png[/img][img]https://facepunch.com/image.php?u=130431&dateline=1442480710[/img] [b]Drenkelinge - YogiTheWise Capital: Ouddorp Leader: Tomas Ingvisboerg[/b] -With the decline of the Vikingr, Tomas has risen to become the most powerful man on the North Sea, a position that is never quite assured. In order to safeguard his hold on power he begins with reforming the shoddy excuse for an army that he has. This process began with him grabbing a book about military theory and realising that some kind of hierarchy was common in most successful armies – to this end he introduced a ranking system whereby those who did really well got a slightly more important title and more responsibility with just enough tangible rewards to make it all the worthwhile. Soon there are a lot of “captains” who are entrusted not only with leading men into battle (the size of the units they command vary in size), but with carrying among the few working guns left in the country. Upon ships and in raiding parties they head northeast into Frisia and parts of Germany where they bully a number of settlements into joining a sort of “confederation” against the Vikingr. In addition they are sometimes brave enough to actually risk attacking the Danes directly, mainly by sneaking into poorly-defended fishing villages and farmsteads and raping the women. To this end they eventually succeed in pushing back the Vikingr warriors and their expansion, although this has a unintended effect as the people there simply begin packing up their bags and petition Tomas for permission to live within his country, in a country already starting to become crowded with refugees. Tomas grants very few of them permission to even pass through his lands – let alone settle down, for the Dutchmen and Germans oppressed by the Vikingr are deeply hostile to the idea of giving mercy to the Danes. As skirmishes became increasingly common, efforts were made to dig ditches and fortify the settlements in the northeast against intrusions as raiding parties developed into migrating hordes. Even though they won the siege of Ouddorp, the Danes looked like they were about to overwhelm the Netherlands when something surprising happened – they fled to England. Within a few months, large parts of Frisia were utterly depopulated. -But before all this, Tomas was preoccupied with matters he deemed (initially at least) more important. While the Sea God was certainly a preoccupation of him and his predecessor, perhaps it wasn't wise to ascribe everything to his will, for the Irish monks and the odd learned man who appeared in Holland had much interesting information to share about the world. Old books on science, philosophy, and language were now available to those who met with the Irish and foreigner traders now sailing down the Rhine, and they were of considerable help to those that happened to read them. Tomas saw the benefits early, and with the help of a trader from Zurich he managed to source the parts and expertise to build a printing press for the benefit of the state. In an additional deal with some Irish monks, he agreed that they would be allowed to make copies for their books as long as they did not disseminate them (in addition to bringing a tribute of uncopied books to the town as well). They were happy enough to accept, although they felt rather frustrated as copies of “The book of the sea” began to slowly trickle out of the printing house and into the houses of the Dutch. These new books are typically made from poor quality paper and fall apart after a few years, but they serve their purpose. Several pamphlets are also printed for the benefit of those who happen to be interested in the news, but like in any day and age this is under supervision of the authorities. Tomas made sure to promote news about diseases, agricultural practice, and trade – to the effect that a measles outbreak which swept over the continent was only really minor here as people were prepared for it. The knowledge has also allowed him to begin directing workers productively as the grand quest to rebuild the sunken country to her prewar glory begins. A windmill erected nearby Ouddorp is the first of several, with pipes and pumps connecting a flooded polder to a river. Slowly but surely, water is brought back under their control. Traders from Zurich began docking at the town to barter, while others travelled out into the north sea. -In fact Tomas was so proud of his achievements that he dismissed the pleas of the Vikingr as petty and beneath his concern – after all they had been beaten by the confederation of towns and tribes, and now they wanted mercy? With nowhere else to go they fled to England. While they could affect the trade routes that connected Scotland and Ireland via the Rhine to Germany and Italy, their pitiful numbers meant little in the grand scheme of things. Slowly the wealthy was trickling in, along with knowledge and armed warriors following him – his power was growing. But reports of a battle at Hamburg, of attacks upon men and livestock, the constant stream of refugees – all these eventually build up until one day he hears the news that the Danes had abandoned Bardyburg and were making for England. Not just hundreds of men, but every man, woman, and child. Then one by one, the outermost villages in the confederation headed by Tomas went silent and their inhabitants fled, begging for protection against the beasts coming their way. These “dark creatures” seemed to be the very essence of the night itself as they came down through the forests and river valleys to the homes of the peasantry and took their lives during sleep. The survivors made for the south and west where (they hoped) that safety could be found. The threat having grown considerably, expeditions were sent out to try and discover what exactly was going on. Sometimes they came back reporting nothing, while other times the scouting parties vanished entirely. Only one piece of the puzzle was solved when Tomas himself travelled to the former site of Bardyburg to work out exactly what had happened. His investigations revealed that the bodies lying there did not decay, but instead seemed to develop an unnatural pallor about them – in fact one of the bodies still had fresh blood leaking from the nose a week after death. Tomas ordered the houses to be pulled down, before noticing that in one house was a pile of halfburnt papers stuffed under a brick and a body severely mangled beyond recognition. The scraps of paper appeared to be the remains of a map, but it was too damaged to tell. The attacks rapidly died down afterwards, but reports of missing persons and livestock continue to plague the whole length of the Rhine as they seem to swerve southwards into Germany. [img]http://i.imgur.com/cGmqAIN.png[/img][img]https://facepunch.com/image.php?u=722776&dateline=1451174334[/img] [b]The Worker's Council of Bavaria - TheBloodyNine Capital: Munich Leader: Viktoria Faust[/b] -Long and bloody have been the years in Munich. The latest one has been particularly bloody. When Viktoria oversaw the hanging of half a dozen brigands she knew that peasant militias just wouldn't cut it. She began the creation of a true “army” with a coherent and organized hierarchy, with a strict chain of command and all the bells and whistles. Unimaginatively named the “Peoples army” it is organized on the basis of patrolling squads whose job it was to kill absolutely everyone and everything harassing the Bavarians. Viktoria of course went out with them on the first few missions to ensure the job was being done right, and sure enough in the first year alone she had captured and hung no less than nineteen bandits and criminals who had preyed upon the innocent. The roads in and around Munich were cleared in 2196, and by the next year the road to Zurich was declared to be (relatively) free of highwaymen. The system became so successful that she convinced (rather forcefully) the surrounding villages of the benefits of this new system and so as to prepare them for drafting when the need arose (either for war or massed labour projects). Of course no such need exists (yet). But as law and order begins to be re-established, the massive number of corpses hanging from gibbits have produced problems of their own as the smaller towns and villages complain about the penalties being too harsh and the difficulty of executing so many people. Viktoria instead decided to eliminate execution for many crimes and instead simply introduced hard labour as a punishment instead. Gangs and bandits are now put to work on repairing the roads, clearing rubbish from towns, and occasionally being rented out by prison handlers to farmers. -With a modicum of peace, law, and order, Munich begins to really start growing as migrants flock to the area seeking homes and employment. Those from the north tell tales of monsters, tales that Viktoria decides to follow up on by sending a squadron of men to the city of “Hamburg” which had apparently fallen to them, in addition to members of the recently formed “Corps of Messengers”. This corps is another recent innovation by Viktoria, intended to formalize and expand the basic postal service into a major department of the government (so much so that several councillors in Munich are tasked with overseeing it in an independent body to prevent corruption). Despite the chronic lack of funding and resources, it rapidly establishes itself not only in Munich, but also in Zurich, Eisenhollow, along the Rhine, and within five years there are even postal workers making journeys as far afield as the Netherlands and the Po valley. While the service is largely funded by donations and taxation, many “couriers” (as they are now called) usually expect to receive benefits for their selfless work. Merchants use money as an incentive, while villages and poorer people offer up food or small handicrafts. It doesn't take long for them to begin handling packages and to compete with numerous merchants. Rivals begin attempting to set up their own systems, and by 2200 a large area roughly covered by the Netherlands, Western Germany, Switzerland, Northern Italy, and Austria are now with some form of regular or semi-regular postal service. It is no surprise that the improvement in communications has brought about more travelling and more commerce. People continue to move to Munich in such numbers that Viktoria is forced to scout out locations to resettle them. Several new towns (Bombestadt, Spaltungdorf, and Ritterburg) are founded for the mix of Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, and German refugees now numbering in their thousands. The wild growth is cleared back to make way for new fields, and an attempt at draining marshlands is made (although many give up and instead try to raise livestock instead). Much like in Zurich, these new groups tend to be autonomous and largely independent of the authority of Munich, although they do provide some manpower and resources when prodded hard enough. Unfortunately, religion would prove to be a major point of contention. -The refugees have brought many of their old religions – in fact it isn't hard to see those who worship the gods of the Vikingr and Dutch. Neopagans and Lutherans brush shoulders, all the while they have to share this country with the native Catholic Bavarians. While Viktoria is sceptical of the church and initially discouraged the clergy from preaching, the common people often ignore her protests as they rebuild their little chapels and invite priests in to preach the word, to hear their confessions, and to bless their activities. With the rebirth of trade and travel it didn't take long for numerous priests (softly spoken with Italian in their voices) to appear here. After she blocked the establishment of a seminary, local protests compelled her to give way – for was not the Swan Knight a Christian? What's more, they seem to be literate and willing to teach. Schools pop up like mushrooms in the villages and towns, dusty church pews are filled with the righteous, and Christian teachings begin bleeding down into the people. Even more people begin writing and reading, often overwhelming the postal workers and forcing them to hire donkeys. The priests also tend to carry degrees in agriculture, animal husbandry, and chemistry (amongst others), something appreciated by farmersFamilies grow larger, and despite Viktorias attempts to maintain her ideals she is forced to watch as stained glass windows and tapestries of the Swan Knight appear in the churches and church bells ring out every sunday morning to call the masses. The new migrants hate this state of affairs as many fight with the priests (the latter denouncing them as human sacrificers) and try to chase them off. Ironically, the Vikingr Danes (who had initially adopted a very savage form of pagan religion) converted to Catholicism first as they believed the Christian god to be stronger than their own. Of course, they expect the Christian god to fight back the monsters from the north – monsters that an expedition have reported on. Having arrived back from Hamburg, they tell Viktoria and the astounded council that they met a man who asked the expedition about the location of the “Sampo”. When the expedition said they had no idea about what it was, the man left – but during the night half of the men vanished. The rest fled and upon arrival were so exhausted that some collapsed from lack of sleep. They claimed that some of the party were the monsters, and so they were all quarantined from one another until they had recovered. [img]http://i.imgur.com/dLJxGHr.png[/img][img]https://facepunch.com/image.php?u=432426&dateline=1461854870[/img] [b]Cherbourg - Mr. Face Capital: Cherbourg Leader: Théo Rousseau[/b] -Being a nuclear-armed state, France in turn took her fair share of the bombs. The Eiffel tower is now quietly rusting away in the Seine, staining the waters a reddish brown long after the last of the blood was spilled. But as France had few major cities, much of the countryside escaped the devastation. Over a century passed as the scattered and scared survivors slowly became small farmers and began to cultivate the rich soils. The skies cleared, the rains stopped bringing radioactive isotopes. The bandits and warring bands returned. Cherbourg was one of the few towns that began growing at this time, with one rather distinctive fact about it. It has a strong military force and a ruthless strongman to keep the peace. The latest in a long line of these is Théo Rousseau, twenty-five years of age yet with strong leadership skills and charisma. Although the French have a bitter memory of monarchical rule, they nonetheless treat Rousseau as a monarch in all but name – his power only restricted by a council that rarely disagrees with him regardless. The reason being that not only is he charismatic, but ruthless as well. He has put the militia and caravan guards to good effect, brutally executing bandits and defending the town against numerous attempts by coalitions of tribes and other gangs from breaking in to take her wealth. It is a town whose existence depends heavily on keeping the farming communities around safe from harm – in return they send food and trade with Cherbourg as well, enough to the point that a market is held there once a week. While nowhere as rich as Zurich or Eisenhollow, this town is one of the better-off communities in this world. While several villages were burned down by the Danes and Dutch or were ransacked, the attacks have recently petered off due to the raiders not turning up anymore, and because the locals wised up to it. One such raiding party was ambushed and brutally murdered by the local militia – since then the raiders haven't bothered. -Despite the excitement in the rest of the world, Cherbourg seems to be relatively sleepy and relaxed save for the activities of raiders. But the world is changing nonetheless. The roads are slowly getting busier, the skies and waters seem clean and bright enough that you would be forgiven for thinking that a nuclear war hadn't even taken place. Merchants and clergymen trek up and down the roads on a regular basis these days, while news of the outside world slowly trickles in. News of wars throughout the Rhineland and of the Vikingr are of no concern, especially now that they don't come here anymore. News of monsters does concern the superstitious, but they are dismissed as rumours and tales. The most recent event of any actual importance or interest was Théo courting Claire Duval (a daughter of a prominent local merchant and councilor Simon Duval). Unfortunately for him, Simon only offered his daughter if Théo granted his caravans free protection upon the road to Rennes. The big problem with this of course is the massive demand on manpower it will require, not to mention that several villages on the route aren't so keen on the intrusion by Cherbourg. Rennes itself is somewhat hostile to the idea of the Cherbourg monopoly, but are themselves open to trading. Despite the problems, Théo himself went down south and captured the ringleader of a major gang before breaking it up. While the road is ostensibly clear and most villages within a few days travel of Cherbourg now pledge allegiance to it, the rest will be much harder. Making matters worse is the fact that many of the villages held sympathies with the gangs (and often worked with them), and so they refuse to give lodging or support to Cherbourg militias. In order to secure control, Théo may need to think of a cunning plan before he can bed the girl he fancies. [img]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e3MjWHdNTkE/UlKV0MgMDEI/AAAAAAAABiQ/Z7CxO0-Q3dE/s1600/Charleysayswww-scarfolk-blogspot-com.jpg[/img] [i]Although the war was over, towards the end of its lifespan the British government introduced increasingly strict laws intended to hold what remained of society together. Posters like these were among the last printed by the British Government.[/i] [B]Current player List:[/B] -Kingdom of Cavan – Native Hunter -Eisen Coalition – Dr. Critic -Vikingr - EuSKalduna -Citystate of Zurich - Ruski v2.0 -Pohjoismainen Unionia - Robinkooli -Drenkelinge - YogiTheWise -Bavarian Workers Council – TheBloodyNine -Cherbourg - Mr. Face [b]If you haven’t already done so, please join our group. There will usually be people chatting in the chat room after each turn is posted, so please pop in for a visit.[/b] [url]http://steamcommunity.com/groups/FaRPG[/url]
holy mother of unexpected updates batman
Nice.
[t]http://diaspora.ie/starship/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Irish-Harp.gif[/t] Get ready lads
[t]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Prinsenvlag.svg/900px-Prinsenvlag.svg.png[/t] Get ready lads [2]
[quote= My first day at the University of Zurich] [i]It was with awe that I looked up at the building I was set to spend the next two years learning within. I had never seen such a large building- the university was even larger than the military castle near Ravensburg and in better repair! I am one of the second one hundred students to learn the secrets of the past, and with it, so we are told, learn how to build the future. Our lesson plans are mostly versed with maths, science and robotics. Some of our number are displeased with the lack of historical studies- yet Lord Protector Walliser, our lord and (when statesmen duties allow) occasional lecturer has said the stories of yesterday no longer matter, only the knowledge does. I myself do not mind unlocking and discovering new applications for science. It is a well kept secret, but our society has discovered that the lights will not remain on forever, unlike what the petty peasantry surrounding Zurich thinks. As we entered the large hall we saw a small detachment of earlier students set off toward Aachen. The importance of which I am told cannot be understated. I wish the men set to undergo the journey godspeed and His protection on their travels. I cannot wait to better our country, maybe even return home to Ravensburg and rebuild the town! From the ashes of the old, we are reborn. Sicut phoenix - Florian Ravinci. [/i][/quote]
The Ass Rider rides on
[QUOTE=EuSKalduna;50513023]The Ass Rider rides on[/QUOTE] poetry
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