Part 66: World War 2 - Part Three: New Dawn

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Hello r/civ, r/civbattleroyale, and assorted fast friends and eager followers! I’m Pastry_Lad, longtime follower of the civ battle royale(s), and I have the exceptional pleasure of penning this week’s narration for you. These last few parts have seen our humble cylinder thrown into chaos on a global scale, with battles raging on every continent and in every ocean. Will the senseless violence continue? This part’s ominous numbering seems to suggest so. Also joining us today will be veteran commentator TA_Knight who has gladly stepped in to help add in much needed info, insight and oversight!

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This week‘s artwork is /u/cardboardmech, presenting the tragedies of the stagnated Vietnamese-Australian war, and the horrors of all the people who reside on the front lines. Make no mistake, though, its going be much, much, worse..

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Here we have the pixel-accurate map by /u/edse1991, who painstakingly looks for changes across the world-wide map every part. Nothing escapes his eyes.

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The Boers still keep their location at the top thanks to their powerful stats, despite their relatively low aggressiveness. full album can be found at https://www.imgur.com/a/Sx6bk/layout/horizontal/

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And heres the stat comparison between Australia and Vietnam, made by the hard-working /u/patkellyrh. Vietnam has grown much from their previous wars, but they are still weaker than Australia in stats. However, the front is to their advantage, and the only question is if they manage to keep it.

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Of Note: Blackfoot regains A‘aninin from Mexico at the end of this war. The war may be over between Mexico and the Blackfoot, but that doesn’t mean the dying will stop. For hundreds of miles the land is irradiated, poisoning what little water remains from the drought and accentuating the thirst in millions of throats. Still, at least “being shot by paranoid paratroopers” is a hazard that can be checked off the displaced survivors’ lists. Maria and Chepe, sister and brother, survived much together. When news of the war ending reached their community, everyone felt like celebrating. Problem was, celebrations feel so empty with nothing to eat...and Chepe was looking worse and worse by the day. He was always the cheerful one, the resourceful one, and he had borne them through the darkest days of the war by scavenging from the ruins of nearby Ahahpitape. Until one time rubble proved untrustworthy, and Chepe sliced his leg open on rusted sheet metal. Ever since then it had fallen on Maria to provide, but she dare not stray close to the city. The countryside became increasingly barren as every abandoned cupboard was picked dry. Chepe needed medicine. Maria found a cellar, with a father and a young boy inside, her age. The father had fever and the boy had medicine. Maria killed him when he tried to stop her. Chepe needed it. When she returned, Chepe was cold. His body lay there, exactly as she had left him two days earlier. Maria felt like crying, then laughing, but was too tired to do either. She went to sleep.

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The Blackfoot maintain a large air force base in Kutaimik, eyed longingly by an Inuit Robot Infantry. Inasmuch as robots can long for anything. Fort Juarez is strangely devoid of Mexican units, though a reinforcement column can be seen making its way up from the south.

08

Finland takes Alexandria, using the joint forces of an advanced destroyer ship, aided by the assistance of an XCOM squad securing the perimeters from hostile forces. Much like in World War Z, Jerusalem’s occupants are separated from the outside horde by only a wall. The city is again trapped, though these zombies are highly trained in repulsing alien invaders and kicking green ass.

09

The fabled Australian carpet. Some say you can walk all the way from Sydney to Taihape without getting your feet wet. Locals seem to disagree while the soldiers insist it’s true; the truth is probably somewhere in between.

10

The battle lines in the region begin to come into focus as Finnish exclaves Mandalgovi and Khoro are pushed to the brink is siege. Meanwhile, a small Finish attack force is making its way home from the almost-capture of Kazan.

11

My Son falls as a fresh wave of Vietnamese troops hit the beaches, but Whangarei holds firm. Vietnam is still relatively unchallenged in its control of these waters, and enjoys unfettered troop movement as a result. The Australian Philippines hold firm.

12

For all the XCOMS we see abroad, the Boer core is still remarkably Paratrooper-based. Meanwhile, a Hawaiian Great Merchant makes its way through the exciting and exotic lands of Ethiopia. The exiled Ashanti pikeman and Moroccan musketman are in view, both residing in their respective lakes. With little to do, they seem to have taken up a feud regarding whether it is more aesthetically pleasing to have a straight lake or a curving one. A Moroccan was overheard by their babysitter/guardian Moroccan helicopter yelling “Yuh, well say that my muzzle, ya tin can!”, prompting the further deployment of Boer peacekeepers to the area.

13

Brazil finally does it! Buenos Aires falls! What was supposed a simple and easy task of rolling some infantry in became a nerve-wracking task of poking the walls until they collapse across multiple parts, but Brazil does it! It seems that the spell has been broken, as Castro falls as well and Santiago de Chile looks to fall the next turn.

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The reserve of the Ice Sheet Fleet are in full parade colors, as the Empire has just completed Al Burj! This wondrous hotel resides in Dubai in the real world. Our network of spies tell us this new construction was unveiled in Kangiqtiniq on the evening December 14th 1588 AD. TA_Knote: For more information about this wonder, see http://i.imgur.com/uYUPv8y.jpg

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An Australian paratrooper division continues the fighting retreat, buying valuable time for the rest of the force to escape from the Finnish menace. Iceland has chosen to remain neutral, favoring neither side officially or unofficially with peacekeeping units.

16

Jerusalem succumbs to the horde, but Dvin hardly hangs on. The regular infantry has been cut off from the rest of the Spartan forces, leaving only the conscripts to mount a brave defense of the dying city. Artillery remains in the AO, making a retake possible, if costly.

17

Having opened up the war once more with the capture of My Son, Vietnam seeks to make new inroads with a pair of nuclear missiles! Said to be christened after each of the Trung Sisters, these missiles will reach further into Australian heartlands than any other. The Trungs enacted their new revitalised gameplan by striking Rububi with a Nuclear Missile.

18

Vietnam tasks a new naval strike force to dismantle the Australian Philippines, and shortly after Caloocan and Manila fall. Cebu, miraculously, hangs on.

19

Meridia falls again to Australia The madman. The legend. Henry Morgan. Under the gentle waves of Guadalajara’s famous beach waits a Buccaneer nuclear submarine with a deadly payload. Never a fan of stalemates or wars of attrition, Morgan seeks to bust this war wide open. The Mexicans can’t be blamed too much for letting the sub slip by, as the Texans are making a legendary racket over in Laredo. Reunited with the city lost in the first Mexican conflict, Laredo has been nothing but an orgy of patriotism, barbecue, and six-shooters since its liberation. I mean really, what part did Laredo fall? Maybe five? The joy in the air is palpable.

20

While the Mexican cities in the north have largely recovered from the most recent Blackfoot War, the bruised defenses and empty health bars in the south betray an underrated Buccaneer air force. TA_Knote: Cuidad Juarez was nuked again.

21

Spartans are known for nothing if not their tenaciousness. Alexandria falls, the Dvin conscripts hold the line, and a Hawaiian great general plays war games, surrounded by Ethiopian units in a citadel built back when “How to Fight Wars Good” was a best-seller.

22

The Vietnamese core expands to include some relatively recent captures, though they seem so long ago given all the recent Vietnamese conquests. These cities have been annexed, had their landscapes thoroughly improved, and have grown healthily in population. Also note the Future Worlds improvements west of Gyantse. Despite this, the carpet is still predominantly paratrooper-based.

23

The Siberian core is a true sight, and one wonders how the Vietnamese hope to make any inroads here, especially when tied up in a conflict with Australia. Meanwhile, the Roman Ballista drifts aimlessly, its sinews long-ago rotted and arms fallen into disrepair. Imagine the look on the legionnaires’ faces were you to tell then that Iceland holds Rome now.

24

Khoro falls, while Mandalgovi’s defenders are on their last legs. Finland is surprisingly lacking in strength here, perhaps they ran out of peacekeeper units in Yakutia?

25

Australian troops flee to Hastings as the paratrooper rearguard breathes its last. Across the ocean, Morgan plans a grand conquest of Brazil. While Morgan stands to lose a few inland cities to the Brazilian carpet, this could be the shot in the arm Chile needs to get out of this war and rebuild.

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Alexandria’s defenders are cut down in a hail of conventional arms and green lasers alike, and Dvin’s defenders are pushed to their limits. Get ready, you cylinder-voyeurs. We are witnessing the last breaths of an empire.

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“It is time to teach the Vietnamese a lesson. Issue Order 66.” commands Kuchum Khan before dropping the mic. In the distance, artillery fire has already begun booming. Kabul must fall.

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The conscripts are dead, the city is surrounded and...the siege lifts. Ever one to toy with his prey, Kekkonen of the Finns is satisfied with the humiliation the Spartans have endured. The regular infantry, broken free of the XCOM encirclement, cry at the sight of Dvin. The city may not seem like much, but to a poor man pennies shine like gold.

29

The Swedes may need to modernize their ground forces, but they can certainly boast a modernized air force. A stack of drone fighters and at atomic bomb call Tonsberg home, and one can only assume more drones comprise the 9/10-deep stacks in Trondheim, Bergen, Oslo and Stavanger. Perhaps all is not get lost against the Boer menace?

30

On all fronts the Chilean army looks to be worn and tired, while the Brazilians seem to bring a never-ending wave of reinforcements. Perhaps Chile has stretched its defenders too thin, and will soon have to bear the loss of three cities in a single turn. Time is not on Chile’s side, but at this point, what is?

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For those of you fledgling masterminds out there, here’s a strategic view of the situation. What would you do, in Chile’s position? TA_Knote: Puerto Montt and La Plata are nuked by Brazil, being the first nukes thrown by Brazil in this game, and the first nukes landing in South America in general.

32

Windjana has become the latest city to suffer a nuke, with half the population its neighbors, half health, and a suspiciously glowing countryside. Despite this the Australian media control has been tighter than ever; all official reports cite a reactor meltdown as the cause.

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In case you were having a hard time telling between sand and glowing sand, here’s a view that is sure to ease your troubles. The extent of the fallout is much more clear and can be seen to be truly massive.

34

The capital of Santiago de Chile falls, while Puerto Montt and La Plata are experiencing a shortage of able-bodied defenders. Worst of all, Chile seems to be lacking city-taking resources outside of bazookas.

35

It seems Iceland has overplayed its hand and will likely suffer international sanctions as a result. Finland, under much duress, has requested that its own embargo be lifted “for the good of the country.” Not many are sympathetic.

36

Finland gathers whatever is left of the Yakutian peacekeepers, and attacks Khoro again. Additional forces also jump from mainland Finland and Turfan and land to the north of Beshbalik, trying to steer the Mongolian management into chaos.

37

Sibir is having difficulty moving units though the Finnish peacekeepers, but the bombers face no such blockades and bomb Kabul and Lashkar Gar to zero health. To get to these, though, they will need to make a clearing in the Afghan forces first.

38

It wont be a world war part without another massive declaration of war - The Boers join with Finland and declare war on Sweden! The Boer core is massive and full of units, but with Finland in the way, the Boers will face difficulties moving this carpet forward.

39

The Boers do have a small XCOM force in Messene, and plenty more are coming. While XCOM are slightly weaker than the Swedish Power Armor Infantry (or PAI), the Skynet wonder means that the Boer XCOM are stronger anyway. Finland, however, is still recovering from the war against Sparta, and most of the nearby forces are just paratroopers. They do have PAI and Mech Artillery of their own, but their low production capacity may pose a problem.

40

Finland has few aircraft units nearby, but the few they do are highly advanced. These will come in handy against Sweden.

41

Sweden doesnt have that much more, but on the air, Sweden is superior in the moment. On the ground its a different story however, as Sweden has very little land units compared to Finland. Their moat should be helpful in defense, however, since Finland has very little ships in the area.

42

First move goes to Finland, who brings their planes from the war against Sparta and immediately bombs nearby Swedish cities. Finland knows they are weaker on the ground here, and are not going to let Sweden have the lead here, at least until the Boers move their forces forward.

43

At the north, Finland surrounds and attacks Gdansk and Turku, pushing Sweden back to their side of the moat. Helsinki is very vulnerable here, and Finland will never be forgiven if it falls.

44

On the Mongolian front, Finland retakes Khoro, but it doesn‘t look like they will get further than that. On the south, Beshbalik and Sanchu are taking damage, as Finland is trying to do what Korea went out of too early - Taking Karakorum.

45

Sweden goes next, and wastes no time crippling the Boer advance by nuking Messene. Taking Messene and Mantinea will give Sweden valuable time to deal with Finland and repel their forces before the inevitable Boer smash.

46

Sweden effortlessly smashes though Finnish defenses at former Byzantium as Adrianople and Constantinople both take heavy damage. If they can take and hold these cities, Sweden could take the opportunity to take the former Spartan empire, a war Sweden missed out on.

47

The north is more balanced as neither side is really opening and advantage and all border cities are taking damage.

48

Finland sends units all the way to Linkoping as they try to flank the Swedish forces and attack where it hurts. Its a great idea - Instead of fighting though the moat, attack around it.

49

A view of North West Africa shows the massive contrast between the Boers and the Buccaneers, though this is partly because of the Vietnamese carpet residing in Buccaneer territory not too many parts ago. The Buccaneers have no excuse any more, though, without a carpet they have no way to declare war on a nearby civilization without losing multiple cities. The Boers build one of the very last remaining wonders, the Ultima Tower. Its not really useful, giving some gold and a social policy, but its better than the Al Burj that the Inuit built. For more information see http://i.imgur.com/sY07KHU.jpg

50

Chile regains their capital and the city of Castro, but their force residing in La Plata is no more. It shows just how great of a mistake was giving Conception to Australia, as Chile can no longer move units from the south without embarking them.

51

The Boers give no damn about things like nukes as they simply break though, taking Tegea and threatening Cumae. Looks like the Boer smash came earlier than expected.

52

Israel gets both good and bad news. The bad: Ethiopia citadels Gaza yet again, limiting Israel to a mere 5 tiles. Armenia and Kimberly both declare war, though neither can reach Israel. The good: Israel builds their first worker, and uses it to revive the Kibbutz once more!

53

Sibir manages to place a paratrooper next to Kabul, however it looks like Afghanistan will be able to kill it before any flips happen.

54

Finland suddenly faces the nightmare scenario as Sibir declares war on Finland! Finland immediately goes into major damage control mode as Finland‘s irregular front is being attacked from all sides and Sibirian paratroopers land deep in Finnish territory. What was once a major effort to eliminate a dear competitor now becomes a struggle to survives.

55

The southern front looks even worse for Finland with Sibirian units absolutely everywhere. This is basically a massacre and i dont think anything can save Finland now.

56

The Finland splits their army in half as they have to fight both Sweden and Sibir. Helsinki is now barely defended and Sweden can easily take over the city.

57

Waipahu flips, but Australia doesnt let go, and is now threatening Torreon. Due to all the fallout all the cities in Mexico are losing population and im not sure if Mexico is able to build any meaningful amount of units any more. Texas, however, isnt fairing better, as Mexican bombers destroyed most of the Texan forces and are bombing Austin and Lahore. If Mexico gets even the smallest break from Australia and the Buccaneers, Texas will be swiped apart.

58

The Blackfoot can celebrate a bit now as they managed to regain one of their lost cities, with only the price of several nukes. They can now recover and observe the happenings in Mexico and see if they can regain their lost fame.

59

Vietnam goes in an all-out nuke spree, nuking Australian japan apart and taking Gladstone. However, Australia is moving in with a small squad from Hawaii, looking to take back cities they lost in the wars.

60

A side effect of the Sibirian DOW on Finland is that they lose Mandagovi to Sibir. Khoro could fall to either Sibir or Mongolia at this point as Finland runs out of forces in the area.

61

An old citadel is shown here, where Sibir citadeled north Vietnam. They have open borders now, so it seems like they gotten over it. You never truly know with this AI, though.

62

Another log of spy information, mostly useless as these are plots against dead civilization, but the most interesting is the one at turn 690 where both Australia and the Buccaneers are seen plotting against Brazil at the same time. Future joint DOW?

63

The timer buzzes, and our spies are moving to three new civilizations. This time, its the Boers, Brazil and the Inuit. All three have the chance to shape the landscape drastically based on their decisions.

64

The citadel from last part is seen here, with the Boers extending old citadel line further into Ethiopia. Ethiopia still owns a largely paratrooper carpet, but here and there we see bazookas, and near Ejura we see a Mech Infantry, showing Ethiopia‘s advance into the Information era.

65

Puerto Montt falls to the advancing Brazilian army as Chile is being pushed southward under Conception. Looks like the new front will be decided at Valdivia, but by then Chile will be too small to provide meaningful resistance.

66

Sweden is not going to give up easily - They nuke Messene AGAIN and even take Mantiea using an Advanced Destroyer! Finland uses the opportunity to flip Ohrid and Corinth but Sweden takes them back and even takes Adrianople.

67

Sweden‘s bombers are working at full time here with multiple Finnish cities at zero health here. Finland still has a significant army here, but with Sibir around the corner, i dont know how much force Finland will be able to use here.

68

Helsinki is even nuked while Sweden is going in a rampage! Finland seems short of units in the area and there is nothing stopping Sweden from taking the city now.

69

Ouju falls to the north as Sweden turns the Finnish combat plans on their head. Pushing Sweden into the moat? How about pushing Finland into Sibir?

70

At first I hoped my Swedish brethren might be spared Boer wrath by the distance between them, but recent conquests have brought Boer land to the Swedish doorstep. Hordes of XCOMS pour over the border as Corinth, perhaps first of many, falls.

71

Kuchum Khan of the Sibir shows solidarity with his fellow Khan by joining the war against Tibet. Meanwhile, Brazil has reinforced the captures of Santiago de Chile and Puerto Montt while advancing upon the Chilean city of Castro. Though the Chilean navy still has some teeth, the sooner this war ends the better for Chile. Sadly, that probably won’t mean regaining their lost capital.

72

A new war! Mongolia, sick of losing, has navigated its way out of war with Finland and into a war with the city-state of Lhasa (Tibet). I guess “pick on somebody your own size” was a less on Genghis never took to heart. He is aided in this noble cause by Sri Lanka, who may find it difficult to send troops through the Vietnamese carpet. TA_Knote: A Sibirian scout was here once. He got evaporated to say the least.

73

Sweden has taken the initiative in its war with Finland, striking deep (well, not really) at the Finns with a forceful occupation of the capital of Helsinki. Finnish Poland is feeling the heat as Wroclaw is taken to a sliver of health. The Lion of the North is back! Perhaps this explains why Finland let Mongolia off the hook so easily. 73- TA_Knote: Moscow flips back and forth here.

74

With this close-up of Lhasa we have the chance to admire the city‘s wonderful natural defenses. Even without the ruthless Vietnamese carpet, this would be a tough nut for Genghis to crack. A Vietnamese paratrooper, itching for some action, has had a bit of fun by sneaking a shot at the Royal Tibetan Riflemen. Only a single HP was lost, but ever stuffy, the riflemen open a formal investigation of the matter. Guarding the royal family’s mountainous refuge is no trifling matter.

75

The Australians seem to have united the former Philippines, with the exception of the Blackfoot exclave of Olongapo. Despite this, their navy is nowhere to be seen. Heavy blows are being traded across the the ocean, borne upon the wings of aerial units. While the air force may take cities low, the battle will be won by he/they who bring a navy to capture them! Right now, that seems to be Vietnam. Expect flips in My Son and Whangarei soon.

76

As uneasy standoff between Vietnamese Vigan and Australian Cebu continues. The remaining citizens of Cebu know they are Australian this week, a particularly uncomfortable situation to be in when surrounded by Vietnamese belligerents. This is especially true when one considers that the belligerents have an atomic bomb parked only two tiles away. TA_Knote: What was once a paratrooper carpet in Vietnam now gives away to a drone carpet. Much more powerful, but contributes even more to Vietnam‘s lack of land units.

77

War is chaos, and this region certainly is chaotic. It’s worth taking a moment just to relish it; this is what you came for after all, you sick bastard. One the other hand, one thing is certain: with a fresh peace deal inked, Turfan will remain a Finnish exclave for now.

78

Protective of their little enclave, Vietnam’s Trung Sisters declare war on the Sibir. Like World War I of our world, the casualties begin piling up along the front of the nation which came to the aid of its smaller ally. Sparkbed Tibet has yet to feel a loss. I wonder if they assassinated an archduke too?

79

The front is even larger than it seemed before, stretching all the way over to Caucasus. This is made possible by Vietnam’s most recent occupations. Hostilities seem relatively one-sided so far, with Siberian cities betraying the enormity of the Vietnamese aerial blitzkrieg. Kabul teeters ever closer to the brink, and the door comes ever closer to slamming shut of the Afghanis.

80

The Middle east erupts once again in chaos as no less than 7 forces are at play here. Sweden captures Constantinople, but the Boers are advancing fast and hard against them which may allow Finland to regain some cities. Sibir attacks Finland from the east, taking multiple cities themselves. This couldve been a golden opportunity for Vietnam to expand upon Sibirian captures into the Middle east, if it wasnt for Ethiopian peacekeepers preventing capture. Also, Sparta is still at war with Sweden and Sibir, so if either one gets close, Sparta could still fall.

81

The Boers make quick work of the Sweden‘s northernmost holdings, conquering in hours what it took the Swedish centuries to in millennia past. Swedish cities are taking hits from the Finnish air force, but Finnish Constantinople, Poznan, and Nicaea are all much worse for the wear. With all three of these cities being conquests, perhaps the Swedes will be able to work on their PR by depicting themselves as “proactive liberators.”

82

The tangled Siberian-Finnish border has evolved into an all-out melee as hostilities break out. Beset from both sides and hindered by a fading carpet of troops, perhaps the only bright spot for the Fins right now is their Boer ally.

83

The Inuit maintain the most impressive manufactories in the world, trailed by the Boers , followed by everyone else. Australia and Vietnam seem to be quite equal in industrial power; what could the Vietnamese be focusing their energies on if not more troops?

84

Australia is 158% the size of second place Inuit. Let’s just appreciate how large that gap is. If it really is something in the waters of the Pacific that drives nations to bloodthirsty victory, then Australia’s future is bright as it seems they control most of the ocean.

85

The Boers of course maintain their numerical advantage in Military Manpower, but the distance between every other nation ranked 3rd or lower is really quite regular. Australia seems to be winning the long game in its war with Vietnam, who will have to make a move soon if it hopes to emerge the victor. TA_Knote: Vietnam recovers a bit in units, but more importantly, Finland and Sweden plummet, with Finland losing 570k military power and Sweden losing 400k. This is even more severe than it looks, thanks to the logarithmic algorithm of Military power.

86

Australia has edged out the Inuit by a mere 2 cities, while the rest of the pack follows the leaders...starting at 33 cities behind. Korea, peeking into top science output in at 11th place, has just made it into the top cities list in 12th place.

87

Korea’s science output remains small, but this seems not to have hindered the rising nation, who have chosen to go (relatively speaking) for a taller empire. By CBR standards, at least.

88

The Boer’s tech lead over runner-up Inuit dwindles in terms of both size and relevance, as the end of the tech tree approaches more nations. Korea has made an impressive push in the sciences, and is now trailing the Inuit by only three technologies! Between their recent conquests, decent AI tacticians that successfully navigated a multifront war, and now this development we may see a global power in the making. Perhaps it is something in the water, as many of the most successful nations seem to be near the Pacific. Except those poor Hawaiians, of course. TA_Knote: the most surprising here is that Australia made another leap frog in tech, getting 5 technologies in the span of a single part.

89

Catholicism has become dominant in terms of number of followers, but is followed by Eastern Orthodoxy rather than longtime-rival Judaism. This development is likely driven by the Boers’ obscene population growth of recent. As is tradition, 9 of the Party Pope’s most devout disciples make their mark by throwing “sick ragers”, according to a witness.

90

We end this part with a religion map, presenting a worldview that appears far more unified than the reality. Mexican Catholicism has spread to every corner of the Americas and Greenland, while Japanese Shinto has swayed much of the Inuit’s core in Alaska. Ethiopian Eastern Orthodoxy and Israeli Judaism have provided rare common ground for the peoples of their continents, while in the east brother slays brother as Buddhist Australia and Buddhist Vietnam continue to murder each other by the millions.

Part 66: World War 2 - Part Three: New Dawn – mk2

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