Civ Battle Royale December 17, 2024
QuantumBotany
Hello everybody, My name is u/QuantumBotany, and I am narrating Episode 36: Double the Fronts, Double the Fun! This is my third time narrating, and I’m as excited as ever to contribute to the project I have followed for almost 8 years now. Lock in soldiers. This shit is gonna crazy (but not as crazy as last episode).
Another Civball comic from Anarkitty. Very exciting. Its tough living in Wahgi’s shadow, but some civs seem to manage.
Here we see Sonicfan0511’s weekly map of the cylinder. As always, wonderful work. Mexico is looking crazy big nowadays
Thank you to all the supporters of the show! Without you, the world would stop spinning and we would all die. I, however just donate for the clout.
Bora Bora lost big this week. Losing all of their cities in Polynesia is going to horrible things to their stats.
The first few observers drowsily shuffle into the observation deck. It is early morning on the sub, or at least the and only the earliest risers are watching the photo-realistic projections of scenes from the East African coast and corresponding graphs, maps, and news feeds. Pedro, once the winner of the Mk2 Battle Royale, now among the preeminent observers on the sub, lets out a sigh. “Regardless of Mogadishu’s advantages on land, they are fighting an uphill battle against an enemy with air power. I fear that the Second Qarnawu War will not go the same way as the first.”
A massive boom pierces the calm of the midatlantic night. Residents of newly occupied Chenussio stir briefly, but soon go back to bed. The near-constant testing of New Dutch weaponry has become a part of everyday life in the small coastal city. The New Holland central government has little concern for the territory they now occupy in North America, and has led little to no effort at reconstruction or winning hearts and minds; Intimidation suffices for such a powerless people in the crossroads of empire. The people, too, care little for the new Dutch. They are confident that, come next decade, there will be warships flying some other flag outside their ports.
In a sharp contrast to the jaded population of the American East, panic and terror reigns in the Deccan. Ever since the peace treaty with Singapore was signed, the residents of the ancient capital of Vijayanagara believed themselves safe, if subjugated. Decades ago, the Singaporean Armed Forces attacked with weapons far superior to the rifles and cavalry wielded by the City of Victory. Those weapons, at the very least, were comprehensible to the Vijayanagarans. Now, however, men rain from the sky, and massive explosives hit targets from seemingly nowhere. The citizens of the city cry out in fear, and in ignorance. To them, their whole world has caved in around them, their reality fundamentally shattered. To the Wahgi, its just another capital. Vijayanagara has been eliminated.
King Puni of Bora Bora breathes a small sigh of relief as he receives the news that Palawa agreed to a peace settlement. A few Antarctic settlements are a small price to pay when you’re currently hemorrhaging core territory. All is not well in Patagonia, however, as a Wahgi Submarine raiding group prowls the waters off of Cona Niyeu. This is indicative of Wahgi’s developing strategy for conquering South America. While taking over insular Bora-Bora was one thing, Boran South America will be a tougher nut to crack. Already, with the loss of the home isles, a massive cultural shift is underway in the territories still resisting the Wahgi invasion.
A microscopic cloaked reconnaissance drone, one of very few in the Babylonian sub’s possession, takes a high-resolution video of Weledeh-Cheh’s scenic coastline. Observers on the sub crowd around the observation deck to get a closer look: The Yellowknives completed a new symbol of their ascendency in the North American continent, and its massive. The Opera House’s distinct shape is visible from miles out, and dominates the skyline of one of the richest cities in the Yellow Empire.
The Taino are an insular people, both figuratively and literally. Seldom having participated in the wars that have raged across the Atlantic in their long history, the Taino find security in their ability to be inoffensive. The cylinder, however, has changed in the previous few decades. No longer are small, but peaceable states being tolerated by the great powers. Small states that have survived for centuries, such as Vijayanagara, Makhnovia, and Siam, are now being conquered by their larger neighbors at an astounding rate. These conquests have been prosecuted with callous efficacy, no efforts by the victims have yet saved them.
The Taino seem themselves in these falling low tiers, and have embarked on an aggressive campaign of modernization and militarization. They have also begun to take a more active part in the affairs in their neighborhood, and have discretely begun sending aid to the beleaguered Bora-Borans. Whether it will deter the predators that circle them, and maintain the fragile balance of power remains to be seen.
“Damn, what was the name of that civ that used to live down here?” belts out an observer in the sub. Despite the peace with Palawa, the southern cone remains under fierce attack from a futuristic Wahgi Fleet. Wahgi’s vicious strategic bombing campaign has reduced the health of some of the former Tehuelche cities by half or more. Bora is outnumbered 2:1 in the air in this slide, despite Wahgi having no cities anywhere nearby.
In Dettah, the frozen capital of the Yellowknives, another monument has been constructed. The Sky Tower now looms over the historic core of the city, blasting the first ever national television broadcasts in North America. Undoubtedly, the tower will be primarily broadcasting nationalist, imperialist rhetoric across the continent. Mass media enables centralization.
Torojiro Kasai, IRL a Japanese artist who painted scenes of the Boxer Rebellion, but on the Cylinder a Vijayanagaran artist, paints a scene of the city of his birth. In it, Paratroopers pour endlessly from the sky like ashes from a volcano, and helicopters, poorly understood by the Vijayanagarans, are led to eat and drink from the food stores of the former Vijayanagaran cavarly stables.
Last episode, Sierra Leone declared a war against Rome that quickly turned against them. That war was quickly called off by the Roman leadership, however, when the Faroe Islands declared war on Rome, fearing a shift in the balance of power between the two aspiring great powers. Now, the city of Nancy, formerly Burgundian, Then English, then Roman, has been quickly secured by the Faroese military. Trench lines and pillboxes set up on the Mediterranean coast prevent any hope for a Roman recapture. Rome has little to fear in terms of its core territory, but will likely struggle to wrest control of the strategic city of Narbo
Thule’s military is nothing to scoff at when considering them in the context of the whole cylinder. It is too bad that the only civs they need to compare against are Yellowknives and Goguryeo, both top-5 civs. What matters now is how Thule will get divided up between its neighboring super-states.
Ganondagon takes damage from Yellowknife bombardment, but it is at no risk of falling under the yellow curtain- yet. Strategists across the cylinder have debated endlessly as to why the Yellowknives have not conquered and incorporated the Osage, especially since they would get 2 capitals from it (plus the Seneca capital probably).
A political map of the cylinder is projected onto the air in the observation deck. A blanket of murmurs settles over the room, from which a few comments could be discerned by a close listener:
“Wahgi’s reach is insane”
“Eastern North America is gross-looking”
“Afsharids are just as big as Selkups now, it looks like”
Another graphic appears.
“Every Civ on the map is at war, with a few notable exceptions: New Holland, Ikko Ikki, Dzungars, Zheng, and Sierra Leone” observes Pedro.
“The capital is indefensible.” calmly explains the general to Abu Bakr ibn Umar, the deathless Leader of Mogadishu. Ibn Umar just solemnly nods his head. He knows that the air power Saba Dmt’ possesses makes the pearl of the Indian Ocean, Mogadishu, vulnerable to attacks never before thought possible. The desert had always been their protector, their veil behind which they could cower. But times change, and the Second Qarnawu War will extract an even greater price than before.
A group of Babylonian Observers slide into their booth after ordering drinks at the sub’s only bar. They need the booze, not because they’re celebrating, but because they are Mexico supporters. On the screen reads a headline from the Sub’s premier news outlet: “New Holland and Yellowknives declare joint war on Mexico.”
Qarnawu remains under Mogadishawi control, but the capital has yet to be recaptured. Saba Dmt’s Artillery and airpower advantage is going to make maintaining a foothold on the African continent exceedingly difficult. Already there are ongoing talks in Afgoi, the interim capital of Mogadishu, of permanently relocating government and military organs to Madagascar, regardless of if they recapture the historic capital.
The Wahgi Armed forces were quick to establish a blockade of the Pacific Coast of Bora Bora. To the simultaneous relief and distress of Continental Borans, refugees from the war-torn islands of the homeland have stopped arriving. This does little to alleviate the anxiety of the constant sight of Wahgi Fleets off of the coast of cities like Ichabamba. Wahgi has yet to make a move on the continent, instead opting to launch probing attacks, looking for weak spots in the Boran coastal defenses.
A pair of Wahgi Helicopters scout the borderlands where Makhnovia, or more accurately just the city of Huliaipole, once existed. The Latvian State cited the rapid westward expansion of the Selkup Empire as a thinly veiled excuse for military occupation of the Makhnovian cities. The Wahgi scouts survey the flat, desolate land with only mild interest. “It will be a while until the Great Wahgi conquers these lands, after all”
Upon the declaration of war on two fronts, the Mexican central government organized mass volunteer corps (Gatling gun replacement that ignore ZOC) to fill the trenches. The artillery capabilities of the Mexican army of the time was limited, so the primary tactic used in the early days of the war was human waves. While nominally infantry were referred to as “Rifle Battalions,” in reality, the Mexican government was so short on ammunition that many soldiers fighting on the frontlines could not shoot, and could thus only attack using their bayonets.
Mogadishu recaptures its capital, hopefully for the last time.
The New Holland continental war machine rumbles to life for the first time since their wars against Tiwanaku. Mexico has allocated significant air power to fight New Holland. Many observers on the sub believe this is because Mexico wants to avoid a prolonged two-front war, and is attempting to coax New Holland, by far the weaker party of the Coalition, into an early peace. Whether or not this strategy succeeds remains to be seen…
Mexico’s northern front is another story. Intercepted communications from the Mexican High command indicate that they aim to take a purely defensive posture on this front. The Yellowknives Empire’s armed forces are both incredibly modern and numerous. Mexico will seek to lose as little as possible in the north, slowing down and delaying the fаr-superior Yellowknives military while they try and knock New Holland out of the war. Yellowknives are unlikely to use their already-sizable nuclear arsenal in this war, mostly because they are winning.
I totally forgot that Mexico had a city up here. Small-scale conflict is occurring between the Atlantic Coast territories of Mexico and New Holland, and it is highly likely that Mexico will be able to take these far-flung colonies.
In the Selkup-Kazan War, the rump state of Bukhara oppurtunistically declared war on Kazan as well. Here we see the last treaty of that war, the formalization of the cession of Taraz to Bukhara. A meager prize compare to the expansive territories gained by the Selkups, but a prize nonetheless.
Rome, having mustered more advanced infantry units and a small flotilla of outdated ships, mounts a springtime counterattack against the Faroese occupation of their transalpine territory. On the sub, Pedro strokes his beard thoughtfully “Rome’s war with Sierra Leone has led them to significantly modernize their armed forces. Their infantry in particular is international-grade, but they still lag behind in key areas such as artillery and air defense.”
A Wahgi Helicopter drifts over the Afsharid core territory. Its pilots remark upon the opulence of the capital Mashhad. Indeed, the Afsharids have made technological leaps and bounds since their conquest of the nascent Khoshut empire, and many in the Wahgi high command have named them as an important bud to nip in the near future due to their rapid rate of development.
But of course, the Wahgi know to chew their existing food before they bite into more. Their war against Bora has already proven successful in their conquests of Polynesia, but cracks have now appeared even in the continental Boran Fortress. Ichabamba, a strategic port on the Pacific coast, has come under a full-powered Wahgi invasion. A foothold here would make a perfect launching-off point for the invasion of the Southern cone.
Despite the Great Wahgi’s current focus on their invasion of Bora-Bora, they can still stick their fingers in other pies to suit their interests. Wahgi High Strategic command has long identified the burgeoning Yellowknives empire (among others, like the Faroe Islands, Goguryeo, New Holland, and the Selkups) as a potential long-term security risk. Thus, to prevent Mexico, a key player in the current strategic balance of the Americas, from being partitioned by two of those potential threats, Wahgi has deployed troops to the northern border with Yellowknives. These troops don’t fight, but have sufficiently spooked the Yellowknife invaders into significantly slowing their advance as to not harm the Wahgi military formations.
The Mexican Kaoto army captures Chenussio, New Holland’s only coastal city. This blocks off Nundawao from resupply, leaving them as easy pickings. Only a miracle could save them now.
No lore explanation for this. Just Gross.
Goguryeo, similarly to Latvia, reacted with apprehension to the Selkup absorption of much of Kazan. After great debate in the halls of Gungnae, it was decided that the Mongols could no longer be counted on to keep the Selkup border safe, and that the Goguryeo state should directly absorb the Mongols for security reasons. Some objections were issued by proponents of the long-standing cultural ties between Goguryeo and Mongolia, but they were overpowered by the anxious-to-expand military elites in the end. Shortly after, it was announced to the world that Goguryeo would invade Mongolia, and souls all across the cylinder held their breath. “Would there be a Selkup response?” they wondered. Few wondered about the fate that would fall upon the Mongols.
But it seems this buffer state has one more card up its sleeve. Attempting to confuse and delay Goguryeo, Sorghaghtani, a mere figurehead in the democratic society of Mongolia, announced that Daji, the fox Empress of the Shang Empire, long having been incorporated into Goguryeo, was still alive. Daji had been kept in Mongol captivity for the previous century аs a potential last-ditch trump card. Now, she has been restored to her throne in Xiaotun, the only fromer shang city remaining in mongol possession. Since Immortals cannot break contracts with one another, and nobody had issued a formal declaration of war, the Army Groups of Gungnae could not enter Xiaotun.
In Rome’s frustrated war against the Faroese, efforts to hang onto Narbo has thus far failed. The Visigoths see in the ongoing war an oppurtunity, and decide to align their miniscule statelet directly with the Faroes in order to curry favor with them, even going as far to feed and quarter their troops. In response to this, Rome declares war on the Visigoths, spelling doom for the rump state if Rome wins Narbo.
In an instant, the triumphal positive feelings among the now-celebratorily-drunk Mogadishawi troops vanished. Saba Dmti planes scream overhead, and, in the largest air campaign of the war, Saba drops 5000 tons of explosives on the ancient capital, all but decimating it and the people within. It is now understood that the Saba military intentionally allowed a large Mogadishawi land force capture the city in order to turn it into a “killbox.”
A Zheng Fleet drifts dangerously close to the besieged city of Ichabamba. They are reporters, and their mission is to get cameras near the frontlines of one of the most devastating wars in the history of the cylinder.
On one of the boats, the cruiser “Guilin,” a camera lens attempts to zoom in on the source of a column of smoke, struggling to focus. All of a sudden, the camera’s view is filled with rushing water. The nervous reporter looks up from the camera, and sees the source of the disturbance. A explosion had catapulted a column of water sky-high only 40 meters from their ship. The reporter receives a call from the captain: “That was just a warning shot. Get back inside, we are getting out of here before those Wahgi bastards kill us.”
Despite the presence of the neutral Wahgi troops, The Yellowknives military makes steady progress into Mexican territory. The island of Santa Fe falls quickly to the advanced Yellowknife navy, While the former Pueblo City Walatowa bears an assault by Yellowknife armored groups. The bombing campaign of this section of the front line is especially vicious, and total casualties in the Mexican heartland reach half a million.
The Qarmatian state has an interesting history. With a modern population of around 40 million (equal to two Bavarias, or half a Rome) but a historically small population, the Qarmations have performed well in almost every war they’ve ever been in. However, that is misleading, as they haven’t been in a war in a very, very long time. If any one of the Qarmatian’s neighbors decided to declare war on them, it is unlikely they will come out as successful as last time.
Irregardless of Sorghaghtani’s stunt with Daji, Goguryeo’s military has made quick progress with Mongolia, capturing New Sarai, with Otrar and Tiflis likely to follow.
The southern half of the front precipitously collapses, and Karakorum, the capital of the Mongols, falls to Goguryeo. The freeing of Daji did little to slow Goguryeo’s conquest.
The Bombing of Mogadishu was followed by a fast counterattack by Saba to recapture the city. Artillery batteries stationed outside of the city reduce the city to rubble. It is clear that Saba doesn’t see any strategic value in keeping the city intact, and has opted to level the whole settlement to deny the Mogadishawi a strong presence on the Horn of Africa
A miracle did indeed occur. The small Mexican army, having captured Chenussio, was quickly encircled by a third party they had previously written off as irrelevant. The Seneca, seeing an opportunity to reclaim their lost land in the chaos of the Mexican War, declare war on Mexico, and quickly liberate Chenussio. They are poised to reclaim Kaoto as well. Quietly, beyond the Appalachians, the New Dutch governor of Nundawao breathes a sigh of relief. It is unlikely the Seneca will risk another war with New Holland. He is safe, if cut off from the rest of the world.
Far away from the barbaric squabbling of lesser civilizations, The whir of innovation fills the air on New Guinea, the home Island of the current preeminent superpower, the Great Wahgi. Since coming to their current technological advantage, the Wahgi have made significant progress in their achieving their goal of world domination. Siam, a moribund minor state, was turned into an outpost for the Wahgi on the Asian mainland. Vijayanagara too, joined the fold recently. The most important conquest of the Wahgi, however, was the dismantling on Bora Bora’s presence in the Pacific ocean. Wahgi now stands at the top of the world, and they have a realistic view of global domination. But not all is well in Mount Hagen. The spending on Wahgi’s ballooned to meet the needs of war with Bora Bora, and now the national deficit is exceedingly large. Economic crisis looms over the Wahgi state, as the government struggles to stop the prices of consumer goods from exploding beyond the point of no return. As the war with Bora stagnates, many on Mount Hagen worry that Wahgi’s position on top of the world is more tenuous than they previously believed. To assuage such worries, and heat up the domestic market, the Wahgi central government announced a nationwide holiday, celebrating their state’s entrance into the “Future Era.” A haughty declaration.
As confidence and optimism in Wahgi’s war in South America wanes, the citizenry of South American Bora Bora receive hope. The government in Patio announced in 2046 AD that they had successfully tested their first nuclear weapon. Many in the besieged continent hope that usage of such weapons against the Wahgi could lead to the end of the blockade, while more deluded citizens claim that they could even reclaim the home islands in time.
After the surrender of Karakorum, Turfan and Tiflis hastily opened their doors to the invaders, seeking to avoid the bloodshed they had seen in broadcasts of other wars across the cylinder. Now only Beshbalik remains in defiance of Goguryeo.
Another twist! After their capture of Chenussio, Seneca central command quickly deemed it unlikely that they were going to be able to capture and hold onto Kaoto for long. Thus, they decide to make peace, and take the bird in the hand rather than the two in the bush.
Mogadishawi troops reenter what used to be their capital. The vast majority of the city is unrecognizable. Some of the men fall to their knees, some weep, some vomit at the sight of their home neighborhoods reduced to rubble. Only a few of the original inhabitants of the city survive now, hiding among the wreckage in tents and caves. The soldiers cannot rest or grieve, however, as even now, Saba artillery hammers the settlement, and a detachment of cavalry is known to be active in the city’s northern suburbs, hunting for stragglers. The war is far from over.
Elsewhere in the islands the majority of Mogadishawis call home, a collision incident between a Zheng carrier and a group of fishing trawlers led to the Zheng carrier accidentally sinking one of the fishing boats. The local commander at the Aw Dhigle base ordered an immediate retaliation, regardless of the circumstances of the incident. The carrier came under fire, and the local plenipotentiary in Huizhou declared war on Mogadishu. With Mogadishu’s military presence in the region being far more powerful, Huizhou has little chance of winning this small border war.
Little has occurred on Mexico’s northern front, as Wahgi’s intervening troops provide a sizable barrier to Yellowknife advances.
A map of the Cylinder’s population growth trends. Notably, the only civ that is currently undergoing a population boom are the Taino, adding to their already above-their-weight tech. Civs like Saba Dmt’ and Afsharids however, are experiencing population decline.
Here we see a map of Golden ages. The notable civs here are Yellowknives, Afsharids, and Ndongo.
States on the cylinder, due to being ruled by immortal super-leaders, tend towards autocratic rule by the aforementioned immortal super-leaders. One notable exception to this rule is the Faroese state, which, while still highly centralized, has more egalitarian social policies, and a very strong social safety net. This different form of government hass earned them enmity among the other great powers, but, due to Faroese military power, none have yet challenged them.
Here is what i think is the map showing which civs are losing money, and which civs are running a surplus. Notably, many of the cylinder’s frontrunners are struggling economically, with the exception of Goguryeo and Yellowknives.
A religious map of the Cylinder. Vajrayana buddhism still dominates inner Asia, while many of the superstates’ borders can be roughly made out in the borders of the religions.
Despite their central position on the European continent, Bavaria isn’t considered relevant by any of their neighbors. They know that they only exist to be swallowed up by either Latvia or the Faroes, all that matters is which one.
Beshbalik falls, and the guns in inner Asia finally go silent. Mongolia’s fate was sealed when they, while all the preceding civs had chosen Autocracy (or in the Faroes’ case Order), they chose liberty, making them a pariah state in the international community. This, combined with their wedged-in position between the Selkups and Goguryeo, effectively ended any comeback hopes they may have had. Mongol society will continue to exist on the cylinder, just under the heel of Gungnae.
Mexico’s hopes at a successful early campaign to deeter New Holland have abjectly failed. Not only have they failed to push any amount into New Dutch territory, the war has turned decidedly against them. Ibarra falls down into the black, while Mexico’s small navy is unable to repulse a New Dutch assault on Chihuahua. Already, Mexican diplomats are feverishly pursuing a peace deal, willing to give up significant territory in exchange for escaping total partition.
A subgroup of specialists in the sub tracking nuclear development submit a report to the observation deck. Based on radiometric data, the Latvian Military state has successfully tested its first nuclear device, with a spike in radioactivity coming from the hinterlands on the Finnish border in 2047 AD
Mnara, another Zheng outpost in the southern Indian Ocean is captured by Mogadishu. The Indian Ocean Island territories accumulated by Mogadishu in the last centuries are part of a planned national redoubt in the case of their total loss on the African mainland.
The Mexicans capture Tiwanaku, the former capital of the civilization of the same name. These territories were exclaves of New Holland, treated similarly to Chenussio and Nundawao in North America. Mexico hopes that the capture of these territories could be used as a potential bargaining chip in any future negotiation with the Dutch Brazilian civ.
Huizhou falls, and Mogadishu’s influence over the Indian Ocean continues to grow.
A map is projected onto the wall of the observation deck showing the state of the former Bora Boran core territory, now fully occupied by the Great Wahgi. Due to the insular nature of the territory, the Wahgi government has no problem maintaining control over the cities, and some have even been given some limited self governance. Bora Boran language and cultural and political customs have been delegitimized and replaced with Wahgi ones at the highest level of government, and plans for further social integration have been made for the following century. It is likely that by the conclusion of these programs, it will be hard for the people living here to imagine being ruled by any other state than Wahgi.
Ever since the front of the Mediterranean war between Rome and Sierra Leone froze, neither side have trusted one another to follow the terms of the peace indefinitely, meaning significant military presences from both sides can be found. Since Rome is preoccupied by the Faroes in the North right now, the only military stationed in the area is a large airforce, but even that is barebones. There exists a golden opportunity for Sierra Leone in this moment if they wish to repudiate their losses in the first war.
Siam fell to Wahgi forces only decades ago. Nobody in the humiliated rump state could understand why the Wahgi wanted their land, only that the Wahgi had decided. And so it was theirs, and, barring a shakeup in the global balance of power, it will remain theirs for the future.
Daji, having been imprisoned for many, many decades, was unused to the harsh light coming from the Gobi Desert sun. In fact, she could barely see when she stepped outside, and had to wear a translucent shawl to cover her face to avoid her now-powerful photophobia. She surveyed the small desert city. The expected declaration of war by Goguryeo had failed to materialized, and so, confusedly, she began to construct a government for Xiaotun. She kept in place much of the Mongol government for the city, but made one small change: She would be explicitly banned from any further government affairs. She felt as though, in her millenia-long life, she had done more than enough harm to the simple souls under her guidance. She wanted nothing more now than peace. She instructed the government to comply with any demand thrown their way by Goguryeo, and left the city.
Mexican resistance begins to crumble before the advanced military of New Holland. Ibarra is captured, while Lukurmata looks to follow soon.
Mogadishu re-enters their capital, this time not with any land military, but just captures the former metropolis’s dredged port with a destroyer group. The city is ruined, and it is clear to the Mogadishawis that no matter who ends up in control of the city after the peace, they have already lost
A pitched battle for Ichabamba rages. Wahgi helicopter groups patrol the coastline for weak spots for landing troops, while Boran anti-aircraft cannons fire day and night at the Wahgi Air force overhead, to little avail.
Walatowa falls to a Yellowknife armored assault, and Veracruz seems likely to follow it. Very little now separates Mexico City from the front, meaning if Yellowknives continues to push, they could come out of this war with massive gains.
The Afsharids complete the bomb. Given their abundance of weak neighbors, it seems unlikely they will use it in the near future. It is likely that their rush to attain nuclear capabilities is due to only one state opn their borders-Wahgi.
Bavaria and Rome have a history of conflicts of interest. The settling on Ingolstadt in antiquity set the two civilizations on a course for constant, inconclusive conflict. Now, it seems, in the face of the Faroese threat, Bavaria is allowing Roman troops free passage through Ingolstadt to launch a counterattack on Nancy.
Noongar, a federation of wealthy polities in Western Australia, worries for its future. Concession after concession has been made to their northern neighbors, the Great Wahgi, and relations with their historical rival, who many suspect to have completely eclipsed Noongar in power, have deteriorated. Sequestered in a forgotten corner of the map, Noongar’s last hope to break out was a long time ago, during their invasion of Singaporean Java. Since that failure, anxiety and obsequiousness have dominated the political landscape of the Noongar league.
The Afsharid Empire, like any adolescent, is experiencing harsh growing pains. Their conquest of vast tracts on land in India has left them temporarily overextended. Nader Shah is optimistic about his state’s future, but is aware that as of now, he is in an awkward spot. Despite their empire’s total landmass, the Afsharid military is pathetically small compared to its peers across the cylinder. While it is growing, security is an issue that waits for nobody. What to do? Invite the Wahgi, who are short on money but high in troops, to come fill in the gaps in their defense. The risk inherent to this decision is understood by the Afsharid High Command, but it is deemed preferable to being a target for Wahgi invasion.
A Yellowknife tank parades down the main boulevard of Veracruz, just the latest in Yellowknives’ gains in the Mexican War. the next target is likely to be Valladolid, completing a partial encirclement around Mexico City, a fire pocket from which the Yellowknives can assault the city from multiple angles.
New Holland’s military industrial complex slowly grumbles to life, and more and more heavy equipment flood the front with Mexico, all but invalidating the infantry tactics used by the defender. Lukurmata falls to a New Dutch tank, while Ibarra is still contested.
A frigid Antarctic outpost, Gadag, shows some signs of life. Deemed one of the potential starting points for a Singaporean attack, Gadag is under constant surveillance by the Noongar. In the event of any hostilities between the two middling powers, Gadag would be almost sure to fall in the short term.
The southern front is not as one-sided as the northern one, as a Mexican fleet successfully executes a devastating raid on Porto Calvo, one of New Holland’s premier naval bases in the region. This is a major setback for any naval action against the Mexican Caribbean, but is unlikely to halt the New Dutch navy entirely. Mexico is desperately throwing everything they have at the New Dutch to coax them into a peace deal, but it is as of yet unsuccessful
Having recouped their losses and reorganized their forces, the rising star of Sierra Leone is up for round two with Rome, and launches a surprise attack on the brand-new city of Ctesiphon. With the Roman military having been significantly degraded over years of war, it is likely that this time Sierra Leone will find success breaking into the Mediterranean.
Wahgi finally makes landfall in South America, capturing the strategic city of Ichabamba. With the large amounts of hardware and trops now pouring into the port, it seems probable that Ojjo will fall too in the near future.
Veracruz is secured by the Yellowknife Military, and the air campaign indeed turns to Valladolid, taking a huge chunk out of the city’s health in an instant. The situation is getting increasingly desperate for the Mexicans.
Peace is signed in East Africa. The Saba military finally lost its appetite for destruction, and agreed to walk away from the conflict, trading their only city on the Indian Ocean, Qarnawu, for the city of Hamar Weyne. Mogadishu, despite the minimal changes in territory, has entered a new era. The capital was completely demolished during the fighting, and all government offices have been moved to Afgoi, with Mogadishu remaining the capital only ceremonially.
Agadir comes under fire from the Sierra Leone surprise attack. Rome is desperately mobilizing reserves to defend their highly-populated African cities, but their preoccupation with the Faroe Islands in the North is slowing their response significantly.
A Mexican counterattack retakes Veracruz, but it is unlikely to last. Mexico is running out of reserve troops where they need them, and it even seems that their Wahgi benefactors are starting to doubt their ability to come out of this war alive: Wahgi units leave Mexico for their homeland in Melanesia, emarking on troop transports and taking the safe route home.
Mexico begins hemorrhaging ground on the Southern Front. The raid on Porto Calvo did little to stop the advanced New Dutch Navy, which has secured both Chihuahua and Nacogdoches. On land, Ibarra and Lukurmata are both safely in New Dutch hands.
The plight of Bora Bora has gained significant attention abroad, particularly in the Faroe Islands. Artists and musicians, like Madonna, are doing “Save Bora Bora” tours to raise money for the Boran war effort. While the intent is wholesome, it is unlikely to save Boran defenses from eventually crumbling before the Wahgi.
Valladolid falls to a Yellowknife amphibious assault. The defenders of Veracruz continue to hold out against the invaders, but it is only a matter of time.
No lore for this lol. BTW Latvia’s GWI replacement can be expended to remove a GP tile improvement and spawn a GP of that type, effectively allowing them to citadel infinitely. Just saying.
Agadir falls to Sierra Leone, but reinforcements have finally arrived to Rome’s side. With Rome’s advantage in Infantry technology, a counterattack on Agadir may be possible. But how long can rome defend such a wide front?
The Qarmatians elect Abu Tahir al-Jannabi as their eternal Autocrat. Not that he wasn’t their eternal dictator before.
Riding on the coattails of the Wahgi declaration that they had entered the “Future Era,” Goguryeo, at the height of their power, declare that they too have entered the “Future Era.” While the announce may seem benign enough at first glance, it undoubtedly is meant to challenge Wahgi power on the cylinder. “The end of history has not yet come,” mutters Gwangaeto on his throne in Gungnae.
Wahgi’s foothold on South America grows, with Ojjo being captured and secured.
Thank you all so much for reading my narration! I had a lot of fun writing it, even though I am currently in the midst of a move. Again, my name is U/QuantumBotany, and the CBRX4 will return next week!