Milarqui
Deity
Update 1: 1951 CE – 104 ABM
BolshevheimThe Polifaze family (or, more exactly, Mikael Polifaze) demonstrates the power of his Myconids for the first time. Although, so far, the only Myconid (a clank-like construct made of fungus) shown is a bodyguard to Mikael, but the head of the Polifaze family is now ready to use the Myconids as a great force to potentially replace or complement clanks, as the Myconids do not require metal nor fuel to work. Mass production for the Myconids and the Mycoscouts (small mobile fungi able to monitor areas and communicate with humans) is expected to begin soon. Legionowo sees the construction of a distillery to exploit forest mushrooms and create a brew that may be useful for Bolshevheim, investing great quantity of money and resources on it. An expedition to a swamp south-west of Warsaw yields a strange fungus that seems to be a natural revenant-creator, much like slaver wasps, but only for ants. A second expedition led by Wilhelm managed to gain the allegiance of Leszno, a miners' town west of Warsaw, using a food-or-death approach to doing so, Meanwhile, the mysterious deaths in Warsaw have been investigated by Karl. Several pieces of gold were spent trying to find red Sparks in the city, believing these might be behind the murders in an attempt to pin the guilt on Nalia. However, not only it turned out to be a green Spark who did these, but in fact several of those people had actually been killed by Nalia during her “experiments”. The green Spark has been arrested, but the people claim for Nalia to be punished for her attacks on them.
Spoiler :
Principality of Buda-Pest
Due to their being busy with strange projects regarding uplifted dogs and new machines, little is done in the terms of advancement, because of several confusing orders sent by the Hunyadi, still shut away in their castle. The orders are summarily ignored because they do not take into account the reality of things. For example, orders to triple the size of the army are sent to the bin when it turns out there is not enough metal to provide for even those who are part of the army right now. The Clanks and the steamship have to be shut-down in order to break even, and things may get worse if something is not done soon. However, the militias and the airship are more than enough to protect the surrounding lands from several wild constructs, and they even manage to reach nearby Bicske in order to sign a treaty by which they shall be under the authority of the Hunyadi.
Spoiler :
Dardanic Order
The threat of hunger drives the Dardanic Order to find new and better ways to feed all of their people, as they care about them (and, besides, if they died, who would they be ruling over?). Thus, they start to work. Dante von Welf leads a large army of Militias and Clanks upriver, in order to lay claim to new settlements. On the way upriver, they encounter a small army of horrible insect-like creatures led by a mad Spark who seems bent on destroying any settlement they find, deeming that only insects should rule the planet. An attack upon them, supported by the River Steamship, ends up with the loss of 100 Militias and 5 Infantry Clanks, but the Insect Army is totally wiped out, the only survivor being the mad Spark, who has been captured. This helps in convincing the Aldeianos (people from Aldeia) to join, as they felt threatened by the Spark's army and Dante's presence helped to erase that threat. Meanwhile, Aerina von Welf starts to develop a special steamship, able to exploit fish through the use of fish pheromones, a plan that might actually work despite (better said, because of) being very, very mad, and thus very Sparky. It remains uncompleted, but soon the new Steamfishers will be able to gain more food for the people.
Spoiler :
Free Floating City of Drulshal
Parsimonious Drulshal lives pacifically through the year, unable to do much save work and drunk on the nice Mediterranean sun. However, a story has broken out, that threatens the future of the Hibule family: several bounty hunters, angry at the fact that Rul had attacked them and killed their crews, banded together to put her down forever in spite of the standing alive bounty on Rul. After several months of work, the bounty hunters managed to corner her and attack her airship without little stopping them. Only the fast thinking of Rul's own crewmen saved her, managing to bring her to the sea and taking a nearby trader ship that was inbound for Drulshal. This was probably the only thing that perturbed the calm in Drulshal, a calm that some fear may be short due to Rul's injuries.
Spoiler :
Geneva Commonwealth
The mountains of the Alps certainly bring peace, but peace is not exactly the best idea when you are surrounded by potential enemies that might try to attack you. At least, that that is what the Commonwealth has discovered, when an air pirate attacked Geneva and sacked many of its stores, taking most fuel and metal for their own use. Fortunately, production from the Lausanne mines has managed to meet with the requirements to feed the forces, but it is a tight thing. Problems also come from the lack of food, as the pirate attacks destroyed a few farms and left you with just enough to survive the year, but not the next one. People have left Geneva in order to avoid dying of hunger the next year.
Spoiler :
Neo Serena Repubblica
The skies above the Neo Serena Repubblica de Venezia become the scenario of a brutal aerial battle, as an air pirate attempts to attack Venice and sack it. The only Venetian airship did its best to fight the pirate with the help of a few civilian airships, but in the end the crew was forced to use the airship itself to take down the pirate. Fortunately, the crew survived and both airships could be recovered, but neither was in condition of flying, so both were scrapped and all parts were taken for their use in a newer airship. In a great change of policies, people were allowed to freely enter Venice, in spite of the danger of overcrowding, as the Doge stated that, as every person was equal in the republic, every person was welcomed. Several people were, however, directed to nearby San Dona, which was complaining of bandits. Grateful over the protection freely provided by the Repubblica, they chose to join the Repubblica and bring with them their knowledge of food production. The ceremony of acceptance of San Dona was crowned with the creation of the Venetian Ducat, which they expect will help economically, as well as the announcement of the Arms of the Republic, aimed at helping the people protect Venice further from potential raider attacks.
Spoiler :
Grand Republic of Nowograde
In the cold steppe of Nowograde, the ground trembles as many people abandon the towns. However, not everyone is actual people: most of them are the Nowograden Army, sending expeditions to nearby towns. The news of the lack of foodstuffs are becoming worrying, for, while the Republic has been able to provide food for everyone, the quantity of food that remains within the warehouses is rapidly dwindling, and there will surely not be enough food for the next year. Already, people have been leaving Nowograde, hoping that they will be able to survive on their own without having to go to the Swjatoslawic to ask them for food, uncaring about the declaration of equality between Sparks and non Sparks. While this happens, the expeditions sent by the army to the northwest has encountered some small settlements on the way, which have welcomed them. They did not have great production in terms of foodstuff, which was the main reason behind the expeditions, but the representatives stated that, if they joined the Grand Republic, they would soon be producing more than enough food for twice or thrice their own population, and perhaps even more. The towns of Shimsk and Marista opened their doors to the Nowograden Army, and soon the Republic's flag flew over the towns' halls, being followed by the arrival of several experts in agriculture, amongst them Ksenija Swjatoslawic, who has begun a plan to produce special, eatable bamboo that can be produced the entire year. In unfortunate news, one of the expeditions was assaulted by revenants during a night stop, killing five soldiers and destroying one Clank before the rest were repelled by the rest of the expedition's gun fire.
Spoiler :
Pirate Kingdom of Sardinia
An attempt by King Alzaro to expand the army was soon stopped by the fact that there was not enough metal to do so, and not only were the foundries unable to build the clanks, and the workshops to build Elmiro's second airship, but Alzaro had to lay off fifty militias so that the others could be well armed for their training and potential attacks, a decision that has not been welcomed by the people of Togliacci. Alzaro soon took to the seas in order to alleviate the hunger for metal the city suffers, and many ships fell before his might and that of Togliacci's troops, although the unfortunate loss of two Clanks to the sea in the fights. Most of those ships were sent to Togliacci, where they were dismantled for the storage of metal. Meanwhile, Elmiro, angry at the loss of the chance to gain another airship (and, some say, the chance to meet with Rul Hibule from Drulshal), threw himself into the fight. Two towns were complete destroyed in his rage before he calmed enough to remember that he was supposed to be convincing them to join the Kingdom. The town of Carbonia soon surrendered to avoid being hit by the same brutal attacks, and Elmiro spent the rest of the year helping to start running the mines, mostly as punishment for his actions directly against standing orders.
Spoiler :
Skaneland
The Skanish people watch as many troops leave Skane towards other places, and do not know what they are planning to do. Without their knowledge, both Erik and Frida af Vornholm have abandoned Skane in order to take over several cities for the good of Skaneland, to ensure a flux of resources between the towns for the betterment of all. The great expedition led by Erik, formed by 225 soldiers, suffered an attack that was easily repelled by the troops and the Steamship that accompanied them, at no losses beyond a few bullets. The expedition reached the fabled city of Ystad, ruled by a small Spark called Henning who can solve any criminal problem he finds. Upon being offered a position in the government as the leader of the police forces, Henning jumped (not the least convinced by the many soldiers that surrounded the city). The smaller expedition led by Frida, was, however, fraught with problems, as they were met on the road by a force of several tens of well armed troops that fired on them, easily killing nearly two thirds of the troops before the others managed to make them run away. Frida was hurt, but not gravely, and soon ordered the small army to retire to nearby Vornholm. Back in Skane, Svend ordered the construction of a Great Granary to store food for harsh times and a Road Network to connect Skane to Vornholm and Ystad, two policies that were welcomed by the people. There are also rumors about contact being made with a powerful group of Sparks in the south, but so far nothing has been confirmed.
Spoiler :
Transylvania
The rule of the Igors keeps bringing change to Transylvania. The Spark girl that appeared in Bistrita was introduced to the Igor family, and soon she fell right in the group, calling herself Igorina but declining, for the moment, the offer by Igor to teach her surgery, as she is far more interested in her experiments and does not wish to lose her time in recovering from the surgery. Although let down by this, Igor nonetheless enjoys her presence, as she is a great source of ideas, especially that mining implement that she created and that can help increase production of metal and fuel in Bistrita by at least a 10%. Meanwhile, Igor spent a part of the year traveling with his undead bats and some men trying to buy food for Transylvania at good prices, which were met in several towns that needed metal and stone. One town in between Bistrita and Mures, seeing itself surrounded, chose to fall to the mercy of Igor, and soon it became a bustling farm town, that would be able to feed Mures and Bistrita. Nonetheless, Mures also saw an increase in production, as people were paid to change jobs and become farmers: this is expected to help reduce Mures' dependence on other towns in regards to foodstuffs.
Spoiler :
Zwerg Metalworks Inc.
As traders through Hamburg hear rumors of people from the north coming in peace, the Board of Directors of the corporation works rapidly to ensure the outside threats are located and destroyed. Although the airship locates no red Sparks or Clanks (as per standing orders) they do find several rose-skinned Sparks and dark yellow Clanks, deciding that their positions would have to be told about. Max Zwerg chooses to ride to the front with the Clanks, several militias and the airship, easily destroying the few solitary Clanks that are around the city, and forcing two minor Sparks with their Clanks to join Zwerg Metalworks Incorporated. Three other Sparks are destroyed when they reject the offer, with minimal losses for the attackers. The corporation also takes its time and money in sending traveling salesmen to towns such as Freiburg, Ahrensburg or Seevetal, earning some profit in terms of needed foodstuffs.
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