Capto Iugulum

[SouthernKing]

Joseph, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Hungary, has always been a mysterious, shadowy, and elusive figure. But now that he is eighteen years of age, some of the shadow can be thrown off.

So who exactly is the Crown Prince Joseph?

Joseph, first son of Louis the fifth, was born January 4, 1887, in the royal palace outside Budapest. He grew up in a fairly sheltered life, even during the rebellions of 1892 and 1893. Learning from scholars and teachers at the palace, young Joseph became one of the most learned royals in all Europe. It is believed that he is fluent in nine languages, if not more, and can read ancient texts in their original languages.

Joseph, however, is not the same man his father is.

Louis is a stout reactionary, quick to fight and a hard line opponent of any form of liberalism. But Joseph is a far more passive man than his father - he favors compromise, and in the few speeches he has given to the public so far, appears to desire a form of enlightened absolutism when he rules over Hingary. Joseph, knowledgable in and a proponent of Enlightenment ideals, has already stated that he will attempt to raise living standards across Hungary, and rule by compromise between classes. This is not something father and son agree on, and there have reportedly been arguments.

Louis the fifth is sixty-nine years old, and recent illnesses have severely slowed him down, especially over the course of 1904. It seems that power is all but ready to transition to Joseph - something the Hungarian court is bracing for.

Will Hungary be ready for Joseph? We will just have to wait and see.

 

[Luckymoose]

Ooc: well I can certainly grow coffee and sugar elsewhere

You can, but not in the quantity or quality I can. Indonesia at its peak isn't even half of Brazilian exports.

 

[Grandkhan]

You can, but not in the quantity or quality I can. Indonesia at its peak isn't even half of Brazilian exports.

OOC: It wouldn't matter, because in the 1900s, when we don't really have much of a history of global free trade in this timeline, domestic goods are going to be much cheaper than Brazilian ones. Thus, pretty much all of the Netherlands consumption is going to be from Indonesia. Brazilian coffee would be primarily consumed in countries without native coffee production, but the Netherlands (and possibly the Confederation and Denmark, if there are enough inter-alliance economic agreements) wouldn't suffer from the embargo because they are consuming coffee from somewhere else anyway. The price might rise a little, but not anywhere near disastrous levels.

 

[Luckymoose]

You also forget that the Suez Canal is cut off from their merchants. The combination of the two makes the price skyrocket. Excluding that, the Brazilian, Argentine and British markets produce numerous other goods that the fair people of Spain and the Triple Alliance depend on. This is not a world of mercantilism.

 

[Circuit]

You also forget that the Suez Canal is cut off from their merchants. The combination of the two makes the price skyrocket. Excluding that, the Brazilian, Argentine and British markets produce numerous other goods that the fair people of Spain and the Triple Alliance depend on. This is not a world of mercantilism.

Maybe. But if you piss them off enough they might not even want your goods, taking higher prices as a form of patriotism. That's why Americans drink coffee rather than tea. Tea was a British thing. Revolutionary Americans did not tolerate British things. Spain (i.e. CI Spain, not OTL Spain) is learning that lesson in Cuba now.

 

[Quisani]

NOTE:

Tonight, we present a story that lies between the lights of tomorrow, and the shadows of yesterday. These lights move mankind forward, and yet cannot escape the shadows that surround him. In this middle ground lies a grey realm, where light and shadow meet, producing events and worlds that perhaps never were. Do you see something move out of the corner of your eye, or feel a chill of déjà vu as you walk pass a stranger? Maybe the moment passes and the world remains just as you knew it; or maybe, just maybe, you have found yourself in The Realm of Eventide.

We find ourselves in the quietest and most remote parts of the Far East. As the rest world moves forward into the future, this backwards region remains untouched by time. However, for one man, the future is closer then ever. Too close for comfort, you might say. His daydreaming mind brims with visions of technologies beyond his time and visitors from other planets. And the only though that echoes in his mind is of the death and destruction that befell Constantinople awaits the rest of mankind. Now, the phantoms of his mind chase him, and as he flees, he is unaware that he left the confines of reality for the Realm of Eventide...

----
...
----

The bow of the junk dipped as the old man pushed it away from the shore. After a few more moments, he turned and began directing the small boat down the broad and slow river. Did he know who I was? Did he know what I know? I couldn't be certain. Maybe he was one of them. A scout looking the next site. But why here? Did his eyes flash with fire within? Or was that just a reflection of the last light on the water. I couldn't know that he was me.

"So, my friend. How far to go?" The old man spoke in a low and croaky voice. Should I talk back? Maybe he would kill me on the spot. Should I kill him first? Yes... wait no. I could learn from him, perhaps. Learn why they've come to Earth. Why they've come here. Why they've come for me.

"As far as you can, honorable elder. If you can, I wish to go as far as the sea. Can you take me?" There. I asked him. I gave up my plan, whatever little it was.

"Hmm... that is a fair distance. Almost three days. At this point in my life, time and distance doesn't concern me. I will take you, but I do require correct payment. Can you pay your fare?" What did he mean about what concerns him? He was old man. Time and distance were not on his side. Unless....

"Yes. I have the correct amount of money. I can half now, and I'll pay the other half when we get there." I didn't have the other half, but by the end, one way or another, the old man wouldn't need it.

(To continued? Truth be told, I was going to write a shorter more succinct story, but I got sidetracked with the opportunity to do an ATL Twilight Zone parody.)

 

[Luckymoose]

This is the 12 hour warning for a reply from the Spanish on their 150 EP of reparations.

 

[spryllino]

That PM I have just sent to several of you, I sent in two goes because CFC will only allow 5 recipients.

 

[spryllino]

---actually, never mind---

 

[Nailix]

To Spain, Britain, Brazil
From the Confederation

We fail to see any reason why Spain should, simply because her favoured side lost the Colombian civil war, pay reparations, or why Spain should pay any attention whatsoever to the fact that you have decided arbitrarily that sending money to your friends is wrong. As for imposing an embargo on Spain, it will do you just as much harm as it will do the Spanish. We are very surprised that the Spanish have enough patience with you not to reject your reparations out of hand and to detain the Brazilian fleet until the embargo is lifted.

To: Spain, Britain, Brazil, the Confederation
From: Naples

We are not picking any side on this matter but I have to interject after seeing this. If we had to pay for supporting our friends, the winning side in their revolution, why shouldn't Spain have to pay? Naples was taught from our helping of Sicily that Spain saw us giving our friends money was wrong.

 

[Nuka-sama]

OOC: Ooooooh logic'd

 

[Milarqui]

To: Spain, Britain, Brazil, the Confederation
From: Naples

We are not picking any side on this matter but I have to interject after seeing this. If we had to pay for supporting our friends, the winning side in their revolution, why shouldn't Spain have to pay? Naples was taught from our helping of Sicily that Spain saw us giving our friends money was wrong.

To: Naples
From: Empire of Spain

As we have said many times, we are willing to pay Colombia compensation. The problem here is that the Brazilians and the British are demanding that we pay an insane amount of money, not comparable to any damages our intervention may have caused, while compared to the more fair and realistic plan we proposed, by which Spain would give Colombia [15 EP], which is more than enough to the eyes of any sane person, given that it is a 150% of what we gave the liberals during the entire Colombian civil war. Of course, Brazil and the United Kingdom reject this plan because they want a war with Spain, and figure that using this they can cast themselves as the protectors of the little countries, when they are nothing but bullies and jealous people, seeking to destroy those that are better than them.

We feel perfect with you choosing the neutral path in this war. Just make sure that your payments reach us on time.

 

[Nailix]

To: Spain
From: Naples

We understand you will pay, we don't mean to escalate the event any further we just want to see fairness. Naples does not wish to see any major war break out any time soon and hope this issue may be resolved soon.

 

[Luckymoose]

The ultimatum deadline is hereby cut. You have 2 hours.

 

[Milarqui]

To: Brasil
From: Empire of Spain

With all of our respects, we wish to tell you that the most money we are willing to give Colombia is [20 EP], which is more than enough to pay for any of the few problems that may have been caused by the [10 EP] we gave the liberals. If you are so interested in Colombia receiving [200 EP], you can pay them the remaining [180 EP].

 

[Luckymoose]

TO: Spain
FROM: Brazil

It is with a heavy heart that we must send this reply to your ambassador. The Spanish have sullied the name of democracy with their actions against the people of Colombia, our allies and members of our defensive pact, and Brazil will not stand for it. For the insulting offer by the Spanish, which falls far short of the Colombian and her allies' demands, and the refusal to meet reparations after a diplomatic ultimatum had been handed to the Spanish government, Brazil declares war upon the Spanish Empire.

 

[EQandcivfanatic]

To: Spain
From: Colombia

Alongside our Brazilian allies, we also issue a declaration of war.

 

[Crezth]

To: Spanish Empire
CC: The World
From: The United Kingdom of Great Britain

In accordance with the Brazilian ultimatum, we are backing our allies' honor with force of arms. We regret to announce that we have no choice: we hereby declare war on the Spanish Empire.

May God have mercy on our souls.

 

[Milarqui]

To: United Kingdom, Brasil, Colombia
From: Empire of Spain

It is sad that it has come to this. You rejected a perfectly acceptable offer and demanded completely unreasonable quantities of money for things the Empire of Spain has never done.

And, indeed, you will need God to have mercy on your souls.

 

[EQandcivfanatic]

Oh, and I should point out, to anyone this applies to: the people who declare war more quickly will have more time to mobilize troops and undertake campaigns than those who say, wait until after the deadline has passed. You've been warned.