Turn V
Stats
Map
GM Notes
Due to inactivity, Ethiopia has been NPCed. It will count as a great power NPC for this turn (as power statuses have not been recalculated) which means it has automatic initiative, but only one action; it will fall to regional power status and be treated like other regional NPCs (needing to roll for initiative on any turn) assuming its power status does not change.
Now that school is out (which by extension also means I am unemployed), updates should come more frequently.
News from Around the World
Scandal in Jakarta
Evidence has leaked of a plot by the Indonesian government to launch a false flag operation in Papua, with the intention of framing the FRCN and pushing Papua out of the FRCN’s sphere of influence. As the leaks have spread, there is an even more concerning element: Indonesia does not seem to have been acting alone, but had resources from a third party. Intelligence agencies around the world are already wondering which of the major powers might have been trying to contain the FRCN’s growth.
The intrigue of nominally-peaceful Korea in pushing China towards invading Shanghai, furthermore, has people believing that no one can be ruled out as a suspect.
New Zealand Reunified
It came as a surprise that negotiations to open the border between North and South Island resulted in a treaty to dissolve them completely. South Island has acceded to the FRCN.
The Vandread Hegemony?
With the third highest standard of living and the largest domestic GDP in the world, the Vandread’s war against the Great Lakes Confederacy looks to have paid serious dividends. The war nearly doubled Vandread territory and, after a few years to take care of insurrections, should put the Empire in a position of clear military and economic dominance.
The Chinese Ascendance
King Qiaozhi of China is (at least somewhat) no longer satirically dubbed “Mad King George” for his apparent megalomaniacal views of Chinese importance. A surprise alliance with Korea paved the way for a sudden surge across the border into Shanghai, and analysts expect the state to be conquered within a year. It remains to be seen if the Sino-Korean Alliance will hold up, but analysts say Korea’s move to ally with China and serve its imperial ambitions was strategically brilliant, as it preempted any Sino-Japanese alliance that might try to carve up Korea.
International Solidarity
With the outbreak of conflicts across the globe as states seek to consolidate their power, the UUC has led an effort to protect the resultant large refugee populations through the ICRAS. While only a few states have joined, the effects are already being felt, as large numbers of refugees flee the warzones, taking their expertise and wealth with them when possible. Some are a relatively simple border crossing, but others – such as the Shanghai-Mexico route via the FRCN – are quite taxing.[/img]
