Bucharest City,
Allied States of Carpathia and Moldova
"In Carpathia's forests, there lives a creature called a direwolf. It is said that this creature is amongst the wisest and most patient in the world. When its enemy, the bear, growls and roars at him, the direwolf patiently waits. When the bear swipes its paw at him, the direwolf waits. And when the bear goes to sleep in the winter, the direwolf sneaks up on it and rips out its heart." - Emperor Constantin the Third.
It was a warm, sunny day in the sprawling metropolis that is the capital of the Allied States. In the pleasant weather, people went about their daily lives in peace, enjoying safety and prosperity in this city that was the birthplace and the beating heart of National-Communism. But the serene atmosphere of this city said nothing about its past.
The citizens of the nation that had become the Allied States did not always enjoyed such safe and prosperous lives. Carpathia was a nation born out of the fires of revolution and forged of the steel of war. Indeed, everything within this nation, every right and benefit that its people enjoyed, was bought and paid for in blood.
The Allied States knew war, as intimately and intricately as one would know a gentle lover. Carpathia and war were intricately intertwined, forging a culture built upon the ideals of hard work, cooperation, sacrifice and military discipline that was unlike any other in the world.
Now, once again, Carpathia's old companion, war, seemed to once again loom on the horizon.
For nearly a decade and a half, the great and terrible bear that is the nation of Severyane, has hounded Carpathia at every step. It has rebuked every attempt made by Carpathia to establish friendly relations, it has done everything within its power to isolate and intimidate its leadership and people, but the Carpathian direwolf can only be pushed so far.
Behind the closed doors of one of the largest conference rooms within the People's House, a group of officials plotted Severyane's downfall. They awaited a guest which, a mere two years ago, no one would have thought would visit Carpathia: the Foreign Minister of the Holy Lanlanian Empire.
Up to this point, relations between the Allied States and the Holy Lanlanian Empire have been mostly neutral. Neither nation has engaged in actions through which it would declare itself the other's rival. Carpathia has stayed out of Lanlania's way and the Lanlanian leaders have been content to leave Carpathia to its own devices. Now, those relations seemed on the verge of taking a friendlier route.
The Lanlanian Foreign Minister's upcoming visit to Bucharest had been discussed and debated by the press ever since its announcement. It was certainly one of the biggest political surprises of the year. Little did the press know how far Carpathia's intentions went.
In the Carpathian government, the powers that be had decided to begin the delicate dance of courtship that would eventually result in an alliance with the Holy Lanlanian Empire. Carpathia would offer Lanlania a powerful ally and more importantly, secure Lanlanian interests in East Brigidna for the future. By picking the Lanlanian side, the Allied States were effectively eliminating a potential trojan horse amidst the carefully-built web of alliances that the Holy Lanlanian Empire had secured for itself in the region. Through the addition of Carpathia into its web of alliances, Lanlania would gain assurance that no nation in East Brigidna could challenge its interests in the region.
In return, Carpathia's own regional interests would be insured. By aligning itself with Lanlania and, by extension, its allies, Carpathia aimed to defuse decades of political tensions with its neighbors. And Carpathia would also gain a powerful backer against Severyane's continued pushes into the region, shoring up the Allied States' policy of deterrence and effectively hamstringing Severyan influence over East Brigidna.
And if all went according to the best case scenario, this was only the beginning of Carpathia's ascension. And of Severyane's downfall.
Allied States of Carpathia and Moldova
"In Carpathia's forests, there lives a creature called a direwolf. It is said that this creature is amongst the wisest and most patient in the world. When its enemy, the bear, growls and roars at him, the direwolf patiently waits. When the bear swipes its paw at him, the direwolf waits. And when the bear goes to sleep in the winter, the direwolf sneaks up on it and rips out its heart." - Emperor Constantin the Third.
It was a warm, sunny day in the sprawling metropolis that is the capital of the Allied States. In the pleasant weather, people went about their daily lives in peace, enjoying safety and prosperity in this city that was the birthplace and the beating heart of National-Communism. But the serene atmosphere of this city said nothing about its past.
The citizens of the nation that had become the Allied States did not always enjoyed such safe and prosperous lives. Carpathia was a nation born out of the fires of revolution and forged of the steel of war. Indeed, everything within this nation, every right and benefit that its people enjoyed, was bought and paid for in blood.
The Allied States knew war, as intimately and intricately as one would know a gentle lover. Carpathia and war were intricately intertwined, forging a culture built upon the ideals of hard work, cooperation, sacrifice and military discipline that was unlike any other in the world.
Now, once again, Carpathia's old companion, war, seemed to once again loom on the horizon.
For nearly a decade and a half, the great and terrible bear that is the nation of Severyane, has hounded Carpathia at every step. It has rebuked every attempt made by Carpathia to establish friendly relations, it has done everything within its power to isolate and intimidate its leadership and people, but the Carpathian direwolf can only be pushed so far.
Behind the closed doors of one of the largest conference rooms within the People's House, a group of officials plotted Severyane's downfall. They awaited a guest which, a mere two years ago, no one would have thought would visit Carpathia: the Foreign Minister of the Holy Lanlanian Empire.
Up to this point, relations between the Allied States and the Holy Lanlanian Empire have been mostly neutral. Neither nation has engaged in actions through which it would declare itself the other's rival. Carpathia has stayed out of Lanlania's way and the Lanlanian leaders have been content to leave Carpathia to its own devices. Now, those relations seemed on the verge of taking a friendlier route.
The Lanlanian Foreign Minister's upcoming visit to Bucharest had been discussed and debated by the press ever since its announcement. It was certainly one of the biggest political surprises of the year. Little did the press know how far Carpathia's intentions went.
In the Carpathian government, the powers that be had decided to begin the delicate dance of courtship that would eventually result in an alliance with the Holy Lanlanian Empire. Carpathia would offer Lanlania a powerful ally and more importantly, secure Lanlanian interests in East Brigidna for the future. By picking the Lanlanian side, the Allied States were effectively eliminating a potential trojan horse amidst the carefully-built web of alliances that the Holy Lanlanian Empire had secured for itself in the region. Through the addition of Carpathia into its web of alliances, Lanlania would gain assurance that no nation in East Brigidna could challenge its interests in the region.
In return, Carpathia's own regional interests would be insured. By aligning itself with Lanlania and, by extension, its allies, Carpathia aimed to defuse decades of political tensions with its neighbors. And Carpathia would also gain a powerful backer against Severyane's continued pushes into the region, shoring up the Allied States' policy of deterrence and effectively hamstringing Severyan influence over East Brigidna.
And if all went according to the best case scenario, this was only the beginning of Carpathia's ascension. And of Severyane's downfall.