We'll see how Martin recovers from his trauma and adjusts to life at home.
Oh boy...
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Oh man, as if having Hitler be the Disney analog wasn't a surprise enough, now we got Osama playing the Trump analog, now that got me a good chuckle 
. This new arc is interesting since it's not about aliens or Sentinel this time.
. This new arc is interesting since it's not about aliens or Sentinel this time.
It's kind of funny how last week I was doing Lovecraftian cosmic horror and this week I'm doing a grounded political drama.Oh man, as if having Hitler be the Disney analog wasn't a surprise enough, now we got Osama playing the Trump analog, now that got me a good chuckle
This is the story arc I will focus on once I wrap up this Sentinel arc. I think after the last thirty years of alien conspiracies, it's time we returned to grounded stories.
If there ever was a reason to come back to this AAR, that might have been the best one
The Frisian, Part 2
Thierry Baudet’s office, Reichstag - July 2, 2014, 3:00 PM
Thierry heard the door open. He looked up from his desk in time to see five middle-aged men in black suits file into his office. These were the leaders of the five parties he contacted—Politische Christlicher (PC), the Athosian Party (AP), Fraktion Crusaderstaat (FC), Sacrum Imperium Romanum (SIR), and Partei Bibeltreuer Christen (PBC). While their full names sounded very intimidating and restrictive, that was the farthest from the truth. They were pretty moderate, despite lying outside the “official” mainstream. They had started solely going by their acronyms to bring in new supporters and shake off the image the full names gave off. The actual radicals and dangers to society were the madmen in the NDP and AfR, who of course still proudly used their full names.
“Ah, gentlemen,” he said, “Welcome. Thank you so much for making it here.”
“Thank you for inviting us, Herr Baudet,” PBC chairman Joel Ostler said, “I have to say, I wasn’t expecting you to reach out.”
Joel was a kind of short and skinny Bohemian man in his mid-forties. On that alone, he looked overshadowed by the other four men. But his sharp black business suit and slick gelled hair more than made up for it. His confident posture was a relic of his time with a major Pressburg marketing firm which went bust in 2008. He’d reinvented himself shortly after that by rediscovering his faith and becoming an ordained minister. The church he set up gained a large Internet following after he began streaming his sessions. His marketing background helped him a lot here, and many of his viewers were drawn in by his charisma. Even those who didn’t attend his church conceded he was very friendly and welcoming. Now he was moving on up in the political scene, first as the newly appointed leader of PBC and now standing right before him.
“Desperate times call for desperate measures, Herr Ostler,” Thierry said, “This country is at a crossroads. The biosphere is collapsing around us. Our house is on fire, and yet, despite acknowledging the problem, we refuse to do something about it. Merkel is still continuing the Nord Stream project, at the cost of jobs in the east and despite the obvious environmental issues, and nobody dares to speak out against her, not even the ‘opposition’. We are powerless to stop her within her coalition.”
“And you want me to be that voice,” Joel said.
“One of them,” Thierry said, “You have a wide audience. You can tell them about the troubles we are facing, what we are up against, and the failures of the mainstream parties in more detail than the media. You know how compromising and forgiving the media is when it comes to the first female chancellor. It’s time we treated her not as a female chancellor, but as any other chancellor.”
“Honestly, Herr Baudet, we also have more pressing issues to deal with first,” Joel said, “Like the bin Laden campaign.”
“Agreed,” SIR chairman Emilio Vandenburg said, “It’s madness. That orange buffoon’s support grows by the day, taking away our potential examiners and supporters.”
Emilio Vandenburg was a portly white-haired man in a pastor’s suit. Before heading into politics he had been a bishop in Lombardy. But when crime rates rose in his hometown, and many of his flock succumbed to opioid overdoses, he realized he had to do something, which led him to join SIR and eventually lead it. Thierry contacted him not only because he was SIR’s leader, but also because he was a bureaucrat at heart. He worked closely with local law enforcement and had kept detailed records of victims of crime and substance abuse, which served him well as a representative for the area. In his first few years in the Reichstag, he drove down crime and drug overdose rates to remarkable levels, earning him praise in provincial media…although the media outside Italia ignored him.
“I believe the media refers to it as ‘economic anxiety’,” Thierry said, “Bad economies lead to strange bedfellows. They’re cowards to call out the problem as it is when their own profit margins and sponsorships depend on it still existing. That’s what’s wrong with Roman society. Money has corrupted it. One of the seven deadly sins, greed.”
“Agreed,” Emilio said, “Bin Laden is building on the same talking points as you are, but none of the substance. We have to eliminate him before his campaign reaches critical mass.”
“I really don’t know how this guy’s getting so much support,” Joel said, “He has no redeeming qualities to him, just…madness.”
“That guy’s been married and divorced three times,” FC chairman Jacob Baldouin said, his voice tinged with a light Loango accent, “Bankrupted his properties too many times. He’s made his entire career out of scamming and defrauding everyone. He’s the living embodiment of not only greed, but the other six sins. I would even go as far as calling him the Antichrist.”
Before Jacob Bauldouin entered politics, he was a poor boy from a Loango village. A chance encounter with a traveling missionary introduced him to Christianity, spurring him to enter the priesthood. But he decided the life of a clergyman wasn’t for him, so he decided to become a missionary instead. His strong-willed voice soon boomed across many town squares in the African states, and his unyielding determination made sure he made at least a hundred converts in each state before moving on. Using donations raised in previous states, he rebuilt and modernized schools, orphanages, hospitals, and roads as best as he could. Berlin had largely done the bare minimum for Africa over the last few decades, but Jacob would not settle for that. His big break came when he partnered with a powerful Frisian shipping magnate who wanted to give away his entire fortune to charity, allowing Jacob to expand into the Middle East, Europe, and Neurhomania. This drew the attention of FC, which first offered a partnership and later full membership. From there, he climbed the ranks to become the first African leader of a Reichstag party. If only he applied the same determination which got him there to shaving his ridiculous beard.
“Let’s not call him the Antichrist,” Joel said, “That probably won’t play well.”
“We should ignore him, then,” Jacob said.
“Are you serious?” Emilio said. “He’ll discredit our movement and take all of us down with his incompetence.”
“Not if we work together,” Thierry said, “With all of our factions caucusing together, we have the strength and influence to push him out and retake the narrative.”
“You propose an alliance?” AP chairman Sebastian Kristof said.
Sebastian was a bureaucrat like Emilio, but he had made a career out of it. He spent 25 years in the Bureau for the Environment, and he looked the part. His hair was curly, and he always wore small circular glasses. His face was wrinkled and square, with a light mustache running over his face. He was content with wearing a casual plaid button-up shirt and jeans, with a Roman eagle pin on his collar and a plain cross necklace around his neck. Nobody had expected him to lead AP, but he did.
“I suppose we align on a lot of things,” Sebastian said, “I like your environmental record.”
“And I appreciate your efforts in opposing the Nord Stream project,” Thierry said.
“But why us?” Sebastian said. “We’re all from minor parties. You want us to leave the governing coalition and make sure Merkel gets even less done?”
“Look Sebastian, the chancellor is ramming Nord Stream through the Diet with your help,” Thierry said, “Even if you don’t agree with Nord Stream, she has the votes.”
“We do that so we can get some of our platform passed,” Jacob said.
“I did get Christmas reaffirmed as a religious holiday,” Sebastian said.
“Oh, for the love of…you know what, I’ll skip to the point,” Thierry said, “Christmas is still a religious holiday, Sebastian. Always has been, alongside the secular festivities. It’s a diversion from the real policy issues, like Nord Stream. And the Diet voted down voluntary school prayers, in case you missed it. She's playing all of your.”
“He has a point,” Joel said, “She only offers meager concessions to us in exchange for us supporting her entire platform, not just the environmental stuff.”
“But…’Gott mit uns’ is again the national motto,” Sebastian said.
“DOES ANYBODY CARE WHAT THE MOTTO IS WHEN THE GODDAMN FRAKKING PLANET IS ON FIRE?!” PC chairman Josiah Burkard suddenly shouted.
Everybody stared at Josiah. Nobody had expected an outburst from the quiet academic who wore a collared shirt and black blazer with the coat of arms of the Constantinople School of Economics emblazoned on it. The economics professor was more known for his recent papers on the most effective welfare plans for new immigrants and how to integrate them into Roman society than his rage. However, Thierry did hear at least a couple former students recount traumatizing incidents when their entire class failed a particularly difficult midterm. There were no such incidents when he taught theology at Jerusalem University during the summer though. It was like he was a completely different man there.
“Uh…Josiah…do you have anything to add?” Thierry said, nervously backing away.
Josiah’s scowl disappeared and was replaced with a smile. He relaxed his posture.
“Don’t…you…frakking…understand?!” Josiah said. “Merkel only uses us to keep her majority, keeping us placated with non-issues like nonexistent wars on Christmas and the national motto instead of the stuff we should work on, like expanding the welfare state and implementing a carbon tax. Both of those are necessary reforms we must make soon to save not only this country but the entire planet, and yet Merkel only throws us the smallest bones in exchange for things like Nord Stream. Herr Baudet has a point.”
“What we need is a coalition of our own,” Thierry said, “We pool our resources together and agree not to compete with each other so we don’t split our examiners and divide our supporters. We’ll present a united front to the rest of the nation. First, we’ll use that to defeat bin Laden and Alternative for Rhomania, and then afterward we’ll take on Merkel. I have to be honest, we may not defeat Merkel this year. I don't expect to. But if we run on issues that everyone can agree on, like infrastructure, education, healthcare, and of course the climate crisis, we can get a foot in the door and build up a base for 2020 and beyond. Perhaps we can even get our ideas into the mainstream.”
“It’ll also help put us in contrast with that idiot,” Joel said.
“I agree,” Jacob said.
“We need to show him for who he truly is,” Thierry said, “A fraud and conman who hopes to buy the chancellery in his latest scam. We represent a moral constant that’s been lacking in Roman society, as he so ‘eloquently’ embodies as a coastal ‘billionaire’ from Jeddah. We intend to bring back balance to this country, because we actually care about the common people. We all need that, now more than ever.”
“Yes, with a renewed focus on the poor and needy, as the good book encourages,” Sebastian said, “We at AP have a nice welfare reform package ready to go.”
“Send it my way, I could check your calculations,” Josiah said.
“Sure thing,” Sebastian said.
“See?” Thierry said. “We have a lot of things we can agree on.”
“Wait, since nobody in this room is going to say it, I suppose I will,” Jacob said, “Why should we support you? Why should you be our leader? If we can unite against bin Laden and AfR, we all have the resources of our parties behind us, while you only have campaign staff and a few connections. Why not give the position to someone with more experience, like Josiah or Sebastian?”
“Gentlemen, you need me to reach a bigger audience,” Thierry said, “To show one party isn't dominating the others, as you'll all appreciate, but rather we're all working together as equals. We also need to look beyond defeating bin Laden and towards ousting Merkel and the CMU. The CMU has calcified. The SPR lost its way in Mexico, and the KRA and FMP have been idiots for decades. The Diet is paralyzed. Has been for years, but nobody has realized it yet, or maybe they do and are too afraid to speak out. We will speak out. We will tell them it’s okay to voice their concerns. They need someone new to look to for guidance, not just the same old order which caused all of our current problems. They want new leadership, new blood. You have the influence. I have the new blood. Together, we can reach those people. We can bring our unified message to a larger audience. I can coordinate our campaigns, increase our reach and influence tenfold. Even if it takes five, ten, fifteen years, we must not give up.”
The four men took a couple seconds to let Thierry’s words sink in. Then they slowly nodded.
“I agree,” Joel said, “Well said. Consider me sold.”
“Well, I do like the sound of new blood,” Emilio said, “I’m onboard.”
“I like your enthusiasm, Herr Baudet,” Sebastian said, “I think you’ll get very far. With us working together, of course.”
“I suppose it wouldn’t help to add my expertise to the team,” Josiah said, “You’ll need it.”
“I appreciate it,” Thierry said, “Thank you, all of you. I’m honored you’re all onboard.”
“They won’t like what we’re doing,” Joel said.
“Let them come,” Thierry said, “They’re afraid of change. Let’s show them what the unified voice of the people can do, God willing.”
Swords to Ploughshares Initiative - August 15, 2014, 10:00 AM
Erich entered the lobby and waited at the counter. A social worker appeared from a side door and led him down a hallway to one of the rooms, where Martin relaxed on a couch, watching the local news.
“Hey,” Erich said, “How are you doing?”
“Fine, Erich,” Martin said, “Got through another of those movies yesterday. I think it was Apocalypse Now or something. They’re too real.”
“You don’t have to watch them, Martin,” Erich said.
“I know,” Martin said, “I was just curious.”
Erich handed him a casserole. “Sharon made it.”
“Uh, thanks,” Martin said, “So, how are you doing?”
“Oh, I’ve gone back to work,” Erich said, “Not much paperwork to fill out these days. Really not much to do lately. My friend Hermann told me he’s working for The Forum’s campaign now. And Sharon’s lawsuit is still going.”
“I heard,” Martin said, “It was on the news just now.”
“The news?” Erich said. “Sharon didn’t give any statements.”
“No, the candidates were talking about it,” Martin said, “Especially that Martin Schulz guy.”
He changed the channel.
“…get her house in order,” SPR candidate Martin Schulz said, “Chancellor Merkel and her Justice Minister have done a terrible job of handling this lawsuit, which has dragged on for almost a year already. I’m not even talking about the fact that the Deputy Director was somehow beaten up by his entire staff because they thought he was a terrorist. Nobody was held accountable for the incident. What is going on with this administration? What we need is a political revolution to bring about actual change, to limit the power of the 1% over the rest of the Roman people. We must reform our system so that it benefits the many instead of the few…”
“I hate it when they talk about me like that,” Erich said.
“His poll ratings increased five points since yesterday,” Martin said, “He’s got some great ideas, I’ll give him that. Unlike that bin Laden idiot. He dodged the draft, can you believe it? Something about bone spurs. And the nerve to criticize actual veterans like Mihailo Princip…”
“Did they ask you to be an examiner?” Erich said.
“If they did, I’m not supposed to tell, am I?” Martin chuckled.
“The law is a little vague in that area,” Erich said.
“Regardless, it’s too much work, so I guess I’d defer it to someone else,” Martin said, “There’s definitely someone better for the job. I’ve been away from home for too long.”
“You doing okay?” Erich said. “You seem tired.”
“I’ve been tired ever since I got home,” Martin said, rubbing his neck, “Maybe I’m just old. The sessions here help out a little.”
“That’s good to hear,” Erich said.
As Martin rubbed his neck more, Erich noticed a large scar running down the back of his neck, partially hidden by his hairline.
“What’s that scar you have there?” Erich said.
“Oh, that?” Martin said. “Think that's from Schnitzelberg. Pretty bad cut if you ask me.”
Arcadia Bar and Restaurant - September 17, 2014, 6:00 PM
Angela sipped another beer as Gustav cut away at his steak. College students chatted loudly around them while rock music blared over the loudspeakers. The wall-mounted TV sets had a baseball game on. Jersey-wearing fans crowded around them, complaining about every bad play.
“So, want to tell me why we’re here?” Gustav said.
“I just wanted to catch up, like old friends,” Angela said, “See if there’s anything new.”
“Are you sure?” Gustav said. “They were talking about the ruling earlier. Congratulations.”
“Tell that to my mom,” Angela said, “She thinks five million marks and a year of backpay still isn’t enough.”
“Hey, it’s hard to get a better deal these days,” Gustav said, “Especially exactly one year after the incident happened. I think she got the largest payout in the last forty years? Everything’s gotten so calcified these days.”
“Calcified?” Angela said.
“Yeah,” Gustav said, “I mean, what do you expect, when those in power aren’t concerned about losing it anytime soon?”
It slowly dawned on Angela.
“Thierry Baudet,” she said.
“Well, let’s just say our interests align,” Gustav said, “I mean, he’s not the NDP and he’s certainly better than bin Laden.”
“I suppose so,” Angela said, “I have to admit, they have some good ideas. And at least he’s not bin Laden.”
“Well, if you want a more detailed platform, I can get you a pamphlet from Thierry himself,” Gustav said, “Maybe even with an autograph.”
“I’m good,” Angela said, "I prefer to stay out of politics...as much as I can with my job."
“By the way, I now manage The Forum’s veterans outreach program,” Gustav said.
“Using Swords to Ploughshares?” Angela said.
“Hey, he’s our biggest donor,” Gustav said, “I really like the new gig. I get to reach out to more veterans than with Swords to Ploughshares alone. And we might be expanding to the eastern provinces soon. Some charity there is talking about merging with us. Called the Shepherds'...something, I forgot.”
Angela sipped her beer again.
“Well, I can’t blame you,” she said, “Speaking of which, how’s Corporal Georgios doing?”
“Martin’s recovering well,” Gustav said, “His nightmares have subsided. He’s recovering more of his memories. But he still can’t talk much about what happened after Schnitzelberg. And he still doesn’t react well to loud noises.”
“Perhaps he should see a PTSD specialist,” Angela said.
“We’re working on it,” Gustav said, “But the IHS’s budget hasn’t been the same since the shutdown ended. Did you find out more about his circumstances? What exactly happened while he was still in Siam?”
“I’m trying to get the files,” Angela said, “Bureaucracy is slow.”
“Please let me know if you find anything,” Gustav said.
“I understand,” Angela said, “His treatment needs to be tailored to his experiences.”
Gustav’s phone rang at that moment.
“Oh, my bad,” he said, “Hello? Kurt? Really? I’ll be right there.”
He hung up. “My apologies. Kurt says there’s an emergency at Swords to Ploughshares. One of our clients had a seizure. I need to go.”
“It’s fine,” Angela said, “Take care of that.”
Gustav grabbed his hat. “Well, it was nice meeting you again. And the steak was something to die for.”
X-Division - October 3, 2014, 7:00 PM
On the TV, a debate was on between the two main candidates for chancellor. Merkel and Schulz stood at their podiums, making their case to the people as moderators asked questions.
“With all due respect, the chancellor’s budget has been in shambles for a while,” Schulz said, “The shutdown was just one example of this. Her record of not reversing, if not continuing, Schröder’s disastrous deregulation make the facts clear. The existence of the Occupy movement shows the result of her actions. Her handling of the Athanatoi lawsuit fiasco shows where her priorities are. If the chancellor gets another term, we are on track for another recession. She is the bought and paid for representative of the 1% who would like nothing more than to continue the unsustainable status quo.”
“Herr Schulz, you are plain wrong,” Merkel said, “The shutdown was caused because the KRA and FMP both demanded an end to subsidies for nuclear power and I’m not conceding.”
“But the subsidies were still removed in the final budget,” Schulz said, “What are you going to say to the workers who’ll lose their jobs?”
“And what do you suggest?” Merkel said. “What do you propose to fix these problems? How will you pay for all of your policies?”
"That's the twentieth time you've asked me that, and again, I say that everything is outlined on my website in an easy to understand format," Schulz said, "Meanwhile, nobody here has asked the chancellor how she will pay for yet another hundred billion mark increase for the military budget. How come we always have money for unnecessary wars around the world but never have it for social programs at home? Can you answer that now, Chancellor Merkel?"
Diana changed the channel and sighed.
“This is getting boring,” she said, “The last time these debates were interesting was when Kohl was in office. It’s all soundbites and trick questions these days.”
“Someday, we’ll come around,” Anders said.
“I don’t think so,” Diana said, “We’ll never see another Kohl.”
“I miss Kohl,” Angela said.
“Has it really been fourteen years?” Olga said.
“It was a different time,” Anders said, throwing another pencil at the ceiling, “When we didn’t have to worry about terrorists taking away our funding and civil liberties. I feel old.”
“We’re still relevant,” Angela said, “We still have the X-Division.”
“That means nothing these days,” Diana said, “And as time passes, it’ll mean less and less. Just look at us right now. We haven’t had a case in months. I don’t think we’ll have one in a while. We used to get cases every week or so. The tabloids and local news had all the crazy stories we’d investigate.”
“And now it’s all just celebrity worship, blatant jingoism, and the weather,” Anders said.
“To be fair, half of those old reports were hoaxes,” Olga said.
“These days, every alleged incident you’d find online, because that’s where you find all of them these days, would be debunked instantly,” Diana said, “No more shaky cellphone footage, no more blurry photos, no more men in black, just obviously made-up stuff designed to rile people up and push an agenda.”
“Maybe that’s the conspiracy we should be investigating,” Anders said.
“We’re all over 50,” Diana said, “We don’t have much time left.”
“You know agency policy means we have to retire soon,” Angela said, “What will we do then?”
Anders looked at the floor. “Yeah…what will we do? I never thought of it.”
“You have plenty of money,” Angela said.
“It’s not going to help,” Diana said.
“What about X-Division?” Anders said. “Who will run it? What about the truth? Who will work to uncover it?”
“We’ll figure it out, Anders,” Angela said, “We always do.”
“You keep saying that, Angie,” Anders said, “But we’re not in the ‘90s anymore. We can’t figure things out the way we used to. Look at what happened with the other Angie. If I was duped the whole time, what does that say about me?”
Diana took Anders’ hand.
“Then we’ll figure out a new way,” she said, “Together. That’s how we move forward.”
But Diana knew, deep down, it wasn’t going to end well for all of them.
- 1
Ah, of course we'd get a Bernie analogue to go along with bin Laden/Trump. Guess its now oblivious who Merkel represents in this examination, besides actual Merkel and a little bit of Obama.
I'll take it the Forum will be the new focus after the X-Division story. Very interesting set up you got there, looking forward to my character's introduction.
I like how the moderate parities of the Forum all have very grandiose, alt-right sounding names while the moderate sounding National Democratic Party and the AfR (I don't remember what that stands for, so I assume it means Alliance for Rome or something like that) are the actual far right, very ironic.
Nice to see Martin recovering well from this ptsd. That said, there's one thing I remember that brings up concern. In the "ouroboros" updates, didn't you mention a loop temple in Siam where Nelson Chang gained the ability to see the future and started killing people with doomed fates? I have concerns about that, especially since Martin came back from Siam right after the last Worm arc.
Oh, and remember what Gaberial said about the Worm being worse than him when it comes to fouth wall breaking?
Then again, sharing serious discussions about the Worm isn't really against my previous promise of not sharing sharing any more Worm memes, right?
I'll take it the Forum will be the new focus after the X-Division story. Very interesting set up you got there, looking forward to my character's introduction.
I like how the moderate parities of the Forum all have very grandiose, alt-right sounding names while the moderate sounding National Democratic Party and the AfR (I don't remember what that stands for, so I assume it means Alliance for Rome or something like that) are the actual far right, very ironic.
Nice to see Martin recovering well from this ptsd. That said, there's one thing I remember that brings up concern. In the "ouroboros" updates, didn't you mention a loop temple in Siam where Nelson Chang gained the ability to see the future and started killing people with doomed fates? I have concerns about that, especially since Martin came back from Siam right after the last Worm arc.
Oh, and remember what Gaberial said about the Worm being worse than him when it comes to fouth wall breaking?
I think I found his worst nightmare with this Reddit discussion post , don't tell him about it.
Then again, sharing serious discussions about the Worm isn't really against my previous promise of not sharing sharing any more Worm memes, right?
I intended Merkel with her really long tenure so far to be a combination of the actual Merkel, the later Bush years, a lot of Obama, and a little of Hillary Clinton. Basically the personification of the Roman political establishment.Ah, of course we'd get a Bernie analogue to go along with bin Laden/Trump. Guess its now oblivious who Merkel represents in this examination, besides actual Merkel and a little bit of Obama.
The Forum will be the new focus once I end X-Division's story. Thierry Baudet will be one of the main characters, alongside your character.I'll take it the Forum will be the new focus after the X-Division story. Very interesting set up you got there, looking forward to my character's introduction.
It's quite ironic indeed. The Forum's parties all have the intimidating and alt-right sounding names but are pretty moderate if not progressive in some areas. Also the AfR is officially the Alternative for Rhomania, based on the real life Alternative for Germany party.I like how the moderate parities of the Forum all have very grandiose, alt-right sounding names while the moderate sounding National Democratic Party and the AfR (I don't remember what that stands for, so I assume it means Alliance for Rome or something like that) are the actual far right, very ironic.
I should also mention that when the Forum's story arc begins, it will get a name change as well. All I'll say is remember scary names means moderate platforms.
Hmmmm....Nice to see Martin recovering well from this ptsd. That said, there's one thing I remember that brings up concern. In the "ouroboros" updates, didn't you mention a loop temple in Siam where Nelson Chang gained the ability to see the future and started killing people with doomed fates? I have concerns about that, especially since Martin came back from Siam right after the last Worm arc.
Technically not a meme, so you're fine. But be careful with posting Reddit links, as mods have been known to nuke posts with them in the past, at least in my experience.Oh, and remember what Gaberial said about the Worm being worse than him when it comes to fouth wall breaking?
I think I found his worst nightmare with this Reddit discussion post , don't tell him about it.
Then again, sharing serious discussions about the Worm isn't really against my previous promise of not sharing sharing any more Worm memes, right?
The Forum is promising to be an interesting coalition. Not to get too political (as if that's possible given what's inspiring this arc), but I'm a fan of this Josiah fellow.
Anders raises a good point. Once they've all retired, will the X-Division be closed down? Or will they manage to find a new energetic, paranoid agent to hand things over to?
Anders raises a good point. Once they've all retired, will the X-Division be closed down? Or will they manage to find a new energetic, paranoid agent to hand things over to?
I had some fun writing Josiah's character. I felt he was too boring in the first draft. I may have overcompensated for that.The Forum is promising to be an interesting coalition. Not to get too political (as if that's possible given what's inspiring this arc), but I'm a fan of this Josiah fellow.
You'll see.
This arc certainly is a nice change of pace once the X-Division arc ends, it'll be interesting to see how the Forum develops. One thing I can say is that Bin Laden making a 'Make Rome great again' merchandise would be really hilarious.
I'm looking forward to how this develops.
I'm looking forward to how this develops.
I see, thanks for telling me. I’ll use this link instead if I ever want to bring it up again.
Anyways, what do you think of this idea? Don’t think it would work in an AAR format, but I find it interesting and fitting for the Worm’s premise in Stellaris. Plus I get a lot of DDLC vibes from this idea.
So I found this detail regarding Wilhelm Karl from one of the older gameplay updates that might become important later on. Really interesting reading this now that I have an idea of what Wilhelm Karl is like.
I assume Tesla Dynamic is not really fond of Wilhelm Karl now that he’s Crown Prince with this kind of a political marriage, surprise Mina hasn´t said something about this yet. I mean, there’s the chance Francesca and Wilhelm Karl could separate like their OTL counterparts, but I doubt it since their marriage is way too politically advantageous for them to separate, even if it is a loveless marriage. Also Wilhelm Karl is basically nothing like Karl von Habsburg, which is something I find interesting about him.
I think I said this before, but Wilhelm Karl would make a great antagonist in the Forum´s arc with how you´ve described him so far. Seeing as how he´s more right-wing than the Forum, it would be nice to see him as a foil to the Forum and an Machiavellian schemer, so basically the Forum´s equivalent to the Smoking Man.
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I wonder how they'd make the turbans and fezzes.
Islam is a lot like real life Judaism at this point. Its followers are scattered around the world, with most of them in the Reich. They've mostly stopped proselytizing and adopted a very pacifistic stance after the Holocaust. Most Muslims are very secular and for them, the faith is more cultural than religious at this point.
I may save that for future reference.
Perhaps. But I'll see when I get around to that part.Anyways, what do you think of this idea? Don’t think it would work in an AAR format, but I find it interesting and fitting for the Worm’s premise in Stellaris. Plus I get a lot of DDLC vibes from this idea.
The only real connection between Wilhelm Karl and the real life Karl von Habsburg at this point is that they have the same name and married the same person. But after rewriting his character so many times, Wilhelm Karl is almost completely original. I've been imagining him as looking and sounding like Charles Dance lately. Which is weird because we do have Karl Dance.
Tesla Dynamic has remained neutral on the matter, and in a future update I will introduce a new Tesla character who wants to work closer with the Forum and maybe reconcile with Wilhelm Karl.
The Forum and Wilhelm Karl are quite ideologically different, which would lead to friction. But Wilhelm Karl dislikes the political establishment much more than the Forum. I imagine he'll try to influence the Forum for his own ends, while the Forum tries to stick to its own ideals. There are a couple members of the Forum who will be on friendly terms with him, others who will not like him, and others who would like nothing more than to turn the tables on him (though it would take a lot to outsmart him). Basically Wilhelm Karl will loom large over the Forum's story as it tries to reform the Reich.I think I said this before, but Wilhelm Karl would make a great antagonist in the Forum´s arc with how you´ve described him so far. Seeing as how he´s more right-wing than the Forum, it would be nice to see him as a foil to the Forum and an Machiavellian schemer, so basically the Forum´s equivalent to the Smoking Man.
Out of curiosity, what does the actual Orthodox Church think of the Religious Right at this point? It'd be interesting to see what stance church leaders like the Ecumenical Patriarch or other church officials take on the Forum and how much of a role they´d play in their story. Only makes sense that they´d be important, given the nature of the movement and its basis in Christianity.
And of course, he´d yell at his kids and be disappointed by them occasionally, let´s not forget that.
Heck, maybe he´s literally Charles Dance in the Annionaverse. Would be fitting, since Emperor Claudius is Christopher Lee in the Hohenzollernverse.
If and when Wilhelm Karl becomes Kaiser, what nickname do you think he´d have? If this where CK2, I´d imagine he´d be called the Shadow or the Spider due to a high intrigue score and education, through the Silent does sound appropriate for him.
Bit of a crossover question here, but I wonder what connection the Roman Religious Right would have with @dragoon9105 ´s Divine Socialists? I know that the Divine Socialists´ ideology is rooted within Khitan Zunism while the Relgious Right is rooted in Christanity, but I imagine they´d leak into each other due to Uriel´s convergence theory. Maybe the parties that make up the Forum where initally founded by Religiously minded Angeloi that defected to the Loyalists and distanced themselves from the Angeloi after the war. I think that the Divine Socialists are on track to becoming some sort of Relgious Right esqe movement in the Khitan verse, but we’ll see what @dragoon9105 does with them.
So, he´s basically Tywin Lannister then. Now I´m imagining his similar appearance to Karl Dance leading to GOT memes on the internet comparing him to Tywin and people humming Reynes of Castamere to themselves whenever they are talking about Wilhelm Karl, at least, until he enters the room they are in.The only real connection between Wilhelm Karl and the real life Karl von Habsburg at this point is that they have the same name and married the same person. But after rewriting his character so many times, Wilhelm Karl is almost completely original. I've been imagining him as looking and sounding like Charles Dance lately. Which is weird because we do have Karl Dance.
If and when Wilhelm Karl becomes Kaiser, what nickname do you think he´d have? If this where CK2, I´d imagine he´d be called the Shadow or the Spider due to a high intrigue score and education, through the Silent does sound appropriate for him.
Bit of a crossover question here, but I wonder what connection the Roman Religious Right would have with @dragoon9105 ´s Divine Socialists? I know that the Divine Socialists´ ideology is rooted within Khitan Zunism while the Relgious Right is rooted in Christanity, but I imagine they´d leak into each other due to Uriel´s convergence theory. Maybe the parties that make up the Forum where initally founded by Religiously minded Angeloi that defected to the Loyalists and distanced themselves from the Angeloi after the war. I think that the Divine Socialists are on track to becoming some sort of Relgious Right esqe movement in the Khitan verse, but we’ll see what @dragoon9105 does with them.
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The Church's stance is usually neutral, especially when it comes to the political parties. But if one of the organizations steps out of line, the Church will not hesitate to condemn their actions. Some Church officials view the Forum favorably.
Could make for some interesting moments. If Wilhelm Karl ever decides to meet the common folk.So, he´s basically Tywin Lannister then. Now I´m imagining his similar appearance to Karl Dance leading to GOT memes on the internet comparing him to Tywin and people humming Reynes of Castamere to themselves whenever they are talking about Wilhelm Karl, at least, until he enters the room they are in.
That reminds me, I haven't written anything about his kids yet.And of course, he´d yell at his kids and be disappointed by them occasionally, let´s not forget that.
Perhaps.Heck, maybe he´s literally Charles Dance in the Annionaverse. Would be fitting, since Emperor Claudius is Christopher Lee in the Hohenzollernverse.
I'm not sure. I'll figure it out around that time, if not a little later because Kaisers don't usually get their nicknames until well into their reigns.
The Roman religious right is a completely separate movement with its roots in the 1980s and 90s. The parties that make up the Forum were all founded around that time or at least after WWIII. The older NDP and AfR do have some former Angeloi or Angeloi sympathizers among their founders though.
As you said, I'll see what the Divine Socialists turn into before I make any connections, if I want to do that.