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Great job with the nations in this update @GhostRider124. I think I may have suggested the Timurds and Onnigrants be independent before, but it is interesting how you decided to have them more or less replace Yavadi here. In regards to Yavadi’s history, I’d personally also talk about pre Mongol and Yavadian Steppe empires there as well, like Saray and Perm for example. But I understand if you’d prefer to focus more on Yavadi itself and its relation to the current Timurid and Onnigrants regimes, as that might be more relevant to this mod. Plus I noticed you mentioned Saray in the Russian segment.
What gameplay paths do you see these nations taking? I’m guessing they might be interconnected together, with the exception of Lithuania which might go full Kaisereich Mongolia to fulfill August’s buck wild dream of becoming a Roman emperor.
Maybe you should rename them because in the main timeline the "Timurid" and "Onggirat" regimes weren't headed by actual Timurid and Onggirat khans, though that could have changed here.
The immediate effect of the January Revolution was widespread excitement in Tsarberg. On 30 January, a provisional government was announced. The center-left was well represented, and the government was initially chaired by a liberal aristocrat, Prince Georgy Yevgenyevich Lvov, a man with no connections to any official party. The socialists had formed their rival body, the Tsarberg Soviet (or workers' council) four days earlier. The Tsarberg Soviet and the Provisional Government shared dual power over Russia. The Soviet had the stronger case for power because it controlled the workers and the soldiers, but it did not want to be involved in administration and bureaucracy.
This is fine and all, but maybe go over more of Yavdi's history from 1600-1900, like the Toghorilid reforms, Siberian colonization, and Nikephoros' campaigns in Siberia?
I am currently working on that and I found information regarding the Toghorilid reforms and Nikephoros' campaigns in Siberia but I have not found anything on Yavdi's colonization of Siberia.
By 1936 Lithuania is dealing with threats of rebellion from its minority provinces. It has to balance how much money it puts into the army to suppress the revolts but it also has to keep its citizens happy. One possibility could be August insanity is slowly getting worse leading to the nobles consolidating more and more power. Weren't the Galdikas brothers the ones who lead a insurgency against the Soviets in the story? If so I can see them becoming prominent politicians or maybe like the Strasser brothers of OTL? I can not think of any outher major Lithuanian figure at the moment.
Anything you can come up with, really, as "Timurid" and "Onggirat" are dynastic names that were used to refer to the hordes as they weren't clearly defined countries. I suggest Onggirats being something like Siberia or Mongolia due to being east of Yavdi and in the general area, but I don't know what to use for the Timurids.
I see, but you could at least make it clear that he established a republic because you went from the tsar abdicating to all of these provisional governments to the Chinese intervention to suddenly presidents being around without saying exactly when the monarchy ended.
I am currently working on that and I found information regarding the Toghorilid reforms and Nikephoros' campaigns in Siberia but I have not found anything on Yavdi's colonization of Siberia.
Yavdi's colonization efforts were mainly in the background, since the AI did colonize the empty Siberian provinces on its own. There were some border tensions with the Ming Dynasty which was doing the same thing.
By 1936 Lithuania is dealing with threats of rebellion from its minority provinces. It has to balance how much money it puts into the army to suppress the revolts but it also has to keep its citizens happy. One possibility could be August insanity is slowly getting worse leading to the nobles consolidating more and more power. Weren't the Galdikas brothers the ones who lead a insurgency against the Soviets in the story? If so I can see them becoming prominent politicians or maybe like the Strasser brothers of OTL? I can not think of any outher major Lithuanian figure at the moment.
Paulius Galdikas was the strongman leader/dictator of Lithuania after the Commonwealth surrendered and was occupied/puppeted by the Reich. He was on the right-leaning side of things but not exactly in the fascist camp like the other Axis leaders, and with his brother he formed a resistance movement after the Soviets invaded and conquered Lithuania. In Tianxia I could see him and his brother forming a political party or something.
I’d personally also talk about pre Mongol and Yavadian Steppe empires there as well, like Saray and Perm for example. But I understand if you’d prefer to focus more on Yavadi itself and its relation to the current Timurid and Onnigrants regimes, as that might be more relevant to this mod. Plus I noticed you mentioned Saray in the Russian segment.
Like I said to Zen I found more information regarding Toghorilid reforms and Nikephoros' campaigns in Siberia so that would bring more light on what wasgoing on between 1600-1900. Most of what I am using for the pre 1914 Yavdi history comes from the first Victoria 2 part "Chapter 234: The World in 1900 – Yavdi, or, ‘The Aberration that Shouldn’t Be’"
What gameplay paths do you see these nations taking? I’m guessing they might be interconnected together, with the exception of Lithuania which might go full Kaisereich Mongolia to fulfill August’s buck wild dream of becoming a Roman emperor.
Anything you can come up with, really, as "Timurid" and "Onggirat" are dynastic names that were used to refer to the hordes as they weren't clearly defined countries. I suggest Onggirats being something like Siberia or Mongolia due to being east of Yavdi and in the general area, but I don't know what to use for the Timurids.
Like I said to Zen I found more information regarding Toghorilid reforms and Nikephoros' campaigns in Siberia so that would bring more light on what wasgoing on between 1600-1900. Most of what I am using for the pre 1914 Yavdi history comes from the first Victoria 2 part "Chapter 234: The World in 1900 – Yavdi, or, ‘The Aberration that Shouldn’t Be’"
Fair enough. To be honest I don’t think we have much information about either Saray or Perm anyways, aside from off handed references in CK2 and this arc with Alex’s history class and the late Paulluists dictatorship in Yavadi. I guess a lot of Yavadi’s history is a mystery, which does fit with the way Zen characterized it in that update you just cited.
Anything you can come up with, really, as "Timurid" and "Onggirat" are dynastic names that were used to refer to the hordes as they weren't clearly defined countries. I suggest Onggirats being something like Siberia or Mongolia due to being east of Yavdi and in the general area, but I don't know what to use for the Timurids.
Both could work. I changed it somewhat in the title but I mostly left the Timurids and Onggirats as they are since a part of me feels like Mongolia and Alaina would be the official names and Timurids and Onggirats could be the common name for them?
I see, but you could at least make it clear that he established a republic because you went from the tsar abdicating to all of these provisional governments to the Chinese intervention to suddenly presidents being around without saying exactly when the monarchy ended.
In the current rework for Russia Savinkov is not Kerensky but is a type of strong man who can make Russia National Populist. Were as Chernov in the rework is his fiercest Democratic opponent and gets killed by mysteries assassins early in 1936 but it is widely believed that Savinkov ordered the assignation.
You can find the Progress Report by typing in "Progress Report 119: Russia (Part 1)".
Yavdi's colonization efforts were mainly in the background, since the AI did colonize the empty Siberian provinces on its own. There were some border tensions with the Ming Dynasty which was doing the same thing.
Paulius Galdikas was the strongman leader/dictator of Lithuania after the Commonwealth surrendered and was occupied/puppeted by the Reich. He was on the right-leaning side of things but not exactly in the fascist camp like the other Axis leaders, and with his brother he formed a resistance movement after the Soviets invaded and conquered Lithuania. In Tianxia I could see him and his brother forming a political party or something.
So maybe they could be like the Strasser brothers of OTL and form a political ideology like Strasserism which according to my understanding is more left-wing in that it is more pro-worker than what Nazism was but was still pretty right-wing?
Or they could be like Huey long in were they are strong anti-leftist but implement some "moderate" leftist policies saying that this will prevent the country from going full leftist?
Both could work. I changed it somewhat in the title but I mostly left the Timurids and Onggirats as they are since a part of me feels like Mongolia and Alaina would be the official names and Timurids and Onggirats could be the common name for them?
Good idea, although I think “Alaina“ is a typo on my part and it should be “Alania”. Just a heads up.
As for the common names of these post Yavadi countries, one idea I have in mind is that these states see them themselves as nationalistic successors to the Timuird and Onggirat khanates and distance themselves from the Finnish Yavadi and Jewish Saray empires as part of “Mongol pride”, like how Yavadi’s Paulluist dictatorship of the 2020s latched onto Perm for simlar reasons and it’s alleged victory over Roman Christendom. At least with the Timurids they actually had some major, albeit short lived, success against the Romans that are provable, unlike the crazy Perm conspiracy theory.
This is fine and all, but maybe go over more of Yavdi's history from 1600-1900, like the Toghorilid reforms, Siberian colonization, and Nikephoros' campaigns in Siberia?
Fair enough. To be honest I don’t think we have much information about either Saray or Perm anyways, aside from off handed references in CK2 and this arc with Alex’s history class and the late Paulluists dictatorship in Yavadi. I guess a lot of Yavadi’s history is a mystery, which does fit with the way Zen characterized it in that update you just cited.
That and I didn't really know what to specifically do with Yavdi except keep it alive since it was the last surviving CK2 country that isn't based on any existing one. I left its direction almost completely up to the AI.
Both could work. I changed it somewhat in the title but I mostly left the Timurids and Onggirats as they are since a part of me feels like Mongolia and Alaina would be the official names and Timurids and Onggirats could be the common name for them?
Well I was trying to make the point that the names Timurids and Onggirats wouldn't make sense at all because there are no actual Timurids or Onggirats in power and the new regimes have no continuity with the old ones.
In the current rework for Russia Savinkov is not Kerensky but is a type of strong man who can make Russia National Populist. Were as Chernov in the rework is his fiercest Democratic opponent and gets killed by mysteries assassins early in 1936 but it is widely believed that Savinkov ordered the assignation.
You can find the Progress Report by typing in "Progress Report 119: Russia (Part 1)".
So maybe they could be like the Strasser brothers of OTL and form a political ideology like Strasserism which according to my understanding is more left-wing in that it is more pro-worker than what Nazism was but was still pretty right-wing?
As I said, the Galdikas brothers weren't fascists. Paulius just had authoritarian leanings. I don't think making them like the Strassers makes sense, especially since I had the actual Strassers filling in roughly a same role before Angelos purged them.
Or they could be like Huey long in were they are strong anti-leftist but implement some "moderate" leftist policies saying that this will prevent the country from going full leftist?
That's actually a pretty common tactic by some right-leaning movements. For example, Bismarck implemented a German welfare state and other left-wing policies just to deny the actual socialists things to run on. I could see Paulius doing that too. Maybe there could be room for a disagreement between the two brothers if you take a certain route leading to one trying to arrest and overthrow the other.
Good idea, although I think “Alaina“ is a typo on my part and it should be “Alania”. Just a heads up.
As for the common names of these post Yavadi countries, one idea I have in mind is that these states see them themselves as nationalistic successors to the Timuird and Onggirat khanates and distance themselves from the Finnish Yavadi and Jewish Saray empires as part of “Mongol pride”, like how Yavadi’s Paulluist dictatorship of the 2020s latched onto Perm for simlar reasons and it’s alleged victory over Roman Christendom. At least with the Timurids they actually had some major, albeit short lived, success against the Romans that are provable, unlike the crazy Perm conspiracy theory.
I could see the "Timurid" regime trying to lay claim to the original Timurids' glory even though only 5% of their territory lies on the outskirts of the old Timurid lands, while the "Onggirats" claim the Mongol Empire's glory, especially if they're called Mongolia.
I could see the "Timurid" regime trying to lay claim to the original Timurids' glory even though only 5% of their territory lies on the outskirts of the old Timurid lands, while the "Onggirats" claim the Mongol Empire's glory, especially if they're called Mongolia.
So I changed it to it is still the Timurids and Onggirats during the Mongol Invasion parts and up until they are conquered between India, China, Persia, and Yavdi. Then after they gain independence they are Khazaria and Mongolia since their is no actual Timurid or Onggirat ruling either of those states but they both aspire to the former Timurid and Mongol Empires.
I'm not sure. Since it happens after the game starts I never gave it much thought. If it is an A.I. I would say a 50/50 chance that ether Chernov gets killed or Savinkov. If it is a player I would say it would be up to them.
So I changed it to it is still the Timurids and Onggirats during the Mongol Invasion parts and up until they are conquered between India, China, Persia, and Yavdi. Then after they gain independence they are Khazaria and Mongolia since their is no actual Timurid or Onggirat ruling either of those states but they both aspire to the former Timurid and Mongol Empires.
I'm not sure. Since it happens after the game starts I never gave it much thought. If it is an A.I. I would say a 50/50 chance that ether Chernov gets killed or Savinkov. If it is a player I would say it would be up to them.
As the sun set, the Argus transport slowly made its way through the former Ostend. While he adjusted the fit of his uniform’s collar, Josh looked out a window. It had been many years since he was last in the city. Everything looked so different. All of the skyscrapers, aside from One World Trade Center—which was now an Argus command center—had been demolished, and their materials would be repurposed for better uses in cities in the east or for the military. Outwardly, he didn’t want to care so much about random buildings, but he couldn’t help but feel a little sadness as the city he once knew changed beyond recognition. No, that was wrong. A real man shouldn’t be feeling sadness. He should see the new opportunities presented in a new Constantinople and seize them, as a man should.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Kurt continued saying.
“These are our orders,” Gustav said.
“These aren’t orders, technically,” Kurt said, “They’re…compensation.”
“Well, if it’s compensation, I say we take it, and it wouldn't be a good idea to turn down anything from Argus,” Gustav said.
“I don’t know,” Kurt said, “Something about this feels…off.”
“Argus isn’t in the business of making mistakes, and neither is the committee,” Gustav said.
Josh didn’t get involved in their conversation. As far as he knew, there was a ceremony planned at the park. Something called a “celebration of our brave men in uniform fighting for freedom and Christian values.” Whatever. It sounded great. At least he would be paid a lot. Argus might even put in a good word for a larger house for him.
They crossed the old East-West bridge and arrived on the city's west side. It looked less changed than the Ostend. There weren’t as many skyscrapers here originally, so their absences weren’t as jarring. And with night falling, he wouldn’t notice that much either aside from the absence of their lights. The only big change Josh saw was the removal of the minarets around Hagia Sophia. So the Church finally stopped bowing to the secret caliphate, one of the backers of the party cartel. It was many centuries overdue, but Christians would no longer be persecuted in their own homeland. Elsewhere, he noticed the streets were cleaner, with fewer cats lounging around in the alleys or on sidewalks. There used to be lines of homeless around, but they were all gone, and good riddance. They were stinky.
The car entered Kyparades Park, their final destination, and parked on the curb just as the last bits of sunlight vanished. Josh followed Kurt and Gustav into the park. This year it was twenty years since he was last here, on that damn f*g Oskar’s field trip. He remembered how Oskar effeminately waved around a flag while preaching politically correct propaganda about peace and tolerance instead of talking about the decadence of Islam and the brutality and repression of the Catholic-controlled Dark Ages. Then Alex dumped his water bottle on him, and Oskar punished Josh, the true victim of that day. He got his revenge the next week at least. No, he shouldn’t be dwelling on this right now. He continued walking. The park slowly filled up with people. Everyone was wearing their Sunday best. The women wore long flowing dark blue or brown dresses and white bonnets, while the men wore sharp black business suits or gray and black Crusader uniforms. They all talked in excited tones.
They reached the commons. The reflecting pool had been drained and replaced with a solar panel array. The grass had been stomped flat from week after week of repeated Crusader triumphs to commemorate the victories in the western provinces. All for the better. This park should have been put to better use long ago.
After a few minutes of walking, they passed the Citadel, formerly known as the Friedrich the Great Institution Building. The committee had nationalized and dissolved the Institution, reactivated the building as a Crusader fortress, and either sold or destroyed all of the useless artifacts inside. They were still installing new artillery guns, antiaircraft batteries, and long range missile launchers on the roof, but soon the Citadel would again be the sentinel of the Bosphorus it was always meant to be.
After the Citadel, they reached the Friedrich the Glorious Monument. It was much smaller now that they had demolished the pillars for glorifying paganism and Islam, so it was just the statue of Friedrich the Glorious and the obelisk in the back. He couldn’t look up see the whole thing right now due to needing to keep his head level and eyes in front of him like everyone else, not that he wanted to. Instead of Enonon, Friedrich the Great was now holding up a big crucifix southeast in Jerusalem’s direction.
Other monuments like those for the world wars and Siam were changed too. The World War I Memorial was now a helmet hanging off a crucifix. The World War II Memorial’s many statues had all been torn down to focus on the flag, which now bore the Jerusalem cross, and its bearer, a remarkable likeness of Jesus Christ throttling a turbaned Muslim in an Angeloi uniform. The piece of the old Berlin Wall making up the World War III Memorial had been carved into a cross, while the Siam and the Papen/Adenauer memorials were completely gone. Josh reverently saluted at the war memorials.
“Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori,” he said, “Thank you for your service. Without your sacrifice, we would not have freedom today.”
He ignored the other ones, if they were still around. While the Papen and Adenauer memorial was replaced, with no evidence of its prior existence left, the Abraham Green memorial was left in its rightful place…on the ground and in pieces. A camera crew was on site, filming several shirtless Crusaders smashing the fragments with pickaxes and their boots.
“So this is part of Tabula Rasa?” a director asked, interviewing the commander.
“That’s right,” the Crusader commander said, “We’re correcting Christian history here. Setting the record straight after decades of propaganda and fascist equalist liberal political correctness.”
“Wait, cut the cameras!” the director said.
“What’s wrong?” the commander said.
“It doesn’t look dynamic enough,” the director said.
“What would you have us do?” the commander said. “We already picked out the youngest and strongest Christian men for this film shoot.”
“The way you’re doing this, that is representative of the old party cartel,” the director said, “Old, weak, effeminate, pagan, Jewish, Muslim. But you are the new Jerusalem. I want to see you full of youth, power, masculinity, Christianity!”
He turned to the crew. “I know, how about you get the cameras off the stands and get them in the middle of the action?”
The crew picked up the cameras, put them on their shoulders, and joined the Crusaders in the debris field.
“We need to feel the youthful vigor of the new Christian youth up close,” the director said.
“Crusaders, what you’re doing here is important work,” the commander said, “You are tearing down the old regime, and with it eradicating the last traces of the party cartel. You are replacing it with a better world, a world free of the party cartel and its regression. A world that is yours to shape. A free world for a free Christendom.”
“Okay, ready, and action!” the director said.
The Crusaders resumed bashing the statue fragments. The cameramen got down low, making sure to get the Crusaders’ whole bodies in focus. From the ground looking up, these men looked far more muscular and larger, if not heroic. A pickaxe fell, and what remained of Abraham Green’s marble head shattered into a dozen unrecognizable pieces. The left was always so fond of tearing down statues that triggered it. Now the shoe was on the other foot as the statues of traitors and heretics they so adored were rightfully destroyed. Better not cry and complain now. Facts didn’t care about their feelings.
They reached their destination, the Saint Wilhelmina Memorial. Unlike the other memorials, it had been mostly left intact, at least it looked that way on the outside. The exterior looked almost the same as it did twenty years ago, aside from the Jerusalemite banners hung from the ceiling over the columns. Josh would be seeing the inside soon, but he would have to get there first. The whole place was jam-packed with both civilians and soldiers who had gathered on the former Reflecting Pool and the surrounding commons. Crusaders formed a line in front of the memorial.
“Alright, formation!” Kurt said.
The squad lined up and marched in lockstep. The crowd parted like the Red Sea, everyone cheering and clapping as they walked up the stairs to the memorial. It was here that Josh noticed the changes. Saint Wilhelmina's statue had been corrected. Her head and upper body had been destroyed to remove all feminine features, as was much of the throne and the right arm, with its open peaceful hand symbolizing cowardice. The other hand, gripping an Enonon sticking out of the ground, was still there, but Enonon had been carved into a cross. Her quotes on the walls had been mostly scratched out, except for those regarding war, conquest, and her efforts to suppress troublesome demographics like Muslims and the French.
They must be given no quarter. Only then will the rest of us enjoy lasting peace.
He liked that quote. Finally everyone understood its true meaning. Who’s laughing now, Oskar?
“Okay, we’re here,” Kurt said, “The instructions say…hold on, you should be getting them now.”
A message appeared in Josh’s Panopticon, like a mission objective in a video game.
“Line up and follow your orders.”
He and his squad formed a line against the back wall and half-statue. Triumphant patriotic music began playing. Other Argus and Crusader battalions marched up the steps and stopped at the top.
“March.”
Josh’s squad, except for Gustav and a couple others, marched out of the memorial and stood at the top of the stairs. It was here that Josh could finally see the Friedrich the Glorious obelisk lit up in all of its glory behind the crowd and the solar panel array. It had now been turned into one giant cross, from which more Jerusalem cross banners were hung. The trumpets gave way to Orthodox hymns sung by a live choir.
“Wait.”
Josh stood there, watching the crowds cheer him on. He felt proud of what he accomplished. As an Argus man, he had fought bravely against his nation’s enemies. He had put down traitors and enemies of the state with extreme prejudice. He assured the committee’s continued rule. Cowards and equalists and traitors and heretics were no more, thanks to his efforts. And now he was to be rewarded for his work.
Josiah appeared at the podium, and the crowd’s cheering subsided.
“Today is a day of thanks,” he said, “Today, we honor our most valiant and patriotic Crusaders. We salute their victories on the field of battle and in the halls of our blessed empire. We praise your service, and we reward your service.”
The crowd broke into applause, and Josh basked in the adulation. He had done good.
“What is this reward, you ask?” Josiah said. “The Lord God once said, ‘it is not good that man should be alone. I will make him a helpmate for him’.”
Josh slowly realized the only men standing with him were those who were unmarried.
“‘And the rib, which the Lord God took from Man, was made into a woman, and He brought her unto the man’.”
Shepherds of the Future walked up the steps in single file. They were all old women of the same height with gray or white hair and wearing the same long black dress. They clutched a crucifix in one hand and sprayed incense from the other. Each Shepherd stopped in front of each Crusader. Josh awkwardly looked at the Shepherd in front of her. She smiled back with a glassy smile which unnerved him. Even for a true man like him who did not show his emotions and was always fearless, he still felt a sense of dread coming from this old woman.
“‘Unto the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception, in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children, and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee”’.”
Lines of shorter women in all white followed the Shepherds of the Future in single file. Their faces were covered with white veils. Was this what he thought it was?
“No,” Josh heard Kurt whisper, “This isn’t right. I never agreed to this.”
Nobody else said anything. The Shepherds stepped to their right, allowing the women in white to approach the men.
“Do you accept this sacred duty?” Josiah said.
“I do,” everybody said.
“I…do?” Kurt said.
The Shepherds handed each man a ring. The brides took out rings of their own.
“As a token of your vows today, you shall each give and receive a ring of holy matrimony. ‘Therefore shall a man leave his parents and cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh’.”
The Crusaders exchanged rings with the brides. Josh noticed the ring he got was too big. Seemed every Crusader had gotten the exact same ring. There was nothing special about it. Just a plain metal ring with a Jerusalem cross symbol engraved on it. It was nothing like his original ring Jenna gave him, which was gold with a diamond affixed to it. He had sold it for cash after turning her in.
“I now pronounce you man and wife.”
The Shepherds unveiled the women.
“Oh frakking hell!” Josh heard Kurt whispering.
He looked at the woman in front of him. She looked Mongol, but more importantly, she looked very young. Like she was a teenager. He quickly glanced at the other women, and they looked equally as young. Before he could react, the girl leaned forward and kissed him in unison with the other women.
“‘And God blessed them, and He said unto them, be fruitful and multiply, replenish the Earth’. May the Lord order your steps, now and all the days of your life.”
Josiah turned to the crowd. “I give you the happy couples!”
Everybody cheered. The Shepherds beckoned to the couples. The brides wrapped their arms around the Crusaders', and they marched in unison down the steps of the memorial. The crowds parted ways for the lines of black Shepherd dresses, white wedding dresses, and gray Crusader uniforms. Rice and beer showered down on them as the jubilant crowds continued cheering them on. Josh found it a little hard to both walk down the steps and keep the girl at his side, clinging to his arm. Meanwhile, Kurt just shrugged off the woman assigned to him. She did not take it lightly.
“He hates me already,” she muttered, “He won’t even touch me. I’m ugly. Useless.”
“Calm down, I’m not going to do anything to you,” Kurt said, “Just wait. I’ll sort things out.”
“We can’t wait!” the girl said. “It’s our duty to God!”
“What duty?” Kurt said.
“To consummate this marriage and bring Christian sons into the world!” the girl said.
“Hold on, I don’t know who told you what, but shouldn’t you be in school, kid?” Kurt said.
“Girls don’t go to school, they become wives!” the girl said.
“Look, I don’t think I’m at the right event,” Kurt said, “There must be a mistake. I need to contact my superiors and sort out this mess…”
“No, I know the problem,” the girl said, “You’re a gender traitor.”
“What?!” Kurt said. “No, I’m not—”
“Then why are you so reluctant to consummate?” the girl said. “All men should be happy to have a wife and to consummate their marriage! Those who aren’t are clearly not attracted to women at all. Therefore you are a gender traitor! Shepherds, Home Guardians, help! There’s a man-loving deviant attacking me!”
Before Josh knew it, two Home Guardians and one Shepherd of the Future surrounded Kurt and jabbed him with cattleprods. He convulsed, screamed in anguish, and slumped over. The Home Guardians hauled him away.
“Nothing to see here,” the Shepherd said, still smiling in her glassy way as she escorted the crying bride away, “Proceed.”
“Proceed,” Josh’s Panopticon ordered as well.
They continued walking down the hill to the Bosphorus shoreline. Here, twenty years ago, a grove of ugly Chinese plum blossom trees used to line the shore. But they were gone now, and good riddance. The trees of the enemy had been cut down, and the freed up space was now filled with missile launchers and dozens of flagpoles proudly flying the Jerusalem eagle. They stopped in an area with a clear view of Restoration Island and its statue of Saint Wilhelmina.
“I always wanted to come here,” his assigned girl said, “Though not like this.”
“Did I ask you to talk?” Josh said.
He could not afford to mess up like Kurt did. If he was also accused as a gender traitor, then everything he worked for would be ended instantly. For a man like him, it shouldn’t be that hard to do the right thing. Just be a man, right? He did that plenty of times before. And age was just a number, too. It shouldn't be that hard. He had experience.
“I’m supposed to be called Aida now, but I like my old name,” the girl said, “It’s Khulan. What’s your name?”
Josh did not answer. So her name was Khulan, huh? He preferred Aida. It was easier to say. Not to mention more Christian.
“I can tell you’re a little troubled,” Khulan said, “I’m not like the others. Please, hear me out. I’m from Taurica. I haven’t seen my parents in years.”
Josh said nothing.
“I need to know if they’re okay,” Khulan said, “And the kids I was with back there…I need to know where they are now.”
Even if Josh wanted to say something, he didn’t know what to say. Even if he did know, he wouldn’t say.
“It was rough, what the Shepherds did to me,” Khulan said, “You have to understand. No child should have had to suffer through what I did.”
“Shut up,” Josh said.
She actually was annoying him.
“What?” Khulan said.
“Shut up!” Josh said. “Don’t preach to me, pagan!”
“Please!” Khulan said.
“The only please I’ll hear from you is you pleasing me during consummation!” Josh said.
“You have to help me!” Khulan said.
She really was trying her best to trick him, huh? Well, he wasn’t going to fall for it.
Josiah reappeared on the stage.
“Today is for all of you!” he declared. “The generation born after the Sentinel scandal which revealed the corruption of the party cartel. A pure generation, the Reinstaat generation, free from the wrong ideologies the party cartel perpetuated for centuries, ready to rehabilitate the troublesome outliers of our society into civilized and patriotic citizens. You are the future. You are the Kingdom of God on Earth. But you must be vigilant. The enemies of Christendom are circling like vultures, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. Those who would drag you back to the barbaric and pagan past must be eliminated to make room for the new Jerusalem. Today, we tear down the last remnants of the party cartel. Here is your Autokrator’s gift of a new beginning, for all Christendom! A clean slate! Tabula Rasa!”
Drones swooped down. Some began playing “Ode to Joy” on loudspeakers, while others showed live footage of Restoration Island up close. Large floodlights switched on, illuminating the statue of Saint Wilhelmina and Kurt having been chained to its base. Seconds later, an SVI energy blast came down from directly above and obliterated Kurt and the entire statue in a fiery and picture-perfect explosion. Everybody cheered and applauded, pumping their fists and hugging each other with tears of joy in their eyes.
“At long last, the idol and false goddess of the party cartel falls! With the destruction of the false goddess of cancel culture and fascist equalist liberal political correctness, Jerusalem enters a bold new era!”
The video drones began displaying live images from across Jerusalem.
In Germania, Aachen Cathedral was leveled in one strike. Next to go were other cathedrals across the province which Josh knew had been initially planned or built by Catholics: the spires of Trier (one of the oldest cathedrals in Germania), Speyer (the resting place of not only many pre-Restoration Catholic Holy Roman Emperors but also the party cartel leader Helmut Kohl), and Ulm (the tallest cathedral spire in the world) went up in flames and came crashing down. After them went the palaces: Potsdam, Heidelberg, and Schönbrunn among them. Next were the city centers of Bremen—with its statue of the French Catholic emperor Charlemagne’s paladin Roland—Salzburg, and Prague, among others Josh didn’t care about. Lumped in with them were attacks on random cities—Weimar, Dessar, and the town of Bernau outside Berlin. He soon realized all of these random locations had something in common: Bauhaus school campuses. Afterward, the Walhalla in Donaustauf, Bavaria was reduced to fragments of shattered marble. To cap off Germania, several dozen SVI blasts converged on Vienna, obliterating half the city—particularly the vacated UN Island buildings—over the course of several minutes.
Next came Italia. The majority of the sites targeted were in Rome. Josh recognized the Basilica of Saint Wilhelmina, the Circus Maximus, the Roman Forum, the Forum of Augustus, the Arch of Constantine, the Castel Sant’Angelo, Trajan’s Column, the Colosseum, and the Pantheon seconds before all were destroyed. Among the rest of the targets outside Rome, Josh only recognized one: the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Gallia was up next. It took two blasts from SVI before the Eiffelturm was reduced to scrap metal. Notre Dame took only one blast before it became a smoldering crater. The city’s famed museums and palaces—including the revered Louvre—suffered the same fate soon afterward. Outside Paris, SVI targeted Cluny Abbey and Mont-Saint-Michel Island in Normandy, as well as the cathedrals in Bourges and Chartres and other various churches and monasteries, before finishing by obliterating Brussels’ Grand Place.
In Britannia, the flaming remains of Big Ben perectly fell into the waters of the Thames, thanks to the expertly calculated angle of the blast. Throughout the islands, more relics of the old regime met similar ends. Josh saw Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, and the Tower of London explode across London. Outside London, he saw the destruction of the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, the pagan monument of Stonehenge, Ely Cathedral, the hill of Tara, Glastonbury Tor, and Karl Darwin’s house.
Hispania went next. As with Rome, Paris, and London, Cordoba was the most heavily targeted, with the brunt of SVI’s attacks concentrating on leveling the abandoned Grand Temple. Other formerly Islamic or Catholic buildings were destroyed, both inside and outside Cordoba. Josh recognized the Alhambra, Burgos Cathedral, and Seville’s Alcázar. Finally, one blast leveled the ancient Tower of Hercules lighthouse in the A Coruña harbor, the last surviving lighthouse from the First Empire era. Whatever. The First Empire were a bunch of gay pedophile liberal pagans anyways.
SVI turned its gaze eastwards, and Zeus' divine lightning fell on Greece. The Colossus was returned to its original form as scattered fragments on the beaches of Rhodes. The Hippodrome of Constantinople—both the old ruins formerly making up the original stadium before 2001 and the new modern stadium—was wiped out in two blasts Josh noticed out of the corner of his eyes. The Imperial Library of Constantinople, which had preserved many of the books from the old Library of Alexandria, was actually not targeted by SVI, but rather by dozens of patriotic youths who bravely charged inside and emerged to toss books into waiting bonfires on the streets, with the fires visible from where Josh was standing. Outside Constantinople, Josh watched as the Parthenon, the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, the Temple of Apollo Epicurius, the Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus, the headquarters of the now-purged Knights Hospitaller and Knights Templar in Rhodes, and the ruins of Mycenae, Knossos, and Troy were all put to the heavenly torch. Across the Aegean, the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus and the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus met the same fate.
In Aegyptus, things didn’t go exactly as planned. While the ruins at Thebes and Memphis were demolished as planned, and the Cairo Citadel and Monastery of Saint Catherine were easily destroyed with several blasts, no amount of blasts could fully destroy the three pyramids of Giza or the Sphinx. And with too much ammunition wasted, the decision to move on to easier targets was soon made, leaving the pagan monuments only half destroyed. At least they had more luck destroying both the library and lighthouse of Alexandria. The library was once again put to the torch for its heresy. If its knowledge was not in the Bible, it was heresy, and it was every good Christian’s duty to burn it. If the knowledge was in the Bible already, though? Then it was redundant and should be burned anyways, as the Bible was all that was needed.
In Arabia, it was time to eradicate the scourge of Islam at its source. All that was left of the Kaaba was a smoking crater surrounded by fragments of black stone. The Prophet’s Mosque in Medina met a similar fate, as a pagan temple for worship of the false god Muhammad. Now the remaining Muslims of the world would have no reason to continue resisting conversion, and the global caliphate that had allied with the party cartel had been finally defeated. In Mesopotamia, Josh didn’t really care for the destruction of the Ottoman Hanging Gardens, Hikma University, the ruins of Ashur and Babylon, a few ziggurats, and the mosques and palaces of Samarra. He was getting bored by then.
Good thing the show ended a minute later with one last demolition, but Josh didn’t know why it had to be of some random bar in Lübeck called the Bottomless Tankard. Kind of a letdown.
History was written by the winners. And they were the winners.
Berlin
“In downtown Constantinople, Christian youths are pouring into the streets to celebrate,” Bysandros reported, “In solidarity with their Autokrator and his committee, they celebrate the latest stage of the Tabula Rasa project.”
Wilhelm Karl watched as the TV was filled with images of young Crusaders, many of them looking under twenty. They carried torches and crucifixes as they marched through the streets of the ancient capital.
“GOTT MIT UNS!” they shouted. “FIAT VOLUNTAS TUA!”
They began trashing storefronts and torching cars before turning on any remaining schools, libraries, and museums in the area. Stones crashed through windows, and Molotov cocktails incinerated unfortunate victims. Wilhelm Karl watched as many iconic museums, like the Imperial Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Modern Art, went up in flames. They emerged from burning libraries to proudly throw books and paintings into growing bonfires or drag out ancient statues and sculptures to savagely smash to pieces. He picked up the phone and called Elias.
“What is it?” Elias said.
“There's been an outbreak of rioting,” Wilhelm Karl said.
“What kind of rioting?” Elias said.
“A bunch of teenagers going around pillaging and burning,” Wilhelm Karl said, “Seem to be targeting schools, libraries, and museums.”
There was a slight pause. Then Wilhelm Karl heard Elias laugh quietly.
“This is the people’s night to express their passions,” Elias said, “It’s only natural for them to be this enthusiastic, after the party cartel censored and suppressed their emotions for decades.”
“I need to call the fire departments,” Wilhelm Karl said.
“Nah, let the fires burn,” Elias said, “People need to express themselves. Be proud of who they are.”
UN forum, Gunnolfsfell - November 11
Wilhelmina adjusted her glasses so she could get a clear view of the people she was talking to.
“On behalf of all civilized peoples and sane governments of the world, I would like an explanation for what happened with SVI two days ago,” she said.
“You’re not getting one!” the Jerusalemite delegate said.
Kahenta let Jerusalem send an observer to the UN, after a whole month of continuous complaining and threats from Berlin, but she looked like she was regretting it now. Tsai awkwardly hid at the corner of the observers’ table, trying to stay as far from the Jerusalemite as possible.
“I’m not taking that for an answer,” Wilhelmina said.
“It is well within our rights to demolish our own property, especially when our people asked us to do it!” the Jerusalemite said.
“There’s no way that’s true!” Wilhelmina said.
“There’s no way you can prove it isn’t!” the Jerusalemite said.
“Their actions are justified,” the Penglai delegate said, “According to the international principles of national sovereignty, a nation’s internal affairs are their own business alone. This is an internal affair of Jerusalem, and as such, it is within Jerusalem’s right to do as it wishes. You are the one breaking international law by interfering with Jerusalem’s internal affairs and violating its national sovereignty.”
“I agree,” the Nepalese delegate said.
“So do I,” Sakamoto said.
Wilhelmina turned to the other delegates. “I’m calling on all other respectable member states to hold the rogue Jerusalem regime accountable for its many crimes against humanity.”
“Crimes against humanity?” the Jerusalemite said. “That’s ridiculous! We have done our best to adhere to international law and act as a respectful member of the international community, but everyone keeps sabotaging and isolating us! They are the ones at fault! They are the ones censoring our opinions and preventing us from engaging with them! Don’t think you are blameless too, ex-princess! You sabotaged our economic olive branch to Russia!”
“I did it because it was the right thing to do!” Wilhelmina said.
“Right is relative!” the Jerusalemite said. “You manipulated public opinion against us with stupid sob stories you made up on the spot! Before that, the Russian people WANTED our economic assistance! Now you’ve doomed them to famine! All because you wanted to feed your ego!”
“Shut up!” the Indian delegate said. “You’re one to talk about feeding egos and manipulating public opinion.”
“Don’t think you can take the moral high ground, Indian!” the Penglai delegate said. “India has committed centuries of war crimes. Have they apologized for the mass murder of Muslims during Jayasimha I’s reign? The ethnic cleansing of Central Asia? The continued claims on the region formerly known as Daksina Jamina? The Rasa regime, need I say more?”
“What about the Naxalites and the Hindutvas, both of whom got so out of control we had to send troops in multiple times to restore order?” the Jerusalemite said. “India is a nation of war criminals, and we have done nothing to hold them accountable! The Indian people are born murderers and criminals, as those living in Penglai show!”
“You’re just deflecting,” Tsai said.
“China is no different!” the Jerusalemite said. “China committed genocide against the Siberians and Uighurs and aborigine Penglairen, but nobody talks about it! What about the junta’s long history of war crimes? Human experimentation? Sentinel collaboration? Atrocities against the Russians in the war?”
“What about the colonial subjugation, persecution, systemic discrimination, and even genocide of Japanese?” Sakamoto said. “Even now, the Japanese people are still being oppressed in every single Sinosphere nation where they reside.”
“Hey, we treat our Japanese citizens with the respect they deserve!” the Penglai delegate said.
And by respect they deserve, he probably meant none.
“Even in the northern puppet regime too, where the Chinese and Jerusalemites have turned our own people into Christians as well as treacherous oppressors themselves!” Sakamoto said.
“You’re one to talk, Sakamoto,” Hayabusa said.
“It seems China hasn’t learned its lesson too, Tsai,” the Nepalese delegate said, “You’ve elected a crazed man who worships Wang Jingwei and Chiang Kai-Shek as false gods! Now he’s doing everything he can to bring the Guominjun back!”
“The Chinese people are naturally inclined to world domination!” the Jerusalemite said. “If we’re bad, you’re worse. Both sides are the same!”
An aide walked into the room and whispered in the Jerusalemite’s ear. The Jerusalemite’s eyes widened before narrowing in rage.
“You did this!” he said, jabbing a finger in Wilhelmina’s direction.
“Did what?” Wilhelmina said.
“Distract the committee by sending me to an emergency meeting to unjustly condemn Jerusalem again while your rebel terrorists launch an offensive!” the Jerusalemite said.
“I…what?” Wilhelmina said.
“What’s happening?” Tsai said.
An aide handed some papers to Kahenta, who read them.
“Apparently, loyalist remnants of the former Kaiserliche Marine and Heer have secured Mauretania and launched a major offensive into Hispania,” she said, “I see.”
The Jerusalemite stormed out of the room. “That’s it, I’m out of here!”
The rebels were fighting back? Wilhelmina was surprised. Last she heard from Olga, the rebels were on their last legs. Cordoba was pretty much a ruined crater now, and Dublin was constantly on fire. Bremerhaven still stubbornly resisted, but it was just one city. Every other non-committee territory was too contested by warlords fighting each other to join forces. But somehow, the loyalists had put together enough ships and troops to launch an invasion. What did this mean?
Wilhelmina pushed her glasses up again. She had a lot of reading ahead of her.
---
Inspirations include the Cultural Revolution, the Khmer Rouge’s Year Zero, Nazi attempts to erase the cultures of occupied nations, and The Man in the High Castle Season 3.
I decided to give Wilhelmina glasses to set her apart from other Kaisers and to reflect her bookish/geeky background.
It is sad that a lot of the Reich's historical artifacts have been destroyed. Even if Jerusalem is toppled there is no way those monuments could be brought back.
Well there goes Kurt. I do find it interesting that a women is subjugated by her husband but also has the power to say someone is assaulting them and they are believed without question.
We got to see Khulan again but sadly not in the way we were probably hoping for. Hopefully she douse not end up like Nicks wife Eden from the show.
Elias sounds a lot like how Nero is often portrayed in that he supposedly let the fires consume the city of Rome.
The rest of the world continues to be as divided as ever I see. Although I am glad to see the loyalist not letting all of this happen without a fight.
It is sad that a lot of the Reich's historical artifacts have been destroyed. Even if Jerusalem is toppled there is no way those monuments could be brought back.
Well there goes Kurt. I do find it interesting that a women is subjugated by her husband but also has the power to say someone is assaulting them and they are believed without question.
As always, another example of how restrictive gender norms that are well-known to subjugate women also subjugate men at the same time by forcing them into their own norms and roles. In Jerusalem, women must be submissive wives, and men must be good soldiers.
Kind of a weird interpretation of natural selection Jerusalem has imposed. Either follow orders and be a pedophile, or be called gay and die after being ratted out by your "faithful wife." Weeds out all but the most loyal and twisted men and turns even good people into monsters.
No, it was all a story thing. In-game, there are no rebels at all, and I directly control everything the Reich did. Basically, it's just the Reich but with a new name and government type.
No, not directly. Han did take a few influences from Putin, but so did a lot of people like Elias, Zhao, and early Wilhelm Karl.
