With Yadvi and Mali dead, Populist Persia and Conservative India is the world’s only hope against the Conservative Chinese, ??? Eimerica, and Traditionalist Jerusalemites!
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Yep, Mali also hasn’t fallen either, and the Eimercias sans Fusang (through they seem to have folded to the EF’s will after losing its fleet at Hawaii) are fighting on the side of Persia and Schengen and aren’t totalitarian.
I wouldn't say the EF is on the same side as Persia/Schengen, nor are they enemies, but they both have a common enemy and are reasonably sane.
This. That’s why I didn’t put Equalist or Socialist EF as that would imply that Persia, India, and Eimerica are enemies.
In reality, Eimerican Federation is Isolationist (Though they don’t admit it, as Jerusalem bastardized that word) and Neutral, all of the nations in it are merely trying to survive. They are not for Persia’s interests but they are not necessarily against Persia’s interests either.
With that in mind, The Hohenzollern Empire has also entered the True Tropes Wiki!
The Hohenzollern Empire
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India certainly didn’t look that way when they killed Nepal tho…
Okay.
I wouldn't say isolationist either, but they're more focused on the New World at the moment and don't have the time to look outward yet.
Never heard of that.With that in mind, The Hohenzollern Empire has also entered the True Tropes Wiki!
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That just means Nepal is that bad.
I also wouldn't say that India is particularly conservative either, especially after the Hindutvas were killed at the start of this war. I mean, the Indian royal family does have a trans girl as the heir to the throne after all.
Zugzwang
Isfahan - June 18
“Experiencing constant blackouts? Unable to power your home due to the government’s energy rationing? Have no fear! Introducing Atar, the world’s first commercial fusion reactor! Power your homes with just a gallon of water, and free yourselves from the restrictions of Ali Qapu! Get yours today, courtesy of al-Khwarizmi Energy!”
“TURN OFF THE TV!” Alexandra shouted.
Magnus turned off the TV, while Thea restrained Alexandra before she could throw a cup through the screen.
“They stole our frakking work!” Alexandra ranted. “Mozaffar handed over our blueprints to al-Khwarizmi! Damn him!”
“If it’s any solace, Alexandra, it looks like they had to use deuterium as a fuel source,” Magnus said, “Which means it’s not fully cold fusion, and they still haven’t figured out betharium.”
“If not now, then eventually,” Alexandra said, “They’re using the same basic structure. It wouldn’t be a stretch if they adapted the water to deteurium converter to instead process amphilicite.”
“I’ll talk to Mozaffar,” Magnus said, “Get him to stop this.”
“Are you crazy?!” Thea said. “Al-Khwarizmi already has the blueprints. Mozaffar won’t listen to you.”
“I have to at least try,” Magnus said, “If I could stare down Theodor, then I can handle Mozaffar.”
“It’s futile, and you know it,” Thea said.
“We have to at least try,” Alexandra said.
“You too, Alexandra?!”
“I want to get him back for this,” Alexandra said, “Mozaffar stole my life’s work. He is completely unforgivable!”
“Calm down for a moment!” Thea said. “If you cause any trouble—to Mozaffar himself no less—he could retaliate.”
“Thea, we both know about those five Romans who were deported,” Alexandra said, “I don’t care if I have to leave. This place isn’t home anymore. Magnus and I’ll just go somewhere else.”
“What if he uses this as an excuse to deport more people, though?” Thea said. “We’re all on edge.”
“Yeah, and we should really start being vocal about what he’s doing to us!”
“That’s not going to work!”
“What do you expect us to do, then? Just roll over and let Mozaffar sweep us under the rug?”
“We’re vastly outnumbered. Don’t forget, we’re refugees in an overcrowded town that was just trashed by Jerusalem two months ago. People want a convenient scapegoat to blame, and Mozaffar gave them one. Any of us make trouble, and he’ll have an excuse to deport more and more of us.”
“That doesn’t answer my question!” Alexandra said. “Why should I do nothing when he gives my life’s work to some random Persian company? Why should I watch them profit off my work while I get nothing?”
“I’m not saying you should,” Thea said, “All I’m saying is we need to be smart in our opposition. Julian has a plan.”
“Do you think we have the time to wait for him to do whatever he wants to do?!” Alexandra said. “By then, Mozaffar will have won.”
“Don’t worry, Alexandra,” Thea said, “Mozaffar can’t act that fast. He needs the mandate from the examinations before he can get rid of us.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“Then I’m going with you. Me and Alex.”
“That’s not encouraging,” Magnus said.
“I just don’t want you rushing into something stupid,” Thea said, “If we all play our cards right, we can stall out Mozaffar long enough for Julian’s plan to succeed.”
June 19
Thea got off the bus. The toolbox in her left hand clinked with new machine parts. Her right hand held her phone to her ear.
“Alright, Alexandra, you’re in luck,” she said, “I got the parts you needed.”
“Even the amphilicite pellets?” The excitement in Alexandra’s voice was contagious. Thea found herself smiling proudly.
“Yeah, I got a way to process amphilicite into pellets for maximum efficiency,” she said, “It’s really intuitive and easy to understand once you figure it out. I’ll show you when I get back.”
“What about the universal converter?” Alex asked. “If we could just get that set up…”
“Don’t worry, I have an idea to start with,” Thea said, “I’ll share at home.”
“You can’t tell me right now?”
“Well, it’s a bit complicated,” Thea said, “Not to mention my attention’s focused on holding this toolbox. It’s really heavy.”
“I can imagine,” Alexandra said, “I remember when I was at the old lab in Damascus, and Magnus and I took shifts pushing really heavy machinery.”
Thea laughed. “Good thing I got there after you guys had finished the first reactor.”
“Maybe we should build a model of it, for old times’ sake.”
“Or to throw Mozaffar off,” Alex said, “Like we did to Theodor.”
“Why is it history is repeating itself? I swear, Mozaffar’s doing the same thing Theodor did.”
“History might not be repeating itself,” Thea said, “But it does rhyme. It’s worrying, but I have faith we can pull ourselves back from the brink aga—”
A truck slammed into Thea from behind, knocking the wind out of her lungs. The toolbox flew out of her hand and swung open, the machine parts inside scattering on the sidewalk. Her back and head banged against the concrete, and she smelled blood at the back of her throat. Stars erupted in her eyes, and her ears rang like she was shell-shocked. Her body flopped on the ground in an awkward position, with her upper body propped up on the sidewalk and her lower body having fallen onto the road. Her limbs felt sore, probably bruised and scraped in multiple areas if not broken. Her mind slowed down, unable to process all of the sensory information being thrown at her, but she could still hear the revving of the truck’s gas engine, then the screeching of its accelerating tires. A second later, she was scraped across the sidewalk like the rag of a mop. Her hair got tangled in the grill and bumper, and clumps were painfully torn out of her scalp. Her teeth caught dirt and concrete, and loose particles went down her throat. Both legs and an arm went under the wheels, and she could hear the bones breaking. She would have screamed at the top of her lungs, but her mouth plunged into a pile of leaves and dirt, and all she could taste over the smell of earth was the iron in her blood. She finally came to a rest face up, but she couldn’t see anything other than blue sky and the sun.
A nice day…no clouds in sight. The sky finally cleared up in time for me to die. Of all of the things to kill me, it wasn’t Theodor or his Crusaders, but some random guy…
“Hey, stop!” Thea heard Alex and Alexandra’s voice in the distance. “Stop!”
A click of a car door. She heard the truck’s radio blaring a Persian patriotic song. A shadow fell over her. She saw the outline of a person above her. A large man, from the looks of it. He cracked his knuckles, and then a boot slammed into her side. She gasped hoarsely, blood spewing from her mouth.
“What the frak are you doing?!” Alex shouted again. “GET AWAY FROM HER!”
Another boot in her ribs, and she flipped over. The sunlight disappeared as her eyes met concrete.
“LET HER GO!” She heard the rustling of cloth as Alex said that.
“Wait, Alex, stop!” Alexandra said.
A shot rang out, and then the radio and engine both suddenly cut out. Thea heard something heavy falling to the ground. Two gentle hands grabbed her shoulders, pulling her off the ground. Her eyes focused again, though in the red haze of her bloodied vision she could barely see Alex.
“Al…ex?”
“Thea, stay with me!” Alex said. “Are you okay?”
“Al…ex…” Thea couldn’t say anything in her daze. Her eyes wandered to the side, and she saw her attacker, lying facedown in a pool of blood. Then she looked at the truck that hit her. The bumper was covered in stickers bearing Mozaffar’s and Jahangir Rostam’s faces, the symbols of the National Persian People’s Freedom Party, and crossed-out Roman eagles. Finally, she looked back at Alex, focusing on the smoking gun in his hand.
The same gun they had used against Theodor.
Alex looked to Alexandra. “We need help, call an ambulance!”
Alexandra immediately took out her phone and dialed the emergency number. Thea could barely formulate any thoughts. Only one thought came to mind. It took her all of her strength to focus on Alex.
“Why…did…you…rush…”
June 20
Thea stirred awake, finding herself in a hospital room. She tried moving her limbs, but her legs refused to budge, and she stopped moving her arms when she felt the IV drip and other wires attached to them. She tried speaking, but no words came through her mouth. Her eyes struggled to focus.
The door swung open, and August walked in. “Good morning, Dr. Tesla. I’m Dr. August von Schweinfurt. You’ve probably heard about me before.”
Alex ran in after August. “Thea! You’re awake!”
August held up a hand. “I advise against physical contact. She’s got multiple broken bones.”
“Ow…” Thea managed to say.
“Does it hurt?” Alex said.
Thea nodded weakly. “Frak…” Her tongue was starting to move again. “That…hurt…”
“August, can we get her some more painkillers?” Alex said.
August nodded. “Okay, I’ll put in a word with the nurse.”
A police officer entered the room. “Alex Humboldt, please come with us for questioning.”
Thea’s eyes widened, but her thoughts moved like molasses. Ques…tion…ing? Al…ex?
August checked Thea’s gauze wrappings. Blood was leaking out from underneath the one on her arm. He immediately wrapped more gauze around it.
“Questioning?” Alex said.
“It won’t take long,” the officer said.
“You should be investigating the man who did this,” Alex said, “He tried to kill Thea.”
“We need you to come with us to the station for questioning.”
“Someone tried to kill my wife!” They hadn’t been officially married yet, but it made no difference to them.
“Please come with us,” the officer repeated.
“No, I can’t right now,” Alex said, his voice rising, “I have to stay with my wife!”
“Al…ex…” Thea said.
Alex immediately rushed to Thea’s side. “Yes, dear?”
“Just…go…” she muttered. “You…can…come…back.”
“But—”
“Go…”
Understanding Thea wouldn’t budge, Alex relented. “Alright, then. I’ll give a statement, but I want my lawyer with me.”
He left with the officer.
“Don’t worry, Thea,” August said, “Focus on your own recovery. Alex’ll come back.”
June 21
Thea’s condition was better now. She regained some feeling in her arms. She could speak a bit faster now. But her legs remained immobile. The pain coursing through her body had started to subside, but it would take months before her bones would heal. She didn’t think too much of that right now. She was focused on what she had learned of the incident.
The door opened, and Alex walked in. “Hey, Thea.”
“Alex…” Thea replied. “You’re back…”
“Don’t worry,” Alex said, “I’ve handled everything.”
Still, she needed to hear Alex’s side of the story, and her mind was put together enough to formulate the thoughts she wanted. “What the frak did you do?”
“Nothing!” Alex said. “I just gave a statement at the police station. With my lawyer present.”
“I was talking about two days ago.”
“That was self-defense.” Alex said. “He would have killed you.”
“You know he died, right?” Thea said.
“Yeah, they said that. I told them I aimed for the leg in self-defense. How was I supposed to know he had a pacemaker?”
Apparently, although Alex had shot the man in the leg, the EMP bullet had overloaded the man’s pacemaker. The ensuing cardiac complications were what killed him, it seemed.
“That’s right, there was no way you could have known that,” Thea said, “But that’s not what people will focus on. They’ll focus on the fact that he was Persian.”
“If that’s the case, I did Persia a frakking favor.”
“I’m afraid they’re not going to see it that way.” Thea looked out the window. A large group of protesters had quietly gathered on the street below, carrying signs with anti-Roman and pro-Mozaffar slogans. Some even carried photos of Jahangir Rostam and her attacker along with candles, as if holding a vigil. Thea couldn’t help but grit her teeth as she looked over the crowd. As if I’m not the victim here…
“Oh, those guys.” Alex rolled his eyes. “I had to walk past those guys. Let’s just say…” He rolled up his sleeve, showing several bruises. “They came at me first, for the record. It was self-defense again.”
“Frak, Alex, this isn’t good!” Thea said. “In any sane country, it would be self-defense once the evidence is processed, but with tensions as bad as they are right now, people will see it as premeditated murder. Damnit, I told Alexandra and Magnus not to rush, but I should’ve waited until you were there to hear me.”
“Okay, fine, Thea,” Alex said, “So there’s a problem. I know there is. But what did you want me to do, let you die? I can’t let that happen.”
“That gun,” Thea said, “If you hadn’t shot him, maybe he’d still be alive.”
“I think you’re overreacting,” Alex said.
“Oh, am I?!” The heart rate monitors beeped urgently as her temper increased. “In the old Reich, this wouldn’t have mattered. But this isn’t the old Reich. The people here are different. The Persians want us gone, and they’ve been waiting for the perfect excuse to get rid of us. You may have just handed it to them on a silver platter. The fact is, a Roman killed a Persian on Persian soil. They won’t care if it’s self-defense. They won’t wait for an investigation. They’ll go after you.”
“Then let them,” Alex said, “As long as you’re okay. I’ll go on trial, and I’ll say I protected you. It was self-defense. I wouldn’t have let you die like that.”
“They’ll throw you in jail,” Thea said, “And then, when you’re out of the public eye, Mozaffar will dispose of you. I can’t let Mozaffar do that to you.”
“Then what do you want me to do?”
“Maybe we should run.”
“Run?”
“We barely got out of Jerusalem,” Thea said, “We should get out of Persia before it’s too late. They hate us now. We can’t let that hate escalate to murder. This country’s changing, and I don’t like it.”
“Persia’s not Jerusalem, though,” Alex said.
“Neither was the Reich, until it was,” Thea said, “By the time it called itself Jerusalem, it was too damn late. We have to get out of here.”
“And how do you expect to do that, in your condition?” Alex said.
“August will figure something out,” Thea said, “The worst of my injuries have been stabilized. If I don’t move my legs around too much, I should be fine.”
“And where the frak are we going to go?” Alex said. “I was under the impression Persia was the last place we could go after Russia fell. That’s why we had to make a stand on April 2.”
“I…I don’t know,” Thea said, “But we can’t stay here. Not while things are like this.”
August ran into the room. “Turn on the TV!”
“What?” Alex said.
“Just do it!”
Alex picked up the remote and turned on the TV in the room. It was tuned to some movies channel.
“The news, quickly!” August said.
Alex tuned to a news channel. Mozaffar was giving a live speech. “…too long, we have spent taxpayer money subsidizing a new aristocracy, a foreign ruling class that does not pay back into Persian society. Five years ago, we welcomed them as refugees fleeing a foreign dictatorship, but they’ve taken advantage of our generosity to turn our country into that same authoritarian state. They’ve made a mockery of our meritocratic values. They’ve made no secret of their disregard for the rule of law. Two days ago, one of them murdered one of our fellow patriotic citizens in cold blood, fully expecting to be let go. I am here to tell you that not only will he be brought to justice as he deserves, but the rest of his people will be as well. We have given them the benefit of the doubt for long enough. We are a nation of laws, and we will not stand by while a fifth column sabotages all we hold dear from within. We are going to protect our nation. We Persians will reclaim our freedom!”
He looked straight at the camera, his eyes seemingly empty and devoid of feeling. “Which is why I hereby announce on behalf of Chancellor Jaberi, his cabinet, and the Majlis, that the Roman government in exile is dissolved effective immediately, and all Roman nationals, barring a few exceptions, are to leave Persia by the end of the month.”
Both Alex and Thea’s jaws dropped.
“Well…” Thea said. “It looks like we no longer have a choice.”
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India at this point no longer has an ideology, as the surviving Indians are solely focused on trying to survive the absolute chaos that Jerusalem has brought upon the entire subcontinent.
Well all of that just happened. Welp, the loyalists are effectively dead now, unless Julian is willing be like Julius and overthrow Mozaffar in an outright military coup and rule as a Reinhard like benevolent dictator, even if that would validate the nationalists. I don’t see much of a choice for him other than overthrowing meritocracy. I hate to say this, but with how the people of the former Reich, China, and now Persia have gone mad and thrown away their rights and freedoms to nationalists, maybe it is time to do away with democracy and meritocracy for the time being and have Julian step up a Cincinnatus like benevolent dictator. It may not beat a functional democracy or meritocracy, but an enlightened autocract is still better than repressive totalitarian regimes like Jerusalem and China. Perhaps things in the future will settle down enough after Jerusalem has fallen for meritocracy to return, but for the time being I think the best thing that Julian can do is pull a Cincinnatus.
Man, I’m starting to sound like Oberstein at this point. Come to think of it, this post also sounds like Mr. House from Fallout New Vegas as well.
Man, I’m starting to sound like Oberstein at this point. Come to think of it, this post also sounds like Mr. House from Fallout New Vegas as well.
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Well this certainly has gone even further downhill. If the Persians want it that way then let they lay on the bed they so made for themselves, let's see if that nationalism will get them somewhere in the end if it all comes to bite them, hell at this point I think even the Loyalists will resent this move from their supposed allies. It's certainly gonna break down every single good will the two nations have tried to cultivate for years.
But does Julian have it in him to betray his own beliefs and overthrow meritocracy?Well all of that just happened. Welp, the loyalists are effectively dead now, unless Julian is willing be like Julius and overthrow Mozaffar in an outright military coup and rule as a Reinhard like benevolent dictator, even if that would validate the nationalists. I don’t see much of a choice for him other than overthrowing meritocracy. I hate to say this, but with how the people of the former Reich, China, and now Persia have gone mad and thrown away their rights and freedoms to nationalists, maybe it is time to do away with democracy and meritocracy for the time being and have Julian step up a Cincinnatus like benevolent dictator. It may not beat a functional democracy or meritocracy, but an enlightened autocract is still better than repressive totalitarian regimes like Jerusalem and China. Perhaps things in the future will settle down enough after Jerusalem has fallen for meritocracy to return, but for the time being I think the best thing that Julian can do is pull a Cincinnatus.
Man, I’m starting to sound like Oberstein at this point. Come to think of it, this post also sounds like Mr. House from Fallout New Vegas as well.
I doubt the Romans will forgive the Persians for a long time.
I don’t think he does
It looks like Chancellor Pippa is about to go Order 66 in her Central African Roman capital against Central Asia for betraying the Reich and eat up East Africa along the way, cause you know, they were in the way.
Dew it
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Sometimes, the appearance matters more than the actual truth, as many of our protagonists åre familiar with already.
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With this in mind, you guys wanna help with True Tropes wiki? I can’t do it alone. At least, not without spelling mistakes.
the-true-tropes.fandom.com
you don’t have to fear banning, unless death threats happen…
The Hohenzollern Empire
Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears! For centuries, two great empires and two great peoples have both claimed that they are the rightful heirs of the ancient. The Germans were crowned by The Pope as Kaisers of Rome, and the Greeks have their own reasons. For centuries, both empires...
you don’t have to fear banning, unless death threats happen…
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With how there will most likely be a surge of anti-Germán sentiments for the non Germans of the Reich when Jerusalem falls, perhaps Greek nationalists would consider themselves true Romans and the Germans as barbarian oppressors that tried to erase their cultural heritage and should be overthrown. I think that alone how dead Romanitas is when one of the core groups of the Reich has now turned against it due to oppression. German-Greek relations after this might be even more tense than OTL Turkish-Greek relations over the past century. Sucks to see Fredrich the Great's work to unite the Greeks and Germans get undone by the Committee.
As for other minorities, I could see France taking a page of Persia's book by associating Jerusalem's crimes with those of past Roman regimes, namely that of Saint Wilhelmina and Julius Caesar, and follow in Vercingetorix's footsteps by rebelling against the Reich. They could also take ques from the Greek nationalists and declare their own empire as the heir to Charlemagne's empire.
Also @TWR97, if you're still working on your ASOIAF/Hymn updates, then I would recommend having the Hymn protagonist take some inspiration from the Hongwu Emperor , as the way the emperor later went on to carry out large purges after reforming the government meshes well with your Hymn premise.
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