The Hohenzollern Empire 5: Holy Phoenix - An Empire of Jerusalem Megacampaign in New World Order

[CaptainAlvious]

After everything Josh has done to people around, specifically Alex, Oskar, Diana and now Jenna, there’s no redeeming him. He needs to be taken down soon, preferably with a very painful public execution.

Sucks to see Tsai being humiliated by Zhao and Han like that, but I have some hopes she can still crawl back from this and continue her struggle against them.

I'm guessing the Shepherds of the Future are the Roman equivalent of Gilead's Aunts. The Reich has become a truly terrible place for everyone living it, especially women, non Christians and LGBT people, and its only gonna get worse I assume.

 

[zenphoenix]

After everything Josh has done to people around, specifically Alex, Oskar, Diana and now Jenna, there’s no redeeming him. He needs to be taken down soon, preferably with a very painful public execution.

There is only the vulture left now. Josh cannot be reasoned with. But as long as everyone around him and society at large encourages and enables him, he will keep getting rewarded for his actions. To them, he is doing the right thing.

Sucks to see Tsai being humiliated by Zhao and Han like that, but I have some hopes she can still crawl back from this and continue her struggle against them.

Unlike Han, Tsai has lived through the actual junta. She can handle the madman Zhao has become.

I'm guessing the Shepherds of the Future are the Roman equivalent of Gilead's Aunts. The Reich has become a truly terrible place for everyone living it, especially women, non Christians and LGBT people, and its only gonna get worse I assume.

More like a combination of the Aunts and the Pearl Girls from the Testaments, though the latter influence isn't as apparent at this time.

 

[zenphoenix]

Chapter 459: A Frog in Boiling Water​

The 2030 examination campaign proved to be highly contentious. Thierry Baudet smelled blood in the water, and with CB at its most united in ten years, he was now in a position to challenge the weakened Merkel. The “eternal chancellor” had suffered the worst of the last five years, as Baudet and his allies skillfully repeated Wilson’s tactics to take credit for getting the Reich out of the recession and East Africa crisis while offloading everything unpopular and unpalatable onto Merkel’s desk. Events during the campaign season also helped out. The SPR candidate unexpectedly conceded the race and dropped out early, which threw the left-wing parties into disarray and essentially removed them from the competition, allowing Baudet to focus on taking down Merkel and the center-right. A right-wing terrorist attack in Adamshaven, in retaliation for the Mexicanist attack against the Uberbowl in May, led to a spike in hate crimes and extremist violence on both sides, further polarizing the country and making it look like Merkel was doing nothing about it.

Police responding to the May Day Uberbowl attack

Baudet ran on a platform of economic reform, environmentalism, and an end to the partisanship and gridlock that had dominated the Diet for decades. With help from Elias Anhorn, whose outreach and welfare programs appealed to an increasingly devout populace, Baudet amassed an unprecdented big tent coalition ranging from progressives who wanted more action on climate change to conservatives who saw a religious revival in the more secular-minded younger Romans. Towards the end of the campaign season, Merkel’s fate was sealed when hackers based in Yavdi and Korea gained access to the Bureau of Qualifications’ servers and leaked the identities of every examiner selected for the year. Aware that this would taint the examiners’ judgments, the Kaiser ordered Qualifications to conduct an unprecedented emergency reselection, focusing on underrepresented regions to maintain impartiality. But this exposed a flaw in the selection system itself. The original selection for the year had focused on the western provinces and the Middle East and not the eastern provinces as part of a trend for all selections since 1950. And once the new selection focused on the eastern provinces, which heavily leaned CB, Baudet’s victory was in the bag.

(I don't know what the "primary culture is dominating" modifier is for or what it does in-game, only that it popped up when the traditionalists won, so I ignored it.)

So it was no surprise to everyone when the results were announced on December 30 and Baudet had clearly won. The Reichsrat remained firmly in the hands of the green-purple coalition, but the real prize was in the Reichstag. There, CB had surged to 23.18% of the total points, a miraculous turn around from its dismal performance in 2020. The NDF, the nationalist bloc, won 23.05, but most of the parties in that bloc were already CB members, so they were effectively extra points. The LKR, which had formed an alliance with CB against the “ideological extremism” of “both sides,” played spoiler to both the CMU and SPR, siphoning away millions of points from both sides to win 14%. The CMU meanwhile suffered one of its worst defeats since 1945. Although the official results listed it at 12%, second to last place, half of those points went to the CSU, which had thrown in its lot with CB’s coalition in opposition to the “rigid and unchanging” CMU—the culmination of the CMU/CSU split. With the CSU’s 6%, Baudet now amassed a coalition boasting 66%, enough for a supermajority in the Reichstag. And with himself in the chancellery, CB now had full control over both the legislative and executive branches.

But then everything changed just two days later.

During the Kaiser’s traditional New Years’ Day address on Tuesday, January 1, 2030, Mexicanist terrorists slipped into the Reichstag chamber and opened fire. Over the next half hour, everyone in the chamber except the Kaiser and a handful of others was massacred in a bloody spectacle that was briefly broadcast on all major channels. When all was said and done, almost the entire Diet and cabinet, including both Merkel and Baudet himself, were wiped out. Concurrently with the attack on the Reichstag, Mexicanist cells that had embedded themselves in Europe over the last ten years by taking advantage of Willkommenskultur activated, murdering judges, lawyers, Athanatoi Director Diana Frank, members of the royal family, and members of the General Staff, leaving dozens of states and much of the national government in immediate disarray. Terrorists also blew up the Mosul Dam, flooding much of Mesopotamia and killing thousands in Baghdad. Ocuil Zolin, imprisoned outside Markland (also known by its Mohawk name Tio’tia:ke now), claimed responsibility for the attacks in a prerecorded video released minutes after the attack (he was killed by vengeful prisoners hours later). The death toll was only in the thousands, most of them casualties of the floods in Baghdad, but the Reich reeled even more than it had in 2001.

Imperial Guard units were deployed to restore order after the declaration of martial law.

On Wednesday, the sun rose on a very different Reich. Overnight, the Kaiser assembled an emergency committee made up of several surviving political leaders to lead the country until the civilian government was rebuilt. Committee members included former vice chancellor and now chancellor Brad Folger, Megas Domestikos Heinrich Dandolo, CB leaders Elias Anhorn, Jacob Baldouin, and Josiah Burkard, several surviving LKR, CSU, Greens, and NDF members, and business leaders like Theodor Tesla. With civilian authorities on both the state and national level massively crippled by the attacks, the Kaiser declared martial law, and the Bureau of Heimat Security was granted sweeping powers to hunt down the terrorists responsible. The Roman people, shocked and fearful after such extensive and highly successful attacks, welcomed these actions with open arms. Chancellor Folger promised his fellow citizens that martial law would remain until the terrorists were found and the situation was stable enough for emergency examinations to take place so the civilian government could be restored. But for now, the Roman people needed to be patient and do their part. Unfortunately, some people didn’t share that feeling. Riots sprung up in many large cities, many of them seeing widespread violence against innocents. There were even whispers of secession by the Norse communities in Holstein, which alarmed many Romans who were already tired of constant FLM riots in Gallia. It was clear the next few years would be interesting.

While leaders and citizens of other nations did send their condolences to the Reich for the tragedy that became known as “Bloody Tuesday,” they ultimately had other things to worry about first. In China, the incumbent chancellor Tsai Ing-Wen, a friend to Princess Wilhelmina and the late Prince Georg who had been called the “Chinese eternal chancellor,” found her job threatened by the unexpectedly strong campaign of Han Xianyu, a proud Chinese nationalist who took a hardline stance against the Reich. Han’s message of national rejuvenation and pride resonated with many Chinese who were dissatisfied with Tsai’s economic policies and pursuit of peace and reconciliation with the Reich. It seemed the old ideology of Sinocentrism had never truly died out after all.

Tsai Ing-Wen (center) at a Fuxingyundong/Minjindang campaign event

China’s neighbors also copied such populism. Bhutan’s leaders carried out a Zhao-style executive reform in the summer of 2030, fearing imminent invasion from a revanchist Nepal and inaction from a possibly post-Tsai China. Korea also turned towards nationalism, although not to the same extent as Bhutan. Many of its political leaders began calling for the annexation of Kyushu from Japan to bring its Korean population under the rule of a Korean government, and the government began heavily investing in cyberwarfare capabilities to steal state secrets and strike at the infrastructure of much larger enemies. India, the other traditional major power in Asia, continued to suffer from the effects of the recession even after receiving an IMF loan. The right-wing Hindutva groups saw Delhi’s weakness as an opportunity to rally the disgruntled countryside behind them, condemning the Roman-educated and international-minded intellectuals and secular urbanites as traitors, heretics, and Muslim puppets. Elsewhere, over the next year other nations also took out IMF loans or had Roman loans denied.

Back at home, the new emergency committee set to work immediately. New reforms, accompanied by imperial decrees, flew off Folger’s desk as soon as he received them, as the young chancellor was eager to get the Reich back to normal. And while he was at it, he addressed weaknesses within the political system that had caused the current crisis to happen. After all, it was the Diet’s gridlock and hyperpartisanship over the last fifteen years which so polarized the Reich that it gave the Mexicanists an opening to strike right at the heart of a nine hundred year old empire. The weaknesses had to be fixed.

A fully restored Brandenburg Palace, in both physical presence and imperial authority.

An imperial decree passed in January saw sweeping changes to the guidelines by which imperial bureaucrats were hired, while another changed Qualifications’ requirements so that gridlock would be reduced. The CB members on the committee, supported by the Greens, saw an opportunity to enact their environmental reforms as they desired. Within a year, the entire Reich saw its carbon emissions drop dramatically, as if millions of people had stopped driving or flying. Unfortunately, the Reichsrat examinations, which the committee had decided to hold in a limited capacity, did not reward CB, which lost a third of its seats. Kaiser Wilhelm immediately set about reforming Qualifications more, using his power as the tiebreaker and final decision-maker in the bureau. Meanwhile, as the rioting in many cities continued and the terrorists refused to be caught, Heimat Security’s powers were expanded more, and some of its duties were contracted out to private military contractors such as Argus Security.

Given all this happening across the Reich, it hardly seemed like it was the right time for a highly publicized trip to the moon. But the launch of the Athena 2 had been scheduled for February 2031 for many years, and thanks to the efforts of Princess Wilhelmina, a friend of the astronaut Frederica Eisenburg, it remained on schedule throughout the crisis. The princess hoped it would bring the people together, but she was sorely mistaken. After a scare in which her lunar lander had a rough landing and lost contact with Mission Control in Nuremberg for a moment, Colonel Eisenburg became the first woman on the moon, and her first words on the lunar surface were to thank the princess for supporting her.

Artist's rendition of the Palla moon lander (left) docked with the Whitewing command module (right). The two modules were launched into orbit with a newly developed Orion rocket, the Reich's most advanced and powerful rocket to date.

But she received no heroes’ welcome at home, and neither did the princess. After the "obligatory" photoshoot with the Kaiser, which never happened as it was quietly cancelled, Eisenburg was shuffled off the astronaut program into a low-profile desk job in Nuremberg before being discharged entirely from RANA. "Little Willie" was excoriated across all media outlets for her wasteful and naive focus on an expensive space mission instead of addressing more relevant issues on the ground as the Kaiser did. But she didn’t back down. Instead, later that September, she unilaterally announced a joint space program with China, causing backlash from both the Roman and Chinese public. In retaliation, the Kaiser ordered RANA’s budget slashed in half and the extra money diverted to the committee’s relief efforts.

An anti-Tsai and pro-Han protest in Taipei following the "Whitewing scandal"

In China, Tsai's campaign took a massive hit, as Tsai not only had personal ties to Wilhelmina but had been responsible for agreeing to the scheme on China's side, giving off the appearance of being an out of touch urban intellectual elite conspiring with foreign powers to keep China subservient. For many weeks afterward, Han ran ads blasting Tsai for the fiasco and promoting himself as a man of the people and a defender of Chinese values. He steadily increased his advantage in the polls, especially among younger demographics who had grown up in the aftermath of 2008 and were now being radicalized by a flood of pro-Han memes (many of which were created by others their age) showing him as a masculine man who sang popular Cantopop songs, wrestled tigers while shirtless, and wasn't afraid to say he was proud to be Chinese...unlike a certain old woman who time and again was caught praising the Reich and particularly the constant rioting and looting happening there.

In May, Kaiser Wilhelm controversially invited Gaojiang Zhao Yu of Penglai to Berlin. The nationalist leader shook hands with the Kaiser, and together they declared a new era of friendship between the two nations. All sanctions and complaints against Penglai would be dropped, despite some generic protests from Chancellor Folger and the committee. The public reaction was also mixed, as Zhao was highly unpopular outside Penglai and the overseas Penglairen community. The whole stunt served to normalize and legitimize Zhao’s regime, significantly weakening opposition to his rule. Six months later, Zhao used his new influence to take aim at the last obstacle to total control: the monarchy itself. In a public referendum which passed with a vast majority in favor, the Song dynasty was deposed again, and the Republic of Penglai was declared with Zhao as president. A similar power play happened in Imperial Japan months later, where Paulluists seized power in a quick but violent coup and declared a republic. All borders and Internet connections were shut down, letting very few pieces of information escape the new dictatorship. The emperor of Japan’s whereabouts remained unknown, but there were whispers of atrocities being committed against the country’s Christians, Chinese, and especially the Koreans of Kyushu, which inflamed tensions with the Korean government. The Kaiser said nothing of the affair, while the committee issued its usual condemnation of the alleged atrocities before reiterating the need to focus on the home first.

The riots happening across the Reich continued even 18 months after Bloody Tuesday, and some of them even radicalized further than their organizers expected. Although Bremerhaven had the most riots in terms of number and frequency, attention was drawn to Cordoba in July 2031, where equalists assaulted police officers outside of the Norse Grand Temple and attempted to declare an independent Soviet Republic of Iberia.

Argus Security PMCs restoring order in Cordoba

With the support of the general public and city authorities, law enforcement and private military contractors immediately cracked down on the riots, leaving many dead on both sides, but the people of Cordoba were happy they were protected. Many other Romans voiced their frustrations and expressed a desire to return to normalcy as soon as possible. They had gone on for far too long, and so much property had been destroyed. The rioters had only shown they were just as bad as the alleged injustices they were protesting, discrediting their own ideals.

The year 2032 rolled around. Due to the fiasco last year, Reichsrat examinations were temporarily suspended. But China’s elections went on as planned, and after almost fifteen years in office, Tsai Ing-wen was finally toppled as chancellor, with Han Xianyu and the Guomindang declaring victory in a massive landslide. In his inauguration speech, he declared that after fifty years of mismanagement, corruption, and foreign occupation under the Roman-aligned Fuxingyundong, China was back as an independent world power.

The opening ceremony of the 2032 Summer Olympics in Hangzhou, showing off China's reawakening after a "half-century of humiliation."

The Summer Olympics he opened months later in Hangzhou were a testament to his new priorities, with the opening ceremony full of nationalist rhetoric similar to that used by the junta. This unnerved the General Staff, which feared renewed tensions across the Pacific and Asia, and the Kaiser gave a speech the next day reaffirming his commitment to defending Roman interests worldwide. The committee issued a statement condemning saber rattling "by any nation" but emphasized its focus was at home.

(The NWO Olympics events always default to the capital of the host nation, so I changed it to Hangzhou in the story.)

Then again, two and a half years had passed since the tragedy of Bloody Tuesday. The committee promised it would eventually step down once order and stability were restored. In a way, it had been accomplished by the end of the previous year. The economy was doing well, no terrorists had committed any crimes, and aside from the rioting and looting in several cities like Bremerhaven, things were peaceful for the average citizen. The general opinion on the current situation was one of indifference. If things worked so well as they currently did, why change? They forgot nothing changed instantly. It never did. As the old saying went, in a gradually heating bathtub, a frog would be boiled to death before it knew it. But in real life, the frog would realize it and jump out.

Would the Romans do the same?

---

If you’re wondering where the corresponding events for the massacre are, I don't have any. CB winning the examinations in 2030 was completely unscripted. On a whim, I had decided to RP as Wilhelm Karl for this election cycle and intentionally selected answers that increased the power of right-wing parties. I was thinking the populists would take over, so I was surprised to see the traditionalists win. A lot of other stuff that happens from here on will also be unscripted, or just me messing around more often than usual with this setup. I did take screenshots of revoking reforms (the nullification acts), but I’ve decided to not show them because they were all done on either January 1 or July 1 and that didn’t make sense. There are still a few events left over from the original plan (which assumed nothing big happened as the descriptions show), like this moon landing.

Note as of July 1: I'm posting this early because I'm going on vacation tomorrow and likely won't be available to edit and post updates for all of next week, but I might still have time to answer comments.

Edit: Sorry for the previous notification. The pictures weren't displaying properly so I had to reupload this chapter.

 

[TheAnguishedOne]

Sad to see exactly what became of Eisenburg, but they can never strip her of her accomplishments that she knows she obtained.

 

[CaptainAlvious]

Looks like the world is caught in a rock in a hard place, with the Reich slowly becoming a Gilead-esque dictatorship and illiberal populism rising in Asia and the Pacific. Lets hope people here are smart enough to jump out of the boiling pot before its too late.

Also, I knew people were disinterested in space travel at this time, but the way people treated to Tsai, Wilhelmina and Eisenburg, dang. Honestly, humanity might not even deserve to leave earth for the stars at this point, at least in its current state.

Is it just me, or does most of the narration in this update seem biased towards the Committee and against their opponents outside of the last paragraph, since it over exaggerates the alleged atrocities protestors to discredit their legitimate concerns and doesn't mention the Committee's human rights abuses and authortianism, even describing it positively in terms of stuff like environmental legislation and economic prosperity? I'm guessing a lot of this update is the average Roman sees the events of the past couple years from their perspective. Very interesting narrative choice I must say, espicaly since it stands in contrast to what we say in the storyarcs.

Out of curiosity, what do the Reich's social and political reforms look like after the Nullification Acts in game?

 

[zenphoenix]

Sad to see exactly what became of Eisenburg, but they can never strip her of her accomplishments that she knows she obtained.

They can still make those accomplishments pointless by making everyone forget or ignore them.

Looks like the world is caught in a rock in a hard place, with the Reich slowly becoming Gilead-esque and illiberal populism rising in Asia and the Pacific. Lets hope people here are smart enough to jump out of the boiling pot before its too late.

Elias: puts a lid on the pot

Also, I knew people were disinterested in space travel at this time, but the way people treated to Tsai, Wilhelmina and Eisenburg, dang. Honestly, humanity might not even deserve to leave earth for the stars at this point, at least in its current state.

Maybe we should've let the Jotun take over...

Is it just me, or does most of the narration in this update seem biased towards the Committee and against their opponents outside of the last paragraph, since it over exaggerates the alleged atrocities protestors to discredit their legitimate concerns and doesn't mention the Committee's human rights abuses? I'm guessing a lot of this update is the average Roman sees the events of the past couple years from their perspective. Very interesting narrative choice I must say, espicaly since it stands in contrast to what we say in the storyarcs.

The chapters moving forward will be portraying events with a lack of context and more opinion than usual to reflect the times. This mirrors the story side where the different characters have varying points of view and you need to look at everybody to see the truth. It worked really well when that unscripted Cordoba event happened and I had an opportunity to make the chapter and the story show different perspectives on the same event. So on the meta side, you'll have to do the same and look at every perspective if you want the truth.

Out of curiosity, what do the Reich's social and political reforms look like after the Nullification Acts in game?

I don't have the screenshots on hand right now, but I rolled back every single reform one stage on July 1, 2030, a second stage on January 1, 2031, a third on July 1, and so on until the current time (mid-2032), so I think maybe 4-5 stages back at this point. Debug mode was obviously used for this, and it messed up the upper house composition so I stopped showing those from 2032 on. I think I didn't roll back the political party/voting reforms as quickly. In future chapters, it should be quite obvious when those are changed.

 

[Fool Esquire]

The frog thing is actually a myth, frogs will jump out of dangerously hot water no matter how slowly it is heated. But that means the citizens might end up being even more foolish than a frog.

I don't have the screenshots on hand right now, but I rolled back every single reform one stage on July 1, 2030, a second stage on January 1, 2031, a third on July 1, and so on until the current time (mid-2032), so I think maybe 4-5 stages back at this point. Debug mode was obviously used for this, and it messed up the upper house composition so I stopped showing those from 2032 on. I think I didn't roll back the political party/voting reforms as quickly. In future chapters, it should be quite obvious when those are changed.

So there are no labour protections any more, or even a public school system? How was that justified by the government?

 

[zenphoenix]

The frog thing is actually a myth, frogs will jump out of dangerously hot water no matter how slowly it is heated. But that means the citizens might end up being even more foolish than a frog.

I know, I pointed it out in the chapter. That’s the point I was trying to make, if the Romans would be like the real frog, or the myth frog.

So there are no labour protections any more, or even a public school system? How was that justified by the government?

Theodor’s dialogue implied he had the committee gut labor protections so he could make more money as well as make the acquisitions he did (Argus and other companies). This ties in with the privatization of social services like child protective services. As for the school system, I interpreted it as being a crackdown on universities for leftist sedition and a rewriting of school curriculums to promote the 1105 Commission’s patriotic education.

As for justification, sometimes the committee will say it’s to root out corruption and terrorist sympathizers. In other places it doesn’t even say anything, but people are too scared, apathetic, or silenced to do anything.

 

[TWR97]

Things are gonna be very different in the coming years now. By the way that dam bombing in Mosul makes me think those 'terrorists' have been playing way too much C&C Generals. Hilarious but downright terrifying.

 

[zenphoenix]

Things are gonna be very different in the coming years now. By the way that dam bombing in Mosul makes me think those 'terrorists' have been playing way too much C&C Generals. Hilarious but downright terrifying.

Hilarious, but it almost happened in real life. Very terrifying as well.

 

[CaptainAlvious]

Hilarious, but it almost happened in real life. Very terrifying as well.

How many people do you think died from the flooding in Baghdad alone exactly? Because November 9 here killed about fifteen thousand people while the casualties for Bloody Tuesday are a little vague other than being in just the thousands and seems to targeted more towards government officials than civilians, through it has a far more reaching impact for that reason. There’s also the property damage to consider as well.

 

[zenphoenix]

How many people do you think died from the flooding in Baghdad alone exactly? Because November 9 here killed about fifteen thousand people while the casualties for Bloody Tuesday are a little vague other than being in just the thousands and seems to targeted more towards government officials than civilians.

I don’t know. I didn’t think of casualty numbers for the flooding. Which kinds of ties into the whole incident being muddy and any reporting of it being full of bias and opinion. But if I had to give a number, I’d guess somewhere in the hundreds.

 

[GhostRider124]

I have been liking the Fringe storyline so far and I do agree with everyone else that I was like “YES” when Anders finally realized Angelalt was not Angela.

Also this is a question for the actual Fringe show and for the story line in this mega game. That being why does the Alternate Universe/Annionaverse hate the Prime Universe/Hohenzollern Universe so much? Is it only because Hohenzollern Walter kidnaped Annionaverse Anna or is it something else and why does the Annionaverse Walter believe that the Hohenzollern Universe started this war?

Also when I read your update “A Guide to Provincia Hispania” in which it said “Asturias is often called "the land of cheeses" (el país de los quesos)” At first I was like LOL. But I was also thinking if you showed this to people from France and Wisconsin they would probably all collectively say “say what now?”

Another question being how old was Prince Wilhelm Karl when he became Kaiser? I ask so that unless a civil war happens I and the Roman people want to know how long we are possibly stuck with him for and how much damage he could do to the Rich during that time.

I think Markos Angelos probably wished that someone like Wilhelm Karl was Kaiser during his time as opposed to Kaiser Otto. It would probably make his grab for power much easier.

Lastly, although I loved the story of how the Roman Empire was reunited back in CK2. I was wondering why you did not go with the scenario in which Irene of Athens and Charlemagne Marries uniting the Frankish and Byzantine Empires together that way?

The Youtuber Whatifalthist did an albeit pessimistic one in where the only result of this happening would be Italy being unified years before it was in OTL under Lothar, with France would be under Charles, Germany under Louis and a fictional hair in the former Byzantine Empire. There are also the nomadic Pannonian Avars not being crushed in Hungary allowing the Magyars/Modern Hungarians to move into the area. The other scenario being done by Monsieur Z in collaboration with Vologda Mapping is a lot more optimistic in that this new empire would remain united until 1805 in which the Greeks would declare independence.

Two scenarios that I see you could have taken these scenarios could be,
1. After Charlemagne died and the empire was divided, you could have played as Lothar and tried to reunite the empire in an alternate Crisis of the 13th century and then defeat the Pannonian Avars as revenge for kicking the empire while it was down.

2. This second scenario could have been the empire remained united through the Frankish court adopting Byzantine succession laws. Over time the Frankish part of the empire becomes more like the east in terms of many high nobles among the Franks adopting Byzantine traditions. This could cause resentment among some Frankish nobles like Charlemagne’s grandson’s Louis the German and Charles the Bald whose path to power is now blocked leading to rebellions in the areas of the former Frankish Empire. This rebellion would be put down by the Byzantine army with the former Frankish Empire divided as punishment for the rebellion.

Also in one of the stories schnitzel-ramen is mentioned and I was like what is that?

 

[zenphoenix]

I have been liking the Fringe storyline so far and I do agree with everyone else that I was like “YES” when Anders finally realized Angelalt was not Angela.

That moment was what truly broke Anders. Not anything Angelalt herself did, just her reveal.

Also this is a question for the actual Fringe show and for the story line in this mega game. That being why does the Alternate Universe/Annionaverse hate the Prime Universe/Hohenzollern Universe so much? Is it only because Hohenzollern Walter kidnaped Annionaverse Anna or is it something else and why does the Annionaverse Walter believe that the Hohenzollern Universe started this war?

Have you finished the arc yet?

Spoiler

H-Walter crossing over not only stole Anna from A-Walter, but started decades of reality degrading events which when mapped out center on the lake the 1977 crossing occurred on. Grieving over the loss of a child while simultaneously being tasked with staving off an imminent collapse of reality changed Walternate. Since all of the incidents could be traced back to the 1977 event, he naturally blamed the other side for everything and feared they would eventually return to finish the job. It’s the same reasoning in the show.

Also when I read your update “A Guide to Provincia Hispania” in which it said “Asturias is often called "the land of cheeses" (el país de los quesos)” At first I was like LOL. But I was also thinking if you showed this to people from France and Wisconsin they would probably all collectively say “say what now?”

Heh, true.

Another question being how old was Prince Wilhelm Karl when he became Kaiser? I ask so that unless a civil war happens I and the Roman people want to know how long we are possibly stuck with him for and how much damage he could do to the Rich during that time.

He was in his fifties, as he was born in 1961 or somewhere around then.

I think Markos Angelos probably wished that someone like Wilhelm Karl was Kaiser during his time as opposed to Kaiser Otto. It would probably make his grab for power much easier.

Either that or Wilhelm Karl acts like Franz Ferdinand and rejects Angelos on principle.

Lastly, although I loved the story of how the Roman Empire was reunited back in CK2. I was wondering why you did not go with the scenario in which Irene of Athens and Charlemagne Marries uniting the Frankish and Byzantine Empires together that way?

When I first came up with the idea I did not have the expansion needed, so I could only start in 1066. By the time I got those expansions, I had already decided on using the Hohenzollerns as that was what the previous (pre expansion) megacampaign attempt did before I lost the save.

And in the end, I preferred 1066 because the map was more concrete and defined.

The Youtuber Whatifalthist did an albeit pessimistic one in where the only result of this happening would be Italy being unified years before it was in OTL under Lothar, with France would be under Charles, Germany under Louis and a fictional hair in the former Byzantine Empire. There are also the nomadic Pannonian Avars not being crushed in Hungary allowing the Magyars/Modern Hungarians to move into the area. The other scenario being done by Monsieur Z in collaboration with Vologda Mapping is a lot more optimistic in that this new empire would remain united until 1805 in which the Greeks would declare independence.

Interesting. I might check it out.

1. After Charlemagne died and the empire was divided, you could have played as Lothar and tried to reunite the empire in an alternate Crisis of the 13th century and then defeat the Pannonian Avars as revenge for kicking the empire while it was down.

That would be a fun start.

This second scenario could have been the empire remained united through the Frankish court adopting Byzantine succession laws. Over time the Frankish part of the empire becomes more like the east in terms of many high nobles among the Franks adopting Byzantine traditions. This could cause resentment among some Frankish nobles like Charlemagne’s grandson’s Louis the German and Charles the Bald whose path to power is now blocked leading to rebellions in the areas of the former Frankish Empire. This rebellion would be put down by the Byzantine army with the former Frankish Empire divided as punishment for the rebellion.

I usually prioritize story over gameplay in these campaigns, so I’m not sure how I can justify this from a historical perspective.

Also in one of the stories schnitzel-ramen is mentioned and I was like what is that?

Simple. Ramen served with schnitzel.

 

[GhostRider124]

Have you finished the arc yet?

Yes most of it. I just made it to “A Fork in the Road, Part 1” in “The Storm” on page 177 and I believed that was the reason but I wanted to be sure and that the reason did not go over my head since I have not seen the show.

Simple. Ramen served with schnitzel.

It sounded like it was just ramen with schnitzel instead of the regular slice of meat served with Tonkotsu Ramen. But I still wanted to ask to be sure. This got me thinking as to what other types of fusion food is available in the Reich. I knew that by owning Islands in the Pacific, North Island of New Zealand, Sumatra, the Middle East, most of Africa, and Brazil and Uruguay there would be a lot of different cultures mixing with German and Greek cultures but that has gotten me to think of food combinations in TTL that I have not thought of before. I mean it should not be surprising since I looked up the Wikipedia article on fusion food and one of the examples is Kaeng phet pet yang (Thai roast duck curry). It consists of Thai red curry, Chinese roast duck and grapes from Persia/Iran.

Now I am also thinking if some of the food in East Germany during the Cold War is still around like in OTL as shown by this Munchies video? (

)

I was wondering if there are any alternate history scenarios in TTL about leaders that were killed or stepped down before their term was up in which people tried to think about what would happen if they served their full term?

Some examples in US history are What if Abraham Lincoln or JFK was not assassinated, What if Theodore Roosevelt won the 1912 election, and my personal favorite being what if the assassination attempt on FDR by Giuseppe Zangara that took place on 1933 succeeded leading to his VP at the time John Nance Garner to become president meaning that policies like the New Deal not being implemented along with a scenario in were Huey Long’s assassination attempt failed leading to him being able to win the 1936 election against Garner.

The only example of this happening for TTL could be what if Otto’s father Karl I "the Blessed," "the Peacemaker," "the Short-Reigned" (1916-1917) survived and had a full reign.

Also who is the main enemy that you fight in FPS games like Call of Duty and Battlefield in TTL. Is it still Russia like in OTL or since they went the way of Mexico in TTL is it China?

Speaking of, I wonder if there are going to be any more super-states like Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and the Americas or if the rise of nationalism ended that possibility? Some possible unions that I think of after looking at the 2030’s world map could be Livonia, Russia, and Yavdi forming the Eurasian Economic Union like in OTL (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_Economic_Union), China, Korea, the two Japans and the Ainu into an East Asian Federation. Or you could have one state stretching from Baltic Sea to the Pacific like the Pan-Asian Coalition from Battlefield 2142 (https://battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/Pan-Asian_Coalition)

I do wonder what is going to happen to Ethiopia and Mali since they are the only native countries in Africa. Would they be reabsorbed into the Reich?
Also what about East Africa, India, and Penglai? I believe you said that before Southeast Asia united Nusantara was part of the Indian Commonwealth similar to the British Commonwealth. So since this happened I can still see India uniting with East Africa and forming the Imperial Federation like some British leaders wanted to do in OTL (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Federation). With Penglai it can either unite with Southeast Asia due to Vietnam being part of it or uniting with India and East Africa due to the large number of Indians in the western part of the Empire. It could also split up with the west going to India and the east going to Southeast Asia.

 

[zenphoenix]

Yes I just made it to “A Fork in the Road, Part 1” in “The Storm” on page 177 and I believed that was the reason but I wanted to be sure and that the reason did not go over my head since I have not seen the show.

Okay, you’re fine then. No spoilers there at your point.

It sounded like it was just ramen with schnitzel instead of the regular slice of meat served with Tonkotsu Ramen. But I still wanted to ask to be sure. This got me thinking as to what other types of fusion food is available in the Reich. I knew that by owning Islands in the Pacific, North Island of New Zealand, Sumatra, the Middle East, most of Africa, and Brazil and Uruguay there would be a lot of different cultures mixing with German and Greek cultures but that has gotten me to think of food combinations in TTL that I have not thought of before. I mean it should not be surprising since I looked up the Wikipedia article on fusion food and one of the examples is Kaeng phet pet yang (Thai roast duck curry). It consists of Thai red curry, Chinese roast duck and grapes from Persia/Iran.

I think Neurhomania has its own fusion foods and cuisine, incorporating Malian, Tawantinsuyuan, Amazonian, and European styles into something new. Southern Siam should also have more German influence thanks to the colonial past.

Now I am also thinking if some of the food in East Germany during the Cold War is still around like in OTL as shown by this Munchies video? (

Probably. I didn’t think too much about it.

I was wondering if there are any alternate history scenarios in TTL about leaders that were killed or stepped down before their term was up in which people tried to think about what would happen if they served their full term?

I think the most popular one would be if Elisabeth Alexandra survived 2001. Especially in the current social climate.

The only example of this happening for TTL could be what if Otto’s father Karl I "the Blessed," "the Peacemaker," "the Short-Reigned" (1916-1917) survived and had a full reign.

That would also be a popular what if. I think we had several discussions in the past about alternate histories with that as a point of divergence.

Also who is the main enemy that you fight in FPS games like Call of Duty and Battlefield in TTL. Is it still Russia like in OTL or since they went the way of Mexico in TTL is it China?

Before I scrapped the Call of Duty Modern Warfare write ups, I was thinking of using a China which had reverted to ultranationalism. I don’t know much about Battlefield but I think China should be the main antagonist there.

Speaking of, I wonder if there are going to be any more super-states like Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and the Americas or if the rise of nationalism ended that possibility? Some possible unions that I think of looking at the 2030’s world map could be Livonia, Russia, and Yavdi forming the Eurasian Economic Union like in OTL (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_Economic_Union), China, Korea, the two Japans and the Ainu into an East Asian Federation. Or you could have one state stretching from Baltic Sea to the Pacific like the Pan-Asian Coalition from Battlefield 2142

Yavdi was supposed to join the CAC, but they went Paulluist and I decided to withdraw them. They aren’t Paulluist anymore, but they still won’t rejoin the CAC.

Livonia already is a “super state,” or rather a traditional national unification, and I don’t think it fits in any super state. Same with Russia and Scandinavia. And Yavdi would definitely not want to be in a super state with Russia after what the Soviets did.

China would also be too prideful to enter into a super state. Economically, they don’t really need it either. But I do have something planned for the Korea/Japan situation. Not a super state or anything, but something else.

I am floating around ideas for a Pacific islands super state though. We won’t see it until the end of the century if I do this, and it will only be on the story side.

I do wonder what is going to happen to Ethiopia and Mali since they are the only native countries in Africa. Would they be reabsorbed into the Reich?
Also what about East Africa, India, and Penglai? I believe you said that before Southeast Asia united Nusantara was part of the Indian Commonwealth similar to the British Commonwealth. So since this happened I can still see India uniting with East Africa and forming the Imperial Federation like some British leaders wanted to do in OTL (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Federation). With Penglai it can either unite with Southeast Asia due to Vietnam being part of it or uniting with India and East Africa due to the large number of Indians in the western part of the Empire. It could also split up with the west going to India and the east going to Southeast Asia.

I have East Africa and Abyssinia entering into their own super state in a couple years, and I’m floating around ideas for Mali to join it on the story side. East Africa won’t rejoin India in a new super state because it would be just like colonial rule. Same goes for Nusantara. Penglai definitely won’t join Srivijaya in its current state.

Funny enough, I used the Imperial Federation tag for the restored post-1989 Reich.

 

[zenphoenix]

Defending the Heimat​

Nanjing - July 14

“It is the policy of my administration to represent the Chinese people and prioritize their overall well-being in all negotiations, particularly regarding the Chinese worker, and to create fair and economically beneficial trade deals that serve their interests,” Han said, “Additionally, in order to ensure these outcomes, it is the intention of my administration to deal directly with individual countries in negotiating future trade deals, instead of putting the nation in a situation where many different nations collectively suppress China. Based on these principles, and by the authority vested in me as chancellor by the Mingzhi Constitution and the laws of the Chinese Empire, I hereby declare the Chinese Empire will be formally withdrawing from the United Nations, the Vienna Climate Agreement, the Schengen-Tianxia Joint Partnership, and all related multilateral entities and negotiations. No longer will this five thousand-year-old nation be subject to the whims of far smaller nations barely fifty years old. From this moment on, we engage with other nations as equals, at the very least, to promote Chinese industry, protect Chinese workers, and defend Chinese interests first.”

He pounded his podium. “Today, we declare our independence. July 14, 2032 will be remembered as the day of a second Mingzhi Restoration, when we reclaimed our freedom from the Romans and their UN puppet before they could split us apart again like before 1868! Long live the emperor! Long live the Empire!”

“Long live the Empire!” the Legislative Yuan echoed.


LIT, Strasburg - July 26

“We have sunk too much money into our universities,” Josiah said on the TV, “And now they repay us with treachery and subversiveness. They have been hotbeds of radicalism for decades, fostering the growth of the parasitic left on taxpayer’s marks. We will not tolerate this anymore. We are going to teach the next generation discipline and patriotism.”

Annie passed Anna another glass of beer. Outside Anna’s office, they could hear the protests going on in the quad.

“I’m so sorry, Anna,” Annie said.

“The new dean’s been making my job horrible,” Anna said, “I can’t go through a single chemistry class without having to praise the Kaiser every single minute. Those kids outside have the right idea.”

“You’re lucky you still have a job,” Annie said, “Compared to me and Angie and Alexandra.”

“God bless the courts for making an exception for education,” Anna said, “Though I wouldn’t call it a blessing with what I have to teach.”

“What are you going to do about it?” Annie said.

“I don’t know,” Anna said, “I’ll just keep teaching as best as I can.”

“Anna, I think you should just get out while you still can,” Annie said.

“Well, are you getting out?” Anna said.

“I’m not leaving without the rest of my family,” Annie said, “I already left behind my family twice before. I”m not about to do it again.”

“I’m sorry, Annie, but I’m staying here,” Anna said, “As long as I can still teach, I will. If I don’t do that, someone worse will.”

Annie sighed. “I swear this is going to get us all killed.”

Suddenly, screams interrupted their chat. Annie and Anna rushed to the window and saw dozens of masked youths descending on the protesters, bludgeoning them with hammers, cudgels, and iron bars. Others smashed windows and stormed into buildings.

“Deus vult!” they shouted. “Death to equalists! Long live the Kaiser! Gott mit uns!”

“Frak,” Anna said.

“I told you so,” Annie said.

Anna picked up her phone and called 119.

“This is the emergency hotline,” the operator said.

“We have a situation at LIT,” Anna said, “There are rioters vandalizing our property!”

“Noted, woman,” the operator said.

“So we can we expect them to arrive?” Anna said.

“The police are currently overstretched,” the operator said, “There are riots all over Strasburg, and they believe LIT is a low priority matter.”

“Low priority?” Anna said. “There are people being badly injured as we speak!”

“Yeah, well there are people badly injured all over the city,” the operator said, “Now, if you don’t have anything else, woman, make room for other callers and more important concerns.”


Several hours later

Anna finished the beer bottle. “When are they going to get here?!”

“I didn’t think anybody could outdrink me,” Annie said.

“Runs in the family, I guess,” Anna said.

She heard police sirens echoing outside.

“Do you hear that?” Anna said. “Or am I just drunk?”

“No, I hear it,” Annie said.

“Finally,” Anna said, “About time.”

They looked out the window again. It was nighttime now. The police officers pulled up to the curb and began setting up barricades.

“What are they doing?” Anna said.

“They were never coming to help us, sis,” Annie said.

Once the barricades were set up, the officers formed a line in front of it, with their backs to the vandals and protesters. Police technicians switched off the streetlights, plunging the quad into complete darkness. An ambulance pulled up right next to the police cars, but the vandals immediately attacked it as well, and the officers stood by and did nothing. In the darkness, the other vandals slipped out of the quad and disappeared into the streets, leaving behind beaten and bloodied students who were quickly arrested. Minutes later, an officer entered Anna’s office.

“What took you so long?” Anna said.

“You’re both under arrest,” the officer said, “For inciting a riot and damaging private property.”

Maybe she should leave after all.


Bremerhaven - August 4

“What do you mean the border’s closed?” Anna said. “So I called in that favor for nothing?”

“Imperial decree just last week,” Anders said, “They allegedly caught terrorists sneaking in over the Russian border, so they shut down everything.”

“How is nobody seeing anything wrong with this?!” Annie said.

“They’re scared,” Angela said, “Like after November 9. And last I heard, the Patriot Act is still being enforced.”

“We have to do something about this,” Anna said, “We’re turning into Mexico in 2003. I was in Mexico in 2003 and I don’t want to see that again.”

“Nobody’s disputing that,” Anders said.

“I am,” Annie said.

“You weren’t even on the planet!” Anna said.

“Sis!” Anders said. “And big sis! Please!”

“If we’re going to get out of this alive, we need to think,” Angela said, “Now, Mayor Eva’s been conducting secret talks with the Scandinavian coast guard. She’s planning to start up a convoy for people to get across the border by sea.”

“You have any idea how dangerous that is?” Annie said. “If the committee even suspects a whiff of foreign connections, they won’t hesitate to brand Eva a traitor to national defense and bring the army down on this city.”

“If they wanted to bring the army down on us, they would have already,” Anders said.

“No, the only reason they haven’t is because it would be a PR nightmare and they want to keep a token ‘free city’, pardon the pun, to say to the rest of the world ‘hey, we still allow protests, we respect the rule of law, you all just hate us and are out to get us’,” Annie said, “Not because of any of the protests you, Angie, or Eva have been leading. No, the instant the world no longer cares about Bremerhaven one bit or the committee no longer cares about the world, the hammer will come down on us. You need to leave while you still can.”

“And where’s Dad?” Anders said.

“Under heavy security at Tesla Dynamic,” Annie said, “Theodor wants him to decrypt some archive Mina locked on her way out. I’m trying to get him out of the building.”

“Well, keep trying,” Anna said, “We’re not leaving Dad behind.”

“What’s the escape route Eva’s planning?” Annie said. “How does it work?”

“Well, you know the old tunnels to Lithuania through which heretics and Poles escaped persecution by the Inquisition during the Fifty Years’ War?” Angela said.

“Yeah, the Unterstrasse,” Anna said.

“Well, we’re reviving it four centuries later, and it goes by sea to Scandinavia now,” Angela said, “The idea is we take private boats out to international waters using fishing permits. There, we meet up with Scandinavian ships which will take civilians into their waters.”

“And since it’s all done in international waters, the committee can’t say anything about national security like usual,” Anders said, “We can even ship in supplies from Scandinavia in case they embargo Bremerhaven.”

“Are you sure this is safe?” Annie said. “International waters start at 200 miles off the coast.”

“You know how old Dad is,” Anna said, “And the amount of security around him. We were lucky to get released from police custody. We have only one shot at getting us all out.”

“I don’t intend to mess it up,” Anders said, “You know me.”

---

Back from vacation early so here’s the next update.

 

[CaptainAlvious]

Looks like the 2030s seem to be looking like an echo of the 1930s, with nationalism chipping away at China’s liberal institutions and turning away from the world favor of traditionalism while the Reich slides towards the path of an intolerant autocracy. I bet Han fanises himself another Wang Jingwei or Chaing Kai Shek. Sucks to see to see decades of liberal democracy and Tsai’s hard work get undone like that.

I remember you mentioned the Mingzhong emperor’s death in the last story update. He definitely wouldn’t approve of what Han and Zhao are doing to two-fourths of the Sinosphere given his experiences of the Junta, just like Tsai. I wonder what the current emperor thinks of this? I hope the Chinese monarchy doesn’t end up like the monarchy in Penglai.

I take it this is the crackdown on universities you were talking about earlier. I wonder how long it’s gonna take before the Comitee ends up denying certain groups education all together, at least in terms of certain skills like a certain patriarchal theocracy?

I’m glad Anders and Angela’s families are making the decision of getting out of the Reich while they still can, but I worry about how their plan to make it to Scandinavia will go, both cause of Diana’s visions of the X-Division team’s deaths at Josh’s hands, and cause of the possibility of the Scandinavian Ragnorkers putting a cap to this plan on there end and allying with the Committee.

At the very least, it looks like we have the possibility of Olga again at some point in the near future, that’s one upside to this recent doom and gloom.

I like how the heretics and Poles escaping to Lithuania is made canon again, but I never would’ve expected an connection to the Underground Railroad being made with the name Unterstrasse. That’s wild.

Speaking of Lithuania, I take it the Committee is not too fond of the Equalist Chancellor of Livonia, or the other two former Soviet-sphere countries of Russia and Yavadi for that matter.

 

[zenphoenix]

Looks like the 2030s seem to be looking like an echo of the 1930s, with nationalism chipping away at China’s liberal institutions and turning away from the world favor of traditionalism while the Reich slides towards the path of an intolerant autocracy. I bet Han fanises himself another Wang Jingwei or Chaing Kai Shek. Sucks to see to see decades of liberal democracy and Tsai’s hard work get undone like that.

In one of the upcoming chapters, I think I described Han as a “number 1 fanboy of Wang and Chiang.” He views the last 40-50 years of democracy as a mistake and wants to return to a nationalistic glory age. Now that he has a power to make that a reality, he’s setting about remaking China in his own image, and with the Reich preoccupied with its own issues, there is nobody stopping him.

I remember you mentioned the Mingzhong emperor’s death in the last story update. He definitely wouldn’t approve of what Han and Zhao are doing to two-fourths of the Sinosphere given his experiences of the Junta, just like Tsai. I wonder what the current emperor thinks of this? I hope the Chinese monarchy doesn’t end up like the monarchy in Penglai.

He definitely wouldn’t approve, as he himself was responsible for taking down the junta. I’ll be introducing his successor and other members of the royal family at a later point, and let’s say they’re in a...difficult situation.

I take it this is the crackdown on universities you were talking about earlier. I wonder how long it’s gonna take before the Comitee ends up denying certain groups education all together, at least in terms of certain skills like a certain patriarchal theocracy?

The 1105 Commission combined with the Taurica camps seem to be already doing that.

I’m glad Anders and Angela’s families are making the decision of getting out of the Reich while they still can, but I worry about how their plan to make it to Scandinavia will go, both cause of Diana’s visions of the X-Division team’s deaths at Josh’s hands, and cause of the possibility of the Scandinavian Ragnorkers putting a cap to this plan on there end and allying with the Committee.

While the older Humboldts certainly could cross by sea to Scandinavia, the Hansens and Alex are spread throughout the country and far from any borders, so they would have a tougher time getting out. And Anders and Angela do not want to leave without the rest of their families...

At the very least, it looks like we have the possibility of Olga again at some point in the near future, that’s one upside to this recent doom and gloom.

Josh: “Are you sure about that?”

I like how the heretics and Poles escaping to Lithuania is made canon again, but I never would’ve expected an connection to the Underground Railroad being made with the name Unterstrasse. That’s wild.

It’s sorely needed now more than ever.

Speaking of Lithuania, I take it the Committee is not too fond of the Equalist Chancellor of Livonia, or the other two former Soviet-sphere countries of Russia and Yavadi for that matter.

They particularly aren’t fond of Russia right now. At this point, I think Chancellor Valiulis has retired and been succeeded by a non-equalist. More on this new guy in later updates. As for Yavdi, remember the Reich still has troops garrisoned on the Chinese border.

 

[TWR97]

Don't know if I ever plan on doing a Command and Conquer update since it's been years since I played the series, but given as how my notes regarding the Generals series tend to be the same as OTL with locations being different, I'd see Han as an avid fan of said series given as that China (Or the Tianxia alliance faction in this case) ends up as the dominant power of the world with the Reich retreating into isolation after the GLA nearly brought it down to its knees and even briefly occupying Berlin. Though I don't see him approving of the in-game Tianxia alliance liberally using their nuclear arsenal, especially in Urban environments.