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Something I should have mentioned earlier, but everyone should go and vote on the ACAs.

Please note, this isn't me saying "Going and vote for this AAR" - it's only two entries old so is hardly established enough to merit a mention, but the ACAs are a great part of this community and everyone should support them. There are plenty of writers out there who will appreciate your support!

What's more, the ballot papers alone will give those hungry for reading material plenty of material to sate their litery hunger on!

(mine is clearly an example of what those of taste and discretion read these days with the obvious exclusion of my own AARs as I can't vote for them ;))

Vote now!
 
Really interesting chapter, this one. In my mind I already have some idea of where the story might be going but of course, you've structured it in such a way that I can't really be sure.
 
Intriguing stuff. As for the nation; I'm quite thrown by the English names of the characters who are nonetheless making references to barbarians. Perhaps a British Colony? Looking forward to finding out regardless.
 
Intriguing stuff. As for the nation; I'm quite thrown by the English names of the characters who are nonetheless making references to barbarians. Perhaps a British Colony? Looking forward to finding out regardless.

That, or something really weird, like British mercenaries in New Byzantium. Or they could be talking about Scots ;)

Anyway, it'll be interesting to see how apt Iain is at handing information to us readers without neither giving away too much, or too little.
 
I'm in and I want more! You really have me confused right now about where and in what time the setting is...
 
Excellent read...it puts my tales to shame. keep it up.
 
Excellent read...it puts my tales to shame. keep it up.

Now don't be rough on yourself. Yours aren't half bad either.
 
Graet chapter. Again it has the feel of somewhere cohesive, but not in our nromal world. As others have said, the contrast between modern (well post-medieval) British names and some of the setting is intriguing and unsettling. Strangely I find myself picturing a non-comedy version of the Ankh-Morpork city watch.
 
The plot thickens - I think. In any case, another excellent chapter!

Thank you very much - I'm glad you enjoyed it!

British names? Walls and barbarians? Where are they, and what's going on? And a new marriage is never a good thing.

Depends entirely on who you are marrying. I can't, for example, see a new marriage to Salma Hyek being a bad thing. On the other hand, I'd be quaking in my boots at the prospect of being betrothed to Olga "Iron Arms" Myczeslav, shot-putter extraordinaire.

So, let's see some bets on what country Iain Wilson is playing as.
Would it be the Scots again? Kinda doubt that ..

No, i think its Muscowy, or someone russian.

Ooooh, now comes the fun part: guessing which country it is! All this talk of barbarians and walls has me thinking maybe Byzantium? Hmmm, or maybe one of the Baltic states? Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure I'm way off with both guesses. Good stuff!

Intriguing stuff. As for the nation; I'm quite thrown by the English names of the characters who are nonetheless making references to barbarians. Perhaps a British Colony? Looking forward to finding out regardless.

That, or something really weird, like British mercenaries in New Byzantium. Or they could be talking about Scots ;)

Well, watching you lot guess is one of the fun parts for me as an author so I'll be interested to see where you all go with this!

Really interesting chapter, this one. In my mind I already have some idea of where the story might be going but of course, you've structured it in such a way that I can't really be sure.

I'll take that as a compliment as that was my intention :)

Anyway, it'll be interesting to see how apt Iain is at handing information to us readers without neither giving away too much, or too little.

That's the real trick, isn't it? And something that does concern me. One thing that often frustrates me with certain long running TV shows is that they think it is "clever" to answer questions with more questions. To my mind, the writer should answer the questions posed and present a new series of questions leading on from the new answers, thus deepening the mystery while letting the reader/viewer feel as if the plot if progressing (rather than just leaving them sitting their going "Wha...").

Well see how it goes!

I'm in and I want more! You really have me confused right now about where and in what time the setting is...

Glad to have you onboard! Hopefully I will ease your confusion over time.

Excellent read...it puts my tales to shame. keep it up.

Don't put yourself down - every story is different. If you can attract and engadge readers (as clearly you can) you're doing a good job :)

although the story is excellent, is it even about EU3? I did only skim though it and ill read it in detail tonight.

Readers of my Oranjes AAR (link in the sig - please feel free to drop by; I'm always grateful for new readers now that the Victoria forum appears to be drying up) will know that I've taken a game of Victoria and based an AAR around it. Obviously it's a narrative so there's no gameplay elements mentioned. This AAR is very similar - with the obvious difference that it's EU3 ;)

Graet chapter. Again it has the feel of somewhere cohesive, but not in our nromal world. As others have said, the contrast between modern (well post-medieval) British names and some of the setting is intriguing and unsettling. Strangely I find myself picturing a non-comedy version of the Ankh-Morpork city watch.

While I can't claim to have Mr Pratchett's talent the comparison is very welcome ;) And I'm glad you've picked up on the "odd" atmosphere.

Intriguing...

Thank you :)

Right, next chapter coming up in 5....4...3...2...1...

**ENGADGING READER CONFUSION MODE**
 
... 0?
 
THE SLEEPER - PART 3

Kendra Sisko ran like she had never run before.

The elegant dress, shoes and jewellery that she had worn – the body armour of courtly life – had been discarded the instant she had become aware of what was happening, and now she tore through the streets in boots, breeches and a tunic. Her long hair was wild, unruly and matted with dust, while her face was slick with sweat and dirt. If any of the local gentry had caught sight of her it was doubtful they would have recognised her.

Then again, given the current situation, most of the local nobility were probably dead. Max certainly was – his body now buried in the rubble of the winter palace - and fires cavorted and snaked their way through the city streets like manic revellers at a demented and morbid carnival. They rapaciously devoured anything in their path; their insatiable appetites raising the volume of the macabre requiem to which they danced, a melody of screams and the rumble of destruction.

Everywhere the ground was shaking with such force it felt like creation itself was coming apart at the seams. To her left a massive, yawning chasm split the street wide open causing the buildings around it to tumble like a child’s blocks. Men, women and children fell screaming into its depths, but Kendra managed to keep her footing and sprinted wildly in the opposite direction. With reflexes that would have put a cat to shame, she rolled to the right and narrowly avoided a barrage of tiles that cascaded from a collapsing roof, showering the street below in a flood of slate.

As she hurtled onto what was once the main thoroughfare, her foot clipped the fractured remains of statue that had once depicted an angel - hands clasped serenely in prayer, its face a mask of calm. She tried to keep her balance but instead stumbled over the pink veined marble and went sprawling into the dust and rubble that littered the street like rubbish. The angel’s vacant eyes gazed into hers as she rubbed her ankle and cursed.

“If anyone’s listening out there right now, I could really do with some help!”

The broken statue stared back blankly, the dancing flames of a nearby house fire reflected on its face, which gave it a glossy, liquid sheen that was strangely beautiful amidst the devastation and ruin that framed it. Kendra suppressed a grimace of pain as she stood and put her full weight on her ankle. “I hope to hell this isn’t a sprain”, she thought, “or I may never get out of here alive.”

Behind her a slow, grating rumble was rapidly building in intensity until it was like the growling of an angry god. The ground there was splitting apart and it was devouring the people and buildings that tumbled into its gaping maw. Kendra didn’t need telling twice.

Despite the pain in her ankle, she turned and ran, trying to get as much distance between her and the cataclysm that was consuming her world. The sky overhead was almost completely black. It was as if the moon and the stars had been swallowed like sweetmeats by the encroaching and destructive force of nature that had swept all of man’s accomplishments before it below, and was intent on completing the job in the heavens.

Then something happened that made her stop and pull up. It was only a little thing, but it brought her mad dash to a halt and, despite the continued trembling of the ground beneath her feet, she stood stock-still and stared.

In the sky above her – previously an ebony blanket – hung a single star. At its core danced a nimbus of ever-changing colour that seemed to pulse rhythmically in time with Kendra’s own racing heart. It hadn’t been there a second ago, and she doubted that she would have missed something this obvious – and this beautiful – dominating the heavens.

Before she could fathom a reason for its appearance, the star seemed to flare. Kendra turned her head to the side and shielded her eyes as the entire landscape was flooded in beautiful, silvery light.

Then it faded and there was nothing but darkness.
 
Wha? No closer to making any guesses - looks like I'm going to have to give up trying to guess where and when we are, and just enjoy the plot twists for what they are!
 
Great writing but it is causing me great confusion! I too think I will have to throw in the towel for now, I have no idea what country this is set in but I am eager to find that out and also to uncover what the devil has prompted this seeming apocalypse!
 
Of course it's confusing. So far we've had 3 parts and all three introduce new pieces of the story - new storylines, even. Until these storylines meet there is no telling up from down.

Also - what kind of cataclysmic event in EU3 would match the events described in this post? I certainly can think of none .. or is this EU3 with a mod that adds earthquakes and vulcanic eruptions?
:eek:

.. not to mention alien incursions. Is that star a UFO or just some vehicle from the future? :p
Or something else entirely?