Just for orientation purposes, here is an overall map of that part of the world of Aeryth Chromatica where lie the main combatants of the coming Little Great War.
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| Aeryth Chromatica - the warring nations |
Sangria is, of course, the diamond in the sceptre of the Ruberia global empire. The Zubian region has had troubles, and therefore a historiography of its own, e,g. that of Robert G. Cordery, printed as recently as 2019.
Turcowaz has certainly been in the wars in recent times, beating off a powerful challenge from the Blacklands League, halting a Ruberian punitive expedition just short of Sakhdad, and facing a hostile Czarist army in Abasgia.
In the face of escalating challenges from all round, the Sultan of Turcowaz appealed to the Republic of Azuria for assistance. Today it is generally believed that the Sultan - or at least his chief advisor and confidant, Wazir Yezdi - was seeking a negotiated settlement of outstanding issues, with Azuria as the disinterested mediator. But the Republic had its own scores to settle, especially with Ruberia. Azuria was not behindhand in stepping into the ring.
As it happened, Ruberia was the readier for war, and very swiftly put into motion a plan long wished for, plotted and the wherewithal gathered. For so long, withal, had the seaborne invasion been in the Ruberian mind, that the Troisieme Bureau of Azuria had had for years almost every detail gathered by its agents, read carefully, studied, analysed, criticised, damyerised, and finally filed away clearly labelled. So, when the invasion fleet appeared suddenly one June morning off the coast of Norromandy, it came as a complete surprise...
I'd love to see some of the troops or pictures of uniforms, vehicles and weapons. James
ReplyDeleteJames -
DeleteYou might care to look at the pics in the previous four postings. The time being cognate to Planet Earth 1890(ish), the only vehicles are horse drawn, the uniforms by and large of around that time. I haven't worried overmuch about slight anachronisms.
The navies, by the way, span anything from 1875 to 1905, but with no dreadnoughts.
Cheers,
Ion
Great Map Ion - nice to see where the Great Game is being played out
ReplyDeleteMaudlin Jack-
DeleteI figured that, events having progressed as far as they have, it is time that at least an overall map be presented. Theatre maps will, of course, have to be prepared. They will possibly be hex-gridded, although alternatives, e.g. point-to-point, have come to mind.
Cheers,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo,
ReplyDeleteIt’s great to see your map of your imagi-world … and it’s something that I have to do for my own imagi-world. Seeing yours might just move mine up my unofficial ‘what to do next’ agenda.
All the best,
Bob
Bob -
DeleteI thought you had already made such a map. Or at least a schematic chart.
My original thought was to make something along the Mark Cordone/ Harry Turtledove lines - different but recognisably the same. Hand drawn. I was just too lazy.
But doing a general map this way does have its advantages. At least now I can be clearer in my own mind the strategic shape of the war to come.
Cheers,
Ion
Love your map. I have a soft spot for parallel worlds.
ReplyDeleteGreat work on mapping. Looking forward to your AAR'S
ReplyDeleteThat’s a nice map Ion. I trust some of your “local” maps will feature your lovely artwork (suitably embellished with various interesting characters, places, animals etc).
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, let’s hope no orange hued politician lays claim to the lands 😉
Cheers,
Geoff
Mark -
ReplyDeleteSo do I - the closer to our 'real' world the better. Mind you, this 'real' world is heading due 'surreal', it's soi-disant 'leadership' steering us towards Destination Foom. No wonder my warring alternate worlds are attractive places in which to immerse myself.
Speaking of alternate worlds, I'm in the middle of re-reading Jane Austen's 'Emma' - a post-Napoleonic village where nothing happens for the entire Three 'Volumes'. Pure escapism.
Cheers,
Ion
Geoff -
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to tell, you know, the extent to which President Orange is in command of his own foreign policy, or that of his puppeteers. A bit of both perhaps, especially where inclinations coincide. Kuh-razy - and showing up European and Anglophone leadership (with the possible exception of Canada) for the pusillanimous, feckless time-servers they are. Who would have thought resolve would dissolve so quickly? Who would have thought one ally would rob another, whilst the rest fenced the swag. Un-bally-believable. 'Force majeure' is the Trump card, seemingly.
Canada must be discovering the way Russia has been feeling - claustrophobic - these last 35 years; and Denmark must be wondering whether Russia is so menacing, after all...
I hadn't considered 'illuminating' my theatre maps with little caricatures, but now that you mention it, little depictions of Queen-Empress, President, Sultan and Czar (I've used this spelling instead of Tsar specifically for this world) might add something of interest. I recall something of the sort from the earlier 'Diplomacy' map (actually, I should have thought of that before now), and had fun with my 'Byzantiad' map. I'll try to bear it in mind.
Cheers,
Ion
pancerni -
ReplyDeleteThank you! I think there might be an action south of the Kavkaz Mountains sometime soon...
Cheers,
Ion
General Comment:
ReplyDeleteReaders might be wondering why my latest comments haven't been in direct reply to readers' posts. For some reason, the 'Reply' toggle isn't working - or works only intermittently. Have no idea why. I hope normal service will resume soon.
Cheers,
Ion
That's a new gremlin... or is it?
DeleteMaudlin Jack -
DeleteHard to tell. It's OK just now. Sometimes the 'slide show' doesn't work either. But I like the slide show.
I have noticed over the years that organisations keep changing their formats. Now, I thoroughly dislike change just for the sake of change. In my view any change has to be (a) for the better, and (b) by a margin greater than the cost in inconvenience, irritation, pain in the jacksy caused by the process of change. Otherwise why bother.
Lately I've noticed changes in format in my internet banking and e-mail inbox. Both look prettier (marginally), but convey to me less information on the screen. So the information I want I have to go hunt for. That is bally annoying. If the change is supposed to 'enhance my experience, blah, blah', I'm here to tell them it does nothing of the kind...
Talk about...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1lf2muNm20
Cheers,
Ion
Are we going to see an Austerian- Magyarian army in the future?
ReplyDeleteGoogle - lack of comments on the blog are down to it having a tantrum with my tablet - I can only comment via laptop.
Neil
Neil-
DeleteMuch as I would like to add an Austerian-Magyarian army - and a Grauheim (Germany) for that matter - it is not going to happen. Two reasons: space (lack of) and time (running out).
Maybe.
Of course, it is just possible, if one has a sudden rush of blood to the head and go berserk, one COULD ramp up a Second Blacklands War in which Bejela (Serbia), Chervenia (Bulgaria), and Rhumbarbaria (Ro(u)mania) take a swipe at the Happenensburg Empire... Maybe the existing armies could take 'proxy' roles in such a conflict. Of course, we could not leave out Hellenia and the Black Mountains Principality. I would have to double-up on the Turcowaz Army as well, one representing Turcowaz in Europeia, the other, Turcowaz in Anatolia.
Maybe I could borrow 'Jacko's' Azeitonian army in the role of Grauheim.
All this sounds pretty exciting, but, unfond of resisting temptation as I am, I feel I must. The thing is already pretty large scale. Meanwhile, I have a land battle ready to go on the Hyperborean front between the forces of the Sultan and the Czar. The battlefield has already seen a clash, back in the Kavkaz Campaign, which really entered a period of suspended animation.
I'll fight it out today, in between watching the US Football playoffs...
Cheers,
Ion