Maelstrom Vortex

Done. 340 degrees east of described location we have encountered the peninsula and placed your territorial markers. What is West? We have revised our understanding to no longer accommodate this heretical concept!

"Unoppressed and free to worship. We contest with the other faiths so long as we do not subscribe to violence in the methods. We are comfortable as we vy to spread the teachings of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, in the arena of ideas. The Dragonisians are loose on their reigns and allow local governance so our communities are able to keep the Prophet's laws and administer ourselves. As the prophet's laws spread, so does his word. The Jihad is eternal, but the government is fair, which prevents us from being in conflict with the dragons. Their Emperor seems content to allow the people of the lands to govern themselves as they will so long as general unity is preserved and national law is not breached. We are indeed sheltered by the state and the use of their systems to spread our doctrine has allowed our laws and teachings to reach farther than they would in its absence. Even if our faith is not explicitly taught in its schools, as none are, understanding of our doctrine and our ways is part of cultural studies to ensure even if students do not convert they at least understand what they have rejected."

Weren't you playing Nippon? Would you like that back? Problem is activity level and interest seems to still be somewhat cratered. Would you mean west of Kitex? I see none east of Kitex.

After the Nasheed, Samaira commented with applause, "We admire the level of conviction in your fighters, Zainab. While we have watched your people work from afar to rebuild society here in Mosul, we have hoped to gain an ally in this region; one in tune with local culture, traditions, and customs." He took a drink from the offered beverages, then continued. "We're aware of you displacing the Kurds, but we're willing to tolerate that because the world has been in chaos and they have many places they can relocate to. So our question to you is; beyond the caliphate what is the nature of Ghurabaa's ambitions? What's after Mosul? What are the dreams of your leaders, your people?"

(duplicated)

An retinue of Indian, human males, dressed in formal suits as if they'd just walked out of a board room exited the plane. At the head of them was Samaira Kumar, the nation's leading expert in Middle Eastern politics and an actual practitioner of Islam though much likely a more liberalized strain of it than is being practiced locally. He scheduled their arrival an hour before the noon prayers were to begin. "As-salamu alaykum." He greeted the other team and its lead, Alawad. He continued in Arabic, "What is the itinerary for our visitation?" Several of the diplomats carried laptop bags and briefcases with equipment to document the event and do their work.

They arrived at Mosul airporton an airliner of Dragon Air, the official airline of Dragonisia. Each had the imperial seal on the rear part of the Cabin near the rear exit hatch. As it touched down the aircraft would move to the taxi way following all tower instructions. In this case they were riding the shorter variant of the liner family, flight tagged: B-HSH. While in the taxi process, the retinue aboard waited to disembark, curious the kind of greeting would wait them. The pilot contacted the tower and notified they were ready to disembark and asked for the procedures they'd preferred to be used, if to head to a gate, or a disembarkation area.

I have no idea who is still active or not and I'm the worst map maker on the planet, but I tried.. here's an update based on current known remaining players, the 2015 world map.. and Dragonisia's last known broad-scale manifestation. Most remaining nations are likely ghosts and most of the map is likely free. Dragonisia's holdings and positions are based on a much older map back from before the Dragon Empire's merger with Tianxia. Old Ref: List of known actives, whose land cannot be claimed: Maelstrom Vortex : Empire of Dragonisia Jesbro : Tiaxia Vilmares: Ghurabaa Johnny Apocalypse: Anubia

The reply came back in the same language the broadcast had been returned in, most likely an iraqi dialect of Arabic, "While many of our people have embraced the islamic faith and are welcome to practice here as this government welcomes the practice of all faiths, we are not your Caliphate. That would put us in competition with you for sovereign right over your faith. We wish no such right. We are a secular government. Our Emperor, personally, does not and will never share your faith, however is very tolerant of its practice and permits its open and unfettered teaching as it does for all other faiths. So long as your methods of conversion on our domestic soil are ones of conviction, and not compulsion, your clerics and disciples are welcome here as are your diplomats to discuss matters of state. We will prepare a diplomatic envoy of human peers to meet you in our name. Be advised our borders go up to ancient Afghanistan. They are open to civilians, but military trespass will result in only two warnings before we will engage any stray forces. We've had some issues with Persians from your region in the past causing trouble and we no longer permit ourselves to tolerate that risk until we establish we can trust you. It appears some fellow humans of yours may have some problems with you. Typical, expected, and unfortunate."

There was silence on the ground as contrails passed so high and at such speed over the deserts that the local radars had trouble keeping the airspace violator on screen. only the larger military displays could keep track. It was doing at least mach 3. An unpiloted hypersonic imaging drone from the Dragonisian Empire flew overhead, capturing images of the events, troop dispositions, armaments and forces that had popped up on the ground with the new popular uprising of the apparently new Muslim Caliphate slowly forming in Iraq. Radio and em broadcasts were listened to and after a determination was made as to what may be an official but open frequency for the local government, a voice crackled over the air waves. "We are not gone. You are not alone in this world. Greetings from the Dragonisians of Asia." The radar blip left their airspace. Hours later, in a palace near Mumbai, Maelstrom was trying vainly to create a self-portrait. He never was a good artist. His claws could barely properly grasp a paintbrush unlike his beloved. He'd never have her talent. A red dragon lumbered into address the Emperor, "Your majesty, there's signs of a new Caliphate rising where the Persians once stood. We've sent a greeting message, but I thought you should be aware." Maelstrom thrummed, "The humans are organizing again? About time."

What.. white peace.. and no months of reparations? Something just feels off.. *chortle*

Pity the answer to that is: "You're just standing by and defending the wrong set of people." It's really that simple.

"Damn, y'all almost adults." Rumbling laugh. "I tease, been fun spreading fall-out all over the world with you guys. Of all the earths, I think this one is the most hellish I've run into."

Rumbles irritably as he is awakened again, "Dammit.. what is it this time? Oh.. we're actually in the fight this time. I guess I better sit up and watch." Turns on massive view screen in his lair. "Go team smash the snakes and non-grata!"

"So sad, yet so true anymore." Scratches free a few loose scales on his aging flanks. "I've worn pants into battle before? Sorry, big fan of Dilber." "That would be one extremely expensive pair of pants at this point.. and no, not worried at all. I just like watching the fireworks." "The Paciifican dragon who gets bigger every year its neighbors lets it sleep did. Going back to hibernating.. you folk have fun obliterating each other..." He yawns, fluffs the foliage on the side of Mount Franco.. and goes back to sleeping on it.