Strigian Civil Strife

[Margrave]

*Constantinople, Premier's Briefing Room*

In what was once a wealthy business sector, the Premier of Constantinople held court in a converted office building, his newly created force of Restoration Workers still clearing the debris from official government buildings. Aided by his "armed confederates", a gang known as "The Aristocrats", he had seized power in the final days of the United Kingdom, clearing the streets of looters and murderers with a well aimed bullet and an organized force. Having claimed the position of "Premier" (A foggy, uncertain title, with no clearly defined limits or restraints) of Constantinople, Francis Guiscard had met with territorial representatives from across the shattered UK regions: Bulgaria, Albania, Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Crete...each territory bringing unique concerns. The civil war that had erupted during the fall of the Kingdom still raged in obscure, remote territories, Commanders on both sides refusing to surrender the dying dream of the UK. Meanwhile, the Territories fought amongst themselves for ascendancy, as helpless citizens looked on, wanting only peace and prosperity for their families.

Premier Guiscard leaned his head against the table as the briefs continued, his "military personnel" (what few Officers and SNCO's he could scrape together made up his High Command) giving out their best knowledge on the status of the territories. While Guiscard had convinced these territories to claim provincial status under the banner of Strigia (mostly to protect against foreign invasion and influence) these territories were only united by a name and a communication line that had been painfully set up between the regional capitals and Constantinople. News of his northern neighbors, The Kingdom Of Serbia and Imperial Alliance, came in, warning of a growing bloc in the region that might negatively influence the border territories. Unfortunately, not much could be done except increase border patrols and investigate breaches at checkpoints, and even that would not be truly effective against all northern influences. The news of Comintern and the Nordic Confederacy, though of interest, was not important to Constantinople's agenda at the moment,

The Premier nearly left the room in disgust once the brief broached the topic of the status of the "Individual Provinces Of The Demesne". While the three most unified territories in the nation still resembled mostly lawful areas, the Central territories of Thessaloniki, Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Albania were not, chaos still tipping over seemingly at random. The use of military force had become required to allow almost any traffic in the central region, and uniformed militia's and "local defense forces" were waging a constant war with bandit groups and "rebels" attempting to set up their own micro-states. Morever, what competent government authority remained was hopelessly divided, with Thessaloniki and Macedonia supporting land owners and industry captains as territorial leaders, while Bulgaria and Albania were undergoing Communist uprisings. Varange, while being the ancestral territory of Strigia (OOC: The Peloponnese), was suffering from a dictator complex, their "Nobles" seizing more and more power daily as they rallied personal armies to their beck and call. Crete was a seeming bastion of Peace, it's quietly elected officials attempting to avoid the spotlight. They themselves were perhaps the best off of all the territories, their naval defense emplacements on the shoreline and their Provincial Force In Readiness (State Militia of all men over 18 and under 40) was well trained, with their Regular Provincial Forces maintaining a garrison of a thousand men dispersed throughout the island. Additionally, the University Of Crete had remained intact, and thus a great deal of learning and technological information still resided there ripe for the picking. In a secret agreement with Constantinople, Crete had begun manufacturing arms for the Constantinople Defense Force, and already "Island Guns" were a favorite amongst the soldiers of the great city-state.

All of this ultimately left Constantinople holding the bag when it came to really creating a nation out of the dispersed and scattered states. The people of the city dreamed of building a true nation with the other territories, and ultimately this reflected in the sheer amount of work the "country" did. They were the dreamers, who believed in the Noblesse Oblige which Guiscard had willingly bound himself to in a covenant with all the people of the city. While they dreamed, however, the nation continued its slow march to nowhere.

Before ending the brief early, Guiscard laid out a few key points to his administrators and government officials, including the following:

1. Establish a national military force

2. Establish an excellent system of roads and transports to defend independent businesses

3. Establish a common currency

4. Approach neighbors to better define borders and trade laws

5. Create a national form of government.

With this, Guiscard left the room and collapsed in his office, his exhaustion from his hard work showing in the lines of his face and the quickness of his movement as he grabbed the comfortable chair, sat down in it, and quietly went to sleep.