Witkovia:
The Grand Duchy of Witkovia is an ancient and prestigious country, long steeped in democratic and egalitarian traditions. The Witkovia was founded in 938 when St. Andrew of Witkovia converted the heathens living in the region and crowned Duke Zygmunt Kozil the First with his own hands. With co-operation and assistance from the Church the Duchy slowly expanded, eventually becoming a Grand Duchy in 1228. Then, in the 14th century a series of military and economic disasters known collectively as the “Times of Troubles” occurred. As a result the Grand Duke lost much of his power, as concessions to the noble’s Weic. The Accord of Goniadz sealed the new rights of the nobles into law, and served as the foundation for the Wikovian Constitution in 1561. The next century was a prosperous time for the Grand Duchy, with increased exploitation of natural resources leading to an economic and population boom. The Accord of Goniadz was expanded to cover the clergy and city-dwellers, though the rights of the serfs suffered a sharp decline as they were exploited by the aristocracy. The 16th century saw Witkovia fighting the enemies of the Church, first the Diinists of Adiyaman, the Arians of Rostov and finally the Reformists of Bunde and Savsjo. However agricultural improvements and the rise of Protectionism near the end of the 16th century greatly affected Witkovia’s economy, as other countries no longer desired its exports. With its decline in fortunes Witkovia’s neighbours began to seize parts of the country until only the core provinces remained. Finally in 1731 the rest of Witkovia was attacked and conquered by Rostov. The Weic was dismantled, the Crown despoiled and the Church outlawed. Ever since Witkovian patriots have tried to restore the Duchy to its former glory, though none have been successful so far.
Rostov:
The Confederacy of Rostov lies to the east of Witkovia, and while much larger its lands are not as populated or as rich. The Confederacy was formed in 1541 in response to the actions of Witkovia, as the peoples along the Rostov river were fervent Arians and thus did not follow the will of the Church. As the fortunes of Witkovia decreased Rostov’s increased, until the invasion of 1731 saw Rostov conquer the Grand Duchy. To the Cazars of Rostov, Witkovia is the most valuable of their holdings. With many coal and iron mines Witkovia became industrialized earlier than Rostov, and still produces most of the steel, equipment and weaponry for the Confederacy. As such the Cazars have tried to turn Witkovia into a faithful member of the Confederacy, with mixed success. Attempts to stamp out symbols of Witkovian identity such as language and religion have been countered successfully with underground schools and churches. Since 1801 the Cazars have begun to forcibly relocate entire Witkovian communities, to be replaced with faithful Rostovian soldiers and their families.
As oppressors of Witkovia, your organization or government cannot gain Recognition from the Confederacy. The country is simply too valuable to the Cazars, and thus will not give it up willingly.
Avallon (-2, +3):
The fortunes of Avallon have swayed dramatically over the years. From the fifth to tenth centuries its borders have expanded and contracted dramatically, as dynamic and powerful kings expand their holdings, only for the land to be lost on their deaths. In the eleventh century and onwards the borders began to stabilize, as its dukes rose in prominence over the king. Despite its internal problems Avallon remained a force to be reckoned with, and frequently fought with Dunkeld, Atessa, Brunde and Lena. In 1521 a small Reformist population grew in the northern parts of the country. While few in numbers they were quite vocal, and drew in several of the more powerful dukes. With assistance from Atessa troops, King Urbain Fontaine I defeated the Reformists at the Battle of Nicee, allowing him to develop a centralized state. From the sixteenth century onwards Avallon grew in stature and prestige, as its successive kings lavished their attentions on the arts and military. To fund their expenses the Avalleon Kings raised higher and higher taxes their citizens. Then from 1791 to 1793 a series of bad harvests saw the seizure of many farms for overdue taxes, causing the penniless to flock to the cities in droves. The results were predictable. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, the people of Avallon beheaded their king and established a Republic. The response from the other countries was quick. A coalition was formed to restore the Avalleon monarchy, and clashed with Republican soldiers in many bloody battles. No ground was given by either side, and the coalition was finally disbanded in 1803, due to religious tensions between its members and Republican sympathizers at home. Ever since 1804 the Avalleon Republic has been begrudgingly acknowledged by the rest of the major powers.
While the Weic seems outdated and aristocratic to the peoples of Avallon, they are always happy to help budding revolutionaries in other countries. Additionally many Witkovians participated in the Revolution, gaining a good reputation from the people they fought beside. With the government largely staffed with veterans of the Revolution, you have a +25% chance to gain Recognition in Avalleon.
Adiyaman (+2, -3):
The Sultanate of Adiyaman lies to the South of Witkovia and used to border the Grand Duchy, though those lands have since been taken over by Atessa. The Sultanate of Adiyaman was founded in 839, when several Arian kingdoms were overrun by nomadic Diinists. Many more kingdoms would be conquered by the Adiyamen, until 1611 when a combined Atessian and Witkovian forced turned back the Adiyamen armies at Pernik. Ever since that day the Sultans have tried to reverse their fortunes, though generally with mixed success. Successive wars with Atessa and Rostov have eroded much of Adiyaman’s territories, though a sizable chunk still remains. In 1731 Adiyaman opened its borders to Witkovian refugees, so long as they became Diinists. While many baulked others converted and brought their much needed expertise with then. As a result the Sultanate began to reform its military and government, leading to the highly successful 1831 war against Rostov.
While the common peoples of Adiyaman distrust and suspect Witkovians, the government and Sultan are quite welcoming of them. Many government officials and officers are of Witkovian descent, and a free Witkovia is a weakened Rostov. As such you have a +25% chance to gain Recognition from Adiyaman.
Savsjo (-1, 0):
Savsjo is a cold, wintery country to the north of Witkovia. While not heavily populated or rich, its people are energetic and optimistic. The Kingdom of Savsjo was formally founded in 1338 but its roots go back even further, to the old pagan clans that inhabited the country in its dark ages. The advent of Reformism in 1521 divided the country, resulting in a series of bloody civil wars. As a result the Church was finally outlawed in 1635, and Savsjo joined in the Brunde in a Reformist alliance. Large swathes of Witkovian land were taken by the Kingdom between 1661 and 1702, until a series of disastrous wars against Rostov lost them. With its territorial ambitious thwarted Savsjo turned to the arts and sciences, producing many famous painters and natural scientists. In 1821 King Jorgen Knutson VI abdicated, turning Savsjo into a Federation.
While the Savsjo Federation would be happy to see Rostov taken down a peg, historically its relationship with Witkovia has not been positive. Seeing the recreation of Witkovia would distress some of its members while delighting others. As such Savsjo has no bonuses or negatives to gaining Recognition, since its political opinion is divided on the issue.
Dunkeld (+1, +2):
The Union of Dunkeld was formed in 1621, due to the wishes of King Donald Ligthgow I. As a result of many royal marriages and wars, all the independent kingdoms of Dunkeld were ruled by him, but as not as a unified body. King Donald decided that uniting his kingdoms would be the best way to survive with a powerful Avallon at its southern borders and tasked his nobles and parliaments to come together and unify their countries. With its strong legalist and aristocratic traditions, Dunkeld became a constitutional monarchy. Despite a major civil war in 1691 the Union remained strong, growing into a major maritime power at the expense of Lena. While one of the wealthier nations, Dunkeld doesn’t take much interest in affairs on the Continent. Its power comes from its overseas colonies, not its holdings on the mainland.
The Union of Dunkeld is not unreceptive to the plight of Witkovia, but its politicians are naturally wary of getting involved. Rostov eagerly accepts Dunkeld goods and antagonizing them would not be worth it. Luckily ignorance is much larger than hostility, and thus Dunkeld has no bonuses or negatives to gaining Recognition.
Atessa (+3, -2):
The Empire of Atessa lies to the South of Witkovia and is an old and ancient country, second only to Avallon until its king was overthrown. Ever since 1521 Atessa has stylized itself as Defender of the Church, and frequently clashed with Brunde and Savsjo over matters of religion. The Grand Duchy helped Atessa in its many conflicts, yet when Witkovia was being picked apart by its neighbours Atessa provided only minor assistance, secretly glad to have a potential rival eliminated. Still Atessa welcomed many refugees, and turned a blind eye to revolutionary activities so long as it suited their own interests. With the rise of Republicanism in the 1790s Atessa became the defender of the old order, helping other countries crush uprisings and revolutionaries. As a result the Witkovian communities in Atessa found themselves under much scrutiny, though they were largely allowed to live in peace as long as they did not perform any subversive actions.
Emperor Gianni Pellegrino is the latest in the line of conservative Atessean emperors, and gladly continues his predecessors’ oppressive policies. However he is not entirely against the idea of an independent Witkovian state. As such you have a -25% chance to gain Recognition in Atessa, which is much better than being thrown in jail for revolutionary activities.
Brunde (+2, 0):
Brunde lies to Witkovia’s western borders, and was the birthplace of Reformism in 1521. As such Brunde and its traditional ally Savsjo have been fighting with Atessa, Witkovia and Avallon for centuries over the fate of the Church. Yet even to the most diehard of fanatics its has become obvious that the Reformation has failed, and as such religious fervour has mostly died down in Brunde. As a result of its religious wars Brunde has grown into a large and powerful country, its King ruling over rich tracts of land with a large and powerful army. A sizable population of Witkovian peoples live in Brunde, due to the country’s expansion eastward from 1681 to 1731. While once loud and vocal, Brunde has given them several concessions while slowly trying to integrate them. While no more successful than Rostov in naturalizing the Witkovians, at the very least they have managed to pacify them.
Despite intermediately fighting with Rostov, Brunde is not receptive to a free Witkovia. Its Witkovian territories are an important source of troops and money for its wars against Atessa and Rostov. Additionally many Witkovians living in Brunde dread the bloodshed and damage that would be caused by an uprising, and thus shy away from revolutionary talk. With such passive opposition you have a -25% chance to gain Recognition in Brunde.
Reinforcement Pool
The reinforcements for each turn go into the Reinforcement Pool, instead of automatically appearing in Liuban. Moving troops from the Pool to Liuban takes one turn. The four Rostovian armies do not enter the Reinforcement Pool and still appear in their targeted province. Any troops that retreat from a province that border Rostovs will automatically go back into the Reinforcement Pool if surrounded by enemy troops or unfriendly provinces.
Hiring
While resources are stretched thin with the war against Adiyaman, the Rostovian High Command can hire mercenaries to supplement their forces. Mercenaries cost $3 per soldier, and appear in the Reinforcement Pool. As all taxes are property of the Rostov Confederacy, the Rostovian High Command does not have a Income. Instead money will have to be acquired through bribes, or through Military Orders.
Military Orders
Once Revolution breaks out, the High Command must give Military Orders to help deal with the military situation. These orders last for 3 turns (starting on the turn they were declared) and new Orders must be given out when the old ones end. The Orders and their effects are:
Forced March: By carrying less equipment and taking fewer breaks troops will be able to move quicker across the countryside, allowing forces to be concentrated on centers of revolutionary activity. Troops have 5 Movement instead of 4, but exhaustion and a lack of equipment gives a -0.15 Morale Penalty.
Consolidation: By securing rear areas against revolutionary activities, the treat from guerillas and ambushes is lessened. Occupying a province gives +2 Control, and Overthrow actions against your provinces have a -50% chance to succeed (The Revolutionary trait cancels out the penalty instead of making Overthrow an automatic success). The increased demands on your soldiers to inspect for subversive actives lowers their Movement to 2. Moving into a enemy province costs 2 Movement with this order.
Scorched Earth: The only way to defeat the revolutionaries is to strip Witkovia of resources. When Rostovian troops retreat, the province they retreat from is razed, giving High Command $900 in plunder. Additionally the province is converted into wasteland. Wastelands can't be controlled, and all troops fighting in a wasteland province take full casualties regardless of IS. After one turn wastelands turn back into regular provinces with 0 Control. However such a brutal policy gives all Organizations +25% chance to gain Recognition due to sympathy for their plight.
Husband Resources: Steps must be taken to converse military resources until an overwhelming number of troops is available. Casualties from combat are reduced by half, but attacking awards a -0.25 Morale Penalty.
Execution Orders: All revolutionaries are to be executed without a trial. All enemy provinces that Rostovian troops end their turn in automatically get reduced to 0 Control, as opposed to spending a turn occupying the province. All Organizations gain a +0.15 Morale Bonus when fighting Rostovian troops, as innocent people are executed and turned into Martyrs.
Misc.
Rostovian Personalities are not awarded by number of provinces controlled, but arrive as reinforcements with the different armies. These Personalities can only use the Command Action, but are immune to Assassination and Sabotage.
Rostovian Troops cannot gain Control from occupying a province until Revolution breaks out.
Manpower is ignored.
Let me know if you have any questions about the rules or any other part of the game. They seemed a lot simpler in my head, and I'm certain that I didn't fully explain some crucial detail.