Postcards From Eternity: a Narrative Megacampaign AAR (Part 4)

[IndigoRage]

I was kind of rooting for these guys before (even though I wanted Germany to take enough to form) but they do seem kind of weak compared to OTL counterparts so I wonder how much they'll realistically be able to expand and consolidate before things get hot for them.

 

[eoncommander]

I always feel a bit dirty after writing about fascist content.

Totally understandable. I think you've done a good job with the historical verisimilitude so far.

 

[Cycle]

I've finished up several majors in the past weeks, so I'll be showing them off in somewhat quick succession in the near-future. First up, the Chinese Empire! China at the end of V2 was a large and industrialized nation, but one lagging behind in technology and with radicalism brewing from a large democratic movement under the absolutist government. Let's see what that translates to...

THE CHINESE EMPIRE, 1936

Population: 679.84M
Capital: Kaifeng
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Head of State: Emperor Hongli Liang
Military Estimate: 227 divisions (est. 1,460,000 men), 53 warships

Industry Estimate: 88 Civilian Factories, 37 Military Factories, 10 Naval Dockyards​

The Chinese Empire is the most populous nation on Earth and boasts the largest army on top of that. The Liang Dynasty has since the 1840s united most of the region under their banner, modernized, seized colonies in Indochina and the East Indies - and survived the Great War without it ever touching their mainland. While the rest of the Accord Imperiale were almost all occupied, defeated and partitioned by the victorious Central Powers, China signed a separate Peace With Honor, allowing it to save face and exit the war with only token costs to itself. The War was somewhat a humiliation for China regardless; it did well against other Asian powers, but suffered devastating defeats in the hands of the Italians at sea and in the colonial theatre. Belief in Italian supremacy has kept China isolated and inward-looking for decades, but the Revolution in Italy and the crumbling of the old order have seen it begin to come out of its shell.

Tensions are high within China, as well. The outlawed Huaxinghui or China Revival Movement continues to campaign against Imperial rule with local governments unwilling or unable to combat them. Widespread corruption and factionalism in the once-mighty bureaucratic apparatus has paralyzed the functioning of the state, while the generals of the Army have political ambitions of their own. The state has lost the means to combat the mass movement; there is real growing fear at court of the fall of the Emperor. The people whisper that the Liang have lost the Mandate of Heaven.

The Emperor Hongli refuses any thought of compromise or concession. The headstrong Emperor could conceive of reforms, but not if they mean surrendering to the demands of the howling mob. The Emperor is well aware of the deep-set problems of his government and nation. Once the Huaxinghui have been crushed, He may begin the great work of modernizing China - but not before. The Emperor's ministers, many of them sympathetic to the Movement, clash with their sovereign daily on the future of the Empire.

Any hope of crushing the opposition rests on guaranteeing the loyalties of the military and in keeping the economy running. This is well understood by the generals and by the workers, and they may very well choose to act dramatically in favor of the Huaxinghui unless the Emperor can find the means to pacify them. Failure to do so may mean catastrophic consequences; success the salvation of the Empire. If the Imperial government falls, what then? Moderates in China press for a constitutional monarchy and a conservative democratic system, while the radicals agitate for a clean break with the past and the formation of a Chinese Republic. The Emperor, too, may consider the path of constitutionalism if the threat of the masses is first contained.

Whoever picks up the pieces, they have a lot of work ahead of them. The government will need to restore stability to China and legitimize its rule. Any further reforms and changes will be difficult if the foundations of rule are not first secured. Once that has been achieved, however, there is a great deal more to do. China has fallen behind its peers in technology and military armaments. While China can claim a vast army of over a million men in arms, it is an army decades behind those of its rivals. The Empire's navy is modest and aging and it has no combat aircraft whatsoever. China's few armored regiments rely on the decade-old Type 7 tankette, which struggles against infantry and is essentially useless against modern armor.

China's troubles are many. Before the nation can move forward, it needs to deal with the troubles hindering any attempt at modernization. Administrative reforms, military purges and industrial rationalization must all be achieved before any further steps can be taken. This takes time and painful effort in a time where rival powers may very well be racing ahead into the future.

Yet when they are completed, China's possibilities are many. New fields of technology and industry can be opened up and utilized, while improved military training and schooling can transform the Chinese Army into a modern fighting force every bit the equal of its rivals. The traditional strengths of the Chinese Empire and the innovations of the future will be united to forge a truly formidable military machine - one that can carry any alliance into victory and beyond into world hegemony.

Two paths are open to China when it looks outwards. Whether absolutist or democratic, China may seek to abandon its isolationist policies and begin a period of expansion, uniting the region and re-establishing its fallen sphere of influence. It may also remain content with its inward focus, but seek deterrence and allies in Germany, the British, or Persia. An expansionist China will fundamentally alter the balance of power in the region, while a peaceful yet strengthened one promises protection - if at the cost of Chinese domination - for the independent nations of Asia.

Regardless of its chosen path, confrontation with Italy in the Pacific is inevitable. The Empire's colonies sit uncomfortably by the territories of the Malay Union and the Javan Council Republic, as well as the scattered holdings of the Italian and Ceylonese Unions. A Red tide is building over the Pacific, and left unchecked it will drown China in revolutionary fervor. Can the Chinese withstand the flood when it comes, or will they be broken and torn apart by its pull? The choices of the Chinese leadership will tell how it shall be.

 

[IndigoRage]

How granular do you plan to go with what countries get content? Presumably a lot of countries here only exist to get rolled over or be neutral observers for the time being. Like is Ava big enough for some focus?

 

[Cycle]

How granular do you plan to go with what countries get content? Presumably a lot of countries here only exist to get rolled over or be neutral observers for the time being. Like is Ava big enough for some focus?

Majors and interesting regional powers get content. Everyone gets at least a National Idea.

I haven't planned any content for Ava, but hey, maybe I'll continue the mod after I've concluded the AAR. It won't be in the 'release' version, though.

 

[NarcomancerPL]

No communist route for China?

 

[Cycle]

No communist route for China?

The Communist route for China is being defeated and puppeted by the Internationale. There wasn't enough Communist support in V2 China for me to deem it a sensible path for them - I try to base these things on the world the game has produced for me and am not trying to give every nation a path of every ideology for the sake of it.

 

[Cycle]

THE GERMAN FEDERATION, 1936

Population: 64.32M
Capital: Munich
Government: Constitutional Monarchy
Head of State: King Wilhelm II de Bourcq
Head of Government: Minister-President Leonard Baden
Military Estimate: 66 divisions (est. 523,700 men), 10 warships, 460 aircraft

Industry Estimate: 40 Civilian Factories, 16 Military Factories, 1 Naval Dockyards​

In the heart of Europe lies the Federal State of Germany, a democratic federation of 9 German duchies and kingdoms united under the authority of King Wilhelm II of Bavaria. This populous and industrious union state was born in 1904 to justify Bavarian expansionism, but reached its present territorial extent only in the 1920s. It is a national project born in war - against the French, the Dutch, the Czechs and others - but one still unfinished. The German intervention in the Italian Civil War - or 'the Austrian War' - in February-March 1927 was a dismal failure that saw nearly 200 000 men killed in battle and a disastrous loss of confidence in government at home.

The domestic situation in Germany has been turbulent ever since. The catastrophe of the War and long-delayed social reforms have eaten away at the support for the traditionally dominant right of German politics. A new centrist coalition led by the Zentrumspartei has governed Germany since 1930, cautiously steering a path between right and left. This moderate course may not survive the years to come. With no modern system of welfare, no pensions, no veteran care, no real labor regulations and continued nationalist agitation, the German right and left are becoming increasingly radicalized.

The blood is in the water. The communist KAP has grown bold, with street militants terrorizing Germany's industrial heartlands. Their Italian masters funnel endless money and resources into their pockets, or so it is claimed. On the right, a far more homegrown threat rears its vicious head in the fascist DSP, the Deutschsoziale Partei - a movement offering a synthesis of nationalism, racialism and shallow socialist dogma.

The police can only treat the symptoms, not the cause. Effective medication will demand a total reorganization of social policy. Even the most economically liberal and conservative parties have admitted the need for comprehensive social reforms to stem this tide of unrest. Yet endless delays and compromises are frustrating efforts to turn plans into action. Many fear that if these new systems are not put in place soon, Germany will follow Italy to revolution and civil war.

The threats are not only internal, of course. In the south, the Italian Union plots and prepares for terrible Liberation War. In the west, the French Civil War breeds further radicalism along the border, and threatens to create a new enemy should a Red or Brown France arise from the ashes. In the north, the Greater Sorbian dreams of Jurij Skala suggest conflict with the smaller state - an easy triumph on its own for German forces, but a new front to defend should they strike when Germany already faces other foes. The Netherlands too, are likely to align with Italy, opening a vulnerability for Germany in the north-west. The nation can only rely on its eastern neighbors, the democracies of Czechoslovakia and Poland, but if they should fall? Fears of encirclement grow daily in the Landtag.

Germany's armies are formidable. They are only beginning a slow march towards modernity, however. Four armored divisions, elite mountaineer corps, a large air fleet and a strong technological base form the iron core of the Federation Army, but the vast majority of it is composed of infantry divisions of varying quality and readiness. The German armored corps have also become complacent, relying on obsolete designs and technologies and letting the innovations of Italy and Persia fly by.

With only one large port in Wilhelmshaven, Germany's merchant marine is small and its war fleet even smaller. A commissioned American battleship is the pride of the German fleet. It is supported by both American-made and domestically designed cruisers and destroyers - a decent force for coastal defense, but nothing that could ever challenge the mighty Italian or English fleets. Many in Germany have become proponents of a new strategy that abandons any hope of contesting the seas, instead relying on cheap U-Boat submarines to raid enemy shipping.

May still be expanded.​

There is a lack of coherent doctrine in the German high command. Few voices speak of any kind of offensive focus, but there is no consensus on what German defense should look like. Some call for artillery and firepower to crush invading forces, others for an expansion of Germany's armored and anti-tank capabilities to dominate any battlefield and allow for rapid counter-attacks, while some put their faith in the humble infantryman with his shovel and readiness to defend his country. All of these paths hope to create a powerful enough deterrent to prevent aggression by Germany's neighbors - but time will tell if such a thing is even possible.

To support such reforms, revitalization of German industries is necessary. With commerce with Italy and France dead in the water, new markets must be opened and new investment targets discovered to stimulate economic growth. Rearmament and preparation for a new European war will follow if the dark clouds continue to gather. Should the government's ambitious defense plans be realized, the nation could be transformed into a Fortress Germania, a bastion to withstand any assault from the Italian or French borders. As long as no-one thinks to circumvent them.

The current government's foreign policy can be summed up as putting one's head in the sand and hoping for the best, but their hands are tied by the anti-war feeling dominating within the country. It may be that the Federal Elections of 1939 will see a shift in the Landtag. The conservative and monarchist Reichspartei champion a more aggressive, anti-Communist foreign policy and the creation of a New German Order over Europe to safeguard it from radicalism. Their message may galvanize the German people for the war effort. The Left Front of the SPD and UPSD seeks to draw moderate communists into a popular coalition and to establish peaceful relations with the Italian Union, hoping to thus avoid invasion. Even the Zentrumspartei may have to cautiously adopt a more proactive policy as tensions rise.

Until then - or until Germany is invaded - the strongest democracy in Europe will not lift a finger to support the continent's free nations should they come under attack, at least not openly. Hawks in the Federation have long advocated for a League of Nations to unite the free world economically and defensively. There has been little interest in such a project and Germany's isolationism has kept the doors barred even to those who would seek guarantees, but that may at last change. If that change comes too late or just in time will have to be seen. Far over the Atlantic, the great New World democracies of the United States and Canada promise a potential ally for democratic Europe; if not, then there is hope for democratization in China and the coming of that vast nation to the rescue.

 

[IndigoRage]

Population: 64.32M

Was going to say this was really close to the actual German population at the time IRL for its size but then I realized all the pieces it's missing have hardly anyone living there IRL bar Berlin and Saxony.

 

[NarcomancerPL]

I see new ideology added, you cannot hide it from me xd I still believe in vampire/darkness ideology and the colour would fit

Speaking of vampires... When we will see preview for "Wallachia"?

P.S.: Does italian royal family fled to Americas? I don't remember, but I think some royals did

 

[NarcomancerPL]

Like without comment from @Cycle himself does it mean I'm right about everything? xd

 

[Cycle]

I see new ideology added, you cannot hide it from me xd I still believe in vampire/darkness ideology and the colour would fit

Speaking of vampires... When we will see preview for "Wallachia"?

P.S.: Does italian royal family fled to Americas? I don't remember, but I think some royals did

Like without comment from @Cycle himself does it mean I'm right about everything? xd

You must be hallucinating. There is no secret ideology and vampires aren't real. I am not carefully cropping pictures to avoid showing things.

Wallachia will come soon. Maybe next or after Canada.

The Italian royal family dispersed after the Revolution. Many of them ended up in Costa Ricca, the 'Republic of Exiles' - the newly independent colony was essentially taken over by White Italian emigres with the remnants of their forces after the Italian Civil War and is now a fascist military junta. The royals squabble there over who is the rightful claimant to the throne.

Some went to Britain instead and are there as guests of the King (who is also of the House of Guerra), to be restored to their throne should Britain defeat Italy. Some just took their money and became royal nomads touring every court worth a damn. The different branches of the family don't like each other very much.

 

[Cycle]

Canada, with disputed historical territories in red...

THE REPUBLIC OF CANADA, 1936

Population: 79.37M
Capital: Tadoussac
Government: Presidential Republic
Head of Government: President Louis Perodeau
Military Estimate: 84 divisions (est. 600,700 men), 120 warships, 332 aircraft

Industry Estimate: 45 Civilian Factories, 21 Military Factories, 13 Naval Dockyards​

The queen of the north, the Republic of Canada is a strange success story indeed. As a young nation, it suffered in wars against the United States and lost much of its territory, including what had then been thought its most fertile and inhabitable provinces in the south. Yet immigration drew millions and millions of souls to live in the progressive republic in over the 19th Century. The cold and undeveloped north should not have been able to sustain such a large and rapidly growing population, yet advances in agricultural practices and technology - known as Canada's 'Green Revolution' - allowed more and more marginal land to be converted into farms, and industrial booms encouraged the construction of cities and infrastructure to extract Canada's ample natural resources.

That is the official story, in any case. There are many who speak of a Green Mother instead - a divine guardian of Canada, whose influence has allowed crops to grow and rivers to run in spite of the hostile climate. Men of science scoff at such claims, but grow quiet when pressed to explain exactly what invention or natural phenomenon is to thank for the Northern Miracle.

Whatever the case, the odds were overcome. Even so, Canada relies heavily on food imports to feed its massive population, and lack of housing and land is has grown to become a political crisis. The social-democratic Parti des Travailleurs has governed Canada for over twenty years, enjoying a solid popular mandate - and, some whisper, the blessing of the Green Mother as well. They seek to tackle the population crisis without compromising the socialist, democratic, environmentalist and pacifist ethos enshrined in the party constitution.

The Party has marched from election to election without much fear of defeat, but times are changing. The Restauration Nationale movement has grown in popularity and resources during the last decade. Their brand of nationalist, xenophobic and revanchist crypto-fascism calls for the expulsion of immigrants and restoration of traditional values in Canada. Furthermore, they peddle a dangerous dream of a Greater Canada restored - the return of the southern provinces which now form American states, a goal that cannot be achieved without war.

If the democratic establishment is to triumph in the elections to come, they are in a hurry to address the crisis. Solving the land question is only one goal of many for the Travailleurs. Party theorists have put forward diverse plans of economic, social and cultural reform, with the intent of transitioning into a form of capitalism built on worker co-operatives as an intermediary step towards socialism. Such lofty dreams cannot be achieved overnight; should they not bring relief to the landless and the unemployed soon, they might never have the chance to do so.

Canada is a scientific and economic powerhouse, and has the potential to become a world leader of the future, but only if it can survive the coming years.

President Perodeau and the dominant faction of the PdT are staunch pacifists, with a line of foreign policy firmly forbidding intervention in the armed conflicts of the world. The RN demand militarization and perhaps even war against the United States, but even the PdT's internal opposition and rival democratic parties call for interventionism and military build-up. Canada cannot stand by while the horrors of tyranny and old world reactionarism engulf the world.

Military reforms thus demand their own share of the budget. Modernization of the Army and the Air Fleet is increasingly urgent. Canada's land forces are large - over 600,000 men in arms - but old-fashioned, with a reliance on cavalry and no tank corps beyond experimental prototypes. The budget has shrunk over the last decade, which has left many divisions armed with equipment better suited for 1836 than 1936.

President Perodeau would see 'the entire unwieldy apparatus' shrunk to a territorial defense force alongside small task forces of elites. The Canadian Rangers are the pride of the Army, but they are light infiltration infantry; hardly the instrument of total war. His successors, whoever they may be, have other plans. Canada's army may yet grow to one of the greatest in the world.

At sea, however, the Republic may possess the most advanced and novel fighting force on the planet. The Canadian Navy is large and modern. It is one of the few navies in the world to have invested in the experimental tool of the aircraft carrier. Three carriers of the Grande-Duchesse-class already form the heart of the Republic Navy, with new modern Acadia-class vessels under construction. They are supported by a wide range of capital ships, escorts and submarines.

It remains to be seen who this mighty weapon shall be wielded against. The Italian Navy and the Internationale, perhaps, or then the English Royal Navy and the fleets of the Accord Royale? Or it may be they will come to wage war far closer to home, should Canada find itself at war with its far larger southern neighbor.

The Restauration Nationale's dream of invading the United States and reclaiming Canada's lost territories is a precarious one. Though the Canadian Army outnumbers the demobilized, peacetime American one, the United States is a juggernaut of industry. On a war footing, it will inevitably destroy Canada - which means a swift lightning victory is required to achieve the dream.

They do not share the blessing of the Travailleurs, in any case. Should it appear that their foolish vainglory would bring devastation and suffering to the Canadian people, they may be challenged by a power far older than them - a power invested in peace and prosperity for Canada. The Mother's wrath is not easily awakened, but it is terrible to behold.

Yet it is not only in Canada that old powers stir...

Next up, Wallachia!

 

[IndigoRage]

That is the official story, in any case. There are many who speak of a Green Mother instead - a divine guardian of Canada, whose influence has allowed crops to grow and rivers to run in spite of the hostile climate. Men of science scoff at such claims, but grow quiet when pressed to explain exactly what invention or natural phenomenon is to thank for the Northern Miracle.

80 million people with its highest carrying capacity region gone to the US, I'm inclined to believe it is magic.

 

[eoncommander]

Hints of the supernatural are starting to return... hopefully that means we're getting close to the launch date.

 

[eoncommander]

80 million people with its highest carrying capacity region gone to the US, I'm inclined to believe it is magic.

I saw that population figure and I kind of just gawked at it for like two minutes before reading on.

 

[Cycle]

80 million people with its highest carrying capacity region gone to the US, I'm inclined to believe it is magic.

I saw that population figure and I kind of just gawked at it for like two minutes before reading on.

Yeaah. Victoria 2 saw absolutely bonkers immigration, because the game doesn't care about things like that. I justified it best I could, but this is a case where you'll have to suspend your disbelief. Would have felt wrong to just remove those pops, so here we are.

 

[HIMDogson]

Holy hell, that's a strong Canada; I wonder how having a near peer just to their north impacts American defense policy; I'd imagine the US army is a powerful army in being much earlier than OTL.

 

[Cycle]

Holy hell, that's a strong Canada; I wonder how having a near peer just to their north impacts American defense policy; I'd imagine the US army is a powerful army in being much earlier than OTL.

The US Army is larger than in OTL, but not huge. Militarily, American thinking doesn't see Canada as a near peer, because the US has crushed Canada in every war they have had.

The last time was only in 1903, which was the last time far-right forces gained power in Canada and tried invading the US. The end result was a brief and humiliating border conflict that ended in very swift defeat for them. Since then Canada's army has been built up a lot (and the population has exploded - much of the immigration happened in the 1900s, now that I look at the save), but in America's mind it's still the same old pushover they can knock over whenever they feel like it.

The PdT governments have also dropped all claims to old territory and built stronger peaceful ties with the US, so there appears to be no risk of war. The US will certainly wake up if the RN does take power and starts rattling sabers, but sleeping giants take their time to stir.

 

[Cycle]

THE KINGDOM OF WALLACHIA, 1936

Population: 52.90M
Capital: Bucharest
Government: Constitutional Monarchy
Head of State: King Tibor XVI Draculesti
Head of Government: Prime Minister Gheorghe Cihoski
Military Estimate: 46 divisions (est. 426,100 men), 28 warships, 100 aircraft

Industry Estimate: 31 Civilian Factories, 12 Military Factories, 2 Naval Dockyards

The Kingdom of Wallachia has a great deal of hope for the future. From tyrannical autocracy known mostly for its closed nature and superstitious people, it has grown into a modern constitutional monarchy and thriving multi-party democracy with steady economic growth even in these trying times. Prime Minister Gheorghe Cihoski has a strong popular mandate for his programme of greater labor rights and social welfare. Though the road ahead is long and winding, it seems that-

-Prime Minister, excuse me. There is someone here to see you.

-Well, tell them to wait. Can't you see I'm in the middle of-?

THE DRACUL EMPIRE, 1936

Population: 52.90M
Capital: Bucharest
Government: Vampiric Thralldom
Head of State: The Lord Dracul
Military Estimate: 46 divisions (est. 426,100 men), 28 warships, 100 aircraft

Industry Estimate: 31 Civilian Factories, 12 Military Factories, 2 Naval Dockyards
​

The Dracul Empire is the returned dominion of the vampyr over the lands of Wallachia. It is a nightmare realm where shadows wait to pluck the unwary into their final embrace and the people lock their doors tightly for the night. The dregs of the democratic government exist as a thin veneer of legitimacy for their inhuman masters. The Lord Dracul, the most powerful of their kind and the only true immortal among them, seeks to restore his cruel empire over the Balkans, perhaps over the whole of Europe. All over the world, hidden Courts of his spawn wait for their master to raise them to power.

The Midnight Court, the myriad spawn and descendants of the Lord Dracul in Wallachia, have eagerly come forth to serve their master. The Court stands divided, however. Infighting and age-old quarrels have left the vampyr divided, various factions competing for their progenitor's favor and the reins of power. As long as this struggle afflicts the Court and uncertainty over the true rulers of Wallachia continues, the Empire is badly hindered.

Dracul and his spawn have great plans for the mortal population - the serfs, as they are used to thinking of the masses. The mortals are unlikely to like the changes they have in mind, however. As the Midnight Court spreads its influence and remakes Wallachia in its image, the mortals grow more and more aware of the truth and more and more defiant. Thousands slip away into the hills and form subversive cells, threatening the Empire with insurrection.

The first task ahead for the new masters of Wallachia is to eliminate what remains of the free mortal administration and political establishment. Such a purge will inevitably lead to unrest among the serfs, and care must be taken to act swiftly. Trouble in the family cannot be allowed to continue unchecked either. Dracul must choose whether to favor the Old Blood with their centuries of refinement and learning or the younger spawn of the New Blood, with their ideas of rationalized and industrialized thralldom. Should He tire of them both, Dracul may as well decide upon a Renfeld Compromise - purging both vampiric factions, and instead directing power to mortal followers and lackeys to create the Cult of Dracul.

The Dracul Empire lags behind its more powerful and industrialized neighbors, the victim of unjust wars and separatist movements in the past century. The vampyr, fortunately, have methods of advancing the nation that mortal governments lack. The serfs are to be made efficient and obedient workers, housed in great fortified factory-keeps governed by the most favored Princes of the Court. The secrets and treasures of the earth are to be torn out and made ready for exploitation for the Empire's war machine.

The Wallachian Army is a formidable fighting force, but nowhere near the empires it must overcome in the wars to come. Its modern tanks and aircraft provide a strong foundation, but sweeping reforms must be undertaken to turn it into an army worthy of Dracul. The navy is nothing to boast of, but suitably strengthened may allow for regional domination of the seas.

The warlords of the Midnight Court and those mortal generals clever enough to be heeded have a great deal of ideas for the future of the military. Innovations of modern technology and secrets of occult lore may come together to empower this blunt instrument into a deadly scythe that shall reap all of Europa. Whether the focus shall be on swift motorized and airborne hunting horrors, or the fanaticism and endless number of loyal serf-soldiers, these developments promise a great deal. Similar improvements may be made for the navy, granting it advantages unheard of by mortal nations.

In time, the Court may even offer its own children for the war effort. The vampyr have never been marshalled into entire divisions, but should such a feat be accomplished, they would be shock troops the kind the world has never seen. Of course, feeding such units will take a great deal of... sustenance.

Time is of the essence, however, lest the enemies of the Empire grow too strong to be taken quickly. Dracul intends to reclaim all of his lost empire and more. He might bite off more than he can chew, of course, but allies may be found in the most unexpected of places. Furthermore, with the entirety of the nation under his control once more, Dracul stands on the cusp of attaining even greater powers.

Should the rituals described in the ancient tomes within the Vaults of Dracul be completed, the Vampire Lord shall ascend to become a Disciple of the Seven, empowered by each of their blessings. The world knows not what may befall them then. The Dracul Empire must be destroyed quickly, or the price for its downfall may grow too great to bear...

Mwah mwah mwah.