Scramble

It would appear that the Mahdi has roamed free of British held territory the past year or so.  Could be the patrols...  Could be that he can count and knows what is there and desires not to make his move now.

And in one bound our hero is free !...........The Socialist Revolution in Bavaria is finally over with the Rebels chased out of Munich by a mix of Catholic Nuns and Music Lovers (and no I dont mean the French Army who sent month in North African Whore Houses.)

Oddly the Ending of the Revolution came just after the HEIC made major investments in the German Stock Market. With Lord Charles Hardinge adopting a spread betting view that if the "Reds" are defeated current German Share Prices are really cheap. But if German Rivals of British & American companies he owns stakes in get wiped out in the revolution he makes money on the Anglo-American companies who would have a monopoly in selected markets.

Well it made sence to the HEIC even if it made sence to no one else.

Other events in March 1855 inc

1) A game of "Lets all slag off Lord Farnworth and the Opium Cartel." Not sure what hurts the Opium Cartel more the verbal attacks of Disraeli and the Tory Press. Or rival triads torching its warehouses in Canton.

2) In the Orient both Russia & Germania have taken control of new area's but else-where it is anarchy.

3) Ditto Indea but in a less military way. Wild religious zealots may not be on the war path but someone has slipped the Gov-Gen a micky finn in his brandy !!! And hung a well known lawyer as well.

Bismark is free... I wonder if this indicates new blood for Germania. Also, it appears that the enemy of the HEIC keeps striking out at the good Viscount. I don't believe the gentleman nor Her Majesty's Government will tolerate this much longer.

The Mahdi seems to be well away the Nile. One wonders what that madman might be up to.

Same old Germania, and there is still a rebellion in Bavaria, its just that "Bizzy" got free, which was a suprise as I planned on leaving him in jail but with a tuba for company!

Now you will just have to kill him off I guess. Perhaps a Nun with a gun!!!

No, I have grown quite fond of Bizzy, the Germanian generals detest him though.......

Basileus wrote:No, I have grown quite fond of Bizzy, the Germanian generals detest him though.......

Can you blame them? They wanted to fight the Russians and "Bizzy" made peace with the Czar and his happy hymn singing hordes.

Then in a fit of Russian paranoia the Russian MP called the German Generals, "Bizzy" and Lord Derby a bunch of namby pamby liberals for allowing Socialist's to revolt in Bavaria and a bunch of dodgy liberals and Anglo-Triad drug runners and bankers to set up shop in Berlin and take over large chunks of the British Press.

Clearly the fact that the German General Staff has been called a bunch of namby pamby liberals is all the fault of "Bizzy"

That did really get the Germanian generals being called namby pampy liberals and led to their attacking a Tatar Hetman. Basically the only target they could reach in a month.
"Bizzy" has one month left to sort out the Bavarians before a Germanian general turns up with troops, the Bavarians are just lucky that admirals aren't allowed to command troops, because the Admiralty is really unhappy because of the dreadnought disaster....... and want to take that out on somebody even if they are totally innocent, now who was guilty of that?

Basileus wrote:That did really get the Germanian generals being called namby pampy liberals and led to their attacking a Tatar Hetman. Basically the only target they could reach in a month.
"Bizzy" has one month left to sort out the Bavarians before a Germanian general turns up with troops, the Bavarians are just lucky that admirals aren't allowed to command troops, because the Admiralty is really unhappy because of the dreadnought disaster....... and want to take that out on somebody even if they are totally innocent, now who was guilty of that?

Now let me think  

possible suspects for who was guilty of the great German Dreadnought disaster???????

A) Agema.........used the same design team who built the British Victoria class. The second great Dreadnought disaster.

B) The French.........trying to import your inferior pork products into France, seduce their Nuns and spread pox in Paris must have gone down at storm.

C) Tha Austrians........gunning down visitors in their capital and pinching artillery plans from factories in Austria.

D) The Russians........said visitor was their trade minister plus you did promise to protect various "rebels" against the authority of the Czar

E) The HEIC...........said Austrian factory/plans were owned by the HEIC.......a organization known to react badly to being robbed.

F) The HEIC.........is major tax payer and support for the Brittanic Govt..........a organization which does not like naval rivals or people picking on its tax payers.

G) The Opium Cartel...........who ordered the execution of Farnworth Senior in Berlin?

H) A N Other suspects inc Nuns and Italians who just want to cause trouble.

My money backing the theory that ..........a Nun did it  

I must concur... These Nuns are causing so much trouble on the Continent. That was not the issue in Britannia, but we shall see what comes in the next few months form the shipyards. It looks really fast!

So everyone wanted to sink the Germanian navy? What was Farnworth doing in Berlin, what were the Italians doing in Bavaria? Somebody was posing as an archaeologist in my naval base. This game is devious.......

Britannia has an excellent investigative officer. Let's correspond in game good sir. I beleive that you will find that the Derby government is not what it is described to be!

Basileus wrote:So everyone wanted to sink the Germanian navy? What was Farnworth doing in Berlin, what were the Italians doing in Bavaria? Somebody was posing as an archaeologist in my naval base. This game is devious.......

Well one Italian was in Bavaria singing and flashing her bits before she got shot. If any other Italians were in Bavaria I suspect they were starting a Socialist Revolution.

Ref the German Navy if the Question was "who wanted to sink it" then the answer is easy..........."Everyone"

If the question is "Who actually sunk it"........the true answer is the German Admiralty who could not be bothered to find and fix all the problems.

I think the question's you really need to ask is "who arranged all the problems with your ship's boilers etc?" and who "dropped your admiral in the dock's?" and were they the same? The problem is so many people are possible suspects!

Quite clearly the Archaeologist was a Marine one looking for the remains of the Prussian Yacht Squadron cicra 1740 while Farnworth was in hiding after the great London Jail break. Quite why a Triad Gang leader fled to Berlin rather than Canton remains a bit of a mystery.

Assume he was either scouting out new markets for his Opium or he thought "Bizzy" would protect him. A clear error on his part.

Boilers were fine... Just issues with the gunnery platform was the report. I beleive the blame falls on me for that one. Should have left the design alone instead of trying to put everything in the world on the ship. We are not in the modern era yet!

We shall see....

Stuart as always your logic is flawless. (The mind of a Latin scholar being precise with language and logic.) Revvaughan, I will correspond turn after next (I have already sent my turn in).
If it didnt take so long to research anything I think I might try for a U boat fleet, but in game and real time turns it would have to be about 5 years off at least. But it would fit in with the steorotype of the "dasterdly hun".
Needless to say it would just sink in harbour with the equivalent of Charles Haughtry as the captain of the first Germanian U boat.

It would appear as though we have to infestations... Rats in London and Satanic Nuns in Tripoli! One wonders what our little world is coming to.

Britannic Times for April 1855 has shown up and for non players of my favourite Agema game here are the highlight:

1) And in two bounds our Hero has saved Bavaria & Europe from the Socialist Plague and picked up a new Bavarian Mistress (Helga) as well. Now all "Bizzy" has to do is avoid being shot by Field Otto Model and keep Helga away from the Beer.

2) Old London Town is suffering a Rat problem.............the largest Rats in London seem to be trying a bit of PR by altering their name from the Opiate Corporation to that of the Albion Corporation. I suspect Farnworth and his chums will need something more than a re-branding to alter the opinion of Lord Derby.

3) More problems for the Albion corporation in Canton were the British backed Triads are being challenged by the Sima backed
Taku White Lotus. Farnworth's chaps seem to have seen off their rivals to date.

4) In other parts of Sima growing Empire the Kings men seem to be having problems with Volcanic explosions and the Natives throwing Spears at them........but at least this is better than -

5) Indea were the natives are throwing insults and writs around - Mind you with Charles Darcy breaking and entering the murdered Chitale's house and pinching his private papers you can understand why they are upset.

Meanwhile the ISB are still looking for that other infamous House Breaker - Paspportu - with a £5Ok reward on offer to the man or woman who brings him in........dead or alive.

6) The real fuss and bother however seems to be in North Africa were religious types have started to burn ports and de-rail trains. The later to the great annoyance of the French Army one of who's generals was on a de-railed train. Fortunately a nice, soft nun broke his fall  

Let me correct myself with Vampire Nuns! I believe that would be more accurate. Seems as though it is time for a fire to strike a few places!

Farnworth's little move is rather interesting. I wonder what the Albion group will do in the next few months. I believe one of the options will be to squirm and wine!

May 1855 Britannic Times has shown up and its all gone oddly quite:

1) Sima has made peace with China and retreated from a bunch of spear chucking natives in Africa

2) Italians, French, Persians etc seem to have fled Massawa.......chased out by a German Bishop and his followers.

3) After smiteing ungodly trains and telegraph lines the Mahdi has retired back into his deserts.........but has left a French Puppet still on the throne of Morroco and North Africa still occupied by Vampire French Nuns so as Jihads go it was a bit of a flop.

4) Our hero Bismarck has openned a Sausage shop in Munich and now has the German Army guarding him from Helga.

5) In India......Oxford old Boys beat CambridgeOld Boys at Cricket in Bombay, Flashman and his chums in the HEIC seem to have gone back to playing "Railway Rivals" but oddly infamous house breaker Charles Darcy and his Thugge bodyguards who may or may not have murdered the lawyer Chitale still seem to be free and unarrested. Is this because the the ISB (India Special Branch) are rubbish at their job..........or dont care about lawyers?

6) The Eurograph contest would seem to be back on.........singing Vampire nuns?

7) London Govt & the rebranded Opium Corporation continue their slanging match. Odd that in Windsor England James Sassoon one of the Opium Cartel knew Chitale had been murdered while in India the cause of death is still not known.

Chitale was the lawyer who failed to get Papa Sassoon off charges of Arson and Murder after a plot to burn down rivals warehouses was foiled in the act.

While the individual who turned Kings evidence against Papa Sassoon is now missing?

Definately need vampire singing nuns at the Eurograph competition. Bizzy is going to have to get himself a new band together quickly and get over to France. No Russian, Austrian or English entries. Italians are probably the hot favourite at the moment.

June 1855 Britannic Times has shown up and after a few not a lot happening months suddenly all hell has boken out:

1) His Imperial Majesty Napoleon III has been cut down  and the Islamic Republic of Franconia declared by an ex catholic order of ex halots who have now converted to Islam. Mother Superior Fifa of Les Coquettes Fervents now rules in France    

General Bazaine the Commander of the French Army in North Africa has welcomed the move but quite what others will make of it remains to be seen.

The ex Prime Minister, The Empress and Louis the Prince Imperial are believed to have fled into exile in England and may seek the help of Lord Derby to restore Christain Rule to France.

2) Lord Derby seems to have enough problems with bickering trade companies and nasty things in the drains but Queen Victoria may "not be amused" if he does nothing. Also what happens if the new Islamic Republic joins with the Mahdists?

3) Grand Duke Polovtsov champion of Christain values and foe of revolution spent month attending the Bolshoi Ballet and moaning about Germania and China not honouring treaty obligations. The murder of his old friend and ally will no doubt really give Czar's henchmen something to moan about.

4) Right in the middle of the trouble in France........our Hero "Bizzy"........can our hero and the fair Helga get out of France alive? And if he does make it back what will Model do to him? And can that Christain Hero Archbishop Manfred Schonmuller rally the soldiers of God to face the forces of the Islamic Republic now posed to sweep over the Orient and on to Indea?

5) The first wave of Islamic Republican Troops lead by General Jeannarc d'Orleans have landed in Karshi in the far north west Indea region slaughtering Khan Niyazo and thousands of his simple herdsman as they advance.

Truely the lazy days of Polo, Cricket, Tiffin on the lawn and the gentile good life enjoyed the Princes of Indea & HEIC factors are at risk..............who are they going to call ?.................FLASHMAN!

- The advance of the Islamic Republic may also face the Brit Navy since in the last month Queen Victoria's Govt rec'd over £1M in tax from the HEIC and its shareholders who include a large chunk of the Tory Party in the House of Lords £4M in dividends.

- Faced with the prospect of fighting the rampaging hordes of the Islamic Republic or having to explain things to the 1822 Committee and then the Queen over a Cream Tea with the Empress of France & Lady Flashman also invited what is a man of honour to do?

6) While options for Gentlemen of Honour seem limited to picking up their Lee-Enfield and fighting for Cricket, Holy Mother Russia, The Protection of French Wine from Islamic Law (delete as required) one wonders on which side the Opium Cartel will end up?

November 1855 Britannic Times has shown up and for non players who may be thinking about following "Amerika North" and dipping the toe in the water here is what is going on in the Press:

1) Probably concerned by the claims of the suddenly active USA (Amerika North) the British are pushing their claims to the disputed Ohio region being part of Canada by sending an Army to enforce the rule of Queen Victoria. Oddly this seems to be helping President Stanton and his Unionist message in other states.

2) But not on the West Coastin...........assume to have an effect here the Gov-General of Canada will have so send the troops into the disputed Oregon region.

3) As well as fending off upstart Yank's the Lord Derby has problems with feuding trade companies and has just noticed that Islamic-Frog forces have landed in Indea which he is not happy about.

4) Ref feuding trade companies the HEIC offensive against the Opium cartel/Thuggi cult in Jaipur seems to have stalled for reasons unknown but with three trade ships sunk in the English Channel and mass brawls between Opium gangs in Bangkok no doubt the world of commerce is still beset by dark deeds.

On the plus side the HEIC doubled its end of year dividend to £10M and the Tea Cartel profits in the Indean Region are now over £2M a month so some Trade Companies are doing their best to keep trading and keep the tax payments flowing to Lord Derby.

5) The new French Revolutionary Regime seems to have gone quite but the Govt of Osterreich seems to be in th market to buy Machine Guns just in case but this could equally reflect Osterreich concerns about Germany & Russia.

- Oddly both our hero Bismarck & the parnoid head of the Russian Govt now share the most prestigious list with two drug runners and the new-be President Edwin Stanton of the USA with not a Brit in sight. Probably a reflection of how successful publications like the Times and the Telegraph have been in attacking their opposition and branding them blackguards, bounders and cads.

Dec 1855 Britannic Times has shown up and for non players who may be thinking about following Amerika North and dipping their toe in the waters of Scabble this is how President Stanton and his happy band are getting on:

1) The good news is that the key swing state of Ohio now wants to join the Union and has called on the President for help from the Government in Washington. The bad news is that the reason Ohio wants help is that the British are trying to enforce the claim that Ohio is part of Canada and have sent an Army to back this claim up.

2) Part of the US Army under General Sherman is in San Diego trying to bully the locals into the Union the rest under General Grant is a bit closer to Ohio but since Grant and his men have now had the worst of two fights with Indians equiped with nothing more than Tomahawks and their faith in God is Grant and his tomahawked chest up to fighting the Brits?

3) In other news the Church Elders of Wilming now believe the USA as being run by Satanists and do not wish to join but the district of Norfolk and the good old boys and red necks of the CS of A seem to be warming to President Stanton.

4) Stanton may need all the help he can get since in distant Jaipur another bunch of uppity natives decided to take on some of Queen Victoria's spiffing chaps and these were not even the real articles........being HEIC "want to be spiffing chaps". The Pink Palace and the Pink Palace are now no more but the HEIC may have missed its main target since the Thugee/Albion Corporation seem to have done s runner prior to the attack.

5) Recent reports put the Thugee in Gentleman's clubs in Calcutta and the Albion Corporation in Washington DCtrying to set up a Bank. Is it any wonder that Lord Derby has doubts about the claims of the Albion Corporation's claims to be Patriotic Englishmen.

Other news:

6) The Osterreich Govt has found that £500,000 of its money seem to have been used to fund the Ashanti Army.

7) The Russians are having problems with uppity natives in Sapoune with II Mountain Brigade routed in a Night Attack.

Our Hero "Bizzy" is in Rome looking for new Italian Mistress after the last one got shot and the German Army seems to be on Transport Ships in Tangiers, sadly while the cat was away Bavarian Socialist's burnt down his sausage shop in Munich.......more uppity natives.

9) Meanwhile "Bizzy" great chum the Baron von Memno has pushed into Gondor. A Christain Land which was at one time menaced by the Great Maldi and his uppity Natives........only to find the generous and Noble Lord Derby famed protector of Christain folk against mad men and uppity natives had got to Gondor ahead of him.

People now wonder if Lord Derby will in future seek to help and protect the French and the Mohox. If the later General Grant could have his work cut out fighting his way to Ohio.

April 1856 Britannic Times has shown up and the big news is that no ships have sunk or characters killed due to iceburgs or dodgy Germanic design of ships and air ships.

Apart from the lack of dead and drowned characters events of note include:

1) The Grand Duke Frederick of Casalanza directed an attack on the Ashanti from his stretcher..........will fighting in a tropical rain forest from a stretcher is no doubt safer than being in an Austrian Airship! Austrians & Ashanti forces both seem to be exhusted.

2) President Stanton has welcomed Ohio into the Union and made David Todd of Ohio a US Congressman.......The same month as David Todd and his bunch of rough riders get captured by the Canadian Mounties. This gives the Canadian Authorities a bit of a problem......can they hang a US Congressman for leading a revolt against Queen Victoria in the Britannic Territory of Ohio?

Do doubt this problem will be referred back to Lord Derby who will have Gladstone saying no you can not hang member of the US Congress while the Tory Backwood's men in the Lords (HEIC Shareholders to a man) will want Todd hung to high the Crows will need oxygen to peck his eyes.

3) While President Stanton seems to be making diplomatic progress in many area's more bad news on the Military front from the forests of Puvurn were the Mohox seem to have now wiped out about half of General Grants US Army.

4) The good old boys in the CS of A seem to be staying out of all this nasty military stuff in favour of building railways. Some people seem to believe that scrabble is actually a version of the "Railway Rivals" game and work on the following basis:

- Allies.......people who allow you to build railways across their land.
- Foes........people who do not allow you to build railways across their land.
- Military Action.......something undertaken to obtain railway concessions.

I look forward to seeing what happens in the America's when one railway network heading North/South runs into another running East/West.

5) Strange lack of news from North Africa concerning the German Africa corp and its attempt to restore the old French Government. The French seem to have responded to the invasion by getting drunk on fermented camels milk and the German's Christain Converts shot a lot of Islamic types in Massawa for failure to see the light when preached at my Bishop Schonmuller. One wonders if the drinking or the shooting will upset the Mad Madhi and his rabid hordes more?

6) Albion Private Bank reopened on site intended for the Ballet Russ. This means British Bankers linked to the Opium Trade are causeing Germania to be in total violation of its peace treaty with Rossia? Do the Opium Corporation care? Probably not since its current head believes our hero Bismark had his dad shot.

May 1856 Britannic Times has shown up and for non players here are the highlights (or low lights depending on your point of view):

1) David Todd of Ohio saved her Majesties Govt from the problem of hanging a member of the US Congress by escaping from his rather lax captors......but we now have the problem of a member of the US Congress pinching £18,700 of British Govt money and holding the famous engineers Charles Somerest captive.

2) Back in London someone stole £4,000,000 from the Tea Cartel. Top suspect is the infamous Spy and sometime employee of the Opium Cartel Sherlock Holmes but orther suggestions inc the Marquess of Salisbury who had a ship near the Crime & the HEIC. The later theories are unlikely as Admirals and Peers of the Realm do not normally rob Tea companies while the HEIC is a commercial ally of the Tea Cartel not its foe.

3) In its Indian Heartlands the HEIC spent the month playing cricket and polo. With the Indian Army Team beating the Indian Railways Team while the Cambridge Old Boys got the bragging rights over the Oxford Chaps (yet again)

4) The Osterreich Govt seems to be looking for someone called Herr Von Sternberg and is less than happy with the commander of its forces in West Africa probably because his command keep crashing Air Ships.

5) From accounts out of Tripoli it seems you need to be a Nun to fly one of these things and not crash it

6) Siam almost got an envoy eat but apart from Wang Long almost getting boiled, Charles Somerset getting kidnapped and the odd case of criminal charges/slander all characters made it through the month Ok.