NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC; This is only a little test run, if all goes well I'll go through and edit it all so it'll be a good proper one. Anyhows comments welcomed.

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TRAIN CRASH AT VERMILLION STATION!

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On the afternoon of Thursday, it our painful task to state, an appalling accident occurred at Vermillion Station, in the very heart of our fair city.

A train of the Brackenton line, carrying passengers to Serlin's central railway station, lost the use of its braking mechanism and was derailed upon reaching the station, causing much confusion, property damage and injury to persons aboard the train, if not outright loss of life.

The accident, more than terrible enough had it occurred outside the city limits, was all the more horrifying because it took place not ten paces from the busy platform, before the eyes of nearly two hundred witnesses. Rail officials, ticket takers, would-be passengers and those waiting for loved ones and acquaintances to disembark from the self-same train watched aghast, in no way able to interfere with the train, which barreled into the station out-of-control.

It was only by the offices of gentle Providence that this train had slowed earlier on its approach to the station, and that it did not in fact overturn as derailed trains have been wont to do on other occasions. One hesitates to conjecture what terrible losses the city of Serlin might have incurred had the train been going faster when those brakes failed!

A very slight difference in the speed of the train, or a few seconds' difference in the time of the brake failure, would have made the calamity far more dreadful.

As it stands, even the engineers escaped this collision with only cuts and bruises, although the valiant brakeman suffered a broken arm. Captain Tyler of the SteamEarth Board of Trade has already concluded his investigation into this matter, and his official report has been published. Several witnesses agree that moments before the train's final approach, an altercation had broken out on the platform, and magery of some kind was almost certainly involved.

The engine drawing the Brackenton passenger train was one of the most approved modern construction and great power; it was sensitive to the least stirring of Supernatural Forces, and the practice of Mystical Arts in its general vicinity was most expressly forbidden to prevent just such accidents as this from occurring.

Thus magickal error is to blame for the accident, and the inspector has criticized the laxity of the system which allowed a practicing mage to stand on the station platform so near to a massive piece of Technology. Whether the mage in question cast the offending spell out of knowing malice or simple ignorance is unknown, but something must be done to prevent a more costly error in the future, which might lead to many deaths.

A new system must be adopted in the working of the line, now that we have examined the immediate causes by which the Vermillion Accident was produced. Although the blame for this particular incident is apportioned largely to the offending practitioner of the mystical Arts, a small portion must surely fall to the owners of the railroad! The operators of the Brackenton line and other railways have not yet arrived at any principles which might be generally of use in protecting their passengers from Malicious Magery, and this incident offers vivid proof of what the consequences of their negligence may be.

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In Other News......

Tensions grow over the SteamEarth-Ruskkia border dispute as Ruskkie rebels down zepplin carrier, the IFS Aegis (http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=112047&highlight=).

Raysia's Government President looked over the news story and merely raised an eyebrow at the notion that magic might be involved in the accident, "riiiiiiiight...."

http://www.bateshome.com/jordan/nmh2.jpg
http://www.bateshome.com/jordan/rsig5.jpg (http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=88120)

Raysia's Government President looked over the news story and merely raised an eyebrow at the notion that magic might be involved in the accident, "riiiiiiiight...."

http://www.bateshome.com/jordan/nmh2.jpg
http://www.bateshome.com/jordan/rsig5.jpg (http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=88120)

http://arcanum.sierra.com/

Yep the basis for SteamEarth

WHITE AND RED RUSKKIES CLASH OVER STORMWELL!

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Yesterday, the city of Stormwell was rocked by fierce dogfighting between Red and White Ruskkie factions. Four civilians were killed by falling debris and fourteen more were wounded by stray cannon fire and rockets. This battle comes only a day or so after Red Ruskkies attacked and destroyed a White Ruskkie zepplin carrier seaveral miles north of Stormwell.

For two weeks pior, Red Ruskkie bandits (notably the "Ruskkie Confederate" gang) have preyed on Imperialist cargo and passenger zeppelins. As rhetoric from Mother Ruskkia has grown increasingly hostile, Ruskkie Confederate raids have continued.

Three days ago, the Ruskkie Confederate enclave of "Haven," in Northern Ruskkia, was destroyed by an unidentified raiding party. In a rare public statement, the Ruskkie Confederate leader—Vladimir "Perilous" Petrov—denounced the Imperialist air forces as cowards. "They have slaughtered innocent women and children in an attempt to crush those who are against the Dictatorship rulers of Mother Ruskkia."

Despite Petrov's accusations, the Imperialist military has denied involvement in the attack on Haven. "The words of pirates and thieves should be treated with extreme skepticism," according to Valery Korsikov, the Imperialist delegate to the United Nations. "If anyone is to blame for the Haven atrocity, it is likely the so-called 'Ruskkie Confederate' gang."

Yesterday's dogfight apparently began as a bar brawl in Stormwell's "Pirates' Alley," a neutral area in Stormwell. Rival pilots from the Ruskkie Confederate gang and an unidentified Imperialist unit exchanged blows before local law enforcement agents ordered them to leave the area.

Once aboard their planes, the two groups immediately opened fire on each other. "Bullets were whizzin' around like hornets," said Elmo "Slappy" Gant, a local bush pilot who was wounded as he struggled to pilot his small plane out of the combat zone. "They was like mad dogs."

Stormwell's local militia force, the "Borderland Air Corps," sortied within minutes of the outbreak of fighting, though they were ineffectual in their attempts to stand down the dueling factions. Two-thirds of the militia forces were shot down, including "Judge" Kevin Collins, who is the nominal leader of the Borderland Air Corps. Collins wounds, though serious, are not currently deemed life threatening.

Local pilots rushed to assist the Borderland Air Corps, finally running both Imperialist and Ruskkie Confederate planes out of the area, but not before civilian casualties had mounted.

RUSKKIE WAR STARTS!

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SteamEarth Iron Guard

With the recent invasion by Ruskkie Death Korp forces of the city of Stormwell and that of Metzengerstein, the government of SteamEarth has now declared war on Ruskkia. This news comes only hours after civil war broke out in Ruskkia, thou SteamEarth has no plans to assist the Ruskkie Confederate who are currently fighting the Ruskkie government or what is still loyal to the Duke.

Every single military zepplin in SteamEarth has been ordered to the border, which is now the Northern Front, to prepare for a mass areial attck against the Empire of Ruskkia. Also Balmoral Light Bombers have already carried out seaveral nighttime raids against targets in Ruskkia, thou many to lower morale of Ruskkie troops.

And last but not least, feirce fighting between SteamEarth Iron Guard and Ruskkie Death Koprs continues in the Battle of Stormwell/Stommburg. Causalities are already believed to high with civilians caught in the crossfire with no means of escape. It is known that the Ruskkies only lightly hold the city and that SteamEarth Iron Guard units are quickly gaining footholes where ever they can.

We'll keep you updated as SteamEarth continues the march of WAR! (http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=112047&highlight=)

SteamEarth Gets New Flag!

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Today, Confederation of SteamEarth Regent Edmund Vermillion unveiled a new national flag in Serlin, designed in honor of the Southern Wastes protectorate territories. "We have welcomed many a wasteland settlements into the fold, and the new flag is a visible affirmation of our brotherhood," said the SteamEarth Regent.

"The single blue bar represents unity and strength," said the Regent, adding "and each star represents every collective of our grand Confederacy."

Controversy, however, surrounds the new flag. While public statements from Serlin claim that the flag was conceived of by local artisans, the persistent rumor is it was in fact developed by an advertising agency which has not been confirmed.

The unveiling ceremony in Serlin was received with great enthusiasm by a cheering crowd. Each collective - in addition to flying their own home colors - now displays the new "one-bar" flag, and the Imperial Air Corps are already repainting their aircraft to incorporate the new national insignia.

While the general public - which ratified the adoption of the new flag in a recent vote - accepts the the new flag, others do not. A vocal group of protesters (some of them prominent members of the SteamEarth air militias) publicly criticized the government for "changing the symbol our forefathers fought, shed blood, and died for." The group's leader, Colonel Lemuel Fox of the 1st Imperial Air Corp, said, "The Imperial Clog flag honored those who came before, and it is blasphemous for the government to change it. "

SteamEarth Improves Public Transport

Dispite being at war with Ruskkia, the nation of SteamEarth has just started a New Works Project to improve and in some cases renew the state owned public transport systems.

Top of the list are the rail network and the tram network, samples are below:

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STEAMEARTH CONTINUES MARCH OF WAR!

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SteamEarth is continuing its fight against Ruskkia in the Ruskkie War and has recent allied with the commie faction, the Ruskkie Collective.

Bombings of Ruskkie cities held by the Duke's forces have increased over the past few weeks and the Battle of Stormwell (Stommburg to Ruskkies) continues dispite SteamEarth Iron Guard holding 99.5% of the city.

Ruskkie Death Korps have failed to retake the fortress city of St Stephensburg mainly due to joint SteamEarth/Collective built trenches and a fleet of Dreadnuaght class militry zepplins. Also the elite battle units, aka Blimp Busters, are being deployed along Ruskkia's northern border with full co-operation of Metzengerstein......



















.........supposedly if they even know. :wink:

SIEGE IN SIDNEY STREET!

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Late in the evening of a week ago last Monday, Police Constable Piper knocked at a house in Houndsditch near a jeweler's shop at which tunneling sounds had been heard. The man who opened the door looked so suspicious that Piper pretended nothing much was wrong and went for reinforcements. The two constables, a sergeant and two plain-clothes men in the neighbourhood were rounded up...

"Police Sergeant Bentley knocked at the door. It was opened, Bentley went in. After a few seconds there was a blaze of a revolver, flashes and shots. A whole gang of people [probably only four] raced out except for one man who took cover. There was a furious struggle, with the [unarmed] police going for their men even as they were being hit again and again by bullets. One member of the gang shot another by mistake, and at this they ran for the entrance to the street, dragging their wounded comrade with them, while injured and dying policemen were helped by the first people to come out of the surrounding houses.

"Things were so confused that the gang managed to get away, and it was not until about midnight that Detective Superintendent Ottaway arrived with a group of armed policemen..."

The police later found the wounded man, now dead, in a room filled with guns, ammunition, and anarchist revolutionary literature. They took into custody a woman in the room and a fellow who knocked at the door and asked to see Fritz, during the police search. From these and other informants, the police learned that the dead man was part of a group of Ruskkie anarcho-communists who (dispite SteamEarth being allies with the Ruskkie Collective) used the nation of SteamEarth to hide out and get money for their revolutionary activities in Ruskkia. By Thursday evening, five had been arrested but the police had not rounded up all of the Houndsditch gang and could not prove that any of the prisoners had fired the deadly shots.

The remaining revolutionaries were in a section of Serlin populated by recent Ruskkie immigrants, many of which whose experiences in their homeland had taught them to hate, fear and avoid police. Many of the Ruskkie residents expected a police pogrom because of the deaths at Houndsditch. Their sympathies were, to a great extent, with the revolutionaries, and they did what they could to put the investigation off the track.

By Sunday night, the police had located two of the revolutionaries, Svaars and Joseph, in a brick block of flats at No. 100 Sidney Street. Because of the gang's firearms, the police called up only unmarried men for the assault, and armed them, bizarrely, with single-shot rifles which had been fitted for .22 caliber practice ammunition, as well as some short-barreled revolvers and shotguns.

Through a Ruskkie interpreter, the other families in the building were brought out without arousing the revolutionaries, who were on the second floor, accessible only by a narrow stairwell. Direct assault was judged impractical if not suicidal. It was decided to offer the men a chance at surrender, but pebbles thrown against the window to attract their attention were answered by a hail of bullets. Police Sergeant Leeson was hit twice, and had to be helped away under fire.The revolutionaries were equipped with Mauser "broomhandle" semiautomatic pistols which carried ten shots, fired a flat-shooting high-velocity .30 caliber round, and which could be quickly reloaded from compact ten-round stripper-clips; the police, surprised by the volume of fire, answered ineffectively with their slower-loading weapons.

A hurried call was made to the Home Secretary, requesting the help of the army. Twenty Iron Guardsmen arrived from guard duty at nearbt barracks, as did the Home Secretary himself, one Spencer Churchill. They took up positions in surrounding buildings and prone on the pavement at the ends of the street. Crowds had gathered, and the police tried to keep them back, worried that the hostile immigrants might come to the aid of revolutionaries. The anarchists moved from window to window on the second floor and attic, constantly firing, while the soldiers and police poured bullets upwards into the house. When army marksmen began firing into the upper windows from a nearby roof, the revolutionaries moved to the first floor, but found themselves uncomfortably exposed to fire from the police on the ground.

At about 1 p.m. Svaars apparently set the house on fire. The police waited for a desperate rush out by the gunmen, which never came. Firemen arrived, but Churchill ordered them away. The roof caught fire and fell in. The police later found Joseph dead of a gunshot wound and Svaars, apparently suffocated by the smoke.

Four other members of the gang were later arrested, but were not convicted because it was believed that the killer of the Houndsditch policemen was the man found dead in the room shortly after the initial incident. Later investigation has apparently revealed that this was an error. Wilkes says: "The prisoners had to be given the benefit of the doubt, and were all eventually released. The man who killed the policemen has most likely fled back to Ruskkia."

Though casualties during the siege amounted only to one policeman wounded, the press made much of the terrible threat of the semiautomatic pistol. The Metropolitan Police themselves are to adopt a Webley .32 semiauto pistol, apparently impressed by Svaars' and Joseph's volume of fire, if not by its results. Ironically, more deaths were caused by the house blaze than by all the gunfire from both sides - only Joseph died from a bullet, Svaars was killed by the house fire, and a neighbor was killed by the collapse of a wall related to the blaze.

SERLIN ON FIRE!

Serlin the capital of SteamEarth is on fire with much of the city destroyed.

The fire has taken out most of the slums found in the poorer parts of the city.

It is unkown how the fire started but it looks like it'll be quite some time before it is under control.

We'll bring you more on this as it unfolds.

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