7th of Gornow, 26E219

ERS Krolówa Wojny,Western Belegar Sea

~0800

"Is it just me, or does it seem that the air has shifted in the past day or so?" Hans pipes up from atop deck. He had been playing cards with Jozef when a crosswind tousled his dirty blond hair, faintly bleached from the many days at sea. Jozef pauses in response and looks up, sniffing the air.

"No, you're certainly correct. For the past day or two, the wind has blown in from a different direction, and it feels less… fresh. I recon we're in a new sea or ocean." Walter answers from a few meters away, gutting a fish.

"I don't know if it smells stale. Still smells like fucking saltwater and fish guts to me." Imad interjects, looking up from where he had been observing Akira make charcoal sketches in a journal.

"Not what I mean, numbnuts. There's an age to the air. It feels strained and beleaguered." Walter explains, pausing what he was doing to look at Imad.

"You're sounding like an augur of sorts now, Herr Walter." Jozef replies.

"No, he's got a point." Victor's voice arrives new. He had just stepped out on deck, catching the conversation as he did so.

"Fuck! Where the hell did you come from!? You have a real knack for creeping up on people!" Imad protests, jumping at the new, unexpected voice.

"You should be more aware then. I wasn't trying to be stealthy. Walter makes a good point though. I can't quite place it, but these new wind currents lack the gaiety of the past few days." Victor continues. Walter nods in agreement and returns his attention to the gutting of fish. Hans and Jozef seem to cock their heads in tandem, and take a moment to take in the atmosphere.

"True, it's subtle, but it doesn't feel like we're on some pleasure cruise anymore." Hans adds, affirming Victor and Walter after a moment. Imad looks at him, raising an eyebrow.

"And we were on a pleasure cruise prior to this?" He speaks up, amused.

"Certainly better than previous ventures I've been on. Beats being stuck in a muddy trench that smells of shit, blood, and smoke." Hans replies.

"Touche…" Is all Imad can answer back with. He returns his attention to Akira's sketching, which has begun to take on the form of the Caer Endaris skyline.

Below Decks

~0900

"So, I can confirm that, the wind has begun blowing from a different course, the smell of the water has changed, as has the color of the ocean. Therefore it is safe to assume that we have entered a new ocean, sir." Tramel reports to Kasimir, who is busy writing a report as he listens. He nods quietly as he listens. "For that reason, I suspect we will likely be making landfall in the coming days, that is, so long as we don't overshoot any possible landmasses." Tramel continues his report. Around the same time, the door into the cabin opens and August and Victor step inside.

"Sir." They both salute at attention, announcing their presence, before joining Tramel standing over Kasimir's desk. Kasimir looks up to see what the two other senior members of the squad need.

"Report on squad long-term high seas fitness, sir." August speaks politely and briefly, setting a set of papers on Kasimir's desk. Kasimir looks it over briefly, nodding.

"Very good, Sergeant. If that is all, you're dismissed." He replies, setting the paper back down on his desk for later review and looking up at August. August salutes and pivots, leaving without another word. Kasimir turns his attention to Victor. "Report."

"Walter and Hans seem to have noticed, and I'll back it up, that there seems to be a tension in the wind. May be nothing, but my hunch says we best be cautious. We may be in lands a bit more hostile than what we set out from." Victor reports. Kasimir stares up at him and nods.

"Noted. I'll make sure to put out a memo for everyone to be armed and armored if we make landfall." Kasimir replies. Victor nods and salutes. He leaves without a formal dismissal.

"Now, where were we, Tramel?" Kasimir looks at Tramel.

7th of Gornow, 26E219

Forum Pantheon, Cristium, Canda

~1300

The Forum Pantheon, the grand congress of the Great Republic of Canda, was filled with noise. Various representatives of different guilds and families shouted over each other, trying to be heard. Bodyguards wearing various colors and insignias of their respective employers tiredly and cautiously eye the crowd, making sure their various charges are not threatened by an overly enthusiastic rival. The room was arrayed as a massive circular antechamber, with the representatives at terraced podiums around the perimeter, while in the center, the Supreme Legate, Prime Minister, and President of Guilds sat, forming the High Presidium, the closest thing to an executive body that the Republic had. Finally, the Supreme Legate, Cramus Macarious stands up and shouts with a voice that can be heard throughout the room.

"Silence! The meeting is now in session!" Macarious shouts as he slams the flat of the blade of his spatha against a metal plate behind the seats of him and his two compatriots. The sound, along with his shouting, silences the chaotic hubbub of the Pantheon. With the room silences, Macarious sits down and the Prime Minister, Gaius Fraxxes stands up.

"We can confirm, thanks to both our own reconnaissance, as well as spies in Noveia, the Coalition, and Endaria, that there is indeed new landmasses overseas!" Fraxxes speaks out, informing the crowd, which erupts into a series of murmurs. The murmurs are quickly silenced by a raised hand by Macarious. "From what our spies report, Endaria has made contact with an organization of national bodies known simply as the 'Alliance' Similarly, Noveia has made contact with representatives of another organization of national bodies known as the 'Horde'. Both of these organizations are found on a continent to the west known as the 'Eastern Kingdoms'! However, that is not all! The Coalition has similarly made contact with an entity known as the 'Aldmeri Dominion' far to the east!" Fraxxes presses on. Upon this revelation of information, the murmurs start up once again. One portly, older man, wearing ornate green and white robes, stands up to speak up, raising a silver scepter, a sign of the desire to speak. Fraxxes looks at the man and nods.

"What is the situation of these organizations!? Are any at war? Are they experiencing famines or shortages of any kind?!" The portly man asks. A number of representatives nod and shout their agreement with the question. Already, many were assessing how they could make a profit off these various groups by selling food, weapons, or mercenaries. Fraxxes simply nods, processing the questions as he thinks up an answer.

"Sort of! From what we know, the Horde and Alliance are in a tenuous alliance, closer to a cold war, as they are presently wrapping up a conflict with an entity known as the 'Scourge'! The Aldmeri Dominion has been significantly more tight lipped, or the Coalition has kept significantly less on record! What we can assume based on the little information we know though, is that the Aldmeri Dominion is not a sole hegemony in its region!" Fraxxes reports, answering the questions concisely. The portly man nods and sits down, smiling, already planning possible business deals. Another man, appearing barely above the age of an adolescent, with fair blond hair and green eyes, wearing a red robe, stands up, raising his silver scepter. He is soon given permission to speak.

"This question is addressed to both Legate Macarious and Prime Minister Fraxxes! What is the present stance of the Federal Legions and the Presidium?! Will there be a joint policy?!" The man asks. Many eyes fall on the Presidium, scanning carefully the response. Macarious is the one to stand up and step forward.

"At present, there is not. For now, we will leave it to the discretion of the families and guilds to pursue their own interests and cut their own deals with whatever groups they desire to deal with. However, each family and guild will assume full and singular responsibility for any failures and issues faced." Macarious explains. The crowd nods in relief, many grin and murmur assent, excited to find their various ways of making profit. Profits after all, meant more power and representation. Macarious and Fraxxes sit down. The President of the Guilds, Lucius Tereco, steps forward.

"However, for the sake of national security, as president of the guilds, I will be putting a ban on the sale of mercenaries and slaves to foreign entities until further notice! At present, we cannot know the stance of these various organizations and therefore, would like to prevent a provision of casus belli to any foreign body!" Tereco informs the crowds, who nod, understanding the logic. Macarious and Fraxxes stand up and all three members of the Presidium bow before the crowd.

"The forum is now adjourned!" The three of them say together. Immediately, representatives break off to leave the room to attend to matters, while others meet with each other to begin discussing joint deals.