(OOC: Think of this as an RoF 1.5. Though the actual RoF continuation will be much more in the present, there’s important stuff in between that probably should be RPed.
Also, this is a closed RP. Contact me if you want in.)
Novaris was in a cold war. There was no questioning it.
Any debate on whether the Tretridian-Arkian rivalry would restart was settled with Karling’s coup. And, while Karolingia may have been replaced by a military occupation authorized by the League of Novaris, everyone knew the implications of what had started, and could not be easily stopped.
The flames of cold war might have been superficially extinguished, but the embers remained. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time until it would escalate again.
And, in this cutthroat geopolitical scene in West Novaris, whatever advantages could be gained would be absolutely essential.
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Cynebury, Tretrid
September 25, 2020
The news of the occupation of the former Karolingia had washed swiftly over West Novaris. Only minutes after the Secretary-General’s statement was out, the Novaran Council’s decision had been all over the headlines.
Everyone with any sort of knowledge of Novaran politics understood the implications of what had just happened.
First of all, the League of Novaris had given itself the power to intervene in another country, for the sake of a Novaran peace. While the League’s mission statement was to establish peace and a civil international discourse in Novaris, nobody present at the League’s inception in those five-way talks back in 2017 would have predicted the League going as far as to setting up a military occupation in another country.
Secondly, the instability in what was now known as Ostarkeland was undisputedly proof that a new cold war had been started in Novaris.
This, among many other things, weighed heavily in Prime Minister Eoforwine’s mind as he returned to his office. He had just held a cabinet meeting, where he had discussed with his advisers and ministers about a broad range of matters, from domestic policy to the next move on the Novaran chessboard.
Eoforwine’s mind was made by the time he sat down at his desk. There was only one way to keep Tretrid ahead in Novaris. Tretrid needed to marshal the support of other powers, and the smaller nations of West Novaris.
Each state with interest in the conflict had varying stances, and there were different ways to engage with them, preferably to Tretrid’s advantage.
First of all were the smaller states. A lot of them were more inclined to support Tretrid, one way or another.
Aponivia was stubbornly neutral. Eoforwine wasn’t sure if it was even possible to get them involved, especially since they were so much more interested in asserting themselves on the Novaran stage as an emerging power as compared to established powers like Arkalarius or Tretrid. Eoforwine could compromise with them, accommodate their rise in exchange for support, but it wasn’t a very good option. At least they were even less likely to side with Arkalarius, given Aponivia’s historical connections to Tretrid.
Durakia was already very much inclined to dislike Arkalarius. It wasn’t hard to see why. The democratic socialism practiced in Durakia was almost antithetical to… whatever the heck was going on in Arkalarius. Not to mention that Durakia had supported East Arkalarius in the Civil War, and the disputed claims in Irnac that had only been settled recently.
The Social Democrats in control in Durakia were more open to engage with Arkalarius, but Eoforwine knew that they were under pressure from elements to the left.
Then there was Meagharia. Oh boy, Meagharia.
Eoforwine needed to engage Meagharia to placate Durakia. It also made Meagharia highly willing to support Tretrid.
The problem with that was that Meagharia was not the best nation in West Novaris. And it put Tretrid in an awkward situation internationally.
There were also the other types of nation that were interested in the conflict. They were other great powers, that wanted to find a resolution advantageous to them.
Eoforwine didn’t blame them. He would have done the same in their situation.
Asendavia was a lost cause, to put it bluntly. They were already more friendly with Arkia than they were with Tretrid, with some of Eoforwine’s foreign polcy advisors even suggesting that they might even form an alliance. With Tretrid having the advantage at this moment, Arkia needed all the support they needed, and they would likely jump at the opportunity.
Tavaris wanted something that made them secure on the home front. Eoforwine had cut a deal with the Tavari, to get their support on Schlesia in return for promising to stop Meagharia from attacking them. Meagharia’s O’Fahr was rather offended by the notion that Meagharia might attack Rodoka, the Prime Minister recalled.
His endgame was to get the two on the negotiating table, so that they could negotiate a lasting solution to their disputes. That was a work in progress, but still seemed a long way away.
And then, last but definitely not least, was Norgsveldet.
To say that Tretrid and Norgsveldet’s relations over the last couple of years were awkward would be a massive understatement.
The long and messy history aside, Norgsveldet would probably be more willing to engage with Tretrid if it weren’t for Tretrid’s open support for Meagharia. Norgsveldet had a very low opinion of Meagharia due to perceiving that Meagharia’s militant atheism was tantamount to Hirdism.
These conflicting interests and wants between the smaller nations of West Novaris and the other great powers put Tretrid in a… rather awkward situation, to say the least.
But, as Eoforwine went over his notes, he thought hard about how best to engage these other nations. Perhaps he could find a working solution that firmly cemented Tretrid as being the greater power than Arkalarius.
