A Brief Synopsis:

A Brief Synopsis:

(Apologies if any of the mentioned powers are misspelled ... I’m offline at the moment due to the backwoods network I have to rely upon!)
At the instigation of the nefarious Marquis Roquefort, famous centers of cheese production such as Limburg and Munster had attempted to dominate the market for sausages which incorporated any cheese ... and “to encourage” all forms of sausage to include cheese as an ingredient. Vienna had exploited this disorder by ordering all non-cheese containing sausages, brats, wurst, and frankfurters to be classified as “Wieners” and under Wiener oversight.

Under these conditions, an highly unusual alliance had formed between the Frankfurter Bundt led by Frankszonia with Hungover and Hamburger. Bad zu Wurst, Wurstenburg, and similar stadts were being drawn into the conflict. Most of the fighting had occurred in Hesse Darmstadt and the Duchy of Nasau ... which of course highly alarmed Hesse-Fedora, Hesse-Homburg, Hesse-Inglestadt, and Hesse-Seewald. Due to the shifting allegiances of the emigre Jacobites following Broderick Woad, the Count of Hiccup, in his Black Skirts Brigade, the fighting had been indecisive (actually, my beloved but uncannily lucky with dice wife uses Woad as her command figure ... so the army which he commanded tended to win whenever there were equal odds ... the figure is a cuirassier casualty figure ... the guy is riding while grasping a sword stuck into his side).

At this point, the brewing discontent between Hesse-Seewald, an ally of Germania, and Gallia, whose king had kinfolk threatened by Hesse-Seewald ambitions (okay, that’s the party line, satisfied, m’Lord Bastille?) invaded. In its opening move, the relatively minor Duchy of Frankszonia, with most of its troops north of the Tann Hills is overrun and occupied. The Hurtshog Fahrtz dashed back to Frankfurt on Plain (which the froggies, with their snide ethnic bigotry about food call Frankfurt am Main ... don’t worry, m’Lord Intendant; an obligatory nod to national prejudices here) to protest.
To his dismay, the Hurtshog found Frankfurt occupied by powerful corps of Gallians under Gen. Chevert, who was rapidly establishing a depot for Gallia within Frankfurt’s walls. While the French gave him a formal apology for their abrupt invasion, they were scrounging for everything of military value which the Frankszonians couldn’t hide first. Further, their only movement of forces out of Frankfurt involved massive battles with Hesse-Seewald and its allies (reference the two battles of Fulda displayed in the folders at the Yahoo group, SocDaisy).

The Hurtzhog is quite pragmatic about the affair, and after sneaking an explanation and a sincere apology to his much admired military mentors and child hood friends in Germanian service, proceeded to collaborate with the Gallians. While he succeeded in obtaining their assistance in a few of his local ambitions (see the Battle of Bad Tannes in Frankszonia.blogspot.com), his attempt to dominate the supply market for the depot backfired. A cabal of war profiteers, acting through the notorious Minister of Trade, “Cut-me-own-throat” Dilbert, provided a plethora of distinctly sub-standard provisions while diverting the better Gallian products to their own projects.

When this racket reached unreal levels, the Hurtshog exposed it and attempted to intervene. This triggered an attempted coup by the Guild Syndics. Though the Hurtshog was easily victorious, driving Dilbert and his confederates into exile, the French became sufficiently alarmed to transfer their enforcer, the Intendant Bastille, to Frankfurt in order to secure the depot while their armies took the field in the new season. Provoked by this insult, many officers and their friends who had previously been closely connected with Germanian military circles mutinied and led what followers they could into Hesse-Seewald. With the compliance of the Hurtshog, however, the Intendant seemed able to stabilize affairs.

Meanwhile, the Hurtshog and his exotic wife had celebrated their recent union by engendering little Graf Honker, a Ducal heir! They had joyously acted on a suggestion of Gen. Chevert and scheduled a Masquerade, to which they had invited the illustrious Gallian ladies, Pettygree and Masquerade. The fete’ seemed promising for establishing relations with Gallia on a more positive level. Just as the international celebrities were assembling, however, a much more serious crisis has erupted!

When the Cheese War was suspended by the greater Gallia / Seewald conflict, the Hurtshog had sent his erstwhile allies from Hungover / Hamburg away for their safety. Secretly, however, the Hungover / Hamburg forces had hidden in a forested area to the west of Frankszonia and had managed to unite with their erstwhile foes, the Cheddar Guild Brigades. Hamburg had always had a rivalry with Frankfurt. Now, encouraged by the failure of Gen. Chevert to break through the Fulda Gap and the discontent in Frankszonia, they had begun plotting with certain Frankzonian nobles and the Guild Syndics to overthrow the Hurtshog and to seize the Gallian Depot!

With the excitement and the glittering opportunity of the presence of the many notables attending the Masquerade, they have accelerated their efforts and inadvertently exposed their machinations to both the Gallian and Frankszonian agents. Having just crushed two actions against his throne, the Hurtshog is dismayed by this new resistance, and no longer can fully trust his army. Consequently, he has appealed to the Intendant to make the affair more obviously into part of the Gallian / Seewald conflict, and thus dampen the domestic disruption.

Meanwhile, the Frankszonia court hastens to establish favorable contacts with the Gallian notables gathering for the fete. Frankszonia is aware that the Intendant, almost paranoid about the murky Frankszonia situation, desires to send the whole packing on the instant. Further, he is quite disconcerted by being suddenly made the commander of the Frankszonian forces in their current state of disarray.

Even as the Ducal council confers with the Intendant Bastille and the harried ladies of the court attempt to begin negotiations with Ladies Pettygree and Masquerade, even more alarming news arrives! Stagonia, much despised for its frequent involvements in brigandry, fraudulent schemes, and other interference with honest trade, has issued an ultimatum to the Soweiter League of minor states. Since some of the League members lie in what Frankszonia considers its sphere of influence, Frankszonia has lodged a stern protest with Stagonia.

Now the Ducal court seems to be sitting on the cork of a rapidly fizzing champagne. How can it survive this volatile brew? Treason couples with a secret gathering of foreign foes almost within its walls, Gallian imperiousness threatens the time honored freedom of the city, unscrupulous neighbors are threatening valued trading partners, and furthermore, the Imperial divisions just south of the Main which had been intervening in the l’Affair Cheezer have yet to openly declare their intentions or to gather with their proclaimed allies, the Gallians.

Can the Intendant gather enough French forces before the Hungover expedition strikes?
Will the Imperials assist Frankfurter against either Stagonia or its internal foes?
Will the Intendant summarily dismiss the gathered notables “for their safety” before the court ladies can complete their intrigues?
How will the Frankszonian emigres and defectors be received by Germania and Hesse - Seewald?
Who is the mysterious lady who has recently appeared in Frankfurt?
What is much feared “M’Lady” doing?

Stay tuned to this station .....

Arthur,. scribe to the Hurtshog Stanken Fahrtz von Frankszonia ...