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Region: The Western Isles

Menna shuli

As the Poppies Bloom: A Recap

by The United Republics of Dormill and Stiura

Welcome one and all to my recap of As the Poppies Bloom! Brought to you by me, Dormill and Stiura, I will do my best to recap the RP and all relevant posts with regards t it from its humble beginnings as a news series up and until the conflict has ultimately ended. Now depending on how long this gets it might be repacked into multiple chapters, but for now we'll start at the beginning with a recap of what's happened, then get to how we started. Enjoy!

Special Note: For the purposes of organizing this, all linked posts will be organized by timestamp at original posting. If you notice some posts that would rather be together but are seperated, don't blame me. I might reorganize these into a more coherent story, but that will be saved for after the RP has ended to avoid confusion. If you believe I've missed a post that is relevant to the RP, do not hesitate to TG me about it.

Prologue: The San Javier Conflict

It started in 1973, when President Rodrigo Emmanuel Cajillo, remembered as "El Presidente", attempted to tighten his rule at the end of his term as President. His socialist style of government was pushed on the people of San Javier and El Presidente's rivals, mostly vested in the San Javier Unification Party, had been declared illegal. What he wished to be a non-violent transition of power quickly evolved into a country-wide civil war as the San Javier Unification Party, rebranded as the Presidential Republic of San Javier, gained international support. As the fighting escalated throughout the mid-70s, the power of the central government evaporated across the countryside and most importantly Javieran Steppe. The lack of a central government led the more opportunistic to form cartels that seized control of San Javier's poppy production, and cut off the oil fields behind bribes, kickbacks, and general corruption.

In 1979, things turned for the worst as the largest of these cartels, the Anliana Cartel, managed to successfully invade the then capital and oust the communist government. Since then, the conflict has died down as foreign actors pulled out of the dumpster fire it had become. This rendered the formerly dominant communists and their sympathizers alone in the wildernesses of San Javier to fend for themselves as both cartels and the new Presidential Republic hunted them down. The cartels still controlled the Steppe, and the new government did not have the resources to take them on, entering in a tacit agreement to allow the cartels control of the Steppe in exchange for whatever racket they demanded.

Corruption is commonplace across San Javier, with some cases going so extreme as cartel bosses and police chiefs of various towns and villages spending days on end high off opium while police officers and cartel members raid the town of its valuables. For most of the time since the 80s, the only real conflict has been between rival cartels and the few incorruptible police officers that are frequently thrown into the front lines of the quiet war between the Javieran Government and whichever cartel was on the hit list that month.

In mid to late 2016, news broke throughout the international community with governments admitting to taking sides in the original conflict. This spurred a response from most that demanded that these governments right their wrongs and end the conflict they had created. An international coalition led mostly by Vancouvia and Corindia entered San Javier and put an end to what remained of an organized socialist community in the islands. Around the same time, the conflicts between the cartels and the Presidential Republic all but ended outright, a result of foreign motivations on both sides.

The operation ended nearly a year later, its members declaring "Mission Accomplished" and went home. It did not take long from there for the situation to worsen from the state it was in before the intervention. The Presidential Republic fell apart in the immediate months following, what remained of the central government was taken over by a military junta known as the People's Freedom Coalition with General Pedro Fresia at its head as Chairman. Since 2016, the Javierian junta managed to successfully grow and export tobacco crop to compete with the old poppy industry still dominated by the cartels of the steppe, giving the people along the border a reprieve as military forces enacted martial law and removed the corrupted police and cartel bosses from their towns.

However, corruption still runs rampant in both the steppe and in the central government, as unregulated tobacco and opium floods the markets of eastern Argus, most especially Menna Shuli.

Chapter 1: Lights, Stage, Curtains

Things began to turn towards something new when MEK reported on 11 July, 2018 that 'uhitap Aspu Kashaka had succumbed to a stroke, with doctors concluding that its cause was related to a lifetime of smoking causing serious harm to significant amounts of his body. MEK further reported on 17 July that calls were coming to start a mass anti-smoking campaign in response. As revealed by MEK in the same report, "one in every three Mênnan adults is believed to regularly consume tobacco products ... even children are smoking" eventually the report began to pin blame on San Javier, the source of most Mennan tobacco as a root cause of the smoking crisis, and even went as far as to implicate them in "[being] in bed with criminal organizations that smuggle cocaine and other opioids into the country, fuelling our own organized crime concerns".

The response by the Mennan government to the loss of its leader was mixed at best, with the Sâtêp, the Mennan 'Senate', arguing over how to operate in the 'uhitap's absence. This debate began to grow heated, eventually coming to a head when Kivêlâ Hitap Hushkin Kêt challenged Kivêlâ Hitap Kulat Kanshêkitet to 'êsh, a formal duel of honor in Menna Shuli that hasn't been practiced in the Sâtêp for years. The duel eventually ended in the latter's death. Cooler heads eventually prevailed as the Sâtêp voted to appoint Hitap Tatta Ushu as 'uhitap a tempore for six months, until 'uhitap Aspu Kashaka recovered, or a permanent decision could be made if Aspu's conditioned worsened. 'uhitap a tempore Tatta Ushu's first action was to join the condemnation of Thuzbekistan and Samudera for their actions in Orsandia that precipitated the Second Orsandian Civil War. This was followed just over a week later by a decision to consider initiating sanctions against San Javier, as further evidence began to implicate the junta in taking advantage of the brief crisis in Menna Shuli's government to heighten the drug trade. Over this time, the situation in Menna Shuli got worse as terrorist threats were realized throughout the period, culminating in the assassination of 'uhitap a tempore Tatta in their motorcade. After that, Ihwala Luktsha took over as 'uhitap a tempore until Aspu Kashaka woke up in a stable condition several months later.

Posts

Chapter 2: Wrath of the Mennan Lion

With 'uhitap Aspu Kashaka awake and stable, things began to look up for Menna Shuli again as the father of the nation began his path of recovery, with doctors stating a few days after he woke that most of the damage was focused on his motor functions, leaving him paralyzed for the time being. The Mennan people reacted to this news in a rather strange manner, heightening protests for a Mennan Constitution to address the failure that was the past few months. Fortunately, this was perfectly utilized by 'AT Ihwala who held talks with protest leaders from across Menna Shuli, making deals that includes "workplace safety regulations, union legalization for the vêkivêv'at, loosening of movement restrictions, and potential access to small business licenses to the worker caste" among others. While Mennan Modernists and Diasporists applaud the talks for their progress, Traditionalists view it as subversive for the 'AT to continue to act while the condition of the 'uhitap remains uncertain, especially in what they view as such a radical manner. However, Ihwala assured the people that any final decision will go through the Senate, reaffirming their stance. Around a month later, after the doctors confirmed that Aspu has regained enough of his motor functions to speak clearly, MEK reported he dictated a statement to an aide which was transmitted moments later.

In Aspu's statement, he commended the Senate for acting in his absence and the Mennan people for their continued support. However, he further went on to attack San Javier and Javerian tobacco for the smoking epidemic that faced Menna Shuli, calling for serious regulations on Javerian tobacco as a means to fight the crisis. Under the backing of the 'uhitap, the Senate quickly passed legislation to create and enforce new trade regulations on San Javier, particularly focusing on the establishment of a quota on certain products and mandatory cargo inspections on all Javerian ships entering Mennan ports, an action which has precipitated into a battle of words between the foreign departments of both states over the use and usefulness of such legislation. However, it was revealed a few days later that actual enforcement would be more difficult than what was initially suspected, mostly as a result of Javerians refusing to submit to inspection, while simultaneously uncovering that several Javerian ships had been carrying illicit drugs into Menna Shuli. It is also around now that the Miklanian Coast Guard becomes more active with the Mennan Trade Department in its efforts to bring San Javier to task. Around the same time, Dormill and Stiura launches its own investigation into the affairs of San Javier in their nation in response to the actions in Menna Shuli.

Posts

MEK 11 viewtopic.php?f=4&t=337003&p=35195051#p35195051
MEK 12 viewtopic.php?f=4&t=337003&p=35212673#p35212673
MEK 13 viewtopic.php?f=4&t=337003&p=35281456#p35281456
MEK 14 viewtopic.php?f=4&t=337003&p=35304179#p35304179
MEK 15 viewtopic.php?f=4&t=337003&p=35320878#p35320878
The Dispatch 1 viewtopic.php?f=4&t=337003&p=35325225#p35325225

Read dispatch

Here's something I've decided to start doing. This will be my best attempt at recapping everything that has so far happened in As the Poppies Bloom, starting with the Prologue and Chapter 1.

One small thing missed was that Tatta was assassinated and replaced as 'AT bt Ihwala Luktsha.

Thuzbekistan

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