Rohirrim Rider: June 1909

[Ithekro]

January 3, 1909

Rumors of the Swiss Fleet suddenly departing their Home Islands has caused the opening of the New Beleriand Canal to be delayed for the last three weeks.  However tomorrow's opening should bring lots of pleased shipping companies in North America and the Pacific as the fruits of Rohirrim, Confederate, Brandenburg, and yes, Swiss industry comes to a completion.  Several warships from the Caribbean and Central Pacific Fleets are on hand for the festivities.  The Tolfalas, presently the oldest ship in the Navy, will be the first ship to transit the canal.  Tol Morwen, her counterpart of the Caribbean Fleet will be the second ship through as they exchange places in their respective fleets.

January 4, 1909

The New Beleriand Canal is now officially open. with the transit of her first ships.  Commercial services are expected to begin in by this evening.

January 10, 1909

Several warships of the Mark have been selected for decommisioning and scrapping.  The largest of these ships selected is Denethor, Armored Cruiser of the Mark.  In addition all 12 of the 1898 purchased Confederate third class cruisers will be scrapped this year as will a large number of early 1890s torpedo boats and the remaining pre-Anahuac War detroyers.  This process will take at least two years.  The sale of the larger vessels of age, such as the Dwarven Battleships of the Mark and the Brego-class Battleships of the Mark, has been announced for this year.

January 29, 1909

Work on several of the Mark's long delayed naval projects has picked up since December.  While not at full capacity, several yards are reporting 50% construction rates, which considering this is peace time and not a war rush seems fairly good considering the large number of projects and the limited amount of steel being produced.  Some projects have been slowed down while a few, such as the work on Silvertine, Belted Cruiser of the Mark, has increased beyong 50% total possible production rate.  It is speculated that at a certain point the yard masters decide they want a ship out of their yard, or else the Marshalls say "finish it sooner than later".

Febraury 16, 1909

A Columbian representative had made a bid on Durin, Dwarven Battleship of the Mark.  Bids are being held until the end of June for final sales.

Febuary 27, 1909

Westron Merchants have reported of sharp reduction in the number of Swiss Flagged Merchantmen they find in international ports.  "The war couldn't have claimed that many ships...it wasn't long enough," claim several naval experts.  Governerment official suggest that perhaps the Swiss merchantmen have sold out to other countries that are safer and more stable than the current New Swiss States.

March 1, 1909

A last wargame for several old warships shows a lack of adequate torpedo equipt warships in the Fleet.  Not surprising since two torpedo boats and a destroyer have been scrapped from the Caribbean Fleet already and another pair of torpedo boats and a destroyer are up for scrap starting the end of the month.

March 8, 1909

A sealed shipping tube was delivered to the yard master at Forlond yard yesterday.  While the information was not given out to the press, work on the Swiss heavy cruiser Constellation resumed this morning after a year and a half of sitting idle.

March 15, 1909
The Red Day

The Red Day! The annual Ride of the Rohhirim was staged near Mundburg today in the Pelennor Fields.  It is a glorious sight to see a half Micelhusl of elite cavalry charge three Micelhusl of Infantry, all trained for this day since they were cadets. While the reenactment has been mostly show this last age, the event still carries meaning to the people of Rohan. With the ballons overhead to observe and a single sky horse to mark the arrival of the Witch King, the event was heavily photgraphed this year. The King says that the Nazgul sky horse just very frightening as it should be. "It comes in low and scares the horse and it's black cloth seems to show malice. Before we had a ballon or wagon with black wings attached to ride into the battle at the proper time. Aragon King (the Twelveth) was nearly killed by one of those wagons two hundred years ago". The King suggests that someone should try to make the sky horse more nimble or perhaps able to hover like a ballon or a landing bird of prey.  "If that could be done, this event would almost seem like the real thing."

March 28, 1909

A bid from the United Nations of South America for the remaining unbid on Battleships of the Mark over the course of the next two years has come in.  Bids will be held until June for a final decision on the matter.

March 31, 1909

Goldwine and Theoden, Battleships of the Mark, have finally been taken to Forlond for their long overdue refit.  Rumors suggest they will be rebuilt so they are more up to the standards set by the rebuild of Eomer in 1901.  If so, these two Battleships will be near matches for Eomer and Brytta, leaving only Elfwine as needing a serious rebuild to keep up with her sistership Brytta.  The older Combat Cruisers of the Mark will probably also receive similar rebuild to keep them in service over the course of the next five years.

[Ithekro]

April 5, 1909

Alatar & Pallando Firesticks in conjuction with the Riders of Rohan have developed some next generation arms and tactics for the Mark's cavalry forces.  "It will take some time to implament the changes in the military as the Navy seems to be absorbing most of the funding of late.  Perhaps in 1910 or 1911 the Army will get another upgrade"

April 19, 1909

Scrapping of several more torpedo boats and destroyers began in several yards in Rohan and New Beleriand today.  "These old ships servered their time and now their metal will be put into making the next generation of warships to defend the Mark," says  Anason Seawalker, Advisor to the King for Naval Affairs.


May 1, 1909
(Day of the King)

The Day of the King has come again. Today we remember the Kings of old. From Eorl the Young to Arathorn XI we remember them all as best we can. Everyone has their favorate King or Queen. Many remember Eowyn (II) Queen of the Mark and Gondor from just after the Cataclysm. She who lead the people to safty as the ashes of Mt. Doom dropped the lands into a icy slumber. It is she who gathered what Gondorians could be found south of Rohan and unite them under her crown. It was not until nearly 900 years of the Fifith Age had passed that Rohan found the remaining Kingdom of Gondor far to the south in what is today New Beleraind and the surrounding region. Others remember Arathorn (VII) King, who drove the Olmec into the sea and in the year 601 of the Sixth Age, and was proclaimed King of Rohan and Gondor by the Gondorians of New Beleriand once it was discovered that he alone had the strongest trace of the blood of Elendil left in the known world. Some of the more adventurous think back farther to Theoden (I) King, and his nephew Eomer (I) King. They are perhaps the most legendary of kings. However the cerimony of the Rulers of Rohan is for August on Theoden's Day. This day is for all kings...Rohirrim, Gondorian, and those that came before. This day also remembers the King Elessar, who lead with wisdom and justice in the Fourth Age. None know if he truely lived to be 207 years old. Maybe one day when the technology is avalible we can see for sure, as his body still lays in state in Mundburg with two small people that we can only assume to be the hobbits Peregrin and Meriadoc. Who they really are in not know for sure.


The long delayed second rail line to the Norman lands also opened today.  Bart, Sheriff of Rockridge, attended as it seems he once worked on the rail line with many of the workers before becoming a man of the law.  Also in attendence was William Justice Wind,  Territorial Magistrate for Lakota Lands.  There was no fist fights reported on this day.

May 6, 1909

Fleet units sent to South America have reported no additional Orange naval units in the area.  They have reports of more Austrian activity since the first of the year.  With the Puerto Montt being several months from completion, Eormer, Battleship of the Mark, and several protected cruisers and auxileries will remain on station.

May 23, 1909

The bidding war between New Switzerland and the United Nations of South America heated up over the four Brego-class Battleships of the Mark.  While the South Americans placed their bid first, the Swiss seems deturmined to have these four ships.  The seven Dwarven Battleships of the Mark have all received bids, but have not started a bidding war.

May 30, 1909

Hama Elfson, Commander of Navigation on Gram, Battleship of the Mark, has stated that he will miss his ship once it is sold.  He has severed on her for his entire career starting as a young ensign in 1894.  A veteran of the Battle of the Revillagegedo Islands, Commander Elfson will likely be assigned to one of the new Belted Cruisers due to be finished later this year.

June 3, 1909

Young Phantom Franklin Harlock seems to have an interest in sky horses.  After seeing them at the reenactment of Pelennor Fields this year, 14 year old Phantom has been attempting to acquire a sky horse for his families estate in Mithlond.  His mother, the innovative Shizuku Oyama, is unsure of this obsession with the air, and Lord Harlock has not been reached for comment.  It is unclear if the young man will be able to acquire an sky horse of his own, or find someone who is skilled enough to train him to fly.

June 7, 1909

The first batch of Confederate destroyers was finished today in New Beleriand.  The next batch will be laid down in July.  It is proposed that the Mark will start building more destroyers of its own in 1910 to replace those that are presently being scrapped.

June 15, 1909

The bidding has ended.  Durin has been sold to Gran Columbia.  The remaining Dwarven Battleships have been sold to the United Nations of South America.  The four Brego-class Battleships of the Mark were purchased by New Switzerland after a fair bidding war with the South Americans.  The vessels will have their sensitive items removed, and all ammunition removed for transfere.  The machine guns will be lifted as they are still useful for the Mark.  The vessels will be maintained as active with the crews get them ready for transfere in December.  The vessels will be sent to Umbar by that time.  For those nations that have suggested that they intend to scrap the vessels being sold, the guns will be made unusable, but their scrap value will be intact.

June 28, 1909

Arwen of Edoras, youngest daughter of Theocro King, had her 25th birthday today.  Still unwed, some wonder why the King has not arranged for her marriage.  "She will find her own way," states Lady Areen of Isengard, Arwen's mother, and Queen of Rohan.

[Desertfox]

If Phantom pays a visit to the Wright Corporation, they could fix him up with a Wright Flea.

[Walter]

...

"Le Petomane Rail Road." :)

[Carthaginian]

The Confederate envoy to Rohan humbly requests that their embassy check their mailbag.

[Ithekro]

"Le Petomane Rail Road."

Close enough.  Le Petomane being a French performer I decided to come as close as possible without being rude.  Mr. Wind is close enough I think.  I may keep these versions of the characters around for other things.

As for the other offers, their respective mailbags have been returned from the Lord and Lady of the estate.

[Tanthalas]

The Envoy for Italia is quite sure that Curtisio Aeronautica, would be more than happy to provide the young lad with a brand new Falco and the necessary Instruction on how to properly employ it.

He goes on in great detail on the Falco touting its safty record, he is heard explaining " only four failures per 100 hours of operation, noone can match the Falco for preformance and reliability".  after a few minutes of this he wanders off realising his Audiance has vanished.

[Carthaginian]

04JUN09
La Paz, California

on the 'platform' at the La Paz railhead


"Mr. Cessna... exactly what is going on here?"

"Lieutenant Lufbery! So pleased that you'll be accompanying me on this excursion. Do you have any real idea as to what we are doing? I know that we are to take this train- and your machine- to the Mark, but beyond that, I have little clue as to exactly why."

"Sir, if I knew any more. I would tell you. I was only told enough so as to pack some longjohns. The last telegraph recieved stated that it was still in the 60's there... and I think I should freeze if I had to deal with a 40 degree drop in temperature so quickly."