Proffeseur Griffe, Commander of the League of Shadows reviewed the latest report from his agents in the field with a mixture of pride and displeasure. The reports from Northern and Western Europe had been particularly insightful and the grizzled overlord made a mental note to reward the respective agents with promotions, - should they prove fortunate and skillful enough to survive this horrific mess, of course.

Reports from the East however, had left much to be desired and in certain cases had provoked unnecessary concern. The agent tracking the Muscovite uprising was MIA and rumours abounded that 'Kamarad T' - operating from within Commander Tesarik's first army - had fallen foul of the Serbian mafia.

The various rebellious states - as Agent Fresh had predicted back in '97 - had succumbed to the insidious evil that was Nationalism. Aside from 'Russia' and 'Turkey', Griffe noted the emergence of 'The Mediterannean People's Confederation' - 'Greater Hanover' - 'The United Kingdom of Great Britain & Scandinavia' - 'The Frankish & Visigothic Realm' and of course.... 'Yugoslavia' to which he would now have to assign new Emissaries, Recon Teams and Assassination Squads.

The Professeur sighed and pulled the Electric Telegram to him. He was getting to old for this shit.... so without hesitation, he decided to delegate it.

***************URGENT MEMO TO AGENT FRESH, BOHEMIAN OUTPOST***************

WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT:
CEASE RETURN TO ZURICH.
INFILTRATE YUGOSLAVIAN ARMY.
ESTABLISH WHEREABOUTS OF RUSSIAN AGENT - OR REPLACE BEFORE SPRING REPORT DUE.
-GRIFFE

******************************************************************************************************

The Professeur leant back in his suitably intimidating high-backed leather armchair and made a steeple of his fingers. He was sure Agent Fresh would be overjoyed about the mission ahead of him.

Dear Players,

Thanks to nearly all of you, for your orders, and to those of you who embraced the opportunity to add background information regarding your emergent nations.

ORDERS AS RECEIVED:

YUGOSLAVIA:
(formerly austria)
Build Army Budapest

UNITED KINGDOM of GREAT BRITAIN & SCANDINAVIA (UKGBS):
(formerly england)
Build Fleet London & Fleet Norway

THE FRANKISH & VISIGOTHIC REALM:
(formerly france)
Build Fleet Portugal & Army Marseilles

GREATER HANOVER:
(formerly germany)
Build Fleet Holland & Army Kiel

THE MEDITARRANEAN PEOPLE'S CONFEDERATION (MPC):
(formerly Italy)
Build Fleet Tunis & Fleet Naples

RUSSIA:
NBR!
Default Builds: A Mos& A Rum

TURKEY:
Build Fleet Constantinople & Fleet Greece


So - I have a No-Builds-Received from Russia: Sassenach - please let me know that you still want to be involved in the game. I will pause the game and seek a replacement if I receive no reply before the next deadline. In the meantime, that deadline; for Spring 1900 remains as 12noonGMT next Tuesday, 9th March.

Best