Due to the time delay, I again have no time to be cute... awww...
Deadline for tomorrow must be moved up to noon (CST) or 1700 GMT. I'm sorry, but I have an unexpected schedule change. I appreciate your patience.
[If we miss the noon deadline, I'm afraid we'll clock all the way back until first-thing Monday].
Things are getting crowded. They'll be very crowded for Round 4.
We have a new country name... explanation below:
Budapest: Warren Fleming
Edinburgh: Michael Penner
Greece: Michael Hoffman
Kiel: Loki Falcon (Itea)
Liverpool: Alex Maslow
Rome: Nathan Edwards (Democratic Roman Empire)
Rumania: Philip King
Sweden: John Reside
Faction name: The Democratic Roman Empire (DRE)
Over 100 years ago, the Holy Roman Empire was a loose conglomeration of principalities and baronies. With the rise of Napoleon at the end of the 18th Century the "Empire" was split, any bonds of fellowship between men was broken. Over the last century many alliances between the princes and barons, and the have been brokered and broken. In late 1898, Nathan of Venice declared the creation of a new Empire, one to emulate the Roman Empire of centuries ago. Slowly, neighbouring houses have declared their allegiance to this new empire, Marseille is first, the men of southern Gaul tire of the ageing French Republic and long to be part of a great empire once again. A Senate has been setup in Venice but this only has limited control over civil matters. Emperor Nathan is spending much of his time spreading propaganda to local countries in the hope of peacefully enlarging the empire.