Rohirrim Rider: June 1911

[Ithekro]

(Time to start slowly catching up on the news front)

January 27, 1911

Construction begins on Aldor, Battleship of the Mark, in the large shipyard at Brithombar.  THis vessel's sistership, Samwise, will begin construction later in the year.  This class of battleship will be fitted with four triple turrets and the naval contractors suggest that a new fire control system will be fitted once it becomes avalible.

February 2, 1911

Work on Methedras, Protected Cruiser of the Mark, started a few days later than expected due to a materials shortage.  Some required parts needed to be shipped from Harlond to fit the vessel properly as a tribute and memorial to those lost in the Anahuac War.  Some Marshals of the Mark suggest she should return to active duty even so fitted.  The locals seem to think that the best way to honor the dead are to prevent more deaths by mataining Rohan's naval strength, so it is possible that Rohan might be the only country on the planet to operate a fully functions mobile museum as part of their cruiser forces.  The only thing similar would be the UNK's Magna Carta, a Sailing Frigate from the late 1790s that has been preserved, though she's not exactly in fighting trim these days.

February 23, 1911

Work on the latest batch of destroyers of the Mark finish early, though all six vessels will still require several months of fitting out and trials before they can join the fleet.  More of this class are expected to be built after a contract with the NUS is fulfilled.

March 15, 1911
(The Red Day!)

The Sky Horse that nearly killed the King last year was again flying over Pelennor Fields.  The black machine is still scary for the children, though the full event isn't done all since the King is only present every three years.  Still a half Micelhusl of Riders come over the northern wall is a very impressive display of horsemanship and contol when they near ride through the infanty lines in front of Mundburg.

March 29, 1911

An unspoken agreement seems to have been reached in the Native Lands with the people and the Normans.  For decades the local nations, Rohan, and the Normans have fought from time to time over lands, resources, and sometimes souls of the region.  Industrial and population pressures have sparked more intrest umong Normans and Rohirrim to expand into the Native Lands with are still not heavily populated.  Farmers think they can make the land fruitful while ranchers see open spaces for cattle and other production animals.  The natives and Rohan have sometimes been at odds, but Rohan has been helping maintain the status quo for decades by keeping the Norman out for the most part, as well as staying out of the region.

Now several native nations have suggested something that would benefit themselves and well has the Normans and Rohirrim.  The locals will grant territories to the two sides in large plots to develop.  Both sides will attempt to develop the same areas at the same time to see which handles the task effectively while not hindering the locals.  Whoever managed the best will be granted a lease of the land for a number of generations at which time the land might revert to the locals or be interegrated into the larger nation.  This has been referred to as Sherman's Plan.

April 23, 1911

The new Naval Yard at Puerto Montt seems to be progressing as planned.  Soon the Mark will have a service port in South America that can maintain at least a small force of ships away from Rohan and Gondor.

May 1, 1911
(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.

May 23, 1911

With a breakthrough in Fire Control technology, construction on all Battleships and Battlecruisers of the Mark has been halted aside from the Helm Hammerhand and Fengel which are fitting out now.  All the other vessel will be on hold while designers figure out were to fit the new fire control systems.  Each ship will need a minor refit while still on the slipways.  One imagines the Helm Hammerhand and older ships will eventually get refitted with this technology as well.

June 16, 1911

With their fitting out completed, the Helm Hammerhand and Fengel are sent out on trials together.  THey are expected to join the fleet by September or October, and paarticipate in a Naaval War Game in November.

June 21, 1911

The forges of Isengard come to life as the engineers attempt to learn some new secrets of metalurgy.  For one day Isengard will produce yet another wonder of a gun for the Mark.