Timeline and History

The Shadow of Manira was the pre-cursor to the stronger and more extensive realm of New Oceania. For more than eighty years, it was a hotbed of conflict between Sable and the Reich, because it hosted one of the Sable Broken Patterns, code-named Dark 3.

In the early days of the Kingdom of Sable, the Reich had quickly moved to secure Dark 1 and Dark 2, but Sable got to Dark 3 first. This made securing Dark 3 a priority for Rupert Delatz, given that he believed he was entitled to all three Dark Broken Patterns, as they were children of the one in Berlin, thus setting off a game of tit-for-tat that lasted until Sable decided to cut its losses in SY084.

Even that wasn’t enough to guarantee the Reich a victory. Operations were complicated for both sides by an effect which, as far as Sable was concerned, seemed unique to BPD3: anyone staying there for any length of time would fall under its influence, give up their previous loyalties, and thereafter work for the good of Manira and its Sign.

The Reich’s final attempt to gain control of Manira started in RY100, and was initially under the joint command of Joachim Peiper and Rupert Delatz. Unfortunately, the Reich’s normal Blitzkrieg tactics were unsuccessful due to resistance by the Brotherhood of the Martyr, backed by the power of BPD3, which included some ability to Channel the energy of the Sign elsewhere. Ultimately,  Reich ambitions were scaled back to just the northern landmass, with Martyr’s Island the ultimate objective. Even so, the conflict dragged on until June RY105. Peiper and Delatz weren’t present the entire time, as the period in question coincided with the Reich expansion in the Outer Ring worlds (Veils Four to Six). However, Peiper retook command in early RY105, for a last push. This ended up being generally successful, and by June of that year, the Reich controlled the northern landmass and thought that the Brotherhood there had been obliterated. The Reich was about to launch a major assault on Martyr’s Island, when the Brotherhood struck back. A ritual was successfully enacted on BPD3 to remove it to another location, but the energy released all but destroyed Martyr’s Island, and caused significant damage to both the other landmasses.

A brief period of instability on both Manira and its surrounding Shadows was finally addressed by Robert of Sable and Rupert Delatz, working in tandem.

Timeline of the Manira Conflict and Broken Pattern Dark 3

Year Events
003 The world hosting Broken Pattern Dark 3 found by Sable, under command of Brigadier Maria Baxter.
020 Baxter succumbs to Manira’s corrupting influence, and declares independence, setting herself up as Queen of Manira. Defeats a Sable force sent to seize control back from her.
025 A Reich force under General Adal Gottleib defeats Baxter’s people in battle. Baxter executed. Gottleib installed as Reichsprotektor.
030 Manira’s corrupting influence works faster on Gottleib than it did on Baxter, given he was of a darker nature to start with. Gottleib declares independence.
031 A second Sable force is sent to try to regain control of Manira. Defeated by Gottleib and his troops
034 Sable force under William O’Connor sent to reclaim Manira and succeeds. Gottleib killed in battle. Nathaniel Murdoch installed as Governor-General.
042 Murdoch succumbs to the Broken Pattern. Builds up his forces with the intention of expanding his influence in the surrounding Shadows.
043 Murdoch’s build-up noticed by the Reich, which decides to make a pre-emptive attack. Joachim Peiper Blitzkriegs the Shadow, defeating Murdoch’s forces and executing Murdoch himself. Arno von Strohfeldt, brother to the then Herzog von München installed as Reichsprotektor.
048 Sable makes a further attempt to regain control, but is again defeated. The campaign continues for the next couple of years.
050 Sable finally succeeds in retaking Manira, with von Strohfeldt killed in the fighting (although he was beginning to succumb by then), and General Liam O’Hara becomes military governor, a civilian governor having failed to hold it before. He settles down to try to stabilise the world and seems to be making progress without being corrupted
054 The Reich fights back, and Peiper along with Tristan Heydrich, utterly destroy the Sable forces there. Oberst WM Klaus von Beck (the Kaiserin’s father) installed as Head of State.
057 Von Beck realises that something is very wrong, although he doesn’t realise why, world and asks to be transferred. Gruppenführer Gregor Konstantin, BKSS appointed in his place, along with an SS detachment.
062 Konstantin succumbs to the influence of Manira, breaks with Rupert Delatz and the Reich and settles down to rule his own Kingdom, making him the only person ever to be stripped of the title of KSS.
070 The Most Blessed Prophet Diego Gonzalo de Real first seen on Manira, preaching salvation through the Blood of the Blessed Martyr, Chartris. On this occasion, he only stayed a couple of years before moving on.
075 Diego de Real returns and gains the agreement of Gregor Konstantin to settle on the island in the sea, and study the Holy Sign.
079 The final Sable attempt to take Manira. Succeeds, although Konstantin is kept alive, in case it’s killing the previous ruler that starts the corruption. Sable installs Francis Edwards, Marquis Wickstone, as Governor, with magical agents to try to keep him on the straight and narrow. The Most Blessed Prophet appears nowhere to be seen.
081 Konstantin manages to escape, helped by Diego de Real, and starts working towards an uprising against Edwards.
083 Edwards begins to be affected by the corrupting influence of Manira – a fact noted by de Real, who watches what follows with interest.
084 Konstantin stages his uprising, but when he gets to the palace to kill Edwards, he ends up discovering an ally. Konstantin and Edwards agree to share power on Manira, with Diego de Real invited to join them as the Third Triumvir. Edwards is declared dead within the realm of Sable, and his son Joseph becomes Marquis Wickstone. Sable, realises this is a fight its never going to win, cuts its losses, abandons further attempts to control Manira and declares it off-limits.
085 Founding of the Brotherhood of the Royal Martyr by Diego de Real.
100 De Real becomes de facto ruler of Manira, although Konstantin and Edwards remain Triumvirs in Name, at least. The Reich begins its final assault.
14-15 June 105 The Reich is on the brink of taking Martyr’s Island when there is a massive explosion as BPD3 is relocated to places unknown (but later to be confirmed as Veil 50). The Waffen-SS force that was attempting to take Manira takes significant losses and is later withdrawn. The resulting storms cause instability both on Manira and in the surrounding Shadows.
28 June 105 Robert de Lacy and Rupert Delatz work together to redraw BPD3. They succeed, but the world of Manira is also redrawn. Martyr’s Island is replaced by the somewhat larger Ruprechtsinsel, while the northern and southern landmasses are pushed further apart. The Reich takes control of Ruprechtsinsel.
June 105 to late-106 Manira and its surrounding Shadows take some time to stabilise following the upheavals of June 105
March 118 The Creation of Elementis, in the Centre expands Inside Shadow. New Oceania is relocated from Veil 50, to the Veil 100 North 270°
7 February 120 The Technocracy is built on the Veil 100 North 90°  and the act of Creation links it to New Oceania on the opposite side of the Inside “globe”. The Machine comes into being on New Oceania, and Martyr’s Island becomes the Data Centre.