Quoted By:
It has been about two months since you have concluded the Californian Exodus and led the Crusaders to the promised land (of Mobile Arizona) from where the entire Badlands and nation will be conquered in the name of Christ. In that time the faction has grown from a small group of militarized refugees measured in the dozens to a minor power in the region south of Phoenix Arizona numbering in the hundreds. Much of this growth has come with trying to avoid direct confrontations, naturally so with the inability to bear casualties that all small factions must deal with. Even the long awaited showdown with the POZ threat looming over Maricopa was, as if by miracle, resolved without so much as a shot fired by either side. But now, just before entering the tenth week after settlement, there's a sense that big things are on the horizon. The two expeditions being carried out in opposite directions both point to this.
First and foremost on the minds of most of the faction is the military venture to the east. At the suggestion of your patron/suzerain in Maricopa's Preis you will be giving the Crusaders what should be a proper battle.
>DIPLOMATIC ACTION LOCKED-IN: [GILA COUNTER-RAID]
To the east is the raid on the native proxies being used by the POZ to raid trade shipments being sent out by your suzerain, Maricopa City. The factional politics that led to this situation are somewhat convoluted but the plan is simple: launch a frontal assault on the small network of towns and villages while their main force is out trying to raid the supply caravan scheduled to head out soon. The bizarre eastern European representing the POZ was not subtle about the fact that such "accidents" could happen without the POZ's "protection," which in this case would technically not be done by the POZ itself but by its pawns. Which then means an attack by the Crusaders, who are likewise not Maricopa, is simply a case of turnabout being fair play. You have already placed assets in the area in the newly placed 'Sidewinder' force comprised of Crusader loyalist natives who have taken up hidden positions in the desert. All that is left for you, the Messenger, to decide is the matter of choosing how much force you'll dedicate to the mission and who will take the lead. From there on, it'll be in the hands of your infantrymen and, ultimately, in the hands of God.
To the west a very different mission is about to be undertaken. Your most reliable underling, Cardinal Musella, was honored with the choice of conducting whatever diplomatic mission he thought would be best and has made up his mind.
>[DIPLOMATIC ACTION] CHOSEN: [MUSELLA'S CHOICE]
>[MUSELLA'S CHOICE]: ENVOY [PALO VERDE NUCLEAR ZONE]
