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During the war, Norograd constructed a tactical orbital nuclear weapon known as Kevatuul, named after the Kozam god of chaos. It was Intended to be used to destroy Morstaybishlian military installations and infrastructure whilst obscuring the distinct electromagnetic characteristics of the blast from spotter satellites. The project saw many delays as interest with Norogradian high command piqued and waned, though it was eventually built and assembled in orbit by late 1974. It's first mission was intended to be a supporting role in either a second attempt to reach the interior Staynish oilfields, or an invasion of South Staynes. Both were put on hold due logistical issues, though the south Staynish plan was approved for after the alliance with Ethalria was withdrawn.
Before it could be used, however, three Emberitian intelligence agents were discovered after attempting to sabotage the weapon by giving it false orders via anone undisclosedof the command methodstations. As Ethalria-Norograd relations were decaying rapidly with Norograds withdrawal and the fact that the agents were female, it was falselywrongly assumed initially that the agents were Ethalrian. This caused a major panic in the military command structure, and thus the officer in command of a command sitestation put through an order to drop all eight rods onto the Ethalrian city of Rivendale and severseveral military installations. This was later found to be against the orders of Keit, who had made no assumptions as to the identity of the agents, and thosewas closereluctant to himuse havethe claimedweapon hehaphazardly intendedas tohe strikefeared partsa ofnuclear Emberwoodstrike asagainst revengeNorograd in insteadresponse. Of the four rods aimed at Rivendale, three detonated fully, with the fourth one suffering from a fizzled yield reduction of several orders of magnitude. The explosions caused the earth around the impact sites to rise approximately twenty feet, pulverising concrete foundations and collapsing underground metro lines, basements and bunkers where many had hid after the first rod impacted. The seismic shockwaves caused a few skyscrapers to collapse, though in the aftermath many others were condemned afterdue to the damage done to their foundations. The death toll in the city was in the high tens of thousands, and the military bases struck fared no better either. A cease fire was declared immediately afterwards, during which the source of the attack was determined to have been a satellite, and Norograd was quickly blamed. The attack shocked the world, and within a few days motivated the beginning of the Weyrcliff peace talks and the end of the war.
Despite constant denial, Norograd faced international embarrassment for the internal blunder which had led to them unintentionally attacking their recent allyEthalria, and the loss of national integrity led toallowed [[Quartz Fern Coast]] and [[Lyrevale]] to move forward to seceding from the nation, the latter quickly succumbing to internal tensions and spitting in two. WithIn later talks, Emberwood coast later admitting involvement, thein blameexchange wasfor spreadNorograd betweenreturning the twoagents andinvolved, Norogradallowing regainedthe cohesivityNorogradian government to save some face internationally.
=== Reunification with Lyrevale ===
[[Lyrevale Civil War]]<br />[[Lyrevale Continuation War]]
''see also: [[Axdel#The Norograd civil war|Axdel, Norograd civil war]]''
Brief: Norograd civil war is precipitated after a terrorist attack puts Kiet Narvga into a Coma. His replacement begins cracking down on other political parties (yes, 50% of seats in the legislature were decided in elections), as well as taking a belligerent stance against Morstaybishlia and Emberwood, blaming them for the attack. This lead to Norograd establishing checkpoints on its borders
'''(Some info below is old and crap, fall of Norograd is instead precipitated after opposition to dictatorship post unification with Lyrevale)'''
At the dusk of the 1980's, Norograd entered its first stages of decline. Organised protests across the nation demanding national reform became more commonplace, violent, and twisted, occasionally evolving into riots. Worried by these events, Kiet Narvga initiated a scheme to increase national cohesiveness via passive eugenic programs. Such programs were inspired by similar successful implementations in other nations across Urth. The programme was kept out of the public eye, and involved 'diagnosing' undesirable individuals in the population with an obscure disease, and then sterilising them with false medication. Targeted individuals were those that showed association with violent 'freedom fighter' groups, as well as those with chronic genetic disorders and poor mental acuity. The ultimate goal was to make Norograd a cohesive, intelligent, and stable society capable of surviving for centuries, even without a centralised state as Kiet had hoped for future Norograd.
In 1994 however, an as of yet unidentified hacker operating from a public library broke into Norogradian government files referencing the Eugenics program, as well as revealing the existence of bio-warfare divisions and research on engineered bioweapons that was also occurring at the time. Shortly after the breach, the information was leaked to the public, causing an outcry among the freedom fighter groups, many of which were specifically mentioned as targets of the sterilisation program. Occurrence of organised riots spiked across the nation, and within months of the leaks, several organised militias had emerged, most notably the anarcho-communist Norograd Armed Rebels (NAR - not to be confused with the Norograd Armed Resistance terrorist organisation). It was at this time that a coalition of democratic politicians and sociologists known as the Axdel coalition began making efforts to stabilise the nation. However, they were overshadowed by the armed militias that had begun amalgamating into the NAR to form a single paramilitary force.
On new years eve 1994, Keit Narvga declared martial law in Norograd, and civilian police patrols were replaced with armed convoys and military units. The NAR had become incredibly entrenched within society, making it extremely difficult to counter conventionally. In 1995 alone, there were half a dozen assassination of key generals and political figures, notably Darius Finch, Narvga's right hand man since the 60's. Keit himself was targeted many times, albeit all were unsuccessful. Emigration from Norograd spiked as law enforcement became more drastic. Soldiers in city streets could expect to be hailed by gunfire from windows and alleys. Tens of thousands died during this period, with many hundred of thousands fleeing the country, primarily to either Emberwood coast or Staynes. At the same time, the Axdel coalition was gaining presence, and was in constant communication with the Staynish government requesting the resources and funds that would be necessary to sway the Norogradian populace over to their cause. Small democratic militias were being recruited to disperse food, medical supplies and water to those who needed them most, and radio stations constantly broadcast messages from the coalition leaders to inform the citizenry of where to find them.
In Spring 1996, another data breach hit Norograd, this time revealing military locations and stockpiles. This breach was unlike the first though, because it went undetected for months, and was orchestrated by the NAR directly. The NAR, using the information retrieved from the hack, plotted a takeover of a 1970's Kilkati military bunker complex used for mass storage of rations and weaponry; exactly what the NAR needed to wage a war against the government. On the 6th of April, the assault on the complex took place, and armed with in-depth knowledge of the facilities security and its flaws, the NAR were successful in capturing it. Military forces attempted to retake the bunker, though were unsuccessful and were driven back from the land surrounding the entrance. From this point on, it was all out war between the NAR and the Governmental forces, with a major offensive being lead against the capital, Andel.
Several months passed, and the campaign into Andel had devolved into guerilla warfare and deep incursions into enemy territory from both sides. However, the NAR seemed to be prevailing, and by late august, the rebel forces had the government forces under siege within the city center. In other cities across the country not heavily involved in the conflict, the Axdel coalition and its Staynish assets began coordinating massive relief and rebuilding efforts, providing food and water to those in need and aiding neighbourhoods. At this point, Kiet Narvga knew he had lost the war. On the first of September and without warning, he managed to smuggle himself out of Andel, and was presumed to have emigrated to Staynes under a new identity. The NAR and governmental remnants promptly declared a cease fire the next day, both sides weighed down by heavy casualties. Now, the freshly formed Axdelian Government asserted control over the capital, beginning cleaning and rebuilding efforts. It declared itself the legal government, which the United Kingdom quickly recognised. soon after, the Axdelian constitution was then decreed, and with it the laws and rights of citizens were lifted from military junta, forming modern-day Axdel, and declaring the end of the civil war on September the 11th 1996. Civil unrest continues to this day, as NAR splinter factions and Norogradian Government supporters stir occasionally, though it has significantly declined over the years. The identity of the hacker that initiated the war and the country from which they originated remains unknown.
[[category:Aurora]]
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