[X] Resistance: Encourage Lord GobbleSnood to melt into the surrounding territory, and act as a guerrilla movement against the Kringlists.
-[X] Offer ESS personnel trained in sabotage as advisors if he agrees to the plan.
Lord GobbleSnood is resistant to the idea initially. He is dead-set on dying gloriously in a final battle against the Kringlists. His soldiers, however, are less enthusiastic about the idea. As your agents bring supplies and munitions to the Thanksgiving remnants, they spread news of your offer of support for a guerilla movement. Soon enough, there is an undercurrent of resentment as GobbleSnood prepares for the last stand. You, in a series of personal letters, try to convince him that dying in a hopeless final battle isn't quite as glorious as becoming a heroic resistance movement against Kringle. The pressure from both your own diplomats and his own soldiers slowly begins to change his mind, but what really takes the wind out from beneath his wings is the fact that the Kringlists don't seem to be cooperating. Instead of offering battle by charging Lord GobbleSnood's prepared defenses, they seem content to sit back and occasionally shell the remnants. He is not happy about this. On occasion, he will take to the walls of his fortress and scream obscenities at the Christmas lines. His aides have to pull him down as Snipers begin to take pot-shots at his beak.
Eventually, he quietly changes his mind. In a message to you he 'graciously' accepts your offer of ESS personnel to assist his soldiers. The remnant slowly melts away over the next few days, small parties disappearing from their base to become cells of resistance in the local countryside. Occasionally, an ESS advisor will join them. These agents have been ordered to do everything in their power to help set up these groups. They will guide these resistance fighters in their turbulent first weeks, ensuring they are not eliminated before they can be useful to the war effort.
The last group to leave is led by Lord GobbleSnood himself, as he takes to the walls to shout one last bevy of insults against the Kringlists. As he descends from his tirade, he joins the final group of Turkey soldiers and ESS advisors as they exit the base and vanish into the night. All that remains on the last fort of thanksgiving is a single flag, waving defiantly in the wind.
The Thanksgiving Remnants, led by Lord GobbleSnood, have become the Thanksgiving Leftovers. This resistance group will act against Kringlist forces occupying Thanksgiving territory.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Within the borders of of Easter your factories have finally been pulled from their lethargy and into full production. Each plant now runs a full three shifts per day, endlessly churning out weapons and supplies for your growing armies. On the training grounds, your soldiers have been joined by expeditionary forces from the other Holidays of the Easter Declaration. Newly baked peeps slowly begin to fill your ranks, joining your rabbits in daily exercises.
The nations of the Easter Declaration, although differing to your leadership, are pressing for offensive plans to be drawn up. They are itching to begin the fight against Santa even as their own armies are still in the process of training with your own forces. On the home front, your citizens also seem to be ready to take the fight to the Kringlists. Your calls for patience from both your own people and your allies is accepted, but you can feel a restless undercurrent growing in popular opinion.
The Independent Front, according to your sources, is also growing impatient. Cupid, the de-facto leader of the alliance, is facing growing pressure from his allies to launch an assault through January into Santa's rear. The cherub has managed to convince his allies that such a hasty assault would be doomed to failure as Christmas still holds the bulk of its forces in reserve, ready to react to any change on the front. Instead, he has turned his attention to fortifying early February against invasion. His lack of industrial capacity is slowing his efforts, but the technology you have supplied is assisting.
The Independent Front has dedicated themselves to fortifying their territory. They will take no offensive action against Santa in the foreseeable future. Your own allies are eager to fight, but their forces are not yet ready.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Across the breadth of October, the offensive against Halloween continues. The forces of Christmas have begun a long and brutal slog through the defenses of Skellington's forces. Heavy fighting is reported as the "Comet" division has joined the battle, helping the Kringlists break their way through the first line of the entrenched defenders. Both sides report great victories and massive casualties inflicted on the other, but your own intelligence services paint a clearer picture.
Halloween, despite their best efforts, has been unable to halt the drive through their fortifications. Santa Claus' armies have been slowed, but not stopped. With the addition of a fresh division, it seems that the breach of the first line of the Halloween defenders was inevitable. At the moment, Christmas seems unlikely to commit any more forces to the offensive on Halloween, believing that three divisions will be enough to finish them off. Unfortunately, your agents have been unable to determine the status of Santa's other forces, or what they may be up to.
Meanwhile, it seems your support of other nations has not gone unnoticed. Over the past few weeks, your own counter-intelligence services have seen an increase in Christmas espionage in your territory. Santa has placed Easter on his naughty list. Three saboteurs and an Elf assassin have been discovered and caught in the past week alone. While thus far the ESS has been able to thwart their plots, they believe it is only a matter of time before one of Santa's agents succeeds.
In response, the ESS has placed a series of options on your desk. The threat of Christmas espionage is too great, and action must be taken now before any military operations can really begin.
Firstly, you could dedicate some of your industrial might to expanding the ESS, and redirect recruits from the army to your intelligence agency. At the moment, their resources are being stretched, and you constantly receive requests for more equipment and manpower. While this would slow the equipping and expansion of your own forces and those of your allies, it would allow the ESS to dedicate a whole team to securing Easter against Christmas' agents.
Secondly, the agencies of your allies might be able to help. While none of them are as large or as skilled as the ESS, they could lend a helping hand and lift the pressure off your own agents. You would allow non-ESS agencies to act with your authority in Easter territory, with all the risk that entails, but it would leave the ESS free to fulfill other duties in wartime. You agents and military might not be happy, but they won't say no if you get results.
Finally, you could use your executive powers to declare a state of martial law. Giving your own police forces and military units the authority and power they need to root out any Christmas agents in your Holiday. This would, of course, not be popular with your citizens, but you are at war. Sacrifices must be made to ensure victory!
What do you do?
[] Expand the ESS! Let the professionals handle this, the army can do without for a little while.
[] Ask for help from your allies! What do you keep them around for if not to help you out?
[] Declare Martial Law! Tear out the spies by any means necessary!
[] Other?
