Road To Loss (Book)

Road To Loss is an Historical, written by Atomagnian Naval Shipman Kelso Varma, published in the year 1510. Thematically, it centred on the consequences of the war against Kentronik, from the perspective of an Atomagnian Naval Shipmate, by the name of Ruka Fausto ( of Kelso).

Road To Loss was vastly influential in the resurgence of the Anternian Ideals and Nationalism, as it was banned in the Imperial Territory of Kentronik, and became a symbol of resistance of the ideals of Anternian Identity. It became a classical literary example of Atomagnian Literature, and to this day is required reading in Ahitereira and Koresa.

Background and Title
Kelso Varma was a naval shipman in the Kentronik-Atomagnian War, and would only achieve higher education after the such. In which he would write the book. Kelso Varma also chose to write the main character as an Heteronym as to not be targeted by the Kentronik nobles. Ruka Fausto would also be based upon various of his own aspirations, as a brave and capable hero.

The original manuscript of this book is currently held in the Classical Museum of Inysta in Ahitereira.

Plot
The story begins a month after the war itself began, as the Atomagnian Navy forced itself on a campaign of destruction against Kentronik, Hoping to force the invading Kingdom to peace out so that Atomagna could focus purely on Fazar. The story follows our main character as he participates in the biggest naval battle of the war as Atomagna striked the fomer capital of Mishak on the coast in order to castrate Kentronik sea shipping and to slash the ability of the Kentronik fleet to focus on anti piracy efforts. during the battle the main character participated in the ground effort to burn the harbors, but recounts how much of a failure the operation was as the port was so cramped that Atomagnian ships crashed into each other as they pushed forward and the Mishak port authority put up a stout defense against the raiders. forcing the main character and another to quickly escape in a dingy as a fog set in, slowly rowing back would mark the turning point in the nook as the main character looked at his companion, the companion looking back and remarking "we are going to lose aren't we".

The rest of the story follows the main character as he travels in a smaller raiding vessel, slowly realizing along with the rest of the boat that Atomagna had lost the will to fight, though the raiders gathered much success on their voyage able to quickly strike small Kentronik vessels and in the process getting rich, they were not able to out run the slow burning fact that Atomagna was falling apart. The end details as the ship the main character resided on made its last stop at one of the few remaining Atomagnian ports. He learns through word of mouth that the capital had been taken, and that all that stood between the invaders and total capitulation was a bunch of squandering nobles. The main character rejects this, getting his last orders to ship out. But as he walks back to port the walls protecting the city start falling, trebuchet shots flying over reaching the harbor itself destroying ships as they frantically try and leave, causing even more chaos. The main character tries to reach his ship but only arrives quick enough to see it leaving. He just sits in the port drinking as Kentronik soldiers poor in.

Characters
Ruka Fausto - The representation of the classical hero archetype, despite being Kelso Varma's ideal character, his will to live and fight falls as the war goes on, this is meant to symbolize that war could break even the most perfect character.

Atomagna - The nation of Atomagna is seen as a character by the author, which depicts it as a sickly woman being removed of her purity (Often seen as allegory to Rape) as the book goes on.

The Crew - The members of the crew are the representation of everything wrong with the society of Atomagna, as they often are described with stereotypes and the such, they are the reason why Atomagna loses in the book.

Response & Criticism
The story garnered little sales in Atomagna, where the nobles most likely were afraid of harsh reprisals for holding the book which was banned by Kentronik, but saw major success in the upper classes of Kentronik and Mishak, where the nobles were fascinated at learning of not only the average plebs life during the war but also the detailed accounts of Atomagna's actions and battles at sea against the non-existent Kentronik Navy. It seems that the fascination with war is what drove the book sales in the upper classes of Kentronik as they got to see the closest look at what some had dreamed of doing themselves.