Auction (Part 1)

Tranquebar, meaning "the place where the waves sing," was a colony acquired in 1620 after a captain of the Danish East India Company conquered the local princely state.

Historically, this tiny colony brought immense profits to the Kingdom of Denmark; in truth, Denmark once harbored even grander ambitions.

However, following Christian IV's crushing defeat by Wallenstein, Denmark's imperial dreams were shattered.

Before joining the Thirty Years' War, Denmark—in a personal union with Norway—boasted a highly developed industrial and commercial sector, earning the title "the Holland of the North." They had abolished the privileges of the Hanseatic League, built a powerful naval fleet, established hegemony over Northern Europe after defeating Sweden, and launched expeditions to India to establish colonies.

Yet, just as Danish power reached its zenith, Britain, France, and the Netherlands began lobbying Christian IV to participate in the Thirty Years' War to vie for dominance over the European continent.

This naive king was firmly convinced of the Holy Roman Empire's weakness, and he did not wish to be merely the hegemon of Northern Europe; he also aspired to be the master of Northern Germany.

After receiving promises of supplies from Britain, France, and the Netherlands, he led a massive army into the quagmire of the German territories.

The result was, naturally, a severe depletion of national strength. Even more terrifying was the barbaric, bloody nature of the Thirty Years' War, which nearly wiped out an entire generation of Danes.

The Austrian army, led by Wallenstein, repeatedly ravaged Danish soil, and the powerful fleet upon which the nation relied for survival was burned to ashes.

Almost all former German dependencies were liberated, turning the capital into a border battlefield. From then on, the heart of Denmark remained perpetually exposed to the sharp blade of Germany.

The loss of The Sound