«12. . .8,1688,1698,1708,1718,1728,1738,174. . .8,2698,270»
OOC: Just take me, Pope Urban II.
OOC: Though the Last Crusade of Hate was pretty much the AoD equivalent of the Fourth Crusade.
An Unbalanced Mind
The very next day after the palace eunuchs produced signed testimonies of the white paper authors working with foreign intelligence agencies, the military police arrested the suspects at the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs under suspicions of breaching the Middle Kingdom’s espionage acts, on direct orders from the Huangdi. They were to be detained until a thorough investigation either found evidence of their collaboration with foreign governments or cleared their names.
The Huangdi, who was growing disillusioned with his palace eunuchs, now found himself questioning the true loyalties of his state civil service. He did not know that the testimonies were coerced. And though he knew the palace eunuchs were interested in a weakened state civil service, he still viewed them as his loyal subjects, and the idea that they would go as far as they did to discredit their rivals was not something that crossed his mind.
His thoughts naturally drifted to the most pessimistic outcome: a state civil service structurally in the employ of foreign governments. He decided he preferred corrupt palace eunuchs to treasonous civil servants. And yet, he had to wonder: how likely was it really for foreign intelligence agencies to compromise a multi-ministerial institution when, until recently, the Middle Kingdom had been diplomatically and politically cut off from the rest of the world?
And yet the Huangdi also could not discount the strong Artarumen support for the white paper authors. Civil servants everywhere were mere functionaries of the state; they were shadowy, lowly figures who humbly agreed to work for the greatness of their countries behind the scenes, never seeking personal greatness or credit in the process. And yet was it not Prime Minister Anthony Bishop of 
Artarum who personally supported the white paper authors? How often did you hear a head-of-government supporting a civil servant, much less one in another country who had admitted to working for another government? Perhaps the white paper authors were Arturamen agents? And instead of asking to speak with him, he would send his ambassador to smile and lie to coverup his intelligence agency's muck-up. The indignity!
Then he remembered the upcoming Arturamen elections. The Huangdi considered how the Middle Kingdom could get involved and have Anthony Bishop lose to Lambert Faulkner, the imperial government’s undeclared favourite. He even planned it, the details and minutia of how he would convince the Artarumen public to elect Faulkner over the conspiring Bishop.
He got up from his chair in his office and was about to walk out and have his secretary summon his imperial government.
Then it hit him.
He realised where his thoughts had taken him. Shaking his head, he sat back down. Correcting his posture, with his hands on his kidneys, he closed his eyes and cleared his mind. He sat like this for hours.
He became one with the Dao, and let go of his worries.
The New Generation (Pt. 1)
“Government leadership, no matter the system, must be led by the educated and powerful.” - Lilie Korban
In the military bunker under Elita’s isolated residence, the highest ranked Westbeechian military officials had gathered to meet with Lilie, her brother Maximus, and her cousin Monos. Lilie stood before the table of decorated veterans, looking quite out of place. However, she made sure that they would recognize her.
“The establishment of our military upon not only numbers, but firepower as well, has ensured that many newcomers will require excessive training. The division of the infantry into the specialized groups ensures that the training will be minimized, but the soldiers will be better prepared for their duty with the equipment they have. To move backwards is to threaten the ability of our military in times of emergency, and that would not look good.
The root of our military is the specialization in types of combat. Our Special Forces more than make up for the need to maintain a multitude of roles at once, however there may be a need for a growth in the number of these capable soldiers. An expansion of the Special Forces, therefore could be necessary. I propose a doubling of the numbers as soon as we can prepare them. It is my firm belief that the Special Forces may be the future of our military.”
The Inspector General nodded. “You have what kind of experience or knowledge to make such a decision?”
Years Before, in Lilie’s Adolescence
Lilie, along with Maximus, had snuck out of the city. She had only one thought in mind: What lays in the desert, the land few understood? She guided her brother out of the cities and travelled quickly utilizing her wings, while Maximus had “commandeered” an unfortunate man’s bicycle.
After hours of travel, they arrived at an old military outpost. This outpost had been deserted since before the unification and seemed to be crumbling from the outside. A short circle of the outpost revealed the entrance to the structure. Lilie landed and stood next to Maximus outside the entrance. “This place has only been mentioned as a relic of old in all the books. I think that it must be much more though. Who would build such a structure out here for no reason other than aesthetics?”
Lilie and Maximus forced the door open which forced the door to fall onto the dark, stone floor. Maximus removed his flashlight and held it to allow Lilie to see all around her. She walked to the far end of the room and saw writing on the wall. “This writing is an ancient dialect. It was written before the three kingdoms within Westbeech had formed. It doesn’t make sense, though. Such a structure should mean that there was a civilization much larger than that of a tribe in the area, but there wasn’t anything more than the small desert tribes here.” Lilie took out one of her many ancient books and began translating the message.
“The endless destruction of man, the cursed wars that follow. Nothing more dominates our lands.”
Maximus spotted a small, hidden latch under the ancient writing. He grabbed it and pulled, forcing it open so fast that he fell down. Under the latch was a staircase that winded down into a large chamber. All along the staircase was more of the ancient writing. Lilie and Maximus quickly descended down to the bottom of the staircase. When they reached the bottom, they noticed the writing suddenly stopped. They walked to where it ended and noticed a case of some sort just barely exposed, protruding from the wall.
Lilie grabbed the box and pulled as hard as she could, but it didn’t move. Maximus joined in and they continued to attempt to pull. No matter how much they tried, it didn’t budge. Just as they were about to give up, Lilie noticed a set of words on the wall that were in golden letters. She approached the words and read quietly, “Where the weapons of old are stored, few may enter. Of those who enter, only the chosen may have their weapon.”
When she finished reading, another box, which was in another section of the room, started giving off a faint glow. The glow looked something like Korbanite, a material that the nation had just recently started utilizing. Lilie carefully approached the box and gripped it. It seemed to slip from the stone wall, as if nothing were holding it back. She dared not open it, for she feared what could be inside. Maximus grabbed Lilie’s shoulders and brought her into a hug and whispered, “So the ancients chose you.”
The Present Day
“You speak out of line, General,” said Maximus.
Schoerner sneered, but after glimpsing around the room, just hung his head.
Monos stood up and declared, “What she says is true. The Special Forces will allow us to quickly adapt and outdo any opponent we encounter. I say we get what she wants done finished as quickly as possible.
However, Lilie, what of the Guard? They are trained even more rigorously and are prepared for anything that could be thrown their way. They are the best of the best in our military. I say we expand the Guard as well in order to better protect our leaders and to eliminate any foe with ease.”
The leaders in the Guard gave a slight nod. Lilie responded, “I agree. They would make the best of our nation with their utilization. To not expand the Guard in any type of military expansion is almost shameful in itself. I also propose we expand its armored group. This way, we’ll see greater action in offensives from the Guard and a better understanding of what other types of armor we could produce to ensure victory.”
The entire room of representatives gave nods of approval. The Inspector General stood up and approached Lilie. “You, young lady, seem to have an idea of changes we need. I think you will do amazing work in the future.” Schoerner then saluted her before quickly exiting. The rest of the staff followed, each shaking Lilie’s hand before exiting.
Maximus grabbed Lilie’s coat and helped her put it on while Monos approached. “Lilie, I am truly worried about the future. My sister, Marlene, is trying to get more and more support from locals and officials. You are aware that she plans on grabbing a few things for herself against your will?”
“Monos, I assure you. No matter what happens, we will see that everything will turn out in the favor of our family. Marlene simply dreams of being as powerful as your mother. Her obsessive need for that power will be her downfall and when that time comes, I’m sure she will realize the errors of her ways. She may do what she wants anyways, I’m not the Dictator yet, don’t forget. Elita would never allow anything ill to befall the nation while she rules.”
Lilie grabbed her bag and checked on Maximus, who seemed to be deep in thought, staring at her. Monos grabbed Lilie’s arm. “You can’t let her do more. She will want you gone and will do anything to do it. You must have her arrested or we might face something worse than a family feud.”
Lilie pulled her arm away quickly while Maximus quickly stood between the cousins. “Monos, I have already told you, Elita remains Dictator. Her health is not something that can allow me to override her rule. She is simply allowing me to make these decisions in order to maintain the normal operation of our government. What Marlene does is not any of my business and likely won’t be my business at any point in the near future.”
Lilie turned to leave and brushed Monos’s shoulder as she left to reassure her. Following Maximus, Lilie left the room to return to meet with other representatives from multiple areas of the government.
"Do you think it's a good idea to let him speak?"
, the Crown Prince asked nobody in particular, keeping an eye on the small stage that had been set up in Castle Hohenstaufen's courtyard. He stood there, behind the plethora of technicians, cameras and what else they had set up to record and televise the Grand Duke's address, together with two other men, these being the Chief of the Supreme Command of the Schwabenwehr, Karl-Heinz von Liechtenstein, as well as the Grand Ducal Chancellor, Volker Waldemar Rüdiger von Höllbronn. All three of them looked kind of lost in all the activity and between all those...specialists, keeping their hands in their pockets and their postures slightly slouched over as they watched things unfold around them with morose faces.
"Prolly not. But after what this Shirleyton gal pulled, there ain't no way that any of us could've kept our mouths shut. And honestly, I'd rather his majesty take the blame than myself."
, Karl-Heinz replied, his gaze pinned on the Grand Duke, who was slowly, with the aid of his blind butler, making his way onto the stage.
"A fine Chief of the Supreme Command you are, throwing your sovereign and best friend under the bus like that. I wonder if it qualifies as high treason."
The Crown Prince's tone was acidic and the threat within it not even veiled, causing Karl-Heinz to whip around and stare the young man, lowly growling:
"Watch your trap you piece of s###. If you weren't his son, I swear I'd-"
"Gentlemen, please."
, the chancellor suddenly interjected, pointing at the stage where the Grand Duke had reached his podium and was clearly preparing to start his speech.
"He's starting."
"My dearest subjects, you can turn off your TV right now or switch the channel, this address isn't directed at you. Yes, I am not joking and now shush, the whole lot of you!
Not so long ago, many among us were graced by a rather unwelcome broadcast. A message broadcasted by christian fundamentalist sectarian heretics or whatnot. Something of the sort anyway. We elected to repay them in kind, flooding the offending channel with the most vile, unchristian things we could broadcast. For the exact same duration as their initial broadcast. An eye for an eye or something like that, isn't that what the bible says?
And now this f###ing b#### who calls herself Dorothy Shirleyton, the head looney of that weird country called Caryton or maybe its church, I don't know, I think it is interchangeable, has come out publicly. And she has dared to question our methods of retaliation! Unproportional did she call them! Uncalled for! Monstrous!
Well I say the same to you and your 'citizen's' horrifying vocal attack on my wonderful nation, do you hear that, Dorothy?!? Do you hear it?!?!?!?!?!? We have not wasted away in the dungeons of the christian zealots for decades to have to listen to your sickening b#######! We have not endured the hot iron and coal, the lashings, the kicks and degradation, the waterboarding and all kinds of horrifying torment at the hands of your kind to so we have to sit still and let it freely walk all over us! We have not watched lovers, friends and comrades pulled from their houses in the middle of the day by eager Inquisitors to never be seen again! We did not make mass graves of the worst of these villains just so their foreign compatriots can come to haunt us and put their saltened fingers into our wounds!
Now have a nice day Frau Shirleyton and remember to never, ever, ever again pull to light what is best forgotten. Otherwise I will be forced to expand the persecution of certain species of the canis lupus familiaris to certain members of the species homo sapiens. Good night."
To the esteemed Minister of the Foreign Office, Valery Shostakovich,
It is good to hear that the Fyurer's vision still has such stunch defenders of itself. His majesty, the Grand Duke, is also most pleased with the commitment to the cause that you have displayed.
However, there is one question that is majesty has asked me to convey. That question being wether or not the Rushen Reykh is willing and capable of launching offensive operations against the usurpers. Your telegram made it quite clear that you will not be giving up the ground you hold yet his majesty is not interested in an endless war of attrition being waged in Talarus. Stability must return soon and the cancer must be cut out before it can fester.
As such his majesty has requested that the Rushen Reykh launch an offensive towards the north and secure a port city or multiple. This way the Marshal and the Reykh as a whole can prove to his majesty that they are both willing and capable of reclaiming their nation instead of just holding on, but we also ease the supply situation. Glavnigrad is, as I have been told by my staff, situated in the very center of the country, making access to it viable only by aircraft and, as military staff has told me, highly risky due to the likely presence of hostile anti air assets on the way.
Regardless of the undertaking of such an offensive operation or even its success, his majesty still remains committed to the support of the Rushen Reykh and fully intends to begin deliveries of primarily small arms and ammunition immediately. So long as the Rushen Reykh does not own a port, the delivery of heavier armaments will likely be...impossible.
Sincerely.
Minister of Foreign Relations
Baron Friedrich zu Ulm
National Party leader Lambert Faulkner introduces his team, Conservative Party leader Sigismund Hirdman wins leadership election and is slated to continue as leader, large group of MP's resign from National Coalition
LIUDAN — It was a hectic week in Artarum as the various parties involved in the upcoming elections held conferences and conventions. With the government bloc collapsing, the former Senior Undersecretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the current leader of the National Party, Lambert Faulkner, introduced a part of his close team to the public in a massive conference that was also televised.
Notable picks are the Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Matthew Herzog, who was a senior official in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office prior to his resignation in order to join the National Party and run for Parliament, the Minister of State for Defence, Schalk Vorster, notable for being a more interventionist figure in the academia and also being one of the few Boers in the National Party's higher echelons, and the Minister of State for International Trade and Development, Matthias Wright, who has been an instrumental figure within the Ministry of Business and Commerce as well as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in establishing the framework of the various international organisations Artarum has pioneered such as the International Monetary Fund, the International Bank for Development, the International Assembly, and the Artarumen Commonwealth.
Speaking in order to explain the National Party's foreign policy outlook and vision, Herzog took the podium to outline the program as follows: "The foreign policy agenda we have set is underpinned, primarily, by three foundational pillars. These are, in order of priority, the achievement of consensus with our international partners, with Zhongwangguo and Umbraen being the most important of these at the moment, and the establishment of a multi-lateral movement plan; the institution of a new world order based upon mutual agreement, free trade, liberal democracy, all guaranteed by active participation in international communities and institutions with commonly-agreed upon laws to preserve order, stability, and peace; finally, the active commitment of the members of the free world to preserve the safety, security, stability, and the overall well-being of other like-minded states in the face of crises, be these economic, financial, political, or military.
To give an example, the current crisis in The eurasian steppes is one such challenge confronting the free world at this juncture. It is our belief as the National Party that the forces of democracy in Talarus cannot be permitted to be destroyed and to fall into darkness. While we appreciate the support of the current government to the Rushen, it is our firm belief that this is not enough, and that the situation in Talarus is fragile enough to warrant more pro-active, more direct action."
In other news, Sigismund Hirdman, the leader of the Conservative Party, faced a leadership challenge in his party from Michael Barlowe, but kept his position with 61% of the vote amongst the party delegates, compared to Barlowe's 27%. Thanking the party delegates for the victory, Hirdman stated that "the Conservative Party will adapt itself to the needs of the Artarumen public and maintain Artarum's position as a world power, unhindered by destructive ideologies of the radical left and the radical right, keeping the Empire on a steady course ahead". Hirdman is 79 years old and many Conservative Party voters, especially the younger sections, express worries that he is unfit to lead Artarum for five years, and that they would prefer to avoid yet another general election in the near future.
Finally, another group of Members of Parliament from the National Coalition group resigned from their party, electing to sit as independent MP's for the remaining duration of the Imperial Parliament, citing serious concerns over the leadership of Anthony Bishop regarding both the government and the election campaigning, with one senior staff member of one of the MP's, who has requested to remain anonymous, stating that "the National Coalition organisation is in disarray. Nobody knows what is going on, the provinical and ward offices have no connection to the centre, and really, nobody quite knows what the goal is. The fact might be that National Coalition simply is no more."
Pearlescent did her best to suppress a chuckle.
"Good day, Ma'am," she greeted the Colonel. "I... ahem... I see you're not used to dealing with obstructive bureaucrats who all think that their particular case is the most important thing in the world. Mother and Father did their best to prepare me for a lifetime of just that, so I can understand your frustration... Anyway, the tour Major Black gave us was most informative. We didn't have time to see the entire settlement of course, but I think we can now move freely around without risking getting hopelessly lost. Isn't that right, Shi... Earthquake?"
Shield nodded.
He said, "Indeed. And I was surprised to see how well Earth Ponies, Unicorns and Pegasi all worked together as equals. Many of them were former Equestrian citizens and yet they had adjusted to your social norms almost perfectly. Maybe the Imperium is more open to change than anypony had thought."
Rainbow was about say something everypony involved would probably have regretted but in a rare moment of self control (learned during her long years as the supreme commander of the Imperium's military) she decided to swallow her pride and think again. Watching the exchange between Lightning and Alula she tried to understand what exactly was going on here.
So this mare... this Lightning... was not Lightning Dust but her daughter. Except that she was about the same age her mother had been when Rainbow had last seen her. And of course her mother was not the same Lightning Dust Rainbow had known in her youth but instead Lightning Dust's alternate self from another dimension, where Rainbow's own alternate self was one of the so called Arch-traitors who had killed innumerable Ponies, including this alternate version of Lightning Dust... The General had trouble wrapping her mind around the weirdness of all this interdimensional mumbo jumbo. Twilight was far better suited for that sort of thing. Rainbow almost had to slap herself in the face in order to clear her thoughts, but that would have been inappropriate in the presence of the Novumequines and her own soldiers...
Ultimately the only outward sign of the blue Pegasus' frustration was a small exasperated groan.
"Thank you... um... General," she said after quickly scanning the rank insignia on Alula's uniform. "Captain Hot-head here seems to have trouble realizing that she is now living in an entirely different universe. I hope that not everypony in New Elysium is as impulsive and hostile as her... Anyway, I bring greetings and good wishes from Her Immortal Ladyship and the Beacon of Hope for All Ponykind, Imperatrix Twilight of the House of Sparkle. I'm here on a mission of goodwill and represent my country and my ruler with the intention of fostering mutual understanding and good relations between the Imperium and the Diarchy. As a sign of Her infinite benevolence, the Imperatrix wishes to present you with this gift."
One of her Pegasus warriors opened her saddle bag and, with some difficulty, presented Alula with a golden statue of the Two Sisters.
"This statue was unearthed during an archaeological expedition to the Castle of the Two Sisters and is believed to predate Nightmare Moon's reign. Her Immortal Ladyship believes that you should have it as a sign of the shared origin of all Ponykind."
The Revolution Must Be Exported!
There would be nothing but support from the Volksrepublik to move forward in a joint intervention in Talarus. The Volksrepublik writes a verbose, politically driven letter in reply to offer by the Social Republic: "In an ocean of capitalist dogs, monarchist swine, and fascist hounds the worker must work hand-in-hand to accomplish the dreams of the Proletariat. The criminal states that are planning to dig their hands into the boiling pot of Talarus are only criminally and irresponsibly jeopardizing the fate of peace, the fate of the people of Talarus. They are sowing among the people of Talarus a revolutionary fervor, a hatred of the capitalist system making profit off of war, and soon that pot will overflow to burn the hands of the anti-revolutionary dogs. The Volksrepublik and Social Republic must turn up the heat by aiding our revolutionary kin, the red brothers and sisters that bleed for the teachings of socialism. We must make victors or martyrs out of them."
The International Trading Alliance Expands Business Operations
[The eurasian steppes
As the International Trading Alliance (ITA) continued to promote a path to peace and confederation for the two largest liberal democratic factions in Talarus, the consortium of Chinese businesses developed into a more influential figure in the Rushen political landscape through two new developments: an influx of new members and expanded business activities.
The consortium—already made up of businesses spanning many different industries—saw further industrial diversification as new businesses officially joined the ITA. While the telecommunications industry remains a leading influence on the business alliance, representing some of the biggest Chinese private corporation names, the recent inclusion of several private military companies and arms manufacturers has seen a renewed interest for the ITA to expand its business operations outside the Liberal Democracy Theatre, given its confidence in deploying private military assets to protect its members’ interests.
As part of its efforts to expand business activities, the ITA approached Rushen telecommunications companies that operated in the Far-Left Theatre and attempted to negotiate the purchase of their operations in the region at a steep discount rate, citing that soon the socialist factions would seize their assets in the name of wealth redistribution and that because of the risk the ITA was willing to take on, it felt that the discount rate was justified. If negotiations succeed, the ITA’s private military companies will deploy adequately armed units to safeguard the newly acquired telecommunications assets against all internal and external threats.
The expanded business activities also saw the ITA negotiating on behalf of its members on forming partnerships with telecommunications companies in the Rushen Reykh Theatre and the Monarchist Theatre. Here, the ITA promised the relevant authorities assistance in carrying out mass surveillance programmes against their citizens and the resumption of telecommunications services following the chaos that has uprooted the entire country. The Chinese business alliance promised to gradually increase capital investments in restoring more services, in return for an increase in the ownership stake of the partnering telecommunications companies.
The ITA believes that by effectively taking over an entire industry disrupted by the civil war, it has the unique opportunity to bring the people together again by restoring direct lines of communications between loved ones. And in the process, the ITA’s telecommunications and private military member companies will surely benefit from the new and generous cash flows.
Maple nodded back. “In the Diarchy, it is the quality of one’s soul rather than what appendages one does or does not have that really determines one’s value. Convenient, considering how most of our leaders are missing bits and pieces.” She joked as the soldiers chuckled. “Honestly though, the Sisters Divine crafted us all to reflect an aspect of them so why would we not be equal? As for the bureaucrats, I think I’m handling them well enough.” The Governor-Colonel flung another binder at the door as it started to open. “I didn’t give you permission to come crawling back in yet, get out!”
Alula gestured to one of her black-armoured guards who gently took the statue from their Equestrian counterpart. “We accept the gift in the spirit of cooperation between our nations.”
“Mater, you’re not honestly going to take an idol from thi…” Lightning started before the general interrupted her. “Thank you, Captain, for volunteering to escort the Equestrian gift to the chaplain.” Alula motioned for the hetairoi who’d taken the statue to move over to the captain’s side. “Mater, you can’t…” The captain tried to argue before Alula got up in her face. “Should I tell the chaplain that Lieutenant Lightning is bringing him an idol of the Sisters?” Her subordinate started to fly off, guard and statue in tow as they headed to a nearby mountaintop.
Alula watched Lightning fly for a while before looking back to Rainbow Dash. “My apologies, General. We Elysians are usually much more professional than that. I bid you welcome to our city both as a ranking member of the Diarchal Armed Forces and as materfamilias of Clan Kicker. I offer you xenia at my own estate.” She presented her hoof for Rainbow to shake.
"Of course." he said, before beginning. "I shall begin with the four elder gods. The First Goddess is Alyna, with domains of the sun, agriculture, land, royalty, governance. Her consort is Thipiar, God of the moon, ocean, underworld, wealth, navigation, and magic. Opinions regarding this god vary wildly. Next is Osophi, goddess of Deals, persuasion, power, love, peace, and social relations. Her consort is Azahar, father of the eldian people with domain over knowledge, wisdom, planning, ambition, and innovation." he paused. "The younger deities are Cenaxis, goddess of Maidens, sacrifice, desperation, selflessness, and devotion. She is also known as the shield and is a caretaker of fallen warriors. Next is Kovros, the god of war, honor, martial arts, combat, discipline, restraint, and justice. He would be akin to your goddess of the rank and file - in a loose fashion -, but with domain elements unique to the eldian people. His sister is Netrixi, the goddess of healing, rehabilitation, care, childbirth, and spirituality. Surprisingly she was not as major of a deity as you would think. Udarin would be the god of decay, decline, renewal, and rebirth. Happens to also be Thipiar's least favorite offspring. Sazith is our nature goddess, specifically over plants and the wilderness. Her origin legends are legion, with each telling a different tale, though most agree that Alyna was her mother. Some legends indicate that Azahar was her father, or at least heavily involved in her creation and development. Onveveious is the god of the hunt, game, tracking, the ruler of all things animal." the monk took a few moments to go back over his mental list before filing it away again. "That covers the basics." he stated plainly.
The Lord-Cardinal accepted the handshake of the Archbishop amicably, though held him under the same deep scrutiny of others that Germanians were all too proficient at exercising. It was inconceivable that everything was exactly what it was cracked up to be, but that was okay; the inverse was usually true within the borders of the Reisch.
"The will of God and His Imperial Majesty, Nasira; that is what has brought me here. The desire for closer cooperation between Kriegizstan and the Holy Reisch coinciding with the express aim of the Imperial Church to establish a Kriegizstani vicarate has, inexorably, led to my arrival here and so you will find that I am petitioning on the behalf of two parties rather than just one. That said-"
He paused for a moment in his sentence to look the Archbishop up and down unashamedly, as if he were sizing up the physique of an opponent. This passive distrust lasted only a few seconds however and he turned his attention directly back to Nasira to continue.
"-That said, I have arrived to negotiate terms of both carnal and spiritual matters."
After a short ride through 
Vespergale, Lilie and Maximus arrived at the palace. Lilie walked through the palace into the throne room of Asta. Maximus carried Lilie's bag and wouldn't take his eyes off of his sister. Lilie's guards stood by her and Maximus the entire time and were looking about the room. Lilie, upon arriving, left the group of guards and stood before them all.
greetings we are the Klingon empire large empire of the nation with honor and glory we open our doors to outside world
"Very interesting." Honoriæ said as she pondered the information.
"In Arsæti we have only three goddesses. Andræda, who leads warriors into glory and valor. She watches over the honorable and tells her children to fight evil wherever it is found. Dikasynita is the wise woman who speaks cryptically and defies the evils of ignorance and carelessness. Voi is radiant and all around us, breathing love into life itself so that it is as much a place of comfort as it is one of hardship. By tradition men were created by Andræda, Voi created women, and Dikasynita created the rare hermaphrodite or 'intersex'. There are also non-gods in the pantheon such as the Dispadosi, the souls of dead Drow who fight for the Triumvirs and serve them. They are similar to 'angels' in some religions. They battle the Proderas, the demonic agents of Malkom - the serpent god of destruction. Unlike the Triumvirs, we do not worship him for he feeds on life and seeks to eat all that is to fuel his never-ending hunger. The goddesses battle him and his wicked servants. He is the antithesis of the Triumvirate; where the spread love and create life Malkom spouts hatred and seeks to consume and destroy. Drow who die righteously go to fight him in Stracæloriam--the Army of Heaven--and save those who still yet live from his menace. His demon host, the Orba, is where the souls of the wicked are conscripted; snatched by his gaping maw to fight for his eternal feast. They, too, will be consumed when there is no more resistance." Honoriæ finished and stopped to think if she left anything out. "Of course, as all legends go, the heroine-goddesses triumph over the void snake and erase him and his hunger thus saving all existence. On this day, the Umbræ will depart the mortal world to rejoin their goddesses. With every Umbræ that believes and follows the goddesses and their wisdom, the stronger they are and thus the more certain of Malkom's defeat. Should the faith die in the hearts of the Drow, it is said, that the Triumvirs will fall to their knees powerless before Malkom who will then consume the world and everything in the universe."
Honoriæ brought her hand to her chin and thought for a moment. "Horrible way to go, being eaten in both body and soul. Luckily that won't happen." the Palatine finished, smirking.
The pale man seemed to snarl at the suggestions of the Lord-Cardinal, but said nothing. Nasira's smile persisted but also seemed to change. It looks more... real. More genuine. Especially at the mention of negotiations. It had seemed he had caught her interest.
"But of course!" she said joyously. "One can never have too many friends, hm? If it is goodwill and cordial relations you seek then who are we to refuses?" The albino gentleman snapped his head at Nasira. He was clearly not pleased with what she was saying, but he said nothing even as his sightless eyes glared at her. She ignored him. "Come, let us discuss this in a more appropriate setting." she said, gesturing toward the VTOL behind her. "The Autocrat is generous to His friends, and it is our hope that He can count Germania among them."
No military units accompanied the Kriegizstani individuals as they walked to the VTOL, and they had made no requests to the Lord-Cardinal to leave any of his entourage behind. It was clear they did not view the Germanians as a threat. Whether this was overconfidence or merely the illusion of it wasn't clear.
A red carpet was outstretched before them, leading through the long room to the base of the throne -- if it could even be called that. The path was flanked by advisers and other retainers of the queen. They were all sat upon pillows, watching the guests walk down the red path and bowing their heads as they passed by. Lilie and Maximus were now before the throne. It wasn't throne-like, being a pile of piles of different sizes and shapes in the vaguest shape of a throne. Sat upon it, cross-legged, was the Vespergalian Queen Asta Bonnet. A princess of the Celestial empire of flowing blonde hair, radiant golden eyes, and magnificent wings of the same color folded behind her. Covering her small frame was a multilayered robe, similar to what citizens of Shanyang wore. It had a base of white with gold ribbons and designs of golden Bonnet Stars covering it, her family's interpretation of the Star of Vespergale which is also prominently seen as the centerpiece of the Vespergalian flag. Alongside the queen was her consort, Neijing.
With a shining smile the queen planted her hands upon her knees and lowered her upper body in a bow, "We greet you with great happiness our ally's kin, Lillie, Maximus."
Grossschwaben and Beichte
"We feel most grateful to able to be in your presence. I'm hoping all is well," said Lilie. She and Maximus then bowed, the guards bowing after the children did. Lilie raised her head and looked at all those around the throne. "Such a presence in such a room is something I'd never expect in Westbeech. I suppose this is the vital difference between our nations.
Anyways, as you'd probably guess, I wouldn't be here just for pleasantries. There is an issue in my mother's nation. It relates entirely to my own family and I don't think that it would just resolve with a simple passing of the torch from Elita to me. I have come here to testify to my own legitimacy as the next dictator of Westbeech and would like to ensure further developing of relations between our nations."
The New Generation (Pt. 2)
“I will not rest, I will not retire until I finally achieve what is rightfully mine. Not one individual shall stand in my way.” - Marlene Korban
While the meeting with the military personnel had ended, Marlene and Karla were already holding a meeting with regional political leaders. Unlike the straightforward and swift handling of new policies by the military leadership, the political leadership's opinions were all over the place with many disagreements taking place.
“The issues of our nation are inherently due to the foreigners who we allow to live and prosper in our wonderful nation.”
“No, the issue is the strength of the military. The dictator should be relying upon us to govern our regions as we see fit without any military involvement.”
“If you focus on discrimination or criticize the military, we’ll see many more issues. The main issue we face is crime, which we should trust the military in dealing with. Foreigners are not an issue for us, as they have helped us with the development of industry and business in many centers. We also see Vespergalians participating in the military! You just don’t understand the importance of each part of our society.”
Marlene, however, was only adding to the fire of the issues. “The South is a land of warriors, but they’re allowing themselves to be tainted by these foreigners. Your culture will most certainly be eliminated and you’ll soon no longer be Westbeechian. In fact, I’m certain that we can perform a few purges of these fools in order to better fix our nation. Why, we should simply gather another secret police of loyal people to arrest those who think otherwise and to assault those who are not Westbeechian and those who have abandoned Westbeechian superiority. We could kill them all!”
Some of the officials looked at each other, many of them with worried faces. “What makes you think any of that would be a good idea?”
In Marlene’s Adolescence
Marlene sat in an open office in the old Imperial Manor of the capital. She had always enjoyed playing games with her siblings and cousins, but they hadn’t talked to her that day. She looked at the desk where she sat with sad eyes, wondering why she wasn’t invited to do what they could be doing. A tear fell from her eyes and landed on the desk. She couldn’t help it, for she felt so uncared for.
This would happen often. Marlene was often too nervous to ask about what her siblings or cousins were doing and would be left out as a result. She spent much of her time on her own, playing with what she had to play with. She enjoyed walking with whoever would talk to her, but the number seemed to grow smaller with each member of the family that was born.
Karla entered the room, looked at Marlene and smiled in her head. She sat with her, and whispered, “You are the oldest of us all, sister. You should take charge of everything everyone does.”
Karla was always very isolated from her sisters, unless she found reason to benefit from them. Marlene was someone who she took a liking to, however, as she seemed a natural leader. Her ability to see things in her own vision allowed her to be a more explorative person and could be quite resourceful to Karla.
As Karla finished, Lilie came into the room with Maximus and Monos, carrying a box which glowed a radiant blue. Marlene stood up and marched up to Lilie and took the box from her hands. The eyes of all three of the other children widened. Marlene smirked and said, “What is this? Something that you wanted to make me jealous about? Well not today.”
She opened the box, but to her surprise, it was empty. Lilie held back tears as she looked down towards the ground. “I was going to give you the box. I thought it resembled your beauty.” At that, she turned and left with Maximus quickly following behind.
Monos looked at Marlene, her eyes filled with anger. “You just had to say that. We love you, Marlene. Lilie wanted you to be happy, she didn’t want to leave you out. You cannot allow yourself to be corrupted by such matters as being alone. You must apologize to Lilie.” With that, Monos left the room as well.
Karla grabbed Marlene’s shoulder and said, “You have no reason to feel bad. They simply said that. Besides, I bet whatever came in that box is worth much more than the box itself. If anything, you should be insulted.”
Marlene was conflicted. Was it her fault? Was it right to criticize them? She couldn’t apologize and she couldn’t go back on what she said. But, it was their fault right?
Present Day
Karla laughed from her corner seat. “In order to fix our nation, we must do whatever is necessary to achieve victory, right?”
At that, many of the political leaders got up and left quickly. They said nothing, they wouldn’t even look at Marlene on their way out. The last one to leave slammed the door shut behind him. Marlene looked around and noticed that all that remained were the Northern leaders. “So they made their decision. We will have to take matters in our own hands, won’t we? We can do anything with what we have. We should get our industry to prepare for a few changes as we organize a force to perform the duties the military would perform. We will talk of further action later when we’re prepared to make our moves.”
As everyone was getting ready to leave, Monos bursted in through the door. “I heard from a few friends of mine that you were saying a few controversial things in here. Things that would be overstepping your authority as a member of the family.”
“Dear sister, I can say whatever I want. What matters is what happens after I say these things. I’m sure that everything will turn out well. Just listen to me and maybe you’d understand the issues we face as a nation. Who knows, we might end up agreeing.” And with that, Marlene gathered everything and left the room. Monos took a quick look at what she was carrying, noticing a glow coming from inside her carrying bag.
Karla slowly got up and followed Marlene. “Monos, you should listen to Marlene. Everything will go amazingly well and I believe that you should help her fix the issues we face.” And with that, she left Monos in the room as anxiety quickly ran through her.
Lilie refuses to act against her cousin and it might be too late soon. Marlene continues to gather support from Northern leaders and seems to be quickly gathering strength. What is to come from these issues? Why aren’t Elita or Maxene intervening?
To the gracious Baron Friedrich zu Ulm,
The Marshal has received your words and advice graciously, and has deliberated on them for quite some time. He believes that an offensive to take the nearest port of Severnaya-verf' where your shipments can move through unmolested by the traitors and rebel forces. We estimate the operation to only take a week, as the rebels are weak in body and spirit. We have superior numbers, our intelligence reports, and our soldiers believe in the will of the Spartanicist ideal.
This is the Fyurer's will, to send him to Perun with death following him. We will annihilate the enemy, the rats who skitter about in fear and terror! The only thing that will stop our wrath is the blood of a thousand traitors, then a thousand more. The port will be captured, and then we will await your arrival. Glavnigrad will stand above the ashes of a reborn Talarus. This uprising is not, in fact a curse, but a blessing to further spread the will of the late Fyurer! Hail Perun! Hail a New Talarus! Hail the Reykh!
Sincerely,
Minister of the Foreign Office
Valery Shostakovich
OOC: good RP?
"Those who surround us are our retainers, we find it most helpful to have those who serve us close. To chime in whenever they find it necessary so we may look at decisions from all angles. We ponder of what system your mother has in place.
We recognize your legitimacy to rule. Being the first born of your mother you have the right to rule when she retires from her duties. Unless our understanding of Westbeechian succession laws is mistaken, you will have our full support to your ascension of title. We are also very pleased by your wanting to bringing our two lands closer; and we are prepared to take any steps required of us to attain such an end. Though before the aforementioned topic is covered, we must ask of you what the situation in your family is -- of why it won't be a simple passing of the torch as you put it?"
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