Republic Day Celebratory Dinner (IC Thread)

[Sidh Ohn]

Fiasuil rode through the winding back alleys of the city toward the Palace of the Republic. He would rather have just gone directly there, but the main streets were packed with traffic from all the revelers and tourists on this auspicious occasion, and he did not want to cause a scene that would make him late. He idly mused what others would think. Most Phong-ese in the capital still stared whenever the Ohn rode out, or even walked out; extremely tall by Phong standards, muscular and covered with tribal tattoos with their wild eyes and openly carrying blades in this land of peace. Fiasuil chuckled idly to himself; how much more strange he must look to those he passed now, wearing an Ohn breastplate and warmask over an ancient style of Phong robes embroidered with the Ohn patterns of his tribe and riding Salach. People looked curiously as he passed, some pulling themselves or their loved ones away; one small girl broke away from her mother and raced up for a closer look and trotted alongside for a bit before Fiasuil gave her a playful growl, making her "eep!" and run back to her mother, while he gave the woman an amused wink before speeding up into a quick lope.

About half way to the palace, Fiasuil heard yelling. He heard what sounded like someone being mugged a ways off his course. Sighing at first, he inwardly smiled. Though he and his pack stayed in practice and often fought one another to stay in shape, it had been years now since he had actually hunted and he was afraid he was getting soft. He had, in fact, considered taking a vacation back to Sidh Ohn just to get himself and Salach back in form. It might make him a bit late, but they needed this, and so he headed off toward the yelling. Far before they could be seen, Fiasuil saw a large man finally beat down an old man and snatch a satchel from what must have been the old man's wife; at that moment he signaled Salach to howl for the hunt. At that sound everyone froze, the would be mugger peered in their direction trying to see the source of the low eerie sound while beginning to shake noticabely. Salach howled again and the mugger ran, the hunt was on. Sadly it did not last long; no man on foot could hope to outrun an 'Ohn Wolf' and reaching him Salach simply snatched him up by his collar like a rag doll, turned, and returned to the scene of the crime. "Return what you have stolen!" Fiasuil ordered as Salach rumbled a low growl. Shaking violently the man dropped the satchel in front of the awestruck couple. "Now apologise!" "I.... I.... P..Please..." "Like you mean it!" Salach shook the man violently. "I'M SORRY! I'M SO SORRY! i WILL NEVER STEAL AGAIN! I SWEAR TO YOU! I'M SORRY! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!" The couple looked at each other, smiled and nodded as the old woman said "You are forgiven." Salach dropped the man, who quickly crawled over to the couple groveling at their feet. The old man patted his shoulder and said "Maybe you should go home now to further consider your life." The man nodded gratefully and without a second glance quickly went down another alleyway. The old couple looked to thank their benefactor but he was already gone...

Fiasuil and Salach finally loped into the drive of the Palace of the Republic. Dismounting, Fiasuil removed his war mask, attached it to Salach's harness and fondly butted heads with the great creature. Then, pointing toward the old stables, he whispered something in Salach's ear and the 'Ohn Wolf' headed off toward them. Turning, Fiasuil strode in a rolling gate toward the waiting Foreign Affairs Minister with arms wide open as though for a "friendly" Ohn greeting while roaring "Phraya! It has been far to long!", a move which caused her to unconsciously flinch almost imperceptibly. He chuckled to himself, he always enjoyed messing with the minister's sensibilities, and before actually reaching her lowered his arms and bowed to her in Phong fashion, something they called a "wai", before rising and grinning at her broadly. As short and relatively uneventful as the earlier incident that had put him behind schedule had been, it had put him in the most splendid of moods for the evening.

[Phing Phong]

Foot of the Palace stairs

As the sun's image touched the edge of the horizon, a taxi pulled out onto the boulevard, casually occupying two lanes as it drove towards the Palace. Taxi drivers in Phing Phong had a notably loose attitude towards the rules of the road, and would generally fill any space inadvertently made available to them by other drivers. Phraya Nuealuan Chararampol had been surprised by the variety of transport used by the different guests: though most had stuck with limousines and similar ambassadorial vehicles, she had seen rickshaws, taxis, and was expecting one guest to arrive on wolfback.

A man wearing a Communist sash handed a wad of Bahts, that looked about three times as large as it really should, to the driver. His wife, who held an important office in Falsea's ruling party, followed him out of the vehicle.

"Do not worry, Ambassador, you have arrived in plenty of time," she reassured. "It is a pleasure to welcome you and your wife to the celebrations of our independence. As you can probably hear, the music has just got underway, and refreshments will be served momentarily. My assistant is ready to escort you to the People's Hall, where the Council-shen is currently conversing with some of our other honoured guests."

While the Falseans were making their way up the stairs, another black limousine, conventional Ambassadorial transport this time, pulled up at the front of the Palace. Out stepped a confident-looking woman who she recognised as the Delegate of Millyland's aide, and then the Delegate herself.

"Thank you and welcome, Luang Faen, and welcome also to the honoured Delegate," she answered. "On the subject of Delegates, may I congratulate the nation of Millyland on becoming the new elected Delegate of our region to the World Assembly. I hope your journey here was pleasant. If you would care to make your way to the People's Hall, my assistant can escort you there. The Council-shen and several other guests are being refreshed and conversing as we speak."

The somewhat bewildered Delegate of Millyland and her aide then proceeded towards the People's Hall. Behind them waited the Ambassador of Hippostania and his wife, Amanda. Mutual relations were generally good, but somewhat marred by the Hippostanian view of left-wing politics on occasions. Ambassador Ryan shook Chararampol's hand, before handing her a bouquet of flowers.

"Welcome, Ambassador. I thank you for these flowers - it is not often that a politician receives gifts such as these," she said, smiling slightly. "We are grateful to yourself and the people of Hippostania for their kind sentiments. My assistant here will escort you both to the People's Hall, where the Council-shen and some earlier guests are currently discussing matters of varying importance."

Once the Hippostanians had disappeared into the palace, the Minister asked an aide to put the flowers in a vase somewhere vaguely noticeable in the Grand Hall Annexe.

People's Hall

The Namorese delegation returned pleasantries to the Council-shen, to whom he gave a golden statue of an antelope, and his wife, handing her what appeared to be a collector's series of stamps.

"It is good to hear your desire to visit our country. My wife and I traveled extensively during our younger years, but we have never had the pleasure of visiting Namor. I am sure that Honorary President Chin and his wife are among the best guides one could have here."

The Namorese then moved off in the direction of the bar, where they soon found a waiter. Conversation was now in full swing as the Council-shen returned the greeting to the guests from the Greater Aryan Race. Fortunately, Trân Thanh Kiêm was quite well-traveled, and was aware of the custom practiced in some nations of kissing hands as a form of greeting. She returned the gesture of a wai to the two men before her husband began,

"Not at all, General, it is an honour to have yourself and the Ambassador here. Give the Fuhrer our best wishes. Increasing our trade and cooperation with the nations whose Embassies we host is a high priority for this government. Too many countries discard the value of foreign affairs expertise in Government - though I'm probably biased on that front. May I ask, General, what exactly does your post at the Ministry entail?"

With that, the first couple noticed the Visayan Ambassador enter the People's Hall.

Foot of the Palace stairs

The arrival of the Ohn Ambassador to any event was always a startling event for Chararampol. Not known for their stature, the people of Phing Phong were only just getting used to the presence of a massive foreigner on wolfback occasionally cruising past rickshaws and taxis, their drivers' mouths agape with surprise. The more superstitious among the populace believed he was an incarnation of a minor god, due to his unusual companionship with an animal common to their Hindu-based mythology.

"It is good to see you as well, Ambassador," she replied to the Ohn. "It has been a while since we last met. The Council-shen and some of the other guests are socialising in the People's Hall, and I am sure you will be able to liven up the party in characteristic fashion." She smiled. "My assistant will show you to the Hall, and I believe that the team due to care for your wolf is just coming around the corner."

Deua Theow Phon International Airport

As the plane carrying the Noordeindean delegation, comprising the Vice-President and his wife, touched down, two armoured cars arrived on the runway. Inside one of the vehicles was Phraya Bansidhar Prajapati, the City Treasurer, who had been assigned to greet the arrivals as per their request. Unlike some of the other guests, the Vice-President had not visited the City-State before and was due to arrive slightly later, as a result of delays. As such, the Treasurer would escort them to the dinner, hoping to arrive before the meal itself began.

When the guests eventually disembarked the plane and began to descend the staircase, the Treasurer got out of his car to greet them.

"Honoured guests, may I welcome you to the City-State of Phing Phong," he said. "As you may be aware, we are running slightly late, so we will aim to leave as soon as possible and go straight to the Palace. I have been assigned to greet and accompany you for the journey, but will not be attending this dinner. If you would care to get into these vehicles so as to ensure safe transportation to the Palace."

He then moved his arm in the direction of the waiting cars, signalling his desire for them to get in.

[The Greater Aryan Race]

People's Hall

"My work Excellency?" asked General Lange with a small chuckle.

"Well Excellency, I can only say that my job involves protecting the Reich from all foreign enemies. State security and whatnot."

General Lange hoped that his answer would not put off the Council-shen. Protocol demanded that officers from the Reich Ministry for State Security were forbidden from disclosing their official duties to any foreigners, be they friend or foe. A Department Head like General Lange was certainly not permitted to do so.

[Namor]

People's Hall
The Namorese delegation drank a cup of beer. Afterwards, Ambassador Nguyen asked the waiter, "When are the main dishes going to come?"

"In few moments" was the reply.

"It was very nice of you to send gifts to someone as honorable as the Council-shen, Mr. President," Madame Chin cooed at President Chen. "After all, you know what they always say back in the Mother Country: Gifts make relationships go on to eternity. Such gifts are going to keep Namo-Phing Phong relations alive for millenia."

"Indeed." President Chen looked at his watch. "I'm hungry. I feel like going to a fast food restaurant and eating a box of Big-Macs."
"That won't be possible," replied Ambassador Nguyen. "The Phing Phongese are strictly vegetarian. I don't think they'll have any fast food restaurants here."

Chen sighed. He had visited the Phing Phong Factbook a few days ago, and remembered something about the Phing Phongese being vegetarian, Buddhist and all. "It is sad that Phing Phong has a state religion," he remarked. "However, I finally understood that their constitution was directly written by the people through a referedum." He looked at his watch again. "When's the Dae Gwo delegation going to come? I'm really eager to meet them."

"Sometime soon, Mr. President." Ambassador Nguyen replied. "The Council-shen promised that they will come."

[Dae Gwo]

Unsurprisingly, the delegation of Dae Gwo was running rather late, and Go Hyuk Young, the Foreign Affairs Minister, was beginning to get a little agitated. After all, the Phing Phong-Dae Gwo relationship was extremely important to him, and he did not wish to offend the Council-shen or his staff.

"Ms. Park, do you know why this limousine is moving so slowly?" the Minister asked her.

"For the first, and also hopefully last time, Minister, my role as Ambassador does not put me in charge of Phing Phong's traffic lights," she snapped. Ambassador Park was a surprisingly fierce woman, often lulling strangers into a false sense of security with her initial appearance as a small, wheelchair-bound old woman. What they did not realise is that her career as a revolutionary resistance fighter was only cut short by arrest and torture, perpetrated by some dictatorship's security forces. She did not like to elaborate on the details of her past, or even present, life too much.

"I know that..." he replied, slightly annoyed but unwilling to fight the woman. "Ah, this is Chakravartampriya Boulevard, I believe. Have you been here before?"

"No, Minister, my time in Phing Phong was spent in altogether less prosperous areas of the city. If you must know, I was temporarily resettled in Chorakhe Bua before moving out to Xin Gwo." She paused, looking down the road at the building before her. "That would be the Palace, I guess, from the photographs."

The limousine stopped outside the front of the Palace, and an assistant opened the door for the delegates.

"Thank you, kind sir," the Minister said to the assistant. "Could you possibly help my colleague with her wheelchair?"

A few moments later, Ms. Park was helped out of the car and was ready to greet the Foreign Affairs Minister. Exchanging pleasantries with the two, Chararampol directed the pair to the alternative way up the stairs, where another assistant was waiting for them.

"This building reminds me of the former Residence of the Moderator back in Gukmin," Park remarked.

"I would say it is a trifle more ornate," the Minister replied.

As they were led in through the Palace's large front doors, he could not help but wonder as he gazed around the inside of the People's Hall. Foreigners of every shape and size were conversing with each other, and a small group had formed around the man he recognised to be the Council-shen.

"Ambassador, I think we should go and talk to the Council-shen. He seems to be the centre of attention at the moment."

"Agreed, Minister. Though don't forget they are not the only nation here, and at least try and form some sort of rapport with the others," she seconded. He, for his own part, rolled his eyes at her bluntness.

[Visaire]

Phing Phong International Airport

The private jet quite probably built in the 1940s that housed the Visairese representatives came barreling down from the sky, a pillar of smoke coming out of the turbines.

Inside the cockpit, the pilot nonchalantly began the short speech that occurred on practically every flight by a Visairese airline. "The engines have failed and our plane is going to crash. Brace yourselves for impact."

Sighing, Onhi assumed the standard crash landing position, preparing for the shock that would be distributed throughout the plane when it hit the ground.

Anyone at the airport would've seen a plume of smoke falling from the sky, perhaps getting a glimpse of burning metal.

Finally, the front of the jet exploded as it hit the runway, the pilot instantly vaporized. The delegates were prepared for this, and they were in the rear of the plane. The hatch had blown off in the impact, a mechanism included in all Visairese commercial aircraft for ease of getting out when they would inevitably crash. Onhi climbed out of the hatch, his wife following. Their only injuries were some burns.

"What a great start for our trip to Phing Phong," he muttered.

The ambassadors were escorted to the Palace of the Republic in a black limousine, where they greeted the Phing Phonese foreign minister.

Not in the mood to make much of an introduction, Ohni simply shook her hand and said, "I suppose you've heard of the crash back at the airport? Well, we're used to that kind of thing."

[Namor]

President Chen and the rest of the Namorese delegation were still talking and grumbling about hunger when they saw an old woman accompanied by another man. Chen recognized them to be the delegation from Dae Gwo, the country that had declared independence from Phing Phong a month ago. The old woman was no one else but the revolutionary fighter Park Min Tae, and the man next to her was nobody else but Dae Gwo's Foreign Affairs Minister Go Hyuk Young.

"Ah, there they are," he said. He waved for the rest of the Namorese delegation to come. "Comrades, the Dae Gwo diplomats are here. Let's go pay them some respect."

"Haven't I mentioned to you this before?" asked Ambassador Nguyen in a meekly voice. "The ambassador Park Min Tae was once caught by the enemy long ago, and was arrested and tortured...she is a fierce woman though. Just please do not mention about her past as a revolutionary. Try not to cause an international incident, will you?"

"I will greet them nonetheless," Chen snapped. "For they have come a long way from Gukmin, and you will follow me."

Chen arrived in front of Ambassador Park and Minister Go, did the wai, and reached for his bag. He got out two small gifts for the Dae Gwo diplomats: a small statue of a Namorese guerilla fighter during the War against Napanese Hegemony for Mrs. Park, and a coin collection book for Mr. Go. "On behalf of the Namorese people and government," he began, "I would like to congratulate Dae Gwo's independence from Phing Phong. On the other hand, I would like to send my warmest greetings to the Elder Honorable Ambassador and the Honorable Minister by sending You these gifts."

[Geilinor]

1800, August 12, 2012
Phing Phong International Airport

A plane owned by the government of Geilinor landed on a runway of Phing Phong International Airport and cruised to a stop.

"Foreign Minister Walstein, we have arrived at Phing Phong," Katrina Walstein's pilot, Wolfgang Schultz, said over the intercom. Minister Walstein woke up, and found that a black limousine was waiting. She headed down the stairs of the airplane, where the driver had held the door for her. "Thank you, sir," she said.

As she sat in the back of the vehicle, she noticed that Ambassador Boris Johansson was also there. The Ambassador had been picked up at the embassy, and both delegates were to arrive together.

"Driver, please take us to the Palace of the Republic," Johansson said.

"Certainly," the driver said, speeding off towards the road.

[Sidh Ohn]

Fiasuil grinned and winked mischievously at the Foreign Affairs Minister before heading up the stairs. Once in the great hall, he strode directly to the Council-shen, unintentionally interrupting a conversation. With a low wai, he greeted the Council-shen "Council-shen Ngô Huynh, the Ohn Ardri, Emresh of Sidh Ohn send their greetings and well wishes on this auspicious anniversary! He also send a gift," reaching into a large satchel at he waste Fiasuil retrieved several ornate wooden scroll cases, "based on our embassy's reports of your history, Ohn Ardri Emresh commissioned some of our most esteemed poets and artisans to draft a condensed poetic version of your history to date in gilded script on three scrolls. He hopes that it is sufficient to reflect our esteem for both Phing Phong and our ongoing good relations."

After the gift had been accepted, the Ohn ambassador grinned. "There! Now that the formalities are out of the way, I'll let you get back to your other guests." Fiasuil chuckled. "Find me later and we'll all have a good toast to our health eh?" and with that wandered off to find the bar and mingle.

[Aleckandor]

PHING PHONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

The AKH-2302K Paper Wasp luxury utility turboprop touched down on the designated airstrip with relative grace. When its turbine propellors winded down to a slower crusing speed while on the surface, the craft turned off and onto the taxi path onto the tarmac ramp. It gentle cruised onto a convenient space among the ramp where its edges stopped, and therefore, the whole plane came to a complete stop. A door way from its side protruded open, a ramp from the floor mechanically extending to produce three metallic steps. It was then that Aleckandorean CSE 'Taumyss Rozzwelle' and his fellow CSE 'Daenyuhl Buwee' exited their chartered diplomatic flight and walked towards their designated black sedan.

The uniformed and smartly-dressed chaffeur opened the door for both of them, to which they politely offered their thanks before boarding. Shutting the door gently behind them, he rounded about to take the wheel of the car in a clean, civic fashion. He turned his head slightly back and smiled, awaiting instructions for a destination.

"The Palace Of The Republic, please...sir.", said CSE Buwee before Taumyss could actually say anything, to which he just shrugged his face off in an awkward fashion. The chaffeur than proceeded to start the car and then began the trip. On the way, both Aleckandoreans marveled at the great urban sights and cultural wonders of the Asiatic and mysterious realm known as 'Phing Phong'; they were greatly impressed, and were proud as well, for Aleckandor also boasted a great populace of Asians, immigrants looking for freedom or for work, or simply a nation that was extremely and fortunately prone to taking them in as their own with the slightest of blatant hesitations. The sedan sped down the road and through the boulevards until they arrived at a magnificent and wondrous edifice.

[Geilinor]

1830, 12 August 2012
Palace of the Republic

A black limousine with small Geilinorite flags attached to the mirrors pulled up in front of the Palace of the Republic. The chauffeur held the rear doors open and Minister of Foreign Affairs Katrina Walstein and Ambassador to Phing Phong Boris Johansson exited.

"We should meet the Council-shen," Walstein said, and headed up the stairs covered in red carpet. She looked back at Johansson, who was slowly making his way, taking in the beauty of the palace.

"Hurry up, Ambassador! Many of the delegates are already here," the always time-conscious Minister yelled.

[Radiatia]

Stan MacFarlane grinned widely as he spoke to the Minister.

"The Prime Minister is indeed well. He said there's a Phraya called Suwit Khunkitti somewhere around the place he wanted to catch up with. Old friend of his. But anyway that's enough about old Mr. Larssen." Stan laughed a loud, machine-gun like laugh. "Anyway this is a great looking ball, and thanks very much for inviting us."

He then proceeded to follow the assistant to the People's Hall, as the other delegates arrived behind him.

He headed straight for the bar, while his wife Alexa went to find somewhere to sit down.

"Wine for you?" Asked Stan.

"Yes. Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay if they have it." She said. Until leaving Radiatia she hadn't been much of a wine drinker, but the fact that foreign wines didn't contain antifreeze was enough to make her really appreciate them.

Stan himself ordered a beer and a whiskey, noticing Eugene O. Lee from Central and Eastern Visayas next to him.

"Hello there comrade!" He said to the Visayan Ambassador. "You're not gonna drink alone I hope?"

[Falsea]

"Such nice people, wouldn't you agree, my love?", asked the ambassador as they followed the assistant towards the people's hall, where the music of the party and the conversations of other people could easily be heard.

"Indeed. I have researched many countries over the past years during my appointment as Deputy of the CAO, yet never have i seen a country so unique from all others. I believe we will have a great time here.", replied Mrs. Wright as she casually looked around the place.

When the two arrived at the People's Hall, they were amazed by the decorations and overall atmosphere of the place. The ambassador, fulfilling his duties approached the Council-shen, and with his best smile, greeted him.

"Good evening, Council-shen, i would like to personally congratulate your nation for your 89th year of Independence.", he said while shaking the hands of the Council-shen.

Katherine, on the other hand walked towards the bar area.
"Excuse me, but do you have any native drinks, alcohol that i may taste?", she asked the bartender.

[Phing Phong]

Foot of the Palace stairs

Once she had finished conversing with the representatives of Dae Gwo, Chararampol rolled up the left sleeve of her ceremonial robe in order to check the time on her watch.

"Kawazoe, did you realise it is nearly eighteen-thirty already?" she asked. "We should head into the People's Hall soon."

"I was not aware of that, Nuea'," he replied. "There aren't too many more to come, I believe."

Another Delegate soon arrived, with both him and his wife appearing slightly singed. They must be the Visaireans, the Minister thought, known for the unreliability of their commercial airliners, most of which had been banned from Phing Phong's airspace. She made a mental note to send a jet out to them in future rather than allowing them to rocket into the runway.

"Yes, I heard about the crash," she answered. "Terrible, though I hear it is more common than not in Visaire. In future we will send a plane out to collect Visairean delegates, rather than risking more loss of life. Welcome to Phing Phong, and I hope you will enjoy this evening. My assistant will escort you to the People's Hall, where the Council-shen and most of the other delegates are enjoying refreshment."

A few metres behind the Visaierans waited the men from Aleckandor. The Minister stepped forward to greet them as they exited their limousine.

"It is a pleasure to welcome you both to Phing Phong," she said. "I hope your journey here was better than the previous arrival, whose plane crashed at the airport. Somehow, they survived, but it is certainly not the way we would have wished the evening to begin. My assistant will show you the way to the People's Hall, where the Council-shen is currently entertaining his guests. I shall follow shortly after the last few guests have arrived."

As the Palace clock struck half past six, the Geilinorian delegation arrived. After greeting them, the Minister went up the stairs in order to continue socialising with the guests.

As Chararampol has now gone into the Palace, any new guests will be greeted and shown to the People's Hall by her deputy, so any latecomers can go straight to the Council-shen.

People's Hall

"I see," the Council-shen said to the General, still unsure exactly what the General's position was, but aware it would be imprudent to enquire further.

Ngô Huynh was less startled than the Minister had been when the Ohn representative came striding towards him, cutting past the General and his Ambassador.

"I thank the Ardri for his kind sentiments," the Council-shen replied. He was then handed a stack of scroll cases, as the Ohn described their precious contents to him. "This is truly a wondrous gift to our people. While we may be two very different countries, such a gesture shows that our relations shall remain strong and friendly for many years to come."

The Ohn, like many other delegates already had, moved off in the direction of the bar. From behind him stepped the Falsean representative.

"Greetings, Ambassador. It is a pleasure to have you here," he said. "Though we haven't had relations for very long, we hope for them to be strong and mutually beneficial, as they have been so far. In fact, Falsea first came to our attention when our close ally Dae Gwo opened an Embassy there. They have been independent for fewer than two months, but already seem to be doing well as a free and democratic nation."

The People's Hall Bar

Several delegates had already made a beeline for the bar, and were being joined in increasing numbers by others, including the Foreign Affairs Minister.

The Falsean Ambassador's wife, Katherine, was waiting to be served.

"Regarding local drink, I would recommend you try a mao day, which is a liquor distilled from sorghum and rice and flavoured with different spices, mixed with soda," the bartender suggested. "Alternatively, we have rueow cyn, or rice wine, which is served either hot or cold, to your taste. If you would care to move into the Great Hall, I shall endeavour to send your choice over momentarily."

People's Hall

The serving staff prepared to escort their guests to their seats in the Great Hall, where the meal was to be served and gifts presented to the guests. As the last song ended, the Hall grew noticeably quieter, though still infused with the sounds of various conversations, mostly in English, but also in the native tongues of the delegates.

The Council-shen's wife gave a nod to the band's lead singer, who began to speak.

"Majesties, excellencies, ladies, gentlemen and honoured delegates," he said. "If you could possibly begin to make your way into the Great Hall, the serving staff will show you to your seats for the next part of the evening's celebrations."

[Teddy Bear Republic]

"Ambassador Buckle, welcome to the celebrations. I hope your journey here was pleasant and without issue. The roads can become very busy during national festivals, and we would not want any guests to experience inconvenience. Some of the other guests have already arrived, and my aides inform me that some good conversation has begun at the main event. My assistant will show you to the People's Hall, where the Council-shen, his wife and the guests are currently enjoying cool beverages. The serving staff have prepared fresh lemonade especially for your delegation, as per the requests of your Foreign Affairs Ministry."

"Thank you very much, Minister," responded Buckle, "and please, just call me Ted. His Majesty the President sends his regards, and regrets he cannot attend - he's at a summit in Mapletish. And thank you again for the lemonade." He bowed with his head - a sign of respect in his native TBRE. "Please," he said, waving a hand forward to the assistant, "lead the way."

As they walked into the People's Hall, he took note of the other delegates he recognized, mostly nations that the TBRE had dealings with in the past. There was the delegation from the Greater Aryan Race, who held one of the first non-regional embassies in the TBRE, and Namor, which had done an assessment of the nation earlier. He also took note of some of the other delegates that he might not have met before. As an ambassador, one of his duties was extending a friendly gesture to all nations in the hope that in the future, the TBRE might have some contact to them, so he subconsciously got busy setting down names to faces, and their appropriate notes and biographies. But while he was engaged in this duty, he couldn't help but admire the work that had gone into creating the People's Hall.

Suddenly, the lead singer gave a invitation for them to move on to the Great Hall. Fearing that he might not have another chance to meet the Council-shen face to face, he quickly approached him after the Falsean delegation, bowing deeply. "Council-shen, on behalf of the people of the TBRE, I wish to congratulate your nation on this historic occasion. It has been an honor working in Phing Phong and being my nation's representative here in his beautiful city." He then bowed again, presenting in his paws the present that he had carried with him: A piece of mandala Art, created by various art and Buddhist societies for his embassy, which he had been saving up this piece especially for this occasion.

[Syvorji]

As such, Emperor Honox I and Ambassador Kanoj Xia walked down towards the Great Hall. Smiling at the people, they knew that they had to be polite. The Greeks in the west, settled in ancient times, and the native Syvorjins had merged, to form an Asian nation with European characteristics. Then, Muslims came, and then colonists from Bristain, with settlements that speak English.

Alas, they both thanked them, and then arrived at the Great Hall, both giving a wai to the serving staff.

Kanoj Xia then whispered, "So, your Majesty, did you enjoy the trip to Phing Phong?"

"Yes, your excellency, I have indeed. These Syvorjins were immigrants during the 1930s, when we were stuck in a depression."

"I know," he says and Honox nods.

"Let's take our seats," Honox then remarks, "lest the Phing Phongese eject us from the nation."

"I bet you are right." They then followed the serving staff to their seats.

[Central and Eastern Visayas]

Eugene O. Lee
The People's Hall Bar

After ordering for himself a cold cup of the local rice wine, Eugene looked at the Radiatan ambassador.

"Well, my wife's nursing the little boy, Ambassador," he then replied. "Knowing nursing mothers, the concern can be understandable." Pausing for a bit, he then introduced himself.

"I'm Eugene Lee, CE Visayan Ambassador to Phing Phong." Seeing his wife and son come closer, he then smiled, giving space for her to sit down.

"Allyn Syjuco-Lee, my wife," Eugene then said as she sat down, tapping her on the back as he did so. "The baby boy she's cradling? Our son Leroy."

[Visaire]

Onhi and his wife strided into the People's Hall, marveling at the grandeur of the place. "It remind me of homeland," remarked Rada. "Yes, well, thank goodness the Seglish decided not to come or I'm sure they would've 'accidentally' blown up the city with one of their mysterious superweapons," replied Onhi. His short stature struggled to push past the groups of delegates and ambassadors now deep in conversations with each other.

"The Council-shen," directed Onhi, pointing at a very important-looking man and then walking towards him. "Top of the evening," he said and then saluted in the traditional Visairese greeting. "I congratulate you and the rest of your nation on this very special occasion." He noticed that he was receiving some stares from people around him, not realizing that his top hat looked rather out of place. "Damn," he said to himself,"I should've known that these weren't in style anymore."

His wife Rada went to the bar, where many of the ambassadors seemed to be going. Walking up to the counter, she asked, "Have boza do you?"

[Geilinor]

1900
The People's Hall Bar

Minister of Foreign Affairs Kristina Walstein and Ambassador Boris Johansson entered the long line of delegates at the bar. After several minutes, they were at the front of the line.

"Cold rice wine for both of us, please," Ambassador Johansson said. The bartender handed the Geilinorite delegation their wine, and they headed off to look for other guests to socialize with.

"This rice wine is quite like the rice wine we get back home, isn't it?" remarked Walstein. Geilinorite people were Germanic in heritage, but ate an Asian-type diet, due to the food grains that grew on the islands.

[Sidh Ohn]

Hearing Minister Walstein's remark, Fiasuil said "Really? I'd be curious to try your native brews; I find that this Phongian stuff is tasty but a tad weak!" With that, he roared with laughter and downed the rest of his drink in one huge gulp. Setting down that glass almost as if he were afraid of breaking it, he nodded at the minister and her companion and with a smile "I am Fiasuil, ambassador from from Sidh Ohn. A pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

With the announcement that dinner was ready to be served in the Great Hall, Fiasuil nodded in that direction. "It seems it is time to put something other than weak spirits in our bellies; shall we?"

[The Greater Aryan Race]

The People's Hall

"Ah I see our friends from the Teddy Bear Republic." exclaimed Ambassador von Stassen.

General Rudolf Lange nodded in acknowledgement. His own colleague Heinrich Muller had originally participated in the ICPPO, an organisation that was the brainchild of the Teddy Bear Republic, before he had been recalled by the State Security Ministry for further consultations. He was looking forward to the celebratory dinner.

Upon hearing the instructions to proceed to the Great Hall, the delegation from the GAR proceeded to make their way inside, with Ambassador von Stassen clutching a glass of rice wine which he managed to nick from the bar.

[Phing Phong]

People's Hall

As Council-shen Ngô Huynh began walking towards the Great Hall, he was approached by the Ambassador of the TBRE. Bowing and handing over a gift to the Council-shen, adding to the selection already presented to him as tokens of friendship and goodwill, he congratulated Phing Phong on its anniversary.

"I thank you for your kind words," he replied. "Thank you for presenting such a precious and intricate piece of artwork to our nation: along with the rest of the gifts with which our honoured guests have presented us, it will be appropriately exhibited in the open areas of the Palace to show our people the generosity of our allies. I am also pleased that you are enjoying your posting here, and your actions as Ambassador have seen our relations establish and improve ties between Phing Phong and the TBRE."

The Council-shen then gave the Ambassador a wai, before he continued towards the entrance to the Great Hall. Before he reached it, however, another delegate proceeded to give him good wishes, raising his hat in the process.

"Good evening, honoured delegate," he said to the Visairean. "Phing Phong is very grateful for your kind words. I believe the formal presentation is about to start, though I believe your wife is still acquiring refreshment." Looking over, the Council-shen could see her returning from the bar, holding some sort of mysterious milky drink. "I look forward to speaking further after the meal."

Great Hall

The long table that extended to nearly the entire length of the Great Hall had been draped with a white tablecloth, and decorated with flowers and crystal jugs of water. A place had been set for every single guest, with slate placemats, a calligraphic name label cutlery fashioned from silver-plated aluminum which, though not an expensive metal, formed one of Phing Phong's largest exports. From the high ceiling, painted with scenes from the Ramayana and a summary of the life of the Buddha, was suspended a chandelier in which wax candles burned softly. The flags of every represented country hung from a wooden pole suspended over a stage area at the far end of the hall, where a lectern and microphone had been placed.

Most of the delegates had now entered the hall, with a few who had not yet spoken with the Council-shen coming in behind the others. Staff showed them all to their designated seats, which had been arranged in a way which distributed the Council-shen and his wife at one edge and Nuealuan Chararampol at the other. Once all had sat down, some with drinks, others awaiting the start of the meal, the Foreign Affairs Minister crossed onto the stage and stood behind the lectern, as attendants began to place flat black boxes, seemingly made from wood but both hollow and heavy, before each guest.

"Honoured guests, it has been a pleasure to entertain you so far this evening," she began. "In particular, we have been privileged to receive so many gifts from you, and we appreciate the gestures of friendship you have shown us on our national day. The boxes that have been placed before yourselves are tokens of our gratitude. Inside them you will find a ceremonial key to the City-State of Phing Phong, which confers upon the bearer the apt title of Bearer of the Keys, as well as a letter signed by the Council-shen bestowing the right to use the title upon yourselves. If you would care to open the lid of your boxes."

The keys themselves were relatively small, about ten centimetres in length, and were fashioned from a compound of silver, copper and gold, giving them a pinkish appearance. Engraved into the blade of the keys were the words "Bearer of the Keys of the City-State of Phing Phong" in Daeng Thai and Tieng Ngu, the two national languages of Phing Phong, and a small frosted glass badge of the city's coat of arms adorned the bow.

[Namor]

People's Hall
"Who wants to open the lid?" Chen whispered.
"You, Mr. President," Tzo Chin hissed back. "For You are the leader of the Namorese people and the one who commenced Namo-Phing Phong relations."
"Anyone else?" Chen replied, thinking that he had no authority to become Bearer of the Keys.
Nguyen pointed at Chen, followed by Madame Chin, who nodded in approval.

Chen reluctantly opened the lid, and held out the key. It was engraved "Bearer of the Keys of the City-State of Phing Phong" in the Phing Phong language. Chen smiled broadly, and held out the keys for everyone else to see.

"Friends, comrades," he began. "Let's all celebrate 89 years of Phing Phong's independence!"

[Falsea]

After ambassador Wright conversed and exchanged pleasantries with the council-shen for a few minutes, he finally walked towards the bar of the area, and joined his wife, who was choosing between a mao day and rueow cyn. Mrs. Wright was astonished when the ambassador sat beside him in the counter and asked,

"Did you meet the council-shen?", she said while weighting the differences between the two beverages, before finally settling with a mao day.

"Yes, a great man it would seem. Oh excuse me, i would also like one of the mao days, thank you.", he replied before placing an order to the bartender as well.

The two delegates sat in the bar for awhile, drinking the exotic local drink and simply observing the beauty of the place, and spotting other delegates from various countries, most of whom are also maintain diplomatic ties with Falsea. After their drink was finished, ambassador Wright and Mrs. Wright began walking towards the great hall, as instructed by the lead singer. They waved and smiled to every person they passed, foreign delegate or Phing-Phong native, to maintain a friendly stance.

The two delegates arrived at the great hall after a few minutes, and sat down to their seats. Mrs. Wright began observing the elaborate designs of the hall, most notable was the Buddhist scriptures and the Indian epic, Ramayana, one of Mrs. Wright's favorite reads, along with the Mahabharata and the Arabian Nights, as part of her job as deputy of the cultural affairs office. When the foreign affairs minister began to speak, the ambassador and Mrs. Wright stopped looking around and listened. The ambassador was worried for a moment for forgetting to bring a token of friendship from Falsea, but nevertheless, he shook his worry off.

After the minister finished her speech, the ambassador and his wife stared at the box for a few seconds, before the ambassador slowly began to lift the lid. He grasped the key inside and lifted it up from the box to his wife's amazement. The ambassador smiled genuinely, and wrapped the ornate key in his unused handkerchief, and putting it in Mrs. Wright's handbag. He looked to the other delegates and spoke up after the Namo president.

"I concur, long-live Phing-Phong! may many more years of freedom bless this fine country!", he said.

[Minroz]

[quote="Phing Phong";p="10521245"]Foot of the Palace stairs
"Ah, your highnesses have made it here safely," the Minister greeted the Minrozian royal delegation. "It is a pleasure to welcome you both to our national celebrations, and we hope everything will be to your liking. Have either of you visited our country before? I believe two herbal tonics are waiting for you in the People's Hall, and my assistant will show you to there."[/qoute]
“Thank you,” Mohammed replies before he and Ozgol follows the assistant to the Palace. Though they may be amazed by the palace’s architecture, but it does not match the grandeurs of the Imperial Forbidden Palace back home. Still, it’s pretty interesting for a modern nation.

“Well, this is interesting,” Ozgol remark, as the Minrozians stopped by at Great Hall along with other delegates. After listening to the minister’s speech, they look at the box before them.

“Okay do you want to open the box?” the Muslim prince whispering to his friend

“Maybe you should, you’re the ambassador here,” Ozgol said

“Well, you’re the son of the Emperor himself,” Mohammed counter “I think you should,”

“Still, the government made you the ambassador,” the crown prince stated

“Oh well, here goes,” the dark-skin prince slowly opened up the box. He lifts the key out from the box, much to Ozgol’s surprise. Happy with it, Mohammed smiles broadly and held his key out for everyone to see after the Falseans’ turn.

“Indeed! May the Heavens blessed this wonderful country of Phing Phong forever!” he exclaims