Kingdom of Great Britain | Embassy

by **AkillianKGB** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 1:37 pm

The Kingdom of Great Britain

NationStates Page Regional IRC

Foreign Update: March 2015

Monarch: HIBM George VI | Queen Consort: Skye I | Prince of Wales: Prince Krimson

His Majesty's Executive Government
Prime Minister: Aaron Astoria
Deputy Prime Minister: Akillian Talleyrand
Home Secretary: Akillian Talleyrand
Foreign Secretary: Francis
Culture Secretary: Sacul Astoria
Justice Secretary: Kingladn
Secretary without Portfolio: Charlotte Capulet
BBC Director General: Reece Saint-Pierre
Electoral Commissioner: Juris Wessex

WA Delegate: Lewisham

10th Imperial Parliament

The House of Lords
Krimson Lancaster, Prince of Wales
William Capulet, Prince Royal
Charles IX Lancaster, Duke of Leinster
Cephal Talleyrand, Earl of Essex
Francis, Earl of Glasgow
Katherine, Baroness of St. Asaph

The House of Commons
Charlotte M.Capulet of Scotland (BRP)
Kingladn of France (BRP)
Akillian Talleyrand of England (BRP)
Aaron Astoria of Ireland (BRP)
Valfor Talleyrand-Fominov of Wales (BRP)

Supreme Court of The Kingdom of Great Britain
Lord Chief Justice: Juris Wessex
Sr. Associate Justice: Cephal Talleyrand
Jr. Associate Justice: Charles IX Lancaster

Keep Reading; It Gets Better!

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen of NationStates. It's a pleasure to have you reading this, I appreciate the time you have taken out of your obviously busy day to read our incredibly important Foreign Update.

For those of you whose patience is comparable to a hungry Jeremy Clarkston, here are our headlines for the day. Just in case you didn't want to read through the boring bits, you can skip straight to the slightly less boring bits without a care in the world.

THE BBC PRESENTS OUR TOP HEADLINES!
- STATE OF THE REGION ADDRESS
- AND THE WINNER IS...
- FOR THE LOVE OF...
- WHAT'S LONG, HARD, AND FILLED WITH SEAMEN?
- KEEP CALM AND ROLEPLAY ONWARD
- IN THE SPOTLIGHT: BARONESS KATHERINE
- IT WAS MENTOR BE

State of The Region Address

TO OUR DEAREST FRIENDS ABROAD AND CITIZENS OF GREAT BRITAIN,

I step forward to address you today in celebration of what appears to be a new era for our region. We have succeeded in reaching over 400 nations. It is certainly an achievement in that it not only makes us the largest British themed region in Nationstates, but it also places us among the largest user imperialist regions in the game. It is a near unprecedented achievement that comes from the hard work of our successive governments and the various personnel of the Monarchy in running our region well and through the applied use of regular telegram stamps. With the conclusion of recent elections we have seen a new government take office under a new Prime Minister and I would have to say that he stands at the helm of our government during a critical time. I would ask everyone in the region regardless of affiliation and stance to place support behind his administration so that we may become stronger and more prosperous and so that we can seize the momentum to ensure that we remain with our new status.

I would also like to thank First Lord of the Admiralty, Cephal Tallyrand and his Chief of Imperial Naval Staff, our Right Honorable Prime Minister - Aaron Astoria for their hard work in pushing a revival of our Royal Navy. In our region's history our military has often suffered from various shortcomings and has often failed to materialize into a standing force. Though that had been the case we must still thank those who stood in the leading roles of our navy in times past, as their efforts paved the way for our recent success. With various new cadets and a restructure of command for those who were already in the military we have seen our region take place in a support mission in assisting The North Pacific in installing and maintaining a sitting delegate. The Admiralty has notified me that intentions for more operations are underway and that we should soon see our cadets put to the test. Things are looking up for the Royal Navy and I encourage those who are willing to join our Imperialist cause to sign on as cadets for the good of our region.

In terms of diplomacy we are also seeing progress with efforts underway to tie in relations with the member regions of the United Imperial Armed Forces. A recent treaty was proposed with Albion and we are approaching The Land of Kings and Emperors with similar intent. It is my intention that our region begin strengthening our diplomatic position on Nationstates to secure our place among the great regions. With a capable government and a growing military we have never had a better time to expand our horizons and to establish ourself as a great power on the inter-regional scale.

I look forward to seeing more progress in the region as a whole and I shall have another address on the state of the region in due time.

God Save The Empire and Long Live The King,

AND THE WINNER IS...

Another set of elections, another set of crushed dreams, but as citizens throughout the region flocked to the closest polling booth, it quicky transpired that the dreams of the British Royalist Party were as immune now as they were in the previous election. Winning every seat convincingly, the British Royalist Party repeated their electoral success; but just as dominance looks to have been sustained, competition in the future looks geared to be fierce with the Imperialist Labour Party and Sinn Fein both having been founded by experienced politicians. Will these new political forces be enough to shake the stranglehold on Parliament, which saw only two changes in these elections? Those in power will certainly be on their toes, desperate to defer the answer as long as possible.

The results of the election were as follows:
Klaus Mikaelson [SF]5 (6.6%)
Charlotte M. Capulet [BRP]13 (17.1%)
Kingladn [BRP]13 (17.1%)
Valfor Talleyrand-Fominov [BRP]15 (19.7%)
Akillian Talleyrand [BRP]15 (19.7%)
Aaron Astoria [BRP]15 (19.7%)
Total Votes: 76

The House of Commons welcomed a new member in Charlotte M. Capulet, the only change since last term, whilst the addition of William Capulet was the only change in the House of Lords. With a majority in both Houses, Aaron Astoria was quickly confirmed as Prime Minister, and the work of this new term swiftly undertaken.

FOR THE LOVE OF...

February bore witness to the latest masterpiece executed by our beloved Sacul. The maestro surpassed already high expectations with his successful Festival of Love, in which many pressing questions were answered in the name of entertainment. Who would you marry from Game of Thrones (psst, the answer is probably Sansa Stark)? Do you have a dirty mind (do you need to ask)? And most pressingly, who has the best avatar? The much adored winner of the avatar contest, our own HIBM Queen Skye I, had this to say of the festival;

The Kingdom of Britain's Festival of Love is such a beautiful pinkly success thanks to Sacul, the Aurors and everyone who participated ^^; May you all continue to spread love to one and all!

#LiveLongAndProsper

Sorry, I had to add that in'
- HIBM Queen Skye I

#LiveLongAndProsper, iconic words that will never quite sounds the same... words to live by, and with a team including the likes of Sacul & Co., a prospect the Kingdom of Great Britain will surely live up to - congratulations Sacul, have a drink on us!

WHAT'S LONG HARD AND FILLED WITH SEAMEN?

The Imperial Navy, of course, you dirty buggers! Since the last update the Military has seen major reforms with a new command structure, naval base and a fresh start. Last month saw the creation of the Imperial Naval Staff which is now headed by myself, Aaron Astoria as Chief of the Imperial Naval Staff. The Imperial Navy as a whole is under the command of the First Lord of the Admiralty, Cephal Talleyrand-Fominov, a well respected military leader. Already, the Imperial Navy has seen several enlistment applications and is now beginning trials for officer cadets to see if they can proceed to lead operations in the name of His Majesty the King. Along with these reforms, came the first operation for HM Imperial Navy. In February, 2015, His Majesty’s Imperial Navy joined allies in an international mission to secure the new delegate of the North Pacific. The mission was a resounding success and the Imperial Navy is now looking forward to further missions in the future - hopefully without the young Master Bates and Seaman Staines.

KEEP CALM AND ROLEPLAY ONWARD

Following a period of planning, registration, and general set-up, the Kingdom of Great Britains' World RP got under way; and already the new venture looks to have some promise as no fewer than eleven members, many of whom are experienced in similar roleplays elsewhere, have signed up and crafted initial factbooks. The coming weeks will certainly make for an interesting read, and the skills of the participants will no doubt be put to the test.

With the strides forward being made by the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport, the developements in regional roleplay stand testament to the flourishing Cultural element of the Kingdom of Great Britain, which may well match if not exceed the well established Political element in the future; a welcomed prospect in a region that looks to have something for everyone.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: BARONESS KATHERINE

For this update's spotlight, our own Secretary for Culture Sacul interviewed recent returnee and Lord in Parliament Baroness Katherine of St. Asaph; Katherine has certainly been busy since her turn, putting in commendable shifts in the Chambers and acting as the defence in recent prosecutions. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office thanks Katherine for agreeing to take part, and thanks both Sacul and Katherine for their time.

Sacul: Thank you for agreeing to partake in this interview, Lady Katherine. I am convinced you have many interesting opinions on the Kingdom of Great Britain, its people and its political and judicial systems. You have the unique viewpoint of somebody that was a member of the region in its early days, and then left, only to return again later on. But let us start at the beginning: how did you initially find your way onto NationStates, and in extension, onto the forums of the Kingdom of Great Britain?

Katherine: When I was in high school I played a game called Nations. When that ultimately died an inglorious death from obscurity I switched to NationStates. It was really just a way to pass time. Build a country. See how it develops. That sort of thing. After a while it got rather boring and the answers to issues were on rather extreme ends of the spectrum. I was probably in whatever region I was assigned when I joined. My country languished and ultimately went defunct. My brother was playing NS though and was actively involved in a region and I guess that got me back into NS.

When I started over again is when I first got involved in this region. I have no idea how I initially came to Great Britain. It might have been a telegram? It might have been random region searching for something that looked interesting? Don't really remember.

Sacul: Sounds familiar. I guess many of us stumbled upon the game by chance, and the same can be said for the region itself. So, chance brought you to this region, but what made you stick around? What was it that made you say "Ah, this seems like the place for me"?

Katherine: I wouldn’t say that I ever really had that feeling, or at least not that feeling for long. Basically, when I first got here the region was in its infancy. There had been a lot of faltering as they tried to get the region on its feet, but what it seemed to lack in direction it made up for in personality. People such as Anne, Amber, Harold A-C, Cielly, Jason, Victoria, Fanix, Alistair and others really made this a fun and engaging place. Whether it was drinks at the tavern (where people were always dropping by), spontaneous bonfires at estates of people on LOA, or parties for the sake of a party, there was always something happening. Something to get you involved.

Sacul: You seem to have had a good time here back in the day. So what changed that lead to your decision to leave the region? Was it a single event, or more of an accumulation of smaller incidents? Or was it for personal reasons that have nothing to do with the region itself?

Katherine: There was an accumulation of little things that caused me to decide to take a break. While there were a lot of fun things happening, there was this undercurrent of pettiness from certain people which turned into mean-spirited personal attacks. These were people who were known and liked in other regions and had a certain degree of clout and family connections. I realized that a) they were slowly sucking me into their pettiness where I reacted in kind, b) they weren't going to leave, c) I didn't want to be around them, and d) I was frequently annoyed when I logged-off. You add to that various creepers who were just plain creepy. It was to a point where I would open PMs from certain people, I wouldn't go to some forums, and if I saw that certain people had posted on a thread I ignored it. To me nothing rose to the level of convictable criminal activity, but the totality was such that it wasn't a place that I wanted to be.

Sacul: That sounds like a fair reason. It is unfortunate that things turned out that way. When you left, were you leaving behind any positions in the region's politics? Now of course you are a Lord of Parliament, did you have any similar roles back in the day?

Katherine: When I decided to take a break I was the Lady Chief Justice of the High Court, which has since been renamed the Supreme Court. To avoid excessive entanglements I avoided/refused other government positions.

Sacul: Well, now we know why you left... I think the next question is obvious: why did you come back?

Katherine: That depends on which time you are referencing, as left for a brief stint, came back for a brief stint, and then left for about a year.

When I left, Jason (aka Vaculatestar, et al.) was starting a region and asked if I would like to join it. Since I was leaving not because I was done with NS, but rather because this region wasn't fun anymore, I decided to join his region. It was also a region in its infancy that we were trying to build up, and a few of the people that I liked from here were also there, so it looked like it was going to be a fun time. Unfortunately, that is where I first encountered Henry Devereaux. Who in a series on PM exchanges about Jason went from being flirtatious to creeper to stalker to demanding marriage. When that didn't work (though what lady could resist a guy with those qualities *sarcasm*), he decided to make things RL personal. What I didn't know at the time was that he was given Admin power so that he could help develop the forum's appearance and coding and such. This also gave him access to my personal account. So he decided to change my information and avatars. When I brought the situation up to Jason, Henry immediately blamed Jason then later admitted it was him and said something along the lines of "I'm sorry let's be friends." When I declined to accept his faux apology he banned me from the reason and posted a personal attack with it that could very likely have qualified as a Zetaboard ToS violation. Even though Jason acted to correct the situation and booted Henry, the damage was done and the region died. I refused to go back and the other people there I'm guessing lost the drive to make it work.

That all occurred in the span of maybe a week. I didn't have any other destination, so I figured considering what had just happened maybe here wasn't so bad. I came back figuring maybe people had changed but my interest and activity level was really kind of muted. And after a few more incidents I decided it was time to lock the castle and leave.

Sacul: Ah yes, I've had the pleasure of meeting Henry as well... and I've had the pleasure of being banned by him too, it's great fun. It is unfortunate that there are people like him who seem to enjoy destroying things and making people's lives miserable. But so you came back here, and then left again. But now you are back again. What was it that pulled you back this time around?

Katherine: It was the result of a long con to refound a NS region the Henry once controlled. If the scheme failed I probably wouldn't be here.

Sacul: Well, I for one am happy you are back. I'm afraid we're going to have to wrap it up now, or it'll be a bit of a long foreign update. It was very interesting talking to you, thank you for sharing your story.

IT WAS MENTOR BE

The Kingdom of Great Britain bore witness to the rebirth of the Mentor Programme in one of the Home Secretary's flagship policies; already sever experience members, hailing from all walks of life, have signed up to offer their services to any new members who may need a hand adjusting to the region. Many have tried to conduct a Mentor Programme in the past, however Home Secretary The Hon. Akillian Talleyrand looks to completely overhaul the foundations of previous attempts in order to inject his own take on the incentive and hopefully deliver a quality service - and the timing couldn't be better, with the nation count ballooning from 300 to 417 in recent days.

'One of the main goals that the Government has is to improve our Mentor System. Helping the new citizens off the region is very important and I believe that the Mentor System can really help improve their experience. Those who request a mentor will be given a friendly face and someone to give advice and answer their questions. Joining any regional forum can be difficult but new members in the Kingdom of Great Britain will now have someone to assist them should they want it. I was really pleased by the amount of citizens who applied to be mentors after I announced the plan to the region. I am very confident we can develop an effective system that improves our newcomer integration'
- The Hon. Akillian Talleyrand, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Secretary.

GOSSIP GIRLS ARE BACK IN TOWN... HAWT

Gather around, kids. It's time to whisper among ourselves at the less fortunate.

Foreign Secretary goes on strike after tacos appear on lunch menu, things actually start to happen in his absense; Prime Minister moves to make Taco Thursday a permanent feature.

Queen-Consorts pink pen stolen, replacement ordered on ebay, looks suspiciously like the stolen one.

Several citizens grounded, bookies give 5-1 odds that those affected run away and join the circus.

CREDITS AND ALL THAT JAZZ

This Update Has Been Brought To You By The Following:

- The Department for Culture, Media, and Sport
- The Home Office
- Baroness Katherine of St. Asaph
- Number 10 Downing Street
- The British Broadcasting Corporation
- Their Majestys King George VI and Queen Skye I
- AND VIEWERS LIKE YOU.... THANK YOU!

by **Zenya** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 5:28 pm

Very pleased to see KGB get a gameplay thread

Awesome looking update.

by **Xoriet** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 6:01 pm

One of the better OPs I've seen yet for an embassy thread on Gameplay.

Gameplay thread for KGB? Win.

by **The Republic of Llamas** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 6:07 pm

Xoriet wrote:One of the better OPs I've seen yet for an embassy thread on Gameplay.

Gameplay thread for KGB? Win.

^I am a random camelid, and I approve this message.

by **Ainocra** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 7:11 pm

Can I be named the Duke of Earl?

good update

by **King Alexander** » Tue Mar 17, 2015 8:01 pm

Glad all of you liked it. There will be more to come, hope we can keep your interest

by **AkillianKGB** » Fri Apr 03, 2015 6:26 am

The Kingdom of Great Britain

NationStates Page Regional IRC

Foreign Update: April 2015

Monarch: HIBM George VI | Queen Consort: Skye I | Prince of Wales: Prince Krimson

His Majesty's Executive Government
Prime Minister: Edward Windsor
Deputy Prime Minister: Akillian Talleyrand
Home Secretary: Akillian Talleyrand
Foreign Secretary: Vacant
Culture Secretary: Sacul Astoria
Justice Secretary: Vacant
Secretary without Portfolio: Charlotte Capulet
BBC Director General: Reece Saint-Pierre
Electoral Commissioner: Juris Wessex

WA Delegate: Lewisham

10th Imperial Parliament

The House of Lords
Victor Lancaster, Prince of Wales
Nikolai Capulet, Prince Royal
Charles IX Lancaster, Duke of Leinster
Cephal Talleyrand, Earl of Essex
Francis, Earl of Glasgow
Katherine, Baroness of St. Asaph

The House of Commons
Charlotte M.Capulet of Scotland (BRP)
Vacant of France (BRP)
Akillian Talleyrand of England (BRP)
Aaron Astoria of Ireland (BRP)
Valfor Talleyrand-Fominov of Wales (BRP)

Supreme Court of The Kingdom of Great Britain
Lord Chief Justice: Juris Wessex
Sr. Associate Justice: Cephal Talleyrand
Jr. Associate Justice: Charles IX Lancaster

Keep Reading; It Gets Better!

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen of NationStates. It's a pleasure to have you reading this, I appreciate the time you have taken out of your obviously busy day to read our incredibly important Foreign Update.

For those of you whose patience is comparable to Ed Milliband with a bacon butty, here are our headlines for the day. Just in case you didn't want to read through the boring bits, you can skip straight to the slightly less boring bits without a care in the world.

THE BBC PRESENTS OUR TOP HEADLINES!
PRIME MINISTER'S ADDRESS
SIGN HERE PLEASE...
ROCKIN' THE BUNNY LOOK
THE THICK OF IT
PRIME MINISTER'S QUESTIONS
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: IANSMITH

PRIME MINISTER'S ADDRESS

To fellow citizens, their Majesties and our beloved friends,

The Government has now passed the half way mark for the term and I am confident in saying that, so far, it has been an active term with the Government making a lot of progress in most of the Ministries. Most notably in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office we have seen major reforms that have both improved the efficiency and organisation of the Ministry as well as seeing more connections built with regions we previously did not have relations with, reconcilling with those that we have had rough pasts with and cementing and building on those which we already have. I would like to personally thank all of those who helped achieve this within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and our former Foreign Secretary.

The FCO is not the only ministry to have been active this term. The Ministry of Culture, Media and Sport has kept its proactive approach to regional affairs and has run a succesful music festival even though it had little time to prepare for it. The Ministry has also begun to prepare for the Easter festival which the region eagerly awaits and this could not have been done without the hard work and effort put in by our Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Sacul Astoria, who has served the Ministry for countless terms now. I would also like to thank the Minister for his work in Foreign Updates by providing us with interviews which have helped create an insight into what the region is truly like for our allies and friends.

This term has seen Akillian Talleyrand return to the Home Office and he has done so in style. The Master Citizenship List has been unupdated for quite some time, however, the issue has now been succesfully tackled by the Secretary of State for Home Affairs. The Minister has also re-established the Mentor Programme which is helping new citizens become fully intergrated into the community and making it easier for them to feel more at home. On top of this, we are now working to establish Civil Awards so that we can reward those who have served the Home Office and region for long periods of time and have put the effort in to making this region a better place for all. I would also like to thank Mr. Talleyrand for also being a great deputy Prime Minister who I can count on at any time and in any situation.

However, the term so far has not been as smooth as I would have hoped for and we must now say goodbye to our Justice Secretary, Kingladn, who has now left the cabinet and region. He will be missed.

I would also like to take this time to reaffirm Great Britain's commitment to our allies and friends across the seas and I hope that we can continue to build on our strong relations with you and your people.

Thank you for your time.

The Rt. Honorable Edward Windsor
Prime Minister of The Kingdom of Great Britain

SIGN HERE PLEASE...

The Kingdom of Great Britain has undergone major diplomatic reforms, with the embassy network having been evaluated and expanded upon, and the Foreign Service having been reorganised, but perhaps the most noteworthy activity on the interregional stage has been the recent flurry of negotiations regarding treaties with multiple regions; already, treaties with The Communist Bloc, Land of Kings and Emperors, and Albion have passed through the halls of Parliament, with His Majesties Government already looking to sow the seeds for closer ties with several more regions.

Only time shall show whether this concerted attempt shall be successful, but in any case friends and allies of the Kingdom of Great Britain can certainly rest assured that the region is committed to inter-regional relations and co-operation, and that a renewed commitment to the maintenance of diplomatic missions is evident.

ROCKIN' THE BUNNY LOOK

Never could it be said that there is a dull moment within the Department for Media, Culture, and Sport in the Kingdom of Great Britain; just as people fall back on their chairs, having danced the soles off of the bottom of their shoes during the recent Musical Festival, the Hon. Sacul Windsor announced preparations are well under way for an Easter Festival!

There was surely a missed opportunity to use hip-hop as a natural transition point between the festivities of the Kingdom of Great Britain, but nonetheless the citizens of region wait impatiently for the opportunity to dawn their bunny onesies - though Sacul, as sly a bugger as ever, has kept the details of the Easter celebrations under lock and key.

Don't worry folks, we will break into his desk shortly, and share the details with you all so that you might decide whether to join us!

THE THICK OF IT

Since the beginning of the term, the Cabinet has been hard at work with regular cabinet meetings and catch ups to make sure that all members of the Cabinet have tasks to complete and are all informed about what other members of the Cabinet are doing. Along with this, the Prime Minister has set up 'Government Activities Updates' which are regular updates to the citizenry informing them of what the Cabinet has been up to in a push to make the Government more transparent whilst keeping the Cabinet Meetings themselves confidential due to sensitive topics. The Cabinet so far has seen the update of the Master Citizenship List, two foreign updates (including this one), two festivals being prepared with one, the Music Festival, currently being celebrated, and major reforms to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. On top of this, with over half of the term behind us, the Prime Minister has continued to make his promise of continued activity and high standards of work being produced by the Government, so that the people of Great Britain and our allies recieve the attention and effort that they deserve.

PRIME MINISTER'S QUESTIONS

At the beginning of the term, Prime Minister Edward Windsor, promised to provide a more transparent and active government and one of his strategies at doing this was to release Government Activities Updates weekly and reintroduce Prime Ministers Questions so that the Government was more accountable to the people. However, during the first Prime Ministers Questions session, not a single question was asked, completely different to the second Prime Ministers Questions session where the Prime Minister was grilled on his failure to provide only 2 of 4 promised Government Activities Updates and start only 2 of 4 scheduled PMQs. On top of this, the Prime Minister was grilled heavily on the low activity seen in the Commons and on talks with the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in regards to a treaty and state visit. The Prime Minister was reported to have told a close friend that after the PMQs he was dreading next weeks and what he would be grilled on then.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: IANSMITH

For this update's spotlight, our own Secretary for Culture Sacul interviewed newcomer IanSmith; although a newcomer, IanSmith has proven an active member, starting up his own business which has instantly become a regional favourite. With a little time, we are sure that IanSmith will be able to translate business success knto political success, and as a citizen with massive potential, he is a perfect subject for the spotlight. Thank you to both Sacul and IanSmith for taking part in this interview:

Sacul: First off, let me thank you for wanting to participate in this interview, Ian. It is great to see how a newcomer to the region has so quickly integrated into the community, and is now an active member of our Kingdom. So let us begin. You have already been on NationStates for quite a few years, how is it that you came to create that very first nation, what was it that made you join NationStates? And more recently, what attracted you to the Kingdom of Great Britain in specific?

Ian: Well I just happened to stumble across it during one of my internet searches one day. I was searching for any kind of nation builder games and this one came up. This was way back in 2004 just so you know. As for the name of my very first nation, I selected off a star chart of systems from the Freespace 2 modverse. Tau Sigma sounded the most interesting so I decided to role with it. Its full name was the Confederacy of Tau Sigma. The Confederacy part came from the Terran Confederacy of Starcraft I.

As for the what brought me to the KGB, seeing as Rhodesia was a British colony at one point I decided to integrate with a region that had a strong British theme to it.

Sacul: I see. A true NS veteran. And, how are you liking it here so far? Is the British theme shining through, or are there things you would like to see have more Britishness to them?

Ian: I'm liking it very well here so far. The people here are nice and easy to get along with. As for the Britishness of the place, it shines though easily enough, though I would like to see the aspect of colonies thrown in here instead of just sticking to the British Isles itself.

Sacul: We do actually have a colony, but to tell you the truth, I only found out now after inquiring about it. Maybe we should advertise it more to the public. On to another matter: now that you've made yourself at home here, do you have any ambitions to make a name for yourself in the Kingdom's political sphere? If so, where do your interests lie? For example, would you be interested in running for Parliament, or maybe building a career for yourself in the foreign or culture department?

Ian: I hope to become an MP or an officer in the navy at some point, and if I play my cards right maybe even PM. I've already signed on with the Cultural department considering it's on the bottom rung of the political ladder around here.

Sacul: Haha, indeed, Auror is an 'open to everyone' kind of job. I look forward to seeing you run for Parliament, I'm sure you would be a very active MP. From a newcomer's point of view, do you find that you receive enough information about how the region is run, what the government is currently up to, and how you can build yourself a political career?

Ian: Yes I believe I do, though a little mentoring would be useful from one of the veterans here.

Sacul: I suppose you've already signed up for the Mentor Program? And of course I am always open for questions, as are others. Don't hesitate to send somebody a PM if you need help or general advice. Then, a final question: What is your general impression of the region so far, and do you have any comments on how newcomers are welcomed and integrated into the community?

Ian: No I haven't. As for my impression, I would say this is certainly a good region for newcomers to launch their NS careers from. You get to learn a lot here. As for the integration, I have no comment other than it was welcoming enough that no one would be scared off by it.

Sacul: Good to hear it. Thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions, it was interesting to hear a new member's opinion on the region.

Ian: No problem.

GOSSIP GIRLS ARE BACK IN TOWN... HAWT

Gather around, kids. It's time to whisper among ourselves at the less fortunate.

Duke of Leinster rumoured to have sprouted wings and flu away, further reports indicate his flu went away, heated debate scheduled for the next Early Morning Motion as Parliament seeks to determine whether bird-people can serve as Parliamentarians.

Skye not seen in several days, suspicions are that a new member of the Hanover family will be announced presently, others suggest Skye is just hiding in the kitchen with all the treats.

The Rt. Hon. Prime Minister has been caught frequenting a brothel, or as other might call it, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Rumours of a slap concerning a cold dinner service, and demands that the Foreign Secretary 'get out an work', have been met with a petition from one million people calling for the Prime Minister's immediate knighthood.

CREDITS AND ALL THAT JAZZ

This Update Has Been Brought To You By The Following:

This Update Has Been Brought To You By The Following:
The Department for Culture, Media, and Sport
IanSmith
Number 10 Downing Street
HBH Francis Hanover
- AND VIEWERS LIKE YOU.... THANK YOU!

by **AkillianKGB** » Sat Apr 04, 2015 4:12 am

by **King Alexander** » Tue Apr 07, 2015 8:13 pm

Buckingham Palace
• His Majesty's Press Office •
Awarding a Knighthood
04.04.2015

BE IT ON THE BEHALF AND NAME OF HIS BENEVOLENT BRITANNIC MAJESTY,

We come today to bestow an honour upon a dear friend of The Kingdom of Great Britain. Tonight we honour someone who has fought to protect and preserve the way of life for Imperialists on NationStates. He is a man that is widely respected thought NationStates for his honesty, his vast diplomatic knowledge, and his virtue. Tonight we honour His Supreme Majesty, Onder, by unquestionable right, Emperor of The Land of Kings and Emperors, King of Norwood, Basileus of Polis, Grand Prince of Niso, Prince of Maxonberg, Prince of Ilum, Voivode and Hospodar of Moldavia, Shogun of The Land of Dragonia and Elector of Munster and proclaim him a Knight of The Order of The Garter as well as Viscount Beauchamp of Hache and Earl Marshal of of Great Britain[/font]

God Save the Empire and Long Live our King!

+ George R. I.

by **Josh Sebastian** » Tue Apr 07, 2015 9:33 pm

On behalf of His Supreme Majesty, Onder, by unquestionable right, Emperor of The Land of Kings and Emperors, King of Norwood, Basileus of Polis, Grand Prince of Niso, Prince of Maxonberg, Prince of Ilum, Voivode and Hospodar of Moldavia, Shogun of The Land of Dragonia and Elector of Munster, the Imperial Government accepts these generous honors from the illustrious King-Emperor of the Kingdom of Great Britain, George Hanover VI with great gratitude and appreciation. Undoubtedly, it serves as a warm gesture of the strengthening of relations between two of the leading imperialist regions and the close friendship of our leaders and citizens.

by **AkillianKGB** » Tue May 26, 2015 8:53 am

The Kingdom of Great Britain

NationStates Page Regional IRC

Foreign Update: May 2015

Monarch: HIBM George VI | Queen Consort: Skye I | Prince of Wales: Prince Krimson

His Majesty's Executive Government
Prime Minister: Nikolai Capulet
Deputy Prime Minister: Klaus Mikaelson
Home Secretary: Akillian Talleyrand
Foreign Secretary: Claire Capulet
Culture Secretary: Sacul Astoria
Secretary without Portfolio: Charles IX

BBC Director General: Claire Capulet
Electoral Commissioner: Juris Lancaster

WA Delegate: Lewisham

12th Imperial Parliament

The House of Lords
Krimson Lancaster, Prince of Wales
Charles IX Lancaster, Marquess of Leinster
Theoden Sebastian, Marquess of Albany
Cephal Talleyrand, Earl of Warwick
Katherine, Countess of St. Asaph
John Hanover, Baron Hanover

The House of Commons
Akillian Talleyrand of Scotland (BRP)
Claire Capulet of France (BRP)
Nikolai II of England (BRP)
Iansmith of Ireland (BRP)
Victoria of Wales (BRP)

Supreme Court of The Kingdom of Great Britain
Lord Chief Justice: Juris Wessex
Sr. Associate Justice: Cephal Talleyrand
Jr. Associate Justice: Charles IX Lancaster

Keep Reading; It Gets Better!

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen of NationStates. It's a pleasure to have you reading this, I appreciate the time you have taken out of your obviously busy day to read our incredibly important Foreign Update.

For those of you whose patience is comparable to Ed Milliband with a bacon butty, here are our headlines for the day. Just in case you didn't want to read through the boring bits, you can skip straight to the slightly less boring bits without a care in the world.

THE BBC PRESENTS OUR TOP HEADLINES!
- RISE OF CB
- KLAUS MIKAELSON CHARGED IN COURT
- ISSUES WITH THE CONSTITUTION
- KLAUS MIKAELSON APPOINTED DPM
- ELECTIONS AND THE CABINET
- STATE VISITS

Rise of CB

In KGB for some time now, a one party state has existed within the political atmosphere. The British Royalist Party is a traditional and very influential political party that has held the seat of Prime Minister time and time again, due to the overwhelming numbers that they are able to bring to each election cycle. Their manifesto, as their name suggests, focuses on a strong, active Monarch and Royal Family, and with a number of Royal Family members within the upper echelon of the party, you can see what makes them so strong, but for now at least, they are no longer alone in the political sphere.

In recent weeks, there has been a slow but noticeable growth within a second party, Civis Britannia. While it was originally feared that this party would move directly against the power of the Monarch, party leaders claim that they want the Monarch to be a strong position, “just not at the expense of every other citizen within the realm.”
Civis Britannia has been recruiting from newer forum members, and from a few of the old guard as well, and though they hold no seats within Parliament, it does appear as though their small amount of influence is steadily building. While one party operates behind closed doors, and the other out in the open; any future battles between these two could be seen as a battle between the old guard and the new. It’s only a matter of time until we all see just what will happen

Klaus Mikaelson Charged in Court

On the 19th of April with approval from the House of Commons, Prime Minister Nikolai Capulet charged
Mr. Klaus Mikaelson, an MP at the time, with Violation of the Terms of Service. He was warned for using an excessive amount of profanity. Being quickly picked up by the Lord Chief Justice a pre-trial began where Mr.Mikaelson pleaded not guilty to the charges and chose to represent himself in the case. The court then began preparations for the Trial which began only a few days later on the 29th of April. After 2 weeks of both sides presenting evidence and providing statements the court found Klaus Mikaelson guilty of violating the ToS and sentenced him to banishment for 2 months. But was soon granted clemency by HIBM King George VI

Issues with the Constitution

This last term proved quite a challenge for the House of Commons when it tried to pass the Speaker of the commons amendment thinking it wouldn’t coincide with the clause that states that any revision to the constitution will result in a dissolvement of parliament. The Chief Justice agreed with HMG when saying that it wouldn’t coincide with the clause but the two Associate Justice wrote dissenting opinion saying it did. The King later issued an Imperial Decree where he agreed with the Associate Justices. Parliament was later dissolved and the new Parliament ratified the amendment.

Klaus Mikaelson Appointed DPM

The Prime Minister caused a lot of controversy when he appointed Klaus Mikaelson, the leader of CB and a major opponent of the BRP, as Deputy Prime Minister. This caused outrage from many but the Prime Minister stood strong by his decision and defended it with saying that he doesn’t want to make it seem like the BRP was trying to silence any opposition. Though people still questioned the Government was allowed to resume normal duties and work at an efficient rate.

Elections and the Cabinet

The dissolvement of Parliament saw another hectic election season take place. With many candidate filing and campaigning it was a busy election season. The BRP had 5 candidates with the rival party the CB only had one or two. After more than a week of campaigning the election finally took place. Lasting for 48 hours the Election Commissioner later declared that the BRP had won all 5 seats: an absolute majority. The House of Commons was quick to approve Nikolai Capulet for his second term as Prime Minister. The Lords then expressed confidence in the new Prime Minister and he was appointed not long after. During his second term he reappointed the same cabinet from last term.

Prime Minister: Nikolai Capulet
Deputy Prime Minister: Klaus Mikaelson
Home Secretary: Akillian Talleyrand
Foreign Secretary: Claire Capulet
Culture Secretary: Sacul Windsor

With a few minor changes: Klaus Mikaelson was appointed DPM while Charles Lancaster was moved in as Minister without Portfolio.

State Visits

His Majesty's Civil Executive Government has been working diligently to finally host the Whitehall Educational Summit behind closed doors in the State Diplomatic Room of 10 Downing Street, Official residence of the Kingdom of Great Britain's Prime Minister Nikolai Capulet. Regions such as the United Kingdom, the Land of Kings and Emperors, Europeia, and The North Pacific have sent high government and royal officials to discuss an interregional agreement to evolve education in the world of NationStates. The summit, said to "usher into a new age of NationStates academics" and "a historic event", is still underway.

Credits

This Update Has Been Brought To You By The Following:

- The Department of Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
- Claire Capulet
- Klaus Mikaelson
- Prime Minister Nikolai Capulet[/b]

by **MrEnter** » Tue May 26, 2015 8:57 am

Congrats on that impressive length of an update. Obviously not trying to cover for anything.

I just want to ask, what is your opinion on the Congress of Sovereigns?

by **AkillianKGB** » Sat Jun 27, 2015 12:43 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDtZLok76qw

by **AkillianKGB** » Sun Jul 26, 2015 8:44 am

The Kingdom of Great Britain

NationStates Page Regional IRC

Foreign Update: July 2015

Monarch: HIBM George VI | Queen Consort: Skye I | Prince of Wales: Prince Victor

His Majesty's Executive Government
Prime Minister: Francis Hanover
Deputy Prime Minister: Marcie Sebastian
Home Secretary: Nick Talleyrand-Hanover
Foreign Secretary: Constantine Hanover
Culture Secretary: Sacul Astoria

BBC Director General: Claire Capulet
Electoral Commissioner: Juris Lancaster

WA Delegate: Lewisham

14th Imperial Parliament

The House of Lords
Victor Lancaster, Prince of Wales
Cornelius Talleyrand, Prince Royal
Charles IX Lancaster, Grand Duke of Ireland
John Hanover, The Duke of Norfolk
Fitzgerald Ravensdale, Duke of Richmond
William Bettingham, Duke of Calais
Theoden Sebastian, Duke of Gloucester
Nick Talleyrand-Hanover, Viscount of Leon

The House of Commons
Akillian Talleyrand of Scotland (BRP)
Damian Talleyrand-Hanover of France (CON)
Francis Hanover of France (CON)
Constantine Hanover of Ireland (CON)
Marcie Sebastian of Wales (I)

Officers of State
First Lord of the Admiralty: Cornelius Talleyrand
Chief of the Imperial Naval Staff:Edward Windsor
Director-General of the SIS: Theoden Sebastian
Lord High Steward: Richard Stewart

Supreme Court of The Kingdom of Great Britain
Lord Chief Justice: Juris Wessex
Sr. Associate Justice: Cephal Talleyrand
Jr. Associate Justice: Charles IX Lancaster

Flurry of Court Activity!

The Court has been of great assistance to Parliament in recent times. With a new Constitution came the need to reenact old laws as well as improve upon them. Unfortunately with this came the tendency for the will of Parliament to sometimes cross paths with the rule of the highest legal document in the land, The Imperial Constitution of The Kingdom of Great Britain. The first to suffer such a fate was the Citizenship Act (2015) proposed by MP Nick Hanover during the previous session of Parliament. Soon after it's proposal to the House floor Lord John Norfolk asked a legal question of the courts questioning the proposals Constitutionality. After much legal research the Lord Chief Justice Nathaniel Lancaster found the proposed law unconstitutional.

During the current Parliamentary session, a law by the name of the Foreign Treaties and Agreements Act (2015) was proposed by Lord William Bettingham to the floor of the House of Lords. Almost immediately after it's proposal, Member of Parliament for Ireland His Britannic Highness Constantine Hanover, immediately suspicious of its constitutionality, asked a legal question of the Supreme Court to either confirm or deny his suspicious. Again, after much legal research Lord Chief Justice Lancaster came to the decision that this law was yet again, unconstitutional. Both opinions will be published in a spoiler below.

PMQ's or PMSnooze?

Viewers tuned in everywhere to the latest series of Prime Minister’s Questions on BBC Parliament, only to find the Prime Minister asleep at the dispatch box. The Loyal Opposition, far from making issue of this, secured a blanky and teddy for the exhausted Prime Minister, in an astonishing show of unity from the House of Commons.

Internal Party Memo’s indicate that the key subject at next weeks Prime Minister’s Questions will be that of the Blanky and Teddy Relief Fund, with a call to increase the funds available expected.

Castaway Party

There is never a dull moment in the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport, with recent weeks proving no exception. Under the supervision of Culture Secretary Sacul Astoria, and Deputy Secretary Akillian Talleyrand, many citizens were able to survive a horror crash on a desert island – and without resorting to cannibalism (well, for the most part; reports indicate that one citizen was bitten by Akillian, with the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister starting a discussion on how best to prepare food involving unconventional meats).

But alas, no sooner had the ships rescued our stranded friends, the Culture Secretary and Co. have already begun planning for the upcoming Anniversary celebrations; rumor has it, that Sacul had been doodling plans on the beaches even when stranded, and had to be dragged away screaming and kicking – relenting only when he realised his kicks had ruined his drawings.

'I will have vengeance!' Sacul could be heard screaming, suggesting an unfortunate fate may await someone at the Anniversary festival, although he may have been speaking about a new brand of ice cream, given he screamed such with spoon in hand.

ELECTIONS CALLED AGAIN

The 13th Parliamentary Session in our region’s history was cut rather short, with the King disbanding Parliament and calling for a new election while the term was still well in progress. Despite seeing support from Parliament, the Government had been at odds with the public for a majority of the term and, moved to action, His Majesty the King called for a new Government to be summoned.

In stark contrast to the previous, short-lived Parliament, both the BRP and Labour were completely routed at the polls by the Conservatives, a party which emerged during the previous term, largely as a splinter party of the BRP, like an alien bursting from John Hurt’s chest. Labour was pushed out of the Commons entirely this term, with the BRP only keeping a foothold thanks to Akillian Talleyrand, who has successfully maintained his post in the Legislature for an impressive number of terms. Despite this, the government formed by newly-chosen Prime Minister Francis Hanover is largely bipartisan in its composition, with members from all three parties taking part in the Cabinet, along with Marcie Sebastian, the only Independent in the House of Commons.

GOSSIP GIRLS ARE BACK IN TOWN... HAWT

Gather around, kids. It's time to whisper among ourselves at the less fortunate.
All hugs, cuddles, and huggles are expected to be taxed in an upcoming report from the Bank of England; BBC Worldwide understands, however, that snuggles are to be exempt from this tax, raising concerns of huggle evasion.

To combat declining birth rates, The Rt. Hon. Francis has set aside one night a week for "date night" - lead medical officers question the success rate of this plan, pointing out that tacos cannot give birth.

Online sources indicate that Marcie Sebastian, accompanied by HIBM Queen Skye I, was spotted on the High Street, shopping for a new font colour! It is understood Her Majesty insisted on pink, but was quickly rebuffed. How could you be mean like that, Marcie?!?

CREDITS AND ALL THAT JAZZ

This Update Has Been Brought To You By The Following:
The Department for Culture, Media, and Sport
The Home Office
HBH Constantine Hanover, Foreign Secretary
HSDH Charles XI
Number 10 Downing Street
The British Broadcasting Corporation
Their Majestys King George VI and Queen Skye I
AND VIEWERS LIKE YOU.... THANK YOU!

by **AkillianKGB** » Mon Aug 03, 2015 2:27 pm

From the 7th to the 18th of August the Kingdom of Great Britain will be celebrating its second birthday, and you are all invited! This Anniversary Festival we will be celebrating all the people that have together created the region, and made it what it is today. From great legislators to enthusiastic spammers, both in the present and in the past, this festival is for them. Without the People of Britain, there would be no Britain. So, dear friends from overseas, you are very much welcome to attend! The festival will start this Friday, and we gladly await your arrival. See you there soon!
Link to KGB forum - http://w11.zetaboards.com/The_Great_Britain/index/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8zYno5-Vxo

by **AkillianKGB** » Thu Oct 22, 2015 2:16 pm

[align=center]

by **Ever-Wandering Souls** » Thu Oct 22, 2015 6:42 pm

Is this like a regular holiday festival, or actually playing a game together, or like Spiritus' NS-adapted Mafia game, or something else entirely?

More info (and fixed tags) would be nice

by **Repubott** » Tue Nov 10, 2015 6:42 am

The Kingdom of Great Britain

NationStates Page Regional IRC

Foreign Update: October 2015

Monarch: HIBM George VI | Prince of Wales: Prince Victor

His Majesty's Executive Government

Prime Minister: Constantine Hanover
Deputy Prime Minister: Sacul Astoria
Home Secretary: Madline Sebastian
Foreign Secretary: Charles Lancaster
Culture Secretary: Sacul Astoria

WA Delegate: Proxy JURIS

Supreme Court of The Kingdom of Great Britain

Lord Chief Justice: Nathaniel Lancaster
Sr. High Court Justice: Henry Beaumont
High Court Justice: Charles Lancaster

15th Imperial Parliament

The House of Lords
Nathaniel Lancaster, Prince of Saxony
Charles Lancaster, Grand Duke of England
John Hanover, Grand Duke of Scotland
Madline Sebastian, Duchess of Cambridge
Théoden Sebastian, Duke of Gloucester
Alexander Norfolk-Hanover, Earl of Wessex

The House of Commons
Akillian Talleyrand of France (BRP)
Constantine Hesse of Italy (CON)
Francis Hanover of Germany (CON)
Edward Windsor of England (CON)
Arthur Pendragon-Hanover of Ireland (CON)
Nyx Lancaster of Wales (IND)
Henry Beaumont of Scotland (IND)

ROMANTIC ANARCHY IN THE PLATONIC MONARCHY

Two months ago, in August, the long-standing marriage between their Majesties Queen Skye and King George VI ended in the most amicable of unions, with the former Queen retiring with an outpour of praise and love from all the region. Within a few weeks, the King had been engaged anew, this time to Madline Sebastian, the then-Duchess of Cambridge. The King wed his new Queen in Westminster Abbey, to widespread celebration and fanfare, and all was well. The festivities were short lived, however, as within a month of the wedding, their Majesties were already going their separate ways, divorcing on similarly amicable means. This time, bachelordom was even briefer for both of them, with Madline moving on to an engagement with Prime Minister Constantine Hanover, while the King surprised the whole region by announcing his engagement to Francis Hanover, a man who was his son as recently as just before the engagement was announced. Nevertheless, the announcement was again met with merriment, and only the teeniest, tiniest degree of jokes at his Majesty’s sudden bout of reorientation. Even so, the King and his fiancé are set to be wed soon, and the region eagerly awaits a new round of celebration and festivity.[spoiler][quote]The Citizenship Act 2015 (2014)

PARTY HARD. THEN PARTY HARDER.

It’s been a party-goers fantasy these past few months in KoGB, with festivals cropping up at a relentless rate. Aspiring and confetti sales have skyrocketed, with low-lying parts of London being submerged under all the spilled punch and dipping sauce. The revved up party bus has rolled into town courtesy of Sacul Astoria and his wife Nyx Lancaster, a magical, culture-generating duo who seem to never tire or run out of good ideas. Currently, top scientists in KoGB are investigating ways in which the perpetual cultural generation of the Astorias could be harvested and used as an alternative energy source to fuel all the neon lights that have been in use recently. Most recently, the Astorias have arranged a Fall Ball, complete with apple-bobbing and pumpkin carving, only two months following the hugely successful anniversary celebration organized on, unsurprisingly, the KoGB foundation anniversary. And yet the party bus hasn’t even begun to run out of fuel, as the Dynamic Duo are already preparing their next cultural extravaganza, this time centered around everyone’s favorite, shambling undead. Zombies are (slowly, jerkily) making their way towards KoGB, setting the scene for another exciting festival full of intense games and roleplay as civilization collapses in the face of the rotting hordes. Race on, party bus, race on.

WITHDRAWAL AND NEW BEGINNINGS 2015

As of October 15th, the Kingdom of Great Britain is no longer a member of the Congress of Sovereigns, having formally withdrawn from the organization in order to pursue a more independent diplomatic and military path. His Majesty made clear in his announcement of the withdrawal that KoGB would remain committed to its allies in the Congress, and while this sentiment was not reciprocated by some of the region’s now-former allies, KoGB remains hopeful that relations can be stabilized in the coming months, so that friendship and prosperity might again blossom between old friends.

LEGISLATING ALL OVER THE PLACE

It’s been a period of reconstruction and optimization for the Imperial Parliament, as a series of proposals designed to plug up loopholes and fix the errors of laws past have recently been introduced in the Houses of Parliament. Various aspects of the region’s original Criminal Code have been assessed and adjusted for a more balanced Judicial protocol while another bill seeks to tackle the Royal Electoral Commission. With the recent introduction of residential constituencies and a rise in political parties, the Legislators of KoGB have sought various ways to adapt the current political system to these new circumstances. The debate so far has been robust and extensive, and the Members of Parliament seem to be making significant progress in hammering out the finite details of these reforms.

by **Canton Empire** » Wed Nov 11, 2015 8:59 am

From a German themed region, I'd like to say happy armistice/remembrance/veterans day

by **St Morwenna** » Fri Dec 25, 2015 8:31 pm

Lost and Found: A Christmas Story
By: Morwenna, Duchess of Perth

As the Monarch rose from his troubled sleep, he was surrounded not by his retinue with his breakfast in hand, but in the darkness of his chambers; alone and with the name of his long-lost son upon his lips. As he felt himself mouthing a faintly familiar name, he relived the loss of his dear boy but a matter of years ago.

“Your Majesty...” called a young female voice distantly, “...your Majesty! Arise, for the morning has arrived in all its glory!” she continued as she threw open the curtains, flinching at the sudden burst of blinding light diffusing throughout the chamber.

“Leave me be, Miss Deacon” he replied dismissively, deep in thought, mouthing under his breath, almost too softly for Miss Deacon to hear, the name, Aleksander, over and over again. He ignored Miss Deacon, even as she sat by his bedside and tried to rouse him from his thoughts. “I said, leave me be!” he commanded, and she left the room.

Reaching into his nightshirt, he pulled from it an ornate locket. Handling it as if it were fragile as frost, with the utmost respect and reverence, he slowly opened it to reveal the photograph of a handsome young man not yet out of his boyhood, with sparkling blue eyes, and turned to read the message inscribed on the inverse:

“Daddy. You are the light where there is darkness, the rock where there is hardship, and the best friend I have, and ever will have. Love from your son, Aleksandar.”

As he whispered the message under his breath, he felt a solitary tear falling. He wiped it away, only for many more to accompany it as he started to weep bitterly, mourning the loved, lost boy who never grew up.

He remembered what happened as if it were yesterday; his beloved, youngest son having disappeared that very night in an ambush from the dreaded brigands whilst on a mission to dispatch the very scoundrels. He remembered how bitterly he wept when the sole survivor brought him the broken sword belonging to the little prince, the sword he wielded that fateful night.

But he did not remember falling as, on the thirteenth day, his scouts came before him with the dreaded news and a battered coat of mail; that his young son had most likely been dispatched by the very rogues he had set out to put to his sword.

And so, for four long years, he sent out the greatest of scouts known to his Kingdom to scour his lands and beyond from the anniversary of his son’s disappearance, and for thirteen more days. And for three of those years, he was met with their failures.

The first year, he sent a dragon-hearted nobleman, famed for his old connections to a number of prominent brigands, and his silver tongue. He returned bearing the young prince’s misericorde, stained still with traces of dried blood, but with no news of the boy.

And the Monarch was diminished thusly, closing the year with mourning for its remaining months.

The second year, he sent an elderly gentleman, famed for his hawk-eyes and still-young ears. He returned bearing the prince’s targe, dented and tarnished after the nigh on two years it had been in the dirt, only to be passed onto the peasantry and the townspeople, with their rowdy marketplaces, from which he had managed to bargain the worthless piece of scrap off.

And the Monarch was diminished thusly, closing the year with mourning for its remaining months.

The third year, he sent his very own spymaster, and the greatest of the greats in his Kingdom. He returned, albeit robbed by a band of brigands.

And the Monarch was diminished thusly, closing the year with mourning for its remaining months and greatly, for there was no-one left who could find the little prince. And he grieved terribly as the fourth year steadily approached.

But on the night before the fourth year’s passage, an elfin young princess-by-marriage, whom he doted upon as if she were his own, approached him with the ludicrous (by that time) offer of finding the brother-in-law she never met.

Taken from Bedlam as a former brigand herself, she specialised in bringing back captives for her band to hold for ransom, specifically the most slippery of them all. Despite his protests, she set off at once and was gone into the night, leaving the Monarch hoping that he would not lose another of his beloved children...

Meanwhile, at the very borders of the Kingdom’s reach...

“Stop the coach; this is as far as we can go without arousing suspicion!” shouted the princess, and her order was heeded as the coachman held his horse, passing through the gates of a modest country estate belonging to the local Lord. Pulling on her gloves and rolling down her sleeves to cover her brands and tattoos earned from her days among the brigands, she lifted her petticoats above her ankles with one hand, and took the coachman’s outstretched hand with the other as she stepped from the carriage, followed closely behind by her lady-in-waiting carrying her saddlebags.

“Your Highness,” began the excited Lord, eagerly anticipating an outstretched hand for him to kiss, “fancy seeing you here at my humble abode this fine day! Would you like a little bit to drink? I’ve just gotten a new shipment of liqueur, and it’s well-known throughout the Kingdom that a certain Morwenna has a sweet tooth.”

“I’m fine, but I do thank you for your generous offer” she replied politely, and outstretched her hand, smiling as the Lord kissed her hand with glee. Turning to her lady-in-waiting and the coachman, she distanced them from the earshot of their host and whispered among them: “Do you remember the plan we discussed?”

“As well as I ever will, ma’am!” replied her lady-in-waiting.

“When do we start?” asked the coachman.

“After the first banquet.” affirmed Morwenna. “There is but a mere ennead’s worth of days fore the advent of Christmas morn.”

With much joy and merriment that night, the preparations the Lord had made for his royal guest’s banquet were all put into place. Many sweetmeats were devoured, much alcohol flowed freely, and the fine foods were all but gone or thrown to the Lord’s faithful hounds.

“Oh heavens...” moaned the princess, steadying herself on her chair as she started to lose her balance, “I feel poorly...” As the Lord’s servants rushed towards his honoured guest to join her lady-in-waiting and escort them to the guest’s quarters, he turned his back and stormed off to the kitchens, determined to know what it was that his cooks put into the food...

“Do you need a physician, Your Highness?” asked the Lord after he found nothing amiss from his cooks.

“Shall I fetch you some tar water?” asked the Steward, hoping to be of aid.

“Would you at least have a nurse?” asked the Housekeeper, curious.

“No, no, and no thank you.” replied Morwenna, staggering to the guest’s quarters with her lady-in-waiting by her side. “The turbulence of long journeys often has such an effect upon me; there is no need to worry.” And with a wave of her hand, she dismissed the Lord’s household staff, leaving her alone with her lady-in-waiting and coachman.

And as soon as the host’s retinue was out of earshot, she turned to the two, with a twinkle in her eye, as she stood up as if nothing had happened: “Margaret, help me out of this gown; I’m sure women of nobility have had to learn not to breathe. And Cameron, fetch my saddle-bags; they’re on the other side of the room, and I’ve packed my things. I’m going to find the little prince, Aleksander, tonight...”

“Surely you’re not going to go back to those... brigands... are you?” asked Cameron, perplexed, as his brow creased with worry.

“They’re brigands! Outlaws! They’ll tear you to pieces!” cried Margaret, struggling to contain her hysterics.

Morwenna said not a word, but turned to her retinue and rolled up her sleeves. Slowly, carefully, and to their absolute horror, she removed her left glove to reveal a V branded on her forearm, flanked by elaborate, barbed tattoos in vermilion, crimson and threaded lampblack. Cameron reached for his rapier, but stopped, remembering oaths sworn long ago to the Kingdom. Margaret was petrified at the tattoos and brand on her mistress’s arm, and said not a word as she helped her out of her gown.

Leather-clad, russet-hooded and sheepskin-cloaked, with her hands gloved in hemp, her skirts hoisted just above her knees, her dirk sheathed at her hip and her rucksack slung over her left shoulder, she made her exit that night, scaling down the manse’s walls holding a scarlet cord. With a final farewell to her nervous coachman and lady-in-waiting, she disappeared into the night and headed for the town or, rather, its most disreputable tavern...

“Ah, The Peasant Prince Inn; a hotbed for rogues, thieves and others of ill repute...” she muttered under her breath as she approached the distant, ramshackle structure, deep in disrepair, as she felt a wave of nostalgia pass over her. “My old haunt; surprisingly largely avoided by the constables of the town...” Deep in contemplation at the colourful days of her past; the past which led to her confinement in Bedlam, and her eventual rescue by the Monarch during one of his visits to that most infamous madhouse, she slowed in her pace. Treading carefully, she wondered as the tavern’s sign slowly became visible: “Am I doing the right thing?”

Within the tavern, however, there could not have been more revelry than this time with the fast-approaching Yuletide; old rivals drank their grog together instead of duelling, the sons of the Lord (woe betide their father find them in such an establishment!) were seen dancing to the attractive young lute-player, and even a town constable was seen dining with a band of brigands. All in all, the entire tavern was in celebration, save for one...

For in the corner of the tavern, far-removed from all the spirits, sat a lone, despondent young man, scarcely in semblance of his one-score summers old, and in the dark hemp rags typical of brigands. Absent-mindedly, he carved long-meaningless sigils into the wooden wall which he leant against, accompanied by the fall of a solitary tear.

“Your Highness!” called a young lad, clad likewise in the distinctive dark hemp rags, “Come celebrate with us this Yuletide; the barmaids have your---”

Without a word, the young man rose from his despondence, knife in hand, with his bright blue eyes glinting in the dim light of the tavern and pushed the lad against his wall, pinning him in place with his knife at the boy’s throat: “One: never, ever call me ‘Your Highness’ again; I am a common man like yourself, I bleed just like you do; my name is Nordic Arbor, but you are free to call me Nordic, Arbor, or Not Applicable; anything but ‘Your Highness’. Two: it is none of your business what I do this and every other Yuletide; it is just another lonely and miserable day in the year. Three: leave me to my mourning’s wende; I am an unwanted boy, abandoned thirteen days before the Yuletide which so many celebrate, four years ago; I need not, waste not, want not any earthly comforts at this time of the year.” Overcome by emotion, he released the lad from his grip and proceeded to break down in tears.

But none saw Morwenna, clad as a common brigand, pass through the creaky swinging doors of the tavern... She heard not the clamour of revelry of many, but the weeping and tears of one who was broken inside. And she saw not the troubadours, revellers and dancers, but the solitary, tragic figure knelt in the corner of the tavern. Weaving through the crowds as she held herself against the wall, even passing a shaken young lad in his part-flight, she approached in silence, so as to not startle the weeping man...

Resting her hand on his arm, she resisted his attempt to pin her to the wall as she grabbed him by his hood, pulling it above his face to reveal a bright blue glint. Confused and frustrated, Nordic tore at the neckerchief covering her face, only to be struck down, awed in realisation of such alien beauty. Unperturbed, she pulled her left glove from her hand, revealing her branding and tattoos. But she then removed the other glove to reveal a ring, sapphire-set and Latin-inscribed along its band.

Dropping his knife and falling once more to his knees, he demanded of the strange woman, who bore both the scars of a brigand such as he and the favour of the Kingdom: “What do you want?”

She said not a word in response to Nordic, but instead reached into her rucksack, and drew three items from it: a misericorde stained with traces of dried blood, a dented targe, and a gilded reliquary containing a liquid. She lay each item on a bolt of starched wool and, picking up the misericorde first, told the story of each item: “This misericorde was the weapon you delivered your first mercy blow to your first brigand. It was found by a noble huntsman, formerly a brigand himself.”

Nordic said not a word as she replaced the weapon, only to pick up the targe next: “This targe once bore your royal coat-of-arms, but time and the many hands that had handled it since it was lost have left it more or less worthless. It was found by a hawk-eyed, young-eared gentleman, loyal to the king till the end.”

Nordic flinched for but a moment, but still said not a word as she replaced the buckler and, as if it were as fragile as frost, lifted the reliquary for Nordic to behold, heavy as it was: “This receptacle contains the tears that your Daddy shed for both of us the night before I set off to find you, a task which even his own spymaster failed at. It is but one of so many; every year since he lost you, and since you lost him, he had sent the greatest of huntsmen and spies to find his dear, dear lost son. He never gave up hope, he never stopped looking, and he will continue to search for you till the end of his days. And---”

“Stop.” he commanded, shielding his face to hide the tears that flowed anew. “I am a brigand; they will kill me, and not even the claims of being Daddy’s long-lost son will spare me from the gallows. I cannot go back, not even to rekindle the joy of Yuletide.”

“You can. Because I did.”

“You were insane, of course you could.”

“Then take my ring.”

“No. It’s yours. Keep it.”

“Yes. Take it and wear it for now, at the very least. Now follow my lead.”

Without a sound, as the night grew old, as the day was born and as the revellers grew cold in inebriation, the two slipped out of the tavern as the first crack of approached in the distance. Wending through the willows by her host’s walled estate, Nordic held her hand as he was first lifted up onto the wall, and helped her up in turn. Keeping careful watch for sentries as they scaled the wall by the scarlet cord thrown to the two, to the horror of the coachman and the lady-in-waiting.

“Ma’am!” shouted Margaret, panicking. “Who is this scoundrel you’ve brought here?”

Morwenna was about to speak, but Nordic silenced her and responded instead: “Margie... do you remember me? Margie...”

Margaret dropped the broom she held, aghast. For there was only one person, living or dead, who referred to her as Margie, and that person was...

“Aleksander?!” she cried, struggling to recognise the rugged, dishevelled vagabond who had been brought to their quarters apart from his bright blue eyes. “Is that you...”

“Yes, Nanny, it’s your little Aleksander” replied Aleksander, turning to the coachman, “and I see you, Ronny, the man who taught me not to fear horses as we rode in the coach so many years ago.” He smiled as Cameron sheathed his rapier, wiping away a single tear.

Morwenna clapped her hands to rouse her retinue and Aleksander: “Tonight, we must return home; Yuletide fast approaches, and we must tarry no more.”

Miss Deacon passed through the ornate doorway of the Monarch’s chamber, greatly saddened by her liege’s grief. But what was she to do? He had very little interest in opening his gifts, and only did so as part of maintaining his facade of having moved on from his loss, even though everyone in the palace knew full well the complete opposite was true. Every year since his loss, everyone in the palace would compete with one another to see whose gift would rouse him from his misery. People placed bets on whose gift would rouse the Monarch from his misery, even, but not one would be acted upon, year after year.

“What can we do, Nyx?” bemoaned Miss Deacon to the Grand Duchess, despondent as she checked who had left gifts for the Monarch underneath the ornate tree. “The poor fellow, he’s lost his little boy, and he might just lose his little girl, too.” she continued on.

“There’s very little we can do, other than hold out hope that not one, but both return safely.” replied Nyx, and tried to console the distraught housekeeper.

“Hamnet, that aristocratic former brigand, he couldn’t find the lost boy. The Beaumont gentleman, Jimmy, he couldn’t either. If not even the Imperial Spymaster can manage it, then who can? Surely not a little girl!”

“Well, you never know, Miss Deacon; I have a feeling there’s more to her than meets the eye...”

“Well, maybe I do know; where huntsmen and spymasters with decades of training fail, how would you think that a little girl succeeds where they fail?”

“She’s not little, she’s a grown woman now, but you do have a point. Anyway, you should bring His Majesty to the gifts he’s received this year; they’ve since been all set out.”

And so Miss Deacon, once again, was left with the Herculanean task of rousing the Monarch from his state of mourning and bringing him to his gifts underneath the tree. It took well over an hour of coaxing and flattery to convince him before he finally relented and left his chambers for the tree.

“To the happily-wed royal couple... with discreet compliments!” read a card from Sacul Astoria attached to a box of condoms, which the Monarch tossed to the side, without a single chuckle having been elicited.

“Your new clothes, King-Emperor”, a note that smelled like it had been in the dry cleaner’s attached to an ostentatious carmine suit covered in beetles from Prince Victor read. But material richness was nothing to the bereaved.

And so more gifts were opened from the many residents of the Palace, only to be turned away in bereavement. Soon, there were no more gifts left underneath the tree, and the Monarch wept most bitterly, for there was only one gift he could ever want, and that was the one from his lost little boy. But he was long gone...

“Your Majesty!” called a young man as he rushed down the corridor, his footsteps clapping loudly against the marble floor. Huffing and puffing, with an envelope in hand, he panted: “There’s one more gift, and I think it’s for you...”

“You keep it; there is no more joy left in the Yuletide spirits.” replied the Monarch flatly, and absent-mindedly took the envelope from the young man when it was thrust into his hands.

Silently, he turned the envelope over, and was stunned as he beheld the label, reading: “For my dear, dear Daddy. Love Aleksander.”

Struggling to hold back his tears, and dreading what was inside it, he slowly, reverently opened the envelope and pulled from it, a letter, reading: “Daddy. Meet me at the Palace gates.”

As the coach passed through the gates, the Palace guard, nervous as he heard an unfamiliar noise coming from within, stopped it and demanded that everyone inside leave while the coach was inspected; in a fit of nervousness and fear, Aleksander had come down in tears and was unfortunate enough for the guards to have heard him.

“Your Highness! Quickly -- out, for something is terribly amiss!” cried the guard, and she exited the coach, followed closely by her lady-in-waiting and the coachman from his perch at the front of the coach. Searching the coach’s interior, the guard raised his sword towards the scruffily-dressed Aleksander, his eyes blazing with fear and utter loathing. “Aha! We’ve got you now -- you’re going down!” sneered the guard.

“Stop.” thundered a hollow, imperious voice behind the small crowd. “Do not harm one hair of this man or I shall personally cleave you in twixt!”

“His Majesty has spoken!” whispered the stricken guard, as he narrowly managed to avoid fainting out of fear, his voice breaking with fear. He lowered his sword and took several steps back from the coach, but not before he turned, bowing deeply to the Monarch.

Nervous, and with his head hung in reverence, Aleksander slowly found his way out of the coach, and was about to bow, but not before his Daddy whispered softly enough for only his son to hear: “Stop, my dearest son. You are royalty -- always have been, always will be -- and you need not bow.”

“Daddy...” whispered Aleksander, his voice heavy with reverence and emotion, struggling to contain his tears, wishing that he was not clad in such common rags before his Daddy. “Daddy!” he cried, holding out his arms for a cuddle; one that had not been had in four long years. “DADDY!”

“Son!” cried the Monarch, and embraced his son once more, and their tears flowed free as the wind blew. And on that Yuletide noon, the Monarch held the grandest of feasts and made peace with the brigands who had spared his son, granting them land so that they would seek no longer to pillage that of others.

For Aleksander was dead, but is now alive. He was lost, but is found.

by **Krimsonland** » Wed Jan 20, 2016 12:23 am

The Imperial Navy has conquered the Nova Roman Empire with the help of the highly skilled and always reliable DEN!

All glory to KGB and DEN! :clap:

by **King Alexander** » Wed Jan 20, 2016 12:33 am

Hazzzah!!!!!!

by **King-Emperor George VI** » Wed Jan 20, 2016 3:12 am

People of NationStates,

Late last year some things happened in a region that was very near and dear to someone I care a great deal for. Late last year TCB experienced a revolution of sorts due to an extremist party trying to pull loyal citizens from the region. At this time I gave my then daughter Zenny Winter my full support, however as the events began become even more extreme, I pulled my support and decided to take a natural stance on the matter and allow them to settle it internally. Within weeks I was contacted by the supposed Government-in-Exile asking for military assistance to oust the legal leadership of TCB. Even-though I declined their request for KGB Military aid, I did offer them asylum. Shortly after, events took place that saw Zenny removed from my household by Leadership while I was away.

I tried to justify letting them in but I could not at all justify the disowning of my beloved daughter and best friend Zenny who I hurt more then anything with allowing them to do such a thing. In my time on NationStates I have hurt and pushed away a great many people however only one prior effected me as much as this did.

For months, I have went over the situation countless times in my head and have reached the same decision each time. I made rash decisions which hurt the best friend anyone could ever wish to have. I know with this apology statement I will not be given the second chance I so crave but at least it will be known to the world that I was wrong. My decisions were wrong and I hurt my best friend to the point where its hard for use to even speak anymore.

Zenny, regardless of what anyone on NationStates says, you are the best friend anyone could ever have. Your loyalty and dedication are far beyond what you get from typical NS players and I'm sorry for causing you all the grief and heartache that I have caused you. I'm not really good at this sort of thing because I'm not a very emotional person but you deserved better from me. You deserved my loyalty and dedication which I failed to provide. I failed to keep my promise to protect you and I promise that I will work every day for the remainder of my time on NS to make this right if you would allow me to do so.

Forever in your debt,
- George

by **Zenny** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 1:48 am

My apologies for a late reply, I wanted to think about how detailed or short of a response I'd like to give this

I'll just say that I appreciate the apology as I expressed to KGB's representative/mediator. As I stated privately, this does not whatsoever make up for what was done to us however it is a baby step in the correct direction and with time and honest effort I hope that all wounds will be healed. It is not easy to make such a detailed and honest apology in front of the international community (and its becoming more and more rare these days it feels), so I greatly appreciate the time and care that went into not only saying you were wrong, but giving the correct context in which those wrongs were done to us.

by **Krimsonland** » Mon Feb 01, 2016 9:40 pm

Office of The Prime Minister
Statement Regarding the Transitional Government of TSP
02.01.2016

Salutations,

As I am sure many of you know, the Game Created Region of The South Pacific recently underwent a major shift in their regional forum. Having suffered under the administration of the previous forum, the Cabinet felt the need to provide the region with a safe and workable alternative with admins that can give the support they need in order to nurture growth in their region.

This stance is one that we in the Kingdom of Great Britain understand. It's imperative for regional health, both in GCRs and UCRs, that there be administrators that have the good of the region in mind and are quick to help in whatever way they can regardless of how meaningless the task. We recognize this as a just cause, a cause that is commendable, and with this in mind we shall strive to offer up whatever support that we can manage.

We shall endeavor to respect the region's sovereignty, allowing the Transitional Government of The South Pacific to properly handle the change and establish a fair democracy to accompany its new comprehensive administrative changes. In light of this we shall be keeping our armed forces on standby so that we might be ready for any outside interference in this troubling time.

Thank you all for your time and I hope you'll join me and my region in supporting TSP in its most welcome change.

The Rt. Honorable Fitzgerald Solomon Ravensdale
Prime Minister of The Kingdom of Great Britain

The Rt. Honorable Constantine Hesse
Deputy Prime Minister of The Kingdom of Great Britain

On behalf of His Majesty, George VI
Sovereign of The Kingdon of Great Britain

Kingdom of Great Britain | Embassy

The Kingdom of Great Britain Embassy

Who is online