The Realm of Balder: Announcements and News

[Bowzin]

Second time Balder has done a New Balder Order. Wasn't particularly funny the first time, now it's just stupid. Try harder next time.

Thank you for your input, however I think you are wrong, therefore you are wrong. PNG'd.

[Drop Your Pants]

Second time Balder has done a New Balder Order. Wasn't particularly funny the first time, now it's just stupid. Try harder next time.

Thank you for your input, however I think you are wrong, therefore you are wrong. PNG'd.

Already PNG'd

[Evil Wolf]

Already PNG'd

Double Secret Probation!

[Yokiria]

Second time Balder has done a New Balder Order. Wasn't particularly funny the first time, now it's just stupid. Try harder next time.

DYP, for April Fools 2021, you should be nice for a day. It would be a fun prank.

[Syberis]

Second time Balder has done a New Balder Order. Wasn't particularly funny the first time, now it's just stupid. Try harder next time.

Thank you for your input, however I think you are wrong, therefore you are wrong. PNG'd.

ooo! Handing out PNGs? Do me next!

[Bowzin]

Thank you for your input, however I think you are wrong, therefore you are wrong. PNG'd.

ooo! Handing out PNGs? Do me next!

Ok done! PNGd for not telling me I am an awesome king

[Numero Capitan]

Someone said we should revive the FRA, so consider it done. I am in charge, though.

If you want to revive it then you'll have to convince Karputsk that it's dead first

[North East Somerset]

Statement from the Crown

Thankfully the coup of Balder has been quashed, and our nemosis has handed back the region to me.

Everything has been restored to normal, the tench atmosphere has passed, and a distinct sense of clam has enveloped the Realm.

I've had some time to mullet over and there will be no punitive measures. Order will be restored, or you will all feel my wrasse, and I will be forced to salmon help from our allies.

But we cod all do better next time by sticking together and taking a less shellfish approach. I would say that we all need to focus on the fintastic opportunaties that lie ahead of us. There have been some fishcious rumours flying around, that I am under the influence of other forces, but I've just about haddock with that, this is not the time or plaice for such nonsense. We need to move on to richer grounds bassically, stop carping on about the past, and turbot charge our initiatives going forwards.

I can tell you now the Realm has never been in safer hands, and anything you are herring to the contrary is damnable lies. I reely believe, to the bottom of my sole, that we can move on to spawn great things in the upcoming eelections. Always remember, citizens, only listen to ofishal sources of information and don't be taken in by pollocks. Carpe diem!

[Bran Astor]

This is fintastic news! Was salmon other than Bowzin involved or was he the sole perpetrator? Thank cod you had the oppotunaty to resolve this peacefully.

[Roavin]

I like that statement much, much more than I should.

[Fooooooooo]

Balder Bugle Issue IX

A publication of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Realm of Balder.


Statsminister and Talman Elections

The nomination process for the May Statsminister election saw two candidates put themselves forward for the position. Fuzzy was the first to put himself forward, announcing his candidacy in Balder's upper house, the Lagting. Shortly thereafter, Fuzzy was nominated and seconded to the position by two members of the Odelsting. The incumbent Statsminister, Bowzin, put himself forward for re-election in the Odelsting and also received the support of two other members. Fuzzy went on to receive the unanimous backing of the Lagting. The Odelsting vote saw 7 votes for Fuzzy, 3 for Bowzin and 2 abstentions. With the backing of both houses, Fuzzy was put forward by the Storting as the presumptive Statsminister for the new term, awaiting his appointment by the King.

The elections for Talman (Speaker of the Odelsting) also took place in May, with the incumbent Talman, Zander Cerebella, putting himself forward for re-election. Zander was nominated and seconded to the position by other members of the Odelsting and was returned to the office with the unanimous support of those that voted.


State Opening of Parliament

With the Statsminister election concluded, King North East Somerset formally opened parliament. Speaking of Fuzzy's longstanding experience, the King said "His dedicated service to Balder over the past 7 years are an example to us all, and he has all the skills to help drive Balder forwards. Indeed, it was Fuzzy who served inaugurally in the Office of Statsminister when it was first created during my first term as Monarch in 2014."

Looking back at the previous term, the King noted that "The past term has seen some notable successes in the deployment of our military, the Jomsvikings, which in some respects represents the Constitutional reforms in late 2019 bearing fruit." The King also paid tribute to the outgoing Statsminister, Bowzin, for his service, stating that "His rapid and successful rise to the position of Head of Government of this Realm, is an example to all of the wealth of opportunities that Balder presents." The King awarded Bowzin the Chivalric Order of the Knight of Odin as a thanks for his service.


Statsminister's speech and announcement of Statsraadet

Once appointed, Fuzzy took the time to set out his plans for the term. Seeking to increase activity in the region and move ahead with a number of cultural projects, Fuzzy stated that "Our highest priorities will be the engagement, retention and development of new members." He also noted that the establishment of Balder's university and the creation of city level charters and governments are priorities for this term, stating that "With the passing of the Princely Cities Act, we now have a fantastic opportunity to expand our region and create more ways for people to get involved."

Fuzzy also announced his cabinet, made up of the following ministers:

Linkin Maximus as Deputy Statsminister and Minister of Culture
Zander Cerebella as Minister of Foreign Affairs
Minethefirst as Minister of Integration
Charax as Minister of World Assembly Affairs
Vamperiall as Minister of War
Bowzin as Minister of Discord Affairs
Aexnidaral as Attorney General


Civil Service

As part of his drive to increase activity, Statsminister Fuzzy has continued his predecessor's drive to get people involved in the Civil Service, and has worked to make it more accesible to newcomers by integrating it into Balder's citizenship application process. All new applicants are now encouraged to join the Civil Service and get involved in Balder's Government. The Statsminister has also requested the creation of a number of Deputy Minister roles, to further increase the opportunities for newer members to get involved.


City Reform

The Princely Cities Act (March 2020) was signed into law on 13 April 2020, allowing for the creation of city charters and the appointment of mayors. The city of Jomsborg was quick to capitalise on this opportunity, with OnderKelkia, the Prince of Jomsborg, appointing Linkin Maximus as Marshal (Mayor) of the city. Linkin was quick to create a City Charter outlining the operation of the city government. The city of Ribe followed shortly afterwards, with its Prince, Fuzzy, creating his own charter and appointing Charax as Mayor. Mayor Charax has already been busy, and two citizens of Ribe have already been appointed to the City Council. A charter for Aarhus will hopefully be in place by the end of the term. All three cities have a different character, and this is already being displayed in the differences in their charters and operational structures. With so much more to now get involved in, it is hoped that the cities will drive another increase in regional activity as people join their governments and get involved in city level activites.


University nears opening

Balder's university project is another priority for the region, with Deputy Statsminster Linkin working on his proposal for a new and improved bill to found the university, which will be introduced this term. Once established, the university will become a centre for learning and scholarship, and will provide another hub for regional life. Amongst other things, the university will provide a home for Balder's history as well as providing a place to publish and store writings on a number of topics. The university may also play host to courses on various subjects.


Military Operations

Last term saw the Jomsvikings complete a number of successful operations, including a very successful deployment to Boston led by The Black Hawks and LWU. This operation saw the Jomsvikings assist in securing the region and defending it against an attempted liberation. The Jomsvikings also participated in successful operations in Xedas and Asia.

The Jomsvikings are looking to expand on their operations and build on these successes, with Minister Vamperiall looking to increase training and help encourage more members to join the ranks, alongside planning future operations.

Contact Fuzzy, Statsminister of Balder, with comments regarding the Bugle.

[Fooooooooo]

The Treaty of Skandia

Following on from the announcement of the Treaty of Skandia by the The New Pacific Order, we are pleased to confirm that negotiations on the treaty are indeed complete, and the Realm of Balder is looking to pass the treaty into law shortly. The treaty has today been introduced into the Storting and we look forward to its successful passage, and to a new chapter in our relationship with the New Pacific Order.

The text of the treaty is also reproduced here:

Treaty of Skandia


WE, the Realm of Balder and the New Pacific Order, hereafter jointly referred to as “the signatories”,

RECOGNISING our shared identity as Game-Created Regions, and our devotion to the principles of Regional Sovereignty, as exemplified by our shared founding of the former GCR Sovereignty Accords;

DESIRING to revive the historic partnership between our Regions, in a modern bilateral relationship, in the pursuit of shared objectives and the mutual advancement of our welfare,

THEREFORE, agree to recognise and adhere to the Treaty and all of the commitments set forth therein:


Section I - Mutual recognition

1. The signatories recognize one another as the sole, legitimate, and sovereign governments of their respective NationStates regions.

2. Both signatories recognize each other as independent sovereign entities.


Section II - Diplomatic Relations

1. The signatories agree to ensure continuing diplomatic relations with each other.

2. The signatories shall maintain in-game embassies (i.e., on the NationStates site) and off-site embassies (i.e., on their regional forums) with one another.

3. The signatories will endeavour to keep the other informed on their regional and diplomatic affairs.


Section III - Mutual Defense & Military Cooperation

1. The signatories agree not to engage in any military hostilities against one another. Participation by the signatories on opposite sides of a military engagement that does not constitute an attack on either signatory’s home region shall not be considered "military hostilities against one another" for this purpose.

2. The signatories will not attempt to overthrow each other or give any form of support to any parties, foreign or domestic, in an attempt to overthrow the legitimate recognized government of the other in their home region.

3. The signatories shall provide one another defensive military assistance in case of a military attack, either internal or external, targeting the other signatory’s home region, to the best of their ability.

4. Mutual aggression between a treaty ally of one signatory and the other signatory may be respected by opting for neutrality.

5. Should a third party attempt to overthrow either signatory, the defense of said signatory will be made priority by the other party, including a re-evaluation of neutrality due to pre-existing treaties should an existing treaty ally be involved in the hostilities.

6. The signatories will provide one another military assistance for delegacy transitions, at the request of the other signatory.

7. The signatories may collaborate militarily for the combined benefit of both regions when a mutually beneficial situation arises, such as halting a proposal strongly opposed by both parties from reaching quorum in the World Assembly.


Section IV - Intelligence Sharing

1. The signatories shall provide to their counterpart's Delegate any intelligence related to the other signatory's in-game or off-site security, unless the signatory in possession of such intelligence reasonably believes that doing so would violate applicable laws, or violate the terms of service for NationStates or said signatory's forum provider, or unduly compromise said signatory's sources of information.

2. The signatories will keep confidential all intelligence provided to them under this Section, unless the other signatory consents to the release.

3. The signatories will not in any way, direct or indirect, initiate or participate in espionage, subterfuge, or other clandestine operations against one another. For this purpose, a "clandestine operation" is one or more persons acting under false pretenses in one signatory’s home region, regional forum or Discord, without that signatory's knowledge, and at the direction of the other signatory.


Section V - Termination of Treaty

1. A party that has decided to terminate the treaty must notify the Delegate or next appropriate government official in the absence of the Delegate of their decision.

2. There will be a five-day period after the other party has been notified of this decision before the treaty cancellation is considered final. Should both parties agree to cancel the treaty, the termination of the treaty will be immediate.

3. Termination of this treaty shall not be seen as an act of war or hostility by either side.

[Big Bad Badger]

I am glad to see this! Our region's have a very bright future ahead of us!

[Unibot III]

(Image)

The Treaty of Skandia

Following on from the announcement of the Treaty of Skandia by the The New Pacific Order, we are pleased to confirm that negotiations on the treaty are indeed complete, and the Realm of Balder is looking to pass the treaty into law shortly. The treaty has today been introduced into the Storting and we look forward to its successful passage, and to a new chapter in our relationship with the New Pacific Order.

The text of the treaty is also reproduced here:

Treaty of Skandia


WE, the Realm of Balder and the New Pacific Order, hereafter jointly referred to as “the signatories”,

RECOGNISING our shared identity as Game-Created Regions, and our devotion to the principles of Regional Sovereignty, as exemplified by our shared founding of the former GCR Sovereignty Accords;

DESIRING to revive the historic partnership between our Regions, in a modern bilateral relationship, in the pursuit of shared objectives and the mutual advancement of our welfare,

THEREFORE, agree to recognise and adhere to the Treaty and all of the commitments set forth therein:


Section I - Mutual recognition

1. The signatories recognize one another as the sole, legitimate, and sovereign governments of their respective NationStates regions.

2. Both signatories recognize each other as independent sovereign entities.


Section II - Diplomatic Relations

1. The signatories agree to ensure continuing diplomatic relations with each other.

2. The signatories shall maintain in-game embassies (i.e., on the NationStates site) and off-site embassies (i.e., on their regional forums) with one another.

3. The signatories will endeavour to keep the other informed on their regional and diplomatic affairs.


Section III - Mutual Defense & Military Cooperation

1. The signatories agree not to engage in any military hostilities against one another. Participation by the signatories on opposite sides of a military engagement that does not constitute an attack on either signatory’s home region shall not be considered "military hostilities against one another" for this purpose.

2. The signatories will not attempt to overthrow each other or give any form of support to any parties, foreign or domestic, in an attempt to overthrow the legitimate recognized government of the other in their home region.

3. The signatories shall provide one another defensive military assistance in case of a military attack, either internal or external, targeting the other signatory’s home region, to the best of their ability.

4. Mutual aggression between a treaty ally of one signatory and the other signatory may be respected by opting for neutrality.

5. Should a third party attempt to overthrow either signatory, the defense of said signatory will be made priority by the other party, including a re-evaluation of neutrality due to pre-existing treaties should an existing treaty ally be involved in the hostilities.

6. The signatories will provide one another military assistance for delegacy transitions, at the request of the other signatory.

7. The signatories may collaborate militarily for the combined benefit of both regions when a mutually beneficial situation arises, such as halting a proposal strongly opposed by both parties from reaching quorum in the World Assembly.


Section IV - Intelligence Sharing

1. The signatories shall provide to their counterpart's Delegate any intelligence related to the other signatory's in-game or off-site security, unless the signatory in possession of such intelligence reasonably believes that doing so would violate applicable laws, or violate the terms of service for NationStates or said signatory's forum provider, or unduly compromise said signatory's sources of information.

2. The signatories will keep confidential all intelligence provided to them under this Section, unless the other signatory consents to the release.

3. The signatories will not in any way, direct or indirect, initiate or participate in espionage, subterfuge, or other clandestine operations against one another. For this purpose, a "clandestine operation" is one or more persons acting under false pretenses in one signatory’s home region, regional forum or Discord, without that signatory's knowledge, and at the direction of the other signatory.


Section V - Termination of Treaty

1. A party that has decided to terminate the treaty must notify the Delegate or next appropriate government official in the absence of the Delegate of their decision.

2. There will be a five-day period after the other party has been notified of this decision before the treaty cancellation is considered final. Should both parties agree to cancel the treaty, the termination of the treaty will be immediate.

3. Termination of this treaty shall not be seen as an act of war or hostility by either side.

Two regions with a great deal in common with one another.

[Valfor]

Congratulations to Balder and The Pacific on agreeing Treaty of Skandia! Good luck to both partners.

[Fooooooooo]

Balder Bugle Issue X

A publication of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Realm of Balder.


A New Term Begins


Statsminister and Talman Elections

The nomination process for the November Statsminister election saw both houses of the Storting separately resolve to nominate John S. Talleyrand for the position of Statsminister. He was subsequently appointed to the position by King North East Somerset.

The elections for Talman (Speaker of the Odelsting) also took place in November, with veteran member Theoden Sebastian putting himself forward for re-election. Theoden gained re-election with the unanimous support of those that voted.

State Opening of Parliament

With the Statsminister election concluded, King North East Somerset formally opened parliament. Speaking of John's service as Culture Minister in the previous term, the King noted he was "somewhat a rising star of Balder during this period" the King went on to say "With his experience serving in Cabinet here, and also in high offices abroad, I have confidence in his ability."

Looking back at the previous term, the King noted a number of successes, stating:

I was pleased to see a positive contribution from Balder to the CRAB initiative on N-Day, alongside our allies in The West Pacific, NPO and UK. We collectively outperformed expectations there, surviving to the very end despite our much smaller critical mass compared to the major alliances. The launch of the new roleplay map, the Nordic Atlas, I hope will garner some interest going forwards. The remodelled Viking Art Rewards scheme appears to have enjoyed more success than the original initiative thanks to the efforts of the Crown Prince, and may be a factor in our relative improvement in endorsement rates over the past month, which has put me firmly back into the top 10 WA Delegates by endorsements. In the World Assembly we have once more proven influential, and a highlight from the term was the successful defeat of a condemnation resolution concerning our allies, the LKE. The Civil Service Act I hope will prove to provide structure for the crucial development of future Ministers. Jomsviking deployments have occured in Calefacta Aquas Piscinae, Uniao da Cracolandia and South Pacific. I look forwards to putting out a Foreign Update to our friends and allies in the near future.

Statsminister's Speech and Composition of the Statsraadet

Once appointed, John took the time to set out his plans for the term stating "A key focus of this term will be the engagement and retention of new members. Increasing our presence across all platforms used by Balder is a top priority of this government." Hopeful that the recently-passed Civil Service Act (2020) would help get new members involved, John encouraged all ministers to utilise the framework the act provides for to its fullest extend in order to increase activity and new member involvement.

John also announced his cabinet, made up of the following ministers:

Deputy Statsminister & Minister of Foreign Affairs: Fuzzy
Minister for the Cabinet Office & Minister for Engagement: Vamperiall
Minister of War: Marnie
Minister of Culture: California but Worse
Minister of World Assembly Affairs: Blowing Trees

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University Opening, A New Judiciary, and the Civil Service Act (2020)

With the University of Balder Act passed, King North East Somerset appointed Linkin Maximus as Chancellor of the University. Linkin quickly got on with the work of establishing the university, appointing staff - including John S. Talleyrand as Vice Chancellor - and setting up the various wings and departments. This includes the Balder School of Law, and the Somerset Museum of Balder

With the passing of the the Justice for the Realm Act (2020), Balder now has a permanent judiciary. King North East Somerset put forward his preferred nominations, who were all appointed following confirmation votes in the Lagting. Balder's judiciary consists of the following:

Chief Justice OnderKelkia
Associate Justice Fuzzy
Associate Justice Linkin Maximus

With the passage of the Civil Service Act (2020), a new structure for government ministries has been brought in. Ministers can now appoint Deputy, Auxiliary and Assistant Ministers to assist them with the running of their departments. The first to make use of this new power was John Spencer-Talleyrand, in his previous position as Culture Minister, who quickly made a number of appointments to assist in the setting up of Balder's new roleplay.

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Balder's RP Reimagined

The government has spearheaded an effort to develop Balder's roleplay scene. This term has seen the establishment of the governing rules of the RP, via the "Runic Accords", and the creation of a map.

On the map front, the Statsminister is very pleased to unveil the "Atlas of the Nordics", the official map of the region. This ambitious project couldn't have been as successful as it has without Bran Astor's tremendous help. Balder is lucky to have such gracious allies.

On the governance front, after public consultation, RPers will control a Nordic country during the Late Modern period (1800-1914). The main governing body of the world shall be the "Norsemen Council", an intergovernmental organisation responsible for resolving disputes and serving as the guardian of the peace.

With a number of nations having already signed up, and with interest growing we look forward to seeing many more!

[Lord Dominator]

Nice looking rp there

[North East Somerset]

Statement from the Crown

Unfortunately, I am left with no choice but to explain publicly the deterioriating situation with Osiris, following a series of broken promises and deliberately misleading manouevres on their part culminating in a sham vote on my status there, which no doubt they will follow up on with another attack statement in Gameplay. This time, I will deal with this pre-emptively, before the Osiran strategy we have become used to is executed; trying to set a false narrative and leveraging their influence in NSGP discord to ensure any opposition is drowned out. Doubtless they will now claim that they had no such intention and intended to do everything quietly - well, we will never know the truth on that now. But of course we saw how that worked out last time, when I agreed (at Solorni's insistence) to say nothing at the end of our treaty. Osiris then spent the next two months spewing malicious attacks at us in the GP forum and then issued a statement accusing us of trying to "control and abuse" the direction of their region, when in fact it was them doing precisely that as their pleas to Solorni to coup Balder fell on deaf ears, they turned to a constant stream of taunts and insults with the hope of forcing capitulation. They failed, but they have not moved on, as witnessed by their conduct explained below. You should note the distinct lack of hysterics and wild unsubstianted allegations below, and how that contrasts with previous (and in all likelihood, future) statements from Osiris.

In May 2020, Osiris approached Balder with a request for discussions about resolving obstacles to increased cooperation and building a positive diplomatic relationship. In these discussions, I explained that the sequencing of events which led to the deterioration in our relations and that the chief obstacle to improved relations now was the absence of any public clarification that Osiris rejects the hostile actions and comments levelled by Osiris against Balder and senior Balder officials in 2018.

I noted that, in January 2020, Syberis openly admitted that his activities as the reigning Pharaoh were “intended as a pointed and determined fuck you to Balder using my ideals and ideas as a weapon. I won't pretend otherwise”. Syberis referred to his essay in April 2018, illustrative of Osiris’s hostile intent towards Balder well before the escalation resulting from Osiris’s actions in the autumn of 2018. Subsequent to Balder repealing our treaty with Osiris as a result of Osiris publicly attacking Balder’s right to comment on the affairs of IJCC, Syberis’s successor Altino publicly called for Solorni to perform a coup against the lawful government of Balder in October 2018.

Osiris’s aggression towards Balder and our officials was rhetorically justified by a persistent false narrative that Balder is a puppet state of the LKE. In November 2018, Osiris issued a statement alleging, “the blatant subjugation of our sister Sinker, Balder, by LKE and their "much beloved" Emperor Emeritus, OnderKelkia”, the then Statsminister of Balder. The same statement falsely accused me, the then Crown Prince, “of leaking materials from citizen only areas of Osiris”. It soon became apparent where the leaks had actually come from. Yet no public acknowledgement was forthcoming that the accusation made did not and never had any basis.

The statements made by Osiris regarding Balder and Balder officials were made publicly. As such, I explained that, in Balder’s view, a public clarification was necessary that Osiris accepted the key allegations were incorrect before relations could improve. I described the particular areas requiring clarification as follows:

1) The general notion that Balder is at the "behest of", or "subjugated" by the LKE;
2) The idea that Balder is "not healthy", "deteriorating", a "trophy";
3) The concept that all Balder natives have a "happy home in Osiris" when they rise up against subjugation, and that a "coup" is desirable;
4) The specific allegations that:
a) The "Onderverse" exists as some of kind malevolent entity that wishes to "control the direction and narrative of Osiris", and that OnderKelkia intended to "control and abuse" Osiris.
b) North East Somerset was the source of leaks from citizen-only areas.

I also observed that “If you can find anything Balder has alleged against Osiris publicly that is inappropriate and stands in the way of diplomatic resumption in relations - then by all means, we would consider revoking such statements equally.” No such statements were presented. Osiris responded this was an "entirely understandable request" and said they "will begin drafting a state for public release in the coming days". Osiris accepted Balder’s requested clarifications wholly, and promised to make a public statement to that effect.

Unfortunately, Osiris did not honour that commitment. Nor did Osiris advise Balder that it had changed its mind and no longer wished to honour its commitment. After Balder’s first enquiry about a delay, we were told that “The first draft is coming along nicely.” After a second enquiry about the delay, Osiris informed the Foreign Minister of Balder that they had “realized that we need to remove Onder’s Persona Non Grata status, otherwise the statement would be rather hollow” and Osiris wished to do that before resuming work on the statement. This was never a condition we imposed, but rather something they specifically wanted to do which we consider to be above and beyond the agreed terms. After a third enquiry, we were told that the matter had been hold due real-life reasons and work would resume as soon as it could. No further communications occurred and Osiris did not get back in touch with us about the statement.

After more than ample time, it was clear Osiris had failed to fulfil the agreement, however as far as we were aware they still privately accepted the terms within. In February 2021, I approached Dakota, now the Pharaoh of Osiris and a participant in the original May 2020 talks, to seek clarification on this matter and move the statement back onto a positive trajectory. It became apparent that Osiris had no intention of honouring the agreement made. This was despite having initiated the talks in May 2020 and agreeing to specific terms following those discussions. Dakota declined to either indicate an intention to fulfil the previous agreement or engage substantively with the terms presented. Rather than expressly accepting or rejecting the prior agreement, Osiris continued to prevaricate, refusing to explicitely acknowledge they still supported the terms of the agreement.

In particular, Dakota emphasised the issue of OnderKelkia’s Persona Non Grata status in Balder, stating that Osiris were unhappy with repealing it. This response addressed an issue which Balder did not raise, either in May 2020 or February 2021. Balder’s request was for public clarification in relation to matters that I outlined in May 2020, including withdrawing the false claims regarding LKE control of Balder and OnderKelkia’s alleged role in subjugating Balder. Osiris agreed to make that clarification. It was Osiris who then subsequently raised the issue of OnderKelkia’s PNG status within Osiris in that context, on the basis that they “realized that we need to remove Onder’s Persona Non Grata status, otherwise the statement would be rather hollow”. Osiris indicated their intention to do this precisely because they realised themselves the logical inconsistency of the PNG status with the clarifications which Osiris agreed to make without offering any counter-argument in May 2020. For Balder, the key issue has always been the underlying claims and not Osiris’s actions arising from it. Osiris has sought to avoid clarifying factual issues by focusing on the process of repealing the PNG.

At no stage in this process, except for possibly the initial May 2020 conversation, has the engagement of Osiris been genuine or consistent. After that first conversation, Osiris failed to honour the agreement. Osiris has deliberately stalled. Over a month after I approached Osiris in February 2021, Osiris has offered only holding responses without making its substantive position clear on the requested clarifications and whether it stands by the word that it gave in May 2020. As an alternative to providing an answer regarding Balder’s clarifications, and without providing any notification to Balder, Osiris has responded to our enquiry by initiating votes to declare me Persona Non Grata and to repeal OnderKelkia’s PNG status, with the former vote on course to pass with all votes in favour and the latter vote on course to fail with no votes in favour. Instead of acting in good faith, Osiris have engaged in a farcical attempt to repeal the Crown Prince of Balder’s PNG status, which they knew would not pass and which their Delegate indicated she was opposed to. Amidst all this, Osiris still has not fulfilled or attempted to fulfil the commitment it entered into in May 2020.

In her conduct of these discussions, Dakota has demonstrated a complete lack of honesty and integrity, continually attempting to misconstrue any factual comments or statements as threatening, and clearly attempting to delay or stall talks without explicitely expressing a definitive opinion to that effect. In the last bilateral discussions between us some 4 weeks ago, she was still working on rectifying matters and allegedly making positive representations to her people, but since then has unilaterally pursued designating me as persona non grata in Osiris, without even having the courtesy to let me know about this change in tact. I fully expect an attempt to play the victim here from the Osiris PR machine, as they will have run out of genuine gameplay reasons to justify their actions, but I wholly reject any characterisation that my conduct was anything but appropriate in the context of the situation, and was focussed on the diplomatic issues at hand.

When Osiris approached Balder in May 2020, we took their approach in good faith and responded honestly. Osiris agreed to the terms we presented without seeking to dispute them and then failed to engage. Since we pursued the issue with Dakota as Pharaoh, she has continued the pattern of stalling and seeking to avoid engaging with the substance. Rather than engaging honestly with me, Delegate to Delegate, Dakota has elected to conduct sham votes on PNGs, which are irrelevant to the central issue at hand, as a justification for not honouring the terms to which Osiris agreed. The Realm of Balder is accordingly declaring Dakota to be Persona Non Grata. We will thus put in place a standing order for the Jomsvikings and all other branches of Balder’s government not to work in any capacity with Osiris or The Black Hawks while Dakota continues to hold leadership positions in them. Whilst Osiris is not prepared to publicly retract the false claim that Balder has ever been controlled by the LKE, Balder will apply the logic of Osiris to The Black Hawks so long as the foreign affairs of both TBH and Osiris are subordinated to Dakota.

Thank you all.

[Altmoras]

When Osiris approached Balder in May 2020, we took their approach in good faith and responded honestly. Osiris agreed to the terms we presented without seeking to dispute them and then failed to engage. Since we pursued the issue with Dakota as Pharaoh, she has continued the pattern of stalling and seeking to avoid engaging with the substance. Rather than engaging honestly with me, Delegate to Delegate, Dakota has elected to conduct sham votes on PNGs, which are irrelevant to the central issue at hand, as a justification for not honouring the terms to which Osiris agreed. The Realm of Balder is accordingly declaring Dakota to be Persona Non Grata. We will thus put in place a standing order for the Jomsvikings and all other branches of Balder’s government not to work in any capacity with Osiris or The Black Hawks while Dakota continues to hold leadership positions in them. Whilst Osiris is not prepared to publicly retract the false claim that Balder has ever been controlled by the LKE, Balder will apply the logic of Osiris to The Black Hawks so long as the foreign affairs of both TBH and Osiris are subordinated to Dakota.

This pretty much tldrs the whole novel for those who believe that brevity is the soul of wit.

[North East Somerset]

This pretty much tldrs the whole novel for those who believe that brevity is the soul of wit.

Yeah maybe could have bolded that bit. The last paragraph is certainly the operative one. I just thought people should know the Balder Crown can post serious statements, not just fish puns...

[Cormactopia Prime]

explicitely

explicitly*

Grab a Snickers.

[Alfonzo]

This pretty much tldrs the whole novel for those who believe that brevity is the soul of wit.

Yeah maybe could have bolded that bit. The last paragraph is certainly the operative one. I just thought people should know the Balder Crown can post serious statements, not just fish puns...

I don't see any serious statements here. It's more like Balder shooting itself in the foot when it really didn't need to/shouldn't have. Looks like we'll be calling the Balder Crown the Balder Clown from now on

[Cormactopia Prime]

Yeah maybe could have bolded that bit. The last paragraph is certainly the operative one. I just thought people should know the Balder Crown can post serious statements, not just fish puns...

I don't see any serious statements here. It's more like Balder shooting itself in the foot when it really didn't need to/shouldn't have. Looks like we'll be calling the Balder Crown the Balder Clown from now on

To be fair, they don't have much to talk about in Balder, serious or otherwise.

[Altino]

How interesting to see Balder turning defender! Finally raider unity can be achieved. ♡ I'm so happy I could cry.

[Honeydewistania]

swag