Ancestor Day (Semi-Closed, IC)

by **Malgrave** » Sat Mar 10, 2018 9:10 am

Epping, Malgrave

Epping was designed and constructed in the years following the exodus to act as a central hub to organise the reconstruction of the Malgravean state, and lead the expansionist drive that resulted in the formation of the cities of Pakosc and Omsk. It was originally meant to act as a population centre for tens of millions of Malgraveans, but the outbreak of the civil war and the resulting counter-terrorism campaign meant that the population of Epping was kept rather limited, with the cities of Aurora and Omsk becoming the preferred settling ground for the new generations of Malgravean citizens.

The Epping-Rensk Agreement and the gradual ending of Malgrave's long-standing isolationist stance changed matters, and the population of Epping shortly increased from under ten million to just over twenty million citizens. In that short space of the full capacity of Epping's infrastructure was finally realised, and the city was now a shining example of Malgravean over-engineering and urban planning, with its famous double-layered metro system and light rail network ensuring that commuters and tourists alike could travel through the city of relative ease, of course, the city also had an advanced road network utilised by the public bus network and intercity coaches but private traffic had never really caught on in Malgrave, and the city streets typically remained clear on most days.

If anyone wanted to use those streets today however they'd have a hard time getting anywhere without an official escort from the Epping Police Service. As hundreds of thousands of people filled the streets and the multitude of public parks to celebrate the start of Ancestor Day, with everything ranging from official festivals complete with professional music, games, and challenges to street parties that had been organised by local residential organisations and trade unions.

It was a much more serene affair at the headquarters of the Ancestral Study Organisation, the building designed in the 60's was comprised of three central towers dedicated to ancestral research, recreation and social solidarity and contemplation on ascension. It was located in the centre of the city, with a wide circle around the facility dedicated to parks and plazas so that nearby citizens could pay respects to the ancestors, and take in the work and resources that went into the construction of the three towers without disturbing nearby traffic or being negatively impacted by any pollution.

In the plaza immediately surrounding the ASG Headquarters members of the Royal Guard and musicians from the Territorial Defence Food stood on guard to await the expected dignitaries from foreign nations, with instructions to play the national anthem of every nation expected to attend. In the distance the Stargate could be seen, a recent gift from the C'tani it had been placed in a location of honour and a contingent of Royal Marines and Royal Guard could be seen standing watch over the ancestral device.

Inside Prime Minister Rachel Berry and Eliot Reymont awaited the foreigners, of course, the Prime Minister wouldn't be on hand to personally give everyone a tour of the facility but she did plan on greeting everyone that arrived before she joined the festivities inside the building.

by **Dyste** » Sat Mar 10, 2018 11:32 am

Dyste had not established formal relations with the nation of Malgrave yet, in spite of the nation being a part of Mystria for about a century by this point. In fairness, this was due to the central island nation going through its own isolationist period at around the same time. Since then, they had made efforts to reestablish relations with nations they had been on good terms with beforehand, or start ties with those that had none before. Malgrave, for whatever reason, seemed to be overlooked for a while, until a Draconid and Kobold duo established a friendship with a resident of this land. As it happened, the Draconid was the nephew of Dyste's queen, leading to them learning of a fine opportunity to send their diplomats...

The Royal Airship Gungnir was a luxury vessel, one built for relaxation rather than combat. Then again, weapons on the ship itself seemed hardly needed when its main passenger was the legendary Adventurer-King himself, Tyroth Blackfang. The ruler of Dyste was a towering presence, with scales of black and gold. Granted, when he was snoozing on a couch, he seemed a little less 'overwhelming presence' and more 'sleeping dragon', another sight that might have caused fear in those that didn't know the king very well.

A pair of armored knights stood at each of his sides. One, in black, stood perfectly still as if a statue. The other, wearing gold, seemed noticeably more annoyed with the king dozing off while they were an such an important diplomatic mission. "For the love of... come on, Tyroth, we are nearly there..." the knight walked over to the king and shook him, before accidentally causing him to land on the floor. "Y-your Majesty! I am so sorry..."

Tyroth seemed no worse for wear from this, though it was enough to wake him up... "Oh, good morning, Lissah. Are we nearly there?"

"Are we-?! Tyroth, are you serious?!" Lissah pulled off her helmet, revealed the green face of an orc underneath. "It wasn't even a long flight! Why didn't you take the opportunity to read a bit on Malgrave instead of taking a nap!?"

The king stretched, grabbing his mantle to put on, "Come now, Lissah, I did catch up a little yesterday, and you know I learn better from experiencing them myself than merely reading about it. Why can you not be more like Bucky, he never complains..."

"Because Bucky can't speak," the orc pointed towards the black-armored knight. "But if you feel like you have done enough preparation, I will not stop you. My job is to be your bodyguard, not your diplomatic aide."

"Quite right," Tyroth had fastened his mantle, and had gotten ahold of his sceptre, a cane with a dragon's head on the top. "Though are you sure that the two of you are enough? Perhaps we ought to have taken Diega and Marron as well..."

"Absolutely not, Your Majesty." She knew better than anyone what mayhem those two could've caused. "Bringing James will be enough of a headache without them tagging along. Bucky and I are enough security anyways, Malgrave isn't a hostile nation."

"Did somebody call me?" A red-haired human poked his head out of the engine room. Humans were a rare sight in Dyste aside from foreign ambassadors, so seeing one with the Dystan delegation was an oddity. Though, given what Malgrave was like, he seemed a good fit in Tyroth's eyes. James put his goggles over his eyes, "Look, it you don't mind, I've been trying to increase the output of this machine by 2% by swapping out a few parts..."

Lissah pointed her axe at the human, "DO NOT TOUCH THE ENGINE. I will not be giving you any more warnings." After she had sufficiently warned James, she sat on the couch herself, sighing, "I don't really care for being so harsh, but someone has to." Hoping to change the subject, she talked to the king, "So, Rylux is there already?"

"Indeed he is," Tyroth wasn't especially close with his nephew-in-law, but he appreciated his efforts in making this happen. "He said he wanted to meet up with that friend of his. He even brought along that kobold... speaking of which..." a half-dozen kobolds were awaiting them, eager to land and see this new place. "Do not worry, little ones, I am certain that we shall enjoy ourselves here..."

After they landed, they are expedited to the headquarters of the Ancestral Study Organisation, where they could hear the Dystan national anthem playing. Considering how little their two nations had dealt with one another before now, it was a surprise to Tyroth and the others to hear it. When they reached the building, the king sighed; as he expected, the buildings had not be built for a being of his stature. It was hardly the first time his size made him have to stoop. In spite of this, he remained optimistic while they were getting a chance to meet the Prime Minister.

by **Malgrave** » Sat Mar 10, 2018 5:07 pm

Malgrave had yet to establish an official relationship with the Monarchy of Dyste, the two countries didn’t even share an official embassy to address the concerns of locals and strengthen trade but the arrival of the Dystan Monarch was certainly a welcome surprise. Of course, the lack of any official relations didn’t mean that contact between the two people was non-existent, in fact, one of Malgrave’s most respected scientists and explorers had recently formed a friendship with a member of the Dystan royal family. It was through this relationship that the Malgravean government had first learned of just how suitable Dyste was as a new ally, and it was quickly decided that Ancestor Day celebrations would be used to try and complete one part of Minister Reymon’t strategy for Mystria.

Prime Minister Rachel Berry was the first member of the Malgravean delegation to greet the Dystan leader, the Malgravean leader was quite short even in comparison to her national counterparts and she looked positively minuscule in front of the gigantic Draconid and the other non-human members of the Dystan delegation. Prime Minister Berry was wearing a dark blue off-shoulder dress, although as standard with most Malgraveans she wasn’t wearing high heels instead opting for a pair of flats to reduce the chance of any stereotypical clumsiness ruining the day.

Eliot Reymont followed closely behind her Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister had her own dress on, a red high neck affair that suited the politicians own figure. It was clear that she was out to impress the arriving delegations and cement the Mystrian strategy that she had created after being appointed Foreign Minister.

“Your Majesty,” Eliot Reymont said bowing deeply as a sign of respect and a local form of introduction, “I am Eliot Reymont, the current Minister of Foreign Affairs. It is an honour to welcome you to the United Kingdom of Malgrave” she added bowing again before letting the Prime Minister speak.

“Your Majesty,” Prime Minister Berry said, following the previous actions of her colleague and bowing deeply towards the Dystan leader, “As the Foreign Minister said it is an honour to welcome you to Malgrave on Ancestor Day,” she said before adding, “If you’ll be so kind as to follow me I shall be able to show you inside the headquarters of the Ancestral Study Organisation. I’d love to be able to show you around further once we get inside but I am afraid I have plenty of other foreign delegations to meet, so I shall have to leave you in the hands of someone else.”

At that point, Prime Minister Berry led the Dystan delegation into the headquarters of the ASG itself. If the Dystan leader had any concerns about the height of the ceilings they’d be destroyed instantaneously, as the ceiling of the ASG centre were incredibly high (at least by Malgravean standards), with around four metres separating the ground from the beginning of the next stage of the building.

Inside the building the Dystan leader would also come across the individual ordered to guide his delegation around the ASG building, and it was certainly an interesting sight to behold, as unlike her comrades Claudia Donovan was wearing a comfortable pair of jeans, and a hoodie bearing the logo of the Royal Institute for the Advancement of Universal Technology, a picture of an old ancient crystal with the words through knowledge and understanding we thrive in Malgravean ancient

“Your Majesty,” the Malgravean said deeply bowing in greeting towards the foreign monarch, “I am Claudia Donovan, the Minister of Science and Engineering, Chairperson of the Free Democratic Youth and the Lead Scientist of the Ancestral Study Organisation. It’s a pleasure to welcome you into the headquarters of the ASG,” she said a smirk forming on her lips before she added, “I understand that you are interested in the background of the Ancestors? Is it also possible that you are interested in science and engineering? We have some wonderful facilities here dedicated to some of the artifacts we managed to preserve from the old homeland, and of course we also have scientific fa...” the Malgravean said pausing when she noticed an intense glare from the Prime Minister.

Rachel Berry and Eliot Reymont bowed once more to the Dystan delegation before Rachel spoke for the pair, “I’ll leave you in the hands of Claudia. Just don’t be afraid to get her to hush if you find her rambling annoying.”

by **New Dornalia** » Mon Mar 12, 2018 8:40 pm

The VC-35A6 King Raptor proceeded down to Epping, Malgrave, at all due speed. One couldn't miss Ancestor Day after all, especially if it was someone as important as say, the President of the Republic himself and his retainers. This was only the biggest holiday of the Malgravean year, and for the Dornalians onboard, it was imperative that they join in the festivities. After all, what better way to show the strength of Dornalian-Malgravean friendship than to show the flag and show that the Dornalians hadn't forgotten about their friends?

As the pilots worked the sticks and talked to ground control, the Dornalian retinue was in the main cabin, getting into character.

President Mike Haggar could be seen preparing himself for the big day ahead. Standing in front of a mirror, he could be seen trimming his moustache and adjusting his tie. As Mike looked in the mirror, he seemed a bit self-conscious about himself. Even as he practiced his responses and lines, even as he got the suit just so--a good impression never hurt, after all--he had a look in his face that seemed to betray a bit of discomfort. And that was something the small, lizardlike creature standing next to him with the stylus and table, a Bluetooth headset, and a small suit noticed. The creature coughed, and then asked, speaking in a gravelly voice with a hefty North Jersey/NYC Metro Area accent, "Hey. Mr. Prez! You okay?"

"Y-yeah. Sorry, Coach," Haggar said, in his own voice filled with bass tones and great strength. "I've always been a little self-conscious about guys in suits, ya know? I mean, guys like me, six foot seven inches, with muscles and so on in suits. It always looks like I'm gonna burst out of this thing."

"Coach" sighed and shook his head. "Look, Prez, that suit's built out of the finest, most -boldly materials. I mean, you know Jess always searches for the best stuff for ya--and trust me. If that Maxiwear fabric is tear resistant, stain resistant, sweat and smell resistant and resistant to various types of attack, I'm sure it'll hold together." "Coach" gestured to a Grizzly Bear sitting down in one of the seats, napping, adding, "I mean, for Bahamut's sake, you even wrestled Yogi in it. You'll be fine."

Observing the bear, Mike nodded and said, "I suppose you've got a point there, Coach." Turning back to the small creature, Mike then said simply, "So. Let's go over the itinerary again...."

And with that, the two began talking and going over the motions of their trip. These were fairly simple. Go to Epping, get taken by some cars escorted by Epping Police Service and then get to the ASG HQ, where they'd meet the MalPM and the Foreign Minister, touring, and hopefully interacting with the other guests. Mike would notice Coach getting excited about one of the guests--apparently, word was that Tyroth Blackfang himself had arrived with some other guests, and Coach was excited to at least see the Kinginid spoken of by the elderbolds and mediabolds alike. After all, Dorniebolds may have had their own idiosyncrasies, but they were descended from adventurous Dystean Kobolds that came to Graceland County and many of them had stories of the great and good Tyroth to share with the Dornalian-born generations. And given that Dornalia was a land where legends had a way of persisting? That just gave the tales a bit more traction.

Bemused by all this was Norton Simons, who looked at the scene through clean glasses and an otherwise milquetoast, average look about him, like a harem anime protagonist. Still, as the Malgraveans and others knew, he had a bit more than what his appearance suggested--a capacity to schmooze and make deals always helped when one was the Secretary of State after all. He looked at his PDA, and scrolled through the images his wife sent. The wife couldn't make it this time, and as much as Norton was used to traveling....it really didn't make the separation easier. Especially when the wife and kids showed images of everyone having a grand old time at their neighbor's kid's birthday party. Part of him wanted to be there, sharing in that moment. Alas, jobs had to be done though. The small consolation was that Malgrave had quite excellent service in terms of comms, and he'd be able to communicate with the wife and kids as often as possible--something he'd promised them he'd do.

And with that, the Dorns would arrive planetside, and be whisked to the ASG Center escorted by the Epping Police Service.

When they got to the ASG HQ, the Dorns noticed their national anthem playing. It was a jaunty march, one whose melody predated the Apocalypse and had been used for serious and not so serious occasions. The whole party couldn't help but be amused by it, and hummed along. Then, when the Dysteans were done with their introductions, the Dorns made their way to the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister with a purposeful stride and looking quite impeccably dressed. Bowing to their hosts and then offering their hands to shake hands, Mike lead the meeting with a simple, "On behalf of the people of the Colonial Republic, we thank you for allowing us to come and partake in the Ancestor Day festivities. It is an honor, and a privelege."

As he said that, "Coach"'s eyes could be seen darting about, and he saw the Kinginid himself. Just as tall as the legends and elderbolds' tales had said, and more. Like most individuals witnessing celebrities next to them though, "Coach" couldn't quite believe it. But here he was....

by **Malgrave** » Tue Mar 13, 2018 7:55 am

In stark contrasts to the previous delegation, Malgrave and Dornalia had forged an incredibly close bond over the past few years although the close nature of the relationship was rather unexpected to those in the Malgravean government. A simple negotiation to purchase a battlecruiser for protection against future threats from orbit had transformed into an incredibly strong alliance, with Dornalian and Malgravean companies openly competing in their respective national markets, cultural productions finding success with new international audiences, and military and intelligence networks working together to deal with new emerging threats.

Prime Minister Rachel Berry walked forward to greet the arriving Dornalian delegation, the Malgravean once again found herself dwarfed by the towering sight of the Dornalian President, although she refused to be intimidated by the impressive muscular appearance of the Dornalian politician, if she could handle creepy representatives from the SIS she could certainly handle a fellow politician.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Comrade President,” Rachel said bowing deeply in response before firmly shaking the President’s hand, although the movement seemed rather awkward and forced, “Ancestor Day is quite an important occasion for the Malgravean people. It’s also one that we’re quite willing to share with our comrades in the international community.”

Eliot Reymont then moved forward to greet the Dornalians, the new Foreign Minister had some limited contact with the officials she was meeting but that had been over a holographic communicator, “President Haggar, Comrade Norton,” Eliot said bowing in greeting towards the pair before shaking Haggar’s hand, “We have organised a small guided tour in order for you to familiarise yourself with Malgravean history and the role played by the ancestors.”

At that point, the Foreign Minister led the Dornalian delegation into the ASG Headquarters, and the excited Dornbold would be able to see the Dystan King and a rather excitable Claudia Donovan.

“Sadly I can’t give you a personal tour of the ASG. I have quite a few other delegates to greet,” Rachel said with a small frown, “I should be able to talk with you further in the future, but in the meantime, you shall be in the company of Nadzieja Brzezicki.” the Prime Minister added signaling towards another small Malgravean.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, President Haggar,” Nadzieja said bowing in greeting towards the Dornalians, it seemed that the Malgraveans didn’t conform to international standards of dress for important events with the Finance Minister sporting a golden lurex jumper and pair of wide blue trousers, “I understand that you wish to learn more about Malgravean history? We have a few interesting historical exhibits here, and I believe I should remember enough from University to give you a basic understanding of the Malgravean people.”

Rachel and Eliot bowed once more towards the Dornalian delegation before Rachel said, “I am afraid I am needed elsewhere Comrade President, but I shall leave you in the capable hands of Nadzieja.”

by **Dyste** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 1:51 pm

When Tyroth and his entourage met with the Prime Minister and the Foreign Affairs Minister, he was a little surprised they didn't actually shake hands, which to many Draconids was an odd human quirk (especially since the great strength of a Draconid meant that is was actually quite hazardous to do so), but instead bowed with was more in line with Dyste's own form of greeting; he crossed his arm on his chest and bowed in return to the Mals, as did the others in his group, even the little kobolds.

"It is my pleasure to be here, Prime Minister Berry and Minister Reymont," he said with his friendliest tone, having a big smile on his face; he had been doing diplomatic missions for around six hundred years by this point, but he always enjoyed seeing a new nation. "I do apologize not having the chance to be here sooner, it just seemed that we missed any opportunity until now to visit your fine nation. But, that is why we are here today! My group and I do understand that you will be very busy today, but we do appreciate you taking the time to welcome us!"

Tyroth and the others were lead into the ASG, where the Draconid sighed in relief at the height of the building. He was worried that he would either have to stoop down (which tended to hurt if he did it for too long), use spells to warp the area around him (which he doubted the Mals would be too keen, even if was temporary), or shrink himself or take another form (which he disliked on principle; if they Mals wanted to meet the king they would meet the proper thing, not some lesser version of himself).

It wasn't too long before they were met by Claudia Donovan. Tyroth didn't mind her more casual attire, he was not some high-strung nobleman insisting on everyone standing on ceremony for him, but rather an adventurer turned king, and understood the value of being in comfort. "Greetings, Ms. Donovan... would you prefer Claudia, or some other title? We Dystans usually just use given names, when you live as long as we do there tend to be lots of people who share surnames."

He gestured to his entourage, "By the way, the knight in gold is the head of my personal guard, the paladin Lissah Bonecrusher... you can see why some prefer to go by their first names, GHAHAHA!" The orcess rolled her eyes; her last name was a bit embarassing for her. "The one in black is Buckler, or 'Bucky' if you prefer. He is... rather unique, as you will learn shortly. Bucky, please greet our host." The other guard did a bow, though it seemed less natural than the ones the other Dystans gave, almost robotic in a way. "The little ones, as I hope you are aware, are kobolds. They are headed by my valet, Tarka, who for reasons that should be apparent, is sometimes called 'Minityroth'." Sure enough, the kobold closest to the king had the exact same scale pattern as the king. "Last but not least, we had our Head of Research and Development, James Tinker..."

The human was tapping something on his brown overcoat, revealing a control panel of sorts on his arm, with a holographic screen popping up. "So you say you're into ancestors, science and engineering? Well, I don't know about ancestors myself, but those other two are my specialty! I'm from Corneria, originally, but the idea of blending magic with technology was too good an opportunity to pass up! I invented a way to convert the magical lightning some Draconids can make into an energy source that can power pretty much anything, including this little coat of mine..." he tapped a button and a set of rockets popped out, as if it was a jetpack... but a glare from Lissah made it clear that this was not the time to demonstrate.

Tyroth was about to continue, but then the Dornalian delegation passed by, and he couldn't help but notice the kobold looking at him. With a smile, he moved over and gave the kobold a muzzle rub. "Hello, there, little one. I hope you enjoy your time here. It is always good to meet some foreignbolds." As he got up, he locked eyes with President Haggar. He didn't get to see humans with this strength often, and it suddenly gave him the urge to flex; even if he was not in his top shape, his arms were still hugely muscled, made all the more evident when he flaunted them. For a good minute, he did so, while Lissah could be seen facepalming behind him. Afterwards, he gave a hearty laugh, "I have heard much about you, President Mike Haggar! Give Gracie my regards!"

After this display of manliness and boldliness was dealt with, the Dystan King returned to Claudia Donovan, "My apologies for that, but there are some protocols that must be kept. Now, I am certain you have much to show us, yes? My nephew and his friend should be joining us later on, but for now, feel free to continue with our tour!"

by **Legokiller** » Mon Mar 26, 2018 6:37 pm

As the presidential airplane named Big Bird One descended down into the grand city of Epp, President Fluffykins ready herself with her fellow companions and a special foreign leader. The Holiday would have confused the more superstition folks in Big Bird One as a real holiday of your ancestors. What came to mind for a Silverdalean is the Aurorus Day in the festias between the Winter Solstice and Day of the Dead, where the observation of the grand auroras can be seen across the nation with the passing spirits within a beautiful display in the night sky. No no, that’s the wrong one that Fluffykins had to remind herself, the Malgravean biggest holiday of the year is the celebration of ancient aliens? No no, a national holiday for the good old Malgravean patriots. Oh crap, Fluffykins sweared she confused the concept of the holiday up big time.

Regardless of the meaning of the holiday, which will be one of many questions and learning experience, president Fluffykins was on a mission make a new friend for the nation of Silverdale. The nation ties with Malgrave was at best mutual and with strange curiously. Given that their beloved queen was abducted by literal aliens with pyramid ships, President Fluffykins was a little… anxious on how the nation’s purpose of science comprised the liberties of the nation. On one hoof, Malgrave accomplished great technological leaps that benefited the nation and its allies on the world stage. On the other hoof, the rate of development of new technology outpaced the law and ethics, plaguing many nations including Silverdale on tough challenges that needed to be faced. How Malgrave handles these issues shall be one of many discussions she wished to have and deals to make.

President Fluffykins adjusted her red tie up at the window, ready for the big day. As typical of a Silverdalean president, a stylized black tuxedo suit with the proud snowflake flag of Silverdale pinned down helps her said out in the crowd. Outside of the suit made for her a pegasus to be durable for her to fly easily. For her bright red hair? Just the typical long pigtails tied up with black ribbons as always. With a quick makeup to make her eyelashes pretty, she is good to go.

As Fluffykins exited out of her suite, a large human woman with red glasses approached her with a clipboard. The blonde-haired woman with a bob cut called Lily Melonheart was the President’s executive assistant, who gladly smiled at the pony. “Looking sharp and fancy as always maiden Fluffykins.”

Fluffykins chuckled as she waved her hoof off. “No need to flatter me Ms Melonheart. I keep a keen eye on my appearance for international visits like today.”

“Of course.” Ms Melonheart pushed a piece of paper over the clipboard to read the important report behind it. “I do reckon you could impress the Malgravean leaders with a basic understanding and speak the ancestor tongue. However…” She anxiously looked in the piece of paper. Unlike the spirean language, which Melonheart knew far better, ancient language was… well confusing to say the less. “A is a backwards F and… nevermind. There’s little time for a few basic lessons.”

President Fluffykins, disappointed by the lack of time thanks to an ungodly amount of calls and mundane work during the flight, gave her a stern look. “That’s a shame Ms Melonheart. But given this is Ancestor’s day, someone would throw in a titbit on a few small lines for hello and such.”

“True enough.” Ms Melon heart replied. “Which, the people in the Ancestral Study Organization would give a few good pointers and resources for this study. Just remember, don’t confuse Ancestral Study as an actual research of people’s ancestry or supernatural ancestor spirit worship. The Malgraveans won’t be happy campers to such blatant confusion.”

“Well that would be somewhat of a pain in the rear.” President Fluffykins sighed. “But I suppose you’re right on that.”

With that, Big Bird One landed safely in the local Epping Airport and all the good old smile and wave to the car begin. Not all that exciting compare to a sky chariot or President Fluffykins flying out personality to the inner works of the city, but this is fine. When the car arrived at the ASG facility, it was like walking into a grand festival with enticing food stands ready and familiar faces nearby. It’s showtime.

“Greetings!” She approached the group. “I am President Fluffykins of the United States of Silverdale. It’s a pleasure to meet you all in this grand day.”

by **Upper Cantemir** » Wed Mar 28, 2018 6:07 pm

HMY Soroca

The Principality of Upper Cantemir was an unknown for most peoples, or at very least an irrelevant. The nation was relatively small, not particularly technologically advanced, nor notably blessed with natural resources. To some, the Principality was notable for it's retention of an absolutist monarchy through trying social discord, or it's genealogical history of interbreeding between Human and Elf. To a very select few, the Principality's royal family was of interest for their strange mannerisms, and the inconsistencies in their history. Sometimes called a 'Hermit Kingdom', Upper Cantemir has established little contact with foreign powers.

While the majority of Cantemirians either held no religion or worshiped local petty gods, a small but growing minority spearheaded by the handful of Malgravean citizens living in the Principality had taken an interest in Ancestorism. After the construction of an Ancestor Museum in Călarași, it was decided by the Lord Council and Grand Prince Stelian II that it was important to gain a full understanding of the details of this group to ensure both that their views and wishes were respected and that no threat was made against the status quo of the Principality. In making this decision, it was decided that Cantemir would break a long tradition of quiet non-interference. Messages were relayed to the Malgravean government that a Cantemirian delegation, led by Hereditary Princess Nicoleta Raileanu, would attend this year's Ancestor Day.

Leaving from the wealthy port town of Budești more than a week before the beginning of Ancestor Day, the Royal Yacht Soroca made the journey towards Malgrave unescorted. Soroca was ironclad, and could move by sail or steam independently, though using both offers the ship notable speed and dexterity for it's size. The ship could fit several hundred comfortably, but more frequently hosted only a few dozen in lavish care. Soroca had no guns, it's defenses being it's armor, it's speed and in crisis the small arms of it's Royal Marine Guards.

After days of the most comfortable travel available on the sea, the delegation arrived in Malgrave's port city of Aurora to little fanfare. Soroca would remain in port, while the Hereditary Princess, Foreign Councillor Grigore Colesnic, and an escort of twelve Royal Marine Guards traveled inland to Epping, trialing the fascinating transport methods available in the advanced nation.

On the morning of Ancestor Day, the delegation arrived outside the ASG headquarters. The buildings were monumental in scale, taller than any building in Cantemir certainly. Princess Nicoleta's presence was august, but Councillor Colesnic openly stared in awe. Somewhat uncomfortable in their strange surroundings, the Cantemirians were easy to pick out from the delegations to any who had diplomatic training. Their distinct, antiquated style of dress being the most obvious clue, while a keen observer would note the signs of a partially Elven heritage in their slender frames, slightly elongated ears and unnatural beauty.

by **Malgrave** » Fri Mar 30, 2018 3:52 pm

Prime Minister Rachel Berry smiled before bowing to greet President Fluffykins, the nation of Silverdale and Malgrave had forged a trade relationship and several bilateral agreements a few years ago, including provisions for joint military exercises and cooperative research projects but the Prime Minister still wouldn't classify the relationship between the two nation as strong. Silverdale was known in Malgrave for being a rather cold country, and quite eccentric when it came to personal relationships and fashion, and so the country had yet to become a popular destination for tourism, even if the plentiful fish caught off the coast was popular with the Malgravean neko community. In return, the Silverdalean people didn't exactly flock to the Malgravean mainland or the colonies, with the Malgravean people considered eccentric in their own right and being rather unfriendly towards the more openly affectionate parts of Silverdalean culture.

"It's a pleasure to welcome you to the United Kingdom of Malgrave, Comrade President," Prime Minister Berry said after she bowed, "I hope that the ancestors watch over you during this important national holiday.

At that point Eliot Reymont also bowed in greeting towards the President, the Foreign Minister was hopeful that bringing the Silverdaleans to Malgrave would improve relations between the two nations and increase the amount of Silverdalean tourists coming to Malgrave, as well as increase military and economic cooperation, with the temporary assignment of an SIS agent to a local Silverdalean unit hopefully being the first step on an alliance that would help stabilise the region and provide a defensive layer that wasn't dependent on outside powers.

"Comrade President," Eliot said as she bowed, "I hope that you had a pleasant flight into Nikola Tesla International. I understand that it can get exceptionally busy during Ancestor Day but the future transport demands for the next few decades were taken into consideration when it was designed so I am hopeful that you had a pleasant trip," she said before adding, "If you'll quickly follow me I will guide you into the ASG centre itself so you can meet with the person that has been assigned to guide you around the facility."

After she spoke the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister would lead the Silverdalean delegation into the headquarters where they would be confronted by the Dornalian and Dystan delegations on one side of the lobby engaged in a rather strange flexing competition, on the other side stood a typically small Malgravean woman with chestnut hair, the Malgravean was wearing a light blue bow tie neck blouse and a black miniskirt.

"Comrade President," the woman said bowing in greeting, "I am Catherine Lowwe, the current Minister of Health. It is an honour to welcome you to the headquarters of the Ancestor Study Group on Ancestor Day.," she said before adding, "I hope that I am able to teach you about our history and the strength of our connection to the ancients."

After she spoke the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister once again bowed towards the Silverdalean President.

"I apologise for the abruptness of our greeting, but I have just been informed that another delegate has arrived," the Prime Minister said bowing once more before adding, "I certainly hope to see you later on during the celebration and discuss furthering the strong relationship between our two peoples."

******

After successfully meeting the Silverdalean delegation and handing them off to the Minister of Health the Malgravean Prime Minister quickly moved forward to greet the Cantemirian Hereditary Princess. Upper Cantemir was known for being somewhat reluctant to engage with the international community and the fact that the Foreign Minister had managed to arrange such a trip was considered to be an impressive display of diplomatic handiwork. Cantemir also had a reputation for having a rather limited technological and industrial base compared to Malgrave, and the growing number of the Malgraveans living in the country had become welcome additions to the nations engineering sector, with the influx of Malgravean immigrants even resulting in the Ancestral Study Group gaining a foothold of support in the country.

As with Dyste and Silverdale, the Malgravean government hoped to use the celebration to foster a closer relationship with the Cantermirian government. Specifically, the Foreign Ministry hoped that Upper Cantemir would provide Malgravean state-owned corporations like MalMart and MalTec ample opportunity to expand into another international market and slowly improve the technological and industrial base of the Cantemirian nation, and the ASG had its own plans to increase the spread of Ancestorism in the partially isolationist nation.

"Your Royal Highness, Hereditary Princess Nicoleta" the Prime Minister said bowing slightly in greeting, "It's an honour and a pleasure to welcome you to the United Kingdom of Malgrave. I hope that you had a pleasant and efficient journey and that you enjoy connecting with the ancestors during our national holiday."

Eliot Reymont followed closely behind, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Royal Highness, Hereditary Princess Nicoleta" she said as she bowed, "I apologise that we won't be able to personally show you around the headquarters of the Ancestral Study Group but we're still scheduled to meet with a few more delegates, but if you follow me I should be able to guide you to the individual that we've selected to act as your guide."

The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister then repeated the now familiar journey towards the lobby of the ASG centre, with the pair stopping near another Malgravean woman, although unlike her national counterparts the woman in question was wearing the uniform of the Malgravean Royal Marines, with the silver double cogs and bars indicating that she was a currently a Junior Colonel.

"Your Royal Highness, Hereditary Princess Nicoleta" the Malgravean said bowing deeply in greeting, "I am Katia De Campo, the current Minister of National Defence. It is an honour to guide you around the headquarters of the ASG on Ancestor Day," she said before adding, "I have studied extensively at ASG centres across the country so I will able to adequately answer any questions about the ancestors and the Malgravean nation."

by **Upper Cantemir** » Fri Mar 30, 2018 5:18 pm

The Cantemirian delegation waited only a short time after arriving for the Malgravean Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to welcome them. The Hereditary Princess was pleasantly surprised by the correct usage of etiquette for her welcoming, until the Malgravean offered an uncustomary bow. Nicoleta showed no averse reaction, she had already been informed about the nation's typical customs and was prepared to ignore her own culture's etiquette on such a significant diplomatic mission.

The Hereditary Princess smiled warmly and said "I am glad to meet you, Prime Minister Berry, and I thank you for your welcome. My short journey through your nation was an enlightening experience. My father, the Grand Prince Stelian, also wishes to convey a message of good tidings to you personally." A Cantemirian Royal Marine Guard hands a letter to the Prime Minister, the wax seal on it bearing the Cantemirian royal coat of arms.

After giving the Hereditary Princess due silence to speak her part, the Foreign Councillor Colesnic also exchanged formal pleasantries with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. The delegation, when bid, walked towards the lobby of the center, taking the time to observe with keen interest the architectural and technological impressiveness of the structure before them, as well as curiosity in some of the other delegations, some made up of races almost unheard of in Cantemir. No words were exchanged between the members of the delegation, which had likely already had many discussions about the fascinating nation on their journey to Epping.

Nicoleta smiled again when introduced to the Minister of National Defense, taking the few moments that she was bowing to recall the Malgravean military ranking insignia. "It is good to be acquainted with you, Minister, and I thank you for your hospitality. We have many fascinations with Ancestorism and will be glad to utilize your knowledge as a resource." After a short while, the Foreign Councillor approached Minister De Campo offering a handshake, and asked "What would you say, are the goals of this group?"

by **Workers SFSR** » Sat Mar 31, 2018 9:13 am

This visit was historic. For decades, Soviet-Malgravean relations were rather complicated. After the surrender of the Socialist Republic of Malgrave, which the Soviets recognized as the legitimate government, diplomatic recognition of Malgrave was withdrawn altogether. For decades, there was cold, resentful tension between the two states, and the Malgravean ban on Communist parties did not help matters. To the Soviets, the Malgraveans were bourgeoisie stooges who betrayed socialism to worship ancient aliens. To the Malgraveans, the Soviets were dangerous benefactors of sedition. For the longest time, the interaction between the two states was limited to passive-aggressive propaganda back-and-forths.

Today, that was going to change, and for the first time in history Malgrave would be visited by a high-ranked official of the Proletarian State. While the Soviets still had hopes for socialism in Malgrave, they finally came to terms with the fact that their prior policy was fruitless. Perhaps with re-establishment of relations the Malgraveans could at least be convinced to loosen the Communist ban.

An Ilyushin Il-96 executive plane which touched down at the Epping airport carried Zarema Gromova, Commissar-General of the Workers' Republic, with a small entourage. Zarema was a tall woman with a strong build, towering even above her guards. She had a past serving in the military and the secret services, and had to show for it a number of scars. The woman had a strong professional air of a veteran chekist about her, softened with weary irony. As Commissar-General, she among the most powerful people in the Republic, second only to the Chairman of the Central Committee. In her hands, calloused by pistol and pen, concentrated the power over the secret services and the Red Army, as well as sundry other People's Commissariats that tirelessly executed the will of the Worker Soviets.

As Zarema Gromova made her way towards the ASG headquarters, she was accompanied by a pair of guards a civilian secretary, and a fourth figure who seemed rather unusual. While Zarema and the others wore plain business suits, this short, shadowy-looking man was dressed in an antiquated military uniform dating back to the times of the First Civil War. The flaps of his broadcloth budenovka hat were lowered and clasped around his face. Those who were magically attuned could feel him emanating a faint aura.

"Greetings, comrades," Gromova said as she moved forward to greet the Malgraveans, raising her fist, palm outwards, in a "Rot Front" gesture. She then took from one of her guards a large, wooden box and presented it to Prime Minister Berry. It was a lengthy box of fine, polished wood, with a five-pointed star carved in the middle. The case was signed, saying: "From the workers of Red Star Spirit and Vodka Factory to the representatives of Malgravean people". Inside was a large bottle of 100-proof vodka shaped like a Kalashnikov rifle, with the "stock" and the "magazine" made out of good wood and plastic.

"Please, accept this gift from our working people," the Commissar said in a thickly accented Common, smiling, "And let's hope this shall be beginning of normalized relations between Proletarian State and United Kingdom."

by **New Dornalia** » Sun Apr 01, 2018 5:56 pm

Malgrave wrote:
[...]At that point, the Foreign Minister led the Dornalian delegation into the ASG Headquarters, and the excited Dornbold would be able to see the Dystan King and a rather excitable Claudia Donovan.

“Sadly I can’t give you a personal tour of the ASG. I have quite a few other delegates to greet,” Rachel said with a small frown, “I should be able to talk with you further in the future, but in the meantime, you shall be in the company of Nadzieja Brzezicki.” the Prime Minister added signaling towards another small Malgravean.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, President Haggar,” Nadzieja said bowing in greeting towards the Dornalians, it seemed that the Malgraveans didn’t conform to international standards of dress for important events with the Finance Minister sporting a golden lurex jumper and pair of wide blue trousers, “I understand that you wish to learn more about Malgravean history? We have a few interesting historical exhibits here, and I believe I should remember enough from University to give you a basic understanding of the Malgravean people.”

Rachel and Eliot bowed once more towards the Dornalian delegation before Rachel said, “I am afraid I am needed elsewhere Comrade President, but I shall leave you in the capable hands of Nadzieja.”[...]

Dyste wrote:[...]Tyroth was about to continue, but then the Dornalian delegation passed by, and he couldn't help but notice the kobold looking at him. With a smile, he moved over and gave the kobold a muzzle rub. "Hello, there, little one. I hope you enjoy your time here. It is always good to meet some foreignbolds." As he got up, he locked eyes with President Haggar. He didn't get to see humans with this strength often, and it suddenly gave him the urge to flex; even if he was not in his top shape, his arms were still hugely muscled, made all the more evident when he flaunted them. For a good minute, he did so, while Lissah could be seen facepalming behind him. Afterwards, he gave a hearty laugh, "I have heard much about you, President Mike Haggar! Give Gracie my regards!"[...]

Things were moving quickly for the Dornalian delegation. Norton would be able to note that the ASG HQ was indeed quite the "happening" place--assuming that was the word the kids still used nowadays to describe a place full of activity. Everyone and their cousin had come out to help the Malgraveans celebrate their big national holiday. Everyone from nations the Dornalians did recognize--Coach certainly recognized the Dysteans and their renowned adventurer-king Tyroth Blackfang--and some the Dornalians didn't recognize were all present to celebrate the day.

Haggar's large frame certainly seemed to dwarf the Malgraveans as the two sides exchanged pleasantries. The difference was striking--Mike may not have been a giant from the old legends, but given the size disparity between the Prime Minister and her Dornalian counterpart, one could perhaps be excused for making the comparison. Still, if Coach or even Norton noticed it, they kept silent and nodded in acknowledgement of the offered tour. For his part, Haggar acknowledged Berry and Reymont’s discussion of how they were needed elsewhere (and in part, Berry’s frown at the antics of another official) with an understanding and friendly smile, and a sympathetic, “Trust me, I know the feeling.”

Of course, when Brzezicki made herself known, Haggar answered for the party, with a nod, another bow and an extended hand to the Finance Minister with a friendly, “Comrade Finance Minister, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” If the Dornalians noticed the comparatively casual clothing that the Finance Minister had, well, they were polite enough not to note it. That being said, Mike did feel just a bit overdressed in comparison to the Finance Minister...or was she underdressed in comparison to him? Either way, it made his somewhat awkward looking suit look a bit less awkward.

The President’s thinking and subsequent response of “Let’s--”, however, was interrupted by the Dystean party--more precisely, Tyroth Blackfang himself!

Coach for his part stood in awe for several seconds after the muzzle rub, with a look that basically screamed surprise and excitement at the fact that the one and only Tyroth had given a muzzlerub to him. Not only was the muzzlerub as affectionate gesture still very much a concept among the Dorniebolds, but to have it delivered by a figure like Tyroth was an honor indeed. Lest there be any confusion about how Coach felt about the whole thing, Coach snapped back into good order and said, excited to meet Tyroth and with enthusiastic energy, a smile, and a Dornie Bow, “It is good to meet another -bold! I mean how often do you meet the Kinginid?” Pausing, he then said, still a little starstruck, “Thanks! The name’s Frank Redmuzzle--but you can call me Coach.”

The draconid--who was bigger still than the President--performed a classic show of manliness with more than a little good humor. The President himself nodded at the flex, amused and remembering all those times in the ring when “Mad” Mike Haggar posed after vanquishing yet another pro wrestling heel--or engaged in a poseoff with a heel before going to war in the squared circle. Something within him, just as it compelled Tyroth to initiate the impropmptu posedown, compelled Haggar to reply, and before long, Mike flexed his arms and posed in reply, mixing it up not only with traditional flexes, but even with a couple of bodybuilding poses straight out of the classics--including what appeared to be a bicep curl with a point to the sky, like some sort of ancient Greek discus thrower.

Norton could be seen whispering to Coach, “Woah. It’s been ages since he’s done that.”

Coach then nodded and said approvingly, “At least the suit’s holding up. And he was afraid it’d tear!”

A large grizzly bear standing next to Norton, in the meanwhile, nodded and said approvingly, in a voice which resembled a husky frontiersman with a slight generically “Husky Russkie” tone, “Yogi remember when this happen with Mike long ago. Yogi is pleased to see Mike still has gains and flexibility like this, even though he is older now.”

Coach then turned to Yogi, and said, surprised, “Woah. Didn’t see you there, Yogi.”

“Yogi was following, small one. Fear not.” Yogi then gestured to the other delegations coming in, commenting, “Look, Norton Simons. Yogi sees many important people from many lands. Sentient Ponies. Men with glass rifles as gifts. Truly, this is important occasion.”

Looking out at the other delegations coming in to be greeted in the ASG HQ, Norton certainly said, “I’d say that’s about the right assessment. I recognize some of these--I mean, you can’t miss President Fluffykins--but I don’t recognize some of them. This should be interesting.”

Haggar nodded, and then said, turning back to Brzezinski after he and Tyroth parted ways with a simple, “I’ll let her know you said hi!”, “Right. My apologies. The tour, then?”

by **Malgrave** » Tue Apr 03, 2018 4:39 pm

It was safe to say that the relationships between the Soviet Republic and the United Kingdom weren't particularly healthy. In the time of the Malgravean Civil War Soviet Radovartia became staunch supporters of the separatist Socialist Republic of Malgrave, opening extensive economic and cultural relations and becoming credited with its very survival on numerous occasions due to the political expertise offered by the Soviet state and the heavy armaments that allowed it to perform early defensive operation against the National Workers' Republic and the central Malgravean government.

In the years following the Rensk-Epping Agreement, the Soviet Republic still refused to recognise the United Kingdom as the legitimate representative of the Malgravean people, and relations between the countries soured even further. It was rumoured that members of the Special Investigative Service had even broken isolationism to conduct several operations in the country for a future military conflict, and rumours circulated that the Soviets were partially responsible for assisting the terrorist attack that resulted in the assassination of Prime Minister Luiza Ostrowski in 1994.

Vyacheslav Kruchinin's recent ascension to Chairman of the Presidium and Eliot Reymont's promotion to Minister of Foreign Affairs however had resulted in a thawing of relations between the two nations, as both individuals supported a principle of solidarity between varying left-wing nations, with Reymont proclaiming that the old infighting between left-wing regimes had only hampered the cause of the left and strengthened the influence of the corrupt system of capitalism and hypercapitalism.

In a sense, the Prime Minister held a more cautious view towards the Soviets, as she had been wounded during the earlier terrorist attack but she was willing to forgive and forget earlier transgressions in the sake of peace, and so she smiled warmly alongside the Foreign Minister as the Soviet delegation arrived.

"Comrade Commissar-General," Prime Minister Berry said bowing in the traditional greeting before she graciously accepted the gift and passed it along to a nearby assistant, the shape of the alcohol on offer was certainly eccentric and she understood that the SIS would perform its own extensive and paranoid list of security checks but it looked quite cute, "It is a pleasure to welcome you to the United Kingdom of Malgrave on Ancestor Day. I am extremely thankful for your unique and heartfelt gift, and I hope that I will be able to drink it with Soviet leaders in the future."

"Comrade Commissar," Eliot said also bowing in greeting, "I am also glad to welcome a representative of the Soviet people on Ancestor Day," she said before adding, "I hope that we can forge a closer relationship based on our similar distrust of the corrupt system of capitalism, sadly, however, I cannot join you for extensive talks at the moment but if you follow me I should be able to guide you towards your host for the day.

In a now familiar routine, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister led the Soviets into the lobby of the ASG headquarters, with both politicians ignoring the rather eccentric display and moving immediately to the waiting figure of Aurelia Wyrzykowski, the Minister of State Security who was wearing what could only be described as a suit that would be commonplace on a Dornalian FBI or Secret Service agent.

"Comrades," Aurelia said bowing in greeting, "It is an honour to welcome delegates from the Soviet Republic. I hope that I can provide an insight into Malgravean history and our connection to the ancestors during this important national holiday."

by **Malgrave** » Wed Apr 18, 2018 4:32 pm

Nadzieja Brzezicki frowned slightly in concern and annoyance at the short and rather dramatic spectacle that took place between the Dystan King and the Dornalian President, on another day she would’ve been quite amused at the idea of two leaders seemingly communicating through muscle flexes and strange bodybuilder poses, but this was Ancestor Day and the Malgravean couldn’t help but feel slightly miffed as her presence, and entire role in escorting the Dornalian delegation throughout the planned events of the day seemed to be ignored by the President in lieu of strange test of strength.

It wasn’t even the strangest thing about the Dornalian delegation, as the Finance Minister now found herself face to face with a sentient bear, of course, the Minister had been informed about the presence of such an individual within the Dornalian delegation, and the rather comedic and eccentric communications of the individual had become somewhat popular in Malgrave over the past few months but it was another thing entirely to be faced with such an imposing individual, with the Malgravean positively dwarfed by Yogi and the President.

“Comrade Yogi,” Nadzieja said bowing in greeting towards the large bear, the size difference between the two becoming even more apparent, “It is a pleasure to meet you. I have been reliably informed that you have become quite popular on certain Malgravean social media platforms, so I hope that you haven’t been pestered by requests for photographs and autographs.”

At that point the Malgravean turned and bowed towards Norton Simons in the traditional greeting, the Dornalian Secretary of State was also quite a popular figure within the Malgravean government, with his intervention in the first established contact between the Dornalian and Malgravean peoples being credited with ensuring the safe transfer of a Battlestar and creating a friendly atmosphere for relations between the two peoples to thrive within a relatively short space of time.

“Comrade Norton. I believe that Minister Reymont wished to discuss something with after the initial tour has been completed,” she said as she bowed, “In any case, it is a pleasure to welcome a friend of the Malgravean people to Epping. If you just follow me I shall be able to guide you towards one of the most important items contained within the ASG centre.”

As she finished talking Nadzieja would guide the Dornalian delegation towards another series of elevators, that were again modernised to suit the upgraded height requirements of species found outside of Malgrave.

“We shall be travelling to a special room constructed at the top of this tower,” Nadzieja said as she summoned the elevator, “It is quite a privilege to be granted access, and many Malgraveans have only been able to see footage from old documentaries and the occasional news broadcast.”

*****

Claudia Donovan found herself suppressing a laugh as she watched the brief muscular display put on by the Dystean and Dornalian leaders, the idea of two foreign leaders talking via muscle flexes and model instead of the usual verbal communication seemed to be something that could easily fit in a popular political satire show but it was happening on ancestor day, of course being a Malgravean the eccentric scientist also made a note of the impressive performance of the Presidents suit, with the clothing managing to survive the onslaught without any visible damage or even crease marks.

“I’ve never really been fussy over how I have been introduced, so I suppose whatever situation would make you more comfortable,” Claudia said as she allowed herself to focus on the task at hand instead of the advanced tailoring of the Dornalian delegation, “In Malgrave we often refer to each other as Comrade. I understand that this term as rather negative connotations in other nation's, and I hope it doesn’t offend.”

Claudia nodded as the Dystean Monarch introduced the rest of the delegation, the kobolds had become incredibly popular in Malgrave due to their similar short stature but their meat-focused diet meant that they were relatively small in number in Malgrave, although it was expected that a large number could settle on the Research Colony due to its proximity to the Kouralian mainland and its ready supply of meat products.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Comrade Tarka,” the Malgravean said bowing in greeting towards the small creature.

After the familiar sight of the kobolds came the relatively unfamiliar sight of the orcs, and the Malgravean couldn’t help but raise her eyebrow at the term bonecrusher, she could certainly see why she preferred to go by her first name and well she didn’t want to imagine how her ancestors had gained the name in the first place, and well the person introduced as Bucky seemed rather strange.

“It’s nice to meet you both, Comrade Lissah....and Comrade Bucky,” the Malgravean said bowing once more in greeting, although she was somewhat concerned about Bucky’s rather robotic movements.

“I wouldn’t be the Minister of Science and Engineering if I didn’t have an interest in technological and engineering developments, although my interest in both fields can be linked back to my days of tinkering in the garage and lab with my father,” Claudia said, the Tinker certainly seemed to be an eccentric character, although she wasn’t exactly convinced with his overcoat and attempted jetpack display, “In that case I say that it is a pleasure to meet you, Comrade Tinker,” she said bowing in greeting, “As leader of the Ancestor Study Group I believe that a majority of the day shall be dedicated to remembering the connection my people share with the ancestors, but if you wish to ask questions about ongoing scientific research projects and engineering schemes I should be able to respond to your inquiries, although I obviously won’t be able to tell you about any projects that are currently being kept under wraps! It would be rather unfortunate if I lost one of my jobs on Ancestor Day.”

As she spoke the Malgravean guided the Dystan delegation away from the lobby and towards one of the corridors that led towards a series of elevators, thankfully for the Dystan Monarch the elevators in the building had all been modernised following Malgrave’s decision to leave isolation, and someone on the engineering and design team had obviously hoped that future followers from Dyste or another Draconid nation would visit the centre.

“I believe Rylux is currently visiting an old friend,” Claudia said as she waited for the elevator to arrive, “Amelia Lowwe, Rylux and the rest of her esteemed followers have become quite famous in Malgrave following their discovery of another ancestral plane. It should be interesting to see them interact with the other guests,” she said before adding, “As you said that you were interested in the ancestors and their connection to the Malgravean people we shall be taking a visit to one of the most important artefacts included in the ASG centre, and one the Malgravean people were incredibly fortunate to secure during the exodus, although the operation did result in a rather large sacrifice of soldiers and volunteers.”

by **New Dornalia** » Thu May 03, 2018 6:29 am

Malgrave wrote:Nadzieja Brzezicki frowned slightly in concern and annoyance at the short and rather dramatic spectacle that took place between the Dystan King and the Dornalian President, on another day she would’ve been quite amused at the idea of two leaders seemingly communicating through muscle flexes and strange bodybuilder poses, but this was Ancestor Day and the Malgravean couldn’t help but feel slightly miffed as her presence, and entire role in escorting the Dornalian delegation throughout the planned events of the day seemed to be ignored by the President in lieu of strange test of strength.

It wasn’t even the strangest thing about the Dornalian delegation, as the Finance Minister now found herself face to face with a sentient bear, of course, the Minister had been informed about the presence of such an individual within the Dornalian delegation, and the rather comedic and eccentric communications of the individual had become somewhat popular in Malgrave over the past few months but it was another thing entirely to be faced with such an imposing individual, with the Malgravean positively dwarfed by Yogi and the President.

“Comrade Yogi,” Nadzieja said bowing in greeting towards the large bear, the size difference between the two becoming even more apparent, “It is a pleasure to meet you. I have been reliably informed that you have become quite popular on certain Malgravean social media platforms, so I hope that you haven’t been pestered by requests for photographs and autographs.”

At that point the Malgravean turned and bowed towards Norton Simons in the traditional greeting, the Dornalian Secretary of State was also quite a popular figure within the Malgravean government, with his intervention in the first established contact between the Dornalian and Malgravean peoples being credited with ensuring the safe transfer of a Battlestar and creating a friendly atmosphere for relations between the two peoples to thrive within a relatively short space of time.

“Comrade Norton. I believe that Minister Reymont wished to discuss something with after the initial tour has been completed,” she said as she bowed, “In any case, it is a pleasure to welcome a friend of the Malgravean people to Epping. If you just follow me I shall be able to guide you towards one of the most important items contained within the ASG centre.”

As she finished talking Nadzieja would guide the Dornalian delegation towards another series of elevators, that were again modernised to suit the upgraded height requirements of species found outside of Malgrave.

“We shall be travelling to a special room constructed at the top of this tower,” Nadzieja said as she summoned the elevator, “It is quite a privilege to be granted access, and many Malgraveans have only been able to see footage from old documentaries and the occasional news broadcast.”

Norton acknowledged the request with a nod and a simple, "Sure. I can speak with the Foreign Minister after this." He did wonder what the subject would be, but he was sure it wouldn't be anything too unusual. Dealing with the Mals was generally a pleasant experience, even though he had to admit he was not as experienced at doing business with Reymont as opposed to her now-deceased predecessor. Still, it would be worth it! Hopefully, it would be less awkward than seeing Nadzieja's reaction to Mike's impromptu posedown with King Tyroth.

For his part, Mike apologized and said, "My apologies. I seem to have interrupted you," to the Malgravean. Of course, Mike himself wondered if perhaps Tyroth wouldn't have been a good candidate for GWE's brand of showmanship--although from what he remembered, Tyroth had plenty of his own adventures which made the storylines from War in the Stars look rather mundane by comparison.

As for Yogi, the bear nodded, his mannerisms betraying a character surprisingly at ease. He did look a bit nervous, but well, it was nothing more than the usual sort of focus and mild anxiety one had when having to venture into a public occasion of this importance. Indeed, Yogi had wondered why the Mals hadn't besieged him more with requests for autographs and images, although he had a distinct feeling it had to do with the fact he was here on business. Still, Nadzieja had a good point--certain elements of Malgravean social media followed his Yabber feed rather frequently, and his other social media pages were also finding a lot of Malgravean subscribers. This being on top of the Dornalian fanbase which had followed him since he wrestled alongside now-President Haggar for the Galactic Wrestling Enterprise--no one could forget the sight at War in the Stars 3 of a giant wrestling bear and Mike Haggar stopping Big Brother and Joe Bob the Destroyer in an epic ironman tag match, after all. Yogi's voice seemed to add an unusual degree of profoundness to his words which was likely coincidental, "Yogi is aware he is popular celebrity to Malgraveans and Dornalians alike, but he has not been bothered too much since coming here. Besides, it is no trouble. Yogi and Mike have been in public eye since we have wrestled with Galactic Wrestling Enterprise, so it is something which is no issue."

What was potentially an issue was the small spaces though, although Yogi and the party did their best to navigate the elevators to the special room. Nadzieja may not have been amused by the posedown, but it appeared she had been asked to provide access to a very interesting space for the ASG that only a few people saw. As such, the Dornalians were quite intrigued, and Haggar said, "Thanks for the access indeed." Curiously, Mike asked then, "What sort of item is within the room?"

by **Legokiller** » Mon May 07, 2018 8:29 pm

“It’s such a delight to meet you as well Prime Minister Berry.” President Fluffykins replied. As Malgrave lacked its head monarch and intel of any heir is now absent, she did wonder if the country would continue its crown tradition. Sure, another noble house may step up to claim the throne, but Prime Minister Berry is the de-facto leader at this point. A president in her own right. That’s what happened after the Silverdalean civil war as the lack of a crowned heir led to reforms for the nation to become a republic.

Then another person came up to greet Fluffykins and her delegation as well. This time it was from Foreign Minister Eliot herself who greeted them. “Hello Miss Eliot, I’m Lily Melonheart, executive assistant for maiden president Fluffykins herself. I’m happy to meet you.” She smiled.

President Fluffykins nodded in approval. ”Indeed. Our assistant helped organized our flight and travel to the festival grounds despite the busy hours. There isn’t much to be afraid about that, but future transportation development sounds splendid. I imagine there is much needed improvement with Silverdalean infrastructure in the near future, but I won’t bore you with such details about our domestic affairs at this time.” Thankfully the cue came for her group to meet up with the others. “Yes, let us make way there.”

The torch from minister to minister is passed down to the Health Minister Catherine Lowwe as Fluffykins arrived at the HQ. “It’s a major day for festivities, so no biggie here Catherine. I’m used to the stress and rush during the holiday sessions in Silverdale and there’s plenty of them to go around.” Fluffykins chuckled. Snowy Light buzzed with the joyous atmosphere of many ponies and other beings celebrating the nation’s long time traditional holidays to the more modern-day ones. It can be daunting “But yes, I’m intrigued about Malgrave’s sacred connection with the Ancestors and how vastle the studies upon them are in this Headquarters. Like how the ancestors sparked the mind and hearts of the Malgraveans?”

by **Dyste** » Wed May 09, 2018 5:55 pm

(Note: collab post w/Malgrave)

Tyroth took a moment to relax after the flexing display he had done with President Haggar, not that he was worn out but if his muscles were too tense after a flexing match it might cause him to be a bit more destructive to his surroundings. One of the difficulties of being of his size and power was the worry of causing collateral damage, but centuries of training helped him restrain himself when needed. “Well, Claudia, you may call me Tyroth, if you wish. I am not really bothered too much with formal titles myself, I was not born into nobility or anything like that, I too prefer just going with the other person is comfortable with.” He took a moment to wave to Fluffykins, though he did not have as much time to talk to her as he would’ve liked, as they were going on their own way.

The group entered the corridor, where Bucky had seemingly lagged behind a bit. Tyroth gestured to the elevator, causing the knight to follow in that direction. “Maybe he requires a bit of a check-up, Your Majesty?” James offered, opening his coat to reveal some tools. “I can do a quick fix-up…”

“That is not necessary, James,” Tyroth waved him off, “I will have the Jarlsberg Institute look into it when he get home.” He entered the elevator himself, Lissah and the kobolds following suit. “Ah, I hope Rylux is enjoying his time here, I was a little worried admittedly about him traveling here alone… well, I mean little Zahhak is there too, but it seems he is doing well.”

Claudia nodded in acknowledgement, a faint smile appearing as she waited for the elevator to appear. In the past she had encountered leaders that were rather offended if you used the wrong title around them, and certain individuals didn’t seem to appreciate the eccentric Malgravean style of conversation or the inner desire of certain Malgraveans to want to tinker with their surroundings and offer constructive criticism on the local state of scientific development or civilian infrastructure, with some people even considering these actions to be rather rude.

“I shall keep that in mind, Comrade Tyroth.” she said freezing when she noticed James opening up his coat to try and render some assistance to the troubled Bucky, “Is Bucky a robotic....being?” the Malgravean added, rather unsure of the correct term to use since she didn’t have all of the information at hand, “If he’s moving slowing that could indicate a mechanical issue or an electronic issue, but well I don’t even know if this Bucky is a mechanical being or simply being moved around with the assistance of technology.”

As she entered the elevator Claudia continued to think about the rather strange addition to the Dystans entourage, and the scientific assistance that seemed to be willing to conduct some sort of engineering project in front of a foreigner, of course Claudia had been prone to tinkering around with technology on the international stage but she wasn’t convinced that the human had the correct qualifications to be fooling around with a lifeform

“I am quite glad that Rylux seems to be flourishing under the guiding hand of a Malgravean scientific endeavour, although I am rather confused about why the team seems so intent on tracking down and dealing with wider threats to the galaxy when they have been instructed to look for clues on the ancestors,” Claudia said with a sigh, “I believe that Amelia Lowwe had some similar issues when she first started travelling, but well I am also quite glad that my friend is doing well.”

Tyroth knew eventually that he did have to tell Claudia about the nature of Bucky, and this felt as good a time as any. “Bucky here is what is known as a ‘Shield Guardian’, also known as a type of Golem. They are a type of construct created with specific materials and animated by magic They do not have minds of their own, but can follow instructions, Bucky in particular is keyed into an amulet I am wearing which allows me to mentally instruct him. He was created by the famous Dystan Sage Jarlsberg Thaumsmith, who desired to create these in order to protect Dyste. Sadly, the costs required meant we could not do it in a larger scale, not without compromising the material quality, but his Institute is researching the matter more nowadays.”

“As a matter of fact, Rylux is looking into working on some of this himself. He told me that he desired to create one in order to aid him on their expeditions. As for their own journey, I cannot weigh in on that matter personally, but it sure sounds like they have been in some really interesting situations so far.”

Claudia hummed in acknowledgement as Tyroth explained the background behind the creation of Bucky, the Dystans appeared to be slightly limited on the technological front but it looks like they had partially dealt with this shortfall with a masterful understanding of magic, although it appeared that the overreliance on one advancement had certain drawbacks, “It looks like he is rather stiff?” the Malgravean said as she gave a quick scan of the creation, “It could be a relatively simple mechanical issue or a fault with the magical connection between the user and the golem, somewhat like a faulty connection between a computer and a server.”

As Claudia started to think about the issues impacting Bucky the elevator arrived and the Malgravean found herself waiting for the Dystan delegation to take their place inside before entering herself and signalling for the lift to travel down towards the basement.

“I have to say that I am rather clueless about the antics of Amelia’s expedition,” Claudia said as the lift began to travel downwards, “We still communicate from time to time but we prefer to talk about technological developments back home or more personal matters. I am quite glad that your comrade seems to be gaining some satisfaction and personal advancement from a Malgravean team.”

“I admit it is possible that Bucky is just rather old at this point,” Tyroth looked a little sad, looking at the golem, “His basic model is a few centuries old at this point, with upgrades being made to him over time. It is possible that he needs a more thorough change…”

“Like you’re sayin’ the software is fine but the hardware is outdated,” James offered a suggestion that he felt Claudia could understand better. “I’ve tried making a more updated model myself, but I’m not a magic user myself so I don’t really get these constructs that well. In Glaristant they have had better luck with golems.” Glaristant being a dominion of Dyste, a smaller island off the coast ruled by a Grand Duchess. Tyroth had heard that maybe she would be coming herself, but he knew she could be quite busy.

“I suppose either way that we might see about getting a touch-up. We can share some information on these with your people, perhaps they might be able to come up with some improvement of their own.” Granted, Tyroth still needed to check with the Ministry about this, but they generally permitted such deals their king made. “I mean, these Ancestors seem to have created some wonders of their own, who knows what they could add to this field of research?”

“I believe it’s a misconception that technology becomes obsolete once it reaches a certain age, although it is certainly impressive that Bucky has been able to remain a stable platform for a few centuries and is only experiencing a minor slow down now,” Claudia said feeling partially guilty for souring the Dystan Kings mood.

“It’s possible that it is a hardware issue or it could be a relatively simple bug that has managed to form in the software over time. It’s really impossible to determine the issue without taking a closer look, as well assumptions can lead to embarrassing or quite dangerous situations and nobody wants that,” Claudia told her Dystan counterpart, the Malgravean couldn’t help but feel that she was being partially talked down to by the Dystan and that irked some of her more Malgravean traits, “I have some limited knowledge of magical technology through ongoing cooperative projects with Spirean research teams, although I don’t have any personal experience with this specific magical construct. We have barely scratched the surface of some of the technological wonders created by the ancestors but I know that our Institutes would gladly lend their knowledge and experience to assist you with this matter.”

At that point the elevator came to a gradual stop and the doors opened to reveal a rather large waiting room, with dozens of chairs and tables assembled in the centre of the room and educational posters on the wall instructing guests on the basic outline of Malgravean history and the current state of the ASG including a small message from Claudia Donovan, the current Lead Scientist of the organisation. On the right hand side of the room stood a rather large cafeteria area where people waiting could order fresh food, while the area on the left was marked for rest rooms and a simple room that was marked as a contemplation zone.

Claudia ignored the empty waiting room and walked forward towards a series of double doors that opened to a short hallway, the Minister’s brief use of a card swipe indicating that this area of the ASG had been closed briefly for the ceremony. In a short space of time the Dystans found themselves in another rather large room, on the walls an extensive mural had been expertly painted on showcasing the timeframe from the initial discovery of the original Malgravean homeland, the awakening of the Malgravean connection to the ancestors and the brutal Imerian invasion that followed and the rather fierce battle that had occured for the Malgraveans to secure the object that was in the centre of the room, a rather large tablet that contained a series of symbols.

Claudia muttered a few words in ancient to herself as she bowed towards the stone before turning to face the Dystans, “You are standing in front of one of the most important objects in Malgrave, the ancestral tablet. It contains information on the ancient language and it is the reason that all Malgraveans are able to speak the language of the ancestors today, without it we would be stuck speaking.....common.” the Malgravean said clearly disturbed by the idea.

“Unless dealing with outsiders like us, you mean,” Tyroth grinned, “But I understand, Dyste uses Mystrian Common for dealing with foreigners but most of us speak Draconic when by ourselves. But I actually helped with a similar project when we found a stone that let us decipher the language known as ‘Lufenian’. It was quite a breakthrough in our own way, though unlike with the Malgravean ancestors we did not adopt that language.” In their case they didn’t see as much of the point, seeing as Dyste did not directly have a connection to Lufenia as the Malgraveans had to the Ancestors.

The kobolds meanwhile seemed more interested in seeing what the cafeteria had to offer, causing Minityroth to sigh, “Sorry, kobolds easily distracted. I get them back,” she said while rushing off. The kobolds seemed to be a little disappointed when looking at the menu options and seeing a distinct lacking of meat, coming back to the group with a pout. “You brought sandwiches anyways, no complaining!”

Lissah was looking over the mural, the orcess taking note of the invasion in particular “So the Imerians were trying to take you over? Ugh, I know that feeling… sorry we weren’t able to offer our aid, then, we were dealing with our own problems then and were mostly closed off.” Dyste had in an isolationist stands for a good amount of the 20th century, until around the late 1990’s. “So, um, sorry if this sounds like a stupid question, but… so who exactly were these ancestors? Like, obviously I know what the term means, but with everything about the way you talk about them and having a special day and all I know they’re a big deal, but I really don’t know anything about them. Everyone had to learn the basics at some point, right?”

“It is quite useful when communicating with foreigners,” Claudia said nodding in agreement, it looked like the Dystans shared quite a few traits and she hoped that the shared common ground would make it easier to establish strong relations, “I am not familiar with the Lufenian language or the people associated with it, perhaps you could explain your connection to this civilisation and the importance of unlocking the secrets of its language.”

Claudia didn’t openly respond to the actions of the kobolds assistants, she understood that thwet were quite easily distracted, although she was left rather confused about why a race that was so easily distracted by food had been selected to serve as servants and assistants across the galaxy, anyway the Malgravean also knew that the cafeteria was suited to a Malgravean diet and a majority of its menu items were either vegetarian or contained local fish, the idea of bringing meat into the home of the ancestors seemed somewhat offensive to the Malgraveans and so meat was effectively banned.

“We don’t harbour any ill will towards foreigners for the lack of assistance rendered during the Imerian invasion, as we understand that it would’ve been rather foolish for a rather small power to try and tackle the Imerians,” Claudia said with a smile, “I understand that only Malgravean technological superiority and the courageous actions of the Royal Navy made the great exodus a reality, although Malgraveans still wish for a day when we can return to our original homeland and return to the original site of the ancestors.”

Claudia paused at the second question, everyone in Malgrave understood the basic history of the ancestors, learning it from their parents, teachers or the volunteers at a local ASG centre so she wasn’t used to people asking the basics, “When we talk about the ancestors we are actually talking about a group of people that used to be referred to as the Ancients, although our information indicates that they were also called Alterans or Lanteans. It was the Ancients that created a series of interconnecting gates to travel across the universe, an example of what we call the ring of the ancestors is located outside of the ASG, a gift from our new C’tani friends,” the Malgravean said before adding, “It is known that the Ancients constructed many technological and cultural wonders across the universe before eventually reaching a level that meant they could leave their physical bodies behind and advance to a higher level of existence, after that happened we believe that several Ancients created the seed of life that would eventually result in the creation of the Malgravean people. It’s why all Malgraveans can activate Ancient technology and have access to a pool of magical abilities.”

As Tyroth was consoling the kobolds for the lack of meat, Lissah and James were listening in with great interest. “So these Ancients really are your ancestors, huh…” Lissah recalled several mythologies that involved a form of god giving the life for a race to exist, even Dyste had something like that with Bahamut, so it was really no surprise that the Ancients were treated as gods in their own right. “Ah, right, you *are* mages, aren’t you? There’s a lot of nations out there that don’t believe in the arcane arts or that only certain species are capable of it, and it really limits their potential. Admittedly I’m not really much of a mage myself, but Rylux would know more once he meets up with us.”

“And you say they left their physical bodies behind, hm?” James typed in some more data into his coat computer. “I’ve been researching brain uploading, but what they did seems to be on a whole different level. Granted, I might’ve made more progess on that front but I’ve got a lot of projects to work on. Like my converters to turn magical energy into the type of energy that powers devices.” James opened his coat to show what appeared to be a glass tube with blue lightning inside of it.

Tyroth managed to calm the kobolds’ worries, going back to the group. “My apologies, Claudia, but the little ones can be quite worrywarts when they want to be. (‘Worrywartbolds...’ could be heard from behind him). “But Lufenia is a long-dead civilization from the Cornerian lands. While they were not as advanced as these Alterans were,” showing acknowledgement that he, indeed, was listening before, “But they still invented several technologies that we, and other places in Mystria, have adapted and improved on. Most notably, they were said to have invented the first airships in the region, and that technology was lost until Dyste managed to recover it about a half-century into its sovereignty. Some of those advancements would’ve been lost to us if it was not for discovering that slab. I’ve heard some people refer to it as a ‘Rosetta Stone’, but that name always sounded a little silly to me, especially since I have heard some other nation having something similar for their language.” He never really understood what this ‘Rosetta’ part even meant, wouldn’t “Lufenian Stone’ make more sense anyways? “Dyste is technically part of the Cornerian lands itself, mind you, so we are from the same area of Mystria as Lufenia once was, but they were, as far as we know, humans, and we are not, so I doubt we share any ancestry with them. It would honestly be nice if I did know where Draconids originally came from, but sadly that is a story even I do not know the answer to…”

Claudia nodded in confirmation at Lissah’s comments, quite a few people assumed that the Malgraveans were not actually directly related to the ancestors, however the Malgraveans ability to activate dormant ancient technology and certain recent comments made by their new C’tani allies had confirmed that the Malgraveans were the descendants of the Ancients, “It would be quite foolish to dedicate a research institution to unlocking the secrets of the ancestors if they weren’t our actual ancestors, although I must stress that it isn’t a religious organisation despite what certain people say on the matter, ” the Malgravean said, of course people also thought that ASG was a religious organisation but Claudia and a majority of her fellow citizens saw it as a combination of a social group and a research institution, “Mage? I believe that is the official Spirean designation for specific individuals capable of wielding certain ancestral abilities but in Malgrave we haven’t established an official term yet. It’s quite hard for Malgraveans to establish official names for some reason.....but at the moment they just benefit our security services and medical staff.”

James movements and tinkering with his internal computer caught Claudia’s attention and she couldn’t help but relate it to a cross between the MalTec Puffin and the MalTec Ascension, although she supposed that it wouldn’t contain some of the more advanced internal implants of the Ascension or even contain the strong communication channels of the Puffin, regardless it was still an impressive piece of technology and she was quite impressed that the Dystan scientist had managed to create such a device with the limited technological advancements present on his homeland, “We believe that they shed their physical bodies behind and turned into something comparable to a ball of pure energy before travelling to a higher plane of existence to uncover the secrets of the universe. I believe that some cultures refer to the energy ball as a....soul?” Claudia said somewhat unsure of the terminology herself, “In Malgrave we refer to it as an individual's ancestral energy or their connection with the ancestors. We intend to follow in their footsteps, so we have also researched technology that can upload an individuals ancestral energy into another host,” the Malgravean said chuckling at the Dystan’s comments about being overworked, “I am currently Minister of Science & Engineering, Lead Scientist of the ASG and Chairperson of the Free Democratic Youth. It is quite a wonder that I have any spare time at all, although for this I am incredibly thankful that the Ministry employees a vast army of scientists, research assistants and engineers to conduct experiments.”

“I understand that they can be quite curious beings, although I do recommend that they wait until they return to the lobby before they start eating. It is considered to be incredibly offensive to eat in front of any of the artefacts on display,” Claudia said with a smile, it seemed like the kobolds would prefer to live in the research colony since it had more establishments that served meat for workers and tourists from Kouralia, Breheim and Dornalia, “I believe that I saw one of these airships during the coronation of the new Imerian High King. It was quite an impressive vessel and I certainly wouldn’t mind getting a closer look at one of the engineering bays,” she said a brief glint appearing in her eyes before she focused on the conversation, “I understand the importance of tracking down your origins, perhaps the Malgravean government could render some assistance in tracking down the origins of your people? It sounds like something that one of our exploration teams could handle, and I imagine that Amelia would be pleased to assist Rylux if he ever planned to join the mission.”

by **Malgrave** » Sat Jun 30, 2018 4:41 am

Upper Cantemir wrote:The Cantemirian delegation waited only a short time after arriving for the Malgravean Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to welcome them. The Hereditary Princess was pleasantly surprised by the correct usage of etiquette for her welcoming, until the Malgravean offered an uncustomary bow. Nicoleta showed no averse reaction, she had already been informed about the nation's typical customs and was prepared to ignore her own culture's etiquette on such a significant diplomatic mission.

The Hereditary Princess smiled warmly and said "I am glad to meet you, Prime Minister Berry, and I thank you for your welcome. My short journey through your nation was an enlightening experience. My father, the Grand Prince Stelian, also wishes to convey a message of good tidings to you personally." A Cantemirian Royal Marine Guard hands a letter to the Prime Minister, the wax seal on it bearing the Cantemirian royal coat of arms.

After giving the Hereditary Princess due silence to speak her part, the Foreign Councillor Colesnic also exchanged formal pleasantries with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. The delegation, when bid, walked towards the lobby of the center, taking the time to observe with keen interest the architectural and technological impressiveness of the structure before them, as well as curiosity in some of the other delegations, some made up of races almost unheard of in Cantemir. No words were exchanged between the members of the delegation, which had likely already had many discussions about the fascinating nation on their journey to Epping.

Nicoleta smiled again when introduced to the Minister of National Defense, taking the few moments that she was bowing to recall the Malgravean military ranking insignia. "It is good to be acquainted with you, Minister, and I thank you for your hospitality. We have many fascinations with Ancestorism and will be glad to utilize your knowledge as a resource." After a short while, the Foreign Councillor approached Minister De Campo offering a handshake, and asked "What would you say, are the goals of this group?"

Unto the Prime Minister Rachel Berry
By Grace of Gods, We, Stelian II, Grand Prince of Upper Cantemir, bid greetings

We write this letter as a personal greeting to you, Prime Minister, and as an expression of goodwill and hope for solidarity and harmony between our nations and peoples. It is Our deepest regret that We are unable to travel personally to experience the awe of such a significant national occasion, though it is Our hope that this may become a possibility in future. Our daughter, the Hereditary Princess Nicoleta, has expressed to Us her personal interest and excitement in experiencing the nation of Malgrave, and many members of Our council have expressed their admiration for the innovative and successful spirit of the Malgravean people.

It is Our sincere and eager hope that this first official visit of Cantemirian dignitaries become the initial foundation of a strong bond of mutual respect between nations, and that an air of cooperation and fair conduct may direct the future interaction of Upper Cantemir and Malgrave.

It was safe to say that the Malgravean Prime Minister was pleasantly surprised from the letter given to her by the Hereditary Princess, although a minor trading relationship had been formed between the two nation's in recent months it was expected that the process of tightening the bond between the two people would take several years of careful negotiations and reciprocal visits during respective national holidays. It was quite welcome to understand that not only did the Grand Prince wish to visit Malgrave himself in the future, but the Hereditary Princess seemed to be interested in the Malgravean nation and its people and the Prime Minister made a note to send reply.

Inside the ASG lobby, Katia De Campo paused briefly before somewhat reluctantly accepting the offered handshake, the form of greeting was still relatively new in Malgrave and it wasn’t exactly the most popular form of welcome due to the fear of spreading different form of diseases to people with weakened immune systems.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Hereditary Princess Nicoleta and the rest of your esteemed delegation,” Katia said before moving onto the question, “It’s primary goal is to uncover more information on the ancestors, so everything from technological items to little pieces of culture are greatly appreciated and studied by members of the organisation. It is believed that by understanding the ancestors we can gather enough information to leave our physical bodies behind and join them by ascending to a higher plane of existence, although sadly due to certain historical events we don’t have our full catalogue of artefacts.”

by **Upper Cantemir** » Sun Jul 01, 2018 9:22 pm

The Foreign Councillor, as well as the rest of the delegation, listened intently to the answer. It was clear that this visit was more than a diplomatic show, possibly a way for Cantemirian higher-ups to make a judgement on Ancestorism. After the Minister finished speaking, the Foreign Councillor seemed satisfied and nodded a thanks before melding back into the delegation.

Hereditary Princess Nicoleta seemed to be pondering something for a few moments, staring airily around the center. She seemed to make up her mind and with an elegant and almost unnoticeable wave of a hand, the rest of the delegation subtly started shifting backwards or lowering their pace, to give the Princess some semblance of privacy with the Minister. She approached, and asked curiously, "Would you say that it is considered... common, for a woman to hold such significant public offices in your culture?" She motioned to the Cogs and Bars symbol, adding, "Particularly in the Armed Forces?"

by **Malgrave** » Wed Jul 04, 2018 11:56 am

Legokiller wrote:“It’s such a delight to meet you as well Prime Minister Berry.” President Fluffykins replied. As Malgrave lacked its head monarch and intel of any heir is now absent, she did wonder if the country would continue its crown tradition. Sure, another noble house may step up to claim the throne, but Prime Minister Berry is the de-facto leader at this point. A president in her own right. That’s what happened after the Silverdalean civil war as the lack of a crowned heir led to reforms for the nation to become a republic.

Then another person came up to greet Fluffykins and her delegation as well. This time it was from Foreign Minister Eliot herself who greeted them. “Hello Miss Eliot, I’m Lily Melonheart, executive assistant for maiden president Fluffykins herself. I’m happy to meet you.” She smiled.

President Fluffykins nodded in approval. ”Indeed. Our assistant helped organized our flight and travel to the festival grounds despite the busy hours. There isn’t much to be afraid about that, but future transportation development sounds splendid. I imagine there is much needed improvement with Silverdalean infrastructure in the near future, but I won’t bore you with such details about our domestic affairs at this time.” Thankfully the cue came for her group to meet up with the others. “Yes, let us make way there.”

The torch from minister to minister is passed down to the Health Minister Catherine Lowwe as Fluffykins arrived at the HQ. “It’s a major day for festivities, so no biggie here Catherine. I’m used to the stress and rush during the holiday sessions in Silverdale and there’s plenty of them to go around.” Fluffykins chuckled. Snowy Light buzzed with the joyous atmosphere of many ponies and other beings celebrating the nation’s long time traditional holidays to the more modern-day ones. It can be daunting “But yes, I’m intrigued about Malgrave’s sacred connection with the Ancestors and how vastle the studies upon them are in this Headquarters. Like how the ancestors sparked the mind and hearts of the Malgraveans?”

Rachel Berry smiled gently and nodded in confirmation, the Malgravean Prime Minister wasn't completely familiar with the inner workings of the Silverdalean nation apart from the fact that it had undergone a somewhat dramatic transformation into a Republic, "I hope that we shall have time to communicate further once the days festivities have halted and I'm no longer tasked with greeting fellow dignitaries,"

"It's a pleasure to meet you Comrade Melonheart," Eliot said bowing lightly towards the Silverdalean, "I understand that transport infrastructure can become quite a complicated affair if you don't adequately plan for future generations, luckily in Malgrave we're quite prepared to invest the funds required to ensure that our public transport system is sufficient for citizens and tourists," she said pausing briefly as she felt herself building up towards a passionate rant, "I used to be the Minister of Transport so I am quite willing to discuss further details, although at the moment I am afraid I am stuck with my tasks as the current Minister of Foreign Affairs."

Catherine Lowwe nodded at the comment from the Foreign Minister, "It's quite commonly known that scientists are highly regarded in Malgravean society but people often don't know that engineers are also held in high regard. I can think of at least three senior government ministers attending tonight's ceremony that will be incredibly willing to talk about infrastructure projects," Catherine said before adding, "It is safe to say that Ancestor Day is one of Malgrave's most important national celebrations, as our connection with the ancestors or ancients helps maintain our national unity and furthers our scientific and cultural advancement", she said talking as she moved towards a small escalator and lift near the rear of the central lobby, "If you follow me I shall take you towards an educational exhibit that shall highlight one of the most important events in Malgravean history."

As the Silverdalean officials were escorted up the elevator by Catherine they would begin to notice some educational posters up on the wall, a combination of Malgravean Ancient and Common informing guests of the creation of the Malgravean people and the long journey it took to establish Malgrave as a scientific and engineering institution before the steps were taken to create the modern Malgravean state. In addition to the posters, the Silverdaleans would also be able to see artistic depictions of ancient technology that had been gleaned from the Malgraveans limited archaeological observations, with futuristic skylines, rings of the ancestors and vast automated production facilities highlighting the technological prowess of the ancients.

"We try to make this facility as friendly as possible for children," Catherine said nodding towards the posters, "The ASG works closely together with the national educational system, the Gabriel Narutowicz Pioneers and the Free Democratic Youth. It's good to teach the next generation about their deep connection with the ancestors as quickly as possible, as well it would be rather disastrous if people took it for granted."

by **Malgrave** » Sun Jul 29, 2018 7:09 am

Upper Cantemir wrote:The Foreign Councillor, as well as the rest of the delegation, listened intently to the answer. It was clear that this visit was more than a diplomatic show, possibly a way for Cantemirian higher-ups to make a judgement on Ancestorism. After the Minister finished speaking, the Foreign Councillor seemed satisfied and nodded a thanks before melding back into the delegation.

Hereditary Princess Nicoleta seemed to be pondering something for a few moments, staring airily around the center. She seemed to make up her mind and with an elegant and almost unnoticeable wave of a hand, the rest of the delegation subtly started shifting backwards or lowering their pace, to give the Princess some semblance of privacy with the Minister. She approached, and asked curiously, "Would you say that it is considered... common, for a woman to hold such significant public offices in your culture?" She motioned to the Cogs and Bars symbol, adding, "Particularly in the Armed Forces?"

Katia De Campo acknowledged the subtle hand movements and the establishment of an impromptu private conversation, the Defence Minister understood that quite a few nations didn't share the same attitudes on economics and social policies, so if the Hereditary Princess was truly curious about the inner workings of Malgrave she could understand the need to create a private atmosphere to talk politics.

"It is quite common to see women serving in the military as the Territorial Defence Force is comprised of citizens fulfilling their national service obligations," Katia said as she stopped before a series of elevators near the end of the building, "I spent two years in the Territorial Defence Force before joining the Royal Marines, as for the other fields? It could be said that you'll find a higher percentage of women in senior positions compared to men, a prime example being the current cabinet. I believe someone once even joked that Malgrave was on track towards becoming a Matriarchy," the Defence Minister said with a smile, "I think the cultural attitude is down to our understanding of the ancestors and the necessity sparked by the rather brutal nature of the civil war, and the exhibit we're about to see about the discovery of the first Malgravean homeland."

by **Kouralia** » Sat Aug 11, 2018 6:36 pm

Epping, ASG Central Plaza

Outside the Ancestral Study Group's Headquarters, car after car had pulled up by the doors to drop off dignitaries and leaders: all bar two. Before the leaders had begun arriving, two black electric city cars registered to the Kouralian Embassy had pulled up and a number of suited diplomatic officers had gotten out along with a figure who, notionally it seemed, was in charge of them. Like all Kouralian civil servants, the embassy staffers wore immaculately tailored suits which - especially for service to Malgrave on this date - were definitely expensive. Unfortunately for the sartorial sense of the diplomats, unlike 'casual' suits they were attired in practically uniform slate clothing with pressed white shirts: bar one.

The apparent leader of the Kouralians was, as was wont to be the case, a young woman who couldn't be out of her thirties. With paler skin that lacked the quintessential summer-kissed glow of her people, blue-grey eyes and dirty blonde hair, she was neither tall nor short for a Kouralian at five-foot-eight and could have been from anywhere had she not stepped from the embassy car. She was clearly wearing immaculately polished black shoes with slate trousers, and though her white shirt had sleeves rolled up to the elbows it was indeed smart and ironed. However, over the shirt was, rather than a waistcoat, a hooded black scapular with golden trim and Kouralian religious symbols embroidered upon it. Falling only to mid thigh and tapering in as it fell from her shoulders down, it wasn't overly restrictive, and was well cinched around her waist by a black leather belt, that was adorned with pouches, embellished with pressed detailing, decorative stitching, and sported yellow metal fittings down its length to where the looped-off end of the strap dangled as low as the scapular.

While waiting for apparently the stars to align for all any onlookers could tell from looking at the Kouralian party the leader first joined the suited diplomats in standing smartly by the car and avoiding interacting with the environment, but after half an hour of this she could clearly contain herself no longer and, to the visible vexation of her fellows, had lowered her hood and strolled over to the Stargate for a butchers at the strange artifact that was mirrored in a bunker under the Royal Union. Interesting though it may have been however, and as predisposed as the hosts were to scientific discovery, as she approached her way was soon barred by a smartly turned out Malgravean Marine who politely but firmly advised that she should turn back from the active portal lest it do anything unexpected. With a disappointed pout on her face, the Kouralian turned back and almost flounced across the plaza for a few steps before apparently remembering herself, straightening her attire, and walking more purposefully.

Soon after arriving back at the Kouralian cars she raised her wrist to her face, and with a gesture sent the embassy staff into a flurry of activity. Rapidly four small but ornate braziers were drawn from the vehicles in sections and assembled in two pairs and lit - five meters apart, a few meters from the cars toward the portal and on either side of the blonde Kouralian.

While this happened she drew out a pair of small clear vials from an embossed and ornate pouch on her belt. One she carefully shook out onto the ground to create a small line of drips between the two pairs of braziers. Again pocketing that, she uncorked the other and drew a decorative and delicate golden stiletto from a scabbard on the belt before dipping it into the vial while muttering to herself. As the diplomatic officers stood back, she swept the knife around in two arcing movements to flick off the liquid in an arch overhead between the fires.

Having done so, she stepped out from between the fires, turned back to face what was now a floating arch of droplets, and with another few words in High Kouralian she threw the remainder of the vial between the fires. Instead of passing under the arch of floating liquid, it splashed across an imperceptible surface as if thrown upon a window until the whole archway were was covered as if by a door. In seconds the floating film of liquid clouded then became transparent again to reveal another place on its other side while the diplomatic officers stood back from the portal in expectation of what would come next.

Unable to countenance such a move, the Kouralian's leader stood her ground and smiled broadly as the Kouralian emissary arrived. At a gallop a tanned and dark haired woman rode past, followed by a trio of other horsemen and women in the full dress uniforms of the Kouralian Citadel Mounted Cavalry Regiment who rode so close as to physically buffet the mage. All on white horses, the three Cavalry soldiers wore similarly white tunics under brass cuirasses and helms topped with white plumes. One carried the national standard of Kouralia, while the other carried the personal standard of the Kouralian Emissary: Her Royal Highness, Captain and Crown Princess of the Blood Elena Campbell, Protector of Ascension - or at least that was what the fourth rider pronounced loudly as he introduced the Princess to anyone who was close enough, listening, or cared.

Unlike the Citadel Riders, the statuesque Princess wore a closely tailored blue tunic which narrowed at the waist before dropping to the knee while leaving the pristine white under-tunic visible via a slit cut from hem to the elaborately worked brown belt at her waist. While simple compared to what could be expected from a Princess, the tunic was still of expensive material and featured delicate ending in both white and yellow metal at the hems and neck, and a subtle pattern of both white and gold across the material. Absent the circlet appropriate to her office, she instead wore a number of the Phalerae and medal ribbons she was entitled to, along with a plain blue, fringeless epaulette on her right shoulder that featured the three stars of her Captaincy. She wore her hair in a single thick braid over one shoulder and bared both arms from the elbow down with the short and loose sleeves of the blue overtunic. Rather than boots or shoes the Princess wore more elaborately worked mid-calf brown leather sandals, tastefully bejewelled and metalled, that showed off nails painted to match the tunic as on her fingers.

Smiling brightly, the Kouralian princess waved cheerfully at the Malgraveans watching as the riders rapidly slowed to approach the point where the cars had let their inhabitants disembark. While they rode across, the leading diplomat had followed along with one suited fellow, to arrive as the Princess alighted from her horse with the grace and ease that can only come from a lifetime of equestrianism. "Evienne!" She proclaimed happily before embracing the young woman as a friend. "It has been years my dear, and yet you thought it a lie when I said I could ride to Malgrave if the yacht didn't suit proceedings!"

"Yes, well, you're not normally so given to dramatic entrances are you?" The woman replied, rolling her eyes and pulling away from her sovereign. "What happened to nervous jitters before getting out of the limousine, hmm?"

"They come and go, they come and go..." Elena said, waving one hand dismissively while the other passed the bridle of her horse to the bannerless Kouralian rider. "Sir Kataryah." She said with a nod to the suited Royal Pro-Legate of the Kouralian embassy. "I am impressed with the demonstration of advanced thaumistry by your cultural attache, Ms Annowre. I've not seen a better not made by the Sygecempyssym" she added, feigning obliviousness to the blush of delight on the face of the Kouralian priestess, thaumist and diplomat who was to accompany the ambassador and heir to the throne.

As the small party turned toward the doors of the ASG building, and fortunately for any Malgraveans searching for stables, the Kouralian riders trotted back to the portal and departed with nary a tenth the pomp and aggrandisement they arrived, taking the horses with them mere seconds before the magical gateway collapsed into nothing but a quartet of brass braziers and a faint line of drying moisture on the ground.

"Still..." The thaumist said offhandedly as they walked to greet the Malgravean welcoming party, "You've arrived late."

by **Malgrave** » Tue Aug 14, 2018 2:33 pm

New Dornalia wrote:Norton acknowledged the request with a nod and a simple, "Sure. I can speak with the Foreign Minister after this." He did wonder what the subject would be, but he was sure it wouldn't be anything too unusual. Dealing with the Mals was generally a pleasant experience, even though he had to admit he was not as experienced at doing business with Reymont as opposed to her now-deceased predecessor. Still, it would be worth it! Hopefully, it would be less awkward than seeing Nadzieja's reaction to Mike's impromptu posedown with King Tyroth.

For his part, Mike apologized and said, "My apologies. I seem to have interrupted you," to the Malgravean. Of course, Mike himself wondered if perhaps Tyroth wouldn't have been a good candidate for GWE's brand of showmanship--although from what he remembered, Tyroth had plenty of his own adventures which made the storylines from War in the Stars look rather mundane by comparison.

As for Yogi, the bear nodded, his mannerisms betraying a character surprisingly at ease. He did look a bit nervous, but well, it was nothing more than the usual sort of focus and mild anxiety one had when having to venture into a public occasion of this importance. Indeed, Yogi had wondered why the Mals hadn't besieged him more with requests for autographs and images, although he had a distinct feeling it had to do with the fact he was here on business. Still, Nadzieja had a good point--certain elements of Malgravean social media followed his Yabber feed rather frequently, and his other social media pages were also finding a lot of Malgravean subscribers. This being on top of the Dornalian fanbase which had followed him since he wrestled alongside now-President Haggar for the Galactic Wrestling Enterprise--no one could forget the sight at War in the Stars 3 of a giant wrestling bear and Mike Haggar stopping Big Brother and Joe Bob the Destroyer in an epic ironman tag match, after all. Yogi's voice seemed to add an unusual degree of profoundness to his words which was likely coincidental, "Yogi is aware he is popular celebrity to Malgraveans and Dornalians alike, but he has not been bothered too much since coming here. Besides, it is no trouble. Yogi and Mike have been in public eye since we have wrestled with Galactic Wrestling Enterprise, so it is something which is no issue."

What was potentially an issue was the small spaces though, although Yogi and the party did their best to navigate the elevators to the special room. Nadzieja may not have been amused by the posedown, but it appeared she had been asked to provide access to a very interesting space for the ASG that only a few people saw. As such, the Dornalians were quite intrigued, and Haggar said, "Thanks for the access indeed." Curiously, Mike asked then, "What sort of item is within the room?"

Nadzieja nodded in confirmation as she waited for the elevator to arrive, the Minister wasn’t fully aware of what her colleague wanted to discuss with the Dornalian Secretary of State but she suspected that it had something to do with the recent nasty business involving NORINCO and the A-Class Battlecruisers.

“It is quite acceptable, Comrade President,” Nadzieja said with a gentle smile as the elevator arrived, “Ancestor Day was designed to allow citizens to fully connect with each other and honour their connection with the ancestors. I believe it fits in quite nicely with the principles of brotherhood and solidarity that is....embedded in other days of celebration across the year,” she said somewhat struggling to find the words to describe the principles that tended to flow throughout all of her homelands celebrations, the common language spoken throughout the world was quite popular in Malgrave but Malgravean Ancient was still the primary language and occasional translation difficulties still occurred, “I believe that you’d receive a considerable amount of attention if you entered one of the squares that are currently hosting large public celebrations, but in here I feel people are somewhat hesitant to approach in case they breach diplomatic decorum. It’s also a sport and entertainment spectacle that tends to be more popular in cities like Pakosc as they have more an industrial...and combat driven heritage,” she added as she stepped into the elevator, the Malgravean wasn’t personally a fan of the more entertainment driven brand of wrestling but she still understood why the Dornalian figure had become a celebrity figure.

Before Nadzieja could form a response to the President’s question the soft ding of the elevator indicated that it had arrived at its destination, the doors opening to reveal a room that seemingly covered all of the floor space available at the top of the central tower, with vast panoramic windows on all sides offering a wide view of the city below. If the Dornalians looked out in a southerly direction they’d be able to faintly see the criss-cross of mountains that marked the beginning of the Pakosc-Maldon-Tillingham region that lay near the border with the Rohanians, the area also notable for its long history with both anti-government radicals and the occasional smuggling movement that had to be forcibly crushed by the combined efforts of the TDF, Royal Marines and the SIS. In the North the Dornalian delegation would see a much gentler side of the Malgravean city, as the high-rise apartments and terraced houses of the main residential sector sat in this area, the gentle flow of the river guiding their eyes towards the location of Aurora, the first city that was settled by the Malgraveans after exodus. In the east the Dornalians would be able to recognise the Government and Cultural Sector, with the Cultural Sector renowned for its use of wide open streets and pedestrianised areas that were now visibly filled with hundreds of thousands of Malgravean citizens celebrating the day of the ancestors, meanwhile the rather paranoid security of the Government Sector was rather stark from this angle, with TDF checkpoints checking every vehicle and individual before they were granted access to the heart of the central government.

When the Dornalians stopped looking out of the window they’d be greeted with the main attraction of the room, and the reason that Nadzieja had claimed that it was an incredible privilege to be granted access to the top floor. In the middle of the room stood an incredibly ornate chair, with the ancient symbols dotted around possibly reminding the Dornalians of similar patterns they had seen in the ASG centre itself and all around Malgrave, but the real special aspect about the chair was the two gel-filled sacs situated on each armrest that apparently formed a type of control interface.

Nadzieja softly bowed towards the chair before lightly coughing and turning to face the Dornalians, the Malgravean had only been permitted to visit the room once in the build-up to Ancestor Day and she was still quite visibly pleased about being given the honour to conduct this section of the foreign tour, “We are currently standing inside the Ancestral Recognition and Control Centre. It’s used to confirm that the selected heir of the Malgravean throne has a strong enough connection to the Ancients to lead the Malgravean people, sadly it’s power requirements mean that it can only be activated for short bursts of time but it’s sheer presence is enough to bolster spirits during hard times,” Nadzieja said still beaming with pride, “In fact it was nearly lost to the Malgravean people during our forced exodus from our former homeland, but several thousand brave volunteers formed a defensive line against the foreign bar...soldiers until the artefact could be safely recovered by members of the ASG.”

by **Upper Cantemir** » Fri Aug 17, 2018 1:11 am

Hereditary Princess Nicoleta listened intently, nodding along as the defense minister explained some of the details of gender dynamics in Malgrave. Nicoleta thought of her sister Iouliana, internally noting how envious the strong-willed Princess would be of a nation where women could serve at all in the military. "Most interesting..." Nicoleta noted ponderously, "perhaps we have more to learn from the Malgravean nation than just your ancestors." After Nicoleta seemed satisfied, the rest of the group slowly massed at the elevator. All stared warily at the doors, except the Hereditary Princess who was able to contain her deep concern under a constant august presence.

Almost to distract himself from the frightening moving room before them, the Foreign Councillor cleared his throat. "You mentioned earlier, Defense Minister, there were historical events that impacted your catalogue?"

by **Allanea** » Sat Aug 25, 2018 8:09 am

She rode proudly. Here, among the Malgraveans, she chose not her silvery dress of the Queen of Allanea, but an outfit for which here she was better known – the working suit of a thaumaturgic-archaeologist, black and covered with dozens of pockets. A small, black leather bag hung at her right hip that would no doubt hold a variety of tools, such as a woman that was both archaeologist and Dark Wizard was expected to carry, and at her hip was a sword, in this case less a weapon than a badge of honor – not so much as Queen and Empress, but as Freewoman. Her mount, too, was a reminder not of her station as Queen, but that of an archmagi, for it was a Nightmare – a black, demonic steed, its hooves seeming to blaze fire, and flame emerging from its mouth as it breathed. An elegant gold circlet upon her brow was the sole reminder that Cassiopeia Blaken-Kazansky was not merely here as a scientist, but as a representative of the nation and the alliance that she lead.

The Malgraveans and the Allaneans – and, more importantly, the Malgraveans and Cassiopeia, specifically – have had a relationship lasting year. Sometimes there had been misunderstandings and deception, but othertimes there had also been genuine mutual assistance. Cassiopeia had met quite a few Malgraveans – some as talented students, others as less-than-talented students, yet others as diplomats. She was fond of the Malgravean people, in fact, even though there were quite a few differences of culture and politics that formed between them and the Allaneans and unbridgeable gap. Their passion for science and knowledge, and their capability to dedicate themselves to intellectual pursuits and work meticulously on them for years remained, to Cassiopeia, an admirable quality.

This, and the knowledge that the Dornalians would be here, made the event attractive for Cassiopeia, and of course she would have to attend. As ever, she had multiple plans for that visit… but of course such was her nature.

Ancestor Day (Semi-Closed, IC)

Ancestor Day (Semi-Closed, IC)

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