Zagra Free Trade Summit (IC/TG to Enter)

[Leriya]

Zagra, Capital Province, Leriya

The capital city of Leriya was the breathtaking city of Zagra, a small place of only 15,000 or so people. What it lacked in number of people—though despite its small size, it was still among the largest settlements in the largely rural commonwealth of two million people— it made up for in beauty. Zagra was nestled on the smooth curved shore of Seritai Lake in the lush green valley of the vaster Seritai Crater which both formed almost perfect circles, lined with mountains. On the north shore opposite of the city rose the holy and soaring Mount Saa, the snow cap tallest peak in the nation. Clad in white imported marble, Zagra had been designed by Deritain architects to look like a sparkling utopian city with wide avenues and tree lined boulevards with uniformly styled chateausque buildings, some with with Narumadan style finistrations and indigo onion domes along with power washed white walls. The entire city, a grand vanity project of the king, had cost a vast fortune, and had taken some twenty years to complete. But most agreed that the end result was well worth it.

Just outside of the crescent shaped city sat the only airport in the commonwealth, used almost exclusively by the government. It was from here that arriving delegates for the Free Trade Summit being hosted at the House of Parliament of Leriya were picked up in horse drawn carriages and transported to. The grand ornate white Parliament of Leriya was lined with gardens and fountains, its crystal windows gleaming in the bright hot Leriyan sun, its soaring blue tiled roof rising regally. On a more human scale members of Parliament, guards in crisp white and blue ceremonial uniforms in the traditional Leriyan style, flanked the marble steps that lead up to the House of Parliament, upon which stood King Jarratos, waiting to greet the arriving delegations himself.

King Jarratos, though the commonwealth valued community, cooperation and unity, and even had a parliament, was in fact the ultimate absolute authority in Leriya. At 178 cm (~5’9”) King Jarratos was tall by Leriyan standards. He was an elderly man, nearing his 70th year and had already marked his 21st year on the throne. He had brown skin not unlike the coffee grown by his citizens and exported abroad. His hair had turned gray, though he had a visage of what had been a handsome young and had aged well enough. The King wore an Leriyan oba suite, wearing a white fipari and white stockings, blue loafers, along with a mandarin collar kanzu jacket and shirt in complementary shades of blue with silver buttons and a blue kufi hat on his head. A heavy silver state ring gleamed on the King’s finger.

[Turanda]

Adisa Oringo was surprised and charmed by the riding on a horse drawn carriage through the streets of the Leriyan capital. Oringo and his diplomatic corps was still trying to learn more about their lone eastern neighbor and so far the friendly kingdom seemed mysterious to them. The Leriyans, known almost entirely only through the increased trade between them and the rest of the world via the Turandan capital and port of Bendas now that Turanda was at peace and was rebuilding, came off as almost mythic, like some strange paradise or garden of eden. And the style of the Leriyan capital only reinforced that view for the head of the Turandan Provisional Government.

Oringo, a military man in his fifties had reluctantly taken the reigns of governance in Turanda following the ousting of Fayola Obasey. Oringo, who had stayed loyal to Obasey till the very end had been selected to govern the interim administration particularly because of his neutrality and loyalty to the government. He’s first actions had been to end the war with Caraintos, fearing a looming disaster while they could still get out ahead. Oringo’s view had been more than proven right when less than a month later the overwhelming forces that had prepared to assault Turanda turned their attention to Hantuonia.,

Finally at peace, Oringo’s main focus has been on forming a sensible and stable government for Turanda and planning elections that were set to take place in two months, elections that he himself had no intention of running in, as he already wished to retire from the world of politics. If he could oversee a smooth transition into a competent democratic state then he would consider his work a success. Domestic issues, Oringo knew, was not the only thing he need concerns himself with. Obasey’s war with Caraintos had reduced Turanda’s international standing and political capital, so Oringo was focused on rebuilding that, and with economic focused Leriya, with trade between and through Bendas so vital, he saw a great opportunity for both their nations.

Oringo climbed the steps and bowed to King Jarratos.

“Your Majesty, I am Adisa Oringo, Provisional Leader of Turanda. It is a pleasure and honor to meet you.”

[Leriya]

King Jarratos returned Mr. Oringo’s bow to him with one of his own, though his was much smaller, much slighter. The Turandans were Leriya’s most important neighbors, as they shared a long land border and it was through them that his own nation was connected to the rest of the world, specifically to the international maritime market place through which most the the continent’s economy thrived on. Thus it was vitally important that that connection was strengthened, protected and enlarged so that Leriya’s exports and imports could flow unmolested.

Thus Turandan-Leriyan relations were particularly valued in that regard of the former being the later’s gateway. Of course that didn’t negate the importance of the other nations with whom Leriya kept up trade relations. But the key points and paths of commerce were o great importance to the King of Leriya and his nation’s interests.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Oringo. Welcome to Leriya. It is a great pleasure to have you here and very much look forward to us working together to bring economic prosperity to both of our nations.”

[Turanda]

Oringo nodes his head as he listened to the King speak. The pleasantries of diplomacy were still rather new to him and had a very different from the type of dialogue that he was used to with the military. Even domestically one of the things that Oringo had found he disdained most about politics and had thus far played no small part in his desire to retire once the first elections happened in the coming months was the long and fairly dull way in which politicians spoke. He was all for respect, and he believed that important. What he didn’t see was the way that politics meant one had to speak in strange vapid ways.

“Indeed,” said Oringo. “The connection between Zagra and Bendas stands to serve both of our capitals to be an opportunity of economic boom for both of our nations. Increasing our capacity for storing and shipping goods will be very important in the coming future.”

The cementing of Bendas as being a important port was key for the Turandans, particularly after seeing the city at the mercy of the Great Hyrukian stealth subs, which had pushed the nation onto the brink of starvation as they had been able to export or receive imports of any goods. However with the Hyrukians and themselves at peace and the former not more occupied in blockading they Hantuonians, the Turandans had more breathing room now to improve and build up Bendas to once more be a great port, perhaps even one of the greatest ports, feed by the trade of the Leriyans.

[Leriya]

King Jarratos nodded his head in agreement. He had thought extensively about the benefits of trade between their two nations. He had come to conclusion, much like how he had seen that for his capital to be the best that it could be he had to dig up things in order to lay the groundwork for the future, despite the costs that may accumulate.

“That is precisely something that I wished to speak with you Mr. Oringo, the increasing of the capacity of trade and shipping both between and through our two nations. As you know, Leriya has no direct connection to the sea and as such any shipments in or out of Leriya have to go through Turanda, specifically through the port of Bendas.”

This was a fact that was of great vital importance to the King and the wider commonwealth as it meant that Bendas in a way was considered a point of great interest. They had to do what they could in order to protect it and treat it as an unofficial extension of themselves.

“I would like to propose the construction of an extensive rail line from Zagra to Bendas to connect our capitals better.”

[Nemidia]

Zagra, Leryia

Emperor Minixus Kaenid walked up the steps of the palace with a smile on his face, however it hid the careful thoughts running through his mind. This was an exceedingly important conference, that if he cultivated carefully, would be an important step both for Nemidia, and the other nations that would be involved. The Emperor had seen the talks as an opportunity to lay the foundation for a trade organization that would bring the continent, and eventually, the world together, however, that would be farther down the road, he had to focus on the here and now, if he made an error now, it would all be for nothing.

He had in one hand a leather suitcase, containing various documents and data sheets, while the other he held his cane, which clicked against the marble stairs with each movement.

He reached the top and gave a slight bow and said “King Jarratos of Leriya, and Adisa Oringo of Turanda, it is a pleasure to meet you both.”

[Leriya]

King Jarratos repeated his offer of a small bow to the Emperor of Nemidia, a polite smile on his lips. The Nemidians had thus far proven to be good trade partners and a potential gateway to even larger economic forces in the far west of the continent. Nemidian cotton had quickly become useful in the manufacturing of the Leriyan textile industry and given rise to cheaper versions of the high fashions of Narumada.

“It is a pleasure to have you here Emperor Minixus of Nemidia. Thank you for make such a long journey to our little slice of the continent.”