The Democratika RP Server

[Candanadium]

Nuuk, Greenland

Tobias von Magnar climbed the steps to the makeshift stage built in the city centre. He looked uncertainly to the Marine sergeant behind him, who gave him a reassuring nod. The Candanadiumian flag waving behind him loomed over the square, casting a shadow down at the crowd assembled below. They had arrived in Nuuk three days prior, on a official Candanadiumian plane. This was his first diplomatic assignment, and if this goes well, he was promised a comfortable position as ambassador to Cottonlay, a small nation down south. Just a few more days of this freezing weather, and then I'll be down south, enjoying the warm sun of Auburm, he thought to himself as he approached the podium, cleared his throat, and began to speak.

"People of Greenland! For too long, all you have known was instability, lack of government, and freezing weather. For too long, you have lacked a voice on the international stage. And for too long have you been ignored by the world. Today, that will all change. We, the Kingdom of Candanadium, offer you a place within our glorious nation. No more shall you freeze and starve, for we will give you prosperity and peace. Our armed forces shall protect you from threats, both external and internal. Candanadiumian coal will heat Greenlandic homes, Candanadiumian electricity shall light the cities and towns of Greenland, and Candanadiumian power shall defend Greenland, now and always. All we ask is that you join our glorious Kingdom as our fifth province, and all of this will be given to you for eternity. What do you say to this? Will you choose peace, prosperity, and full bellies? Will you join us on the world stage? Will you stand by our side, now and always? Good people of Greenland, we are the true north, and The True North shall remain Strong and Free!"

His last words were drowned out by the applause and cheers of the crowd. Tobias let out a sigh of relief. Now the hard part's over, he thought as the national anthem blared out from a loudspeaker.

Tobias was trying to finish writing his report on the event when an email came in.

Tobias,

The Greenlandic local council has accepted our offer to join Candanadium, but the Chancellor has just told me of a promise he made to the President of Greater Canada. The northeastern region of Greenland will become a Greater Canadian territory, in exchange for Guantanamo Bay becoming a Candanadiumian territory. I know you didn't mention this in your speech, but we'll send someone else to smooth that over. You did well, though. That speech was all over the news. Your plane to Cottonlay leaves on the 29th, the same day the conference in Iqaluit is supposed to leave. Enjoy Nuuk while you still can, we'll send your things down to Auburm before you get there.

Regards,
The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Ethan Wagner

[Montgomere]

To the leader of Montgomere,
The country of Cottonlay wishes to open embassies with your nation and start relations for the benefit of both our countries people, to trade and to become allies. The president of Cottonlay wishes to befriend your nation so that we could both protect against world threats and to bring the two neighboring nations closer, if you are interested please send a letter back
Sincerely President Richard D Marshall

Dear, President Richard D Marshall,
The nation of Montgomere accepts your offer, being that we both have things to trade. I promise that my nation will keep threats away from you, and that my nation would be glad to make embassies with yours. Even though I have an ally already (Ebrilond), I would be glad to let you in. However, you are small, and lack resources, so I would be more than glad to give Idaho over sometime in the future.
Sincerely, President Samuel R James

[Candanadium]

New Konigstadt, Candanadiumian Capital Region

Maxime Bernier looked down at the stack of papers he had on his desk. This business over the annexation of Greenland had driven him crazy, with reports and memos flying in. The people of Greenland had taken this matter surprisingly well, and now that Candanadium had begun its first food and resource shipments to Greenland, the people were ecstatic. He still had to plan out the upcoming conference with the President of Cottonlay and write a letter to the Jazadoans, confirming and alliance and inviting them over to New Konigstadt to hold talks. He sighed, and picked up the telephone.

"Yes, Mr. Chancellor?" His secretary answered immediately.

"Has the report from Nuuk come in yet?" He demanded. The envoy he had sent to Nuuk was Prince Tobias, the King's own cousin.

"Yes, I believe it has. I'll have it printed off for you. Sir, calls have come in from the Amurrian and Sudardesian ambassadors. They have expressed that their nations fully recognize our, ah, sovereignty over Greenland, and the referendum results have come in. 77.8% of the population has voted for Greenland becoming a province of Candanadium."

"Good. That will be all for now."

He breathed out a sigh of relief. You'd think I'd be used to this after two years in office, he thought. Bernier picked up a pen, grabbed a piece of official stationary, and began to write.

To His Majesty, the Emperor Liu Kang of Jazado, the Jade Dragon, Defender of Jazado, and Ruler of the Middle Kingdom,

I offer you my warmest greetings. Jazado and Candanadium are bound by blood, if not by pledge. I aim to change that. My kinsmen, I invite you to visit the True North in order to sign a formal alliance between our two brotherly nations. I would also like to discuss the possibility of a trade agreement, as well as a mutual shared currency for imports and exports. I am looking forward to meeting you in person.

Signed,
Richard of House Magnar, the First of his Name, King of Candanadium, Defender of the Dominion, and Shield of the True North.

He picked up the telephone again.

"Yes, Mr. Chancellor?"

"I have a document that needs His Majesty's signature and seal. Deliver it to him after you've brought me the Nuuk report."

"At once, sir. Anything else?"

"A coffee would be nice."

[Chavakia]

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia:

Another sunny day greeted the citizens on the streets of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital city. The country has seen massive change and growth, following Prime Minister Ajani Tasifa’s rise to the highest position in all of the land.The largest city reflects quite a number of these developments. A number of the shopping centres and local stores around the city have noticeably been a tad more packed, due to increased economic prosperity and job security as brought about by the incumbent government. African Union flags wave along roads large and small, demonstrating Tasifa’s long desire for a community where Africans from across the continent could come together and cooperate, to bring about a better Africa for generations to come. Some houses and even commercial buildings and skyscrapers have chosen to fly the flags themselves, as private individuals and entities, who have embraced this noble ambition of their leader.

However, Ethiopia still faces numerous obstacles and challenges that hinder its potential of becoming a world leader and a fully-developed nation. Hence, the Prime Minister himself has called for cabinet meetings to address the issues found in the present day. One solution they deemed fit to pursue was the strengthening of international relations with countries beyond Africa. This troubled a few cabinet ministers, but Tasifa himself being the optimistic man that he is reassured them of the many benefits that could come out of collaborating on a larger stage with nations from around the world. With their confidence once again regained, Tasifa requested that Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister, Solomon Chimsa, begin working on this task with great immediacy for the benefit of the land and its people. Minister Chimsa and his team of some of the finest diplomats of Ethiopia, after a great amount of work and effort, put together the administration’s new and improved foreign policy, aimed at showcasing the country’s culture and diplomacy in every continent. One of the first items on their agenda is the state visits to be held in the capital, for the establishment of formal trade and diplomatic ties that would know no boundaries, with Candanadium as the first ideal country of interest. A letter was drafted to their head of government, and was sent with the official signature and approval of his counterpart in Addis Ababa. It read:

To His Excellency the Leader of Candanadium,

Greetings!

I would like to take this opportunity to extend to you an invitation to an official state visit between our two great sovereign nations in the capital of my homeland, Addis Ababa. On this state visit, we could indeed discuss topics of immense significance and relevance, such as the strengthening of ties, as well as international trade and cooperation. It is my firm belief that through this notable and historic occasion, we could serve and promote the interests of our beloved countries and peoples.

I look forward to your response, and to continued cooperation for the mutual benefit of Ethiopia and Candanadium.

Sincerely,
Ajani Tasifa
Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

[Candanadium]

To His Excellency, Prime Minister Ajani Tasifa of the Fedeal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia,

On behalf of HIs Majesty Richard of House Magnar, First of his Name, King of Candanadium, Defender of the Dominion, and Shield of the True North, I wholeheartedly accept your offer. However, December has been a busy month for Candanadium. There is to be a meeting between myself and the President of Cottonlay on December 27, we have just given Greenland province status within Candanadium, a meeting is to take place between His Majesty King Richard and the Emperor of Jazado soon, and the Greater Canadian president has also been invited to New Konigstadt to discuss foreign affairs.

This is not to say that we do not value the friendship of Ethiopia, quite the contrary. Candanadium believes it is of the utmost importance to maintain good relations with nations of all continents, however, given our current schedules, it does not seem feasible at the moment. We will be more than happy to provide an ambassador to Ethiopia in order to begin diplomatic relations, and a visit could potentially be scheduled for late January of next year.

I am willing to discuss this matter further, so please feel free to contact me is you have any issues or concerns. The ambassador we plan on sending to Addis Ababa will be the Honourable Wilhelm von Eisenschild, a distant cousin to His Majesty, though not of the direct royal line. We hope you will consider our offer, and I sincerely hope that diplomatic relations can begin as soon as possible.

Regards,
The Right Honourable Chancellor of Candanadium,
Maxime Bernier

[Amurria]

To the Esteemed King Richard of House Magnar, King of Candanadium
And His Highness Emperor Xi Huang of Akarea,
Azura bless your pure souls,

In the name of Emperor Yamato of the House of Edo, Guiding light of the Amurrian People,
I propose a state visit to both of you, and a tour of Amurria, in the hopes of establishing an economic union between our nations, and in the case of the United Provinces of Akarea, further discuss our trade deal. The details of the meeting will be discussed individually.

I want to make sure that, should any conflict begin between the nation of Jazado and the Empire of Amurria, your nations will remain neutral, or help us, either directly or indirectly. I await your response and hope we will be able to further discuss these issues.

Signed,
The Prime Minister of the Empire of Amurria,
Honorary Member of the House of Edo,
Asano Isuzu

[Candanadium]

To Her Excellency, Prime Minister Asano Isuzu of the Empire of Amurria,

I, King Richard I von Magnar, would like to remind Amurria of the blood ties between the Kingdom of Candanadium and the People's Republic of Jazado. We will never take up arms against our kin, however, we will also not violate our agreement with the Empire of Amurria. That being said, if conflict does break out between Amurria and Jazado, Candanadium shall stay neutral, although Candanadiumian citizens will be free to join foreign legions on either side of the conflict. However, if Jazado is engaged in conflict with any other nation, honour and blood ties compel Candanadium to fight alongside Jazado when called upon.

This does not mean that Candanadium does not value Amurria's friendship. If Amurria finds it attacked by any nation except Jazado and/or other allies of Candanadium, we will be glad to join the fight when necessary. I also accept your offer to visit Amurria, though this visit may have to be pushed back until mid-late January. I hope you will understand, and please give my regards to His Majesty, the Emperor Yamato.

Signed,
Richard of the Houses Magnar and Liu, First of his Name, King of Candanadium, Defender of the Dominion, and Shield of the True North.

[Jazado]

New Konigstadt, Canadium, December 28th

The emperor had finally arrived in Canadium, it was colder than expected. Snow pilled up to almost three feet high but the Canadiumians seemed more than capable when tasked with shoveling snow. Escorted by his personal guard whilst accompanied by his Minister of Defense Zhangfei and one of his head of commerce Joseph Steinberg, a Jew. Arriving in the house of commons he greeted the King Richard of Magnar and his wife, his kinswoman. They walked and as they walked, they talked and were greeted by Maxime Bernier who was more than eager to discus a trade deal and form an alliance.

It was grand, the meeting, representatives from both sides shook hands and exchanged ideas, then not long after the talks began. Both parties seated on a long table facing one another, the Emperor gave his terms.

“An alliance would be the best of our interests after all we are kinsmen, now onto the trade deal, we propose a fiat currency that is to be used by both our nations in international trade, goods such as weapons and ammunition and so forth will be traded with it.” He proposed,

“Oh, and don’t forget about Amurria, with them well… you just have to be careful with them. The Amurrians are our enemies at the very least but we would very much prefer it if you didn’t aid Amurria the conflicts in East Asia are not yet of your concerns.” Added Joseph who always suspected the worst from all peoples but never actually seemed to show it.

“So what do you say? Do we make this a deal or do you have something to add?” Concluded Liu Kang.

An eerie silence fell upon the room, the Canadium representatives didn’t seem to have anything on their minds, in fact all of them were silent. Their opinions were displayed by their facial expression and yet none of them said anything. One question plagued Joseph, where were the Sudardesians? He had recalled them agreeing to be here and yet none had arrived, strange but he had been through stranger situations than this. Then the snow began to fall and time passed like dust in the wind. What would be their answer? And will the Sudardesians arrive? No one knew but the Canadiumians and Sudardesians and so they waited.

[Cottonlay]

the summit will be canceled due to recent events in Cottonlay, the President will not be able to attend. This is disappointing and the President truly did look forward to visiting. The Cottonlay President will be unable to attend any foreign events for the next couple days, he is focusing on issues in the nation and be done in a short period of time. Sorry for the inconvenience
-Cottonlay minister of foreign affairs

[Candanadium]

New Konigstadt, Canadium, December 28th

The emperor had finally arrived in Canadium, it was colder than expected. Snow pilled up to almost three feet high but the Canadiumians seemed more than capable when tasked with shoveling snow. Escorted by his personal guard whilst accompanied by his Minister of Defense Zhangfei and one of his head of commerce Joseph Steinberg, a Jew. Arriving in the house of commons he greeted the King Richard of Magnar and his wife, his kinswoman. They walked and as they walked, they talked and were greeted by Maxime Bernier who was more than eager to discus a trade deal and form an alliance.

It was grand, the meeting, representatives from both sides shook hands and exchanged ideas, then not long after the talks began. Both parties seated on a long table facing one another, the Emperor gave his terms.

“An alliance would be the best of our interests after all we are kinsmen, now onto the trade deal, we propose a fiat currency that is to be used by both our nations in international trade, goods such as weapons and ammunition and so forth will be traded with it.” He proposed,

“Oh, and don’t forget about Amurria, with them well… you just have to be careful with them. The Amurrians are our enemies at the very least but we would very much prefer it if you didn’t aid Amurria the conflicts in East Asia are not yet of your concerns.” Added Joseph who always suspected the worst from all peoples but never actually seemed to show it.

“So what do you say? Do we make this a deal or do you have something to add?” Concluded Liu Kang.

An eerie silence fell upon the room, the Canadium representatives didn’t seem to have anything on their minds, in fact all of them were silent. Their opinions were displayed by their facial expression and yet none of them said anything. One question plagued Joseph, where were the Sudardesians? He had recalled them agreeing to be here and yet none had arrived, strange but he had been through stranger situations than this. Then the snow began to fall and time passed like dust in the wind. What would be their answer? And will the Sudardesians arrive? No one knew but the Canadiumians and Sudardesians and so they waited.

(OOC: It's spelled Candanadium, quite a mouthful, I know, but please get it right.)

[Candanadium]

The Privy Council chamber had fallen eerily silent. Ethan Wagner glanced over at the Chancellor's face, which showed absolutely nothing. He was unsure what to do. They had not been expecting the Jazadoans to address the issue of Amurria so soon. All eyes were on him, and he struggled to find something to say.

"As Minister of Foreign Affairs, I can assure you that Candanadium will never take up arms against Jazado. We are not a large nation, as you may have noticed, and it is important to us to maintain good relations with all potentially hostile nations. We simply cannot risk angering the Amurrians when they hold such a domineering presence in East Asia." He blurted out. The King seemed to approve however, and reached into his pocket to draw something out.

"This is a copy of a letter I sent to the Amurrians just a few days ago. You can read it and judge for yourself." The King said, passing the letter over to Steinberg, who had brought up the whole issue regarding Amurria.

To Her Excellency, Prime Minister Asano Isuzu of the Empire of Amurria,

I, King Richard I von Magnar, would like to remind Amurria of the blood ties between the Kingdom of Candanadium and the People's Republic of Jazado. We will never take up arms against our kin, however, we will also not violate our agreement with the Empire of Amurria. That being said, if conflict does break out between Amurria and Jazado, Candanadium shall stay neutral, although Candanadiumian citizens will be free to join foreign legions on either side of the conflict. However, if Jazado is engaged in conflict with any other nation, honour and blood ties compel Candanadium to fight alongside Jazado when called upon.

This does not mean that Candanadium does not value Amurria's friendship. If Amurria finds it attacked by any nation except Jazado and/or other allies of Candanadium, we will be glad to join the fight when necessary. I also accept your offer to visit Amurria, though this visit may have to be pushed back until mid-late January. I hope you will understand, and please give my regards to His Majesty, the Emperor Yamato.

Signed,
Richard of the Houses Magnar and Liu, First of his Name, King of Candanadium, Defender of the Dominion, and Shield of the True North.

"If you can accept that we will stay neutral if conflict breaks out between you and Amurria, then we certainly have a deal." The Chancellor concluded as the Jazadoans passed the letter around.

"I will draft up an official alliance agreement, and I will notify you when it is ready. In the meantime, we have prepared chambers for you in the Royal Residence. The guards will escort you to your vehicle. Feel free to explore New Konigstadt at will, the city really comes alive during Christmas time." He rose, and shook Steinberg's hand.

"I understand that you wish to discuss certain matters in private?" He asked, as the Jew nodded his agreement.

"You can find me in my office. Ask one of the guards if you're not sure where that is."

"I would be honoured if you would join me at my table tonight. I think we have quite a bit of catching up to do." Said the King, as he left the room. The Chancellor followed him out as the Palace Guards saluted and fell in behind them. The snow was falling again, and New Konigstadt was shrouded in white. I'm going to have to do a lot of shovelling tomorrow, thought Wagner, as he headed down to the main entrance of the Parliament building. An official car with Candanadiumian flags on the hood was waiting for him. A guard held the door open and saluted as he got in.

"To the Royal Residence, sir?" asked the driver.

"Have I been summoned?"

"Yes sir, the King has asked you to dine with the Jazadoan emperor in place of the Chancellor."

"The Royal Residence it is."

[Gilestan]

"Ladies, Gentlemen, and Turtles, I bring you this speech to mark four years since we simple farmers and fisherman have declared independence from the outside world and formed the beautiful nation of Gilestan.
I, Jim Smith, am honoured you picked a humble blacksmith as myself to lead you and am proud to say I feel that I have led us into the world to the best of my ability. Since our founding, our economy is doing tremendously, using our vast beaches and beautiful environment to make us into a budding Tourist hotspot, even if we are considered somewhat behind in technology.

However, I believe that shall not be for much longer, as my trusted government and I have been working tirelessly to implement to the public an outstanding invention I discovered when journeying to a nearby nation known as Great Aeternum.

May I present to you, ELECTRICITY!"

(OOC: Hi! Im here now!)

[Candanadium]

To His Excellency, Jim Smith, Leader of Gilestan,

On behalf of Richard of House Magnar, First of His Name, King of Candanadium, Defender of the Dominion, and Shield of the True North, we, the Kingdom of Candanadium, would like to establish formal diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of Gilestan. We would also like to invite you to visit Candanadium to meet with our Right Honourable Chancellor, Maxime Bernier, to discuss the possibility of a trade agreement. Candanadium can provide technology that Gilestan may need, such as industrial machinery and mining equipment, in return for tropical agricultural products. I hope you will consider our offer, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Signed,
The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Ethan Wagner

[Gilestan]

To His Excellency, Jim Smith, Leader of Gilestan,

On behalf of Richard of House Magnar, First of His Name, King of Candanadium, Defender of the Dominion, and Shield of the True North, we, the Kingdom of Candanadium, would like to establish formal diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of Gilestan. We would also like to invite you to visit Candanadium to meet with our Right Honourable Chancellor, Maxime Bernier, to discuss the possibility of a trade agreement. Candanadium can provide technology that Gilestan may need, such as industrial machinery and mining equipment, in return for tropical agricultural products. I hope you will consider our offer, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Signed,
The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Ethan Wagner

INCOMING TELEGRAM

To his Majesty Richard Magnar STOP Gilestan accepts this request for Diplomatic Relations STOP We would like to request transport for meeting as we don't have the necessary technology for Airplanes STOP Should this go smoothly we have a vast selection of tropical materials to select from STOP
- J.Smith, Gieru, Gilestan STOP

Jim led back from his Typewriter, satisfied with his brief yet conscise reply. While Gilestan has imported technology to some degree such as Nokia phones and Dell computers, Jim still preferred his typewriter, as it seemed much easier to him. Unfortunately this meant he had to rely on his PR manager for information should google be required.

"Chaz! What's the weather like in Candanadium?"

"Snow and Ice. The travel brochure recommends Fur coats and thermal clothing, which I think we have in the back. Also may I suggest taking Dave's bodyguard divison, as while Candanadium seems friendly I would still be wary of other States we are yet to make contact with."

"Thanks! Now what did you mean by 'the back?'"

[Amurria]

To His Highness, Jim Smith, Leader of Gilestan,

In the name of Emperor Yamato of the House of Edo, Guiding light of the Amurrian people,
I propose the establishment of an embassy in your nation's capital. We are looking forward towards future diplomatic relations and the establishment of trade deals for technology and food.
We also propose a state visit, and we invite you to Edo and Kyoto, the cultural centers of our Empire, to experience the Amurrian culture, and further establish diplomatic ties.

Signed,
Prime Minister of the Empire of Amurria,
Honorary member of the House of Edo,
Asano Isuzu

[Candanadium]

INCOMING TELEGRAM

To his Excellency Jim Smith STOP Candanadium shall provide transport for this meeting STOP Please provide longitude and latitude of airfield for pickup STOP Meeting can take place late January or early February STOP Communications shall now be only via telegram STOP Rest will be discussed at meeting STOP Ambassador will be sent to Gieru shortly STOP Will inform you of name of ambassador in further communications STOP
-The Right Honourable Chancellor STOP Maxime Bernier STOP New Konigstadt STOP Candanadium STOP

"Can you remember the last time we got a telegram?" Asked Herman von Magner, the crown prince. He was an intern at the Royal Parliament, on Christmas break from New Konigstadt University. Maxime had taken him under his wing, allowing him to work as one of his secretaries. Herman had been the one who had received the telegram.

"Honestly, Your Highness, I don't." Maxime replied, stuffing the folded telegram into an envelope.

"Please, sir, just call me Herman, or I'll have to address you as 'my lord'." The prince replied, jokingly. Maxime had almost forgotten about the fact that he was given a lordship, back during the reign of William IV von Magnar, the King's father. He had saved another prince, a distant cousin to the King, during his time in the Candanadiumian Defence Forces, while on a training exercise up in the Arctic Circle. The prince had somehow managed to fall through a thin patch of ice into the freezing Arctic Ocean, and the weight of his equipment had dragged him under. It was Maxime who pulled him out and performed CPR on him. King William, being the generous monarch that he was, had risen Maxime to the title of Lord of the Northern Isles. It was an empty title, a tradition carried over from the feudalistic society Candanadium once was, but that had made 20-year-old Master Corporal Maxime Bernier so proud.

Soon after, however, both the King and the prince Maxime saved had perished in a helicopter accident alongside the crown prince, which meant that the crown passed over to the second son, Prince Richard. Richard the Unlikely, some called him.

"Sir? Is everything alright?" the crown prince asked. Maxime was startled, unaware that he had drifted off into thought.

"Hmm? Yeah. I was just remembering the time I spent back in the Forces."

"Must have been quite a tale, considering how you came out with a lordship." The prince had just gotten out of the Marines, after four years of national service. He, like most young men in Candanadium, decided to go in before university, to get it over with before starting their higher education. Some chose to leave it until they finished university, however, for reasons unbeknownst to Maxime.

"Oh, it sure was. I got to know your grandfather, and I saved one of your uncles. It's a shame you never got to know them. Good men, taken too soon." He sighed, as he sealed the telegram with blue wax and stamped it with the Chancellor's seal.

"Take this to the Communications Office. Have it wired to His Excellency, Jim Smith, in Gieru, Gilestan. If they could receive a telegram, they will know how to send it."

"Aye, sir." The prince responded as he snapped off a salute, turned on his heels, and left. Maxime capped his pen, sat back, and closed his eyes in reflection.

[Jazado]

Beijing, 25th December 2018

Cold as always, the streets of Beijing in winter were always covered in ice, but there was never snow. Snow was a big part of winter, it was and now its just cold without snow, but the lack of snow should not darken our spirits in fact it should warm our hearts as the populace wear an excess of clothing. A fun joke always told by Song Cai-He, it seemed like his duty to make jokes and bring laughter to where there was none, always talking and never being able to shut his mouth, Cai-He had made a handful of friends and an equal number of enemies. But what could be expected from a school boy, after all children were just children and no matter what they will always act childishly. The school curriculums were tough and school time was extended by an hour due to the new history and theology courses that were introduced to the schools. ‘A way of giving the people a feeling of heritage and belonging’ that was what history class was about and unlike most people Cai-He found himself more than immersed in his classes.

The stories of the 春秋五霸 was being taught to him and his class and it was the tale of 夫差(Fu Chai) and 勾践(Gou Jian) had inspired him and his class. An Amurrian boy had moved to Beijing recently and it seemed as if he could never shut up, it was like the Amurrians were never taught the art of knowing when to talk and when not to. Alas a boy is just a boy and Amurrians were always full of crap. Always ranting about the Sengoku Jidai, the Amurrian’s noise was drowned out by the cheers of the 战国时代, it was only a matter of time until Cai-He was too tired to bear the nonsensical noises the foolish boy made. It was clear that the Amurrian had no respect for anything and was just looking for trouble.

“Why do we learn about the Chun Qiu Wu Ba and the Zhang Guo Shi Dai?” Asked the Amurrian as he repeated the same line over and over again.

“Because you’re in Jazado, now show some respect.” Answered Cai-He.

“Never! There is no respect to be shown to the Jazadoan!” He Cried.

“Mind what you say, its already a privilege for you to live here.” Answered Cai-He as he began to lose his patience.

“Amurrians are entitled to all of the east! We are not privileged we are under privileged!” Screamed the Amurrian boy.

“That’s only because your government feeds you guys nothing but lies. Your pretender King is nothing compared to our Jade Dragon.” Said Cai-He as his fists slowly clenched together.

“He’s not a pretender! I will fight you Jazadoan dog if I ha…” Cai-He struck the Amurrian in the face knocking him to the ground.

“It seems that no one has ever taught you respect.” Said Cai-He.

“No, but they taught me how to kick ass!” Yelled the Amurrian as he leaped at Cai-He. The Amurrian lay on the ground again but this time with a bleeding nose, he stared at Cai-He his eyes full of ire and hate. Fists clenched together the Amurrian tried to strike Cai-He but it was in vain. Cai-He caught his fist and kicked him in the stomach sending him to the floor once more leaving him on the floor rolling from side to side moaning.

“Is kicking ass getting your ass kicked in Amurrian?” Asked Cai-He before he went to class.

Literature from the 战国时代 (Zhan Guo Shi Dai) was being taught in Literature class. The writings of Confucius were on the board and the teacher made Cai-He and his class repeat them, aside from that old texts from the 春秋 (Chun Qiu) were written out and the class like with Confucius were made to read them out and copy them onto pieces of paper until they memorized them. The 春秋五霸 (Chun Qiu Wu Ba) studied in history class gave insight about the events that occurred in the time and deepened the understanding and meaning of the poetry and ancient texts before Cai-He and his class.

The history teacher of the 二班(Second Class) which was Cai-he’s class always started with a quiz, the best way of learning was to repeat and memorize until you’ve done it all. He stood firm and tall and then called out one of the students.

“武松！春秋五霸是谁! (Wusong! Name me the Chun Qiu Wu Ba now!)” He roared.

“齐桓公！晋文公！宋襄公！秦穆公！和楚庄王！ (Ji Huan Gong! Jin Wen Gong! Song Xiang Gong! Qin Mu Gong! And Chu Zhuang Wang!)” Replied Wusong.

“很好，你们应该从他学习，学生们打开课本反到第67页我们今天要学习楚庄王. (Very good, all of you should learn from him, students open your textbooks and turn to page 67 today we will be studying the Chu Zhuang Wang.)” Said the teacher.

Class dragged on as usual and slowly the hours passed, and the class came to an end. The students walked out in an orderly fashion making their way to their next class, chatting as they walked each one of them found their way to class and attended another lesson one that was long and had the hours dragged out long as usual.

When school had ended Cai-He made his way to the bus, there he waited as always. In winter the days were short, and the weather was cold, always, he sat on the same metal bench staring into the distance and thinking to himself. The bus had arrived and he climbed on with the other students who were more than eager to return home, everyone was, after a long day of school everyone was always eager to return home for some rest but always they were given work to finish at home and chores by their parents, work always came first and it seemed to have taken up most of their time.

On the bus Cai-He found himself staring out the window, watching as people and different shops and stalls and buildings passed out of sight, their colours all blended into one, not quite a piece of art but it did make him think. Then his friend Wusong from history had started to talk,

“D’you hear about the terror attack in Manchuria? Shits going south for the Amurrians.” He said.

“Yeah I heard, other than that I think the trade talks with the Candanadiumians is the only other thing that’s going on.” Replied Cai-He

“No, the Kempeitai had recently abducted an Akarean teaching I think.” Added Wusong

“The Kempeitai is a joke come on, Amurria just wants to show off their secret services. You know why you never hear about what the CIB does? Because they do it without any of you knowing, that’s how you know Jazadoan agencies are better.” Countered Cai-He.

“True but sooner or later something’s gonna be revealed.”

“Yeah, lets just hope its later rather than sooner.”

Cai-He had finally arrived at his home, dropping his school items on the couch he had proceeded to read a book, the The 1001 Nights of the Western Sands a tale known to all but many didn’t know the details. He found the story of the Two Huntsmen most intriguing as the topic of Hellenic and Pagan gods clashed and always wondered how the lowly and mortal could slay the divine and godly, the book was for a time only available in Jazado but recently after being translated into twelve different languages been available in all stores. Rereading it he stumbled upon one of his favourite poems in the book it read,

Oh, to thee, can you not hear its calling?
Its lure and temptation? dose it not elude you?
Oh, the Feigned Hunter, the valiant and strong
Determined with adamant will. Where has he gone?
One who was carried off by the hunt
With others sent the same way, never to return.
A gray wolf, a white stag, an ancient bird
All of which hath shared their deaths with man
Memories of them fly through the mind
Passing away as if they had never been.
Man of the wild lost in his own ambition
The wolf will forever o’er whelm you
The Stag will always elude you
And no arrow you shoot will ever scathe the bird.
More will follow in your steps until the hunt
At long last is finally over, come to an end.

A poem written about the hunt, after he had finished Cai-He turned and stared out the window, gazing at the dark sky with its countless stars. The moon lay in the center above and lit up the city. The time for prosperity in Jazado would begin and they would share it with its people and everyone would know.

[Amurria]

Imperial Academy of Applied Sciences, Sapporo, Empire ofAmurria, 28th December 2018 CE, 2678 IY

"Thank you for coming with us, we have a few questions to ask, if you do not mind." asked Sakiri.

"Of course, ask away." said the Akarean teacher trying to look calm.

They were in the High School Complex's principal office, the door was guarded by a soldier from the Mitsurugi-Antanova Zaibatsu, who wore on his shoulder the badge of the Imperial Mainland Self-Defence Force. The blinds were shut, and on the table there was a list of all of the teacher's students.

"First, are you part of any political party, sir?"

"Yes, I am a member of the Democratic Party."

"Do you take part in any protests, rallies, or any such activity?" The principal asked the teacher as he noted the answers on a paper.

"Yes, I took part in the 2005 Students' Protests."

"We know, those protests are what made the education system what it is today. Most of the teachers took part in them. But I mean recently."

"Yeah, I did take part in a rally to protect the Chinese in the city from being evicted from their homes."

"Who organized the rally?" Asked Sakiri immediately.

"Some Jazadoan immigrant I think, I do not know his name. He told us the government will evict hundreds of Chinese residents to build a new park."

"So you consider the Chinese equal to Amurrians?"

"Yes." the teacher said firmly.

"Do you have any idea how they treat our kind in mainland Asia? Do you have any idea how they have killed our kind cold-blooded in 1986? They deserve nothing but a bullet to their head!" The principal stood up and almost began shouting.

"Sir, I ask you to please calm down." Said Sakiri. "While it's true the Chinese are traitors who cannot exist without screwing us, or Asia over, there are good people too. Although rare, they do exist. So, please tell us, do you have any Chinese students in your class?" He asked while looking at the teacher.

"No, sir. I have Russians, Koreans, even Germans, but not Chinese."

"Good. I am sorry if I took from your personal or school time. But understand that the integrity of the Empire is at stake."

"I understand."

"Everything we talked about here will remain secret, yes? If you tell any of this to anybody you will be arrested."

"I know. May I go now?" asked the teacher.

"Yes, have a nice day sir!" replied Sakiri, as he left the office, headed towards his car in the parking lot. On it's windshield there was a small note saying:

Freezing wintertime
A great, emperor prepares
enjoying his wife,
In the Ancient Empire,
Readying for a Grand war.

From this poem he knew he had to be wary of any Chinese he met.

[Candanadium]

New Konigstadt, Candanadiumian Capital Region (CCR), Kingdom of Candanadium
(OOC: Everyone’s doing life snapshots so here I am)

Mark walked down the steps of the U-Bahn station entrance, his backpack heavy on his shoulders. School had started up again, after a two week long hiatus. The day had been grueling and tiresome, with the looming pressure of General Education Diploma mocks in January. He was in his third and final year of high school at the Royal Maple District High School, in the uptown area of New Konigstadt. As he approached the entrance, he pulled out his wallet to retrieve his U-Bahn card.

Crap, he thought. It’s not here. He must have forgotten to put it back in his wallet after he had charged it with fifty marks this morning. Frustrated, he dug around in his wallet and fished out an old 10-mark bill. He walked over to the ticket counter and handed it over.

“Guten Tag, can I get a ticket to Brimstatt Heights?”

“Four marks and fifty cents, would you like your change in notes or coins?”

“Coins, please.” Mark loved collecting coins. He had made a little bit of money off the side, from selling parts of his coin collection when he needed to. The cashier passed over a one-mark coin and a pair of two-mark coins, along with two quarters. The one-marker was recent, from 1997, the last year of King William IV von Magnar’s reign. It depicted him, bearded and unsmiling on the front. The quarters were also relatively plain and unremarkable, but one of the two-mark coins was from 1952. On the back was the three maple leaves and crown of Candanadium instead of the usual polar bear, like all coins minted on a Coronation Day. On the front was King Herman II von Magnar, the current king’s grandfather.

A fine addition to my collection, he thought as he shoved the coins in his pocket. He swiped the ticket at the turnstiles and rushed down the steps to catch the train, which had just arrived. Mark managed to squeeze between the doors just in time, and he sighed with relief as he found a seat and sat down.

The computerized voice on the announcements was droning on, as he saw two uniformed policemen make their way through the train carriage, checking IDs as they went. This is new, thought he. He tried to catch what the computerized voice was saying, but it had switched to German, the other official language of Candanadium.

“…ist Konigshaus Allee. Bitte bleiben sie in deinen-” The voice was suddenly cut off by another.

“Guten Tag, ID please.” One of the officers said as he stood over Mark. He fumbled with his wallet and pulled out his school ID card. The officer read the name aloud to his companion, who was armed with a clipboard.

“Steinhauser, Markus. Place of birth, Old Konigstadt, West Nunavut. Place of residence, New Konigstadt, CCR.”

The officer handed his school ID back.

“Danke schön.” He moved on to the person beside Mark. This was new, they hadn’t bothered with checking IDs this morning. He knew the Jazadoan emperor was in town, but they had never been this tight with security. Down the train he could see another pair of officers escorting an Akarean or Amurrian looking man off the train.

“This is turning out to be a very unusual day.” Mark muttered. He pulled out his phone to try to check the news for any international incidents, but there was no signal in the U-Bahn tunnels. He glanced up at the U-Bahn map, and suddenly realized that they had just left the area of the Royal Residence, the station marked Konigshaus Drive. The Jazadoans were there, meeting with the king, but they had been here for a few days now. Why had they suddenly jumped up the security? He would find out when he got home, Mark decided. There were a few more stations left until Brimstatt Heights, so he pulled out his headphones and plugged them in.

As Markus was exiting the station his phone buzzed with a text from his mom. Working late tonight, Dad will be home before me, it read. Get dinner at the Green Chicken. The Green Chicken was a Jazadoan restaurant near their house that everyone frequented, being the only one in the area. It was across the street from the U-Bahn exit, looking as dilapidated as ever, with its grubby windows and dirty neon sign. An old Jazadoan flag was hanging from the roof alongside a newer Candanadiumian flag, both draped in a fresh layer of snow. A bell went off as Markus opened the door, the delicious smells of fried rice and soy sauce wafting through the air. The waiter, Sun-Yao spotted him, and gave him a wave.

“Ah, Markus. The usual?”

“The usual.” The usual was a bowl of Beijing-style Zha Jiang Mian, or cold noodles with minced meat sauce, served with a steaming mug of Hong Kong-style milk tea.

“Twelve marks.” Sun-Yao said, bringing over the milk tea. Mark gave him a twenty-mark bill.

“Make it fifteen. Change in coins, please.” The waiter gave him a smile as he went off to get the change. Mark looked up at the TV, which was on the local news channel, New Konigstadt 24. A blonde reporter looked concerned as she delivered the news.

“Tensions are high between Amurria and Jazado, with violent protests happening in cities such as Beijing, Sapporo, and even the Amurrian capital of Edo. A government spokesperson expressed yesterday that Candanadium shall stay neutral if any conflict does break out.” The blonde reporter was replaced with a grim bureaucrat, addressing a crowd of microphones behind a podium with the royal seal.

“We have come to an understanding that we shall not get involved in Amurria and Jazado do happen to go to war. The king himself is half Jazadoan, and we rely on Amurrian imports to keep the economy alive. It is simply not feasible for us to choose a side.” The blonde reporter returned.

“The chancellor has ordered extra security measures for anybody passing by the Royal Residence, including ID checks and metal detector scans.” That explained the officers on the train.

“…a terrorist attack in Manchuria, which many in Amurria believe to be the work of…” the reporter droned on. Mark’s food arrived, and he dug in eagerly. Between bites of noodles he managed to catch a bit more.

“The Jade Dragon himself has not yet made an official statement, but it is expected he will soon. The king addressed reporters just yesterday, speaking about the recent hike in security.” The king appeared on the screen, in the uniform of the Candanadium Defence Forces.

“The Emperor Liu Kang of Jazado is my honoured guest and my cousin by birth. It is in the best interests of both parties to increase security, as New Konigstadt is home to many Amurrian and Jazadoan immigrants and diplomats. No harm should come to the Jazadoan emperor, nor any of his advisors and travelling companions.” Sun-Yao arrived with the change.

“These Amurrians really are crazy, eh?” He quipped. Mark grinned.

“I’m supposed to stay neutral.”

[Ebrilond]

Voided.

[Amurria]

Imperial Palace, Edo, Empire of Amurria, 31st December 2018 CE, 2678 IY

The Emperor and the Prime Minister were walking the halls of the Imperial Palace, talking about the recent events and other common stuff, when a messenger came running towards them, shouting:

"Your Highness, we have received news from the Southern Nation, Ebrilond!"

They looked at the poor man as he was taking a deep breath, before asking him:

"What happened?"

"A coup d'etat!" He shouted, the sound of his voice echoing in the long, marble covered hall. "They executed their Royal Family, and the President! They said they wanted reforms, and executed the President on public television! The Imperial Navy's 3rd Pacific Fleet is still in Ebrilond's port, and our garrison is awaiting orders inside the military bases!"

"Thank you for informing us, now go rest, you're dismissed for the rest of the day." Jax told the messenger.

"Yes, Your Highness."

As the messenger slowly went away, Jax and Isuzu resumed their talks, but began slowly debating the subject at hand, the instability in Ebrilond. Being a big nation in the Pacific, which also offers an opening to the Indian Ocean, it is of great importance for the Empire and it's interests. Losing such an ally would mean the ruining of the Empire's plans for a secure Pacific. Thus they needed to do anything to prevent Ebrilond from leaving their alliance.

"We should keep our army in stand-by mode, but have them be ready in case we need to restore order to their nation." began Isuzu. "Maybe pressure the revolutionary government into accepting our terms and restoring the old government, otherwise we would intervene militarily."

"That would be an idea, but what government will we restore, if most of it is already executed?" replied Jax. "We could install a puppet government, but that would be seen as an act of aggression by the Sudardesians and Jazadoans, who would spare no moment to condemn us. Thus we must use a covert way to install a pro-Amurrian government. Maybe we could use the Cult."

"That would definitely be a way of doing it, but let's have them on stand by too. In case the revolutionaries do not accept or agree to our demands, we'll use the Cult, combined with the military. Otherwise, we will call our other allies to send armies too in order to establish order within the Ebrilond nation."

"Sounds good, we should send this decision to the Shogun, and see what will happen in the future." decided Jax. "Speaking of the Shogun, I'm quite surprised that despite you being the Shogun's sister, no one cared that you ran for Prime Minister. Compared to other, foreign democracies, our democracy is truly just." he said with a grin on his face.

"Yeah, here it does not matter whether you're a noble or not, as long as you can respect the law, you can run for office. That's one good thing about our democratic system."

"Officially, you are not her sister though. So I guess they did not know the blood connection, after all, there is no evidence to point otherwise, unless they directly compare the DNA, or put you two side to side. I'm sure there are some people who would notice this similarity and either brush it off as a coincidence, or think the democratic system is going down the drain."

They continued their talks until they reached the communications room, where the Emperor send the order to the Shogun, to "prepare the secret police and imperial army to intervene in Ebrilond's coup d'etat."

Ebrilond Capital

"Uh-huh, yes, on stand-by, uh-huh, contact police force, prepare to intervene, uh-huh, yes sir. We'll execute the order." The major of the Amurrian Forces deployed in Ebrilond said as he put down the phone. He got an order from the IACOM, to mobilize, contact the law enforcement, and prepare to take the Ebrilondian capital. As he told this order to his lieutenants, the garrisons of each military base mobilized, and sent a message to all police stations:

"We, the Imperial Army and Navy, are willing to provide help in restoring public order, should the need be. So feel free to call us if the situation gets out of hand. Beware, though. If any Ebrilondian citizen enters the perimeter of one of our military bases, they will be shot unless they are allowed by the Amurrian government to do so. So, please, do try to maintain people away from the military bases."

[Candanadium]

"MR. CHANCELLOR! There's been a coup! In Ebrilond!" Herman von Magnar yelled as he burst in the chancellor's office.

"Calm down, Herman. Catch your breath. Tell me the details." Maxime looked up from the report he had been reading. Herman pulled up a chair and sat down. Maxime poured him a cup of coffee, which the prince took eagerly.

"Mr. Chancellor, last night there was a bloody coup in Ebrilond. A large group of protesters calling themselves the 'Focusists' stormed the Ebrilondian royal palace and murdered the royal family in cold blood. Then the protesters marched on the Ebrilondian parliament and executed the President and other high-ranking government officials on live television."

"Dear God." Maxime wasn't a religious man, but he was at a loss for words.

"What have our allies done about this?"

"Well, the Amurrians have mobilized their army and navy to restore order in Ebrilond. Nobody has followed suit as of now."

"Herman, get a television crew up here. I will address the nation." Maxime stood up and straightened his suit. He fished out a Candanadiumian flag lapel pin from his pocket and affixed it to his lapel.

"Aye, sir."

Fifteen minutes later, Chancellor Maxime Bernier was standing in front of a podium in the hallway outside his office, with a television camera pointed at him.

"We're live in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1." The camera crew said as a red light went off.

"Good evening. As many of you may already know, last night there was a coup in the Oceanic nation of Ebrilond. The entirety of the Ebrilondian royal family was murdered, alongside many high-ranking government officials such as President Logan Harris. Candanadium cannot stand by and tolerate these acts of terrorism and murder, and thus, I am announcing the deployment of a Candnadiumian carrier strike group which will consist of the RCNS Longclaw, the RCNS Polaris, the RCNS Konigstadt, the RCNS King William, and the flagship and our only aircraft carrier, the RCNS Aurora Borealis. This strike group shall set sail for the Ebrilondian fleet from Nuuk, Greenland, and link up with our Amurrian allies, who have already begun the process of peacekeeping in Ebrilond. This carrier strike group shall perform support duties for the main forces on the ground. I would like to close by saying that Candanadium fully condemns this act of brutality, and will not recognize the illegitimate Focusist government. I denounce Ebrilond as a rogue nation, and a travel advisory will be in effect for all Candanadiumians. Thank you."

The chancellor turned around and walked back to his office.

"Herman, please request His Majesty's presence in the Chancellor's Office."

Maxime sat back down, pulled out another sheet of official stationary, and wrote.

To His Majesty, Emperor Yamato of the Empire of Amurria,

Candanadium would like to pledge its support in the coming struggle against the rogue government in Ebrilond. We fully support your peacekeeping efforts in Ebrilond, and we would like to join our forces to yours. As we speak, the Aurora Borealis carrier strike group of the 3rd Atlantic Fleet will be sailing from Nuuk to the Ebrilondian coast, which will consist of two Baffin-class attack submarines, the RCNS Longclaw, the RCNS Polaris, an Iqaluit-class destroyer, the RCNS Konigstadt, a Hudson-class supply ship, the RCNS King William, and the flagship and our only aircraft carrier, a Konigstadt-class, the RCNS Aurora Borealis. We will be providing support and artillery operations, as well as anti-air and anti-submarine operations. Amurrian fighters will be free to use the RCNS Aurora Borealis should they become damaged or run out of fuel or ammunition. We shall also be deploying Marines and other naval infantry posted to these ships on land, to assist in patrol duties and peacekeeping operations.

May God look over us all,
Best regards,
The Right Honourable Chancellor, Maxime Bernier.

[Amurria]

"Well, a little bit of help does not sound so bad, but we still want to have a pro-Amurrian government in that nation." Thought Jax. "Let's see how the situation in Ebrilond will go. Until then, an email and a letter await me."

To the Esteemed Chancellor Maxime Bernier, Azura bless your soul,

I am grateful for your pledge of support against the current revolutionary government in Ebrilond, but I am required to tell you that Ebrilond is one of Amurria's allies first and foremost, and thus any foreign military presence without their government's consent will be seen as an act of aggression against their nation, and by extension, the Empire of Amurria.
While I do not disagree with your intervention, and the Empire agrees with it, we need to wait to see how the situation will develop. But we invite you to patrol the Ebrilondian coast, together with the Imperial Navy.

Signed,
Head of the House of Edo,
Emperor of Amurria, Guiding light of the Amurrian People,
Emperor Yamato

[Ebrilond]

Voided.

[Candanadium]

To His Majesty, Emperor Yamato of Amurria,

Candanadium understands completely. New orders have been issued to the 3rd Atlantic Fleet, they are to stay in international waters near the Ebrilondian coast and to link up with the Imperial Navy to jointly patrol the area. Should you require any support at all, please feel free to contact Admiral Michael Steiner of the RCNS Aurora Borealis. We will also inform you in the event that we withdraw our naval forces.

Best regards,
The Right Honourable Chancellor of Candanadium, Lord of the Northern Isles
Maxime Bernier