The Empire of Kantrias | FA Update 29th of February Edition

[Kylia Quilor]

Statement of Recognition for the Undead Dominion

For the past several months, the region Lazarus has been engaged in a conflict for control of the region - and in that conflict, the Undead Dominion has won out. They have won out on the arguments as to who has the rights to the region, and they have won out on the battlefield, with King Funkadelia continuing to hold the Delegacy against all efforts to unseat him. Possession, as they say, is a significant portion of the law. But the Undead Dominion, as led by King Funkadelia, is also the legitimate government of Lazarus, as chosen by the citizens of the community.

The events leading up to the creation of the so-called Resistance and the transition from Celestial Union to Undead Dominion were complicated, with both sides concerned about what the other would do, and how to account fot it. Suspicion and plotting led to Government paralysis, which led to a complete breakdown of the region. Acting on a genuine concern for threats to his legal regime, then Delegate Funkadelia excercised his legal powers to protect Lazarus from insurrection, and in the aftermath, the citizens of Lazarus created the Undead Dominion.

The last days of the Celestial Union were not days that played host to a functioning region, or functioning community. The struggle between the factions not only lead to this insurrection, but created a region that served no one that called it home. The Resistance's continued efforts will not serve their cause, because all their efforts will lead to is more ill feelings and chaos within Lazarus.

By right of possession and law, the Undead Dominion holds Lazarus, and the Kingdom of Kantrias recognizes that as such. They are the rightful and lawful government of Lazarus. The Celestial Union is dead.


Kylia Basilissa Regina Quilor Anacreoni, Occupant of the Delphinium Throne, Gavel and Sword of the Realm, Queen of Kantrias

[Glen-Rhodes]

Don’t think gameplay needed a 4 paragraph statement on something that was obvious all along tbh

[Kylia Quilor]

Don’t think gameplay needed a 4 paragraph statement on something that was obvious all along tbh

No, it really wasn't. For the longest time, the Kingdom of Kantrias was deliberately not taking any stance on Lazarus. I know you like to think all Imperialists are in lockstep with eachother, but we're really not. I could care less about the events in 2013 in how they have a bearing on events in Lazarus now, and frankly, I think Onder is being more than a little silly making such a big thing of it, in a lot of ways. Holding the Celestial Union responsible for that is like holding England today responsible for something the Plantaganents did in the 1300s - prima facie ridiculous.

Obviously, the fact that I am personally Imperialist and don't like, get along or agree with with many people in or backing the Resistance is going to have an effect on which side I think has the right of it in Lazarus, but the same holds true for those who back the resistance. I've made no secret that I've no am personally partial to the Undead Dominion, both because of reasons of aesthetic (I love necromancy - favorite form of magic in fiction) and the aforementioned ideological persona; issues with people in the Resistance and its allies. At the end of the day though...

I personally, and Kantrias as a whole, don't have a whole lot of investment or care in regards who runs Lazarus. If I thought the Celestial Union had a chance, I probably wouldn't have made this post. But the Undead Dominion has the region, secure and mostly clear, and possession is about 86.7% of the law (Not 9/10ths. I did the math one time. Also, btw, the bee's knees aren't the cat's pyjamas, and all that and a bag of chips is now all that and a bag of kale), so, we made the statement. It was basically a pragmatic recognition of reality.

No Kantrian soldiers will ever be deployed to Lazarus, or indeed any GCR, except in the case of delegate transfers in well-established regimes, only if we're invited, and possibly not even then. Kantrias doesn't have an interest in the GCRs or in who runs them and I don't intend for that to change in the forseeable future - that's certainly the position I intend to push for in the Council of State, if a counterpoint ever comes up from one of the Councillors.

Given that you, and TSP and The Resistance have also made "statements of the obvious" in long posts, I don't really see the point of your unneeded comment. Did you just come in here to be a jerk and push your narrative or what?

[Zander Cerebella]

I could care less about the events in 2013 in how they have a bearing on events in Lazarus now, and frankly, I think Onder is being more than a little silly making such a big thing of it, in a lot of ways.

I'm not saying you are implying otherwise but just for clarification sake, it should be understood that Balder's opposition to the Feux-Harmoneia coup has been consistent since 2013. When Onder made our statement explaining the role of those events in our support for the Undead Dominion, and in his later posts defending the position outlined in that statement, he was expressing our agreed position and not just a personal view. It is Balder's view that the 2013 coup transformed Lazarus and that the Revolt is an effort to preserve the effects of that coup.

[Pergamon]

The day GCR govs require UCR's to legitimize them is the day I main CN.

[Ikania]

as chosen by the citizens of the community.

You may find the rest to be true from your perspective, but this is the only part of the address I can find to be an almost deliberately misleading falsehood- a lie. The citizens did not choose this path. It was chosen for us, against our will.

[Kylia Quilor]

The day GCR govs require UCR's to legitimize them is the day I main CN.

Can you please just keep your Francoism out of our embassy, please?

I'm not saying you are implying otherwise but just for clarification sake, it should be understood that Balder's opposition to the Feux-Harmoneia coup has been consistent since 2013. When Onder made our statement explaining the role of those events in our support for the Undead Dominion, and in his later posts defending the position outlined in that statement, he was expressing our agreed position and not just a personal view. It is Balder's view that the 2013 coup transformed Lazarus and that the Revolt is an effort to preserve the effects of that coup.

I'm well aware, but Onder is the one making the arguments here in GP, and I still think its a fundamentally silly central notion. So I guess Balder is, in my view, being silly as well.

You may find the rest to be true from your perspective, but this is the only part of the address I can find to be an almost deliberately misleading falsehood- a lie. The citizens did not choose this path. It was chosen for us, against our will.

Actually, no, its not a deliberate lie. As far as my reading of the events go, Funk had grounds (how firm they were is beyond me to tell) to expel the people he expelled, and thus, the citizenry of Lazarus, the people who weren't expelled, chose the Undead Dominion. The members of the Resistance aren't, for all intents and purposes, citizens of Lazarus anymore.

Now, you can disagree that Funk had the right grounds to expel you (wrong topic for that discussion) and that the fact that you guys weren't allowed to have a voice in the creation of the Undead Dominion because of the legal circumstances makes the vote illegitimate or whatever (also not the topic for that discussion), but that the people who were in Lazarus's government and community and weren't expelled supported the creation of the Undead Dominion is not a fact that is in dispute, last time I checked.

[Ikania]

So it's really about the decision the 'citizens' came to after any possible opposition was disenfranchised. Painting that as any kind of grounds for legitimacy is disingenuous.

[Reploid Productions]

Lazarus thread is thataway, folks.

[Kylia Quilor]

So it's really about the decision the 'citizens' came to after any possible opposition was disenfranchised. Painting that as any kind of grounds for legitimacy is disingenuous.

If the explusion was legal to some degree and made with proper grounds given the context of the times, then no, its not disengenous.

The debate as to the legality, context and rightness of Funk's actions belongs, as Reploid says, in the Lazarus Thread.

[Imperial Elucidator]

Sharing is caring, so nice update.

[Kylia Quilor]

The Fifth Kantrian Anniversary



Five years ago, I created the Kingdom of Kantrias. Five years ago, I began recruiting for this region, and a community began to be formed, as we held our first Popular Assembly to create a new Constitution for a new region. We've come a long way through those heady days - we've changed constitutions more than once, we had the Night of Vitriol that threatened to destroy us before we even got started. We've had elections and campaigns, we've had crises and celebrations. We've struggled with periods of inactivity and decline, and soared to new heights as we bounced back from them.

Kantrias is more than just a region, more than just a political simulation. It's a home, a community, a place where all of us can feel safe to be ourselves and find friends whom we treasure and may continue to treasure for years, even after the last nation has Ceased to Exist and passed through the gates to the Boneyard. Kantrias is an idea, a notion of a region unique in its cultural traditions and thematic stylings, created to be a place where the ideals of the Gavel and Sword can reign supreme - the quest for that perfect balance of wisdom and passion, reflection and action, restraint and vitality. A place where Order, Stability and Democracy at home can fuel a Kingdom with power on the world stage, the respect of its peers and the ability to assert it's will upon others.

The Strength of our community is that even after the long regency and decline from October 2015 to January 2017, we're back, and after a few months, we already began to reach the heights we had once been at. We have alliances with regions of like minds, we have a military capable of supporting our friends and engaging in idependent action, we have full and free elections, full of vitality and contest, where the marketplace of ideas can determine who the people of this great region believe should lead us in our legislature and executive.

For Five years, we've continued our efforts, served as a community and existed as an ideal, and it is time to celebrate those five years. So I invite you, one and all, to join us in the Fairgrounds in celebrating this, our 5th Anniversary! Everyone, Kantrian or not, is welcome to join, and you don't need to register as a diplomat or for a cultural visa to do so.

[Fauxia]

Congrats

[Gibraltarica]

Congrats to Kantrias. Live long and prosper.

[Escade]

, I don't really see the point of your unneeded comment. Did you just come in here to be a jerk and push your narrative or what?

Can you please just keep your [ideology\etc] out of our embassy, please?

Sorry I didn't see these previously, and just had to quote and probably will end up requoting these expressions of frustration on my own lovely region's embassy since so many random people who not only don't build a region but have or claim to have nothing\no stake in the region never shut up about it.

Congratulations on five years!

[The Noble Thatcherites]

Congratulations!!

[Gladio II]

Congratulations

[Kylia Quilor]

Thank you all.

[Vincent Drake]

Congrats! Cheers to 5 years.

[Leutria]

I figure all of you deserve an update on Kantrias regional affairs.

For now, regional governance and forums have been abandoned in favour of just focusing on what has continued in Kantrias even at times we failed to keep government properly functioning, it's community. We still have a Discord (visitors are welcome to join https://discord.gg/aG8Jqq3), and the RMB continues to have decent levels of activity. A new recruitment campaign positioning the region as a friendly and causal region, where you can take part in informal national roleplay on the RMB or just hang out and chat with us on discord has shown early promise and our population decline has been reversed and we have gotten new active people into the region and our Discord.

Regional governance might be restarted if there is an interest and we have consistent activity, but for now we are happy to do our own thing, and just have fun. For now I would like our allies to know I understand if you decide this means our treaties are no longer valid (I do request you let me know!), however for those who wish to continue to keep out treaties in force I will personally see to ensuring we meet it's requirements. If you wish to post an update, we have an area on our Discord, and if you are having a festival I am quite willing for it to be advertised to Kantrias.

Perhaps a formal government is gone, but Kantrias and its spirit remain. Long live the Gavel and Sword!

[Leutria]

Kantrias to the World; The Land of the Gavel and Sword
From the Kantrian Ministry of Foreign Relations

The Region of Kantrias

Kantrias is experiencing a period of economic revival, and is prepared to re-assert itself on the global stage. All of the Government Roles have been filled, and much has taken place.

Governmental Positions:
Supreme Chancellor: Caldemar Leutria
Speaker: Mumtaz
Minister of Outreach: Samuel Jackson III
Minister of Community Engagement: Bentonova
Minister of Propaganda: Zoygaria

The Allied Forces of Kantrias now sits under the command of Grand General Samuel Jackson III, and is now accepting recruits to defend Kantrias and it's allies.

---

The Alliance of Kantrias - A Primer

Kantrias has been quiet on the world stage for quite a while, so many of you likely do not know about us. In fact, even if you do know about us, Kantrias has changed. So, what is Kantrias?

First and foremost, Kantrias is a friendly region. Even if you are just visiting with us, we will welcome you and try to make you feel at home. If you do join, we will do our best to get you involved and feel like a vital part of the region.

Kantrias is a Democracy. Our legislature is an “open legislature” where all players with a nation in the region get a seat in the Delphinium Council. The alliance of Kantrias functions like a unified nation (although players of course can still run their own nations as they want), where all players with a nation on the forums are the councilors representing their nation.

Furthermore, our head of state, the Supreme Chancellor, is elected, as well as the Ministers who help them run the executive government. This includes the Speaker, who facilitates the functioning of the Delphinium Council.

Kantrias is an imperial region, with the Allied Forces of Kantrias projecting our power, standing ready to defend our interests or help our allies.

Finally, Kantrias is a cultured region. We remember our long and storied past and mix elements of that with new initiatives and institutions. We strive to have regular events to engage the region, and continue to adapt, grow, and evolve to remain a fun place to be where everyone can be proud to be a part of Kantrias.

---

The Culture Report

"I'm pleased to say it's fantastic that more people are joining us. Event-wise, we've got plenty of plans, including (but not limited to) a brand new Kantrian Olympics, Grand Prix, and other sporting competitions. We'll also be revealing a weekly discussion thread for Counsellors to offer their opinions on a chosen subject matter of the week. And, we're in the process of setting up a 'Featured Nation of the month' allowing any registered Nation to become a featured nation, and get those all important bragging rights!

"In the coming month, we'll also be revealing a huge new festival coming to the region, open to anyone (you don't have to be a councillor OR a diplomat) for a 2-week period. Things to look forward to include unique competitions (from poetry to art), engaging discussion threads, interesting theme nights (from gaming to movie nights) and some never before seen forum games! It's all to look forward to, and it'll be great to see you there!"

-Bentonova, Minister of Community Engagement

---

The Delphinium Council and Beyond



With a new forum in place, it was only fitting that Kantrias once again hold a Constitutional Convention to establish an agreed upon rule of law in the region. Starting on January 14, 2020 with a first draft made by the admin of the region, it lasted 18 days with 13 different people taking part. The actual draft of the constitution changed quite considerably over this period, with some structural changes being made to the future government of the region. On February 1st the final version of the Constitution went up for a vote by the region, and on February 3rd it had passed by a vote of 20 to 0.

With this Constitution being passed, elections were called. First, the elections for Speaker and Supreme Chancellor were held. For the office of Speaker, in charge of organizing the Delphinium Council and ensuring debate be kept on track, the sole candidate and now holder of the office was Muntaz. The office of Supreme Chancellor, being the executive head of the Kantrias, was more hotly contested, with Caldemar Leutria, Samuel Jackson III, and Statnick all vying for the position. In the end, Caldemar won with 6 votes, with Samuel securing 2, and Statnick none.

Following these elections, elections for the 3 Minister positions were held. These Ministers are not elected with a specific area of power, but rather would be assigned duties by the Supreme Chancellor following the election. With so many positions up for grabs, this election saw as many as 6 Councillors running for office. Following the first round of voting Bentova and Samuel Jackson III secured a seat, with a runoff being required to determine the final seat. That runoff was between Zoygaria and UAU, with Zoygaria winning in the end.

Very shortly after the elections, Caldemar passed a series of executive orders, in Kantrias having the force of law, but being overwritten by any acts passed by the Delphinium Council. These acts were intended to form the framework for the executive government, as well as provide a legal framework of things not yet legislated on by the Council. Meanwhile, the Delphinium Council has begun debate on its Rules of Order, and a preliminary discussion on the law surrounding the position of World Assembly Delegate was started.

---

The Allied Forces of Kantrias have Joined the Battle



Executive Order 003 established the Allied Forces of Kantrias (AFoK for short, AFK if you are feeling cheeky) as the military forces of Kantrias. This order also established the AFoK as a force that would remain ready to defend the region if the day ever comes we are vulnerable, assist our friends and allies with joint military operations, and participate in Tactical Army Games (TAGs) for training and to keep their skills sharp. At the same time, with Kantrias being a just and fair nation, it forbade the AFoK from initiating the destruction of any region unless a formal declaration of war has been made (an action which can only be done by our legislature, the Delphinium Council).

Samuel Jackson III was appointed as the first Grand General of the Allied Forces of Kantrias. Having been previously involved with The Black Hawks and the Europeia Republic Navy, his leadership will make the AFK a force to be reckoned with throughout the NationStates community, and an asset to not only Kantrias, but to our allies.

A training site has been created, although the AFK is not quite ready for action. Once the command structure is complete (which is extremely soon), trainings will become a common occurence.

An award system is also in the works, and there will be many opportunities for soldiers to prove themselves worthy of such medals.

---

An Interview with the Supreme Chancellor

Caldemar Leutria is the first Supreme Chancellor of Kantrias, an admin on the forums, and a longstanding member of the region. As such, he is one of the best people to talk about Kantrias, past and future.

Bentonova: As one of the oldest surviving members of Kantrias, how would you say the region has evolved?

Caldemar: I would say fundamentally Kantrias is the same region it was when it was founded back in 2012. We are just as friendly as ever, and still fundamentally a democratic, imperialist region.

There have however been some large changes to the region over the years. Most notable in my opinion is the abolition of the monarchy in 2018. When the region moved to Discord we changed a lot of the theming of the region, and a monarchy no longer fit it.

To quickly go over the changes in the theming of the region, we started as a classic constitutional monarchy, with the idea that the region was a storied kingdom, and its players citizens. In our first major restart we advanced the clock on the region, to a future where the nobility had risen to a state where only nobles mattered and the King was weakened. The next big change was the Quilor Proclamation, which put the monarchy back in charge but as a triad of rulers, and while there was a legislature of elected citizens, they were inferior to the triad of rulers when they were unanimous. From that point we went to the mentioned move to Discord, where we basically moved into a parallel universe (or maybe before the founding of the original Kingdom of Kantrias), where the Council of Kantrias was a international organization, where the nations of the region Kantrias would meet and agree on common standards and rules for the region. Finally, we come to our present configuration. Back on a forum the Alliance of Kantrias despite the name is a much tighter coalition then the Council of Kantrias. Players are representatives from their nation, but the alliance itself functions more like a unified nation then an alliance. Sort of like something halfway between the EU and a single federation.

To get back to practical differences between when we started and today, we are now if anything even more democratic today then we were in 2012. Our legislature is open, where any player with a nation in the region and a forum account is a member of our legislature. Our head of state is the Supreme Chancellor and is elected every 4 months. Finally our Ministers rather than being appointed by the Supreme Chancellor are elected every 2 months.

As a final note, one thing that evolved in the region I love but don’t fully understand is a semi-active group of nations that RP on our regional message board. Even in our quietest lulls in activity, there have been semi-regular updates by some resident nations in the region, and at our more active periods we have had RP events, negotiations, and even wars organically happen.

Bentonova: As Chancellor you describe yourself as a steady hand for the future. What do you see in that future?

Caldemar: I see the region growing, and new standard conventions forming. I hope to see new bills regularly proposed once the groundwork has been laid out. I see us returning to our roots as a classic imperialist region and having an active and capable military. I hope we can form alliances with other regions and regularly host cultural exchanges increasing the activity on both of our forums and deepening our ties.

All that said however, the main thing I want for the region to remain a friendly place, where anyone who jumps into the community feels welcomed and like they have found a second family. No matter what shape the region takes going forward, as long as that remains true I will be content.

Bentonova: You've established three ministries to help run the region, but what are your own personal objectives?

Caldemar: I feel like this is more or less covered by my previous answer, but I can elaborate further. I feel as the first Supreme Chancellor my job is to establish our institutions and create an environment where other players can succeed. With a solid framework, it becomes easier for new players to come in and find things they can work on and build on that framework.

I want to see us hosting festivals, because they have always been one of my favorite things in NationStates and they can be a great chance to play with your regionmates, and any visitors who decide to come and join. To further that, I hope for us to form new connections with regions and hold cultural exchanges where we can all get to know each other and simply have fun.

Finally I want to get some solid recruitment going to build the region. The only way to keep the region active long term is for us to consistently have new nations moving to Kantrias, and getting new players active and embedded in the community. No matter how great the region is, people move on in their lives, get busy, or get burnt out. Without new people to fill in those gaps we will slowly decline.

Bentonova: You recently executed an order to establish the Allied Forces of Kantrias. By belief are you a natural pacifist or aggressor?

Caldemar: Personally? I am an absolute pacifist, and I have said many times in the past my natural inclinations would be towards defending if I got involved in R/D at all. However, that is not what Kantrias is, and my exposure in my early days in NationStates was being a part of an imperialist army. Since that is what I know, and that is what I believe is best for the future and activity of the region, that is what it will be. So expect to see some tag raids from Kantrias in the near future, but don’t worry too much about us causing harm. I still am that pacifict, so I have banned the Allied Forces of Kantrias from ever engaging in region destruction, and as long as I am the Supreme Chancellor we will never initiate the occupation of a region with an active community.

---

Joke of the day: Takeout can mean three things: to go on a date, to eat, and to kill someone. If you're a praying mantis, it means all three.

Quote of the day: "To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence. Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting."
-Sun Tzu

[Leutria]

I would like to invite the world to the Cherry Blossom Festival. The Cherry Blossom Festival has been a tradition in Kantrias since it was first held in 2013, and is a great time to come and take part in our region's culture. The Festival will run from March 27th to April 10th, with public access to the fairgrounds being opened the day before.

With forum games, contests, and movie and game nights planned throughout the festival, we welcome you to join. Simply joining the forum will give you access to our fairgrounds, however if you want to check our our forums more broadly you will need to apply for a tourist visa.

You can visit our forums here: https://kantrias.freeforums.net/

[Leutria]

I am happy to announce the tents are up, and the fairgrounds are now accessible! I hope to see you there!

[Leutria]

Kantrias to the World; The Land of the Gavel and Sword
From the Kantrian Ministry of Foreign Relations

Roleplay of the Week
by Ulm

Arastian Sea Treaty Organization

What is ASTO?

Arastian Sea Treaty Organization (ASTO) is a military alliance of numerous Kantrian nations. It's main goals are ensuring security and cooperation of member states. It currently consists of Reborn Empire of Ulm, Uclosa, Southern Sulter, Sydkai, Ramalia Free State and some of their puppets. It's headquarters are located in the capital of the Reborn Empire of Ulm:Paradis. All decisions in ASTO are made by Councilors chosen by member nations and Chief of Staff who is chosen by them.

History of ASTO

ASTO was founded around 150 days ago in secret by three nations: Reborn Empire of Ulm, Uclosa and Southern Sulter. At this time Kantrias was engulfed in yet another conflict. It was started by Southern Sulter's attempts to prevent its historical enemy Rylolania from gaining colonies and even more influence. Conflict quickly escalated and soon not only allies of those two nations but third parties started fighting too. During the war it became clear that Arastian nations needed to stand together in order to prevent invaders from entering Sea of Arastia ever again. Before the fighting ended previous enemies entered a secret alliance made to protect sovereignty of Arastian states. In its early days ASTO was not involved in conflicts with any other alliances however relations between ASTO and Rylolania gradually worsened.

At that time ASTO also gained a new member: Too-Technical Japan. Later on tensions and rivalry between ASTO and Rylolanian allies escalated and those two factions were on verge of war many times. All member nations except Too-Technical Japan militarized themselves heavily and turned into despotic empires. At some point Reborn Empire of Ulm and later on Uclosa became known as nemesis of Zoygaria which was allied to Rylolania at that time. Suddenly the Neutral Nations Block (NNB) was founded by Rylolania and Exiled Canadians. Many nations joined in lured by prospect of alliance of neutral nations able to engage in trading and helping each other freely. However NNBs nature was total opposite of what the name suggested. It was made for one reason only: to act as a countermeasure against rapidly growing ASTO states that did not even try to hide their enmity towards Rylolania and its allies. If not for EC which had really good relations with ASTO members it is likely that ASTO would devote itself to destroying NNB back then.

ASTO and less neutral part of NNB were constantly at each other's throats and soon the situation developed into Cold War which has yet to end. In the recent past there were numerous changes in both of the organizations such as NNB being renamed into Union of Allied Nations(UAN). After this event there were changes in both UAN and ASTO. Too-Technical Japan left ASTO for UAN while ASTO welcomed it's new members: Sydkai and Ramalia Free State. Zoygaria left UAN which was far too belligerent for it's tastes and is enjoying neutrality. Some time later Bloomfairy and Saldagon joined UAN.

What is ASTO up to now?

As of now ASTO continues it's Cold War with UAN. It's short term goal is expanding its territories, tightening relations between member states and building new military bases around the Kantrias. It's ultimate goal is destruction of UAN as an alliance. Current Chief of Staff is from Reborn Empire of Ulm and he is determined to accomplish both of those goals.

---

Kantrias Celebrates their 8th Anniversary!
by Caldemar Leutria

On October 24th Kantrias celebrated it’s 8th anniversary. To mark the occasion we held a festival in the Pláza Violetá. The plaza name comes from Zoygarian, the language of our Minister of Culture who planned this festival. The celebration also included areas like the Quadra Phloría (Verdant Square), and Caije Triumphi (Triumph Street). This is apt as it nods to Kantrias encouraging cultural role play in the region, most notably, as frequent visitors would know, on our RMB.

The success of the festival could easily be marked by the sheer number of the posts on our forums, which saw several hundred posts. Kantrians took part in a wide selection of games, and a festival contest. This contest involved challenging Kantrians to adopt a Kantrias twist to their nation's flag. The RMB was not to be forgotten with almost all of the flags to be seen on the RMB being in our distinct Kantrias purple. It was encouraging to see on the RMB people wishing Kantrias well, in between talking about their nations lore and roleplaying interactions with fellow nations

It is hard to believe it has already been eight years. In that time the region has seen many changes, both in the landscape of NationStates gameplay as a whole and in our region. Despite all these changes, we have continued to exist as a region, as a community, and as a family. May our next year bring more good times, new faces, and the continuation of that family.

Activity from October 16th, 2020 to December 15th, 2020

---

Kantrias befriends several new Regions!
by Skar Quilor

As Minister of Foreign Affairs, I - Skar Quilor - have been very busy attempting to - and succeeding in - establishing relations with foreign regions. Just recently I have established diplomatic relations with the region of OmniOne, a slightly smaller region when compared to Kantrias, but with an active player base and really interested in broadening their horizons when it comes to the broader NationStates political landscape. They have expressed interest in establishing embassies and we have as recently as 12-12-2020 accepted their formal request for one! It was a joyous moment for all of us!

The work of Foreign Affairs doesn’t always happen without hiccups. One example of this would be our attempt to ally with the Kingdom of Canada, who while we were in the middle of diplomatic talks decided to disband their entire government and region, leaving us with empty hands - though not to worry, for we were referred to our next point of interest; the Empire of Great Britain.

With my personal attachment as diplomat to the Empire of Britain, I have expressed my - or rather, Kantrias’ - wish to ally with them.

Something far more interesting is also in the works, but I am not yet ready to discuss this as of yet. Maybe in a later issue of this dispatch.

---

Ministers elected
by Sara and Caldemar Leutria

On December 14th, 2020, Kantrias went through their annual Minister election. Three candidates stood up for the challenge of being elected. Their names were Ichika A. Zobieski, Skar Quilor, and Saldagon.

The Minister position had three seats. With 8 votes total for each candidate, all three of them had made it in their preferred area. Ichika made it to being Minister of Culture, Skar as Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Saldagon as Minister of Recruitment.

In Kantrias the Ministers are the ones who get things done in the executive government, and face reelection every two months. By knowing who they are and what they plan to do you can know a lot about the direction the region is heading.

Skar Quilor is returning as Minister of Foreign Affairs for a second term. In the previous term he initiated diplomatic relations with three regions, and his proudest accomplishment is having identified an LGBTQIA+ positive region, OmniOne, who is interested in closer relations including a treaty and sharing security information for our mutual safety.

In the current term Skar plans to draft and finalize a treaty with OmniOne, Initiate closer relations with the Empire of Great Britain, and find more regions to build our security information network. He is also aiming to strengthen our ties to our ally Europiea, and generally assist the other Ministries.

Ichika A. Zobieski has been a Kantrian for about 7 months, and this is her first time serving as Minister of Culture. Her main goal for this term is to “make their experience in Kantrias a bit more perfect than it already is,” as well as making sure everyone feels included and cared for in the region.

Her first task in the Ministry is to oversee a winter festival in the region with the assistance of the Supreme Chancellor. Expect more details on this festival soon.

In addition to overseeing that festival she plans to start discussions on the RMB and forums to promote more continuous activity. Finally she plans to host occasional games, playing things like Skribbl and Among Us for nights of bonding and fun.

Saldagon will once again be serving as Minister of Recruitment to build on the progress he has already made. In the previous term we went from 107 at the start of the term to our current 140 thanks to his efforts. He has indicated he feels this is a critical moment in our region's history, and he is determined to see us seize the moment.

He will be conducting a review of our current recruitment practices to see where we can improve, and ensure we always are making an effort to invite new people to our community. Beyond just getting people to move to the region, he will also be assisting the Minister of Culture in maintaining engagement on the forums and Discord.

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The Family Register, reimagined!
by Skar Quilor

Back on the 22nd of June in 2020, during my own term as Supreme Chancellor I passed the executive order that reimagined the ‘family’-mechanic that is well-known throughout NationStates and brought it back to Kantrias in a more official shape and form. This executive order was the fifth executive order ever to be put in effect by the office of the Supreme Chancellor. It was met with joy and anticipation. Soon after the executive order was published the first families were registered and children were adopted. It was truly a sight to see!

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The Legislative Update
by Caldemar Leutria

Since our last report a lot of time has passed, and over that time a fair bit has happened legislatively in Kantrias. Laws have been passed by the Delphinium Council, and executive orders have been issued by the Supreme Chancellor. As a large amount of time has been covered, this report will be brief on each event.

The Delphinium Council went through a bit of a summer slump, but since has been quite busy. First on the agenda was an act defining when roleplays, media outlets, and societies could officially have their subforums archived, and the procedure to follow. It is natural for a community to change over time as people come and go, and interests change. This critical law will help keep our forums from expanding uncontrolled as new organizations and roleplays are started up.

After that, two more acts were passed, one to speed up the process of holding by-elections, and the second a reorganization or RP based on nations in the region. The first will allow the region to more swiftly recover in the event an elected official is removed from office or resigns. The second is an experiment in tapping into the rich culture of nation RP in the region’s RMB by providing a designated place for it to take place, be archived, and cannon kept track of.

The biggest move made by the Delphinium Council was a Constitutional Amendment establishing a judicial body in Kantarias, the High Tribunal. This proposal sparked a lot of debate, namely on the separation of powers and who could be a Justice of the High Tribunal. In the end a compromise was reached, and it passed without a single vote in opposition. Even with approving Justices still to come this is a major step for the region!

The executive orders issued in this timeframe began with a simple one reorganizing the process of applying to work in government ministries to streamline the process, and make the application easier to find. The next major executive order was on creating a family registry, and then a silly one recognizing the posting excellence of Mihai on the regional forums.

The most noteworthy executive order in this period was also the most recent. Executive Order 008 - On Visas and Embassies finally set out to formalize the process of granting embassies, both on the forums and within the region. In addition to this, the privileges granted to tourists and visiting diplomats was formally set out by the order, as well as the process for granting aforementioned statuses.

With that, we have reached the end of this brief summary of legislation passed in Kantrias since the previous update. Future updates will go more in depth with passed legislation, closer to when they have been passed.

[Tinhampton]

Demember or December? Choose one, please

Glad to see that Kantrias hasn't given up yet, LOL