NationStates Jolt Archive

The huge bells of the Great Cathedral of Tol Isam rang out victorious, a brassy note thundering across the city. In the streets citizens paused to look up at the marble bell tower that marked the centre of the city. Soldiers of the First Army of Isam made the sign of the cross, praying that the secession of isolationist policy would not mean attempted invasion by nations opposed to the Christian fundamentalism of Isam. Police tightened their grips on shock mauls, watching for dissenters among the population, and the Chaplain-Interrogators sharpened their tools as they waited for heresies to spring up.

The Great Cathedral of Isam, a huge marble structure able to seat over a hundred thousand soldiers in its pews and galleries, towers over the central city in the Holy Precinct, protected by its wall and guarded by the Nazareth Stormtroopers of the Hierarchy. In the Holy Precinct, members of the Hierarchy flocked to the Cathedral, in the Residential, Business and Production Precincts of the city the people hurried to their churches. Across the Most Holy Empire of Isam, people ran to their places of worship or crowded around their televisions to watch the announcement by the new Holy Father.

“Children of God, once again we have opened ourselves to world and other nations may once again send in merchants and emissaries. Although the world has changed, we have not. Although nations have risen and fallen, we stood firm. While we have stayed in our home, others have fought and died but we have lived. Once more we return. Praise be to the Lord our God”

The speech continued for another brief while, before other high-ranking members of the Hierarchy took over speaking and preaching, accompanied by many prayers and hymns, ending with the recital of the Lord's Prayer

Given Indigo's attention to most things was particularly high lately, he did notice the section of the Anatoba Times, which listed the information about Isam opening. He smiled, knowing very little of that nation. It appeared like it was rather catholic, and he had some idea already of the nations it would affiliate with. With his cat on his lap, he decided to actually send a congratulations to the nation of Isam. Perhaps he could learn more about these peoples, and perhaps he could achieve even something greater.

To Whom it May Concern,

I am writing to day to congratulate you on the rising of your nation from a dreadful policy called isolationism. Perhaps today will precedent a great and prosperous future. As Fuhrer of the Austar Union, I most certainly have you and your peoples in my prayers,

God Bless,

Fuhrer Indigo Blue
The Nationalist Repubblica of Austar Union

The reply is swift, despite the ponderous nature of government bureaucracy in a nation as large as Isam.

To Indigo Blue, Fuhrer of the Nationalist Repubblica of Austar Union,

I thank you for your prayers and congratulations. We also look forward to the future and hope. There is a saying in the Holy Empire that "a glorious past means a glorious future", we have the past and now move to the future, and hope that the Austar Union will feature in it. As the Archbishop of Foreign Affairs I send the Holy Father's prayers to your people, as you have sent yours to mine.

Signed and sealed by the Grace of God,
Judas Tay
Archbishop of Foreign Affairs

Judas stood in his office, watching as rank upon rank of Nazareth Stormtrooper marched in the Great Cathedral to swear allegiance to the new Holy Father and shook his head in amusement. While it may be a new period of openness with the the outside world the Hierarchy would never forget its expansionist past and would prepare the worst in its paranoid assumption that others would do as the Most Holy Empire had once done. Still, thus far things seemed to be going well, and perhaps the Holy Father's dream would be realised.

Archbishop Tay turned from the window, now all he had to do was prevent the Archdeacons, Zealots and Flagellants from ruining Isam's peaceful relations with the outside world. Of course, the small amount of relations they had running at the moment were few, especially since the collapse of the Imperial Faith Union and the fall of Onarr, Sann and The Arcane Order.

Then he smiled. The Nazareth Lord Cleric and the Chaplain-General were in favour of peace - it made the population less likely to turn against the Church - and the military commanders would not want to risk turning against either the Nazareth or the Chaplaincy, and the Offico Spiritus Sancti would follow the orders the Holy Father to the letter.

Still, these were thoughts for another day, for now he needed to speech to the other Archbishops about the running of an Empire open to the world. Civic duty was their province, and duty to the Church was all.

The Chief ot the Druids of Celtlund rejoyced at the news of Isam rejoining the world. They were so thankfull that Isam has reopend its borders they conducted a Druid sacrafice to honor the leaders of Isam in their wisdom. The Christians of Celtlund also rejoyced and held pray services throughout the nation to pray for the leaders of Isam, especially their new spiritual leader.