NationStates Jolt Archive

What is The Raven's Eye?

The port of Atzco o Acahco (City of Ravens) has always been able to boast that it had the most educated, literate, and cultured citizenry in Kesshite due to its numerous Academes. However, for much of Acahco's existence, like the rest of Kesshite, that education was limited to the nobility and the priesthood with only the most wealthy and established of artisans being able to read.

In the last decade, that has altered. With the growth of the middle class and the increase in leisure time, many young men and women from the lower classes are now literate and interested in learning about the broader world around them.

A year ago, broadsheets began appearing. These are single or double-sided, handwritten pamphlet that inform the read of what's new, hence they're a type primitive newpaper. More importantly, these broadsheets are not meant for the nobility but the common man. The are the first known expression of a populous sentiment.

The most popular of these is The Raven's Eye.

Approximately once every ten days (sometimes as little as five days, sometimes as much as fourteen) about fifty of these broadsheets appear throughout the city. Fans of The Raven's Eyes copy them, bolstering the numbers into several thousands, and hand them to their buds. As Acahco is a port, sailors also get a hold of copies and bring them abroad.

A young guard by the name of Taverous is wild about the Raven's Eye. Although stationed in far away in the country Laquasa Isle, he pays sailors he knows to bring him copies. He then goes to a box called a "computer" and hits the letter "keys" (they're really buttons) until he creates a copy on the "computer." That way, anyone else who has one of those boxes can go "on a line" (he doesn't know what line) and see it too, no matter where it is!

This is a compilation of broadsheets Taverous has put in the box...

In Somethingy, reporters hang while terrorists run free.


That's what information from our Somethingy foreign office where the strange tale of a reporter name "Brian" has played out for several weeks now. "Brian" was originally held on several account of murder when a military raid went sour because his report alerted rebel insurgents in that area. In Somethingy, such press irresponsibility carries a maximum sentence of death. Not surprisingly, "Brian" was found guilty.

When new of his possible execution reached the world stage, several nations were outraged, especially The Libertarian Federation of Avisron. Rumor is that the small island chain of Somethingy suddenly found itself in the sights of Avisron's mighty military and the Emperor began to piss his robes. Soon after Aviston made its threat, however, The Lone Alliance appeared ridding a white horse and promising to run the Aviston varmints out of town.


After a few days of tense stand-off, the Emperor's advisors were able to get him out from under the bed. He then announced that "Brian" as well as "Liz," an importer of Somethingy, were terrorists who had managed to smuggle WMD into the country.

He then handed them over to Avisron.

That's right, report a news story and die; smuggle in WMDs and move to Avisron. Hey, I hear Avisron is lovely this time of year, maybe I should sneak some of my mother-in-laws fruitcake into Somethingy? It could kill a crazed rhino.

Until I'm out of words, you're looking through The Raven's Eye.

Demented Schooling? You can say that again!


You can't judge a book by its cover but you can judge a school by its name. Demented Schooling is a private company that sells education with a heavy Industrial bent. Aimed to turn your child into a rabid consumerist and factory-lover in just twelve years, Demented makes no apologies for its stance.

Between Western Classics, the private school teaches hatred of our Earth Mother and disregard for any humanity that does not equal you in station or weaponry. And Demented Schools are springing up everywhere! Their high prices ensure that only the nobility of society can pay for education while their pedigree ensures countries open their land to them without second thought.

Rumor has it that our own Minister is considering allowing one of these travesties into our fair city. Please, let it not be so! One might as well hire a dungheap to teach children.

Until I run out of words, you're looking through the Raven's Eye.

A Trinity of Evil


Stevid, Independent Hitman, and Red Tide, three nations aligned in brutality and blood. Ever wonder what makes those despots so damn mean? Did their uncles touch them in bad places? Were they potty trained at knifepoint? Are they forty-year old virgins?

The world may never know, yet the innocent people of the world still suffer. Thankfully, our gracious and just leaders have opened our borders to refugees that these countries have left homeless.

This Raven welcomes you. Here you are safe from the warmongers of the world. Whatever your nation of origin, know that Kesshite is now your home.

Until I'm out of words, you're looking through the Raven's Eye

Woman's World Cup.

I know many of my fine readers (all five of you) are scratching your heads right now. "What's a Woman's World Cup?" This Raven can tell you it's not a giant cup full of women or a cup for a woman whose bra is world size. A World Cup is a sporting event that countries from all over the world compete and a Woman's World Cup is one for women.

Why one for women? Because, unlike Kesshite where men and women are equally strong, many women in the outside world are giantesses. These muscle bound amazons often reach seven feet call and can lift an average Kesshite man as easily as one lifts a babe. This is because women in the outside world drink the blood of bulls during dark ceremonies - many even have half-bull children.

Obviously, these women could not compete again men as they'd easily win. In the outside world, if a man loses to a woman, he is so ashamed that he must kill himself by wrestling a lion naked. (The man is naked, not the lion. Well, the lion is naked too after a fashion)

You can now understand why this Raven is so excited about the Woman's World Cup! Rest assured, I'll bring you updates as soon as they happen.

Until I run out of words, you're looking through the Raven's Eye.

Is Progressivism making Progress?

The Alliance of Progressive Nations (APN) is a newly created global alliance founded by The United Solaris Federation of Tiburon, The Federated Segments of Scolopendra, and The Social Democracy of Haraki. All three of these are fine nations known for their humanitarian and liberal policies.

Centuries ago, Kesshite closed off its borders because it was sick of the cruelty and warmongering prevalent in the world. At that time, alliances weren't noble, ideological animals but rough beasts typically created when more than one nation was threatened by a larger foe or when two groups grew tired of the bloodshed between them. Now that we've reopened our borders, this Raven doesn't see many changes in the world.

So, what, if any makes the APN different? First off, how about a definition of Progressivism?

…Well, we don't have one. The APN, despite being formed around an ideology has yet to define what exactly that ideology is. Moreover, they've let in some nations they admit aren't Progressive while denying membership to other nations because they're not Progressive. Ravens are simple birds but I have a feeling my current confusion isn't totally because I have a brain the size of a walnut.

While their ideology isn't clear, one thing is. The APN is a military alliance. Mess with one nation and the others firebomb you. Should I assume being Progressive is incompatible with being a pacifist country?

Their charter says the APN "...seek(s) to actively promote and protect those ideals and systems which we believe to improve the individual." and "…extend the progression of sentient rights under the law to their ideal legal and social egalitarian end states."

What has the APN done to meet these goals so far? Nothing. What plans have they announced to meet these goals? None. When do I expect to see the APN work toward those goals in ways that don't benefit the member nations? Never.

From this bird's eye-view, the Alliance of Progressive Nations is just more of the same.

Until my word's run dry, you're looking through the Raven's Eyes.

Letter to the Editor

And all this coming from a national background that has a slight problem with generally 'progressive' things such as "voting rights" and "freedom of speech." Wasn't there a song or a line or a quote that goes "I'll tolerate anything you think, so long as I agree?" The Alliance of Progressive Nations is in its nascent stages. Very few rationally chide a child for not living up to what he wants to be when he grows up several years before the fact could even become possible, no?

The nation of Kesshite prides itself on being a haven for refugees and the oppressed. This is indeed a good thing worthy of praise. On that note, however, the Federated Segments have been accepting refugees and performing extraction operations in the opposition of genocide since long before the Free Land was ever founded, and so the accusation of being tied to an alliance of purely self-centered militarists (especially given how our most recent opposition of members in the APN had to do with their historic militarism and current attempts to sell themselves as military powers first and foremost) rankles a bit amongst the common Scolopendran.

Of which I am one.

Esmaeel Abu Hasan bin Witha Baq'ayyun Al Shahrani
Average Akhmed, Federated Segments of Scolopendra

((OOC: How do you get this letter to the editor?))

A bunch of copies of a letter were mailed to whatever postal office in Atzco o Acahco with a message attached.
Please post this somewhere in the public:
We love the publications of 'The Raven's Eye's'. They are intellegent, insightful, and funny. To the person or persons writing them. Keep up the good work! - A reader in TLA.

It's a M.A.D. M.A.D. world

Summer is here again and there's nothing I love more than to stand on my roof and watch the stars. If you watch carefully, you'll have noticed there have been several bright comets lately. Wait a second! Those aren't comets, they're missiles!

The nations of Hataria and Xharn have declared war and they, with their allies, are working hard to wipe one another off the face of the earth. The waters of our planet are running red with blood and tanker fuel while the sky is aflame with falling satellites. Atomics have even been involved. For those who don't know, an atomic is an enormous lance that explodes on impact, decimating entire cities and causing a virulent plague that lasts for hundreds of years and sickens all animals, plants, and water.

That bright light you see on the eastern horizon might be the souls of a million people rushing towards heaven.

And they call us primitive.

Depending on whom you ask, you'll get a different answer on how and why this conflict started but lets not kid ourselves. The answer is the same as for every war on this scale: bloodthirsty leaders of powerful countries with far too much time to kill.

Both the Hataria and Xharn have sworn a war of extinction and I say they're welcome to it.