NationStates Jolt Archive

Secriatist of State Feryn Redwood closes his briefcase with a metallic click, leaves the Imperium, and walks down International Avenue, Kartika. Tonight, he would be meeting with an envoy from the Confederacy of the Far Echo Islands. It was an interesting nation that the Empire knew little about. All they could be sure of was that it was archipelagic, democratic, and gave citizenship rights to dolphins. THe latter was what had sparked this meeting. Kirav gave cetacheans citizenship as well. They saw it as recognizing sentient beings. The international community saw it as a joke at best, while some thought it was a threat on their fisheries.

He passes several Embassies on his walk, Alacea, Cookesland, Koenwitz, and others. The Empire had only recently opened itself up for diplomacy on this scale, and had made its share of friends and enemies. Hopefully, this meeting would gain Kirav another friend.

Entering the Diamond Building, a State conference centre, he swipes his card, and goes to the room assigned fo rthe meeting. He opens his case and wiats for the Echo Islanders.

Bump

Delpin Hyit, a well know foreign ambassador for the Far Echo Islands, strolled casually toward the door of the Diamond Building. He was relieved to have been put on assignment and out of the Islands for a bit. A short war with British Londinium had left the nation with many unwelcome troops in it. And being in government he had to worry about the Grand Arbiter’s trial and the mess of a dozen anti-British Londinium riots in a dozen cities, he welcomed a peaceful, diplomatic, mission. Despite being a foreign ambassador, Delpin had been moving exclusively domestically the last week trying to calm the populace and reassure them that the British Londinium occupation was only temporary. A foreign diplomatic assignment, they might as well have assigned him to go on vacation! But this was a very serious meeting with the Kiravs, a nation that the Grand Arbiter had expressed great hope for a good relationship with.

Before entering the room, Delpin mentally reviewed over the notes he had made on what to discuss in the meeting, luckily, the most important was easy to remember, citizenship and rights of dolphins, well, that wasn’t a hard word for Delpin to remember, dolphin in English translated to his name in Arkik, which was the national language of the Echo Islands.

There was a long story about why he was named after the marine mammals, but he did not get distracted with that right now. He entered the room, “Hello, I am Delpin Hyit, Foreign Ambassador for the Far Echo Islands.” He finished, extending his hand to be shook.

Redwood shakes Hyit's hand, "An honour to meet you, sir. Welcome to Kirav! The Empire has much interest in your nation, and we wish to build a strong relationship. Tell me, what is your principal topic for discussion here?"

“I wish to discuss our mutual citizenship of dolphins, as well as the possibility of a permanent, sworn defensive alliance between our two countries, and other benefits of said alliance, or at least, a friendship between our nations.”

"Excellent. We've also been considering an alliance with you, and a military partnership. But first, let us dicuss cetachean citizenship." Redwood replies. He snaps open his case, and removes a set of papers, printed in Kirav's complex writing system of its lanuage, Coscivian.

"This is a record of the Dolphin rights debate between the Empire, yourselves, British Londinium, Tatarystan, et al. After we submitted our statement comparing primitive Homonidæ to Delphinidæ, and explaining how delphine citizenship works in Kirav, CFEI responed, saying that you Dolphin-citizenship system works the same way, without exptecting them to vote, pay tax, et cetera. We were wondering how CFEI counts and records its dolphin population numerically, do you sned out radar tags to track pods, and count them, or do you just calculate their population growth rates?"

“Well, that’s actually an interesting fact in our nation, we have a Richter scale system set up about a in our sea beds along fault lines, we have many of them because many of our islands are volcanic, since we had all the wiring already that far out, we decided to run sonar operations for the means of defense and dolphin population calculation, however, we have over a thousand dolphin research teams out in the field, and most of our dolphins are habituated to human contact, so a rough count is also established and we take a median of those two.”

"Fascinating! We've stuck with the conventional methods of pod tracking and calculation. Using radar is truly innovative! However, we should discuss this later. The Empire wishes to discuss a defencive alliance with the CFEI. Our concept of such an alliance is a mutual defence pact. Both nations are obligated to aid the other if they are attacked, but if it is an offencive war, it is the second nations choice wheather or not to become engaged. Similar schemes have been negotiated with Euleos and Alacea."

“Of course, if one nation or the other is attacked the other should come to its aid as soon as possible, but if one nation goes to war offensively against another, the other has the option of entering the war or not without question from the other.”

"Percisely. The sole problem that we may have with this, is the current conflict with British Londinium. We are on friendly terms with them, despite their denial of Delphine personhood. We are helping develop their colony of Ghassan and are roughly on the same side of the Tartarystan War."

“Ahh, yes, well, technically the defensive war is over, and our Grand Arbiter is at trial at this very moment. So the next war will not be technically defensive, so the Grand Arbiter had heard mention of this alliance before, and I am under orders not to make you fight your ally. And because it would be a war for independence, not exactly against the British Londinium homeland, so if this turns into a war for independence you should not have to fight against my nation either. This is a complicated alliance indeed, but I think if that for some reason one ally is fighting another the third nation, whomever that may be at the time, should have the option to neutral.”

"Indeed," Redwood replies, writing that clause down on a piece of semi-translucent paper, "Actually, I must clarify, British Londinium is not our ally, we are merely on good terms. Besides, we classify a war of independance, in your case, not an action against a nation at all, but rather gainst a supra-national entity. It's an old and misinformed part of our legal code, because only our Empire operates in such a way, but nonetheless, that's what will come to stand.

As for your Grand Arbiter's trial, the Empire finds that subjecting an individual to blame for the workings of a government to be unsophisticated and wrong. This may have roots in our highly group-oriented society, as it has been used for centuries. In Kirav, buisnesses, organizations, and even entire clans can be brought to court, and no individual blamed for their actions. Officially, the Empire is neutral In this trial.

Back to Defence. looking back over the past few years in Imperial military deployment, it's highly likely that the Empire would support you in your war of independance. However, it is complexified by our relation to the PSR, and their immense power. Circles within Circles.

“Ah, yes, technically, the Grand Arbiter bit the bullet for his nation this time. He could have brought the 28 members of Congress before the judge as well, and all of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and several other high ranking officials, but he alone stands for his nation this round, and the main people who are responsible, his ex-military advisors, are on trial for treason, conspiracy, and subversion in the Far Echo Islands at the moment, the whole ‘1 Hour War’ as there was about one hour that passed between declaration and surrender, has been nothing but an absolute mess political mess in New St. Petersburg. People are calling for votes of no confidence in their congressmen’s honor, and with riots throughout the country it doesn’t help. However, the reason the Grand Arbiter only took 7 other citizens to the court room, none of which are on trial, is that the government structure in our country in traditionally unstable, had the whole congress disappeared for trial, all the generals and admirals of the army, who knows what kind of system of government the Islands would fall into.”

"Yes. Unstable government seems to be common to archipelagic nations. Your current government seems quite apt, though. Hopefully this should be the last government the CFEI must see. Kirav's government has been more or less the same since the first settkers arrived from the long-dead Empire of Coscivia. Of course, it has expanded as we brought new countries into the Empire, and adjusted itself to account for different colonies. It may be due to the strong bond between the people and their government. To us, the government is as much a part of a culture as its language, music and population. It also may be due to the fact that we've never been a single state. First a province of the Coscivian Empire, then a union of clandoms, and now our own Empire. Where did the people of your nation originate?"

“Well, the history of our nation goes back thousands of years, there are some tribes that have existed longer than some of the smaller volcanic islands, but the idea of the Far Echo Islands as a functioning archipelagic nation came about in the ninth century, for a long time the only thing that was considered the Far Echo Islands was the northern province of Arctica, the other provinces were just neighboring archipelagos. The Islands were annexed as a province of the massive Sound Empire; the Sound Empire stood for almost three millennia, but suddenly fell apart in the 20th century. The first hints at a breakup came when the Far Echo Islands rebelled 75 years ago. This was due to the islands abuse as a vacation spot and a place that had gold in the ground and tribes on the land, Sound Empire custom was to wipe out tribal settlings. It was total guerilla warfare and wasn’t taken seriously until they started sinking ships, then the Sound Emperor let our the hurt, a serious campaign and they killed enough to quell the people in to grieving.

A decade later with a new emperor whom was devoutly catholic he banned the old religions of the empire and transformed the Sound Empire into the Holy Sound Empire, however, much of empire took this as heresy, and avoiding a terrible civil war, brought the Echo Empire into existence, offering it as a place for those of the old religions to go. Here came the threat to the Far Echo Islands, the islands followed mostly tribal religions and a few orthodox forms of Christianity, but Catholicism was nonexistent, none the less, the emperor would not let it go due to its gold supply. A war ensued over the land, and each side had just discovered how to make napalm, so the islands were hurt environmentally, and physically.

The nations warred over the region about 50 years ago, and this would have been a real chance for independence as both nations put everything they had into the war, and a third party really would have throw things off, but none the less the islands just wound up caught in the crossfire. Eventually most of the land was ceded to the Echo Empire, but many of the soldiers chose to bring their families to the temperate climate of the Carribbia province, especially in Neo Savannah. 23 years later when political corruption broke out into riots assassinations that killed almost all the leaders of the Echo Empire, this temporary confusion of who was in charge caused the revolutions of 17 nations that the Echo Empire had ruled; the Far Echo Islands was one of them. But six months later the Holy Sound Empire came out of nowhere and re-conquered the still rebuilding archipelago. Five years later the still debated responsibility of the detonation of a nuclear device in the capitol of the HSE killed the leadership, and 4.3 million other people, and both the massive empires finally dissolved. Then CFEI finally got it’s independence under a corrupt dictatorship, that was over thrown by a coup 4 months later, then a constitutional monarchy, over thrown in less than a year, then a short period of no real government, but so divided in views that it wasn’t quite anarchy, then the current regime came in as a benevolent dictator ship that actually ceded power and turned into the hybrid system that is run today.”

"The Echo Islands seem quite dynamic! To say the least.

Kirav's history is much more gradual, but still violent.

Before the Coscivs came, Kirav was virtually uninhabited. There were a few outposts from tribes in the South, but that was all.

The Coscivian Empire sent thousands of colonists from all over their Empire, and made Eastern Kirav a province. After mainland Coscivia fell, Kirav was the last remmanent of the Empire. THe Imperial government collapsed, and the ethnic groups began to fight each other. Anglevs, Kaldevs, Ieurlevs, and others, all competing for dominance. Eventually, a mixed group called the Kirev, named ofr the province, took control, unified the country, nationalised the military, and began the Empire. We expanded until we reahed the west coast of the continent, united with Kirverda, another Cosciv colony, and started building colonies offshore. Of course, we were met with resistance. Native groups attacked Kiravian settlers, Fiercely Nationalist nations attacked us in attempts to bring down our Empire. At one point, the EMpire was to large to defend, and was divided into 3 empires, under a tribunal. Later they were re-unified and we returned to building our colonies and our EMpire once again. Even today, new lands areacquired, and we face even more nations that wants us to grant all of our colonies independance, give up the EMpire, and become a Republic.

“That’s quite interesting, there was a short and highly covered up war to acquire Colombian Province right after independence, but that’s the closest we’ve ever come to imperialism, but we find imperialistic histories fascinating and the management of them even more so. Though the Far Echo Islands tends lean a little more towards nationalism because of its unique culture, we have never been opposed to imperialism despite our past years of being a territory.”

Ha, if you're interested in Imperial management, I'll have to give you a book on our government. No other nation in history has come even close to our system. And I'm not just saying that because I work for it.

We're just Imperialist by nature. Even before our people came to Coscivia, they were ruling an empire in Burdica, and before that, Teirica. Of course, we're not super-belligerent expansionist nutjobs, we're mostly colonizers, settling, exploring, and only exploiting until the province's economy bets strong enough to turn to services.

Would you like anything to drink?

Ha, if you don't mind, I have connections in a publishing house from a book I wrote a few years back called Dynamic Confederacy, a Short History of Our Nation's Government so if you don't mind I'd like to buy the copyrights, translate it and sell it in the Far Echo Islands, it'll probably be a best seller!

Oh, and yes I am a little parched, how about something traditional from your country?

Interesting, it's not everyday that one meets a diplomat and a writer.

He clicks the button on the wall, "This is Redwood, bring up two mèlas"
"Mèla is a drink unique to Kirav. They are prepared like tea, but from a different plant. Ancient Kiravian agronomers bred tea and mint together, it wasn't easy, and created mèla."

Humm, very intresting, we don't have a drink quite as uniqe as that, however, in Olde Towne, there is some of the oldest, I'm talking over a thousand years, and best wine you will ever taste.

"The mere thought of that is intoxicatingly plreasureful. THe oldest winry in Kirav is in an aptly named town called Wineforest, it was built by Alfre....."

An intern walks in with the tary of Mèla, he says nervously in a thick Mid-Oceanic accent, "Sir, you an' the Amba'ador augh'a come ou'side, some'ings 'apning, it's got sum'ting t' do wit' 'is cun'ry"

Delpin only responded with a very concerned look.

The three walked out of the Diamond Building into the streets of Kartika.

A group of Kiravians were standing across the stone-paves street, holding signs with the Grand Arbiter's photograph and several drwings of belugae and dolphins, shouting in some strange dialect of Coscivian.

"What do you reckon they want?" asks Redwood.

"I don't know, but I have a gut feeling I need to check in on the Grand Arbiters trial." Delpin said withdrawing a satellite phone from his pocket.

A muffled voice came from inside the phone, with the occasional boom in the background, you might have thought artillery barrage had you not been talking directly. Delpin hung up the phone and smiled.

“It seems that the Grand Arbiter, or well, former Grand Arbiter I should say has been found guilty of all charges by the majority of justices, but the Chief Justice found him innocent of crimes against humanity, but guilty of subversion, but his sentence was lightened, instead of death, he got like some one off hard labor sentence and a good sized fine, and the British Londinium occupation is over, and those explosions you heard were fire works, there’s a huge celebration about it in Neo Savannah and several other cities.”

"Thank God. I was considerably concerned about his sentance."

[OOC: I explained the marchers in the celebration thread]

"As was I."

"So, he's being sent to a colony for labour? That's a very common sentance in Kirav, sending 2nd level offenders to Penal Colonies or normal colonies to work in hard labour. Of course, we also try to re-educate dentainees and bring theem back into the workforce. It's easier to get ex-convicts hired here in Kirav than elsewhere, because we've all but banned personal lawsuits."

That's interesting, convict work is a common sentence for misdemeanors, and some felonies, but our crime rates are relatively low as the demonstration you heard about today with the ex-Arch Military Advisor is not uncommon, but it is uncommon that it is public.

"Ah,..We rarely execute, but we do. Unlike other nations that have banned it, we consider that some criminals are to dangerous to be left alive. Until recently, we used psychological punishment on murderers and traitors. I won't go into detail, but the moral integrity of it was questionable enough. It was banned 2 years ago. We have virtually no corruption, despite our huge government. We use an internal anti-corruption "police" unit to monitor and confront shady officials.

It is a day of celebration, let us discuss something lighter. What is the state of the Arts in the CFEI?

"The arts are flourishing in the Islands today. Film has especially taken off in the last decade or so. Paintings in the islands have been around for as long as paint, a probably before that. Some of the sun rises and sets are like things you'll see nowhere else in the universe. While fiction films and writing are popular, but documentaries are often shown as major motion pictures generating billions in revenue. Video games, well, that's art to and extent, are also quite popular, we even have a government sponsored game development studio."

"Fascinating. Painting is not as widely practiced here, but we love our architecture and sculpture. In Kartika alone, there are over 500 monuments, testaments, and memorials to people and events alike, all decorated with scultpture and calligraphic engravings. Literature is also a favourite. Kiravian authors write everything from astronomical statistics books to the most complex and symbolic works of neoclassical fiction. We have a government Secriat devoted to the Arts.

A very unique aspect of our artistic landscape is textiles. We use tartans to represent clans, provinces, cities and ideals. We also use geometric patterns to decorate cloth partitions, rugs, robes, cloaks, and most importantly, flags. Flags are very important to us. Everything from the Empire itslef, to individual families, has a flag attributed to it."

"Wow, sculpting in the Echo Islands has always been mostly ignored except for a few statues in the Capitol. The way flags are to you is would seem is seals to the Echo Islands. Everything from wars, to special ops squadrons, to peace conferences, has a seal or logo of some kind."

"We've noticed that. FLags, are one thing, but being that creative with seals, in both senses of the word in your case, is impressive."

OOC: 200th post!!!!!! Woot!

"Yes, it is ironic that our national animal is our favorite thing to make. The arctic seal has been a symbol of the Far Echo Islands for centuries."

ooc: woah, I just reached my 100th 8 posts ago, weirdness. O and I don't know if you are into fantasy rp or not but if you are you might want to look at this (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=12935753&posted=1#post12935753).

"Kirav has never truly had an animal to symbolize it, for a long time, the Forest Leopard, a feline indigenous to our temperate forests, was the national animal, but the decision has been under review for 5 years. We are proud of our White Cypresses though."

OOC: I've joined the fantasy Rp, it's great!

Wow, that is quite odd, even the old nomadic tribes of the north used the Arctic Seal to represent themselves, to imagine not having that boggles my mind.

"Yes it is strange. We lack symbols that most countries have, like national anthems, sports, or seals/coats of arms. However, we have a national tartan, gem, drink, logo, colour, and two national Protists."

You represent you selves in different way than normal countries, but they are a bit of a refreshing really. Quite intresting indeed.

"Why thank you."