NationStates Jolt Archive

Fresh from the wonders of the Third Spanish States, President Stinson and his wife were on their way to the next nation on the list. This happened to be Angenteria. Like most of the nations on the list, Lamoni had never heard of them until now, but hopefully, that would change.

Especially seeing as how the Lamonians were approaching the airspace of Angenteria, and would be touching down there before long. President Stinson was using satellite communications to deal with affairs back home, and so did not get a chance to look out of one of the windows on the Presidential aircraft; in order to get a view of the country that they would be landing in. He hoped that his wife was taking the chance to look out the window, so he could ask her about what she had seen when he had a chance.

Despite the concerns that always accompanied a diplomatic first contact with a foreign nation, it almost seemed like this sort of thing was starting to become old hat to President Stinson, though he knew that he shouldn't allow himself to think that way. It might make him miss something important, he knew, and he could not afford that.

The time that they had spent in Third Spanish States had been... educational, to say the least. There was such a sense of newness and progress there, and Stinson didn't see anything wrong with attempting to put some of what he had learned there to use in the Free Republic. After all, that was one of the points of this multi-national tour; to see if there were new ideas and/or experiences that would make Lamoni better. If there was something that Lamoni could offer to other nations, then it was so much the better.

OOC: IC post coming soon.

(OOC: I'm going to assume that there was some sort of message telling my guys you're coming?)

Imperial Palace
Angenteria City

"My Lord, the President of Lamoni's plane is approaching." High Chancellor Uriel Quinlan stood at the door of the Emperor's Chambers, wearing his white robes that signified his position.

"Thanks, Uriel. Have you made the necessary preparations?" Emperor Marcus Riektal looked up from his desk. Crowned Emperor of the Holy Imperium only a short year ago after the sudden death of his father, this would mark the first time a foreign dignitary was paying an official visit, and by the souls of his ancestors, he was not going to mess it up. He had been looking forward to his day with some anxiety. It wasn't the first time he was meeting the head of a foreign country, but it was the first time he had to give one a tour of his country.

"Everything's ready, my lord. After we greet them, we're going to give them a quick tour, followed by a state dinner here in the palace."

"Where exactly are we giving them a tour of?"

"That, My Lord." Uriel smiled "is for you to decide."

Marcus tensed up at the thought of that. Where the hell was we going to take them, and what on earth was he going to show them? He decided to think on that a little.

"Also, My Lord. I've taken the liberty of inviting your sister to accompany us."

"Camilla?" Marcus raised an eyebrow. He had not seen his sister since his coronation, what with being the Emperor and all. It seemed that this was quickly becoming a family reunion as well as a state visit.

"Yes?" A familiar feminine voice cut him off, and Camilla Riektal strode into the room, walking past Uriel with a warm smile in her face. Born only a year after Marcus, Camilla and Marcus had an especially close relationship as kids, which still held firmly to this day. Both siblings being still in their early twenties, the pair had been forced into positions of power rather quickly, thanks to the sudden death of their father. Because of this, the Title of Empress had not yet been claimed, as Marcus has had no time to marry. She stood at the head of Marcus' desk, staring at him, as if sizing him up for any changes since the last time she'd seen him.

"No, sis, I don't have any gray hair yet." Marcus said, a smile encroaching on his face, standing up from his chair.

She smiled "Of course you don't." She walked over to him, and shared a friendly hug. "How long has it been, again."

"A year."

"Oh, that's right, the Coronation. Everyone prancing around in their dress clothing, bowing every time you so much as looked at them, and calling you 'My Lord.' That was something." All the titles and important jobs aside, they really saw each other as little kids, and didn't see each other as anything less that that kid who pulled pranks on each him/her for kicks.

"Yeah, that was something." He looked toward Uriel. "Are there any other surprises I should know about?"

Uriel chuckled. "No, my lord. Nothing else. If you two will meet me at the front, we must get going. Best not to keep them waiting." With that, Uriel walked from the room.

Making sure good old Uriel was out of earshot, Camilla looked at her brother

"See what I mean?"

"Oh? It's not like people don't call you 'My Lady'."

"Yeah, but..." Camilla nodded, conceding the point. "Whatever, shall we go?"

"Sure, why not?"

With that, the two walked from the room.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Angenterian Airspace

By then, the control tower in Angenteria International Airport had picked up the President's plane and had dispatched two fighter jets from the Imperial Guard to escort them in. The two jets screamed toward the president's plane, falling in on either side of it, forming a perfect "v" formation. One of the pilots spoke into her communicator, contacting the Lamonian plane.

"Mr. President, Madam First Lady? This is Lieutenant Hawkins, of the 497th Air Corps. With your permission, we'd be honored to escort your plane to it's runway. His Majesty is expecting you."

(OOC: Yeah, I should have added that, sorry. And now I have enough time to post a response!)

"Mr. President, Madam First Lady? This is Lieutenant Hawkins, of the 497th Air Corps. With your permission, we'd be honored to escort your plane to it's runway. His Majesty is expecting you."

Alerted to the message by an LAF Sergeant, President Stinson went over to his bank of communications equipment and answered. "This is President Stinson of Lamoni. Permission is granted to escort my aircraft to Angenteria International Airport, Lieutenant."

President Stinson was actually looking forward to meeting the Emperor of Angenteria. Lamonian Intelligence had been able to catch rumors that the current Emperor had only been in power for a year. That should make for a more interesting meeting than those held with long serving, jaded politicians. The jaded ones would constantly try to sweet talk you into something that you knew went against your nation's interests. And when you told them that you couldn't possibly accept that, they then looked like you were some kind of idiot for not following their "Grand Political Vision." Stinson snorted at that. If even ONE of their Grand Political Visions had ever come to fruition, then he would be impressed. In the meantime, he would continue to do what he had always done; that being to serve his constituency back home, as well as be a worthy partner for his nation's allies.

While the scenery of Angenteria went by underneath him, Stinson went over to be with his wife, who was pregnant with their first child. While he knew intellectually about the pregnancy and birthing process, the mere fact that his wife was carrying his child still had the ability to take his breath away. Stinson placed his hand on his wife's belly, just to see if he could feel anything yet. While he was doing this, he smiled at his wife, and gave her a kiss. He had been really lucky that fate had dropped her into the competition that he'd held in order to find a wife; and as a result, he had never taken his darling Adelaide for granted. While the other final contenders for his heart had each had something about them, there had just been something special about Adelaide that had taken his breath away. And to think that she could have been married to a multitude of different men, but had either been turned down, or had turned them down. It was their loss, Stinson thought. He had made a vow to be with her for the rest of his life, and he intended to honor that vow.

An interesting side-effect of his wife's pregnancy was that the family's popularity had risen when it had been publicly announced. While there would always be those who didn't like the fact that Adelaide came from Neo-Ixania, Stinson really didn't care what they thought. It was to Adelaide that he wanted to come home to, and damn those who didn't like it.

With all of these thoughts going through his head, time seemed to FLY by, and they had touched down at their destination long before Stinson thought that that was even possible.

"Ready for another meeting, Addy?" Once again, President Andrew Stinson regaled his wife with a smile that only she would see.

Ever since she was a little girl covered in the all so adorable aura that girls of her nature were to posess in the eyes of their loving parents, Adelaide Stinson had expressed a desire to see the world. She had wanted to see the world's many nations and peoples and learn everything she could about them from what they ate to who they prayed to before they went to sleep in the night. The childhood Adelaide, the Addy of long ago, did not expect that she would grow up into the First Lady of Lamoni and that she would be bearing the first child of the President of Lamoni who, with great love and affection, regarded Adelaide as a demigodddess, an Aphrodite-on-Earth. She had been content with this unexpected development in her life and did not want to lose Andrew, her darling Andy, at all. On the plane, she had actually been sleeping but the hand of her husband upon her developing womb awoke her from the deep slumber and caused her to smile at him. The lips united and the teeth flashed. Everything, for these two, seemed perfect. As the plane touched down on the runway, Adelaide took the luggage she had brought along and walked with Stinson out into the crisp Angenterian air with a smile. "....I'm ready for another meeting, Andy, but let's hope you are!"

As the plane touched down on the runway, Adelaide took the luggage she had brought along and walked with Stinson out into the crisp Angenterian air with a smile. "....I'm ready for another meeting, Andy, but let's hope you are!"

Stinson grinned at his wife, and while doing so, he wasn't "President Stinson," he was simply Andrew, or as his wife liked to call him, Andy. Looking around to see if there were some media types around or something, and gave his wife another of those looks that only she would see. With that, Andrew's feet touched the soil of Angenteria.

Marcus felt himself tense up quite a bit as his car reached the runway where the President's plane was supposed to land. It seems that the plane had already landed, and already, a crowd of journalists and reports had gathered like flies to rotting meat, all startled by the meeting of the nations, and wanting to catch a glimpse of their Emperor in action.

"Don't be nervous, my Lord." Uriel chimed in from the seat next to him. "Remember: they're people, just like us. Except not like us, because they're not......well, you know what I mean, right?"

Marcus nodded, not understanding a word that Uriel just said. He looked out the window as the car came to a halt outside. His motorcycle escorts pulled off to the side, and the driver moved out to open the doors.

"Well...let's do it." Marcus said out loud, rubbing his hands together. Camilla raised an eyebrow, taking in her brother's nervousness. Well, it was kind of a nerve-wracking situation, all things considered. But Marcus was the Emperor, and it was time he acted like one.

Emperor Riektal stepped out into the shining light, and was instantly greeted by the bowing of the crowd, who all seemed to take a moment to get down on one knee to address their Emperor. It was customary to bow in the presence of those of the Riektal line.

"Rise, my people." Marcus spoke. How voice was stern, and full of authority. At once the gaggle of newsmen and women rose to their feet, and began showing their loyalty by pelting His Majesty with endless questions about various matters of state. Two parallel lines of Palace Guardsmen kept the crowd pack, their white armor gleaming in the light. They had lined in two parallel lines in either side of the stairs leading up to the President's plane, where they stood at perfect attention, forming a clear path to the plane. A long red carpet had been rolled out, and extended to the stairs. Marcus and the rest had advanced to the foot of the stairs, and he had placed his arms behind his back and spread his feet apart, and watched as the door to the plane flew open, and a couple walked stepped out of the plane, and descended to the bottom.

Instantly, they were greeted by the clicking of cameras and the rolling of news cameras. Marcus had hoped that they would be used to it now, as they had been traveling the world for some time already. As they approached the bottom, Marcus gave them a formal bow, and smiled eagerly.

"Mr. President, Madame First Lady. I hope both of you are in good health. I am Emperor Marcus Riektal." Marcus held his hands out away from his body, motioning to the scenery behind him. The metropolis of Angenteria City rose up behind them, and a pathway, lined with Palace Guardsmen, extended to a waiting car. "And welcome to the Holy Imperium of Angenteria."

When the door opened, both President Stinson and his wife were aware of the press. With all of the camera flashes, who WOULDN'T be aware of them?

Stinson waved to the press as he and his wife walked down the stairs, making the first unofficial gesture of Lamonian goodwill to the people of Angenteria. He could see what he assumed to be an official welcoming party at the foot of the stairs, one of the party bowed and started to speak.

"Mr. President, Madame First Lady. I hope both of you are in good health. I am Emperor Marcus Riektal." Marcus held his hands out away from his body, motioning to the scenery behind him. The metropolis of Angenteria City rose up behind them, and a pathway, lined with Palace Guardsmen, extended to a waiting car. "And welcome to the Holy Imperium of Angenteria."

"I am honored that the Holy Imperium and it's Emperor have decided to receive both me and my wife, Emperor Riektal. It is my hope that this first visit to the Holy Imperium will be the first of many in establishing a lasting friendship between our two peoples. The people of the Free Republic of Lamoni greet the people of the Holy Imperium of Angenteria in the name of peace and co-operation."

After speaking, President Stinson followed the lead of Emperor Riektal. He decided that he liked what he could see of Angenteria thus far. The Palace Guardsmen looked like the sharp eyed competent security force that they were supposed to be, as well. This seemed to bode well for Angenteria, following the old rule that you never got a second chance to make a first impression.

"What are your plans for our time in your fine nation, Emperor Riektal?" Stinson was curious about this.

(OOC: Sorry for the inactivity, but I have a lot to do this week.)

IC:

"I am honored that the Holy Imperium and it's Emperor have decided to receive both me and my wife, Emperor Riektal. It is my hope that this first visit to the Holy Imperium will be the first of many in establishing a lasting friendship between our two peoples. The people of the Free Republic of Lamoni greet the people of the Holy Imperium of Angenteria in the name of peace and co-operation."

Marcus smiled warmly, glad to have been so successful in his greeting. Emperor and everything, he was still a young man in his twenties, and still learning the ropes to this business known as "diplomacy." Well, at least it was off to a good start.

Marcus turned and extended his hand toward the waiting car, and taking the gesture, the Lamonians began to walk towards it. Falling in step, Marcus was more then a little surprised to hear the next question.

"What are your plans for our time in your fine nation, Emperor Riektal?"

And there it was, the question that he had dreaded since he had left the palace. Honestly, he had only the vaguest idea of what to show the President and First Lady. There was so much to see in Angenteria City, and so little time to show them. What made the Holy Imperium so different from the other nations the good President had seen, and will see?

...That was it.

"President Stinson, are you a man of faith?"

"President Stinson, are you a man of faith?"

"I currently am a member of the Community of Christ church back home, but my schedule honestly does not permit me the luxury of attending services, Emperor. However, I would be interested in exploring the faith of Angenteria. It is wise to learn the ways of others, is it not?"

President Stinson entered the car after helping his wife in, and waited to see what wonders awaited him during his time in Angenteria. He assumed that they would be going to some sort of chapel or church first, but what would happen after that? Would there be a natural wonder or negotiating session, or maybe some demonstration of military might?

Either way, Stinson would just have to wait and see what the young emperor of Angenteria decided on showing them.

OOC: What sort of architecture and such would they see in Angenteria?

(OOC: Most buildings in the Capital are built in a neo-gothic fashion, save for the modern skyscrapers, which look like...skyscrapers.)

IC: "I currently am a member of the Community of Christ church back home, but my schedule honestly does not permit me the luxury of attending services, Emperor. However, I would be interested in exploring the faith of Angenteria. It is wise to learn the ways of others, is it not?"

Emperor Riektal smiled, feeling better that he had made the correct choice. He was glad to know that his guests would, at the very least, posses an open mind towards what they would see. The Angenterian faith could be described as something a bit different to the more well-established religions around the globe, and was rarely practiced outside the borders of the Holy Imperium. Well, if they wanted to learn about new cultures, they were going to about to get a crash course in Angenterian religion.

Marcus waited and President Stinson and his wife entered the car, before stepping into the car himself, and taking a seat opposite them. Waiting to greet the Lamonians was an elderly man sporting white robes and smiling warmly, and a charming young woman who couldn't be any older then Marcus.

"Mr. President, may I present High Chancellor Uriel Quinlan."

"I'm honored to meet you." Uriel said on cue, and bowed his head respectfully.

"And Camilla Riektal, my sister."

Camilla smiled cheerfully. "Nice to meet you."

"They'll be accompanying us on our trip, I hope you don't mind."

With that, the car pulled away from the airfield, toward the metropolis that was Angenteria City.

OOC: IC post coming soon.

Adelaide was a bit surprised to hear that the Angenterian Emperor want to know about the religious backgrounds of his guests but she did not let it bother her as she rode in the limosuine with the man she loved and the host of her visit. When Stinson finished speaking about his choice in religion, Adelaide not only spoke in favor of learning about the Angenterian religion but also quipped that she was agnostic in that she didn't know if God existed or not but she said that she was very tolerant and open minded. She greeted Camilla and the High Chancellor respectfully whilst adjusting herself on her seat to make herself more comfortable and she would, occassionally, adjust her maternity dress which actually complimented her figure while supporting the growing fruit of the womb for which she was the host. She did not mind what gender the child would be and, instead, prayed that he or she would just be healthy and free of any problems.

"....I don't mind that your sister or the High Chancellor accompany us, Your Majesty." Adelaide said sweetly before looking out the window for a moment.

"Mr. President, may I present High Chancellor Uriel Quinlan."

"I'm honored to meet you." Uriel said on cue, and bowed his head respectfully.

"And Camilla Riektal, my sister."

Camilla smiled cheerfully. "Nice to meet you."

"They'll be accompanying us on our trip, I hope you don't mind."

With that, the car pulled away from the airfield, toward the metropolis that was Angenteria City.

"I would consider it an honor if High Chancellor Quinlan and your sister were to join us, Emperor Riektal. If there is something that you would like to know about Lamoni, please don't hesitate to ask.

In the meantime, would any of you care to tell us about the history of Angenteria? I am sure that it is a rich history, full of lessons to carry on to future generations."

The car ride was a smooth as one would expect from the car of a national leader, and that was very smooth indeed. The Neo-Gothic architecture of the older looking buildings clashed with the ultra-modern looking skyscrapers, like this city had the old and the new, with nothing at all in between. He was sure that there was some sort of explanation for this oddity, but for now, it was slightly confusing.

All the while, Stinson was concentrating on what Emperor Riektal and the others were saying, paying particular attention when someone would ask a question.

"....I don't mind that your sister or the High Chancellor accompany us, Your Majesty."

Emperor Riektal smiled eagerly as he heard such overwhelming support from the Lamonians with having his High Chancellor and sister present. Being the first time a foreign dignitary had received a personal tour from the Emperor himself, he was glad to have some people there to give him a pick-me-up if he ran into something he couldn't handle himself. He was still learning about this whole Emperor thing, and couldn't get used to the fact that everyone bowed repeatedly every time he walked by. If only they knew that he was as nervous as he was.

In the meantime, would any of you care to tell us about the history of Angenteria?

And there it was, the first bullet. Marcus' eyes flashed for a second, considering all the history he'd read in every book, every document, and every person he'd studied over the years. A member of the Imperial family was tied into such long-standing history, and it would be very bad if an Emperor did not know about the history of his own nation.

"Well, you're really interested..." Marcus began, leaning forward in his seat. "We're not very sure when the general area was first settled, but it is widely assumed that humans have been living here since the neolithic era. Evidence to that was actually only recently discovered in caves outside of Jabim, a major city in the west. Cave pictures depicting hunting parties, perfectly preserved, or so I am told. Anyway, over the next few thousand years, our people developed into a patchwork of different city-states, much like that of Ancient Greece."

"That is, until the Romans came." Camilla put in.

Marcus nodded. "Angenteria under Roman rule is very well-documented, thanks to their meticulous record keeping. We were first, umm, 'settled' by the Romans in the 120's AD, in the height of their power. The city-states were easily taken by the Roman legions, who were pretty much too busy hating each other to concentrate on anything else. We continued to function as a province of Rome for as long as their Empire continued to exist, until Rome was eventually sacked by barbarian tribes."

"Here's where it actually get's interesting." Camilla said.

"Quite. During the Middle Ages, Angenteria was ravaged by civil war, much like that of Warring States period in China. When the Romans left, you see, it created something of a power vacuum, and the land was divided into at least five different kingdoms, who were all struggling for control. It was around this time when a man by the name of Talos Riektal was born in a village in one of the Kingdoms. As the son of peasant farmers, he spent most of his childhood in poverty. Now, details about his life from there on are kind of iffy, and those texts that do exist proclaim him as some sort of prophet or divine being, and forms the basis of our rather unique religion. What we do know for certain, however, is that he was able to unify the warring kingdoms of Angenteria, and was crowned the First Emperor of the Holy Imperium. Amazingly enough, the rule of the Riektal line has been preserved until the present day, but not without numerous challenges. The biggest one only occurred about forty-fifty years ago. My father was almost killed when the Imperial Palace was stormed by treasonous soldiers under the orders of Governor Johan Septim. My grandfather was cut down in a hail of bullets, and my Father forced to flee west, to gather support. After five years of brutal civil war, he was finally able to restore control. If you're really interested, Uriel fought alongside my father during that time." Uriel nodded instinctively.

Marcus took a deep breath. That was certainly a mouthful. "Now, I hope you don't get any bad ideas from that last bit. My sister and I are certainly not gods, nor can we tell the future. For all we know for certain, Talos was just a man that happens to be our ancestor." He looked at his watch. "And there you go. Angenterian history in ten minutes. We should be arriving at our first stop in about another ten, if everything goes well."

OOC: <reserved for reply that I would be making now if I didn't have a full day tomorrow.>

Bumpity-bump?

"That is very interesting, Your Highness. If you wish, I could tell you about Lamonian history as well. Maybe I should start with the fact that our nation was founded by refugees who found that they had nowhere to go?"

After waiting for a response from the emperor, Stinson began. "As I mentioned, Lamoni was founded by five million refugees from many different nations that have been lost to the mists of time. They had somehow all met up in a specific place in the Pacific Region, and noticed that they had nowhere to go. They drew up a Constitution, made a government, and lived their lives as their own masters. Most of them spoke at least limited English, and English is still the official Lamonian national language to this day. Over the years, the nation grew and prospered.

However, covetous eyes were watching them as the nation that they had founded became wealthy from the sweat of their brow. A group of nations had taken it upon them to destroy the Free Republic, and enslave the population. Fortunately, Lamoni was able to fight off the first wave of attackers while the nation moved to the region of B5Tech. Lamoni continued to grow there, eventually obtaining the office of UN Delegate for the region. Conflict would come again with the nation of Dune provoking a wholesale regional conflict; and Psipronia later starting a war that was the beginning of the end for the region of B5Tech. Psipronia lost the war; fighting mainly Lamonian forces, and fled to a new region, where they continued to spew hate at Lamoni until Psipronia died out.

With the region of B5Tech dying because of the war, Lamoni moved to the region of Atlantian Oceania. They were invited to join the electoral race of regional nations for the vacant spot of UN Delegate, and won the office. However, this would lead to a fiery political/military rivalry with Starblaydia. This rivalry turned relations between Lamoni and Starblaydia sour for a long time, ultimately resulting in a region wide war between the rival power blocks. Starblaydia lead the SAAS, which was a collection of autocratic states, while Lamoni led the SDL, which was a collection of democracies, and one kingdom.

The AOWar, as it is called, started when the Starblaydi's claimed that special forces from an SDL nation had shot their national leader with a high power sniper rifle. Sources are still unclear as to whether the Starblaydi's were telling the truth about this story; but the Starblaydi's used it to start a war betwen the rival power blocks, invading their southern neighbors, The Lowland Clans. TLC was the SDL nation that the Starblaydis accused of attempted assassination of their national leader, and the Starblaydi navy fired the first confirmed shots of the AOWar. With news of this act of war, Lamoni immediately declared war on Starblaydia, and the AOWar was underway.

This war was fought all over the region, but Lamoni itself was strangely left untouched by enemy weapons. Most of the fiercest fighting was inside TLC itself, with the Starblaydi forces reaching a point just outside of our ally's capitol city. This was when the allied forces started to arrive, and the Starblaydi's were never able to reclaim the initiative after that. SDL forces pushed the Starblaydi forces back to their border, where Lord Protector Starblayde had regained power from the person responsible for starting the war. Her name is Lady Protector Viannor, and she has not been heard from or seen since.

Since the AOWar, Lamoni has been expanding it's presence outside of it's region, making notable allies and friends. We have always been quick to start new projects when placed in a new situation, and this has been noted in one way by our production of military weaponry for export. We do this through LAIX Arms, and a couple of our designs have even gained enough favor from the Protectorate of Lyras that they are selling them in their storefront with our permission. Lamoni and Lyras enjoy very friendly relations, and Lamoni will be joining the Fedala Accords soon. That action will make the friendly alliance between Lamoni and Lyras officially binding; something that neither nation minds.

Part of the reason for this world tour of nations is to satisfy our curiosity about the outside world, which has not been diminished despite our history."

Just as President Stinson had finished his recital of Lamonian history, he noted that the car had stopped at what must be their destination.

OOC: IC post coming soon.

Emperor Riektal listened intently to the description of the history of Lamoni. History was, somehow, always one of the more interesting classes he'd taken. Most of the people he knew detested that subject, but hey, they weren't the Emperor either. From what it seemed, Lamoni was a country of nomads then anything else, moving from one region to another, but seemed to have finally found a place they can call home.

"I see..." he began "That's quite an interesting story. Perhaps we can discuss it later. It seems we've arrived." Almost instinctively, the door to the car opened, the driver standing outside with perfect posture.

"The Basilica Imperialis, My Lord." He said.

"Thank you, Jason." Emperor Riektal nodded to his driver, before turning to the Lamonians smiling. "After you."

What the Lamonians would see is a massive cathedreal (http://www.galiciaguide.com/pics/compostela-cathedral.jpg) looming over them, Gothic towers and flying buttresses augmenting it's ancient brilliance. The square in front of them stood the ranks of the Angenterian Priesthood in ordered rows, the colors on their robes signifying their rank within the Order.

"Some think Gothic architecture is garish, and just an eyesore..." Marcus began, stepping out of the limousine behind the Lamonians "...but this place still amazes me, even today. We take religion very seriously here."

The group was approached by a man in white robes, flanked by two members of the Ministorum Templar, the Honor Guards of the Angenterian Church. Upon noticing the Emperor and his sister, he went down one knee, head tilted towards the ground.

"Your Majesties, this is a great pleasure. We are honored by your presence." He rose again, noticing the Lamonian President and his wife. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Excellency. He turned to Mrs. Stinson, bowing formally. "And you as well, My Lady. I am Arch-Confessor Gregorius of the Imperial Faith, and welcome to the Basilica Imperialis."

When President Stinson got out of the vehicle, what greeted him was a very impressive large Gothic structure. He liked the structure, but he wasn't filled with any sense of religious awe. Whether that was due to the fact that he wasn't of the Angenterian faith, or if some part of him wasn't all that religious, Stinson didn't know.

"I would indeed enjoy telling you more about our history, if you so desire, Your Highness. Indeed, the Basilica Imperialis is quite impressive, Marcus. I am quite interested in learning more about it, and your religion, as well."

"Thank you, Arch-Confessor. My wife and wished to learn more about the church, and His Highness was good enough to allow us to tour the Basilica Imperialis. I am honored that you will be giving us not only a tour, but information on the entire church, as well. If you have time to do so one day, Arch-Confessor, may I recommend that you make a journey to Lamoni. I could arrange a meeting for you with the Prophet-President of Lamoni's majority religion, the Community of Christ."

(To set the mood... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlr90NLDp-0&feature=related))

"That would be most enlightening." Gregorius replied, positively beaming with the idea of meeting other those of other faiths around the world. "It is way past time we here re-connected with our brothers and sisters around the world." He piously added. "Perhaps a visit could be arranged. But there will be much time for that, but for now..." He practically whirled around, pacing towards the large ornate doors that stood as the main entrance. "There's a Basilica to see."

Upon entering the building structure itself, those present would have greeted by a grand interior. (http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intdept/pnp/images/cath1-12.jpg) A great hall, lined with ornate pews extended towards a main altar in the front. Behind that stood a stained-glass image of Talos Riektal. Above him stands a shining stained-glass golden image of the Imperial Eagle (http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p98/l33t-h4x0r/ang.gif), with the light of God emanating from it, bathing Talos in holy light. Flanking that image stood mosaics depicting other parts of Talos' life from birth to death, in order going out from the center. Light from the sun flooded through other stained-glass images on the sides, which depicted instances from the life of Christ and other famous Christian and Jewish figures. Great arches with supporting pillars lined the sides of the great hall, providing that oh-so-needed feel of ancient grandeur.

"The Basilica's construction began in 1243, after the death of Emperor Francis IV." Gregorius began. "The construction, as one can imagine, was painstakingly slow, but was finally finished in 1303, during the reign of Empress Louise, who had finally taken up the task of finishing the project, saving it from stagnation, and destruction. It was not an easy task, mind you. The area that was set out for the construction was initially part of a decently-sized forest, which ran along the outskirts of the city. The stone walls and fortifications that protected this city in her earlier years had to be extended to encompass this place. Stone had to be quarried in from all over the Empire. Additional homes had to be built, and additional farms had to be sown in order to properly see to the needs of the workers. It became, more or less, a full time job for those who worked to build it. But how have their efforts paid off. Today, the Basilica has never suffered a single accident on account to the age and weathering of the structure, and no force has successfully dismantled it, the most recent attempt taking place during the Angenterian Civil War, when rebel forces attempted to storm this place, and assassinate me." It was obvious he was very proud of this structure.

OOC: Sorry for the delay in replying to this, I was making this: http://z4.invisionfree.com/NSDraftroom/index.php?showtopic=4979

If you want, we can also RP the Arch-Confessor's meeting with the CofC in Lamoni.

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IC: President Stinson was really beginning to like the Arch-Confessor. His joy at the thought of meeting with the Community of Christ leadership was infectious. Stinson was sure that the Arch-Confessor would enjoy viewing the Temple and Auditorium complex. As far as anyone in Lamoni was concerned, the shape of the Community of Christ Temple was unique. This was seen to befit the headquarters of a sect of Christianity; even if there were still plenty of people who saw only the differences of this branch of Christianity from the others. Some of these people would look at the CofC with suspicion and hatred, merely because the CofC was different. Indeed, this effect had often been cited as evidence of part of the reason that racial hatred had begun.

As President Stinson looked around the Basilica, he was suitably impressed by what he saw. The high vaulted ceilings and design of the Basilica were designed to lead the eye to the stained glass figure of Talos Riektal. While the Community of Christ Temple did not make an high powered display of wealth, it was obvious that the Community of Christ didn't exactly suffer from a lack of funding, either. Of course, one could only tell that from either having seen pictures of the Temple/Auditorium Complex, or from having been taken on one of the public tours of the complex.

As Stinson listened to the Arch-Confessor, it wasn't all that hard to figure out that he was indeed proud of the Basilica; and rightly so. Any structure that had continuously stood since 1303 was nothing to sneeze at.

"This is a magnificent place, Arch-Confessor. Should you make the journey to Lamoni in order to meet with the Community of Christ, you should take in a tour of the Temple/Auditorium Complex. It might not have all of the history of the Basilica, but it has history, and the hearts and minds of the membership of the Community of Christ. The Temple in particular is an engineering marvel, the only known building based on the Nautilus sea shell. There is even an outdoor Zen like Meditation garden in the middle of the Temple for those who wish to meditate and commune with their God. The Meditation Garden was completed entirely with monetary donations from Community of Christ members who reside in the nation of Mephras.

(OOC: Maybe we can set something up later, after this is done. Speaking of which, I'm gonna hurry us up a little. I'll be in and out of college by the time we finish here.)

IC: Gregorius nodded. "Based on a Nautilus shell, you say? That sounds most interesting..." He trailed off, trying to picture the structure in his mind. It would certainly look unique, for starters. He wondered how an open topped Zen-garden would work in the middle of such a structure, but resolved to see it himself. "I shall make preparations as soon as I can." He finally said, grinning. "The buildings may be different, but faith never changes no matter the place..."

"Please, Arch-Confessor, there's no need to lecture the President and First Lady about faith." Camilla put in.

"Ah, my apologies, Your Majesty." Gregorius replied.

"Now." She said. "The hour is getting late, perhaps President and First Lady Stinson would like to see the Imperial Palace? There is still much to see and discuss." And she was right, there was still more in store for the Lamonians in Angenteria.

As they talked, they group finally reached the altar, under the image of Talos Riektal. Marcus silently approached the foot of the image, and bowed before it, a inaudible prayer whispered on his lips. His face had turned from all smiles to hard seriousness. After he was done, he returned to the group.

"Yes, perhaps it's time we left." He said quietly. "Arch Confessor?"

Gregorius smiled, and bowed formally again. "Yes, you still have places to go. I hope you both enjoy your stay in Angenteria. But before you leave..." He left for a few moments, before coming back, clutching a small trinket. "This is for you." He handed it to First Lady Stinson. "May your child live a long and happy life." He bowed yet again, before turning on his heels, and walking away, attendants in tow.

"Well." Camilla finally said. "Shall we?"

OOC: Damn....I forgot all about this. IC post definately coming when I have the time. Sorry, guys, for my lateness in advance.

(OOC: It's all good. Just look how often this thread gets updated.)

(EDIT: LET'S SHOOT FOR FOUR POSTS IN ONE DAY! A NEW RECORD!)

(EDIT2: NOOOOO!!!!)