NationStates Jolt Archive

To His Infinite Majesty, the Great Emperor Bhalk of the Borman Empire, His Grace, Holy Emperor Nikolai I, beloved by God, sends his warmest regards. It has been far too long since the Borman lands drifted away from the world stage and from Generia. Your great nation’s recent resurgence has pleased His Holy Majesty, and it is his honor to humbly request the re-cementing of relations between our dominions.

The world has changed much, as you with your many years assuredly know, and with the diminishing and disintegration of the former great alliances and the birth of newer organizations led by hot-headed young politicians and inexperienced diplomats, it is more important now than ever to cling to old friends and reliable allies. As such is the case, it is his Holy Majesty’s pleasure to invite you to the White Citadel, in the Imperial capital of Sofia where you will be received as a great king and as Generia’s oldest friend. It is sure that in the ancient hall of Emperor Alexei the Great, we can once more seal our alliance.

God protect you, and watch over the Borman Empire.

In a hand-written letter delivered to Holy Emperor Nikolai I

To His Forever Greatness, the Infinitely Awesome Holy Emperor Nikolai I,
It is great to hear from you friend. In honor of the friendship that has forever lasted and will forever last between our nations I’m doing what I never do, actually drafting correspondence myself. I do this only because of the place Generia holds in my heart.

While it is true, The War Machine of The Borman Empire has shrunk away from the world scene, I hope Generia does not truly believe we ever stopped being her most loyal ally or sharing the tightest bonds of brotherhood with her. While our navies may not have been eternally parting the sea, our borders still shared each other and The Empire still considered Generia her closest friend and ally.

I thank you very much, we hope that soon our name shall be once more internationally known. I shall, of course, accept your invitation, my friend. While I do not believe there is any need for a re-cementing of our relationships, for you see – I see no deterioration, The Borneric Empire of Uberness still stands as strong as it did the day it was first announced, I will of course journey to the White Citadel. It is always an occasion to visit the Generian capital, and when our nation’s leaders meet, there is always good times to be had – business or not.

As to the current state of the world, it is a new scary and shocking place. But we can, of course, discuss that more when I arrive. I’m on my way. I hope to see you soon in the ancient hall of Emperor Alexei the Great. I look forward to our combined name shaking the very foundations of the world once more.

May God watch over you too, greatest of men. God bless you and keep you, and God bless the Borneric Empire.

With Infinite Love,
Emperor Bhalk

The preparations for the visit of the great Emperor Bhalk had been made quickly, but no detail had been forgotten, nor had a single expense been spared. The extravagant wealth of the Imperial royal family and of the Generic Empire was displayed flamboyantly throughout Sofia, the spectacular capital of the sprawling Generic empire.

Crowds lined the streets, eager to catch a glimpse of the Borman motorcade, held back by Imperial police and soldiers. The spires and domes of the Imperial palatial complex, the aptly titled White Citadel, gleamed in the late morning sun. Of white stone trimmed with gold, they were visible from any point in the city, rising up from behind massive white walls in the very center of the city, tucked between the forks of the Alexei river.

In the square surrounded by the seven buildings of the Citadel, Emperor Nikolai waited patiently for the arrival of his oldest ally. Imperial standards and the flag of Borman flew from every window. Hundreds of Imperial White Guardsmen stood at attention behind him, preparing to salute the arrival of the Emperor.

The Imperial motorcade cruised through the streets, throngs of peoples pushing and squirming, trying to shout and wave. Emperor Bhalk rode, defiantly, in an open topped vehicle with two guards flanking him. He smiled and waved at the crowd, winking at a few and occasionally playfully inviting some to join the motorcade, moving much too fast for any hope of success in that regard. Bhalk took in the glory and splendor around him, happy to once more be in the beautiful city of Sofia.

The vehicles cruised away from the crowds and through the security measure of the Citadel. The entire line, moving in what could be described as a graceful arc, wound its way into the Citadel, slowing to a stop to posit Bhalk right in front of Nikolai. Once more smiling, this time at both the sight of Nikolai and majestic display of standards, Bhalk climbed out of the car and made his way towards Nikolai, arms outstretched.

“My friend! How are you?”

Nikolai stepped forward and took Bhalk’s hand warmly. He had never met the man, but his father, his father’s father, and his father’s father’s father (Bormans were notoriously long lived and Generian Emperors notoriously shortly so) before that had all counted the Borman Emperor among their oldest friends.

The White Guards saluted en masse, and the crowds of nobles, clergy, and palace onlookers behind them burst into wild applause. The Emperor turned to them and raised his hand in salute.

“Come, my friend. I believe we have much to discuss.”

The crowd parted as the two men made their way towards the largest building in the Citadel: the great domed structure that was the Imperial Residence. Inside, the marble floors glinted as the sun shone through massive windows into halls of mirrors and gold. The largest hall, that of Alexei the Great, founder of the dynasty, was cleared except for a single table, filled with the finest Generian food and drink. Nikolai sat, and motioned for his guest to do likewise. They were alone, except for an army of servants and the Emperor’s everpresent bodyguards, who stood at attention in every corner of the room.

Outside, the window provided a view of the Emperor’s personal gardens, the statues that filled it, and his women who lounged about in the sun.

“Generia has missed your presence, Emperor,” said Nikolai, as his glass was filled with Generian Black Death Vodka, his family’s signature beverage.

Bhalk held Nikolai’s hand firmly, happy to once more be in Sofia, Generian emperor only feet away. As he and Nikolai walked through the parting mass a single tear rolled down Bhalk’s cheek, he was overtaken with complete joy and happiness. Finally, we shall stride forward together once more.

Tracing the familiar path through the Imperial Residence Bhalk entered the hall of Alexei the Great, memories flooding back. Bhalk’s soul, if it could, was certainly warming at the prospect of being here once more. He strode by servants, handing them coat, gloves, and more as he made his way to his seat, drawing it out to sit down in front of the feast laid out before him. Few expected Generia to be a nation of absolutely delectable food, but for those who knew, Generia was very skilled in this art. Bhalk was one of the few who knew. He loaded up his plate, eager to get his hands on delicacies which Borman chefs often botched in an attempt to recreate.

“Aye, and I, the armies, the peoples, and the places of The Empire have missed your presence. Truthfully, they’ve never experienced it, but your bloodline is all alike – wonderful in every way, polite and refined, generous and friendly, truly bred with God’s own hand. We’ve known and loved your family, and we’ve longed for another of your blood to stand with us, forward into the bleak world around us. I have longed to be here, and to once more sit at this table makes me happier than I’ve been in years. I love this land.”

In a well practiced motion Bhalk’s hand elegantly circled towards his glass, almost always tipped off with the finest Black Death vodka, and took the glass to his lips. “Ah, I haven’t tasted true pure Generia Black Death in a while.”

Replacing the glass in its spot Bhalk smiled at Nikolai, “Thank you.”

bump

The glasses were drained and refilled, and the food on the table disappeared quickly as a result of the two men’s ferocious appetites. When each had had his fill, the servants cleared the dishes, and placed a box of cigars before them as well as a fresh bottle of Black Death.

“Was I lying when I told you that Generia’s hospitality has not lessened in the years you have been away?” asked a smiling Nikolai, as he placed a cigar between his lips. “I am afraid, though, that the rest of the world has become less than hospitable to men such as us.”

He sat back in his chair, and gazed out the window.

“Autocracy is dying, friend. The world has been sick of a plague of liberalization and over-democratization for decades now. It is no longer the world of my fathers, where strong states with strong kings kept watch over one another and held the order of things in place. In those days, men were not afraid to protect tradition with force of arms. Now, at our worst we bend over backwards to appease “allies” who scoff at order and faith, and we tear out the hearts of states we should count among our brothers. At our best, we simply sit back and do nothing, content to rest among our monuments and pray that history will remember our names better than the current rulers of this new world.”

His expression had grown stormy.

“Sad times, indeed, and ones which make me glad to have a brother sharing my dinner table this afternoon.”

Bhalk placed a fine cigar between his lips while he let a small chuckle out, “No you have not. And yes…yes it has, it’s a truly terrible thing.”

Listening to the words Nikolai said Bhalk nodded a grave nod of approval, unfortunately Nikolai was speaking the truth. “Aye, and I too am glad to have my brother at my side. An alliance forged in steel, bathed in blood, and continually beaten by the storms – yet still standing strong. I still remember the glorious days of The Evil Dictator’s Lounge And Gentleman’s Club; what a marvelous time that was. Level headed conservatism reigned supreme, sure we had liberal nut-jobs running around with shiny ships and tin pot dictatorships – but sense was the word of the day. Our departure seems to have signaled the opening of the gates of hell, when we lowered our guns the demonic soldiers of liberalism poured forth. They carried with them anarchy, chaos, instability, and the assured notion of death for all those nations who sought to practice sovereign rule – especially if said rule differed with what the liberal horde considered correct. The Old Guard, in the true sense of the word, is gone. No one remains to check these terrible monsters, clawing their way across the earth, gutting those who seek nothing more than to peacefully rule their own nations. Indeed, entire alliances are being founded on the principles of liberalism – an awful and terrible idea that, years ago, would have been stopped at the first word mentioned of it. But now, these alliances flourish and inflict their will world-wide. What you say is, very sadly, true. Those who do have any semblance of honor, loyalty, and competency are far outnumbered, shoved to the ground and held there with a boot to their neck. No nation, thus far, has had the mettle to stand up to these ravenous monsters, to challenge the iron grip they’ve cemented on the world’s collective throat. True virtues have faded with our international prominence, as you alluded to, decency, respect, honor, loyalty, and more are ancient relics – only practiced by those who deign to have liberal invasion. These liberal hordes, much as they did in the old days, act as a throng of wild animals, flinging feces everywhere, helping one another in one moment and wringing each other’s necks the next. A plague has come over this world, bringing with it chaos and anarchy, a bleak darkness consuming everyone. It blocks out the sun and it blocks out hope. It chokes the life out of every one of us, and I have desired to see an end to it for a long time.

“I’ve actually joined one of these alliances, the importance of it so trivial that the name escapes me. As of now my exact desires are not clear. But thus far I hope to gather intelligence on our enemy, for there exists no better way than to lay in bed with them. I’m actually, this will bring a laugh, contributing to the construction of their constitution. I want to see how these ravenous monsters work and function, and get out alive before they, in typical fashion, collapse in on each other. It has been suggested by some of my advisors, but not yet accepted by me or the staff as a whole, that we could try and turn these specific blackened hordes to the path of light. Perhaps some are not far gone enough that they may be freed from their shackles, brought under our protective umbrella, and allowed to grow and develop as they so wish. It’s also been suggested that we eliminate every single nation who tries to use this alliance as a pretext for liberal invasion and aggression, to destroy and possible colonize every single one. This would be more difficult and less probable, and accordingly only a few support this position thus far.

“What do you think of this idea? What do you believe we can do to combat the plague which has already wiped away countless allies of ours, which has already wrapped its terrible fingers around our throat – ready to squeeze and snuff out the last beacon of light, the last chance at a free world?”

Nikolai was silent for a moment, considering the words of his friend.

“You speak the truth. I have seen the reports on the alliance you speak of, and thankfully my advisors seem to think it can’t possibly last. Democratic squabbling is happily the reason that so many of our ideological adversaries cannot manage to get their acts together long enough to further their particular ends. The fact that such an organization can exist in the first place, however, is testament to the disappearance of the forces of order.”

He paused to take a sip from his glass.

“Still, I’m an optimist. As long as this Empire is strong, and with Borman by our side, all is never lost. I’ve long been of the opinion that order in one strong state, or better two, can do enough on their own to keep the world from falling into chaos. And certainly, there are those in the world who are not openly opposed to autocracy and the furthering of our agenda, if it benefits them. Perhaps it is time that the Borneric Empire of Uberness truly returned to the world stage; opened itself to friends in far corners and declared itself as a bastion of conservative ideals.”

He leaned in.

“I confess this is partly the reason I hoped you would join me here in my capital today. I’m talking about the formation of our own organization, open to a select few, and of the publication of a manifesto declaring our desire to aid the world’s conservative states and oppose the liberal agenda. What do you think?”

Bhalk sat still, moving only to sip Black Death, as he listened to all of what Nikolai had to say. When he finished he replied to it all.

“What you say is exactly correct. The very existence of said organization, no matter how long that existence will be, is a testament to lost times. They will, naturally, implode. The question is, in how long? What can we learn before then? And what damage will they wreak?

“I most certainly agree that with our two nations united all is not lost, but I’m not so sure as to the extent that we can keep the world from falling into chaos. Surely our own nations and a few others can be protected, but alone, do you really believe we can take on the world and win? Yes, we have done it before. But in those times, we had many prosperous, active, well-known allies. They may not have been directly helping, but I’ve always believed the prospect of their assistance aided us. Perhaps these nations you speak of, whose existence is assured, but willingness to come out into open in the current global situation…questionable, can be turned to our banner; which I’m sure is exactly what you’re thinking. Yes, yes, I whole-heartedly agree. The Borneric Empire has long existed, but its prominence has faded. I love this idea! A confederation of conservative allies, united under our banner, purging the world of the plague that has choked its very life for far too long. We could have a grand announcement, much like the one when we were first formed, officially proclaiming out resurgence. We can draft new symbols, banners, and more. A grand feast could accompany this, here we could invite world leaders who could help us in our quest. I would like to say now, The Warmaster. He has, as you are no doubt aware, been a strong ally and vibrant bastion. In fact, he may be the last active, prominent bastion. We need him, and more, so that we can do our noble duties.

“Your confession is more than excused, your idea is more than noble, our future – more than great. Let us commence on creating this organization immediately! The manifesto too, it must soon be issued to combat the flood of filth we face!”