Author Topic: Northfort News  (Read 93698 times)

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Offline DaveIronside

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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #210 on: September 04, 2020, 11:18:25 PM »




EMAC CONFIRM LOSS OF PROTOTYPE

Sir Alan Maybury the CEO of the East Moreland Aircraft Company has today announced that the company has lost one of the pair of prototypes for a new unmanned air vehicle known as the Dragon-ghost. The announcement marks the end of a long series of successful advances by the company over the last five years that had lead many to believe that everything the company touched was destined to a success. The new UAV was expected to serve in the Air Force and is intended to carry out both reconnaissance and strike missions. The aircraft was designed to give a minimal radar signature by using special composite materials and a low profile design. The skin of the aircraft was designed in such a way that there would be no potential radar return from control surfaces as the design would be manoeuvred by vectoring exhaust gases over the fuselage. Sir Alan spoke with the media having already reported the loss of the prototype to the Ministry of Defence. During the Press Briefing the CEO explained the reason for the loss. "Over the last few months the two prototypes have clocked up around 180 hours of flying time and things have largely gone how we expected. The prototype is designed so that we can use traditional control surfaces such as rudders, ailerons and elevators however we have the option to turn these off in flight and lock them in place using then the thrust vectoring we plan on utilising to cut down radar signature. On the last week or so off testing we've used just the thrust system for all the flights. On this occasion we believe that perhaps some ice blocked one of the vectoring ports and so we attempted to switch to using the control surfaces. For some reason the mechanism that switches between them didn't work and it crashed into the Illumic. We have recovered as much of the wreckage as I think we'll get and are pouring over it to learn what went wrong."

The Ministry of Defence announced that they will be providing as much support as possible. "EMAC have always provided the nation with quality equipment. Its the case that to make the huge advances that EMAC have given us that occasionally an experiment is going to go wrong. We are confident that Sir Alan and his team will complete the project to the specifications that we need and that once more we'll have an exceptional piece of equipment." It is understood that the government have planned to order an initial batch of 30 of the UAV's if the project is completed to the standards demanded by the military. The remaining prototype will be grounded until the company have gone over the data gathered and made significant changes if needed.





DIXON TO DRIVE SSC HONEYBADGER

Several months ago EMAC confirmed that they were taking the SSC Honeybadger out of storage and were planning on making several tweeks to the record breaking car. The vehicle set the land speed record back in 2015 when it recorded an average over two runs of 833mph in the salt plains of Dijel. At the time the team carrying out the attempt claimed that they thought the vehicle could get about 10-15 mph more however the weather conditions were never favourable for a further run and the car was returned to East Moreland were it has been on display in the National Aeronautical Museum in Ostlake ever since. About six months ago the vehicle was retrieved and has undergone several low speed runs at Ostlake at speeds less than 300mph. At the time of the record breaking run Royal East Moreland Air Force pilot Danny Jules was the driver of the vehicle and would later go on to also pilot the Waterbadger which broke the Water Speed Record. Jules has however since left the Air Force and ruled himself out of a second attempt with the SSC Honeybadger stating that he didn't think his neck was up to the job. "When you drive the SSC Honeybadger its a straight line but there is so much acceleration your head becomes like a bowling ball on top of a piece of spaghetti. I spent months doing weight training to try and make sure I was as strong as possible in my back and shoulders to try and compensate. Now I'm five years older I don't think I can put my body through that again." Jules will however still be part of the team advising them on how to set up the vehicle and helping train the new driver who was named as another former REMAF pilot , former astronaut Rachel Dixon.

Dixon was a former fighter pilot in the East Moreland Air Force and became the first Morelander in space and on the moon, she has also visited the "Inflatable" Space Station established by the CNN. If the record attempt is successful Dixon will extend the World Land Speed Record to what EMAC believe will be 850mph however if vehicle manages to reach 678mph it will mark a record as the Womens Land Speed Record something that Dixon is confident of acheiving. "I saw on TV when the car broke the sound barrier five years ago. Having been in a rocket that goes much faster than the SSC Honeybadger I know the forces involved very well and know I can cope. All we need is for the engineers to get their bit right and we should get close to the existing record. I think we're going to do this with some to spare."

The location for the record attempt has yet to be confirmed but a return to Dijel has not been ruled out.

Offline DaveIronside

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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #211 on: September 09, 2020, 11:10:22 PM »




EXCLUSIVE SILVERHILLS CLUB TO HAVE "EQUALITY"

The famous Marble Garden Club in Silverhills is a private members club opened in 1808 by a group of wealthy metal merchants who had been raised to the nobility by King Richard I. It was originally intended as an exclusive place for businessmen of the "New Nobility" to have their own gatherings in a similar manner as the old Palaces of the traditional nobility had. It sits within the beautiful building known as the Garden House which is surrounded by a large private walled garden meaning the comings and goings at the Club are rather discreet. The Club has never advertised for members and its membership list is not public knowledge. What is known is that the Club charges a rather sizeable annual fee and permits its members to use its facilities, bars, restaurants and bedrooms for relaxation. The club has strict codes on dress, guests and even on where its members can conduct business within its premises. One known member of the club is Lord Lucas Osman, founder of OsmanTech and thought to be East Moreland's richest man. The Lord explained, "The club is a kind of haven away from the worries of big business. Its an oasis where the only place you are even permitted to display business documents is in a private suite. In the public areas conversation is expected to be pleasant, its about family, your travels and the rugby. Even discussion on politics while not banned is frowned upon." The club has however always retained two policies which in the past has drawn criticism. The first is that the clubs membership is "gentleman only" meaning women visitors are only permitted when accompanied by a male member. The second is that all members must be Morelanders and therefore the only foreign guests who have been inside have been guests of the members. The club's rather secretive administration has though today voted to change that.

In a notice published in the Northfort Gazette the club stated, "The Marble Garden Club is now able to consider membership of both those not born of East Moreland as well as females. The usual process shall apply." The notice did no however discuss the process and Lord Lucas Osman was unwilling to give details. It is understood though that a vetting process is undertaken and similar but less exclusive clubs usually operate on a referral process where a current member must give an introduction for a prospect to even be considered. The Marble Garden Club has 30 bedrooms, six dining rooms, three kitchens, a ballroom and several other lounges and function rooms. Very few images of the interior exist with one of the dining rooms being photographed recently to highlight the inclusion of several famed wood engravings of the 18th Century artist William Antony. Various rumours have existed about the club down the years including that its wine cellar has over 10,000 different bottles of wine, that it was used by King Richard I for hiding his Mistresses or even that it was a secret Temple used for human sacrifice. While mystery surrounds much of the club it is clear that it is likely to become more open in the coming weeks.

Lord Lucas explained, "Perhaps the club is becoming rather stale in terms of its membership aging. East Moreland has since the time of Richard I become a nation joined to Mundus not apart from it. It is then perhaps the right time to embrace this and allow its membership to reflect the changing nature of our nation." Shelly Coe of the Northfort News attempted to apply for membership an hour after the announcement appeared but was however told "Regretfully your application has not been accepted at this time." with no feedback of the reason why being given.





ARCHDUCHESS PREPARES FOR ALUHAMPTON

Archduchess Sophie Harrison-Ironside has announced today that she is set to return to athletics however will not be attending the Mundus Games. The King's 22 year old niece has competed several times in the Summer and Winter Mundus Games since making her debut at the age of 17. She became the first athlete to win medals at both the summer and winter version of the games and is East Moreland's 2nd most successful athlete behind her friend and Mundus Games Swimming Legend Daisy Greechan. The Archduchess is surrounded by speculation leading up to every Games as to whether she will compete especially since taking up a commission in the Air Force meaning her training and competition routine is heavily impacted by her duties as a Force Protection Dog Handler. This year however the Archduchess has been open about her preparations saying, "I have two months of leave saved up and thankfully could take them when I wanted. I have therefore been in contact today with the Paracambian organisers of the Empire Games and they have graciously allowed me to compete there. I love the thrill of competition but for both moral and practical reasons I can not go to the Mundus Games. On a practical view point I haven't enough qualifying points and while the East Moreland selectors offered me a place it would have pushed someone else out. I think that would not have been fair. Morally I think I can not compete in a nation where slavery is permitted. I'm a royal in a nation that utilises the Freestone Mark and was proud that we saw citizens of this nation establish such a useful process. I therefore think this is my Freestone Mark. I don't blame any athlete who does go and competes. I once was where they were having spent years dedicating every waking thought to achieving your dream. Practicially talking I'd have gone to the games and come away with no medal. I now have a chance to go and compete against people in a very different environment, from what I understand it will be people representing their region and not their nation and that's something that people don't normally get the chance to do."

The East Moreland team selectors said they supported the Archduchess and wished her well in her efforts. Team Leader Simon Moran, a medal winner in rowing, explained "Every time the Archduchess has laced up trainers or ice skates she's brought back medals. She's young but full of so much experience. We would have been insane not to take her along just as a prescence around the team, especially since we've lost Daisy Greechan as that figurehead. To give up a place on a team in favour of others is brave but she's a competitive person and so these Empire Games present her a unique chance and I know she'll embrace that. It also attracts more attention to these Empire Games, to have one of Mundus greatest sports-women go will I think make those games viewed more globally." Moran was asked if the Archduchess would be representing East Moreland or would be competing as a private individual and said, "That is for Sophie and the Empire Games to work out. She has in my view every right to pull on the red and white whenever she wants. Whether that is appropriate in these circumstances is for the Paracambians to work out." Moran was also asked about the prospect of Morelanders withdrawing from the games because of the venue and replied. "Its tough. Should the games be in Royal Seleucid, absolutely. They have some nice facilities and have from what I've seen and heard been trying hard to overcome the past issues the nation had under their previous King. Tamora while having the facilities though creates a moral issue. My understanding is Attica is the part of the Empire hosting the games and that they have banned slavery. If that is the case then I think that by going we actually show the Tamorans that if they don't use slaves and don't embrace the practice of slavery the international community will support and embrace them. I think our approach of leaving it to everyone's own conscience is the best way forward though. I'm now hoping we have a successful games and we meet our targets."

The various competitors to represent East Moreland will be announced this Friday and fans will be looking for a new batch of athletes to step up and take the weight of expectation created by trailblazers like Greechan and the Archduchess.

Offline DaveIronside

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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #212 on: September 10, 2020, 10:36:18 PM »




QUEEN EVACUATED FROM SILVERHILLS AFTER EXPLOSION

Queen Stasya was today evacuated from her residence in Silverhills following an explosion at a nearby bar which is being investigated as a terrorist incident. It was claimed by eye witnesses that a bar in Silverhills was attacked seemingly at random by a car which first fired an explosive device in before two armed men riddled the venue with gunfire. So far Police have yet to confirm the number of casualties stating, "We are still working on identifying all the victims and until such a time as we can it is not appropriate for us to make any further announcements." It is understood that as the explosion happened close to the Queen's residence protocols for the emergency evacuation of the Queen were followed meaning that within a minute or so of the explosion a military helicopter left the Queen's property at Clancy House. While the Queen was being evacuated it is understood that teams on the ground were moving towards Clancy House incase the explosion was part of an attack on the royal property and one of these units from the 2nd Light Scouts intercepted the perpatrators as they fled the scene. One eye witness claims the get away car was rammed by a military armoured car and then fired upon. Several men were pulled from the car but their condition is yet to be determined. The local chief of police announced, "Following a swift reaction by members of our police and military a number of terrorist suspects were engaged and captured. We shall make further announcements as and when we have more to share."

It is understood that the Queen was flown to the military base known as Alpine Three with her helicopter being accompanied by two Dragonheart fighter aircraft. John Powell is a former member of Royal Security details and he informed us, "It is standard practice that wherever a member of the royal family goes an extraction plan is in place, usually there are three or four different plans for different scenarios. The end result of each is to find a secure location and the VIP is deposited there under heavy guard. No risks are taken and so to limit risk of an attack by something like a shoulder fired SAM fighters accompany any transport aircraft. These fighters would have the responsibility of ensuring any launched missile is drawn away from the target utilising the mass of onboard equipment they have. I would guess within 60 seconds of the agents at Clancy House getting word of the attack the Queen was onboard that helicopter."

The Queen had moved to Silverhills following the release of data from Lodja that implicated the Pelagiya family in several scandals. The Royal Press Office have yet to confirm whether Queen Stasya is still at Alpine Three or has been moved to some other location. Royal Press Secretary Malcolm Tucker told assembled press "The Security of the royal family is well in hand. Steps have and will be taken to ensure that no harm comes to them and the business of government is unaffected."




GREECHAN AT THE GAMES

It is well documented that Daisy Greechan is East Moreland's greatest athlete and in many debates across Mundus some would argue that she is perhaps the greatest sports person in Mundus. As well as being a swimming great having won medals in the pool and open water events at the games she was part of the pair to become the first women to row across the Mhorish and recently completed a historic swim across the Illumic  a feat that ensures she will miss the Mundus Games. What however is less documented has been the quiet emergence of Maisie Greechan-Clay, the 17 year old cousin of the legend. Yesterday at the National Student Championships Maisie set a new junior record in the 50m Butterfly which was also quick enough to qualify her for the Mundus Games meaning the name "Greechan" will feature of the starting blocks in Midaranye after all. As her inclusion was confirmed the 17 year old said, "I know what will end up happening. People will compare me and my cousin and the fact we are both exceptionally tall, we swim and we're Morelanders that is where I think the comparison should end. Daisy was a marathon runner while I'm a sprinter. There is no way you will find me swimming in the open water, its far too cold and 10km is far too much hard work. Naturally I'd love to be half as successful as she has been and she is an inspiration to me and the rest of the the East Moreland swim team, probably an inspiration to swimmers regardless of their nationality. I'm young enough to have many more games and I know I'll be one of the younger members of Team EM, for me this is like a recce, I intend to go to Midaranye and get some elite competition experience. Anything other than that is a bonus."

With many other big names from the East Moreland team of 2019 calling top class sport a day the 2020 games present an opportunity for new stars to emerge. Two old hands however are Louis Blanche and Tom Ridge who will both compete in the Medieval MMA competition and have today confirmed that they will for the first time team up to represent the Kingdom in the duo's competition. Blanche and Ridge have fought several times for the World Heavyweight title which is currently held by Louis Blanche. The announcement of what is considered by many to be the No.1 and No.2 ranked fighters in the world uniting under the Red and White is likely to make others in that competition nervous. The pair do however have to contend with the knowledge that anything less than a truck load of golds in the discipline for East Moreland is likely to be seen as a massive failure. 

Offline DaveIronside

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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #213 on: September 12, 2020, 10:41:22 PM »




TREATY CONFIRMATIONS

Duchess Orlaith Kade has today confirmed that the Kingdom has recently entered into two treaties within its own right as well as seeing its link with the CSU expanded. The Foreign Minister confirmed that the Kingdom has concluded a deal with Aosta which will ease trade and travel. The agreement was negotiated between King David and Princess Brigidia and will see Aosta benefit from reduced tariffs and products originating from Aosta will be able to enter East Moreland with few restrictions so long as they conform to East Moreland's standards. The agreement will also see an expansion of the highly successful More and Mundus school exchange programme which has sent thousands of young Morelanders abroad to gain cultural knowledge of other nations. The Foreign Minister explained, "The treaty is a good one as Aosta are a nation primed to be able to become an important part of Albion where we already have many treaties and friends. This treaty will now allow us to access markets there close to other places we already have been working with. We understand that a East to West coast Albion railway network is being established and that will help our companies planning on taking advantage of this treaty even further."

The second treaty was concluded between King David and Empress Evanthe of Rokkenjima. The two nations were at one point firm friends however following various controversies following the kidnapping of Princess Adriana by the Borlanders and an apparent breakdown in Rokkenjiman Intelligence Agencies because of Charles Ofdensen's treachery. The breakdown even saw Empress Beatrice cancel the existing treaty between East Moreland and Rokkenjima. The new treaty does not go as far as previous ones, which all were tied to working with another nation to form a Tripartite however it does begin to lay the foundations of repairing the two nations relationship. The new treaty was concluded at Northfort Palace and will see the restablishment of diplomatic relations through embassies, military briefings and limits of Rokkenjiman Naval tonnage at QAMB. The agreement will also Rokkenjima once more part of the More and Mundus programme. Duchess Orlaith explained, "The treaty still does not make the relationship between our two nations as strong as they once were but they are a foundation to build upon. The treaty does not contain any economic aspects as those are fairly controlled and managed through the East Moreland-CSU Agreement."

Finally as the CSU have recently admitted Koudama to the organisation it will bring them into play through the East Moreland-CSU Agreement. That arrangement sees products certified as originating in the CSU free to enter East Moreland so long as they comply with local standards, the arrangement is recipricated allowing East Moreland to access the markets of Rokkenjima, Achkaerin, Lakhzovia, and now Koudama. Duchess Orlaith explained, "The CSU Agreement is one we are always happy to see grow. We have adopted since 2014 a stance that the removal of limits and tariffs is beneficial for all but must be controlled through a sensible mechanism. We like the concept of the CSU when it comes to trade however we do not wish to be tied to the bureaucratic beast that accompanies it. The East Moreland-CSU Agreement is one many businesses across Mundus have been able to benefit from help create jobs and opportunities. We are now excited to see Koudamma added to that list."

The King has also confirmed today that in the coming days arrangements will be made to begin talks with Cantabria about a kind of diplomatic treaty between the two. It will mark King David's first official dealings with the nation currently governed by the sister of King Finley of Ui Cenneslaig. So far details of whether Queen Cait will be hosting the King or visiting East Moreland has yet to be confirmed.




SKINNER TO DOUBLE UP

East Moreland's first female Royal Marine Commando Officer has confirmed today that she will be competing in the Mundus Games and will be appearing in two different events. 23 year old Liv Skinner dominated the Ostlake Military Games taking gold in Female Powerlifting, Tug of War and the Naval Gun Run. In the past she has competed in various events for the Royal East Moreland Naval Service and for the Kingdom in Junior Level events, her commitment to her military career has though seen her yet to make a debut at Senior level events. At the Mundus Games Skinner will compete in the the Shot Put and the women's heavyweight weightlifting event. At 6ft the Keepton native has according to Archduchess Sophie Harrison-Ironside a useful advantage. "Being tall means that naturally the shot is already elevated and with the strength Liv has she can propel it forcefully enough that her few extra inches of height over most of the competition could transfer into as much as half a meter more. The problem is though that advantage becomes a disadvantage in weightlifting, being so long limbed means the weight has further to go and the length of arms and legs means technique is harder to maintain. I suspect Liv will be one of the tallest women in the competition and so that could be the difference between a medal and not making the podium.

Skinner serves as a Commando aboard the REMNS flagship the King Robert a ship with a proud sporting pedigree as it is the ship Mundus Games legend Daisy Greechan serves on. Skinner has spoken of how this had helped her prepare for the games. "Knowing that over lunch or dinner you can just sit and ask someone with so much experience questions about what I'm going to be facing is great. I know because of the nature of the events I compete in there is very little chance of me getting close to her haul but I hope I can do the Royal Rob proud." Skinner is one of many serving members of the East Moreland military who is heading to Midaranye as military organised competition is still the leading organisation in many sports with Rugby, Football and Medieval MMA being three exceptions. At present around 40% of the East Moreland team are serving members of the military.

Offline DaveIronside

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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #214 on: September 19, 2020, 10:41:59 PM »




"QUEEN SHOULD RENOUNCE CITIZENSHIP" SAYS NIGHTINGALE

Chief Councillor Grant Nightingale has today spoken of how he feels that Queen Stasya should renounce her Lodjain citizenship following a string of scandals that have implicated the Pelagiya family. One of them involved the King's father in law Duke Tobias Pelagiya having an extra-marital affair with prostitutes. The Chief Councillor spoke about the situation while appearing on an early morning TV show and said. "While I think Queen Stasya has been a good Queen so far she however still retains ties to her former home which at times are at odds with the standards we would expect of those having the Ironside name. Queen Stasya will, eventually we hope, be the Mother of Princes and Princesses of East Moreland and as such should not be associated with the scandals that so regularly and unashamedly impact Lodja. Therefore it is my firm belief that she should end this conflict of interests of being a citizen of Lodja and a Morelander royal. It also creates an awful situation where the Queen of East Moreland is also a subject of another royal, in this case the Queen of Lodja. While we are happy to be friends with the Lodjains we should not appear subservient to them."

Queen Stasya has yet to comment on the situation and has not been seen in public since her evacuation from Silverhills following an attack that has no been deemed to have been part of "organised crime" rather than terrorism. The Queen has however been confirmed as having been airlifted to Ostlake where she is staying on one of the four military complexes there. Royal Press Secretary Malcolm Tucker however has issued a statement saying, "Queen Stasya's nationality is not really a concern. She is the Queen of East Moreland and as such will always put her people first. King David trusts her to be by his side as he helps guide the nation and whether she has a Lodjain passport tucked away at the back of a draw has little to no influence on that." It was however confirmed that Duke Tobias has had his permission to enter Royal Palaces revoked for the time being following the scandals.




JURY OUT ON CROSS ISLANDS REPUBLIC

Following a statement by a group of individuals calling themselves the Cross Island Republic that they have established a new nation on uninhabited islands claimed by Runavik East Moreland's Foreign Minister, Duchess Orlaith Kade, has issued a statement on behalf of the King. "At present the Kingdom of East Moreland does not and will not recognise this self-proclaimed Republic as a legitimate nation. We however do respect their ambition in establishing homes on islands that by our understanding are difficult to reside on full time. The fact remains that it is apparent this islands are under the jurisdiction of Runavik and therefore claiming these islands is effectively theft. Should those claiming to represent the new "Republic" really wish to follow this path then they should do so working with the islands owners. We will largely be following Runavik's guidance on this manner however we believe that those who now occupy the islands should be treated with compassion and respect for what they are trying to do in establishing homes where others believe is not possible is an admirable aim."

It is understood that should Runavik formally recognise the Republic as a nation then East Moreland would follow suit and Duchess Orlaith Kade spoke about possible construction support. "We've seen East Moreland undertake a large number of refugee operations where we've helped establish shelter and infrastructure in at times inhospitable places. Should these islands become someone's home, be them under Runavik or this new "Republic" we have a few tools and techniques that could be of use and would love to help if requested."  Currently other than embassies no formal diplomatic ties exist between East Moreland and Runavik and the Duchess believes this may change soon. "Runavik are a nation with a unique form of government that is rather unpredictable. As an Albion nation with cultural ties to the Alanders I think they are perhaps a nation we could build upon our friendships already in place in that region." It is not yet however understood whether a formal approach has been made for opening up talks.




ROCK FALL AT GODS FORGE REVEALS GOLD

Yesterday in a side chamber of the undergound cave complex known as the Gods Forge in Portsworth a rock fall took place and after clearing away the debris what appears to be a seam of gold has been discovered. The complex which is still being cleared after decades of study is thought to be the place where the God of War, Jekar, crafted the first sword and gave it to the God's most beloved human companion Raimond Unasson. The complex is an intricate network of natural and man made passageways and chambers and some of the earliest evidence of human settlement in East Moreland has been found there. The new discovery however is likely to cause some extremely heated discussion in coming days. The cave system is legally speaking under the juristiction of the City of Portworth however as a site of religious importance it also falls under the stewardship of the Cult of Helus. This situation is further compounded as the site was one of the first to be recognised as a site of International importance for the Cultural Exchange Treaty Organisation meaning the site must be protected. Currently the mayor of Portworth, Jackson Elliot, is calling for the seam to be investigated and exploited. "From what I hear we could be talking tens of millions in gold if things are as geologists believe they may be. That is something that can be exploited and used to better the city of Portworth. We could build new infastructure projects, give people tax cuts and numerous other things. There is no point it sitting in the ground."

The Cult of Helus though have spoke out against any mining with the Priestess of Jekar in Portworth, Claire Proctor, stating. "This is no oridinary cave, this is the birth place of swordsmanship, the home of Jekar himself. We are still finding new and exciting things in the caves everyday and while the gold is a fantastic discovery it however can not be utilised if it means destroying the home of the God to get to it. I would support extracting any gold we can so long as we do not have to rip apart the rocks to get them. Any money coming is clearly a gift from the Gods and should be used supporting good causes."

There is every possibility that the King may have to get involved as legally speaking land on which religious sites of the Cult sit is the property of the monarch. To date however King David has yet to speak on the manner.




LEGIONNAIRE LEADS ATHLETES AND SETS RECORDS

Team EM have today announced that their flag carrying athlete in Ipsus will be Lance Corporal Robert Ashfield. The 26 year old 800m and 1500m runner was selected after a vote of the athletes competing and will be the first Morelander to enter the arena. The decision is remarkable for a number of reasons the first being that Ashfield only qualified for the games three weeks ago in what was his first elite class event. The Royal Logistics Corps NCO was injured while on active duty in Academica where he suffered damage to his spine and neck and was told he would need to leave the military. Ashfield however began competing in swimming events through the Legionnaire Legacy programme and soon began undertaking short runs as part of his training. In the time since his injuries he has won several medals at the Ostlake Games and was even able to repass the Army fitness test allowing him to resume his military career. Ashfield won the cross country event for his disability category this year at the Games and his time was comparible to those of the able bodied competition which inspired him to enter his first elite event where he went under the qualifying times for the Games. "I crossed the line for the 800m about a step ahead of the guy in 2nd." Robert explains, "Where I finished though wasn't my concern and so when I looked up at the stadium board it wasn't to see where I'd finished but to check the time. I'd a few seconds to spare and was elated. Later in the day I had a bit more breathing room for the 1500m. To now be honoured with leading the team out couldn't make me prouder especially with my background."

Ashfield is another surprise choice as he is not a member of the Cult of Helus. Ashfield converted to Christianity when he was 13 years old much to his parents disapproval. "Mum and Dad still tried to drag me to Temple and say the words to Helus. They just never felt right though. One day I was actually watching some film, I think it was based on Moses and I got interested, six months later I'd found a small chapel nearby and was going every Sunday." Ashfield is one of a handful of non-Cultists in East Moreland's team with James Carter in the football team having caused controversy on his international debut several years ago when he was spotted not singing the national anthem "Helus Call" Carter had never told anyone outside his changing room comrades of his faith and the scene caused quiet a controversy at the time. Ashfield however says he will have no issue singing the anthem however in his own unique way. "I love East Moreland and I think the national anthem is beautiful, I simply substitute the word Moreland for Helus and my team mates seem to respect that. I just hope I get a chance to stand on top of a podium and sing it." This year the Morelander team features 4 Christians, 1 Jew, 3 members of the Sisterhood of Helus and an Odinist.

The team have also determined that they will only join the athletes parade in Ipsus and will not send a delegation to Attica. It is also understood that King David will make his customary visit to the games but only for the final day to watch the final of the Medieval MMA tournament. The Palace have not confirmed whether Queen Stasya or Princess Rhiannon will be accompanying him.

Offline DaveIronside

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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #215 on: October 03, 2020, 11:44:52 PM »




"SFR VILLAGE" DECLARED OPEN IN HEYRA

Following an agreement made almost a year ago the East Moreland green energy company SFR have declared that they have reached a significant milestone in their work. The company have an agreement that they will be able to utilise 100km2 of Heyran territory for various tests utilising green technology in return for carrying out work to remove the vast number of landmines and explosive devices left over from the Great War. The SFR project have exclusive rights to the land they have been allocated for the next 50 years and the company have pledged to build facilities to test wind-turbines, wave generators and solar panels alongside a settlement. The settlement will go through three stages of construction, SFR Village, SFR Town and SFR City with each stage seeing an increase in power needs.

Alice Lucas is the companies CEO and was at SFR Village for the ribbon cutting which was carried out by Lord Lucas Osman who owns around 10% of SFR and gave them much of their start up oppurtunity. Miss Lucas explained the project saying, "It is our aim to use the settlement as a proving ground for technologies we want to show case to businesses and governments across Mundus. The SFR Village is to be a harbour we have made from sinking three large prefab containers and after pumping the water out of them pouring in concrete. We've then attached various floating pontoons and a road way over the top meaning we can service large cargo ships here in stable sea conditions. Next we've cleaned out a strip of land next to the coast from mines and we've brought in ten large shipping containers that have been converted into homes for the workers. An additional four have been set up as communal areas. These 14 buildings are now being run as part of community of 30 people who are running daily tests on equipment. We also have a former cruise ship sat off the coast where the staff cleaning the mines, many of them veterans of East Moreland's Royal Military Engineers are staying. To date we have cleared out a total of around 12,800 anti-personnel mines, 2,800 anti-vehicle mines, 1,900 explosive devices and 13 unexploded bombs. Thankfully no one has yet been hurt and we hope it remains that way. Its our hope that in 2070 the land will be returned to Heyra and we will have left them a usable settlement capable of being self sustaining in all ways and housing around 2,000 people. We will have in return received so much insight into energy production the project will have funded itself many times over."

It is expected that the "Village" will double in size in the next 3 months and the aim is for SFR Town, a settlement of around 1,000 people, to be operational by the end of 2022. Miss Lucas explained, "It is vital we now put in some infrastructure not only to simulate a real settlement but also to help the engineers get around to do their valuable work ridding Heyra of the legacy of the Great War. Roads will be a focus moving forward and that will allow us to begin experiments with non-polluting vehicles." It is expected that in the new year King David will visit the settlement as he is keen to see advances discovered here utilised in East Moreland.





KING SAYS QUEEN WILL NOT BE REQUIRED TO GIVE UP CITIZENSHIP

Following an interview given by Chief Councillor Grant Nightingale in which he called for Queen Stasya to renounce her Lodjain citizenship the King has today spoken on the subject. While the King and Queen have not been seen in public together since the shocking news of the Lodjain data leak scandal revealed her father had been involved in corruption and extra-marital affairs the King has defended his wife while speaking to the media at a sports club event. The King was in Keepton to open Keepton Boys School's new multi-sports club which will serve the whole community. The King watched some of the Mundus Games in the clubs new clubhouse and took part in a tag rugby match where the "Royal" team made up of the King, some of his security detail and local troops lost 30-10 to a team made up of the clubs Under 18's. While enjoying a post match drink the King chatted freely with the media and when asked about Mr.Nightingale's interview stated. "Mr.Nightingale is the highest elected official in East Moreland and naturally I respect his opinion. When he pushed for reforms of Higher Education and won the support of the Council I naturally support him. However as with other Chief Councillors such as Tim Carpenter, Hugo McGregor and now Grant we will not always see eye to eye. Queen Stasya is my companion, my friend and my wife, she however does not have any constitutional power of any sorts unless I give it to her. I have been on record saying that since we have Princess Freya, Archduchess Sophie and even my cousin Lilian all healthy and intelligent enough to be a good ruler in their own right that should for some reason I not be able to rule, or if I die, before Rhiannon reaches the age to take the throne one of those ladies would take the role of regent and not Stasya. With that in place I see no reason why Stasya should cut her ties with her homeland. We live today on a Mundus where barriers of nationality are breaking down and cultures are more open. I was thrilled my wife accepted the love of Helus, all be it a slightly unorthodox version. She's already immersed herself in charitable efforts here in East Moreland and would have been here today however naturally you can understand the Pelagiya family are in need of privacy while they come to terms with their situation. I hope this reassures Mr.Nightingale who I know only ever has the best interest of Morelanders in his heart."

The King also spoke on the idea of dual nationality saying, "Technically I am a dual national having taken up a passport of the Republic of Hygelac when the Toshikawans threatened the region with missile tests. I did so to support the brave stance of those scientists who risked their lives to stand as human shields against the threat. Several hundred people across Mundus did so in solidarity with those people and I for one am still proud to have that little blue book tucked in a drawer somewhere. I don't think dual nationality is an issue in the modern world."

King David was also asked about the upcoming Alba Karinya Day on October 7th. The celebration was put in place to mark the foundation of the regional body the Alba Karinya Organisation. "Thankfully the AKO has had to do very little. We put in place a strong charter that helps us trade fairly, work together in key fields and share the prosperity of what I think would be fair to describe as Mundus' most peaceful continent. This year we intend to have a few events across the nation to celebrate the organisation and one of the key will be the opening of a memorial to those who died in the Academican Civil War operations we were part of under the umbrella of the AKO." The memorial will be in the grounds of the Temple of Jekar at Ostlake and its design is being kept covered until the day.




"WORLDS STUPIDEST CRIMINALS" FOILED

There were strange scenes yesterday morning in Aldcliffe as the alarm at the National Savings Alliance bank in the city went off shortly after opening at 9am. It transpires that four armed men and a get away driver had attempted to rob the bank close to the city centre. The group however were challenged upon exiting the building and darted back inside creating a hostage situation which lasted less than two minutes according to eye witnesses. The reason for this fast resolution was the gangs poor planning as the bank sits less than 1km away from Red Legion's HQ and the road generally has a steady stream of people coming and going from the base. In this case a pair of cars containing eight Red Legionnaire's was on its way to the units specialist training area on the edge of town and responded to the sound of a flashbang the group had used to subdue those inside. An eye witness explained the scene saying. "we suddenly heard what sounded like a very loud firework and then the bank alarm began to sound. Next the sound of screetching breaks and eight guys running to the back of their SUV. Next thing guys in jeans and t-shirts are strapping on body armour and shouldering rifles. At first we thought they were the robbers going in."

Eyewitnesses say a Legionnaire challenged the exiting gang to put their weapons down but instead the group ran back into the building. Brigadier Kelly, the commanding officer of Red Legion explained. "We had a Sergeant taking seven of his men to the urban firing range. They were due to run some drills there and had all their operational gear onboard their vehicles. Naturally having heard an explosion they are trained to respond and did so. Our men are trained to quickly assess threats and take appropriate action. The Sergeant believed the panic their arrival caused the criminals may have lead to the gang taking action on hostages and so determined a quick assault was in order. They effected entry and with the skill we expect of them quickly gained control of the situation." Eye witnesses claim they saw the Legionnaires deploy their own flashbangs before entering through the doors. Two gunshots were heard and the siege ended before it began. Police arrived on the scene three minutes later to find all five of the criminal gang apprehended with two of them suffering from wounds to their chest, both are now said to be in a "serious but stable" condition at the Aldcliffe Barracks hospital.

The local Police commander told us, "It is highly unusual for the military to respond to a situation like this faster than the Police. We however have a good working relationship with the armed forces and they are permitted to intervene if they believe firearms or explosives are being used and present a threat to life. While I would have preferred to give an operational go ahead I can not commend the Legionnaires high enough as they did not permit the suspects to establish a position which may have been difficult to bring to a bloodless conclusion."

Local pub owner Harry Mason who owns the cities Tipsy Badger public house which is just across the street spoke to us saying. "They have to be the dumbest criminals in East Moreland if not Mundus. Aldcliffe is a small place where about a good chunk of the population is either a serving Red Legionnaire or a former one. They aren't exactly shy in getting stuck in when they think bad guys are up to no good. You'd have stood a better chance stealing the silverware at Northfort Palace than stealing a single penny from a bank practically next door to Mundus most elite counter terrorist unit. I'm just amazed they all got out alive, perhaps it explains why they were going to the firing range."

The Chief Executive of the bank chain thanked the men for their swift action saying, "We of course train our staff in what to do during robberies such as this but that doesn't make it any less frightening. We thank the Legionnaires for their bravery and quick thinking." Ironically the bank was successfully robbed in 2014 when Major Alex Redfern of Red Legion raided the bank during the Regency Crisis. The Major was then the King's Chief of Royal Household and when it became clear Prince James had effectively orchestrated a coup by attempting to assassinate King David the Legion locked down the barracks and refused to accept the Prince's orders. Major Redfern and a team of around 12 Legionnaires however were in Northfort at the time and began a campaign of attacks across the nation to try and distract the traitorous opposition and Borlander coalition while a co-ordinated attack against the usurper could take place. Major Redfern robbed six banks in three days making off with valuables and money worth around £10million, making him effectively East Moreland's most successful bank robber. Following the return of King David the funds were fully returned and Major Redfern was cleared of all crimes. One member of bank staff however was present on that day and this and said, "I remember Redfern didn't even bother hiding who he was it was like he wanted people to know he was doing it. That was just a blur I think they were in and out in less time than it took this lot to get in the door, at least it feels that way. It seems Red Legion are good at robbing banks and rescuing them."

The identities of those arrested is yet to be confirmed however Police do not believe this is connected to the Borlanders who have in the past targeted banks in an effort to raise money or disrupt the economy.

Offline DaveIronside

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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #216 on: October 06, 2020, 10:57:13 PM »




GREECHAN GENETICS GET GOLD

It wouldn't be a Mundus Games unless the name Greechan featured on the list of gold medal winners. With East Moreland legend Daisy Greechan having retired from competition and focusing on her career in the Navy the family heritage is now being carried by her 17 year old cousin  Maisie Greechan-Clay. The youngster made an exciting start to her senior competition career by taking two golds in the first three days. The first of the pair of medals came in 100m Butterfly where she was forced into sharing the honour with her Lodjain rival after the electronic timing equipment and photo reviews failed to separate them. Greechan-Clay however felt diasppointed in her swim saying, "In one of my turns I don't think I pushed away as well as I know I can or as well as I did on every other turn. In a sport where tenths of a second make the difference it means I'll share my first ever medal with a rival. It makes it a little disappointing but at the end of my career it will hopefully be the first of many." 24 hours later the second gold came when Maisie took gold by around 1/4 of a length in the 200m Freestyle. With only her participation in swimming relays left at these games there is a limited oppurtunity now for her to add to her haul. While Maisie is keen to distance herself from comparisons with her famous cousin it is worth noting that Daisy did not win a gold until her 2nd Mundus games and won two silver and a bronze in her first games were she featured mainly as a relay swimmer.

The games have been so far rather fruitful for East Moreland in the pool. Jeff Headly took the first gold medal for men with a victory in the Mens 200m Breaststroke. The 31 year old from Portworth works as a lifeguard between training for the pool and already one of the lifeguard shacks on the main beach in the city has been painted gold in honour of his victory. Two silver's were won  first in the Men's 50m Breaststroke by Mitchell Warren and then by 22 year old Molly Appleby in the 100m Breaststroke. Success in the pool was rounded off by Rebecca Law in the Women's 50m Freestyle and then Grace Wild in the 100m Freestyle. Law and Wild will also team with Greechan-Clay in the coming relays meaning the team is extremely hopeful of taking further medals.

The first non-swimming medal was won by Steven Jefferson in the Mens 105+ kg weightlifting event where he took silver. Jefferson is a former shot putter who switched to strength events in 2018 and came 2nd in East Moreland's strongest man in 2019.

In the competitions requiring qualification the women's football team earned a surprise 3-1 victory over Centralia while the men lost by the same score to Aschlon. The Men's Basketball team eased past Lodja 64-40 and the women's hockey team slumped to a 3-1 defeat to Ikhan.

It was reported that King David will arrive in Royal Seleucid to watch Day 5 and 6 of the games when the Men's and Women's Rugby 7's begin leading many to speculate that the rugby obsessive monarch will be cheering on The Honeybadgers. The Royal Press Secretary Malcolm Tucker has also confirmed that the King will only be attending events in Royal Seleucid and has confirmed that during the stay King David will meet face to face, all be it unofficially, with King Heydar. Tucker explained. "King David and Queen Stasya have been granted tickets for the rugby where the King wishes to watch with the Moreland travelling supporters and those of the East Moreland Games Squad attending to support their rugby playing colleagues. The King was invited to enjoy the games from an executive box however the King declined the kind gesture due to believing the atmosphere of the crowd doesn't truly transfer into those kind of settings. The King has however accepted an offer to utilise the hosts executive box for football matches and we are lead to believe King Heydar and his family will be in attendance. His Majesty has no official time set aside for meetings of a diplomatic nature with King Heydar, both will be there merely to enjoy the sporting spectacle however it is likely the pair will converse." It was confirmed however that the King and Queen will visit the Temple of Helus in Meybad in the Celtic Protectorate during their short trip and will host a BBQ for the athletes at the East Moreland Embassy in Ipsus.

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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #217 on: October 07, 2020, 10:54:01 PM »




KING ADDS HYGELAC TO TOUR SCHEDULE

It was revealed yesterday that King David and his wife Queen Stasya are soon to visit Royal Seleucid. The trip is expected to take place in two days time as the King makes his annual overseas trip to watch The Honeybadgers play rugby. The King is also using the trip to visit Cultist sites in the Celtic Protectorate. This is the first of multiple stages of a visit that is likely to see the King visit several nations over the coming weeks. Royal Press Secretary Malcolm Tucker announced today, "The King and Queen are going to leave Ipsus and fly down to the Ecclesiastical State where they will board an aircraft capable of landing at the research centre hosting the Republic of Hygelac. The King and Queen are set to spend the evening at the research centre before retracing their steps. It is our understanding this may be the first visit to the continent of Hygelac by a reigning monarch however for once our researchers have let us down. Once back in the Ecclesiastical State we have a provisional informal dinner appointment with the Pope before leaving the next morning heading for Runavik where the King will have his only official visit of this mini tour with the President of the nation."

The King has not ruled out taking other venues in on the tour with Mr.Tucker stating, "The King has a relatively clear schedule until the 22nd when we celebrate the Feast of Grasa. Thanks to modern technology and the recent replacement Ironside One Aircraft the King is more than capable of running the nation from any point on or above Mundus. It is important from time to time he visit the world and even more so with Queen Stasya not having accompanied him as Queen on many official appointments overseas in the past." It is also understood that while the King would have liked to have taken Princess Rhiannon with him he is not willing to take her out of school for an extended period of time.




EXTRA SPACE IN SPACE

The Royal Aeronautical Society which overseas East Moreland's involvement with space exploration has today announced that it is exploring the possibility of potentially tripling the size of the "inflatable" space station in orbit around Mundus. The project currently sees the station made up of a single occupancy module connected to an EMAC/SmartWar inflatable habitat. The station has been utilised several times by both Morelanders and various CNN teams over the past few years however the RAS have today announced that they are hopeful of expanding the capacity over the next few years. It was former station resident Rachel Dixon who explained the mission to the media at todays launch. "If we're truly going to start exploring the solar system then the Universe its important that we find ways of being able to maximise payloads and space often runs out before maximum weight. If we can make habitats small enough to pack but then big enough to operate in we have an increased capability. The intention is to have a station manned by teams for 18 months continously. I think the aim is that we'll have three teams. If this is successful the next stage is to not have a space station oribiting Mundus but to send an automated habitat to Nergal and have it prove we can get people there and back. I think there is even discussion about a "Moon Station" intended to serve as a solar-powered communication hub, science laboratory, short-term habitation module, and holding area for rovers and other robots. The inflatable habitat could be ideal for this."

It is expected that at least two more habitats will be launched by the end of the year with the plan now being they will be added during the same launch. The process will be totally automated and then the habitats will be inflated a few days prior to the arrival of the first astronauts. Dixon has ruled out her involvement in the project saying, "While I'm still a certified astronaut I've been fortunate enough to go into space numerous times. I'm currently focused on stretching the Land Speed Record with the SSC Honeybadger project but once that is out of the way who knows what is next."





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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #218 on: October 13, 2020, 09:11:59 PM »




REMNS BEGIN SEA TRIALS OF NEW CARRIER

The nations Navy today took delivery of their new aircraft carrier which will be named REMNS Chamwick making it the first ship in the nations history named after what was at one point Technology City. REMNS Chamwick will now spend three weeks at sea undergoing a variety of drills, tests and checks before the navy formally accept the ship into service. Should REMNS Chamwick successfully pass its sea trials then the navy will retire REMNS Portworth which entered service in 1975. At present the final fate of REMNS Portworth is not yet confirmed however there are rumours that it will become a test bad for various naval projects. REMNS Chamwick will have an air compliment of 55 aircraft with 30 of them being Dragonskin fighters while the rest are made up of a combination of C-2 Greyhounds , Dragoneye AEWACS aircraft, Sea Dragon strike aircraft and Sea Lifter helicopters. There is also the possibility that some of the VSTOL capable Dragonbreath  aircraft may also be repurposed if required as the ship can if needed carry up to 72 aircraft.

The construction of the replacement for the nations other aircraft carrier will begin next month. The REMNS Ostlake will be replaced by a Flagship Class Amphibious Warfare ship which will differ from the two already in service by being primarily equipped with Dragonbreath fighters as well as having a specially designed flight deck to allow it to carry out a wider variety sorties. The restructuring of the Navy will also mean that two more Noble Class Destroyers will eventually be acquired. The ships new captain Nick Pryce-Stanley accepted the command of the ship from King David who formally named the ship in a short ceremony at Portworth where the ship was constructed. The new Captain explained what will happen in the next few days, "We first head down the coast to Chamwick, better known as Technology City, there we will pick up our full compliment of aircraft. From there I've been issued a series of sealed orders to take us through various scenarios, drills and checks to put the ship through as much activity as possible. We hope the boys at the Portworth Dockyards got everything right but my experience is that often a few issues come up. Once we've identified them we'll head home and let them tinker a little. If by some miracle the ships perfect we'll see what the head of the Armed Forces has in store for us."

The King is tonight leaving for Royal Seleucid to watch the Mundus Games before undertaking a mini tour of Albion starting with the Ecclesiastical State, a short trip to Hygelac before visiting Runarvik, Vinista and Marseille. Non of the visits are State visits and are thought to just be an opportunity for the King and Queen to show support for causes and communities in various parts of the world.





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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #219 on: October 15, 2020, 10:57:13 PM »




KING SAVIOURS HONEYBADGER SUCCESS

King David today arrived at the Mundus Games to witness the opening day of the Rugby 7's. The King was sat in the crowd with several friends to watch the mornings rugby action which saw the team beat Cantabria 27-3. The King seemed pleased with the performance however his wife Queen Stasya saw her homeland Lodja defeated by Achkaerin. The pair were both seen wearing the Honeybadgers jersey and the King was seen enjoying a beer with fans who had made the trip to Royal Seleucid. After the match the King briefly meet with the players and staff in the changing rooms before speaking to the press to say, "As a nation we expect our rugby teams to do well and I'm excited that we got off to a good start today. I enjoyed watching the game, spending time with our fans, it was like the days being back at University and watching the Royals. One of the downsides of being King is that often its hard to take time out and just enjoy the great things we do as a nation and rugby is certainly one of them."

The King spent the afternoon on a yacht cruise around the Ipsus Blue and The Palm which he described as "remarkable feats of engineering and an excellent attraction for the city." In the evening the King and Queen headed back to the Arena to watch a women's football match between Royal Seleucid and Ikhan where the couple were joined by the royal family of Royal Seleucid. Relations between the two nations have in the past been frosty following the Cultist Genocide which took place under the reign of King Heydar's father King Akakois. It is estimated some 100,000-200,000 Cultists were killed during a series of co-ordinated attacks against members of the faith. King Akakois blamed rouge elements of the military for the genocide which took place while he was out of the country on a state visit to Vanora. The two Kings were seen chatting during the game and it is understood that King David presented Prince Golzar, the heir to the Seleucid throne, with a decretive wooden training sword and a 18th Century book on different swordsmanship techniques. The host won the game 2-1 and at the conclusion of the game the two King's were seen shaking hands before King David and Queen Stasya left to spend the evening at The Palm. King David described the meeting as "A friendly encounter which demonstrates that sport has the power to bring nations together. We kept conversation to sport, family and various other casual topics. We have determined that further interaction between the two nations is beneficial to both parties but we haven't worked out when formal talks shall take place."

Tomorrow morning the King and Queen will watch another event before flying to Meybad in the Celtic Protectorate where the royal couple will lead prayers in the cities Temple of Helus. Following the visit to Royal Seleucid the couple will spend time visiting several other nations in Albion on a series of unofficial visits that have been described by the Head of Royal Household, Quinn Germaine, as "social events that cater to the personal interests of both King and Queen. The King is keen to visit several historical sites and the Queen wishes to have a chance to witness nations she has never visited herself." With the nation of Cassiopeia declaring today that they are to welcome Ambassadors back to their nation and inviting other dignitaries to attend an event to mark the occasion there had been speculation that the King would perhaps change his itineary to take advantage of the chance to visit the nation however it was confirmed instead that the new ambassador would be accompanied by Tim Carpenter.

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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #220 on: October 17, 2020, 10:57:53 PM »




SURPRISE GUESTS AT MEYBAD WEEKLY PRAYERS

Today during prayers at the Temple of Helus in Meybad, Royal Seleucid, there was a surprise guest. While it had been wildly announced that King David and Queen Stasya would be in attendance they were joined by the High Priestess of the Cult of Helus, Skye Maddix. The attendance of the High Priestess was kept secret in order to avoid huge crowds gathering at the Temple which is relatively small. The King and Queen mingled with those in possession on a ticket to gain entry to the prayer ceremony while the High Priestess attended a meeting with the cities Priestesses. The King then acted as one of the witnesses to a 24 year old Seleucid man who was having a sword ceremony. Saiful Rashad had been a member of the Royal Seleucid military however when the genocide of Cultists began he deserted the military and helped guide Cultists into safe zones. His own father was killed as the two of them attempted to provide a rear guard for a village heading North, Saiful was later wounded protecting a landing zone being used by the Royal East Moreland Air Force. The King explained why he stood as one of those to vouch for the man's character. "I had heard of Saiful when we planned this visit as Aisha, the Priestess here, told me there would be a sword ceremony during my visit. The Code of Canley is clear that a duty is to protect those who can help themselves no matter the risk we put ourselves under. I know Saiful's father would have proudly stood beside his son today as he was presented with his own sword and the stories I have heard of the father and son duo make me proud to share their faith, I can not think of a single Cultist who would not have been willing to take the blood oath for this man and as someone the faithful believe is descended from Riamond Unasson it is the least I can do to show honour and respect to this man."

During the service Queen Stasya read a story of the life of the God Grasa to the congregation before presenting the Temple with a set of holy texts to be used in the Temple's educational sessions. The Queen stated, "The followers of Helus here took a beating several years ago and the community is still in some ways recovering. One thing they did not lose was their faith and perhaps they have even become stronger in it. It is important we help them ensure their children continue their spiritual growth and I'm proud that we can have done a small bit to help that here today.

The main address of the service was given by High Priestess Skye Maddix, making her first official trip to Royal Seleucid.

"I must begin by apologising that it has taken me so long to come among this community. The Cult of Helus is Royal Seleucid is a small band compared to your countryman and in many ways the community here is one very different to the other Cultist communities across Mundus but these things should never be held as an excuse for us not doing our duty by you. The Holy Land of East Moreland did show it would stand by you when you became physically threatened but once your physical safety was assured I should have done more to secure your spiritual safety and I did not. This will change. I look at the way the community of the Cultists in Royal Seleucid have faced adversity, first through an attempt by man to wipe you out, then by nature during the food crisis. Both times the Seleucid Cultists stood firm and in many ways now remind me of the God Jekar. The God of War was a man who would stare into the eyes of his enemy and make it clear even before a battle began that he was not someone who would be denied his victory. He made it clear to the Underlords that no matter what they did to him he served a high purpose, a higher power, a God greater than they could ever be. He had a power inside him that made him unstoppable and he was not afraid to fight for what Helus wanted for humanity.  Scared and wounded Jekar could not be perturbed, even when still alone he fights blinded to his own pain moving ever forward outfighting, outflanking whatever the Underlords threw at him. When knocked down he reached out his hands, pushed himself up on his sword and shield, standing before the Underlords, his jaw broke, his eyes blackened, gasping for air the foul godless beasts were assured of victory. Jekar could have run but instead took a deep breath and said proudly, "I am hurt, I am scared but you will not break me. I am wounded but not broken." His mental strength carried the day and following many victories Jekar helped guide us back to Helus. You....the people of Meybad, the Cultists of Seleucid have shown the world the same mental strength. You faced an enemy actively trying to end your existance and as a people you refused to accept that fate. You came together strong and unbreakable and you weathered that storm. You rebuilt, you took in the orphaned children of your neighbours, you help other cremate their children, you held wives grieving for husbands you watched over husbands left to bring up families alone and you healed as a community. Just as your community had regrouped you faced famine and again you stood together strong and unbreakable. You have all set the Cultists of Mundus an example of what it is to live with faith, pride and a sense of community. What makes me even prouder of you is the fact that not only did you come out the other side of these tribulations but when you emerged from the storms back into the sunlight you sought not once to revenge yourself. You once more opened your arms to you Seleucid brothers and sisters. You are people that I know Helus is proud to have follow him, you are people that should be proud of what you have achieved in the last few years and I will ensure that from this point forward the apparatus of the Cult does not forget you and will help you build Meybad and the other surrounding areas into a place Marissa herself would be pleased to live."

It was announced that the Priestess of Helus in Meybad, the highest ranking Priestess in Royal Seleucid was presented with funds of $20,000,000 to aid with Temple repairs, running faith schools, supporting youth groups and helping train new Priestesses. King David, Queen Stasya and the High Priestess visited several community groups in the area as well as dining at a local restaurant run by a former East Moreland Legionnaire who retired soon after the Cultist Genocide and moved to Meybad to help rebuild. The three Morelanders will spend the evening at the HQ of the Ui Cennesliag forces in the region before the King and Queen fly to the Ecclesiastical State while the High Priestess is heading to Bakkermaya. 


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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #221 on: October 19, 2020, 11:01:14 PM »




KING TOURS THE VATICAN

As King David and Queen Stasya continue their series of informal visits across Mundus the pair have landed in the Ecclesiastical State. Upon arrival to pair seperated for the morning and early afternoon with the Queen touring several traditional leather and textile workshops throughout the area while the King spent his time exploring the nations historical buildings. King David has a well known love of history having studied the subject at University and gaining a Masters degree in the subject. The King was given a guided tour of the Vatican and was according to Royal Chief of Household Quinn Germaine, "thrilled to be given access to parts of the historic building most tourists don't get to see." The King was guided around the site by a local Professor of History and explained afterwards his feelings about the tour. "I find the stories that surround the birth and expansion of Christianity fascinating. I have never read the bible cover to cover but as a historian you at times have to dip into the faiths of other regions and people to fully understand what it is your studying. To see the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is to see an amazing work of art and I was honoured to be given a few moments of privacy to just look up and enjoy it. There is a great contrast between the Catholic Church and our own Temples, ours are quiet plain save for the trappings of statues dedicated to the God. The Vatican on the other hands is a beautiful explosion of colour."

Meanwhile Queen Stasya was seen with her own Ladies in Waiting at one leather workshop leaving with a variety of goods. Queen Stasya has had a long involvement with the fashion industry and seemed to enjoy her visits to some of the more affluent stores in the area. Speaking as she returned to the Vatican itself she said, "I am a big supporter of people trying to keep traditional skills alive. There is no better feeling than pulling on an item of clothing made to measure by someone at the very top of their field. Today I've acquired quiet a few garments that I will enjoy wearing and thank the craftsman for their hard work."

That evening the pair dined with the Pope and some of his staff in the Vatican at an event that was described as "informal and friendly." It is understood that King David did further confirm that the Catholic Church had been granted land by his sister Joanna before her death to build a church in Northfort however as of yet that land has remained untouched. The Pope was said to have been unaware of this as it was a deal concluded before his term in office began however he did tell the King to expect a ground breaking within six months. The Pope presented the King with a replica of an illustrated medieval bible having heard him speak earlier in the day of never having read the whole of the book. The King and Queen then apparently joined locals in a nearby plaza who were enjoying an evening dance before retiring to the East Moreland embassy. In the morning they would begin their journey to Hrothgor which is likely to take 48 hours. Once there they will visit the Nya Aland backed research station and stay there for 48 hours before heading to Runavik.




Offline DaveIronside

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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #222 on: October 22, 2020, 08:18:11 PM »




KING SPENDS FEAST OF GRASA IN HYGELAC

As Cultists across Mundus began their 24 hour fast to mark the start of the two day long Feast of Grasa King David and Queen Stasya have arrived at Hygelac where they will spend the next 48 hours at the Nya Åland funded research station there. The station was at the centre of international politics several years ago when Toshikawa had planned to fire a series of missiles into the icey wilderness as part of a test programme. The scientists at the station however refused to evacuate and instead declared themselves a sovereign nation, an act that was supported by many nations across Mundus and thus forced the Toshikawan government to back down. Just a week or so later the team were instrumental in drafting the treaty that now exists to protect both Hygelac and Hrothgar. As a consequence of this treaty the scientists renounced their claim on Hygelac in favour of land on a small island in a river contained within Nya Åland. During the time of the crisis several well known individuals claimed citizenship of the new nation in order to highlight their cause, including King David.

The King and Queen arrived by sea plane and then were conducted to the research station by motorised sled along with fresh supplies for the station. They were given a tour of the facility and joined a "Penguin Counting Expedition." The monarchs spent several hours observing a colony of penguins helping the researchers monitor their numbers. Queen Stasya even had the chance to get up close with one of the birds as she helped a team attach a radio transmitter to the bird to help them monitor the birds location throughout the year. Meanwhile King David helped a team take samples of the pack ice using a boring drill to make ice cores. That evening the King and Queen helped prepare the stations meal however declined to eat as both are undertaking a 24 hour fast in order to celebrate the Feast of Grasa. Tomorrow however the King is expected to address East Moreland from the station having broken his fast with a traditional breakfast of soaked oats, cheese and apples. Queen Stasya, while following the Sisterhood of Helus, is also taking part in the rituals as both sects of the faith share many traditions. The Feast of Grasa is to celebrate the Goddess of Food and Drink. It is believed that she has the ability to grant great harvests and taught humans the secret of brewing mead and wine. People fast the evening before her Feast so as to better appreciate the gifts the Goddess have brought.

It is believed that this visit is the first time a monarch has ventured to Hygelac. Speaking to a class of students at a Primary School in Keepton via the internet the King explained, "We thought it important to come and see this place and the work done here to help us understand Mundus. Its an extremely beautiful place but very cold. We've got to do everything we can to look after the environment because even those of you damaging your local neighbourhood have an impact on Hygelac and the delicate ecosystems here." The King and Queen will fly to Runavik on Friday evening where they shall spend two days.


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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #223 on: October 25, 2020, 08:37:04 PM »




KING LEAVES HYGELAC FOR RUNAVIK

Following an overnight stay at the Aland back research station at Hygelac the King and Queen of East Moreland today left to continue their informal tour by heading to Runavik. The King and Queen spent the morning helping prepare a traditional breakfast for the Feast of Grasa before taking part in a small boat trip to observe whales before heading back to the airfield. Before leaving the King announced that the East Moreland research station in Hrothgar will be expanded in the coming months and will begin an exchange with the station he had been visiting. Royal Press Secretary Malcolm Tucker explained the decision from Northfort saying, "The King has seen how important the work being down in the South is and is determined to make sure East Moreland can help with similar work in the North. We've had a station at Hrothgar for several years now however the King was impressed with the Alander set up and think we can expand utilising some of their ideas. To further help our nations researchers the exchange of ideas between ourselves and the Alanders will be useful." The King has said an allocation of around $20million will be given to the East Moreland station for improvements and expansion.

The next leg of the royal journey is to Runavik where the King and Queen will meet with several government officials for dinner. The King while on an unofficial visit is likely to be drawn into a discussion on the matter of the island claims by a group of settlers seeking independence. Malcolm Tucker explains the King's stance. "King David has always been supportive of nations protecting their territorial integrity through long standing sovereign recognition and the FSC. As far as the King is concerned the islands are Runavik and I suspect that shall be the conversation."  Following the visit to Runavik the King is expected to head back to East Moreland.



PRINCESS TO ATTEND MEMORIAL SERVICE IN ACHKAERIN

Every year the Empire of Achkaerin holds a memorial service in early November to remember their fallen soldiers, a tradition dating back to the Great War. The memorial service has for the last few years invited foreign guests however no Morelander has attended until this year. With the festival also commemorating those who died in conflicts such as the Eugenics War and the Marseille Conflict, both of which see their fifth anniversary, it was announced that a delegation from East Moreland would be attending. The delegation will be headed by Princess Freya who is currently a serving Major in the Light Scouts. She will be accompanied on her visit by her husband, Red Legion officer Alex Redfern, as well as Foreign Minister Duchess Orlaith Kade. Princess Freya explained why this year the decision was made to send a delegation. "Five years ago our nation alongside our allies from various nations stood toe to toe across Mundus with forces who wished to cause the deaths of millions of innocents. Working with nations such as Seaforth, Achkaerin and various others we averted that fate. I served in Seaforth, while my husband saw action in both conflicts. We saw some of our friends receive injuries that changed their life and in some cases make the ultimate sacrifice. They may have worn different uniforms but they were our allies and so we will go and give our thanks for their service."

East Moreland remember those who lost their lives in military service during the Feast of Jekar each year on the 19th March.

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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #224 on: October 27, 2020, 11:14:52 PM »




REMNS CHAMWICK RETURNS TO PORT EARLY

The nations new aircraft carrier REMNS Chamwick has today cut short its sea trials in the Illumic and headed for Illumic Command. It was announced by the Ministry of Defence that the return was not scheduled and is due to "Unforeseen circumstances." Making a statement to the press the Minister of Defence Sir Harry Samuelson said, "the new carrier has completed two weeks of sea trials of what were scheduled to be a month. It has become neccessary for her to return to a port in order put right what we believe is a minor fault." It was revealed that a leak on the ships fresh water tanks had been happening for the last three days and the crew had been unable to rectify the problem completely. "The team on board have stemmed the leak several times having at first thought they had stopped it. Ideally the ship is expected to be able to stay at sea without rationing water for around 70 days the current situation means that is likely to be cut to 40. While it is by no means a disaster and the crew are not in danger it is something that shouldn't be happening on a ship we've paid so much for." The vessel is due to make port in the next 24 hours where a team from the Portworth Dockyards who manufactured the vessel will meet it and examine the problem for themselves.

Sir Harry also commented on the tests so far saying "The test had up until this point gone extremely well. The ship as a weapon of war functions well and should we need to deploy it the chances are we could operate successfully for a significant amount of time. The aircraft are getting used to the new carrier and in the time they've been at sea they have flown over 100 sorties successfully. It is our hope that the ship will be back up and running within a week and will return to carry out more tests. It is our hope that after a week of successful sea trials once the repairs are made that she will undertake a round Alba Karinya trip before simulating an attack on Portworth on its return."

It was also announced by the Commonwealth of the Unified Iwi that they are interested in buying the outgoing REMNS Portworth however for the time being Sir Harry has ruled that out stating, "Until we have the REMNS Chamwick fully operational to a standard we are confident can be taken into full combat we will not be removing the REMNS Portworth from our inventory. Once the Chamwick is up and running on active duty we may proceed in discussing the issue with our Maori allies."




OSMANTECH MAKE YELLOWTONGUE RESEARCH AVALIABLE

While the rate of infection of the animal borne disease known as Yellowtongue appears to have slowed it is understood that the infection is still worrying farmers across the nation especially with the large amount of wild game in the countryside. Farmers have been largely keeping animals classed as belonging to the ruminants sub group enclosed. With Fleur recently calling for international co-operation in search for a vaccine the largest drugs company in East Moreland has announced that it has been working on the disease since its outbreak and is going to make all its data available to any party willing to also share their data and who are working on a treatment or vaccine. The CEO of the company is the daughter of its founder, Lord Lucas Osman, Joanna Osman made the announcement explaining, "This isn't just something we can sit back and wait for. This outbreak has the potential to cost farmers across Mundus a large amount of money and that could be a disaster. Here in East Moreland hunting for game is a way of life and obviously if this disease gets out of hand in wild herds of things like deer or wild sheep we could have a major problem." The company announced that they have developed some treatments that can cut down the risk of herds catching the disease however these have yet to gain approval for use as they need to undergo testing about whether the treatment will mean that meat produced from these herds would be safe for human consumption.

Joanna Osman explained also that should OsmanTech be the first to successfully develop a vaccine or treatment they would share it with other nations so long as "doing so would not leave us out of pocket. We have thrown a lot of resources at this and while I do not wish our company to profit off the solution as someone with shareholders and a wide range of other research projects ongoing I can not afford to just give away our companies funds." In the past OsmanTech have sold drugs to poorer nations at cost or in some cases even released patents to some drugs such as anti-retroviral used in the treatment of AIDS/HIV.





QUEEN ANNOUNCES PLAN FOR "WINTER PRIDE"

Queen Stasya has announced today a plan for a major fundraising concert to support East Moreland based LGBT+ charities. The Queen, who has just returned from a visit around Albion, made the announcement on her first public engagement back in East Moreland. She was visiting a hostel for teenagers run by the Freestone Youth Support Group which is a charity that support people with a wide range of physical, emotional and mental needs. The hostel houses 18 young people in supported accomodation and has just had a major overhaul to make it safer. The Queen visited and spent the day with the young people seeing a series of support sessions, helping cook communal meals as well as enjoying chatting with them. The Hostel's 18 individuals include 10 whom are without a permanent home due to matters relating to their belonging to the LGBT+ community. The Chief Executive of the Freestone Youth Support Group is Killian Strong who explained the organisation's situation. "While East Moreland has been supportive of transitioning for those who are transgender or permitting same sex marriages there is still a significant minority of people out there who cling to the idea that members of the LGBT+ community are outcasts. They forget that Helus at times made himself female to fulfil his goals or even at one point is thought to have had physical relations with males." While this last point is disputed by theologians it is widely accepted that nowhere does the Cult of Helus which dominates the religious background of East Moreland take an obvious stance on homosexuality. Mr.Strong continued, "We rely on being able to put young people up until they can get on their feet or home situations improve. We hope that once those who stay with us leave they are prepared for the world as an independent person."

The Queen hopes that her concert will raise funds that will support places such as this hostel as well as other similar projects across East Moreland. Speaking on the matter the Queen stated, "I come from Lodja where the idea of same sex relations doesn't carry any stigma, during my life I've had relationships with men and women yet in Lodja this would never have even been worthy of making the press I think. East Moreland while a lovely nation still occasionally has things like this that surprise me. A nation so devoted to trying to do right but at times failing to care for everyone. Its my hope we can support fantastic organisations such as this to continue their work until we reach a point where they are not needed." The Queen's concert will take place at the King Robert Arena in Northfort and 80,000 tickets will go on sale in the arena which will take place with the roof closed. The concert will also be streamed live on pay-per-view TV for a small fee allowing potentially millions across Mundus to tune in. So far no line up of bands or artists has been released.

« Last Edit: October 27, 2020, 11:23:54 PM by DaveIronside »

Offline DaveIronside

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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #225 on: October 29, 2020, 08:01:07 PM »




EMAC SET NEW WORLD RECORD

At the annual Ostlake Fly In event the East Moreland Aircraft Company have set another world record. The annual event see's aviation enthusiasts from across the Kingdom fly their aircraft into the Ostlake North Air Force base for two days of shows, events and showcases. Each year the arrival see's two competitions run at the same time, the most accurate landing and the shortest landing. A white line is drawn across the runway and measurements taken from this. The aircraft that touches down closest to the white line is awarded the trophy for the most accurate landing, the distance at which an aircraft can come to a full stop is then awarded a prize for the shortest distance. A normal landing by light aircraft can take around 100-150 feet on most light aircraft in optimal conditions however an EMAC test pilot using a specially designed aircraft set a new world record. Mike Prior was able to touch his aircraft down and stop the plane in just under 10 feet. The attempt is a departure from various other projects EMAC have undertaken as rather than focusing on speed this record required the exact opposite. EMAC CEO Sir Alan Maybury was at the event and afterwards stated, "We're always looking for innovations. Being able to land aircraft accurately and safely is vital for operations such as those on aircraft carriers and also in situations where for example an area may not have sufficient runway lengths. Obviously today's effort saw a stripped down aircraft but the specialised wing design and specialised engine are things we can adapt for other projects."

One such project may well be to create a new generation of fixed wing cargo aircraft capable of taking off from aircraft carriers. With the nations C-2 aircraft reaching nearly 40 years of service it is thought the Ministry of Defence may be looking at retiring the Navies current cargo aircraft. Although talk is of replacing them with helicopters the innovations of EMAC may still see a role for a fixed wing carrier based cargo plane.




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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #226 on: November 09, 2020, 10:52:22 PM »




KING APPLIES TO BE GUINEA PIG

King David was shot by terrorists in 2016 during an attack that saw his sister, High Priestess Joanna, and the then Chief Councillor Hugo MacGregor die. The King was shot in the lower back with the bullet exiting through the stomach and the injury required several surgeries to prevent the King having long term health issues however the muscle mass in his lower back has been largely removed meaning that the King often finds sitting or standing in one position for a long time difficult. The King has though today put his name forward to take part in a surgical experiment at the Legionnaire Legacy hospital in Ostlake. Over the last few years teams there have been working on techniques to help wounded soldiers regain muscle mass and have been largely successful. The process has previously only been used on patients legs but now the surgeons believe they are able to carry out the procedure on any damaged muscle mass and recently placed an advert in the nations military newspaper, the Northfort Gazette, asking for voulenteers with injuries to parts of their body other than legs. Upon reading the advert it is understood the King put his name forward. The project is being run by Dr. Simon Hindmarch who says that there is "no guarentee the King will be part of the new experiments. We will be considering several patients and those we believe best able to recover will be the ones we ask to come to Ostlake."

The process will see old scar tissue cut away and a "Biological Scaffold built." Dr.Hindmarch explains this process, "We take a pigs bladder and having scanned the patients damaged area create a kind of net in the shape of the missing muscle. This is then grated onto the area we have removed the scar tissue from. The patient then receives regular stem cell injections into the site and enter intense physical therapy within 48 hours of the operation. The stem cells essentially recognise the need for them to become muscles and as the scaffolding degrades they attempt to repair it, the exercise informing them that the scaffold needs to contract, bare weight and essentially do everything you expect a muscle to do. Over time the muscle acts just as you would expect." The procedure has been used in limbs for the last few years and most patients report a vast improvement in their abilities. In recent months the team have attempted the process on rodents and found they have a 50-75% improvement in mobility. The team have been given permission to attempt five human trials and these are expected to take place early in the new year.

The King has not spoken of the procedure however Royal Press Secretary Malcolm Tucker explained the King's motivation. "His Majesty was an extremely active man however since his injury he's found it getting harder and harder to do many things he took for granted. The King has a very active young child and hopes to soon be a father again. The King tries as much as possible to be a positive role model in Princess Rhiannon's life and tries to be supportive both motivationally and physically in her activities. The King feels that if successful the operation could give him back much of his previous lifestyle and make him a better father, especially as he gets older. The King also has seen thousands of his former comrade in arms go into danger to preserve the safety of the Kingdom. If this process is capable of improving the life of an injured veteran then His Majesty believes if he can help the surgeons learn and perfect their procedure he has a duty to help them however he can."

The team have said that they will consider the King's request to be part of the test group in an identical way to all the others. Dr.Hindmarch concluded, "While we recognise the King has significant power he does not have the power to control how medicine is done. We will consider which individuals have the best chance of responding to the operation and they will be invited. Obviously if we get this procedure right and it works well there is no reason why years down the line maybe the King could have the procedure."





REMNS CHAMWICK DECLARES AIRCRAFT EMERGENCY

While the REMNS Chamwick aircraft carrier is in Illumic Command undergoing repairs it has still been carrying out drills for air operations. Yesterday however the vessel declared an aircraft emergency as one of its Dragonskin fighters ended up in the Illumic. The aircraft was launching off the deck when just a few seconds off the deck the aircraft saw an engine failure and the pilot immediately ejected before being recovered by rescue divers. The pilot was taken to local hospital however was discharged after just a few hours with a clean bill of health. An investigation into the incident has begun however it is expected that the pilot will be cleared of any error. A Naval spokesman explained, "We believe this was one of two problems but at this point we are not limiting ourselves to investigating just those. The aircraft suffered an engine failure with the pilot losing all forward thrust almost immediately. We believe that perhaps a bird strike or foreign object debris incident took place or that a fan blade broke causing the engine to go offline."

The aircraft was recovered and is being examined by specialists from the nations aeronautical safety agencies as well as EMAC who make the aircraft. Sir Alan Maybury released a statement following the Navies saying, "We would like to first wish the pilot well and hope he is in good health. The aircraft is being examined so we can find out what happened and we will play whatever role we can in that. The Dragonskin entered service just over 20 years ago and has a record second to non with both the Air Force and the Navy. It has clocked up hundreds of thousands, if not millions of hours of air time and there have been very few incidents of note outside of combat operations. We are confident that the aircraft will, if well maintained, be found to be safe." The Air Force and Navy have confirmed they will ground all the aircraft, except for in emergencies, until the conclusion of the investigation.

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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #227 on: November 18, 2020, 10:10:11 PM »




CLIMATE PROTEST STOPPED BY MILITARY

Following last weeks downing of a airliner by the environmental protest group known as "Climate Crusade" several protests in Northfort have today been broken up by the military. Around 80 members of the group began unveiling banners outside the Northfort office of EMAC-Airlines. In addition to the banners it was clear that some members of the group were about to utilise the recently seen tactic of gluing themselves to buildings or each other. The group were not permitted to get set up as one of the capitals Rapid Response Units (RRU) from the 2nd Mechanised Scouts arrived and began forcing the group to leave the area. The move comes after the group caused the downing of the aircraft heading into Eventide Airport in Seaforth causing the deaths of around 300 people including 30 East Moreland military veterans returning from a ceremony in Safraen. The RRU spent much of the rest of the day forcing the group into ever smaller groups and moving them from site to site stopping them from ever establishing a protest. Police also supported the operation and made 17 arrests. The robust military response is in stark contrast to how other protests in the capital have been handled in the past as explained by Lt-Col Williams of the 2nd Mechanised Scouts. "Following the actions taken by this group at King Robert International Airport and the tragedy they caused at Eventide Airport it is clear this groups mode of operation is to cause damage and mayhem. They turn up today using the same tactics as previously and this in the knowledge they have just killed 300 people. We therefore can not trust that they will not take any further reckless action. As such the various RRU's across the nation have been on standby to break up their attempts at damaging Northfort."

The Climate Crusade leader, who wished only to be known as Henry, believes that the action taken by the East Moreland government was heavy handed. "Today we have been pushed around with batons, had tear gas fired at us and at one point we were shot with paintballs. The King is clearly determined to ignore the impending global catastrophe at hand and is doing whatever he can to ensure the ears of his people are kept as far away from hearing about it as possible. Today we have been victims of brutality and have our right to peaceful protest denied. We will not stop from protesting until the King agrees to our demands to go beyond the Treaty of Wellow. It is obviously not our intent to cause harm to anyone, the incident in Seaforth was a tragic accident, we value all life as most of us are vegan and while we recognise we shall disrupt people's daily lives by our actions the destruction of Mundus is going to cause much more disruption."

It is understood that the King has commissioned a report into whether the group known as Climate Crusade should be labelled as terrorists in a similar way as the Realm of Cassiopeia have done in the last 24 hours.




KING TO HAVE SURGERY

It has been confirmed that on the 1st December the King will undergo pioneering surgery on his back as part of a experiment at the Legionnaire Legacy hospital in Ostlake. The operation is designed to help repair the lost muscle mass in the King's lower back and will help the hospital which specialises in treating veterans injured in conflict to develop a technique that has so far worked very successfully on limbs. The procedure is being pioneered by Dr.Hindmarch who reviewed the King's request to be part of the projects attempts to utilise the procedure for injuries other than on arms or legs. Dr.Hindmarch stated, "We reviewed all the willing voulenteers and the King was one of the few with injuries to his lower back. This is a muscle group notoriously difficult to help repair and the King was considered the healthiest and most active of those who applied. The King still manages to jog some everyday, has competed in rowing at the Legionnaire Legacy games and is a regular swimmer. The best outcome will be for those who have a mindset that will keep them active post operation and the King is likely to fulfil that criteria with ease."

The King is said to be excited about the process as Royal Press Secretary Malcolm Tucker explained. "The King is delighted to be part of this project and is determined to do everything in his power to make this work. If the operation goes as well as hoped then the King will be able to do much more physical activity than he is capable of at the moment within four weeks. His Majesty is already mapping out options to put the operations success to the test such as attempting to once more climb Mount Highbeech, something he last did during military service." The climb up Mount Highbeech is 5, 248 meters and is one of the final tests in training for the Alpine Cadre which the King served in. The fact he is considering returning to its summit is leading some to think the King may reactive his reservist status in the military if successful. The Palace however have yet to confirm this.





PRINCESS TURNS 7

Today the heir to the Morelander throne turned 7 years of age. Princess Rhiannon celebrated her birthday by first going to school at the Grange Mill Primary that she attended for the last few years before having a birthday party at the Palace for her family and school-friends. Her mother Matilda Osman was also in attendance along with her partner Formula Mundus driver Sam Halliday and Princess Rhainnon's three year old half-brother Oliver. The party included games of laser tag and a BBQ. The day however began by the Princess, her mother and father visiting the Ironside family mausoleum where the ashes of Prince Caspian, Rhiannon's twin brother are stored. The Prince died aged two and a half from complications from the genetic condition known as Hunter's Syndrome, a condition that Rhiannon's half brother Oliver also suffers from. Well wishes from across the Kingdom had sent gifts to the Princess including around 80 stuffed toys which the Princess has decided to donate to local children's hospitals. The Princess upon returning home from school permitted to speak with the media for a while with her mother in attendance and said, "Thank you for the presents. I've enough toys so I'm sharing with other children. I'm excited to play laser tag and eat jelly now."

In the coming weeks the Princess will sit entrance tests for the prestigious Northfort Academy for Girls which begins accepting students at the age of 8. The school has been the selected education establishment for every female member of the Ironside family since 1878. The Princess, if accepted, would remain at the school for ten years however it is highly likely that she will spend at least 12 months being educated overseas with many thinking that either neighbouring Vaguzia or Heyra to be likely although with the King now having married a Lodjain some suggest that will be a likely venue.

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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #228 on: December 09, 2020, 10:45:25 PM »




YELLOW-TONGUE MAPPED

 Following months of livestock across East Moreland and other parts of Mundus having been kept isolated there has been a breakthrough in the fight against the Yellowtongue virus. Scientists at OsmanTech HQ in Chamwick (formerly Technology City) have announced today that they have successfully mapped the genetic sequence of the virus. The news has been welcomed by the East Moreland farming community who have seen their trade heavily impacted as several nations across Mundus have stopped accepting imports of certain types of animals. The virus has had an impact on the cattle, goat, sheep and deer herds of the nation with a total so far of around 61,000 animals having been culled to try and prevent the spread. There have been fears that the virus is running rampant through the wild deer populations that roam freely across Northern parts of East Moreland and that these have become a vector for the disease spreading. The crisis has been so bad that many restaurants in the capital Northfort which would regularly have served venision have either put up their prices because of a shortage of safe meat or taken the product off the menu completely.

OsmanTech are one of a number of East Moreland companies working on isolating the disease and working towards possible drugs or vaccinations against the virus. The company are part of a team of various businesses being supported by the East Moreland government and also co-operating with several nations across Mundus including several in the CNN nations and Fleur. It is understood that as part of this arrangement the genetic sequence of the virus will be shared with the agencies and businesses signed up to this deal. The current CEO of OsmanTech is Joanna Osman, the daughter of company founder Lord Lucas Osman, who has said, "This virus has a huge impact on our nation at the moment and is effectively holding parts of our economy and our traditions hostage. It is vital that at the earliest safe opportunity we can do something to help out. I suspect now that it could be a case that we have positive news in treatment or prevention in the next month or so as great minds across Mundus digest what our team have achieved."




QUEEN WELCOMES FIRST SISTERHOOD GRADUATES

Queen Stasya today attended the graduation ceremony of the first class of Priestesses trained at the Sisterhood of Helus' first Temple. The Sisterhood of Helus is a breakaway sect of the Cult of Helus where its believers take the view that traditional scripture is wrong in certain respects with the chief disagreement being the fact that they view Helus as being female. The faith was established around five years ago by the self proclaimed High Priestess of the Sisterhood, Jinny Denman. Queen Stasya converted to the faith shortly after moving to East Moreland and has been an influential figure in supporting the growth of the faith through helping establish its initial Temples and even helping fund a private school operated by the blossoming religion which is thought to have almost 1million followers in East Moreland. In February just prior to marrying King David the now Queen helped the Sisterhood acquire a country house near Keepton to convert into a training centre for the Priesthood. A total of 12 women who had been Priestesses in the Cult of Helus enrolled on the course and have completed what Denman has described as "conversion training" making them now in her eyes qualified to preach the faith. Denman explained, "Why are excited that these ladies have despite in some cases decades of being misinformed come to embrace the truth of scripture. The nice thing about such women is that they already have many of the skills needed to be great Priestesses, the ability to organise, a drive to do good deeds and be active in their communities. They already have a strong grounding in the ways of Helus and simply just need to be redirected towards the truth. I am proud of their hard work and hope they will be the first of many to graduate."

Queen Stasya presented each of the women who will soon go to communities throughout East Moreland with a ceremonial sword to indicate their new status. The Queen addressed the graduating class to say, "When I first meet my now husband I was only just beginning to learn about the Cult of Helus and its ways. Naturally my desire to be part of his life made me learn more and more. I am eternally grateful that Jinny took me under her wing and taught me the ways of Helus and helped me see her power. I understand like many of you today that while there is great love for Helus in our nation and even wider afield across Mundus this love is misdirected. Today we have armed our first generation of educators and I hope they can do for Mundus what Jinny has done for me. I am a proud follower of the Sisterhood and I am today delighted to present these women the swords of their position. I wish them luck in their efforts ahead." The Queen also meet a class of 10 trainee Priestesses who will be taking part in a longer 2 year training course as this group of future preachers are converts from other faiths and include one woman from the Queen's homeland Lodja.

21 year old Toma Kovalchuk even credited the Queen for her decision to come to East Moreland. "Ever since I can remember I felt the faith of Sessifet wasn't right. I was also like many young Lodjains a follower of the gossip, fashion and intrigue of the royal court. Then Queen Stasya was a Lady in Waiting and I dreamt of being able to live a life like hers. When I heard she was in a relationship with King David I investigated the Cult of Helus and then when she converted to the Sisterhood I knew that was the right path for me too. While sadly I can't marry a King I can do the Goddesses work and that makes me happy." The Queen wished her countrywoman well and has indicated that she will closely following Miss Kovalchuk's career as the Queen stated, "It is my hope Toma will graduate successfully and then return to Gaia and help spread the word of Helus. I think she may well find willing ears."

Offline DaveIronside

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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #229 on: December 29, 2020, 11:43:36 PM »




KING HAS GONE UNDER THE KNIFE

The Palace have today confirmed that this morning His Majesty King David attended the Legionnaire Legacy hospital at Ostlake where he underwent experimental surgery on his lower back injury. The procedure took four hours to complete and effective saw a structure fashioned from a pigs bladder grafted onto the Kings old scar tissue in his lower back. This new structure will be regularly injected with stem cells which it is hoped will turn the area into something more akin to muscle than the current scar tissue. The procedure has been done on various injuries to soldiers who lost limbs in conflict however the King is the first to have it performed on his torso. While the King was sedated at Ostlake his sister, Princess Freya was encamped at the Palace in Northfort should anything have gone wrong. The procedure requires the patients to be active as soon as possible afterwards to encourage the stem cells to become muscle. The King's operation went without any complications and Royal Press Secretary Malcolm Tucker explained that the King was up walking around the ward two hours after coming out of sedation. Five other soldiers with a variety of injuries similar to the Kings were also operated on during the day by teams at the specialist veterans hospital and early reports indicate the procedure went well in all cases. Mr.Tucker gave a statement saying, "The procedure is one that could change the lives of veterans, we've already seen members of the Achkaerin royal family look at the procedure. The initial reports from the surgical teams are that everything has gone well and now it just becomes a case of rehabilitation and monitoring of the stem cell element. The King is grateful for being given this oppurtunity and now intends to work hard to ensure its success."

The King is going to spend the new year at Ostlake to recover from the operation and will not attend the annual Freestone New Years Eve music festival. The King's role as host of the festival will this year be taken by Archduchess Sophie Harrison-Ironside where she will oversee the Festival where Frank Turner will headline.




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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #230 on: January 05, 2021, 11:02:35 PM »




QUEEN OPENS FESTIVAL OF DANCE

The annual East Moreland Dance Festival in Ostlake began yesterday and the 167th running of the event was opened by Queen Stasya. The 22 year old Queen was attending her first festival however that did not stop her joining in the enjoyment. The Morelander-Zimalian music star Travis Kalambay was seen enjoying some of the performances by a group of youngsters who have been part of music workshops he has been running for the past two months, he was then joined by the Queen who seemed blissfully unconcerned to be seen dancing with the musician. The week long music festival features a series of competitions, workshops and performances of almost every type of dance possible. The Queen attended several of the days competitions to witness junior contests in ballet, folk and jazz dance before that evening attending a Burlesque performance at the Ember Road Theatre. It was noticeable that King David did not join her for the day and this was explained by the Queen as she left the theatre saying, "David has been busy with his rehab from his recent operation. While normally being here would be something he would relish being sat watching performances most of the day are not good for his recovery. While he could naturally have got up and danced I'm sure my husband will forgive me for saying he is not the most graceful of movers on the dancefloor." The Queen is considered a good dancer in her own right having had ballet lessons at a young age and like many young Lodjian women is a regular attender of formal balls. Queen Stasya confirmed that she would spend the rest of the week in Ostlake where her husband will join her on Friday where the pair will attend the Ostlake Officers Ball before on Saturday the King returns to the Legionnaire Legacy hospital in the city for a post operation check up.

Queen Stasya also found the time while in Ostlake to visit the cities Temple dedicated to the Sisterhood of Helus, one of the growing number being opened in East Moreland. The Ostlake Temple is in a converted disused military drill hall and has only been open two months. The Queen spent around an hour there and was seen entering with a new sword to leave at the Temple as an offering.

This year several foreign dance troops are visiting the festival once again including the Lodjain Royal Ballet, a Paracambian salsa group and a Seaforthian Highland Dance team. It is expected that around 800 performances will take place around the city in the week ahead ranging from street performances to huge events in the Ostlake Metro Arena. The annual event is one of many cultural events the city hosts over the year including the upcoming Ostlake Movie Awards known more informally as the Ozzies and the the Ostlake Military Games. While the Dance Festival is not as well known as some of the other events it is still expected that around 700,000 people will visit the city over the duration of the event boosting the local tourism and hospitality industries significantly.




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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #231 on: January 12, 2021, 10:27:21 PM »




SILVERHILLS SET TO HIT 1MILLION

The city of Silverhills is viewed by many as the entertainment capital of East Moreland. While Ostlake may host the ever more international Movie Awards the vast majority of the films that are viewed in East Moreland are financed, filmed and casted out of Silverhills. The city is also famed for its high class hotels, bars and restaurants and has become the trendy place for the rich and famous of East Moreland to hang out. The city had such an appeal that when she first moved to East Moreland the city was where Queen Stasya  purchased a home. The city has also over the last few years become a hub for many large retail businesses marketing themselves towards the high end and luxury markets creating thousands of jobs and thus helping the city grow. Many have also put the cities growth down to several trade and travel agreements between East Moreland and several other nations making it easy for people to visit cities around the world looking for high end places to visit.

The mayor of the city for the next three years is Francesca Gough who was elected last year and is Silverhills born and bred. The 34 year old mayor was the founder of the Gough Inn, a traditional East Moreland restaurant in the city. The Gough Inn is an example of the growing business in the city which the mayor believes is why the city has been growing. "People look at Silverhills and know that the city has opportunities. Those wanting to be famous come hoping to be the next film star but many end up in jobs in the bars, clubs and restaurants. We have a legacy from the days of the old Silver mines that gave the city its name and this attracts a lot of luxury brands and glamour. Combine all these things and Silverhills is where many young Morelanders want to be. It is our job though to ensure that once Silverhills has ridden the crest of this fashionable wave we are still in a position to enjoy a prosperous city." The Mayor is currently working with central government to try and negotiate tax breaks for the cities film and TV industry as well as examining support projects for making more affordable housing. Mayor Gough explained the need for this co-operation. "The film and TV studios here employ thousands of people. They are like a heartbeat of the city and if we can ensure they stay here despite competition globally then we ensure a long term future. The workers though need homes and sadly the beautiful old buildings in the city are fetching ridiculous prices. Ive managed to improve public transport so commuting is not an issue. There needs to be on the edge of the city nice affordable homes like we have seen in Portworth. When we become the 2nd biggest city in the nation we need the support of the capital."

While Northfort will always remain the capital of East Moreland it has seen itself relegated to the 3rd largest city in the nation and is today seen by many as the historic and ceremonial heart of the nation. If current population trends continue the city is likely to reach the 1million citizens mark by the middle of 2021.




EMTV "EDU-CARTOON" SET TO BE HONOURED

In February last year EMTV launched an educational cartoon focusing on the adventures of a young Honeybadger called Stoffel. The show airs every Tuesday and Thursday in twenty minute episodes aimed at those aged between 6-10 and has been a huge hit with children and parents. Each episode see's Stoffel travel to a different place on Mundus, make new friends and have adventures. So far Series 1 has featured 28 episodes and seen the plucky Stoffel visit most nations in Alba Karinya and Ardia. The producer of the show is Jason Esri who explained the shows appeal, "The first thing is to get parents to like the character and feel comfortable letting have access to their kids. A Honeybadger automatically gets the interest of our own people and so we had a foot in the door. The programme is fun, bright and Stoffel shows a great example to the young people. I'm just really pleased it's gone so well."

The programme has been widely praised by educational professionals who have said that they have seen Stoffel help encourage youngsters to be quizzical about the world around them and also teaches them good habits. As a result it is to be given The Moreland Cross, a medal given for doing something seen as inspirational to Morelanders. The King announced the award saying, "Children across East Moreland have fallen in love with Stoffel, including my own daughter. We had an episode where Stoffel visited Vaguzia and learned a few words of Vaguzian, the next day Rhiannon was trying to speak the language. We've a new generation of Morelanders wanting to learn more about the world they live in while being made to be proud of our own traditions." The King did admit that the award was more to honour the efforts of EMTV's educational programming over the last 20 years when he said, "EMTV and people like Jason Esri have managed to entertain generation after generation of young people. Despite many of these shows being aimed at children they've even become favourites of grown adults. Stoffel is just the latest in a long line of these and I know he will be with us for a long time to come."

Jason Esri will be picking up the award from the Palace in a few days time and has said, "We're a team that hope our characters are seen as something to have fun with. The fact the King and the royal family have seen fit to give Stoffel an award shows they embrace that fun. I'm sorry to say though that as Stoffel is off on his latest adventure in Ardia he won't be able to collect it in person." The show has an average viewership of around 1million people and has made tens of millions of pounds in merchandising, 10% of which is given to charitable educational causes.

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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #232 on: January 17, 2021, 11:10:43 PM »




KING TO SUBMIT TO GUILD EXAM

It was announced today by the Royal Palace that King David has had a smithy built in the Palace ground as he intends to submit work in an application to join the Swordsmith's guild. The King will have lessons from Royal Blacksmith Maxwell Power who has made swords for several members of the Royal Family including Queen Stasya. In the past the King has attempted to make swords for both Prince Caspian and Princess Rhiannon however by his own admission both swords would have required "significant professional help". The tradition of sword making in East Moreland has both significant cultural and religious importance in the nation with it being both a symbol of military service and a person's honour. While in many nations individuals are permitted to carry guns in public in East Moreland it is a common site to see  people in public carrying blades. Not only do Morelanders see the sword as significant as a symbol it has become a common sporting good with Medieval MMA becoming a national obsession that has seen the Kingdom dominate the Mundus Games. The announcement of the King is spurred on by two major factors beyond just the sword being seen as a symbol of the Kingdom. The first is that the King reintroduced the idea of Guilds as a way of keeping traditional skills alive in the nation and as of yet very few people have applied to them for membership. The "Guild 21" programme was designed to help promote skills such as carpentry, blacksmithing and brewing by reintroducing the idea of apprenticeships and peer assessment of work. With these skills becoming largely marginalised by modern practices and technology many will see the Guild 21 programme as unnecessary. The King hopes that by signing up for the scheme himself he hopes others will follow in his example.

The second factor is that the work of Smithing is physically demanding, particularly on the back and shoulders. Following the King's recent operation on his lower back he is instructed to keep active in particular by exercising these muscles and this kind of work is thought to be an excellent form of rehabilitation. The King is, according to the Palace, hoping to submit his portfolio of work in the summer. While this may seem a rather quick ascension to Guild membership it must be noted that the King has spent a significant amount of time learning some of the skills having apparently spent many hours working with the Royal Smiths at Rockhampton and Ostlake. Should the King be admitted into the Swordsmith Guild he would become the first royal in the nations history to be a Guildsman by his own right rather than by honorary admission.

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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #233 on: January 23, 2021, 10:26:39 PM »




CHASE TAG TO BE IN OSTLAKE GAMES

It was announced today that the sport of Chase Tag will feature in the 2021 version of the Ostlake Military Games. The sport was introduced to the military as part of basic training as one of the many ways that fitness is promoted. The sport features a series of obsticles in a 20 meter by 20 meter square in which a chaser has 30 seconds to catch another competitor known as the prey. The sport promotes high intensity exercise and explosive bursts of energy which make it an excellent form of interval training. Many of the top class competitors in the sport come from the world of parkour and the training has proved popular with the new entrants to the Legions. The East Moreland Champion is Toby Seger who is currently in his last few months in Duke Legion for his national service. Seger was at the announcement and said, "The Legions introduced the sport as a means of putting people out of their comfort zones and encouraging us to overcome some of our fears. Its not easy to take a jump over a metal bar with a high drop the other side while being chased but a few weeks of trying the sport it can become second nature and muscle memory helps you go with the flow. I've been interested in parkour since I was 11 and so I loved it, I'd done the sport a while before doing national service and enjoyed seeing others take it up. It'll be an exciting sport for people to watch at the Games and who knows perhaps in years to come it can make its way into the Mundus Games."

The line up of events at the 2021 Ostlake Games will be unchanged with the exception that Tug of War will be replaced by Chase Tag. Lt-Col Butterworth of the Army Physical Training Corps is in charge of organising the Annual inter-military games and also establishing the syllabus all trainees undergo during basic training. "We made the decision several years back to find sports that very few if any trainees had experience in. This is a way of making sure that everyone has to learn new skills and overcome new challenges. We saw chase tag on YouTube and figured we would try it out and it was certainly something that gave a work out very different to what everyone is used to. The days of needing exceptional strength are fading and while being strong is still a bonus in the military good cardiovascular fitness is becoming even more important."




HOPKINS TO HOST "OZZIES"

Royal Artist in Residence Jocelyn Hopkins has been announced as this years host of the Ostlake Movie Awards, affectionalty known as the "Ozzies". The 29 year old was at one time in a relationship with King David III and has opened a string of galleries across East Moreland, several of which have included small independent cinemas. She is also the grand-daughter of Sir Charles Townshend who is the leader of the Court of Canley heraldic order. Her older sister, Camryn Hopkins is currently in a relationship with King Andrew Rhodes of Seaforth. The nominations for the annual awards is due to open this weekend with several international categories open. There is much interest in the "Best International Film" category which has for the last two years been won by Tamoran Director Samira Hanifnejad who has made a reputation for making remarkable films based on historical events significant to Tamora and people of the Manist faith. It is expected that her latest film, a documentary on the recent Clysperis Civil War, will make the shortlist. Jocelyn Hopkins, who will not have a vote in the Awards, said "Hanifnedjad's films can at times be uncomfortable watching but they give a glimpse into the world that many of us never really get to see. The idea behind any great film is to make us feel emotions and having seen "Silence", "A Time for Darkness" and "A Nation Betrayed" you certainly feel like you've been on an emotional rollercoaster." The shortlists are yet to be released however bookmakers are already giving short odds on "A Nation Betrayed" making it a hat-trick for Hanifnedjad.

In terms of Best Morelander film it is expected that the biographic film of Melissa Gunning is expected to take the prize. The film tells the story of the 22 year old school teacher who died in the 2015 Missile attack on Freestone that saw 101 deaths. Gunning was teaching at a local school near to where the missiles struck and was able to evacuate 16 of her students from her classroom before being killed by falling masonry as she attempted to return to the classroom to check for other students. She became the youngest person admitted to the Court of Canley in 2017 for her act of bravery. The film has been popular in cinemas and has been nominated for four domestic awards.


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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #234 on: February 15, 2021, 12:30:20 AM »




EMAC PROVIDE ARMY WITH GRENADE LAUNCHED DRONE

The Army have today given a demonstration of a new mini drone that can be deployed using a standard issue grenade launcher. The EMAC Battlefield Aviation Tool (BAT) has been trialled in operations in the Moreland Alps over the last three months and has been reported to be a tremendous success. The BAT is no bigger than a regulation grenade round and can be carried by any soldier on the battlefield. In times requiring speedy aerial views of an area the BAT can be fired and will begin to fly using a system of an electronic propeller and glide fins. The battery allows 90 minutes of flight time and the soldiers can control it using either a joystick controller provided or through another control device. One of those using the device has been Captain Whitney of the Royal Marines who today gave a demonstration at Ostlake. "The device has been really useful, it allows us to watch over the battlefield, explore for hidden positions, monitor air and artillery strikes and even look for missing or injured soldiers. It has a massive variety of uses." The device can be retrieved and a new battery inserted meaning it can be reusable.

Following successful trials the Army have ordered 12,000 of the devices and EMAC will begin training operators in its use in the coming weeks.




QUEEN RETURNS TO LODJA FOR MOTHER'S DIVORCE

It was confirmed today that Queen Stasya is returning to Lodja for a minimum of 7 days in order to support her mother through her divorce to the Queen's father Duke Tobias Pelagiya. It has been reported that the relationship between the Queen's parents has been rather problematic since details emerged of the Duke having affairs with prostitutes. The couple have been living apart for the last six months with the Duchess spending most of her time in Silverhills, East Moreland. The Queen is expected to be back for the Feast of Helus where her current schedule indicates that she will be leading prayers at the Sisterhood of Helus' temple in Northfort whereas her husband King David will be at the Cult's home temple in Northfort.

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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #235 on: February 18, 2021, 10:30:41 PM »




IRONSIDE TWO MAY "RUIN" FEAST OF HELUS

With less than 24 hours to go to the start of the Feast of Helus it is likely that Queen Stasya will not be celebrating the event in East Moreland following an engine problem with her aircraft while in Lodja. The specially designed EMAC jet is specially equipped for long distance diplomatic trips and includes a wide range of additional security features. Despite the East Moreland Armed Forces being the first to decommission nuclear weapons the aircraft, along with its twin often used as "Ironside One", would have been capable of launching a nuclear strike from any point on the planet. It is however one of these added security features which is preventing the aircraft from flying. Royal Press Secretary Malcolm Tucker explained. "One of the important features is the aircrafts ability to track incoming missile attacks and help the pilot take avoiding action. That systems sensors have somehow malfunctioned and tells the pilot the aircraft is under constant attack." The malfunction created an emergency situation as it first registered while the aircraft was flying from the island of Iskar to Gaia which prompted a pair of Lodjain fighter aircraft to scramble to the scene. The aircraft landed without incident in Gaia and has been under guard by staff from the embassy and Red Legionnaires who are tasked to help train the Lodjian military. The problem however can not be fixed by local engineers and the Air Force engineer who travels with the aircraft requires specialist equipment as Tucker explained. "You can imagine that this aircraft is among the most sophisticated on Mundus and carries with it a significant security impact, not any avionics engineer is permitted to work on the aircraft even if they have the equipment. As it stands we are now hurrying the other aircraft to Gaia in the hopes of getting Queen Stasya home for the Feast of Helus."

The likliehood however of the Queen making it back is considered slim and as such it is likely that rather than celebrate the Feast mid-air the Queen will remain in Lodja and attend festivities at the East Moreland embassy in Lodja. This will come as a blow for the Sisterhood of Helus who were expecting the Queen to lead their ceremonies at their temple in Northfort, marking their first ritual carried out by a member of the royal family. The King is going to carry out the various rituals at the Temple of Helus in Northfort. The Feast marks the most Holy day of the Cultists year and marks the day that the God gave the faithful their Code of Canley. Across East Moreland families will be gathering and hosting a feast which is usually of venison, however this year as Yellow-Tongue has spread among the deer population many have considered Boar instead as the virus does not impact that species. Families will then present Helus with offerings that are usually personalised according to the family. Princess Rhiannon will, like with all Cultists feast days, spend the morning with her father and the evening with her mother Matilda Osman. It has also been reported that the Princess is likely to spend some time in Lijiang as Matilda Osman has been approached with tutoring there by the new Dragon-Emperor. With King David supporting the idea of students getting cultural exchanges via school partnerships with other nations it is unlikely the King will view this as a problem.



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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #236 on: February 21, 2021, 09:11:58 PM »




NATION CELEBRATES FEAST OF HELUS

Yesterday East Moreland and Cultists across the globe celebrated the Feast of Helus. The celebration marks the day on which the scriptures tell us that the God gave mankind the Code of Canley, a set of rules by which mankind should live to make the world a better place. The feast day usually see's the faithful attend Temple for prayers and rituals followed by a day of celebration at home with family. This year, as with every year since becoming King, His Majesty King David attended the Temple of Helus in Northfort, a place which stands on the spot the Code was given to Raimond Unasson who is believed to be an ancestor of the current King. This year however the King was making his visit  without Queen Stasya as she was stuck in Lodja due to an aircraft malfunction. The King made an offering to Helus on behalf of the nation, this year opting to present the God with a silver sculpture showing the scene of Helus presenting the code to Unasson and the other Gods. This will be on display in the Temple until the next Feast of Helus and then will be placed in the National Museum along with offerings going back to the 16th Century.

Following the King attending Temple he visited a specialist care centre for children with genetic illnesses similar to those of the King's deceased son Prince Caspian and there served the children and parents a Feast of Helus meal. Normally Venison is the staple dish of any Feast of Helus dinner however this year with the Yellow-Tongue virus being traced in the East Moreland deer population Boar was served instead. The King was joined at the care centre by his 7 year old daughter Princess Rhiannon, his sister Princess Freya and brother-in-law Alex Redfern. Princess Rhiannon then spent the afternoon with her mother Matilda Osman while the King and the rest of the Ironside family spent the afternoon at Northfort Palace where they were seen partaking in an early evening horse-ride.

As has become the tradition East Moreland embassies across the globe invited local Cultist and East Moreland citizens living abroad to celebrations at the embassy including in Nya Aland, Fleur and Kopsje where religious displays are banned. As has always been the case these ceremonies were undertaken in private grounds of the embassy. In nations with less restrictive laws on religion the Embassy provided a taste of East Moreland cuisine to passers by at the Embassy with stands outside designed to share the day of celebration with the nation in which they are located.

At 8pm East Moreland time the King appeared on TV where he addressed the nation to wish everyone a joyous Feast Day. The King went on to state that over the next 12 months he would be donating $50million to the Mundus Goodwill Bank on behalf of the Cult of Helus and urged members of the Cult to make their own personal donations. The Mundus Goodwill Bank was established by a meeting known as the Interfaith Alliance which was chaired by the King's deceased sister High Priestess Joanna Ironside and has in the view of King David been "under utilised and neglected." The King identified several scenarios where the bank should have been "pro-active" by saying, "The Bank harnesses the good intentions of people of a vast array of faiths yet then waits for people to come to them. They now need to go forth and spread this money. I can think of several projects for them, we see Zimalia improving its health care system with support from Nya Aland and Tamora, the bank should support these efforts. When the Seleucid food crisis took place the bank should have purchased food and shipped it without waiting to be asked. We now have a potential humanitarian crisis in Topri and Merina. We need to get these funds moving." The King is expected to ask the current High Priestess to investigate appointing a Cultist representative to identify ways the funds could be spent globally and to "work with members of all faiths to ensure the people who need help the most get it."

Meanwhile Queen Stasya lead the Cultists, including members of the military supporting Lodjian re-training, in Gaia in their celebrations having failed to return home. It is understood the Queen hosted a banquet in a function hall in the city centre where, because of the Isle of Iskor's quarantine rules on Yellow-Tongue venison was able to be served. The Queen's aircraft has now been repaired and she is expected back in the Kingdom by Wednesday.




LIJIANG 10 - 63 EAST MORELAND
MacAllister takes armband

With the latest version of the rugby world cup being set to take place in Lijiang the rugby minnows requested the Honey-Badgers visit their nation as part of a series of warm up games to be a "test event". With Lijiang being effectively new to the sport on a major stage the East Moreland selectors opted to take a combination of players who had until recently declared themselves "retired" from the international game, current mainstays and youngsters fighting the make the world cup squad. 24 year old back row player Rollo MacAllister was named as captain of the 40-man squad which includes 38 year old John Martinson and 37 year old Martin Doorson both of whom have announced they will retire from all forms of rugby after this series. The pair had been part of the East Moreland team that won the nations first world cup and retired a year later from the Honeybadgers despite carrying on playing at club level.

The first game saw a largely uncapped team take the field in Lijiang's national stadium which was hosting its first international game. The Honeybadgers, playing under the name "The Kits" in order to reflect the nature of the squad, ran out comfortable winners and only were troubled on a few occasions. Rollo MacAllister spoke after the game saying, "I'm honoured to be skipper of the national team and to be asked to help introduce the game to Lijiang on this stage. Their a team that have some good potential but experience is a huge factor in any teams success. We've a week now to get ready for the second game and to explore the nation a little. We're here as a combination of opponents, ambassadors and advisers and the officials running the world cup are constantly looking for ways to help us be prepared for the games so I'm sure they'll do a great job at the World Cup."

17 year od Mark Itojey also made history on two counts during the match. He became the youngest player to represent East Moreland when he came off the bench in the 52nd minute and also became the first Black player to represent the Honeybadgers. Itojey's father, Rufus, moved to East Moreland 23 years ago from Zimalia and was in the stadium to watch his son take the field. After the game Mark said "I hope to get a decent amount of on field time and hopefully show the coach I deserve a place at the World Cup. I understand I'm still very young and I'm thankful for this opportunity." The nations coach Eddie Johns spoke after the game saying, "Mark put a good performance in. We'll monitor things before next week but I'd be surprised if he didn't perhaps start next weekend. This tour is a great chance for young talents to step up and stake a claim."

In the coming week the team will also take part in a few promotional events in the lead up to the World Cup including several tag rugby coaching sessions in Lijiang schools.

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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #237 on: March 04, 2021, 10:41:32 PM »




ITOJEY LIGHTS UP LIJIANG
LIJIANG 0 - 68 EAST MORELAND

17 year old East Moreland back rower Mark Itojey won his 2nd cap for the Honeybadgers in the final test against Lijiang and took the plaudits as Man of the Match. Itojey made his debut in the 1st test and set a record as becoming the youngest player to appear for the national team however starting this weeks match he outshined many players with much more experience. Itojey scored two tries, created a further two and was a constant menace to the Lijiang scrum half. The match marked the final warm up test before the World Cup squad is announced and many pundits now think Itojey is a certainty for the squad. Martin Jonson, the World Cup Winning captain and now EMTV commentator, gave the young star his seal of approval saying, "The quality of opposition is not world class but you could see Mark could easily hang with the top nations. The boys got an extremely bright future ahead of him in the international arena. If I was selecting the squad I'd take him, he may not start every game or even feature once out of the group stage but he's hell of an asset."

It is expected that Eddy Johns will announce the World Cup squad tomorrow and that those players will head out to Lijiang shortly after. It was always likely the majority of the squad in Lijiang currently would be sent home and were only taken for the purpose of gaining experience. Many had speculated that King David may have attended the third test however the King did not show up, he has however confirmed that he will be attending the opening ceremony and the teams final group stage game meaning he will be making two informal visits to Lijiang.

Offline DaveIronside

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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #238 on: March 07, 2021, 11:11:27 PM »




STONETON SEIGE FILM CLEANS UP DOMESTIC OZZIES

At last nights Ostlake Move Awards the film Stoneton Siege won an impressive five awards. The period drama tells the tale of how a group of craftsman and their wives resisted an attempt by the Borlanders to take over the small but symbolic town in the early 18th Century. The 3hour epic had been a labour of love for director Annabelle Deeds whose ancestors were one of the women who took part in the defence that is shown in the film. While some historians have criticised the film saying it shows an over-emphasis of the craftsman handling the defence compared to in reality a detachment of Red Legionnaires arriving two days into the week long siege the film has been widely praised for its rather gritty cinematography which saw many of the action sequences filmed using cameras mounted on the actors to make the scenes seem more intense. Annabelle Deeds carried off the Ozzy for Best Director while leading actor Thomas Kingsley took Best Leading Actor. Jane Wylde won Best Supporting Actress while the film also took Best Costumes and Best Soundtrack for its collection of re-mastered old folk songs. The film also featured a small cameo by Royal Artist in Residence and this years Ozzie Presenter Jocelyn Hopkins who played Beverly Townshend who is the artists ancestor who was burnt during the attack and died on the final day of the siege. Hopkins spoke of her pride at her involvement in the film which amounted to around ten minutes of screen time. "The men and women during the siege were not trained soldiers but did their best to defend their families and their Kingdom. It must have been terrifying and I was proud to be involved in this project to keep their memory alive. It was a lot of fun to make too but I don't think I'll be making a career from acting anytime soon."

Hopkins presented the various International Awards following the handing out of the various domestic awards.

The first Ozzie to be handed out was Best Animated Short which went to Pip which was made in Achkaerin. The film tells the story of a trainee Guide-Dog who proved to be rather incompetent until becoming a hero by saving a young womans life from building works. It narrowly beat Soul from Jungland by a single vote among the voting panel.

The next foreign award was then presented to Sarwar Khan & Sartaz Khan Barna for their song "Haanikkaarak Bapu" which featured in the sporting drama Dangal which tells the story of girls training to be wrestling champions in the male only sport of Parbhani traditional Wrestling. It marks the first time an Ozzie has gone to Parbhani. The category was interesting in the fact that three other nominated songs each tied with their votes from the panal.

In a story of firsts Jugland earned their first Ozzie when the Sci-Fi short "Good Business" won the Ozzie for Best International Short Film. It tells the story of a kind of double-double cross deal between humanity and aliens in the future. The runner up was Lego Airport, a school project from Achkaerin.

 Samira Hanifnejad maintained her run of collecting Ozzies when she scooped the award for Best International Documentary for her film "A Nation Betrayed" which looked at the recent Clysperis Civil War from the point of view of families that were directly impacted by the conflict. The film was a run away success in this category and cements Hanifnejad's reputation as a film-maker able to reach global audiences with her often hard-hitting stories. The Tamoran was honoured moments later when she took another Ozzie for Best International Film for "A Nation Betrayed" narrowly beating the  Izhitsan comedy film "The Unknown Saint".  Hanifnejad has now won "Best International Film" three years in a row.

All winners were presented with their own award as well as for the first time ever earning a place in the Ostlake Film Academy Panel which votes on the winners of future awards.

Offline DaveIronside

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Re: Northfort News
« Reply #239 on: March 13, 2021, 09:43:30 PM »




ARGEMONTO EMBASSY PREPARES FOR "OPERATION RATEL'S DEN"

Following the persecution of Cultists in Royal Seleucid a protocol was put in place to help members of the Cult of Helus facing persecution in other nations. The protocol is often referred to as "Opertaion Ratel's Den" in reference to the official name of the Honeybadger and is intended to help remove those in danger of persecution from imminent danger. Following yesterday's announcement from Argemonto that they were shutting Temples of the Cult the Foreign Office of East Moreland began making preparations for the implementation of the procedures that were last used in Ubriekkland which saw around 18,000 Cultist refugees expelled from the nation.

Explaining the procedure Foreign Minister Duchess Orlaith Kade said, "Ratel's Den is a process we first put in place when the Seleucid genocide finished. We were determined to ensure that the Cult would not be victimised in the same manner ever again. The process see's us work with local Temples to keep duplicate records of sword ceremonies. This has become a common practice as the main Temple of Helus in Northfort has kept records of all these ceremonies in East Moreland for at least the last 200 years and now digitalisation has meant they can do this easier and also can maintain a record for the whole Cult with ease. Using these records allows us to see who the genuine members of the Cult are in most nations across Mundus with established Temples such as Achkaerin, Royal Seleucid and until recently Argemonto. When situations such as this arise we arrange for our local embassy to be given access to these lists. If you then report to the embassy we check you're on the list therefore confirming you're a bonifide Cultist. This helps fast-track the process of us helping you claim asylum and our embassy staff will utilise the best approach to get the Cultist and their family to East Moreland. We've then a whole support network in place to help them. We have now given the Ambassador in Argemonto permission to utilise these protocols and if necessary issue Uppsala Passports. We have concerns that this closure of temples could be the first step towards stronger action and as the homeland of the Cult we have a duty to try and help the faithful if neccessary." The Foreign Minister said she is yet to be fully informed of what rules the Temples had broken that saw them be shut down but added. "It is the duty of a Cultist to be a good citizen wherever they may live. That includes following laws of their homeland as far as possible, when it becomes impossible for a Cultist to do so we must be ready to help them how best we can. If we can support these Temples to ensure they are complying with local laws and open to the faithful then we shall do what we can."

The leader of the Sisterhood of Helus has also spoken of her concern. The Sisterhood is  a break-away branch of the Cult of Helus which believes the God Helus was infact female and many of the other minor Gods were infact just aspects of Helus and the Sisterhood is not recognised as official by the Cult's High Priestess Skye Maddix. The Sisterhood's self proclaimed High Priestess is Jinny Denman who has said, "While we have no Temples in Argemonto yet we believe that any members of the Sisterhood should also be included in this fast-track asylum process. I shall be speaking to Queen Stasya in order to request she recommend her husband extend Operation Ratel's Den to all followers of Helus regardless of denomination." Queen Stasya converted to the Sisterhood from following Sessifet when she moved to East Moreland following her engagement to her now husband King David.

The King is yet to speak on the matter however with the Feast of Jekar six days away the King is perhaps likely to speak at length on the matter in his televised speech.




NAVY TEST NEW RADAR

The Royal East Moreland Naval Service Fast Frigate Charles Townshend has today completed a test of a new RADAR technology developed by SmartWar. The NRBS (Novel Radar Bathymetry Software) saw the Frigate undertake a survey of Portworth coast line and completely map the seabed in just a matter of hours. The software utilises the ships existing radar network with a small roof-rack mounted X-Band Radar system to create a map that would be useful for a variety of reasons. The test was considered a total success by the REMNS Charles Townshend's Commanding Officer Harvey Kelly who said, "We had expected to get about only half of what we actually did. We ran the test for three hours and were able to complete a map of the surface currents and sea-floor. Compare the area we mapped today using NRBS to what is normally done by sonar bathymetry. It took us three hours to map what normally takes two weeks to. While the NRBS one is not as accurate or detailed it is still more than adaquete for what we would need on a day to day basis. The new system also wouldn't work in deep seas however it has a large number of uses. Should for example a ship be lost close to shore this is a great way to find it, additionally if we had to undertake some amphibious landing in an area unfamiliar it would cut down scouting operations by a significant margin."

Martin Dawson, the CEO of SmartWar, was onboard the ship during the test and said he was "delighted with the outcome. We can see many uses, both military and civilian for this. Take for example the Uppsala Disaster, we had word that many ships found uncharted obstiacles close to Grunwald following seismic activity which changed the sea-bed slightly. This technology would have allowed for swift mapping and would ensure aid vessels could operate safely. To the best of our knowledge this is the first test of its kind using this kind of system and we hope to see it being utilised in the near future."

Sir Harry Samuelson the nations Minister of Defence has said that the software will undergo several more tests with other REMNS vessels however did say "It is highly likely we'll be placing orders for enough of these systems to be retrofitted to as many naval vessels as possible. We will be looking in the coming months at the construction of future naval vessels , for example we will agreed by the end of 2021 to construct a new King Robert Class Amphibious Warfare ship kitted for VSTOL air operations, we would at this moment be looking at this kit to be installed at the construction stage."

The test did throw up an interesting find with an almost perfectly circular outcrop being mapped about 5km east of Portworth. As Martin Dawson explained, "Nothing in nature tends to be perfectly straight or circular, especially after being battered by the sea, the fact this has been spotted could be interesting, or it could be just a discarded piece of construction equipment. We'll leave that to experts to work out." It is understood the University of Portworth are preparing to do further tests to explore what the object may be.

« Last Edit: March 13, 2021, 11:13:45 PM by DaveIronside »