Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - Abertone

Pages: [1] 2 3 4
1
Raffaello Ferraro stood next. "The Empire of Abertone and Aosta have treaty commitments to each other above and beyond that of the ASDN. Currently we will be relaying information to Aosta on naval movements that could potentially threaten the sovereign waters of Troyes. Should the situation escalate we would have no choice but to consider sending our own support to that region. As for accusations of not complying with the spirit of ASDN let me remind us all of the preamble to this organisations charter, most notably the part that says we affirm "that all foreign bases are temporary and remain only with the expressed concurrence of the countries concerned and are not intended to be used directly or indirectly to subvert the national independence and freedom of States in the area or prejudice the orderly processes of their national development;" This section describes perfectly what has happened over the last few years in Troyes. The city is no more than a glorified military base for Seaforth. While Marseille are not members of this body we agreed to  strengthen the economic and social stability of the region and ensure the peaceful and progressive national development of it. Seaforth have stood in the way of that, tax money from Trojans fills the coffers of Seaforth while taking away a key economic port for Marseille. We must as a body give our support, not just words, to ensure that Seaforth leave Troyes. I suppose we could say its put your money were your mouth is time, Achkaerin and Rokkenjima hold ties with Seaforth, now is time to utilise them to get them to leave. In addition to the steps put forward by Miss Gianna we also propose that ASDN agree that we shall not provide the Seaforthian base in Troyes with any supplies and that we we shall boycott the use of Troyes as a port for all but humanitarian reasons.

2
Diplomacy and Events / Re: Troyes Affair
« on: April 13, 2024, 01:06:09 PM »



With immediate effect the Empire of Abertone acknowledges the independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Troyes and offers our help and support in running a fair and truly independent referendum as and when it takes place.

Additionally the Empire will stand by Article 4 of our bilateral treaty that establishes the Dual Empire Network that monitors shipping. We shall therefore be informing Aosta of any potentially hostile threats heading south through the Straits of Shaw.

We wish the people of the new Republic of Troyes well.

Emperor Marco of Abertone

3
Convention Centre / Re: Niameck Fashion Week 2024 - Socialite's Thread
« on: April 01, 2024, 12:51:43 PM »
The Emperor was not exactly too keen to discuss toga fashion with anyone and while the discussion took place kept glancing over towards Tonya. He however had been told by his cousin Graziano that he should seek to arrange more formal interactions. "Perhaps we can make arrangements for in the future a more formal visit between our nations."

Meanwhile while various people had been talking Carmela De Angelis. The 28 year old was the effective business brain of the De Angelis family having taken over their micro-bank business in 2021 and then utilising those funds to make the family even more wealthy than they already had been. In the past few months Carmela had been doing her best to ensure the family became not just a financial powerhouse within Abertone but also a political one and despite being member of a "Secret Society" known as the Onyx Club she believed that even that organisation wasn't living up to its aim of advancing the Empire. She therefore was here with the intention of going a little bit freelance. She had arrived to tap up several of the younger designers, giving out her companies business card and flyers to encourage them to maybe seek investment. That piece of banking business complete she spotted that Adelheid was now free from any of her guests for a moment and swooped in. "Good evening Your Highness" Carmela said as she approached. "I'm Carmelo De Angelis, CEO of MicroCreditBank and I'd like to congratulate you on a fine week. I wonder if perhaps I can speak to you about a little project I have in mind." She steered them towards a quieter part of the venue. "I'm sure that you may have heard rumours of things such as secret societies and clubs that exist well I've kind of been inspired by the idea of them a little" She lied, being a member of one meant she knew exactly how they work. "In Abertone we live in a world where I'm sorry to say we have a corrupt Catholic church turning a blind eye to the sin of our Emperor, we have a world where often success is determined not by what you know but by who you know. I want to be a success, you clearly do too so as a result I think we should get to know each other better. Not just us two but a group of well connected ladies working together to enrich our lives but also help others reach their aims. I plan on creating a kind of discreet network of properties for us to utilise, a network of investment opportunities, mentoring and various other aspects to help its members . I would like you to join me in this effort and as I glance around this room I can think of a few others we could also bring on board."

4
Convention Centre / Re: Niameck Fashion Week 2024 - Socialite's Thread
« on: March 03, 2024, 09:44:07 PM »
Marco returned Adelheid's curtsy with a small bow. "Princess I must congratulate you on a wonderful fashion week, my understanding is that its gone very well. Sadly my understanding of fashion is somewhat limited, I simply have the good fortune to have a wonderful staff who organise that kind of thing for me. I do however enjoy a good soiree." he smiled as he took a glass of champagne. "As for visiting your homeland you're kind of right. This is my first time here as Emperor, however as a young man I was never supposed to inherit the throne and in those care free days I travelled Mundus a lot but only as a mere tourist, while I enjoyed it I sadly did not get to sample events such as this" He waved his glass gesturing to the room. "As for speaking the the Speaker of the Elder Senate....I hope I got that correct....I'd be delighted to speak to anyone who wishes, after all isn't that kind of what events like this are about?" He added "As for Lady Tonya I believe if your looking for fashion advice then a Lodjain is not a bad place to go to for advice. Now if someone should want to buy a fashionable Lodjain a thank you gift for looking after him what would be a good idea?"

5
Convention Centre / Re: Niameck Fashion Week 2024 - Socialite's Thread
« on: March 02, 2024, 11:31:11 PM »
Graziano and the rest of the Senate had been surprised that Marco had announced his intention to travel to Niameck. He was not someone they believed was that into fashion as such. He had aides who made all his clothing purchases for him and generally a nice suit, crisp white shirt and an expensive looking pair of shoes was all that was needed. Then when the Emperors cousin saw the security manifest for the suite that the Emperor had insisted on booking, "Lady Tonya", the Lodjain lady in waiting the Emperor had taken rather a shine to. The young lady had visited the Empire three times now since the duo had meet when the Emperor conducted business in the Queendom. The Emperor had arrived the day before the party and meet Tonya in a nice little restaurant the local ambassador had found for them. They didn't stay long there though before retiring to the suite they Emperor had selected. The next day they'd enjoyed the sights of the city as Tonya brought her outfit for the party that night. A fetching low cut red dress that swept the floor as she glided.

The two arrived together, Marco no longer cared about the various scandals and gossip his romantic life seemed to create back home and so walked in arm in arm with Tonya. The duo made their way over towards Jasmina and Ariana where the Emperor left Tonya for a moment while going and introducing himself to the host.

6
Diplomacy and Events / Re: The A & A Talks
« on: February 17, 2024, 05:13:07 PM »
"Perhaps you're right" Marco conceded. "As for the education exchange I believe it could be an excellent idea. Even between the two parts of our Empire at times I believe that there are not enough connections and so it is vital that we look to make sure those mistakes are not extended to the rest of Mundus. As long as our institutions of higher education have a clear comparison between entry requirements then the idea of University students getting to pick and choose between which of the nations they study in is fine by me. Perhaps then we can add the following.

Quote

10. The nations shall recognise the educational qualifications of each other in order to apply for higher education opportunities. Institutions shall set minimum requirements for courses and so long as a citizen of either nation meets those requirements they shall be given equal consideration.

11. Students who have secured a further education oppurtunity shall be given a visa for the duration of their course plus 12 months. This visa may be refused if the individual is considered a threat to national security or is believed to be unable to fund their course. No-one on a student visa may work more than 15 hours a week. Once their course is finished they may increase this to 30 hours.

12. Each year a school exchange festival shall take place allowing schools to partner with schools in the other nation. This project shall be subsidised by both nations Ministries of Education.

13. The two nations shall undertake a joint research project into how a joint military cyber security unit would operate.

"Is there anything more we wish to discuss."

7
Raffaello Ferraro was the delegate from Abertone. He had been rather amused by the back and forth and it was clear that those in the Association and Jiayuan had very different agendas. "I agree that we can not, nor should we, allow the Association to form a two tier membership. Now as for a Jiayuan-ASDN deal I have no objection but under no circumstances will I support an agreement that simply takes our own trade stipulations and applies it to Jiayuan, there must be some perk to being a member of the association and therefore I propose that we take an approach where whatever rate tariffs each nation proposes in their annual schedule then Jiayuan automatically gets a 2% uplift, so for example if Abertone determines in 2025 that we will put a tariff of 5% on imports of wine from ADSN nations then Jiayuan would be placed at 7%. Naturally we would require Jiayuan to agree to present their own schedule of tariffs on the same date with the understanding that the schedule be at a level lower than for any nation with which they do not have a current trade agreement with."

8
Diplomacy and Events / Re: The A & A Talks
« on: January 28, 2024, 10:16:24 PM »
Graziano and Marco looked at each other and smiled before each shrugged their shoulders at the other. "I'm afraid that despite the both of us having a past that includes the military." The Emperor explained, "Graziano here was a pilot, a very good one, while I was a bandsmen. Neither of us are what I would consider tech savvy. We are both aware though that this idea of cyber warfare is perhaps the next generation of the battlefield. With that in mind I think it highly sensible that we include some kind of provision like you are suggesting. I think perhaps as this is a new frontier of warfare I'd like to ask if you'd be interested in perhaps running a joint military unit dedicated to this. Naturally the provision of the treaty can be added in and I fully support it."

Quote from: Treaty so far

It has been agreed between the Empires of Abertone and Aosta that the following measures shall be taken.

1. The two Empires agree that they shall share any intelligence that would suggest a suspected attack on the other.

2. Where one of the Empires suspects that in sharing intelligence they would risk their own national security they are not obliged to share.

3. Intelligence of any impending military action by another nation likely to impact the region is to be shared.

4. There shall be established the Dual Empire Network which will maintain active monitoring of shipping in the Straits of Shaw to ensure maritime trade security.

5. Where there is belief that shipping is under threat vessels allocated to the Dual Empire Network will respond.

6. There shall be joint military exercises between the two nations with at least one naval and one land based exercise a year.

7. The two Empires shall maintain active anti-piracy operations in the region.

8. In recognition of the evolving threats in the digital domain, both Empires agree to collaborate on joint research and development initiatives in the field of cybersecurity. The goal is to enhance the collective ability to detect, prevent, and respond to cyber threats that may pose a risk to the security and stability of either Empire. This collaboration may include the exchange of expertise, technology, and information to fortify the digital resilience of both nations.

9. There shall be a jointly created and funded military unit dedicated to cyber warfare run by the two Empires.

9
Diplomacy and Events / Re: A Matter of Inquiry
« on: January 28, 2024, 05:11:30 PM »

It is disappointing that the agreement made in the ASDN that  "2. In order to protect citizens of all nations any intelligence gathered by one nation that would indicate a likely threat to another is to be shared in a speedy manner. Should a nation believe that by revealing this intelligence it would place its own safety or operations in jeopardy then they are excused from sharing this intelligence." has not been utilised. The recent RBC report indicates that you have discovered evidence of the perpetrators of the attack on your nation originated in Kusan. I would have hoped this would have been shared via the organisation. I understand there has been a track record of Rokkenjiman intelligence not sharing information with their partners and had hoped this would be a thing of the past.

This is notice that should similar breeches take place again then the Empire shall consider the charter void and as such be forced to withdraw.

Consul Graziano on behalf of the Empire of Abertone

10
Diplomacy and Events / Re: The A & A Talks
« on: January 09, 2024, 11:11:58 PM »
Marco agreed with the vast majority of what Serena was saying. While he didn't agree that Ardia was as unstable as it seemed the Empress did he still had concerns. As a result he was going to be more than happy to make the agreement. "I believe you are proposing a good way forward."

Graziano nodded his approval and then placed his digital tablet on the table. "Perhaps this agreement?" He asked

Quote

It has been agreed between the Empires of Abertone and Aosta that the following measures shall be taken.

1. The two Empires agree that they shall share any intelligence that would suggest a suspected attack on the other.

2. Where one of the Empires suspects that in sharing intelligence they would risk their own national security they are not obliged to share.

3. Intelligence of any impending military action by another nation likely to impact the region is to be shared.

4. There shall be established the Dual Empire Network which will maintain active monitoring of shipping in the Straits of Shaw to ensure maritime trade security.

5. Where there is belief that shipping is under threat vessels allocated to the Dual Empire Network will respond.

6. There shall be joint military exercises between the two nations with at least one naval and one land based exercise a year.

7. The two Empires shall maintain active anti-piracy operations in the region.


11
Diplomacy and Events / Re: The A & A Talks
« on: January 03, 2024, 10:08:26 PM »
Marco was relieved to see that Serena had a sense of humour. He handed the pasta off to one of the staff with some instructions and then returned to his seat. He examined the wine and then took a corkscrew from off the table. As one of the staff moved forward he gestured for them to stop and continued opening the bottle himself. He removed the cork with a pop then whafted the cork under his nose. "Hmmm......I'm looking forward to it, after of course some success after all the wine does need to breath a little before we enjoy it." He placed the bottle in a cooler on the table and then settled back to talk with the Empress. "Now the ADSN was a good start but from what my cousin has said it was an attempt to basically create a free for all among strangers. That is something that we want no part of. We though are more than happy to co-operate with nations whom we believe share our outlook, as a result we sit here today. Now the first thing I'd like to discuss with you....that is of course if you are of the same belief. Is some manners of sharing intelligence and some military co-operation. The Straits of Shaw have sadly got two rather volatile aspects to it and as such I believe we need to support each other."

12
Diplomacy and Events / Re: The A & A Talks
« on: December 05, 2023, 09:35:28 PM »
LAFAIGI

Lafaigi was not the beautifully constructed in the same way the Western capital of Abertone was. It was made up of a large central plaza, many of its stone tiles cracked, surrounded by impressive white buildings that upon closer inspection seemed to be less grand and simply white washed, in some area the paint was peeling to reveal to grey stone underneath. Beyond this plaza there were modern modern buildings erected from glass and concrete, an attempt to try and modernise the city. As you headed north the city began to get greener yet to the south first came a small river valley that was home to a great deal of the capitals industry. Beyond that the planned city turned into a maze of harsh, squat brick buildings with corrugated iron roofs, the slums housed some of the poorest in the Empire but a great deal of work had been done to tidy them up for the world cup and of course no tourists would come here and certainly the Emperor wouldn't dream of it.

Today he was rather looking forward to the day. When his cousin Graziano had returned from the talks in Rokkenjima he had been pleased with the creation of the ADSN and happily had added his approval to that of his trusted consul. Graziano had informed him that it had been Empress Serena of Aosta who had done a great deal of the hard work and that Graziano had been impressed by the young Empress. Marco knew very little about Aosta except for the fact that it was ruled by a pretty young Empress and so therefore he was delighted to have the chance to host them. There was a game that evening and the stadium would be packed with fans but high up in the VIP lounge the Emperor would be able to speak privately with the Aostans with one eye on the game while more than likely Graziano did the hard work. Before then however Marco had gone to the airfield the military had on the edge of the city to greet the Empress.

There was the usual pomp and ceremony. Members of his Imperial guard clad in black and gold uniforms lined a red carpet arranged so that once the Empresses aircraft had come to a stop she would be able to walk onto the velvet threads and greet Marco. "Is she single?" He asked his cousin as the aircraft touched down.

"I believe so" Graziano rolled his eyes. "She is though very business like so please try and be likewise."

"When am I not?" Marco said with only a feint snigger. "Now anything I should know last minute." He asked

"Not a thing" Graziano replied as the Empresses aircraft opened up.

13
Convention Centre / Re: Festival of Sail 2023 IC Thread
« on: November 26, 2023, 12:46:27 AM »
OOC- A joint Libby and Abertone post

Evening had fallen upon Portworth and Marco had retired to a rather nice hotel on the seafront. His Advocatus had done a significant amount of liasing with the Morelanders to find a place that fitted the Emperors taste. It had to of course be luxurious, it needed to have excellent room service and his room needed its own private hot tub or pool. He;d enjoyed a few nights there, eaten beautifully cooked meals and enjoyed soaking in the large hot tub after a day exploring Portworth. During the opening day he'd contented himself to some time with the  De Angelis family who had graciously allowed him the run of their private yacht moored in the harbour. He'd spent some time sipping cocktails with the Lodjains and even made some time to go and see the men and women of his own navy who had been showing of one of the nations vessels.

Just before sunset he'd made his way back to the hotel and freshened up, a relaxing shower, a spray of some fine cologne and drank a small glass of cognac. "Your Majesty she is almost here." One of his security detail informed him. He drained the glass, straightened his tie and then accompanied by several other guards made his way down to the lobby of the hotel via his private suite's own lift. He actually felt himself become a little nervous as he saw the car he'd sent for Tonya to arrive. One of the hotels bell boys opened the door and the Emperor saw a slim toned leg clad in a black strappy shoe step out, a heartbeat later Tonya emerged clad in a long black dress a slit upto her thigh gave him a glimpse of her beautiful legs as she stepped towards him clutching a small hand held purse in her hand. The Emperor was thrilled that he would be having dinner with such a beautiful woman. As she reached him he kissed her on the cheek, "You look incredible....as always" he said as he faced her holding both her hands, he stepped back admiring her before turning and offering an arm. The two walked into the dining room and Emperor Marco could see heads turn towards them, some no doubt recognising the Emperor, others admiring the woman he was with. A black suited waiter lead them to a part of the dining room that was behind a low wall that gave them some privacy. Marco waited for Tonya to be sat before taking his own.

Marco was happy enough talking with the Lady in Waiting. She was an exciting young woman and Marco liked hearing about her life on the Isle of The Goddess, her adventures in the sea but mainly imaginging her in a bikini. He'd often thought happily about that night they'd spent together during the ball season and had all diplomatic meetings come in a similar manner he'd have been the most active diplomat in the history of Mundus. As they ploughed their way through the lengthy courses of the tasting menu on offer several glasses of wine followed. As they finished the penultimate course Marco couldn't wait much longer. He leaned close to Tonya, "Do you have to get back to your boat?"

Tonya leaned close, "I don't need to be back if I'm on a diplomatic job." She said as she slid a hand onto the Emperors thigh. "Her Majesty would I think be very unhappy if I was to miss such an opportunity."

"In that case" Marco placed his hand on hers. "I would very much like to discuss ever closer relationships between our two nations. Shall I have my people tell the Queen you shall see her in the morning?"

"No need" Tonya replied, "I told her not to wait up." The two chuckled as Marco waved the waiter over.

"Could we get desert delivered to my suite please." The waiter informed them that it would be up in ten minutes and asked if there was anything else he could do for them. Marco shook his head and leaving a sizeable tip tucked under a wine glass he picked up a bottle they'd just opened and guided Tonya towards the lift. No sooner had the door of the lift opened to the suite than Tonya allowed Marco to wrap his arms round her and their lips meet. "You know I think Lodja might just be my favourite nation outside of the Empire" Marco said as his lips left hers.

"I think I need to remove doubt" Tonya teased turning away and expertly flicking the straps of her dress off her shoulder letting the dress fall to the floor, she grabbed the Emperors tie and began gently pulling, "Which way is the bedroom?" She asked as he eagerly gave directions.



The next morning at 10am Tonya returned to the Queen's ship. Jasmina was already on deck having sorted breakfast out for the Queen. "Dirty stop out" She called to Tonya. "You have fun" she asked more delicately as the Lady in Waiting meet her at the lounge area on the rear deck.

"We had fun" She confirmed. "I also have this..." She held up an envelope addressed to the Queen, "I guess he heard that your Peter had his wrists slapped for being naughty." The two examined the letter, it was hastily scrawled and was not on quality paper, in fact Marco had merely neatly trimmed off the header and footer of the hotel notepads paper to write it. As was etiquette it was seeking the Queen's permission to allow Marco to "court" the Lady in Waiting. The two sat enjoying a coffee while they waited for the Queen to appear. Jasmina was keen to hear the gossip of Tonya's "diplomatic mission" and seemed to approve of her juniors efforts.

As they drained the last of their coffee Natalya appeared. She had intended for the boat to go out to sea and allow her to take some of the paddleboards for a ride and as her crew hurried to get the boat set to be underway she looked at the note hardly noticing its less than elegant stationary. "Well Tonya if your happy to share his bed I'm not going to stop you. Unlike the Peter and Jasmina situation though your lover is a continent away, I still expect you to fulfil your duties." Natalya had no intention to stop any of her Ladies pursuing what made them happy but she would insist on tradition being upheld and was satisfied the Emperor had seen it that way.

"Of course" Tonya nodded, "I have no intention of spending all my time with him, lets just say I suspect it'll be a very Lodjain style courtship."

14
The ADSN Declaration (Dunwich Declaration) Dunwich, 16th November 2023

The nations of the Dauntel Sea, Rokkenjiman Sea and Strait of Shaw

MINDFUL of the existence of mutual interests and common problems among countries of the Dauntel and the Straight of Shaw and convinced of the need to strengthen further the existing bonds of regional solidarity and cooperation;

DESIRING to establish a firm foundation for common action to promote regional cooperation in the Dauntel and Straight of Shaw in the spirit of equality and partnership and thereby contribute towards peace, progress and prosperity in the region;

CONSCIOUS that in an increasingly interdependent world, the cherished ideals of peace, freedom, social justice and economic well-being are best attained by fostering good understanding, good neighbourliness and meaningful cooperation among the countries of the region already bound together by ties of history and culture;

CONSIDERING that the countries bordering the Dauntel and Strait of Shaw share a primary responsibility for strengthening the economic and social stability of the region and ensuring their peaceful and progressive national development, and that they are determined to ensure their stability and security from external interference in any form or manifestation in order to preserve their national identities in accordance with the ideals and aspirations of their peoples;

AFFIRMING that all foreign bases are temporary and remain only with the expressed concurrence of the countries concerned and are not intended to be used directly or indirectly to subvert the national independence and freedom of States in the area or prejudice the orderly processes of their national development;

DO HEREBY DECLARE:

FIRST, the establishment of an Association for Regional Cooperation among the countries bordering the waters of the Dauntel, the Rokkenjiman Sea and the Strait of Shaw to be known as the Association of Dauntel and Shaw Nations (ADSN).

SECOND, that the aims and purposes of the Association shall be:

1. To accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region through joint endeavours in the spirit of equality and partnership in order to strengthen the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful community of Dauntel and Shaw Nations;
2. To promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries of the region.
3. To promote active collaboration and mutual assistance on matters of common interest in the economic, social, cultural, technical, scientific and administrative fields;
4. To provide assistance to each other in the form of training and research facilities in the educational, professional, technical and administrative spheres;
5. To collaborate more effectively for the greater utilization of their agriculture and industries, the expansion of their trade, including the study of the problems of international commodity trade, the improvement of their transportation and communications facilities and the raising of the living standards of their peoples;
6. To promote shared Dauntel-Shaw studies;
7. To maintain close and beneficial cooperation with existing international and regional organizations with similar aims and purposes, and explore all avenues for even closer cooperation among themselves.

THIRD, that the Association represents the collective will of the nations which border the Dauntel Sea, Rokkenjiman Sea and Strait of Shaw, to bind themselves together in friendship and cooperation and, through joint efforts and sacrifices, secure for their peoples and for posterity the blessings of peace, freedom and prosperity.

FOURTH, that the Association is open for participation to all States which border the Dauntel Sea, the Rokkenjiman Sea or Strait of Shaw who subscribe to the aforementioned aims, principles and purposes.
(a) Any prospective member of the organisation must be admitted by majority vote of the membership

ARTICLE ONE: THE COUNCIL

1. The Council shall consist of ambassadors representing each of the member nations, each member shall have one vote on any matter.

2. Any member may propose a matter for debate, all votes on resolutions are by majority vote unless determined otherwise by the Council.

3. Only a resolution of the Council may amend this document.

ARTICLE TWO: TRAVEL

In order to ease the movement of citizens throughout the ADSN region members of the ADSN agree to the following measures.

1. There shall the the establishment of a four path system for visas. These shall be the Short Term Visa, Business Visa, Educational Visa, and the Temporary Worker Visa.

2. The Short Term Visa shall be available to any individual who books return or onward passage via any means at least 30 days before the date of travel. So long as these dates are no longer apart than 60 calendar days then the individual may enter visa free so long as the receiving nation do not believe that the person poses a risk to the security or good order of the nation. Holders of this visa may not undertake any work while staying in the receiving nation.

3. The Business Visa shall be available to any individual who is travelling on business purposes. To obtain this an individual must have a guarantor from a business within the receiving nation. This visa shall allow an individual to remain in the receiving nation for 180 days and they may undertake paid employment while based there. This type of visa may not be renewed for 90 days. Should the receiving nation believe the individual is a risk to security or good order of the nation then entry may be stopped.

4. The Educational Visa shall be available to any individual who has obtained confirmation of the offer of an educational course within a receiving nation. This visa shall cover the entire duration of the course and will permit the holder to a maximum of 20 hours per work employment during their course. Should the receiving nation believe the individual is a risk to security or good order of the nation then entry may be stopped.

5. The Length of the above visas may be increased at the discretion of the receiving nation.

6. Any individual breaking the conditions of any of these visa programmes is liable to deportation and may be banned from travel to the receiving nation indefinitely.

7. The home nation shall take all reasonable steps to ensure anyone deported and banned from travel is prevented from returning.

8. In the event of an individual traveler in one nation being believed to be responsible, whether individually or as a conspirator, for criminal actions within the jurisdiction of another member state, the individual shall be extradited subject to the following being provided to the visited nations relevant authority.
a) Evidence of the wrongdoing
b) An understanding that the individual will receive a fair trial in a court of law

9. There shall be no obligation for the visited nation to extradite an individual to the death penalty.

ARTICLE THREE: TRADE

In order to effect more prosperous trading oppurtunities the nations signed as members of the ADSN agree to the following measures.

1. Any export to a member nations shall be accompanied by a declaration that the export abides by all local laws. To ensure compliance the receiving nation may carry out any non-destructive test on any product arriving at their nation. Any product deemed to be not incompliance with local laws or not accompanied by a decleration shall see a fine of non more than 5 times the value of the consignment paid by the exporter.

2. On the anniversary of the signing of this document each member nation shall produce a list of tariffs to be paid by all member nations. Those tariffs may be set on any goods or items the nation wish. The tariffs set by each nation must be at a level lower than for any nation with which they do not have a current trade agreement with.

3. This agreement does not prevent member nations making their own trade agreements.

4. Any item with a value of less than $1million exported to a nation for temporary use shall be permitted to enter tariff free so long as it is for a period of less than 30 days.

5. ADSN nations agree to allow operations by businesses from other ADSN nations on condition that those businesses operate following local laws concerning taxation, employment, health and safety and environmental matters.

ARTICLE FOUR: SECURITY

In order to make the region a safer place for all nations members agree to the following.

1. That they shall first and foremost consider their regional neighbors as friends and as such shall do all that is reasonably possible to avoid armed conflict with them.

2. In order to protect citizens of all nations any intelligence gathered by one nation that would indicate a likely threat to another is to be shared in a speedy manner. Should a nation believe that by revealing this intelligence it would place its own safety or operations in jeopardy then they are excused from sharing this intelligence.

3. Each nation shall maintain in their embassy a military attaché who shall share relevant military details with their host nation so long as doing so does not infringe on the attaché's own nations security.

4. Nations hosting military exercises shall, so long as it is safe to do so, advertise via the attaché system the size, scope and nature of these exercises at least 3 days before they begin. They shall ensure all relevant notices to shipping and airmen are made in good time.

5. Nations agree that they shall take no action to prevent or interfere in exercises or movements of another nation so long as it does not impose on their own waters as laid out in the Fair Seas Concordat.

6. Nations agree that under no circumstances will they knowingly allow a third party nation to utilize their territory, waters or airspace to conduct a first strike or similar operation against another member nation.

DONE in Dunwich on the 16th of November, 2023.

Signed,
Eijirō, Emperor of Daitō


Vicegerent
First Empire of Rokkenjima

Empress Serena
Empire of Aosta

Consul Graziano Lupo
Empire of Abertone
(Ratified by His Imperial Majesty Emperor Marco)

15
"While Empress Serena has yet to comment on the nomination put her Empire's way from our representative from Gowu I would like to give my support for Aosta as host." He paused for a moment, "While I believe any of us sat here would make sure we provided fitting homes for this Association I believe Aosta should be its home. While this idea was floated by Empress Sutāraito I think we all will recognise that the document we are all preparing to sign has a very Aostan flavour. When anyone looks back at the minutes or transcriptions of this founding meeting I believe many will recognise the fact that groundwork was put in that this bodies very first act on the global stage was established before we even existed. The thirst for making sure we reach a charter we all support is clear in Empress Serena's contributions. If we're asking someone to hold this body in high esteem and watch over its members then I would feel extremely secure that Empress Serena would do that based on meeting her here today. Modern technology means the concept of needing to be practical in positioning is long gone. Empress Serena if you wish it then Abertone will support your bid to host this body."

16

For almost two decades Abertone Micro Banking has offered small and medium businesses financing opportunities that do not require the input of the big banks. Our business model see's us support and encourage small buisness with loans generally smaller than given out by big banks with a wide variety of methods to pay back the loan. In addition we are experts at helping match investors with start ups. As a result we would love to be able to attend the expo and address the audience there about the benefits of micro banking.


Best Regards
Evaristo Aiolfi
Project Manager AMB
Tiny Banking Giant Results

17
Graziano spoke up, "With the amendment I'm confident that we have completed this latest section."

18
Sporting Hub / MFA World Cup 2023 -Abertone - IC
« on: November 02, 2023, 10:40:54 PM »


Ardian Memorial Cup / Albion Memorial Cup

The morning of the start of the tournament it was clear the city of Abertone was more than ready. While down almost every street the flags of the competing nations hung it was clear that you were in a nation fully behind their national team. The streets hung with Yellow and Black wolf banners, bars and cafe's had staff decked in the national shirt and even the buses had been painted yellow. The only deviation from the colour palette was provided by visiting fans and the large blue signposts erected that had directions towards the stadium, the fan park and various destinations a guest might need, on these was almost every language you could imagine and sat beneath them was a Game Voulenter or two, usually young people dressed in plain yellow t-shirts and with wolf hats on. They had stickers and banners to give to fans who flooded as evening began towards the Stadio Imperial. The stadium itself had even had its famed red roofing given a new touch of paint to yellow and yet more flags fluttered from underneath. Around the ground itself were various stands set up by locals, some even in their front garden, selling food, drink and souveniors. Many of these souvenior vendors wary of the police checking the "authenticity" of their merchandise.

Once inside the ground two large stages dominated each end of the ground. Once the time appointed for TV channels across the world to join them the opening ceremony began. First there was a performance from a marching band formed of the Abertone Combined Services who played various classical musical pieces from Abertonian artists. Next though the stadium went dark and the spotlight beamed onto the stage to the right, there Emma Marrone a popular Abertone singer, performed. No sooner had the last note of her song finished than the stadium went dark again this time the spotlight onto the opposite stage where Youssou N'Dour performed, between the two they showcased music from both the East and West of the Empire and at each performance the darkness was used to screen the stage being wheeled forward so that after three songs each both found themselves in the centre circle with the stage now forming one solid platform. Once the unification of the musicians had taken place they performed a duet before all the lights came on again.

At that point an announcer introduced Alfeo Laterza, a legend in Abertone football with 98 caps for the nation. He held in his hand a silver trophy  intended for the semi final winner who won the Ardian half of the draw. He placed it on a pedestal before Iacopo Vitale was announced, he too was a well known Abertone footballer having lead teams to Eastern Championships on six occasions and one of the few to have won all three of the nations top honours, the East and West Championship along with the Emperors Cup. He held a second silver trophy intended for the winner of the other semi final. "Ladies and gentleman allow us to introduce the Ardian and Albion Memorial Trophies, both of which will become, we hope, the premier youth football championships on Mundus." applause came round the arena before the four different world cups were brought out. Lady Filippa Andreas of Cassiopeia brought out the Womens Blind Football trophy alongside a retired Manlio Nizzola who had been the first captain of the Abertone Mens Blind Football team. Next came  a representative from the 2021 Nya Aland Mens Team bringing out the Mens World Cup while a member of Achkaerin's Womens World Cup Winning squad brought out the womens. With all six trophies on display it was time for the Emperor to make his appearance.

"Good evening" he began as he walked up the steps to stand in the middle of the circle formed by the various trophies. "Welcome to Abertone. The first world cup that will take the tournament to two continents in one competition. We are excited to have you all hear and we can't wait for the games to get underway. Football, or as it gets called here in Abertone, Calcio, is a massive part of our culture, of our society and of life. We naturally are praying for an Abertone victory but what we really really want is for you all to spend the next few weeks meeting people from across the world and celebrating the shared passion we all have for football. It does not matter whether you follow the highly paid mega-stars of Nya Aland or the bank manager come footballers of East Moreland we will all be cheering you on and wishing you success. Over the next few weeks dreams will come true and heroes will be made. I'm keen to get started and so with that said I declare the tournaments open. May the best sides win."


Mens Groups A and C half of the draw will determine the Ardian Memorial Troophy while B and D will play for the Albion Memorial Trophy


Group Stage Fixture Lists

Men's Draw

Women's Draw

Blind Mens Draw

Blind Womens Draw

19
International News Networks / Re: The Abertone Chronicle
« on: October 27, 2023, 11:08:42 PM »




EMPEROR OFFERS TP PAY JUGLAND FINE

Following reports in the Juglander Review that priest George Ephraim Whittredge had been fined under the newly introduced "State Reform for Religious Freedom and Social Integration Act" for the crime of effectively preaching without a licence the Emperor today has offered to pay the priests $2,500 fine as well as offering support to Christian communities impacted by the law. The newly introduced law makes it illegal for "members of the clergy or preachers from non-native religious organizations or churches to perform their duties without an official or recognized formation or license." A move that the Emperor has criticised. Following a morning visit to St. Margarets Church in the town of Ruggi on the coast of the Western Empire the Emperor said. "Its been a month since the law was passed, it takes times for things like passes, licences and permits to go through, we see that with beaurocracy across Mundus. Father Whittredge is doing a valuable service for his community and he should not be punished for that. I think the law is a poor one that disrespects peoples freedoms but sadly I also believe wherever possible people need to walk tight ropes of laws in their nation and use their peaceful freedoms to protest and bring about change. While Father Whittredge may be a member of the Tytorian Christian church and we ourselves are Catholic we are still brothers in Christ and if I can help such a man I will."

The Emperor went on to offer support for other Christians likely impacted by the measures. "We will put forward a sum of money to help navigate gaining the licences required for any Christian denomination. We will also on Sunday allow our Chaplin to offer The Eucharist through the embassy railing should anyone request it.

20
International News Networks / Re: The Abertone Chronicle
« on: October 24, 2023, 08:36:23 PM »




LODJA SECURE TROPHY. ABERTONE SECURE TOURNAMENT

Football was front and centre of attention in Abertone yesterday. The final round of matches of the Imperial Invitational Tournament took place and during the gap between matches it was confirmed that the Empire will host the 2023 World Cup.

The day began with the 3rd/4th playoff between Abertone and Aosta in a sold out Lafaigi Arena. The game was a heated affair with both sides earning a red card as the match finished 2-1 to Abertone. The first goal came just 4 minutes into the match as 17 year old Ciro Valenti curled a shot past the Aostan keeper from the edge of the box. This was cancelled out by Aosta just before half time however a hard tackle by the Aostan full back sparked a pushing match in the tunnel as teams went down for half time. After the break the game resumed with teams clearly more fired up. In the 58th minute Aosta's winger was sent off for a dangerous tackle and ten minutes later Roberto Luca put the hosts ahead with a headed goal from a corner. With 15 minutes left to play Walter Baldina was red carded for a deliberate professional foul that gave away a free kick on the edge of the box with Aosta failed to capitalise on. The crowd went home happy though as Abertone were able to see out the final part of the game with relative ease. Thomas Schiovane, the Chairman of the ACA, said after the final whistle "Its a shame that the game took a nasty turn. The tournament has, at least off the pitch, been friendly and good spirited. We know the world cup will bring many more global fans and the atmosphere is going to be amazing."

Just before the kick off of the final it was confirmed by the MFA that Abertone would indeed be hosting the tournament. the announcement was seen inside the Stadio Imperial when Emperor Marco announced it via the big screen. "I am proud to say we will soon have the duty of hosting the world cup. I expect each of us to do our bit to make sure this world cup is the best on record. We welcome the world and we are excited for the teams to arrive."

The Lodja and Cassiopeia final then took place with the Emperor now positioned in the royal box along with the ambassadors from Lodja and Cassiopeia. This game was a contrast to the playoff as teams sought to showcase their best football with both teams trying to play at a high tempo. Fans enjoyed the game and were treated to a world class goal from Lodja's winger who beat three players before scoring with a carefully placed side footed shot. The game was settled just after half time when a well worked Lodjain breakaway saw two Lodjains faced with the Cassiopeian keeper who in the end was well beaten. The game finished 2-0 but Cassiopeia continued chasing the game all the way to the final whistle. The Emperor presented the all the players in the final with medals before handing over the trophy to the Lodjain capitain with help from the ambassador from Lodja. The Emperor declared the tournament a success saying, "We're delighted with both the quality of the games and the way the tournament has been organised. I'm really excited now for the world cup and can't wait for it to start. I'm asking our governing body to do everything they can to expand this invitational tournament and it to become an annual event, if possible I'd like this to become the most respected youth football trophy on Mundus. Its vital young players experience the big stage and we've shown we can provide a massive one for them. I wish all teams in the upcoming world cup the best of luck but naturally I wish slighly more to Abertone."

21
International News Networks / Re: The Abertone Chronicle
« on: October 22, 2023, 08:20:47 PM »




WEEKEND FOOTBALL SETS UP LODJA-CASSIOPEIA FINAL

The first matches of the four game Imperial Invitational Tournament have taken place today. The game has been billed up as a test run for the World Cup should Abertone be successful in the bidding process and it has been declared a "great success" by oragnisers.

The opening game took place in the Ruzzargi stadium in Eastern part of the empire and saw Aosta and Lodja's Under 21's play in Empana. It pitched Abertone against Cassiopeia and saw a full house of some 57,000 fans in attendance. Tickets had been made very low cost and a significant number had been given to local clubs in order to ensure the stadium was completly full. The game was disappointing for the hosts however as Cassiopeia ran out winner 2-0. The visitors took the lead following a headed goal from a corner in the 33rd minute and with time running out the Abertone players pushed forward to try and force extra time. The team came close on many occasions however in the 88th minute the Cassiopians scored during a fluid counter attack that saw the home side lose all hope of gaining a result. The nations Under 21 coach, Alberto Stoca said "The result is disappointing. For many of the team this is the largest crowd they'd played in front of and I think despite the result we did well. Its unfortunate we won't now get to play in the final. We've chance to win a medal though so we need to now go again"

Meanwhile two hours later in the Eastern city Bulwa. There 67,000 fans watched as Lodja defeated Aosta after penalties. The game itself was rather dull and extra time saw no winner. The game finished 6-5 on penalties. The final will now take place on Wednesday at Lodja play Cassiopeia in Stadio Imperial which it is hoped will also host the World Cup Final. Meanwhile Abertone will face off with Aosta in the Lafaigi Arena to determine 3rd and 4th place.

Tournament organisers were pleased with the games with Thomas Schiovane, the Chairman of the ACA, saying "The stadiums had great atmosphere and the TV production went very smoothly. We had a few issues with fans getting to the grounds but plan on Wednesday to have more voulenteers out helping people find their way from the metro to the ground and then dotted around the cities to ensure things go well. We also plan on opening a second fan park in Lafiagi as we saw a huge turn out of fans wanting to be part of the atmosphere. We've shown the nation is ready and to any nation yet to cast their vote I'd invite them to see what we've pulled off for an Under-21's tournament."

Voting closes tomorrow and fans are hopeful of an Abertone victory.

22
Graziano shook his head. "What right does Rokkenjima have to tell nations where they can and can't go under the freedom of navigation. The sea may bear your name but by no means do you own it. Do you honestly believe that it would be your right to stop a Lodjian vessel visiting the Allied States of Ardia, or the Maori visiting Toshikawa? The article put forward by Empress Serena is what we should be discussing. Your issues with the CNN are between you and them. However now you want to try and use this organisation to impose us to approve some kind of breach of the FSC it would mean that we're likely to be unable to accept membership of any body that seeks to make us basically international criminals. Also attempting to place to Rokkenjima-Dartfordia relationship as some kind of exception is in my view promoting that this is basically some two tier movement. You expect us all to accept vessels not native to the region coming and going as they wish yet try and block others. This is not a partnership that is now seemingly being built on an equal foundation."

23
International News Networks / Re: The Abertone Chronicle
« on: October 20, 2023, 09:07:22 PM »




EMPEROR HOPEFUL OF WORLD CUP BID VICTORY

With the Mundus Football Association today opening the bidding of the World Cup hosting right Emperor Marco was attending today's AS Capitale match in the Western Premier League. Speaking at the game before kick off he said "The people of Abertone are already getting excited and we don't even have the rights to host the cup. We've the first games of our test tournament this weekend and already the visiting teams are preparing. Tomorrow night we play Cassiopeia and I will be at the game to witness what I hope will be a home victory. Those hear to watch the game from Cassiopeia will find a warm welcome just like those from around the world in a few short weeks if successful. We've a nation that would have already been prepared to host if told tomorrow we could host it, we're a nation that love the game and our facilities are great."

The AS Capitale match againt Leceffe ended 0-0 and the Emperor stated, "While Abertone may be a football mad nation we can not always guarantee entertainment, tonight the game was pretty dull and I'm disappointed in AS Capitale, we should have won at a canter, but thats the beauty of the game as on their day anyone can produce a good result against anyone. While this game tonight lacked entertainment the atmosphere in both the East and West parts of the Empire will be electric  and I'm confident that all visiting fans will get a great experience."

24
Sporting Hub / Re: MFA World Cups 2023 - OOC/Sign Ups
« on: October 20, 2023, 07:31:23 PM »
The A.C.A naturally vote for Abertone

25
Graziano wondered if it was a curse of youth to sometimes lose track of where their attention lied, he saw the same in his nephews and nieces and sadly in his own children Andrew and Benedict. Once she had finished the Consul began again. "With respect your views of the CNN add nothing to the point I was making. I'm sure you'd agree each of us around this table are free to form our own views over who is and isn't a suitable friend for our nations. The issue I brought up is simple. You're proposal of limiting foreign military presences and seeing that native concerns outweigh outsiders is unfeasible. First it gives this fledgling organisation a way to directly influence another nations foreign policy. Second we already have significant foreign military in the region. Regardless of whether you become the monarch of Dartfordia one day or not they are a foreign nation and not native to this region. We would have in your situation the commander in chief of a foreign, non native military in this organization. Add to that we have  Preorian ships already in the region. Now on the matter of Gowu I never mentioned them as I'm aware they are heavily connected to Achkaerin, and that their military is often in this region as we've seen in the past. That is understandable with their connection to Gowu but I would still consider the majority of their military non-native however the concern I have with Achkaerin is that they have military agreements with Vaguzia. Now I do not see how we can have your goal that  "we should limit the foreign military presence in our region and commit to an assurance that native, Dauntel/Shaw concerns always outweigh those utside of our region, that our destiny is always firmly within our hands." while that is already the reality on the ground. So if the proposal you have placed goes through I would be expected to limit our own friends activities in the region and cater more to your world view than that of perhaps our friends. Meanwhile I would be able to stand on the shores of Abertone and in the East wave at Dartfordian vessels merrily making their way to Rokkenjima while in the West I could see Preorian and maybe even Vaguzian ships chugging down the coasts of Ardia on their way to bases here?"

26
Graziano was pleased that so far things had been rather smooth but he suspected he was about to ruffle a few feathers. "The idea of an organisation attempting to impose limits on the manner in which a nation conducts defence is a tricky one. First off all as I look around the table I see Rokkenjima, Daitō and Achkaerin all with overseas bases often without consultation with the wider region. Take for example the recent agreement that sees Daitō and Preoria establishh NS LLwynbelan and NS Hirado. No consultation involving native powers took place there. The establishment of LLwynbelan even came amid talks being hosted in the region on naval security. Meanwhile Rokkenjima have in the past established military presence in the Illumic that lead to a long standing disagreement with East Moreland and even now maintain a base utilised by Dartfordia. While Achkaerin has establishments I believe in Vaguzia and as far as I know never consulted the Alba Karinya Organisation about such an arrangement. Now I am not at face value saying the existance of these things is neccessarily bad however I do believe their existence flies in the face of what was just proposed." He paused for a moment. "I am going to put on record that it has been a long term intention of my cousin and myself that Abertone will one day in the future seek closer ties with the CNN. We have friendships with many of the members already, especially Lodja" this was largely thanks to his cousin and his "diplomatic" adventures there. "Our first ever treaty under my cousin was with King David and we have had minor meetings with King Finley. If we become members there would obviously be times CNN military assets visited the region and we would not be seeking prior approval from this, or any other body. Therefore I'm not sure how we proceed."

27
Diplomacy and Events / Invitation to Lady Filippa
« on: October 10, 2023, 06:57:59 PM »

To Her Excellency Lady Filippa Andreas

With the upcoming Football World Cup having a blind football tournament for the first time and with our aim of being the hosts we think it important that this version of the game we love is shown in the best possible light. As such we would like to invite you to help us, assuming we are successful, celebrate the tournament. If you would be as gracious as accepting our invitation we would like to offer you the opportunity to be our guest of honour at the opening ceremony of the tournament as well as joining with Emperor Marco to present the first ever Blind Football World Champions with their trophy.

We are hopeful that you will accept and help us celebrate the most inclusive World Cup to date.

Best Regards

Emperor Marco (Honourary President of the ACA)
Thomas Schiovane (Chairman of the ACA)

28
International News Networks / Re: The Abertone Chronicle
« on: October 09, 2023, 10:08:00 PM »




IMPERIAL INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT A "DRY RUN"

The Abertone Calcio Associazione (ACA) have today confirmed that they will be holding a four team youth tournament as a way of test running potential arrangements for the 2023 World Cup. The Chairman of the ACA, Thomas Schiovane, confirmed yesterday that the Empire has bid to host the tournament which if successful will mark the first time the tournament will have featured games on two continents. Speaking from ACA HQ in Abertone City the former international winger with 55 caps stated, "As a nation we love the game and are hopeful the quality of our bid will win through and we can enjoy the games in our own cities. We want this to be a great World Cup and so to let our voulenteers, staff and fans get a taste we are hosting the "Imperial Invitational Tournament" something we hope can become an annual event. This will be a mens Under 21 tournament of four games. Joining our future stars of Abertone will be the Aosta, Lodja and Cassiopeia national teams. The first game will see us play Cassiopeia in Empana at the Ruzzargi stadium. Meanwhile Lodja will play Aosta in Bulwa over in Albion. The two winning teams will contest a final in the Stadio Imperial in Abertone City while the 3rd and 4th playoff will take place in Lafaigi Arena in the East."

All games will be featured on free to air TV and made available to global audiences through the ACA's YouTube channel. In addition to ensure the stadiums are as crowded as possible tickets will be extremely attractive with every full price paying adult able to take a child for $1 and 25% of the capacity of each stadium being given directly to local schools. "The aim is not to make money but to ensure everything goes smoothly if and when we win the rights to host the world cup. If along the way we can give these future superstars a great platform to strut their stuff on then that is a bonus. Obviously we'll be hoping the Abertone team bring home the trophy but the learning experience for the organisers is a much better reward."

20 year old Julian Carbonari is currently the national teams U-21 captain having 33 caps at junior level. The AS Abertone centre-back is touted as having an outside chance of making the mens full team for the world cup and adding to his single full team cap. "Any time you get to play in a tournament for the country its important to do your best. I see this is an oppurtunity to show Gustavo Malderna (mens National Coach) what I can do in a big arena and hopefully have a chance to play at a World Cup final in my hometown." The youngster has played 12 games this season for AS Abertone, mainly from the bench but has looked commanding during the time on the field. Many pundits believe he needs more regular starts to cement a place in the national side and this has lead to speculation that he may go out on loan, with an Aostan club, Ovida AS, being in the leading contenders.




29
Sporting Hub / Re: MFA World Cups 2023 - OOC/Sign Ups
« on: October 08, 2023, 09:36:00 PM »



To Football Fans of the World.

The Empire of Abertone hopes to unite the footballing world in a way that has never been tried. This year it is our hope that the World Cup can find its way not just to East Adria but also to Western Albion. We believe that we will be the first tournament to see games take place in two continents. Abertone, the nation of the Wolf, is a passionate nation of football fans, we love football so much we have two leagues. Each year our Western League and Eastern Leagues see action with the Grand Final pitching the top two teams from both Leagues against each other to win the Super League and crown Grand Champions. Inspired by this format it is our hope to give our passionate fans a taste of the worlds greatest tournament.

Our bid requires no new stadiums to be built, no new training facitilies, such is the quality of our national game and its infrastructure. Should we be successful the money that would have been spent on such things will instead be put 50/50 into two pots. The first is to help build facilities across the Empire to ensure that all young people have access to sporting facilitie that will allow the future generation to chase their own world cup dreams. The second pot will be used to help nations developing their love for the game access a concept we hope to begin utilising this funding. If successful the ACA (Abertone Calcio Associazione) will set up the Global Coaching Bank and employ the best aviable coaches, physios, nutritionists and other staff needed for a successful football team. These will then be sent, upon request, to nations wishing to boost their own national teams development. Bringing the world cup to Abertone would spell success for the future of football everywhere.

The tournament itself (OOC- Assuming its the 32 team format and that the groups follow the traditional ladder format and not random drawing, if so ignore the ladder mentions) will be split into the traditional eight groups with Groups A,B,C and D being based in the Eastern Part of the Empire initially, while the other half of the draw would be based in the Western Parts. It would be our dream that a semi-final in each continent would allow a Ardian Memorial Cup awarded and an Albion Memorial Cup, these will become bi-annual tournaments used to promote youth soccer. The final itself would take place in the capital of Abertone, namely Abertone City. This approach will save fans having to criss cross the oceans, or travel far at all. Any team needing to cross the Empires sea border will be provided with private aircraft to allow this to take place comfortably, swiftly and securely. While this may sound unecological sound Abertone will pledge to plant two trees for every fan who attends games as well as donating ten trees to each nation for every supporter who travels to our nation. Various other initaitives will run throughout the tournament to further improve carbon footprints but also promote environmentally friendly practices, for example no single use plastic will be used in stadiums with all drinks being served either in souvenir plastic glasses dedicated to each game, making them collectors items, or by using recyclable toughened cardboard/paper. Proceeds from the souvenir glasses will donated to the Joint Emergency Team.

In order to better accommodate teams our two Premier Leagues will be paused during the World Cup and the teams facilities made available to the nations competing, in addition our Universities are delighted to offer access to their own world class facilities to support the hosting of this event. Abertone is a popular nation for many tourists and so our hotels stand by to pamper and care for all the teams neededs alternatively we can find accomodation utilising University student halls depending on a teams need.

The national, free to air, TV network "Imperial Broadcasting Syndicate" will handle broadcasts and make facilities accesable for foreign journalists and TV teams to be as close to the action as possible. It is the networks intention to make a documentary of the Abertone national teams build up to and participation in the tournament regardless of where it is held however if we become the host nation we would invite all teams to join in the documentary to give fans an unprecedented experience of the tournament and their favourite stars.

Our list of stadiums is attached for your approval



STADIO IMPERIAL (86,200) - The National stadium in Abertone City. It sits in a park on the edge of the city and is easy to access having its own metro station. The stadium is tightly tiered allowing fans to feel as close to the action as possible. It is normally the home of AS Abertone, the oldest team in the nation, and its atmosphere during their games is second to none. The stadium also has a retracable roof meaning games will take place no matter what.



LAFAIGI ARENA (81,000) - This is arguably the nations second arena, the National team play half their home games here and it is home of the Eastern Leagues cup finals and playoffs. It sits in the capital of the Eastern Empire from where its rather unimaginative name comes from.



MEDI STADIUM (73,000) - The stadium is in the Western part of the Empire and located in the 2nd largest city there, Sesare. The stadium was recently refurbished and an extra 10,000 seats added. The stadium sits easily within walking distance of the river that runs through Sesare and many fans choose to arrive at games using the frequent water taxis. The stadium is co-owned between the local city council and Mensallo Economic Development Initiatives, a well respected Abertone insurance company.



BULWA SPORTS PARK (67,000)- Bulwa is a growing city located in the Eastern Part of the empire. It is a "model" town set up to take advantage of nearby discovries of natural gas in the early 2000's. The city is still growing and enjoys its sport. Last year the football stadium at a newly established park that is to be dedicated to several sports stadiums and entertainment venues was completed and we can think of no better curtain raiser than a World Cup game.



THE RUZZARGI (57,000)  - The Ruzzargi is the home ground of Empana CC, the third most successful team in the nations history and current Western Empire Cup Champions. Empana is a city built on textiles back in the 17th Century and the large stone troughs for washing wool and cotton are still visible throughout its streets. The city also is the highest in the Empire sitting at some 2,077 meters above sea level.



GREENWAY ATHLETIC ARENA (47,000) - Normally the Arena is the Eastern Empire's top venue for athletics, its track being unofficially nicknamed "the speedway" as 12 of the National Records were set here. The arena sits just outside the town of Rallate and is the most Eastern city in the Empire. Rallate is famed for its chocolate manufacture and the famed Shessaru Family Confectionary being the Imperial Families official supplier (their factory is just 1km from the ground)



TAU STADIA NORD  (41000) - The city of Tau in the Western Empire is home to two sports clubs with a fierce rivalry separated by three tiers. Tau Nord currently play in the top flight while fierce rivals Tau Sud play in the 4th tier of the national game having been wound up by the courts three years ago following huge fines after discovered financial irregularities going back decades. The city is football crazy though and while such rivalries would bring glee to most the fact their local Derby no longer takes place has even seen Nord fans push for their club to loan promising youngsters to their rival. Surely this act of putting the game before their own passions is deserving of hosting a world cup and whether you wear the gold of Nord or the Red of Sud you can guarantee a warm welcome in the city fames for car production.



JAMBALA PARK (29,500)

Jambala Park is named after Augustin Jambala, the first person from the Eastern Empire to play for the national team. In 1903 he made his debut against Kermah and scored two goals at the age 22. He went on to play a further 40 times for the Empire before retiring but his hometown of Trilalu in the East named a Park after him and a stadium came soon after. The smallest stadium in the world cup would however likely get one of the loudest crowds with Trilalu CC'33 boasting a full 37 piece tribal drum band among their regular supporters.

In addition to these venues we would also offer the St. Christophers Arena with a capacity of 12,000, for blind Football matches in the Western part of the Empire. Its retractable roof and feeling of an ancient amphitheatre will be perfect for fans and players. Meanwhile in the East the Lafiagi Dome will be used to give 10,000 fans a chance to see the blind football.

To further help fans enjoy their experience we give an undertaking that should the tournament be hosted in the Empire the Emperor has decreed that large screens be erected in major parks in each host city allowing fans to watch all games with an atmosphere like those found in the grounds. In addition each city will also be tasked with hosting a musical competition between local artists with each cities winners performing at the final before a global audience. It is our hope that not only will the football tournament be a success but a fans visit to the Empire will be fun and memorable regardless of how well their team progresses. 


As Emperor Marco is the Honourary President of the ACA it is clear the tournament will enjoy the support of the Imperial government and as such by signing this letter with myself he has given his assurances that everything will be done to make sure fans, officials, players and media staff will all enjoy a fantastic few weeks of sporting action in safety.

Best Regards

Emperor Marco (Honourary President of the ACA)
Thomas Schiovane (Chairman of the ACA)

30
Graziano might not have been the one to propose the approach of Empress Serena but he had liked her idea. "The Temporary Worker visa is in effect what we already have. You want to come and work in Abertone at the moment then we expect you to be able to offer skills in a shortage profession, we expect you to have funds to support yourself for the first few months until your pay starts rolling in and we carry out extensive background checks. I don't therefore believe we need this as an article for this organisation as nations already can have their own approach tailor made to their situation. The three concepts put forward by Empress Serena deal with new situations that will be made streamlined, Short Term makes holiday travel much simpler, Business means less planning is required for say a demonstrator to travel between our two nations to showcase products or attend perhaps a trade show, the Education visa opens up oppurtunities in a much more simple way for students. I have no intention of just opening up our employment market to the nations of the Straits"

Pages: [1] 2 3 4