To - Ms.Elizabeth Macix

I have been asked to respond on behalf of the Empire.

Our nation permits stem cell research on the conditions that the institute can prove the stem cells come from "morally acceptable" sources. Currently that means those taken from any of the following types.

* Embryonic Germ Cells (from miscarriages or spontaneous abortions and not elective abortions)
* Umbilical Cord Stem Cells
* Placenta-derived Stem Cells
* Post-Natally Derived (Adult) Stem cells.

Should you confine your research to such types of cells then you would be permitted to operate within the Empire so long as your work force comply to local laws regarding taxation and employment. This would mean that any staff incoming would be required to hold a visa for the Empire but I am confident that these will easily be issued. In addition we have a great number of academic institutes in the city of Abertone who will have a plethora of graduates who would do great work for Gattaca.

We hope this is a positive start and should you require any support or advice in the establishment of your research please do not hesitate to contact me.

Roberto Manfredi
Junior Minister for Trade

Emperor Marco had to admit that the Queen was pretty enough but at least ten years to old to peak his interest.  In her youth he suspected she would have been a beauty but at 42 years of age her best years were behind her. He had hoped when her heard Nomiki was coming she may be some young glamorous politician but again some past her best former beauty had appeared. Marco though had his ego stroked when the token of victory arrived. As Queen Atalanta handed over the victory wreath Marco considered placing it upon his head as he'd seen great Emperors of the past drawn on books and prominent artworks, a glance at his cousin Graziano  was rather disapproving and so the Emperor stopped and instead thanked his guest. "Queen Atalanta we were, and still are, proud to think of ourselves as having been involved in helping you and your people at their time of need. Ours though was merely the role of being a good neighbour. I would say that I am sure one day you will return the gesture but please forgive me when I say I hope such a day never comes." Graziano was surprised at the way though the Emperor responded to Nomiki. As she spoke of the children he gave her a hug, "Consul....Nomiki" the Emperor stepped back and smiled, "I would not want a child of any nation to be unsafe. I am proud that our people where able to give your daughter, son and other children a place they feel safe. They will always be welcome within the Empire but we need to find a way to make that happen. That's possible isn't it?" Marco turned to his cousin.

Graziano suspected that he would be the one actually conducting the business of the meeting and not the Emperor. He nodded as his cousin asked his question. "Your Majesty, Consul." He nodded respectively to each in turn. "WHile I think this is a good place to start an airports tarmac is perhaps not the place to do it. If you'd care to follow me." Serena was stood a few steps behind Graziano and now strode ahead to open the door of the waiting vehicles. Marco waited for Atlanta to take a seat and slid in next to her. Graziano waited for everyone to be sat, thanked Serena and then joined the others. The ride back to the Palace was equally as quick as the ride to the airport as once more every light was on green. At the Palace the King's private suite had been returned to a regal looking environment rather than the scene of last nights debauchery.  The Emperor sat in his favourite arm-chair around the coffee table which Serena had arranged a few bottles of wine, a pitcher of ice water and some teas in beautiful blue ceramic pots. The Emperor played host ensuring everyone had drinks and then as Graziano began the business of diplomacy sat back with a nice glass of red wine.

"Queen Atalanta its clear we share some personal connections as your Consul here as demonstrated. I'm keen to allow those who have a connection to our country to come back time and again as seemlessly as possible. If people like Danai consider us one of their homelands than I think it beholds us to ensure that she and those like her are never excluded from coming here." Graziano paused as he topped up his tea. " Perhaps you could tell us a little about your daughter and her experiences here?" He asked Nomiki before savouring his tea while he listened, once she was done he moved back to the discussions about border crossing. "What I propose isn't exactly visa free but is the next best thing. It would though require us sharing data on criminal records. What I propose is that an individual still needs a passport to enter each nation. Upon arrival at a port of entry they present their passport and so long as they have no criminal record or are not on a wanted list they are free to cross and for 90 days can travel, study or conduct business here. A person may do that once every six months. Anyone wishing to stay for longer or visit more frequently would be expected to obtain a visa. I suspect this will help people like Danai maintain contact with her friends here, it will help both our nations boost tourism and allow small businesses to engage with each other. It falls short of a fully fluid border but I think you could say this is a fair compromise. If this is acceptable I'd like to bring up....."he paused and looked at the Emperor who seemed more interested in tracing a finger around the top of his wine glass then engaging, "I'd like to bring up" Graziano changed his tone to indicate his cousin should pay attention, "that we should perhaps examine the idea of embassies as I believe your nation has some particularities in that regard we have yet to fulfil?"

"Yes...yes that is something important" Marco nodded as though it was his own suggestion.

"The Annex" was a series of offices and boardrooms that sat next to the wing in the Imperial Palace that the Emperor called home. There were several members of office staff already tapping away and busying themselves with piles of paper and cups of coffee despite it being just 7:30am. "The Annex" was a long thin building with a single office dominating the connecting end between the building and the Palace. It was home to Lt. Di Augastino one of several Advocatus who worked for the Imperial Family. To many she was known as the "Gatekeeper" as beyond one of the doors to her office lay the Emperors private lounge and beyond that his suites. If you wanted a meeting with him you first had to pass through the tall, slender officers domain.

One person who seldom had any difficultly though passing through this checkpoint was Graziano Lupin. Firstly this was because he was the Emperors cousin and maybe more importantly because he was the Imperial Consul and with Emperor Marco being rather less engaged in government than an Emperor should be it meant his cousin was the real leader of the Empire. He himself had planted Serena Di Augastino in the office she now called home knowing she'd likely be unswayed by the Emperors womanising charms and the fact that she actually frightened him a little bit. The icing on the cake though was that she was his sister-in-law and so he believed he could trust her to be a kind of informer on his cousins stupidity. "Is the Emperor up?" Graziano asked as he swung Serena's office door closed behind him and began helping himself to some of the fresh percolated coffee.

"His Imperial Majesty has company" Serena said disapprovingly.

"When is she leaving?" Graziano sat in the chair utilised by guests to the office and tossed his file folder onto the desk. Instinctively Serena straightened it and stood up, she checked the various motion sensors in the Imperial Suite on the wall next to her.

"Well one has already left" Serena frowned, "Naturally we ensured a Praetorian vehicle took her out the back and got her home in one piece. However it appears young Ginevra from the kitchen is still keeping him company." Graziano sighed, this was a far too common occurence. The young 20 year old girl was an apprentice chef in the kitchen and rather a beautiful young girl. She was though rather naive and anytime Marco felt a bit lonely, or in this case adventurous, he promised her the world and now they were in a situation where the pair where still in the suite with the Queen of Cassiopeia due to arrive.

"Extract the Emperor Liutenant." Graziano chuckled as he savoured the coffee.

"Yes sir" Serena gave a playful half salute, "I pray I don't need to bleach my eyeballs this time." the pair laughed as Serena gave a warning knock, waited a mirco-second and then entered the Emperors suites. She ensured she was loud, "Your Imperial Majesty we have guests in an hour." she yelled as she carefully examined the scene, several drinks glasses and empty wine bottles at various places, a half eaten cheese board and a womans black dress across the floor. She stepped over, wrapped on the bed-room door and braced herself. No sound came and so she cautiously opened the door. The Emperor and the kitchen girl. This was not the first time Serena had seen such a sight and as Ginevra tried to cover herself Marco just swung himself out of bed. "Your Majesty its time to be leaving, you have twenty minutes."

Marco simply chuckled, "My brother dispatched you didn't he?" The Emperor didn't wait for a response but instead simply picked up a towel from off the chair next to the bed before addressing Ginevra, "Serena here sill see you out" he informed her rather callously. Serena waited for the sound of the shower before motioning to Ginevra to be going. The girl nervously got her things together, dressed and headed towards the suites front door that lead to the Palace.

"You should know by now" Ginerva paused as Serena's hand slammed the minutely open door shut. "My office." she jerked her head and Ginerva made her way back to where Graziano was just draining the last of the thick dark coffee he had been sipping. She blushed as he saw her.

"Ginerva?" Graziano wasn't 100% sure of her name but the girl nodded. "Look I don't wish to be horrible. You should not be leaving my cousins bedroom. Do you have family in Abertone?" He asked warmly.

"No Sir" Ginerva looked nervous.

"Good" Graziano stood and turned to address Serena, "Please ensure that Ginerva here is assigned to my private staff, naturally that will require a resettlement grant and I think we can ensure a payraise." Serena wrote in a notebook and threw it in a draw. "Thank you" Graziano knew if it was in "the book" it was as good as done. He then gently took hold of Ginerva's arm, "The Praetorians will take you home and tomorrow help you pack." he watched the girl leave with a smile on her face pleased with her promotion. "Is he ready?" he asked Serena now they were alone.

"Soon" she responded. Fifteen Minutes later Marco appeared dressed in a smart white suit with pink shirt, no tie. It was rather less formal than Graziano approved of but at least he was dressed. The trio headed outside where a black uniformed Praetorian escort awaited. The airport was about a 30 minute drive from the Palace for a regular driver but with outriders and staff watching traffic lights to ensure they were always green the journey took closer to 20. They arrived without much time to spare, just enough for a brief run through of the occasion, a band for national anthems, an honour guard of some 200 Praetorians, a hand picked crowd of journalists and government officials.

As the aircraft was announced as inbound by the airports control tower Marco turned to Serena, "Cassiopeia, thats the one with the young new Queen isn't it?" He asked.

Serena looked down and took a deep breath, "No Your Majesty" she fought the urge to shake her head, "That's Lodja, they recently crowned Queen Natalya. This is Queen Atalanta, she's been Queen for some time now, 2018 I believe. She's...." Serena checked a folder quickly, "42 years of age. Ex-Naval officer" she hoped the Emperor's lack of preparation wouldn't be a problem but a reassuring wink from Graziano left her at least a bit more calm.

"And her husbands name, King....." Marco waited for a response while waving a hand as though it would help conjure up a name.

"Unmarried" Serena replied.

"Really" the Emperor raised an eyebrow. "I could perhaps enjoy this diplomacy" He turned to face the aircraft that was now touching down giving Serena and Graziano time to exchange concerned looks. By now though it was going to be too late as the aircraft was preparing to let the Queen leave. Graziano only tried to reassure himself that the Queen was a similar age to his cousin and he went for younger women usually. As the Queen arrived the Emperor bowed warmly and gave the most delicate of handshakes. "Queen Atalanta, we are grateful for you taking time from your busy schedule to come and pay us a visit. I am delighted to meet you and look forward to getting to know you better. In the short years we've been rulers we have done very little to bring our nations closer together and I've been praying that this opportunity is the first of many for us to meet. "

Graziano is the cousin of the Emperor and was born in 1980 to Emperor Luca's younger brother Prince Salvio and his wife Princess Olimpia who was also the Duchess of Manzi. In 1986 he began attending Faidello St.Nicholas School where his cousin, the now Emperor Marco, had left a low expectation of the family. Graziano however enjoyed learning despite not always being good at most subjects. He was though always top of the class in Home Economics, woodwork and gardening. It wasn't until 1991 when he began attending the facilities Upper School that he was diagnosed with dyslexia and once he began recieving help began to flourish in other subjects. His love of more practical subjects remained however. While at school he was also a member of the school football team and by 1993 had several Abertone Premier League teams scouting him, in truth though this was more a marketing project by the teams keen to emphasis that they had signed a member of royalty however Graziano was simply a very average player and by 1997 had come to that realisation himself and began to withdraw from football. Despite this he does boast a cap for the nations Under 19's team and also also a National Development League Winners medal. He is still a big fan of the game but is very discreet about who he actually supports. WHile at school he also joined the youth group called the Order of Isidore, a group that worked on farms and allotments to help grow food to provide for the poor.

In 1998 he was accepted onto a course at Manzi University to study Project Management. He intended to work for the Lupin Estate overseeing various plans across the royal properties focusing on restoration and diversification of land use. While at University though he also joined the Imperial Officer Training Cadre (IOTC), more out of a sense of duty than a career path. He actually was surprised to find that he enjoyed it and switched his degree to International Relations as he was told this would open more opportunities in the military. With his degree completed he did his 18 months military service during which he applied for aptitude tests for various roles within the military. He tested high enough to become a fast jet pilot and in 2004 became an airmen flying F-3 Fabulinus.

In 2016 he was persuaded by his cousin the then Emperor Gianfranco to leave the military and become the spokesman for the armed forces in the Senate. This actually saw him clash heavily with his cousin at times as Graziano worked hard to represent his former colleagues in the seat of government helping secure better pay and conditions for many in the military. This earned him a great deal of respect and in 2017 he was named as one of two candidates for Deputy Consul however he withdraw as a protest about injured military members having educational opportunities withdrawn.

Despite all the work he is involved in he has maintained his membership of the Order of Isidore and while not active on farms he is a big promoter of the organisation, its work and its members. It was through this organisation that in 2002 he meet his future wife Agatha Di Augastino who was the daughter of a former Consul. They meet at a fundraising event and a year later married. The couple now have three children with Andrew being born in 2004, Benedict in 2010 and his daughter Notburga. All the couples children are named after Patron saints of farming as a mark of respect towards how the couple meet.

Graziano is seen by many as the actual leader of Abertone and in 2021 he had to distance himself from a small group of Army Officers who began a petition to have him replace the Emperor.

The Praetorians are a cross between a Special Forces unit and the Italian Carabinieri.

110 x Dragonskin Multi-Role Fighters - purchased from East Moreland
16 x A-11 Antelope Strike Fighter - purchased from Altona
45 x F-3 Fabulinus Multi Role Fighters
35 x GR-3 Fabulinus Strike Fighter
4 x E-20 Edusa AEWACS Aircraft
4 x U-5 Unxia Intelligence Aircraft
25 x E-3 FabulinusSEAD Aircraft
6 x P-38 Mormolykeia Maritime Patrol Aircraft
10 x K-76 Caeculus Tanker
20 x C-390 Aello Transport Aircraft - purchased from Cassiopeia
20 x C-17 Hummingbird Transport Aircraft - purchased from Kodima
30 x Kata Utility Helicopter - Purhcased from Ui Cenneslaig
30 x H-1 Hostilina Helicopter
30 x Project 101 Attack Helicopter - Purchased from Celtic Co-Operative Armament Project
18 x U-10 Avocet UAV - Purchased from Eskdale

The terrorist organisation known as the Republican Front has today killed 8 people in Lafiagi in a sniper attack at a popular street market. Shortly after 10am gunshots began to ring out across La Serra Marketplace which is a popular place for locals to buy freshly caught fish and seasonal vegetables. A 48 year old lady shopping at a spice stall was shot in the head and moments later the stall owner was shot in the chest. As police began to attend the scene several others were shot including officer Philip Nandane who was the first on the scene. A military force from the nearby barracks attended including a group of Praetorian's who were in the city expecting to undertake a training exercise later in the day at the docks. The police and military worked to evacuate the marketplace with soldiers trying to determine the location of the shooters however sadly as more shots were fired five more people had died while another six had been wounded. Eventually a Praetorian marksman eliminated the shooter however an examination of the scene by Police in the aftermath lead to the conclusion that there had been two shooters and that one is still at large. Police currently have no leads as to the identity of the shooter and have begun a large scale investigation including the Military Police. In the aftermath of the shooting attendance at public spaces was noticeably down. The Emperor released a statement regarding the attack saying "My prayers go out to the victims of todays horrific act. These words can't bring back those who have been taken from us but I promise them we shall do all that is within our power to bring their killers to justice. The Republican Front show once again that they are cowards attacking the innocent while they shop." Attacks by the Republican Front have been greatly reduced over the last two years however this is now the third attack this year following a car bomb in Vago that killed the Chief of Police and the shooting of a judge in Porto.

A statement from the Republican Front was received by this publication an hour after the attack was brought to an end. "Empires and monarchs have no place in modern society. Wealth should be determined by work ethic, skills and abilities not which woman happened to give birth to you. The Lupo family are corrupt and will be brought down. Today we have that the Emperor can not keep his people safe, something he vowed to do on his coronation yet we know he keeps no oath he takes." The Republican Front began their reign of terror in 1993 and have so far been responsible for 207 deaths. They demand an end to the monarchy, a referendum for the Eastern part of the Empire for independence and a redistribution of Imperial wealth. Despite their being pro-Republican parties within the Imperial Senate they have never got more than 25% of the vote whereas the Liga Party, which is staunchly pro-Monarchy, has around 62 % of the vote. A recent poll in the Eastern Part of the empire has shown that 27% of the population would support some form of independence. The same poll also showed that Emperor Marco IX enjoys a 56% approval rating in the West as opposed to a 39% one in the East, his cousin however Consul Graziano enjoys 67% approval in the West and 53% in the East.

As a response to the attack today Consul Graziano has cancelled leave for military forces in the East and placed those in the west on high alert.

The Western part of the Empire is considered the "Home" Empire where as the "Eastern" part became part of the Empire in the 16th Century. Despite the Empire having existed for over 500 years in various styles the two parts are still very different. The west is home to the largest part of the economy and has a higher standard of living. The Eastern part of the Empire is heavily utilised for agriculture and mineral extraction.


Founded at some point around 600 B.C the city of Abertone was surronded by several significant small kingdoms. Over time it became a prosperous trading city and then was able to subdue several other kingdoms to become an Empire based on the city at its centre. The city today has a population of around 2.7million people.


Lafiagi is the capital of the Eastern Empire. It was conquered by the Empire in the 1500's. Today it is a major trading port and home to the various offices of the Eastern Empire. It is a popular holiday destination for those in the Western part of the Empire as its economy is significantly lower than the West. At times it has been the site of various attacks by Republican and/or Independence organisations.

Several weeks ago Emperor Marco IX demanded $130 million for restoration work on the Royal Villa of Faidello that has long been an exclusive property of the Lupo family. Initially members of the Senate spoke out against this spending project stating that the Lupo family had more than enough money to fund the project themselves over the course of a number of years. The Emperor however was keen for all the work to be completed by the end of 2022 and insisted that the Imperial Treasury find the money. Several behind the scenes discussions took place between concerned Senators and the Emperor's cousin Consul Graziano Lupo. Today the Consul confirmed in his daily opening report to the Senate that "concessions on the funding have been reached. I have sat down with the Emperor and we have a list of jobs that are needed urgently and those that can be done at a later date. The Imperial Treasury will ensure the urgent works are carried out without delay, meanwhile those that are not time critical will come from the Lupo family account. In addition those tennant farmers who rent land on the Villa's estate will receive two years relief from rent payments and for a total of 180 days a year the Villa's East Wing and gardens will be accessable by the general public so long as they have tickets and these shall be free." This marks the first time in the Empire's history that the general public will be freely able to access a royal residence. The Villa sits in some beautifully landscaped gardens and contains several highly respected fresco paintings.

The Senate have also been busy with measures to put before the Emperor to extend free University education to those with military service. Currently anyone who voulenteers for a minimum of five years in the Armed Forces gains free University tuition, under measures put forward by Consul Graziano those serving three years would get a reduction  of 50% for the first two years of a three year degree. Currently with Republican groups undertaking terrorist attacks in the Eastern part of the Empire there has been a push to increase the number of volunteer soldiers to permit deeper training for anti-terror operations.

Since 1461 the Lupa Family have, in one way or another, controlled the Empire. Today the family are from a bloodline of cousins of the first Emperor of Abertone, Emperor Marco I. The family as well as dominating politics within the Empire also are an economic foundation within the Empire with several large companies featuring in the families portfolio.

The current Emperor is Marco Lupin IX who became Emperor in 2019.


Marco was born in 1976 and is the 2nd son of Emperor Luca V and Empress Maria. His elder brother Gianfranco became Emperor in 1997 following the assassination of his father by Republican terrorists. His brother ruled as Emperor from 1997-2019 before dying of an illness. As the rules of inheritance for Abertone state that a male should inherit the throne and with Gainfranco having three daughters it was Marco who inherited the throne. At the time of Gianfranco's death it transpired his wife, Sarah, was pregnant and gave birth to a healthy boy eight months after Marco inherited the throne, this has lead to some believing Marco should have abdicated the throne in favour of his nephew Peter. The Emperor though has refused to do so.

Marco has a reputation for living the high life and while having never been married has fathered three children. Most of the day to day running of the Empire he has left to his cousin Graziano.


Graziano is the cousin of the Emperor and was born in 1980. Many see him as a contrast to his cousin as he has a track record of being a man of duty having served first in the Order of Isidore, a voulenteer organisation that seek to grow and provide food for the poor. He joined this at the age of 12 and while still a member has not been a regular attender on their farms since 1999. While at University he joined the Imperial Officer Training Cadre (IOTC) while obtaining a degree in International Relations. Upon graduating he completed his compulsory 18 months military service in the Army before attending flight school where he qualified as a fast jet pilot. He left the military in 2016 and began working in the Imperial Senate as a spokesman for the armed forces. When his cousin Marco became Emperor Graziano first became Deputy Consul under his father Giorgio before his father was forced to resign due to ill health. Graziano has worked hard to try and reign his cousin and having failed to ensured that he effectively allowed Marco to be a figure head with Graziano handling most domestic matters leaving only foreign affairs to the Emperor.

Graziano is married to Agatha Di Augastino whose father was a former Consul himself. The couple have three children, Andrew, Benedict and Notburga.  The couples children are all named after patron saints of farming.