Author Topic: An Orthodox Affair  (Read 3557 times)

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An Orthodox Affair
« on: January 12, 2022, 08:02:04 PM »
Mtrulumi, western Mktvartvelo


"This does not feel a very inspiring place", Merab told Sofiko. They had already spent five hours in Mtrulumi, and Merab seemed to have had enough already.

"It's not been a very productive journey, but c'mon", Sofiko replied, "this kind of place isn't really that when you grew up here.

"You come from somewhere nearby, isn't it?", Merab asked.

"That's right", Sofiko answered. "My hometown is about 80 kms from here. And this place must be five or six larger than that".

"I’d rather be a taxi driver in Azavrelia if I had to live here”, Merab added.

Sofiko just shrugged. “And how have you ended here?”, she scolded him.

“There are things that I obviously messed up”, Merab replied without much passion. “This must be the place”. He suddenly realized about a man smoking a cigarette, with two policemen at both of his sides.

“Ah”, the man said, “Detective Arsenidze, I suppose?”.

“That’s me”, Merab replied.

“Nice to meet you”, the man said. “I’m the mayor. I hope you don’t have a problem coming here. Was your journey pleasant?”.

“I see”, Merab answered. “Yes, mostly. No, it was easy to find this place...This is Sofiko, Sofiko Talakahadze”.

“A pleasure, Miss Talakahadze”, Mayor Ivanishvili said. “I’m afraid you had to come to our town for these unpleasant circumstances”.

“Don’t worry”, Sofiko coldly replied, “that’s our job, after all”.

“I suppose so”, the mayor said. “I hope your day was productive enough. If you need anything, let me know”.

“Thanks”, Merab replied. “But it’s not that we found much collaboration. People don’t seem keen to share anything”.

“It’s understandable, I guess”, the mayor replied. “The police commissioner told me the same. Let’s walk for a bit, if you don’t mind”, he had added pointing out to a path along the playground.

“Sure”, Merab replied. “Are such situations common?”.

“Oh, not at all”, the mayor answered. “There are always misunderstandings, of course. That’s usual in every place. But this a small and calm town, violence is rare here”.

“The church was built about ten years ago”, the mayor continued. “The land belonged to a Vanoran investor, who had been personally involved in the chemical plant in this province. After the factory closed, he sold his properties. Although I was not living here at the time, I believe that the move was surprising. Some families later moved here, they bought some abandoned farms nearby the old football stadium. They rarely participate in the community activities, as far as I know. Despite this, incidents are rare. About three years ago, there was an sad occurrence in which a Christian girl killed herself. A tragic but isolated incident”.

“Some of them describe other incidents”, Sofiko said, “such as graffiti on the church walls, or throwing stones against some of the houses in the past”.

“That may be true”, the mayor replied. “There is obviously an issue of both means and trust. In the last two decades, our town has lost about one third of its population. We have tried hard to revert that trend, but it hasn’t been easy. There has been an increase of criminal activity, particularly with some teenagers, who may cause some problems. We have limited financial means to deal with those problems. On the other hands, there is a problem with some families, as some parents reject to bring their children to the school, as they claim that the textbooks are anti-Christian and other reasons. We have been pushed by the governorate on this and other problems, but we can’t do as much as we would like to. In any case, I don’t think this incident was not caused by some troubled teens, whatever the motivations were”.

“I feel that’s right”, Merab said. “But we need to be sure. Was there any similar incident recently?”.

“Not that I’m aware”, the mayor insisted. "At the beginning, people were rather indifferent, I must say. In the last years however, tensions occassionally increased, particularly as some young people, particularly girls, joined the community. The neighbors weren't too happy about that. There were, of course, conflicts from both sides. There were a huge fuss two years ago, after some Christian children called "vampire" an assistant priestess who was on pilgrimage to a nearby shrine. I had to personally intervene to avoid any confrontation".

Merab erupted in a short but noisy laugh. "Those tiny demons!".

"However, while such rare conflicts have happened", the mayor insisted, "they rarely result in any violent incident. We take them very seriously...Anyway, I have to return to my duties, I’m afraid. But if you need anything more, you can call my office. I’ll help you in anything I can”.

“Understood”, Merab replied. “I’ll do so”.

“What do you think?”, Sofiko asked Merub after the mayor had left.

“Without valuable witnesses, there is not much we can do”.

“Are we leaving with empty hands?”, Sofiko asked.

Merab shrugged. “We are losing our time here. The governorate wanted to do something, and we did so. Look, I am not willing to spend a third day in this place. Let’s move, Otar must be waiting already”.

“Alright”, Sofiko said.



“Oh”, Otar said, “Detective! You are here”.

“So we are, indeed”, Merab replied. “So when will we receive the results?”.

“I’m not sure”, Otar replied. “The samples were sent to Tsnumi, there should be about in a week?”.

“You took them, what’s your opinion”, Merab insisted.

“Well, in appearance, the ingredients were quite simple, but there had some addictive that make the flame and the fires much more corrosive and adhesive. Whover prepared them, he knew what he was doing”.

“Any similar attacks in the past?”, Sofiko asked.

“Not that I know”, Otar answered. “But the person, or people, behind, probably had some particular formation or experience. That’s the reason it could cause that much damage on the main door and so quickly. Without the backdoor, it would have likely resulted in a more deadly result”.

“Maybe someone who had military formation?”, Sofiko asked again.

“Yes, that’s possible”, Otar replied. “Particularly, someone that received specific training. But it’s only a guess”.

“Sure, that only leaves half of the population out”, Merab replied.

“Not that much, I’d say…”, Otor replied. “But it wouldn’t enough in itself. Was the information about the tires useful?”.

“Not really”, Merab replied. “There are more than one hundred motorbikes like that in the area. Maybe your men can continue this search”.

“I guess so”, Otar replied. “You can ask the police commissioner. But it’s a very popular model around here”.

“What’s that smoke?”, Sofiko asked, as she saw  a dark smoke coming from the other side of the town.

“Oh”, Otar, “there is nothing much there...Just the river. I guess they must be burning brushwood”.

“Well”, Merab said, “we rather go. We need to visit those houses nearby the petrol station before returning to the motel.

“Alright”, Otar replied, “Good luck! I’ll go back to the police station as well.

“Thanks!”, Sofiko said. “See you tomorrow”.




Meanwhile, the next morning in Ktsatskuri, capital city of the Unitary State of Mktvartvelo...

“We have arrived, sir”, the chauffeur said, as he parked his car in front of the embassy of Samantra.

The car had a more compact look that other government vehicles, being one model particularly used by Mktvartvelo’s Ministry of National Defense.

“Alright, call the embassy we are here”, Vazha Virsaladze replied. “I’ll wait outside”.
« Last Edit: January 14, 2022, 05:44:36 PM by paralipomena »

Offline Markus

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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2022, 08:53:22 PM »
One million Roubles /USD was the price Vlad Denisov paid to get the job of ambassador to Mktvartvelo. That was the amount he contributed to the Republican Party of Samantra during the last two election cycles. He did it transparent, registering his donations and the new Republican administration rewarded him with the position of ambassador to Mktvartvelo. At 55 years of age with three children, four grandchildren and more than 30 million roubles/USD as net worth he felt more than accomplished in life and so he wanted a position that would bring him some prestige and being ambassador for the Holy Kingdom of Samantra was providing him just that.


Vlad Denisov and his wife Natasha at his inauguration party as ambassador to Mktvartvelo just a few months prior to the current meeting

He didn't get to pick the country and was a bit reluctant when he heard the offer for ambassador in a Midaranye country. The first thought was that his wife would not agree to come if things like hijab were mandatory. However, as the Samantran External Affairs ministry gave a quick briefing of the Mktvartvelo he was relieved the country proved to be much more moderate than the South of the region.

His mandate in the country was relatively modest in scope though Vlad didn't see it like that and was pleased with it. He was to take part in official events, let people know of Samantra, help the local business community if they wanted to invest in Samantra and develop ties with the local Orthodox Christian community in the country.

When news of the attack reached his office he didn't really know what to do so he immediately called Petrograd. And Petrograd immediately helped by writing a statement for him and explained that while the incident was minor it was in the Samantran national interest that it be given overexposure and so it was described by the Samatran side as terrorist. That way the Samantran government could claim at home that it was taking a stand to protect Orthodox Christians all over Mundus and also start building a reputation on the Mundus stage that Samantra was a protector of Orthodox Christians.

So Vlad felt that he was in a bit over his head with the whole incident but it was something he couldn't back out of now. He and his wife were dressed formally and were ready for the trip.

"I guess I'll make the best of it" he said to himself as he made his way together with his wife to the car of Mktvartvelo’s Ministry of National Defense.

Once he got to the car of the guests, he presented himself and his wife. He never had a passion for foreign languages and he only spoke Rodinian (OOC: Samantra uses Rodinian/Russian as the native language) but luckily his wife spoke perfect Latin(ooc: I use Latin aka Ardian as one of the lingua francas of Mundus, if that’s not ok just assume English) and could translate for him. After they finished their greetings and presentations during which they both were formal and friendly, Vlad asked Vazha:

“Are we ready to go or do we need anything else?” he asked.

OOC: I had no idea if you wanted them to go in the car with Vazha or use a separate vehicle so I left it open so you can choose.

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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #2 on: January 14, 2022, 05:43:00 PM »
Vazha Virsaladze, who had been Director of the North-Western Region for 18 months, greeted the ambassador with courtesy. He had recently coincided with Valeri Kuzmin in Revana, even if they only shared a few moments during their world's fair ball. There were not high expectations regarding relations with Samantra, of course, but Vazha was hoping to end this unexpected event with a convenient outcome.

"Nice to meet you, ambassador", Vazha told as he introduced himself to Vlad Denisov.

"Yes, we are ready", Vazha replied. "I hope our car is spacious enough", he said, as he invited them to enter in the 6-seat vehicle. "However, don't worry as we won't be long inside".

As they entered to the car, they probably realized there was a woman in her mid-20s, wearing a blue coat uniform. "I introduce you to Lieutenant Shvelidze", Vazha said, as he sat down along her, in front of the ambassador and his wife. "She will accompany us in this travel".

"Good morning", said Tinatin, who was fluent in Rodinian.

They could realize that Vazha was not really lying, as the car reached his destination barely five minutes later. After entering the underground parking of one of Ktsatskuri's main train stations. A few guards were awaiting Vazha, Tinatin, and their two foreign guests.

"Mr. Virsaladze, I suppose?", a member of the staff said as they arrived. They entered in the building, escorted by two guards and, after crossing some small tunnel, they arrived to a room where there was only one elevator on one side and an emergency exit at the other. The elevator left them directly to the platform of the train station. When they arrived, all the passengers had already entered to the train, and the train doors had already closed.

"I'm afraid that our destination hasn't the best connections with the nearest airport, I hope you don't mind about our mean of transport", Vazha told the ambassador. "We'll be in our destination in a few hours anyway".

They were invited to enter into the only wagon which remained its door open. The whole wagon, a first class one, was empty, as it had been reserved for them. A member of the staff invited them to sit down.

"Have you been beyond Ktsatskuri and Azavrelia, ambassador?", Vazha asked them.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen", a stewardess interrupted them before the ambassador could reply, "would you like anything? A coffee, a drink, or anything else?". Tinatin translated her words from Mktvartvelian to Rodinian.


« Last Edit: January 17, 2022, 08:06:53 PM by paralipomena »

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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #3 on: January 16, 2022, 06:54:04 PM »
The fact that the hosts brought someone who spoke Rodinian was something Vlad greatly appreciated and interpreted as a sign of courtesy. Natasha was a bit surprised to see that Mktvartvelo would put women at risk in a job as risky as military but figured they only allowed women in non-combat roles such as translators. As a Samantran that was still more than she felt comfortable with but she knew that MidAranye countries had a tendency to disrespect women so she was prepared for such cultural differences.

Vlad and Natasha appreciated the courtesy of the hosts who expressed concerns about the size of the car or the fact they would be taking a train. They both said that it was more than fine and they were not lying. They both didn’t travel much outside of Samantra and never beyond the Rodinian Sea so they were a bit curious and appreciated a trip by train. Natasha said to herself “it would seem the famous MidAranye hospitality is true”.

“Coffee for me and Natasha, please” Vlad said.

“I haven’t had a chance to visit much outside of Ktsatskuri. In a way I am glad that we took the train, it gives me a chance to get a glimpse of your country. As you probably know I haven’t been ambassador for very long and I am still getting a hang of it but I have plans regarding this. I want to learn as much as possible about the country, things that you cannot find out unless you talk to people and visit places”.

After Vlad finised, Natasha continued: “We might have been here only a short time but we already appreciate the hospitality of your people. Everywhere we went; people were kind and willing to help. If you don’t mind me asking” she turned to Tinatin ”Your Rodinian is perfect, even the accent is spot on. How have you come to learn the language?” Natasha was genuinely intrigued since judging by the name then young woman didn’t seem to be connected to the East Aranye region.     

As the conversation continued Vlad and Natasha gave quick glances at the window trying to see a bit of the country. When the conversation dialed down a bit, Vlad asked Vazha:

“What can you tell me about town of Mtrulumi? How is the community?”

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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #4 on: January 17, 2022, 09:15:44 PM »

"Here you have, we wish you enjoy it", the stewardess said to Samatran couple as she came back with the order. The coffees were as the usual Mktvartvelo's way, rather creamy and with extra sugar.

"Of course", Vazha said to Vlad, "it's only natural. I hope you'll be able to know our country and our people at least as well as it deserves. We hope you enjoy your stay in our nation".

"Thanks, you are very kind", Tinatin replied to Natasha. "Oh, it's nothing special", she explained. "In our country, it's compulsory in most cases to speak two to three foreign languages, having fluency in at least one of those, to join either the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Ministry of National Defense". She did not mention that, in order to join the Ministry of Foreign Affairs it was also compulsory to do the military service (in case of women), or four extra years of military service (in the case of men), as she assumed that was quite common knowledge or, in case of the contrary, to lead to some potentially confusing explanations for a foreigner. As a single woman, however, she had had other motivations to join the armed forces, of course.

"I don't know very well this area", Vazha then answered, "as my family is from central Mktvartvelo", he said using "family" in the Mktvartvelian way when talking to foreigners. "But my own wife is from a nearby province", he continued. "While I haven't been personally in this town, it is quite similar than many other towns of the region, according as what I'm being told and I heard. It has about 50,000 inhabitants, so it's barely one of the 100th most populated towns of our country. It lacks many of the luxuries of our capital city or Azavrelia, of course, but this kind of towns are calm and such sad incidents are quite rare".

"As about the community", he continued, "as you have probably been informed, there aren't many Christian communities in this part of our country, I imagine for historical reasons. Many probably came in recent decades, so I assume you shouldn't have problem to communicate with them in your own language".

"Oh", Vazha added some time after, "I believe we have already crossed the Siskhliani Line. It is as how we call in our country that territory which could be only recovered after the proclamation of the Unitary State of Mktvartvelo, in 1704, unless the rest of the country", he explained. "That means that we should arrive to our destination quite soon".




 

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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #5 on: January 22, 2022, 09:34:31 PM »
“The coffee is excellent. Is this a local brand or an import?” Vlad asked.

“I am so glad so glad our External Affairs Ministry doesn’t have this requirement or I wouldn’t be here” Vlad said in an attempt to make a joke and create a good atmosphere. His wife Natasha smiling at the joke.

“Good, I look forward to see the town” Vlad said in reference to being close to their destination though in reality he was a bit nervous about meeting victims of the attack. He decided to ask the server for another coffee in the hope that will help with his nerves.

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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #6 on: January 23, 2022, 06:07:41 PM »

"The grains are likely imported, of course", Vazha replied, "although it is probably prepared in our traditional way, in which every cup of coffee is prepared through an individual pot".

Vazha smiled, cheerfully with a slow and long but slightly motionless smile, at Vlad's comment.

"It looks like we're arriving", Vazha said some minutes later. As the doors opened and they left the train, they could see that not many people had remained in the train, and only half a dozen of people had descended in Mtrulumi train station.

"The hospital is actually outside the town, technically", Vazha explained. "So we'll continue our way by road. It's not too far but it could take us a few minutes".

Two cars were awaiting them. This time they were a more conventional model, although same colour.

"Mr. Chelnokidze, I suppose?", Vazha asked.

"Welcome, Mr. Virsaladze", the man replied. "You arrived quite in time. The hospital is in the northern district of the town, so it may take us about half a hour".

The Samantra guests were invited to enter in one of the cars, along Tinatin. The two Mktvartvelian men followed them in the other car.

The road that led to the hospital was mostly a straight line, and although the distance was not long, the road was not in its best conditions.

The two cars passed next to a large blue building, probably the largest building the saw through their way.

"It seems someone important has arrived", Merab, who was finishing his cigarette, said.

Sofiko shrugged. "Shota has called. They have the results about what was found last night", she said.

"Alright", Merab replied. "Let's take it easy. We'll be there in half a hour".



Doctor Guram Eristavi was awaiting them in the hospital.

"Good morning!", Guram said. "The patients are in the second floor. Come with me".

"I'm afraid, you can only stay with the patients a hour in total", Guram explained as they were awaiting the elevator. "The relatives consented with your visit, but we can not offer you more time for the well-being of all the patients and the rules of our hospital. I hope you understand".

"Were some patients discharged, is that right?", Vazha asked.

"That's right", Guram replied, "two patients returned with the families".

"You can visit all patients except one", Guram added looking at the Samantran couple. "The patient swallowed too much smoke, and his lungs have not responded well. He required assisted ventilation. While he was regained consciousness, any disturbance could be highly negative. The prediction is positive, although it may take a longer time to recover. The rest of patients have a more optimistic situation, and they could be discharged soon, with no exception. They make need some physical and mental recovery back at home, of course, but they will be able to continue with their lives soon, we hope".As he talked, they had already arrived to the first of the rooms.


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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #7 on: January 27, 2022, 06:17:55 PM »
The ambassador and his wife were a bit nervous when entering the hospital;  they expected poor conditions probably because the Clysperi civil war created the impression on many Samantrans that the whole MidAranye region was seriously lacking in healthcare facilities. So when they saw that the hospital’s conditions were adequate that eased their fears.

“Thank you so much Doctor Eristavi. I hope our visit does not inconvenience the staff. We’ll make sure to stay within the time limit, after all we are here for the wellbeing of the patients. Please let me know if there is anything we can do for the patient on assisted ventilation. “ Vlad told the doctor.

Natasha couldn't help but think of what kind of individual could do such a heinous act and further cemented her belief that MidAranye countries were unstable.
 
As they reached the first room Vlad discreetly checked his tie knot before going in. It was a habit he had longed developed and he did it mechanically each time he was under stress.

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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #8 on: February 07, 2022, 06:16:33 PM »

"Mrs. Remishvili wil accompany you in your visit", Guram said as they arrived to the second floor. "As I have an important procedure to attend. I hope you understand".

"Greetings", Manana said, wearing the distinctive clothing of a resident doctor. "Good morning, doctor. I'll see you later".

"You can follow me, if you pleaase", she added with a smile, this time looking at the visitors".

They advanced through the hall until they turned to the right. "We have arrived", Manana said.

"How are you today, boys", she said as she entered the first room. As they entered, they saw two teen boys in their beds, and another hidden bed at one of the corners of the room. "While they suffered burnings on the skins, they are recovering and they will be discharged soon so they can recovered at home", she explained. "Unfortunately, the third child breathed too much smoke and his lungs required artificial assistance. While he is already conscious, I recommend not to disturb him too much".

They moved to a second room, where there was a woman, likely in her 60s or 70s, lying on her bed. She was conscious although she required oxygen.

They followed Manana to the room in front of the one they had just visited. They was a man lying on his bed, with a woman next to him. At the other bed in the room there was a boy, who seemed more bored than ill.

"Good morning...", Manana quietly said. The men and woman were husband and wife. The men suffered respiratory assistance, although he was conscious and looked directly to the eye to the visitors where they entered the room. The woman, sat in a chair in front of her husband, looked visibly tired.

"Luka had only very superficial burnings and I believe he's feeling better now, isn't it?", Manana said. The boy simply nodded. "However, he broke his ankle so that will take a bit longer to fully recover. Mr. Fesak had a much worse condition, but his evoution is positive".

"I'm afraid we haven't too much time in this case", Manana explained, "as Lela, the psycologist will likely come for a visit in about a few minutes".

Then, they arrived to the last room, where they was a man and a woman lying in their beds. The man still required assisted ventilation, while the woman had her neck and face almost completely covered by bandages.

"Mr. Popel is required positively", Manana explained, "although he may still need some time to be recovered".

"How are you feeling today, Mariam", she asked as they approached the woman's bed.

"I'm better...so far", the patient replied, with a slightly indifferent voice. Compared to other patients, her accent sounded quite different, as she was the only native Mktvartvelian speaker of all the patients.

"Mrs. Gegelia suffered some important burning on the superior part of the body, including the head...", Manana explained. "However, no vital organ was affected so we're optimist about her physical recovery".

"I only wish to come back home", the patient complained. "My husband has barely time to visit me".

"I understand", Manana replied. "We hope that you will be discharged sooner than later, but you still need some time so we can take care of you properly. We'll do our best, as you know".

"By the way", she added, "I introduce you Mr...Denisov, the Samantra ambassador, but we can leave if you wish so, as we talked before".

"Oh, it's fine", Mariam said. "I almost forgot about it. It's a pleasure, mr. ambassador. You don't expect many diplomats in this part of our country I guess".


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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #9 on: February 13, 2022, 08:35:49 AM »
Both Vlad and Natasha were pleased that the patients were well taken care of and Vlad would make sure to mention that in his report to Petrograd. Natasha was deeply affected as they visited the patients, she couldn’t help think of her children and how she would react if something like that happened while they went to church.

“Mrs. Gegelia, it’s a pleasure” Vlad said as he gave a short bow as opposed to kissing her hand as it was customary in Samantra. He figured that such an approach was not the best in a hospital setting.

“I wish I could have made the visit under different conditions. This is my lovely wife Natasha.” He added introducing his wife.

“How are you feeling? I am not asking physically as I am sure the medical staff here does their best. “ he said wanting to know if she feels safe in her community but didn’t expressly mention it as to not offend the hoasts.

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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #10 on: February 14, 2022, 10:11:26 PM »

Mariam patiently waited that Tinatin finished her translation, as she was not fluent in Rus' languages.

"Nice to meet you", Mariam replied. "I would have prefered that you had seen me in different circumstances, of course...".

"I would just like to leave behind all this", she continued, "return home, and move forward. We're not asking much, we want to continue our lives, peacefully".

Mariam was not sure if that's what the ambassador expected, but she was not used for a conversation like this. Until now, she had thought about the situation in almost purely personal terms, but Vlad's words had the opposite effect, making her thinking about the future of the community.

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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #11 on: February 16, 2022, 06:25:08 PM »
“I am here to make sure that the community does just that “Vlad said in reference to them returning to normal. “We will work with the local authorities as well as the government and make sure that happens. You are not alone in this; millions of Samantrans pray for you and stand by you. What happened here has not gone unnoticed and all good people, regardless of faith, are appalled and understand that something like this could happen to any of us. 

I know we hardly met and we don’t really have a lot of time but I want to call the embassy if there is any issue” as he said that Vlad gave him his business card.

Natasha intervened: “If I may, I also want you to have this” she said opening her purse and taking out a small painted icon of the Virgin Mary. “I noticed you don’t have one here. It will bring you luck” she said smiling as she handed it over to Miriam.

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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #12 on: February 17, 2022, 12:06:08 AM »

"To be honest", Mariam replied, "I don't think we expected such thing, but thank you", she added as she was not sure what to answer. "I'm sure you'll be on our prayers as well".

Tinatin and Vazha observed as Natasha offered the icon to Mariam. Of course, Tinatin had seen those during one of her travels in Rus' lands. Vazha had heard about them as well, although he observed the scene with more distance, although he was not entirely sure which kind of real value such objects may have for believers.

"Thanks!", Mariam said to Natasha looking at the icon, "much appreciated. God bless you".

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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #13 on: February 19, 2022, 07:06:11 PM »
"To be honest", Mariam replied, "I don't think we expected such thing, but thank you"

“I can understand why. Our communities have had little interaction. Samantra went through a period of isolation but that is changing. Mundus is too small for us to stay separate in our corners and we have to stick together. I hope that one day you and your husband will visit Samantra. It’s a country worth visiting and if I may brag a bit I will say we have some beautiful churches“ Vlad saying trying to get the conversation going and be friendly.

“If I may ask, what is it that you and your husband do for work? Do you work in town?”

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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #14 on: February 19, 2022, 09:01:19 PM »

"Oh", Mariam replied, "to be honest, I have never left Mktvartvelo, but I'm sure that's the case and your nation is a very special and unique place, indeed".

"My husband's ancestors came from Nisavia, and we have some members that came from Samantra", she explained. "Although it's not something they often talk about in our community. Most of us haven't had the chance to travel abroad, for a reason or another".

"I'm a housewife and my husband is a carpenter", Mariam answered. "Most of his customers are members of the community, indeed. We live nearby our church, in the lands owned by our deacon".

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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #15 on: February 20, 2022, 05:14:14 PM »
“You have never left Mktvartvelo? We must change that” Vlad said in a friendly manner “ How about you and your husband come by our house in Samantra sometime in the future? Natasha will prepare something good for you to eat and I will make sure all travel arrangements won't cost you anything ” he looked at Natasha who realized that Vlad didn’t ask anything about their children and maybe came out too strong so she said intervened “If you’d like that of course. I don’t think you mentioned. Do you have children? “

“And bring the children too. We have a big house but we’re empty nesters now. All three of our children are now on their own. They hardly call anymore” Vlad resumed.

“They hardly call you because you’re always busy” retorted Natasha in a joyful manner.

Natasha then continued addressing Miriam “Vlad is right, we’d love for you to come. Maybe we can even visit the area where your family members are from.”

Vlad thought about whether to ask about dropping by the place sometime in the future but even he realized that might be too much for Miriam so he said:

“If we have time we might visit the local church. We don’t know yet” he said looking at the time and realizing they had spent a bit of time with Miriam and didn’t want to overstay their welcome. He waited to see what Miriam had to say and he was prepared to say his goodbyes and move on with their schedule.

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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #16 on: February 21, 2022, 02:32:10 PM »

"Oh", Mariam replied, who did not expect such an offer, "that's very kind, thanks for your offer. It would be a honour to witness the wonders of your nation, of course, although I'm not sure if we would be able to do so soon for obvious reasons. Besides that, my husband is not a citizen so not sure if he would be able to do so".

Mariam looked at Vazha, as she was not sure if she was talking too much. "Indeed", Mariam continued, "we have three children".

"Our community is rather modest", Mariam replied, "but I wish you success in your endeavors in our town, I hope your visit will be productive enough".

"I'm sure you will have enough time to know the place, ambassador", Vazha said with a smile, "although I feel that, unfortunately, our time here may be running out", he added while almost casually looking at his watch. Although he had listened carefully and calmly the conversation between the ambassador and the patient, he was slightly surprised by the turn of the conversation. "But I can imagine you and your wife would enjoy a break for a lunch, before we visit the community as your embassy asked".


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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #17 on: February 22, 2022, 07:04:49 PM »
Vlad and Natasha said their goodbyes to Mariam and wished her good health.

“I think taking a break for lunch is great idea, don’t you agree Natasha?”

Natasha nodded in agreement.

Vlad was not that hungry but taking a break and maybe exchanging some thoughts with Vazha sounded like a good idea. The visit to the hospital was a bit taxing for him. When he was named ambassador he expected to be doing mostly courtesy visits, attending conferences and various social events. Visiting people that went through such suffering was not something he expected he would and he realized again how fortunate he was to had been born in Samantra.

“So where should we go Mr. Virsaladze to get something to eat?”   

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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #18 on: February 23, 2022, 03:12:01 PM »

"We have reserved a table in a restaurant", Vazha explained. "I hope you don't mind, ambassador".

Once they left the hospital, their cars took them toward the northern district of the town. They stopped in front of the town council. There, the ambassador was introduced to Mr. Ivanishvili, the mayor of Mtrulumi.

"Nice to meet you, ambassador", the mayor said. "I'd like that you'd have visited our town in happier circumstances, of course. But if you need anything during your stay here, let me know".

"We asked the office of the town council about a suitable place for a lunch", Vazha told the ambassador. "And I supposed you may be interested to ask a few questions to the local authorities, even if in a casual atmosphere, of course".

"The restaurant is not far from here", the mayor told them. "Oh, that's my car. Just follow us". Vazha nodded as they returned to the cars.

The restaurant, a three-floor white building, with a few terraces and a garden, along as a wide parking lot, was in the northwestern area of the town, almost on the banks of the local river. They were welcomed by a man who looked to be more than a simple waiter.

"Follow me, please", the man said. They follow him to the third floor of the building. There were a half dozen of tables, all of them empty. "During the week, we haven't that many customers as we do at dinner or in the weekends", he explained, although the truth was that the ministry had reserved the whole floor just in case. They were invited into a larger table, with had along a wide and larger windows.

"You can see the Mtsvane Hills from here, the days it's not that cloudy the view is much clearer, of course", the man explained. "And there, one the left, it is our local temple, of course".

"A beautiful place", the mayor said, "it has an important connection with our town, of course".

"Indeed", he replied. "What would you like to drink? We recommend either the local wine or a wine we brought from Samtrisi".

"I'd have a glass of Samtrisi's, please", the mayor suggested. "But I suggest our guests to try the local one. Not my favourite, but it's have some reputation in our region and it's done in the traditional way, of course". Tinatin instead, asked for a bottle of water.

"A Meskheti?", the man asked.

"Indeed", Tinatin replied.

"I'd recommend you to ask the second daily fixed menu", Vazha told the Samantran guests, "unless you have another preference. It is more adapted to the national taste but quite simpled and varied".

"After the lunch", Vazha continued, "unless if you prefer to rest before that, we can go directly and visit the community as you asked for".


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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #19 on: March 12, 2022, 07:05:58 PM »
OOC: I apologize for the late reply.

The ambassador and his wife appreciated the hospitality of the local mayor and made sure to express it when they met.

Both Samantran guests listened to the advice of their hosts and ordered a local wine which they enjoyed and they also ordered second daily fixed menu.

The Samantran ambassador assumed the temple mentioned by the mayor belonged to the Order of Simartlea. He knew a bit about the native religion of Mktvartvelo but not as much as he would like to know.

“The temple is indeed beautiful from what I can see. Is quite old am I right?” Vlad said assuming that in their small town, the temple functioned much like a church in Samantran towns, by that he meant they were the landmark of the town.

Vlad decided to cut to the chase and asked Mr. Ivanishvili about the whole incident:

“Allow me to praise the medical staff of your town for the dedication with which they treated the wounded. I have no doubt that the excellent medical facilities are also due to the good stewardship of this town by you, Mr. Ivanishvili” Vlad said.

“So allow me to ask you, how come in such a peaceful town with regular God fearing people could something like this happen? Is it out of town interference by other groups?” Vlad asked trying to get some answers from the mayor while he and his wife waited for their food.

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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #20 on: March 17, 2022, 04:08:02 PM »

"Actually", the mayor replied, "the temple is only a few centuries old. Certainly, not one of the oldest temples in our country...although it is still an important pilgrimage center, and particularly important for us, the people here. Religious festivities are very important in the social life of this countries, and they often are strongly associated to the temples. Although one may said that technically the temple is much more older, of course, as stones from a much older temple was used, so it is said, for its contruction, which was sadly destroyed during Abydos invasion of these lands".

"We are honoured to have one of the best hospitals of the region, indeed", he replied. "It is difficult to say", the mayor continued, "we have may face some challegences, of course, but our town is mostly peaceful. I have always tried to promote integration and understanding between all neighborhods, whatever differences they may have. We're a welcoming community, but sadly there may be people who do not undertand that everywhere. I have no clear answer, I am afraid, as we lack a final answer about this tragedy, this awful attack...We have to let the police and the judiciary to do their job, so the attackers are punished by the weight of the law. In the meantime, we, the authorities, will have to work hard to raise awareness and promote a better understanding of all communities that inhabites our town".

"This is being an excellent and long meal", Vazha added as the desserts were served.

"Indeed", the mayor said, "I'm afraid that I must leave soon, as I have some duties to attend this evening. I hope you understand".


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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #21 on: March 18, 2022, 10:36:14 PM »
“A few centuries old? That is impressive. We rarely have churches that are that old. We have had many turbulent periods in the past and that has left us with few churches of the past. “

Vlad did not get the info he wanted regarding the attack. He suspected the mayor knew a lot more than he shared but he didn’t blame him for not wanting to say more. They had never met before and the nation he represented, Samantra, had no major connections with the host country. He was a stranger from a distant country. So he did his best to at least not cause offense:

“I understand. It’s a difficult time for the community and it’s unfair to get so much publicly for a tragedy such as this when the community has much more to offer and to show. Of course we will wait for the proper authorities to get some answers” he said trying to sound convincing but didn’t believe that was the best course of action. Vlad was sure that speculation among the community as to the attack will take root if people waited on the police and the rest but it was not up to him. “Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. It’s a local matter I understand but if you think of something, let me know.” 

“I agree” Vlad said to Vazha while Natasha nodded in agreement. “It’s an excellent meal, we were right to trust you with your recommendation”.

Vlad and Natasha stood up in a sign of respect as the mayor expressed his intent to leave. They said goodbye to him before returning to their desserts.

“Please tell me, is the police and judiciary that was mentioned before local as in under the authority of the mayor or is regional or even national?” Vlad asked Vazha. He asked in the hope that he, an ex Director of the North-Western Region, would know more about the case.

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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #22 on: March 20, 2022, 03:39:51 PM »

The mayor tried to give Vlad enough assurances that they did not lack funds and will to offer the community, while opening the door to cooperation and dialogue with the embassy in case of need.

"Our judiciary is independent and mostly decentralized", Vazha explained, slightly surprised by the question. "However, law enforcement is mostly managed at a provincial and regional level in our country, therefore not under the authority of the mayor or local council, although there is still some communication and coordination between police authorities and mayors, of course".

Once they have finished, following a break, looked at his watch. "We have available a room in a nearby hotel, if you preferred to rest a bit. In either case, we can visit members of the community, as your embassy requested, before we end our journey".

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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #23 on: March 21, 2022, 06:11:30 PM »
Since Vazha was the ex director of the North-Western Region and thus had at one time the police under his authority he decided to ask: “In your opinion how long will it take until we have a preliminary report or anything released to be public that gives a picture of what happened and maybe who was the likely perpetrator? I understand each case is different by maybe you can give me a rough estimate? “ asked Vlad.

“I think we are tired but not so tired that we can’t go forward to visit the members of the community. Am I right dear? “ he asked his wife Natasha who nodded in agreement and both of them got ready to leave the restaurant. 

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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #24 on: March 27, 2022, 11:48:14 AM »

Vazha felt there was an obvious but unclear misunderstanding, although he tried to answer Vlad's question in a precise but safe way: "It's difficult to say. Obviously, the investigation shall remain under secrecy for legal and practical purposes. It must remain that way until one or several suspects are arrested or identified. That may take hours, hopefully, days or even weeks. It's difficult to tell. In either case, we will remain in contact in case the case interests your embassy from a legal point of view".

Then, they continued their travel which was not too long, despite the car seemed to go on a long circle. "It is not far", the driver explained, "but this is the only direct way without leaving the town".

The car turned left and, after passing a small petrol station, it suddenly stopped where the road turned into a poth-holed path. "I'm afraid that I have to stop here. You'll need to walk a bit, but it's up there if you follow the path.

"Thanks", Vazha said. They could observe that the path went up toward a small hill, which was in a wide terrain that, in some way, formed a wedge with the rest of the town. They did not walk long after the way stopped to go uphill, so they could observe a long greenish and esplanade, where the town had continued to develop on the left and right sides of the place, but it somehow stopped to do in the area immediately north to the esplanade. They could see at a distance there was some kind of building in the middle.

The esplanade was relatively crowded, with children running and playing, along with small groups of women, children, and teenagers, who seemed to be either painting or cleaning some kind of icons, chairs, and other pieces of wood and steel. Groups of men talking could be seen talking, many of them observing them at a distance.

"Oh", a man, who was wearing more distinctive clothing, said, approached them. "You must be Mr. Virsaladze. Nice to mee you, my name is Gocha Bakaadze, the mayor told me that you enjoyed your meal. I was awaiting you".

Tinatin explained the ambassador and his wife that Mr. Bakaadze was also a representative from the local government. "You must be the Samantran diplomats", Gocha said, "nice to meet you as well. I hope you felt welcomed in our town".

"I will introduce you the deacon of the community", Gocha said. "I believe I just saw him around here a few minutes ago. If I'm not wrong, he's one of the earliest members of the community, so you may find his company interesting".

They approached to a man who was talking with a small group of old women.

"I see you have arrived", the man said, after apologizing to the women. "My name is Izyaslav, nice to meet you".







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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #25 on: April 02, 2022, 01:05:13 PM »
Vlad was not convinced by Vazha’s answer and was sure he was being purposely stonewalled. He made a mental note to report to Petrograd that he suspected that the authorities probably knew a lot more but were keeping the information secret. For now, Vlad was content to reply with just:

“Yes, obviously.”

For Natasha Vazha’s answer only confirmed that Mktvartvelo was a typical MidAranye nation, a sort of Tamora light, that favored secrecy in government over transparency.

Natasha  was not too pleased she had to walk, her shoes were for formal occasions and not only were they uncomfortable for long walks she also feared thy might be ruined. “What is it with MidAranye that they infrastructure looks like it’s been though a civil war?” she thought to herself.

For his part Vlad didn’t mind the walk and didn’t see anything out of the ordinary with the poth-holed path. He had seen worse in Samantra during his travels.  Once he reached esplanade he was pleased to see a healthy community of people and not people living in fear.

“Good evening Father Deacon” said Vlad and Natasha. Since Izyaslav was not a priest Natasha did not attempt to kiss his hand as the tradition was back in Samantra. Vlad proceeded to formally introduce themselves despite the fact that it was obvious the man knew who they were.

“Mr. Virsaladze has been an excellent and very patient host and has brought us all the way to this little corner of heaven. The scenery is beautiful Father Deacon and the community seems to be vibrant” said Vlad trying to make conversation before asking questions.

 “It’s been a terrible tragedy what has happened but I have confidence that the authorities are doing everything they can to get to the bottom of things. Mr. Virsaladze has been patient in explaining a bit about the local process with such matters like investigation. It’s a bit different than what we are used to but results are what matter in the end. “

“I also like to bring to you a message of solidarity from the people of Samantra. I can tell you that the news of tragedy has reached many households in Samantra. We have many parishes praying for the wounded and for the community to find the strength to move on. “

“Tell me Father Deacon how are things in the community? “ 

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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #26 on: April 10, 2022, 07:32:58 PM »

"Nice to meet you", Izyaslav replied. "Are you leaving, Mr. Bakaadze?", he asked.

"Indeed", Gocha answered, "I got the information I was expected. But I need to back to the town council. I wish you a nice weekend".

"Thanks", Izyalav replied. "Nice to meet you as well, Mr. Virsaladze", he said once he was introduced to the other two Mktvartvelian guests. He said without losing his gentle smile, although he would have preferred to continue his conversation with the Samatran visitors in private, of course.

"We're as honoured as surprised for your visit, as you can understand", Izyaslav continued. "We don't receive many visits, in this town, in our community, from diplomats or important government officials. I would have preferred that such visit was in happier circumstances, as you can understand. I had no doubts, of course, that the hearts and prayers of our brothers in Samantra, in case they heard about our misfortune, would be with us, but it is something unprecedent for this community in these distant region".

"I hope that justice is served as well", Izyaslav replied. "For now, we can only wait and continue with our duties and our lives. The community is certainly worried and shocked, but I feel they have the strength required to continue. Ours, it can be said, it is a relatively unique community, if I'm allowed to say, at least compared to other Christian communities in this country. Many have security concerns after such incident, of course, but I hope and it is certainly the wish of the majority to continue with their lives as calmly and peacefully as possible and as soon as possible. But thank you again for your interest, good wishes and prayers".

"We hope that you will return with a positive impression of our modest community", he added.




I had no doubts, of course, that our brothers

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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #27 on: April 12, 2022, 06:54:59 PM »
“Excuse me Father Deacon, I have travelled a bit today and I am a bit tired. I do not think I understand what you mean by unique. What makes your community different?” Vlad asked curious.

“Is there anything we can do to help, Father Deacon? Anything at all?”

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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #28 on: April 20, 2022, 11:25:24 PM »

"Our community is quite different to the Christian churches in general or our Orthodox Christian brothers in Azavrelia, Ktsatskuri or, of course, Albrektberg", Izyaslav explained. "I have no idea how much are you familiarized about Christianity in this country, of course, and some of our brothers in those places may feel ours may be quite loose, from an ecclesiastical point of view. I can imagine that's difficult to understand, ambassador, but a Christian life can feel a bit empty, in a nation where Christianity is very often barely an unnoticed minority, and they live isolated from each others, except when they go to mass and rarer religious events".

"That doesn't mean that our brothers haven't a vibrant community in those places", he continued, "as I have witnessed myself in the past. However, some prefer to join communities as ours, when they can pursuit a more Christian life and support each other. Our community may be humble and young, relatively speaking, but most of us have found a stable and balanced existance in our diverse community. As myself, many of us are descendants from economic immigrants from your part of the continent, as well as others who escaped political conflicts in recent times. We welcome everyone, and we have a few what you may call natives who discovered themselves through the faith of Christ, of course".

"Our means are not vast, although it is not our needs are too many", Izyaslav replied. "Our main concerns are simply the material damage that the church suffered in the last attack. It may not be costly, but it has threatened to halt our activities, sadly. Both technicians and the authorities have warned us that, although the building was not seriously damaged, it may have caused a serious risk on the electric system. In any case, we hope to solve it soon, and continue with the life of the community as soon as it is possible".

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Re: An Orthodox Affair
« Reply #29 on: April 30, 2022, 05:23:40 PM »
Vlad listened carefully to what Izyaslav was saying about Christian life in Mktvartvelo. As an ambassador for Samantra the religious needs of Christians, even those not of the Orthodox faith, was a high priority on his agenda. What Izyaslav described was perhaps expected in a country where Christianity was a small minority. Still once he would return to the capital of Mktvartvelo he wanted to discuss more at length with the government back home what could be done to address at least in part some of those issues.

“You make a fine point, Father Deacon, I believe not many of us in Samantra understand the perspective of being a religious minority.”

“Will you do me a favor Father Deacon? Easter is fast approaching (ooc: although when we started the thread Christmas on the 7th of January had just passed  :) It was a long trip, ok? ), would you allow us, the Christians of Samantra, to pay for the repairs as a gift to your community?”

“What you have said got me thinking, Father Deacon. We Christians, not to mention Orthodox Christians, are a relatively small minority in Mundus. We should engage more, our friends in Zaporozh have developed a reputation in our part of Mundus thanks to their Church Youth League which sees their youth engage and participate in various activates across the country. As Samantra and  Zaporozh rediscover their bonds their model of church youth leagues is spreading in Samantra. There is even talk of a Pan Slavic youth league. Would you be willing to talk to the members of your community about setting up such a local organization in your community? What I hope will happen in the months and years that will follow is that youth from your community will travel and exchange experience with other Orthodox Christians from Mktvartvelo and the Christian Rus’ countries. I understand that your community is not rich, what I ask is to see if there is interest in your community for something like that and we will leave to the Lord and the solidarity of the brothers and sisters in Christ to handle financial matters.”


Vlad also made a mental note to report back to the Minister of External Affairs of Samantra and submit the proposal for the community here to be included in the President’s Easter message. He hoped that could happen if he moved fast enough.