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An Invitation To Our Global Neighbours
Nearly nineteen years ago my mother, the Saisei Empress, came before the community of nations to announce the success of the Anselmo Restoration and the banishment of the Federal Republic. In her times Rokkenjima had been "a nation in decay, a naval power in severe decline which could barely defend herself, a state of affairs which allowed pirates to lay waste to domestic and foreign shipping." She declared an end to that era and the dawn of an era anew, bringing into fruition the First Empire of Rokkenjima. At that time the Second Great Patriotic War was the greatest challenge Rokkenjima had faced and today, I find myself in a similar yet much different position she once held.
Following a series of circumstances which could have plunged Eastern Ardia into a most devastating war, one with the potential to have consequences far beyond our borders, it falls upon me to declare the end of an era and the birth of one anew; indeed, the reigns of my aunts represent an interregnum between the Saisei and Sutāraito Eras and the two share many things in common. When my mother approached the world the First Empire held few connections abroad, it was a fledgling nation upon the international stage and many things were in a state of disrepair. Today, while the First Empire may claim strength in her Navy and economy, an accumulation of diplomatic miscalculations and a reliance upon past glories resulted in an arrogance which has left Rokkenjima diplomatically deficient. While our sword may be strong, while we may be capable of raining down upon adversaries with firepower, a lone sword can always be broken against a multitude of blades; without something to defend, all while lacking those which that blade would seek to defend, such a sword may as well lay upon the ground broken and discarded. Whereas we once spoke to the world around us and forged cooperation and collaboration my predecessors have relied upon economic coercion, military might and hammers in the place of pens. The goodwill which was built up over several years of engaging with Mundus was squandered with the mentality that our way was the only right way, that we lived in a world which demanded we seek the next adversary, and that we could do absolutely no wrong, regardless of the issue before us.
My mother sought to restore the Imperial Rokkenjiman Navy, a worthy endeavour in its time and one which proved correct, yet I feel as though that path she embarked us upon, one which prioritized military might, has left us in the state we exist in today. Any nation fully reliant upon itself is doomed to a self-imposed isolation, for if we do not venture beyond our borders for new ideas, shared knowledge and a joint pursuit to forge a better Mundus for one and all, if we're left believing that our way is the only one which is true and just, any such nation cannot evolve and will find itself looking at a world that transcends beyond anything it could ever envision. Such a cycle, as we've seen in recent history, is not one which I will seek to emulate or perpetuate.
With this being stated I invite diplomats and ambassadors from across Mundus to establish, and re-establish, ties between the First Empire and our neighbours near and afar. I look forward to casting off the isolation which the arrogance of my predecessors allowed to manifest, to show that Rokkenjima is not a nation which is incapable of learning from past shortcomings, and to once again be a voice amongst a choir which seeks a better, more equitable and inclusive Mundus for all Peoples and Nations. I have planned a formal state dinner to be held within one weeks time and I invite all foreign diplomats and dignitaries to join me at my home, the Imperial Palace, and assure you that it will be well worth your energies and efforts. I am sure many of you are far more experienced than I am and I fully recognize that, I look forward to meeting you not only as a humble host but with the recognition of where to show deference and to know when to listen, instead of speaking. It is not lost upon me that I represent in myself a new generation of Rokkenjimans, those who wish to see Rokkenjima extend again the hand of friendship to the world, and to end this self-imposed isolation and work with those across the globe who wish for a better Mundus as we once truly did.
I look forward to welcoming both our friends and allies, and those who are presently on difficult terms with the First Empire, to this gathering to further our diplomatic engagement with the community of nations. Travel arrangements should be made through Pyrettania International Airport, after which ground transport will be provided to the Imperial Palace. Even those with whom we've had the most serious of disagreements with, perhaps especially so, I hope to welcome you to my home so that I may learn from you, hear your concerns, and work with you to establish a path forward which benefits our Nations and Peoples mutually.
I do not pretend I know what to expect of this message, in a way it is most certainly a message in a bottle, but I do hope I'm pleasantly surprised. With that I invite all of you to welcome this new Era with me, and to make each and every tomorrow which follows better than that which proceeded it.
Yours sincerely;
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Empress of the First Empire of Rokkenjima
OOC: I've been in a rut with Rokkenjima lately, so this will serve as a "soft reset" so to say for Rokkenjiman interactions with the broader community of nations. I do hope we can craft some amazing stories through this, and look forward to carrying on with this recaptured spark. :)
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Empress Sutaraito,
On the behalf of His Imperial Majesty, I wish to thank you for the invitation, and it is my most sincere hope that, in light of recent circumstances, it will serve to re-forge ties which were regrettably broken by the recent conflict, as well as by elements within both our governments which would seek to disrupt the peace which has otherwise fallen over East Ardia. However, I do regret that I must inform you that His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor, will not be able to attend this gathering, owing to his upcoming tour of Tsukishima and Hokuriku. In his stead, I, alongside Prince Etsuji and his son, Fumihiko, will attend as representatives of the Empire of Daitō. I look forwards to this new chapter in not merely the history of Rokkenjima, but of the world as a whole, and it is my wish that perhaps, though of course there may be misgivings towards such a move, we may be able to find some form of common ground from which we can build stronger ties than before.
Signed,
Sadazane Konishi, Prime Minister of Daitō
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It was a day to be remembered, and one which would go down in the books of history one way or another. The Empress was on station to receive her guests from across Mundus, she wouldn't have it any other way, if she couldn't invite them personally, she felt, she had no business speaking with them later on. The preparations had all been made ahead of this day, with due attention being paid to pomp and circumstance. Alternating along the way to the Imperial Palace each member of the Imperial Guard would hold flags, alternating, between the Imperial Rokkenjiman Flag and the standard of the Head of State/Government passing, switching at a notice of moments as the vehicles proceeded toward the Imperial Palace. At the end of this procession would be the Empress, ready to greet her guests and make them feel at home in hers, and she was present and ready for her duties.
"The Daitiojin are the first," would befall her right ear to which she nodded accordingly, preparing herself for an awkward encounter. After all, her predecessors had not left her an easy encounter, though she was confident in her skills and what she had learned abroad for this occasion. As their entourage approached she dare not lowered her head lower than theirs and, in a voice commanding of respect for one of her age, spake the following words. "Resected Prime Minister, Prince Etsuji, Fumihiko, welcome to the First Empire. I am humbled that you're the first I get to greet on this day, and may I convey personally my regrets for the loss of life between our nations and peoples. Such things, quite simply, should not happen and while I could say a thousand things in this moment, know that I regret deeply that our first meeting takes place after such irreplaceable losses. If there is anything beyond what I've already seen put into motion, please let me know. My heart broke a thousand times when I learned of the events of that day and, while I cannot bring the dead back to life, I promise I will do all that is possible in this life to atone for the sins of the previous government. That being said, as we await out pending guests, please join my staff for light refreshments." Looking to the Prime Minister directly she continued, "I may have a pedigree in Tytorian studies but Daito is a nation I've studied almost as closely, in many ways we're cousins too, I wish to see us embrace reconciliation over retribution. Let us tame together the worst impulses of our governments, let us see today as a chance to forge friendship"
She held out her hand to the Prime Minister for a handshake, casting a glare to the photographers to not take advantage of a genuine moment, at least for her. "Let us not repeat the mistakes which led us to this moment, and let the next time I shake your hand be one of mutual love," she concluded, uncertain if her motions would be returned mutually.
The next guest to arrive would be Ambassador Tamriko Akhvlediani of the Unitary State of Mktvartvelo, a nation with which the First Empire had not had broad interactions with in the past. This was a shame, at least the Empress thought, as she could recall lessons on a proactive Imperial Diplomatic Corps engaging with nations of all sizes with such vigor as to be the envy of foreign diplomatic services. In many ways she felt as though she was trying to make up for lost time, with a fair share of lament that opportunities had been left squandered for so long. Still, as the old saying went in some tongues, better late than never. The road not taken leaves opportunities never explored.
"Welcome to my home, Ambassador Akhvlediani. I certainly hope I do not waste your time today and I hope we may have a conversation later where I may learn more of your land and people. I must admit I know less than I would prefer about both, and am thankful for this opportunity to meet you today. Within you will be greeted with light refreshments, I have tried to reflect both a local and global palette, I trust there will be something to excite your tastebuds within as I greet all my guests today. It's important for me to do so personally as, just as you are all new to me in this capacity, I am new to you, and I expect we all have preconceived notions which will need to be cast away. Thank you again for joining me today."
Greeting Prime Minister Daniel Cleaver was an entirely different matter, with the Empress remembering the whole controversy over Jenka-Jenkinson, though she had to contain her excitement over seeing her father joining him. "Respected Prime Minister," she said with a smile she had less luck in containing, "thank you for accepting my invitation and allow me to apologize for the stir I caused, there's much I don't know still and I shouldn't have caused trouble where it need not be caused, I hope we can move beyond that together. If I may have a moment with the Crown Prince, please join the others for refreshments inside." Cleaver responded with a knowing nod, "Novice mistakes are to be expected but I understand you've grown beyond those days, as such I won't hold them against you."
"Empress Sutāraito, it is my honour..." Alexander would begin before finding himself struggling to stand against the impact of his daughters hug. "Screw diplomatic protocol, it's been too long," she said beaming with joy. "I know it's not Pyrena, but make yourself at home and know you're staying after the others have left. Also I had your TARDIS disassembled and moved over here when they were restoring the Imperial Palace so we can have some fun once the serious talks are out of the way. Mum never would let me play with it growing up but now that I'm Empress we're making up for lost time," she said with a playful wink.
"Definitely your mother's daughter," he would reply with a chuckle, "I wasn't miss your big debut for anything though, but I do think you're missing out on the network of tunnels in Pyrena though. Still, it's my favourite girl's big day and I know you'll make your mark. I'm so very proud of you and I love you," he said with a hug, before hugging her tighter. "This one's from your mother, she couldn't be here but she wished for me to send all her love nonetheless. Now then," he said, straightening his suit and tie, "wow them, this is your stage and we both have the utmost faith behind you." Smiling from ear to ear she nodded, "And then we play with the TARDIS after, yes?"
Alex sighed, "Yes, and I'll let you set the coordinates," he continued with a wink.
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Once her guests were assembled the Empress cleared her throat and struck a glass thrice with a utensil, "It humbles me that you could all join me here today as I accept the first guests to my new home. Some of us have not had a chance to meet yet, others we may have complicated histories with, yet by the time this meeting concludes I hope to count all of you as my friends. I recognize that it has been some time since Rokkenjima has opened her doors to the international community to this extent, previous Empress' had their own styles and while I won't judge them on that, it's not the manner in which I shall conduct business. I wish for all of you to know that my lines shall always be open, my door always open, so if there's something we need to discuss, do not ever hessitate to reach out, please."
"Today we find ourselves in the Imperial Palace, a structure which has stood the tests of time and survived the turbulent era of the Federal Republic. I look around this room and I see those more experienced than I am, yet I have an advantage in a way: I have a perspective that isn't trained by the same experiences as you all. Even amongst our friends, such as the Achkaerinese, your Empress cut her teeth alongside the Saisei Empress, and while we shall undoubtedly work together in the future our perspectives are from largely different worlds. I represent a generation of Rokkenjimans who wish to see the divisions of the past and present set aside for what is truly a shared, global community come together to address common challenges, not tinged by the failures of those most recent attempts to do so. Though again it has always been the position of Rokkenjima to see in tomorrow something which is better than the present, it's what has guided my had thus far and I think that body of work speaks for itself," she said as she looked to Konishi.
"It was not long before I took Chrysanthemum Throne that our nations were brought to war, a conflict neither of us asked for but one which those on each side had to fight with the ferocity as if our continued existence were on the line. Today, we find ourselves in the same room not as enemies, but as treatied partners, putting aside differences in our shared vision for a more peaceful and prosperous future between us. My reign is very much transformative, and for any who have wished for a reset button, I am open to any paths which see a better Mundus before us all, so take the opportunities to speak with me to their fullest advantage because I can promise I am not a continuation of the past, I'm not interested in what happened yesterday as much as I am interested in what will happen tomorrow, a year from now, ten years from now....you get the idea. Today is the day we all get a rare opportunity, to press the pause button, and reset the board so to speak. I hope we shall all be willing to bravely walk into that new tomorrow without preconceived notions from yesterday, for I can promise you, they are no longer relevant. The pages that follow today are ours to write, let us write something good and beautiful, yes?"
"Custom dictates that I state what I expect of this gathering before offering you the opportunity to do the same and, I believe, I already have: the chance for new tomorrows, better tomorrows, a Mundus that is better for all our Peoples as we put aside ego and embrace what makes all of us who, and what, we are and accept that's nothing wrong, that we may find strength in our diversities. So I ask of you all, why did you come here today? What is it which you seek? Let us begin there." As she sat and awaited the next speaker she could have been mistaken for sharing a moment of eye contact with Fumihiko, though her attention was diverted by Thomas placing a supportive hand on her back. She didn't know who would take her open invitation, but she awaited it with anticipation.
OOC: You can still show up, just assume you've been through the welcoming committee and are in line next to speak.