To:- The Sultan of Waddan

It has been brought to our attention that your nation is one which has been able to offer supplies of rare earth metals. As our nation is in the process of attempting to create larger scale industries it will be likely that in the future we will be in need of such materials. As such I would like to either visit your nation or host Waddanites in the Majestic Empire. I hope that by meeting face to face we can ascertain whether such materials can be made available to my people and if so find a mutually agreeable deal that both our nations may benefit from.

I hope that you will be able to agree to this meeting.

Best Regards

Dragon-Emperor Tielin II

For the first time in the Empire's history The Grand Council of the Majestic Empire has been given the sole responsibility of determining a policy for the nation. Having joined the Mundus Atomic Energy Agency and then tended to host the organisation Dragon-Emperor Tielin II was forced to deal with heavy criticism from Rokkenjima who among other things voiced concerns about the Empire's "potential capacity for human suffering". Much of the concerns stem from the Empire's stance on LGBTQ+ rights and treatment of workers. As such the Dragon-Emperor asked the Grand Council to make the decision and after deliberation the Council voted 11-4 in favour of leaving the organisation. The Head of the Grand Council is is Excellency High Councillor the Lord Kexing who explained the decision stating. "There has been a great insult dealt to us joining this organisation. To be considered to have capacity for human suffering when our nation has not, at least in many generations, done anything to purposely cause harm. Our recent history has been disruptive and under the guidance of the Council and Dragon-Priestess we did our best to guide the nation forward as best as we could. In his first hours as Dragon-Emperor we see His Majesty act with compassion and mercy. Had he followed traditional law of Lijiang under ascending the throne he would have had the three rebellious lords whose names we shall not speak, their wives and their whole families executed. His Imperial Majesty however allowed their wives to begin new lives only losing their noble titles, their daughters should have been beheaded yet one now now sits on the throne of the Empire as the Azure Queen, a second holds a place of high honour in the Golden Enclave and the third is beginning a new life outside of the Empire. I will admit I personally advised the Dragon-Emperor to decimate the families as the law requires and my advice was not followed as His Imperial Majesty believed carrying it out would lead to unjust actions. This is the actions of a man determined to change Lijiang and to be considered in the manner he has been is an insult to an honourable man and a nation which has committed no international crime. It is though my understanding that the former Imperial leaders of Rokkenjima, its former Emperor and Empress both have carried the shame of convictions connected to genocide, a true form of human suffering."

Other members of the Council however were disappointed with the result, namely High Lord Jiang Guangtai who had recently returned from a successful diplomatic visit to East Moreland. "When in Northfort I saw a modern vibrant city that had managed to hold in high esteem its own culture while allowing its citizens to live in comfort and harmony. It is my hope one day that Lijiang can be similar. For this to happen I have no doubt that we must modernise at every level. To do that we must be part of the World and to do that we must join organisations. It is my hope in the coming days to piece together our admission to the Cultural Exchange Treaty Organisation, a promise I have given King David of East Moreland. By being part of these organisations we can accelerate our growth and yet still retain our traditional heritage. The result today is disappointing, we have been unfoundedly insulted by Rokkenjima however the MAEA is more than them. I believe had more nations of that organisation spoken in our defence, not necessarily supporting our bid to host but in calling out the ill informed judgements made against us by a nation who has no government official even based in our nation, then perhaps I could have persuaded more to join us. We are a nation proud of our ways. Had the Empress taken time to ask questions then perhaps she would have been less insulting. Why for example does Lijiang have no minimum wage? The answer is because around 70% of our population would be classed as self-employed. They work the land in various ways to earn a living. That land is given to them by the Emperor in return for loyalty to the Empire and for payment of fair taxes. If a man grows much rice his tax that year increases, if the Two Dragons are unfavourable to him and his harvest is poor then he pays less taxes, and much of that tax is paid in produce which we as a nation sell. Just in the same manner I suspect Rokkenjima taxes its own citizens. The citizens keep what they grow, what they produce and they determine their prices and their buyers. This system is not perfect by any stretch but it has stood our nation in such a position that we are able to now utilise these taxes to boost things such as our oil industry. It had been my dream to see Lijiang modernise and to do that we need access to certain materials such as uranium and to technology such as for example CT scanners which utilise radioactive material. As the MAEA inevitably grows we need access to both these things, the material and the technology and so MAEA would facilitate this in a fair way. Now we will look to see whether the group does grow and if not we shall be forced to approach non-member nations for our needs when they arise and they shall now know we are forced into this non-MAEA market meaning it may be more expensive for us to do so. The MAEA was for me a must join organisation and I am sad to have lost today's debate."

High Lord Lian, the Dragon-Emperor's younger brother and acting as Ducal Regent for Prince Chun who is High Lord of Baoshan also spoke after saying. "I supported us joining when my brother signed us up. Seeing our treatment at the hands of those of this Old Order, either through their unfair words or lack of support means our position is untenable. It is clear we are not a nation one of the authors of this organisation wish to do business with and that therefore makes our position untenable."

As High Lord Jiang Guangtai explained earlier it is expected that the nation will seek to gain membership of the Cultural Exchange Treaty Organisation in the coming days. With this treaty having been penned by East Moreland and with a recent visit by High Lord Jiang Guangtai to that nation which successfully saw many works of art return to their homeland with others due to return to an opening of a new Cultural and Art Musuem it is hoped the transition into that organisation will be more successful. It is expected His Majesty King David of East Moreland will attend the opening of that Museum having a history of collecting Lijiangian Art.

The Majestic Empire is saddened that as the newest member of this organisation and having stated this is the first step along a road dedicated to two purposes, change within Lijiang and a more balanced world order, a senior member of that Order has sought to claim for themselves the prize of hosting a prestigious organisation such as the MAEA not upon the merits of its building and location but rather by attacking what it perceives as the character of one of its fellow members. Since becoming Dragon-Emperor there have been several opportunities for Rokkenjima, and other nations to interact with us and none of these opportunities have been utilised to comment upon our society. The Empresses words show a lack of understanding on the context of Lijiang and our history. In the short time since coming to the throne for example we have already ended the process of forced marriages of children and have been examining several other reforms. Ironically while we are considered unacceptable as hosts of this organisation on the grounds of "prohibition of gay and lesbian individuals from serving in the military or even having the right to marry, while sexual reassignment surgery remains illegal" Rokkenjima see's no problem with being in a military alliance and  sending it's future Empress to be educated in a nation that has same sex marriage constitutionally prohibited and doctors performing gender reassignment are subject to fines and possible jail terms. Seemingly it is permitted to be considered the closest ally of Rokkenjima and do these things but not offer an alternative to Rokkenjima hosting a HQ and do these things.  No context has been placed upon the fact that for 120 years our nation has essentially been rudderless and has already since the four months I have been Emperor made changes to our nation. In the coming months and years more reforms will be coming as we begin to work with other nations change is inevitable. One of my first speeches to the people of Lijiang spoke of their being need for reforms and as more people return to their ancestral homeland from other nations this is inevitable however 120 years is a lot of ground to make up. The fact that we are even considering the need for joining such an organisation as MAEA sends a message to our people that modernisation is coming. If we had have been granted the right to host its HQ that too would have sent a message to our people that the world is accepting of our Empire, our people and that we are part on an international community not a closed world any longer. 

If this is to be the state of international organisations where more fighting takes place over the location of a HQ than promoting the growth and positive contribution of such an organisation then Lijiang will be reconsidering whether membership is beneficial to either ourselves or the global community as clearly members of the MAEA at present can not be trusted to act in a manner of co-operation. Please expect a final decision on whether our membership is to continue and whether we withdraw our bid within the next 24 hours after I have consulted with our Grand Council.

Dragon-Emperor Tielin II

Having made a decision along with the Grand Council that it is necessary for the Majestic Empire to join MAEA as we look to begin a huge wave of modernisation. We wish this wave to be seen as being done ethically and responsibly. It is our ambition that within a decade our nation can be seen as an integral part of the international community. We however now have our concerns about this "community" within a few hours of joining this organisation we have witnessed two nations, former nuclear powers and supposedly allies, attacking each others bids to host a prestigious organisation. It is the duty of MAEA to be an organisation to support the safe and responsible use of nuclear energy for nations by the use of mutual respect and co-operation. Both Rokkenjima and Achkaerin represent what many would determine to be the "super-powers" of Mundus, a distinction earned by the fact they were one of three nations to develop nuclear weapons of mass destruction and in one case deploy them. It is their duty as founder members of this organisation to lead it through its development and ensure it fulfils its stated intent. This is not achieved by squabbling over where a HQ should be like bidding for a major sporting event as this is a far more significant decision.

With their clearly being now a need to have the established world order begin to shift to include more nations taking leading roles I believe an alternative to these "old powers" must be sought and as such will put forward a HQ based in Lijiang. This therefore gives the world an oppurtunity to show that nations may no longer rely on their glories of old in seeking a role in the international community nor will the world tolerate these nations using significant organisations as some kind of prestige football. With this in mind I will be utilising my powers as Dragon-Emperor to take the campus of the Fengtai Shūyuàn (OOC- Shūyuàn are large complexes used for education in traditional Lijiangian cultural subjects.). This institute is moving to a new purpose built campus in the next six months as I propose their former campus become the HQ of the MAEA


The location is around 5km west of the capital Fengtai and is was built in the 1920's and sits in a forest park. It utilises many significant aspects of ancient Lijiang construction utilising more modern materials. The complex is for example heated using a system similar to a hypocaust powered by biomass. As the complex sits among a woodland which is part of a managed forest it is sustainable in nature. The complex has dorms which house around 200 students and our intention is to convert these into rooms for 100 individuals meaning that people assigned to MAEA could live on site if they wished or utilise accomodation in Fengtai. With the site being a former school there are plenty of facilities on site for recreation, large scale meetings, use of information technology as well as administration work.

Placing the HQ here would send a very clear message that the world are willing to see the established international order, which is busy point scoring against each others claims rather than focusing on the positive aspects the organisation would find. Our nation humbly asks you to support our bid and welcomes any questions.

Best Regards

Dragon-Emperor Tielin II

Tielin returned the bows of the Cenneg monarchs and found himself waving to the people who were assembled behind the King and his entourage. Dandan and Chun kept positions behind the Dragon-Emperor with Dandan still nervous of being thrust into such a spotlight.  The Dragon-Emperor hadn't really expected gifts to be exchanged here and the border and was now discreetly signalling to his own aides. He knew the Celts considered themselves a warrior people at heart so he wasn't surprised by the gift. He was unsure how to act, should he try things on our just examine them. He gave the dagger a careful look. "They are excellent" Tielin said as he did so unsure whether they were or not but suspecting it was the expected answer. "I hope though I never need use them."

As Dandan was given her brooch she spoke quietly barely audible to those around them. "Thank you for your generousity Your Majesty" the Queen said her eyes still lowered. "I shall treasure forever" Meanwhile Prince Chun seemed rather pleased with his gift and was trying to put the shield on his arm only for his father to glare disapprovingly.

By now his own team had arrived with various weaved baskets for the Cenneg. "I had my staff look at customs for your nation and we believe when visiting someone's home for the first time as a guest you bring with you coal so that you may always have a fire", the basket was uncovered and showed it was full of the black fuel, "You must bring silver for prosperity" The next basket revealed a set of silver cutlery engraved with Dragons and stags on the handle, "and cloth so you shall always have clothes for your back" The final basket showed bolts of silk that had been created in the royal families own tartan. The King's then strange request did make the Dragon-Emperor surprised. "Your Majesty you are free to visit us anytime" He stepped aside allowing the Cenneg monarch to walk past him.

Guangtai was slightly taken aback by the informality of how the Morelanders seemed to negotiate. Back in the Majestic Empire it was needed for such talks to be taken in a place of business and formalities to be adhered to. Guangtai had heard of how King David was a person who believed anytime and place could be used to deal with business for his nation but did not expect him to suddenly appear. Gungtai had never eaten Morelander cuisine before, it was very different to back home, more heavy, more meaty and less variety. While a Lijiangian meal was more of a chance to enjoy six or seven different dishes with each person sharing in them as a community. This way of dining was very different to Guangtai but he had to admit he did enjoy it. Cheesecake was not something that was really well known in Lijiang but he had to admit it was good, he could see his sister Xiuli savouring the taste, being part of the Sanctuary of the Two Dragons she survived on a diet that was far from luxurious and this meal had been both eye opening and a treat.

Guangtai stood as King David entered and bowed deeply. "I am honoured to be meeting with you Your Majesty" he resumed his seat. Tielin had already mentioned an intention to join CETO, the Dragon-Emperor saw it as a route to get many of the misappropriated art-works returned and so Guangtai was confident he could agree to the first of the King's demands. "I believe firmly that the Majestic Dragon-Emperor will be appoaching CETO in the coming days, knowing that he will be ensured the support of the founding father of that organisation will be extremely positive and so  I will gladly adhere to that. As for the issue of the sword I can make those arrangements however it would be an honour for us to arrange it as a gift. As for the lesson we have the Dragon-Emperors Imperial Guardsman still trained in a variety of traditional weapons and combat forms. I am certain we can arrange for someone to show you some of the techniques. I understand however that Your Majesty is already well versed in the use of swords. Perhaps when you come over for the opening you would be kind enough to bring some tutors of your nations style and share that with us. Is it fair for us to say that we have an agreement to take the art work home?" he asked eagerly.

Guo Tianyu had been the ambassador to Ui Cenneslaig just a few weeks, he'd not even had chance to get to know Claith but today was being expected to advise the Dragon-Emperor on the Celts. He had crossed the border about an hour before the Cenneg arrived and had found in a small woodsman's settlement the Dragon-Emperor sitting enjoying some green tea with the woodcutter and his family. Dragon-Emperor Tielin was joined by his 16 year old Prince Chun and his new wife Queen Dandan. Tielin believed it was important that he showed his new bride off internationally to reinforce her legitimacy and so she nervously sat sipping tea delicately.

"It's time" Guo informed the Dragon-Emperor as he was given word the Celts were coming.

"Thank you sir" Tielin extended a hand to the woodcutter and tried to leave some coins for the man's hospitality but the man hastily picked them off the old worn wooden table and forced them back towards the Dragon-Emperor.

"Your Imperial Majesty the honour of having you, your son and your Queen drink tea with us is a blessing that will live with this family for thousands of years. Please do not think we hosted you for reward." The man kept his head bowed as he spoke.

"Fuan" Tielin addressed the man by his name, "I thank you for your tea, your hospitality and your company." He turned to an aide and gave some instructions, "For our Queen's new pagoda please ensure regular shipments from Fuan. I like his woodland. Is that OK dear?" He addressed Dandan who would be having her own construction built within the woods that surrounded the Imperial Palace. It was custom that every Empress and Queen had a pagoda built where they could entertain friends and host events of their own. Upon the death of the Empress or Queen the Pagoda was carefully taken down and its wood used for cremating the body. The construction on Dandan's would begin soon as she had just selected the spot.

"I would like that." The Queen said in a voice barely able to be heard across the room.

"Excellent" Tielin took hold of her hand and bowing respectfully to the woodsman's wife made his way out of the small cottage. The border was just a few hundred meters away and the Dragon-Emperor waited for the arrival. He heard the Cenneg first before seeing over the small hill raise a single girl appear bringing the screeching of bagpipes with her. Next it seemed like the whole of Ui Cenneslaig was following in its wake.

"They look funny in skirts" Prince Chun whispered to his father and received a harsh stare.

"Do not be disrespectful. I can't wait for these tutors of yours to arrive. The Cenneg are proud Celts and that KILT is every part as important to them as the Dragon is to us. The colours and patterns represent their family and their people. One day you will be in my position and the Cenneg could be our best friend or a pain in our backside. It is better to have men such as these liking us so keep those comments to yourself."

The Cenneg soliders leaving their weapons and extending hands to the Lijiang border guards was unexpected and the men looked around for what to do and eventually accepted smiling broadly. Tielin accepted the handshake of the King. "Your Majesty I would be honoured if you'd allow me, my son and Queen to enter your Kingdom." Tielin asked as he let go of Finley's hand.

Xiuli had mixed feelings about the proposal from Jocelyn. She would have taken every single one of the works of art home given a chance. Even if they didn't actually come from Lijiang it was easy to see how they would be able to be compared to those at home and so being displayed in Lijiang was a much more fitting fate than some Morelander home. "If we can avoid any damage that is preferred I would like to leave any items that we can not prove rather than open the frames and risk damage. To have the work of art somewhere in Mundus able to be seen is more desirable than being able to take them home yet damaged."

Zenhcai nodded his agreement. "I think we should make the rounds and put to one side those we have and then scan the others. Those we can not identifiy stay here while those we can we take home."

The work of creating the two collections took several hours but soon out of the 100 or so artworks 28 had been agreed by all parties to have the mark of the artists from Lijiang and would be coming home. Several of them showed the images of the numerous families of dragons and Lord Guangtai had already put aside one showing the six Azure Dragons with a plan in mind to personally present it to the newly crowned Queen Dandan who represented that family of Dragons. He hoped to make a good impression.

There was a group of 17 or so works that were disputed and they'd seek a solution to that later however now the 13 that had hidden marks would be examined by the University team once that had been worked out.

The ushering in of so many people to the ritual terrace that overlooked the valley took quiet some time. Fires burned in small shallow stone pits ensuring no one would get too cold and the various sounds of musicians playing fringed the platform. A small construction about head high and with no front to it gave the only shelter and inside its brightly painted wooden walls a statue of two Dragons wrapped around each other stood. Kexing was more than happy to answer the East Moreland Princesses question. "Princess Freya you are correct. "We believe that humanity began through the marriage of the first two humans, Yifeng and his wife Liying. The couple had hundreds of children over their 1000 year marriage and sadly it was giving birth to a daughter called Xiaotong that Liying died an event that in turn caused the death of Yifeng. The Two Dragons returned to grieve and instructed us on how humanity should continue, the descendants of the first child would become Dragon-Emperor and in order to make amends for killing her mother the descendants of Xiaotong would become Dragon-Priestess. Our current Dragon-Priestess could therefore be deemed to be the extremely distant cousin of the Dragon-Emperor. I think Your Highness all your Morelander briefing staff can keep their jobs" He smiled back.

A gong rang and two large trains of people scurried into the terrace area encased in the long traditional dancing Dragon costumes. One of the Dragons had the typical Dragon head while the other was more dog like, a representation of one of the Azure Dragons the two intertwined and curved in and out of each other until the ornate dance had used up all the slack in the long train that made up the body of the Dragon this left the two entwined around each other and the just enough material for the heads to be placed like a makeshift alter at the front. The noses of the two masks touched nose to nose and now those who had carried out the dance carefully arranged the train into a colourful path. A second gong hit and  from the left of the terrace Tielin appeared while from the right Dandan. The male members of the Imperial Family and the various High Lords followed Dandan while the female ones followed Tielin. They each approached the make-shift alter and bowed to it before fanning out around the edges of the terrace. Dandan and Tielin knelt down and sat upon their own feet their backs straight as they faced the alter.

The third gong struck and it was time to begin. The Dragon-Priestess lit some incense sticks and placed them in the hands of Dandan and Tielin as she took a step to stand between the couple who had their back to the crowd and the guests. "You today have come to witness the marriage of the Dragon-Emperor and his Queen. You have a sacred duty to take the news of what has happened today to all corners of the world. Tell the people you meet the Azure Dragons have selected their representative and given her to the Dragon-Emperor." The locals in attendance nodded and muttered their intention to do exactly that. The Dragon-Priestess then returned to the front as her words would now be addressed to the soon to be married couple. "Dandan you have been accepted by the Azure Dragons to be their representative, to wear their crown and be part of the Imperial Family. You must now think whether this is an honour you wish to accept. If you do accept this you are willingly giving your mind, body and spirit to do the duty of the Imperial Family. You will be the mother of the Dragon-Emperors children and you will be his constant companion in this world and the cosmos. Is this an honour you wish to accept?" Dandan responded but in such a feint voice only the Dragon-Priestess and Tielin to hear. "You must say it loudly so even the Two Dragons can hear." The Dragon-Priestess encouraged Dandan who took I deep breath and loudly gave her affirmation that she would accept. The Dragon-Priestess then blew out the burning incense of Dandan.

It was now turn to address the Dragon-Emperor and the Priestess spoke loudly once more. "Tielin you are the Dragon-Emperor.  Dandan has been selected by the Azure Dragons to give you children. She has committed herself to be your wife. She will be your companion until the end of time. Will you take her as your Queen, your wife and mother to your children."

"I will" Tielin spoke loudly and held his incense sticks so the Priestess could blow them out. A forth gong was sounded and a black armoured soldier appeared carrying a heavy cloak that he passed to Tielin as he stood and walked behind the new Queen. Carefully he placed the cloak on her shoulders and then motioned for her to stand up and face him so he could tie the string around her to keep it in place. Dandan kept her head bowed throughout the process and once it was done the couple remained standing.

The Dragon-Priestess moved to once more address the audience. "The Dragon-Emperor has accepted Dandan as his Queen. She will be granted this title once she has proved her commitment to her oaths." This had been the awkward part of arranging the ceremony and one that Tielin had tried to get out of. With Queen's primary role being that of bearing children the marriage and therefore ascendency of the throne was not permitted until Dandan had consumated her oaths of trying to bear children. This evening there would be a final small tradition where the newly weds would be paraded through the Imperial Palace to their bed-chamber and there the Dragon-Priestess and a selection of nobles would be tasked in confirming the marriage had been consummated. It was usually the role of the most senior nobles in attendance and that had meant that by the letter of tradition it would be the visiting royals, Tielin had originally pushed for that part of the day to be left out however the Dragon-Priestess was unwilling to remove it and so the compromise had been reached that non of the visiting guests would be invited to that part of the ceremony. "For now we shall celebrate the blessings the Two Dragons have given the Emperor and future Queen."

The gong was struck for the fifth time and the dancers reappeared and took up the masks before dancing their steps in reverse unwinding the tails of the two Dancing dragon masks. The two Dragons now made a makeshift tunnel off the terrace and the soldiers who had escorted them and the Priestesses stood either side of the tunnel under the canopy made by the tails of the masks. The Dragon-Emperor took hold of the hand of Dandan and the pair made their way up the tunnel with Dandan pinning a white spring of flowers to each soldier while Tielin slid a flower into the hair of each Priestess. The two then found the part of the audience where the foreign guests were seated and Dandan handed each male guest the sprig of flowers while Tielin offered the flower to each female. Once the guests had been given the small token it was the turn of the various High Lords and Ladies. Kexing spoke to the foreign guests. "WIth your various titles it was not known whether you'd permit the couple touching you. It is tradition women wear the flower tucked into their hair while men pin it to their jacket." he demonstrated and by the time he had the couple had gone. "Be prepared that during the celebration you're likely to be asked about the ceremony as those who did not witness it in person would need proof the ceremony took place and these show we are witnesses."

The crowd began to disperse and Jing, the Dragon-Empress appeared among the foreign guests. "Thank you for attending today and seeing our family grow. I trust you will all now be hungry. We have a few moments to allow the crowd to clear from the gatehouse then we shall head back to the Imperial Palace."

The Empire's warm up for the Rugby World Cup has continued with a second game against East Moreland. The match took place at the  the 15,800 capacity Hézhun District 4 Arena which was full to capacity. The atmosphere around the Arena was festive as local school groups had been given the opportunity to attend the game and many of them were witnessing their first ever rugby match. Sadly for the packed stadium, which featured around 1,000 travelling Morelander fans, the Lijiangian team were roundly defeated. This however came as little surprise to the national teams coach  Bo Pan. "The East Moreland team are one of the best in the world, their track record of World Cup performances and Mundus Games medals support this. We meanwhile are taking baby steps onto the world's elite stage. We are gradually seeing the ways that we need to shape our game to compete and are forming a long term plan." The three match test series now stands at 2-0 with a further match left to play.

In response to the heavy defeat the nations Sporting Council have announced that a comprehensive package will be put in place for what they are calling "Rugby 25" The aim of the project is for the national team to be able to move from the group stages by the 2025 World Cup. To help ensure that happens a new National League is to be established with 20 teams and as Bo Pan explains the World Cup will bring an opportunity to kick start this. "The World Cup will expose our people to the sport like never before meaning that we will recruit more players at all levels of the sport. Inevitably the World Cup is the swansong for many international players, some calling it a day completely while others leave the international game. It is our intention to recruit marquee players for each of the 20 teams from among those who will be close to calling it a day. We hope to learn from their experience. We believe having seen the way our citizens are embracing the game and the hospitality of the nation they will choose to stay and help us launch our league."

It is also likely other sports will now be given support to help them compete on a world stage.

It is well known that during the nations period of mourning a large number of important art-works and artefacts left the nation after checks on their safe-keeping were sadly neglected. Since the coronation of Dragon-Emperor Tielin efforts have been made to stop the export of any piece of art of historical or national value. The government have also begun efforts to identify where items have already left the nation and where possible bring them home. This had lead to a very unlikely first step as a team of experts have traced a significant amount of Lijiangian art to a private gallery in the capital of East Moreland, Northfort. The David III gallery is privately owned by the King of East Moreland but is open for free to the general public. It is currently estimated that the King has around 100 examples of a dying art, Paper-Cutting, on display in the gallery and it is suspected that many more are perhaps in Northfort Palace. It is understand that King David purchased these prior to becoming King however it is not known exactly how he acquired them. It is understood that the Dragon-Emperor has contacted the King directly asking for permission to have people inspect the collection. Should permission be granted the delegation visiting East Moreland would include High Lord of MùgǔJiang Guangtai. The High Lord is a respected collector of art work himself and his younger sister is a artist who resides at the Sanctury of the Two Dragons. Speaking following a meeting at the Imperial Palace Guangtai discussed the potential mission. "The 120 year period of mourning has created several problems for our Empire, we are now economically playing catch up as our trade policies are 120 years out of date. We have to rapidly close the gap and bringing art work back to the Empire would seem to many a low priority. For me we need to bring the lost art and history home at the same time as we step into the world. When you engage with the world it is inevitable that your homeland is influenced, that is not a bad thing as there is much we can happily learn from across most nations in Mundus, we can however still ensure our uniqueness as a nation survives by ensuring we take pride in what our scholars, artists, artisans or other skilled craftsman have produced."

The art of paper cutting is a traditional art that has been recorded to having existed for at least 1800 years. It was at one time a favoured art form among the noble women of the Golden Enclave where several ancient examples of the practice are still on display following their creation by historical Dragon-Empresses and Queens. The practice see's extremely thin paper, usually red in colour, cut in intricate patterns and scenes before being mounted on silk. It is custom that a piece of art is done on a single piece of paper meaning extreme care must be taken. Red paper cuts are a tradition gift at the Feast of Dragons and represent good fortune for the year ahead. Despite their popularity as a gift they are in many cases today not considered works of art as High Lord Guangtai's artistic sister Xiuli explained. "Today there are very few people, perhaps no more than 10, that can truly be considered masters of this art form in our nation. Go back two, maybe three hundred years that would have been thousands. We all see in the lead up to the Feast of Dragons stalls and shops selling hundreds of 30cm square paper cuts that look bold and beautiful, but they are made in factories by computer and cut out by machines. It is my hope that if we can show these are from Lijiang then King David will allow us to bring them home."

The hope of potentially returning these objects was supported by High Lord Guangtai who explained "The Moreland monarch authored the Cultural Exchange Treaty Organisation. Currently we are not a member of this but it has at its heart the idea of a nations historic past being in their own keeping. It is my hope that King David will, if we can show proof, stand by the spirit of his created treaty. Perhaps if their King shows good faith we may be open to joining the Organisation."

The potential visit will be the first by a government official from Lijiang to East Moreland that is ever recorded.

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Beth Qiuxia is a 39 year old business-woman from Bakkermaya who is respected as a restaurateur in several Bakkermayan provinces. Her restaurants, named BQ Bistro, have successfully blended Lijiang cuisine with that of the various islands of Bakkermaya and have made her an estimated fortune of around $30million. She is the daughter of a Lijiangian military veteran who moved to Bakkermaya as a chef following his military service. Beth Quixia was 18 months old when the family made the move and as a result she has been brought up in Bakkermaya all her life however her parents have instilled in her belief in the Two Dragon faith and she is fluent in Lijiangian. Following news though that the Dragon-Emperor was keen to see citizens who have moved abroad return home the business-woman has questioned why anyone would wish to do so. In a recent TV appearence in Bakkermaya she was asked whether she intended to go back to Lijiang and said, "I fail to see why anyone would choose to with the exception of a few nations on Mundus. Lijiang is a nation that is still in the 20th Century at best and as a result those of us who have left would essentially be going through a time warp if we return home. If we take myself and my family as an example. If we were to return home now we would find ourselves as wealthy but struggle to make a success there. We would not be able to own land as we are not nobles, we would need the support of a noble to gain land and as such they'd likely expect a high sum of money to do that. Once back there we'd be in a nation desperately trying to catch up in terms of lifestyle, luxuries, even civil liberties with the rest of Mundus. As a woman I would be expected to be some subservient wife and mother splitting time between raising children, cooking for my husband and going to Temple. That is not a lifestyle I would want. Women in Lijiang are essentially a commodity for their family. Look at the Dragon-Emperor himself. He takes women as Concubines to keep his bed warm meanwhile marries 16 year olds having executed their fathers. Women are not allowed to inherit titles or land and women have very little say over their own futures. Why return? No sane woman would."

The Dragon-Emperor has spoken of hoping to attract people with Lijiang heritage back home so the nation can benefit from their experience. Lord Kexing, the High Lord of the Imperial Council responded to Beth Qiuxia's words saying, "It is true that in many ways our Empire needs to play catch up. Our system of life though has created a nation that has protected its people from the dangers of the outside world for its entire history. We have a people proud of their homeland and now the period of mourning is over we have a Dragon-Emperor who is forward thinking and shall drive us forward. Miss Quixia makes him sound like some woman abusing monster but that is far from what I have seen with him. He is a man who loves his family, his people and his Empire and I know he shall ensure in a short time people like Miss. Quixia will be rushing to return to the Empire to take advantage of the prosperity he will create."

With an estimated maximum of 1million Lijingians overseas it is hoped at least 25% of these will return home this year. So far since the Dragon-Emperor announced he would make it simpler to return a total of 873 families have made contact with their local embassies to enquiry about returning home.

Kexing had been told to expect foreign guests but still hadn't quiet believed that it would happen. He half expected the Seleucid to turn up because their military had just completed exercises in the Mhorish with the Empire's own Navy and a significant number of Seleucid soldiers were now acting as guinea pigs for the Lijiang hospitality industry.  As the duo of Princesses from East Moreland arrived the old man gave a respectful bow to the pair. "Your Highnesses" It was possibly the first time he had seen a noble woman in the flesh wearing trousers and he considered the fashion statement not really making sense to him but he was an old man and he supposed that sooner or later these foreign fashions would find a route into the Empire. "We are excited to meet you both. As for your swords I think we can trust you with them as long as you promise not to chop any heads off." He smiled hoping his words didn't offend. "We as a nation believe traditions are a great bedrock and I would hope to learn more about yours as you learn about ours. Please pass on our greetings to your brother and please enjoy the day." A young man dressed in a red traditional suit appeared with a tray of soft drinks, mostly fruit juices and asked the royals to follow him as he lead them to an upstairs room that overlooked the entrance to the Palace.

Then the Seleucid arrived, they had been the one nation that they had expected to come and so Kexing had been prepared. "General" he extended a hand to the Seleucid officer. "First thank you for helping our military as of late. My grand-son meet a few of your men as he serves in the Army and spoke very positively of the experience of working with them. They sound like they have been a real credit to you, and of course to your King. I understand that he can't spend all his time here in our Empire but please let him know we are always thrilled to welcome him." He then turned to the wife and daughter of the General. "I hope you are finding our nation welcoming. We are hoping to see many more people from your homeland here soon." Having just restocked his tray the young man with the drinks reappeared and lead them upstairs ensuring he announced them formally to the Morelanders as he did so.

Kexing bowed deeply as Emperor Peter of Achkaerin introduced himself and his wife. "Your Imperial Majesty we are honoured to welcome you to our lands. Perhaps I think this is the first time in many centuries a monarch of Achkaerin has visited these lands, maybe the first time ever....I'm sadly no scholar of history. I understand you also govern Gowu which I suppose makes us Ardian neighbours in a way so I hope as neighbours you will find your stay here pleasant." Having finished depositing the Seleucid General and his family upstairs the young man served drinks to the Emperor and Empress before checking on the pronunciation of their nation before formally announcing them as he entered the upstairs room.

 Next was another Ardian nation and Kexing bowed deeply to Emperor Arkan before extending a hand to Jishek. "Your Imperial Majesty" He addressed Arkan, "We are delighted you accepted the invitation. I know in the coming months the Dragon-Emperor hopes to ensure the Majestic Empire sets up a path to ensuring we are all good neighbours. I know he will be excited to speak with you but perhaps today he may miss the opportunity please forgive us if that is the case." The steward was back once more his tray restocked and his pronounciation perfected he ensured the correct introduction was given before once more skipping down stairs having seen another arrival from the balcony.

It was likely these would be the final foreign guests as Kexing looked at his watch. The Tamorans were a nation friends with Royal Seleucid and Kexing knew the two nations had a track record of co-operation so hoped this would be a nation that perhaps would be a step ahead of the others in terms of their opinions on the Majestic Empire. He was rather surprised that the Emperor himself had come as he understood that the Emperor did not leave his nation, yet alone Midaranye very often. Kexing bowed again deeply to each in turn. "Emperor Abbas, Empress Alya" he addressed each as he did so. "I know that His Imperial Majesty will be honoured to have you here. We've so far enjoyed meeting Midaranye nations and I hope our good fortune continues." This time as the red suited youngster arrived Kexing followed them up the stairs and waited for the introduction to be given before he addressed everyone. "Very shortly we should see the arrival of members of the Imperial Guard, they are a kind of cross between the Dragon-Emperors personal guard and a ceremonial unit. Today they will be dressed in their black armour and will form a guard of honour between here and the Sanctum of the Two Dragons" Kexing pointed across the valley where an almost exact replica of the Imperial Palace stood just over a mile away. Some of you may have passed them on your way here." In the distance the sound of music drifted down the valley as the guards band played got closer. "We shall then see a mounted group arrive escorting the future Azure Dragon Queen."

There was a sound of footsteps on the stairs and Kexing turned to see Prince Chun, the Dragon-Emperor's 17 year old son appear and Kexing immediately bowed before presenting him to the group. The young man was tall and his posture stiff even inside a rather flowing robe of yellow. "It is my deep honour to meet you all." Chun gave a bow to the room. "My father extends his thanks for coming and hopes to during the day enjoy the company of each of you. I have been asked to tell you a little about the procedure for the day." Chun still wasn't sure how he felt about the wedding if he was honest he knew very well the tradition of the Empire meant his father was due to marry many women and produce many children but the idea though that his soon to be step-mother, a term not really used in the Majestic Empire, was a year younger than him made him a little uncomfortable. "First I thank you all for not wearing Yellow. It is the Imperial Colour and on state occasions such as the royal wedding only members of the Imperial Family may wear the colour for the ceremony a groom shall always wear red while in today's ceremony the future Queen will wear the colour of the Dragon's that have adopted her, in this case blue. The rest of us who are members of the Imperial Family shall be wearing yellow. You will notice in many of the Palace rooms today and over the river in the Sanctum a strip of yellow tiles, or bricks on the floor. This is known as the Imperial Road and only the Imperial Family may walk upon it freely. Anyone else must be invited to do so but naturally such esteemed guests as yourselves are automatically invited." That had been much debated by the various councils but Tielin had been rather assertive that he would ensure from the very outset an invitation to use the Imperial Road would be given to all his guests regardless of where they were from. When we reach the Sanctuary over the other side of the river you shall see many of us take patches such as this." He reached inside a fold in his robe and removed a coloured square piece of silk about 6 inches by 6 inches, "We call them prayer flags and they are used in our worship. Today they are tied to a string extended around the gatehouse, we will each tie our cloth to the string making a wish for the newlyweds as we do. Some even have messages on." He held his own prepared one up which had been stitched ready for the day by his sister Wenjun. "We have spares for each of you if you wish." He gestured to a basket by the balcony door with neatly folded squares of various bright colours, except yellow of course, stacked inside. A thick marker pen stood ready for incase people wished to leave a message. "7 days after the wedding these are taken down and shall be made into a blanket by Dandan and her household." Before he could go on any further there was a trumpet blast announcing the arrival of the first group of Imperial Guard as they gathered into a corridor of black armour below Chun noticed his father step out of the Palace to greet them. Some of the soldiers brushed flower petals off their armour and from the ridges in their helmet while fixing garlands and other gifts from the crowds that had lined the roads to their spear tips or armour straps.

It was only five minutes later that Dandan arrived and did not enter the Imperial Palace instead waited at the gate. "Please follow me." Chun turned stiffly on the spot with his hands behind his back before descending the steps without even looking back to see if the guests were following him. He moved between the line of the soldiers towards the gate before stopping just before exiting the Palace. He turned to see the guests following and motioned to the side of the gatehouse. "Please take a place in a carriage, we shall depart shortly" Chun waited as the guests boarded the waiting horse and carriages while his father came down to the gatehouse and other than a quick nod of greeting to the guests focused on the gatehouse. His wife Dragon-Empress Jing stood now beside him while Chun moved to join his siblings a step behind. Dandan was helped from her carriage and stood nervously on the outside of the gatehouse alone. With almost perfect timing a phalanx of white and blue robed women appeared from over the bridge, the arrival of the Priestesses and at their head, the only one riding a horse, was the Dragon-Priestess. Her attire was more elaborate than the others with a head-dress topped with a gold dragon carefully balanced to complete the grandeur. She remained seated on her horse as she took up position to the right of the gatehouse, Dandan on the left and the Dragon-Emperor making the point of the triangle in the gatehouse arch.

Dragon Priestess Xi Mengyao spoke loudly "We have arrived here at the point where the Two Worlds, the spiritual and the physical worlds of our lands meet. We have gathered to see our Dragon-Emperor take the Lady Dandan as his wife and future Queen of the Azure Dragons. Lady Dandan come forward." the girl moved forward to stand next to the Dragon-Priestesses horse. "You have been blessed by the Azure Dragons, they recognise you as their representative on Mundus and should the Dragon-Emperor accept you they shall make you their Queen. Do you accept her?" The Dragon-Priestess pointed at the Dragon-Emperor.

Tielin stepped forward crossing the gatehouse threashold, "I will accept her as I trust the Azure Dragons." The Dragon-Priestess nodded happily and turned her horse.

"We shall now leave from the physical world and enter the spiritual world of Lijiang. There we shall entwine the souls of these individuals." Without another word the group of Priestesses, some just 10 years old entered the Palace and stood next to one of the black armoured soldiers. The Dragon-Emperor began to follow the horse of the Dragon-Priestess with his wife Jing next to him and his family behind. Dandan was flanked by two women of a similar age to her who represented her household however Dandan's situation had meant they had only been selected a week ago. The young girl was the daughter of one of the former High Lords who had defied the Dragon-Priestess before Tielin had been named Dragon-Emperor, the girl should have by tradition been executed along with the daughters of two other High Lords but Tielin had wished to send a message and so one had been sent into exile in Tamora with Tielin's support remaining secret, a second had been forced into becoming a concubine of the Dragon-Emperor and Dandan had been selected to become Tielin's 2nd wife, thus showing he was merciful but ensuring the loyalty of their fathers followers. The horse and carriages with the foreign guests followed along making a right turn to leave the gatehouse giving them the first view of the road that lead down to a stone bridge decorated with black carved dragon sides before the road rose up to the gatehouse of the faiths HQ where the wedding would take place. The sight of hundreds of black armoured guards and white robed Priestesses lining the road every few meters greeted them. The procession from the city waited for the Dragon-Emperor and the foreign guests to pass before following along on foot.

It took about 15 minutes for the Imperial's and Dandan to walk the route across the the Sanctury of the Two Dragons while the foreign guests travelled by horse and carriage. As they arrived at the huge walled temple complex that housed the faith Kexing appeared to speak with the guests. "There is no rule stating this but it is common when entering a sacred site here in Lijiang that women enter with the right foot first, men with the left. If you wish to leave a prayer flag now is the time." He removed his own, found the string extending around the gatehouse and tied his blue coloured prayer flag to the twine before stepping, left foot first into the grounds of the complex. There was then a series of steps that lead up to a large flat grey floored terrace that then housed the multi-story squat white square of a building that made up the Sanctuary. By the time Kexing had reached that terrace he was breathing heavily and had to take his time addressing the group. "We shall shortly have a ritual joining the pair. We then have a celebration" Kexing turned to Abbas and Alya but ensured his words could be thought to address everyone. "There shall be a great deal of alcohol consumed by the thousands in attendance and the celebration will take place here and also over at the Imperial Palace, even on the valley floor." Kexing motioned back behind them to where you could see hundreds of tents being set up along the valley floor where some of the nobles not directly given entry to the two venues would celebrate. "Many of our alcoholic drinks are simply more fermented versions of regular drinks, we understand some of you by faith my not consume alcohol so all glass wear shall be colour coded, blue shall be booze free. I suggest during the banquets you ensure that you keep such a vessel as then our servers will ensure you don't accidently get such drink. I think though food wise you should all be fine as we have a huge variety and much of it is vegetarian."  Kexing personally didn't understand how people could be so picky over food, the Two Dragons had given mankind dominion over the whole of Mundus, if they hadn't wished a creature to be consumed they'd have placed them in the cosmos alongside them rather than putting them under the control of mankind. A gong began to be continiously rung, "We must take a seat." The ceremony was taking place outside and a huge circle of seats around a platform had been laid out. Kexing took them down to the front and showed them a seat. "It will be about ten minutes until we start so feel free to relax a little, if you have any questions we can answer them while you wait."

It was announced yesterday evening that the 2021 Mundus Rugby World Cup will be coming to Lijiang. The sport is a relatively minor one in the Empire and so the fact that the Dragon-Emperor pushed for the nation to even enter a team surprised many thus meaning a hosting bid came completely out of the blue. The Emperor explained his decision to make a bid saying. "For 120 years we have seen very few, practically no outsiders come to our Empire. We are a nation with a great deal to offer the world, not just in terms of resources but in social and cultural ways. I could honestly see a thriving tourist industry operating here and while we have an excellent "Staycation" infastructure this has not turned its hand to the overseas market. We need to have an advertising promotion so to speak, give people an excuse to come here. Rugby is a sport that is fantastically followed across Mundus and hundreds of thousands of fans will potentially travel to the ends of the world to watch their team. I am confident that we can host a World Cup that will not just allow a high level of competition but will be an experience like no-other world cup for the fans."

The Lijiang National Rugby Team, known as Dragon Rugby, is managed by 36 year old Bo Pan, a member of Zhedu Rugby Club and a brewer from Fengchu. "I am shocked that we'll be playing in our first world cup at home. We have a lack of international experience and the sport is not enjoying the popularity of many sports such as soccer, table tennis or martial arts but hopefully this will encourage the youth of the nation to come and join us." With the Empire needing to now turn their attention towards ensuring the smooth running of the competition it was announced by Bo Pan that he had reached out to former World Cup Winners and current Mundus Games gold medallists East Moreland for a series of warm up games. "We have asked the Morelanders to come and experience a kind of pre-world tour. They will play in the same stadiums to be used and use the facilities expected at the World Cup. These are top class players and top class coaches. They have been told to inform us of anything falling below the standard needed for top sports stars and it gives us a chance to remedy the situation. It will also give our people a chance to have exposure to the sport and we are looking at making arrangements with some East Moreland High Schools to give their students a chance to come as fans to ensure we even have our hospitality workers get experience of working for foreign guests." While initially it was announced as an East Moreland team it is understood that the squad will feature a number of senior players who announced their retirement from international rugby following the last world cup and younger players from what are referred to as "The Kits" which is the East Moreland Under 21 squad. This is likely because they are trying to ensure their senior players are not injured during the tour. Bo Pan clarified this saying. "The visiting squad will be formidable, former world champions and I suspect future world champions. We're excited to see how we can do against them and hopefully set a marker for the rugby world cup."

The games will take place in Shèngdiàn at the 82,000 seater National Stadium with the Morelanders staying in the old Summer Garden Complex, a former Imperial Park which features a large number of lodges arranged around a large man-made lack dating to the 10th Century. From there the action will head to the smallest stadium for the tournament, the 15,800 capacity Hézhun District 4 Arena. The Morelanders will then stay at the cities Silk Spa hotel which is famed for its heated natural springs. The final game in the three match series is to take place at The Forest Heart Arena in Mùgǔ where accommodation will be provided in the Forest Towers hotels famed for their awe inspiring views across the valley forest. Dragon-Emperor Tielin will attend the first match which will mark the first time the National Stadium, known as the "Dragon Stadium" has been used for a rugby match. It is also understood that the Dragon-Emperor has extended an invitation to King David of East Moreland to visit for the games as it is well known their King is a huge rugby fan however it is not yet confirmed whether he will be making the visit.

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The Dragon-Emperor Tielin has today announced that he will be putting in place reforms to the nations rules for foreign nations to take up citizenship and residency in the Empire to create what he is calling "The Right to Return". Currently their is in depth scrutiny of anyone wishing to come to the Empire for any reason other than a holiday meaning foreign nationals (other than diplomatic workers) account for less than an estimated 250,000 people. Meanwhile during the period of mourning a great many individuals left the Empire to take advantage of oppurtunities elsewhere on Mundus. One prime example is the family of former Nya Åland Allsherjargoði(Prime Minister) Jin Odinsson. Mr.Odinsson's family left the Empire in 1975 having converted to the Odinist faith following his father's interactions selling metal products to a Nordic business. The Dragon-Emperor has approached Mr.Odinsson as a possible tutor for his children who he wishes to expose to a series of "respected experts in their field from a wide variety of nations." It is not yet known whether Mr.Odinsson is has accepted the role however he is a good example of the people that the Dragon-Emperor wishes to see return and this was explained today as Dragon-Emperor Tielin visited a new Shūyuàn (Academy for teaching classical Lijiang art and literature) building in Fengtai. "We lost some great minds when the period of mourning began and throughout. Our laws currently state that once you take citizenship of another nation you give up your citizenship to Lijiang, it is impossible to be loyal to two nations and while I plan to maintain this attitude I believe that those who can trace their heritage and ancestary to Lijiang should be welcome here and we'll explore how to do that. I hope Mr.Odinsson will find his way home along with the countless others who are son's and daughters of Lijiang spread across Mundus."

The exact number of Lijiangians who left during the period of mourning is unknown with experts putting the figure at somewhere between 200,000 and 1million people.

To:- Mrs.Samira Hanifnejad

We are delighted that you have accepted this invitation and excited to have you come and share your knowledge.

In terms of your requests naturally we are more than happy to have your husband visit our nation. We will make plans for you to both reside in the Golden Enclave during your stay.  In terms of dress no laws exist as such within the Golden Enclave excepting that on feast days no-one other than the Imperial Family may wear yellow, should this rule be acceptable then you may dress as you wish. In terms of diet you will be more than welcome to eat within the halls of the Palace where you will find the vast majority of food will likely fulfil your dietary requirements, a great many of our dishes are vegetarian. You will also be welcome to make your own meals within your accommodation so naturally may dine as you see fit. While our nation see's the faith of the Two Dragons as governing the whole nation we impose no compulsion on any individual you may pray anywhere within the Empire other than our sacred places and that includes within the Golden Enclave.

We believe this meets all your requests and so we look forward to your arrival.
Best Regards

Dragon-Emperor Tielin II

To:-

Mr. Ayotunde Clement of Paracambi (Theology and Literature)
Miss Matilda Osman of East Moreland (Marine Biology)
Dr.Marcus Merriman (History)
Mr. Peter Simod (Programming & Computing)
Mrs Samira Hanifnejad (Creative Arts & Media)
Mr Jin Odinsson (International Relations & Media)
Duke James McKenna (Engineering & Physics)

I am writing to you in order to offer you a period of paid employment.

It is my desire that my two eldest children Prince Chun (Aged 17), Princess Wenjun (Aged 14) receive an education that equips them to help lead our homeland into the 21st Century. To do that I wish them to be educated not just in subjects vital to those in leadership but in ideas beyond the traditions of Lijiang. I wish for them to embrace the concept of traditional Lijiang wisdom. We have an old saying that to be truly considered learned a person must travel 100miles from home, read 100 books and have conversations with over 100 people. While this saying is possibly 2000 or so years old the message behind it is clear, to be educated you must be exposed to wisdom, other cultures and people. With this in mind I wish to establish for them a series of tutors who are well respected in their fields to ensure this world class educational experience takes place. I am therefore offering you a contract to tutor my children for the next 12 weeks.

Should you be willing to accept the invitation you will be paid a generous salary and provided with more than comfortable accommodation for you and any family you wish to come with you. This will be within the Imperial Palace complex or the Golden Enclave depending on your preference. We will provide you with your own vehicle and driver, all meals and extensive leisure time. You will be expected to deliver one hour of teaching per child per day six days a week as well as setting them private study work. At the end of the contract we have set aside a further 4 weeks in which we shall provide accommodation within the Empire for you and your family to spend recreational and leisure time. Naturally all expenses in travel to and from the Empire will be covered.

It is our hope that you will accept this contract as we believe your contribution to the childrens education will be life changing. Should you wish to discuss this offer or its terms we would be more than happy to discuss them with you.

Best Regards

Dragon-Emperor Tielin II