Today King David arrived at the Representative Council to introduce his proposal to change East Moreland's citizenship rules. The Citizenship Act (2023) will, if the King signs it into law, change the current rules which require someone to either be born in East Moreland, have two Morelander parents, be granted Citizenship by the monarch or successfully applied for naturalisation having completed five years residency after which they complete national service. Under the new proposal an individual wanting to become a naturalised Morelander would no longer be expected to have completed national service however will be required to have resided in East Moreland for ten years and then successfully sat a citizenship exam which may only be taken in Morelandish. There will still be the option of completing national service once a person has resided in East Moreland for five years at which point they will be eligible for citizenship in seven years assuming they pass the citizenship exam. The King explained the reasons for the proposed changes. "East Moreland has a proud record of taking in refugees from across Mundus, when Seaforth fell we opened our doors, Mavrosia kicked the Cultist out and we offered every single one of them a place of safety here. Lakhzovia's strife saw more refugees air lifted to Hunters Vale. These people have, along with an increase in birth rate, seen over a decade our population reach its highest point of approaching 100million people. Some of those people are now reaching a point of being able to claim citizenship and while we welcome them we still have a large number who are seeking to return home rather than becoming fully Morelandish. We have in Northfort a very good Mavrosian school for example and they are doing a great job keeping their culture alive. My concern is though are they Morelanders? We have some wonderful success stories of people who have come here, embraced our culture and traditions and I'm thrilled to call them Morelanders. Take for example Rollo MacAllister. The young lad came over here during the Seaforthian wars, earned a degree and under Mundus Games rules brought in for the Seaforth situation represented East Moreland helping us win Mundus Games golds and World Cups, I was proud to be able to grant him citizenship and then since he's become a stalwart of our rugby landscape, a legend in the game. He served in the Royal Rifle Regiment and despite the odd appearence in a kilt he is as Morelander as anyone else. I want to make sure people like Rollo can still have a speedy route to citizenship, he would for example have only had to wait a year longer, meanwhile people not as intigrated will naturally take longer."

The move was welcomed by Mark Thompson who is the leader of the Conservative Party within the Council. "We've become concerned about our population growth for a while, its unsustainable I think and while our party believe traditional families are best we believe that being the refugee centre of Mundus is something that must end. I don't want us to shirk our responsibilities under the Code of Canley but we can support the refugee process in other parts of the world easily. If we are having people become Morelanders it needs to be beyond a paper exercise. We believe only Cultists, and by that I mean proper Cultists, should be able to become a Morelander as the love of Helus is ingrained into every fibre of a Morelander."

Chief Councillor  Lucas Blakeslee said that he plans to present several amendments to the proposal in the coming days of council. "Naturally I need to sit down and read the King's proposal in detail with my fellow NTP members. We obviously want to support the King and we trust that his actions always come out of a place of best inentions for his subjects. The King though at times can be a little removed from the thinking of the general public and that is where we come in. Over the next few days I'll be combing through the exact wording with our legal teams, fellow Councillors and the people we represent. Already I think we need to do more to ensure that the idea of Cultists having time removed from qualification needs to be solidified so that it goes beyond a box ticketing exercise. I also think we need to recognise service in other ways than the military. The King for example used Rollo MacAllister as an example of someone he granted citizenship to because of the way he represented his nation. I think formalising this as a route could be an important matter."

While the Representative Council is merely an advisory body King David has not signed into law any Act that has not had the approval of both the Representative and Executive Council.

Following the presentation to the Representative Council the King meet with several of the Councillors who have been campaigning to change the nature of East Moreland's Higher Eduction system. The group lead by Councillor Melissa Lusk of Freestone North, believes that the current system where students pick just three subjects is too narrow. The 26 year old Councillor explained to the media, "The 21st century is a changing employment landscape, A.I., automation, a more interconnected world and climate change are all going to change the way the world is in the next couple of years. Having 18 year olds entering the work place with such a narrow focus is going to massively limit their potential and we need to change with the times." Lusk described the meeting with the King as "Productive. The King is a man who values education and learning and he was very open to the points we made. He has asked us to draft a proposal for change and once done he will consider it before returning to the Council with his own proposal. I think we have a great oppurtunity to make our education system the envy of Mundus."

After leaving the Council building the King meet up with Queen Stasya, Princess Freya and Major Alex Redfern at the funeral of family friend Clinton Baptise the 82 year old high class tailor. Mr.Baptise owned the "Crowned Unicorn Tailoring Salon" which was established in 1961 on Mr.Baptise's 20th birthday. He had completed national services military requirement and then found himself sent to work in various museums where at Northfort National Gallery he found himself repairing clothing for displays after which he apprenticed as a tailor and joined the Seamstress & Tailors Guild in short order. In 1962 he was called on to make an "emergency suit" for young Prince Edward who at the age of six was refusing to wear any he owned to his grand-father, King David II, funeral just 24 hours later. Mr.Baptise's work was so well received that from that point on he practically became the royal tailor. King David III was a regular customer and estimated, as he spoke at the funeral, that he owned "a vast quantity of Clinton's work and each one was made with skill and love." Mr.Baptise has no living descendants and has left the company and its only store on Crown Plaza to Queen Stasya on condition that it becomes part of her company "Pelafashion". The Queen's company is a not for profit enterprise that helps young Morelanders and Lodjains get a start in the fashion industry and raises money for charities. The Queen said, "I've only ever worn one of Clinton's creations and I loved it, his blazar suit is still one of my favourite pieces and I love the way he made my husband always look very handsome and dapper. Its my aim to ensure that the business sticks to the ideals of Clinton and that the two young apprentices he'd been working with get into the Guild in the very near future and I'd like to think we can trust both of them to help lead the Salon into the 21st Century. I know I have a reputation for being a little extravagant and maybe a little flamboyant for Morelander tastes but the Salon will not be influenced by me, perhaps I'll just make David creative director." The Queen confirmed that should the two apprentices get enrolled in the guild that they would feature in Niameck Fashion Week in Neu Urburzis sometime in February.

On this the 30th day of October in the year 2023AD that the nations whose signatures are affixed to this charter have agreed to the following.

MEMBERSHIP

The Council of Small Nations and its associated bodies are open to any nation that meets the following criteria

1. Has a population of less than 15million according to its own census.

2. The Nation has control of its own armed forces.

3. The Nation has a Head of State who under their own laws can make agreements with other nation.

4. Any nation that is a member and due to a change in circumstances no longer fulfils these criteria will no longer be permitted to be a member but may become an observer.

5. Observer members may send diplomats to the Council of Small Nations but may not vote. They may send representatives to associated bodies who are free to establish their own systems of governance.

6. A nation may withdraw from this Charter at any time with no prejudice.

THE COUNCIL OF SMALL NATIONS

1. Any nation that is a member or observer may send a diplomatic representative to the Council which shall be headquarted in x x

2. The host nation shall, with reimbursement being shared equally among all members and observers, provide lodging, security and facilities deemed neccessary for this organisation.

3. The Council will be made up of one speaking member per nation per meeting.

4. Nations may send teams of advisers to support this speaking member but only the speaking member shall be permitted to talk during debates.

5. Any member nation may place before the Council a resolution for discussion. Any resolution must use the COSNAT template

6. Once the nominated chairperson believes an acceptable resolution has been drafted they may call for a vote of members. (OOC- No vote until 48hours with no reply or majority make it clear a vote is ready)

7. Should a majority of members agree with the resolution it shall be published on behalf of the Council.

8. Should a majority of members disagree with the resolution it shall be put aside. This does not prevent any member presenting an amended resolution on the same manner.

9. Any nation that is a member of the council that is a subject of a resolution is expected to comply with it, failure to do so will permit the other nations to exclude them from the organisation and/or impose sanctions upon them.

10. Any resolution that requires military action will be then sent to the COSNAT Military Office (COSNATMO) for further action.

SPOILER: COSNAT RESOLUTION TEMPLATE • SHOW


COSNAT MILITARY OFFICE

1. Each member nation shall appoint three representatives to the Office, these should be ranking officers representing each of the traditional branches of the military, Army, Navy and Air Force.

2. In a situation where a nation does not have such branches they are to appoint three officers representing however best they believe Land, Air and Sea operations would be represented.

3. Following the passing of a successful resolution the membership of COSNATMO shall formulate a leadership structure that is believed best for the situation.

4. Once a leadership structure is in place that leadership team shall present members of the Council with a formal request for assets.

5. It is expected members who voted for military action shall, within reason, supply military assets.

6. Upon the formal ending of military action the leadership team shall appear before COSNAT to give a full debrief and to answer any questions put before them.

7. While it is not expected that nations will have signed the Uppsala Convention this document shall be utilised as a standard for operations.

8. It is expected representatives of COSNATMO will share relevant intelligence so long as it does not impact their own national security.

ASSOCIATE ORGANISATIONS

1. Any member of COSNAT may propose the creation of an Associate Organisation.

2. An Associate Organisation shall be an individual body that shall have the aim of at least one of the following

i) Promoting global co-operation in a field
ii) Providing support for those in need
iii) Aiding nations to better defend themselves
iv) Furthering science and technology

3. Once a proposal is made to form an organisation it shall create a charter. Once a charter has been accepted by the majority of COSNAT members the organisation may be established. A proposal shall proceed in the same manner as perscribed in Article 5-9 of the COSNAT section of this charter.

4. Nations may opt out of an Associate Organisation regardless of how they voted however initially all nations who voted in favour shall be considered members.

5. Once an Associate Organisation has been approved it shall be free to establish its own procedures.

6. At least once a year all Associate Organisations are expected to give a report to COSNAT.


His Majesty King  Aldwin VI of Weißenwald
Lady Aurora, the Veiled One of Gusano
His Majesty King Rutger of Altona
Her Majesty Queen Lucille, First Daughter of Themyscira
Her Majesty High Princess Stasya of Semelberg

Name of Nominee: EMAC
Field Nominated in: Engineering
Reason for Nomination: Extending the world speed Record
Supporting Letter:


To the Queens Foundation

I would like to nominate EMAC for the engineering award based on their work constructing SSC Honeybadger Once again the engineers, scientists and other staff at EMAC have been pushing at the boundaries of what is possible in terms of engineering. While many would consider the projects based on speed a vanity project their findings and advancements have and will support other fields of engineering. I therefore believe the team deserve the award for engineering.

May The Gods Watch Over You and Your Nation Know Peace

King David III of East Moreland.

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Name of Nominee: OsmanTech
Field Nominated in: Climate
Reason for Nomination: Experimental Carbon capture programme
Supporting Letter:


I would like to nominate OsmanTech for their Carbon Capture experiment. The company have been distributing basalt powder to farms which has meant carbon has been captured by the stone and when in powder form has been washed to the sea where it forms calcium carbonate that will trap carbon for millions of years. The project also has the ability to help fertilise farms and reduce the amount of man made fertilisers.

May The Gods Watch Over You and Your Nation Know Peace
King David III of East Moreland.

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 Name of Nominee: OsmanTech
Field Nominated in: Medicine and/or Chemistry (your choice)
Reason for Nomination: Creation of a "Glass Mouse"
Supporting Letter:


I would like to nominate OsmanTech for their "Glass Mouse" experiment. The company have been investigating ways to help improve the analysis of tissues being used in the study of certain illnesses such as cancer, alzheimers etc. Their work will not directly cure these things but will, it is hoped, speed up the discovery of data on these diseases and thus help us overcome their impacts on people's lives. 

May The Gods Watch Over You and Your Nation Know Peace
King David III of East Moreland.

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 Name of Nominee: Reenberg Mineral Trade Ltd
Field Nominated in: Climate
Reason for Nomination: Use of Seaweed for Carbon Capture
Supporting Letter:


I would like to nominate RMT for their "Seaweed Carbon Capture" experiment. The company have been investigating ways to capture carbon from the environment. By using seaweed to capture carbon, the process the seaweed into bales which sink the carbon will locked on the bottom of the ocean. This project is unlikely to stop the climate change we see however it is likely to slow it and enable us to have time in which to look for ways we can have greater impacts. 

May The Gods Watch Over You and Your Nation Know Peace
King David III of East Moreland

On the Bayer all the Morelanders stayed with the Prince, David and Henrietta because they wanted to hear about the festival, Stasya because frankly if you've seen one warship you'd seen them all. David sat quietly for a moment as the Prince explained the story of the festivals origins. "I have to say Prince Theodor the fact my countryman used to dump our lepers here is something I'm sad about but I suppose without the science and medical advancements we have people probably felt they had no choice. May I ask what happened when people like the infected Morelanders arrived? Where they put into communities or just left to fend for themselves. Did they maintain their culture or did it dilute and merge with your own. I've a lot of questions." he smiled before realising he may be monopolising the Prince's time and so contented himself to just listen to the conversation with others.

As the Queen arrived Stasya was rather disappointed. This was Elisabeth's first oppurtunity to meet many nobles from around the world and she did so looking like some frumpy naval officer. Grey? Who chooses grey, it was such a draining colour. It took the Morelanders next to no time to make their minds up. Despite his former back wound David was not going to miss up a chance to have a row and get involved directly with history. He happily went off and changed as did Henrietta. Meanwhile Stasya, fearful of damaging a nail or even worse being snapped by the press wearing what could best be described as a drab potato sack contented herself to the motor boat. David did his best to persuade Stasya to come with him but she simply suggested someone from East Moreland should go on the motor boats incase other nations didn't join the rowing. She kissed David goodbye while he excitedly made his way to the boat and even found himself doing a few quick stretches keen to get into action.

David suspected that unless Valen turned up he'd be the person making the shortest trip. With that in mind he'd told the Air-Force to brush off the old Ironside One. He was fond of the old girl and while it still got the odd internal flight across East Moreland it was good to see her stretch her legs so to speak. With him was Queen Stasya and with the invite speaking of culture he'd brough along Henrietta Quinn. While she may now be his Prime Minister the King and his then Minister of Culture had penned the Cultural Exchange Treaty Organisation original draft and this was still one of David's proudest achievements. He knew Henrietta would appreciate such an event as this.

After the flight touched down David exited the aircraft, saluted the band playing the national anthem and then when his wife and Prime Minister joined him greeted the Medusian Foreign Minister. He would have been happy to walk but understood his hosts likely had their reasons for the shortest car trip he could remember taking. Once at the bottom of the walkway he offered a supporting arm to Stasya who well accustomed to boarding ships, usually super yachts, had removed her strappy heels and slipped on some flat plimsol like shoes. Henrietta meanwhile was far more sensible and had always worn flats, she had no idea how Stasya could manage those towering heels and not have painful ankles. At the top the King accepted Theodor's handshake. "Thank you for the reception, may I introduce my wife Stasya and my Prime Minister Henrietta. I have to say I'm looking forward to seeing what happens, our library at Northfort Palace lacks any real details but rest assured I'll sort that out" he smiled fully intending to find something to ensure this nations history was represented in his pride and joy. "I trust your mother's feeling better?" The King enquired as he watched the Prince pour three cups of coffee. "I'm sorry we never had a chance to talk during your regency. Our two nations have a lot to talk about and I have many questions about your Kingdom so I apologise if I ask too many."

"We're all looking forward to your day" Stasya said sensing David was about to bombard the young Crown Prince. "Could I trouble you for some cream?" She asked hoping to give the man a chance to greet whoever was next.

EM- For Womens and Blind (M & F) , only for Mens tournament if your short of teams.

Astronomers across Mundus have been reporting the sighting of the the comet NS-2013. The comet has been spotted every ten years and has been recorded in different cultures and civilisations going back thousands of years. The comet is also known as the Yellow Dragon Comet and is thought to be visible across Mundus for the next three days. Some civilisations across Mundus have historically seen the passing of the Yellow Dragon Comet as marking special occasions. For example in Safraen the comet is thought to be the cause of great change. Its passing coincides with their upcoming elections. Meanwhile in Quinntopia it is thought to have marked the birth of several significant births. While the comet is well documented its passing is set to trigger events around the world and excite astronomers who are likely to be making the most of the next few days to observe what many believe is the comet that passes the closest to Mundus.

Dear Queen Elisabeth

You are correctly informed that I enjoy witnessing the cultures and traditions of many nations across Mundus. I have heard that your annual ceremony is one that fully embraces your past and it would be a great honour to experience it as your guest. I therefore look forward to meeting you at the ceremony and hope to learn a great deal about your nations rather intriguing past.

May The Gods Watch Over You and Your Nation Know Peace

King David III of East Moreland.

As one of the Security detail of the Prince asked about the Ironside's spontaneity Tillie thought for a moment, it was true that it truly depended who you were assigned to. The King was pretty much a man who organised his visits with great detail, liking to know as much as possible about each place he visited. Stasya was someone who they had to keep an eye on much more as she was prone to messing up timings and like a magpie could get distracted by the shiny stuff. Meanwhile the job so many didn't want was Freya, her detail was constantly under scrutiny knowing that not only was the Princess confident she could largely take care of herself but often it meant Alex Redfern was in tow and as a Red Legionnaire he was also well versed in security matters and so the duo often could be a little too confident in public. It seemed largely that Rhiannon was a kind of half way house between her father and her auntie.

Rhiannon was pleased to hear Schnuffelchen was still alive and kicking even if it was much slower. She was though a little unsure what to do when the rabbit clad Prince knelt down. As a general rule the East Moreland press didn't take pictures of the Princess unless it was a photo op, they were fearful of the wrath of Tucker and also losing the access to the royal family if King David got wind of the issue. The Princess had a sword in her hand she'd been showing the Vikings and she gave Augustin a light bop on the bunny head with the flat of it before pulling him up. She was puzzled by the shout from the other boat, her young age meaning she perhaps failed to pick out some innuendo. She was confused but as her father had told her once some of these foreign nations did strange things and so figured this must just be another case of that. Once they'd moved further down to quayside Rhiannon had found where one of the old dry docks had been turned into a kind of boating lake with pedal powered two seater boats. She'd wanted to have a go but didn't really want to go on with any of the entourage that inevitably followed the family round and as of yet she'd yet to bump into any of her school friends now though she was pleased that perhaps Augustin would like to have a go. "Do you want a go?" She asked pointing at the boats, "You can steer" she added almost as an incentive to get him to want to go on.

Freya had done her fair share of diplomacy in her life, most notably with Heyra many years ago. Now this had become perhaps the strangest thing she had found herself dealing with. She noticed his attempt at proper military decorum but the chains prevented him doing so. Had this been any real nation the Princess would of course have replied with her own salute or mark of respect for the initial salute but this guy was, at least to her at this moment, simply playing at soldier. She took a seat opposite as Saxby stood in the corner. She waited for Lahm to finish talking.

"Well Stefan" She purposely refused to use the man's assumed rank. "being a Commando is rather impressive normally. Our own Royal Marine Commando's take months just to go through selection, then time to train. It shows great dedication. Its not just a case of sticking a badge on and claiming you are one. A badge incidentally I don't see. That would mean that the Uppsala Convention would literally say you are not a soldier as you have no ID, no uniform and no insignia, unlike mine." She tapped to the thunderbolt riding horse that was the badge of her Regiment.  Lets perhaps then drop the pretence of being a military unit for a fictional nation. Now you have some kind of beef with Mersch that's fine. You though can't expect to derail a system that took months of work to put together simply because you and some buddies are upset. Now while you had some initial success, the element of surprise in your favour. You've now, metaphorcially speaking, shot your load. You've lost that and now Mersch is going to be ready for you. So lets be realistic, you're not derailing the process, so what else would you like that might actually be achievable?"

King David has today made his way to Valtheim to watch the progress of East Moreland's athletes in the 2023 Mundus Games. East Moreland currently sit in a disappointing 10th position in the medal table with 16 gold medals, including both the mens and womens Gold medal in rugby sevens. The King has sent each of the gold medal winners a letter of congratulations and all medal winners will, as always, be invited to a post-games celebration event at Northfort Palace. The King is thought to be especially keen to watch the finals of the Medieval MMA tournament within the games with East Moreland athletes tipped to do well having already taken gold in the Fortress Battle, a team event within the discipline that is usually only seen at the Mundus Games and a handful of other events. There have been voices of concern within the sporting community over the nations position in the medal table. Leo Mather, a coach at the Ostlake Sports Institute, said "Sport is a big part of our national heritage. Our Cult of Helus promotes the idea of healthy body and healthy mind and many of the sports we excel at tend to have a background in the militaristic psyche. We have though relied too much on the use of Armed Forces sport as a breeding ground for success and that can leave us a little behind everyone else. We have seen in sports such as cycling we've been left behind. Our once traditional power in the pool and on the track has begun to wain and now we're relying on combat sports and rugby to help us out. We've been promised significant investment in sport and its come but my issue is where its been invested. We've built excellent facilities for rugby and Medieval MMA and even promoting the expansion of football, whats needed now though is basic stuff everyone can access."

This point was matched by the King who has promised a future programme that would promote better involvement in a wider range of sports. Speaking from the East Moreland accomodation in the athletes village the King said "Our service men and women enjoy facilities for sport that I would say are on par with those here in Valtheim. While that's positive it means many of our top sports people only have access to those facilities for one or two years and only when they hit 18. Thats going to change. One thing that will be happening is the creation of a kind of payment scheme where school students reaching significant standards in fitness will be given extra funding towards further education, likewise if they achieve certain success in school sports the same will happen. We've invested a lot of time and effort into supporting academic excellence in East Moreland and now we will do the same for sporting excellence."

The King has also indicated while in Achkaerin he intends to make time to visit the former Emperor of Achkaerin who is still "medically incapacitated".

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OsmanTech have today announced that they have produced what they believe is the worlds first smart contact lense that is powered by human tears. The potential of Smart Contact lenses is thought to be wide with applications ranging from the use as displaying information directly to the wearer and augmented reality to monitoring health conditions such as glaucoma and diabetes. Currently the smart lenses that have been prototyped have required charging using either the use of metal electrodes or induction charging both of which require the use of potentially harmful wires within the lense. The new design features a lense made with a coating of glucose oxidase. This  coating reacts with the sodium and chloride ions in the tears, generating a current within the contact lenses. Using a simulated human eye, the team demonstrated that the battery could produce a current of 45µA and a maximum power of 201µW, which would be sufficient to power a smart contact lens. Laboratory tests showed that the battery could be charged and discharged up to 200 times. There is also the possibility of leaving the lense in a solution overnight while asleep to extend the battery life.

Professor Michael Thames is leading the team for OsmanTech and has said. "The fact the battery is so simple to charge and also much safer should the lense get damaged  actually means there is a larger surface area that we can use for various other functions, be that monitoring health or displaying information. Wearable tech is, as Bakkermaya's ZDS have demonstrated, the future for many of us. The applications are vast and we're going to explore them all." OsmanTech confirmed that it working with EMAC to investigate the use of the smart lense to be used for people operating in the battlefield who may have to control remotely piloted drones. Human trials have now been approved and OsmanTech is searching for 100 volunteers with glaucoma to try them out.

The Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing (JSFAW) are East Moreland's specialist aviation unit that carry out clandestine operations or are involved in missions conducted by mainly Royal Marine Commandos and Red Legion. In addition the JSFAW are responsible for the operation of the aircraft that are used by the royal family on a day to day basis. While the unit is technically part of the Air Force it has a huge amount of autonomy and its commanding officer spends the majority of their time at Aldfield Barracks with Red Legion. While the vast majority of its members come from the Air Force there are also people recruited from Naval and Army Aviation units.

There are four Squadrons within the Wing however they are not organised in the traditional manner.

1. Royal Operations - These are responsible for the maintainence and operation of the fleet of aircraft normally used by the Ironside family.

2. Rotary Wing Operations - These are responsible for flying helicopters and are mainly tasked with inserting and exfiltrating members of the special forces.

3. Fixed wing Operations - These are responsible for operations using aircraft ranging from fighters to transport aircraft.

4. Aviation Commandos - These are individuals in support roles such as Air-Loadmasters, Winchmen and gunners who ensure the aircraft of all kinds can operate safely on operations.

Entrance to the unit is considered only after someone has served in an Air Force role or attached to an aviation unit in the Navy or Army for five years. Once an individual has five years of service they must have two officers act as a reference for their application. At this point the commanding officer of the Wing narrows things down. Those being considered suitable are invited to Ostlake West where selection training takes place. Selection begins with the individual having to pass the basic military fitness test twice in a day. The test requires an individual to run 2.4km in 11 minutes 11 seconds, reach level 9.1 on the beep test, complete 20 press ups in a minute and then 35 sit ups in two minutes. There is then a break of an hour and then the test repeated. Those passing the test then undertake a two weeks of fitness training culminating in with candidates having to pass Red Legions basic fitness test of 2.4km run to be completed in under 9mins30 seconds, followed immediately by 45 press ups and 55 sit ups to be completed in two minutes each.

At this point selection splits based on pilots flying either fixed wing or rotary wing or ground skills. Pilots are put through various training exercises utilising aircraft types not commonly used by East Moreland pilots with the idea of assessing their abilities to master learning new aircraft types as missions may require. Meanwhile ground crews undertake an eight week long skill at arms, medical, survival and technical training course as well as undertaking testing on their existing skills.

At the end of these sections of training the selection process reunites and undertakes a variety of simulated operations alongside Red Legions current cohort under continuation training. At the end of this simulation the Red Legion officers examine the performance of each candidate and on the final day of selection they are driven to Aldcliffe's air field and told of their pass or fail. Those who pass are given their black beret and beret badge and can call themselves official Aviation Commandos. Simply by passing though does not mean they begin working with the unit as sometimes their skills are not required at that moment in time. In the meantime they return to their unit and continue their service but for four days a month they undertake training allocated by the Wing to ensure their readiness is maintained. Only those in Royal Operations are permanently based at Ostlake West for active service. Those returning to their unit are entitled to wear their black beret (Air Force units wear dark blue, Naval Aviation Pale blue, Army Brown) and two cap badges.

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As expected the unit do not share the same inventory of aircraft the regular military maintains although they do have access to them should operations require.

Aircraft Regularly Used

EMAC Royal Edition - Ironside One - Despite the name this is an actual call sign not an aircraft itself. The aircraft most commonly seen as Ironside One is a specially designed EMAC Skyline II. It features additional range, has the ability to refuel in the air and has a whole range of classified modifications including systems for advanced communication, threat warning, chaff, flares and other decoy systems. It contains two en-suite bedrooms, a small cinema, full kitchen and a secure briefing room. There are infact two of these aircraft in operation.

EMAC Royal Flight The Royal Flight was the original Ironside One. It was utilised at the beginning of King David's reign and modified to have many of the defence features on the current Ironside One. It was though only really ideal for visit in the Mhorish and Illumic regions and as King David began more widespread travel became impractical. There are three of these and today utilised by the royal family for flights within East Moreland or by ministers hosting special events.

Royal Rotar The Royal Rotar is a highly modified helicopter usually used by the army for light duties. This version can only accomodate four passengers but in much greater luxury. There are three of these available to the Ironsides.

Ironside Skyhouse The Skyhouse has been used once in the squadrons history as of August 2023. It is an airship designed for long duration flights that gives the luxury of a hotel suite.



 

With David being busy with the situation in Mersch, the Festival of sail and having just heard of the deaths of the Lymm royalty it was not a simple task for him to head over the Illumic. Freya was busy with some negotiations with the new government of Mersch and so David had instructed his cousin, and Foreign Minister, Duchess Orlaith to go to the inauguration. She had flown from East Moreland's small Illumic HQ that morning and the flight was, relatively speaking short and thankfully uneventful. She was proud she'd managed to maintain her cousins reputation for punctuality and being the first to arrive she approached the soon to be sworn in President. "Mr.President" She extended a hand towards him, "I'd like to pass on my cousin King David's congratulations and wish you well for your term. As always my cousin is keen to forge friendships with nearby neighbours and so if you would like to visit Northfort he'd be happy to see you, sadly some of the situations in Alba Karinya have taken his attention away from today."

With schools in East Moreland due to return from the summer holidays in mid September it was today confirmed that Princess Rhiannon has headed to the Isle of Iskor where she will spend a month attending Iskor Girls Junior School. The Princess is to be accompanied by her mother Matilda Osman who agreed to the move saying "My daughter is one day going to find herself having to work closely with the Lodjains so I know she needs to be prepared. I'm fortunate enough that I can join her and experience life on a beautiful island which gives me a chance to observe whales and dolphins with Oliver while she's at school. Its like a combination of a holiday and school." The Island is part of the Dukedom overseen by Queen Stasya's father Duke Tobias Pelagiya. It is understood that Princess Rhiannon has what the Queen has described as "more than passable Lodjain" and that she will access the full Lodjain curriculum during her time there.

Once the Princess returns to East Moreland she will begin her first year at the Northfort Academy for Girls, which takes students from ages 10-18 and has educated every female member of the Ironside family since 1750. While the Academy has boarding facilities she will not be a boarder as King David explained "We live just down the road and while I think boarding schools can give students a rich experience in life Rhiannon also has other forms of education she needs to tend to and that can't be done by the wonderful staff at the Academy. Beside there would be a significant greater disruption to the other girls educations and that is something I think is unfair." The Princess has been placed in Espada House, one of four in the Academy, the others being Sabre, Rapier and Long. Princess Freya was once head girl of Espada House and still holds the House record for Cross Country, with the schools record being held by Archduchess Sophie Harrison-Ironside who was in Sabre House, which counted High Priestess Joanna Ironside among its alumni. It is said that Princess Rhiannon is a good student who excels in History and Painting.

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The Ministry of Defence have today confirmed that EMAC have won a contract to provide 5,000 man portable micro drones over the next three years with an option to accelerate delivery if required. The WING (Weaponised Intelligence and Navigation Gadget) Munition is capable of being fired either from a device that looks like a slightly larger hand held flare or utilising the grenade launchers issued to some Legionnaires. Once launched WING can be controlled from a squad commanders communication device and can stay airborne for 35 minutes. During this time the weapon can transmit images up to 10km and can even be put into a autonomous mode where it will track a vehicle using visual sensors. It can also be programmed to follow a set route to relay images. There is a small payload capacity which allows it to be detonated alternatively it can simply land and be retrieved for reuse from a grenade launcher. Weighting in at just 250grams the device is thought capable of being carried easily in a tactical vest. 

Sir Alan Maybury of EMAC responded to questions saying, "The explosives won't take out tanks or anything with substantial armour but could certainly be used to take out infantry units or to help breach target houses. We're once again proud to have teamed with SmartWar for part of the project and as always we're honoured to do our part to support our armed forces." It is believed that the contract for the devices, training in use and control software will be in the region of £40million. 

OOC- Sorry thought I'd replied to these.

Bartek was not used to so many questions but to ignore them or dismiss them casually would have been seen as rude and that was unacceptable, especially to foreigners. "My family have been in this business for many generations, I suppose you could therefore say I've been in this line of work all my 40 something years. Now he heard the guest describe his produce as "quite satisfying" and hissed some instructions at his son who was acting as his assistant when he returned with a small tray of fresh off the polisher diamonds Bartek addressed his potential customers. "The Festival is not simply about satisfaction, it is about finding something to make you happy and this is my quest, to make you happy" He laid out on the black tray a selection of freshly cut and polished diamonds of varying kinds. "If none of these meet your happiness, forget satsifaction, then we have several uncut diamonds and gems in the back that we can get perfect for your needs or desires. You see we may find ourselves busy with Seleucid shoppers but they have the oppurtunity to come see us repeatedly even in our building in Ipsus, you meanwhile are always welcome there but it is of course quiet the trek. So we want to make sure you get this perfectly the first time. While all the sellers are selling goods from Seleucid mines a few inferior Waddanite ones are beginning to sneak in, but they are not to the same standard as what we find, likewise the Rayyuan appearence this year seems to trade in "grown diamonds", in my view simply an expensive way of saying fake diamonds but everything else is as Seleucid as I am."

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Balas chuckled slightly as Melaine's question, from her explanation he had her down now as some sort of scholar or academic but perhaps one new to Seleucid history. "Forgive me" he said before starting to explain what had amused him, "If you walk through this festival you will see people purchasing gold, diamonds, hopefully books even. You will see them accept payment in many forms, now cash or credit card seem to be the way but go back just a century and you will have seen people such as minor land owners exchanging bags of maize or rice for enough gold to make a bracelet for their loved one, next you would see a man swap a few head of cattle for the rough diamond to try and impress his beloved. We were a nation of traders, if you have something I want or need that thing becomes a currency to get something from me that you want or need. Diamonds would have been traded yes, their size, colour, quality and the like determining what you could get with them." He pointed to a tent slightly across from his own, "That is Guzman, one of his diamonds would get you a fine horse perhaps, there though is Ashad, his diamonds tend to be small and dull, the same horse would cost six or seven of his. The diamond trade has not changed much here for centuries, land owners are lucky enough to have lands that you can find diamonds, gold, silver and various other things in, some of those have operated their own mines or in other cases contracted for a trader to come in and in return for letting that trader take the things they dig up they receive a share of the profits. There were, and still are things called Asnafs which regulated the quality of any profession. You wanted the top quality diamonds you went to the Diamond Asnaf, the system of Asnaf's died out in the 19th Century as mechanisation took place but people like Ashad can trace their families line back to a business that was once a member. There old HQ lies in Ipsus and is still a beautiful building, I believe today its a restaurant." He shrugged his shoulders unsure whether he was actually correct."

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Meaniwle in the tent Cerys spoke of shopping and talking, to Katerina that seemed like a request. "I am sure we can handle that." She turned and spoke to a man sat close by who had been busying himself with a few pieces of paper and a notebook but now closed them and hurried off. Soon a group of men in suits arrived, Katerina's escort. "Now is there anywhere or anything you'd like to begin with?" She asked as they headed towards the door to the festival itself. As was custom amongst Seleucid ladies of rank Katerina had instinctively wrapped her arm through Cerys as they walked.