The Charter-Lord, Lady Charlotte Reenburg, has today named Prince Bartholomew of Semelberg as the new Foreign Affairs Adviser, replacing Lord Bruno Mikaelsson. The 24 year old Prince has this week secured membership of the Council of Small Nations for the some holding, making it the second of the Charters to join the organisation alongside Themyscania. The Prince will now sit on the Advisory Panel which offers the Charter-Lord input on a whole manner of issues ranging from education and health care to management of the armed forces. The Prince becomes the first member from Semelberg to sit on the Advisory Panel in 110 years. Speaking from the Semelberg royal estate Prince Bartholomew stated "I'm happy to bring my limited experience to help the community of the Charterlands as best I can. There are a lot of people out there more experienced than myself when it comes to politics but I think my recent experiences have certainly helped make me more confident in regards to international diplomacy. I'm excited about the Council of Small Nations and grateful to both High Princess Stasya for giving her permission to join while also pleased Lady Charlotte has allowed us to take up the oppurtunity."

Lady Charlotte has however stated that she will be putting in place internal measures to mean any of the Charters moving forward will be required to get direct permission from herself before being allowed to even pursue membership of this new council. In her statement she said "While we support our Charters to take steps to strengthen their own economy and opportunities for their members they are still duty and in fact contract bound to follow our Charter agreements above all. We run the risk of a parrallel system beginning and that is not going to be acceptable."

"I believe that the construction of the floating island is all but complete and the costs covered, however thank you for the offer. As for the day to day maintainence and running costs then I agree that it should be covered equally. What you describe is exactly what I had hoped for. It would help streamline trade between our two nations and of course help our businesses get involved in potentially new markets, especially as many of our industries are run by small and middle size entrepreneurs. I would ensure though that our port is one that is under our families control. That would then allow me to ensure my clients rely on me for their access, not that I would stop them but it ensures the hierachy that mantains our nation. Do you have a text in mind or do we need to begin drafting one?" 

The Charterlands of Reenberg wish to not allow announce their entry into the Rugby World Cup for the first time but also desire to be the hosts . Over the last 100years sport has played an ever greater part in the culture and societies that make up the diverse Charterlands. While people here are proud of there own individual heritage and background we have few opportunities to come together in the sense that other nations can and so we believe the crucible of sport, especially as hosts will provide us those opportunities. Please find attached the details of our intended bid. We are always happy to answer questions relating to this bid.

Should we be successful our 80,000 seater stadium shall be the 81,000 seater Reenberg Arena. The stadium is located on Reenberg Isle and has excellent public transport links. The stadium itself has a rectractable roof ensuring that perfect conditions for the final can be achieved.

Our two 70,000+ seater stadiums shall be the Reenberghöfn Sports Park Arena (right) and Dragon Stadium (left). Reenberghöfn is our largest city and sits on the coast meanwhile Dragon Stadium sits with the Charter known as the Dragon Council and the city of Xiodelijiang.  Reenberghöfn Sports Park Arena has a capacity of 73,500 while Dragon Stadium has a capacity of 74,200.

In addition to this top tier stadiums we would also like to host games at the following arenas. Starting in the top left of these images and moving clockwise are Liberty Stadium, The Alliance Dome, The Colony Park, Ferrum Stadium and the Pelagiya Family Stadium. Each of these stadiums represents one different Charter of our nation. The Liberty Stadium is in the coastal city of Lahar, a member of the Gulf of Liberty Union. It has 63,000 seats and Lahar is considered one of the most multi-cultural cities within the Charterlands. The Alliance Dome is a unique roofed arena capable of replicating climates from around the world. It is often used as a training ground by the national team or for concerts however on this occasion its 58,000 seats will be arranged for rugby. It is located in the Socialist Holding Alliance (SHA) town of Ruskakov, the SHA is largely made up of immigrants from Rodhina and Kaitaine. Colony Park has a capacity of 41,000 and is located in a Charter known as the Colony of Reform. This is a region once used as a penal colony by Royal Seleucid however today is a thriving region in its own right. Ferrum stadium contains 31,000 seats. It is located in Marasal, a town in the Ferrum Respublica a region that at one time was heavily influenced by commercial enterprises based out of Heyra. Today however it is becoming more of a formal democracy devoid of corporate control. Finally we have the Pelagiya Family Stadium with a capacity of 30,000 in the Charter of Semelberg. This is a largely Nordic speaking region of the Charterlands and is heavily supported by the Pelagiya family from Lodja and East Moreland.


The TV and other media needs of the tournament will be handled by Reenberg Media Enterprises. The company handles most of the live sport shown within the Charterlands and has worked co-operatively with each of the stadiums nominated to install all equipment needed to allow each nation to show games of interest to their home viewers as well as support match officials with important match decisions via television match officials. Media suites can be made available for any foreign network wishing to broadcast from the Charterlands.

Accommodation for the event will utilise a mixture of Universities throughout the nation as well as the various Sporting Institutes that are spread across the nation. Universities in the Charterlands have a high standard of student accommodation and facilities at Universities are world class. It is our hope that visiting teams while enjoying the competition will also have a chance to socialise with sports teams from the Universities or Institutes they reside with. In terms of fans accommodation while the Charterlands is yet to establish itself as a regular tourist venue there are more than enough hotels, bed & breakfasts , inns and youth hostels to give those travelling a variety of options.

With the Charterlands having the right to their own rules regarding entry Lady Charlotte has agreed that for the duration of the tournament plus 30 days any competitor, coach, media worker or official will be granted a passport for Reenberg families own Charterlands thus ensuring they can travel to any part of the Charterlands.

We hope that our bid is accepted and are hopeful of welcoming you all to the Charterlands in due course.

Best Regards
Raymond Ahelsen
Minister of Sport

Bartholomew had moved them into his living room. The heavy timber cross beams that ran across had various coats of arms nailed to them and family photos hung on the walls. This could have been any farmhouse in Semelberg and it made Bartholomew feel a little uneasy having one of Mundus most respected royals sat with him on his sofa. He listened carefully to what the Morelander explained. "I do not blame you for not hearing on this little patch. After all I suspect there are even members of the Charterlands who couldn't find us on a map. I am actually pleased with the arrangement that is taking place, my family have run Semelberg for a long time now and we've always struggled to do much more than what we do know, farm the land, manage the forests and mine the deep. We have a reputation for sending perhaps more than our fair share to the military as the young see it almost as a right of passage to serve five years and then leave. Sadly I was not permitted taking the reigns here at such a young age so apart from being an Army Cadet as a teenager I have no real experience of a life in the military" As a follower of Odinism he was sad that he'd never been a soldier but as his father had told him sometimes you serve the Gods in other ways and his way had been to secure the future of Semelberg. "We'd be honoured to welcome the Alanders here, I suspect back in the depths of time that our families likely in part came from there and so we see them as kind of long lost brothers. I'd love to host the exercise you talk of and I know that the men in our militia are good men who take pride in their service, we though lack real equipment, our service rifle is from the 1960's, our workhorse of a mobility vehicle is little more than a glorified car and a helicopter that doubles as the regions air ambulance. What I would ask is that we remain a volunteer force. I know you practice national service in East Moreland but I believe the military here is so small it should be made up of the willing."

Today members of the Reenburg Land Forces, the Charterlands Army, made the first ever arrest under the terms of the Historic Crimes Treaty. It is understood that at just before midnight last night the East Moreland representative of the  The Historic Crimes Commission Panel (HCCP) presented the Panel with a folder of evidence connecting  Delshad Khoroushi to crimes committed during the Cultist Genocide as well as crimes in 2001 against the Maori. Representatives of the Panel then issued a HJT Warrant for the arrest of Lt-Col Khoroushi which late this morning was executed by members of the RLF. The former Selecuid military member was arrested in the Colony of Reform where he had been residing for the past two years. Khoroushi was then taken to Reenberghöfn where he was approved for extradition meaning that the Historic Crimes Treaty no longer needs to be utilised. Lady Charlotte Reenburg issued a statement saying "Having signed the Historic Crimes Treaty it applies to all Charter territories. A warrant from the HCCP is therefore no different to one issued by the highest courts here and so we acted. The decision to deport therefore falls not to the ruler of the Colony of Reform but to myself. Having been permitted to look at the file I shall simply say that Mr. Khoroushi has a case to answer. We faced a decision of deportation to East Moreland, the Iwi or to the Historic Crimes Tribunal and with our belief that a fair trial can be achieved we are looking to speed the process along."

The Emir of the Colony of Reform stated he only partly supports the process however. "The Historic Crimes Treaty is important but to say someone such as Delshad could get a fair trial in East Moreland is not a statement I agree with. We tried to push for the Tribunal to see the case but Lady Charlotte has to make that decision. As a man who honours my commitment to the Central Charter and the rule of law I must accept her decision and I shall pray to Allah that justice is done for all parties." It is believed that in 2003 then then Liutenanat Khoroushi was a member of a Seleucid military unit that executed prisoners of war as the Seleucid left what is now the Commonwealth of the Iwi. He spent a career as a soldier and was part of a unit accused of taking part in the Cultist Genocide.

Lottie had travelled to Reenberg Isle, a small island barely big enough to support a four bedroom lodge house, but still technically part of the Charterlands. A small footbridge guarded by members of the families own military connected it with a city that despite it hugging the shoreline of the lake was named after the Island. She enjoyed spending time here as the island itself was peacefully quiet yet just a five minute stroll she could be in the centre of a metropolitan hub. Small pleasure boats bobbed on the lake itself. An imaginary line through the middle of the Lake marking the border between the two nations. At certain points a bright orange buoy bobbed designating the border. This morning a small motor boat picked her up. Already inside was Katarina Yacobs, a trusted aide who was officially one of the "Auditors of the Charter" meaning it was her responsibility to ensure each of the Charters complied with their arrangements, that role though was largely ceremonial. Today she would be acting in her unofficial capacity as simply a good sound mind that Lottie could consult if needed. The trip across the lake took about twenty minutes before they pulled up alongside a jetty. A Naval rating helped the two ladies ashore and then the three man crew of the boat headed off to await the call to transport the party home. They intended to take advantage of the time off and get some fishing in.

Lottie and Katarina made their way over to King John and exchanged handshakes. "Please remind me the next time we meet to do this in summer. The lake is much prettier then don't you think. It's been far too long since I was in Hozland. Please I've brought something to hopefully toast the renewel of the annual tradition." She handed over a bottle of Champagne made in Ferrum, one of the Charters that made up her nation.

Dear M. Guissigné.

Thank you for your expression of interest in working with RCon.

We believe based on the images we have seen of the Kings Tower that we are capable of either cleaning up the site and restoring the tower or alternatively constructing something new of equal magnificence. We would naturally require discussions about your exact needs and based on the issues being tackled by your East Moreland neighbours reassurance about the safety of workers at the site. I am confident that these hurdles can easily be overcome.

We look forward to working with you should discussions be successful.

Best Regards

Annette Fransson
Chief Operations Manager Reenburg Construction.

"I'm sure that we can include that. Especially if you can help us find a building suitable." Lottie conceeded. It would have been to her liking to have control over the channel of communication with the Morelanders but she recognised that the Morelanders would likely need this outlet if the arrangements were going to go ahead. " If your happy this is what we have so far."

The following agreement has been put in place between the Reenberg Family and the Kingdom of East Moreland.

1. The two parties agree that they shall work together to constantly find ways of ensuring a strong friendship between themselves.

2. The two parties shall maintain active embassies within each others territory and a nominated ambassador shall make themselves avaliable with 24 hours written notice.

3. The territories of East Moreland and those parts of the Charterlands party to this agreement shall gradually lower tariffs on a like for like basis.

4. Tariffs shall be agreed every six months.

5. The Reenberg Family and the Kingdom of East Moreland must both agree to other Charter-territories joining this agreement. A Charter may be rejected for any reason but that reason must be communicated within 48 hours of rejection.

6. Once a Charter has been accepted into this arrangement they shall be required to reaffirm their membership each year in writing to the Charterlord.

7. East Moreland may cancel the membership of any charter for national security reasons at any time.

8. East Moreland may establish a consulate with any Charter that is party to this agreement.

9. The Reenberg family shall establish a central embassy for the Charterlands in East Moreland. Each charter becoming a party to this arrangement may have consulate facilities within that embassy.

"Do we need to add anything else?" Lottie asked the King.

With the Charter territory known as the Principality of Semelberg about to default on its Charter Agreement it has today been confirmed that an unlikely source has stepped in to take over the Charter. The Pelagiya family, which includes Queen Stasya of East Moreland, have provided the $12million required to ensure the Principalities integrity is ensured. An agreement was made between Queen Stasya, Prince Bartholomew of Semelberg and Charer-Lord Lady Reenberg. Under this agreement the Pelagiya family replace the Monroes as the holders of the charter however have given an undertaking of leaving the Monroes as the decision making body on all but budgetary decisions. This will see the 23 year old Prince remain as the Prince of Semelberg and his bloodline shall maintain that position. Queen Stasya however, and presumably her husband King David, will adopt the title High Princess or High Prince. This title will pass down through their bloodline meaning that their son Prince Llewellyn will likely one day inherit the title of High Prince of Semelberg. The Pelagiya family will appoint a Chancellor who will control the budget and approve spending requests by Prince Bartholomew. An agreement was also put in place that despite the Principalities now seemingly East Moreland connection it would not be subject to East Moreland laws and the Norse Pagan faith followed by the majority of the Principality would not be impacted.

Prince Bartholomew spoke of his hopes for the future saying, "I am relieved that we can still go on as a community. The fear would always be that if we let the Charter lapse an outsider would come in and take advantage of owning the land by removing our family, breaking down our heritage and our communities and imposing something very new. In the arrangement with the Pelagiya family we have stability for the years ahead that will hopefully allow us to regain some of our economic strength and be self sustaining once more. That will of course mean some changes and I will work hard with the Chancellor to ensure that this is done." The Prince also spoke of his relief at the identity of those stepping in saying, "East Moreland are a nation we have seen work well with people who share our faith. Their friendship with the Alanders is well known and I'm confident they will understand our culture. They are also a nation that have a huge diplomatic network that I hope I can find a way to tap into." However as of yet only Queen Stasya has spoken of the arrangement saying "I think the Monroe's, Pelagiya's and Ironside's can ensure that this lovely little Principality goes from strength to strength. The people of Semelberg value hard work and community and thats something I respect. I look forward to our relationship moving forward." It is thought that some of the money for the project comes from the families businesses in Queen Stasya's Lodjian homelands while the Queen herself has made several fashion business enterprises which have been rather successful.

One question mark about the Charter agreement remains however with the Principality needing to provide 22 soldiers for the Reenberg military this coming year. Prince Bartholomew had stated that if the number couldn't be found he would fill one of the spaces. In the past arrangements have been made for foreign nationals linked to a Charter to fill it however as of now that has not been discussed. The announcement of the Principality not defaulting comes just a few weeks after a trade agreement between the Reenberg Charters and East Moreland were reached an agreement Lady Reenberg has said, "Will be opened up to the whole of the Charterlands in the weeks ahead." However her press secretary stated, "At no point during talks with King David and Lady Reenberg did the status of Semelberg come up. This was very much a last minute deal done between Queen Staya, Duke Tobias Pelagiya and Lady Reenberg negotiating with the Prince."

 

Prince Bartholomew Monroe, leader of the Semelberg holding, has today confirmed it is likely that his holding will fail to fulfil its obligations under the Charter system in 2023. The 23 year old Prince inherited the Principality of Semelberg in March of this year after the death of his father Jonah. The Holding has a population of just under 65,000 people and relies heavily on its forestry industry. In recent years exports of timber have declined as many companies around the world turn to reclaimed timber and other sources for their wood. In addition the lack of real employment oppurtunities outside this industry have seen many young people leave in search of employment elsewhere. On January 1st the Prince will be expected to pay an annual fee for maintaining ownership of the land. This is estimated to be in the region of $12million. In addition the Principality is expected, if last years figures are maintained, 22 members of the Charterlands military. Under the Central Charter should either of these two conditions fail to be meet the territory will revert to the Reenberg family for either their own use or to redistribute.  The Prince has said that he is currently investigating ways in which this can be fulfilled. "The Monroe family acquired Semelberg in 1608 and is one of the oldest of the Charters. We have never sought to expand and always lived in peace with our neighbours. It would be though a fair assessment that over the last few decades the patriachs of our family have not always looked to the long term in the way they managed our family finances, while those like the Reenberg's have invested in newer industries we have still focused on woodlands management. We lack the financial power of other holdings. Our demographics are heavily scewed towards older inhabitants meaning our numbers of 18-32 year olds eligible to fulfil military requirements of five years service are limited. I have already confirmed that if we do not find the 22 men likely required I will include myself in the number if it will make the difference. I'm working with our advisers to see if we can keep the Principality alive."

The head of the Reenberg family is CharterLord Lottie Reenberg who spoke about the issue while visiting one of the families mineral extraction companies. "Semelberg have been on the brink several times before and always found a way to keep themselves in the Charterlands. This time though I fear for them. It is likely that they will be the first Charter to default in the last 150 years. The previous one was Mahm who defaulted during the Clothmakers Rebellion where they failed to provide their required military numbers. While I would be sad to see the Prince lose his Charter it is the case that if the territory is being mismanaged it is not good for the whole of the Charterlands. Should they default I would like to reassure the people living there that if required I would consult them in the process of reissuing the Charter."

Each Charter maintains their own small military force. The Semelberg Foresters however are a reservist force and have for the last five years failed to fulfil its own recruiting targets. Currently their commanding officer, General Thomas Morrell , estimates that they have just 350 of their desired 650 troops. While this all seems dire the Prince has two weeks to turn things around. 

The Reenberg family's Environmental Adviser, Dr. Wilhelm Kasperberg has today revealed that he has been given permission and funding from the  Reenberg Mineral Trade Ltd to carry out an experiment in carbon capture. The project will see an area of around 2km square sectioned off with floating barriers and in the middle the seaweed Sargassum will be grown. The process will see pipes extended down to deeper depths in the ocean to bring nutrient rich water to the surface on which the seaweed will feed and grow. The seaweed is effective in absorbing carbon from the atmosphere. Once it has grown sufficently it will be harvested by a specially constructed machine that will form it into bails. These will then lose the ability to float and sink to the ocean floor taking the carbon with them and thus removing it from the atmosphere. If the trial is successful then Dr.Kasperberg says the plan could be to have massive Carbon Farms across the oceans of the world and that the carbon capture could proceed for close to a thousand years before need to deal with the sunken bails. With the deep ocean having no oxygen the bails will not rot and harm the environment in fact the professor believes the bails could in fact help create habitats for a variety of marine life and become like a new form of reef.

There are concerns by some that the seaweed could get close to shore and the Sargassum gives off a horrid stench when it rots. Dr.Kasperberg though suggests this is unfounded. "We would build these farms well off the coast and in gyre's, these are swirling surface whirlpools that would prevent the clump from floating away and coming close to land. As the seaweed needs the nutrients from the depths of the ocean to survive and being away from the pipes dragging it up the seaweed would die and break up long before it got near the shoreline.

The project has been given $15million from the  Reenberg Mineral Trade Ltd to set the experiment up for two years. Some business experts have also suggested the project could bring funds into the company as several nations across Mundus charge a carbon tax. The project could, once up and running, sell carbon credits allowing companies such as airlines to offset their own pollution. Lady Charlotte Reenberg is set to also discuss the expansion of the project with King John from Hozland when the two meet in the near future. 

While the meeting itself would be between Charlotte and the East Morelanders a good number of the heads of the various different lands that made up the Charterland network. Charlotte had a small detachment of the Reenberg Guard, the families private military force, waiting to pay their respects to the King and his party. She had heard how the King often travelled pretty much alone yet today he had with him rather an entourage by his usual standard. That pleased Charlotte as she believed that it showed the seriousness the King had for these talks to go well. "Your Majesty welcome to the Charterlands" She said loudly for everyone to hear before lowering her voice, "I am particularly excited for you to visit Reenberg Isle." The meeting was taking place on the island settlement at the centre of the large lakes in the North of the nation. It was a place that at one time had been an island of farms with a huge fortress at the centre but now that Fortress was more a tourist site where visitors could walk among the old medieval walls. The airport extended out into the lake itself. The various leaders of the Charters lined up and eagerly greeted the East Moreland King and Charlotte introduced each. They ranged from Kings who despite owing loyalty to the Reenberg family imagined themselves on an equal footing with the Morelander much to Charlotte's amusement, then there were Lords, Dukes, Sheriffs, a President or two and even an Emir.

Once they had completed the introductions the visitors were shepherded into a waiting car that took them to the opposite side of the airfield. While it was a journey of just over a kilometer Charlotte's security team had thought the site of the delegation walking across an airfield was not a good look. Once the car stopped it was a brief trip outside and then onto a water taxi. The high speed design whizzed round the coast of the island as several other ships manouvered back and forth between the island and the mainland sticking to well marked and organised lanes. The one they were on however found itself with a Naval escort of one of the small vessels they kept just for patrolling the Lake. As they rounded the island they came across a rocky outcrop with a castle perched on top. The boat stopped at the bottom and allowed everyone to exit. The trip up to the castle itself was achieved through a small elevator carved through the rocks. Once inside the castle there was a room set aside for their talks.

"I apologise its such a trek but I do love this place. In summer we have some lovely beaches and you can get the kayaks out and enjoy the water. In winter we get some horrid storms but then we mainly head to one of our other holdings." The room was overlooking the lake with a large window door leading to the balcony. "So if I may begin by saying we would like to make this appear like this was a matter you brought up. As such I wonder if you could fill us in exactly on why you want Khoroushi, then we'll tell you how we have him."

15 x Boudica Light Tank
20 x Ethelfleda Medium Tank
20 x Gwenllian Infantry Fighting Vehicle
25 x Cordelia Armoured Personnel Carrier
40 x Andraste Mobility Vehicles
40 x Medb Air Transportable Mobility Vehicle
3 x Scathach Multi-launch Rocket Artillery
15 x Aife Towed Howitzer
15 x Liath Robotic Combat Vehicle

To His Majesty King David III of East Moreland

I apologise for the manner of this delivery and a lack of prior formalities.

It has been brought to my attention by sources in the Charterlands that a Major Delshad Khoroushi is currently residing in the Colony of Reform, a territory in which the population have hailed historically from Royal Seleucid. While initially a quiet private citizen he has over the past few months begun undertaking private speaking functions within the Colony of Reform. During one such speaking appointment he was reported to have discussed "collecting Cultist swords" during the Cultist Genocide there. It is our belief from our investigations that followed that the former officer was perhaps involved directly in the genocide and has escaped punishment. With this in mind I would like to invite you to add to our investigation with any information your Kingdom has on record. It is our intention once we are fully prepared to either attempt to arrest Khoroushi, a not straight forward task in the Charterlands, or trigger mechanisms from your Historic Crimes Treaty to effect his arrest.

I would also like to invite you to visit the Charerlands in order for us to formally look at ways we in the Chaterlands can consider signing the treaty for Historic Crimes while at the same time establishing some diplomatic ground between us.

I hope you will accept my invitation and see that the Reenbergs are committed to justice for all.

May Your Gods Watch Over You and Your Kingdom Know Peace.

Lady Charlotte Reenberg
Charterlord of the Charerlands of Reenberg

To His Majestic Imperial Majesty, Emperor Tielin of Lijiang

In 1913 many of your countrymen left the Empire at the time of mourning and have established a home for ourselves in the Charterlands of Reenberg. While in those 100 or more years we have lived seperate from the Empire but we, the great grandchildren of those first migrants, still feel a closeness towards Lijiang. While there are three Charter Holdings who form part of the Dragon Council we meet once a year to discuss common ideas. One idea that I have tabled for discussion this year is some trade arrangements with the old homeland. As such we would like to invite you to attend this years Council meeting and join us in discussions.

We hope that you shall accept this humble invitation.

Lady Cica Mok
Chairperson of the 2022 Dragon Council.