News from The Solitude

[Gusano]

20th April 2023

1st Year of Aurora

VEILED ONE TO VISIT COAST

The coastal plains of Gusania are home to a handful of small white washed fishing villages and are a stark contrast to the chilly grey mountains of the interior. The sacred heartland of the nation, known simply as The Solitude, is the residence of those responsible for guiding the nation and sits on the highest peaks. It is rare that those two worlds collide, residents of the coast seldom are invited to the Solitude nor do they have reason to do so. As a result of this distinct separation of people within the nation todays announcement by the Master of Letters has taken many by surprise. With Aurora the Veiled One having been named as our leader almost two months ago she is to venture outside the traditional residence of the often reclusive government. Tomorrow Aurora is expected to visit the village of Estani where she was born. The visit is the first by the Veiled One outside of the Solitude for 40 years and very few know what to expect by the visit.

The intinery of the visit has been revealed and will see Aurora arrive shortly after sunrise at which point the village will gather with her for morning prayers and offerings. Once this has been carried out she will tour the fishing village and offer blessings to the fishing boats. She will also officially name one of the villages new fishing boats which has yet to be blessed. She will then have lunch with her family in what the Master of Letters has described as "a private moment from which the media, government officials and prying eyes will be forbidden from being part of." Very little is known about the Veiled Ones family other than the fact her parents run two businesses in the village and that she has an older sister. After lunch she will attend a public meeting with members of the village to discuss matters relevant to the area. The Veiled One has yet to make significant new decrees and has spent much of her time organising the Convention of the Clouds with new ministers and officials. The final act of the visit will be to lead the village in worship alongside the local Druids before departing for the Solitude via helicopter.

Locals have spoken of their excitement and nervousness. One local told us "To be blessed to meet the Veiled One in person is an honour beyond which many of us could have imagined happening. To know that a child born in our humble village has become the most important person in the land shows us anyone can, with the Gods, achieve greatness. We will though have the Solitude Guardsman attending the village. We know they have a fearsome reputation for not tolerating things that insult, threaten or otherwise could upset the Veiled One and so we understand we must be on our best behaviour. I am confident though that this will be a homecoming in which we can all celebrate." The village was already seen placing coloured ribbons outside their houses, gathering wild flowers and school children practicing traditional dancing. The local police chief was also seen on the streets with members of the local naval garrison to no doubt explore security options.

Tomorrow we will be able to bring you more details of this rather rare visit. 

[Gusano]

21st April 2023

1st Year of Aurora

VEILED ONE'S HISTORIC FLYING VISIT

Today the residents of Estani, a small fishing village on the nations coast, have welcomed the nations leader, the Veiled One. 18 year old Aurora has been the Veiled One since mid February and has today done something no other Veiled One has undertaken in forty years. For our foreign readers the nation of Gusano is split into two regions, one known as "The Funnel" acts as a resource for maintaining what is seen as the spiritual heartland, the reclusive "Solitude". Usually the Veiled One never leaves the Solitude where their duties include undertaking the various rituals required to God and ensuring the smooth running of the nation. Today though Aurora has returned to the village of her birth where she has taken time to meet with locals and dined with her parents.

The day began just after 7am when Aurora and several key members of her staff arrived in Estani via helicopter. A crowd had arrived to greet her and several of the local children presented her with a collection of feathers they had collected. While the crowds were not large it must be noted that for security reasons the Guard had insisted on preventing those from towns and villages close to Estani from travelling there. Having spent time talking with the children Aurora walked with the Mayor along the seafront where it is stated they shared a conversation on the "needs and dreams of those beyond Solitude" Following their walk the Mayor said "Lady Aurora did very little of the talking. She asked questions and then listened to what I had to say. She seems to wish to understand our nation in a way many other Veiled Ones have failed to do over the past decades, at least those within my lifetime. I know she selected the name Aurora as it was to signify a new start for our homeland and I remain confident that is exactly what we are about to receive." Lady Aurora then spent some time sat with her advisers at the dockside and was seen helping repair nets. Before becoming the Veiled One Lady Aurora had spent summers in the village with her parents who ran a business which fished the river inlet.

Following the time at the dockside Lady Aurora had dinner with her family in their home. This is the first time Aurora has seen her family face to face in four years. Details of the dinner were not shared and media where banned from attending. Following dinner the village gathered in the local plaza where Lady Aurora addressed the crowd in what many believe was an address designed as much for those outside the nation as those who are in it.

Four summers ago I left this village for the Solitude. Since then I spent days in study, prayer and ritual. It was my pleasure to be a member of the Order of the Talon and serve the God Aetharus. I thought that would be my life and I would have been happy with that. Now four years later I come back to you, the people of the Funnel. It sometimes feels odd that we have one nation in two parts but it is a system that works for us in terms of our culture, our faith and our traditions. This is a system I shall not break. The Solitude shall and must remain the spiritual heartland of Gusano. The nation must balance in perfect symbiosis. People here work and toil in the physical world so that those of us in the Solitude can do likewise in the spiritual world. This though is the problem. I see first hand through my life before the Solitude and today returning to you all that this is not a perfect balance, those of us in the mountains take more than we give. I am not saying the people of the Solitude do not work hard, they do, I have meet some of the most intelligent and wise people imaginable, but what use is there wisdom and knowledge if it is not shared. Take for example our nations literacy rates, up in the Solitude that rate is 99%, meanwhile down here in The Funnel it is closer to 85% and that is unacceptable. It is my intention that a reform of the Order of the Talon will take place, it shall become neccessary that anyone called to serve in this beautiful organisation will be forced to spend time outside the spiritual realm and work with those in the physical. They shall become teachers, Druids, engineers and bring with them whatever skills our nation need to untap its potential.

This more adventurous Order shall not confine itself to Gusano, we shall become global travellers as there is much we can learn from across Mundus. While we must travel forth we must also remember people shall wish to come to use, therefore today I am ordering the construction of a new settlement. The Vale shall become a cross-roads, a city of modern technology and diplomacy. Currently we are somewhat of an embarrassment, we have zero regular contact with nations beyond our border, yes we sell them our amazing food products, yes we extract rich ores from our hillsides and yes we export all manner of products but we do so uncompetitively, we do so with great effort from those undertaking the trade rather than making it simple. These things must change, embassies must open and Gusano must, and will, become a contributor to the world. These are exciting times and I am proud to be the one leading us towards them. It is my hope that I can do so with the support of you all and that the work we do pleases Aetharus. Estani rest assured I shall not be a stranger.

The news was received warmly by those in Estani however some of those in the Solitude are concerned that the move may corrupt the purity of the Solitude.

[Gusano]

6th January 2024

2nd Year of Aurora

THE VALE TO OFFICIALLY BE "OPENED"

One of Lady Aurora's initial plans for the Eyrie was to find a way of allowing greater interaction between the citizens allowed to inhabit the Solitude and those forbidden from going there. The way forward for this was the creation of a city called The Vale. Construction of the new settlement has so far seen several key parts of infrastructure built and the opening of several buildings intended to be a central part of the city in the future. So far several apartment buildings, a exhibition centre, a college and several key buildings such as hospitals have been completed. The idea will be that the city will become "active" in the coming weeks with the first few hundred permanent residents moving in. The Veiled One will be visiting the site in the coming days to view the progress. 4/5th of the City is built on one side of the river that seperates The Solitude from the rest of Gusano and a check point will prevent people not a member of the Order of the Talon from crossing. The Casa will however be a building built spanning the river which will be classed as a kind of "no-mans land" and be a symbolic meeting point for people within the nation.

The Casa is yet to be completed and is expected to be finished early next month. The Veiled One has said its construction will be cause of a great celebration and that she will be requesting that its opening coincide with a CETO cultural festival after the Eyrie became the latest member of the organisation. In a statement released by Lady Aurora she said, "CETO is an organisation that will allow us to fully embrace the purpose of The Casa. It is a crossroads between the two unique cultures and communities that make up Gusano. I can't think of any better way to celebrate our nation coming together as never before by helping bring Mundus together."