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Messages - Markus

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31
Convention Centre / Re: Festival of Sail Sign Ups
« on: July 10, 2022, 09:07:48 AM »

I would like to thank for Your Majesty for the invitation to the festival and confirm my presence at the festival.

Representing the Holy Kingdom of Samantra will be Saint Vladimir floating church. The ship was built in 1960 by the Samantran Orthodox Church to meet the spiritual needs of the Samantran people. Following the Great War and subsequent civil war, many of our churches were destroyed or severely damaged though the faith of the Samantran people only grew. Thanks to the Saint Vladimir floating church, our Church was able to bring to isolated communities the relics of various saints, and especially those of our Saint Parascheva to the faithful for them to touch and pray.

Today, the Holy Kingdom of Samantra has rebuilt its churches and erected new ones but Saint Vladimir floating church is not obsolete. It serves an important purpose for us, it reminds us of our past and encourages us to be grateful to God for the Holy Kingdom. We hope visitors of the festival will find the ship intriguing and inquire about it allowing us to discuss about Holy Kingdom’s history and the Samantran Orthodox Church which is the heart of the Samantran people and government.


Respectfully yours,
Maria Mikhailov
Minister of External Affairs



Saint Vladimir floating church



The interior of the Saint Vladimir floating church


32
Diplomacy and Events / Re: The Emerald Brotherhood (Nis and Samantra)
« on: July 10, 2022, 08:14:32 AM »
“Right now, Your Majesty I would postpone a decision to join OPEN. From what I understand, oil and gas is not a major concern right for now for your kingdom which means things are running smoothly as they are right now. I do not see why you should change that, at least not for now”.

Stas couldn’t help but think “The Heyrans are already in our backyard and got their fingers in the pie” so as soon as Yeva finished talking Stas intervened sensing an opportunity:

“How wonderful Your Majesty that your kingdom has allowed foreign companies in that sector. I assume Samantran companies have the same access as the Heyran ones, Your Majesty, is that correct?”

Leaving the Heyrans, who had their fingers in all pies across Mundus, to reap the benefits alone in Nis was something Stas was not prepared to accept. If there was something he could do to see the Heyrans get more competition he was prepared to do it.

In regards to the Rus’ League, Yeva resumed “Your Majesty has correctly anticipated that we plan to host a summit about it where each nation will be free to submit proposals, express concerns and negotiate for the creation of the Rus’ League.

Right now me and my cabinet are in the process of informing our neighbors about our intent to create the organization and want to see what the initial reaction is so to say. For example our friends in Zaporozh have stated that a mutual defense clause is out of the question and that is a red line for them, that naturally that means that our initial draft for the League would no include such a clause. In fact it was never our intention to have such a clause in the first place. So if Your Majesty has any red lines so to speak, we will make sure that anything related to them won’t be included in the initial draft. “

“The last matter we wish to discuss is the Centralian civil war. I would like to begin by informing Your Majesty that, after careful consideration; the holy kingdom is discreetly backing the Providential Republic of Centralia.” Yeva conveniently left out the fact that the Holy Kingdom backed the Providential Republic of Centralia despite her objections and that the decision was made by the spiritual government overruling her completely. 

“We naturally have plenty of reservations regarding the Providential Republic of Centralia but we assess they are a better alternative than the communist faction or the current federal government. So far our offer of help to them has been limited to financial support, satellite surveillance, limited training for troops and providing medical supplies. Depending on Your Majesty interest in Centralia, we would like to invite you to also support the Providential Republic of Centralia and coordinate with us your support.

As far as our goals, the best case scenario for us is a divided Centralia with the Providential Republic of Centralia being one of the successor states. That would create an ally for us in the region, make sure our ally continues to need us for their security and is unable to spread its influence aboard. As I said, we have serious concerns about the Providential Republic of Centralia and we would like to see them contained to Centralia.
The most likely scenario in our opinion is that by providing support to the Providential Republic of Centralia we are creating a thorn in the backside of the CSTO. We expect them to intervene military to impose a puppet government there. With our limited support to the Providential Republic we hope to make their job harder. A Centralia under the sphere of influence of CSTO is something we want to avoid or delay as much as possible.”

Yeva paused to give Basil a chance to reply and see what he was to say.

33
Diplomacy and Events / Re: A financial curtesy (Samantra & Heyra)
« on: July 10, 2022, 08:12:59 AM »
Maria watched closely the scenery from the helicopter. Not too long ago she was the mayor of Petrograd and had an interest in city development. In just four years, the Heyran had done a lot in Elysium and she couldn’t help but think that back home only the paperwork to start construction would have taken a year unless one knew the mayor very well. She couldn’t help but remember the number of “friends” she helped during her time in office as mayor. 

“It’s beautiful” she said of the view adding “I am starting to understand why the Republic has developed such a reputation for efficiency” praising how fast the development of the city was going.

She also couldn’t help but think of the billions of roubles/USD that were pouring into Elysium and how that showed just how much money was Heyra generating. “No wonder they are so secretive about their businesses” she thought to herself.

“Wine would be fine” Maria replied “Anything you have is fine” she added.

“So tell me Mr. Anginer, how are things with Tamora currently? “ she asked in reference to the fact that Elysium was invaded not too long ago by Tamoran (rogue) forces.

34
International News Networks / Minister Stas Petrov opens the Samantran pod in Royal Seleucid
« on: July 09, 2022, 08:01:50 PM »

Minister for trade, economy and finance Stas Petrov takes part in the opening ceremony of the Samantran Pod in the Royal Seleucid Blue project


The Blue project in Royal Seleucid


Minister for trade, economy and finance Stas Petrov flew to Royal Seleucid to take part in the opening ceremony of the Samantran pod of the Blue project which is a mini world fair for the nations of Midaranye. The Samantran pod is a six floor building showcasing for the visitors a glimpse of Samatra’s culture, cuisine, history and religion. Visitors can also explore business opportunities offered by Samantra companies that have a stand there.

Mr. Stas Petrov cut the ribbon officially opening the pod to the public saying “I am honored to open the Holy Kingdom’s contribution to the initiative that is the Blue Project. I have had the pleasure of visiting all the other pods and I am even more impressed now with the project. It’s been a memorable experience for me and I have great confidence that visitors will also appreciate what our pod has to offer. Thank you very much and enjoy our pod!”

According to sources, the Samantran pod was initially reserved for the Kingdom of Clysperis but since it was not used it was offered to the Holy Kingdom.

35
Diplomacy and Events / Re: Rokkenjiman Policy Review 2022
« on: July 09, 2022, 07:55:37 PM »


To: Princess Princess Kyōko
From: Her Excellency, President of the Duma Yeva Litvin


I am writing following Your Highness’ publication of the recommendations regarding the First Empire’s foreign policy. At this moment in time relations between the Holy Kingdom of Samantra and the First Empire of Rokkenjima are as low as they have been in recent history and the more time passes with relations remaining in the same state or worse the harder it becomes for any of us to amend relations to a level that allows a resemblance of normality.

Before I proceed further, I would like to state that I have chosen to reply in private for at least two reasons. Firstly is that the recent changes in the Anselmo royal family have left the Holy Kingdom unsure of what Your Highness’ role is in the imperial government. Secondly, the foreign policy of the First Empire is a matter that is reserved to the First Empire. Any comments I make are only in relations with the Holy Kingdom and its potential relations with the First Empire.

I welcome Your Highness apparent willingness to reconsider the First Empire’s approach to the Holy Kingdom. The current leadership of the Empire you represent has not displayed a willingness to put diplomacy first and especially foster dialogue when it comes to settling disputes. The interests of our two nations often do not align and the friends and allies we each have, in the case of Rokkenjima I refer to the Achkaerin Empire, have interests that also do not align with ours. However, it falls on us, the leaders of our nations, to make sure that we allow room for dialogue, manage these competing interests and not take actions that fuel the fire of animosity. I especially draw attention to the recent ill-advised actions of Empress Evanthe which made a visit to the embassy in Nis in order to raise tensions by criticizing in harsh terms Nis domestic policies. Such actions have been ill received in the Holy Kingdom which has similar domestic policies with no intention of changing them. I fail to see what the purpose of those actions were other than provocation and fueling discord. Your Empress does not have the pressure of reelection like me and the members of the cabinet and so not even that excuse could explain in part her actions.

For our part the Holy Kingdom has been restrained in its actions against Rokkenjima, we have not retorted with similar sanctions and have refrained from making similarly inflammatory gestures against the First Empire. In a further sign of good faith the Holy Kingdom has made steps to create the conditions for trade to resume between our two nations, I hope that Your Highness will use its influence so that the opportunity created is not squandered. I do not believe that cordial relations between our countries will ever be possible but as the highest secular representative of the Holy Kingdom I remain open to Your Highness for dialogue through all channels including but not limited to a formal or informal meeting. Mundus is becoming increasingly smaller and interconnected, and it falls on us to build the best possible relations between our countries.

I pray for peace and understanding between our people.


Yours respectfully,
Yeva Litvin
President of the Duma

36
International News Networks / President Litvin under fire for concessions made to Rokkenjima
« on: July 09, 2022, 07:54:21 PM »

President Litvin under fire for concessions made to Rokkenjima


President Litvin giving a statement at the Oak Palace after being grilled by some members of her cabinet


According to sources close the Oak Palace, this morning’s cabinet meeting was extremely tensed as several cabinet members lead by Minister of External Affairs Maria Mikhailov expressed harsh criticism over the President’s decision to make concessions to the Rokenjiman Empire in a manner that made Samantra looks weak and inconsistent. In the last couple of months Mrs. Maria Mikhailov has discretely distanced herself from the position of the cabinet lead by Ms. Yeva Litvin giving rise to speculation that she plans to run for the leadership of the party. And is in the process of creating a public image of moderation taking into consideration the concerns of the opposition worried and annoyed by Rokknejima’s bellicose attitude towards the Holy kingdom and the Abrahamic Declaration of Rights. 

The same sources say Minister for trade, economy and finance Stas Petrov, arguably the most influential of the cabinet members, was quiet throughout the meeting, a notable change since he is usually vocal in voicing support for President Yeva Litvin. Since Mr. Stas Petrov is very close to the interests of Petrograd’s financial sector and his lack of support for the President is concerning. Following the latest article in the Heyran based Defense Journal; political analysts speculate that Heyran companies are displeased with the recent concessions made by Samantra which have tarnished Samantra’s reputation in the Heyran Republic. Therefore they further speculate that Mr. Stas Petrov is currently in a wait and see approach before making a decision whether to support the President on the matter.



Following the cabinet meeting President Yeva Litvin delivered a brief statement:

“As you know, a few days ago the Duma has voted to approve changes to the Good Samaritan program, changes which I believe will open doors for diplomacy and talks to resume. I understand the decision was not an easy one and proved extremely controversial as the motion barely passed with 50 colleagues supporting and 49 against. I understand the concerns expressed by those opposed to the amendments and I assure them that I and the rest of the members of the cabinet are taking them into consideration. I also want to reiterate that the recent changes to the program do not reflect a change of policy in regards to the United Tribes of Waddan or its people. The Holy Kingdom remains committed to building good relations with Waddan and its partners in the Gulf of Auraxis Agreement.
 
That being said, I would like to confirm that the adopted changes to the Good Samaritan will be implemented according the law. I have voted for them in the Duma and I believe it is the right decision going forward for the Holy Kingdom. They will remove obstacles and create the opportunity for diplomacy to resume.
 
Thank you, God bless the Holy Kingdom!”



One political analyst has this to say following the speech:

“Victory has a thousand fathers but defeat is an orphan” is a well-known saying. Well today it seems that the Republican Party is making sure that this defeat is will not be an orphan. They have constrained the President to take full responsibility for the decision to amend the Good Samaritan program.”

When asked if this could eventually escalate to a resignation, the political analyst had this to say:

“I don’t think that will be the case. President Litvin took a big blow with the defeat of the Separation of Incomes Act at the ballot and has managed to remain standing though severely weakened in the polls. Right now this is nowhere near that level, at least not yet. She knew full well that making concessions on the Good Samaritan program to please the Rokkenjimans will hurt her politically but she didn’t expect the opposition to take advantage that well of the situation and make her look so weak and inconsistent to the electorate. On top of that she is now probably facing pressure from the Heyran business interests which have become significant foreign investors in our country. If the opposition can keep this fallout in the headlines for a week or two and also continue to present her as weak and unable to defend Samantran interests aboard then she will start going down in the polls. And when that happens I think the next cabinet meetings will make the one she had today seem like a walk in the park.“

When asked who stood to gain in the whole affair, the analyst had this to say:

“I think there’s no doubt that Empress Evanthe is the one who stands to gain. In April she was announcing that Samantra is “on the wrong side of history”. Less than three months later, despite preparations against Rokkenjiman sanctions, we now have Samantra changing its position on the issue. It doesn’t matter the Rokkenjimans alluded to the ideas of removing sanctions against Samantra if concessions are made. What matters is President Litvin caved and Empress Evanthe came on top. Now if she doesn’t remove sanctions on Samantra then it’s a knock out.”

37
Sporting Hub / Re: Mundus Games 2022 - OOC/Sign Up
« on: July 08, 2022, 09:10:15 PM »
The Holy Kingdom of Samantra votes for the Kingdom of Clysperis to host the games.

38
Roleplay Moderator's Office / Re: Notice of RP Mod LOA
« on: July 08, 2022, 08:49:45 PM »
With GC having made the nomination and Dave accepting it, is Dave now the new RP mod? And if so, please provide him with the mask on the forum as RP mod. If he is not yet appointed, is there anything else we need to do?

39
Economics and Industry / The Samantran Pod part of the Blue Project in Royal Seleucid
« on: July 08, 2022, 08:40:47 PM »
The Samantran Pod part of the Blue Project in Royal Seleucid




The Blue project in Royal Seleucid


The Samantran Pod is a building part of the larger Blue project in Royal Seleucid which is a mini world fair for the nations of Midaranye. The Samantran Pod has six floors with the first floors dedicated to business and tourism, the middle ones to culture and top one to Samantra's religion. The Samantran Ministry of External Affairs together with the private sector came together and designed the interior of the pod with a Midaranye audience in mind and especially the Seleucid public. For those reasons it emphasized and exaggerated, where possible, cultural connections with the Midaranye region in general and Royal Seleucid in particular. The Samantran Pod was opened following a Royal Seleucid – Samantra agreement which saw the unused pod reserved for Clysperis and unused by them be given to Samantra.   


The first floors: tourism and business


Visitors of the Samantran Pod were greeted by hostess dressed in Samantran traditional clothing. Great care was taken when hiring the hostesses. Some were Samantran citizens and spoke Latin fluently (ooc: one of the lingua franca of Mundus), others were from ethnic minorities of Tamora (ethnic Rus' from the federated kingdom of Vojvodina) and Clysperis ( from the Rus' minority present there since the Soviet occupation) which spoke Parthian and Rus' fluently and thus could address the visitors from Midaranye in the regional lingua franca (Parthian) or even in the Clysperi language.


Visitors at pod greeted by a hostess and invited to try out traditional Samantran cazonac.


Samantra as a destination for tourism

Several tourist agencies were present at the pod promoting Samantra as a tourist destination. Most tourist agencies focused on promoting cultural tourism emphasizing Samantra’s great landmarks:



Cathedral of the Samantran Armed Forced in Novyy Rim, inaugurated in 2014, (sixty years after the end of the Sacred War) is one of the major landmarks of Samantra, alongside many other churches in the country.



Samantran mountains were also promoted as a tourist destination.


And of course, so were Samantran beaches which often feature vegetation.

All tourist agencies made sure to mention that the country has a family friendly policy according to law and that the Holy Kingdom is also a signatory of the Abrahamic Declaration of rights which was drafted in Midaranye, in the Emirate of Rayyu.


Some of the major Samantran companies with a presence in the pod:


Rus’ International Bank


The largest bank in the Holy Kingdom was one of the major Samantran companies that had a presence on the floor. The bank main selling point for visitors was offering access to the Petrograd Stock Exchange and offering private banking services for high net individuals.


Umarov Real Estate Trust


The largest Real Estate trust in Samantra also had a presence in the pod. They had prepared presentations for visitors showcasing their completed and outgoing real estate projects and were looking for potential partners to invest in real estate in Royal Seleucid and MidAranye.


Samantran Oil and Gas companies:

Several oil and gas companies from Samantra specialized in downstream (gas terminals, gas stations, refineries etc) were present. They were interested in partnerships including expanding in Royal Seleucid and MidAranyre in general.


L&K Auto


L&K Auto, the largest manufacturer of cars in Samantra, had a presence at the pod with visitors able to try all the models in the current lineup of the company. The company made sure to mention that their new electric vehicles had Seleucid manufactured batteries. Since Royal Seleucid and Samantra dropped tariffs for the automobile sector they were looking to increase the brand awareness among the public and increase market share.



The middle floors- restaurants, cinemas, entertainment and museums

The middle floors allowed visitors to try Samantran cuisine at a couple of restaurants while a cinema allowed visitors to see Samantran made movies. There were also listening booths where visitors could listen to songs from some of Samatra’s greatest artists including: Anastasiya Lazarenko and Boris Havasi

There was also a mini fashion show displaying designs from various Samantran fashion designers including Raisa Ignatov:



Present on the floor was also an exhibition showcasing some of the most defining moments of modern Samantra, some of the highlights:



The Great War Era was one of the major events featured and great emphasis was put on the fact that Royal Seleucid and the then Kingdom of Samantra fought on the same side during the war.



A list of Seleucid servicemen who received commendations from the Kingdom of Samantra during the Great War Era. While the two countries didn't necessarily have many joint operations together in the Great War (ooc: the history of the Great War Era is too volatile to enter in details) the exhibition was meant to create that (false) impression.



The nuclear bomb dropped by the Achkaerin Empire on the Ardian Empire was featured as proof of the callousness of the Allied forces with the implication that had the bomb not been dropped the fate of the Great War could have gone either way.



The signing of the Abrahamic Declaration of Rights was also featured in the exhibition as a way to emphasize the connections Samantra had to present day Midaranye.


The top floor - Religion


The top floor was reserved entirely for a Samantran Orthodox church. The Holy Kingdom of Samantra being a theocracy, the Samantran Orthodox Church played a huge role in country and the top floor was meant to reflect that. Visitors will get information about the Christian religion with great emphasis put on the fact that it Christianity is a MidAranye religion originating from Vanora. As per the custom in the Holy Kingdom, when entering the church women were asked to cover their hair.



Replicas of the great mosaics from the Cathedral of the Samantran Armed Forced in Novyy Rim were on display. They featured Ardian, Heyran and Samantran soldiers fighting side by side as allies in the Great War:



An icon of the Saint Parascheva, a native saint of Samantra was also featured in the church. A special mention was made for visitors that she is from Midaranye (Empire of Tamora):



40
Roleplay Moderator's Office / Re: Ardia nuclear godmod
« on: July 07, 2022, 11:06:44 PM »
Quote from: Achkaerin on July 07, 2022, 04:38:21 PM
The Ardian Empire having a nuclear weapons program - I see no reason why they couldn't have such a program especially as the program never completes, they never get a nuclear weapon and the program would get shut down when the war ends (this also can go some way to explaining how other nations developed their programs). The question I have to answer as the player responsible for Ach's actions is what prompts Ach to develop a nuclear weapon and then drop it. Dropping it is the simpler one to answer, the harder one is what prompts it - this is what an Ardian program is intended to do, an Ardian program helps explain the origins of the Ach program.

As far as the Princess goes this is an issue created by the fact that the Devaux family somehow are both the Imperial family of the Ardian Empire and now the Praetors of the Allied States of Ardia, her involvement is simply in recognition of that and it explains how Achkaerin becomes aware of Ardia's intentions and thus makes certain decisions.

I think you may be missing the point. Players should not add to the history of the Ardian Empire without consulting the other players or the RP mod. It affects other players including players with whom you do not have the best history collaboration and can lead to discussions later on.

For example, you see no reason why the Ardian Empire couldn't have a nuclear program but you fail to see the implications for Samantra in that it was allied with a (developing) nuclear power. Now I generally don't mind accommodating other players and I can make it work by adding another layer of hypocrisy to the leadership of present day Samantra but other players may not be so accommodating or may have more serious objections that you might have missed.   

My suggestion would be that we either discuss Ardian history changes in a dedicated OOC thread OR submit them to the RP mod OR find another alternative. That way we hopefully avoid arguments later on and, more importantly, make other players more aware of the changes in history.


41
Character Guides / Saint Parascheva - Our Lady of Tamora
« on: July 07, 2022, 04:54:20 PM »
Saint Parascheva - Our Lady of Tamora



Saint Parascheva born Alya in the Empire of Tamora (the federated kingdom of Vojvodina) in 1880, fled the Tamoran Empire for the then independent Kingdom of Attica and eventually made her way in the Holy Kingdom of Samantra in 1908.

A few years after arriving in Samantra she converted to Orthodox Christianity and joined a monastery. The continued her education as a nun at the Royal University in Petrograd (the capital of Samantra).She was a major outspoken critic of the then Kingdom of Samantra considering the society and the government as having abandoned the Lord and his teachings. Her early life in the Empire of Tamora had a great impact on her world view and shaped her perception regarding how a society and country should be run. She advocated for Samantra to become a theocracy and presented her views on how a country should be run in her book the "Kingdom of God". Her views entered in direct contradiction Samantra's Royal government at the time and eventually lead to her expulsion from the faculty staff and banishment to the monastery.


The chaotic years following the defeat of Samantra in the Great War Era and the following Civil War which saw the demise of the Samantran monarchy gives Parascheva the chance to return to public life and resume her advocacy for Samantra " to return to God" in order to stop fratricide (civil war). She is eventually captured and imprisoned by communist rebels. She died in captivity under gruesome conditions and following months of torture and abuse.

The historical life of Parascheva is often overlooked in Samantra and major focused is put on Saint Parascheva or Our Lady of Tamora as she is often called. The religious figure is a woman of great wisdom and virtue that came from the lands of Tamora following a revelation that saw her choosing not just the Christian God Jesus Christ as savior but also a holy mission to bring the Samantran people back to God. She is seen as a divine messenger for Samantra to become a theocracy, as a Christian martyr for Christ and the Samantran theocracy as well as a maker of miracles.

She is venerated nationwide, her book "the Kingdom of God" is one of the bestselling books in Samantra, more than 200 thousand pilgrims come each year during her feast day (14th of October) to pray at her tomb in Novvy Rim, the spiritual capital of Samantra, and dozens of churches across Samantra are dedicated to her.



One of the few pictures of the real life Saint Parascheva. Such pictures are rarely shown in Samantra as the Samantran Orthodox Church and its believers feel it diminishes her sainthood.



A picture of the cross marking her grave. Her remains were buried in a field. Her body was later exhumed and her remains are now resting in the Cathedral of Novvy Rim.



Saint Parascheva as is now known to most Samantrans.



More than 200 thousand pilgrims come each year during her feast day (14th of October) to pray at her tomb in Novvy Rim and to kiss her relic in veneration.

42
Character Guides / Historical Characters of Samantra
« on: July 07, 2022, 04:48:38 PM »
A place for bio for the characters that shaped Samantra's modern history.

Reserved for future index.

43
International News Networks / President of the Duma, Yeva Litvin visits the Kingdom of Clysperis
« on: July 07, 2022, 04:03:50 PM »

President of the Duma, Yeva Litvin visits the Kingdom of Clysperis   


President of the Duma, Yeva Litvin, during the trip to the kingdom of Clysperis


President of the Duma, Yeva Litvin has made a short trip to the Kingdom of Clysperis following the public invitation by Queen Akasha for world leaders to visit the new sports facilities designed for the Clysperi bid for the Mundus Games.

President Litvin personally toured the sporting and accommodation facilities and has described them as "world class" praising the hosts for the level of preparation and dedication for the bid.

During the short visit, Ms. Litvin also met Derusmian president Feish with whom she had a brief exchange and took a couple of pictures for the press. This marks the first time the two leaders have meet in person. The trip did not schedule any formal meeting or talks with the Derusmian counterparts.

44
International News Networks / Agreement between the Holy Kingdom and the Emirate of Royal Seleucid is ratified
« on: July 07, 2022, 03:59:18 PM »

Agreement between the Holy Kingdom and the Emirate of Royal Seleucid is ratified 


President of the Duma, Yeva Litvin, shortly after the agreement was ratified by the Duma


The Oak Palace ( ooc: the executive branch of the secular government) has announced that the Holy Kingdom and the Emirate have signed a comprehensive agreement that secures oil and gas shipments at discounted prices, cultural exchange programs related to the common history during the Great War Era, economic agreements related to the promotion of electric cars using Seleucid manufactured batteries and an elimination in tariffs for the automobile sector. Another major achievement was the agreement that payments for oil and gas be done in Seleucid Drachmas and Samantran Roubles (50-50) eliminating the use of foreign currencies for the trade of oil and gas. That being an aspect that the government and the financial sector care deeply about as they seek to reduce our dependence on foreign currency in trade and promote the use of the rouble.

The agreement is the first the Holy Kingdom signs with a Midaranye country and is part of the foreign policy agenda that seeks to secure and develop the energy needs of the nation. The agreement has been welcomed by both parties and it was of little surprise that it was adopted with a large bipartisan majority of 90-10 in the state Duma.


President of the Duma, Yeva Litvin had this to say after the ratification of the agreement:


"I would first like to thank my colleagues from both parties for approving this crucial agreement for the Holy Kingdom.

The Emirate of Royal Seleucid has been a trustworthy supplier of energy for the Holy Kingdom for decades. Regardless of the economic or political incidents like the very serious drought experienced a few years ago the Emirate supplied us with oil and gas without interruption.

The recently ratified agreement shows that relations between the two countries are not limited to energy and acknowledges the common struggles our nation faced during the Great War Era, seeks to better promote at home and abroad our history of the Great War Era conflict, to develop economic cooperation in the area of electric vehicles and promote tourism and bilateral trade by having the Holy Kingdom open a "pod" in the Blue Project, a world class center designed to promote trade, tourism, bilateral relations and understanding.

Before I conclude, I would like to thank our Seleucid counterparts and especially His Majesty King Heydar Soter for working with us to reach this agreement that strengthens both our nations.

Thank you and God bless the Holy Kingdom!"


45
Diplomacy and Events / Re: For a nuclear future (Samantra and Altona)
« on: July 07, 2022, 03:16:23 PM »
"A visa waiver system is something we can definitely support. We want to see as much business and trade between us. We are hopeful that nuclear projects will only be the beginning and that business opportunities will continue to grow.

As far as tariffs goes, we are not a nation that applies heavy tariffs on imported goods because we import so much. That being said, we will support a gradual reduction in tariffs between us" said Maria happy to also agree to a visa waiver and a potential reduction in tariffs. The Litvin administration, which Maria was a member of, wanted to have Samantran businesses trade as easily as possible with most if not all nations of Mundus.

46
Roleplay Moderator's Office / Re: Ardia nuclear godmod
« on: July 07, 2022, 03:11:16 PM »
I read Ach's vignette when it was posted and I assumed that what posted was either a reposting of what was agreed a long time ago or was discussed with the RP Mod. I am actually quite surprised to hear that this was done as a solo thing and I hope I am understanding this wrong. Just adding very important aspects to the history of the Ardian Empire in a conflict that involves several players is something we should avoid.

So I am interested to hear what Ach has to say first as maybe the princess and Ardian nuclear program stuff was something that was agreed a long time on the previous forum or maybe discussed briefly with Dave.

After we get that info I think we can talk more about the details of the Great War.

47
International News Networks / Heated debate on the floor of the Duma over the Good Samaritan program
« on: July 07, 2022, 03:06:54 PM »

Heated debate on the floor of the Duma over proposed changes to the Good Samaritan program   


Boris Kuzmin, leader of the Legion of Archangel Michael the opposition party, harshly criticized the Litvin administration calling it "weak"


The floor of the Duma saw heated exchange following proposal by the Litvin administration to amend the Good Samaritan program. The program states the Samantran secular government provides financial assistance to foreign or domestic companies that switch from Rokkenjiman goods or services to a Samantran one following Rokkenjiman sanctions on Royal Seleucid and Waddan. The proposed changes stipulate that mentions regarding the nation of Waddan be dropped and only current applicants or ongoing projects be disbursed by the treasury effectively ending the program in relation to the nation of Waddan. The reason for the proposed changes was to "alleviate concerns expressed by foreign partners in an effort to help create a climate of trust allowing for international trade to resume unhindered " which was diplomatic talk for making concessions in an effort to resume trade between the holy kingdom and the Rokkenjiman Empire.

The move was heavily criticized by Legion party leader Boris Kuzmin which stated on the floor of the Duma:

"What the Litvin administration asks this chamber today is nothing short of a capitulation. We are asked to throw the nation of Waddan under the bus in the hope of pleasing one of the most capricious foreign governments in Mundus. Our administration is so weak that it dares not even say out loud that the purpose of this capitulation is to please Rokkenjima.

In the last couple of days we have been inundated with data showing us how little trade Waddan does with other nations and even less so with us. But what the Litvin administration fails to understand is that this is not about Waddan but the trust our foreign partners can have in our decisions and willingness to keep them.

Lastly, I also urge my colleagues to think of the implications of the proposed amendments to the Good Samaritan program. The Holy Kingdom will sooner or later seek an agreement with the Gulf of Auraxis trade block. How will these negotiations go when one of the member nations, Waddan in this case, will have felt betrayed and see us as untrustworthy?"

Despite serious opposition and hours of debate, the amendments were adopted 50-49 with one member of the Duma abstaining.


48
International News Networks / "Storm of Steel 1944", a movie made in Daito, makes a strong debut in Samantra
« on: July 07, 2022, 02:53:07 PM »

"Storm of Steel 1944", a movie made in Daito, makes a strong debut in Samantra 


Trinitas TV news anchor


The previous weekend saw "Storm of Steel 1944" reaching 10 million roubles/USD at the box office. The Daitōjin movie's box office performance was surprising to say the least but explained by the topic presented: the heroic battle of Heyran KS Monarch against the Daitōjin IDN Yamatai. The battle takes place during the late stage of the Great War Era when many in the Ardian Coalition were becoming aware that victory would elude us and yet despite this the crew of the Heyran Restoration fought bravely for the motherland.
Despite being a Daitōjin movie, it shies away from the usual propaganda glorifying the Allied forces and instead is focused on the experience of the average crewmen: the toll the war took on them, their fears and doubts, the camaraderie between crewmen, their appeals to a force greater than anything on Mundus.

A spokesman for one of the largest movie theater chains in the holy kingdom had this to say:

"The Samantran public has a large interest in movies that deal with the Great War Era and the success of "Storm of Steel 1944" proves that yet again. I think it's also fair to add that the great quality of the movie was also a major factor in its success. I am pleased that our company took the risk and made the necessary arrangements to have the movie air in our theaters".



KS Monarch seems to have developed a cult following

Following the success of the "Storm of Steel 1944" movie which presented the bravery of the Heyran crewmen against the might of the IDN Yamatai, many Samantrans are now yearning to know more details regarding KS Monarch and the faith of its crewmen. Miniature replicas of the ship are also in very high demand with many Samantrans wanting to buy one but are unable to because of the spike in demand has left most stores out of stock.

49
Roleplay Moderator's Office / Re: Notice of RP Mod LOA
« on: June 28, 2022, 09:17:36 PM »
Quote from: RobertAgira on June 28, 2022, 08:46:15 PM
In two weeks time I'll be away for at least a month, maybe two.

As a result I think we need to sort out a stand in RP Mod, I nominate Dave and I suggest if he accepts it that he keep the job.


I support your nomination and your suggestion.

50
Diplomacy and Events / Re: An Invitation To Clysperis: Summer Games '22
« on: June 26, 2022, 04:05:20 PM »
Yeva Litvin chose to personally come to the Holy Kingdom to talk again to the Clysperi Pharaoh. Their previous meeting had not been conclusive and for now there was still possibility of cooperation in the future. MidAranye was a key strategic region for Samantra and personally coming to the Clysperis was meant to show that to both the hosts and to the Samantran public back home. There was also the matter of the proposed deal that she had offered to the Pharaoh. In truth it was not something very important to either side. Samantra’s support for the bid in exchange for some land to build some hotels was a minor aspect that paled in comparison to the 47 billions of roubles/USD in annual trade the two countries had in oil alone but Yeva was the opinion that even minor aspects such as these had to be done in person. And there was also the opportunity to meet other foreign dignitaries. The schedule did not allow her to engage in many talks except for some photo shoots with other dignitaries but getting to know them even briefly mattered for future relations.   


Yeva Litvin, shortly after arriving in Clysperis. She had her usual reserved manner, careful to not show gestures to the press that might be interpreted one way or the other.

So there she was, dressed in traditional Samantran clothing, at the airport waiting to see who would greet her from the part of the hosts and a bit curious to see Setri, the city that Clysperi authorities advertised so much. The Samantran embassy in Clysperis had contingency plans to take her from the airport in case the hosts chose not to greet her there or anywhere for that matter. She knew the Clysperi leadership was volatile, so she and her staff had to be prepared for anything.

51
Diplomacy and Events / Re: The Historic Crimes Treaty - An open house
« on: June 26, 2022, 04:03:34 PM »


To: King David III

In the name of the Holy Kingdom of Samantra we thank you and your partners for the work done and compromise necessary to present to Mundus such an important document.

The Holy Kingdom of Samantra strongly believes in justice on Mundus and in the afterlife and the document put forward greatly helps in justice being delievered here on Mundus. It is for this reason that the Holy Kingdom of Samantra has entrusted me to sign the document and I will do so in the coming days.



Respectfully yours,
Maria Mikhailov
Minister of External Affairs

52
Economics and Industry / Re: Desoviatisation of the Mundus (Samantra & Welt)
« on: June 26, 2022, 04:02:33 PM »
To: Edmond Richard, Chairman of Welt

I would like to thank you for the interest you showed in our Institute and for your support. Only through working together can we achieve a future where the Rodinian Sea is free of the horrors of Soviet influence. We are honored to have Welt as a founding member of the Institute and we will invite you or representatives of your company to the official opening next month.   

On the second issue, we again thank you for showing compassion and thoughts for those that are in need of help and care. The issue remains a complex one which needs to take into account not just the current laws of the land but also the interest of the children and the need for them continue to be part of the culture and traditions of these lands. This is why foreign interventions in such matters remain limited, highly regulated and often controversial. Please provide us with more detailed information about Welt Young and we will get back to you with an answer or we will talk in more detail should you choose to honor us at the opening of the Institute in Petrograd.

  We thank you again for the goodwill and generosity shown and pray for you.

Varinka Osipova
Director of the Press
Oak Palace of the Holy Kingdom of Samantra

53
Economics and Industry / Re: Rus’ Media Corporation (RMC) seeking actors
« on: June 26, 2022, 04:01:42 PM »
Quote from: Nova on April 26, 2022, 09:12:10 AM


Name: Alin Vlaisa
Religion: Ecclesiastical Christian
Citizenship: Vinitsian
Salary: 15 000 USD per work day; +1% fees on the distribution’s results
Curriculum vitæ: entered theater while a young boy. Left college during his 16s. Attended small jobs. Talent was recognized as he was 24. Integrated the Comedie de Artă at 35, and still part of it to this day. Featured in most popular vinitsian movies generally in secondary roles. Used to play the “great speaker” in movies. Most popular for his appearances in theaters, his only name fill any room. Have a fascination for languages, he master vinitsian, marseillais, rus, aostan and daitonese. Love literature, specially samantran and marseillaise ones. Fond of vinitsian baroque and romantic musics. Example of movie.

I would like to thank you for your application. After reviewing it I can conform you would be a great fit for our future movie. We will get back to you in the coming days with further info regarding our future work together and a draft contract.
Welcome to the team!

54
Diplomacy and Events / Re: The Emerald Brotherhood (Nis and Samantra)
« on: June 26, 2022, 04:00:52 PM »
“If I understand correctly, Your Majesty, the current system you have in place is basically a subsidy. The company gets the funds for the ticket but most of them happen to come from the royal budget rather than the user of the service. If that is the case, then that does not affect the profitability of the company so it is no issue with us. The same goes for Your Majesty keeping your shares” replied Stas. 

Yeva was disappointed that Basil rejected the proposal to work together with Samantra for a safe internet and noticed that Basil was quick to dismiss the topic. She didn’t press further today. She instead made a mental note to explore other avenues when she returned home to Petrograd. She figured the House of Barons and Senior Clergy would be places where more lobby could be done for such laws but she would need to know more details and planning in order to proceed in a manner that didn’t seem as intruding in the internal affairs of the Northern neighbor.
 
“The purpose of the exhibition is to present the information that is often overlooked, sometimes on purpose other times non-intentionally, since the present narrative is dominated by the winning powers in the Great War Era. What each nation choses to present to the public is a matter left to each nation. For example the Samantran one, as far as our historians have informed me, will focus on the reasons for going to war, the human cost for the Samantran side, the help it received and given to its allies during the conflagration and the effects of the Great War for present day Samantra: our society, our institutions, our perspective of Mundus. I for one look forward to seeing it just as I do the one for Royal Seleucid (ooc: they said yes in another thread), Nis and hopefully Heyra and the Allied States of Ardia. “

Yeva was pleased to see that on the matter of security there was a firm foundation to build on:

“I am pleased to see Your Majesty has the same assessment as us regarding the threat of Soviet Communism and it is open to working with us to contain and eventually end the threat. We also have a responsibility to the Rodinian Sea as keepers of the Emerald Strait and our joint patrol will show that we living up to our responsibility.

We applied/joined (ooc: I need to check with OPEN members to see if I have been accepted) as observers in OPEN because Oil and Gas is the blood of our economy and we get most of our oil and gas from them. You mentioned your nation has oil but I am not that best with these numbers. Does that mean you extract enough oil to meet your needs and to export to other nations?”

Yeva didn’t answer the question about whether Nis should join OPEN since she needed more information.

“I would also like to talk about the last two points on the agenda, namely SUN and the proposed Rus’ League.

Our poor historical relations with Achkaerin and deteriorating relations with Rokkenjima makes the CSTO and its aligned organizations like the CSU a potential threat to Samantra’s interests aboard and potentially its security.  The only two other competing organizations or better said alternatives in Mundus are SUN and CNN. CNN is relatively far from us both geographically and culturally. The only potential friend there is Lodja. SUN is closer geographically, almost bordering us but culturally it is as alien as CNN with only Chistopol sharing cultural ties. It is for these reasons that Samantra will not join either organizations and instead work towards building a loose community of culturally aligned nations.  This is where the Rus’ League comes into play. We have talked with our friends in Zaporozh, a nation that also cares deeply about the Lord, and they are open to having formal talks with all invited parties for such an organization. 

The Rus’ League, at least as we envisioned it, will not be an ambitious project in terms of cohesion  agenda (ooc: no defense clause or economic union) but ambitious in inviting to take part all nations of Rus’ heritage and language. The Rus’ world is huge and diverse and seems to be expanding as new nations emerge from isolation. The interests of Lodja are not the same as the interests of Zaporozh and so on. What we hope is that we create a place for dialogue and modest cooperation that will allow countries like us, Zaporozh or Nis to build friendship and influence in both SUN and CNN. I also hope that our three countries will form the core of the organization. Should we achieve that we there will be no need to join organizations such as SUN “ explained Yeva.     

55
Diplomacy and Events / Re: For a nuclear future (Samantra and Altona)
« on: June 26, 2022, 04:00:12 PM »
“I think we have a deal. We will have our staff prepare the documents in the coming days and weeks in order to make sure we don’t miss anything related to legal issues. Mundus in becoming more complicated each day and I am willing to admit that Samantra is doing its part in complicating things further. We have quite a few regulations that we have to meet.  But I think we have enough settle to announce to the world the deal.  As a matter of fact I forgot to tell you, since this deal will involve a public listed company and government funds for development we will need to make the financial details of the transaction public, at least the maximum expected value of the contract. I hope that is okay with you. We can ask the President of the Duma to invoke confidentially for the agreement based on your objection but we rather that didn’t happen. When something is deemed confidential it gives rise to rumors and speculations.

With your permission, we will also address the supply of uranium in the following weeks. We believe we can reach an agreement with a Vaguzian supplier (ooc: I understand that is actually a Heyran company). If we do not reach an agreement in a couple of months then we will inform you and see what solutions we can find. Does that sound ok?” said Maria.

56
Diplomacy and Events / Re: An Orthodox Affair
« on: June 26, 2022, 03:59:34 PM »
“We don’t have to agree to all the details now. It is a lot to take in” Vlad said in regards to the proposals and the answer he got. ”I will make sure your community gets the funds for the repairs and we will keep in touch.”

“You’ve been very kind Father Deacon. Now I do not wish to impose on you further” said Vlad waiting to see if the deacon has anything else to say or if he could conclude the meeting.

OOC: Sorry for the late reply.

57
TV Shows / The overnight princess
« on: June 23, 2022, 09:01:53 PM »

Samantra, I love you!: The overnight princess 


Ivolgin and Arina are the two presenters of the "Samantra, I love you" Friday evening show


The latest news to make international headlines is the announcement from the First Empire of Rokkenjima that the Rokkenjiman Intelligence services have found the long lost sister of their former empress. Almost overnight, citizen Lucretia Marino became Princess Kyōko.  The story has fascinated many people in Samantra and abroad. After being adopted at a young age and raised by modest parents the 30 year old Lucretia became overnight one of the most influential individuals in the whole of the First Empire. Some governments like the Heyran Restoration* celebrated the news, others like our very own were bewildered, while some, rumors say, were not too pleased.

Pundits had a field day speculating every possible angle of what the mysterious appearance of princess Lucretia could mean for the foreign agenda of one of the most antagonistic countries toward the holy kingdom. What was rarely discussed however was the human element behind the story. What did the Marino parents think of all this? How are they feeling to see their daughter being reunited with her biological family? How do they feel knowing the biological family of their daughter is one of the most powerful and rich families not just in Rokkenjima but the whole of Mundus?


Lucretia Marino, now a Rokkenjiman princess, has become overnight one of the most influential people in Pyrena Castle, one of the most anti Samantran governments in Mundus, and one has to wonder who is set to lose influence because of this.



We do not have answers to those questions. In fact we have very little reliable information about princess Lucretia's past in relation to her adoption and new rumors appear every day. But we decided to talks to families that have adopted children and ask them what they think about the whole thing.

“I have mixed feelings. On one hand. I am obviously happy with the story and what it means for the Rokkenjiman princess but on the other hand it does make me sad. As an adoptive parent it would be heart breaking to find out all of sudden that you’ve been keeping your child away from a better life.” said one Boris, a father of two adopted children from Tamora.

“Personally, the last few weeks since the news broke were not the best. My daughter who is eight years old and adopted keeps asking me if she too could be a Tamoran princess. What can you answer to that?” said one mother of an adopted daughter who chose to remain anonymous.

Yvan and Anna, parents of three adoptive children had a different take “When we first heard the news we couldn’t help think of the Clysperi Pharaoh Hatshepsut and her adopted son Moses, like there was something more to it than meets the eye. Our children are all grown up now so perhaps for us it was easier but I would say the news is positive for families with adoptive children. It brings in the spotlight the role adoptive parents have in society.”

After our talks with adoptive parents, we couldn’t help but think what kind of leader Lucretia is likely to become. Most assume she will be an Anselmo but what if because of the nurturing of her adoptive parents she will be a “Marino princess”? And what would that even mean?

So now we ask you, how do you expect Lucretia to lead? You have two choices :  Anselmo (nature) or Marino (nurture). Please send us a message with your choice and the results will be published during next week’s episode of “Samantra, I love you!”

Until then we wish you a pleasant evening and God bless!”

*It is still common in Samantra to refer to Heyra by their old, pre Great War name.

58
Press Offices / Statement on the news regarding Princess Kyōko
« on: June 21, 2022, 06:23:22 PM »

Statement on the news regarding Princess Kyōko


The Holy Kingdom has taken notice of the news that Ms. Lucretia Marino, First Minister of the Rishiri Imperial Overseas Dependency, is in fact Princess Kyōko, the lost-sister of the Saisei Empress. We believe such news is nothing short of miraculous and the Holy Kingdom strongly believes in miracles. While we do not presume to understand the Lord’s plans, we nevertheless congratulate Her Royal Highness for finding her roots and whish her the best.


Joint statement released by Patriarchal Palace and the Office of the President of the Duma.

59
Sporting Hub / Re: Mundus Games 2022 - OOC/Sign Up
« on: June 20, 2022, 06:20:45 PM »
Samantra's specializations:

Mixed Martial Arts
Rugby
Shooting

60
Conference Hall / Re: Proposal for a new RP Rule
« on: June 19, 2022, 06:29:24 PM »
Quote from: Altona on June 19, 2022, 02:38:42 PM
I support it saying this

1.Players are allowed to retcon anything they post for 24 hours after posting it ( later edits don't count when counting the 24 hours period, it start from when you post) assuming it has no replies.

2.Should a reply have been posted within 24 hours of the original post, then it can only be retconned with a 24 hour notice to allow for objection by those affected. If objection is made, then agreement between players must be reached, with RP Mod to moderate if no agreement is forthcoming.

3. Retcons should only be permitted for IC reasons and a reason for the retcon should be explained. Upon retconning a note should be left explaining it in the thread, this can later be deleted by a Mod.
 
4.Anything after that is set in stone.

5. Factbooks do not count

6. Closed RP can be retconed with the consent of all players involved.

7. Further retcons can be allowed only after submitting to the RP Mod and giving their approval.

I also support this.

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