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Famous 90s Art Piece, My Bed, to be Displayed Again

The famous art piece, My Bed, was first shown in the Collective Nitehymn Modern Art Exhibit (CNME) in 1999. It was an instant hit and put the up and coming young artist, Nemra Saanliu, firmly on the national stage. Sannliu would come to be known for her confessional and autobiographical work, working in a variety of mediums, including painting, sculptures, and film. Due to the pieces importance, the CNME eventually bought My Bed in 2005, for §2 Million. The Exhibit chose to put it into storage for preservation. Since then it has only been seen by a handful of individuals.

The CNME has recently announced for the first time in their 14 years of owning the piece that it will be displayed as the center piece of a Nemra Saanliu retrospective collection in time for the 20th anniversary of My Bed's first showing. Saanliu, infamous for having given up art and retreating from public life, is rumored to possibly make an appearance at the collections opening ball, rightfully called The Confessional. The guest list is already a tightly guarded secret, but an anonymous source has confirmed that Crystal Princess Quin, who has not been seen in public since her adoption, is on the list. Could it be that our heir apparent is an art lover?

Whatever the case maybe, this is sure to be one of the highlights for Orphela art this year. And it is no doubt the CNME's response to their major competitor, The Society of Independent Artists announcing their own post-post modern exhibit.

Governess Poses for Annual State Photograph

Last week, Governess Niru posed for the annual state photograph, which was officially released today. The state photograph is an important tradition and dates back centuries. Of course, originally it was a state portrait and before that a sculpture. It is also traditional for the monarch to personally chose an unknown artist to capture them. This can be extremely invaluable and has been responsible for making a number of photographer’s careers in recent years. For this year, the Governess chose Zephira Xel. Xel is 19 years old and an up and coming fashion photographer. She is known for working with a number of her own personal friends, young and underground fashion designers. No doubt, by elevating Xel, Niru has elevated the whole collective who will now have their chance to make a mark on the Nitehymn fashion world.

As per usual, the Governess has issued an interesting policy change along with the photograph. Although this one might be one of the biggest in recent memory. Her statement is below:

It is with great joy that I announce that once again the Imperium will begin seeking international relationships. While we have never closed our borders, for too long have we mostly ignored the rest of Mundus. As the bastion of the Pantheon of the Hallowed, it is our duty to set an example for the rest of the world and for followers of our faith. For too long have we ignored our sisters and brothers in our faith simply because they live outside this nation. No longer will we allow this to continue. It is my hope that in time, the Imperium will become a center for peace and stability across Mundus.

Political analysts are still still in a disarray as to what this could mean for the nation, although for the most part they remain hopeful. This timing of this announcement is also curious given in the next few weeks the Governess' schedule will be bogged down by the annual state visit to the Bloodplains to meet with the leaders of the Maar Clans. Still it is an exciting time as the Imperium enters a new era.

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High Seer Iaxxioldril to Travel to the Bloodplains

It was announced today that High Seer Iaxxioldril would be making a state visit to the Bloodplains in the coming days. This visit would predate the Governess' own annual visit. News about the Maar Clans for the past few weeks has been troubling. There have been a number of reports of increased border patrols among both the Imperium and the Clans. For all the Clans bolstering, their goals or agenda is relatively unknown. Some sources close to the court have stated that the a number of Maar messengers have arried at Novox. What words these messengers have delivered is a tightly guarded secret.

What is known is that the Clans are preparing for the sixth month of the year, a time of reverence in the Maar calendar. June is the month of the Seraph Jisu, patron of the Maar. In preparation for the holy month, the Maar spend the current month in a religious fast, abstaining from food and drink while the sun is up. Speculators have stated that the High Seer could be making a simple religious visit to observe a few days of fasting. Iaxxioldril is an Azrul, who are unique among the peoples of the Imperium for emulating parts of Maar culture. While this may be the case, there is likely something else also going on. What that is remains unknown.

Another curious announcement was that Crystal Princess Quin would be accompanying the Governess on her own trip to the Bloodplains.

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Nitehymn Musicians to Play Overseas?

Preparations for Glastomundus 2019, an musical festival in East Moreland, are getting underway. In a surprising twist, two Nitehymn musicians, national favorites- Mitski and Grimes, are rumored to possibly be on the setlist this year. Grimes earlier this year hinted in an interview about the possibility of expanding her fanbase, and seeking to push her career to new heights. Could it be that she meant international? This would be the first time of a Nitehymn playing international in our lifetimes. It is still unsure of whither either act will actually be there. This is especially true given that Emily Eaves, a member of the family that owes the estate the event takes place on, recently said that this year they are hoping for the festival to "attempt to get back to its roots." This is far more damning in Grimes' case, as the young musician is known for her experimental and unique style. Both artists have been tight-lipped the past few days, Mitski in particular is in the middle of a social media hiatus. Hopefuls are already saying that her silence will be broken be the groundbreaking announcement that she is indeed playing at Glastomundus. Whatever the case maybe, a number of Nitehymn have already purchased tickets excited at the mere chance at being able to witness history. Even if no national artists are at the festival, this cross pollination of Nitehymn attendance could radically affect the music scene in Orphela.

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Bloodplains to Undergo Radical Soil Incentives

While the Imperium is increasing its international presence, there is one way Orphela has always been connected to the rest of Mundus, economically. While heavy tariffs have protected national industries and business, a number of products are much less regulated. This includes the primary import into the Imperium, agricultural products including food. It is no secret that the nation comes nowhere near close enough to producing enough food to feed itself. This lack of self-reliance has often left the Imperium in a tight spot, and is an easily exploited weakness to the nation.

As such, a joint resolution by the Ministry of Economics and the Ministry of the Interior have announced a plan for revolutionary terraforming efforts in the Bloodplains, hoping to restore what was once the most fertile part of Orphela. This is going to be done in a three part process. Production of a number of desalination plants will be built to help supply water for the future vegetation. The second part is to artificially raise the fertility of the soil by importing organic matter and organic carbon. The third is in the more fertile regions of the Bloodplains, a number of plants will be planted to simply see what sticks.

All of this would seem impossible or that it would take decades, but the scientists have a head-start. The Bloodplains Forest Project started in 2008, and since then has been slowly working on turning the Bloodplains from barren lands to an agricultural eden. In 2012, after four years, the project was reviewed and due to their extraordinary progress, a 200% increase in their yearly budget was approved. Their seeding efforts had resulted in living greenery. Since then the project has carried on, almost unknown. With these new soil fertilization efforts piggybacking off of the Forest Project, years and perhaps millions of Guilders have been saved. Already the foundation exists, now with a massive influx of capital and labor, the most optimistic projections have that the Bloodplains could be an agricultural center as early as 2025.

None of these takes into account the big elephant in the room- the Maar Clans. The Clans nomadic lifestyle is not well-suited to that of farmers. Indeed, where will the manpower to run these farms come from? And if the Maar aren't the ones who will be taking over the farming efforts, who will? How will the Clans feel about outsiders living in the Bloodplains? It is likely that these issues will be the centerpiece of Governess Niru's upcoming state visit to the Bloodplains.

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Netflix Coming to Orphela

Nitehymns have reason to rejoice today. Netflix has signed a new deal that means in the coming months it will launch within the Imperium. This will be the first live service to be available in Orphela. Not only will Netflix be providing foreign movies and tv shows that have been absent to Nitehymn audiences, but it will also be partnering with a number of national media studios to add to its always expanding roster. In addition, further talks between Netflix and Nitehymn studios are are underway about developing movies and show directly for the media platform. The Imperium has been isolated from some of the biggest pop culture trends of the past decades because of the lack of a foreign movie market. Most Nitehymns have never even seen any kind of Disney movie- from animations, to Star Wars, or the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This has mostly been due to a lack of an easy way to do so.

But Netflix is only the first of Mundus' international companies looking to expand into a new market. Amazon is also in talks about opening up services in the Imperium. And its not just limited to web services. McDonalds, the largest fast food chain in the world, is also looking to expand. But McDonalds, like many of these other companies, face deep challenges. In McDonald's case, fast food is an unknown concept to the Nitehymn, the closest thing being street vendors. Indeed, Amazon's whole pitch; the comfort and easy of home delivery is competing with a culture that doesn't even have supermarkets or malls. If these seemingly modern conventions to the rest of Mundus are able to thrive in Orphela, then it could mean big changes in how we all live our lives. 

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Foshir's Silent Homeless Epidemic

Foshir, one of the largest cities in the Imperium, has recently seen a massive increase in its homeless population. And it's almost exclusively the youth. It is estimated that in the last year and a half there has been as high as a 200% increase in young homeless kids. Some social workers claim that this number may even be higher. This massive increase has put huge pressure on homeless shelters and soup kitchens. Programs aimed at helping these kids simply can not keep up with the demand, and many are falling through the cracks. Conrada Seifer, manager of the Foshir Youth Kitchen, one of the city's largest soup kitchens, had this to say. "It seems like everyday more and more kids show up for our meals. And we haven't received any increased funding to deal with this. We have to turn away over half the kids that show up. They line up hours before hand just for the chance to get something to eat. Food that a year ago we wouldn't dare serve; burnt, overcooked, and the scrapes, is now given out without question. These children deserve so much more." How is this happening in Foshir, a city that once had one of the most expansive and largest social welfare programs in the country?

The answer comes down to Foshir's prefect, Speaker Delrico. Delrico was appointed to the position of prefect as relatively unknown, except that he spent some time as part of the infamous Inquisitors. Behinds the scenes, he has not only refused to expand funding for programs aimed at helping this issue, but in some cases actively cut funding. But is also in many ways responsible for this problem to begin with. When Delrico took office, he did a clean sweep of the cities administrative staff. Since then, silently a number of policy changes have been implemented.

Orphela has been proud of its LGBT acceptance throughout history. One of our Seraphim, Reaver is gender queer, appearing as both male and female depending on the story. Seraph Lilith has been known to take female lovers. But Delrico belongs to a new guard within the church that wants to deny this part of our history. Foshir primary and secondary education, run through the church, has become extremely hostile to any non-cis, non-heterosexual students. Students must "use the bathroom of their birth" and any public displays of affection between members of the same-sex are punishable by school staff. These kids are targeted and harassed until they can not stand it anymore, often dropping out of school. And for those few kids that do live with their birth parents, their home lives often aren't much better. Religious oration across the city has also become extremely anti-LGBT. This has had a drastic affect on the attitudes of those living in the city. And this is likely to only increase. Already this has had an increase in hate crimes. An anonymous source within the city police said that the number of LGBT assaults and homicides, especially concerning the homeless youth, have drastically increase but they are being order to not report many of them.

Delrico is being held as a hero by this new right-wing movement. Many are talking about implementing the same systems he has built in other cities. And worst of all, yesterday at a city hall meeting, a special budgetary review to approve an emergency increase funding for homelessness support programs was voted down, the deciding vote- Prefect Delrico.

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Governess Calls Foshir Crisis an International Embarrassment

Following East Morelands' Melissa Lusk' request for support for Foshir's homeless youth to the International Refugee Support Agency (IRSA), Governess Niru has sprung into action. She had a number of choice words to characterize the city's prefect, Speaker Delrico. Gravest of these was the denoucement of the Speaker as a heretic and blasphemer. "The Pantheon of the Hallowed has always treated ALL individuals as equals, regardless of gender identity and sexuality. It has always been that the Pantheon celebrates these differences between its followers. Look to the Seraphim. Would Speaker Delrico treat our Gods with such malice? Never has this kind of discrimination been apart of our church. And I will not allow this. This government has been working hard to slowly and carefully open our nation to the rest of Mundus. And now this? Is this what we want the world to think of when they think of the Nitehymn? Is this truly representative of us as a people? This is an embarrassment on the international level. I, in full view of the Imperium and the world, call for Speaker Delrico to step down immediately. Failure to do so will result is less than savory methods taken." 

But the Governess request was ignored. The right-wing church movement has rallied behind Delrico, urging him to stand against the Governess. They have become emboldened, and cite a number of grievances with the Governess. These include, but are not limited to, international policy, the Bloodplains initiative, and a growing lack of spiritualism. They have issued a statement calling for the Governess to meet with their leadership to discuss the "future of Orphela." Governess Niru refused to even entertain the idea. She has ordered the Inquisition to seize control of the city and forcibly remove Speaker Delrico.
 
Knight-Chancellor Ximych, leader of the Inquisition, has been unresponsive on the Governess' order. Technically the Inquisition answers directly to the High Seer, and the High Seer alone. With Iaxxiodril away in the Bloodplains, the situation is messy. While the Knight-Chancellor may sympathize with, and even want follow through with, the Governess' order, it would set a dangerous precedent. For now, Mourningfort remains quiet.

Chosen of Necra Found

The Inquisition announced some pious news today. In the small town of Emberfall, a young girl was found to be carrying a piece of Necra's soul. This marks her as one of Necra's chosen. She has already been taking back to Mourningfort in order to undergo the purification and trials so that she may be sanctified as a true Avatar. The young girl is named Nyrylla and is believed to be around the Crystal Princess' age. The Inquisition has no doubt placed a gag order on local residence as any information on her is scarce. Across the nation, Necra temples are being filled by worshippers. Many praying for protection. While the possibility for an Avatar is normally cause for celebration, Necra's Avatars are a different story.

As the Seraph of Death, the rise of an Avatar of Necra is surrounded by mystery and fear. Necra carries little for the human world, often only engaging in it because of her love for Reaver. She has had fewer Avatars throughout history than any other Seraph, and they are often harbingers of death and disaster. What ever the Seraph's plans and desires are, it is likely that Reaver is involved somehow. Many church officials are speculating that a Chosen of Reaver is very likely to appear in the coming years.

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Novox Announces Newest Addition to Imperial Red Panda Family

Late last night the newest member of the Nitehymn court was born- Bastius. Named after the Seraph of Protection, Bastius is the newest member of the Imperial Red Panda Family, joining two brothers and three sisters in addition to his parents. With this newest addition, the Red Pandas now firmly outnumber the Pangolins at court. The tradition of the Imperial Red Panda and Pangolin Families dates back to the 16th century, after the Great Novox Fire. The fire destroy huge parts of the holy city, one the hardest parts hit was the Imperial Gardens and Zoo. The only two creatures that survived was a Red Panda and a Pangolin. Since then the two creatures have dominated court life, official becoming the state-sponsored animals of the Omega Bloodline. While few are ever allowed into Novox it is said that the Imperial animals can often be found roaming the halls of court.

The government issued a statement saying that by all accounts Bastius is healthy and his mother is recovering swiftly. They also said that they hope that Bastius will live up to his namesake and grow-up to become the mighty protector and guardian of Novox.

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Governess Declares Rak'shir

Rak'shir is a word of great infamy in the Imperium. It is a word that has been used to put down rebellions, heresies, and suppress rights. A number of Governors and Governess have used Rak''shir to greatly expand their power-base in times of crisis and then refused to surrender their power. It has fracture centuries since Rak'shir has even been uttered by any ruler of the Imperium. That is until now. This the Foshir Crisis has only grown and everyday continues to fracturing Novox' influence. Despite the Governess ordering the Inquisition to seize control of the city, they have largely ignored the order, citing that only High Seer Iaxxioldril has such power. But with the High Seer away things have become complicated. There is little doubt that the High Seer, a staunch supporter of the Governess, would reissue the order.  But he is unable to do so.

Fearing that the growing crisis could destabilize the nation, Governess Niru has declared Rak'shir, a state of religious emergency that combines the rights of both the High Seer and Governess. This means that the Governess now wields unquestionable and supreme power. So far she has reissued her order to the Inquisition, who have quickly begun to prepare to move on Foshir. Already Inquisition forces have parts of the city besieged. But Speaker Delrico has only been embolden by this latest measure. A local militia has been raised, and alongside city law enforcement have begun barricading the city. While there is little doubt that the highly trained Inquisition soldiers will meet much resistance taking the city, Delrico no doubt hopes to martyr himself for his cause. But his actions may have the opposition affect. Many fear that he is leading the crisis to unnecessary bloodshed and are calling for him to give into the Governess' demands.

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Nation Wakes to Political Purge

With Foshir effectively besieged by the Inquisition, many feared the crisis could quickly turn violent. Late last night, Speaker Delrico peacefully surrendered himself, effectively ending the stalemate. Soldiers have since entered the city, bring with them food and supplies for the homeless. With supplies and manpower being given to the existing systems, it is believed that Foshir will able to accommodate the homeless children until a solution can be found. The solution will no doubt be focused on reversing the culture of non-acceptance breed within the city.

This could have been the end to the whole situation, but the Speaker was not acting alone. He had become a rallying symbol to a growing sentiment among politicians across Orphela. A sentiment of those unhappy with the leadership of Novox. This morning that sentiment has been dealt a significant blow. In a coordinated effort, politicians and church officials across the Imperium have been arrested. The logistics of such an operation would normally take months, instead done in mere hours. It is unclear at this time wither Speaker Delrico was broken or offered some deal in exchange for the names of his contemporaries. Governess Niru has already surrendered her Rak'shir powers, stating that "with the end to this heretical movement in sights, there is no need for a state of emergency." This means many Nitehymn can breathe easy, as once again the Governess maintains only a fraction of the powers she previously held.

It is unknown what will happen to those arrested, as it will be months before a proper assembly can be formed to review and try this case. Until then, the controlling party of Orphela just become much smaller.

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2020s Economic Budget Plan Announced

It was almost 30 years ago when Orphela faced one of the worst economic crisis in its history. Because of the nation's isolation from the rest of Mundus, its economy has mostly developed independently. This means the Nitehymn market was subject to independent booms and collapses. The mid to late 1990s was one of these periods of collapse. A faulty loan system based on small business loans created a bubble which lead to an eventual stock market crash. Many defaulted on their loans, thousands of businesses were closed, and a number of major banks with them. The national government was forced to step in and take control of the situation. Novox announced the New Deal, a series of programs, financial reforms and market regulations to end the growing depression. One of the cornerstones of the New Deal was massive government investments across the economy, ranging from small time cash influxes to small business, to major bailouts for large corporations. These investments had only one real stipulation, they would be repaid back with a market-value adjustment in 2020. Not early and not late.

As such, next year the government will be receiving a massive influx of money. Estimates of the new income the government make are in the billions. But as part of the New Deal, all money made on these investments are already promised to be invested back into the country. Many have wondered just what this could mean, but Governess Niru has finally revealed the economic plan of the 2020s. While the specific figures are still not finalized, the overall goals are set.

The first of the major points of this economic program is portioning money back into the economy. With the Imperium looking to remove import tariffs and international trading barriers, there is great fear that national businesses will be unable to competing. Money will be used not just to expand national business but also the government is seeking to partner with Nitehymn corporations looking to expand overseas. Rather than fearing that the rest of Mundus will invade the Nitehymn economy, the goverment wants the Nitehymn to invade markets across Mundus. A huge pinnacle of this is increases in automation. The Governess put it this way, "the future of our economics lies in machinery. In our lifetime, most people will no longer need to work in order to survive. The Imperium will be on the forefront of this new wave. It is my hope that we will have the largest autonomous economy. We will build a system that can support free basic income for all. The end of the harsh realities of capitalism are in our sights. And Orphela will not fight this new world, no we will proudly step forward into the light."

The second point is much in a similar vein. Education in Orphela is a pride among the nation. The system has long worked with few problems. Many owe this fact to the education systems connection with the church, providing a capable and motivated workforce to focus on Nitehymn children. But education is receiving huge money for both STEM and art programs. Governess Niru is quoted as saying, "The Imperium will boast the smartest and most capable population in the world. Our scientists will be on the cutting edge of discovery and advancement. Our engineers will produced the futuristic marvels made possible by our scientists. And our artists will receive acclaim internationally. Children are, and will always be, our future. By investing in them, we are building a better tomorrow." Some of the highlights of this reform include, that schools will be looking to recruit new professors and teachers at the top of thousands of fields from across Mundus and bring them into the Imperium. In addition, a number of building projects have been announced so that school can receive state of the art facilities. In addition, there will be increases in post-graduate grants in a variety of subjects.

The third and final point is far less idealistic as the previous two. Orphela has long lagged behind in its military. It has long relied on isolation and a lack of nearby predatory nations to its advantage. But with the end of isolation, comes in increase in international threats. "The world is not always a safe place. We, Nitehymn, have hidden away from this fact. We have been privileged beyond measure. Borlanders terrorism, genocide in Royal Seleucid, civil war in Kaitaine. Are we to just pray that these troubles could never come to our own borders? That is foolhardy at best. The recent tensions between the First Empire and SANE show us that our part of the world isn't excluded from this. National security needs to be a primary concern. We live around water that is called the Rokkenjima Sea. That says mountains about the balance of power in this part of Ardia. While we have no cause for hostilities with the First Empire, given their naval might, they could easily cut off this sea to us. Given our need to import food, the Nitehymn would starve in a matter of days. Bastius the Protector told us, 'it is the foolish who does not prepare for the worst.' Together, we will build a military might that will deter any aggression from outsiders. Our fleets will sail next to Rokkenjima's as equals, not inferiors."

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Governess Niru Interviewed

In an unprecedented move, the Governess appeared on national television for a live interview, something no ruler of the Imperium has ever done. The Governess had an extremely light and casual air about herself, openly laughing and making jokes. Many were surprised by her demeanor, a sharp contrast to how the Omega Bloodline has normally styled themselves in public appearances. The Governess was willing to talk about any and all issues and topics, saying nothing was off the table. Here are some of the highlights.

Interviewer: It looks like you have quite a busy schedule ahead of you.

Niru: Oh yes! We hosted King David from East Moreland, and now there's a meeting with New Derusmia and a conference in Rokkenjima. Not to mention the annual state visit to the Bloodplains somewhere in the mix too. It can be quite disorienting at times. There's a lot of juggling going on.

I: What is expected from the meeting with New Derusmia?

N: Well, they are a nearby nation, so at least laying the groundwork for positive relations is the primary concern. Of course, there is the looming question of SANE. The Imperium is entertaining the idea of joining, but there's a lot to take in. It would definitely thrust us into the thick of internationalism. I've been fairly vocal on my push to make Orphela an international player, but joining SANE may be a little too hard and fast, y'know? We'd be opening our borders, both figuratively and literally in some senses, wide for a lot of people. With our recent agreement with East Moreland, it's much more controlled. SANE is a powerful regional bloc and there are of course a number of benefits of having so many allied nations nearby. But it could also cause diplomatic issues with others. So until all angles have been examined, we won't be making any drastic moves.

I: Then what's going on with this supposed Rokkenjima Sea Cooperative Union?

N: To be perfectly candid, I'm not entirely sure. It's a new proposed idea from the big dog herself, the First Empire. My understanding is its much more focused on economic prosperity and cooperation. If so it could mean a lot of money for the Imperium, something I don't think any Governess would be shying away from. But until the actual conference, the details are kinda up in the air. Which is fine. It'll be interesting to be surrounded by so many heads of state and foreign government officials. I'm definitely excited to get that under my belt and it'll be a first for the Imperium.

I: Do you mind if we switch gears to more domestic topics? We've been receiving a lot of criticism over the handling of the Foshir Incident and the resulting political purge. How do you respond to your critics?

N: Hmm, this may be very blunt, but let's lay out the fact of the situation. We had a prefect who, frankly, was promoting heresy. He was denying and changing primary pieces of the Pantheon in order to oppress people. Fellow believers. Some might say my actions in Foshir were harsh, and I can completely understand that. But my response is that it wasn't harsh enough. It's a travesty that the situation was allowed to go unnoticed for so long. As for this so-called purge, individual aligned with this heresy were quickly identified and removed from power. It had to happen fast before even more damage was done. I love this nation more than anything else. I love the Pantheon of the Hallowed, it's what makes us unique and is so central to the identity of this nation. And for an individual, much less a group of individuals, to tarnish and pervert the teachings and the love of the Seraphim disgusts me to the pit of my stomach.

I: And the economic plan, where to start?

N: Yes. Haha I totally agree. It's a lot. My father was working with economists on this plan years ago. Granted it looked very different back then. Its gone through a lot of stages and there have been numerous ideas on where to put this money. I'm really confident in this current draft of the proposal. I mean this is laying the foundation for the future of the nation in many ways. This could be the single most important legislation in our lifetime. Which is huge pressure and we aren't taking any of this lightly. But with this plan we get a good economic base, which with the current foreign relations deal we are in the process of- this is only going to be compounded. But then my additionally invest in education, in the future, we are ensuring that our children are, at the very least, employable. I have no doubt that they will come out far more than that. In my dreams, they will be leaders in all industries and culture.

I: Governess, how is the daughter? The Nitehymn are simply so curious as to who this new heir is. What is she like? Can you tell us anything about her?

N: Since the adoption the government has taken certain measures to ensure Quin's privacy and protection. Up until a few months ago, she had no clue who her father was. Can you imagine one day someone is at your home and claiming you belong to the Omega Bloodline? Oh she didn't fully accepted it for a few days. I mean, she's good. It's definitely an adjustment- for all parties, myself included. I now have a teenage daughter that I was not expecting. But the thing that's most surprised me is her strength. She has really taken everything in stride. And being a parent is different then I imagined. It really forces you to reevaluate things. I've recently been looking at my own childhood, and my father, much differently lately. Some things just make more sense now.

I: And her father- your brother, how is he?

N: Velkin lives a very private life. Our father's decision near the end of his life to crown me the Crystal Princess hurt him, understandably. I think we all get that, we can all relate on some level. And so he's chosen to remove himself from the political world. I respect that, and that's as much as I'm willing to say.

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New "Lights Out" Factory Opened in Foshir

In Foshir, FANUC, a robotics and automation company, re-opened their Foshir factory. The Foshir factory is fully automated, able to operate unsupervised for 30 days at a time. Due to the lack of a human presence, the factory is able to run with turning on the lights, creating a manufacturing philosophy being coined as "lights out" manufacturing. FANUC is also able to turn off air conditioning and heating too. They had stated that a peak production, their robots will be able to produce 50 other robots within 24 hours.

The Lights Out model is going to become much more common across the Imperium. FANUC has been working along side the government, granted a number of government R&D grants. The hope is that with the company designing and producing fully automated machinery other industries will be able to adopt a similar model. The amount of money being devoted for this project is only going to increase in the coming year, as the 2020s Economic Plan comes into action. In a few years, the Imperium could very easily be the center of automation and an industrial powerhouse. All with very little human involvement.

There are concerns over that increased machinery means less overall jobs for humans. Indeed, the goal of Lights Out philosophy is the complete removal of humans from industrial work. So where are Nitehymn suppose to get money from? That's a complicated issue that doesn't have a clear answer yet. But there are a lot of different ideas being explored. The first is offering free universal basic income. But there are concerns over where the money for this comes from. A proposed "human tax" means that factories would be taxed a portion of the money they would normally have to pay to employees. Although this idea has gained little traction because it negates many of the benefits of automation for corporations. Another, more radical movement, growing among some economists is that a system like this could only be supported by a quasi-communist regime. That the government will need to nationalize huge portions of the economy and directly bring them under the public's control.

It is unsure what the solution is actually is, but many are working hard to find it. And despite these concerns, the Imperium continues to move towards a new economic system for a new age.

[Persephone]

Head Minister Zash Outraged by Ardia Assembly Admission

Head Minister Zash, current leader of the Department of Secularism, believes enough is enough. In a recent speech she criticized the government for a wide variety of issues. She first started with something that has relatively gone unnoticed, Orphela's officially joining the Assembly of Ardia. As she put it in her own words, "when the Governess announced that the Imperium would be opening its borders and across the nation, we held our tongues. And she started small, a treaty of friendship with East Moreland, the teddy bear and guardian angel of the international community. Who could find the fault in that? But now her diplomatic posturing has caused regional instability. SANE and Rokkenjima are locked in a diplomatic grudge match because of Niru. Empress Beatrice, leader of the First Empire, said herself, 'the ascension of a state which shares a border with the First Empire to SANE shall be viewed as an aggressive maneuver by the alliance, and one which shall demand a Rokkenjiman response¹.' Interesting how which state she was referring to was explicitly kept out. But we all know the truth. Just look at the handful of nations with borders next to Rokkenjima, which is the only one what has engaged with SANE lately? It's not Toshikawa, Gowu, or Eurasia. That leaves the city-state Josai and the Imperium. I wonder which one threatens Rokkenjima security. Already Niru has almost brought the threat of military conflict to our peaceful nation. And it's only going to get worse. The Governess is with recklessness abandonment engaging in political talks and forcing the Imperium into international entanglements. The Ardian Assembly is only the first of these. And what is truly disheartening is the silent and under the wraps this whole thing happened. And why is that? Because look at what happened to the church officials who dared to stand up to Niru. Imprisoned and awaiting trial. They were by no means saints, and I have no wish to align myself with their quasi-religious movement. They were trying to grandstand and capitalize on a feeling that so many Nitehymn are feeling- growing dread as a world we don't understand and didn't ask to is being shoved down our throats. If Niru wants a modern international nation so much, I call for one of the major conventions of these states- a separation of church and state. I call for the Governess to remove herself from power and dissolve the Court of the Seraphim. If that's too extreme for her, then call for a referendum. Let the people, for once, decide what kind of government they want to be ruled by."