This thread will henceforth be used to post general information regarding important people from Lechia.

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To: Praetor Julius Devaux
From: Prime Minister Suketoshi Heishi

On behalf of the Empire of Daitō, I would like to extend an opportunity for our two nations, once bitter enemies now neighbors on what can certainly be described as good terms, to grow ever closer. In the days of our predecessors, immediately following the war, we sought reconciliation, after all, it is unhealthy to hold a grudge for that long. Likewise, where our forebears once sought reconciliation, I believe we too must work towards growing ever closer, for the sake of future generations so that they may know not war and suffering, but peace and brotherhood with their neighbors. Therefore, I invite you or a representative to pay visit to my residence in Shinkyō for a chance to discuss our shared future going forwards, with an emphasis on fostering greater economic ties between our nations.

To the signatories of the Cross Straits Space Exploration Agreement,

It would be my pleasure to invite you, the heads of the government agencies party to the CSSEA, to Shinkyō's Iwaki Aerospace Centre in order participate in the First Annual Conference of the agreement. Over the course of this conference, it is expected that those agencies party to the agreement will discuss plans for both the coming year and beyond, as well as ongoing missions, with a particular focus on building infrastructure for longer-term inhabitation of space and further cooperation in the microgravity environment. A rough agenda for the conference will be left attached to this invitation.
Attachment — Agenda
1.) Welcome Address by Director Akisada.
2.) Declaration of Membership.
3.) Discussion on missions to Nergal.
4.) Discussion on orbital infrastructure development.
5.) Discussion on joint missions to Low Mundus Orbit destinations, old and new.
6.) Discussion on new technology and hardware.
7.) Discussion on Lunar operations.
8.) Discussion on Unmanned missions to Low Mundus Orbit and beyond.
9.) Any other business relating to this conference.
10.) Adjourning.

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Director Akisada had attended many meetings over the course of his decades-long career, many of which had proven consequential to the future of the agency. His first, back when he was Head of the Zenshoen program, was of course very different to this, as it was confined essentially to the higher-ups of his own agency. Now, nearly twenty years later, what was likely to be his last had arrived, and what a way to end it as well. Today was the start of a new series of meetings, the first annual meeting of the signatories to the Cross-Straits Space Exploration Agreement, or CSSEA. He was accompanied by now-Deputy Director Jiro Asagiri[/i], who was set to replace him come July as Director of the agency, as well as various other members of his staff. Now, he was just waiting for his foreign counterparts: Achkaerin's Gary Hale, Tytor's Mackenzie Collins, and Rokkenjima's William Nye. As the first of them arrived, it was time to begin.

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(OOC note: Please do not use your heads of state on this thread)

Stories of an Empire is a thread which will be used to detail various stories from around the Empire of Daitō, stretching from 1860 to the present. While such posts may not be made in any chronological order, they will be put up as links on this post in chronological order, as well as being categorized by their type.

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Categories
Imperial Family
Coming Home — 10-19-19
A Night Worth Remembering — 07-14-22
The Transition — 08-03-22
Military

Politics

Spaceflight
The Voyagers, Part One — Moonshot (11-29-21)
The Voyagers, Part Two — Between Worlds (11-30-21)
The Voyagers, Part Three — Go for Undocking (12-01-21)
The Voyagers, Part Four — The Landing (12-01-21)
The Voyagers, Part Five — The First Step (12-01-21)
Shinkyō Calling (12-01-21)
The Voyagers, Part Six — Discovery (12-03-21)
The Voyagers, Part Seven — Final Day on the Moon (12-06-21)
Civilian

Misc.

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Zhytomir — Marshal Oleksiy Lysenko has, following the capture of the city in late December, formally declared the establishment of the State of Halych following the brave struggle of White Forces over the last three years. Vowing on this, Christmas Day of the year 2022, to rebuild the nation stronger than ever, he has indicated that the government of the neighboring "state" of Volhynia, unjustly subjugated by the Daitōjin in 1893, must reconsider their choice to act independently and of the new government in Zhytomir and reenter the fold lest it face the punishment owed to traitorous dogs such as themselves. The Marshal was quick to condemn the red forces, his primary opponents in the civil war, for their eagerness to destroy the former Republic, which he called flawed but salvageable, were it not for the civil war. The Marshal is set to form his government in the coming days.

The White Army of Halych held a military parade in Velykyy knyazʹ Rostyslav Square, Zhytomir, to celebrate the establishment of the State of Halych as the legitimate successor to the Republic. All glory to the victorious Army of Halych, champions of the people, indomitable in spirit! Slava Halychu!

Grand Seal of the State of Halych Flag of the State of Halych СЛАВА ГАЛИЧУ! ГЕРОЯМ СЛАВА! The State of Halych is the governing body of the lands of the Halychian or Kalieshi Rus'. Officially a Parliamentary Republic (although in practice a military dictatorship), it was established following the Halychian Civil War of 2019 - 2022. Historically a weak state since the 90s, it was dominated by warring factions for three years following the collapse of the Republic. The republic was founded in 1997 following the deposition of the People's Republic of Halych, which came after its own failure to reclaim Volhynia, often blamed on Daitōjin interference. As of the present, Halych has found itself recovering from civil war. HISTORY TBA GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE The geography of Halych is dominated by forests and plains, with the River Vysa running the length of the country into Volhynia. The south of the country is known for its rocky terrain, with a small mountain range, the Kamin', making up part of the southern border with Christopol. On that note, Halych is bordered to the south and west by Christopol, as well as by Tuva and Ellista to the east. Volhynia borders the nation to the north-east, and due north is the Rodinian Sea. Climate-wise, winters in Halych are known to become quite harsh, with the lowest temperature recorded in the country being at -27 degrees celsius; this was recorded in the city's Capital, Zhytomyr, on January 13th, 1971. On average, the lowest it gets is -13 degrees celsius nationwide, save for the southern-most region, where it rarely gets below freezing. 10 LARGEST CITIES IN HALYCH The ten largest cities in Halych are as follows:  • Zhytomyr — 1,006,352  • Chernihiv — 736,581  • Letychiv — 682,908  • Kolomyya — 402,446  • Khmelnytskyi — 401,131  • Horokhiv — 391,408  • Yevpatoriya — 372,100  • Pokrovsk — 201,757  • Izyum — 192,361  • Sosnytsya — 133,401 GOVERNMENT TBA

National Anthem: March of the Rusyn Nationalists Formation:  • Earliest Human Habitation (103,000 BC)  • Early Rus' Peoples (653 AD)  • Foundation of the Grand Principality of Halych (1133 AD)  • Foundation of the Kingdom of Halych (1706 AD)  • Loss of Volhynia (1893)  • Establishment of the People's Republic of Halych (1972)  • First Volhynian War (1992 - 1994)  • Establishment of the Republic of Halych (1997)  • Second Volhynian War (2016 - 2019)  • Halychian Civil War (2019 - 2022)  • Establishment of the State of Halych (2022) Capital: Zhytomyr Largest city: Zhytomyr Demonym: Halych Rus', Halychian Government: Parliamentary Republic (De jure) Military Dictatorship (De facto)   Legislature: the Rada Population: 34,597,554 (2017 Census) HDI: 0.678 Currency: Halych Hryvnia (₴) ER: ₴101 = $1 USD Time zone: UTC+07:00/08:00 Drives on the: Right Calling code: +405 Internet TLD: .hy

Part One — Moonshot

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Artsiv Cosmodrome
UTC 1315
Flight Day 1

It had been an eventful day, the first in a voyage that would take Daitō to the moon. Sitting in their Ryū capsule atop one of the most powerful rockets the Empire had ever produced, Uchūnauts Eijiro Ebashi, Hiroki Inagaki, Isao Kitamori, and Taeko Akiyama waited for the final countdown and liftoff of the spacecraft. Only seven hours earlier, the lander had been launched, with it already being on its way to lunar orbit as they waited. It was far from quiet, with radio chatter back and forth from launch control, mission control over on the mainland, and the capsule being ever-present in their ears.
   "Hinode, this is Shinkyō, we are go for launch." CAPCOM said over comms. Hinode, the name of the capsule as selected by the crew, translated roughly as Sunrise, with this being effectively the dawn of the Daitōjin lunar exploration program as a whole. "T- 60 seconds and counting."
   "Roger, go for launch." Eijiro responded before turning his head over to his crew as the fuel pumps activated. Due to the nature of the suits they wore, they weren't able to turn the helmets with them. "Well, this is it. Lets do our best." He said with a smile before returning his focus to the launch at hand.

A few seconds would pass liftoff drew closer, although for the crew of Ryū M-3, it felt like several minutes. Perhaps they thought about the days to come, of the destination, or maybe just getting back home safe and sound. One may have glanced at the empty spot in the vehicle, a result of it being decided that, for the first landing, only four crewmembers would fly instead of the standard five. Regardless of these thoughts, there was no turning back now. Either they were going to make it, they were going to die, or they were going to abort. No other ways out. Then, over the loop, the final countdown began.

Almost immediately, the capsule began to shake, almost as if the crew were trapped in a single-room building during an earthquake. The clock had begun running, and not long after, they would be clear of the tower. The rest of the launch would largely be uneventful, with the core stage first jettisoning its "skirt"—a recoverable ring carrying the four outboard main engines— before carrying on until it too was jettisoned. Once in orbit and before TLI (trans-lunar injection), the crew would perform checks on the spacecraft and their own health. This would be the final stop where they could realistically abort and be home in a few hours. Any further along and it'd be at least a week before they would be home. Once TLI was complete, they would jettison from the upper stage before transpositioning and docking to the mission module then proceeding to extract it from its adapter.

The voyage had begun.

(OOC Note: The events of this series of posts are under revision, do not consider them strictly canon until after the date on them has passed)

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White Crane: Part One — Origins

Ever since the cancellation of the UYS program in 1997, there have been efforts to repurpose hardware intended for it. Perhaps none have seen as much contention as the Shirotsuru Orbiter, which was the program's first—and only—orbiter. While it was useful as a base for its replacement, the UHS, it alone was deemed unfit to fly into orbit thanks to its less advanced systems and overall weight. After all, it was, thanks to its 3.6 thousand kilogram higher mass compared to later spacecraft, ill suited for docking with a space station and also for carrying heavier payloads. Not only that, thanks to significant cost overruns, the program was believed unsustainable in the wake of a financial recession in the late 90s, and so, it was put to rest for the time being. Over a decade later, as it sat in a hangar at MFS Artsiv, the world went by, and slowly the program faded from the public eye.

Then, in late 2001, everything changed. The Kyūden IV space station, planned originally as a stopgap for the space program until a larger station could be built, once again caught the public's imagination. At first, it wasn't much, just two KYE-type core modules docked together, but it was enough. The arrival of Expedition II in July of 2002 aboard their Ryū YK spacecraft would see this spotlight brighten further, especially following the release of Uchū Kichi (宇宙基地, Space Station), a documentary detailing Expedition II's mission aboard the station including the arrival of the Kasei Module, in 2003.

In part a result of this new-found interest in itself, the DNSA would start to see its funding slowly but surely increase. By 2006, it had completed the Kyūden IV space station and would begin to look into other projects. It was then that the UYS Program was reexamined. This led, in part, to a series of programs to recycle unused UYS equipment and to fine tune it. One such project that came from this was the UHS spaceplane set to launch in October 2021. It would, at least in the early years, make use of the older Shirotsuru Orbiter for aerodynamic flight tests until the Tenryū Orbiter was ready to take over that role. Another program that came from this was the so-called "UYS Applications Program", which examined how the DNSA could make use of other hardware. It was thanks to that program that the Tenjin CK-22 through 43s would get their current solid rocket motors, while another would begin work to modify the purpose-built LC-17A and B facilities for the UHS program. However, this is not the story of those projects. Rather, it is a story of a space station derived from the UYS launch system's components.

The UYS Station Team had almost immediately come to the conclusion about at least part of the station: It should, in some fashion, incorporate the External Fuel Tank (EFT) into the design, whether it meant disassembling it on orbit and making habitats out of the pieces of it or creating a wet workshop out of it. And so, a design competition began to find the most optimal design for such a station. Some of the following designs were pitched, and the modern program would indeed take elements from many of them.
The "Space Facility" concept proposed by the Zayasu Aerospace Company was one of the earliest brought forwards, calling for two launches of a modified UYS/UHS Fuel tank to LMO which would be rendezvoused and berthed to one another. The bottom of each fuel tank would have a built-in habitation module or science lab, with the second launch also carrying solar arrays. It was rejected as a result of fears that it would affect the flight profile of the spacecraft launching it, presumed at the time to be crewed, thus causing further unnecessary risk to it on two separate occasions. It would also require a specially designed system by which the fuel tanks would rendezvous, which was a capability that the UHS Orbiter was likely to lack, not to mention it would only be capable of having a single spacecraft docked at any given time, further limiting its usability.
The Spacelab proposal by Adler is seen by many as one of three early "ancestors" of the Shirotsuru Space Station, using a hull similar to the UYS and UHS orbiters as a base for space station, which would see two additional modules attached to a docking port in what would've been its hull. It would also see the attachment of two truss segments near the engine block as well as a telescope and solar arrays at the top of the fuel tank. The Hydrogen and Oxygen tanks would've been converted into both habitats and laboratories for the crew. It would have two docking ports, one for a UHS Orbiter and one for any other visiting vessel to dock with. However, the means by which supplies carried aboard the UHS would enter the station, that being a design often referred to as the "Scissor Lift" by members of the project thanks to its shape, proved to be its downfall. This would require extensive modifications to the UHS orbiter in order to lift a Multipurpose Logistics Module to its docking port, modifications the UHS team was unwilling to make as it would seriously limit the given orbiter's normal capabilities.
The Orbiter-derived Space Station was one of the most seriously considered designs for the station by the DNSA, even though it lacked the incorporation of the External Fuel Tank into the design as mandated by the competition. However, it would see extensive modifications to the UYS orbiter Shirotsuru upon the completion of its atmospheric flight tests in the UHS program and the addition of Five large modules to the station, with the first launching on the orbiter. Due to its failure, however, to make use of the EFT in the design, Kitagawa Technologies would be asked to revise the design, leading to the next design.

Eventually, the UYS Station Team would settle on a modification of the Kitagawa Technologies design, one which would include elements of the Adler Spacelab proposal. It is this design that is scheduled for launch in 2022 and will see multiple flights starting in the weeks immediately after its launch in order to outfit it for permanent habitation. If it is successful, it will prove the viability of similar designs, opening up an entirely new way to live in space. Space Station Shirotsuru will, in the coming years, serve as a base camp for expeditions beyond low Mundus orbit to the moon and beyond.

Shinkyō--
10 June, 2021--
1630 Hours--

The atmosphere of the room was one that seemed frozen in the moment. A large number of personnel of the Imperial Military had taken the time to watch His Imperial Majesty's speech on global denuclearization, and yet now, it had turned so very, very wrong. Hidetoshi Fukuda, known by his friends as Hide and by his comrades as Fukuda-Shōsa, was among them. To think that the very heart of the Empire was attacked...
   "...At this time, we cannot be certain of the fate of His Lordship, the Emperor Emeritus. We do know, however, that Prime Minister..."

The anchor seemed sad, in a way. Understandably so, given the nation's reverence for the position. Hell, even Hide felt some sorrow, but there was more... Trepidation, perhaps. He needed to know whether His Imperial Majesty was still alive, a sentiment that was undoubtedly shared by others in the room. Even now, many were undoubtedly thinking about who could be responsible for this travesty. A former Emperor and a Prime Minister... Hide had an idea as to who it could be. Then, he got a call, one he had been anticipating for several minutes now. So, he would step out of the room and find a nice, secluded area to talk, away from prying eyes.

When this was done, he would answer the call; The number was unfamiliar but he knew exactly who it was.
   "Yomi Yomi Yomi." The voice said; Hide knew exactly what this meant upon hearing it. The plan had failed. Their main mark was still alive.
   "Shit. What's your status, Ijima-chūi?" Hide asked in a hushed tone; outside, he could hear the news about the Emperor's survival on the television and the collective sigh of relief of the crowd gathered around it.
   "I'm currently on my way out of the gate district. Ducked into an alley to give you the call, but... The Emperor's still alive. Targets Bravo and Foxtrot are KIA, but Charlie through Echo weren't present."
   "Alright... Well, once you get out of dodge, I'll see what we can do about making sure you don't get caught. You destroy the documents you had at your holdout?"
   "Yeah, for the most part. All they should get are docs that point to... what was that organization Fukushi-Taishō mentioned?"
   "The RAC? Yeah, I'm sure they'll fall for it. It won't hurt that they'll... claim responsibility for it." Hide replied.
   "What makes you so sure about that? Wouldn't regicide, attempted or otherwise, just make their situation worse?" Ijima asked.
   "Fukushi-Taishō's already handled it. Gave them an... incentive to do it, from what I know."
   "Kinda suspicious, huh. Well, I'd absolutely love to chat, but I'm supposed to be getting out of here, so... Be seeing you, Fukuda-Shōsa."
   "And you, Ijima. Good luck." Hide said before hanging up. Their original plan had failed, but he was certain they would pull through. And with an Emperor who had witnessed such an attack still living, he could be enticed to do their bidding after all...

...Perhaps this would work to their favor after all.

Going forwards, this thread will be used to catalogue vignettes taking place in Arashkai's past, with the previous thread, "Tales of Arashkai", being used for vignettes that are set in the present day. Over time, I will update this post with links to each post, with said posts being divided by era. Note that some of these vignettes will take the form of journal entries while others will take the form of standard vignettes.

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Pre-Pentarchical Arashkai (Pre-196 AD)

Pentarchical-Era Arashkai (196 - 1021/1042)

First Imperial Era (1042 - 1426)

The Great Interregnum (1426 - 1477)

Second Imperial Era (1477 - 1600)

Early Modern Era (1600 - 1800)

Modern Era (1800 - 2020)

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TBA

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The Imperial Armed Forces is formed of Four major service branches and three services which are shared between these branches. These are the following:

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Budget (Actual Number): $300,072,035,379.80
Budget (% of GDP): 3.10%
Military Service Age: 18

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Active Personnel: 1,024,200
Reservists: 658,000
Total Personnel: 1,682,200
Conscription: Male only, inactive since 1981
Available for Service: 13 million
Reaching Military Age Annually: 1.3 million

From 1914 to 1945, Mundus was plunged into the darkness of the Great War. No nation was truly spared the consequences of the conflict, whether they were a combatant or not. Ikhan was no different, being in open conflict with the Ardian Empire and her allies thrice throughout this period. This is the story of one of these conflicts, as told through the eyes of someone who viewed it firsthand.

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Chapters
Prologue
Chapter One — The Calm before the Storm
Chapter Two — The Storm
Chapter Three — The Briefing
Chapter Four — Darkness

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Warning: This series of vignettes contains scenes which can be classified as upsetting to some readers. If you cannot handle depictions of violence, please turn away from this thread.

There have been many stories throughout the history of Daitō that have been told, and many more that haven't. Some which should be spoken, and others that should not. Nonetheless, they are all important, for they are but scenes in the great story of Daitō as a whole. These are some of these stories.

To whom it may concern,

With the coming abdication of His Imperial Majesty, you are hereby invited to attend the ceremony as well as the enthronement of his son, Crown Prince Arkan, as the new Emperor of the Arashin. Of course, if matters of a diplomatic sort are brought forth during this period, then the necessary accommodations can and will be made. Otherwise, meetings with the new Emperor will be permitted after the Enthronement ceremony has been completed.

Of course, housing for any and all honored dignitaries who may attend the event and the festivities the day afterwards shall be provided, with any special accommodations for a specific dignitary needing to be brought up beforehand so as to ensure that no incidents occur. Should there be any questions, they may be raised and the Imperial Household Agency will attempt to answer it as soon as it can.

Attached is a message from His Imperial Majesty:

Honored Guests,

I recognize that the last few decades have left Ikhan isolated from the rest of the world, during which time we spent reaping the benefits of our watchful peace. But in these times, it has become clear, now more than ever, that we must take an active role in global affairs. That is why I wish to personally invite you to this ceremony, a testament to the restored openness of our nation to foreign trade and to prevent injutsice from further spreading it's claws throughout the world. There are, of course, threats to peace across the globe, but only together can we preserve the lasting peace that has blessed us since the end of the Great War.

With my abdication, I shall pass the torch to my son, the Crown Prince of Ikhan, recognizing in part my own inability due to ill health and a failure to adapt to the ever-changing political climate of the globe. Already, while I was hospitalized following the attempt on my life, he has proven a capable leader of the nation and as a diplomat. Effective as of the 28th of August, he unofficially shall take the throne shortly following my own abdication. The ceremony enthroning him will be at 1:00 PM, with my own abdication taking place at 11:00 AM.

Regardless of any preexisting rivalries, prejudices, or outstanding issues, I nonetheless wish to invite you to the Imperial Palace to attend the ceremonies.
Sincerely,
Esik Vahram ve Sherkoz, Emperor of the Arashin
(Attached is the Imperial Sigil)

Once again, those who have received this message, both from Ikhan and beyond, have hereby been invited to attend the Abdication of Emperor Esik I and the Enthronement of the new Emperor.

Greetings, dear viewers, and welcome to a special broadcast by DHK! Today is, as you may or may not know, the 133rd anniversary of the Battle of Kokura, ending the Tottori Rebellion. We go now to our attachι in Shinkyō, Ichiro Asahi, who is covering the day's festivities for us. Over to you, Ichiro.

I: "Thanks Jiro. Anyways, as you can see, for the most part, the area around the palatial square has gone silent in preparation for the festivities. To our left and right" the reporter pointed to both sides for a moment before continuing "we have members of the Imperial Guard performing crowd control and performing their ceremonial functions as normal." He would finish before saying "I must say, today is a momentous occasion, as is often the case, although in particular due to it featuring troops from the Republic of Volhynia and our own sons and daughters, returned from a peacekeeping operation as its neighbor wages a civil war most cruel. What was that? Oh, alright, well, we're being asked to stop speaking for the time being." after which, he would go silent.

 The sound of bells would ring out throughout the area. Once the last toll of the bells faded, the Imperial Music Corps would begin playing the National Anthem, "Umi Yukaba", as Crown Prince Eijiro, in full dress uniform, greeted his father, the Emperor, as well as Field Marshal Okimoto Esashi before giving a speech to the troops. Upon finishing, the Music Corps would begin playing a new song, the March of the Imperial Guards, as a group of soldiers made their way down the square, the flags of the Empire hoisted aloft for all to see. After a few minutes, when this too had come to an end, as jets flew overhead, Marshal Esashi would get in an automobile and begin his inspection of the troops. As he went down the line, things seemed normal, at least, until...

*Bang*

 Two shots rang out in the square, followed almost immediately by the screams of panicked civilians. Almost on queue, some of the guards would rush to secure the area, all the while medical staff immediately jumped into action. The Emperor had been shot, two bullets piercing his chest, only barely missing his heart. A pair of guards would tackle the shooter and detain him, all the while two others rushed to get the rest of the Imperial Family out of the area and to a more secure location.
E: "I-I-I... By the kami... His Majesty... The Emperor's been shot!" Ichiro would exclaim, all the while an officer ordered for his subordinates to "Seize those cameras and end the broadcast!" as the town rapidly ground to a halt. The broadcast abruptly ends, television screens across the empire changing to the Imperial flag at night with the National anthem playing before suddenly cutting out.