Free Mundus

[BenOfTheIwi]

INSIDE THE IWI'S COURT SYSTEM

In the last few days the world's governments have actively condemned the execution of Imran Gamal, a member of the Seleucid military who was found guilty of crimes against humanity during the Seleucid occupation of the Commonwealth of the Unified Iwi until 2001. This was the third execution and still the Commonwealth's government seek further perpetrators of the genocide that took place over 200 years or more. Naturally the King of the Commonwealth, Piripi II, has defended his nations system of justice and as a result we sent one of our reporters to take a look. Shannon Musgrove, a former Morelander paralegal and now one of our legal affairs journalists spent a few days watching and speaking with several Maori judges.


When visiting the Iwi you become aware very quickly that every word and every action carries some kind of weight, even the arrival can be a minefield with the manner of your conduct at those first words shaping the whole foundations of a relationship. With this in mind I'd done my research and was ready for the traditional greeting of touching noses and exhailing, thus sharing your life energy with the other person. This complex system also is apparent in the legal system where the concept of Muru is key. Muru in its purest form means justice, to get Muru a person must be able to convince their elders, represented now by formally appointed judges, that they have been wronged. If a wrong is established it must be put right for two reasons, the first is obvious and that is to maintain good order within the community, the second however means understanding Maori culture. The Maori people believe in Tapu, a concept that means a person is blessed with a spiritual power that connects them with the rest of their tribe, or Iwi, Tapu can be gained by doing good deeds for the Iwi, or it can be lost either through your own actions such as disobeying an elder if your a child, or can be taken from you in battle or by someone ending your life. Murder then in Maori culture is not just a crime depriving someone of their life but in also reducing the Tapu of a whole Iwi, some of which consist of several million people, the Ngāpuhi Iwi for example is made up of close to 4million people. Therefore it is not hard to see why a genocide has, in the eyes of the Maori, not just a devestating effect at the time but is still felt today. The Ngāpuhi Iwi believe that some 300,000 members of their Iwi died either directly or indirectly by Seleucid actions, to that community therefore that is 300,000 lots of Tapu lost. This Tapu can be restored through Muru, but this process means that the perpatrator must be made to experience the same action that took away the Tapu, it is this belief that is at the centre of many of the Iwi's court rulings.

My day started sat in Judge  Matiu Ratana's courtroom, a young 21 year old man was standing trial for a string of house burgluries. It was a very open and shut case as the police had caught him red handed. The judge listened to the various impact statements, much as they would in most countries, but the one that gained most attention was that of a tribal elder who spoke of the spiritual impact the man's actions had on the Iwi's Tapu. The judge ordered that the man be sent to prison on a work-placement. I was surprised that there was no time put on the sentence, back home in East Moreland this may have seen a two year prison sentence considering the youngsters past record, however no talk of time was given and everyone seemed to accept this. Speaking with the tribal elder after he explained, "The court case established the amount of the valuables he'd taken, around $400 worth, when he goes to prison they'll find him a job depending on his skills. If he has none they'll make him a cleaner or maybe even teach him some skills. He'll then spend his time in prison doing that job. He'll be paid and once he has worked off the $400 he'll be released. Some people refuse to work in prison and can be there a long time for a small crime, others work extremely hard and cut their sentences significantly. I suspect the man will take about 10 months to pay off his debt."

The next case saw a woman who was accused of causing injury by drink driving, the victim was left in a wheelchair. In a likewise manner the injured party was permitted to explain the impact the case had on their life and once more a sum of money was mentioned. This time in the region of $400,000, the judge ordered that the guilty parties assets be seized and sold as well as sending the driver to prison to pay off the amount that would be outstanding. I asked the woman in the wheelchair whether she felt this was justice. "It's much better than nations that simply lock someone up. I will have money to support my healthcare and the driver gets punished." The driver was also instructed to work for 200 hours upon release in a hospital as a porter.

Later in the day we saw what I would consider the first shocking case. A man was in court accused of grooming a young girl from another Iwi, he had persuaded a 12 year old girl to perform sexual acts on him in return for gifts like mobile phones. The judge had little sympathy for the accused and spoke at length about the damage done to the girls Tapu, the loss of virginity outside of marriage is seen as having a great negative impact on Tapu. The man accused broke down and wept when the sentence began and begged for clemency from the victims family as he was informed that he would be handcuffed and placed in a cell with the girls father and elder brother for ten minutes. The judge read a formal list of rules that stated the girls family could use no weapons, only hands and may not touch the man above the shoulders. The guilty party appealed the verdict however it appears that this will be highly unlikely to be successful. I spoke to a court usher who explained, "In cases of child grooming it is highly common for this to be a punishment, if the appeal is unsuccessful he will be taken below to a special cell and two guards will keep watch. The family members appointed by the court generally punch the crap out the guy, its not uncommon for ribs to get broken but I've never seen a death, taking a life in this manner when the other person is handcuffed would ruin the persons Tapu, which the beating helps restore so it would be pointless." Later in the day I heard of another similar cases appeal being heard and discovered the guilty verdict was upheld, the man handed to the family for ten minutes and then sentenced to pay $400,000 through prison work and seized assets.

The concept of Muru and Tapu also apply to children. A 12 year old boy had been caught shop-lifting and was found guilty, it was his first crime. I watched as the judge gave the youngster a choice, they could do volunteer work in their local community for 50 hours or go to a young offenders prison to pay off an amount that would be valued at 100 hours worth of work. The youngster, unsurprisingly, selected to stay in his local community. I got a chance to speak with them after, "I had never done it before, I saw a video game I wanted and all my friends had so I figured why not just take it the store had hundreds of them and wouldn't miss one. I was caught by the security guard and ended up here. I know I've done wrong and my ancestors will be ashamed, my community already look at my differently. Now I get a chance to do some good and hopefully change their opinion."

After the day I talk with the judge about the recent executions and they explain, "Murder, especially in the manner carried out by the Seleucid is a massive theft of life and Tapu. Its something that can't be restored by putting a monetary price on the crime or doing good deeds. We are talking about taking the whole of a person's Tapu, not allowing their spiritual strength to pass onto their tribe once they die. The Seleucid went even further, they took Mokomokai from our land." The Mokomokai are the severed heads of respected members of an Iwi, removed after they die, it is believed that the person's Tapu remains in the Mokomokai and if the head is kept within the Iwi its Tapu remains watching over and protecting the Iwi. "These thefts of Mokomokai break a long line of tribal contact and connection, just as murdering a person does. This means our people can no longer connect with millions of our people who have passed on. There is only way this evil can be restored and that is the person responsible being killed. Some will ask why not just shoot them, or hang them like you Morelanders do, but the answer is simple. If great evil or violence is used to rip a person away from their Tapu then great evil or violence must be used to regain it. When King Piripi clubbed that first man to death he wasn't just extracting revenge and dealing justice for the man's victims, he was freeing them allowing them to return to their Iwi. That one act restored many thousands of ancestors to their people, restoring their Tapu. Had we must hanged him that wouldn't have happened." I then asked whether she could pass such a judgement herself. "If I needed too of course, its the law of the land and that must be upheld, its been formed through generations of elders and passed to us. It works. The only issue I have is that it can be rather hard thinking of an appropriate manner of death for some of those found guilty of the Seleucid conducted genocide, I don't think I can think that darkly."

It is worth noting crime in general is rather low in the Iwi, communities looking out for each other means that while the Iwi is not as rich as many nations across Mundus no-one lacks for things. The Iwi system ensures everyone is fed, housed and clothed as well as instilling a sense of belonging in the younger generation that can often be lead astray if they feel isolated. The concept of belonging to an Iwi often means that a person has essentially a family of millions and these tight bonds serve as positive peer pressure as no one wants their Iwi to be considered criminals or disrespectful. As I left the Commonwealth's court after several days I was seen off with gifts of law books, traditional Maori regalia and hugs as warm as any I've ever had. A short time with the Maori makes you essentially part of them and you can see why these bonds of tribal allegiance help contribute to such a low crime rate, add to that the often brutal but restorative nature of sentencing and it is easy to see why they believe they have a system that works.

[Rhodes]

Grand Duchess Alys Arsenault Makes Official Statement

In the Free City of Troyes and among her gathered friends, allies and supporters, Grand Duchess Alys Arsenault addresses the assembly and answers a few questions.


"My friends. It has been several years since the havoc created by the terrorist organization known as The Sorority Of Materna. Once a peaceful matriarchal religion it was slowly corrupted over the years, decades and centuries into a insular, extremist organization. A twisted, corrupt version of a once beautiful belief system. The Sorority did not and does not represent us as a people. The Sorority, even at the height of it's power, was only one part of our nations religious worship. Many resisted The Sorority, many died. I myself fought my own demons and was unable to offer the leadership required of the Grand Duchess. As a result, our nation lies sundered. The Duchy of Marseilles is split into Marseilles and Aquitaine. Normandy, the scene of the heaviest fighting is still recovering and here in the Duchy of Orleans the flag of Seaforth flies from it's capital city of Troyes."

"My friends, this cannot stand. Even as we suffered, strands of silver laced our dark clouds. We were separated but not broken. We died and through our new children we live again. I pledge to you now that I will see our great nation united under a single banner once again. I am the Grand Duchess of Marseille and I will see our lands together. From Normandy to Orleans. From Marseille to Aquitaine. Many loyal sons and daughters of Marseille stand with me today and I stand ready to lead them, just as my son, the Dauphin Raymond will lead them after me."

Grand Duchy of Marseille

A round of applause breaks out. The Grand Duchess is quick-witted and verbally agile. Her eyes sharp. This is not the Duchess that Mundus was used to.

"Duchess! Duchess! Is the Dauphin the rightful King of Seaforth?"

The Duchess smiles sadly.

"Raymond is the son of King Richard V and the last surviving member of House Cameron. The fine points are debatable. Raymond, however, is a 7 year old boy and is obviously unable to fulfill the duties of King. No monarchy is perpetually handed down from father to son. Daughters inherit...nephew's, cousins. Family lines die out as well. I will say this. By blood, Raymond is a member of the Seaforthian nobility and should be accorded a peerage suitable to his birth. I make no claims on the Crown of Seaforth and will make no claims on Raymond's behalf, save the acknowledgement of his noble birth."

"Will you take another husband?"

"I don't know, anything could happen."

"When can we see Raymond?"

"The Dauphin must be protected. His birth alone will produce enemies. People may view him as a threat simply for existing. Therefore, he will remain guarded from those that will do him harm."

"Are you afraid for your life Duchess?"

"I am afraid of many things. I fear for my son's life. I fear the Sorority. I fear Achkaerinese Justiciar's coming out of the dark once again to take my family and friends. But for myself?

Here the Duchess, smiles fiercely.

I will not fear. I will let my own fear wash over and past me and when it is gone, only I will remain."

[Libby]

THE BENE GESSERIT WAR MACHINE AND FASHION COLLIDE

The picture is one that is posted probably millions of times a day over the internet. A pretty girl sits in a stylish pose, her pigtails perfectly braided, make up done, eyebrows neatly plucked and a cute smile. It could be a photo taken by any young woman in almost any nation of Mundus, but what makes it different is the background, the well used and battle scratched assault rifle replaces the usual fashion items such as designer bags. This is the bizarre world of the Bene Gesserit Truthsayers, the girls who took the city of Seitch from control of the Kaitaine Defence Force and seem to love social media.

It was nearly half a year ago that a force of Truthsayers, the all female paramilitary of the Bene Gesserit faith launched a surprise raid on their most holy city, a sandstone walled place standing alone on the end of the desert. Seitch a place where often people need to take shelter from sandstorms blowing in from the desert, however the city is now home to around 1,000 Truthsayers with an average age of just over 24. Many of these women withstood a length seige of the city having spent years in hiding perfecting their skills as soldiers. They grew up among regular Kaitaine society and a fair few in Ui Cenneslaig, Achkaerin and Cantabria, the homes of various Chapterhouse schools where they trained. The majority of these foreign Truthsayers have spent years doing regular PT, learning about their health and as such many have figures that would be the envy of models soon to be seen at the Niameck fashion show, and a great many of them will be watching out for updates from it. Many of the Truthsayers who hiked into Seicth after the firefight that freed the city brought with them smartphones, intended to help get the news of their victory and the rebuilding of the city to the outside world, they have also however allowed the girls to keep their social media accounts up to date including instagram. It's strange to think that in the middle of a warzone you can find two Truthsayer arranging their hair and pouting while at the city gates with a friend looking for the perfect lighting.

We take the time to catch up with one of the Instagram loving Truthsayers, she's a Corporal from Achkaerin called Stacey Bradshaw. She was educated at the Chapterhouse in her adoptive country and now aged 23 was one of the soldiers who fought their way into the city. She left Achkaerin with just 500 followers on Instagram, now she has close to 10,000 following almost daily posts showing her around the city. Her posts also include make up tips aimed at showing how she achieves her flawless look despite having what she calls "Limited resources". "Its something that helps us feel connected to the world. Back home a regular Achkaerin woman my age will be in a job, enjoying hanging out at weekends with her friends, dressing up nice and hitting the lovely night spots. Meanwhile we can't do that, but what we can do is try and check out the world via the internet. To interact with the rest of the world, its just fun to show people what we're doing." It comes as little surprise that Bradshaw and her comrades have helped promote the Bene Gesserit faith too. "It's strange, you'll post a picture of your "Pre-Patrol Hair" and by the time you come back six hours later you've loads of comments, not all great, but then you get loads of questions, people wanting to know what life is like here, questions about our faith and rumours that the media propergate and that's brilliant because we get to act a little like a Missionara or a Mother by helping educate the world about the Bene Gesserit." It's something that isn't lost on the Truthsayers commander in Seitch, Joanna McNeill, "Our girls are great ambassadors for our faith. They take time to respond to the messages they receive and it can be a great morale booster fro some of the younger girls. A lot of them have never really interacted outside their faith and they weren't really allowed to act like normal girls there age at the Chapterhouses, now in a small way they can. Some would think the make up, the fashion poses may not be useful for military discpline, but it doesn't impact how good these soldiers are."

Of course like any social media these days there are comments and posts that are discouraging. Bradshaw estimates that around 20% of the comments made on her pictures are not "favourable" or are "Hostile". She shows us one and the comments range from proposals of marriage from some guy in Royal Seleucid to people making negative comments about the size of her backside. Bradshaw takes it all in her stride though, "When people say negative things you generally laugh them off. I bet there from some Soviet inspired bot or someone in the KDF knowing we'll be kicking their ass soon. It's nice to see the support we're getting and you feel like your not alone even though geographically speaking we pretty much are." It's not just the girls though who are becoming social media stars some of the Truthsayers are becoming well known for their landscape pictures and wildlife photography. Bradshaw has a second instagram account dedicated to the Fennec Fox, Pangolin and Jeboah that can often be seen when she's out on patrol. "The desert on the surface looks barren, but to us we constantly see the life there. I love the Pangolins, they look so cute like nervous little old men plodding their way around." One of her pictures of the Pangolin went viral and got close to a million hits on Instagram and even was picked up by a Mundus wide magazine. "It was cool, I got this request to use my picture, it made me some money and I got to tell the world about our desert. I just need somewhere to spend my money now."

Its this last point that worries many of the girls. Bradshaw explains that they realise the luxuries in life that Seitch has are in limited supplies. The makeshift bar/nightclub in the city, the Rolling Pangolon, is usually full of fashionably attired girls the only difference tothe nightclubs of Achkaerin being the assault rifles strapped to their backs. At present everyone in Seitch is paid well using the spice Melange which is controlled by the Truthsayer commander Joanne McNeill. Those working for the Truthsayers receive supplies of this spice on a weekly basis and can exchange it with non-Truthsayers for goods and services. Tanith Hawkins runs a nail bar, "I do manicures and eye-brows for the girls. I'm pretty booked up and its making me a comfortable living by Seitch standards. The idea is that when the Theocracy is fully liberated and we have a real currency the Spice will be in demand and we can sell our supplies all across Mundus and make real cash. For now though I can take the Melange I make doing girls nails and then buy extra food or drink beyond the basic rations we get from McNeill." Bradshaw has an appointment, she's a regular customer and today she wants a bright pink set doing. That's when the problem begins that may close Hawkins nail bar, with two nails left to paint the pink runs out. "I managed to get a car full of stuff up here when I ran away from Geidi, I just packed up my business and headed West. No more supplies of nail stuff are coming anytime soon so essentially my business has a limited life-span. Its something we need to get sorted so that the non Truthsayers here don't stop being able to make a living." Bradshaw is not concerned however and uses her partly painted pink hand to take a picture of her fully painted hand and posts it on Instagram with the hastag #WarriorNails. We walk with her back to her accomodation, a flat she shares with another Truthsayer called Lindsey who is currently out on patrol, in just this short time her nail post has already got 40 likes.

Bradshaw though is keen to get back into combat. "We've had several months to fortify the approaches to Seitch, now we're ready to take the fight to the KDF. It's a fight I think we'll win, their most conscripts and I suspect when the fire fights begin a lot of them won't want to stand and fight. We meanwhile look forward to that moment because we know for every bullet fired we're a step closer to victory. To me that means three things. The greatest of those is getting our homeland back, the next is being able to meditate on the real Chapterhouse and finally it'll be the fact I can have a matching set of nails and go to a real nightclub. I've only ever been to one once and I loved it, I want to be able to dance without an assault rifle smacking into my ass as I do it."

[Beatrice]

Grand Duchess Émilie Poincaré Fears For Marseilles

Poincaré voiced her concerns first to the nobility, who fear Alys is a destabilising factor in the future of Marseilles.


"Since the birth of Montsarre, when our families left the ruins of Marseilles under the communists behind for these Northern shores, we've often looked back upon Marseilles and wondered to ourselves, "why?" From the communists, the Sorority, and of course the junkie high off the suffering of her People, why?" Grand Duchess Poincaré asked rhetorically as she joined us from a gathering of Montsarre's nobility, most of whom left Marseilles to avoid the fate of the Aveline Family. "Now, we've the return of Alys and with it the potential to see Marseilles plunged back into chaos, and along with it Aquitaine."

The Grand Duchess recalled her experiences in Marseilles, where she left the comfort and safety of Montsarre to fight not only the Sorority, but also to see a free Aquitaine. "We share a bond with them," she said of Aquitaine, "I remember my parents coordinating with Cartier, following the regicide which left only Danièle, it was too dangerous for her to even consider Montsarre; fortunately safe haven was secured with Achkaerin. I kept tabs on her through the years and she was one of my first pen pals, though for the longest there were naturally topics I wouldn't go anywhere near.  It was only right that when the time came that I joined our people in taking up arms against our enemies. The Poincaré family itself is Aquitani, one of the several reasons I went back to fight and lead the transition which eventually saw Danièle Aveline restored to her rightful place."

Montsarre itself has been quiet since gaining its independence from Heyra, of which it was a protectorate of until 1995. "We've been silent, yes, but no longer," Poincaré said, explaining Montsarre's approach toward regional organisations and branching out diplomatically. "Especially now, with the re-emergence of Alys from whatever rock she was hiding under, we must exercise caution. If Marseilles were to slip back into chaos the very future of Aquitaine would be placed in perilous waters, meaning we must stand on guard or else all that's been worked for is at risk of being lost. Freedom wasn't gained simply to be traded in for Alys' yoke once again."

The population of Montsarre, overwhelmingly derived from Marseilles also sees many Aquitani and Ossejan, the later of whom were the victims of a program of systematic extermination which claimed the lives of at least 800,000 Ossejans beginning in the mid-1970s. "We had to preserve the noble bloodlines of Marseilles and Aquitaine, neither of which were safe for us to remain," the Grand Duchess explained. "Even still, we carry a responsibility to stand by our brothers and sisters back home; Grand Duchess Aveline knows she can call on me if need be. While we may have left the motherlands behind, their spirits have never left us and they certainly guide us to this day."

"I fear for Marseilles," she shared before departing, "but my confidence is stronger than my fears. Both Marseilles and Aquitaine have come too far to start moving in reverse. The darkness of the Arsenault era is a sad chapter in history and it should remain just that: a chapter in history that shows us what can happen under absent leadership. That's all that needs to be said, really."

[Lakhzovia]

Lakhzov-Utman War: The Human Cost

A year and a half after the opening shots were fired Lakhzovia’s President Sachim Kadassa has announced the war officially over. While the Lakhzov people prepare for victory celebrations, including a huge parade through New Nakim, another picture of the aftermath remains hidden from public view.

Deep in the hill country of Transmecuria, the war scarred homeland of the Utman people that saw some of the fiercest fighting of the war, a humanitarian disaster is unfolding. While the picture remains obscured through the lack of transparency on the part of the Lakhzov government, the numbers emerging from aid agencies and military partners of the Kadassa regime paint a grim picture.

 Once home to almost 3 million Utman, constituting 73% of Transmecuria province’s population; just shy of 400,000, or 14% remain in their homes from before the conflict. A significant proportion of the population have fled their homes with at least 1.2 million internally displaced persons residing in a network of official and unofficial encampments while a further 600,000 have crossed the borders to become refugees. The estimated toll of dead or missing persons has reached 580,000, 21% of the former population of the territory.

This massive displacement of people has strained the resources of aid agencies who have described conditions in the displaced people’s camps as being substandard, warning that unless further funding is forthcoming that it is only a matter of time before there is an outbreak of serious communicable diseases.

The situation for the Utman is complicated further due to Lakhzovia’s labyrinthine property restitution laws. Under the Absentee Properties Act the Lakhzov state automatically undertakes guardianship of any land or real-estate that has been abandoned by its owner. Under this law for refugee and displaced Utman to return to their properties they are required first to prove legal ownership by presenting their deed of title to the Court of Disputation. Land whose legal ownership cannot be established, or which remains unclaimed for a period of 3 years passes into state ownership under the provisions of the National Lands Act.

Many Utman properties which have been passed down families for generations do not have any title deeds or other legal documentation that proves ownership. Others have had their papers lost or destroyed during the conflict, while yet more having fled with little more than the clothes on their backs have attempted to return home only to find Lakhzov living in their properties, with their possessions, including deeds disposed of.

The end result is that very few of the displaced have the ability to prove their ownership. Further those who can are faced with long waits for hearings with the court of disputations overburdened with the volume of claims.

The most dramatic outcome of this situation can be seen in the way the crisis has shifted the provinces demographics. The ethnic Lakhzov who once constituted 27% of Transmecuria’s population now make up 72% of the settled inhabitants giving them near total political and cultural domination of the region. Whether deliberate or not this shift is one that largely favours the Kadassa Regime’s agenda and it does not require too much a stretch of the imagination to suspect that resolving the Utman humanitarian crisis is low on the government’s list of priorities.

[RobertAgira]

THE FORGOTTEN PEOPLE OF THE NORTHERN ALUCARD

For close to 600 years the tiny islands that sit between the modern day Bakkermayan islands of Wellow and Walesby across to the Paracambian islands of Gustava and Castries have been the home of one of Mundus' groups of displaced people. The so called Alucard Water Gypsies are a constantly moving community that moves between these islands fishing, gathering what fruit and vegetables they can from nature and sheltering from the storms. They number around 800 families and many of them are born at sea, die at sea and spend generally only a few days a year on dry land. In recent years their presence has become more of an issue for the two nations who now lay claim to these tiny islands, some no bigger than a football field. These are a people who have no nationality as many of them are not registered as ever being born, furthermore most will go their entire lives without contact with any official authorities. This scene is now changing, as more marine traffic makes it way through the area and as Bakkermaya and Paracambi pass more and more regulations about their Exclusive Economic Zones their way of life is coming under scrutiny.

For most of the year the families traverse from tiny island to tiny island fishing in between using hand made nets fashioned from creepers taken from the islands on rare trips to land. Others use tradition spear fishing techniques and the fishermen are capable deep divers their lung capacity amazing anthropologists who have seen the community. One of those people is Paracambian Professor Curtis Mayweather, "The Water Gypsies can probably swim before they can walk, to them swimming among the coral and rocks of the Alucard is as natural as a child learning to crawl. As such they have adpated to be able to thrive in the oceans. I'm amazed everytime I see one of them dive and stay under for insane amounts of times, it makes me nervous everytime." It is this practice that is bringing them into conflict with the governments of Paracambi and Bakkermaya. Many of the ships used as homes, long thin wooden constructions that feature a large central hut like structure, many are powered by sails but an increasing number use reconditioned outboard motors acquired from trading fish, pearls and coral. These engines are often unsafe and some boats can actually be tracked using the oil leaking from them. Another practice that is causing conflict is the use of arsenic to fish in the corals, often for the lucrative tropic fish pet market. The deep sea divers get a solution of arsenic, often from unscrupolous traders and putting it in squeezy bottles blow jets of it into the crevices of coral and rocks, this makes the fish short of oxygen and in a stunned state they swim out into the open water where they are scooped into plastic bags and taken to the surface, often to die a week later in some rich persons aquarium. The governments of Paracambi and Bakkermaya are both attempting to provide environmental protection on the area and the Water Gypsys are seen as the big threat in many regards.

There are further issues once contact is made, their boats are often not registered and with the individuals not being citizens of either nations there is no way of processing them. Neither nation wishes to take responsibility for them as doing so is likely to cause many issues, first the Water Gypsies do not wish to be citizens of either nation and actually view citizenship as an unneccessary concept. Then there is the issue that should the boats be taken from them then they would need to rehoused, educated, have health care provided and this is likely to cause a massive culture shock for all parties concerned.

Several of the islands are also protected and the presence of the Water Gypsies on them can cause problems. One such island is Hepburn, an island half way between Wellow and Gustavia, it lies within the EEZ of Bakkermaya and is the size of a football field, it is home to a species of tree that is prized by the Water Gypsies for construction of their boats, however the island is also home to rare marine birds who nest in the branches, as such the government of Bakkermaya are attempting to protect the island. This has seen a few occasions where Water Gyspies have been towed, sometimes by force, out of the area by the Bakkermayan Navy. Air patrols from both nations attempt to keep a constant track of the various "Tribes" of the Water Gypsies however this is often impossible.

At present the Water Gypsies are a people with a culture as old as many on Mundus, however they are now under more and more pressure to conform to social norms but this is not something that is smooth sailing, until either nation is willing to accept responsibility for them the Water Gypsies are likely to find life getting any easier.

[Beatrice]

Is The Fairytale Over?

Rumblings from Pyrena Castle suggest discord between the Imperial Couple.

Days spent alone, apart from the business of state, have left the Empress an increasingly lonely figure in recent times. In meetings where 'his' name is brought up the Empress is quick to move onto another topic of discussion, often with a noticeable sigh and shift in her demeanour. One Pyrena insider claims to have overheard a conversation between the Empress and her cousin, Empress-Emerita Evanthe, in which she lamented "if he's absent much longer, I fear I'll regrow my [expletive redacted] virginity...don't shush me I don't care if Joshua's in the room!" The one-time fairytale relationship, between the Empress of Rokkenjima and the Prince of Littlebrook appears to be greatly frayed by his continued insistence upon living in his native Dartfordia.

"The Empress has been understanding of his needs and concerns, but after so long you look at everything you're sacrificing," an anonymous member of Pyrena's staff shared. "A long-distance relationship is one thing, with the children involved and the void of intimacy, in the long run it's unsustainable. She's already removed pictures with him in their Suite in the Family Wing, and sometimes goes days without a phone call and is unphased by it at this point. The longer he's away the more she shuts off from him and it'll be that much harder for them when he decides to return." Other staff members shared similar accounts lending credence to discord between the Imperial Couple.

For its part Pyrena Castle denied the rumours stating, "The Empress understands the challenges which the Emperor has faced, and continues to face, to this day. She has made it clear to the Emperor that home awaits him when he is ready, and is focused on her duties to her Crown and People. Suggestions that the Empress would speak ill of the Emperor are little better than tabloid gossip." We are genuinely intrigued to see, with the FMN poll currently taking odds on a number of scenarios involving the Imperial Couple.

[Beatrice]

Rokkenjiman Payments Destined For Slavan Government

A former official who served in the Rokkenjiman Department for Finance has alleged that payments to SRN Group, a Slavan company many had never hear of until this day, were in fact payments to the Government of Slava Lavosk "in exchange for services requested by the Federal Republic." Speaking on the condition of anonymity (he remains wanted by Rokkenjiman officials) he revealed that "we had an individual who, for reasons I'm not inclined to release, could not be securely held in Rokkenjima. For these reasons we contracted the services of Slava Lavosk. A company was established for the assembly and distribution of components, the finer details weren't important so long as the money went where it was supposed to. We then saw that it was hidden in some of the more mundane portions of the budget, those that would survive a change in government, though that they would survive the complete obliteration of the Federal Republic speaks to our efficiency."

When asked of the identity of the individual our source declined any further information. "It was someone we wished to keep alive, but removed from the equation. If you wish to find out more you would have to ask the Slavans. I'm, obviously, out of the loop these days."

[Beatrice]

Source Ties Morelanders To Rokkenjiman Deaths Abroad

An anonymous source familiar with the Rokkenjiman intelligence community has tied Morelander covert operations with the deaths of a number of Rokkenjimans abroad. Our source alleges that Rokkenjiman intelligence officials informed their Morelander counterparts about rogue agents of the Anauša, those who had pledged their loyalty to Charles Foster Ofdensen. According to our source shortly after this information was relayed, including profiles of those agents declared rogue, one by one they began to turn up dead.

"Look, we did our due diligence in informing an ally of individuals, some of whom were known to transit through East Moreland, who may warrant increased surveillance. No one, not once, thought that they would kill them. These are individuals who could have held important information and evidence in ongoing Rokkenjiman investigations. Now that they're dead these investigations are that much more difficult to conclude as several targets have been killed without any manner of discretion; we may also be looking at potential breeches of international laws and accords," our source stated.

At the time, the First Empire issued a warning to Rokkenjimans abroad, accrediting the deaths to "increased chatter amongst Republican sympathizers indicating a level of organization not seen since the closing days of the Second Patriotic War." Our source now wonders if this chatter was a component of the Morelander operations which killed a number of Rokkenjiman nationals, mostly on foreign soils. "To say the least, I'd expect investigations to be announced in the coming hours, if not shortly after this hits the wires, not only by Rokkenjima but perhaps Somerset, Quintellia, and perhaps a few CNN members."

Requests for comment from Pyrena Castle have been unsuccessful thus far.

[DaveIronside]

KINGDOM OF ACADEMICA TO RAISE AGAIN

Following a hectic polling day in Academica the results have been in and a new nation is about to be burn. The Federation of Academicia was a collection of states ruled by a Grand Duchess up until the civil war which ripped their nation apart. During the hositilities the Ducal family, including Head of State Grand Duchess Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta were captured and executed by one of the warring factions. In the aftermath military forces from Vaguzia, East Moreland and to a lesser extent Heyra stepped in and secured the region supporting Academican loyalists. In the peace treaty that brought about the end of the war the task of restoring a cohesive independent nation was given to East Moreland and Princess Freya has acted as Governor until this weeks referendum. People of Academica where offered three choices, become a monarchy in a more traditional arrangement of what they had as the Federation, become a Republic of sorts or become a permament protectorate of East Moreland. In the end 57.1% voted to return to a monarchy style arrangement while surprisingly 28.6% elected for becoming part of East Moreland.

One voter who wished to become part of East Moreland said, "We're a nation with no real identity. There are only 10million of us and many see themselves belonging to their Federated State first and Academica second, we'll have no global identity and no global benefits. If we'd have taken on the East Moreland flag we'd have had the benefits of being part of one of the most well connected nations on Mundus. By being semi-independent we could have retained our identity as states as well, it would have been the perfect solution." However this was not a view shared by another voter who selected to become a monarchy. "We need something to pull us together as Academica, not as Eastville or Westville but as one cohesive nation. By selecting our own royal family we can follow in the footsteps of nations like East Moreland, Seaforth and Vaguzia, nations with monarchs who have shaped their own identity as a nation on the world stage."

Princess Freya was present when the results were announced and said, "As we promised the Academicans we'd bow to their will. Their voice has been heard and exactly as we promised we shall now draw up a shortlist of potential monarchs and these will be presented to the people in the next few days. As such the people will be able to make their selection. Once that is done our military will wait for the new King or Queen to request our forces to withdraw and as soon as we get that we shall do so within 30 days. We've asked Professor Maddie Howard to look at the sadly deceased Grand Duchesses family line and select the three most closely related individuals she can find under Academican law. These shall be our shortlist. I would like to already invite the first King or Queen of Academica to East Moreland as their first state visit."

Professor Maddie Howard revealed that she had been prepared for this task three weeks ago and said that, "A shortlist is already in the pipeline, Princess Freya knew there would need to be a swift turn around, I think 30 days has been agreed before the vote on who should be the King of Queen, so it was neccessary to begin the process even if it ended up being a waste of time. I am confident that in the next few days we can introduce the people of Academica to the three candidates."

[Rhodes]

Royalist Party of Marseille Officially Forms.

From the capital of Montaulon, the Royalist Party of Marseille has officially formed under interim leader Alexandre Cassavant. The Royalist Party's main goal is the restoration of the Monarchy to a form of Constitutional Monarchy complete with a House of Commons and a House of Lords. Cassavant ponts to the fact that in the latest entry by The Defense Journal, it is pointed out that all the members of the "G5" are Monarchies, including Seaforth who has undergone it's own restoration of the monarchy.


"A Monarchy is not a bar to success for a people. In fact it's a system that rewards service to the nation. Our own monarchy was doing quite well. Normandy, Orleans and Aquitaine thrived under the rule of Marseille. You know who brought us low? Communists and Religious fanatics. The communists killed thier own people and the insane fanatics of the Sorority Of Materna killed everyone else. Even now, Aquitaine and the Trojan March have recovered at a much faster rate than the rest of the nation. Our President has done the best he can, but a President cannot be a benevolant inspiration to the nation. A President has to play too much politics to ever truly get things done in the nation."


Cassavant and the Royalists do not champion a return to an Absolute Monarchy, realizing that too much power in one hand is not healthy either. The Constitutional Monarchy they desire would put the day to day running of the county in the hands of the common people in partnership with those exceptional citizens elevated to the nobility, a path open to all by way of merit. The head of state would be a figurehead with some Royal Perogatives, powers and authority. Cassavant has stated that the next few months will be dedicated to vetting and endorsing candidates and holding a leadership race prior the the upcoming Republican elections.

[Markus]

OOC: The article was intended to take a different approach and focus but ended up totally different than I had planned. I decided in the end to post rather than scrap it. Read at your own risk.

What the video game industry tell us about Tamora

After my previous article about the Tamora’s SF universe I have received a lot of email from readers urging me to explore another aspect of Tamora’s culture. I would add that I have also received hate email for what some have interpreted as whitewashing Tamora’s slavery but I won’t linger on that.   

Some of you might remember that last year the Karapetyan family made international headlines after being enslaved following their bankruptcy. At the time they owned the largest IT company in Tamora (though by international standards it could hardly be called big) and the international sanctions had made them lose their customers overnight leaving them insolvent. They were eventually saved and brought to Rokkenjima thanks to the generosity of a Rokkenjam businessman (a “crime” for which the businessman is still facing judgment by the courts). You know the old saying? “No good deed goes unpunished”. Leaving that aside, as I remembered the incident it made me wonder, do Tamorans actually make video games?

It wasn’t easy to find an answer to this question considering the language barrier and the fact that Tamora also has its own internet but after a lot of effort I have manage to find out what their most popular home grown game is. It is called Re-Legion (don’t tell me you are surprised that it has something to do with religion?) and is a real time strategy where the player is a Prophet in a futuristic technocratic society. Let me explain in detail the features of the game:

   You get to define the dogma of your faith.
   A very long single player campaign, plenty of text, choices and story (for a real time strategy that is).
   As you progress in the campaign the environment changes, gone are the scantily dressed NPCs (that are supposed to represent the local population) and are instead replaced with overdressed ones etc.
   Though it features combat, the main differences with most RTS games is that it heavily favors converting enemy units.

But we aren’t interested in the game per say. What we are interested is the story and what it tells us about how Tamorans view the world:

The game takes place in the future (2050) in the city of Elysium, a “Godless” metropolis controlled by corporations. Your mission is simple; bring religion back to this God forsaken place.

During your story you meet a couple of interesting characters:



A hacker woman from the First Corporate Empire of Rokkenjima, had been trying to fight the corporations in Elysium for years but with little luck. She is hiding after being betrayed by her friends. She downloads her consciousness in the computer to escape her captors.



A mysterious and elusive character that briefly appears from time to time throughout the campaign, gives you info and appears to be trying to influence you. Towards the end you find out he’s a Justiciar from the Fallen Empire of the North and his aim is to keep the balance of power in Elysium. He doesn't join you in the final mission because you winning would upset the balance.



Binyamin, the richest man in Elysium. During the first campaign missions you work for him in order to raise funds and expand your religion. 



One of your earliest companions, a devout Manist woman from the Failed Republic of Socram. She eventually retires before the end of the campaign to start a family.



The owner of the city, he only cares about making money. He is initially against you but joins you when he reasons it is more profitable to help you.


The order of the Sacred Heart, a pacifist religious cult that heals all units near them.



The leader of the terrorist faction in Elysium, a Morelander who wants to raise money to start a campaign to reconquer his native land from the Borlanders.


Lodjans refugees that are abused by the Morelander terrorists, you free them during the campaign.



The final boss: Vaclav “the Beast” Kravec (they didn’t even bother to change the name a bit). He is an insane atheist that wants to see religion wiped out at all costs.

The game is heavily infused with religious references thought the entire campaign, so many in fact that even someone like me who doesn’t know anything about the Manist religion could realize that. It also includes references to various RL events that happened the last few years.

Unsurprisingly, the game is not for sale on any of the major digital distribution platforms because of the sanctions placed against Tamora, so those with odd tastes that want to try the game will have to find other means of acquiring it. 

PS: Yes, slavery is included in the game and it’s seen as a acceptable form of punishment. What did you expect?

OOC: The article is inspired by the RL game Re-Legion.

[Rhodes]

Fires In The Midlands

A Socio-Political Strategic Analysis Of The Midaranye Crisis

General Joshua Rhodes

Duke of Somerset

Governor of Wellow

It all started with a grasshopper. Or a locust as it is widely known. A plague straight out of the Christian Bible. In early December it was reported that a large swarm of locusts, several million strong, was predicted to weep down from the north of Royal Seleucid. A swarm this size had not been seen since the disaster of the 1950's and the nation was caught under prepared for the realities. The plague did indeed sweep through Royal Seleucid and threatened the neighbouring countries of Tamora, Slava Lavosk and has crossed the waters into Socram. Fear and famine continue to reign in the area fueled by cultural differences between the Seleucids and the Celtic Protectorate. With the Cultic Genocide fresh in many minds, the food shortages and the untimely death of King Akakois the area has reached a boiling point. Multiple foreign fleets are in the area.

To complicate matters, the long simmering Tamora/Slava Lavosk conflict is on the doorstep of a full on shooting war. The Slavan stance on slavery, backed up by the MCUR, and the Tamoran's tacit approval of chattel slavery has reached a breaking point. There appears to be little in the way of compromise. What's more, the stand off has cast a light upon how many nations interpret the MCUR. Many nations are looking at the actions of their allies and are baffled by their interpretation of the MCUR and stance regarding Tamora and Slava Lavosk.


In this article, I will be providing an overview of the issue nation by nation and providing recommendations and resolutions where possible.


Royal Seleucid


As previously stated in the introduction, the first flames of this current crisis started with the swarm of locusts. in Royal Seleucid. That the nation was underprepared for this is a major failing on the Seleucid government, seeing as the last MAJOR swarm was in the 1950's a mere generation past. From my knowledge there was not adequate monitoring of a reoccurring threat to the nation. There were not adequate stocks of stored food and water. There was not adequate stocks of species specific pesticides and those that were available were not deployed in a timely fashion. The recent Cultist Genocide and the formation of the Celtic Protectorate adds fuel to the fire as perception of stored food, hording and religious and cultural differences appear in the south. Multiple foreign fleets have moved into the area, also causing concern. East Moreland, Bakkermaya, Achkaerin, Vaguzia and Rokkenjima have all deployed tasks forces, specifically to the aid of the Celtic Protectorate, while UC troops attempt to maintain peace in the area. The Kingdom of Seaforth has deployed the RSS Aid Ollain in a humanitarian configuration and the Krimeon and Neu Ubruzis governments have made at least one flight into Royal Seleucid that was were with some hostility by a half starved crowd. Royal Seleucid also has a small cultural bias towards. The last contributing factor is the unseen and untimely death of King Akakois. In conjunction with the ongoing famine and current crisis in the Celtic Protectorate, it could lead to a prolonged and potentially chaotic transition of power as Crown Prince Hadi steps into his role as the next King of Royal Seleucid.


Recommendations:

1) You can't eat a frigate. There is entirely too much weaponry in the area. I reccomend that all foreign militaries be unified into a single task force under East Moreland's Admiral Briggs and that the total size be scaled down. Cruise missiles will not address the primary problem of mass starvation and a destroyed agricultural sector. The mission profile of this task force will be to provide security for the efforts of JET and the initial gathering place of foreign food aid before it is distributed throughout Royal Seleucid.


2) Foreign Aid. Royal Seleucid is facing mass starvation. They need to activey seek foreign aid. Bulk grain ships are available in Seaforth for example. I would recommend that the government use it's position in OPEN to temporarily reduce oil prices or engage in a decreased value for oil when traded for food and edible commodities. This includes seed grain as weel. The Royal Seleucid government must look ahead to the rebuiding of its' agricultural sector, specifically planting for the next growing season. Foreign aid must be delivered to both the Celtic Protectorate and the rest of Royal Seleucid...and in proportion.


3) Preparation. Royal Seleucid must plan for this ongoing problem. As part of the Agricultral Ministry, or the Seleucid equivalent, an organization to monitor the locusts is needed. They must also stock adequate stores of pesticides and employ them earlier when a threat is identified. Finally, it is demonstrated that Royal Seleucid must engage is some kind of food storage program. High nutritional value, long storage food items of the bar or freeze dried variety will provide the nation with a buffer zone where it's people will not starve before foreign food items can begin to arrive, should another plague happen.


4) Celtic Protectorate. At this point, I would declare martial law and curfew. A buffer zone is needed between the Protectorate and the rest of Royal Seleucid, maintained by Admiral Briggs' task force. Internally, UC Peacekeepers must fill the dual missions of agressive enforcement of the peace inconjunction with food distribution. Stop the violence with measured force and stop the cause of violence with food distribution.


5) Crown Prince Hadi. All national leaders who have deployed assets to the area should issue a statement in support of the Crown Prince. A stable government during this time will decrease the pain, suffering and deaths likely to occur.


Tamora

The Tamoran Empire has also been hit hard economically by the locust plague with the cost of some food items doubling in some places. The Tamorans face less of a long term problem with the locusts and their preparations seem to be adequate in dealing with the problem. The Tamoran Empire is however, in the middle of another crisis involving Slava Lavosk. At the heart of this is the issue of slavery, though it is by no means the only facet. The Tamoran Empire, by its own admission hold upwards of 40,000,000 people as chattel slaves. No nation has been louder in opposing this than Slava Lavosk. Despite its continue vocalization of the problem, results from wider Mundus have been slow in coming and indeed, the seem to be able to retain warm relations with many nations. Still others have issued sanctions against the Empire. With hostilities increasing in regards to Slava Lavosk, a shooting war seems to be on the horizon. The Tamorans appear to have a number of allies, some by default. Traditional good relations with Royal Seleucid have now been joined by nations who while perhaps not pro-Tamoran, appear to be solidly anti-Slavan. Rokkenjima falls into this category, as does the recent developments with Quintelia announcing that they would be sending a task for to aid in efforts against Slava Lavosk. Lastly is the long standing issue of the Medak Pocket. Geographically it is a continuation of the Tamoran lowlands and is indeed on the other side of the Lavosk Mountains. Primarily culturally Tamoran, the pocket has been under Slavan authority for decades. Slava Lavosk has, over the last 50 years or so, engaged in a “Slavation” of the area, awarding government benefits to those that slavans would move there.


Reccomendations:

1) Slavery. It is clear that no person has the right to own another and cannot and will not be tolerated by wider Mundus. This is reflected by the signatories of the MCUR. I recommend the complete economic and political isolation of the Tamoran Empire as long as they continue to practice slavery in any form. This includes the closing of all borders, revocation of VISAS, PNGing of diplomatic personel and a naval blockade established by the signatories of the MCUR. It has been argued that economic measures against Tamora will result in the creation of more slaves. This is false. Economics do not create slaves, other people create slaves. There are more than enough poor people and poor nations across Mundus who do not create, nor are slaves to reflect that. It is also important to note that slavery is a cultural institution rather than a precept of the Manist religion.


2) Freestone Mark: I urge the world wide adoption of the Freestone Mark to support the previous point.


3) Medak Pocket: By any reasonable measure, the Medak Pocket is and should be reflected as a natural continuation of Tamora. It is Slavan only at the mark of a pen on a map and an artificial effort to change the traditional demographic. As such, I recommend the ceding of the Medak Pocket to Tamora. Long term this will remove a continuing source of conflict and stabilize the region.


4) MCUR Signatories must also be held accountable in their dealings with the Tamoran Empire. I recommend a series of increasingly harsh economic measures against MCUR signatories that do not adopt the Freestone Mark and continue to do business with Tamora economically or politically as long as the institution of slavery remains.


5)Reinvesture. The transition of 40 million slaves from indenture to paid work will be rocky for a number of reasons. While slave owners are not paying their slaves, it is also true that the now freed slaves will work and pay taxes. While the Tamoran government is obligated to assist it’s people, slave and non-slave alike, I would encourage the nations of Mundus, especially MCUR signatories and the Mundus Development Bank, to invest in Tamora. This will help to alleviate some of the transitional pains and will encourage the stable and beneficial transition of the Tamoran economy.


Slava Lavosk

As mentioned previously, Slava Lavosk is the loudest anti-slavery voice in Mundus, barring the Iwi. However, you cannot take that at face value alone. I firmly believe that the Slavan stance is primarily to neutralize its large and aggressive neighbour. As mentioned before, Slava Lavosk is engaged in a directed effort to change the natural demographics of the Medak Pocket. By attacking slavery, Slava Lavosk is attempting to undermine the current economy of its enemy and attempting to garner allies. Such is the case with Socram. While overtly benevolent, the anti-slavery stance and the promised aid to Socram…I believe that there is a darker purpose afoot.

President Kravec is by all accounts a charismatic leader, full of passion. Photographic and corroborating evidence on the other hand show he is susceptible to manic bouts. I encourage you to review the brutal execution of Dilara Haghighi. With the manic bouts and his behavior during execution, I suspect President Kravec also has the dark depressive side of someone suffering from bipolar disorder. Historically, Slava Lavosk was closely allied to, but not subservient to the USR. This was done by Slava’s leader to maintain its own position of independence in the face of the power of the soviet bloc as well extend its own power base. President Kravec was a minor military official during that time and the fall of the USR elevated him into his current position. Intelligence indicates that though a mediocre army officer, President Kravec was a master politician. I see no reason to doubt that is still true.

I maintain that the ceding of the Medak Pocket to Tamora would be the best long term solution for Slava Lavosk, though what may be best for Slava Lavosk may not be the best for Vaclav Kravec. Indeed, I see a pattern emerging that shows the president becoming more aggressive and confrontational. The Medak Pocket is now a heavily fortified military zone with minimal civilians present. Any force entering the pocket will take catastrophic losses. The Slavan navy continues to mine not just their own waters, but continually violates the Fair Seas Concordant by mining international waters as well.

Recommendations:

1) Fair Seas Concordant. Slava Lavosk is in clear violation of the Fair Seas Concordant. The deliberate mining of international waters is a danger to all ships in the area. A task force not consisting of potential belligerents should be active in minesweeping operations.

2) Rokkenjima. I am at a loss as to why Empress Beatrice will not remove the Enterprise Task Force from the local area. Rokkenjima is not under threat currently and will still not be if the Enterprise retreats. Should the Task force be removed, talks can happen. If the situation changes, the Task Force can always be returned. I would encourage her to pull back the Task force outside of missile range. This will force the Quintelian Navy to also pull back and allow Slava Lavosk to feel less penned in by Tamora and her potential allies. With room to breathe comes room to talk.

3) Broken Alliances. Slava Lavosk is proving adept at driving a wedge between allies. Such is the case with LISA. Vaguzians have said they would fire on Rokkenjiman ships, Achkaerin has established an exclusion zone regarding Rokkenjiman ships and Rokkenjima has scheduled a referendum regarding continued membership in LISA. As LISA fractures, Slava Lavosk is actively expanding it's own sphere. Courting an ally in Socram, Slava Lavosk has provided pesticides, food and seed grain to the island. Should that relationship develop it could put the Gulf of Auraxis and all the waters in between Midaranye and Socram firmly into the hands of a Slavan/Socram alliance. As that deal is finished another arrives. Earlier this week, Slava Lavosk was invited to the Slavic Summit of Frienship and Cooperation. There is no telling what could develop in the Krimeon city of Kislev, but it merely underlines the fact that Slava Lavosk is not sitting silently or idle waiting for Tamora to attack but actively and aggressively strengthening their position while weakening the positions of others.

One final thought in regards to Slava Lavosk. The expansion of the Balkan Industries chemical plant includes several dual use technologies, including a gaseous centrifuge separation plant, a gaseous diffusion separation plant, and a chemical exchange separation plant. That combined with a recently reactivated nuclear reactor as well as unusual activity in monitored technology and some unexplained seismic activity in an area with no previous record of seismic activity leads me to believe that if Slava Lavosk is not already in possession of thermonuclear weapons, they are actively engaged in obtaining them.

[DaveIronside]

ACADEMICA HAS NEW MONARCH. RIVALS NOT HAPPY

As polls closed in Academica today the identity of their new monarch was revealed. The tiny nation is repairing its government in the aftermath of a messy civil war that at one point saw four different factions fight for control of either the whole nation or for the right to break away. The situation was only settled once East Moreland and Vaguzian forces entered the conflict on the side of government forces following the assassination of the old elected government. Following the military success East Moreland troops, along with a token 10 man Heyran force, under the command of Princess Freya acting as Governor-General ensured stability. In the last few months the people went to the polls to first select a type of constitution before determining that they wished to become a monarchy. The exact manner of the constitution will be determined by the people in a months time however it is known that    Madeline Byrne will become the new monarch. The 40 year old biology Professor has worked on cancer research projects across Mundus as well as been part of JET for a short time. She is married to a fellow biologist called Alfred and they have a six year old daughter called Elizabeth. In her appearences leading up to the referendum Madeline stated she would abolish the old nobility that had failed to support the government during the civil war, would try and include people from all sides of the conflict in forming the new constitution and would give the people a say on what international treaties to become part of.

The announcement however did not go down well with everyone. As the soon to be Queen Madeline received 45.5% of the total vote her two rivals, Julius Flynn and Anne Ashley have spoken out about the result. Julius Flynn, a 33 year old who fought a guerilla war on behalf of the government, said. "We have more people in this nation who don't want Madeline as Queen. She does not have the support of the majority of the population and as such how can she be put in charge of this process. There needs to be something done to stop her coronation and either extend the referendum period or maybe have a run off between myself and Anne with the winner going against Madeline."

Meanwhile Anne Ashley, who sought asylum in East Moreland during the war stated, "Madeline is a nice woman but she hasn't lived in Academica for a long time now, she may have had the biggest share of the vote but she doesn't command the respect of the majority of the nation. Look at every monarchy around Mundus, Tamora, East Moreland, Ui Cenneslaig, it doesnt matter, the monarch enjoys the broad support of the majority of the nation. There now needs to be a 2nd referendum using an alternative vote system." Neither candidate ruled out a legal challenge.

The election was overseen by East Moreland administrators under the watchful eye of Alex Redfern, husband of Princess Freya and a man who has overseen several large international referendums as a neutral international observer. The former Head of Royal Household in East Moreland said after, "The result may have thrown up an issue, but that was not what we were asked to monitor. The election was fairly run in terms of campaign and the actual casting of ballots was orderly and fair. I've now doubt this result is a true and accurate reflection of the will of the people of Academica and in terms of the individual with the most number of votes Madeline won, what happens next is for legal entities to determine." Redfern and his team of East Moreland civil servant will now be preparing for the referendum to determine the nations constitution however this could be delayed if the promised legal challenge does come.

[DaveIronside]

THOUSANDS TAKE TO STREET OF AK CITY

An estimated 20,000 people took to the streets of the capital of Academica today. Alba Karinya City saw protesters march through the streets demanding what many are callling a "People's Vote" . The protests come just 24 hours after the results of the election of a monarch were announced, and while the vote elected Madeline Byrne to be the new Queen she failed to get over 50% of the vote. This lead to many believing their should either be a run off ballot or a rerun of the election with a different method of voting used.

One protestor, former Army Officer Konrad Pettigrew was angry with the initial result. "We have a woman as our Queen who did next to nothing to help us during the war. Now despite the fact that over half the population voted for her not to become our Queen that is exactly what we have." Pettigrew has said that he favours a run off. "Byrne was not my choice but it does seem she was the most popular, we should now work out whether Flynn or Ashley got the most votes and have that person run against Byrne. If she gets 50% then fair enough, however until then I won't view her as my Queen."

Others however believe a run off is not the best way of doing it, instead using an Alternative Vote system. One supporter of this method is Sarah Keynes who said, "From the very beginning this was likely to be the outcome so as a result we've got chaos. What we should have had was a system where we ranked the candidates in order, that would have allowed us to transfer our vote until we got a person the majority trusted to be our leader. I think we now need to sort this out before we even consider having a constitution. The right person have to be at the top."

The newly elected Queen has yet to speak on the matter but Princess Freya of East Moreland who is governor of the province until the new constitution is in place has also spoken on the issue. "This process was one that was discussed in meeting after meeting with groups representing all manner of Academicans. This is the process they agreed to and as such it is up to us to follow it through. We now enter a phase where we will be discussing how the nations new constitution is to look. The people will be given the voice they are asking for but just like any constitution people must respect its rules and procedures, such as those put in place for this process. It is my hope those unhappy with the result will not disengage from the process but will instead become some of its most vocal participants. We need everyone to support this process."

It is understood that a formal petition to the AKO is expected in the coming days.

[DaveIronside]

CALLS FOR 2nd VOTE CONTINUE

Anne Ashley was defeated in the recent election for the new monarch of Academica and she is now heading a group calling on the East Moreland government, who are overseeing the final process of re-establishing a government for the former war torn nation. The Alba Karinyan nation has now had two votes, the first on the manner of which the new government should take, here the people elected for a monarchy, the second to determine who should be that monarch, a vote which was won by Madeline Byrne who gained 45.5% of the vote. The fact she failed to gain an overall majority however has lead to both rival candidates call for a 2nd vote, either using a new method of voting or some kind of run off. This however has been rejected by the East Moreland Governor for the nation Princess Freya. The Princess explained, "The outline of the process was made clear from the very beginning. There was a time and place to put forward these concerns long before the vote took place and no one came forward. We therefore would rightfully assume no one has any issue with the process. To our minds Queen Madeline will become the rightfully appointed ruler of Academica and as such a coronation will take place once the final hurdle of the process we outlined takes place."

That process is to begin the the coming days amid the back drop of a call for a 2nd vote continues to be lead by defeated Anne Ashley. The nation will see around 100 randomly selected individuals, along with 20 former elected political figures, 10 former mayors, 10 members of the Academican military and leaders of the eight biggest trade unions meet to discuss the nations new constitition. Princess Freya explained that this will also give people a chance to shape the future of the nation before the monarch takes place. "The people will make this decision without any influence from East Moreland, I will be present during the talks merely to offer advice if requested and ensure talks proceed at a timely pace. Whatever the people of Academica determine should be the future of their nation will be placed before the nation in the final of three referendums, all being well. If they reject the draft constitution we begin stage three again. Should the people truly believe Queen Madeline should not be their monarch they can still shape the constitution in such a way to either limit their power to a system like Dartfordia or to have a mechanism where a monarch can be made to abdicate such as the East Moreland constitution. The future of Academica is in their own hands and a redoing of the monarch vote is clearly unnecessary and goes against the agreement on how to shape the future of this nation."

Anne Ashley however rejected that explanation stating, "We now have a monarch who will be the guiding hand one way or another on our nation, the majority did not want her yet we are now seemingly stuck with her. I call on everyone to come to AK City this weekend and show their support for a 2nd Vote, we must use our peaceful voices and methods to bring about this needed process. I believe should our voice not be heard a general strike should be called."

There is yet no way of determining whether Mrs.Ashley's call for a General Strike has widespread support but already around 20,000 people have used social media to say they'll be attending the protest march calling for a 2nd vote.

[Achkaerin]

BODY FOUND IN WHITEHAVEN: FUGITIVE STRIKES?

The body of a 23 year old woman has been found in the town of Whitehaven, Allied States of Ardia. Local police have not released information pertaining to the identity of the victim at this time but they have released information on the current state of their investigation saying "At this point in time we believe, based on our crime scene analysis that the victim was killed elsewhere and left at the scene to be discovered, we do not presently know the cause of death with any certainty but elements of the crime have led us to believe that this is the work of Gareth Bryce."

Gareth Bryce is a criminal who escaped custody just over a year ago. Coming up on eight years ago he killed twenty Christians in Gowu and received a life prison sentence for his crimes, his escape prompted the issuing of an international arrest warrant. Whether or not Mr Bryce is still in the Allied States of Ardia is unknown however several criminal psychologists have commented that "Serial killers continue to kill until they're stopped." giving the impression that this isn't over yet. Police did not comment if they had received a request from Gowu authorities for a joint investigation but if this is the work of Garth Bryce then that's expected to be desired.

[DaveIronside]

ACADEMICA PASS NEW CONSTITUTION

Following several weeks of negotiations a new constitution has been agreed for Academica. The constitution was negotiated by a council of some 400 people drawn from a variety of different geographical areas of the country, differing economic and educational backgrounds. The process was overseen by members of the East Moreland Civil Service and King David's brother-in-law Alex Redfern, a well respected soldier who has been part of several referendum observation teams. The Constitutional Convention put in place a lengthy document that was distributed to all citizens and then voted on in a simple yes or no referendum. The new constitution was accepted by 62% of the vote and will come into effect on the 1st May 2019 when nominations for the first elections under the new system will come into force.

Alex Redfern who lead the East Moreland civil servants who watched over the ballot said, "The turnout was very high, around 85% of the population who were eligible cast their votes and did so in an orderly manner. There were a few complaints about Queen Madeline which was something we expected following the protests but the new constitution places the majority of the power in the hands of the soon to be elected National Assembly so I think that put their minds at ease." The new constitution will see the monarch responsible for Foreign Affairs but unable to make any laws in their own right. The only power of the legislative process that Queen Madeline will have is to be able to send legislation for judicial review prior to being passed.

Two new political parties have already been formed in readiness for the elections to come in May. The first is the Unity Party which was set up by a group of people selected to be on the Constitutional consultation process and intends to try and keep the spirit of drawing people together from a wide variety of backgrounds. The second part to be established was the Solidarity Party which was established through various Trade Unions.

LEAK GIVES "VIABLE" PLANS FOR CNN WEAPON SYSTEM

Recently our journalists were given a secretly delivered hard drive. It is our understanding that a number of other news outlets around Mundus have also been given the documents which are stored on a password protected disk. So far only 2 files out of thousands has been accessible. The first file was a video from a man who called himself Trajan and was delivering a message on behalf of the defeated "Empress of Alba Karinya" a woman who lead rebels during the Academican Civil War. The video stated the groups aim was to give information in order to "change Mundus forever helping the sheep of Mundus embrace the saviour of the Goddess that is Empress Clarissa."

The second document was schematics to the CNN produced Land Portable Vertical Launch System, a state of the art highly mobile smart missile launcher. The documents on the disk showed detailed plans of every element of the weapon system and have also included software programmes. We showed these files to an expert in weapons engineering and they confirmed that anyone with the capability of being able to manufacture the components would be able to make the system, there is however one reason why it would still be difficult to use. As the coding is specific to the missiles used by CNN nations only those with the same ordnance would be able to operate systems they made until such a time that they could re-programme the system which could potentially take months and several trials. More disturbingly in this document was an e-mail sent after the first successful LPVLS test form East Moreland Minister of Defence Sir Harry Samuelson who asked whether it could be used to fire a small tactical nuclear missile. The East Moreland Ministry of Defence released a statement saying. "It is natural to examine all possible ramifications for any weapons platform. East Moreland's commitment to nuclear disarmament is clear. We were the first nation to commit to being nuclear free and have been following through with that process under our Kilotonnes to Kilowatts programme centred around the concept of Make Tea not War. It is Sir Harry's job to consider all possibilities and all developments require a full understanding of what their capabilities are as if we have something the chances are potential enemies could have similar things also. If we think of things then so can the bad guys."

It was also claimed in the video that further files will be unlocked over the next few days.

[DaveIronside]

AFOLAYANS GO ON STRIKE

Following revelations that several members of the Elwes family have been recieving payments from the Tamoran government through their connections with the Zimalian Union of Labour a large number of people have gone on strike. The ZUL have a virtual monopoly on many unskilled jobs in Zimalia and through recent years there have been many allegations of them purposely demanding workplaces employ only people through the ZUL and that they have denied the Afolayan tribe membership on many occasions. The strike came following a series of meetings between Afolayan tribal chiefs and various Afolayan Labour Front (ALF) members. The decision was made that around 100,000 members of ALF, mainly those working as labourers in construction, on farms and in the transport industry went on strike. The protesters brought the capital Mogebbe to a virtual standstill for several hours demanding that the ZUL be disbanded, the property of those who received payments from Tamora be seized and that the President commit to ensuring proportional representation in the workplace for the Afolayans who make up around 60% of the population.

In response to the strike and protest the Army took to the streets protecting several key parts of the capital before firing rubber bullets and tear gas into the protesters. By the end of the day around 5,000 had been arrested, around 1,000 people required medical treatment and 2 protesters died. The strike was broken up and the President warned, "To take the words of the conspiracy theorists over your own people is shameful and shows the filth the Afolayan tribal elders wish to just see our nation brought to its knees. The Tamorans are supporting our industry and it is only sensible that they make payments to the government and workers organisations to ensure that they comply with all local laws. These payments are merely fair compensation for work done by the ZUL. Zimalia is not a charity and we do not work for free."

The Afolayans have confirmed that should their demands not be meet there are likely to be a series of strikes in the coming days.

[DaveIronside]

DID LAKHZOVIA KNOW ABOUT EAST MORELAND BOMB THREAT?

In yet another shocking leak from the Academican terrorist group lead by the mysterious Trajan an e-mail has surfaced indicating that the Lakhzovian government possessed key intelligence about impending attacks. The leak is all the more shocking as it comes just days after a foiled terrorist attack in East Moreland. A series of explosive devices were left in bins at train stations and luckily discovered by security staff routinely searching stations with explosive sniffer dogs, as a result no devices went off as military bomb disposal teams dealt with them successfully. The discovery of the devices prompted the Borland Separatists, well known for carrying out terror attacks on East Moreland, to deny their involvement as the discovery comes during the Feast of Melanor and the Borlanders have never attacked at the time of a Cultist terrorist attack. The groups leader Kyle Barren has come out and publicly distanced himself from the attacks also a first for the group. As of yet there has been no statement released from Lakhzovia on this leak, nor from East Moreland regarding their reaction. One possible reason for the attack on East Moreland by disgruntled Utmen rebels would be the support given against the Khalinz Brigades by East Morleand forces during the recent civil war. It is understood a joint East Moreland and Ui Cenneslaig special forces group seized and then destroyed an airfield in Northern Lakhzovia which they had intended to use to funnel peacekeeping troops into the nation. This move however was opposed by the Utmen and saw a series of incidents between the coalition and the Khalinz Brigade. The Morelanders and Cenneg forces began shortly after a civilian evacuation process with many of the Lakhzovian refugees still being cared for at Hunter's Vale Refugee Centre while their status is sorted out.


It is likely that the East Moreland government will be calling for the Lakhzovian government to clarify the situation in the coming hours. Should the situation be as it appears at first sight then it is likely to place considerable strain on Lakhzovian relationships with several nations as beside East Moreland the Lakhzovian government received support from Ui Cenneslaig, Rokkenjima and Achkaerin.

[Beatrice]

Prosperity, Opportunity, And Positive Force Through Firepower

- A Citizen Journalist, Somewhere in Mundus

Despite a purported agenda which seeks to serve the interests of peace and international stability East Moreland remains one of, if not the, largest suppliers of arms and armaments to international markets. One need only view the list of clients served by EMAC, East Moreland's crown jewel of foreign arms sales. With sales to the usual suspects of Seaforth, Achkaerin, Lodja and even the Ecclesiastical State being expected EMAC has also signed significant deals with Quintellia, the Krimeon Empire, Vaguzia and the ethically challenged Second Imperial Chinese Republic totaling billions of dollars. Even noting these existing deals one need only think of the billions more which EMAC will rake in over the coming years as more of its tools are developed and placed in the hands of leaders across Mundus, including a nation wherin at least one faction seems determined to unleash a strike against the First Empire of Rokkenjima which would cause "....[REDACTED BY BIS ORDER] deaths worldwide and severe contamination for a possible 200 years." It certainly bodes an air of concern that the controls on the export of East Moreland's armaments do not fully vet to whom they are selling.

In addition to various arms deals with the powers of Mundus East Moreland has stood accused at various times of assisting in operations which clearly violated international laws and norms, such as the Iwi raid into Tamoran territory, a clear violation of Tamoran sovereignty which was legitimzed by King David himself by citing the Mundus Convention on Universal Rights. International treaties stand because they are adhered to even in the most trying of situations. If East Moreland truly aided the Maori in this mission, allegations to which the Morelanders certainly maintained plausible deniability, it is an errosion of international standards which may one day have clear implications, done with East Moreland's seal of approval.

If King David is true to his code, an important part of which is "protecting those who cannot protect themselves" will we see East Moreland intervene when the weapons it has sold to various states are turned upon those incapable of protecting themselves? Should the Lodjans deploy the assets aboard their Morelander drone carrier against people armed with canoes will the Morelanders jump to their defense? We already know the answer is no, of course not as East Moreland has engaged in talks with the membership of TUNA to secure a new trade deal, is a fellow CNN member just as Lodja is, and their next Queen is most likely to be a Lodjan. The specifics in this case are not as important as the prospect of Morelander weapons being deployed against people who will most certainly be incapable of defending themselves against weapons designed, produced and sold by East Moreland.

While East Moreland is known to consider compliance with the Uppsala Convention as a perquisite for such sales we've already noted one instance of Morelander cooperation with a state in direct violation of international law, as such has this in fact become a hollow guarantee? This is nothing new to East Moreland, who have had allegations of assassinations and other decidedly illegal actions levied against them since their emergence from isolation. If one international convention is acceptable to be violated by East Moreland, what other ends are they willing to go to in implementing their vision of Mundus? Why should we expect East Moreland to honour its word when it can justify the violation of international laws and norms so easily?

Perhaps East Moreland truly believes in a prosperous world full of opportunity and positive force, and perhaps King David believes that flooding the markets with Morelander weapons is how that can be best achieved. We've already seen Morelander weapons end up in the hands of the Bene Gesserit, and we've seen them provided to Slava Lavosk; another nation which has a questionable record, which was loaned 5 of SmartWars RoboGuards autonomous land units.

I think we have enough weapons in the world, certainly there is enough firepower in the hands of those who should keep all of us up at night. Even those in "good" hands today could end up in the wrong hands tomorrow, with the potential to be responsible for Mundus' next great tragedy. I'm sure those counting the money are pleased, though.

[Persephone]

O.P.E.N's Silent Competitor

With the four nations of O.P.E.N meeting in Ipsus, this could have major ramifications for the world's oil supply. But the Emirate of Royal Seleucid, Empire of Tamora, Empire of Quintelia and Kingdom of Clysperis alone do not make up the entirety of Mundus' oil. There is another major producer, a nation that most people rarely hear about- the Orphela Imperium. The Imperium has been a silent workhorse for decades, slowly and steady exporting oil. But major international tariffs and a close minded economy have prevented the Imperium from ever being a major player. This could all be changing soon. The leader of the Imperium, Governess Niru has recently taken a stance on increasing international relations. In addition, she is seeking to do away with the closed economy of the past. Already this has led to a relatively minor increase in Nitehymn oil abroad and a lowering of trade barriers. This is expected to only increase.

O.P.E.N, or really any cartel, gains its power from dominating the market. Their ability to control oil prices only works when a major portion of the market follows suit. The Imperium has only been selling a fraction of the oil it produces. In addition the country itself isn't a major user of fossil fuels. So where has all this oil being going? Stockpiled. The exact size the Imperium's oil reserves are a closely guarded secret, but the nation could easily and effectively flood the market. Further compounding this, across Orphela, oil production is being ramped up. The nation has extremely ambition economic plans for the coming years, and is likely going to use its oil to pay for them.

The biggest question- will the Imperium seek membership in O.P.E.N? Unlikely. Its position of not having to adhere to any other foreign power or market regulations could be extremely profitable. And Nitehymn economists know this. In a recent government report Nitehymn economists outline a system where by undercutting and directly working against any policies, regulations, and prices set by O.P.E.N they could profit heavily. But what does this mean for the world market? Tension and economic warfare. While not official government policy, if adopted, the Imperium will basically be bleeding the other oil producers for its own personal gain. Its unlikely any nation would respond kindly to this kind of behavior. This potential issue only further complicates O.P.E.N's third meeting.

At the very least, this means more oil in the global market, and thus cheaper prices. Which the majority of people can rejoice for.

[yasha]

The Siege of Haruna

Spend shell casings, used tear gas canisters and two very noticeable blood stains on the pavement. This is Tenkuichi road in the Ikari-Togura district of Haruna, inside the reclusive Neo Quywe Federation. Here, a guerrilla war is being waged against the NQF police by heavily armed gangsters. During the transitional period between the former governments of the NQF and the Brilliant Speaker's new reign, law enforcement was being reformed entirely and what was left to pick up the pieces was entirely inept. Thus, smugglers took advantage and imported an estimated 300,000 illegal firearms into Himeyama, including approximately 90,000 fully automatic rifles and carbines. The majority of recovered weapons can be traced back to Tamora. When the transition was complete and new police forces marched into the cities, the ones moving into Haruna were met with an ambush. A firefight immediately broke out, and continues to echo throughout the city to this day.

An anonymous Police Enforcer has described the fighting as "insanity". "Every once in awhile we're tasked with supporting plainclothes cops, they usually tell us to bring full ballistic plating. When we hear that as a squad, we take time to sit down and pray, knowing it means someone has probably died out there." The Enforcer went on to comment on the political situation behind the Haruna siege. "Our captains, our deputies and even the colonel of the Haruna Civil Protection are working to make it safer for us. You can't just airstrike or send tanks into an urban center with 1.3 million people still living there. So we're trying to develop new tactics specifically to deal with Haruna."

Elsewhere in the city, one of Free Mundus' reporters was permitted access to a gang stronghold deep in the Hashiru-Okage district. An area that police are currently advised to avoid entirely due to the overwhelming gang presence. The reporter was driven into the stronghold blindfolded and was only permitted to remove it once he was sat down inside. Practically every member inside had an automatic carbine, and were wearing expensive boxing brands. "Haruna's always been this kind of place, except now everyone and their dog has a gun. It's not just the cops we're fighting, most of the fighting is still done between gangs. The police are just trying to slowly wipe out everything." One woman calling herself Hisae said. The reporter noted that nobody in the room appeared to be over 30.

"Drugs, extortion, contraband running. All that stuff from before is still going on. The police just don't have the means to stop it as easily now." The gangsters noted that they aren't intentionally attacking civilians, stating that they believe they're running their own neighbourhood watches on the communities in their territory. "I'd advise the police to stop sending men in. The East end may be safe for you, but we're untouchable over here. If you want Haruna back, you're paying in blood."

The NQF government has not yet responded to any Free Mundus inquiries.

[Kopsje]

Spoiler: show

Escaped Slaves Returned to Tamora[/center]
Marhluk, Abuqiya

Protests have erupted in towns through out western regions of Abuqiya along the Tamora border in response to the deportation of thirty-seven individuals believed to be runaway slaves from Tamora and the detainment of seven nationals of Abuqiya and Foreign origin . The thirty-seven, as reported by local law enforcement, were smuggled from Tamora into Abuqiya presumably to be absolved from their servitude in Tamora. Occurring within the early hours of the morning the thirty-seven, including families and children, were transported via costumised cargo trucks across the border. Stopping in the border town of Marhluk the operation was discovered by local law enforcement whom engaged with the smugglers after citing fraudulent licensee plates. Upon their discovery the thirty-seven where detained by law enforcement the following day before being subsequently deported to Tamora following identification.

Following this incident many locals within Marhluk took to the towns streets gathering in front of the law enforcement building in protest to the action. Protests have involved civil disobedience and vocal attacks or criticisms against the authorities and in particular the Tzanjuk (a regional executive)  Qamsaroud, who is believed to have authorized the deportation. The Tzanjuk made the following statement in regards to the situation;

“The situation is this, several individuals have illegally trespassed into the territory of Abuqiya with out the approved authorization of either authority in Abuqiya or Tamora. Thus it is my duty and the duty of our brave law enforcement, in accordance to our sacred oath to the Qarjiyat, Supreme State Assembly, and Abuqiya itself, to enforce the laws of our country. The question of whether slavery is or is not morally right or wrong has no basis in that regard. Azhiran guide us.”

Despite mass protests in Marhluk and neighboring border towns voicing outcry against law authority and the Tzanjuk, Qamsaroud was granted a  Faqib (a decree of sorts) by the Qarjiyat, and Supreme State Assembly in “commendation for upholding of the laws and ensuring the security of the state”.  Seven of the accused smugglers have been detained by law enforcement. It is belived that these smugglers are apart of an abolitionist group known as the Faraj.   

The Faraj, takes its name after an individual of Abuqiya folklore. According to the tale Faraj was born into slavery after his nomadic tribe was subjugated by the city state of Uyareg. Faraj would lead his people in a rebellion against the leaders of the city-state and become the new leaders. Now the symbol and namesake of the abolitionists group, the Faraj have been noted for engaging in abolitionist activity including smuggling of runaway slaves. The groups motto “Azhiran guide us! Faraj free us!” has become a popular saying among supporters of the group. Despite their renown the Faraj have been labeled a terrorist group due to violent clashes with law enforcement some resulting in fatalities. The Government of Abuqiya has thus far tolerated open support of the group requiring investigation before detainment of suspected Faraj affiliates, however there have been motions to clamp down on all forms of Faraj support.       

 

[DaveIronside]

ELWES "WE ARE NO DUMPING GROUND"

After reports that the Krimeon politician Andrea Bottová  was stating in her campaign for re-election that one of their policies was "criminal asylum seekers to be expelled to a reception centre in Zimalia" the President of Zimalia responded by stating his nation was no dumping ground. The self styled "His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal, Head Physician and Doctor Binyamin Elwes  Hero of the People, Lord of All the Beasts of Mundus and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the unjust and protector of the people" spoke out during a visit to a Tamoran run community centre. "I have no idea where Ms.Bottova is getting this idea from. Our nations are 7,000km apart and we have enough issues feeding our own population yet we are now being expected to take in the unwanted trash of a far away nation. Zimalia is a nation that at times struggles to feed everyone we have, we are no dumping ground. We will not be the solution to Krimeon's domestic issues."

The President also took time to speak of recent allegations relating to the Zimalian Union of Labour being corrupt saying. "The ZUL is working extremely hard to match up its members with these new jobs being created by investment from nations like Tamora. Hydro-electric dams, mining, agriculture. There are a whole host of projects going on across the country. I'd be very excited if I was a young Zimalian there is a real chance to work yourself into a bright future if you are willing and able to put your shoulder to the grindstone so to speak. The ZUL represent any and all Zimalians who wish to be members and naturally they seek to look after the best interest of their members and do a wonderful job. My family wish to support this wonderful aim and they do a wonderful job ensuring young men and women get gainful employment while ensuring they are not being taken advantage of. Meanwhile the Afoloyan Labour Front (ALF) want jobs given out on a racial quota, they want jobs given on the basis of which tribe you happen to be fortunate enough to be born into rather than your skills or work ethic. Tell me which organisation is the corrupt one, the one wanting all Zimalians to prosper or the one wanting to keep the minority tribes downtrodden. No doubt if the ALF was given any significant power they would be the type to welcome the Krimeon Criminal asylum seekers with open arms flooding our nation with all manner of degenerate filth aimed at keeping the other tribes economically and socially subjugated, something I've striven to end under my well supported Presidency."

The President also has spoken of other reasons to refuse the Krimeon candidates policy. "Our nation has little enough provision for basic needs. Our schools see average class sizes of 45+ in many cases. We struggle for health care with not enough qualified doctors. One of the biggest helps in that regard is a series of mobile health clincs being organised by a young Alander called  Olivia Robertsson, she unselfishly used a grant given to help her to instead establish a series of mobile medical centres which have seen tens of thousands of Zimalians. If we rely on the support of a young hero like this to help our people meet their basic needs then Krimeon must look after its own asylum seekers." It is estimated that the Alanders project has seen some 75,000 patients since being set up in October 2018 with those seen needing help for issues ranging from dental issues to end of life care.

Finally the President also announced they would accept the offer of providing a test area for an OsmanTech project to help reduce malaria. The recent experiment using an engineered fungus combined with a protein that is found in spider venom has been discovered to kill malaria caused mosquitos. The East Moreland based company has now offered to use the discovery to help in Zimalia where the disease is often a concern. The small village of Kingusa will see its buildings painted in this fungus and levels of mosquito monitored. It is hoped that the number of the insects are greatly reduced. "Its a very interesting project, essentially a mosquito killing mushroom or something. The people of the land to our South can be both our best friends and painful neighbours. We have many times clashed with them over various issues but then we see the people who formed the Principality of Northern Borland rush to our aid with no hesitation when we had an ebola outbreak, we have seen them build homes and establish their own nation which we find very neighbourly. I've seen the ingenuity of the people in the Principality so I have no doubt that an idea originating with their kin will be just as ingenious." It is thought the experiment will begin in the next few days.

[Persephone]

A Death Cult and the Global Arms Trade

All names and specific references have been removed to protect the identities of all involved.

While previously Free Mundus reported on East Moreland's contribution to the international arms market, various reporters have been sent underground to investigate the sell and distribution of armaments through the international black market. Investigators were sent across Mundus to follow the trail of black-market weapons to their origin point. I was part of a team of investigators sent into Haruna, where a street war is being waged between local police and gangsters.

Upon arriving in the city, we were quickly forced to take shelter from the fighting. As the nightly fighting died down, we wandered the streets in such of rebels. Eventually we were able to make contract with the anti-government forces. Gaining access to the gang stronghold within the Hashiru-Okage district, we were permitted to inspect the weaponry. Gang members told us that they bought the majority of arms from the Black Dragons, an international crime cartel notorious for its connections to the illegal drug and arms trades. After coming in contact with smugglers working for the Black Dragons, they agree to smuggle us out of the Neo Quywe Federation for a large sum of money. They would take us to the drop point where they first received the merchandise. Thus, we end up on a charter flight to Tamora.

Our time in Tamora was brief and in a lot of ways much scarier than in NQF. Towards the end of our flight, we were blindfolded in order to protect the security of the illegal landing zone. We landed and were moved into a car, which we rode in for about half an hour. We were taken inside a warehouse and finally our blindfolds were removed. The warehouse was basically being used as a shipping center, there were hundreds, if not thousands, of boxes being held in the facility. Guns and bullets were everywhere. I've never seen anything like the amount of weaponry just laying around. It was almost unfeasible. Workers would open incoming boxes, take inventory of its contents and redistribute it among their own containers. The whole thing was highly efficient and not what I'd imagine when I thought of criminal activity. It was almost identical to the efficiency and precision of a standard commercial shipping center. 

We asked a number of workers if they knew where the guns came from. None knew, and few even seemed to care. Working just for the paycheck. Our gun analyst was able to give us our next lead. He said that most the of guns were made domestically in the Nyx Coalition. It's been long regard that Nyx weapons were a huge part of the black market, but our analyst said seeing it all with his own eyes that it was surprising just the sheer percentage of of guns that were Nythymn in origin. Even I had to admit that the excellent condition of the incoming merchandise was alarming. One of the guards told us that they received daily deliveries from semi-trucks coming from the west. This meant that they were originating from Coft Arayne most likely.

We decided to follow our gut instinct and travel directly to the Coalition. While Nyx has long maintained its isolation, with recent changes in foreign policy, the nation had been receiving an influx of tourists. We were able to blend in with the crowds. Surprisingly, it was only a few hours before we were able to set up a gun buy. Simply long into the Nyx Dark Web, a couple of searches, a few messages and all done. We meet on the waterfront, which wasn't as deserted as you'd think. Our dealer was extremely mild mannered. A young adult, maybe in his early twenties. His English was extremely broken but was more than happy to sell to us. In exchange for §10,000, he happily sold us 10 BR18s. Which firstly is at, if not below, market value and an extremely modern and advanced assault rifle. He seemed more than willing to talk with us, openly and easily answering any of our questions. He said it was quite common for foreigners to come and purchase arms in the Coalition. Often, they would have to buy an additional price to have them smuggled back home, but that was an extremely easy part of the business. We asked what was his largest sale and he said he had a weekly regular who he'd sell over a hundred rifles to. The only thing he was unwilling to answer was anything having to do with where the guns themselves came from. He proudly told us that he once sold a MBT-12, a mainline battle tank. He was so excited when it happened that he called his brother and let him drive it for ten minutes.

Given all of this, it seemed clear that Nyx is likely supplying rebels, criminals, and terrorists across Mundus. Given the quality and availability of the merchandise, I think it’s a fair assumption to assume that the arms companies are somehow complicit, if not directly involved. Sadly, that was as far as our investigation was able to get. The Coalition is a strange and different place and trying to find answers proved difficult. But after everything I've learned, I only have more questions. It seems apparent that Nyx has a major problem with gun regulation, which likely means there is a huge rate of violent crime (the Coalition government has never released any statistics on any crime rates), but where seems to be no push to change this. Is this because of its importance in the black market? If so, how important is the black market in the Nyx' economy? Who and what groups are lobbying to protect the lack of regulation? How high up the leadership of these major companies does this conspiracy extend? Is the government involved? Nyx has supposedly maintained its isolation for the last few years, but is that just a facade? Is the Coalition somehow maintaining and conducting shadowy and secretive political dealings with criminal organizations and terrorist groups globally?

[DaveIronside]

A Royal Invitation to Anjir

Following the recent rejection of a visit to the Celtic Protectorate by an international delegation the King of Royal Seleucid, Heydar Soter, invited representatives from the Free Mundus Network to make the trip instead. As a result a trio of intrigued reporters made the trip.

Upon arriving in Anjir, the largest city in the Protectorate, we were meet with a delegation of four officials. First was the mayor of Anjir a man in his early fifties called Shadarm Tubriak as a Cultist he was elected two years ago with a sizeable majority in a city where the Cult of Helus is the primary religion. Next there was a military Captain, Hafiz Alinejad, a short and stout man with an impressively smart uniform. We were next greeted by a Sergeant Major from the Cenneg military by the name of James O'Brien, a man who had spent the last six months on the steets of Anjir including during the famine. The final member of our hosts was Thamir Boulos a 28 year old member of the Seleucid civil service.

While we had expected to be accompanied during our visit we didn't expect to be essentially man marked. During our two days there we were exceptionally well looked after, no request was turned down and every luxury you could imagine was made avaliable at our hotel. This shouldn't however be a surprise, the Seleucid people have long prided themselves on their hospitality a throwback to their historical past when many of them wandered the land and meetings between tribes was a cause for celebration. This was something that seemed to spill out onto the streets of the city. We asked on our first day to go and see one of the cities bazaars and were immediately taken in pair of luxury cars. At the bazaar which was carved into some of the many caves which criss cross the city we saw the usual stalls. Store owners proudly displayed their wares ranging from fresh fruit to textiles and even a stall selling second hand mobile phones. The food stalls were according to Sergeant Major O'Brien not at the same level of stock as before the famine but that things were getting better. We spoke to the stall owner, a young man in his early twenties who ran it for his father. He told us that during the famine he had struggled to make ends meet and that the family had ended up selling some family heirlooms in order to make ends meet. The stall owner gave us a bag of fresh oranges as we left. Opposite him doing a brisk trade was an old man repairing shoes, he had a collection of customers shoes waiting to be worked on. He told us he had lived in the city for thirty years and had only left the city during the genocide were he lost three of his five children. We spoke to him about the atmosphere in the Protectorate and he informed us that he had felt nervous during the famine, however since the supplies of food reached the city things had returned to how he remembered it in the 1990's. A city with a vibrant social life based around the cities Temples.

We next asked to go and visit a Temple and were promptly taken to the cities Temple of Helus, the largest in Royal Seleucid. The Temple itself was surrounded by scaffolding, the side to the right of the door still covered in bullet holes from recent troubles were a handful of disgruntled anti-Cultists had carried out a drive by shooting which thankfully had taken place late at night. The Temple frontage though bore tell tale signs of various attacks, according to Captain Hafiz Alinejad, from the time of the genocide. He told us, "I was on duty the day it all went crazy. We had no idea what was happening, those radical members of the Anahitaist faith saw an oppurtunity to what they call clense this land. Meanwhile those moderate members of our faith tried to piece together what was happening and by that time it was too late. I came past the Temple that afternoon and saw bodies thrown on the steps, some killed by their own swords. We tried to post a guard here three of us but we were chased off by outsiders from the region." The Temple inside however was spotless, the floor bearing not a single foot print, the swords hanging on the wall imitating mirrors. It was clear that while the outside of the Temple was receiving some much needed repair the inside was well cared for.

Over the course of the next two days we moved from place to place throughout the city, speaking with members of the public, business owners, even Priestesses. One thing we discovered was that the city is mentally scarred by the genocide of its past. Not many people in the city didn't lose members of their family and they suffered again during the famine. There was an ever present military prescence on the streets but not in a way that you would expect, the Cenneg soldiers carried their equipment but more often than not guns were left hanging on their slings. We saw off duty Cenneg soldiers sat in cafe's enjoying the locally brewed coffee's served at a consistency almost like tar. We even saw in some cases young men enjoying a kick around with soldiers or sharing cigarettes with them. We visited a late bar and found members of the Cenneg peacekeepers had adopted local customs, enjoying shisha and glasses of beer, the only compliant from the Cenneg being a lack of Guinness. We later learned from O'Brien that six of the peacekeepers had even married local girls and intended to ask to stay behind when the unit rotated back to Ui Cennesliag. The overriding feeling we had was that this is not an occupation by force, it is very clearly by consent. The local police often patrolled side by side with their Cenneg comrades according to O'Brien something that has become more and more common since King Heydar assumed the throne.

As we left we were once again showered with gifts. It was clearly a very stage managed visit and when we tried to make unannounced changes to our routine we were quickly joined by one of the three Seleucids in our escorts. It was however easy to see that the people are not living in fear, that they are however cautious. It is this publications understanding that King Heydar had asked for foreign visitors to the Jewel of the Desert Festival to come and give their backing for a plan to get the Cenneg to end the Celtic Protectorate early. Our impression was of a region that is growing more and more secure everyday however a large part of that was due to the presence of the Celts on the street that seemed to give the locals a confidence that things will be OK. Whether that confidence would transfer to a Celtic Protectorate devoid of the Celts is hard to say. What I can say is that under King Heydar Seleucid hospitality is alive and well.

[Tytor]

Innsmouth: What Pullman Isn't Saying


Entrance of the Innsmouth Zoological Park prior to the shooting

Earlier today, Centralian Homeland Security Secretary Lance Pullman announced harsh measures ostensibly to combat future mass shootings like the one that occurred at the Innsmouth Zoo early Monday afternoon.  The official line is that a man with an assault rifle, identified as Mark Evanston, a resident of Innsmouth, entered the zoo and began shooting at guests near the reptile house.  Seven people, including the purported attacker, are confirmed to be dead, with a further nineteen wounded.  However, anonymous sources present at the shooting present an entirely different story.  In fact, there may not have been a mass shooting of the kind claimed at all.  Rather, eyewitnesses say that the man identified as the shooter was the target of a Homeland Security raid gone wrong.  Evanston was armed, yes, but with a concealed handgun, fully legal under New Haven state law, and the deadly event took the form of a shoot-out rather than a true mass shooting.  Most of those killed or injured were caught in the crossfire, and the vast majority were shot not by Evanston but by the Homeland Security agents dispatched to apprehend him.

Furthermore, it remains unclear why Evanston was targeted in the first place.  It's possible that the man was a dissident of some sort, but such an accusation has not been put forward at present.  However, this being the latest in a series of raids and arrests against members of the Centralian public, we ultimately may have to accept the fact that it doesn't really matter why he was targeted -- only that he was.  The very fact that Evanston was willing to fight back against his attempted arrest speaks volumes about the limits of the Homeland Security Department's control over the country.  As people begin to realize that Homeland Security has weaknesses, more will resist, and forced government reform may well follow.  In the meantime, life in Centralia will remain as dangerous and restricted as ever as long as Lance Pullman is allowed to have free reign.

This has been the Free Mundus Network.

[Kopsje]

Spoiler: show

Primear of Abuqiya criticizes "Aggressive Forign Policy"

In a recent statement during her monthly address to the State Assembly Premier Nahsrin Zarqan voiced open criticism of recent actions taken by the Bakkermaya Navy in response to ongoing tensions between the country and the Water Nomads of the Alucard sea.

"The Humsoo people, or as they are more commonly known the Water Nomads, are humble people. The lifestyles they lead is of llittle consequence to thier neighbours. One could even say their life is desirable. A simple one free of the stress and complexities which fester in the societies of many so called developed nations. One focused more towards the simple family values that have slowly withered away in many other societies. A hefty price to pay for the trait often labeled as 'Progress'

The question then asked, is why? What crimes have these humble drifters committed that warrent such fierce response as war and destruction that Bakkermaya has unleashed upon them? The simple action of living by their customs and traditions? Is mearly living a different lifestyle and embracing one's own culture now considered a crime?

Unfortunately this is not a new occurrence. Perhaps it is without surprise the true agressor in this unamed conflict, Bakkermaya, is devoted to the supposed virtues of the Cult of Helus. Abuqiya of course is no stranger to the aggression carried out in the name of this deity.
Least we forget our own trouble with this Cult in the previous decades. Nor should we forget the violation of the Seleucid Emirate, as invaders planted the flag of Helus on Seleucid shores. Now these invaders occupy a notable portion of the Emirate exerting the will of their true masters East Moreland and Bakkermaya, upon not just the Emirate but the whole of Midrayane.

To our Humsoo friends, know that while the world may fall silent on this issue, Abuqiya has watched and observed..."

The Premier later attributed the situation to an "increasingly aggressive forign policy", likening the situation in the Alucard to "another piece in the agenda of the Helusian Empire". Premier Zarqan and her administration have been known to hold a negative views of supposed imperialist actions. Her administration has also been known to deny that the Seleucid situation of 2016 was a genocide, instead holding firm to the view that it was indeed a hostile Coup d'etat.   Despite these seemingly hostile words and actions against forign powers the Premier insisted "Abuqiya seeks not to act hostile, only to ensure national sovereignty is respected. However this is an issue we will not remain silent on...".

While her statements have received positive reception in Abuqiya, primarily from members of her own political faction and citizens associated with said faction, not all are pleased with her statements. Siavash Boromand, a prominent member of the opposition in the Assembly, dismissed the Premiers statements as: "[a] strategy to distract focus from the domestic problems that ail Abuqiya. Problems her administration has been slow to address!"

Controversial image banned in Abuqiya


 

The picture above was posted on social media a couple days ago. It depicts a young boy sticking his tounge out at the viewer. He holds in his hands a paint brush and bucket filled with black paint. The attire he wears is the iconic regal attire of the late Qarhjii, or king, Khomeshahr of Abuqiya. On social media the picture is captioned and tagged with: "Stop the lies! Stop the oppression! #neverforget1987"

As of today the social media post has thousands of likes and shares nearing the millionth mark. It has also been censored and banned in Abuqiya. Persons in possession of a copy of the picture facing imprisonment for two years and a fine of 1,000 Dinars, the local currency of Abuqiya.

Why?
 
The picture is depicts the son of Komeshahr. The current ruling Qarhjii, Qazvimsahr who attained the position following the assassination of his father and other prominent members of the ruling family in 2016. The bucket of black paint, aswell as the tag "#neverforget1987" is a hommege to the Uhl-Buqyir decree of 1987 and subsequent years.  A controversial topic within the country.

During this period, a decree was called by Komeshahr for the expulsion or conversion of religious and ethnic minorities within the country. This prompted resistance from said minorities, most notably Cultists whom been awarded land grants in the country following the end of the Great War.

Black paint was used to identify the residences of those "deemed undesirable", according to the accounts of exiled Abuqiyans.
 
The aftermath saw the displacement or death of nearly 1.5 million  between the years of 1987-1992. Many international observers especially Human Rights groups have labeled the affair a Genocide. This something the Abuqiyan continues to deny and challenge this accusation, citing the death toll as a result of legal engagement against terrorist activity.

Regardless of which story is more agreeable the posted image sends a suggestive image; that the current boy king of Abuqiya will follow in his father's footsteps.  Local authorities are searching for the origin of the post. It is belived the image originated outside the country. The ruling family and their representatives have yet to make any  official statement on this incedint.


OOC: Posted from phone please forgive grammer/format errors.

[DaveIronside]

HELUS IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN ACADEMICA

Leyton Arkwright on the source seems like a happy go lucky man in his early 50's. A greying beard and friendly smile greet everyone who visits his little small-holding some 30km South of Alba Karinya City in Academica. He purchased the land at the end of the nations civil war transplanting himself from a life in East Moreland. However the former Royal East Moreland Air Force pilot claims to be more than just a man seeking a peaceful retirement he believes he is in fact Helus, the chief diety of the Cult of Helus a faith native to his former homeland. In 2018 he changed his name legally to Helus Unasson and established the hamlet of Helusiandale which today is home to some 30 people all of whom believe what he teaches.

"It was in my final days in the Air Force that I began to realise who I was." Mr.Unasson explains. "I kept getting what I believed at first were dreams, vivid dreams in which I was constantly fighting for my life. I was surrounded by gore, by blood and by death. I used to wake up in the night screaming and lashing around like a fish out of water. In the end it slowly began to dawn on me that dreams are just where we see out our past in different forms and so as such I realised this wasn't a dream it was my past. It wasn't then long until I started to get messages, requests for instructions in my memories. It was my fellow Gods asking for guidance. I had somehow recreated myself on Mundus. I'm still working out how as the process has damaged my memory slightly but once I work it out I believe I will be able to bring Marissa and then the others through and we can once more join with my children." While this may sound like a proposterous idea Mr.Unasson has a group of around 30 followers who gave up their lives across Mundus to join him. "I realised there was work to be done. My beloved Morelanders had done well stabilising themselves following the wars with the Underlords but across the world my children are just learning of my words. Bakkermaya, Seaforth, Royal Seleucid and Achkaerin have seen the word taken by brave missionaries. It was then I realised there is no bbetter way for the faith to spread than me spreading it. Academica was torn about and its people needed guidance and so I used my retirement money to buy a farm here. I had no better joy than myself, Marissa and Frossaj tending our crops back in the days before the Underlords and sought such tranquility to heal my mind so I can bring them back to this world. I started a website and soon found I had some people listening to my work and before long I recieved a message on facebook from Charlie Morgan.

Charlie Morgan is a 23 year old former Engineer from Bakkermaya and was among the first to move to Helusiandale. "What Helus says made sense to me." He explains. " I thought to myself if Helus loved us enough to save mankind from destruction why would he have ever left us. I know Helus believes if his prescence had remained obvious the Underlords may have struck back and hiding as a warrior in East Moreland, his most loved land made sense. I began talking to Helus on Facebook, then we chatted on the phone and when I had a break from work I went over to meet him. Instantly you know he's telling the truth. Their is a strength and a warmth to him that just screams God and after three days of working with him in the fields, hunting and enjoying his company I rang work and told them I wasn't coming back." Soon Charlie was joined by others all coming to find answers to their own questions about the faith. One of those was 54 year old Rebecca Henry. "I was a school-teacher and had just gone through a divorce. I was seeking support from the Cult and just stumbled across this man writing some of the most heart warming sermons on the internet. I knew men aren't suppose to be Priests and soon you just knew he was getting messages from somewhere else, or at least that was what I thought. I lived in Keepton, its about a five hour drive to Helusindale and so I asked if I could come and speak with him. He counselled me better than any Priestess and told me things only a God could know. I returned home, sold my house and brought a wooden cabin that I had moved to Helusindale.

The small hamlet grew steadily since Charlie and Rebecca moved in and this summer saw the first birth in Helusindale. Three month old Raimond Halford was born to parents Grace and Freddie, a couple who ran a bakery in Northfort before moving. "When Grace got pregnant we had always talked of bringing up our children in the countryside. I stumbled across a YouTube clip of Helus and Helusindale and something just clicked in my brain. This guy just knew things and soon I had Grace watching them with me. A month later we moved here and then were blessed when Raimond was born. He's now going to be brought up in a beautiful area of countryside with a God educating him and his faithful watching over him."

The community is close knit. An old stone farmhouse is home to Mr.Unasson and the barn has been converted into a kind of Temple, although Mr.Unasson prefers to call it his office. Everyday the community gather to hear him speak, teach his message and give notices about things going on. On one of the days we visited Mr.Unasson was telling his followers about the time the mini-bus was leaving to go and watch a rugby game. "Even the Gods love rugby" he jokes to us. "Beside we are a community, communities live, work and play together so people shouldn't be surprised we enjoy things like rugby, music and TV." He is keen to show us the "Helusiandale Inn", a wooden building no bigger than an average living room. In it a bar stands with two barrels of beer tapped. "Me and Jekar used to enjoy a beer or two while we watched mankind go by. So we built our own little pub. We even have plans for building a brewery eventually as we grow. My dream is to make Helusindale as self sufficent as possible. Charlie is building us wind turbines and we hope by the end of the year to be able to get by with no electricity from the Academican power grid."

The community all have their own patches of farmland and a wood surrounds the settlement. An average day starts at 6am when the residents gather for a quick morning prayer and then spend around an hour practising sword-craft. We see Grace and Freddie taking it in turns to practice while the other looks after little Raimond, all the residents own swords and all seem very competent at using them as Freddie explains. "We're the vanguard. When the Underlords come back it will be us who will be Helus' weapons. We have to be ready and so we all practice. When Raimond is old enough he'll start practising alongside us with a simple stick." The youngest resident of Helusindale is 8 year old Xena, an Academican girl who is cared for by her Aunt Sarah. Xena was orphaned during the civil war and adopted by Sarah soon after, Sarah had been a Priestess of Marissa and had no children of her own. Sarah tells us, "Even as a Priestess I had questions about the Cult. I asked them naturally, I asked Joanna Ironside once I thought being of the Unasson blood line she'd know but she struggled to give me anything satisfactory, and so I left the Priesthood just as the civil war here broke out and then became a Mother but also found Helus' blog. He answered my doubts and so when me and Xena needed a new life here we came." Xena seemed to enjoy the life here saying. "I get to play outside and everyone is really nice. Its not a village really, its a family and Helus is like our lovely old Grandpa."

After sword-practice the residents go about their own chores and work. Some still hold down regular jobs such as Chris Templeton a 38 year old from Bakkermaya who moved here three months ago and now works as a delivery driver. Most though undertake work on the land. Residents agree to make a contribution to "Village Funds" each week and this money is used for making improvements. Currently the village has plans to build a new log building to be a school. Mr.Unasson says, "We have now Xena with us, and Raimond will grow quickly. I hope we have more and more children come and they will need to be educated in our ways not those of man." The afternoon sees more work and Mr.Unasson spends a lot of time creating and posting online content for social media and his own blog. It is the growing interest in his YouTube videos that help bring in some funds for the village.

In the evening the village gather for prayers and often a communal meal. There is often a camp-fire, songs, jokes and drinking. It is in many ways idyllic and not hard to see why so many of the residents talk about peace. Mr.Unasson believes he is learning more about how he came to be each day and believes it will not be long until he can send word for the other Gods to come through. "First I will call for Jekar. I don't know if the process I went through was dangerous but if it is I know Jekar will face it willingly. He'll kind of be our test pilot. Once he is through I will bring my love Marissa, and then the others. Once we are here we can show the world our true power and naturally then all will flock to join us. Obviously not everyone can come here but we can make a template for how the world should be." We ask him what he thinks about the Cult of Helus and the Sisterhood of Helus. "The Cult is doing a fine job but it has a few mistakes. I have written several times to Skye Maddix to correct her but never hear anything back. I am sad to say that I will require her resignation once the others join me. I know she means well but frankly she is not strong enough to prepare mankind for future troubles. As for the Sisterhood Jinny Denman is a fool. I mean she can come to Helusindale anytime she wants and see I'm a man. I think she's a dangerous fool."

We then asked what he believes his relationship with King David of East Moreland is. Many in the Cult believe that King David is a direct descendant of Raimond Unasson, a man beloved of Helus. "David is not the great-great-great etc grandson of Raimond Unasson, he is my direct descendant. I knew for mankind to have strong leadership my seed would need to flourish and so as Raimond lay dying he urged me to take his wife as my own. The man was a hero and in the weeks that followed I did as he wished. Me and Martha were as man and wife for a time and she bore me a child. Hundreds, thousands of generations later he sits on the throne of East Moreland." We asked Mr.Unasson what he thought of his descendant. "I think he's a good boy. Sometimes not as devout as he should be. Here is one way me and Denman do agree. He should find a woman as dedicated to following my laws as his sister Joanna was. She should be of noble birth but nationality is unimportant, after all I did not create a world with borders. For a time I was angry that my descendants hid away from the world when they should have been leading it, but David seems like he is at least trying to change that. He now just needs a son or three."

We left the village with good wishes for the future and invitations to settle there if we wished. However we did have a foreboding that as this group grows it has the potential to become a kind of obsessive Cult. The followers show such reverence to the man who claims to be Helus, bowing to him each day, following his instructions even over what to grow in their fields and where their children should be educated. We spoke to the local government about the group and were told, "We've had some issues with a child and school but this was cleared up. We have no reason to believe anything other than a religiously focused community exists there. They pay their taxes and seem friendly." The East Moreland government were also asked for comment and said, "Mr.Unasson is not Helus. He is not the great-grandfather of King David and we are concerned that he is taking advantage of people in unfortunate circumstances. He had an exemplary military record and we wish him a long and happy retirement but believe he should seek help. He saw a fair bit of combat as a strike pilot in the Alps against the Borlanders and we all know first hand these kind of things can have strange results." High Priestess Skye Maddix said, "We welcome all to the Cult and will work to try and educate those who may be seduced by a fraud." Jinny Denman meanwhile stated "This man can not be Helus. He may have man-boobs but that doesn't make him woman enough to be Helus."

Following our report we heard that Mr.Unasson is due to undertake a preaching tour of Bakkermaya and is hoping to visit Royal Seleucid soon after.