The Rain-Lotus Declaration

[Nithi Kirenion]

MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM TALA
DAY OF RAINS AND LOTUS, AURORA SEASON, S'5907

All through the past week, Tala has been a hive of activity as the government of Raikoth tries to respond to the latest developments in the Northern Benacia region. Oracles, bureaucrats, priests, ambercasters, and axiomancers* have stayed up long into the waning hours of the midnight sun, frantically calling and emailing and comparing calculations with one another.

This morning, the various systems seem to have reached a stable equilibrium, and one of the Councilors made a public appearance beside the Dream-Origin Stone to announce wide-ranging government policy changes on a host of issues, the contents of which announcements I now relay to you.

Raikoth hereby alters its status from a County of Shireroth to a Territory of Shireroth. It will continue to follow Shirerithian law and swear allegiance to the Shirerithian Crown, but its citizens are no longer automatically Shirerithian citizens and it will not hold a voice in the Landsraad. Raikothin citizens may continue to be counted with Shireroth for bookkeeping purposes, especially as relates to the MCS, but will not participate in Shirerithian public life.

All negotiations with the Elwynnese state are officially over. Although we once saw them as a legitimate project for the glory and further development of Elwynnese culture, recent events, including the vehemence of the Retrocession controversy, the breakdown of informal talks with Prince Daniel, and the public comments of Lord Erion, have disillusioned us of this view. We believe the Elwynnese state is an attempt by one or more foreign empires to acquire Elwynn as a trophy, after which it will be left to rot in a state of cultural and material poverty, just as many of the same noble houses tried, and eventually succeeded, in acquiring and neutering Treesia and other once-great lands. It disappoints us that, after ten years of Shireroth carefully raising Elwynn from infancy and nurturing its every need, as soon as being anti-Shireroth becomes a fad, the Duchy would desert her and run off to throw its lot in with any other power it can find, and though we wish it the best, we expect the worst.

Raikoth intends to annex Wintergleam and Agnesia as protectorates unless there is a Kaiserial objection. The lands of Raikoth, Cimmeria, Bjorngard, Wintergleam, and Agnesia will be integrated into a political unit called Lirikoth Syaivene, "Rightly-Guided Elwynn". Here we will try to form a sanctuary for the Elw in case the dark fate we forsee for the rebels comes to pass.

The Rhavakalion Raikoth** will take upon themselves the responsibility of protecting the small frontier between Syiavene and Lirikoth Moivaster, "Elwynn That Has Strayed", as well as the far northern frontier between Moivaster and Raikoth itself. We will seek negotiations with the Kildari about sharing the defense of the main frontier between Illumination and Isderia-Farewell.

The instability to our west makes it especially pressing that we keep our home islands as peaceful and united as possible so we can face the foreign threat as one. Some of you may have heard of the recent bombing in Cimmeria. A league of Cimmerian rebels under the command of clan chieftain and minor religious leader Otter Sundrawer has claimed responsibility. We will be sending Fern and Rose divisions of the Paladins to Cimmeria to find Sundrawer and his men and bring them to justice. Any further disruptions in the Cimmeria territories or in any other lands of Kai-Raikoth and Lirikoth Syaivene will be met with unusually severe deterrence.

In the center of Echo, we have commissioned leading architect Nevri Surudenion to build a great cathedral to the goddess Lirie***, Lady of the White Orchid. It represents our invocation of her blessing that her lands will endure, flower, and one day be reunited again.

* Amber is used as a currency in Raikoth, therefore "ambercasters" is a term for investors, especially the ones who power Tala's prediction markets. Axiomancers are priests who distill values and help guide national policy.
** The Paladins of Hyperborea
*** More commonly called "Elwynn"

[Kaiser Ometeotl I]

I have no issue with the territory status. Hyperborea, by ancient treaty, has the right to do this. As for the annexed land, that is fine at this time. Should you seek to alter your status further, those lands will come into question, till then, all it well.

[Harvey Steffke]

So you're kinda making Hyperborea independent again, but you're doing it in a way that lets you just squat on the Shireroth boards? Classy.

[Shyriath]

I think Kildare also wants Wintergleam...

[Jacobus Loki]

Halluci and other Kildarian gendarmes have lent security assistance to Illumination, and due to the cultural ties between Illumination and Hallucination, we have believed that the territories are best associated together. Wintergleam is claimed in order to facilitate connection between Avakair and Dragonskeep. The Counties of Illumination, County of Agnesia and Wintergleam + Wolfraven were approved by MiniInt to be moved to the Kildari forum, but have yet to do so due to overwork in the Ministry.

Halluci along with other Kildari assistance moved into Illumination to prevent ethnic cleansing of the Dragons, Elfnishi and other minorities endangered by current events in neighboring regions. The main purpose of this action was protection, and to ensure the declared right of the peoples to continue as Shirithians.

This mission has succeeded. There is no intent to start another round of Shirithian upon Shirithian strife.

All are Shireroth. All hold allegiance to the Kaiser. We Halluci are responsible to the Dutch, the Seanad and the Kaiser.

Any Hyperborean units who wish to assist in the security and protection of the western boundaries of Illumination and Wintergleam are welcome.

I also believe that assistance in securing the east bank of the River Elwynn in Goldendown and Holwin would be appreciated by those authorities.

We would be concerned about the inability of these territories to have their traditional representation in the Landsraad, but all of this can certainly be discussed.

May the lights glint, and the days glow, and the frost be gentle on the lands of Raikoth!

[Nithi Kirenion]

Duke Jacobus, Your words do you credit. Indeed, there should be no strife between loyal servants of the Kaiser.

However, we do believe that the Kaiser assigned us Wintergleam in this post; the only reason I did not mention this before now is that I did not see the related territories in your long list of lands.

We can certainly resolve this problem by negotiations. For example, we would be willing to give Kildare South Wintergleam (giving you your transportation corridor into Illumination) in exchange for Agnesia (which we call Alumelith) and Wintergleam's northern coast. This would consolidate all of our territory into compact, defensible subunits. We would also lend several divisions of Paladins to help you defend your western frontier.

Harvey, we neither claim nor desire independence. We are altering the legal nicities of our association with Shireroth. We are not claiming more rights than the average county, but fewer; in particular, we waive the rights of citizenship and representation. We will continue to follow the guidance and leadership of Syirophan (Shirekeep) on all those matters on which we have previously followed it.

[Jonas]

That sure does sound fair. Jake, perhaps we should propose this in the Seanad? I, however, don't see many problems.

[Jacobus Loki]

Agreed. We will take it before the Seanad. I foresee few, if any, difficulties.

[Kaiser Ometeotl I]

I'll let you guys hammer this out. If you need a decree/order from me, let me know.

[Jacobus Loki]

The response so far in the Seanad is positive.

[Jonas]

Because we like those guys...

[Jacobus Loki]

We like everbody!

almost

[Shyriath]

Well, when you folks figure this out, the Directorate of Cartography would appreciate a map detailing what the exact border will be, if that's all right.

[Jacobus Loki]

The Senead has approved the compromise suggested by the Excellent Nithi Kirenion.

[Jonas]

Now we just need to draw a map, just like Shyriath asked us to do.

[Kaiser Ometeotl I]

Maps are good.

[Jonas]

We were talking about maps, so:

South Wintergleam.png (9.32 KiB) Viewed 25389 times

Instead of creating South Wintergleam as a separated county (of which we have more then enough), I split the land between Asantelian and Illumination.