| Erinoran Video Conference with the Anarcho-Pacifist Technocracy of Hammerstar |
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She was running late. Her first truly important duty since her old friend and political sparring partner, Yena, had appointed her to the role of Sityara Jukhirs Evendem, Angel of Foreign Affairs, and Sirea Fasya-Arkhando was in serious danger of ruining it because her stupid hair straightener wouldn't heat up on time. She wondered if that was all part of the patriarchal system that she and Yena had been working hard to overthrow for the last ten years, but another glance at her watch told her she didn't have time to indulge such a luxurious line of thought. The video conference was due to start in less than ten minutes and she was only just hopping out of her government-issue limousine and dashing up the polished red granite steps of the Mena Parlid, the Temple of Government. She still had to navigate her way through the various security checkpoints and the labyrinthine passageways that lay beyond with, hopefully, enough time to spare to settle into her seat, take a few calming breaths and somehow look like the competent, shrewd politician she was supposed to be.
She flashed her badge at the guard in the foyer, receiving a brief, "Welcome Sityara," which she honoured with a quick smile, before scurrying through the double doors into the public corridors and making her way to the next checkpoint, the one which separated the public areas from those only government officials could pass through. Five minutes later and she was pushing her way through the heavy mahogany door of the Court of Foreign Affairs' VC chamber to be greeted by sighs of relief from the technical staff and the panicked smiles of her assistant, Tesa Yena-Adaro, and of the Trade Secretary, Durro Edea-Cujero, who expression also managed to convey just a note of condescension. She would have to speak to him about that later. Also sitting at the table was Anturo Syarkha-Sicaro, the man lined up to be ambassador to the Anarcho-Pacifist Technocracy of Hammerstar should initial negotiations go as well as hoped for. His smile was calm and trusting and she felt confident that she had chosen him well. "Technical difficulties," she said by way of explanation, only just managing to avoid sounding out of breath as she added, "sorry to keep you waiting." "Not a problem at all," the Trade Secretary replied dryly, "it's not like this is an important diplomatic meeting". Sirea shot him a warning glance. "Please take your seat, Sityara," gestured one of the technicians in a rather dismissive manner. Sirea thought his name might have been Roalwo, in which case it didn't suit him. Regardless she obeyed his directions and took her place around the conference table. The screen before her showed the time remaining until the meeting was due to start. Less than a minute. She breathed in through her nose and slowly out through a mouth a few times, flicked a strand of hair out from her eyes and placed her hands calmly in front of her. The message on the screen said 'connecting in 5... 4... 3... 2...'. She realised she was holding her breath again, breathed out, smiled. 'Video Conference Live.'
Dietrich drank his berry juice in the conference room on his plane, there were not many paladins inside the room. All of them were quite preoccupied with their own councils back in the Technocracy. He's actually quite busy as well, but decided to respect the people of Erinor as they are possibly new friends in the continent.
Including him, only four paladins are in the chambers, and Dietrich believes these are the only paladins that are needed. [Image: ONNDJghl.jpg] The Acting Valiant Governor, Hannelore Trump, holding an engraved wooden staff. She polished the staff she'll hold beside her everywhere. She took some sips of the juice from Dietrich's cup, and continued to polish her staff. Hannah had a lot of things in her mind and the turbulence in the foreign world is certainly quite unnerving, only if you take out the incredible mass of the issues in the lands of Hammerstar though. There are so many things that are weighed on her mind, and she wondered how Amelia did it all with a smile on her face. Nevertheless, she knew that as long as there is a smile in this country, this is not the time to give up. She sat upright and placed her staff down. [Image: YJks2UQl.jpg] the People's Representative, Millicence Leawine, ate the apple from her garden. Infront of her are a basket of mangosteens from the Nosevbradd tree, one of the consultants pointed by the state is of course, her. Millicence was quite excited to be in the negotiating team and she had noted the people's excitement to meeting with Erinor. Being the people's representative she is often quite busy and barely has the time to prune her gardens. She is grateful for a break and decided to join in with Dietrich. She was the first to note the incoming transmission. [Image: lQnvkfSl.jpg] The Ace of Air, Chicomehuitl Tezozomoc, sat down reading several reports about the Hammerstarian air force. A seasoned flier that could only be paralleled by the legendary Red Baron of Neo-Steamlannde. His eyes are still bright and strong and his physique, though quite aged, are quite fine. He is also the only Paladin ever that is of Mesurian culture and of Mesurian name. He was quite hesitant of being invited here, he's not used to diplomacy and he's especially not used to be onboard a plane he is not flying, nevertheless he was appointed, and he decides to do his job as well as expected. "Let us greet them." The High Paladin ordered the others to stand up. So the Paladins by his side stood and so did the armed escorts inside the chamber. The screen flashed and the Erinorian delegates are visible. The High Paladin was first to greet them. "Your excellencies, it is an immense honor." They all bowed low towards the delegates of Erinor. "Allow me to introduce myself, Dietrich Fillo Do Xeo, the High Paladin of the Technocracy of Hammerstar. Said the High Paladin, "I prefer to you to the Hammerstarian Governor, Hannelore." "Bonjour, commet allez vous? Il est un honneur de vous rencontrer." "The People's Representative, Lady Millicence." "Luflie Propter...." "and the Ace of Air, Chicomehuitl Tezozomoc." "Captain Tezo-Chico, your excellencies." "So, how now my friends? How fares Ciria?" asked Dietrich.
"毎日の小さな努力の積み重ねが歴史を作っていくんだよ。"
Put a little effort everyday and it will stack up and create a foundation for you. - Doraemon
Treasure Island Awards Best Roleplay 2020 Treasure Island Awards Best Roleplayer 2020 Cocos Winner for Best Character Writer 2017 Cocos Winner for Best International Event 2017 Cocos Winner for Best Overall RP 2017 Things to know: Medical Intern and Biomedical Scientist from Indonesia, Muslim, 188 metres tall, loves trains
Sirea gazed as serenely as she could at the assortment of Hammerstarian dignitaries smiling back at her from the screen. They were a diverse lot, something Sirea found comforting, rather than strange, despite the rather homogenous appearance they must have given in return.
"Lejarunem vusein! We greet you very warmly. As we say to our friends, 'Khardar Lyeral Khumardo Khavico myevadeu susacrein', may your mountains never be darkened by clouds. It is a truly great pleasure to be able to hold this conference with you and we hope it may be the start of a long and prosperous friendship between our nations. "I am Sirea Fasya-Arkhando, Sityara or 'Angel' of Foreign Affairs. To my right sit my assistant, Tesa Yena-Adaro and the Secretary of Trade, Durro Edea-Cujero. The gentleman on my left is Anturo Syarkha-Sicaro, who hopes to be the Erinoran Ambassador to Hammerstar." "Lyeran Vusein!" came the greetings from Tesa and Anturo. Durro gave a slight smile and said, "a pleasure." "If I may be so bold," Anturo added, blushing slightly, "I am very much looking forward to visiting Hammerstar, if you'll have me. I have been reading a lot about your history and culture in preparation and I feel almost as if I must have been predestined by the Revanim for this role. My parental names come from the Erinoran words for dragon and crystal, you see, like from an old Hammerstarian legend," he laughed. Sirea gave her young subordinate an appraising glance. He was very young, and this wasn't the best way to greet people he might have to relate to in a diplomatic capacity, but his eagerness and excitement were infectious. She hoped the Hammerstarians would take it as well as the young man meant it. "In answer to your question," she continued, "things are going extremely well in the capital at the moment. The new government is still in the process of settling in and we are busy working on new legislation which we hope to put before the Khasa Massirs, the lower house of our parliament, as soon as possible. Besides," she laughed, "it's a beautiful day and the buildings are gleaming white and warm ochre in the sun. It makes me proud to say that I live in Ciria." Durro cleared his throat. "I'm sure you are as eager as we are to get on to business," he said, earning another sharp sideways glance from Sirea, "how do you propose we begin?"
While Dietrich felt a bit of hostility from the Trade minister, Hannah was quite surprised that Anturo had researched about the legend of Fermelithique, and decided to dig this a bit.
"Ah so you have heard about the legend Fermelithique? Ah a story that I loved since I was a child, and still my favorite story to date. Are you aware of other stories as well monsieur? Perhaps you would also know about the Ave as well? The white shawl I wear now is an ave. Maybe Anturo, if the state truly wishes to create an embassy in our country, perhaps I could be the one to encircle the ave on your neck? You seem to have quite an interest in our history." The High Paladin waited for Hannah to finish, and responded to the strict man. He wanted to learn more about the state, but since that not everyone is willing to present themselves warmly, he decided to speed the process along. "Direct man, Direct man. You wish to go immediately without the formalities I presume? Very well. Monsieur, I was going to start with getting to know about your state, but if you wish to start with such a cold manner, then let us begin. The Technocracy would like to welcome the state of Erinor into the international world, and perhaps a trade and diplomatic establishment could be done, as well as an overview of your military. I refer to Ms. Leawine to continue." Millicence took a deep breath and maintained eye contact. "Honorable delegates, being the people's representative we could not stress how excited the knights of Hammerstar is to be in contact with such a bright nation. The way we see it, the state of Erinor has eyed Monsieur Anturo to become the ambassador for the state of Erinor to Hammerstar." Replied Millicence, "we believe an application of an embassy in Hammerstar should be the first method in establishing diplomatic relations, since we have yet to hear about Erinor opening embassy slots in their state. Once establishment, we would ask the embassy staff to hold a cultural event that would promote the nation of Erinor to the state and introduce its signature goods. Such methods have been proven successful in introducing the foreign states to the Knights of Hammerstar. We would of course, help you in advertising the program to our fellow Knights." The High Paladin continued where Millicence left off. "In addition to the establishment of an embassy, we believe that we should craft a travel agreements. Allowing the travel of Hammerstarian knights to Erinor and vice versa. Our current stance is that the state has not opened its travel codes to Hammerstar, and we wish once the agreement is crafted, we can start flying planes to Erinor immediately. As for trade, we would need to make the trade agreements first, and then we can start transport." The High Paladin took his tablet and swiftly typed on it. "We have sent you a list of trade items as well as full data of our economical standing. Every information for trade in Hammerstar is available in the document we have sent to you. It is from the Miana Federal Stock Exchange, the largest economical establishment in the state. It also details the currency exchange rates of other nations in the continent." (Miana Documents: http://tspforums.xyz/thread-3519.html) "So, how about from Erinor?" asked the High Paladin with a warm smile. "We are happy to help our neighbors the best we could!"
"毎日の小さな努力の積み重ねが歴史を作っていくんだよ。"
Put a little effort everyday and it will stack up and create a foundation for you. - Doraemon
Treasure Island Awards Best Roleplay 2020 Treasure Island Awards Best Roleplayer 2020 Cocos Winner for Best Character Writer 2017 Cocos Winner for Best International Event 2017 Cocos Winner for Best Overall RP 2017 Things to know: Medical Intern and Biomedical Scientist from Indonesia, Muslim, 188 metres tall, loves trains
Sirea found herself warming to the Acting Valiant Governor as she spoke directly to the young Anturo. There was something so natural about it, so human that, for just a moment, Sirea found herself forgetting about the importance of the meeting, the pressing details that would have to be thrashed out in document after document once it was all over, the conscious effort to remain appropriately political. She glanced across at Anturo and found that he was blushing, very slightly, from the attention.
And then High Paladin Dietrich spoke up, terse in response to Durro's own rudeness and it seemed everything was business once more. "Of course, High Paladin," Sirea said, reasserting her authority, "good diplomatic relations with our larger neighbours are of considerable importance to this government, but, contrary to what my subordinate might think, there is a reason why we have placed the position of Secretary of Trade is part of the Court of Foreign Affairs and not a ministry in its own right. We believe that understanding the people and culture of other nations is the most important thing. Trade is a necessity and there is much that can be gained by both parties, but it is the human relationships which matter most to us and we believe that it is through those that we will secure our place in the larger world around us. "As part of that, we will be opening up further embassy slots here in Ciria very soon and, once the details of that are organised to everyone's satisfaction we would gladly welcome a Hammerstarian cultural event to broaden the horizons of citizens and businesses in Erinor." "Meanwhile," added Durro, "I will have my staff examine the Miana documents and see which products Hammerstar might introduce most effectively into the Erinoran marketplace." "You also mentioned an overview of our military and whilst, of course, that would be a conversation best had with the Court of Defence, I can confirm some details you probably already know. Erinor does not have a full-scale military and has not had so since the late 60s. You may recall hearing about our war with some of the smaller island nations. It was nothing on the scale of many of the wars of the 20th Century, but our aggression was such and so unwarranted that, in the event of our defeat restrictions were placed on our military might. As a result, Erinor still only has a Self Defence Force. The restrictions upon us have now passed, however, and it is still a matter of debate within the Progressive Party as to whether our involvement in larger scale international politics would be sufficient reason to expand our military so that we might aid our new allies in their struggles. Should we decide in favour, we would certainly welcome advice from the international community as to what would be appropriate for the circumstances our world finds itself in, in this chaotic age."
The High Paladin was slightly insulted by Sirea's words, he did not show it though. He was used to be offended by diplomats from other states, and decided to clear the doubt.
"Mademoiselle, Hammerstar has long put the cultural heritage of its neighbors at its highest priority. We too know that we must first understand the way of life in other countries before pressing on to the cold hard deals. Trade is more than just hard numbers and we assure you that what we wanted to do is to know about your country." Responded Dietrich, "so please, we would still want to know about your nation, even though it'll mean costing us a couple of minutes of conversation. It is just that judging from the recent statement made by one of your delegates, we could assume that you wanted this meeting to be as professional and succinct as possible. Since you claimed otherwise, we are happy to slow things down." Millicence saw that Erinor was indeed keen to introduce its culture as fast as possible, and was quite happy about the fact. With a large smile she spoke with the Erinorian delegates. "Indeed a cultural event would be the best method to introducing our cultures as well as the best method to start relations between the Technocracy and Erinor." Relayed Millicence, "I am looking forward to such programs be enacted to know more about your magnificent country." When the High Paladin heard about Erinor's military, he had Chico to answer. Chico was quite worried about the state of the military in Erinor, and quickly told his thoughts. "My friends, these are dark times we live in. You stood out from isolation towards an unstable political weather. Such as the conflicts in the Kysian union, slave trading in Vercopa, Civil war of the Sporal states, and so on. Our advice would be to arm your state as much as possible, a sufficient defensive force is perhaps enough." Continued Chico, "your country is sitting between four of the most militarily conscious states. East of Erinor is Farengeto, one of the strongest military powers in the continent. West of Erinor is Bruuma, a mysterious nuclear dictatorship. South of your state is Ryccia, which according to history, has undergone through massive anarchy and military aggressions. North of your state is Cathalea, one of the Sporal states that are armed to the teeth. Directly north of your nation is The Solar System Scope, highly intelligent spacefarers who couldn't even wield a gun. If war breaks out you shall be facing every single one of them. Our advice is to start building relations with your neighbors as fast as possible and construct defense pacts soon before it's too late, Hammerstar shall gladly help Erinor in developing military while stationing some troops as a defense measure before Erinor could afford some troops of its own." Hannah decided that she would like to know more about the local affairs in Erinor, and perhaps see if there is an opportunity to construct another deal with them. "I would like to ask about Erinor's stance on Education, Cultural Preservation and the Environment. Could you tell us more about them please? Perhaps we could start with the educational system of Erinor."
"毎日の小さな努力の積み重ねが歴史を作っていくんだよ。"
Put a little effort everyday and it will stack up and create a foundation for you. - Doraemon
Treasure Island Awards Best Roleplay 2020 Treasure Island Awards Best Roleplayer 2020 Cocos Winner for Best Character Writer 2017 Cocos Winner for Best International Event 2017 Cocos Winner for Best Overall RP 2017 Things to know: Medical Intern and Biomedical Scientist from Indonesia, Muslim, 188 metres tall, loves trains
Sirea winced inwardly. The High Paladin's tone was nothing if not perfectly business-like, but there was a coldness to his eyes that suggested she had offended him when she had merely meant to avert the offence her Secretary of Trade seemed intent on causing, if only to her. It was very hard to tell how this meeting was going, but she had a terrible feeling that it wasn't going as well as it could do and, if that was the case, perhaps it was her fault. I can do better than this, she thought, I have to be better than this.
Which meant carrying on as if nothing was amiss at all, which meant answering those questions - and concerns - as politely, succinctly and, of course, correctly as possible. "Firstly, then, let me say that Erinor would gladly receive whatever assistance the Anarcho-Pacifist Technocracy of Hammerstar could offer in the way of military advice. Our self-defense force has served us well over the last five decades, not least in dealing with the Serevan 'troubles' in the 70s and 80s, but our military expertise has not had much chance to grow and develop over that period, other than in dealing with internal terrorists and guerillas. Although, I gather that that is a skill much in demand these days. Perhaps there will be opportunity for us to exchange that expertise with other nations. "With respect to your later questions, if you'll allow me I'd like to pass those over to my assistant." She turned to the young woman on her right. "Tesa," she said, "if you'd be so kind." Miss. Yena-Adaro lifted up her tablet, swiped through a few documents and pulled up the relevant information. "I have documents with a more details analysis about all those things which I can e-mail you right away, but I'll attempt to give you an overview just now. "In terms of Education, Erinor has long run a number of highly prestigious schools and universities, several of which are ranked very highly in the global league tables. The history of these establishments goes back centuries and they have been an important part of the culture and learning of the Erinoran people for generations. "The issue Roalwim Tavalad, and any number of our more left-wing supporters has is this," and her face darkened a little as she embarked on a subject which was very close to her heart, "these schools have always had high fees and have tended to cater only to the more privileged in Erinoran society. Many of those who, during the period of the Erinoran Monarchy, were part of the Aristocracy, still use the status provided by land, money, defunct titles and their peerages to the Khasa Marcorod Arutyarcad, the upper house of our parliament, to ensure that their children and grandchildren get the best life can offer. The same is true of those who have become the leaders in commerce and industry, whilst many in Erinor simply cannot afford anything but an until now poorly-funded state education. "My family had to scrape everything they had together to get me to a decent enough school to allow me to get into politics and rise to as position as good as this one - and I was definitely one of the lucky ones in my neighbourhood. That is why it is part of this government's commitment that a quality education should be available to all and, as part of that, we would welcome the opportunity to open up student exchanges with other nations, such as Hammerstar. We know that allowing students from all backgrounds the chance to explore life outside of Erinor can only help broaden their horizons and, when they return to use, add to the richness of diversity we know Erinor is capable of." "Beautifully said," Sirea added with a smile. "Tesa here is a firm reminder of the important of allowing children from all walks of life the chance to learn in the best possible environments." "Thank you," Tesa said, with a smile, before glancing at her notes once more. "In terms of Cultural Preservation, "Erinor has had a mixed record in this area. We are fortunate to have a number of well-preserved ancient settlements, like the remarkable ruins of Cata varsea in the Khardar Tyavod just south of Ciria, and Ciria itself is a beautiful monument to Erinoran history, with many eras and events preserved in fine architecture. We are privileged here in the Mena Parlid in that we can look out any window and see a city as beautiful as any in the South Pacific. "On the other hand there is our history of civil wars, rebellions and uprisings - not to mention the Serevan 'troubles' again - which have robbed parts of Erinor of their most beautlful cultural landmarks and artefacts and have resulted in local government programs which have avoided focussing on preservation for fear of the next bombing. "Things have been quiet for over twenty-five years now, but it is still a struggle to convince some local officials that it really is important to preserve Erinoran cultural artefacts and ensure that our history is not lost or forgotten. This government has plans to improve that and we hope that increased tourism from the larger nations of the South Pacific will help to convince our more conservative and economically minded opponents that it really is worth doing." "Tourism has long been an important industry in Erinor," Trade Secretary Durro added, "but we hope to make it even stronger in the coming year." "Finally, Erinor's history with environmentalism is, I suspect, as troubled as many other nations. Industry, agriculture, and urbanisation have all taken a toll on our natural rainforest, to the point that much of Erinor has been deforested and Arutyarca Artil is the only substantial patch of rainforest left in the country, although smaller forest parks do exist, especially in the mountains. "Over the last few decades, however, there has been a gradually increasing focus on environmental issues and even the former government had begun cracking down on emissions and developing forest planting and sustainable forestry programmes. We intend to take this even further, with lower emissions targets, fewer developments which might impact naturally occurring rainforest and we plan to devote large areas of former timber industry land into new rainforest which will remain protected." "As Tesa said," Sirea concluded, "full details of these programmes and the current statistics relevant to each of your questions will be e-mailed to you as soon as possible, but we hope that has given you a flavour of the issues facing Erinor in these areas and our plans to make some substantial changes in the names of real, human progress."
The Hammerstarian delegates pondered about the things said by the young delegate, there are just so many things to absorb at that time and decided to discuss this for a moment.
"We humbly ask a moment to discuss this for a while." The screen as muted and the delegates turned their backs to discuss the matter. "What do you think?" asked Dietrich. "Let's start with education." "I am still wondering wether this 'poorly-funded state education' is still happening now, if it is, we can conclude that the prestigious universities in Erinor are private universities," responded Millicence. "If such a trend still exists, I fear that the students who studied in state institutions could not keep up with the Hammerstarian educational standards. Our students would not feel challenged as well, and I fear it they would beat the Erinorians in their own game, something that must not happen yet." "They seem to have initiative to start such projects with us though... How about if we send some teachers there?" Suggested Hannah. "Maybe they can assess the Erinorian educational system to understand it further. We could also send several trial students along with the teachers to get a full picture of the system?" "An immediate student exchange program would not work in our favor. The next academic year shall be the trial, and at the end of it we can decide wether or not the student exchange program should be carried out. Fair?" Assured Dietrich. "I believe that is the best option, yes." Responded Hannah. "How about their culture?" Asked Millicence. "It is something to look at, and it is not exactly a dull story either. I would like to know more about these Serevans though." Responded Hannah. "You read my mind." Continued Chico, "not much to say at this point though, they seem to have initiative that's a plus." "How about their environmental preservation efforts?" Asked Hannah. "They have a lot of initiative to regain their beautiful forests." Responded Millicence, "an offer in the seed bank program and international reforestation program is certainly beneficial for their cause. I believe that some innovations in the Lux Universus at your department would be able to help them, right Dietrich?" "Indeed. I could arrange it for them soon," said Dietrich. "One thing that I see is that they do have a lot of initiative to cooperate with Hammerstar. There is certainly a lot of opportunity for us in this country, I see that another diplomatic meeting is beneficial to strengthen our bonds." "They are also quite keen to kickstart their military. How about an exercise in the Eastern Continent? I could certainly get the backing of Reginald from that." Asked Chico. "I approve." Responded Dietrich. "This bunch and its leader, I believe this is her first time in diplomacy. She and her diplomatic party are not as skilled as those we have met before." Remarked Hannah, "but I do like that young man, he came in quite prepared in our culture and I am happy that this bright young man would become the ambassador." "We must maintain friendly contact, I see that some are winching and panicking.... Let's reconvene." Said Dietrich. The Hammerstarian delegates deactivated the mute on the microphone and turned towards the Erinorian delegates. Chico was the first to start, and he started with a smile. "Fellow allies, we have decided to propose you several acts. In the military, we propose a friendly military exercise in neutral lands on the eastern continent. If you wish to have an exchange military expertise with us, we would be honored to learn about and teach to the Erinorian military strategies and combat measures. This would certainly be in the right direction to pump up your military." Explained Chico. "As for your education, we propose to send some of our teachers to Erinor first. Two in each educational level including tertiary undergraduate. These teachers shall study by the side of the Erinorian teachers and take note of the educational system there, with your permission we ask these teachers to be deployed for a full academic year in select schools in Erinor. We would also propose to send a couple of our students there by the side of our teachers so that we can get a full picture. If we see that everything is in order, we are open for further trades in the educational sector." Stated Millicence. "Your culture is certainly interesting, it makes me wonder about what you said before, mademoiselle Tesa is it? The Serevan troubles, what are they?" Asked Hannah. "As for your environment, we applaud that your nation is also passionate to keep the beauty of nature intact, we of Hammerstar believes that nature is truly a gift that we must use. The resources of nature does not limit itself with timber and other crude products, the life of our people strive with nature. Mother Earth and Father Sky have bestowed upon us such bounteous beauty that graces our world, the almighty provided us life and in return we are in debt for keeping it." Explained Dietrich, "I remembered what the late Holy Queen Lucy Pendragon said once, We must preserve nature, for we do not inherit nature from our forefathers, we borrow them from our children. Now look at us, Hammerstar has one of the most lush forests in the region and preserves several forests abroad as well. We would do anything to preserve nature, and several programs have been done in this region. There was the seed bank initiative that was sponsored by the Southern Cooperation Organization, which currently logged over 300.000 species of plants in the region and hundreds of thousands more from regions outside The South Pacific. Other than being High Paladin I myself am a naturalist inventor, over the course of my years as student and professor in the Lux Universus, the oldest and one of the most prominent universities in The South Pacific, I have logged and experimented with various species of plants. I even came across a plant that is able to filter hard metallic chemicals, which we now use to filter our water supplies rather than using chlorine. Along with other naturalists, engineers and inventors, we have made many achievements and innovations about incorporating nature with modern human life. Needless to say, we could... no, we are prepared to help Erinor in reestablishing its forests, if the government has such passion to preserve its environment, we are prepared to lend you our swords." "Are there anything else that you'd like to know about? Perhaps there's another deal that Erinor wants to conjure?" Asked Millicence with a smile.
"毎日の小さな努力の積み重ねが歴史を作っていくんだよ。"
Put a little effort everyday and it will stack up and create a foundation for you. - Doraemon
Treasure Island Awards Best Roleplay 2020 Treasure Island Awards Best Roleplayer 2020 Cocos Winner for Best Character Writer 2017 Cocos Winner for Best International Event 2017 Cocos Winner for Best Overall RP 2017 Things to know: Medical Intern and Biomedical Scientist from Indonesia, Muslim, 188 metres tall, loves trains
It was hard to tell what they might be thinking. Certainly Tesa had been very open and honest about the state of the Erinoran education system, but then, as a government elected on the basis of promises of extensive reform in this and many other areas, it was in their best interests to be so. The mention of the Serevan troubles was less sure ground. Sirea hadn't thought anything of it at all when both herself and Tesa mentioned it, but now that time was ticking away on the other side of that muted screen, it seemed, of all that had been said, the most problematic.
She glanced at Durro, saw that he was staring at her intently and fought the urge to look away. "They are going to want to probe into that," he said, as if a mind-reader, though of course it must be as obvious to him as it had become to her that there was an issue here. "I know," she sighed, suddenly too tired to care whether Durro saw her with a tough woman facade or not. "It's not like they couldn't have learned all these things in the news," Tesa said, apparently not seeing the issue. "They aren't interested in what they see, hear and read elsewhere right now," Durro replied a little too sharply. "They'll only want to know what our position on it all is." "And we don't have a position," Sirea finished, remembering all the arguments she had had with Yena about it, all those hours in party meetings where no one could seem to reach any agreement. The Serevan issue, it had been called. No one dared call it anything else and, eventually, no one dared speak about it at all. It was probably the one issue where there were real cracks in the Roalwim Tavalad front and if somewhere were to poke about in those cracks it could split the party. And then what would happen to all those wonderful reforms? The silence from the screen opposite seemed to be trying to swallow her whole. And then it flicked back on and the Hammerstarian delegates were all smiling at them as they spoke. Sirea smiled back and listened carefully to their propositions. "Of course, I'll have to run all the details by the Sityaro of Defense, but, in principle, your idea for a friendly military exercise sounds like a very good start to that relationship. "We are also very happy to take Hammerstarian teachers into our education establishments and to receive any help you might wish to offer with regard to our environmental programmes. I'm sure both nations would find it enlightening." She turned to her assistant, "Tesa, please get in touch with Terakho, Varsa and Adara and set up a meeting for us to discuss the full details." Tesa nodded and began tapping away at her tablet as Sirea turned back to face the screen. "As for your questions about culture, I can strongly recommend you read A Brief History of Erinor by our leading popular historian, Serafa Remira-Cireo. But you spoke, Madam Valiant Governor, of the Serevan troubles, so I will do my best to explain." She took a deep breath. Open and honest. "Sereva, as you will know, is the name of an island in Erinoran territorial waters, and sometimes the name is also used to include the northernmost region of our coastline. The island was designated an Autonomous Region by our former government. It is mainly populated by a minority group known as Serevans who have a long history of being badly treated by Erinorans for centuries, if not thousands of years. During the past century Serevan-Erinoran relations have experienced peaks and troughs. "Erinoran labourers freed Serevan slaves from the oppression of the Marcorar, the old Warrior class of former Kingdom of Erinor, in the late twenties and, for a time, relations improved, but not for long. During the decades that followed, the relationship soured and, when Syarkho cadeo staged a coup and turned Erinor into a short-lived military dictatorship in 1968, his hatred of the Serevans infected the nation and they were crammed together in ghettos. Even when Syarkho cadeo was overthrown and the Serevans freed, they were not raised back to full equality as they had experienced since the revolution and the distrust between our peoples grew. "Throughout the 70s and 80s, then, Serevan freedom fighters - terrorists - began targeting the Erinoran population, demanding that Sereva be granted independence. Their definition included most of Erinor's coastal regions. The conservative governments of the time would not give in to terrorist threats, however, and instead sent the Erinoran SDF into the Serevan districts to fight the terrorist and quash any attempts at rebellion. And so the violence continued. "A bitter cease-fire was agreed in 1989, but only after many lives had been lost on both sides. The peace process continued throughout the 90s and 2000s with some substantial progress being made, but it remains a controversial area. Many Serevans still want to be part of a separate sovereign state, even after Sereva was declared an Autonomous Region in 2013. Because of the loss of life on both sides, there are entrenched attitudes which even persist amongst liberals and progressives. "I say all this because it is still a very contentious issue here in Erinor. The current government has avoided taking a stance, therefore, as there are deep divisions within the party about the best way to proceed, but, and here I must speak off the record, I do not think that we can remain silent on the issue for very long." Sirea let out a sigh, then glanced across at Durro, who seemed to be quietly seething, and at Tesa and Anturo, who actually seemed impressed. She could only hope that the Hammerstarians could respond as her more junior colleagues did. "There," she said to fill the sudden silence and allowed herself to relax and smile warmly once more, "I hope that answers your question. As for any other deals, I think that we have enough to be going on with for now. We are glad to be able to make such friendly allies so soon after opening ourselves up to the politics of the larger nations of the South Pacific, but we must also be cautious. There are other nations to speak with and other deals which must be made and it would probably not be prudent to commit too much too soon. Nevertheless, we are grateful for all that you have offered and I personally look forward to the next opportunity to meet with you. Perhaps a state visit to Erinor later in the year might be appropriate? But of course, you couldn't commit to such a thing at so early a stage in our relationship."
The Hammerstarians are quite pleased that their proposals are being accepted, but it was quite hollow. They expected more from such a young nation. While the junior delegates seem to show more prowess about Hammerstar, they are still junior and unknowledgeable. Durro is too strict, and Sirea? There shall be something for her later. Hannah was worried about them, if their stance and conversations fall apart from this meeting, what hope they have to face against stricter and more aggressive diplomats? Which frankly, those diplomats are not far away from Erinor. Hannah was also worried that if such a diplomatic meeting falter, then the diplomatic strength between the Technocracy and Erinor shall have a weak start. Dietrich looked at Hannah, and held her hand for a couple of seconds.
Little that the Erinorians know that their conversation is still heard by the Hammerstarians. Hammerstar muted theirs own microphone, but they did not mute theirs. There are so many things to be said about it, but Dietrich signaled that no one should speak of it. They responded the Erinorians with a sincere smile. [Image: F24otrAl.jpg] "I believe that shall be the topic for the meeting soon shall be about finalizing the military exercise.” Responded Chico, “I shall also explain to the other Hammerstarian military leaders about your decision and perhaps this future program. Needless to say, we are definitely prepared to cross swords with Erinor." Millicence was happy and crossed her arms over her chest, she bowed and continued. [Image: UsCB87Al.jpg] "I am satisfied that you accept our proposals on education and environment. We believe that these two fields would certainly benefit the future generations, and we shall do whatever we can to make sure that Erinor receives the best from Hammerstar. Hannah had already knew about the Serevan troubles from the book that was mentioned by Sirea, and other books that were not mentioned by her. Perhaps even more than the Erinorian delegates have known themselves. It was nothing compared to the atrocities that Hammerstar had faced before though, and the continuous disbelief from foreign neighbors of other countries felt like a piercing stab in her chest. She is however quite satisfied that Sirea is perhaps willing to do something about it. Hannah's turn was to speak, and she placed on her glasses. [Image: pTo58ael.jpg] "Hmm, well!...Your history is rich and provides a great lesson for those that lives afterwards. I too have studied about the Erinorian history myself, and I learnt quite a lot from it. Please correct me if I’m wrong. The tensions with the Erinorian society with the Marcorar for example, the warrior clan stripped the rights of all the Erinorian laborers on June at the Khasa Marcoral Arutyarcad to pave a way for slavery for the Erinorians. Of course, slavery was not to Various uprisings exist, naming the first uprising as a historical day, 28th of june? It drove the Marcorar but only for nine days until your king declared the war on the Erinorian laborers, causing the rebellion to be brutally routed. Of course the flame did not go out just yet, Erinor continued to work hard and freed the Serevan slaves they gave Sereva back its heritage and the Serevans gave the Erinorians manpower to best the King. It resulted in democracy for your state and the people finally received freedom. Of course, the freedom was not at last, the coup turned your state into a dictatorship and exterminated the Serevans in inhumane ways. Equality was not restored until now as if it was hoped, and conflict continued to grow” Hannah took a deep breath and continued. “ I met with the dalai lama a long time ago, and he told me this; “There is a saying in Tibetan Buddhism, 'Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength.' No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that's our real disaster. Your history is proved what he said. Did your people gave up hope when the King declared power with a show of force? No, you continued to fight by freeing the Serevans. Did you let Cadeo to oppress your hopes? Certainly not, you overthrew him. Did you stop hoping for peace when the conflict between Serevans and Erinorians happen? No, and my proof is that what you just said, mademoiselle. Hammerstar also has a streak of horror, atrocity and violence that you would not even believe. Many historians and scholars went crazy, their veins popped on such graphic history… I truly hope that this event be solved, for a better tomorrow…. By the way, it is Mademoiselle, I am yet to be wed.” It was Dietrich’s time to talk, and he had something for Sirea. [Image: nP3k2TWl.jpg] “A state visit to Erinor is certainly appropriate, and we are committed to our relationship. Do not doubt our loyalty to the state of Erinor, we shall definitely do what we can to make the flowers bloom.” The Hammerstarians bowed quite low at the Erinorians. They respected them deeply as with other nations that took the time for Hammerstar. Humility was the only thing that Hammerstar is not short of, and they always treated all nations with the highest degree of humility permitted. As the Hammerstarian delegates stood straight once more. Dietrich then looked at Sirea straight to her eyes, and gave a sincere smile. “Mademoiselle Sirea.” Called Dietrich. “If it isn’t such a bother, may I speak with you alone please?” |
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