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In the Rome Republic, the Courts of Justice re-opened on the first day of every year, and debtors were given one week to settle their debts or be sued. This debt-settling deadline fell one what was known as the ides of the month. Beware the ides of March, the soothsayer said to Caesar.

In cosmic beauty, our ides has been one of settling debts in NationStates. In August-September of last year, Wolf and his pack of seeking alphas called the Lone Wolves United, propped up Funkadelia’s coup d’région in Lazarus. The dessicated army of this new Undead Dominion denied fervently that the Lone Wolves were in power, to the belief of no one. It was a native-backed uprising against electoral fraud and foreign entryists, of course.

It was only natural that Funkadelia pay back during the ides what was owed-- control of Lazarus, in full, to the Khanate of wolves in sheep's clothing. (Quite literally; look at Aleister’s flag.) Wolf has regained a semblance of relevance again, thanks to the hard work of Funkadelia and the propagandists in Balder, Osiris, and The West Pacific who protected the flock from the pesky truth.
 


“This day you take control of your own destiny, this day your chains are broken!” howls the new World Factbook Entry. But to what were Lazarenes chained before the wolfpack unveiled their duplicity? The regime of Funkadelia, who banned long-time players for threatening his fragile grip on the government? The outsider raiders who were artificially inflating Funkadelia’s endorsement count? The unprincipled Edward Bernays trying to push the actions of a disloyal failed Delegate as the new Torches of Freedom? Whoever did the public relations last year needs to be re-hired before the Lone Wolves have another Freudian slip.

As with all of his endeavors, my good friend Wolf will eventually prove once again that he can’t keep the wind in his sails for very long. The Triumvirate never did deliver the booming activity they promised, and Lone Wolves United is hardly known for their staying power. What’s unfortunate is that Funkadelia’s insecurity at losing his reelection means Lazarus, a once-proud sinker, will remain a dried-out husk until Wolf loses his bark again.

“Beware the ides of March,” the soothsayer told Caesar. When the day came and nothing happened, Caesar thought he was safe and exclaimed, “The ides of March are come!”

To which the soothsayer replied, “Aye, Caesar, but not gone.”

 

Interview with Auphelia
BY Southern Journal Staff

At the time of writing, the Local Council elections were in full swing and this publication was keen to learn more about one of the rising stars of the gameside community. With a constantly-changing catalogue of pre-titles, Auphelia has become an irrepressible presence on the Regional Message Board since her founding on the 5th January 2017, but it’s fair to say that not many know much about her or understand the enigmatic power by which she holds sway over so many conversations and keeps the tone of the RMB just a little bit less sane.

With this in mind, we sent World Assembly Delegate and occasional Southern Journal writer, Erinor, A.K.A. Seraph to track Auphelia down and find the answers to some of these pressing enigmas. After spanning the globe, Seraph at last cornered Auphelia atop the Altiplano of Bolivia, herself hunting the missing TSP Llama.

~~~~

Auphelia: Alas! I almost had him! Oh, Erinor, what brings you to the Alpaca Lands?

Erinor: I’m here to interview you, actually. The readers of the Southern Journal want to know more about their future supreme overlord - I mean their potential Local Councillor.

A: That’s great, but I’m kinda busy here! Perhaps you could help?

At this point Erinor’s transcript becomes increasingly confused, with notes about Alpaca Rebels, trap setting and something about going undercover for a while, ‘perfumed as one of their own’. Several hundred pages later it regains some clarity with some discernible questions as Erinor and Auphelia were apparently taking a break between Alpaca camp raids.

E: Auphelia, you're a very familiar presence on our Regional Message Board, but I don't think that many South Pacificans would claim to know a lot about you. Can you give us a bit of a rundown of who you are, what you do and where you're from?

A: I am a woman/girl at heart living (most of the time) in India. I spent some of my childhood in America. I detest physical exercise for the sake of exercising, because I have better things to do than run for no reason or lift large chunks of metal. I do enjoy reading, caramel (sweets in general), and Broadway music. I don't like to reveal a lot about myself on the interwebs, because I may or may not have a secret double life as a spy (I don't, but a girl can dream).

E: So, what first got you started in NationStates?

A: I got started in NationStates when... I think a friend recommended it to me, though I can't quite remember. I have always loved games like this, getting to rule my own land with an iron fist - erm, compassionate touch.

E: You were very active when you first arrived here (so much so that we founded Knowhere largely - if not solely - on the basis of your posts) but you then fell into a period of inactivity when we didn't hear anything from you at all. What brought you back?

A: Well, I stopped when I went to America for a few weeks, and then... *cringes* ... forgot about NationStates. I know, shame on me and all of that. I didn't mean to, but it happened. What brought me back was suddenly remembering: I forgot to respond to Montron's telegram. Out of nowhere, months after I left, that thought popped up. I have no idea why. Remembering how much fun it was here, I immediately resurrected Auphelia and haven't stopped since. Now NationStates has become a part of my schedule, thanks in part to the fact that I am usually awake at all hours of the night.

E: What do you enjoy most about NationStates and the South Pacific and what would you like to see here in the future?

A: I love the polls, the amazing conversations we are able to have in the RMB, and the elections when I get to go all out for a candidate I believe in (It was totally you, Erinor). However, I would like to see the polls used more! It seems they pop up whenever there are elections or special events, but never nearly enough! My running for LC may or may not have the singular goal of getting to create polls every week.

E: Which leads me to ask, what made you decide to run for Local Council and how do you see your TSP political career progressing if you're elected?

A: I decided to run for Local Council because I felt it was time I give back to the community in ways that are more than humorous escapades and brilliant ban hammer fight scenes. I am often online, more than most at any rate, and I find that I and others who are also frequenters of the RMB are often helpless in the face of spammers and trolls. As for my career, if I won I would try to do an acceptable job and get re-elected. I don't really see myself going past being an on-again-off again Local Councillor, as I find the forum (no offence meant) to be somewhat of a hassle to get to. But I do love the RMB and I hope it continues to thrive and earn us our spot as the Party Region.

E: As a resident of one of the less-well-represented nations on earth within NationStates, do you think that the game in general or our community in particular helps to broaden the horizons of its players? If not, then what do you think players need to be doing differently?

A: I don't think NationStates (or at least this region) serves to broaden our horizons too much. But that isn't really a problem. We are a feeder and most of our members seem to be from majority English speaking and English descended countries (The US, Canada, the UK, Australia) or people who write in English very well and have a firm(ish) grasp on Western culture. This helps new players, as most seem to be from the Western world in general, to acclimate to the game and learn until they (far too often) leave us. If you want to broaden your horizons there are regions for that, but we need to serve the needs of the many. Of course, this lack of understanding has led to a few "incidents" where terminology is different (silly Americans), but those are usually few and far between.

E: What has been your favourite memory of your time in the South Pacific, so far?

A: Favourite memory... that is a hard one. There have been so many good moments, but I think my favourite was during the delegate election that you won (#VoteTsunamy) when I had a small news channel all to myself. Water skiing squirrels, punny names, rodent uprisings, surprise kidnappings; my studio had it all! My favourite bit was when It's Morning, Auphelia! was taken over by the rodents and a white rabbit recited a heavily edited version of the Communist Manifesto. I personally found it to be hilarious. Then again, my sense of humour is hardly conventional.

E: You're well-known for your eccentricities and wild imagination on the RMB. Just where do you get your ideas from?

A: I am not really sure. Most just magically pop into by brain, others are slight adaptations from what I read, and some are callbacks to earlier craziness that I have engaged in. It's difficult to fully explain what it is like, but I will often just start typing and let myself get rid of the filter that people normally use in their interpersonal interactions. It's pretty fun, and has led to some fairly interesting circumstances.

E: You've shared a lot of songs from musicals lately. Which is your favourite and why?

A: I. Hate. You. But you are forgiven, just this once. Telling me to pick an all-time favourite musical or song is like asking me to fly. It's absolutely impossible! But thinking off the top of this head, right at this moment, I would have to say my favourite musical for plot is Chicago, my favourite song is Defying Gravity, and my favourite musical for songs averaged out is Gypsy. I love the plot and the way the songs of Chicago go together so well and intersect with the story and Roxi's point of view, showing her dreams as a star and the way people are so flexible and willing to be sheep. It really gives me hope if I ever have to go to trial for my various crimes against humanity. But Defying Gravity has the sheer force and emotion that even the likes of Rose's Turn (emotional) and Cell Block Tango (force) fail to match. The high, wavering notes, the crash of the brass instruments, and the way the story has led up to that moment is almost unsurpassed. Then again, it all depends on who sings it. And then there is Gypsy. It may not have all of the greatest songs, but the way that it uses the influences of vaudeville and the voices of the cast creates an overall more beautiful effect than most other musicals. Of course, there are a few bad songs (Little Lamb), but the best songs serve to average out Gypsy into a beautiful tale of either a daughter finding independence from her mother or a mother learning that she has given her entire life to her children just to be taken for granted and left behind. The ending ruined it for me, which is why it is not my favourite musical for plot as well.

E: It’s traditional to end one of these interviews with a Cake vs. Pie questions, but you recently came out publicly as an Independessert. To what extent do you feel that that ideology of having your cake and eating pie too defines your outlook on life and NationStates?

A: I am usually one to find the middle ground, or better yet, create my own ground. I tried to get an Ice Cream revolution off of the ground, but it failed, so I joined the Independesserts because if I can't have it my way I will help those trying to find a safe place in the middle of this violent and delicious conflict. This has allowed me to move past the petty squabbles of the various factions and become more involved in welcoming others and not committing mass genocide against the Cakeitalist heretics.

E: Finally, what do you actually plan to do with the TSP Llama if you find him/her?

A: Obviously, I shall harness the Sacred Llama Crystals of TSP, calling down all of the ghosts of TSP Llama's past, present, and future to fight against the Alpaca Extremists! Of course, I need the TSP Llama itself to activate the Crystals, hence why we are searching for it. Then, once both sides are incapacitated from fighting each other, I shall make Norman the Turtle the Official Mascot of TSP while the TSP Llama is too weak to defend its throne! My master plan, revealed! Oh. That may not have been a wise decision, revealing my master plan to the Delegate. Oops. Can we just uh . . . strike that from the record?

The rest of the transcript is torn and there are signs of a struggle. Erinor has not spoken about his experiences since he returned from the Andes, so exactly what happened up there on the Altiplano will have to remain a mystery for now.

 


A note from the Ministry of Regional Affairs:
The South Pacific and Cultural Activity in NationStates

Since March 2017, The South Pacific has emerged as the central region for those seeking vibrant cultural activity. We’ve prided ourselves on inclusivity towards a wide variety of regions and peoples, and like to reflect that in our cultural events. The Ministry of Regional Affairs would like to take this opportunity to go over some of the great things TSPers have done so far.

Our first big event of last year was the CULT festival with The Rejected Realms and the Celestial Union. We had a killer movie night, awesome design competitions, spam games, and fan-fic and original story contests. And over the past year, TSP has grown and built events that have gotten only better and more exciting. Our Ministry of Regional Affairs has been working day and night to be a leader in inter-regional activity, and we’ve been rewarded each time with meeting an assortment of players who are curious to mingle and enjoy each other’s company. But most of all, we just want to have fun!

The Game of Thrones festival with New Pacific Order saw the addition of trivia, quizzes, chess, Mafia and post N-day fun. This event had about 30 members partake and spurred a lot of discussions about the fandom. In addition, it introduced TSPers to other fellow NS players who loved and enjoyed the same books and TV shows.

Next up was the Harry Potter and the Festival of Friends (Year 1) with 10000 Islands, which drew the largest crowd of members at the time (over 50) and also the largest membership in terms of having people from all parts of NS enjoy themselves. Custom Buzzfeed quizzes helped sort people into Hogwarts Houses. They competed for points through activities such as dueling, banner designs, custom Harry Potter-themed Cards Against Humanity tournaments, themed Mafia games, and a roleplay thread around the fandom. This event also saw the heavy use of voice-chat that extended way into the morning! Again, fans discussed favorite characters (sometimes strongly disagreeing ), fan fics, and their love for the wizarding world. The staff from TSP and XKI working on this event also collaborated really well and self-assessed on how to improve things for the next event. All in all a really wonderful time that we hope to replicate each year!

The most recent event, the Interregional Olympics Games, saw over 85 members with over 50 players signed up to compete. The Olympics were an amazing amalgamation of different regions and culture, much like the real world, and we saw some of the highest quality of participation we’ve seen in a long time! This was another great event where a love of Olympics, sports, games, or hanging out led to a lot of shenanigans and activity. In addition to the R\D games there was trivia, Werewolf, Cards Against Humanity, and a lot of VCs and hanging out.

So what’s next for TSP? We hope to run a Lord of the Rings themed event with some allies and friends in the near future. We’re also interested in helping allies and friends host events themselves! One way to overcome stagnancy or attrition is to make sure your region is a place where people have opportunities to enjoy the things they love with other people   So keep an eye out for our events and also partake and enjoy the game with someone new! Want to help learn how to host or just like to be part of the party planning committee?  Join the TSP Ministry of Regional Affairs Discord here! 
 


Promise Fulfilled: RMBer Pencil Sharpeners 2 now on CRS
BY Roavin

On January 11, 2018, The South Pacific passed a milestone long-awaiting by government reformers: the confirmation of a game-side member to the Council on Regional Security. Pencil Sharpeners 2, known locally as just PS2, carries the distinction of being the first security official to not be a long-time member of the forum-side governance of the Coalition of The South Pacific. After applying in early December, the CRS formally recommended his admission to the Assembly, which passed the resolution by a 35-2 majority.

Pencil Sharpeners 2 has been a resident of the South Pacific for close to four years and has become a stalwart figure on the RMB. His two terms as a Local Council member redefined the potential of that institution with his unprecedented activity levels and the introduction of the extant Local Council election laws as well as the introduction of the daily QuickNews, an institution carried forward even today (rebranded as “SlowNews”). Next to that, despite not being a Legislator, Pencil Sharpeners 2 participates in the off-site Discord chat, attends festivals on the off-site forum, and is a prolific writer for the Southern Onion, a satirical publication in the South Pacific.

The potential to have a security official not involved in forum-side politics is relatively recent, having been introduced in the new Charter written during the Great Council of 2016. The change was initiated by Tsunamy, a long-time member and reliable advocate for the rights of the game-side community, who initially suggested the requirement to serve two terms on the Local Council as an alternative to six months of legislator status, and successfully forced its inclusion into the so-called “Working Group draft” that would later become the new Charter.

With PS2’s acceptance into the CRS, the Coalition of the South Pacific has become the first GCR to field a security official who is not part of forum-side governance. The Coalition continues its promise to the greater community of nations within the region: that the forum is not an elite oligarchy, but rather a facet of something much larger, with both forum and on-site communities needed to ensure the South Pacific’s success.

 


Westphalia, Twice Failed
BY Glen-Rhodes

With the defeat of the second Liberation resolution in the Security Council, it’s become a virtual certainty that the once-bourgeoning Westphalia will be wiped out of NationStates by the hands of The Black Hawks and Unknown. The destruction of Westphalia, a region with known defender ties, stands as a testament to the strength of raider piling armies, but also the weakness and disorganization of the defender establishment.

On February 4, 2018, TSP Delegate Seraph voted against the original Liberation resolution in the Security Council. He was advised by Prime Minister Roavin, Minister of Foreign Affairs Tim, and General-Commander Vietnam, to cast TSP’s 500-plus votes against the resolution. According to them, along with the leadership of The Grey Wardens, the Liberation was submitted too soon and wasn’t worded as well as they would like. Additionally, they attempted to argue that Westphalia’s security would be harmed by a Liberation, if The Black Hawks ended up leaving the region and the Liberation could not be repealed. Tim noted in the Security Council forums, “No point passing needless Liberations before there is a clear and looming danger.”

Fast forward roughly 20 days, to the shock of absolutely nobody, The Black Hawks announced with fanfare “the last of Westphalia’s native population was removed from the region.” Westphalia was on track to be destroyed—all natives purged, the region locked with a password, and ultimately refounded by raiders as a trophy. The defender establishment’s assessment of the threats turned out to be the farthest thing from prescient.

Big, but Fragile Egos

In the wake of the disaster in the Security Council, the defender world banded together with the victims of destruction in Westphalia. They vowed to fight to the bitter end, to organize a diplomatic and military response, and help Westphalians learn how to win their home back.
At least, that’s how things should have gone. Instead, The Grey Wardens spent the days following the destruction of Westphalia blaming the natives and a small defender organization, SWORD, for the debacle. The Grey Wardens told Westphalia to ban a sleeper agent; they didn’t. The Grey Wardens told Westphalia to institute a password; they didn’t. That much is true.

Had they banned the sleeper agent and put a password on the region, The Black Hawks wouldn’t have been able to invade. Yet, innocent regions have been making these mistakes for the past decade. Defenders are supposed to do everything in their power to help regardless, and show sympathy and empathy when things don’t do as desired.

The crassness of The Grey Wardens shows how big but fragile the modern defender ego is. Facing criticism, the new defender elite pointed the finger at inexperienced players. They wiped their hands and seemed unperturbed that a defender-friendly region was being destroyed. The mere suggestion that maybe The Grey Wardens and other large defender organizations had some level of fault, is being met with disdain for anybody who isn’t an expert military strategist. As Frattastan (Rejected Realms Foreign Affairs Officer, and Rejected Realms Army High-Commander) put it, “One might think that [Westphalia] retroactively ‘deserved’ destruction because it was piled too high for anyone to free it.”

A Lone Dissenter

Perhaps the Wardens know military strategy well. Where they clearly lack, however, is in political strategy. While high-level Wardens were arguing against the first Liberation resolution, Frattastan delivered prescient retorts.

First Warden Vincent Drake argued that it was too early for a resolution, because without a clear intent to destroy (like instituting a password), raiders would claim that they aren’t going to stay anyways. With 120+ raiders in the region, as Frattastan pointed out, and the rhetoric of the founder being an evil forum destroyer, it was plain as day that destruction was in the works.

Warden Fauxia, echoing the advice given to TSP Delegate Seraph, argued that the Liberation would put Westphalia in more danger if the raiders were to leave and putting a password in place is made impossible. Frattastan’s response shows the value in listening to a more experienced player:
 

Quote:“I don't buy the idea that the impossibility to password is a burden on security

If the Liberation is passed and the raiders leave, Westphalia will not be more vulnerable than it used to be: it didn't have a password most of the time.

And if the natives want to repeal it - whenever that's the case, one day or one year after - I doubt anyone will refuse that to them.”

The smartest guys in the room wanted us to believe that destruction wasn’t a foregone conclusion in early February. “Why?” is a question I’m not sure we could ever get a straight answer to. Were the Wardens acting out of spite, after SWORD didn’t take their advice? Or, perhaps more likely, the motley crew of cosmopolitan defenders are just not the greatest political movers of our time.

The Lobby

While there were legitimate concerns with the wording and timing of the Liberation resolution, it is beyond baffling why 10000 Islands stood alone as the major defender region voting in favor. The South Pacific and The Rejected Realms stacked against the Liberation, with a combined nearly 700 votes. It was truly a shameful display of disunity and callousness towards a region at threat of destruction.

Why would it have cost to vote in favor, after all? The timing and wording objections became irrelevant the moment the resolution reached the floor. At that instant, the only question to be answered was, “Should Westphalia be destroyed?” The decision to aid the Independents, imperialists, and raiders with defeating the resolution is a prime example of political ineptitude. The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs should be made to answer why they issued their “nay” recommendation, and to explain the clearly wrong analyses they made in early February.

In trying to figure out why The Rejected Realms voted against the first Liberation, I also found a troubling conflict of interest. Quite a few Warden names popped up in the resolution thread in TRR’s forums, including our own Minister of Foreign Affairs. Why were Wardens lobbying against the resolution in foreign regions? Why would TSP’s Minister of Foreign Affairs go to TRR and argue the opposite of what TRR’s own Foreign Affairs Officer was trying to persuade his government to do?

In full disclosure, Tim is a legal citizen of The Rejected Realms. He has every right to lobby their Delegate. However, this behavior is unbecoming of a TSP Cabinet member, and having the legal right to do so does not change the ethics. Nor does it excuse the poor judgement in lobbying against the Liberation in the first place.

If defenders had taken the advice of one of the most long-time and experienced members of the community, perhaps things would be different. Instead, TRR's Delegate voted against the Liberation, along with TSP. In their corner were the familiar regions of Balder, Osiris, The West Pacific, Europeia, and of course the very raiders the Grey Wardens ostensibly live to fight against. Odd company to keep, for sure.

Lessons Learned?

The Grey Wardens may have believed in good faith that it was too soon to submit a Liberation. They were wrong every step of the way. The Black Hawks did always intend to destroy. They did install a password. And Westphalia will be refounded as a trophy. All of this after Grey Warden leaders confidently dismissed the original Liberation because they didn't see the threat of a password materializing.

When I brought this failure up in a discussion on Discord, numerous Warden-TSPers expressed confusion as to why a new Liberation wasn't submitted after February 25, the day the password predictably materialized. I share their confusion. Why didn't The Grey Wardens, the defenders responsible for rallying the community against the Liberation, submit a new one when their requirements were now met? Why were they more focused on a bizarre counter-propaganda campaign to deny that Westphalia was even a defender region?

When the second Liberation resolution, written by a member of 10000 Islands, reached quorum, defenders failed to stack in favor of it again. Those critical first hours of voting often decide the fate of any resolution. So where were they all? Again, the defender establishment blames anyone but themselves. It was the author’s responsibility to organize a stack, after all. The East Pacific could have been persuaded to vote in favor, had the author only politicked Yuno prior to submitting the resolution. TSP and TRR could’ve been alerted to stack when it hit the floor.

Warden autopsy reports tend to be heavy on some great lessons, but it leaves you wondering why exactly the Wardens seem to exempt themselves from strategic failures. If The Grey Wardens want to be the premier defender organization of our era, they need to do some organizing themselves, instead of keeping their advice for later so that they can tsk-tsk others for not following it.

Westphalia was a collective failure of the defender establishment. A know-it-all attitude coupled with a disdain for natives and "lesser" defenders as an obstacle to overcome, rather than groups to protect and educate, led The Grey Wardens to fumble in the most serious of ways. Our own Cabinet members misguided the Delegate with poor judgement sourced from the badly wrong defender establishment.

What comes next must be a reflection on what lessons need to be learned from this disaster. Security Council political strategies need to be rethought. And attitudes on natives need to be corrected. The destruction of Westphalia was not a matter of fate. Defenders can and must do better.
 


The Drama Llamas
BY Nakari
 


Those who know TSP well will recognise the llama as its mascot – it is part of our forum logo and drama llamas are the government’s currency. But TSP’s theme is a tropical island paradise, far from the hilly, chilly Andes where llamas live in real life. So how did llamas get here?

The first reference of llamas in TSP was a thread talking about how cute they are, but llama references really seem to have increased after July 2004. At that time, a song about llamas was released, and was often referenced on the TSP forums. Often, llamas were mentioned alongside badgers – clearly associated because both animals rose to internet prominence through viral songs. While Badgers stayed relatively famous, the Llama Song faded, as did mentions of llamas in TSP…

Until 2012, when whispers were first heard of ‘the drama llama.’ The drama llama was an abstract entity of chaos that caused turmoil wherever it visited, and TSPers prayed for it to leave the region be. I like to think that the choice of llama was not only rhyme, but recollection of the meme status of llamas in TSP in 2004. In March 2014, Hileville introduced a currency system to the forums, known as ‘drama llamas’, which made llamas an official part of TSP for the first time, and references to llamas skyrocketed. By August, llamas were suggested as an official national animal.

Although the forums have since moved and the currency system gone, drama llamas remain the currency used in the Lampshade Bar, and government officials are paid salaries of drama llamas. Kringalia has the highest net worth: as of October he had earned over 19,125,000 drama llamas.

So that’s the TSP drama about llamas. How about in real life?

Llamas were used as pack animals at least since the Inca empire, since they can carry 30% of their body weight. The Inca empire’s success may have been built on the backs of llamas, as it formed in the area of South America with the most llamas, and its territory at its largest roughly correlated to the distribution of the llama population. They were used also for their meat and their fur, especially after the colonization of South America by Europe, as horses replaced llamas as pack animals.

Today, llamas are still used in South American hiking, for their fiber, and for their meat. In North America, llamas are employed on farms as guards for livestock, since they become extremely protective and have been known to kill attacking coyotes.

Possibly the most overlooked use of llamas is in medicine. Llamas, alpacas and other camelids have smaller antibodies in their blood than humans, so these antibodies can attack small viruses, and they are more stable than human antibodies. So scientists can give weak versions of diseases to llamas, as if they are vaccinating them, and the llama’s body will create antibodies against that disease without the llama being hurt. These antibodies are extracted from the llama’s blood and examined. The way that the llamas combat the disease can then be used to develop drugs that combat the disease in a similar way. Llama antibodies even have promise of fighting HIV. Recently, however, a method to create similar antibodies using yeast instead of llamas has been invented, so llamas may not have this use for much longer.

Llamas are surprisingly useful creatures. You can wear llamas, walk with llamas, eat llamas, even have your life saved by llamas. And you can visit the land of the llama, the South Pacific!