Kalistan

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VDR's Quickstop Experiments with Far Eastern Music
Vascanian Influences and Ananti Lyrics mix with Alternative/Indie Rock Styles
Vrassa City, Duchy of Vrassa
August 5, 5537


Quickstop, the Kalistani/Vascanian Trio bring experimental music to the Mainstream

VDR, a label usually known for its alt-folk and hip hop, has released a new record by a Vrassan band known as Quickstop. Incidentally, none of them are from Vrassa. Two of the three members emigrated from the distant nation of Vascania to Luthori where they grew up with the third member of the band, and then all three emigrated once more to Kalistan, where they have lived for the last three years.

"Kalistan is obviously the place to make music," said lead singer Ajay Bhattacharia. "Growing up in Luthori, I listened to almost exclusively Kalistani music. So when I and my brother decided to start our band, there was only one place to go. Its industry and music scene definitely offer the most freedom and creative space to make a living at music, and the culture of Kalistan is far more open to hearing what we are playing." Ajay Bhattacharia and his brother Mandar, along with drummer Greg Hinton all decided to cut ties with the Artanian nation and relocated to Vrassa City, where they began working in clubs, until they submitted a demo tape at VDR and were signed to the record label.

The new LP, called "Early Wakeup Committee" features ten songs of mostly alternative rock. But the music is influenced by two things: the Bhattacharia Brothers' Vascanian culture and psychedelic drugs, primarily LSD. "Well, we grew up in a pretty strict Vascanian home in Luthori," said Ajay. "Our parents thought we would be barristers and physicians. And Mandar and I only wanted to play music. It was a real disappointment to my mother, especially when I dropped out of school. When we told them we were moving to Kalistan, my mother cried for three days. They thought we would lose our culture. But you see, here our culture is a curiosity: We are the only ones doing anything like Ananti Language rock in Kalistan. We can bring that part of our heritage to Kalistanis, and kind of mix that with the culture we are now part of."

The music is also inflected by trip hop production techniques and beats that highlight the Vascanian influences. "In Kalistan, Vascania is exotic, you know: mystical. Many of the things we hear on a daily basis in our own community back home sound positively psychedelic here. The drone, the hand drum, and all, laid on a hip hop beat with a chant over it, to me that is a raga. To Kalistanis, that is an acid trip. Both get you to the same place, in my experience."

"At the end of the day," said Mandar, the band's bassist, "we took what we know and what we like, and mixed those things to make something new. We don't reduce anything: it's all addition, and people seem to like it here. Kalistani fans tend to be far more open minded than anywhere else, and they are open to trying new sounds. Plus it helps to be among the only Native Ananti speakers in a country which was named after our language. That's pretty wild. It's sort of like returning to our roots."

Despite being heavily influenced by Vascanian traditional music, most of the lyrics are in Vrassan. "We of course speak both languages equally well," said Ajay. "I was two when we moved to Luthori, so I don't actually remember much about Vascania, but Mandar was 6. In the home we spoke Ananti, and in the school we spoke Luthorian. No problem to switch between the two. Our parents were also very forward thinking, knowing that if we were to remain in Luthori, we would need to acquire the language, so there was no stigma to being bi-lingual, and therefore it was rather easy to move to Kalistan. Some strange idioms here I admit, but nothing we can't figure out." The Vrassan language used in the songs made them instantly accessible, and the selective use of Ananti made them exciting to Kalistani listeners, who rewarded the band with ticket sales, and now album sales.

Asked what the best thing about Kalistan is, Ajay responded "The music scene here is fun. A lot of the bands are really great, everyone is very welcoming and open, and the music is maybe a little bit formulaic at times, but like everything, things get a little stale and need refreshers and fundamentalist movements every once in a while to remind musicians that they are artists first. But after the music, its definitely the drugs and the people. Our creativity went through the roof after arriving in Kalistan, for obvious reasons. Literally everyone on our block is in a band. They are all doing the same drugs and all playing music together. It is a very fertile environment for ideas and exchange."

Quickstop's debut album Early Wakeup Committee is out now on VDR, and a new video for the title song is playing in heavy rotation on M7. You can watch it here.

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Kalistani Sailors Embark on Round the World Race
14 Crews Set out from Kaliburg on 25,000 mile journey
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
October 1, 5537


Sailing for the Duke of Suldanor Team, The sloop known as "Princess Nicolette" sets out for circumnavigation

14 teams set out from Kaliburg this week on a major race to circumnavigate the globe. The race, which has been called "The Ananto Cup" included 14 teams sailing ocean-going sloops from Kalistan and will test the endurance and skill of each six-person team. The Race was organized by several members of the Kalistani Royalty, including Duke Victor Ananto of Suldanor. Each team had a sponsor who supplied the stake for the pool, where first, second and third place winners will get a share. Each sponsor is also responsible for all resupplies along the more than 25,000 mile journey.

"We set the route to bring the ships near port throughout most of the journey," said Race coordinator Sylvia Fredrickssen. "We of course also need to pay attention to prevailing winds: These ships are not allowed to use motors, so if they catch a slack breeze, the will need to utilize their skill to find wind." Ultimately the route will take the competitors past 7 or 8 continents, saving only Makon, which is too far north. "It follows mostly a subtropical route, veering north around Seleya, and south around Dovani," said Fredrickssen. "It crosses the Equator twice on its journey, and is expected to take about 220 days overall."

The craft will remain in constant supply and communication with relays along the route, who will keep track of the location of the ship using online GPS monitors. "The one issue these ships will face is in some of the long stretches, they will not be in range of the supply ships for long periods of time. Places like the stretch of water north east and north west of Majatran nations are long passages of open sea. Granted at that latitude, there aren't many major cyclones to pop up, but still, crews can expect daily storms, and when its not raining, it will be hot. So We will be closely monitoring the ships as they near Beiteynu, and then will anxiously await their appearance off Northern Vascania. Lots of sleepless nights."

The most successful crews will be the ones who best utilize the winds to their advantage, and who work as a team. "These ships require four people to crew them at all time" said Fredrickssen. "We have built two liberty stops into the trip, one in Valruzia and one in New Alduria, which each ship is required to put into port for maintenance and liberty for 24 hours exactly. Otherwise, these crews' lives will be sailing, day and night, and they will need to do everything they can to keep their crew fresh and working as a team, including establishing their own tasks, sleep and duty schedule and cooking schedule. This is truly an endurance test to beat all tests."


Route of the First Ananto Cup Global Sailing Race

Teams include the Duke Victor Ananto team, the ODEN team, the Grand Duchess Martha Greene team, and the Imperial team, among others. The Most eagerly anticipated showdown is between the Duke Victor Ananto team and the Grand Duchess Martha Greene team, both of whom are odds on favorites to win the race. Kaliburg book makers give the Duke Victor Team 2.5:1 odds of winning, while the Grand Duchess Martha team has 3:1 odds at the start of the race. The Dark Horse ship sponsored by Count Conrad Brandstad of Vilbin rounds out the longshots at 31:1 odds.

"This is the first time we have put on a world sailing race," said Fredrickssen. "While its all Kalistani teams this year, perhaps, if al goes well and we decide to do it again, next time some other countries will be interested in participating. But if not, I am sure Kalistani betters and sportsfans will be fine with just Kalistani teams racing."

Now that the teams are off, all we can do is watch. They will clear Lodamun in just over two weeks and then it is open sailing. By then, they will begin to lose sight of one another as some teams pull ahead, while others do their best to keep up. By year's end, the sailors will reach their first liberty port in Valruzia. We wish all crews well, and will be excited to follow along their route.

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Ananto Cup heads West
All 14 teams have cleared Valruzian Liberty Port
Knińsk, Waluzyjskie, Valruzian Republic
January 3, 5538


The Countess Diana Morrison, in port in Likatonia as they repair from storm damage enroute to Valruzia

The last sloops have departed the Valruzian port of Kninsk in the around the world Ananto Cup. Duke Victor's team, the odds-on favored team, pulled into the Valruzian Liberty station first, and sailors were relieved to have the opportunity to spend some time ashore, take a bath, get some local food and perform needed maintenance on sails and rigging. In exactly 24 hours, they set sail once more headed west toward Majatra.

Over the next several days, the remaining ships came into port to perform the same operations. Between first and last place, there was a mere three days in total. Some ships required a bit more maintenance than their allotted 24 hours would allow, setting them back a little further, but none of these distances behind the leader is fully insurmountable. The crews themselves appreciated the additional time in port, but when repairs were completed, they were fully back in the hunt for the leader.

The worst damaged ship at the Valruzian stop was the Countess Diana Morrison, sponsored by Grand Duchess Martha Green of Kalistan. The ship was caught in a storm off the north west coast of Likatonia and nearly capsized as the crew tried to run before the wind. That mistake was costly, but the subsequent flooding overwhelmed the ship's pumps and they crew decided to make for shore, where they dropped anchor to physically bail out the ship. That delay cost them 14 hours and then an additional 12 hours in Valruzia as they had to wait a day and a half for a new bilge pump to arrive. After installing the new pump and replacing a torn mainsheet, the Countess D. Morrison was back on the waves, in ninth place behind the leader.

As the crews head west toward Majatra, they will not stop again until they make Temania in about two and a half months. Though is may not seem like it, the longest leg of the journey is now completed: the ships had to sail north around Seleya, and then had to sail south quite a ways. The total time from Kalistan was just over three months. Average speed of the Sloops was about 12 Knots. The pace could pick up as they head west with the trade winds in the lower latitudes, but the trickiest seas of the leg are expected to be around Vascania, where the ships will sail through the southern trades but will have to navigate the calmer horse latitudes for a small portion of the journey. The ships will also be sailing through some of the recently contentious international waters around Vascania and Rapa Pile: Kalistani supply vessels will be stationed in Vascania to intercept the race, but hopefully the security situation holds to allow the race to pass through in peace.

Seleya bids farewell to the Ananto Cup. Below are the standings at Kninsk, Valruzia.

Place-----Team----------------------Time to Kninsk-------Time in Port (h)
1----------Duke Victor----------------91d 4h 21m-----------24h
2----------ODEN-----------------------91d 12h 3 m-----------24h
3----------Duchess Elizabeth--------91d 22h 16m----------25h12m
4----------Count Michael------------92d 12h 5m------------24h
5----------KalMD----------------------92d 14h 12m-----------26h
6----------Republican Studios-------92d 17h 32m----------24h
7----------Grand Duchess Marta----93d 9h 47m-----------36h 17m
8----------MoCo-----------------------93d 11h 1m-----------24h
9----------AeroKal--------------------93d 13h 56m----------24h
10---------Barron Albert-------------93d 22h 15m----------27h 32m
11---------Duchess Marnie-----------94d 1h 31m-----------24h
12---------KMI-------------------------94d 8h 12m-----------24h
13---------Count Conrad-------------94d 9h 40m-----------24h
14---------Duke George--------------94d 10h 7m-----------24h

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Kalistan takes measured approach on Vascania
Criticism of militarism "borders on hypocrisy", says new FM
Yoshimi, Duchy of Suldanor
February 20, 5538


Dame Jacqueline DuMont, His Imperial Majesty's New Foreign Minister, restates policy of Non-Alignment

The incoming foreign Minister, Dame Jacqueline DuMont, gave a major policy speech on the campus of the University of Kalistan, in Yoshimi this week. The topic of the speech was on Vascania's invasion and annexation of the islands of Rapa Pile. "It is the policy of His Imperial Majesty's Government that Kalistan remain non-aligned on the matter of Vascania," said Dame DuMont. "Non-Alignment does not however mean isolation, nor does it mean neutrality. While Kalistan does not adopt a side in the conflict either pro or anti, Kalistan does reserve the right to call out policy that borders upon hypocrisy in the response from the rest of the world."

The Foreign Minister specifically noted the sanctions placed on Vascania in absence of World Congress resolutions. "We ourselves condemn the war, the invasion, the illegal occupation and the unlawful annexation of Rapa Pile by the Empire of Vascania. That said, we also do not do so because we opposed the concept of settlement of legitimate territorial claims: We just have not determined, for ourselves that the claim to annexation of Rapa Pile was legitimate. And if it is not legitimate, then the invasion and occupation of the islands are also illegitimate. We encourage Vascania to resolve the matter peacefully, restore the independence of the Pilese people. In this sense, the sanctions that are called for to put pressure on Vascania would be something that is just, and we hope that Vascania will rectify the relationship with their neighbors and the world."

The Foreign Minister then noted that the condemnation of some nations seems to be inconsistent with their actions in other parts of the Globe. "Kalistan has been traditionally reluctant to call out our friends in Lourenne," said Dame DuMont. "However, it seems very inconsistent for Lourenne to take such a strong stance against militarism, while themselves proliferating weapons of mass destruction to their colonial possessions. According to their newspaper, we read that they are transferring an aircraft carrier EACH to every nation in the Canrillaise Empire. This is not only a dramatic increase in Lourennais Power in Southern Seleya, but also defies comprehension with regard to how many aircraft carriers had in its possession that it has simply proliferated around the globe now. It makes liars of those in Lourenne who claim they support peace: You can not credibly claim to be for peace while maintaining a hegemonic naval capacity that dwarfs the rest of the world's capacity combined."

Dame DuMont contrasted the new Lourennais naval doctrine of global projection with the Kalistani doctrine of armed self-defense. "Compared to the capacity of Lourenne, and nations like it who are constantly involving themselves with war, and are often the instigators of war, Kalistan and other members of the Non-Aligned movement practice something more along the lines of non-Projection and defense in depth. The Kalistani Military Doctrine will never place our armed forces on another nation's door steps. We are not the world's police, nor do we think we should be. The Non-Aligned Position, which is the one that Kalistan is unequivocally committed to, believes that alignment into military blocs encourages militaristic behavior: If you have the weaponry, eventually, you are going to use it. We can be secure without bowing to the great powers of the world, but it is just strange that those great powers believe that their massive military contributes in any way to anything other than war."

The Foreign Minister finished her speech with a word of hope. "These comments should not be read anywhere as a breech between Kalistan and Lourenne," said Dame DuMont. "Though Kalistan sits outside the monetary regime, we still trade with Lourenne. Any criticism we offer is strictly to encourage our neighbor to adopt the road of peace. Aircraft carriers are a status symbol, but they carry dangerous implications, and they are threatening. They are like toxic waste, and proliferating them to other, far less politically or economically stable nations is like handing poison to them. Lourenne is a trusted international leader, and their projection has been accepted by most of the world because most of the world benefits from it. Other nations striving, almost obsessively, to acquire them, or even worse, just being given them, is like planting the seas for future wars. We encourage Lourenne to reconsider its military expansion, because otherwise, it undermines their credibility as a partner for peace, both in Vascania and in the rest of the world."

The Foreign Minister added as a post script: "The worst thing in the world to be seen as is a warmonger. If one proliferates weapons of war, especially ones as dangerous as forward projections systems like Aircraft carriers, there is little to differentiate what they are doing with what they are criticizing and condemning. We hope Lourenne will choose peace."

The speech was generally well received by the audience, though there was some expressed concern that it was perhaps a bit too provocative, when nothing is likely to come of it. "Nobody cares what Kalistan thinks," said one professor who heard the Speech. "Kalistan frequently punches well above its weight class, only to be reminded time after time that its opinion carries no weight, or is ever even asked for, when put up against the whims of Great Powers. "

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Ananto Cup arrives at New Alduria
ODEN team leads sprint for Kaliburg
Moranvil, New Alduria
March 30, 5538


ODEN Sponsored Empress Katherine ship sits at anchor while Skipper works on her tan

The Ananto Cup yacht race has completed the middle passage of the global race, and the ODEN sloop was the first to launch on the final leg to Kalistan. The main pack of three ships, consisting of the ODEN Team, the Duchess Elizabeth Borland Team, and the Duke Victor Ananto team increased their distance ahead of the trailing sloop from about 3 days to five days, and the opportunities for the followers to catch up are growing less and less each day, barring some event that slows one of them down.

The Oden Ship, skippered by Dana Wilson, demonstrated expert sailing, by increasing the sloop's average speed above 15 knots. "The ODEN team is lucky to have several skilled mariners on our team, including the Dahl Brother, Markus and Sven, who were born and raised in Kazulia, and grew up on their grandfather's fishing boats. The Dahls know the sea," said Wilson. "They find water that is smooth, and its almost like they invent wind when there was none." Despite being behind the Duke Victor Team's ship most of the second leg, the ODEN ship caught up after passing Vascania, and the two dueled for the lead south of Xsampa, with ODEN finally taking the lead three days out of Moranvil. "One thing neither of us paid attention to was the fact that the Maiden of the Sea, sponsored by Duchess Borland, was hot on our heals and watching what we were doing," said Wilson. "Following our marks, they also zipped past The Princess Nicolette too."

The previously plagued Countess Diane Morrison, sponsored by Grand Duchess Marta Green, also made up significant time. The started the leg in 9th place after having to make fairly extensive repairs, but roared past several competitors, and arrived fifth in Moranvil. "After the rough start, we had to bring our A game to move up into the top half," said navigator of the Morrison, Brad Gilbert. "Having a ship that is not leaking constantly is a great start. We actually got a little rest over the last few weeks. It has really made a difference in our attitude and our performance."

The rear was pulled up by the Count Conrad Dontes team, sailing the Lady Alice. "We're still in this," said skipper Winston Connelly. "We had some issues with the jib north of Vascania. The winch was jammed and the jib was stuck preventing us from fully reefing the jib in the strong cross winds. We had to do a lot of tacking and reefing on the mainsail to to avoid upsetting the ship. Since we had a much less straight line than other ships, we lost a bit of ground." Later, they were able to extend the job all the way out, and much of their 24 hour stop over in Moranvil was spent replacing the winch on the jib so they could use the jib sheet correctly.

All 14 sloops now turn northwest toward Indrala, then they will pass east of Gaduridos and then will land in Kaliburg. At this rate, the sloops are expected to make Kaliburg in a month and a half, just shy of 220 days around the world. Below are the current standings after Moranvil, New Alduria.

Place-----Team----------------------Time to Moranvil-------Time in Port (h)
1----------ODEN-------------------------176d 2h 23m---------24h
2----------Duchess Elizabeth----------176d 12h 52m--------24h
3----------Duke Victor-----------------176d 21h 15m---------24h
4----------Count Michael--------------177d 12h 5m----------26h 38m
5----------Grand Duchess Marta------178d 1h 8m-----------24m
6----------KalMD------------------------178d 10h 37m---------24h 30mh
7----------MoCo-------------------------178d 11h 1m----------24h
8----------Republican Studios---------178d 23h 1m----------24h
9----------AeroKal----------------------179d 10h 21m---------24h
10---------Barron Albert--------------179d 19h 35m---------27h 32m
11---------KMI--------------------------180d 1h 38m-----------25 30mh
12---------Duchess Marnie------------180d 17h 20m---------24h
13---------Duke George---------------180d 21h 43m---------24h
14---------Count Conrad--------------181d 2h 18m-----------27h

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Team Sponsored by Duchess of Vrassa wins Ananto Cup
Borland Team sailed "perfect race"
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
May 14, 5538


Second Place finishers Duke Victor Team nearly pass the Leader but fail to pass them in the end

The Ananto Cup has been won in Kaliburg. After 217 days, 1 hour and 31 minutes, the "Dame Smith" sponsored by Duchess Elizabeth Borland of Vrassa has narrowly edged out her competitors to win the round the world race. Over the next seven and a half days, all fourteen teams weighed anchor in Kaliburg, having each completed a full, assisted, nearly non-stop circumnavigation of the globe. Though the honors go to Duchess Borland's team, the sheer feat of circumnavigation of the globe is something that few individuals in Terra can say.

"We've done something that few, in the history of mankind on Terra have accomplished," said Captain Dona Taggert, of the KMI team. "We might not have gotten to take the purse that the champions did, but nobody can take away our accomplishment. Plus, it was great work for eight months!" The entire fleet averaged 6.5 knots over the course of the entire journey.

The total prize of ₭1 million will be awarded to the six person team of the Dame Smith. ₭500 thousand will be awarded to the crew of the "Princess Nicolette" sponsored by Prince Victor Ananto of Suldanor, and ₭100 thousand will be awarded to the crew of the "Empress Katherine" sponsored by ODEN. In addition, all sailors have been paid a salary of between ₭40,000 and ₭60 thousand for their time. All funds were provided by the fourteen team sponsors, as part of their sponsorships, which ended up being in just over ₭1 million each. "There was so much to pay into for the sponsors," said race coordinator Sylvia Fredrickssen at the start of the race. "Besides salaries, you have food, maintenance, the cost of the yachts, salaries for the support staff, the port fees all along the route... The total budget for this race was ₭18million, and Duke Victor and ODEN both put in an additional ₭500 thousand during the last leg to cover unanticipated costs."

"I don't think too much about the costs," said Duke Victor. "I made a lot of the money back betting parlay on the race, but it was never really about the money. I have more money than I know what to do with, as do all the other sponsors. This was an opportunity to draw attention to both the sport, as well as to honor the perseverance and fortitude of the human spirit, and to raise Kalistan's prestige in the realm of elite level sporting. To my knowledge, there hasn't been a similar race around the world like this. But, like so many other things, Kalistan did this first, and we will have done it best." Duke Victor himself launched from Gaduridos to meet his team as they passed close to the Islands and to cheer them on.


ODEN sponsored team, aboard the "Empress Katherine" are joined by their local Kalistani Ground crew for the cruise through Davon Bay just before docking third

The first four teams were less than 18 hours apart coming into Kaliburg, but the first three teams arrived within 3 hours of one another. A large crowd turned out to Port Davon to welcome the first three teams home, and the event was marked by a concert featuring the rising Vrassan Band Quickstop and the Empire's entry into FOMAT, Brad Willis. The Prince Regent was on hand at the event to greet the first three teams.

Robert Seville, navigator of the "Princess Nicolette", which came in second was just glad to be home. "I mean, we could see them all day today. When the sun was coming up and we were already in the straits, we noticed their sails on the horizon and we called them on the radio and I could just feel like we were gaining on them all day, but then they disappeared from view, and it as it was, that was when they entered Davon Bay and completed the race. We were so close, but I am just glad to be home. And considering that we've been fighting for the lead since leaving Valruzia, I'd say that the Dame Smith earned their victory!"

Ove the course of the next seven days, the remaining teams sailed into Davon Bay. They didn't have the fan fare or the concert to return home to, but the press was on hand to greet each team as they arrived. Kalistan's Grand Duchess' team, sailing aboard "The Countess Diane Morrison" arrived early the next morning, after having so many difficulties in the first leg of the trip. There weren't any significant mechanical difficulties, however, much of the bottom half of the finishers were affected by fairly strong storms between Indrala and Gaduridos that the front runners were able to beat through the ocean. Those storms slowed the pace of the sloops travelling through it, but no ships experienced the same issues that many did on the first leg of the journey.

The Corporate Teams finished in the middle of the field. This feat of endurance will go into the Kalistani Canon as the Greatest Sea Race ever run. The people of Kalistan welcomes our mariners back home. A combined celebration, along with a large parade are planned for the end of this month, and memoirs are already in the works about the race. In addition, much of Republican Studios' route was recorded, and a documentary film is being planned to incorporate that foots, interviews from many of the crew members on the various teams, and other recorded footage from the race.

Congratulations to the Crew of the "Dame Smith" her Captain Thomas Carrangus, and her Sponsor Duchess Elizabeth Borland.


Dame Smith Fore Crew, with Jib stowed and running Mainsail only in Davon Bay as they tack into harbor. The crew share a beer in celebration of their victory

Place-----Team----------------------Time to Kaliburg-------Tim behind Leader
1----------Duchess Elizabeth----------217d 1h 31m---------0m
2----------Duke Victor-----------------217d 3h 54m----------0d 1h 23m
3----------ODEN-------------------------217d 4h 2m-----------0d 2h 31m
4----------Grand Duchess Marta------217d 19h 25m--------0d 17h 54m
5----------Count Michael--------------218d 14h 0m----------1d 12h 29m
6----------KalMD------------------------218d 22h 22m---------1d 20h 51m
7----------MoCo-------------------------219d 9h 44m----------2d 6h 13m
8----------AeroKal----------------------220d 0h 40m----------2d 23h 9m
9----------Republican Studios---------220d 21h 17m--------3d 19h 46m
10---------KMI--------------------------221d 4h 7m------------4d 2h 36m
11---------Duchess Marnie------------221d 20h 41m---------4d 19h 10m
12---------Barron Albert--------------223d 15h 55m---------6d 14h 24m
13---------Duke George---------------224d 1h 6m------------7d 0h 35m
14---------Count Conrad--------------224d 18h 5m----------7d 16h 34m

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The Strict, Informal-not-Informal Rules of Imperial Etiquette and Privileges
Regency relaxed rules, but they are expected to return next year
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
July 15, 5538


His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Fredrick II Ananto, home on NSP Leave, talking to Eveari Socialite Danielle Andrews at Tea in June

As the Regency nears its termination when His Imperial Majesty ends National Service sometime next summer, it is important to reflect on the contrast between the informal etiquette and customs of the Regency and the rules of etiquette and propriety that will be re-established in the near future. It has been nearly a decade since there has been an actual sitting Emperor, and so, to help Kalistanis (and foreign visitors) shake off the rust and brush up on Imperial Etiquette and Customs, we present this handy dandy guide.

Titles of Nobility in Kalistan

All members of the Ananto family, whether married into it, or born into it, are Royalty and members of the Nobility. But not all members of the Nobility are Royalty. The only title that is hereditary is the title "Emperor or Empress" but any other title may be claimed by the Emperor or Empress for any reason. Most titles are granted to others as a matter of practice, and are often granted based on loyalty to the House, closeness in business dealings, or some extraordinary accomplishment. The Sovereign is free to create or destroy titles, but the decision to do so must be ratified by the National Assembly.

Royalty refers exclusively to members of the House of Ananto. Only Royalty may hold the title
Emperor/Empress,
Prince/Princess,
Crown Prince/Crown Princess.
Prince/Princess Consort is the title of the Spouse of the Current Sovereign in the event that there is no co-rule.

Members of the Nobility include all those who are granted titles by the Sovereign. These titles are
King or Queen- To refer to Nations regarded by Kalistan as integral to Kalistan but which are currently not politically controlled by the Sovereign;
Grand Duke/Duchess- Refers to either the Administrator of the Grand Duchy of Kalistan or the Grand Duchy of Ananto. The Grand Duke/Duchess is the Sovereign's Viceroy in that Administrative region. The Sovereign usually takes the title of Grand Duke/Duchess of Ananto for themselves, while appointing a close confidant Grand Duke/Duchess of Kalistan, who becomes the Sovereign's chief personal advisor.
Duke/Duchess- Administrative Head of one of the Duchies of Kalistan. Can either be a Royal or a trusted associate.
Count/Countess- Administrative Head of one of the many Sub-Duchy administrative divisions. Is often promoted by Duke or Duchess as a close associate of theirs.
Marquee/Marquess- An Honorary title equivalent to Count that accompanies significant land and incurs a tax liability and an annual public service requirement, but no administrative functions
Grand Mayor- The Crown's Representative and executive officer in Free Cities across the Empire that hold a revocable veto over the action of city councils
Baron/Baroness- Usually an honorary title that accompanies a small parcel of Land and incurs a tax liability and annual public service requirement, but no administrative functions.
Lord/Lady- An Honorary Title that comes with no land or Tax Liability or explicit Administrative functions, but does incur an annual public service requirement The Service requirement is usually involved in Upper level Duchy and Imperial Bureaucratic Staffing. Also receives the purely ceremonial title of Baronet/Baronette.
Sir/Dame- An honorary title that comes with being Knighted by the Sovereign, in recognition of service to the Empire or a specific high level of Achievement in some matter that brings prestige to the Empire. Also receives the purely ceremonial title of Knight of the Empire.

All members of the Nobility are considered "Peers" of the Sovereign. All appointments to the Peerage are considered to be lifetime appointments which are not transferrable to heirs, with the exception of those titles claimed by the Sovereign, who can bestow the titles on anyone they wish. All Peers are entitled to sit in the Upper House of the National Assembly, and only Peers may receive membership in the Ancient Order of the Grey Smoke (though membership is not guaranteed with Peerage.)

Addressing the Emperor, Members of the Royal Family, and Members of the Nobility

Kalistan is very formal about addressing members of the Royalty and Nobility. These rules can trip up Kalistani Nationals and foreigners alike.

All members of Royalty, excepting the Sovereign, when being addressed directly must first be addressed as "Your Majesty". The Sovereign may never be addressed directly in public and when being spoken about, must be referred to as "His Imperial Majesty" or "Her Imperial Majesty" first and then "His Majesty" or "Her Majesty". When writing about the Sovereign, the full address "His Imperial Majesty" or "Her Imperial Majesty" and then the customary Name "Emperor/ Empress [Given Name] [Number] Ananto" must be used first, in all cases, and then the Short title "Emperor/Empress [Name]" may be used. The only exception to this role is for those who have either retired or abdicated royalty, and then in this case, they are referred to in the manner of Nobility. Spouses and Parents are the only citizens allowed to refer to the Name of the Sovereign in public without the formal title, though expressing too much intimacy should be done rarely, to ensure a proper Distance between the Sovereign and the People.

All Members of the Nobility are addressed as "Your Highness" first, and then "Sir" or "Madam" in every subsequent reference. Non-Royal Nobility may be referred to by their Title, their Title and first name, or their Title and last name. The Nobility are entitled to claim the Title as an additional non-hyphenated last name, for example, "Grand Duchess Marta Greene Kalistan" to note that Her Highness is the the Grand Duchess of Kalistan.

Rules for talking about the Sovereign do not merely cover when someone who is lower in social status addresses the Dread and Almighty Emperor or Empress of Ananto and Kalistan. They apply to all mortals, including the Sovereign themselves. After all, talking about yourself when you are the physical embodiment of the entire Anantonese Nation is not just about you.

The Sovereign may never, in public, at any formal or informal setting, refer to themselves in the first person singular. "I" or "me" is strictly forbidden in all public settings. The sovereign may only use a form of the first person plural, to signify that they are speaking for the whole People of Kalistan.

The only exception to this rule is when the sovereign has either retired from public life, is serving as a regent in the name of the actual sovereign, or is in private with members of their immediate family only. If commoners are present, they may never refer to themselves in the first person singular.

The only member of the Royal Family entitled to posses a last name that is unhyphenated is either a future, current, or former Sovereign. In this case, the last name Ananto acts as a title, as in Emperor Fredrick, when he is invested will be THE Ananto, rather than just AN Ananto.

Physical Contact

The Person of the Sovereign is explicitly off limits in Kalistan. It is not permitted in any way for anyone, with the exception of immediate family members, to physically interact with the Sovereign in any formal or public setting.

No physical contact is permitted between Commoners and non-Royal Nobility and the Sovereign. In informal settings, commoners must remain a reverent distance from the person of the Sovereign. This prohibition extends from the moment the Sovereign is invested with Imperial Power.

There are to be no public displays of personal contact between members of the Royal family and the Sovereign. Private physical contact is permissible. The only exception is at personal family events such as weddings and funerals.

In Formal Audience

An Audience is a formal affair where a person seeks to elicit a policy from the Sovereign and their Government. The appeal of the audience could be a call for action, or may be a plea for acknowledgment of diplomatic credentials, or anything in between. It is an official function of the Sovereign, and the strictest protocol is maintained during formal audiences.

When attending a formal audience with the Sovereign, no person, save the Chancellor of the Empire, may approach the Sovereign to an arm's distance of the Sovereign's Person. All other attendees must remain further than 15 feet from the Sovereign at all times.

While a bow or a curtsey is not expected, it is not prohibited to show deference to the Sovereign when in their court.

The Sovereign is always the first to be seated, and the first to stand in any instance when sitting is called for. The Chancellor of the Empire always invites the guests to be seated, and guests, once seated, are expected to remain seated until invited to stand by the Chancellor.

The Sovereign may meet with no foreign citizen without the presence of the Chancellor of the Empire being present. The person requesting the formal Audience may not address the Sovereign directly, but should direct all questions and responses to the Chancellor. The Sovereign may ask questions of the person seeking the Formal Audience.

No weapons are permitted into the presence of the Sovereign.

The Sovereign may compel the presence in Audience of any Kalistani Citizen. Ignoring a Summons to an Audience is equivalent to ignoring a subpoena and carries with it legal penalties.

In Informal Settings (Teas, Parties, Public Speaking Events, Public Cultural Events)

Being Invited to Tea is code for "The Sovereign wishes to meet in an informal setting." Green Tea and a light pastry is served at these events, and they usually involve more than one guest. The Sovereign will schedule these events to provide an opportunity for more unguarded conversation or to give individuals a neutral ground to discuss matters among themselves. Unlike an audience, an informal meeting does not require any action on the Part of the Sovereign or the Government of Kalistan. Other informal settings include parties, public events and cultural events, where the Sovereign may ask certain individuals to attend as the Sovereign's Guests, but in doing so, some business may also be carried on.

At a tea or similar informal meeting, most rules listed under an audience are more like suggestions. Proximity to the Sovereign is usually permitted. Attendees may hold conversations with the Sovereign directly, though rules about addressing the Sovereign, Royalty and Nobility and physical contact are still maintained even in an informal setting

The Chancellor is not required to be present at informal meetings.

Informal Meetings can be held for the benefit of the attendees. The Presence of the Sovereign in this case serves the roll of facilitator, rather than participant. In this case, it is likely that the Sovereign will remain silent while the meeting is going on between the attendee, but will be present, as the outcome likely interests Kalistan as well.

Informal meetings can be legitimately proposed simply for the purpose of socializing. There are so few opportunities for the Sovereign to simply "hang out" so to speak, that they may schedule a ball or a dinner or may attend a concert with friends for the sake of living a somewhat normal life.

The Sovereign may, at will, waive the strictest titling rules in an informal setting. They may never waive physical contact rules.

Ignoring an invitation by the Sovereign is considered bad form and a personal slight to the Sovereign. There are only social consequences to ignoring an invitation, but no legal implications.

The Finances of the House Ananto

Finances are a tricky subject when talking about the Monarchy. Most people who discuss abolition of the monarchy do so from a position that paying a royal family to live in the lap of luxury is immoral. However, we provide this information to counter at least that critique.

It is considered very rude to discuss money directly with the Sovereign. The Sovereign, as such, is the expression of will. Money and cost of something is beneath a person who's word is in fact law. It is for others to consider something so base as money.

That said, it is important to note that the entire institution of the Monarchy is covered by public money: There is currently a line item in the National Budget for Head of State, meaning the Monarchy as an institution. This money covers the operation of all official offices, including the Sovereign's Staff, as well as staff and salaries for all Nobles who fill Administrative Roles in the name of the Sovereign and in the Government of duchies, counties, free cities and baronies. This also includes all personal staff for the Sovereign, including everyone from cooks, pilots, groundskeepers, and security personnel. The Monarchy is one of the largest public jobs programs in Kalistan outside the NSP.

All property used by the Sovereign are owned by House Ananto. The Sovereign is officially forbidden from accepting gifts of any kind, though donations to the House Ananto's various charity funds are welcome, as long as those gifts are anonymous. Any gifts presented to the Sovereign will be auctioned off. The thinking is that gifts are actually thinly disguised bribes. The Sovereign may make gifts however to others.

The Sovereign is paid a salary of ₭1 annually from the National Budget. Other members of Royalty, unless they receive salaries for performing Administrative functions in the Nobility, receive no public money whatsoever. All money to support the Royalty, including the Sovereign, outside the National Budget is provided by the House Ananto, which, since the restoration of the Monarchy, has functioned as a sort of living trust. The Sovereign covers all expenses out of the Trust, as well as maintaining a very generous line of personal credit with very enviable repayment terms (as in no repayment, since the money legally belongs entirely to the Sovereign.) This dual situation, next to nothing from the public coffers and an unlimited access to money from House Ananto, makes the Sovereign simultaneously the lowest paid public servant, and one of the wealthiest people in Terra.

All members of the Royal Family, including spouses, receive regular grants from House Ananto. The grants are relatively modest compared to the extravagance of many royal families, but all allow them to live well without needing to work. In exchange, senior members of the Royal Family are considered agents of House Ananto and are expected to utilize their time in civic activity, holding fundraisers, carrying out philanthropy, etc. A member can abdicate their role and in doing so will end both the civic expectation and the support from House Ananto. They will be entitled to maintain their title and public prestige, but will no longer receive Ananto money, nor will be expected to involve themselves publicly. Many of the junior members often maintain homes in other nations.

The Head of House Ananto is always the current Sovereign. The Sovereign usually appoints a member of the Ananto Family to administer House finances and affairs, and in this case, the business of House Ananto has been run by Duke Victor Ananto-Martin, brother of the Former Empress and Uncle to His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Fredrick II Ananto.

The Manager is expected to carry out a fiduciary responsibility to invest the money and manage the assets of the House Ananto for the benefit of the wellbeing and growth of the funds and assets of the House Ananto. The House Ananto is therefore the wealthiest privately held corporation in Kalistan, and it is believed that the net annual income of House Annanto is more than ₭25 Billion, though House Ananto's finances are inaccessible to the public.

Liberties in Kalistan

Kalistan remains a free nation that charishes civil liberties. However, the difference between the liberty in Kalistan and that which exists in a liberal state is that all liberty comes from the fiat of the Sovereign. Hence, there are some important modifications that need to be noted.

Free Speech, Assembly, Petition, and the Press- With regard to these liberties, there is a legal prohibition against lying in public, organizing an anti-monarchist or pro-fascist political party or organization, or actively seeking to foment civil disorder. Kalistan is a one-Party state, and that political party exists to ratify the will of the Sovereign. Civil Society is still free as long as civil action is within the law requiring honesty and peace. The right to petition the Government for redress of grievance is absolute, and courts are semi-independent from the Monarchy, making them freer than in authoritarian states, but not as partisan as they are in liberal states. Freedom of the Press is absolute, as long as printed materials are honest and not personally slanderous of public persons. It is customary to follow etiquette when discussing the Sovereign and the Nobility. All citizens have the right to vote in any election, regardless of where their home is, or what their criminal status is.

Freedom of Property- The Dual Economy still exists in Kalistan, meaning that the State maintains strong monopolies in specific sectors, and all competition there is squashed. The Private Sector however, still has rights to its property and contracts are protected and enforced in Kalistan, though the nation does have a history of expropriation from time to time. Again, as long as all laws concerning workplace safety, unions and the environment are followed, and monopolies are not violated, the Government tries to foster business profitability in Kalistan.

Criminal Justice- Kalistan does not maintain penitentiaries. They instead maintain a prison colony off the coast of Odufaray where only the most dangerous criminals, who cannot be rehabilitated, are housed. On the island, they remain at complete liberty, and govern themselves. They own their own homes, raise their own food, and are offered self governance. They are not taxed. For the most part, jails exist to hold those awaiting trial who cannot be trusted to stand trial on their own, or to temporarily segregate those disrupting social order from the rest of the society. Jury trials are guaranteed for almost all cases, and defense is publicly funded for all criminal trials, though private lawyers who work in the interest of the client may also be retained. Courts are, by law, impartial and disinterested, and tend to err on the side of the defendant far more often than the State when the evidence is in doubt. Sentences are light, aimed at restoring the social order in the society rather than seeking punitive or retributive results, and confinement is neither capricious, not political in its nature. The purpose of the court system is to primarily adjudicate disagreements under the law, with the least amount of punishment possible for violations of the law. Kalsitan does not extradite Kalistani citizens to foreign states under any circumstances. Capital punishment is outlawed in Kalistan,

Non-Interference in personal life- The only person completely at liberty is the Sovereign, who is considered absolute. Outside of this, citizens of Kalistan are free to live their lives as they wish, with as little state intervention into their personal affairs as possible. The overriding interest of the state is to maintain public order and promote a good, prosperous, and educated life. It is certainly not to promote the interests of business over people, or the wealthy and powerful over everyone else. All government decisions are transparent and may be challenged by individuals, and people are at liberty to decide for themselves how they wish to live their lives. People have the freedom to marry who they like, to use standard medical practices of abortion and euthanasia on demand, to consume whatever intoxicant they like, to own as many firearms as they like, to start whatever business that they like and etc. In exchange, they are required to fulfill all civic responsibilities, such as paying taxes when owed, performing National Service, and retiring at the National retirement age.

The position of foreigners in Kalistan- Kalistan is a nation of immigrants and refugees. As such, immigrants are welcomed. For those seeking to move to Kalistan, citizenship is easy to obtain, often involves making a public statement at a local police station that indeed they are a citizen, and obtaining a publicly identifiable number. At this point, the person is considered naturalized and are entitled to all rights and privileges of the Society. Those who do not wish to become naturalized in this fashion will face some hurdles with regard to finding employment or living. They will not be able to access services that are offered free or at reduced price to Kalistani Citizens. The idea is that the State can provide things to those who are citizens, but without a public declaration of citizenship, there is no difference between a foreigner and a transient. So all those seeking to spend any time in Kalistan and have no intention of retuning to their home country are encouraged to become a citizen.

The Sovereign is bound to protect the rights and privileges of Kalistani Citizens, both at home and abroad, even to the point of completely ignoring the rights and privileges of other nations of their citizens. The Sovereign is the physical embodiment and the voice of the entire Anantonese Nation and body of Kalistani Citizens, and will always support the interests of this nation and its people first.

This concludes the primer on Etiquette in the Empire of Ananto and Kalistan. We hope it was useful to you.

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Quickstop issues Follow-up to "Early Wakeup Committee" on VDR
On the Bodhisattva Trail Again hailed as "groundbreaking" by critics
Vrassa City, Duchy of Vrassa
April 11, 5539


On the Bodhisattva Trail Again is widely hailed as a production masterpiece

Dubbed the "Provocateurs of Raga Rock", the Luthorian-Kalistani band Quickstop have released their sophomore album called On the Bodhisattva Trail Again. This 15 track album expands on their forward thinking alternative album released two years ago called The Early Wake Up Committee. On their latest album, they continued to bring in raga influences and use Ananti language and Vascanian references on several tracks. But they also make a serious attempt at reaching a more mainstream audience, not necessarily by compromising, but by cleaning up a lot of their production techniques to make the sound much cleaner, and almost reminiscent of early rock radio, and writing songs aimed at pop radio.

"The Sitar and dholki, or traditional hand drum, are still prominent on this record, as is the Ananti language," said Ajay Bhattacharia, who is the primary singer, songwriter, and now, producer of this album. "But we also wanted to make the music accessible to more people. We had to tame a few of the harder elements for the singles to maybe get people interested in checking out the rest of the really mind altering stuff on the record, to kind of light the path, if you follow." Bhattacharia was joined on the boards by Kalistani producer Righteous Jah, who really stressed the clean and crisp production. "We also recorded this album specifically for digital platforms, and had to muddy it up a little when we brought it over to vinyl," said Bhattacharia. "Its meant to be played on a digital player rather than an analog one, simply because we wanted to do stuff in the studio that I don't think will transfer over well onto Vinyl." As a result, there were two masters made by Bhattacharia and Jah, resulting in an almost complete remastered edition to be released simultaneously. "We can highlight different things, based on what you listen to it on, so you'll get a different experience."

For the effort to make the LP more audience friendly, the band created several pop adjacent songs, like the early cut "Record Single Lady", that talks about underappreciated international musicians and record labels that Bhattacharia listened to in Luthori as a boy, nearly fully in Vrassan. "We have a lot of Ananti on the record," said Bhattacharia, "But we left most of that in intros or interludes, and most of the deepcuts." This album also leans more heavily into hiphop and funk than their first album did. "We are continuing to explore where hiphop, rock and raga tend to overlap," said Bhattacharia. "There is a sort of natural alignment there, especially in the rhythm. If they are not branches of the same tree, at least they speak in cognates." The band also brought in two new members, Calvin Weston, who plays percussion, and David Strange, who plays keyboards.

The album, while aiming at pop audiences, still could be classified as Alternative, simply because the band isn't writing much pop music. "Few of the songs are verse, chorus, verse, chorus, break, chorus, the way pop songs are," said Bhattacharia. "Try as we might we only have so many of those kinds of songs in us. And the ragas certainly do not lend to that." The band utilizes a lot of samples from various other really obscure music, and clips from films to more deeply identify with the elite hip hop audiences. There is spoken word poetry set to the band's music on the album. They even explore the country-inflected rock on the album's title track, where the sitar mimics the sound of a tinny steel guitar quite convincingly and vocal duties are shared by Lucid City, Suldanor alt-folk singer Dorleen Bratton.

The band also relaxed its efforts to create acid rock, and switched to more mainstream intoxicants for this album. "Its really amazing that we got the record done at all," said Bhattacharia. "We were smoking pretty seriously throughout the entire recording process, all of us were. We smoked a lot of weed. It's really good for the voice, it gets that little rasp you hear in the songs. Our engineer, an old friend we asked to come in from Luthori, smoked so much that he forgot where he was and kind of flipped out a little but. We had to get him checked into a hospital overnight till he sobered up, and he promptly quit the next day and flew home to Luthori--as you'd imagine, he couldn't handle what we smoke here in Kalistan. We continued on after he left, but you can hear the difference between the work he did and the work I did when I filled in for him. I am not an audio engineer, and soon VDR sent in one of their in-house guys to finish the record."

Despite the departure of the engineer, critics hailed this album as "Groundbreaking" and "essential" in reviews. "We don't often get such international flavor in Kalistan, despite the country being so open to new music," said critic Henry Crocker, from the Kaliburg Free Press in a very positive review. "Promoters in Kalistan practically have to beg other musicians to play in Kalistan, its ridiculous. So when you hear music that sounds not only so different as Quickstop's stuff, but also know just how good and interesting it is, and its domestic stuff, well, people go crazy for it. This music is not only very interesting, but its pretty much a masterpiece of production, very forward leaning and interested in moving music in Kalistan forward. It's both accessible and progressive, and that is a rare combination."

The album On the Bodhisattva Trail Again on VDR is out in stores now, and will likely hit number 1 on the Weekly M1 Hot 100 Album Poll this coming week, if early sales reports are on target. The band has also released a double A-Side to promote the record, "The Goddess Kali/We're on Yr Side", along with accompanying videos, both of which you can see here:


Video for Quickstop's "The Goddess Kali"


Audio from Quickstop's "We're on Yr Side"

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Regency Ends as Emperor is Officially Crowned
Small Ceremony maintains Ananto Family Tradition
Eveari, Grand Duchy of Ananto
August 1, 5539


Investment Photo of His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Fredrick II Ananto, at Imperial Seat in Kaliburg

His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Fredrick-Bjornsson William Ananto-Nordholm has been formally invested and crowned Emperor and Sovereign of the Empire of Ananto and Kalistan at a small ceremony in Eveari. The coronation occurred, as the two previous coronations, at the Eveari Monthly Meetinghouse in Eveari, Ananto. In doing so, the Emperor not only affirmed his family's faith tradition, but also the tradition of his mother and grandmother to maintain direct ties with the Brethrenist Faith as a guide while governing the Empire.

The short Meeting for Worship with Attention to Guidance offered Brethrenists the opportunity to tell the Emperor, age 23, directly their opinions on the Monarchy and on his coming reign. Members were remarkably candid about their thoughts. Some pled for a larger role for the People in the government of Kalistan, while others hoped that the Emperor continued a policy of peace and justice in the Empire. Some others wished the Emperor to surround himself with wise advisors, and others wished the Emperor happiness, a long life, good health and a happy family. Nobody called for the abolition of the Monarchy.

At the end of the Meeting, the Clerk of the Meeting, along with the Chancellor of the Empire, Dame Lindsay Ontiveros-Maxwell and Prince Regent Bjorn, called the Emperor forward, and the Chancellor read the investiture proclamation before the Meeting. The Emperor lowered his head and the Chancellor placed the Imperial Crown that was made specifically for Emperor Fredrick II Ananto on his head, and gave him the keys of State, transferring all powers and titled of State to His Imperial Majesty's person. The Emperor then turned to the Prince Regent, and without sentimentality or display of emotion, thanked the Prince for his loyalty to the previous Empress, and his service to the Emperor and the Empire, and then relieved him of his duties. The Prince was the first to take a knee before the new Emperor, and all others in the Meeting followed suit. With this, the Minor Prince shed his long name and assumed the title of His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Fredrick II Ananto.

Following the ceremony, the Emperor, the now Prince Bjorn, the Chancellor, and members of the Government, as well as the Emperor's personal retinue and many members of the Eveari Brethrenist Meeting, travelled to Kaliburg by train, along the same track that Empress Nicolette II was travelling when she died. During the ride, the Chancellor and senior members of the Government met with the Emperor in formal audience, and the Emperor confirmed the last government under the Regency in their place as His Imperial Majesty's Cabinet. The train arrived in Imperial Station and the Emperor and Prince Regent travelled to Wilson House, which has recently completed its renovations, and the Emperor took a tour of his new Palace. Following a brief enthronement Portrait, and his first full security briefing from the Imperial Bureau of Security Intelligence director, Caroline King, the new Emperor attended a small gala thrown in his honor by the Chancellor, where he greeted members of Kalistani nobility, and was introduced to several members of Kalistan's business and security community. Gaduri business and representatives of the caretaker government were also in attendance, though they were there in their functions as private citizens and friends of the Duke Victor Ananto, the Emperor's uncle.

Compared to previous coronations, this event was low key: there were only a handful of events scheduled to celebrate the affair. This was largely due to both the uncertain date of the Emperor's end of National Service, and the fact that His Imperial Majesty has been taking up more and more official duties during his leave periods over the last year. "It feels like we have watched this young man grow up," said Kaliburg Crown-Watcher and tabloid columnist Nadine Anderson. "And to be completely honest, it kind of makes sense that there wouldn't be a lot of fanfare around his coronation: He lost his mother just as he was about to be a teenager, and there is a certain sadness about this Emperor which accompanies a heavy sense of duty. It just doesn't feel like something to really celebrate, I don't think he would celebrate."

The new Emperor, clothed as he is in the heavy burdens of state, is known to be a very reserved young man. He has never been described as brash or braggadocious. In fact, he has rarely made public pronouncements of any kind, but when seen in public, often simply smiles and waves. "I don't think the Emperor craves the attention he has gotten most of his life," said Anderson. "He works on cars, often by himself, and he is known for loving to race the cars he modifies. He also is known to play bocce and Go, but you will not see him jumping in front of cameras or out and about on the town with some socialite. That doesn't seem like the Emperor." The Emperor also has a soft spot for animals. "As a teenager, one of the one public things he did was to volunteer at the animal shelter in Eveari," said Anderson. "He had a reputation for caring for strays, and worked well with dogs, cats, and even the occasional possum. We should expect to see a strong support for animal welfare and the environment during the Emperor's reign, as helping animals seems to be a passion of his."

The investiture completed, Kalistan has a new sovereign and Prince Bjorn will be allowed to pull back from the day to day administrative duties he had to carry out during the Regency. "His Highness, Prince Bjorn will keep his County in Luxon likely until he dies, but there is not much involved in running that county on a day to day basis, and so Prince Bjorn will be effectively in retirement going forward, but has still offered to serve as a special envoy for the Emperor at need, given Bjorn's long tenure as Prince Regent and Prince Consort. There is no doubt that the Emperor will rely on his father for advice and help, especially over the next few years."

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Kalistani News in Brief: Kalistan aims at lead in Shipping
Emperor orders Education Reform; IBSI gets new mission
Sulari, Duchy of Suldanor
April 7, 5540


Port Elga Ship Yards working on fifth of 12 new container ships to meet contract

Kalistan Aims at lead in Shipping in Seleya
Sulari Shipping Consortium, the investment firm that owns and operates the Port Elga Shipyards, says their goal is to take the lead in Shipping in Seleya by 5550. "Port Elga is one of the busiest ports in Northern Seleya," said SSC spokesman Dwight Zapata. "As the owners and operators of the main commercial shipping port, we look to expand beyond our home port to other nations washed by the Anantonese Ocean and beyond." Part of the company's ten year plan is to begin competing directly with other nations currently involved in shipping. "We would like to see a Terra where every other ship you see in any given port hails from Kalistan," said Zapata. "It is an ambitious goal, but Kalistan is ideally positioned to become a transshipment point for the world's commerce, and in turn, to be the teamsters of the ocean."

Zapata touted SSC's pricepoint, as well as the superiority of the Kalistani Merchant Marines. "We have some of the most professionalized Merchant Marines in the world," said Zapata, owing to Kalistan's long and rock solid support for unions. "Our Merchant Marines organize themselves by grade and seniority, have experience in every kind of sea from Arctic to Tropic, and are experts in all passages--In fact, members of at least four of the crews in the Ananto Cup were themselves Merchant Marines. Plus, our price point cannot be beat anywhere in the world. SSC's price point, even after Kalistan takes their commissions, still comes in well below most other nations, as we can build at scale, and much of our heavy industry is still organized along socialist lines, rather than a profit driven model." Zapata said that SSC is about half way through a contract to build 12 container ships for Kalistan itself. "We will compete by glutting the market, dropping the price of shipping overseas significantly, and forcing other countries' firms to either cut their own shipping prices, and therefore profit margins, or go out of business." The new spirit of Kalistani industry is not cooperative, according to Zapata. "We've been in other peoples' shadows for far too long. It's past time we stood up for ourselves." Asked if SSC will seek access to Aldegar, Zapata said "No, we don't need it. If we go to Majatra, we come from Artania. The only reason we would go to Aldegar is to sell things to Aldegar or buy things from Aldegar. We wouldn't turn down free access to the canal, but we aren't gonna pay for it."

Emperor Orders Education Reform
His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor Fredrick II Ananto has ordered his Minister of Education to begin reform in Kalistan's school system. "We have had an opportunity to review the Education System in Kalistan, and the results are simply whelming. Not good nor bad, just sort of adequate," said His Imperial Majesty's Minister of Education and Culture Magda White. "The Ministry then submitted its evaluation to His Imperial Majesty, and the Emperor approved our 7 point plan for Education reform, which includes a rebalancing of the curriculum to begin diagnostic testing at an early age and career tracking in secondary school." The plan involves additional support for pre-K school to allow student's aptitudes to be ascertained throughout primary schooling and specific curricula to foster the aptitude and interest of the children. Once the Student arrives in the 7th Grade, students will end general education, and will be given the opportunity to explore both skills based and ideas based learning. In their 7th Grade, they will focus on ideas based education, which consists mainly of the classical liberal arts: language and rhetoric, algebra, philosophy, music, natural sciences, and music, as well as an introduction to the social sciences. In the 8th grade they will be permitted to explore skills based learning, including subjects in mechanics and physics, chemistry, economics, geometry and trigonometry, introduction to scientific investigation, and business and advertising.

At the end of 8th Grade they will have the opportunity to select a track through secondary school, either the knowledge based track or the skills based track. The knowledge based track will focus on typical liberal arts which are aimed at creation of knowledge, while the skills based track will focus on introducing the students to various trades, and then getting them certified to practice those trades following gradation and National Service. "We want to make sure that the choice for students is a free choice," said Minister White, "so we will give our children the opportunity to take some classes together though they may be on different tracks. But for the most part, our education system has long been in need of an overhaul for a very long time, and this is the opportunity to do it." The adoption of aptitude centered learning will be piloted in the incoming 7th Grade year starting in Kaliburg, Sulari and Vrassa City schools, and will expand out from there. Parent's groups are for the most part in support of the plan, and though some object to it, they do mostly because they want to be able to do homeschooling of their children, and that practice for the most part is highly discourages in the Empire. "After the first graduations, we will implement the program nationwide," said Minister White. "Homeschool parents' opinions notwithstanding."

IBSI's Mission and resources to expand
The Imperial Bureau of Security Information has received a new mandate, said Chancellor of the Empire Dame Lindsay Ontiveros-Maxwell. "We are finding it difficult to keep up with all the little wars that are popping up here and there all over the world," said Dame Ontiveros. "No sooner is one solved than another one is started. I don't really want to say it starts--someone deliberately starts it, and we lack any intelligence on the motivations of what these warmakers are up to. That has to be remedied." Ontiveros also cited the construction and deployment of the Baltusian Aircraft Carrier, which provoked a "major response in Kalistan, primarily because it happened under our nose and we had no clue that Baltusia intended to do this."

The new role for Imperial Security is to open listening posts in all major countries who Kalistan has any interest in, and continually feed intelligence back to Kalistan. "A lot of this involves just passive listening," said Dame Ontiveros, "but we are also wanting to expand beyond that to human sources development, gaining higher level confidences, and learning things before others know we know them." Ontiveros said that Kalistan is also building capacity in a half a dozen Northern Seleyan nations, which she refused to name, to begin generating news items to further Kalistan's interests in those nations. "They will primarily be focused on public relations for Kalistan, to make it easier for our people to interact with people abroad," said Ontiveros. "The operation involves a lot of infrastructure, but another concern is plausible deniability and selective accreditation (PDSA), which is key to Kalistan ensuring that they have a seat at the table in all decisions that affect us by creating a positive attitude in other nations for Kalistan's Government. It would be disingenuous to deny that this infrastructure is multiple use within the country, but the fact is, we have not been developing local resources as we ought to, and the His Imperial Majesty has identified a more robust foreign intelligence service as one of the priorities of his hist five years." Dame Ontiveros confirmed that Kalistan is already beefing up this branch of its foreign service, primarily in nations where the Empire does not have an embassy. "For the time being," said Ontiveros.