Keymon

[Aquinas]

Kidnap conspirator executed

[Yolo04]

As March 24th arrived, many in Keymon and Hutori sat in anticipation of the news, coming out of Bekenial. As the clocks in both Hutori and Keymon struck 12 PM and as the news cameras continued rolling, the newly married couple, flanked by security personnel and wedding guests, poured out of St. John’s Cathedral and entered there motorcade. Whilst they where merely in the public eye for a dozen seconds, the celebrations and worry across both nations was justified, as Queen Éva, Queen of Keymon, married King Henry II, King of Hutori.

Whilst this marriage has just now occurred, the relationship between King Henry and Queen Éva began nearly a decade ago, as the Keymon Civil War began. Initially, the Queen had come to the then Queen of Hutori, Sarah VI, to request immediate military aid from the country. However, after being rebuffed by Queen Sarah, Queen Éva began to discuss the issue directly with King (then Prince) Henry. It was with King Henry’s help that Queen Éva was eventually able to convince Hutori to join the war on her side.

However, the relationship did not end after the civil war, according to royal experts from both nations. The pair had allegedly gone out on several dates in the immediate aftermath of the civil war, to discuss not only political matters, but also personal ones as well. The pair had apparently begun dating around 4774, during which time the couple had seemingly bonded over a shared love for both the military and the arts of there respective countries.

However, as King Henry took the throne of Hutori following the death of not only of Queen Sarah, but also of his brother, Crown Prince Charles, during the Davostani War, the relationship had become strained, due to the vast amount of work both Queen Éva and King Henry had to do for there nations following the devastating wars in each respective nation. But, as Keymon eventually began to rebuild and recover (with financial and military assistance from Lourenne, Hutori, and Dorvik) & Macon began to stabilize with the deposition of the radical Davostani government, both the Queen and the King reportedly began to discuss marriage openly at state dinners.

Whilst many had assumed that this was merely playful talk between a star struck couple, the King finally decided to propose to Queen Éva at one of these state dinners, held in Bekenial, in December of 4778. The Queen was quick to accept the proposal and the pair began to plan the small, traditional wedding in St. John’s Cathedral, that we saw today.

This marriage between the previous single monarchs of Keymon & Hutori has been pointed to as a major mile marker for the relationship between Keymon and Hutori. Whilst questions on the succession of the throne, if the couple has children, of both nations is currently being debated, no word has come forward on the line of succession.

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As the countries economy and infrastructure began to match pre-civil war conditions, many have asked important questions surrounding the refugees of the civil war, many of whom live in areas such as Pirland, Hutori, or live in the still prevalent refugee camps in Keymon herself. Many have also emigrated during the civil war, to further flung nations such as Lourenne and Dorvik. Whilst many of these immigrants have planted themselves firmly in there locals communities, many have also wished to return home, to there now rebuilt nation. The Bureau of Immigration has, in response to these pleas, begun to issue new ‘Welcome Home’ Visas, which will give Keymonites from abroad the ability to stay in Keymon for up 5 years without being a citizen.

The Bureau of Immigration made the announcement, following several demonstrations outside the Bureau’s office by families who had been separated by the civil war. The Head of the Bureau of Immigration, Marilena Raineri, stated that:

The Welcome Home Visas are a program designed specifically to encourage refugees of the civil war living in other countries to come back to there home country. It will only be give me to individuals who can provide documented evidence that either they, a parent, or a grandparent had lived in Keymon prior to 4760. We are firmly committed to reuniting families that where torn apart by the senseless violence present throughout the Keymon civil war.

Many have questioned the true motives behind this decision, as the government has always held a rather neutral stance on immigration form foreign countries. Perhaps now that Keymon’s economy is starting to focus on industries that require more Human Resources, this may require the government to import more workers.

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As Keymonites across the nation began to celebrate Hallowtide, by attending church and opening gifts, the Queen began to speak to the National Council on the future of Keymon. She spoke for nearly two hours concerning the economic, political, and military predicaments facing Keymon, which she called “dire“ and “of need of immediate addressing”. By the end of her speech, she would announce territorial claims on sovereign territory belonging to Likatonia.

The Queen began her speech by discussing the financial and economic situation, noting that the government has begun to rack up far more debt than there credit ranking would conceivably allow them to pay off in a timely manner. She then addressed the rapidly growing arms manufacturing industry, which had begun to see a major positive impact in the cities most prevalent touched by arms manufacturing, which is mostly Leighstown. She then addressed controversy surrounding the construction of the new capital of Pacivila, which had reportedly seen issues surrounding potential socialist activities. The Queen vowed to fire and prosecute anyone who held socialist leanings (in accordance to the Radicalization Act of 4775) that was a member of the construction teams. She also elaborated on potential economic opportunities involving the tech industry in Jamestown, which she stated would begin to collaborate with the Imperial Armed Forces on military works.

Next, she addressed numerous military concerns, including the increasing outdated-ness of the AR-70. She promised that, in collaboration with the developing Andria Firearms, a new rifle for the Imperial Army would begin to be put into primary service by 4785. She also addressed the crippled Imperial Navy, which she promised to rebuild by potentially purchasing naval vessels from both Kazulia and Lourenne, both of whom are beginning to shrink there own respective navies. She then finally addressed the international arms trade, which she called “A beautiful thing”. The Queen began to discuss potentially hosting a major arms sale convention, which would allow the countries of the world to look at military equipment freely and in the open.

Finally, the Queen addressed the place of the monarchy in the political system of Keymon. She insisted that, regardless of the economic, military, or diplomatic situation Keymon finds itself in, the monarch should always be the executive authority for the government. She mentioned possibly dissolving the office of Prime Minister, which has been a primarily ceremonial role ever since Queen Éva legally took executive power. However, something the Queen claimed has stuck out to international and domestic onlookers. The Queen announced, as the final part of her speech, that she was the Empress of the Mad Dog Empire and that Keymon had to pursue the territory of Pirland, currently owned by Likatonia, as its own sovereign territory. The Queen made it clear that, as empress, she would actively (via diplomatic means) attempt to get the Likatonian government to hand over the province of Pirland to Keymon.

The Queen then pivoted her speech into a discussion on forgiveness. She demanded that “all Keymonites stop using labels such as Royalist or Carluist, and instead start using labels such as patriot and Hosian”. As she continued to attempt to hammer home her message of unity she, in front of live cameras, officially have amnesty to all soldiers, generals, or civilians that had collaborated with the Carluist regime. She then proceeded to request nothing more from these men and women, besides an oath of loyalty to the Queen.

As the Queen began to end her unity speech, she then invited a guest to speak to the National Congress regarding policy on Malivia. As Mrs. Filumena Serra, who husband was murdered by Malivian government & who had barely herself escaped Malian authorities, took to the podium and began to describe her escape from Malivia and the horrible conditions for Hosians there, the Queen could be seen staring off into the distance…lost in thought.

Whilst a majority of her speech was ignored by international pundits, many have questioned the need or the justification for Keymon to claim Likatonia as part of it’s core territory. However, many have also questioned why the Queen is so eager to rebuild her military, despite Keymon’s terrible credit ranking and lack of access to loans.

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[ChitinKal]

Rock on the Rise?
Growing Rock n' Roll Popularity Explodes in Keymon
January 12, 4781

Clip From Electro Rock Artist Mark Globü's Latest Music Video, Leighstown Lady

When one thinks of Keymon, the first thoughts likely to pop in one's mind are authoritarian, devout, and warlike. And one wouldn't be blamed for having these thoughts given the recent history of the island, which has gone from a bloody civil war to nosediving into a pit of authoritarian laws made to empower Queen Éva and further clench down on free thought and anti conformity. A similar thing could be said for the music of Keymon, which one might think revolves around the church and consist of only Hosian choir hymns, or the odd secular folk or country artist. Surely when the word Keymon enters one's ear any thought of diverse, counter-cultural music would immediately leave out the other ear?

However, if one were to approach a Keymonite youth on the streets of Turtle Bay and ask to hear what they were listening to, one would likely be surprised to not hear the words "O come, O come, Emmanuel" sung in a low pitch and supported by the solemn notes of a church organ, but rather something along the lines of "God fuck the Queen! Domestic violence now!" screeched in an ear-piercing voice and aptly complemented by a guitar riff sounding more like a dive bomber and assault rifle fire than a musical instrument. Admittedly, perhaps something as radical as that infamous line from the more niche metal band Tuto and the Hootsies won't be the first thing you hear, but it'll definitely come before Keymon's religious national anthem. The point to be made is that there's a musical counter culture growing among Keymon's youth, and the choir pieces being shoved down their throats are becoming increasingly rejected in favor rock n' roll.

This counter culture, though still in its infancy, boomed last year with countless bands and artists being signed on by Keymon's talent agencies, and total revenue in the music industry reaching new heights since Berto Rotolo's rise to fame. Ratings for these bands, which would have five years ago been considered far too niche to be signed on by any cautious agency, have also skyrocketed and beat out any conformist competitors. One such band was Mark Globü and the Crates, an electro rock band which climbed its way to number four on Keymon's Best Newcomers last month after releasing the hit single music video Leighstown Lady, which depicts Globü eluding an old witch trying to fry him with her "Pineapple fire," and stop him from singing his "süß tunes." Globü, a second generation Dorvish immigrant that often interweaves lyrics in his mother tongue in his songs, refused to comment when asked whether or not this song was directed at the Keymonite Queen that he has reportedly referred to as "the foreign witch."

Mark Globü and the Crates aren't the only ones gaining fame in Keymon, and electro rock isn't the only genre achieving acclaim. Seizing number one on the Keymon's Best Newcomers was the more classic rock band Strontium Mole, who also claimed the 4780's best album with their Wild Eyes, a seemingly random collection of pieces ranging from soft love songs to hardcore protest anthems. Joining them at the top of of 4780's charts are artists like the surfer pop band Ocean, the punk band Conflix, and the softer pianist/vocalist Tizianu Alessia.

Despite the eruption of rock n' roll on to the scene and their rapid rise to the top of Keymon's charts, Berto Rotolo remains as Keymon's most belovered musical artist. After having taken a break from releasing new albums due to the mediocre reviews of his third album in 4776, Rotolo made and explosive comeback with his hit album Free, which earned second place in 4780's best albums, second only to Wild Eyes. Despite being beaten by a newcomer, the album is still considered one of the greatest in recent musical history, being praised by reviewers for the perceived underlying philisophical messages of liberty and man's yearning for freedom. Even still, though Rotolo's album was beaten, the man and the character certainly is not. Being loved by not only Keymon's youth, but also older population, Rotolo sold the most tickets for the concerts he held last year to debut his new album, and he has made it clear that his break away from the spotlight is over and that he planned to release another album in the near future and go on tour again this summer.

[Yolo04]

As the nations children continue to enjoy there Hallowtide breaks from school, the Ministry of Education has begun to shift the curriculum that these children will be taught, when they come back to the classroom on January 13th. This new curriculum will change vast aspects of children’s educational experience, including the topics taught within history classes, which have recently been changed to reflect the historical claims to Pirland, which have been made since the countries foundation by Bryce Leigh, who is talked about frequently. However the major change that has caused outrage and joy within both students and parents is the governments to decisions to eliminate classes dedicated to the arts, and replace them with classes dedicated to being trained for an industrial or technology job.

The Ministry of Education announced the changes to curriculum at a press conference in the newly constructed Ministry of Educaiton building in Pacivila (one of the first ministry buildings to be built in the new capital city), where Minister of Education Marie Tanzi stated that-

The economic situation in Keymon has significantly been approved, with the average GDP per Capita being around 80% of the pre-civil war level, which currently is, on average, 50,000 KED a year. However, many children will be entering a working environment which is starkly different than that in which there parents where taught in. They will be entering a job market which favors industrial and technological jobs, rather than jobs concerning the arts. Therefore, to respond to the economic demands that this has presented, the Ministry of Education will be requiring all students, starting next semester, which begins on January 13th, to take a class focusing on either the industrial or technological fields. However, to compensate for these changes in school scheduling, all school art classes have been permanently suspended. Now, students will have to stay after school to participate in artistic programs, if there school continues to have said programs. We understand this is upsetting to hear for many people, but we must train our future generations for the job market they will be facing once they leave the doors of the education institution. That is our first and biggest priorities.

This change to the curriculum of the school systems has caused outrage among some students, who have claimed these changes will “negatively effect” the students mental health and standards of education. However, scientific data has proven that nations that explicitly train students for eventual job opportunities have higher GDP per capita then schools that don’t follow these ideas.

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As the people of Keymon prepare to file there annual taxes, the Ministry of Finance is already planning on drastically changing it’s spending, when the budget renews itself on July 1st. Whilst normally these budget changes are small increases or decreases, that are of little consequence, these new series of budget changes are massive and could spell either a new golden age or a new dark age for Keymon. As of today, Queen Éva has officially signed a budget proposed by the EDB, which would see the country take on an unprecedented 75 billion KED deficit every year.

The budget changes come following intense, 3 week long meeting in Leighstown of all the Ministries, which mainly focused on budgetary issues. The Ministry of Defense reportedly noted a desperate need for cash to rebuild the Navy and Air Force, which had been devastated during the civil war, whilst the Ministry of Education argued against increasing the budget of the military and instead argued for increasing her ministries budget. These arguments went back and fought for nearly 3 weeks, until a compromise budget was formed, following vague threats by Queen Éva of “forcing” a new budget through without consulting the ministries. The new budget sees several major budget increases, including a 300% increase for the Ministry of Defense, a nearly 500% increase for the Ministry of Infrastructure, a 500% increase for the Ministry of Health and Social Services, a 500% increase for the Ministry of Education, and a 1000% increase for the Ministry of Technology. These changes to budget have been praised by the Queen, who has reportedly called them “necessary for a true empire to form”. The Head of the EDB, Léone Bourbeau, has been quoted as calling the new budget changes a “great step towards economic change and revolution”.

These major budget changes, however, have been vehemently opposed by many financial analysts in Keymon, most of whom have questioned how the government intended in getting loans for the new budget, when its credit ranking has been severely damaged by the civil war and it’s temporary postponing of sovereign wealth repayments (which will begin being repaid in 4 years). The government, however, has argued that whilst it’s options for funding the deficit through loans are extremely limited, the government has held onto it’s large budget surpluses from before the civil war (which was converted into pounds), giving the government around 450 billion KED worth of reserve currency. Not only that, but continued grants from Lourenne and increase tax revenue from increased business activity could minimize the burden of the deficit.

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As the Ministry of Infrastructure ends it’s infrastructure repair program, new problems have arisen. The main one being that, whilst the countries economy has slowly risen back to it’s pre-war levels of development, the nation still suffers from the geographic realities of the island, which divides major areas of the country in half and has led to the economy once again stagnating. So, to further assist the stagnating economy and to better connect the nation, the Ministry of Infrastructure has begun to implement a new infrastructural program called ‘Keymon: 4790’.

‘Keymon: 4790’ was revealed by Minister of Infrastructure Édouard Montgomery at a press conference held in the rapidly developing capital of Pacivila, which has begun to see it’s own major infrastructure projects, such as the high speed metro network and ‘Battle of Bloody River Memorial’, begin to be worked on. At this press conference he announced the plans for the ‘Keymon: 4790 Project’, which involves the construction of 5 deep water ports throughout Keymon (mostly in Turtle Bay and Leighstown), the construction of a high-speed rail network, connecting all the major cities in Keymon to a single “spoke” (that spoke being Pacivila), the construction of 3 new airports in Leighstown, Jamestown, and Pacivila, the construction of four new, state funded universities in all major cities, the construction of nearly 150 new elementary, middle, and high schools, and the construction of a school dedicated to technology and innovation in Jamestown. The plan also noted the need for continued renovation of existing infrastructure, including several airports and naval ports throughout the country, and the continued investment into education.

The response to the Keymon: 4790 plan has been relatively mixed. Many have praised the plan as a major attempt by the government to push Keymon into a brighter future by investing in the construction and refurbishment of infrastructure. Others, however, have questioned the government spending on the project, which is estimated to be around 45 billion KED (not including the ongoing construction costs of the new capital of Pacivila), much of which will be spent on things that won’t directly assist the average Keymonite citizen.

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[ChitinKal]

Strontium Mole to Go to Branovice
Keymon Votes for Top Hard Rock Band to Represent at FOMAT
June 2, 4781

Strontium Mole Performing in jamestown

When the topic of who should Keymon send to represent their now thriving music industry at Festival of Musical Arts in Terra, rather than make the safe and censored choice of sending one of Queen Éva's favorite Hosian choirs, Culture Minister Marie Tanzi decided rather to let Keymon decide who the island would send to sing in Branovice, Deltaria. After calling up Keymon's best talent agencies to find artists who were willing to perform, Minister had narrowed the ballot down to three artists: hard rock band Strontium Mole, the surfer dudes of Ocean, and the cool crooner Matteo Salvation. When the online polls were open and closed in a couple of days and the results were made public, the winner was clear: Strontium Mole won in an absolute landslide of 72%. Stontium Mole, the winner of last year's best album and best newcomer awards, is a hard rock band from Turtle Bay known for their strong electric riffs, catchy tunes, and diverse song topics. When notified of their victory in the polls, Strontium Mole quickly accepted the opportunity to perform in Deltaria, and vocalist Gerardo Vegatu stated "Yeah, we got ourselves a song in the making just for this festival. 'Bout this girl my guy Tullio (Sala, band drummer) used to go with. Everyone knows a bit about liars and cheaters no matter where yer from. Won't spoil no more though." The Festival of Musical Arts in Terra will be held in Branovice, Deltaria next May, and again in 4787 in the nation who's artist wins the coming contest. No doubt, Turtle Bay will be the paradisaical beach venue for the next festival.

[Aquinas]

Pirland "could be part of Keymon", muses Malivian Defence Minister

[Rogue]

FOMAT 4782 concluded!

[Aquinas]

Khiva worship in ancient Malivia

[ChitinKal]

Strontium Mole Brings Home Silver
Keymonite Band Wins Second Place at FOMAT with Hit Song "Old Times, New Times"
May 15, 4782

Strontium Mole Performing at the Festival of Musical Arts in Terra

It seems the Keymonite people are well in tune with their musical side, and have chosen wisely when they voted overwhelmingly to send the hit rock band Strontium Mole to compete against talented musical representatives of other Terran nations at the Festival of Musical Arts in Terra. Making Keymon proud with their tremendous performance, Strontium Mole brought home with them the second place spot in the festival, being beaten only by the Hutorian artist Erica Secord and her cheerful song Run. Strontium Mole received a warm welcome when their flight landed at Turtle Bay on the 13th, being received by a crowd of jubilant fans, as well as Culture Minister Marie Tanzi, who personally congratulated the band.

Strontium Mole performed the song Old Times, New Times while at Branovice, a song personally about the failed relationship between the band's drummer Tullio Sala and his unfaithful ex girlfriend, Anna Turchi, and his overcoming of the breakup, but has come to take the more general meaning of overcoming past injustices and feelings in order to create a happier future.

Old Times, New Times by Strontium Mole

In the days we were young
I told you that I was in love with you
But now I’ve come to see
I can’t stand the sight of you and me
No matter all our tries
We find that we’re just not meant to be

Old times, new times
Funny how things change
When I caught my woman
With a Lourennais man
Well I just stopped loving her

Age eighteen I fell in love
With a girl very in love with me
But when these new times came
I rid myself of her
She swore that she would be all mine
And love me and only me
But when I caught her for the third time
I lost all love for her

Old times, new times
Funny how things change
When I caught my woman
With a Hutorian man
Well I just stopped loving her

Old times, new times
Funny how things change
When I caught my woman
With a Dorvish man
Well I just stopped loving her

When the new times came I finally felt alone
I wish I never met that bitch
I don’t care what I used to feel
I’m gonna forget till my last day
You took the last beat from my heart
Realize, evil woman, we’re gonna stay apart

[Yolo04]

For Calpurnia De Grazia, a housewife in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Turtle Bay, the economic boom has given her, her children, and her husband the chance to vacation abroad for the first time in their lives. For Acrisio Cavalli, a traditional farmer on the outskirts of Leighstown, the economic boom is a slowly descending threat that may one day destroy his farm and replace it with a factory or a row of apartments. But, for all Keymonites, these economic changes bring one major question to the forefront of their minds. Is this economic growth sustainable?

This current economic boom mainly derives from the thriving high-tech manufacturing and technology sectors currently being built up within Leighstown & Jamestown respectively. Not only are major international tech companies (such as Manon-Maison Communications, Mobile Aurore, and Cielsoft) flocking to the Jamestown Technology Park, but many domestically founded tech companies have also began to spring up within the park. In Leighstown, a similar story arises, as international manufacturing companies and domestic companies (such as Andria Firearms) begin to spring up within the Leighstown industrial park.

This major revitalization in not only the tech and manufacturing sectors, but also in the services and tourism sectors, has seen a major economic upturn, something which the still shell-shocked nation hasn’t seen ever since the beginning of the civil war. Not only are major companies benefiting from the economic situation, but also the individual citizens of Keymon. According to data released by the Economic Development Bureau, the average income has risen from 25,000 KED in 4775 to around 60,000 KED in 4781. Not only that, the data also shows a decrease in poverty and unemployment rates, going from 7% and 10% respectively, to 2% and 4% respectively.

However, many have begun to question the sustainability of this economic boom. One noted skeptic, Emiliano Di Capua, is the designated governor of Pacivila and he has repeatedly called into question the numbers provided by foreign companies. We sat down to interview him, during which he stated:

These foreign companies, whilst they certainly employing Keymonite citizens, aren’t employing so many as to cut the unemployment rate by 250 percent. It simply does not make mathematical sense. And whilst I acknowledge that many domestic companies have also arisen, I am hesitant to believe the 4% unemployment figures that these corporations have attempted to pass off as fact. And whilst the EDB Head, Mrs. Bourbeau, fiercely contests that her statistics are accurate, I just have doubts on the number presented by her Bureau. In my own, humble opinion, the unemployment rate would most likely be closer to 6%. However, perhaps I’m merely underestimating the true economic progress we’ve made in such a short amount of time.

However, regardless of the statistics, the economic progress is evident when walking down the streets of Leighstown, Turtle Bay, or Jamestown. The previously, nearly bankrupt, shops are thriving and more and more people are out on the newly repaved roads. Many restaurants in these crowded, urban areas, have now had to introduce waiting lists to contend with such a rapid influx of demand.

However, as the people of Keymon become once again aquatinted with economic prosperity, some have questioned the sustainability of this economic prosperity. Skeptics of the sustainability of this economic boom have pointed out the fact that the central government has entered a daunting amount of debt to prop up these industrial and tech sectors, with things such as subsidies and direct cash transfers contributing to the government debt of nearly 150 billion KED. Skeptics have also questioned the consequences of a potential collapse in oil prices, which would see not only the nations shipbuilding industry collapse, but it would also see it’s military vehicle sector in danger of a collapse.

Yet, EDB Head Léone Bourbeau has addressed possible skepticism in the international community, during an interview with us. She stated that:

Whilst it is true the government has taken on a decent amount of debt, this debt is being used to assist our economy in reconstructing itself. We can see this money being used right now, to build up the industrial and technology parks that have contributed so much to our economic boom.

Whilst oil prices are currently extremely low, we doubt that the oil prices will “collapse” as skeptics often claim. Whilst we at the EDB acknowledge the economic mistakes we’ve made, the economic policies currently in place will keep the wheels of economic progress greased for many years to come.

As the journalists slowly crowded into the Pacivila Palace, the very visibly pregnant Queen Éva walked to the podium. She had previously announced her pregnancy over live TV, announcing the child’s name (Henry III) and how long she is along (4 months). As she finally made it to the podium, the Queen began to speak:

Hello, fellow citizens. As you can tell, my pregnancy is getting along very well…in all honesty, I look like I ate a watermelon whole.

*pause as guests laugh*

Now, I am not here to talk about my beautiful baby. I’m here to talk about the economic growth that all citizens of Keymon have begun to experience. This economic growth has come about, due to the hard work of our Finance Ministry and the Economic Development Bureau. The ladies and gentlemen at those bodies have worked day and night to guarantee that our economic and financial situation had been rebuilt and capable of handling the economic growth we’re seeing now.

The economic growth we’ve been seeing is some of the best that we’ve ever seen in our history. Let me be clear though, now is not the time to relax. We must continue to march forward in this economic fight and we must continue to defeat poverty & uneomlyement in all places in the nation.

Ladies and gentlemen, by the grace of God and Yishalem, Keymon shall become one of the greatest powers on the planet and it will be through His strength and your strength. Praise be to Him and praise be to the hardworking people’s of Keymon.