Informal News

[Wu Han]

Informal news, sometimes called "the grapevine," refers to that information which is passed along in a confidential manner among friends or colleagues.

Among the elite and well-connected of Terra exists an informal news network, in which this type of information is disseminated quickly and secretly. This takes many forms:



Gossip and Rumours: The fast-paced lives of the Terran elite are fascinating to no end. Gossip and rumours tend to focus on the personal lives and activities of these people. This type of information is mostly innocuous in the grand scheme of things: Who has entered into a non-disclosure agreement with their extra-marital partner? Who has had an illegitimate child with said partner? Who is looking for a new partner as a result of their spouse's infidelity?

Gossip and rumours would certainly be embarrassing to an individual's reputation if they spread outside of Terra's elite circles, but nothing a well-funded PR campaign can't counter.



Backroom Deals and Bribes: Sometimes for the powerful to achieve their goals they must grease the wheels of progress. Not literally of course, since no one important enough to get into the backrooms of power would ever handle grease themselves. It's much easier to just hire a mechanic. Or in most cases, a politician/bureaucrat/businessman/academic/noble/activist/journalist/doctor/sporting official/judge/prosecutor/criminal, etc. etc.

The reason why most of these deals occur in the backroom is because, well, they can't be done outside. If this information ever got out to those less understanding, one should expect significant public backlash and potentially even criminal prosecution. Then again, the prosecution may already be greased.



Intrigue and Betrayal: The most dastardly and dark of secrets; exclusive information for the elite of the elite. This can range from a grandparent, secretly writing a grandchild out of their will, to a grandchild secretly killing their grandparent for denying them their rightful inheritance.

Sometimes a person has to do what they have to do. And if granny screams, one would want to be sure that no one else heard, because if this information ever got out, it would be disastrous if not deadly.


Out-of-Character:
Overview

This topic will serve as a way to disseminate stories and RP developments which may be a bit too scandalous or secretive for a given national topic. As hinted above, for instance, if your character has received, or is looking to receive a major bribe and you want to tell other players without telling other characters, then this is the spot.

Of course, if you want such information to be discoverable to other characters, then these posts should be indicated as such (see the format below).

Posted can also be more harmless news which otherwise might feel inappropriate in a context where the entire nation is privy to the information. Perhaps your noble is looking for a husband. In the modern era this may not be something which a national newspaper would print widely, though it is something which certainly could travel "through the grapevine."

Usage

Posts should generally be in the third-person, so as not to simply replicate the fantastic First Person RP topic "A Battle Unseen."

The format of posts should be, but is not restricted to, the format below:

Code: Select all

[img]https://i.imgur.com/4yuZyOP.png[/img] *OR* [img]https://i.imgur.com/AQGRj5Q.png[/img] *OR* [img]https://i.imgur.com/3KxA7oN.png[/img]

[b][size=125]*TITLE*[/size][/b]

[b]Regarding:[/b] *CHARACTER NAME*, *JOB IF IMPORTANT*, *COUNTRY OF ORIGIN*
[b]Date:[/b] *DATE*
[b]Discoverable?:[/b] [b][color=#40BF40]Yes[/color][/b] *OR* [b][color=#BF0000]No[/color][/b]

[b]*LOCATION*:[/b] *BODY OF TEXT*

[Wu Han]

Something fishy in the Indralan Imperial Palace
Regarding: Sun Yinju, Crown Prince, Indrala
Date: 4400
Discoverable?: No


Tian'an, Indrala: Itching, formication, weakness, hairloss and burning pain. All symptoms of mercury poisoning, and all afflictions which Crown Prince Yinju is dealing with.

Ever since the Crown Prince married Kwan Jiang, a commoner, he has been subject to various assassination attempts, threats and political maneuvering. Constantly discovering venomous snakes and spiders in his bedchamber has left the Crown Prince paranoid and anxious.

To deal with this anxiety, it is said that the Crown Prince has consulted his personal physician who has been treating him with traditional medicinal decoctions (typically composed of various herbs, roots, dried fruits and unbeknownst to the Crown Prince, benzodiazepines and very low dosages of mercury).

Conservative Palace insiders have been scheming to ensure that the Crown Prince and his descendants are skipped over in succession, in favour of his brother Prince Wanjun.

It is said that Prince Wanjun has no clue about these schemes, though he hasn't been overly concerned with his eldest brother's health.

[Wu Han]

Prince Wanjun seeking wife for his son
Regarding: Sun Hongtao, Prince, Indrala
Date: 4400
Discoverable?: Yes


Tian'an, Indrala: Rumour has it that Prince Wanjun and his supporters are seeking a noble wife for his son, Prince Hongtao. This may be out of a desire to legitimize and strengthen the claim of his branch of the Imperial Household to the Dragon Throne.

If Crown Prince Yinju were to pass before the Emperor, succession would pass to Wanjun, as he would become the eldest living son of Emperor. That would never happen, of course.

Prince Hongtao is the illegitimate only child of Prince Wanjun, born to an unknown concubine. If Prince Wanjun were to take the throne, however, Prince Hongtao would one day be the Emperor as well.

[jamescfm]

For Justice! Defence spokesperson in sex scandal
Regarding: Alicia Laframboise, Lourennian politician, and Mad Yardley, rapper
Date: 4418
Discoverable?: No


Eroncourt, Lourenne: Alicia Laframboise, Defence spokesperson for minor Lourennian political party For Justice!, is rumoured to be involved in long-term affair with Dorvish D rapper Mad Yardley, real name Rüdiger Orndorff. Laframboise is married with one child and fifteen years younger than Orndorff, who lives with long-term partner Henri Brousseau in Lourenne. Sources close to the rapper claim that Laframboise is one of several young women and men attending "dinner party orgies" at Orndorff and Brousseau's multi-millon Franc mansion in the Lourennian capital.

Should details of this be revealed publicly, it could be extremely damaging to the party's conservative image and hinder their success in future elections.

[Wu Han]

Tang is with Yang
Regarding: Tang Sulun, Vice-Chairwoman and Heiress of the TQ Group
Date: ~4421
Discoverable?: No


Kaizhou, Indrala: According to The Market, "it wasn't so long ago that [Tang Sulun] had a reputation as 'a good-time girl'." Despite her well-managed public image, it would seem that not much has changed.

Rumour has it that 51-year-old Tang, one of the most powerful business leaders in Indrala, is currently in a relationship with 19-year-old YingPop singer Samuel Yang. If this news got out, not only would it embarrass Tang, but it would deeply damage Yang's image as "the nation's little brother."

[cm9777]

Kazulgate
Regarding: The conspiracy that Kazulia was behind the Jelbanian Conflict and its deadly Warfare
Date: 4428
Discoverable?: Yes


Čachtice, Deltaria : There has been circulating debate as to what caused the Jelbanian Conflict and the rather stotic foreign policy of Deltaria in its dispute with Vanuku. In the first years of the 45th century, one major decision would shape the destiny of Southern Majatra for the next two decades. This was the normalisation of relations between Deltaria and the Katonid Khanate of Jelbania. Previously, Deltarian officials had been very careful not to anger the international community by giving that regime legitimacy. Relations as a result remained frosty until a historic visit that saw the two become allies within a few short years. Around this time, Deltaria also negotiated an agreement with Kazulia for them to establish a military base there in exchange for investment in the Deltarian economy and for the training of soldiers. These two events emboldened Deltaria significantly to challenge Vanuku in the inevitable dispute over Jelbanian Sovereignty. Now we all know that Deltaria rather confidently stood up to Vanuku and Istalia in the crisis. Most experts would attribute this to a relatively strong economy, Northern Council aid and a militaristic population. But what if the real reason they acted in this way was that Kazulia offered support in an attempt to fragment Southern Majatra?

Kazulia would have much to gain from a prolonged conflict in Majatra. In its global mission to project its power, its alliance known as the Northern Council needed to deal with the two Majatran Great Powers and exhausting their reserves would do just that. Vanuku is now diplomatically isolated from many of its former allies and the Istalian stock market has crashed. The old powers in Wiel and Romula appear to be on shaky foundations while the Northern Council has been busy in Dovani. Simply put, this "Northern Council" is doing just fine from an event that they probably made happen.

Now we move onto the next point. Most military experts predicted that Deltaria would lose relatively easily to Vanuku in open war. However, the war soon became a standstill that could not be broken. The Deltarian Bear held its own remarkably well and turned the war into a bloody stalemate for years. Again all those experts say that Deltarian had a strong economy, was well prepared with its fortifications, had a local arms industry and a fiercely patriotic population. But again, would this truly be enough? What if Kazulia was secretly selling weapons and providing training to Deltaria the entire time! The Katonid Khanate would make an ideal region to sign onto shady deals and it was indeed Northern Council satellites watching troop buildups before the war's outbreak. Is there any hard evidence this happened? Well... no but I think it can easily be infered that Kazulia and the Northern Council by extension were the true masterminds of the Jelbanian Conflict.

[cm9777]

Did Zima cause Black Thursday?
Regarding: Black Thursday, Vladan Zima
Date: 4435
Discoverable?: Yes


Cachtice, Deltaria:

Much has been discussed about Black Thursday, the fateful day that would turn the wealthy into beggars. The Majatran Markets had maintained consistent growth for decades and it seemed there would be no end to the Majatran Golden Age yet as we are always painfully shown, all good things must come to an end. Your average economist or academic would likely blame the crash on unchecked excessive growth and from the fallout of the Jelbanian Conflict. However there may have been more sinister elements at play. Vladan Zima, The Richest Man in Deltaria has remained rather unscathed recently buying out Deltarian state media and radio. Just a week before Black Thursday, Zima engaged in a massive sellout of the majority of his shares on Majatran stock exchanges. At the climax of the crisis, he bought back in to many of these companies and as Majatra begins to recover, he will probably make an exorbitant sum.

It seemed as if he were prepared for its outbreak. Almost as if he planned it. We of course do not have access to Zima’s private documents and so this for the moment is based on motive and circumstantial evidence. Zima as we know has close ties to the Deltarian Government and the Thaller Dynasty. When Deltaria wants something done, it’s often not a government project but a Zima one in which the Government provides significant support. The Trans Majatran Railway expansion into the Katonid Khanate gave Deltaria a perfect excuse to station troops there and prop up the Katonid Khanate. Many view him as an extension of Deltarian National Interests. During and after the Jelbanian Crisis, Deltaria was clearly trying to disrupt Wiel and Romula’s Majatran Alliance and it seems to have paid off with its replacement by the Cildanian founded Majatran Union of Nations.

Black Thursday cracked the remanants of the MA and saw the transfer to the MUN. Given Zima’s apparent foreknowledge of the crash and his preparations paying off financially, it is possible, even likely that he played a role in instigating the crisis.

[Wu Han]

The Timid Prince
Regarding: Crown Prince Sun Yunzhe and Viscount Yi Silin of Indrala
Date: 4435
Discoverable?: No


Tian'an, Indrala: Ever since he was a young boy, the Crown Prince has been mild-mannered and kind-hearted. His favourite activities included making music, writing poems, painting, picking flowers and playing with his dogs. The Crown Prince has always preferred to be alone, slipping away from his servants and aids at any given opportunity. While the solitude brought the Crown Prince respite from the constant demands of his birth station, it also brought him trouble as it made him easy prey for some of the more brash and rough children in the Imperial Palace.

For most of his childhood, the Crown Prince has been tormented by a band of older boys led by Yi Silin. The boys would mock the Crown Prince for his hobbies, small stature and appearance. They would also often assault the Crown Prince, seeing just how much violence they could inflict upon him without making him bleed or have noticeable injuries outside of his robe. Whenever one of his attendants would inquire about a bruise, scrape or cut while bathing the Crown Prince, he would make up a lie and choke back his tears. Eventually, one astute servant figured out what was happening and reported his concerns to his superior, who in turn told the Emperor.

While the Emperor was disappointed to hear the news, he chose to simply assign more servants to the Crown Prince to assure he would never be alone. The Emperor also conferred the information to Yi Silin's father, the Viscount Yi Liancheng. The Viscount had long considered the Emperor to be his saviour after a near-death experience during their youth. As such, the Viscount was incredibly loyal to the Imperial Clan and repulsed by the actions of his son. After hearing the news from the Emperor, the Viscount brutally and violently reprimanded Silin which resulted in the boy needing medical attention. After this episode, Silin pretended to be a loyal friend to the Crown Prince, while harbouring very ill feelings toward him. In 4430, the Viscount was diagnosed with a very advanced cancer. On his death bed, the Viscount told Silin:

"I would have rather had a thousand daughters than a son so regretful and disappointing as you."

These words hardened the ill feelings Silin had for the Crown Prince. When the Viscount died in 4432, Silin became the Viscount and the sole patriarch of his noble Clan. He was also invited by the Emperor to live in the Heavenly City, as the Emperor felt a great deal of responsibility for the family of his dearest friend.

The two boys grew up as opposites. While the Crown Prince spent most of his days hiking, reading books and painting landscapes, Silin excelled through his military training, became a nationally-renowned martial artist and an incredibly gifted archer. Observing the differences in the boys, the Emperor privately complained to his servants.

"The perfect ruler would be half of Silin and half of Yunzhe," the Emperor sighed. "Never have I seen two boys so perfectly embody the sun and the moon."

"Your Imperial Majesty, why not encourage Silin to tutor the Crown Prince? Surely whatever rivalry may have existed between them has subsided as time has worn on? In this way, we can bring the two forces together."

Thus, the Emperor asked Silin to tutor the Crown Prince, of which he happily agreed. Finally, Silin would have an opportunity to torture Yunzhe for the pain he has caused him. When Silin's friends heard he had been appointed the Crown Prince's tutor, they jokingly remarked:

"I can't imagine how the Crown Prince will get through your training, that weakling. You're going to kill him!"

Silin smirked.

"We'll see."

[darkGreenParty]

Oliveira Garcia, her secretary, Indralana women and Golf
Regarding:Francisco Salazar de Oliveira Garcia, Chanceller of the República Democrática (Head of Government) and Founder of the Dark Green Party, Tukarali
Date: December 4437
Discoverable?: No


Sangon, Tukarali: When discussing about a bill in Assembleia Nacional (Tukarese house of representatives) - appropriately, a bill regarding women's rights and protection in the workplace -, the eccentric, somewhat absent-minded founder of Dark Green Party Francisco Salazar de Oliveira Garcia, then a congressman (and a bachelor), slipped a detail about his secretary: after forgetting that their proposed bill to "reduce feminist privileges" (by allowing women to work in dangerous places as the military, so they would "know how hard is to be a man", in Oliveira Garcia words) was not approved, he thought out loud blaming his secretary - with the microphone on:

That is what I get for hire a secretary based on appearance instead of work experience... Is this thing still on... Oh, s***!)"

His secretary, Maria Zhao Fernandes, is a gorgeous lady of Indralan ancestry - as many female members with high positions in the Dark Green Party, including current Internal Affairs Minister, Mai Lee Duarte, and two-times Environment and Tourism Minister Flora Mei Pereira (a valued position for a Green Party). Now that Oliveira Garcia is the Tukarese Head of Government, local tabloids speculate about possible affairs involving him and Indralan-Tukarese women. Supporters of the Chanceler retort that Oliveira Garcia family was always involved with the local Indralan community, exemplified by the Indralan-looking name of his sister, Marcelina Tsu de Oliveira Garcia, and the influence of both Guidao and Jienism in Dark Green philosophy, so he only sought for people he already know and trust for his party - after all, an Indralan-Tukarese men, Henrique Meneses Tzu, Minister of Trade and Industry, is the current Chairmen of the Dark Green Party. Anyway, some detractors fear that Indralan community receive disproportional attention from a Dark Green government.

In another, unrelated note, there are small but heated discussions about the amateur chosen for the national women's golf representation at the I Olympiad of Amoudry - Oliveira Garcia's sister, Marcelina Tsu de Oliveira Garcia. Is she chosen for her abilities or her political and familiar connections? Hard to guess, since golf is not exactly the most popular sport in Tukarali (whose population prefers association football, horse racing and futsal).

[cm9777]

Nukes for Deltaria
Regarding:Deltaria, Nuclear Weapons
[b][size=125]Date: May 4456
Discoverable?: Yes


Cachtice, Deltaria: Deltaria has long been rumoured to be planning a nuclear programme. Ever since the Vanukean nuclear attack during the Jelbanian Conflict by Vanuku, many have speculated that Deltaria would develop similar weapons to act as a deterrent to future actions. As Deltaria becomes more confrontational with the powers of Majatra and seeks to develop its own sphere of influence, it is likely a nuclear deterrent is an objective.