New Englia

[Phil Piratin]

This is a thread for New Englia news posts. More to come soon.

[Phil Piratin]

October 4331

A SHORT INTRODUCTION TO NEW ENGLIA, ITS PEOPLE AND RELIGIONS

~ an essay by Horace Pettwoode

"New Englia," the great journalist Miles Bradley wrote in a satirical article back in 2803, "is a nation of Inglians and Onglians".

That, so far as we know, is the first time "Inglians" and "Onglians" had ever been mentioned, but the first readers of that article knew what he was saying was true, and had already been true for many years. Following the article's publication, there was a great deal of heated discussion. Mainly with Inglians calling Onglians "Onglians" and Onglians calling Inglians "Inglians". Usually as insults. But over time, those terms stuck, and the Inglians became the Inglians and the Onglians became the Onglians. And so things have been ever since. Seemingly this is The Way Things Are And Will Always Be. Pious bishops and learned religious scholars of the established church have attested that this is so.

For any readers who do not know, the Inglians are the minority ruling class, representing about a third of New Englia's population as a whole, although they are in a two-thirds majority in Englia Province. They are predominantly Luthori-speaking (OOC: English-speaking) Englesian Hosian (more about about Englesians later) descendants of the original Kirlawan colonists, although down the centuries their stock has been supplemented by assorted waves of immigration. Mainly these have been Luthori-speaking Artanians from conservative Hosian backgrounds, although they have been joined by a significant Indralan element as well, which stems from the days when New Englian was an Indralan colony. Inglians are sometimes referred to collectively as "Old Kirlawans".

Meanwhile, the Onglians are the disadvantaged majority group, representing about two-thirds of the population. The majority of these are Kilani (OOC: Irish) and Kilani-speaking (OOC: Irish Gaelic) Patriarchals (OOC: Catholics), although they include a few other languages and cultural backgrounds as well. Onglians are sometimes referred to collectively as "natives" or "Kilanis".

We will return to the Inglians and the Onglians a little later in this essay, but first, some history.


HOW NEW ENGLIA CAME TO BE

In the 2340s, Kirlawa, under the murderous leadership of the beastly fascist dictator Peter Lucas, began to send expeditionary forces to the area, which was then inhabited by a series of loosely-organised nomadic tribes of primitive native peoples, predominantly Kilani, but also some Draddwyr (OOC: Welsh), Caldorians (OOC: Scots), Gao-Showans (OOC: Asians), Istapalians (OOC: Aztecs) and assorted groups of Mashacarans (OOC: Native Americans). These luckless natives were subjugated, exploited and enslaved, and more and more of the territory they ranged across was carved out by the colonists.

Lucas was assisted in his colonial venture by Herman Engles, a flamboyant Bishopal (OOC: Episcopalian/Protestant) Hosian missionary who zealously went about using brutal methods to forcibly "convert" the pagan Kilanis. Modern research has indicated that so far as his work in the colony went, he was blunderingly incompetent and not nearly as effective either as an administrator or as a missionary as popularly believed. However, it is undoubtedly true that he was a brilliant propagandist for Lukas's colonial adventures, persuading many people back home in Kirlawa - and around Terra - that the colonial project and its methods were justified. It is also quite indisputable that his posthumous reputation was massively boosted by the adventurous exploits related in his memoirs (although subsequent research demonstrates many of these were exaggerated or made up) and his dramatic death in 2344 amidst the flames of a "Wicker Man" effigy on the instructions of a severe Kilani druid who desired to register his protest at the desecration of a sacred "Fairy Ring" of mushrooms. (However, the Kirlawan historian Alex Nicholson has claimed in his controversial, book, The Real Engles (4325), that Engles died at home after contracting syphilis from his Istapalan stable boy, and that the official account of his death was fabricated by his brother, Bert Engles, who edited his memoirs and would take over his missionary legacy.

The once volcanic island of the Isle of Fire fell first to the Kirlawans, in 2342. By 2345, the territory of the modern province of Englia had been brought fully under Kirlawan control and was named "Englia", in honour of Herman Engles. The rest of the territory of modern-day New Englia was not fully conquered until 2348, following a bloody battle at what is now Lucasia City in Lucas Province - both named after Peter Lucas. The remainder of the conquered territories were divided into four provinces - East Dovani, Central, Rift and Lucas - and united with the existing 2 provinces in order to form New Englia, the name given to the new colonial state.


GROWING ANTI-PATRIARCHALISM

Economic and geopolitical strategic considerations were a key part of the motivation for colonising New Englia, but Hosian missionary zeal was a key feature too - especially when it came to "selling" the project to an international audience which could become uncomfortable with troubling reports about the treatment of the natives. Most of the settlers, and most of the key leaders amongst the early settlers (including Peter Lucas and Herman Engles) were Bishopal Hosians, but were not overly sectarian in their religious views. They shared the popular prejudices of the time against Patriarchalism (OOC: Catholicism), but still encouraged Patriarchal settlers and raised no objection to Patriarchal religious activities. That included allowing Patriarchals to partake in the missionary field of converting the natives. Even if Patriarchalsim was not quite their cup of tea, it was still a form of Hosianism, and with so many natives to convert from paganism, it was better to let some convert to Patriarchalism than to leave them as pagans. Or so at least the colonial establishment of the time reasoned.

Right from the beginning there was some degree of rivalry between the Bishopals and the Patriarchals, but this grew more intense over the years, largely because the Patriarchals were far more successful than the Bishopals at converting the natives. The reasons behind this have been much debated and disputed, but in this writer's view, it would be fair to say the Patriarchals were more adept at converting because they were more sensitive towards native culture. As an example, whereas the Bishopals would punish the natives for speaking Kiliani and other native languages, which they regarded as uncivilised and even "the tongue of Satanail", the Patriarchal missionaries set themselves to mastering and using the native languages. Similarly, whereas the Bishopals went around destroying and desecrating every native shrine, holy place or object they could find, the Patriarchals took a softer approach, preferring to dedicate such things to carefully selected Patriarchal saints instead.

Over time, the Patriarchals became resented, both by the Bishopals and also by the Englesians, who would eventually displace the Bishopals as the dominant religious group amongst the Inglians. Inglian resentment against the Onglians became enmeshed with resentment against Patriarchals, so much so that it became difficult for Inglians to either remain or become Patriarchals without experiencing censure and discrimination within their own communities. This is something that only increased with time. As early as the time of the death of Herman Engles in 2344, a clear picture was developing of Patriarchalism (inevitably mixed with much native paganism) being the religion of the Onglians, and Bishopalism/Englesianism being the religion of the Inglians.


RISE OF THE ENGLESIAN HOSIANS, STAND-OFF WITH KIRLAWA

Herman Engles was a complicated figure who said and wrote a number of confusing and contradictory things, usually depending on who his audience was and what he was trying to get from them (more often than not, meaning seeking publicity and soliciting funding). Whilst he was not above engaging in anti-Patriarchal rhetoric, most mainstream historians believe he was never quite the puritanical and intolerant figure he became known by posthumously. His "legend" was largely developed after his death by his younger brother, the much more fanatical Bert Engles.

Bert Engles published his brother's memoirs in 2344, although most mainstream historians believe he heavily edited and doctored them in order to make the contents suitable for his own purposes, particularly when it came to the religious and political viewpoints. Two years later he published a second book, this time on religious doctrine, called The Faith of Herman Engles. This, together with the memoirs, became an instant bestseller, and has remained so in New Englia ever since.

In 2347, Bert Engles established the Church of Engles, based on the theology he ascribed to his brother and had expounded in The Faith of Herman Engles. This grew in support amongst the settlers, although it made no real effort to convert the natives.

In 2369, Peter Lucas fell from power in Kirlawa, but the Kirlawan colonists remained loyal to his cause, persisting with the Lucasite state they had established and resisting control from Kirlawa. Many Lucasites fled from Kirlawa to New Englia, including Peter Lukas's grandson, Peter Lukas III.

The Church of Engles enjoyed its breakthrough in the 2370s, during the stand-off with Kirlawa. The bishops of the Bishopal Church declared unreservedly for the government back in Kirlawa, and at this point, the drift of worshippers from the Bishopal Church to the Church of Engles became a deluge. In 2377 tensions became so bad that the Bishopal Church was banned and its bishops were dropped off at sea on a leaky boat, which promptly sank, causing its occupants to drown. In 2379, the Church of Engles was declared to be the official established church, and has remained as such ever since.

The Lucasite rebels held out until 2389, when Kirlawa finally re-established control - although the Church of Engles preserved its full privileges. Greater prosperity came to the colony, with the development of agriculture, fishing along the coastline and the exploitation of mining in the Rift Mountains (mainly coal, iron and tin). The settler elite were the prime beneficiaries of this and conditions for the natives remained poor, although they did win limited advances, including the abolition of slavery.

An aged Bert Engles died in 2381 and was replaced as Archbishop by his grandson, Leonard Engles. The new Archbishop had a less highly-strung personality than his grandfather and took a more liberal approach. He did not personally subscribe to every position outlined in The Faith of Herman Engles and did not insist anybody else should do so either. Since his time, the Church of Engles has operated as what has become known as a "broad church", or to quote a phrase once used by Leonard Engles, "One Congregation, Many Members; One Church, Many Approaches; One God, Many Roads To him".


FROM COLONY TO INDEPENDENCE

From the 2690s, resentment gathered against Artanian influence in Dovani, and the "Dovani for the Dovanians" movement gathered momentum across the continent. This came to a crescendo in 2702, when Kazulia threatened to annex New Englia. For a while, the region teetered on the brink of war, but conflict was staved off when the Treaty of Indrala was signed. Under the terms of this agreement, New Englia would be jointly administered by Hulstria, Kazulia, Kirlawa and Sekowo for a period, and then be offered a referendum on independence. This was finally achieved in 2800.

However, independence would not mean liberation for the native peoples, as they remained subjugated and the Lucasite settlers, who represented only a minority of the New Englia population, remained very much in control of the show. It was around this time that Miles Bradley wrote his famous article, describing New Englians as being made up of "Inglians" and "Onglians".


FROM INDEPENDENCE TO COLONY AGAIN

In 3599, Indrala seized control of New Englia and added it to its already sizeable empire, establishing a new capital city - New Indrala - which remains the capital today. The Indralans promised self-government, and to begin with spoke of handing control to the majority indigenous Dovanian population (ie. the Onglians), which terrified the Inglians. However, Indralan officials soon realised they needed the Inglian elite to successfully govern the colony and make a commercial success of it. So whilst pushing for limited face-saving reforms to benefit the Onglians, the Indralans accepted arrangements which essentially left Inglian control of New Englia intact. Many Indralan officials, entrepreneurs and their families came to New Englia, with some settling permanently. Most of these integrated surprisingly easily into Inglian society, assisted by the fact they were generally willing to convert to Englesianism - or at least make an outward show of doing so.


AND THEN BACK TO INDEPENDENCE AGAIN

In 3835, New Englia was amongst a slew of Indralan colonies granted independence. There were international protests at the time, with the fear being expressed that without Indrala acting as a restraint on the Inglian administration, the Onglians would be treated even worse. However, such was Indrala's eagerness to withdraw that they did so without securing any real guarantees for the welfare of the Onglians.

Many Onglians, and also some of the more liberal Inglians, look back to the Indralan era as a gentler and happier time when there was less mistrust between the two classes. Indralan culture has left its mark on New Englia, as can be seen, for example, in some of the architecture (particularly in New Indrala), choice of cuisine and taste in literary, artistic and other cultural pursuits. The more puritanical wing of Inglian society is not so comfortable with this, periodically calling for a "purge" of "Gao-Showan" (OOC: Asian) and "alien" influences.


UNDERSTANDING THE PATRIARCHALS

It is questionable as to how thoroughly the Patriarchal missionaries ever "converted" the native pagans to Patriarchal orthdoxy. One does not need to spend long amongst them even today to realise that most of them still retain a great deal of the old pagan traditions and beliefs. This has been a cause of angst for the Aurorian Patriarchal Church, which at various times has tried to clamp down on "pagan superstition", but has never really succeeded. Even amongst New Englia's Patriarchal priesthood, there are a substantial number who mix Patriarchal orthodoxy with aspects of the old paganism. Numerous times down the centuries, the Arch-Patriarch in Auroria has, as one of them put it, tried to "deal with our pagan mess in New Englia" by sending in specially-selected and trained priests, but even most of these found the task hopeless and gave up after a while.

Despite being scorned by the Inglian elite and in effect driven out of Inglian society, the authorities of New Englia have always begrudgingly accepted the role of the Aurorian Patriarchal Church amongst the Onglians. In Onglian society, Patriarchal priests, monks, nuns, churches, schools, health facilities, clubs and other organisations have been allowed to go about their business. Inglians not uncommonly rant and rage at Patriarchalism and even talk about wanting to wipe it out from New Englia altogether. However, beneath the bluster, when it comes down to it, the majority - even probably the majority of the Puritans - recognise that for all of their complaints against it, on balance the Aurorian Patriarchal Church acts as a stabilising force amongst the Onglians. Always counselling acceptance of suffering in this life in return for the promise of a better one in the afterlife, always warning against illegality and angry insurrection, always providing activities, services and facilities that make life just a little more bearable - the Aurorian Patriarchal Church, one might fairly say, has done more to calm and pacify the natives than the governing authorities ever have done. The relationship between the Aurorian Patriarchal Church and the Englian ruling class has been a peculiar one, based on mutual dependence and tacit understandings, but also constant distrust and tension.

To its critics, the Aurorian Patriarchal Church in New Englia has been more concerned with retaining its privileges, getting along with the Inglian elite and pursuing a never-ending struggle against Onglian paganism than with challenging the abuses, injustices and inequalities that have dominated the lives of Onglians for millennia. That is a view this writer would find to be generally fair, although it would not be true in every instance. There are - and there always have been - priests, monks, nuns and even sometimes bishops who have dared to do more. But they are in the minority, and have rarely enjoyed more than limited support from the broader leadership of the Aurorian Patriarchal Church in New Englia.


UNDERSTANDING THE ENGLESIANS

The Church of Engles' second Archbishop, Leonard Engles, abandoned the policy of rigidly-imposed theological conformity which had been followed by his grandfather. Within certain boundaries, different churches/congregations and their priests were permitted to practice their faith and their rituals in their own ways, and this has continued ever since. However, whilst the majority of Inglians may be united under one church, they do have a proclivity for religious disputes amongst themselves, which frequently become passionate and even at times vicious.

It is possible talk of four main factions within the Church of Engles, and these religious divisions tend to carry over into politics as well. They can be described as follows...


PURITANS: Puritans adhere strictly to the austere theology endorsed by the church's founder, Bert Engles, and equally rigidly to the interpretation he provided of the life and work of his brother. In line with the teaching of Bert Engles, they are fiercely opposed to the consumption of alcohol, tobacco or drugs; tea, coffee or other "stimulating beverages"; and the theory of evolution.

They believe a controversial text known as "Eliyahu's Letter to the Kirlawan" is a genuine and divinely-inspired document, and should be regarded as part of the Annunciation (OOC: New Testament). In this text, the author (allegedly Eliyahu, OOC: Jesus) writes to early Hosian followers in Kirlawa, informing them that one day their descendants will conquer a "strange country" and build a "godly society" there. This is interpreted to be a justification for the Kirlawan colonisation of New Englia. There are further passages in the letter about the "godly society" in the "strange country" needing to face "tribulations and betrayals" before "winning the final victory against Satanail", which is interpreted to be a reference to much that has happened in New Englia's history, and a prophecy for what is to come in the future.

Puritans believe in the religious supremacy of the Luthori language, which, to borrow the words of Bert Engels, they regard as "the language of angels and of Heaven to come". Other languages are regarded as inferior and generally discouraged. Certain languages, such as the native languages in New Englia, are regarded as positively Satanailic.

Adhering to Bert Engles' "King Harold Only" doctrine, they believe the translation of the bible into Luthori ordered by King Harold III of Utagia (part of modern-day Luthori) in 1249 is the inerrant Word of God, and that all other versions or translations of the bible are faulty. Puritans occasionally conduct book-burnings of non-King Harold bibles and other books they disagree with. The upset this caused led Leonard Engles to demand that such book burning events should not be photographed, televised or otherwise depicted, hoping that this would limit the offence caused to people not just in New Englia, but all around Terra. However, in the long-term, this injunction appears to have only made the book burnings a more highly-charged and "mystical", almost sacred ceremony for the participants.

Puritans tend to have muted or mixed responses to Leonard Engles, who they revere as a member of the Engles family and a close associate of Bert Engles, but are suspicious of because of his advocacy of pluralism within the church.


CONSERVATIVES: Also sometimes known as "moderates", the conservative faction supports traditional Hosian theology. Whilst holding Bert Engles in great reverence, it does not go along with every single one of his strictures. They tend to be liberal with regards to tea, coffee, alcohol and gambling, for example. Despite being fairly uncompromising in their views on the superiority of the Luthori language and its supremacy in New Englia, they do not usually go along with "King Harold Only" doctrine and tend to be embarrassed and uncomfortable, if not necessarily offended, by the book-burning ceremonies of the Puritans. They often find themselves resenting what they see as unfair "liberal" attacks on their church and its history, although they are more open-minded than the Puritans in this regard.

The majority of Inglians fall into this faction, as do the majority of the church's bishops and probably almost all of the Archbishops who have led it.


HIGH CHURCH ENGLESIANS: Those in the church with sympathies for the beliefs and rituals of the Aurorian Patriarchal Church are often derided by their opponents as "Patriarchal-Englesians", but prefer to call themselves "High Church Englesians". Some are closet Patriarchals, but remain in the Church of Engles for social reasons. This group clearly existed within the church from its earliest days, but became more visible after Leonard Engles made it easier for them to become so.


LIBERALS: Most liberals regard the Church of Engles as part of their history and their tradition, but do not necessarily feel bound by it and are more relaxed than the other factions when it comes to disputing traditional interpretations of the church's theology and history. Most hold Leonard Engles in reverence for his efforts to make the church more inclusive, although some view him just as a conservative pragmatist who was essentially concerned about keeping the Inglians united under the same church, preferring to avoid a split that might have ended up undermining the Inglians poltiically. Liberals are more progressive and tolerant in their approach to both theology and politcs, although the progressivism and tolerance they advocate might not in each and every case be extended to the Onglians. In principle they are in favour of reaching out to and improving the lot of the Onglians, although the embarrassing truth for them is that they find Onglians frustrating and difficult to understand. Far more than the other factions, they are sensitive to Terra-wide Hosian opinion, and international opinion more generally. Some in this faction are closet atheists or agnostics, but remain in the church for social reasons.


THE POLITICS OF NEW ENGLIA TODAY

New Englian politics is often described as "semper eadem", Selucian (OOC: Latin) for "always the Same". A 92-member Parliament is elected every 5 years and sits in the capital, New Indrala, elected on the basis of single member first-past-the-post constituencies. The franchise is based on citizens needing to meet minimum requirements for financial assets or holding a university degree, which in practice restricts the electorate to about 90% of Inglians and 5% of Onglians, thus ensuring Inglian dominance of political life.

Most seats are regularly won by the National Party, which is united in principle in wanting to preserve Inglian dominance, but often divided about much else - just like the Church of Englia, its members cannot be guaranteed to always sing from the same song sheet. Most seats are uncontested, with the National Party nominee being the only candidate.

The same class of people, the families of the Inglian elite, essentially dominate the established church, politics, the judiciary, the civil service, the upper tiers of business and most of the key cultural institutions, so much so that it can seem almost difficult to separate any one of these from the others. It is not at all uncommon, for example, for someone to go from being an MP to becoming a bishop, or to retire from being a Cabinet Minister and go on to become a judge.

The executive branch of the government is headed by a Lord Protector, who is appointed by a vote of confidence of the Parliament. He in turn appoints other members of the government, comprising of Cabinet Ministers - usually about 10, and beneath them, Ministers of State - usually about 25. Ministers tend to enjoy very long careers, and many remain in the same posts for years - even decades - at at time.

Onglians remain considerably disadvantaged and suffer much discrimination, particularly when it comes to characteristics as simple as their religion, their language (mainly Kilani) and even just their accents, appearance and fashions. The police force, the New Englian Constabularly (NEC) is over 90% Inglian and faces regular and serious allegations relating to poor treatment of Onglians. The judiciary is also regarded as extremely biased.

When it comes to the provision of public services, Onglians fare badly, with Onglian areas been disproportionately under-funded and neglected. Inglian education is run by Church of Engles schools, and Onglian education by Patriarchal schools, but the Patriarchal schools receive far less funding per head than the Englesian ones. Many of the top universities and further education colleges bar entry to Patriarchals, which excludes most Onglians. Even the few Onglians who have qualifications, training and experience find it difficult to get the best jobs, due to discrimination.

In the area of public housing and state-subsidised housing, Onglians again face massive discrimination, regularly experiencing the effects of housing shortages, over-crowding and poor housing conditions.


SOME WORDS ON THE NEW ENGLIAN ECONOMY

New Englia's economy remains heavily dependent on its traditional sectors of agriculture, mining (particularly coal, iron, tin and copper) and fishing. There is a growing tourism industry on the Isle of Fire and along the beachy coastline, but the jobs involved there tend to be seasonal and low-paid. The port city of Northport is a vital hub for international trade between Dovani and the rest of Terra, particularly with Artania and Majatra. Ownership of the economy is heavily under Inglian control. Overseas investment is welcomed but only allowed under strict conditions - for example, large organisations have to remain under the majority ownership of New Englian citizens.


PROSPECTS FOR CHANGE IN NEW ENGLIA?

New Englian history has not been without its interesting developments and incidents, but he central features of life in this country appear to have remained largely the same over the last two millennia. As has always been the case, the Inglian government continues to face some pressure from the international community to reform the country, and periodically these calls are echoed even within senior Inglian ranks. However, any talk of reform is unpopular with the majority of Inglians, and fraught with problems, which means the pace of progress is usually slow or non-existent.

Two interesting developments over the last century have been the emergence of the Onglian Civil Rights Association (OCRA), which campaigns for the rights and welfare of Onglians, and the Onglian Liberation Army (OLA) which tries to advance the cause of Onglians through violent means. OCRA, has succeeded in bringing the New Englia situation to greater international attention than it has received before, and is distrusted by the majority of Inglians, many of whom even regard it as just a front for the OLA. The OLA has been limited in its impact, but over the last few years has become much more active, frequently provoking draconian responses from the government and the NEC.

It is difficult to foresee what the future will hold, but to this writer at least, it would seem the situation is likely to get worse before it gets better.

[Phil Piratin]

April 4332

New Englia offers Perica "full support"


Lord Protector Rafe Shevington

Lord Protector Rafe Shevington has again thrown his weight behind the right-wing regime of Edvard Perica in Statrica, who came to power 3 years ago in what was widely regarded as an unconstitutional coup and is now fighting a civil war against his political opponents, including a massive tribal rebellion in Rozna.

"Here in New Englia, we have a better appreciation than most countries do of what the context is like here, and what the challenges are that our Statrican friends are facing," Shevington said. "It is a mistake to pay too much attention to loudmouths like Kata Horvat. Victory for the rebels would be a total disaster for everybody in Statrica - a disaster for people of all backgrounds and races. It would also be a disaster for this region, and a disaster for the whole of Terra. The Statrican government deserves our full support."

He went on to announce he would ask his top officials to meet their Statrican counterparts in order to discuss offers of cash, weapons, equipment and secondment of security personnel.

It was also revealed that the New Englian security forces had detained a number of individuals suspected of being connected with the rebel uprising, most of whom were attempting to pass through New Englia in order to get to Artania. Statrica has been invited to send members of its security services to New Englia in order to interview these individuals, if they so wish to do so.

New Englia was the first country to officially recognise Perica's government and is keen to see it hold on. Statrica, like New Englia, has a minority-led regime, and fears are rampant that an overthrow of the existing order in Statrica would leave New Englia more isolated and vulnerable. However, in practical terms, New Englia is somewhat limited in terms of what it might do to assist Statrica, both due to geographical separation and the fact it is not a wealthy or militarily powerful nation.

[Phil Piratin]

October 4332

Parliament votes down Alcohol Prohibition Bill


Front cover of a leaflet produced by an Inglian-run group called the Onglian Welfare Association, warning about "the devastation caused to Onglian communities by alcohol"


National Temperance Association poster


Society of Hosian Virtue poster


New Englian Women's Purity League poster of female Hosians who have vowed not to have sex with their husbands until they give up booze

Following a lively all-day debate, Parliament yesterday voted down the Alcohol Prohibition Bill by 73 votes to 19. The bill was sponsored by Titus Leventhorpe, widely regarded as the leader of the Puritan faction of National Party MPs.

There had been much agitation in the run-up to the vote, with the National Temperance Association, the Society of Hosian Virtue, the New Englian Women's Purity League and other groups running vigorous and provocative campaigns which caught the public's attention, but were only able to win the support of a minority of Inglian society. No prominent Onglians spoke in support of the bill, although a joint statement of the Aurorian bishops called for greater efforts to be made to help alcoholics and tackle the problems surrounding excessive alcohol consumption.

Titus Leventhorpe opened the debate with a fire-and-brimstone style speech, condemning alcohol as "this Satanailic liquid", reading aloud passages from the religious works of Bert Engles condemning alcohol, explaining portions of the Katub (OOC: Old Testament) which he claimed justified the prohibition of alcohol, and memorably asserting that alcohol "befuddles a man's senses and makes him useless to his community, to his family, to himself, to New Englia, to civilisation and to God".

Lancelot Hoare, the Minister of Health, replied that in the government's view the main problem rested not with "civilised and responsible Inglians", but with "significant lazy and feckless elements within the native communities", referring particularly to the Mashacarans (OOC: Native Americans), who he lamented "can hardly handle a drop of alcohol at all".

Leventhorpe's Puritan ally Garret Yornold then gave a poorly-received speech talking about how alcohol is "as much a problem for Inglians as for Onglians" and that "unless we cleanse our society of the demon drink, we will lose this country - God gave us this great land, but he can take it away from us too". Most MPs enjoy their drink and did not want to listen to any of this, so Yornold was subjected to a great deal of booing and jeering, forcing the Speaker to intervene to call for a restoration of order.

The next speaker was Charles Panshawe of the liberal faction, who received an even worse perception than Yornold's. He delivered a long and earnest speech, first of all agreeing with Yornold that "inglian society has its problems", then deploring "the fact the natives drink too much because they have such miserable home lives", which he ascribed to "poverty, overcrowding and having too many children - the Onglian man has no fulfilling hobbies or activities to engage in after he comes home from a hard day's work, so all he does is come home, get drunk then beat his wife and children around". However, he argued "the answer isn't to take away alcohol, which is the one comfort many of them have in life", but to "invest more in native communities, provide them with better education, better housing, more and better jobs, give them libraries and community centres, fund more alcohol rehabilitation programs, expand birth control programs".

The next MP to rise, Godfrey Sibill from the conservative faction, aroused loud cheers of approval when he dismissed Panshawe's ideas, complaining "We've been trying all of that stuff for the last 2000 years and it hasn't gotten us anywhere - those Onglians are ungrateful, sullen and stubborn, with no ambition whatsoever to rise above their current level of civilisation, and no understanding whatsoever of why on earth they should try to do so". He received even louder cheers when he said denying alcohol to Inglians would be "using a hammer to crack a nut" and argued instead that the answer to the problem was for county councils to be stricter about granting alcohol licences in native areas. The loudest cheers of all came when he denounced "the irrational, pagan superstitions of the Aurorian Patriarchal Church, which cause the Onglians to breed at a rate that is dangerously and unsustainably high".

Panshawe then stood up again to challenge some of Sibill's points, arguing, for example, that "restricting alcohol licences in native areas won't work, because they will just travel a few miles to the nearest vendor of alcohol" and also warning that "making it more difficult to sell alcohol legally in native areas will do a favour for the black market".

Giles Ufford from the conservative faction suggested an alternative solution of increasing the tax on alcohol, in order to discourage excessive drinking. However, he was opposed by Sibill, who argued this would "be patronising and unfair to working-class Inglian workers on modest incomes who enjoy a moderate drink".

After the vote was taken and Leventhorpe's bill was voted down, Panshawe found himself being booed again, because he wanted to continue the debate when almost everybody else in the chamber wanted to go home. He tabled a proposal to set up a Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry into the Problems of Alcoholism and How they Should Be Remedied. He was frequently interrupted during his speech with cries such as "Let us go home!", "Sit down!" and "the football's on in a minute!" After Panshawe had finished speaking, Sibill rose to oppose him, arguing any Parliamentary Committee would "get hijacked by professional busy-bodies". Several of Panshawe's fellow liberal faction MPs wanted to speak as well but by this time the Speaker, gauging the mood of the house, brought the debate to a close and put Panshawe's motion to a vote, which was defeated by 40 to 13 (a number of MPs having missed the vote because they had already decided to go home).

[Phil Piratin]

October 4332

New Englia sends aid to Perica regime

Lord Protector Rafe Shevington has announced that following discussions with the Perica regime in Statrica, New Englia has agreed an aid package which will include financial grants, loans, weapons, equipment and the secondment of security experts. It is widely believed that the "security experts" dispatched to Statrica include a number of deeply unsavoury characters who used to work for the Nimitz dictatorship in Hulstria, but fled to New Englia in order to take up new jobs and evade prosecution for war crimes.

Charles Panshawe of the liberal faction raised concerns about this in Parliament, questioning whether "this is really in our best interests" and whether "this might damage our reputation internationally". He also pressed the government to provide more specific information about the details of the assistance given by New Englia to Statrica. However, Shevington, to loud cheers, insisted that "New Englia will stand by the legitimate government of Statrica every step of the way" and refused to provide the specific details requested "on the grounds of confidentiality and national security".

[Phil Piratin]

March 4333

Was Luthori Terra's original language?

Professor Alban Hatteclyff, a theologian from the Puritan-leaning Bert Engles University in Lucasia City has submitted a paper to the International Society for the Study of Terran Civilisations outlining the case for the traditional position of the Church of Engles on the story of the development of human languages.

Drawing on sources from the Katub (OOC: Old Testament) and the writings of Bert Engles (the founder of the Church of Engles), Hatteclyff argues that until about 10,000 years ago, everybody in Terra spoke Luthori (OOC: English). The cataclysmic event which changed all of this was that God became angry about the amount of sin in the world, particularly regarding inappropriate mixings between the races. God punished this by making the most sinful peoples of the world forget how to speak Luthori and start talking a host of other, "inferior" languages instead. Hatteclyff further argues that some of the new languages which appeared, including the Celda (OOC: Celtic) languages, such as Kilani (OOC: Irish), Draddwyr (OOC: Welsh) and Caldorian (OOC: Scottish) were actually not given to them by God at all, but were taught to those peoples by demons who broke God's law by coming to earth to interbreed with them.

The theory Hattecylff outlined and endorsed has been the official doctrinal position of the Church of Engles since its inception in 2347, although only a minority of Englesians - usually the Puritans - still believe in it today.

[Phil Piratin]

April 4334

New Englia bans kilts

Parliament has narrowly voted by 47 to 45 to ban the kilt, a traditional form of dress worn by Caldorian (OOC: Scots). The bill was proposed by Titus Leventhorpe and supported by all of his Puritan faction. The liberal faction staunchly opposed the measure, but the conservative faction was split, leaving the supporters of the bill with a slim majority.

Lord Protector Rafe Shevington voted against the law, letting it be known that he thought it was an unnecessary over-reaction which was likely to cause problems. Nevertheless, sensitive to the fact his party was deeply split, he did not take part in the debate in order to adopt a stance of semi-neutrality. His Cabinet Ministers did the same.

Puritans have had a problem with the kilt for many centuries, associating it with transvestism, sexual immorality, paganism, superstition and the general spirit of Caldorian rebelliousness and restlessness. However, this is the first time the kilt has actually been banned, and the reasons for this probably lie with a series of sensationalist news reports which have erupted into the Inglian media over the last 7 or 8 months. These reports have been about the alleged immoralities of nomadic Caldorian tribespeople living in the Rift Mountains area. These tribal groups have had their traditional way of life seriously impacted over recent centuries, due to the development of the mining industry and the growth of surrounding towns, which has left them with less and less territory to roam across.


Caldorian tribesmen from the Ridge Mountains


More Caldorian tribesmen from the Ridge Mountains


Yet more Caldorian tribesmen from the Ridge Mountains

According to media reports, a number of Caldorian tribesmen have taken to supporting themselves by accepting payment for sex from Inglian women, many of whom have become bored of their husbands, but are fascinated by the the alluring rugged charm of the kilted mountain men. There have also been reports of Inglian men going to the tribesmen for the sex, even though homosexual acts are illegal in New Englia and generally socially frowned upon.


Pupils from the Caldorian Boys Academy

The Caldorian Boys Academy in Rift Mountain has been forced to change its school uniform as a result of the legislation. The pupils, parents and teachers there are very upset, and they are gathering up petition, which they hope to present to the Lord Protector in a few weeks time.


Protest demonstration in Rift Province


Protest demonstration outside an Englesian Church in New Indrala, which greatly upset parishioners


Protest at football match in Lucasia City

The Onglian Civil Rights Assocation (OCRA) has condemned the legislation as "an act of gross cultural imperialism, cultural arrogance, cultural ignorance and cultural insensitivity". Campaigners have organised a series of events all over the country, illegally wearing kilts at protest demonstrations. The Caldorian Cultural Assocation has joined the campaign against the legislation as well, and is calling for people in New Englia and around Terra to wear kilts as a sign of solidarity with "the oppressed Caldorians of New Englia".

Charles Panshawe MP of the liberal faction has said he is "extremely disappointed" by the passage of the bill and "hopes this can be reversed at a later day, which should be possible if we can persuade just a few of our colleagues to change their minds". However, Godfrey Sibill, a populist from the conservative faction, has insisted "Parliament was absolutely right to ban this disgusting and primitive item of apparel", arguing that "the repulsive way these backwards people are comporting themselves right now is the perfect demonstration of why this law was so necessary in the first place".

[Phil Piratin]

June 4335

CARNAGE!: 19 dead, 182 injured as civil rights march ends in tragedy



In one of the most violent days in recent New Englian history, 19 people lost their lives and 182 were left injured after a civil rights march organised by the Onglian Civil Rights Association (OCRA) clashed with members of the New Englian Constabularly (NEC) as they attempted to cross Lucas Bridge in New Indrala, the capital city.

The OCRA marchers were calling for voting rights for Onglians, although they had a number of other issues as well, including alleged discrimination by the police and courts, and issues related to housing conditions.

Lord Protector Rafe Shevington had ordered the march to be banned, complaining OCRA was "a subversive and almost treasonous organisation, heavily infiltrated by the terrorists of the Onglian Liberation Army (OLA)".

OCRA, which has always denied allegations of links to OLA, decided to hold the march anyway, insisting "our voice must be heard" and "the Onglian people will not remain silent".

The police allowed the march to continue along the first part of the route, but demanded they turn back at Lucas Bridge. There was then a stand-off, with the marchers refusing to turn back.

At this point, it is not entirely clear what happened next or who was the first to resort to violence, but before long, the police were attacking the crowd with batons, and in some cases were firing bullets.

According to the police, the violence erupted as a result of OLA gunmen opening fire on them with guns. However, this account of events is being denied by OCRA, and is also being denied by a number of Onglian witnesses.

OCRA claims that after the assault from the police, militants from the paramilitary Inglian Volunteer Force (IVF) began attacking them as well, mainly by throwing rocks, bricks and other objects. However, this account is denied both by the police and all of the Inglian witnesses who have so far spoken out.

The Lord Protector has dismissed calls from his party's liberal faction to order a public inquiry into the day's events, arguing such an inquiry would "be exorbitantly expensive" and would "place an intrusive and unfair burden on the officers of the New Englian Constabulary, who do a fantastic professional job, under the most difficult and trying of circumstances".

[Phil Piratin]

Parliament gives government go-ahead to pursue Degalogesa rail link talks
...but political situation could be an obstacle, warn commentators

Parliament has voted by 48 to 44 to authorise the government to initiate talks with the government of Degalogesa and the Istalian company, Hasan-Mariani Holding & Investment Group, about the possibility of linking up Delagogesa's planned Transcontinental Rail Project with New Englia's rail network. There was a great deal of grumbling during the debate, with many MPs expressing their disapproval of railways and public transport in general on the grounds that, in the words of one MP, it "encourages undesirable types to travel into areas inhabited by respectable citizens" and "brings in too many culturally alien elements". Nevertheless, when it came to the final vote, they narrowly voted yes - although even many who voted yes did so somewhat begrudgingly.

However, it remains to be seen whether political considerations will affect the willingness of Delagogesa and the Istalian investors to co-operate in this. New Englia is notorious for its semi-apartheid system, where the majority Onglian population (OOC: Mainly Kilanis/Irish) are effectively denied voting rights and face widespread discrimination and disadvantage, whilst the minority Inglians (OOC: Mainly descendants of Kirlawans/English) enjoy considerable privilege. The recent violence in New Indrala City, now known as "Bloody Tuesday", has caused further controversy and placed New Englia more strongly under the international spotlight.

There is also an issue that New Englia's border control operation is infamous for the often heavy-handed and discriminatory treatment it gives to travellers who are native to Dovani and who do not, like the Inglians, originate from Artania. Delagoesan (OOC: Cherokee) travellers to New Englia have frequently complained of poor treatment by New Englian security, who they say often treat them like suspected criminals. According to the International Travel Guide publication, this situation has improved somewhat compared to what it was 20 or 30 years, but remains a problem.

Another tricky issue here is that New Englia's state-controlled railway system is infamous for its discriminatory treatment of Onglians, who are assigned to second-class rail carriages and denied access to the more well-paid jobs in the rail industry.

[Phil Piratin]

Onglian Civil Rights Assocation (OCRA) appeals to World Congress