I have done the same thing for Anglostia https://valsora.tep.wiki/wiki/Anglostia_Army https://valsora.tep.wiki/wiki/Anglostia_Air_Force https://valsora.tep.wiki/wiki/Anglostia_Royal_Navy
As far as I understand it, an unknown number of anonymous individuals have decided to be weenie-baby losers and downvote our newspaper because they're mad about the WA.
I will. And how was it? I wanted to make it fairly realistic, so I first established logistics and communications and kitchens. Which is vital for any operation.
But since you are a military buff, you have more knowledge than me on stuff like this.
Hello everyone, welcome to another edition of the EPNS. Although July was a relatively quiet month, I still grace the newspaper with my presence, lest Rosa shoot me.
NationStates tends to experience a little bit of a slowdown come this time of year, so it’s nothing immensely unexpected that we’ve seen the executive have a quiet patch. I’ve just started at a new job which involves a very early rise, so I haven’t had an enormous amount of energy when it comes to buckling down on projects, however I expect this to change as I get used to a new schedule in the coming weeks, and battle away at the burnout I’ve been feeling. Our plans in the executive remain the same, my main focuses continue to be the revitalisation of the EPSA, the success of our new ministries and ministers, and the overall growth of the region’s endorsement culture.
Over July, I took part in some discussions with Minister of Endorsement Affairs, Jo, and we’re in the process of organising some events to encourage that endorsement-happy regional foundation we’re hoping to establish. I look forward to seeing this come to life in the coming weeks. Speaking of events, how good was Hunger Games this month? I’m not remotely bias, I don’t know what you’re implying. I think this month’s winner was probably super deserving and likely also rougishly handsome, which is a thing I say about every winner, this is nothing new. Congratulations to them. Big shoutout and thanks to our friends in the NPO for hanging out with us, despite their recently busy schedule!
I have got in touch with Empress Xoriet, congratulating her on her assecion, and re-affirming my commitment to our regions shared relationship. I look forward to deepening TEP’s relationships, not only with the NPO but across the interregional landscape over the coming months.
Given my lack of time, and my respect for yours, I won’t ramble on unnecessarily in areas that haven’t seen too much movement these last few weeks. I hope I’ll have more to update you on next month, and rest assured this month’s edition of the EPNS is as entertaining, and as jam-packed with content as ever.
The 62nd Magisterium was seated and began its term on July 1, 2024. Ambis, Marrabuk, and Pauline Bonaparte (myself) ran for Provost after Dremaur chose to step away from the seat. I was elected on July 4, 2024. This is my first elected seat in The East Pacific. Thanks to all of our Magisters for your confidence!
We ended July with 23 total Magisters. 18 are active, 3 are suspended, and 2 are on a leave-of-absence. July was a busy month for the Magisterium, with one Magister admitted, one bill passed, all four Arbiters reconfirmed, and three amendments passed:
Yo yo yo, here’s the update out of the culture ministry!
Another quiet month for the ministry! We have, however, seen an uptick in activity and will be introducing various more polls for the general public to participate in over the next few weeks!
In July, we hosted our monthly Hunger Games, this month with NPO! It was jam-packed and full of excitement, and I’d like to extend my own personal thanks to everybody who participated!
Next, we introduced our Summer Flag Contest, which will be wrapped up at the end of this week (due to irl constraints, we kinda went over schedule, but that’s fine!)
We’re also still hiring! Should you wish to help out in the ministry at all, feel free to shoot me a DM on Discord (bottommo) or telegram me here, and remember to apply via the #join-the-executive channel in the regional Discord!
Praesidium Elections Conclude, Incumbents Hold By: Aivintis
UTEP Feature UTEP has followed up with a second work, entitled An Argument Against Wanton Founder Supremacy written by Zukchiva, this piece work the ethical implications of "Founder Supremacy" in, focusing on the tension between a Founder’s mechanical control over a region and the collective investment of its community.
The Praesidium, or the Viziers, is the most lethargic branch of government in TEP. In times of peace and stability, there is little to do, and its roster of retirees and pluralist officials tend to spend each month endotarting. All is well, of course, given the Praesidium has no use as a proactive body. It is inherently and necessarily reactive – awakening from its dormancy when regional security calls for it, such as the attempted delegate bump last November, or the ConCrisis of 2022.
It may come as little surprise, then, to note that leadership changes are exceedingly rare. Dragons Blood was Grand Vizier for over three years, with only a single six-month term wherein Marrabuk took over while Dragons Blood served as EPPS Commissioner. His reign only ended a year ago, when I was elected as Grand Vizier. Though the Commissioner position itself has changed hands more, it is still far more sedentary than the Provost or Delegate offices.
Equally, the two positions see little contention when election season comes around. Seeing long terms of greater responsibilities, the Viziers who are used to the typical dormancy of the Praesidium may not be so keen on the shift into leading the branch. With few folks up for the task, long terms become longer with frequent re-election and little to no opposition from other candidates.
Low turnout is also common. Another symptom of the reactive nature of the security branch is the low participation in comparatively low priority business – elections, speculation about potential red flags, and day-to-day endotarting cannot hold a candle to true security emergencies. Though such low participation does not demonstrate vulnerability, it is not ideal for the every day running of the branch.
The mid-year Praesidium elections met all of these expectations. The incumbent Grand Vizier ran again, as did the incumbent EPPS Commissioner, and no challengers stood for election. Despite low turnout, both were re-elected nearly unanimously as, for the sake of integrity, neither voted for themselves. This is another common practice in all East Pacifican elections, and equally comes as no surprise.
In the last term, Praesidium leadership oversaw the expansion of the Citizenship Office, the prohibition of foreign perpetrators of regional destruction, the addition of forum infrastructure for notifications and petitions, and, in this last month, the passage of an amendment to the Citizenship Act in the Magisterium which overhauled and streamlined the process of proscription. With no campaigning materials, re-elected leadership cannot be held to any promises, but it is fair to assume that there will be little change in the operations of the Praesidium.
The Foreign Newsstand: Arkana Coalition, RaiderCon, and CCD Raided By: Aivintis
Hello and welcome to The Foreign Newsstand (TFN).
We in The East Pacific’s FA Watch are tasked with discussing and debating news of global significance within NationStates Gameplay. With an eye on the forums and the news reports of our allies, we see discussion on a wide range of interregional political topics, and I have used this perspective to create the Newsstand, summarizing the goings-on of NSGP.
TFN is fact-checked by TEP’s Foreign Minister, but nevertheless, I am human, and make mistakes. As such, I encourage people to reach out if there are factual errors, and I invite any NSer to reply in this thread adding any events I may have missed. It can help me figure out what my blind spots are, and ensure accountable, factual reporting. Furthermore, readers are encouraged to direct opinion statements to the threads relating to individual events.
Without further ado, here are the major events of July 2024:
The Black Hawks has celebrated its 19 year founding anniversary with a 29-hit tag run. (July 2nd)
Grachevia has been elected Prime Minister of Conch Kingdom, alongside Liberto-Ancapistan as Minister of Domestic Affairs and Socialist Platypus for another term as Minister of Foreign Affairs. (July 4th)
LWU and the invaders of Arkana Coalition have announced victory in their raid, clearing out all native and defender sleepers before vacating in response to the success of the Liberation and Injunction. (July 5th)
Chaotic Sparkles has resigned as High Queen of Sparkalia, appointing Crown Princess Momi Cherenkov-Choslow in her stead. (July 15th)
Europeia has announced the signing of the Treaty of the Shining Seas with the Coalition of the South Pacific. The provisions of the treaty include mutual defense and World Assembly collaboration. (July 16th)
The provisional government of Warzone Sandbox has been overthrown by an Ijakan raid de-seating the World Assembly Delegate. (July 18th)
The Region That Has No Big Banks has announced the return of the SummerFest event, a six week festival open to its interregional partners including games, movies, card giveaways, and polls. (July 18th)
RaiderCon 2024 has been hosted, lasting until July 28th. RaiderCon first commenced in 2015 as a ten year anniversary event for The Black Hawks, and continued as an annual event hosted with all of Raiderdom. (July 19th)
Emperor East Durthang of The New Pacific Order has appointed Syberis as Regent. As Regent, they shall manage NS affairs for The Pacific and serve as the primary government point of contact. In the same announcement, the Emperor announced the retirement of Jar Wattinree, Waterfall State, and Greyghost into the position of Senate Advisor and the appointment of Marinas Island as Senator of Internal Affairs. (July 22nd)
The Dreamscape of Atlanticana has put all its diplomatic relations on review following disagreements and conflicts with The Communist Bloc, reaffirming its neutrality in the process. (July 28th)
The North Pacific Army, with the help of the New Pacific Order, the West Pacific, The League & Concord, and Europeia, has raided Confederation of Corrupt Dictators, which has long been a pariah of NSGP for its fascist history and coordinated attack on The North Pacific. This comes after Governor Jocospor ceased to exist in June. (July 28th)
Forest has opened embassies with Lands End and Ridgefield, two Augustin Alliance regions, as well as Valaryia, a region not well known in the NSGP sphere. (July 31st)
The region of Commonwealth has been founded, quickly opening an NSGP forum embassy, wherein founder Advaghts has laid out an agenda for the region. (July 31st)
Donations for the R/D for Pride 2024 event have been made, with $413.74 from organizer Notanam and $166.87 from Augustin Alliance administrator Emiline. Due to a four times matching event on the 31st, this means NS has effectively raised $2322.44 for the Trevor Project, contributing to suicide prevention for LGBTQIA+ teens. (July 31st)
Roadmap for the Ministry of Recruitment: An Opinion By: Crestor
Greetings to all EPNS readers, I am Crestor, the Minister for Recruitment and it’s a pleasure to be able to talk about the Ministry. We started off fresh under Merlovich’s administration, so we are as new as it gets, which means that our roadmap is flexible and our position has a lot of wiggle room to establish itself within the current State Structure.
Now, what exactly is it that we are doing? We are responsible for outreach, finding people that are interested in joining the State as an employee but I want it to be more than that. The main objective is to liaise between the different government agencies, by both being aware of available job placements that are not yet covered by anyone and ensuring that, in due time, the needs of the State are fulfilled. To do that, it is necessary to consult with the various Ministers and maintain an active presence within the regional community, for which plans have been drafted.
My only hope is that the Ministry can live up to this purpose, and I ask you readers to keep an eye out, and to not be afraid to ask questions on how you can participate in-government. Our regional structure offers ample opportunity for growth, be it within the government or as an administrative body of it. I look forward to whatever awaits us.
On June 24, 2024, I set out on a monumental task. Combing through forum threads, dispatches, and files for the Eastern Pacific News Service, I set down a list of every single article ever written for the EPNS. With the title, the author, the edition date, and a link, I recorded all the news authorship TEP has seen in the past decade. When I was finished, I had recorded 335 articles. Now, after the release of the June 2024 Edition, there are 346 articles.
I will begin my analysis by considering the top ten contributors to EPNS. This leaderboard is, to me, a badge of honor for those who have dedicated hours of work to TEP. We will consider the circumstances under which each have accumulated so much and the implications thereof. Next, I will define the different periods and levels of activity within EPNS, and touch upon the causes of those trends. Finally, I will dive into article content and structure, which I will attempt to draw normative conclusions from.
Top Contributors
As of the June 2024 edition of EPNS, the top ten contributors of all time are as follows: Aivintis (40), Bachtendekuppen (37), Zukchiva (26), Tretrid (24), The Atlae Isles (16), Merlovich (15), Albrook (14), Vussul (14), Libertanny (12), and East Malaysia (11). There are 72 contributors in total, but only the top eleven have 10 or more, while only the top 36 have more than one. This suggests an exponential trend, with a top-heavy lean on the highest contributors.
Bachtendekuppen, Tretrid, Albrook, Vussul, Libertanny, and East Malaysia were all EPNS editors at some point. Three of them were also Delegates. For all six of these people, the vast majority of their contributions – if not all of their contributions – were made during a time when they were Editor or Delegate, where it might be expected of them to contribute regularly.
Out of the other four – Aivintis, Zukchiva, The Atlae Isles, and Merlovich – all were Delegates. While Merlovich has written 15 articles himself, only four of them were written before he was elected Delegate. Out of the eleven he wrote while Delegate, ten were Delegate Updates. The vast majority of contributions were made from an office where it might be expected of him to contribute regularly.
The Atlae Isles is precisely the polar opposite of this trend. Every single one of his own articles were written before he was elected Delegate. That said, he was indeed a member of cabinet for the whole period. Zukchiva, similarly, wrote only two as Delegate, with the other 24 being written outside of the office as a private citizen. One may still, again, consider him a part of the old guard nevertheless.
Most of my contributions were made during the last year. Eleven of the forty were expected of me as Grand Vizier. A twelfth was made from the Office of the UTEP Chancellor. A further ten were part of a different monthly series, the Foreign Newsstand – one might say it’s expected of me as a Foreign Councillor, but there are many foreign councilors and I note that the Newsstand has never been part of the Foreign Council, sanctioned by it, or discussed by it. The remaining 18 were written as a private citizen.
However, one cannot ignore the fact that former Editors and Delegates are the bulk of EPNS. Editors, while they hold the office, have much expected of them, and can sometimes keep EPNS alive single-handedly. Delegates might be expected to chip in at times, but considering most former Delegates on the list wrote mainly from the perspective of a private citizen, I think we can say that there is a very different trend here – high officials.
I do not think there is a political elite within The East Pacific, but I think it’s undeniable that current and former high officials are incredibly involved with the government. In EPNS and beyond, a small number of people are expected to do a lot of work, simply because there’s no one else to do it. When the various RPers and lower level staffers contribute only between one and four articles in their entire time in TEP, those who are higher level need to do more for EPNS for EPNS to work. Mostly, that falls on those officials most associated with EPNS.
Of course, in the case of many, that could be an endogeneity problem – Atlas was elected Delegate after contributing so much that he secured a place on the leaderboard, after all. It makes sense that those who make their mark on the region and work hard eventually count themselves among the high officials of the region – especially Delegates. However, in the case of editors, their contributions definitely follow their ascension to the position, and the success of EPNS is therefore entirely dependent on a single Minister doing a lot of work.
Overreliance on Editors is the single biggest danger of the EPNS. In the June 2024 Delegate Elections, I made a joke to incumbent Delegate Merlovich, who was running for a third term. I asked what he would do if the EPNS Editor “exploded.” The fact is, however, that when we lose an Editor, we tend to lose most of EPNS, if not the whole thing. When Vussul resigned, Merlovich picked up the slack and quickly found a replacement, but we’re not always so lucky. We need to be cognizant of this reliance, and combat it while the Editor remains. So far, we’re doing well, but we need to keep it up.
Eras of Activity
I consider December 2013 to April 2015 to be Active Antiquity. The first EPNS article was posted on December 2nd, 2013, by Prussia, a former Delegate of The East Pacific. In the coming months, editions were vaguely defined – at the very beginning, individual articles were posted separately in the EPNS forum thread. In this era, articles about TEP roleplay and gameplay were equally common, but most articles were provided by the person in charge of EPNS – Prussia, then Bachtendekuppen. Even when cohesive editions were introduced, multiple might be made in a month, and EPNS would not shy away from “breaking news” stories outside of these editions.
From May 2015 to October 2017 is the First Dark Age. In this period, there were no EPNS publications. Of the 57 articles preceding this Dark Age, 35 were written by Bachtendekuppen. Other contributors, like Xoriet and Severisen, only had a few to their name. The weight was on the Editor, or equivalent, and when that editor stopped contributing, EPNS fell apart. This Dark Age spans nine delegates, concluding finally with the appointment of Pendragonania as Editor by the Delegate.
In the period from November 2017 to October 2018, the Revival Period occurred. Although there was a much more eclectic mix of authors, there was a heavy emphasis on the editors of EPNS. When Pendragonania was Editor, most articles were written by him. When Libertanny was Editor, he wrote many as well. Tretrid was the only exception to this, as he was a major contributor without yet being put in charge of EPNS. Articles lengthened and increased in quality. Some experimentation, such as with the Interpacifican Media Office and the dispatch “News Delivery,” both of which ended quickly. However, this era immediately ended with the election of Fedele.
All three of Fedele’s terms, from October 2018 to October 2019, constitute the duration of the Second Dark Age, in which zero EPNS articles were published. As the literature suggests, government and community inactivity is the best environment in which to stage a coup d’etat. [1][2] The inactivity of EPNS may be an attempt to bring about or exacerbate this state, or it may be a symptom thereof. The Second Dark Age ended upon the failure of the coup and the surge of activity colloquially referred to as the Second Reconstruction.
Starting during the Second Reconstruction and continuing into the as-of-yet undefined period which followed, I posit that the EPNS experienced a Renaissance, which would begin in November 2019 and last until January 2022. In this renaissance, we saw the return of high quality articles from a variety of authors. However, this remained, yet again, quite insular, with contributors like Tretrid, Zukchiva, and The Atlae Isles forming the bulk of EPNS. Other authors contributed, but rarely became regulars. In the Renaissance, media experimentation began again, with the Midnight Star Magazine pioneered by East Malaysia. Editors included Tretrid, East Malaysia, and Albrook.
The period following this Renaissance is a dappled patchwork of activity which I am tempted to call a Third Dark Age. However, unlike the previous eras fitting that title, there were EPNS articles, only few and far between. I will thus refer to it as the Gray Era. With the lack of willing contributors, once Tretrid, Zukchiva, and The Atlae Isles had stepped back, after EPNS had been too reliant upon them for too long, TEP turned to EPNS Lite. With shorter articles, framed as updates from different branches and ministries, EPNS Lite did not stick. Nor did a proprietary system in which articles were posted as they were completed, and then compiled into a monthly collection. Only two full editions were published.
The current period of EPNS, which started with the June 2023 issue, posted on July 6th, 2023, is what I shall dub the Golden Age. Now persisting for an entire year with consistent monthly editions filled with between six and eleven articles of great length and quality, averaging at about eight. Brought about by Vussul, and sustained by the efforts of Merlovich and Rosartemis, the Golden Age has been defined by branch- and ministry-centric reports and updates and experimentation such as with “sidebar content” featuring RPs, UTEP works, and more, as well as with the new Worlds to Build section of EPNS, run by East Malaysia. Thus far, this experimentation seems to be lasting.
Content and Structure
Speaking now from a normative, opinionated perspective, I greatly admired the style of EPNS in previous active eras. The further back one goes in EPNS history, the more flare and identity one can see in the articles. There’s something special about “Greyghost appointed as Vizier” (Tretrid, 2017) that “Praesidium November Update” (Aivintis, 2023) can’t match. There’s something special about “Milestones Mark Mighty Military” (Severisen, 2014) and “EPSA And NPA Take Warzone Asia” (Xoriet, 2014) that are so fundamentally alive, which “The Delegate’s Update” can’t compete with.
EPNS is a news service. It should have the soul of one. What it has become is a platform of government voices. This has been a necessity of the service. To sustain itself, it needs to rely on offices over individuals, and that is understandable. However, the style does not have to reflect that. What if last month’s Grand Vizier Address was split into three, smaller articles – “Proscriptions Issued,” “EPPS is Hiring,” and “Calibrating the Citizenship Office”? What if the Culture Update was instead named with a play on words such as “Pride Matters”?
The EPNS has blood coursing through its veins, pumping strong. That’s way beyonds any metric during my own Delegacy, which fell in the driest part of the Gray Era. However, blood is not life. The life of EPNS is in articles like “TEP's Technology” (Vussul, 2024) and “The Eight Hours War” (Altys, 2024). The ones with catchy titles and themed writing. The ones that are not just mouths of the government. In my Delegacy, I tried the latter. The Executive Branch Report was met with lamentations that EPNS was no longer posted to the forums. Equally, “The Eight Hours War” could have easily been entitled “N Day Report.” However, it wasn’t.
The thing that made looking through ten years of EPNS enjoyable was the snapshot of history and culture. Bachtendekuppen’s articles were charming third person perspectives on the government. Even as recently as the Renaissance, articles were focused on the content rather than the perspective. I think we should bring that back. Scheduled articles from certain offices are good, but they shouldn’t be framed as such. They should be about the branch or ministry, not from the branch or ministry.
If this effort is taken, to alter the titles, tones, and themes of articles that are already being produced – only a slight shift in trajectory – it can represent a complete transformation of the Eastern Pacific News Service. We can pull in more readers for more stories, because they’ll no longer let their eyes skip over the boring titles of reports they may just assume to be boring as well. EPNS is our strongest internal program at the moment, and we need to show that off as much as possible. Giving each article a fun hook and a journalistic frame could improve upon the great work we are already accomplishing.
It’s the same principle we apply to EPSA reports. The Windows Defender raids were iconic, and we recognize that. Overseeing Officer Eastern Alksearia has returned to forum reports. Furthermore, we’ve seen the same charm applied to Worlds to Build. In the schedule, W2B includes “Valsora Feature” and “Urth Feature.” The content we get, however, is “Socializing and Etiquette” (Aivintis, 2024) and “Urthvision XX: Now Broadcasting” (American-Cascadia, 2024). What if we saw that from the rest of EPNS?
Part of this is more interviews and opinion articles. There are two new Ministries – Recruitment and Endorsement Affairs. If they do not have anything to report on, perhaps they can write articles on why it was necessary to create those Ministries. Perhaps their Ministers could be interviewed. If there’s little legislation in the Magisterium during a given month, perhaps the Provost can spend their EPNS time writing an article calling the citizens to action, to join the Magisterium and write legislation themselves.
EPNS is a brilliant platform and it has been brilliantly filled. Our greatest problem to tackle has always been getting content on the pages. Now that we have it, I am pleased that we are moving on to a different problem. However, I think it’s an important one. If the style of EPNS is done right, it can become the best news source on the site. It’s already well on its way. We just need to take the extra step.
In 2021, the Five Step Plan for UTEP was ambitious, but ultimately fell short of reaching its goals. These days, the Plan for Educational Engagement, affectionately acronymed PEE, seems to be going the way of the dodo as well. After an initial stage in which negotiations with foreign universities either failed or failed to occur, the monumental task of transferring post-2019 UTEP works to gameside dispatches proved daunting and near-Sisyphean.
Of course, activity in UTEP never truly stopped. In TEP’s intellectual culture, there’s no shortage of production from a handful of highly dedicated universitarians – April, for example, was a hot spot thanks mainly to the diverse contributions of Loreintor, better known as Halleyscomet08. However, the rates were far from consistent, with gap months and slow months. The University was waiting for something. It was waiting for PEE, which wasn’t going to happen.
In order to commit to increasing activity, UTEP had to give up its PEE. This past June, it found a metaphorical cup, and did so. Unburdened with the expectation of something more than just writings, we saw works from Arleat, Zukchiva, Pauline Bonaparte, and yours truly on everything from perspectives on worldbuilding to in-universe Urthian works to media analysis and, of course, the bread and butter of UTEP, NSGP political think pieces.
In July, a compromise was finally enacted. Instead of all the essays and commentaries of the past four years being transferred into dispatches, the system of submission would change instead. New works would be posted in dispatch form instead of within the regional forums. It sacrificed the freedom of writing and posting without collaborating with the government, but it was meant to provide a far more accessible format for reading. With templates created by Delegate Merlovich for the PEE project, we saw the first new work posted in dispatch form.
This was JoWhatup’s “Rhetoric, Ideology and Propaganda: the Good, the Fun, and the Ugly.” This piece was a holistic analysis of the subjects it named – the development and communication of ideas and ideologies in the R/D landscape over the past twenty years of gameplay. An interesting subject, a strong opinion, a well-researched example set, and a focus on the NSGP political field made it a clear winner and a very strong first article for the month of July. It jumped to the top of the new dispatches section, potentially in part due to foreign raiders, but it broke into the field, and many more would soon follow.
The next work to be posted in the new format was more TEP focused, but also longer. Directly following the June release of EPNS, this was “An Analysis of EPNS History,” which generated some discussion and publicity in the NSGP forums for the in-progress reveal that the June 2024 edition would include the 100th article of the most recent EPNS revival. Exploring eras of EPNS history, the circumstances driving top contributors to reach the leaderboard, and even content and structure, this work was more empirical than normative, albeit including a call for more stylistic publications in the future.
A one-two punch wouldn’t be all the University had in store for the month. Though one can see a steady decline in the publicity of the newer UTEP articles, it did not prevent University Staff, namely Pauline Bonaparte, Zukchiva and I, from adding to the month’s success. The first real-life work under the dispatch system was Zukchiva’s Seven Anime Reviews, although a political philosopher would be more than satisfied with “A Split View of a Region” and “The Role of the Conclave,” which claimed their spots as the second R/D piece and the second TEP piece, respectively, on the new nation. Pauline Bonaparte ended the month with a piece entitled “Further Opportunities for Frontiers in 2024,” advocating for a closer Frontierist network within the FOCUS framework.
It’s still early days, but it’s a promising sign to see six works from UTEP in the same month it switches medium. The upvote system might prove a strong opportunity to project TEP’s voice across the site, if only it can mobilize enough people to give it the boost it needs, but lackluster upvotes could equally doom UTEP with an outward appearance of neglect and irrelevance. The accessibility could bring in new readers, but it’s also possible that the University’s approach to the game is inherently niche. It’s possible authorship and readership won’t expand or diversify.
These things will be decided in the days to come, when the ‘library’ databases of UTEP are set up on the account and the sustainability of the university’s new format is tested. It may very well be a few more months before a conclusive answer can be found, but without doubt, there is potential. Potential for new exposure and new activity and attention. Only time will tell if we will live up to that shimmering potential, when all is said and done.
In August 2022, a bench of four Arbiters decided that the Concordat, as amended well over two years prior, was itself unconstitutional – unconcordatial, as East Pacifican lingo goes – and struck down the 2020 amendment, all amendments which followed, and all elections and appointments which followed the illegitimate Constitution. In doing so, most Arbiters themselves had effectively been removed from power.
The Concrisis case was wrongly decided, [1] [2] but it created lingering resentment and feelings of dread. Legislative proposals followed to correct perceived flaws in the Concordat and the courts. [3] [4] [5] However, the question I believe needs to be addressed isn’t related at all to this particular ruling, but rather the fact that such a ruling was possible. Since 2020, I’ve heard it remarked that, if the Conclave is captured by a coup d’etat, the government is practically lost.
Conclave’s power does not just extend to the magnitude of its judicial review authority, which wiped out the government easily on its own. The power to decline criminal and civil cases, or to rule according to their judgment, is significant. If the cabal had the Conclave, Davelands’ election complaint for being ejected for endocap violations could have easily been accepted, and the results of Marrabuk’s election thrown out. They could have rejected any criminal proceedings against Fedele for altering the text of the Concordat or removing Viziers from RO positions – all of which occurred before the all out war of the hard coup.
Conclave power can be kept in check in a number of ways, however. If the Delegacy and the Magisterium is in secure hands, removal of an Arbiter and replacement is always an option. Higher majorities to (re)confirm Arbiters is also a possibility, but a Vizier once expressed to me in private that no matter how much we raised the supermajority, most nominations would be practically rubber stamped – which does appear to be the default, except in the case where individuals who are Arbiters made decisions which turned the Magisterium against them.
I think the greatest check on Conclave power, however, is diluting the power of an individual Arbiter. If we had the manpower, I would suggest raising it significantly. One can take this to any absurd extreme they so desire – seven, nine, or even thirteen judges. However, the fact that they are ‘absurd extremes’ means that there is a practical balancing act to consider – manpower. We cannot spare nine or even seven jurists, and so a smaller number must be maintained. This I freely admit.
However, four is the wrong number. Not just because it is small, in my opinion, but mainly because it is an even number. Some may be aware that I served as the Conclave’s Viceroy for less than three hours, but what they may not know is that, in the private chambers, I said that, if there was a tie, I’d prefer Shadow to win over me and would drop out of the race. However, before I could do so, Article C, Section 3 kicked in, and the sitting Viceroy’s vote – which was cast for Shadow – was voided, handing me the seat. That is why I resigned so soon after taking office.
We shouldn’t make the Viceroy’s vote worth less than any other Arbiter’s – it only disincentivizes the leading position of the Court. We shouldn’t make any Arbiter's vote worth less than another’s. If only three Arbiters can vote at any given time (or on the most controversial issues), we might as well only have three Arbiters. The fourth is a waste of manpower. However, if we expanded the bench to five, every Arbiter could have an equal say and we can transition to requiring a real majority for verdicts, rather than a manufactured majority.
Of course, each seat we add to the Conclave is an extra check on the power of the individual Arbiters. When only two Arbiters are needed for a “majority” decision (ignoring the fact that 50% is not a majority), each Arbiter has half of the power needed to cripple or abuse the court. When three are needed, each Arbiter only has 33.3% of that power. When four are needed, 25%, and when five are needed, 20%. It’s mathematical. If there were no reasonable limits, such as the concern of manpower or tying up a potential Magister or Delegate, the Court would be as large as possible.
However, those reasonable limits do exist. We must strike a balance between the manpower we have and the benefits of each seat we add to the Court. I think a bench of five is the perfect balance. It is much safer than a bench of three and much easier to fill than a bench of seven. I believe TEP is in somewhat of a manpower lull, but I still believe we can easily fill five court positions with trusted, experienced candidates. If we can easily have a five-member court, there’s no reason to settle for something smaller and there’s certainly no reason to settle for an even number.
For these reasons, I recently proposed to the Magisterium an Amendment to the Concordat which would expand the bench from four to five. [6] I listed these reasons in the amendment and I summoned the Magisters, Arbiters, and Delegate of The East Pacific for comment. Arbiter Bachtendekuppen took me up on this offer. He wrote a very detailed commentary on why he is opposed to the amendment, which I suggest you read. [7]
In the spirit of integrity, I intend to list and address Bachtendekuppen’s counterpoints in this article. For one, he says, “I don’t think the Conclave is comparatively small to other courts in GCR’s.” This is true. The Coalition of the South Pacific mandates three members in its High Court [8] as does The North Pacific [9] – though the phrasing suggests that a larger number may be established by law without an amendment to the Charter or Constitution, respectively.
However, it may be instructive to look at UCRs as well. The Free Nations Federation, a UCR stronghold with such a waning population of citizens interested in government that a regional emergency was declared not long ago, has a five member Supreme Court. [10] The Union of Democratic States also has a five member court. [11] In this day and age, I don’t think it’s particularly helpful to look at GCRs or Feeders in a vacuum compared to the rest of the game, and if we look at all regions, holistically, it seems a court of five is just as popular as a court of three.
Another point he makes is that voting isn’t as complicated as I make it out to be and even if it is, internal procedures are at fault, which he argues “can be fixed internally.” However, Article C Section 3 of the Concordat clearly mandates that only three votes be cast out of the four Arbiters and no matter how the internal procedures decide who is to be deprived of a vote – the Viceroy, the most junior Arbiter, a random Arbiter each time, etc. – someone is being deprived of a vote. By making a four-person court with a three-person voting system, the Concordat necessitates a voting system that is complicated.
If someone believes, like Bachtendekuppen, that the system isn’t complicated at all, I can concede that for them. However, for me the process seemed incredibly unintuitive. And complicated or not, it deprives an Arbiter of some of their official powers and in turn makes the other three Arbiters more powerful. Complicated or not, it is the reason why I am the shortest serving Viceroy in history. Complicated or not, it would certainly be easier on everyone if all Arbiters’ voices mattered in all cases.
The core of Bachtendekuppen’s argument, which I will respond to now, is as follows: “the given explanation [for the Conclave being too powerful] lacks depth.” He starts by claiming that the comparison I make between an Arbiter and a Delegate is “a gross oversimplification of our balance of powers and constitutional framework.” However, I disagree. The Praesidium is very powerful, but in the current moment that power can only be used with a six-Vizier majority. The Conclave is similarly powerful, but less diluted. The Magisterium is diluted with a ten-Magister majority. The Delegate’s power, however, is absolute. I believe it’s an easy comparison to make to a two-Arbiter majority.
Bachtendekuppen criticizes my argument for not substantiating my claims on the Conclave’s power. That is fair, and so I will draw from the evidence and conclusions of my UTEP work, The Role of the Conclave [12], to explain more. In this piece, I argue that most judicial reviews are followed my amendments to the Concordat or relevant law that either clarifying an obscure point or overturn the ruling entirely. In this case, I argue, “Removing the review from the equation doesn’t change anything.” The positive effects are thus negligible. However, as we’ve seen with the Concrisis, the negative effects of judicial review can be devastating and difficult to reverse.
That destructive power is concentrated in the hands of four individuals. Realistically, given the way voting works, that destructive power is concentrated in the hands of two individuals. Again, I repeat that a Conclave majority can unilaterally decide which laws are contrary to the Concordat, which crimes are worth a trial or a verdict, and which verdicts are just. It is why two branches are involved in confirming an Arbiter, why a supermajority is required, why only experienced and trustworthy candidates are selected and confirmed, and why this amendment is necessary.
The final point Bachtendekuppen makes, one I’m sure many of the readers may think of immediately, perhaps accompanied with a few admittedly deserved eyerolls is this – adding one singular seat to the Conclave doesn’t really change much. It only makes it “slightly more difficult” for subversion and “profound effects” are few and far between. Does it justify such an action? Or, going beyond what Bachtendekuppen himself was implying, but towards a point the reader may be thinking: Does the action justify such an in-depth defense?
To the latter half, I say: Conclave is under far stricter scrutiny since the Concrisis and we must balance all stakeholders, including those upset with the Court and those upset with the Magisterium. Any action the Magisterium takes in respect to the Courts, for the time being, deserves careful consideration. To the former half, I say: every little advantage for our democracy is worth it. The only cost is one person, which I again assert that we can spare, especially when considering the usual suspects of former Provosts and current Viziers.
So what disadvantage does this have? I cannot refute the argument that expanding the bench by one doesn’t do much, nor can I make a better point about the need for such a measure. Without naming specific candidates, which I could do but refuse, I cannot demonstrate any more effectively that we can spare a potential Magister or Delegate to fill the new position. With that in mind, is there even a single negative side effect of expanding the bench? I echo Bachtendekuppen’s invitation to “exercise appropriate consideration” and reply, on the thread or in EPNS, with their own opinions, for or against. I believe it is time to expand the courts. Do you?
Featured Urth Roleplay The Caliph, the Sultan, the Emperor By: The oan isles / The Oan Isles
This is part 6 of a series that consists of the following: A Tiger and a Gem (Part 5), The Crowning Moment (Part 4), His Enlightened Reign 1 (Part 3), A Bingolian Invitation (Part 2), and Better the Devil You Know 1 (Part 1) --- Introduction and Recap
Prince Lohadek was the Minister of State Security of Packilvania. He was responsible for overseeing the intelligence agencies and policies of the country. In that process, he had overseen the biggest expansion of camera and internet surveillance in the country’s history (rivalling the scope and scale under the Packilvanian Communist Party) and the systemic infiltration of the military, state militia, and local and provincial governments by intelligence agents while pitting these agents against each other to ensure the balance of power under the Bedonite dynasty. His devotion and competency kept him in favour with Sultan Namdun III. However, it was his rapport, and diligently and hard-won trust with then-Crown Prince Thumim V that was his focus. Continue Reading on Tep Forum
Crafting a Lore Book: A Fight Against Writer's Block By: East Malaysia
Writing an article is what Aivintis meant when adding the title page of my lore book as a featured design for this EPNS edition. Now I sit here, suffering from writer's block, bashing my fingers on the keyboard cursing Aivintis. Just kidding, I would never bash my fingers against my keyboard, silly readers. Truth be told, I was not going to write an article, but I completed my first entry into my lore book it inspired me to write a little about it. I don't have a fancy name for it yet but the lore book is my answer to my writer's block.
For all the possible wiki pages, Word documents, forum posts, or notebooks I could make... I have opted for a hybrid style of combining digital with written and papercraft. I don't know at what point this idea manifested itself but a pack of color pens from a discount retailer, dollar store notebooks, hobby store papercraft supplies, and one night as I stared at a copy of my map in GIMP on my computer an idea dawned on me. Why don't I print this out and cut out my states and do some individual worldbuilding for each? I bought these supplies with the worldbuilding in mind after all. I did not have all the supplies at that point so a little supercenter online shopping completed the package.
With a little time, patience, and thought I cut out some designs from card stock books. I printed Free Pax States flag, emblem, and native name in Kilumi. it simply says Mukorasak Seysa or Cereneria Isles if you want a deeper translation. I now realize that I could have printed off the Kilumi text with a black highlight and white letters as it could have blended with the dark color better. I might change it in the future depending on how easily the paper peels off the paper but for now, I'll save some black ink.
To save some space for the other EPNS articles, I have made it smaller, but the text says: "Kuter Kebir is an ancient feline city that lies at the Claw of Pontuarya. It was granted status as a special administrative region but is highly integrated with the rest of Pontuarya." The flag on the left is the flag of the City of Kuter Kebir and the one on the right is the flag of Kuter Kebir Special Administrative Region.
This is the first entry based on the suggestion of The oan isles / The Oan Isles (Packilvania RP nation co-owner) and what you see is the title page, the pages directly behind it will feature information about Kuter Kebir itself. I haven't decided how many pages I will dedicate to each administrative division of Free Pax States but enough to fill the notebook
This map showcases the entire area within the Free Pax State's sphere of influence. I know some better than others but the desire to discover their unique identities. It's easier said than done because when I think of the demonym used, "rekomi" or "one people," I seek to find a deeper understanding because in a modern sense that is terminology that might be 75 years old at best. What happened in the 30 years after declaring Independence from Packilvania? What happened during Packilvanian rule? What happened before that? I may not have an all-encompassing answer right now but one printout, cut out and glue down at a time I shall find out one area at a time.
Featured Valsora Roleplay Don't forget to [♥ Like] the RMB post "mia." By: Ci Arovannea "Mia..."
"You're up now."
"Hell... here goes nothing."
"What goes nothing?" A snicker.
"Ah, shut up. Open the door."
Grumbling. "You're no fun," the voice whined.
To continue reading... open the door and click on "mia."
*"In Iliuran and Arovian Orthodoxy, pouring holy oil over the right hand like this is usually done only for those assuming office (whether crowned or not), as it's cleansing the person of their sins and giving them the Lord's blessing before they take an oath of office – traditionally with your right hand placed on a Bible. The dais in this case holds a religious purpose; silver in Iliuran Orthodoxy is seen as pure and holy. It also has a practical purpose, collecting any oil runoff. Watch live coronation coverage here and click on TV Anchor #26605 reporting.
The Great Slaviskas Migration is a folk tale and genuine archaeo-historical event that explains the arrival of the Slaviskas people to the lands that are now occupied by the Directorate of Zemedievai and Kamyachyn. As the legend goes, the Slaviskas people once lived in the west, at the other end of the continent, but fled a great calamity to find a promised land for them to settle. King Pirmakaras and his trusted Bogatyr Plataskadas led the Slaviskas people across the continent, fighting off roving hordes of Steppe people, bandits, and wild beasts while the people trailed behind. According to the legend, they slept in tents, and their encampment was bigger than the biggest city in the world. Guided and protected by the Dievai gods, who walked alongside them, the Slaviskas people eventually reached the eastern coast and the promised land. When they found it, the land was overrun with hostile spirits of fire, ice, and storm, who attacked the settlements of the Slaviskas as they began building their new home. In a bloody war, the gods fought back alongside the bravest bogatyrs of the Slaviskas, including Plataskadas.
The war ended when Teondumis, the King of the Gods, challenged the three kings of the elemental spirits to a duel atop the highest mountain in the land. They fought for days, but in the end, all three fell to the might of Teondumis. He took their crowns, banished the spirits to the realm of the gods, where they could be stewarded by the Dievai, and secured the land of Zemedievai for the Slaviskas people, who broke into their tribes and kingdoms, but never forgot the valiant deeds of the Dievai and the first unified King of the Slaviskas.
According to archaeological record, there was indeed a mass migration into Zemedievai. The Slaviskas people, who are genetically identifiable as Yastreovakian through factors such as the HERC2 allele and the alleles of SLC45A2 and SLC24A5, which code for the lighter eye and skin color characteristics that are markers of Yastreovakian peoples, did not live in Zemedievai before 200 BCE, but rather fully settled over the course of that century.
Genetically speaking, Proto-Slaviskas settlers display much more similarities to the early peoples of Belekria and Western Yastreovakia than to those of the Congregation and other eastern nations. Objects of Early Dievinist significance have also been found south and east of the Pakatska steppes, confirming parts of a valid migration route as well. Most of the route, however, remains subject to speculation.
The origins of these people, however, is hotly contested. Some scholars suggest they were a subset of a different Western Yastreovakian tribe, while others suggest they were an insular ethnicity driven out by the expansion of a known group. Another proposed theory suggests that they left, not to escape the expansion of other tribes, but to pursue a religious promised land. Alternative evidence suggests inadequate food supply and resources motivated the migration.
The presence of a Native people of Zemedievai is additionally accepted by most scholars, in which cultural artifacts have been found which have no correspondence in any of the Slaviskas ethnic groups or subgroups. The discovery of bronze age weaponry, battlefields, mass graves, and rudimentary warrior burials supports the legend’s implication that the settlement of the Slaviskas was violent.
There is less consensus on the fate of the losing ethnicity in this war. Some suggest they may have syncretized into the Great Congregation, to the south, the multiethnic nature of which makes this theory a possibility. Others suggest there was a migration of these people that followed – either back west, or over the sea, to Nonscio or Orientalis. In the legend, their exile to the realm of the gods supports this.
The lack of known remains for this tribe or tribes means that one theory, which implies the complete genocide of the Native Zemedeivans, is unlikely. Furthermore, it makes any theory on where the Natives may have migrated to virtually impossible to prove. It also creates contention on the very existence of the native culture, with some dissenting scholars suggesting that the alternate cultural items represented a splinter group of the main Slaviskas tribes, and the war was intraethnic, rather than interethnic.
I forgot how much that Anglostians love the Royal Navy, I mean that I always knew that I have made the Royal Navy a big part of the Anglostian Culture, but I didn't know that I made it this big. Maybe I should do more with the Anglostians love for the sea.
If I want to create a religion based on Buddhism, is there any established lore about that in Valsora ? I don't see anything like that in the wiki, but I want to be sure.
. . Religions of Valsora An independent study and publication . .
. Created: 29/05/2032 Archived: 16/08/2034 .
. . .
This was a list of notable religions of the world in alphabetical order. Religions include a list of nations with a statistically significant practicing population. Nations are only included in these lists if they were separate entities on the standardized world map at the time of last update, and nation names will be drawn from the same map. This list also includes a brief summary of the religion's beliefs and key figures, along with a date of founding if available. Entries may feature links to more detailed articles originating in their countries of origin in addition to or as a replacement for these criteria. This independent study was last updated on the 6th of October, 2033, but was officially decomissioned and replaced with the modern database on the 16th of August, 2034.
Apimagnum religion is practical and contractual, depending on knowledge and the correct practice of prayer, ritual, and sacrifice, not on faith or dogma. Its gods bear the same names as celestial bodies such as planets, moons, and even the sun. Some deities are considered malevolent and harmful, others are considered benevolent and good, and others still are considered neutral deities. Each god is associated with a certain sphere, such as agriculture, freedom, and life, which is the domain of the god Accam. Benevolent deities include Accam, Navir, Savanon, Azure, Salavir, Ubonae, Aurora, Dibegria, Iota, and Salibe. Malevolent deities include Mefugris, Zaid, Sedna, Curio, Erecuni, Phylos, Eta, Rtascina, and Sulia. Valsora is considered a neutral god of conquest, and Krajina, the goddess of the wind, trade, and shepherding, is considered a traitor god.
Sulia, Salibe, Valsora, Phylos, Aurora, Accam, Savanon, Mefugris, and more
Crucifistians believe the following things : There is only one god and his angelic subjects who guide mankind to his Destiny, Every Angel guides a Specific church. It is believed that every church has it's own purpose and it's own destiny. Chrucifistians believe that Mankind was created by god to be the guardians of Eden and afther the corruption of man to be the guardians of Valsora and to cleanse themselves of sin. Crucifistians believe that lord Eripir Christus came to Valsora as the son of god to show mankind the ways of Virtue and died for the sins of mankind. Believing mankind not to have learned from the death of his son. He send his second son Lord Adam Dumas to be the wrath of god and inspire mankind to fight sin and the infidels who denied to learn from their mistakes. It is Believed that the angel of death is the guiding Angel of the Crucifistian church due to the Violent teachings of Saint Dumas. The Crucifistian bible has two old Testaments and one new Testaments that follows the life of Lord Adam dumas and his Successors.
God, The Holy Ghost, Archangel of Death Azraël, Lord Adam Dumas, Archangel Michael, Archangel Ludociël, Archangel Samaël, Saint Ludovicus, Eripir Christus, The Grand Confessor.
Fahf ah vulgtmagl ot throdog r'luhhor. Ahagl f' ph'nglui ah'hri group ot beings cahf transcend yar ng soth ng ah'sgn ph'nglui ehyeahog nilgh'rishuggogg. A agl ahagl fhtagn emerge hup n'ghft instead ot being llll mgepah'mgehye h'. A reality ahagl shuggog perpetually ahahog ng c' r'luhhor ye'bthnk cahff beautiful shuggogg llll throdog detail. F' ah'hri cahf throdog dreamer ng n'ghftnah ot ahf' ehye mgepah ephaiventure ph' l' valsora ng h' goka mgn'ghftog blessing. Ymg' mgep seen ahf' cthulhu mgep already done. H''s ahehyee tip ot iceburg
Prominent themes in Hindi beliefs include Dharma (ethics/duties), Saṃsāra (the continuing cycle of entanglement in passions and the resulting birth, life, death, and rebirth), Karma (action, intent, and consequences), Moksha (liberation from attachment and saṃsāra), and the various Yogas (paths or practices).
Islam is a religion spread by Prophet Muhammad and it uses the teaching of Prophet Muhammad, scholars and witnesses of the time that recorded the prophets teachings and the Quran. There are different successors to the religion after the death of Prophet Muhammad. Sunnis believe that the elected "Caliphs" were meant to succeed Muhammad, whilst the Shia believe that the prophet appointed successors for Islam called "Imams".
Jainism (Jain Dharma) is an ancient religion that follows the three main pillars of ahiṃsā (non-violence), anekāntavāda (non-absolutism), and aparigraha (asceticism). Many who believe in Jainism take oaths and practice non-violence, telling the truth, non-possessiveness, as well as other factors. Jains know that reality is complex and has multiple viewpoints and aspects, and it cannot fully be explained through language or writing. Many Jains also practice asceticism which can symbolize nakedness, or non-possession of clothes. It can also include things like fasting (non-possession of food), or meditation.
Similar to the Sanguis faith, Kahlerism originates from the United Natin Faith, with an equal believe in Eripir Christus. Khalerism split off from the Sanguis church around the mid 1300s, when a church official from southern Ostaria, Jozef Kahl, felt compelled to journey to the top of Todesfeegipfel, Ostaria’s largest mountain. Though it is unknown what went on once he reached the peak, he returned several weeks after the start of the journey, claiming that he had spoken to God. His teachings became widely published, and they were done so in German over Latin. Khalerist teachings deny the authority of the Sanguis pope and instead, look to independent pastors and preachers. The other core difference is the return to the old Natin ways that do not involve blood as a central part of the religion, based on Kahl’s idea that all humans are god’s children and he would not allow their blood to be tainted. Instead, good faith is gained through grace, will, and a more natural lifestyle based around taking care of the environment and charitable medical work.
The faith and practice of Orthodox Melekean Christians include belief in God (in Ge'ez / Amharic, ′Egziabeher, lit. "Lord of the Universe"), veneration to the Virgin Mary, the angels, and the saints, besides others. According to the Mekelean Orthodox Church itself, there are no non-Christian elements in the religion other than those from the Old Testament, or Higge 'Orit (ሕገ ኦሪት), to which are added those from the New Testament, or Higge Wongiel (ሕገ ወንጌል). A hierarchy of Kidusan/ቅዱሳን (angelic messengers and saints) conveys the prayers of the faithful to God and carries out the divine will, so when an Mekelen Christian is in difficulty, he or she appeals to them as well as to God. In more formal and regular rituals, priests communicate on behalf of the community, and only priests may enter the inner sanctum of the usually circular or octagonal church where the tabot ("ark") dedicated to the church's patron saint is housed. On important religious holidays, the tabot is carried on the head of a priest and escorted in procession outside the church. It is the tabot, not the church, which is consecrated. At many services, most parish members remain in the outer ring, where debteras sing hymns and dance.
Deus, Eripir Christus, ጳጳሱ (The Pope)
Mek'ele
Mekele
Natin Orthodox Church
N/A
The Natin Orthodox Church is a monotheistic religion, a successor to the previous Great Natin Church. Just like the church, they worship the entity they name 'Deus' or 'God' and their messiah Eripir Christus, however, the difference is that their faith is largely centered around the traditions and symbolisms of continued from the Natin Church. The church believes heavily in iconography, with most followers of the faith having prayer corners. Priests and holy fathers are expected to wear traditional robes. The church believes that nobody is infallible and that the Natin Bible only has one translation. The church is split into Archdioceses where an Archbishop, voted upon by members of local councils is the head religious authority. However, there are many Archbishops, and no one Archbishop holds a position higher than others. Followers of this faith will fast on the third, and fifth days of every week where they do not partake in meats, fish is an exception to this rule. They believe that fasting is a way to bring oneself closer to the Lord. The two Archbishops currently in the faith are the Archbishop of Volinovia, and the Archbishop of Rastava.
"There have been cataclysmic changes in the world. Do I still adhere to my faith in truth and nonviolence? Has not the atom exploded that faith? Not only has it not done so but it has clearly demonstrated to me that the twins constitute the mightiest force in the world. Before it the atom bomb is of no effect. The two opposing forces are wholly different in kind the one moral and spiritual, the other physical and material. The one is infinitely superior to the other which by its very nature has an end. The force of the spirit is very progressive and endless. Its full expression makes it unconquerable in the world. In saying this I know that I have said nothing new. I merely bear witness to the fact. What is more, that force resides in everybody, man woman, and child, irrespective of the colour of the skin. Only in many it lies dormant, but it is capable of being awakened by judicious training. It is further observed that without the recognition of this truth and due effort to realise it, there is no escape from self-destruction. The remedy lies in every individual training himself for self-expression in every walk of life, irrespective of response by the neighbours." - Nuclear Gandhi
Nuclear Gandhi
Corgaigh
Flers-douai
Páganachas
500 BCE
It is polytheistic, believing in many deities, both gods and goddesses known as Tuatha Dé Danann, some of which are venerated only in a small, local area, but others whose worship had a wider geographical distribution. There is about 200 - 400 deities although many of these names are different titles or epithets used for the same deity. There are countless religious sites across central Araseos that are still used today, but the most important sites are the body of water known as the Loch na Slánaithe (Lake of Salvation), which is seen as the birthplace of Battanic people, and the Castlewellan Forest, wherein a battle between two deities is believed to have taken place. The Castlewellan Forest is also where the monarchs of Battania have been buried since 866 CE, all in unmarked graves. Those found trespassing in the forest limits face the death penalty without trial.
The Dagda, Danu, Banba, and Nuada Airgetlám
Battania, Terrabis-Seran, Kilkire, Corgaigh, United Keltic States, America
Followers of the Pharisia religion believe there's only one God who has established a covenant with them. Their God communicates to believers through prophets and rewards good deeds while also punishing evil. Their central tenets begin with ethical monotheism - the belief that God is one and is concerned with the actions of mankind. According to Pharisia scripture, God commanded the people to love and worship only one God and reciprocate God's concern for the world. He also commanded his followers to love one another; that is, to imitate God's love for people. These commandments are but two of a large corpus of commandments and laws that constitute this covenant, which is the substance of the Pharisia faith.
According to Preroshan faith, there is only one god, you must act good and holy to get into the after life, and you must pray to him at least once a day either when you wake up or about to eat. The beliefs are also very survivalist and contains lots of family values. Survival of your family, yourself, your nation, and your religion is highly valued. Things like homosexuality, polygamy, zoophilia, and incest are the highest sin you can get and you will be disgraced and dishonoured. Dishonor of the family is seen as the lowest a person can become.
The Father of All, St Michael, St Grigoriv, Grand Priest Peter, and the High Priests Council
The Sanguis faith is a monotheistic religion, appearing as the main and biggest successor to the previous Great Natin Church. Just like the church, they worship the entity they name 'Deus' or 'God' and their messiah Eripir Christus, however, difference being that their faith is largely centered around the traditions and symbolisms of blood. Despite the Sanguis church's dedications to peace, it's culture ranging around blood is what cultivated and motivated it's papacy, bishops, priests and followers to go in violent campaigns for the sake of holiness and spirituality of their hemoglobin. If the follower's blood is red clear and their body shows good health and well-balanced circulation, that means their angels are guiding them to the path of goodness and protecting them from evil, and if the blood is in abnormal colors of red and their body shows an imbalanced circulation and illness, it means that the angels are leaving them undefended, vulnerable to the curses of demons.
The Taipong Faith, sometimes called Taism, is a Changese belief focused on the importance of ethics and morality. Whether it is a philosophy or a religion is debated. It lays the foundation for the entirety of Changese culture. Tai was a philosopher who’s thoughts on ethics, good behavior, and moral character were written down by his disciples in several books, including the Wanhu. Taism believes in ancestor worship and human-centered virtues for living a peaceful life. The golden rule of Taism is “Do not do unto others what you would not want others to do unto you.” The main idea of The Taipong Faith is the importance of having a good moral character, which can then affect the world around that person through the idea of “cosmic harmony.” If the emperor has moral perfection, his rule will be peaceful and benevolent. Natural disasters and conflict are the result of straying from the ancient teachings. This moral character is achieved through the virtue of ren, or “humanity,” which leads to more virtuous behaviours, such as respect, altruism, and humility. Tai believed in the importance of education in order to create this virtuous character. He thought that people are essentially good yet may have strayed from the appropriate forms of conduct. Rituals in The Taipong Faith are designed to bring about this respectful attitude and create a sense of community within a group. The idea of “filial piety,” or devotion to family, is key to Taipong thought. This devotion can take the form of ancestor worship, submission to parental authority, or the use of family metaphors, such as “son of heaven,” to describe the emperor and his government. The family was the most important group for Taipong ethics, and devotion to family could only strengthen the society surrounding it.
Tai
Sho Dynasty
The sho regency
Teutonicism
1592 BCE
Teutonicism, also known as the Faith of Teutonia, is a dualistic and spiritualistic religion founded by Viceroy Alrik, leader of the Teutonic Trade Confederation. They believe in the concept of two deities, a god of light and a god of shadow. These gods are present and influence the living world, with the god of light influencing the world with positive emotions and events and the god of shadows influencing the world with negative emotions and events. Its core values are based on mutual respect, honor, inner peace, and the balance of the soul. These values are achieved and held by following the 14 commandments, a list of rules and suggestions on how to live life. and the Holy Scriptures, a book filled with sacred writings believed to have come from the Gods of Light and Shadow. Those who follow Teutonicism favor the god of light over the god of shadow, as it is considered taboo and sinful to follow the God of Shadow, a god that creates negative emotions. People attend gatherings on the third day of each month in a church, to give a blessing to the gods of Light and Shadow, pray, and meditate. They believe in ascendance, with three afterlives - the Realm of the Gods; A realm where the gods reside, where people who become saints reside and become advisors and servants to the God of Light, the Realm of Light; for those whose soul is balanced, or favors the good, and The Void; for souls who favor the God of Shadow and darkness, with the evilest of souls becoming daemons, servants of the God of Shadow. While there are people who ascend, there are those who aren't ready to ascend to the afterlife and are sent back to the living world, where they are reincarnated as an animal or a human. There are also nature spirits, servants of the gods of light and shadow that do their work in the living world, specifically with nature and the environment. There are two main holy sites of Teutoncisim, the Temple of Light and the Temple of Shadows. Despite having a long-established belief system, Teutonicism has split up into two main sects, Spiritualist and Reformed. Spiritualist Teutonicism is more spiritual than normal Teutonicism and Reformed Teutonicism is much more laidback, liberal, and more connected with nature than normal Teutonicism.
God of Light, God of Shadow, Spirits of Nature, Saint Alarik, Saint Sigismund, Saint Ike, and Saint Ferdinand, High Priest, Priest of Light, Priest of Shadow, Teutonic Order of Knights
Terreich und Preussen, Schteiermark, Arcadia, Xi-Chang
Tur'kune is a minority religion which is mostly practiced by the minority population called the "Euraliyans" This religion believes in one true god, but also believes in demigods, or Prophets. Religion is very much about family values, spirituality, and conservation of tradition. The religion focuses on being colorful and very flashy. They believe in a man and woman relationship and if you don't conform to their values, you can be executed in an "honor retribution". The religion also demands prayers from everyone in the morning, midday, and evening. They celebrate the holy month of "Ra'qla'zi" which is known also as "Universe Month."
The Father of All, Prophet Mohhamed, Prophet Abdu'kaza, and Holy Leader Irsha'moniv
Members of Týrism believe in following the words of order and law set forth by the gods of Kampfia. A core belief in Týrism is the value of oaths and conflict. It is held in very high regard that those who follow Týrism must die fighting, either physically or mentally, so they may serve the gods in the next realm. Followers tend to recognize the supreme status of Týr in the pantheon, as well as the place of the Kaiser as the High Uzil and the Disciple of Týr. There are multiple temples in the religion dedicated to specific gods or goddesses, as well as holy sites across the entire Empire, it is expected for people to pledge themselves to a patron, and for people to pray to a specific deity their whole life.
Týr/Ziu, Wutoan, Frīja, Donar, Logi, Balder, Hel/Hellia, Nerthuz, Wuldhart, Der Eisenkönig, Kaiser Ulrich der Wahnsinnige, Kaiser Friedrich der Große
Researched, compiled, and published by the Zemedievan Ceremony Directory. Report errors or changes to Director Kalina Jakesch immediately via the direct line to the government here.
First, join the World Assembly. Joining strengthens our region and allows you to vote in the World Assembly as well as conferring additional privileges. Follow the guide below to get started:
Welcome to the REWARD Homepage. REWARD is The World Assembly Development Program of The East Pacific, and covers matters of World Assembly membership, endorsements and to a lesser extent, regional security. The aim of this program is to develop and nurture a stronger endorsement capacity and scene within The East Pacific. Our region, being one of the oldest and largest in NationStates, can only continue to build on its successes if we continue to strive for stronger endorsement levels. More endorsements allow for The East Pacific to wield more power in the World Assembly, and also allow for greater regional security from external threats who may wish to do our region harm.
This dispatch contains basic information about REWARD, as well as a directory to all REWARD resources.
What is the World Assembly, and what are Delegates and Endorsements?
The World Assembly is essentially the United Nations of NationStates (a little trivia fact, it was originally called the United Nations until the site's creator was nearly sued!) It has two chambers, the General Assembly, and the Security Council. The General Assembly tends to vote on basic laws and regulations, such as civil rights protections, or agriculture regulations. The Security Council votes on more gameplay-adjacent matters, such as Commends/Condemns of on-site nations, or liberations or injunctions of entire regions. The World Assembly is made up of tens of thousands of nations, just like yours who all have their say on proposals at vote.
Delegates are the elected leaders of a region. The nation who has the most endorsements is elected the Delegate. The East Pacific elects delegates through a long-standing and well-structured democratic system, wherein individuals run campaigns for the Delegacy, and select a government to serve alongside them.
Endorsements are a crucial in-game mechanic, allowing you to 'endorse' other nations in-game to give them more influence. For most nations, they don't mean an enormous amount, and most nations will endorse a couple of people, with no real change whatsoever. Though for a region, they are absolutely vital to its success. A region's Delegate requires endorsements to remain in the position, and our regional security, the Viziers, require them to keep our region safe from external threats. To endorse a nation, simply be a member of the WA, and scroll down to the bottom of another nation's page, then click that big ol' endorse button.
Being a part of the REWARD program has its perks. Not only will you be standing side-by-side with a broad and diverse cast of nations from all across the east, but you'll be doing your part to ensure our region remains safe and secure. Your endorsements ensure no foreign adversary can harm our region, and strengthens The East Pacific's position in the World Assembly by adding your endorsement to our regional vote. When we go to vote on a resolution, you'll be able to not only have your say, but your endorsement on the Delegate will also add an extra vote to our regional vote (The Delegate's vote is worth however many endorsements they have. For example, if the Delegate has 400 endorsements, our region's vote will be worth 400 votes)
Your participation also grants you several perks in the region. You'll have access to honorary titles, such as 'Hussar of The East' or 'Winged Hussar of The East', and you'll get nice shiny badges to pair! These badges can be displayed with pride in your signature (which appears below your every post) on our Regional Forums, or on the NationStates Forums! You'll be given a special Hussar role in our Regional Discord, giving you access to it's WA channels, which will allow you to help guide our regional vote on every WA proposal. You'll also be entered into occasional giveaways and raffles for your loyalty and hard-work.
Welcome to the East Pacific! We are one of the oldest regions out there, with 20 years of experience. We have a lot to offer, including two current tech roleplays and an accessible legislature and executive.
You are reading STEP, The East's guide to NationStates. Each dispatch contains a summary and then more detailed explanations, including screenshots and detailed insights from our experienced players. If you're new, we recommend reading every dispatch in order, but you can also read them independently of one another.
You have either been founded in a frontier or a feeder, two types of regions which accept new nations. If you find yourself in the East Pacific, please read this guide! If you aren't in the East Pacific, go to The East Pacific and scroll down until you see "Move [YOUR NATION] to the East Pacific."
You'll be seeing a lot of recruitment Telegrams, which can get spammy and annoying pretty quickly. To disable recruitment telegrams, head to Settings > Telegrams > Preferences > Block All under "Recruitment".
Nations receive issues once every six hours. Some issues spawn card packs, which contain cards ranked by rarity that you can retain, trade or sell.
Hello and welcome to NationStates, and the East Pacific. You are currently reading STEP, our guide designed to get you jump started in the game. If you're like other newbies, you'll probably have many questions about how everything works. This guide, lovingly written by our hospitality team, is designed to answer all of your questions, and more. If you want to get a quick summary of things and then get launched into things, you will get the jist of things by reading the summaries on top of these dispatches, however our dispatches aim to be short and accessible while also going into enough detail, so we recommend you read them in full.
If you have any questions, we have multiple government members that are willing to answer them! Feel free to ask on the regional message board, or telegram our Delegate, they will be happy to answer any question you might have!
The East Pacific is one of five feeder regions who share fifty percent of all new spawns, with the other fifty percent going to frontiers, regions founded by users which also accept new nations, trading guaranteed security for the privilege. If you've let your nation go inactive and Cease to Exist, and then logged back in, you have likely spawned in one of three restorer regions, which are designed to rehabilitate nations that have returned after a brief period of absence.
If you're reading this, it is likely that you have been founded in the East Pacific, however, if you haven't you are still more than welcome to join, and we would love to have you on board. To move, you should go to the East Pacific's regional page, scroll down until you see the Move [YOUR NATION] to the East Pacific and then click on it.
The East Pacific is an active democracy, and participation can be enjoyed by all that seek to contribute in good faith. If you're interested in joining, STEPs Three onwards will take you through applying to the East Pacific.
Telegrams
Many regions send you automated recruitment telegrams in an attempt to get you to join their region. There are a lot of these, and it can get spammy and overwhelming fast. Thankfully, NationStates has given you a way to block Telegrams you don't want. To do this, you need to click on the settings button, which is usually found in the top bar of the page.
If you then scroll down to telegrams and go to preferences, you'll see a grid which looks something like this:
Our recommended settings are as follows, however, you are free to choose whatever you want. "Allow Some" occasionally allows telegrams in, and "Allow Most" blocks some. If you click the "block all" for recruitment, your nation will stop receiving the large volume of recruitment telegrams. Keep in mind that your inbox can only hold twenty telegrams.
Issues and Cards
Issues are problems that you need to handle, and they impact your nations statistics and rankings abroad. Initially you get a higher rate of issues like normal, however, once you've played the game for a while, you only get one issue every six hours. As long as you abide by general decorum, the East Pacific does not penalise you for the way you answer issues - we're a big community, and your type of nation reflects that.
There is no "correct" way to answer issues, only the way that you want to. Every issue changes your statistics, and some might change your national policy. If you want to, there are websites such as this one that give you the general trend in issue outcomes, however using these aren't necessary and you should only do it if you find it fun!
Issues sometimes generate cards. Cards are minted irregularly and are a snapshot of a nation, divided into various classes of rarity, from common to legendary. Cards can be bought, sold and traded on the market.
Update On The 2034 Malvekian General Election Nuovo Partito di Lavoratori Malvekiano (NPLM or New Malvekian Workers Party) has released their election manifesto, titled 'For The Many, Not The Few', ahead of the 2034 Malvekian general election. Professor Rea L. Politiks provides their summarised breakdown of the manifesto's contents below:
FOR THE MANY, NOT THE FEW
Nationalization of private bus lines and airplane companies to ensure affordable and reliable transportation options for all citizens, reduce congestion, and promote sustainable transport solutions.
Nationalisation of healthcare sector by absorbing private healthcare system to provide universal healthcare access, control costs, and prioritize patient care over financial gain unlike the current mixed healthcare system.
Increasing income tax of M40 (middle income) income earners from 20% to 25% and T10 (high income) income earners from 30% to 45% to reduce income inequality by ensuring that those with greater financial resources contribute proportionally to national development and to fund social programs.
Establishing inheritance tax clause by levying 5% taxes on the assets inherited by individuals with worth above M$ 4.8 million ($1.2 million) to prevent overwhelming concentration of wealth across generations.
Capital gains taxes increase from 5% to 15% levied on the profits realized from the sale of assets such as stocks, bonds, real estate, or businesses.
Increase corporate taxes from 25% to 30% to help redistribute wealth more equitably and generate additional revenue for funding social welfare programs, education, healthcare, infrastructure, and other public services.
Abolishment of Free Trade Agreements to protect domestic interests and worker employment wellbeing.
Universal Basic Income scheme of M$ 2,300 ($575) to be provided unconditionally to all citizens of Malvekia to alleviate poverty, ensure a basic standard of living for all, and reduce economic insecurity.
Increase affordable housing initiatives through increased government investment in public housing, rent subsidies, or regulations to control housing prices to ensure that housing is affordable for all income levels.
Strengthening rent control policies to protect tenants from excessive rent hikes and ensuring housing affordability in high-cost urban areas.
Stricter worker rights regulations to strengthen existing minimum wage laws, protections against unfair dismissal, and regulations ensuring safe working conditions to empower workers and reduce exploitation.
Mandatory paid family and medical leave increase from 12 weeks to 18 weeks to support work-life balance, gender equality, and ensure economic security during times of personal crisis.
Promoting employee ownership models through Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) or cooperatives to democratize the workplace and share the benefits of ownership more equitably.
Mandatory worker representation on corporate boards to balance the power dynamics within corporations and ensure that worker interests are considered alongside shareholder interests
Professor Rea L. Politik's Breakdown The Nuovo Partito di Lavoratori Malvekiano or NPLM is a socialist worker-oriented political party operating in Malvekia. A successor to the controversial and now-disbanded Partito Comunista della Malvekia (or Communist Party of Malvekia), the NPLM has opted to make nationalization initiatives, tax reform, and tightening workers' rights protections as its focus for this election cycle. However, the party's historical baggage, linked to violent past incidents involving communist attacks and insurgencies, complicates the party's public opinion and electoral prospects to this day.
The NPLM's agenda includes the nationalization of key sectors, notably healthcare and transport. This policy aims to ensure that these essential services are fully under public control to improve accessibility and efficiency. The NPLM has proposed drastic measures to move away from the current partial privatisation model in hopes to address inefficiencies and ensure equitable access in both sectors. However, many point out that these proposals will be a massive burden to the national coffers, requiring immense funds, manpower, and technical expertise to implement, while noting that transitioning both transport and healthcare sectors to state-run services will led to inefficiencies and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
The second agenda put forth by the NPLM is an extensive tax reform aimed at tackling wealth inequality. Not only does the NPLM wish to increase the percentage paid by both upper-middle and high income earners as well as corporations, they also aim to implement new forms of tax such as inheritance taxes in order to address income inequality and generate necessary revenue to fund their ambitious nationalisation policies. Naturally, the proposed tax reforms face significant backlash, with opponents arguing that higher taxes on businesses and high earners could stifle economic growth and lead to capital flight, which could undermine investment and potentially resulting in negative repercussions for the Malvekian economy overall, which is still struggling to escape the 'middle income trap'.
Another facet of the NPLM's proposals that have faced considerable opposition is its affordable living initiatives. Among which they propose expanding affordable housing initiatives, rent control policies, as well as an ambitious Universal Basic Income (UBI) scheme to be provided to all citizens of Malvekia unconditionally. While the NPLM argue that the UBI scheme will be utilised to address economic inequalities faced by Malvekia's poor, many question the efficacy of the proposed policies in actually achieving the intended redistribution of wealth.
Finally, the NPLM also proposed a wide variety of stricter worker’s protections policies that include increased paid leave, higher minimum wages, and worker representation. The party maintains that the proposed measures are essential for creating a much more fairer and just labor market, where workers’ rights are upheld and economic disparity is reduced. However, there is criticism regarding the potential impact on businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, that the increased regulatory burden and higher wage costs could lead to reduced hiring, layoffs, or even business closures. A few economists have even point out that such policies could create an inflexible labor market, making it difficult for businesses to adapt to changing economic conditions and weaken investor confidence.
Regardless of the NPLM's proposals, the party's relationship with the general public can only be described as tense given its past history. For those not in the know, the NPLM is the offspring of the controversial and outlawed Partito Comunista della Malvekia or PCM. The PCM has old roots in Malvekia, rising to prominence during the Malvekian Civil War on the Republican side where it waged extensive battles against the Imperial faction. The PCM fell out of favour, however, when it came to light of the numerous atrocities it committed during the war, being responsible for the deaths of thousands of war prisoners to cross its hands. Refusing to hand out the perpetrators responsible for the killings, the PCM was outlawed and banned from participating in the interim government after the war, where numerous members were disarmed and imprisoned. The survivors fled into the mountainous interiors and jungles of Malvekia, where it waged a brutal insurgency against the interim government and the following right-wing civilian government.
After decades of brutal guerilla warfare, the newly elected left-wing government issued a declaration of amnesty and invited surviving PCM members to negotiate a peace deal. The result was the signing of a peace accord that led to the formal disarmament and disbandment of the PCM, while allowing for new political participation under the NPLM banner. Despite the peace deal heralding a new era of stability for Malvekia, many Malvekians, especially voters from Tirirates, Bresica, Haspersa, Fylos, and Pyeridae, continued to resent the NPLM long after the cessation of hostilities for the heinous attacks and bombing they have commited before the peace deal. To this day since its formation, the NPLM have failed to gain a single parliamentary seat, although signs are showing that their voterbase is gradually expanding.
To conclude, the NPLM's electoral policies represent a bold attempt to reconfigure the nation’s economic and social systems through nationalisation, tax reform, and enhanced worker protections. While these proposals are designed to promote equity and social justice, they face substantial criticism regarding their feasibility, economic impact, and potential for creating inefficiencies. Additionally, the party’s historical associations with violence and radicalism continue to influence public perception, complicating its efforts to build broad-based support. Whether or not the party's policies will help tide over the public's historic resentment will remain to be seen.
That is all we have for today. What are your thoughts of the NPLM and their manifesto? Let us know by commenting! This is Professor Politiks, signing out.
An Argument Against Wanton Founder Supremacy written by Zukchiva, this piece work the ethical implications of "Founder Supremacy" in, focusing on the tension between a Founder’s mechanical control over a region and the collective investment of its community.
Frecklesian Card Farm CXXXIV, Storeenxo, 
Landraulia, Lorbasia, Rayanaland, Faack mcand islayal, Northsland, Xinfumeiguo99, Puppies eskere, Yekistan, Retuia, Bavenshinsorry, Metoraves latasukka, 
Catpatriae, 
Xavlegbmaofffassssitimiwoa, Democratic gen detsiana, Done impie, 
Floyssauu Logistical Lunar Cycler 156, 
Kristendemokraterne, Asia freedom, Frel bilene lan, Tseesteo rpim, Technimia, New kaliquelfver, Slobachia, Sweetlandia to your home, The East Pacific.
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