Kalistan

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Kalistani News in Brief: FM debriefs recent Diplomatic Voyage;
Luncasi Naval Logistics Center is on pace for Completion; Kaliburg Art Rock goes exponential with new single by Zappa
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
February 12, 5689


FM Sir Thomas Harney discusses Kalistani Foreign Relations at Foreign Ministry Social in Kaliburg

FM debriefs recent Diplomatic Voyage
In his first public press conference following the return from Dolgava, Hutori, and Valruzia in late December, Her Imperial Majesty's Foreign Minister, Sir Thomas Harney met with the press at the Annual Foreign Ministry Social, designed to allow the staff of the Ministry to get together and socialize before the Spring and Summer International Diplomacy seasons kick into high gear. The FM declared the visits to Dolgava and Hutori a success, but saved his most glowing reports for the last minute visit to Valruzia.

"I gotta tell you: going to Szary was the highlight of the trip for me," he said. "I know Her Highness, the Princess of the Empire wasn't as enthusiastic about visiting the city which gave rise to the Kalistani Music Industry, but that was really special for me." He said that while the Princess of the Empire took personal time to meet with the retiring politician and personal friend, former Chancellor Szymon Nowik, he hired a local guide to show him where the Valruzian Beat Brothers grew up and recorded their first albums. "VMI, for those who know, plays such an important role in Kalistan's music scene, which of course we are all very proud of. It's like I went on a tour of the origin story, which is still all there, and maybe should be more prominently identified. Like: Here's the original VMI studios--Its a bakery now... But So much important history happened in that building, and it doesn't even have a plaque."

The Foreign Minister also thanked the Valruzian government for gifting Her Imperial Majesty, Empress in Waiting Carolina-Katherine Michelle Ananto-Connor a residence in Valruzia. "Her Highness, Princess Regent Nicolette Ananto-Collins said that Her Imperial Majesty was thrilled to have received the gift, and when she debuts in society later this summer, would like to schedule a private visit with the Princess Regent to the Kulka-Kozyra Palace." said the Foreign Minister. "They are leaning toward allowing the Empress to study abroad in Valruzia for a semester before she completes High School: It seems that the Empress has taken an interest in languages and has begun taking Valruzian language classes, in addition to her Vrassan and Egelian language instruction she gets in school and the Canrillais she has studied since she was 12. A semester would allow her to get an immersive experience that even the most fluent Kalistani teachers cannot replicate."

The Foreign Minister also noted the visit of the Xsampan Premier in late December. "Her Imperial Majesty would like to thank Premier Sherab Aurousseau of Xsampa for visiting the Princess Regent, the Chancellor and myself in Kaliburg just before the new year. This kind of personal diplomacy really goes quite far in Kalistan. We appreciate the sincerity of the Premier in her expression of her desire to mend bridges between our two nations, and I was able to communicate an identical desire from Her Imperial Majesty's government that we do all we can to restore regular diplomatic relations between our two nations. Xsampa has been an important friend in the region, and besides this, is a nation which conducts its economy ethically. It is time for use to let go of our hangups regarding their association with certain countries: If Kalistan could overlook their communism in the past, and still be friends, there is no reason we can't have that again." The FM said that talks between the two governments will continue through the Spring and into summer and barring any surprises, he expects that Kalistan's consular services will be restored in Metz-Leonid by July.

Luncasi Naval Logistics Center is on pace for Completion
Representatives from KALMILINCO, the Kalistani agency overseeing the construction of the Luncasi Naval Logistics Center in Luncasi, Kizenia, of the Tripartite Kingdom of New Endralon, Kizenia and Kuzaki have announced that the Naval Logistics Center is nearing completion. "We have completed the rail link with the continental rail system which will serve both the Base and eventually the Commerce Port at Luncasi," said Don Olivier, of KMC. "This was the last major part of the base which will make it fully functional. It was completed by the Luncasi Free City Government, utilizing supplies and money provided by Kalistan to upgrade and bring the city's rail infrastructure into compliance with Kerisian continental standards. The Southern Port has not handled much of the country's commerce in the past, given its and the rest of the Southern Coast's isolation from the rest of the nation, and hopefully this updated infrastructure will help integrate the cities of Luncasi and Deltabor at least infrastructure wise, into the rest of the nation."

Mr. Olivier said that the cost of the port upgrade has stayed within budget projections. "We had originally allocated more than ₭650 Million Imperial Rubles into the ports project in Luncasi," said Oliver. "This money is matched by both local investors, many from the Kalistani expatriate community, but also import and export businesses which have sprung up to take advantage of an anticipated increase in trade between Kalistan and Kizenia. The ₭250 Million we earmarked for the Naval Center has been spent well: The project will have only a small overrun of about ₭17 million, and we are expected to raise twice that much on the next capital round to complete the Commerce Port." Olivier said that the largest expendature will be in expansion of the deep water contours in front of the projected Commercial Port. "There's a very narrow window there to bring ships in and out of, so we have to go out and expand that. Doing so will take about three years itself, but once it is done, that will open this city to both economic opportunity, and a greater role in Kerisian trade."

Now that the rail link is completed, Olivier said that the Naval Logistics center will focus on warehouse expansion and completion of Barracks and Office facilities for permanent personnel. "The Marines have been living in Quonset huts for a long time. I know they will be thrilled to live in proper barracks." Future construction on base will include amenities for permanent personnel as well as a BEQ and a BOQ for visiting units.

Kaliburg Art Rock goes exponential with new single by Zappa
The Experimental Art Rock band Zappa, named after the River that empties into Davon Bay in northwestern Kaliburg, has maintained a fiercely anti-radio streak over the last decade, but a new single from their latest album, titled simply "Yayo" has nonetheless scored a minor hit on Radio 1, reaching number 36 in the Top 40 Singles chart. "It seems that while they have been creating deliberately radio-unfriendly music all this time, radio finally caught up to them," said Gina Rogers from Kalistani Rawk Monthly. "Their single is now the 36th most purchased, downloaded and spun song on Radio 1, and it is bringing them a bit of fame they never really wanted, and will probably try to sabotage on their next record."

Fans are intrigued by the weird syntho-loop rock production track, which is included as a deep cut on their KMI album The Bridge over the River Zappa. "Well, as a fan of the art rock scene in Kaliburg," said teenager Miguel Blanque, "of course I bought this album. I buy all their albums. I love the math rock aspects of their music for sure. But it seems that Kaliburg's best kept secret is no longer a secret anymore. It a good thing others are getting to hear their music too." To demonstrate the kind of clout the band has in the Kaliburg underground, the Director of the official video for "Yayo" was able to film part of the video at a house on Wilson Hill in southwest Kaliburg, just up the coast from Cliff House, where the Royal Family has their primary residence.

As the song moves into the pop charts, critical response is mixed. "I'm always confused by what this band is doing," said one critic for La Moda. "Their songs are all over the place, and rely on synthesized strings for a lot of it. It just always seems like three guys just f--king around in the studio making loud music." Others however were more charitable to the album. One critic for the online rock periodical Arete, gave the record four stars out of four and said "Their polyrythmic polymath style, recording, playing, producing, engineering etc, shines through on this record in a way which was missing on their earlier outtings. For the Art Rock fans, this has the really, really strong head rock aspects that they are looking for. And for the math rock fans of bands like Martel Strokes, this has all the volume, all the precision, and all the just far out progressions, both chord and rhythm, that you could ever imagine. It's really like the polar opposite of the stripped down, no frills, no fills music of a band like .350 Legend. We loved it.

You can check out the single "Yayo" from Zappa's latest LP Bridge Over the River Zappa right here, below.

[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KExDqN1qRw]
"Yayo (Live Edition)" by Zappa, which, despite their best effort, is beginning to give the band some commercial success

@TheRepublic

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Minister of Agriculture releases 5689 Food Report
"There is abundance in simplicity" said Report
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
May 20, 5689


Staples of the average Kalistani Citizen's diet

Her Imperial Majesty's Ministry of Agriculture released their annual Food Report this week which catalogs how well the nation feeds its people, and what sorts of foods the Nation will consume.

"Our report talks primarily about central tendencies," said Her Imperial Majesty's Minister for Food and Agriculture Alberto Villariva. "But we do get into outliers, especially on the low end of the distribution.. On average then, Kalistanis receive about 2500 calories a day, but that number is a little higher for men than for women. Most of the distribution (almost a full standard deviation) is centered on the mean, though it is skewed very slightly left of dead center, so just about two thirds of the population eats just about the same amount as everyone else. The data covers all classes and geographical regions, and caloric intake by class as you would imagine tends to skew further left, while caloric intake by Duchy shows that Suldanorans and Anantans tend to skew just right of center, while Odufaray is right on the mean and Vrassan and Nevaran populations are left of center."

Most Kalistanis obtain staples from public sources under the ancient Kalistani Food Bank program. "Centuries ago, the State became the single largest purchaser of agricultural foodstuffs from Kalistani farms," said Minister Villariva. "The program was a farm support program that was designed to encourage small farmers across the nation by ensuring price floors. This development led to the formation of Growers' Syndicates that negotiate prices for their members with the State. It also became the supply point for the National Food banks, where Kalistanis can obtain food at no cost. Those Banks have all manner of commodities from fresh fruits and vegetables, to dried foods, meats, dairy and poultry and grains and cereals. Over time, the staples that were available in the food bank modified the Kalistani diet away from processed and mass produced heavily preserved food. When there is fresh food freely available, adding a bunch of chemicals and preservatives does not make sense."

The typical Kalistani diet consists of mostly dark green leafy vegetables, legumes and potatoes, berries, citrus fruit, apples, cherries and pears, and garden fruits and veggies like tomatoes, squash, pumpkin, melon, green beans and corn which are often grown in back yard plots to supplement the Food Bank provisions. For protein, Kalistanis generally have abandoned beef, as it is not easily or inexpensively produced in Kalistan, and have moved to chicken and fish. Some pork is also consumed, but not in great quantities, as it suffers the same supply problems that beef has. "While Kalistanis often do not eat beef--a beef steak for example is a rarity, but out of preference now rather than cost-- they will eat mutton and lamb on a fairly regular basis, as sheep herding has taken off in the hills of Nevaras and in Green County Ananto for wool production. This means that lamb and mutton has begun appearing in the Food Bank as well as on the plates of Kalistani meat eaters." Other proteins include Tofu, which is preferred by a large number of Kalistanis where meat is required, eggs, avocados, and nuts. "Walnuts are a favorite snack," said the Minister.

Kalistanis do love grains of all kinds, and the largest processing plants in Kalistan are those that make pasta. "Over a year, Kalistanis will consume more than 650 million pounds of Pasta, of different grains, each year," said Minister Villariva. "Pasta is a part of almost every supper, and Kalistanis are particularly inventive about their ragus, their pestos and their alfredos to garnish the omnipresent noodle." Wild and long grain rices are also widely consumed and pilaf is a particularly popular side for the main protein dish. Kalistanis will also consume oatmeal, porridge of various kinds, primarily at breakfast, and quinoa and other types of more exotic grains that are often imported, regularly grace the tables of Kalistani families. Bread is a part of every meal, and the breads are often whole or multigrain, with whole wheat and dark rye being the two most preferred styles, but occasionally oat and even potato bread will make an appearance.

"Kalistanis do buy some processed foods from commercial grocery stores, but mostly these tend to be imported foods shipped to Kalistan, and are often higher in sugar, salt and fat than Kalistanis tend to prefer," said the Minister. "These are most often consumed by the upper classes who wish to show off, and the things they acquire are considered delicacies in Kalistan." Among the most popular and widely purchased items from stores are things like potato chips which Kalistanis consider a go-to snack, sugar cereals, cakes and candies. "Its mostly junk food, but Kalistanis do spend a lot of money on them annually."

The general diet of Kalistani families tends to help Kalistanis live longer with fewer negative health outcomes than some of its peers. "We tend to see a life expectancy of about 2.5 years greater on average than comparable nations in Kalistan," said the Minister. "We also see lower rates of obesity, diabetes, liver and kidney issues, and reproductive issues. We also note that some of these lower rates may be due to universal health care in tandem with a wholesome and some would say, meager diet. But whatever it is, we also don't have a lot of malnutrition, vitamin deficiency, or anemia in Kalistan either, which can be traced almost exclusively to the Kalistani diet. All of these mean that Kalistanis tend to live slightly longer, significantly healthier lives on average." The Minister did point out that there are also areas to work on, such as food distribution into some of the more rural frontier regions of Kalistan, where its more of a problem of infrastructure to get people to Food banks than it is supply to the food bank. "We could address this in a number of ways, but a lot of Kalistanis in rural areas raise most of their own food. In Rural Green County Ananto, for example, residents are encouraged to cultivate their lands and hold farmers markets which substitute in many ways for the lack of a lot of food bank access in that almost entirely rural area. Initiative for local farming cooperation can also help address these deficiencies."

Overall, the Ministry said Kalistanis tend to eat well and their food is life. "We have abundance in simplicity," said Ag Minister Villariva. "This is a blessing of living in a nation like Kalistan which spans different climate and growing zones, and has straightforward, compassionate and deliberate national policy aimed at getting Kalistanis healthy food as a matter of principle. We've been doing it for hundreds and hundreds of years, and our ways could be seen as a model for others."

@TheRepublic

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Kalistan sells out National Heirloom
Hulanevek Diamond transferred to Queen Arianna of Hutori for undisclosed amount
Eveari, Grand Duchy of Ananto
June 19, 5689


Princess of the Empire just hands over Hulanevek Diamond to Hutorian Queen Arianna (seen here with Consort David Alvarez-Ananto)

Well, the short lived mystery of the Missing Diamond has been resolved. For three days, there was wide speculation that the Hulanevek Diamond, which had been on display at the Museum of the Empire on Ananto Estate, but suddenly went missing, had in fact been stolen. The Royal Family issued no comments during this period, and House Ananto had an official statement of "No Comment" when Dame Allison Ananto-Westmoreland was questioned.

During the three days that followed, rumors swirled about the nation: Who could the thieves have been? Was it Amudim who stole the diamond? Had it been returned to the Gem Vault? Was the curse on the stone real? Had the Anantos chosen to destroy it? Nobody knew anything, and nobody had a clue as to the whereabouts of Seleya's most famous diamond.

The fever of speculation broke this afternoon when Dame Ananto-Westmoreland called a brief press conference. Below is her brief remarks to the Press:

"I will not be taking any questions at this time. We have received word this afternoon that the stone known as the White Gem, or the Kundrati Gem, or as we call it here in Kalistan, the Hulanevek Diamond, has been safely turned over to the possession of Her Majesty, Queen Arianna Elizabeth Rosalyn Steuart-Carmichael of Hutori. Queen Arianna is the Lady Commander of the Ancient Order of the Gray Smoke. The Stone was carried by commercial air to Hutori by Her Highness, Princess of the Empire Mary Ananto-DeLaurentis on orders from Her Highness Princess Regent Nicolette Ananto-Collins, and with full knowledge and assent of Her Imperial Majesty, Empress in Waiting Carolina-Katherine Michelle Ananto-Connor. Her Imperial Majesty, in consultation with her family and House Ananto, decided that the gem, which is believed to be cursed to Ananto Royalty, especially male royalty, is far safer with Queen Arianna of Hutori than it is here in Kalistan.

While in country, Lady Ananto-DeLaurentis met with Her Majesty the Queen, Sir David Alvarez-Ananto, the Prince Consort, and the incoming Liberal Prime Minister David Woodbury. The Princess of the Empire once again stayed with the Queen and Prince Consort at their residence: Princess of the Empire Mary Ananto-DeLaurentis and Queen Arianna are long time personal friends, and have maintained excellent personal and professional relations over many decades. With this, the Imperial House has put a world of distance between the Hulanevek Diamond and Her Imperial Majesty. Thank you for your attention."

Questions flew at Dame Ananto-Westmoreland, but she did not accept any--Instead she walked from the podium and left immediately. But here at The National, we view the loss of this stone to be a sacrifice of part of our national heritage. That Diamond has been with the Royal Family since it was sent here just about 100 years ago. For much of that time, the Anantos kept it safe in a vault, but recently it has been on display for people to come and see. It was long worn, and even flaunted you may say by four generations of Kalistani Royalty. It is one of the most sought after stones on Terra: Its value is incalculable, and now it is gone. Sent to Hutori, of all places.

The questions we have are myriad:

How much did Hutori give for it? They notoriously acquired a sister gem to this one from Xsampa decades ago for a significant amount of money. Did Kalistan get ANy money for this stone? Judging by Dame Ananto-Westmoreland's statement, it sure sounds like we just gave it to them.

Did Her Highness Princess of the Empire Mary Ananto-DeLaurentis receive anything else for the diamond? Technically the diamond was the property of House Ananto, and far be it from us to say they may not dispose of their property as they wish, but isn't she concerned that Kalistan will lose prestige without that diamond in our posession? Other nations have used gems to give them leverage in world affairs. Does Kalistan not want that sort of power?

It blows our minds here at The National why House Ananto would just voluntarily dispose of property they have jealously guarded for a century. And without any additional information from the House or from the royal family, we are left to guess what the reason is.

We reached out to the office of the Chancellor of the Empire for comment on the transfer of the gem, and the Chancellor's office said "No Comment, except House Ananto is welcomed to do as they please with their property." Truly an uninspired answer, and shows either complicity or ignorance by this Government.

We also reached out to Mr. Jacob Maxwell, Director of the Anantonese Yeudi Interests Committee. He was considerably more animated, but also made it clear that he did not approve of the transfer of the diamond to Hutori. "House Ananto lost a major supporter among the Yeudi Diaspora today," said Mr. Maxwell to our reporter. "That diamond was supposed to stay here so our people could see their heritage. I am aware that there is contested ownership here: House Ananto calls it their property, while we say they were merely trustees and it was not theirs strictly speaking but an item of cultural significance belonging to the Yeudi People worldwide which they were protecting for us. Whatever side you happen to come down on, three million Kalistani Yeudis were sold out today by House Ananto, and it is something we will not soon forget."

Mr. Maxwell was asked if the AYIC would attempt to sue the Kalistani Government over what he characterizes as "a betrayal of epic magnitude", and transfer of his constituents' cultural heritage. He responded that that was not in the cards. "Look, let's not go crazy here: there are larger fish to fry I think. Yeudis are being persecuted in Selucia, and it is important that we keep focused on the large matters that are in front of us. I intend to send a very strongly worded letter to Her Imperial Majesty to let her know of my personal disappointment that she and the Princess Regent took this step."

Nationalists in Kalistan, however are reportedly furious. This is a complete abandonment of a major national symbol. Whatever Mr. Maxwell thinks, this was a symbol of national pride. We had this tremendously valuable piece of history sitting in our Imperial Museum. It adorned Emperors and Empresses. It was amazing to look at, and it gave us a sense of destiny. And so many people wanted it. That's the thing: So many other nations would have killed to get their hands on this diamond. Kalistan could have named its price if they were bound and determined to sell it. We probably could have gotten important concessions on Athosia from the world if we wanted. We could have gained allies, trade, you name it.

And one nation far more than every other wanted it. Amudim, which is being reunited right now, could have made an offer that Kalistan could have taken for major advantages. Trade, intel, basing, whatever. But instead, Kalistan did something that seems incredibly random and just apparently gave it to Hutori for nothing.

It's quite infuriating to everyone in Kalistan, it would seem, except the Royal Family. Here at The National, we do not shy away from our critique of the decisions of this Princess Regent, because we love our nation and do not want her to obliterate it before the Rightful Empress can ascend to the Throne. But Your Highness: What?! Why would you order the Princess of the Empire to take that diamond out of the country and hand it to Hutori? There's no problem with giving it to our allies in the north, but why give it away at all? That stone belonged to us, to Kalistan. To nobody else. And now it is gone.

Perhaps in the coming days, weeks, or months we will gain more information about any agreements between House Ananto and the Steuart-Carmichaels of Hutori. But, perhaps more interestingly, we will also resolve once and for all time the mystery of whether or not the stone truly is cursed: The Prince Consort of Hutori, Lord David Alvarez-Ananto, the Queen's Husband, is an Ananto. Not a Hulanevek, to be sure, but a member of the older 4th Dynasty. Perhaps the curse only affects male members of the 5th Dynasty--We commoners can't really be sure what esoteric nonsense the very insular Anantos believe when they talk amongst themselves. We shall see what happens to him, now that the supposedly cursed diamond is in the hands of the Hutori Monarchy.

@TheNational

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Empress in Waiting Debuts in Kaliburg
Formal Training for Transition has begun
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
August 3, 5689


Her Imperial Majesty, Empress in Waiting Carolina-Katherine Michelle Ananto-Connor and Her Highness, Princess Regent Nicolette Ananto-Collins before official Debut of Empress in Waiting

Her Imperial Majesty, Empress in Waiting Carolina-Katherine Michelle Ananto-Connor has officially debuted in formal Kalistani Society this week. A gala was held for the young Monarch at Kaliburg's National Theater, and was attended by the who's who of Kaliburg Society, arts, letter and music. The event featured a presentation ceremony, a large and lengthy reception and several formal announcements of large donations to various philanthropic and charitable organizations across Ananto and Kalistan. It also featured a formal dinner, toasts, and live music from the Kaliburg Chamber orchestra.

Her Imperial Majesty was obviously the center of attention at the Debut. She was escorted by the young son of the Count of Senvias, Martin Tinley, 18. Mr. Tinley is a friend of one of the Empress' school mates, and requested to escort the Empress at her Debut via his father, the Count. He will be joining Regular Armed Forces in October, and will begin training as an artillery officer. The two youngsters reportedly had a good time together during the evening, where the Royal House Protocol had to be suspended by the Princess Regent, for Mr. Tinley so he and the Empress could dance together.

The dinner for the ball consisted of a fresh garden salad, followed by breaded and pan fried cod with a side of lemon, rice pilaf and broccoli, with tofu for the vegetarians. Desert was a fresh fruit sorbet. Drinks were consumed freely throughout the evening. The Debut also featured the Empress in Waiting's first informal audience, where she listened to the Kalistani Dukes present her with a large financial gift of more than 15 Million Imperial Rubles, on behalf of the Ducal Council. She thanked the Kalistanis for their gift, and stated that it was her wish to donate the money to the National Aquarium in Dulnerstaad, on behalf of the her people in Kalistan. The Aquarium will use the money as an endowment to continue its work to restore aquatic habitats and species in and around Ananto. Other gifts received were donated to the Princess of the Empire's Million Trees reforestation program, which is still ongoing, and a very sizeable donation to the Kalistani Council for the Fine Arts, which helps fund both the National Theater in Kaliburg and the Imperial Opera in Sulari.

The party marks the moment in the Empress in Waiting's life when she officially becomes a public figure in Kalistan, may be photographed and is eligible to sit for interviews. It also has traditionally marked her formal arrival into Kalistani Society, where she has immediately moved to the head of the Social order in the Capital. "It's pretty exciting when a new monarch to be makes her debut," said society columnist Tony Brighton. "in a lot of ways, when someone Her Imperial Majesty's age moves up and into society, we see a generational shift. It's prestige based, but Empress Caroline's friends just automatically move to the front of all lines. Everyone suddenly wants to know those who know her, who can get close to her, who can tell her things.

"It's about influence peddling really," continued Brighton, "and those of us who cover events like this get a front row seat to all the intrigue and gossip and schemes of all these movers and shakers in society all of a sudden trying to befriend some 18 year old so they can pass a message to the Empress. It's thrilling, and maybe a little scary, especially if you are in the middle of the feeding frenzy of influence that usually accompanies generational changes like this, where those who were important yesterday for like 30 years, suddenly become not important or relevant at all, while those who, yesterday nobody ever heard of, or much worse, talked about, is now suddenly the center of the entire universe: That creates chaos, and those of us on the outside get to watch a lot of old slights and scores get settled while these upper class people work it out. They ignore the press, which is just as well, because we get access to all of it when we aren't a threat to their little world."

Now that the Empress in Waiting is a public figure, her appearance will cause an immediate stir wherever she goes. But she will also be constantly sought after, and, to a largely unfair degree scrutinized. "Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress in Waiting is in a unique position that we haven't seen for a very long time," said Brighton. "She is very much an Empress, but until her majority, she is an Empress in name only. The real power still lies, for the moment, with the Regent, who has more or less made it her life's goal to shield her young niece from the public eye. She has a lot of power to do so, for sure, but at the end of the day, she had to issue a statement ahead of the Debut that for the next two years, the Empress is still a minor, and harassment or attempts to humiliate her in the press will fall under lese-majestie. Most of the papers have agreed informally to embargo any news or images of unflattering conduct by the Empress in Waiting, but something may happen within the next two years which could be very embarrassing for any monarch or damaging for the Government, and it is more likely due to the Empress in Waiting's age. So that will be a bridge to cross when or if we get there."

For now, the transition into adulthood doesn't change much for the Empress in Waiting, politically speaking. She is now allowed to attend informal audiences with the Regent, and will be permitted to travel in an official capacity outside of the Empire. She still not not formally possess any fiat authority, nor can she formally participate in most decision making of the Government, though it is widely believed that her profile within the National Government is expected to dramatically increase over the next two years until she reaches her Majority, acquires her full style, and can dictate Imperial and National Policy by fiat. At that time she still will not be vested with absolute power: She will still need to complete her National Service, and then has expressed interest in going to school, either for linguistics or philosophy, or both.

For now, Her Imperial Majesty is a 16 year old girl. She still has homework, and teen drama. She still strives to carve her own path in a world controlled by the adults around her, and she still wants to find a place with her peers. Like any kid. But this one is also now the acknowledged head of a large pyramid of influence and authority called formal Kaliburg Society, among which dwells the wealthiest, most powerful, most connected individuals in Northern Seleya. The Debut ball was very successful, Her Imperial Majesty presented herself very well, and she made her Aunt and Grandmother very proud.

We welcome Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina-Katherine Michelle Ananto-Connor to Public life.

@LaModa

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A Brief History of House Ananto's 4th and 5th Dynasties, 5148 - 5689
From Fredrick Guerra to the Empress in Waiting, The Royal Family has left their mark on Terra
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
October 18, 5689


Empress Nicolette I Ananto, "The Great" transformed the modern Empire

As Her Imperial Majesty, Empress in Waiting Carolina-Katherine Michelle Ananto-Connor has entered public life, The National feels that it is time to take a brief retrospective on the modern Kalistani Royal House. We'll see how the Institution of the Monarchy has evolved over time, and project a that trajectory into the future of our Institutional Rulers.

Pre Modern Anantans (Dynasties 1 - 3)
Kalistan began as an Empire. Our earliest prehistory demonstrates that at one point, what is today the four duchies of Kalistan Proper was a completely separate entity from the Island of Ananto. Ananto itself was founded by migrants who flooded north from what is now Aldegar. The people and more importantly their rulers established the Island as a kingdom, and the title "Ananto" which is reportedly proto-Aldegarian for Ruler, was given to the Island. The Ruler, therefore, THE Ananto, gave his (because they were all male) title to his island, and therefore formed the basis of the First Dynasty which ruled Ananto and parts of Northern Kalistan Proper for about 1200 years until the Anantos were pushed off the continent by invading hordes from the west, which flooded through Lodamun and erased all political distinctions in Kalistan.

Meanwhile Ananto captured what is now known as Vintalli and Marlingantos, and continued to rule the Islands for several hundred more years, gradually reconquering lands in Kalistan Proper, Athosia, and mainland Gaduridos from the Horde ahead of their ultimate collapse. This set of rulers, divorced entirely, both geographically and culturally from their proto-aldegarian roots, but not quite Seleyans yet, were known as the Second Dynasty.

The Third Dynasty began when a group of leaders of Gaduri origin came to power in Ananto, taking the name, titles and trappings of the Anantan Leaders of the 2nd Dynasty, but expanding further into a large maritime and Seleyan Empire. During this time, Kalistan came fully under Anantan rule, permanently joining Ananto in a political fusion that continues to this day. The Anantan Empire also variously covered Athosia, Lodamun, Gaduridos, Baltusia, and lands in modern day Dolgava, Seko and Lourenne. But that land was stripped from the Anantans by treachery, subterfuge and outright theft committed by imperial Selucia and Luthori, who practiced a divide and conquer strategy to whittle down and steal Anantan territory permanently.

The modern era saw an inexplicable solidification of international boundaries, but rump elements, pretender elements and outright frauds occasionally claimed the mantle of Anantan Emperor or Empress from the 1900s until 4053, when the Empire, all titles and claims to nobility were abolished and vacated permanently. This era was the era of Socialist Party of Kalistan dominance, and the reason that the titles were officially vacated actually had nothing to do with Third Dynasty Dead Enders. Indrala at the time claimed a title of Khan of Kalistan, a title which had no historical basis whatsoever. The National government of republican Kalistan therefore vacated all titles, in order to erase that title from the possession of the Emperor of Indrala, and as a part of the ceasefire agreement in the ensuing Ananto War, Indrala agreed to formally vacate that title and end its use by the Emperor of Indrala. This act formally ended the Third Dynasty and marked the formal death of the Ancient Anantan Empire.

The Fourth Dynasty and the Anantanese Empire
In 5146, a conservative faction of the Socialist Party, then the Ruling Party in Kalistan, split from the Leftists and declared themselves the Institutional Party of Kalistan. Dedicated to protecting the institutions from incessant modification of the law and policy oscillation caused by what became known as ephemeral Parties, the Institutional Party declared it their mission to restore an Imperial Structure to the office of Head of State, to ensure that, whatever happened in the more democratic legislature, the structure of the State would be protected against the pressure of a random and increasingly erratic electorate was growing tired of Socialist Party dominance, but clearly seemed more intent on electing "anyone other than Socialists" no matter what ridiculous or dangerous ideology they happened to spout.

The Institutional Party, under Premier Nadine Bennots, distant descendant of the philosophical founder of Kalistan's ethical socialism, led her party to a majority, and used that power to begin deliberately instituting the system of a monarchy. The structure that her government settled on borrowed from monarchistic tradition, but originally envisioned a system of two Grand Duchies, one in Ananto and one in Kalistan, who had equal votes and in ties, Ananto's Grand duke would win. In 5147, the preliminary Enabling Act was passed, and the Institutional Party essentially overthrew the Republic through legislative action. Most of the people were politically disengaged by this point, and while some ardent republicans among the socialists protested, the events passed by largely without violence.

In 5148, a philanthropist in his mid 20s named Fredrick Guerra, who was an early supporter of the Institutionalist Party, had access to significant resources that he was willing to use to endow a Royal Family in perpetiuty, and was free to do the job was selected as Kalistan's First Emperor in about 1100 years. Titles were created for him and he was crowned Emperor of Ananto and Kalistan (the two Grand Duchies) on February 1, 5149. Guerra transformed a mansion he had acquired in the ancient capital city of Eveari into the Ananto Estate, and took up the role of Head of State, while Bennots and the Institutionalists continued to govern in Kaliburg.

At first, the Emperor was a mere figurehead. He was more or less ordered to marry by the National Assembly in 5154 and begin producing heirs. Soon the Institutional Party lost power to liberals, and the Office of the Emperor was sidelined, but it continued in place, with Fredrick (Now Fredrick Ananto I) and Empress Elizabeth producing an heir. His first born Son, Emperor David I Ananto, took the throne in 5209, and the Fourth Dynasty was formally begun.

This Empire lasted for three Reigns (David's Son abdicated in favor of his Grandson William I Ananto) and then the Socialists returned to power and forced Emperor William to abdicate without allowing him to crown his son. Then followed a 160 year Republican interlude where the Ananto Family and House Ananto (the foundation begin by Fredrick Guerra) continued to exert some authority and maintain a role in the Politics of the Island. In 5406, William's Three Greats Grandson became President of the Republic, and his daughter succeeded him in office. During this period, the Institutional Party obtained a passage of the law which guaranteed that the President of the Empire must be a member of the Ananto Line. The bill passed over strong, and violent objection by the Socialists, and the Party was formally outlawed by the Institutional Party when several members of the Now ruling Institutional Party were assassinated by Socialist Party extremists, who also attempted but failed to seize the National Assembly.

The outlawing of the Socialists in 5412 under the Administration of President of the Republic Michael Ananto-Thomas cleared the way for the Institutional Party, now the only Party in Government, to re-establish the Monarchy and crown Nicolette Empress of Ananto and Kalistan in 5458 who had been elected President in 5456. This time, however, the Institutionalists meant to make the Empire permanent. They created House Law and very serious protocol around the Monarch, including the institution of the formal and informal audiences, and the various ceremonies. They made it illegal for commoners to speak directly with the Empress except in Formal Audience. And most importantly they instituted the Imperial Fiat, which obliterated the last checks on imperial authority by republicanism and democracy; Kalistan formally became an unapologetically Absolutist Government.

The People, who were once more completely disengaged from politics due to the last opposition party's terrible performance in government, looked the other way as this happened, and most welcomed the new Empress as a national symbol for the people to unite around. Providing the office teeth and distance required Institutionalists in the first couple generations to be more acquiescent to the demands of the Monarch, and to tolerate a measure of political and economic inequality between the monarchy and the people they ruled. But over time, people grew to ask why Kalistan didn't adopt absolute monarchy sooner, and the popularity of Empress Nicolette I Ananto, seen now as an Empress who belonged to the People, increased to the point that she was provided the appellation of "The Great" upon her retirement, a title not given to any other monarch before or since.

Under Nicolette I Ananto's reign, Kalistan integrated deeper with neighboring Seleyan States, took a leading role in regional affairs, greatly improved Kalistan's reputation abroad, begun the National High Speed MagLev train network which revolutionized public transportation across the Empire, and oversaw a cultural explosion in science and technology, music, fashion and art. Nearly all the public institutions that currently exist in Kalistan almost all trace their origins to Nicolette's pivotal reign.

Her daughter, Nicolette II Ananto can be considered the mother of Kalistani Imperialism, aggrandizing the Imperial Style to include what became known as the Crownlands, thus formalizing Kalsitan's historical claims over Athosia, Gaduridos, and large sections of Dolvaga, Lodamun, Seko and Lourenne. Nicolette II Ananto also oversaw the transition of Kalistan away from Fossil Fuel to renewable energy. As Kalistan's neighbors Lourenne inflated and ultimately supernovaed, Kalistan under Nicolette II Ananto filled the vacuum and Kalistan became the dominant force in the Northern Anantonese Ocean. Kalistan became a leading player in International diplomacy, and the regular forces were professionalized under Nicolette II Ananto. And under Nicolette II Ananto, the Single Party Act was finally passed to sweep away the last vestiges of democracy once and for all. Her untimely death in 5528 brought her son, Fredrick II Ananto to the throne.

A long regency allowed the recent loss of democracy to ferment before Fredrick II Ananto could formally take the crown. The beginning of Fredrick's reign was peaceful enough, as Kalistan expanded investment in and deep ties to Gaduridos, hosted an international trade exposition in Kaliburg, and travelled extensively abroad. On one such trip, in 5550, he met his future wife, a Kundrati investment bank lawyer named Pavlina Hulanevek. The two fell in love, but that fateful meeting would change the course of the Kalistani Monarchy forever and ultimately lead to the end of the Fourth Dynasty and the rule by direct descendants of Fredrick I Ananto.

His marriage to the foreigner Pavlina I Ananto caused immediate political chaos in Kalistan, and caused simmering demands for more democracy to be exploited by fascists. Political violence became more frequent, and ultimately ended up in the passage of Lese Majestie, which makes it a crime to injure or assault a member of the Royal Family. Fredrick not only named Pavlina a Co-Empress, but adopted her adopted daughter Carolina Hulanevek and named her his heir, to cover her under the law. The political unrest turned into a crisis when the Emperor was assassinated by a Republican partisan, who had been employed by a cabal of fascists seeking to utilize democracy as a cover to overthrow the government. The Chancellor was also seriously wounded in the attack, and a brief and violent civil war broke out as republican militias, armed and financed by fascists fanned out across the country. The Chaos forced Empress Pavlina I Ananto and Carolina to flee and hide out in Gaduridos for six months while the Regular Forces and the Institutional Militia put down the rebellion.

Pavlina I returned to Kalistan, and spent the rest of her life in deep mourning over her husband. She was, for all accounts a foreigner, spoke broken Vrassan at best, and didn't have many friends among the nationalists in the Institutional Party. But she did have the Institutions of the Monarchy and they gave her absolute power, based on her title. The Reign of The Black Empress had begun. During Pavlina's reign, Kalistan saw the zenith of its association with Kundrati, as well as watching it deteriorate. Pavlina also brought Gaduridos and Lodamun into a new Anantonese Empire as equal constituent states. She began looking beyond the adjacent seas for Kalistani defense, and stretched Kalistani naval power into the Mad Dog Ocean and down into the Central Anantonese Ocean for the first time since the collapse of the Anantan Empire in the 19th Century. In the Northern Anantanese Ocean, Kalistan was peerless, and for likely its last time, Kalistan enjoyed full hegemony in the region.

During Pavlina's reign, Kalistan inherited an heirloom from Pavlina's Kundrati relatives. A Large white diamond, said to have been initially cut by an ancient Yeudi gemsmith thousands of years before, was delivered to Kalistan as a wedding gift for Pavlina's daughter Carolina. The Gem stayed hidden for decades in the the House Ananto Vault, which contains gold, silver, and gems collected over the centuries since the founding of the Fourth Dynasty. And the Anantos themselves were fixated on it, but everyone else forgot about it.

Everyone except the Yeudis of Beiteynu, who were at that very moment working with other nations to kneecap Kalsitan for possessing what they viewed as their diamond. More about that in a moment: Meanwhile, Pavlina's administration oversaw both the beginning of the Kaliburg Metro underground subway system and the founding of the Kalistani Space Program at Spencer, and the launch of a satellite network that would not only allow us to broadcast radio and television around the world, but would also allow us to look down on our neighbors and sometimes enemies. Kalistan's major international challenges during Pavlina's reign were a resurgent Luthori who was aggressively attempting to reincorporate its old empire, including Lodamun, which forced Kalistan to embargo Luthori over.

Pavlina retired from office in 5578, and her waning years would be the last years of Peace that Kalistan would know for a long while. Around 5580, tensions sparked in the Migrants' Pass, and Kalistan re-established patrols in the Mad Dog Ocean from its new base in Lodamun to help contain any potential conflict well away from the Empire. Kalistan was able to project up to the edges of the Artanian Sea, and this would bring Kalistan into conflict with Kundrati in the coming years. But also in 5580, Carolina gave birth to a son, whom she named Fredrick III Ananto after her adopted father. In doing so, she ended the possibility of Fredrick II Ananto's relatives obtaining the throne. The direct line between the Kalistani Crown and the founder of the Fourth Dynasty was severed, dying out with Fredrick II Ananto. The birth of the third Fredrick is the beginning of the Fifth, or Kundrati Dynasty.

(Continued)

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A Brief History of House Ananto's 4th and 5th Dynasties, 5148 - 5689

(Continued from above)

The late Emperor Fredrick IV Ananto and Empress Jennifer I Ananto

The Fifth Dynasty, War and Recovery
Over the course of the Fifth Dynasty, the descendants of Carolina I Ananto have ruled Kalistan with an iron fist. As much as the Fourth Dynasty was characterized by a desire for peace and cooperation, the monarchs of the Fifth, Kundrati Dynasty do not shy away from conflict, war, embargos, and pugilism on the international stage. They desire peace, but do not possess the grace and aloofness of the monarchs of the Fourth, or Gaduri Dynasty. They are therefore either the subject of begrudging friendship or bitter hatred, and either way, Kalistan's existence as a global power quickly became very unsustainable, especially in light of the rise of an upstart nation to the north which has seemingly and effortlessly eclipsed Kalsitan over the last century.

The Red Bass War of the 5590s between Beiteynu and Xsampa ended climactically with the loss of a good portion of the Beiteynese Fleet, and then sometime later, with the deployment of a nuclear weapon by Beiteynu against the nation of Xsampa. Many nations, like Kalistan strongly condemned and diplomatically and economically isolated Beiteynu while several other nations nearby took the opportunity to invade Beiteynu and part it out to their own empires. But the latent instability in the system continued to be an issue as a new dark force rose in Kundrati. By 5584, Kalistan was calling for international sanctions against the human rights abusing Legion force in Kundrati who was rounding up its citizens en masse, forcing them into slave camps, and denying them basic civil rights. Kalistan supported the more moderate and establishment KPP in the subsequent civil war, but only a few other nations did. It seemed that if they couldn't gain some additional territory out of the war, most Terrans will at best turn their back on the conflict and tend to themselves.

Kalistan carried the burden of containment of the Legion for decades following 5584. Meanwhile, other nations either mocked Kalsitan's efforts or outright undermined them. It is known that despite a Kalistani embargo, Narikaton, one of the ultimate beneficiaries of the the dismantling of Beiteynu following the nuclear attack, traded with the Legion the entire time. Beiteynu, for its part led an international disinformation campaign which outright refuted Kalistani allegations of massive and gross human rights abuses in Kundrati and publicly ran cover for the fascist regime there. Beiteynese targeting of Kalistani efforts to contain Kundrati possibly had something to do with their resentment of Kalistan's possession of the Kundrati Diamond, but that's just one idea that tends to be floated by people like AYIC, who maintain that there is this shadowy ancient war between different powerful families that nobody can see or know about but somehow have the ability to play the world like their own little chess board. Likatonia allied with Kundrati and utilized slave labor in their own development provided by the Kundrati Legion. When the KPP finally collapsed, Kalistan was left without a partner in the region, and pulled back into the Mad Dog.

During this time, Carolina I Ananto was able to resolve her differences with Luthori, for the most part. She opened Embassies in Zardugal and in Mordusia during this time, and she established contact with the new royal family that appeared in Egelion after 5589 and began the transition of that nation from inert republic to Absolutist Monarchy. As much as Carolina sought to focus almost exclusively on Seleyan and Anantonese affairs, Kalistan was continually pulled back into the rest of the world's drama. Following the inexplicable nuclear detonation in Xsampa in 5599, Kalistan named Beiteynu and all its successor states, utimately, personna non grata in Kalistan. Kalistan's relations with Kundrati and their allies in Likatonia continued to deteriorate for the next ten years until Carolina I Ananto's retirement, and the crowning of Empreor Fredrick III Ananto.

Fredrick's reign was defined by Kalsitan's war with Kundrati. As much as Kalistan tried, it could not escape the constant provocation of Kundrati, the deafening and complicit silence by much of the world in light of the screams of the oppressed in the land of Carolina's birth, and the brashness and impunity of the Kundrati Government toward its neighbors and enemies. The catastropic Artanian Sea Campaign, which was at most a pyrrhic victory in Kalistan, saw Kalistan's fourth fleet sunk to the bottom of the Artanian Sea, where it still rots today, marking the absolute limit of Kalistani imperial projection in the world to date. The remnants of the Kalistani First Fleet limped back to Lodamun where they sat the rest of the first phase of the war out.

In retaliation for the attack, Kundrati worked with its allies in Likatonia to launch horrific Chemical weapons attacks against Kaliburg, Eshar and Port Swedes on the night of Aug 10-11, 5612. The rockets used had been designed by Beiteynu and were obtained through the Equifund by Kundrati, leading many in Kalistan to suspect that Beiteynu had been behind the attacks, as the former government of Beiteynu was fully and openly in support of the fascists in Kundrati for no apparent reason. The attacks murdered more than 40,000 Kalistanis as they slept, and initiated the invasion of Likatonia by Kalistan and Lodamun in retaliation for the attacks, with the aim of neutralizing a key Kundrati ally permanently.

During the war, it is known and admitted that Kalistan committed hundreds of war crimes against the citizens and the infrastructure of the nation. The violence was so bad that Lodamese Commanders agreed to a ceasefire proposed by the Likatonians, who surrendered unconditionally to the advancing forces, before Kalistan could proceed to lay waste to the entire nation. Kalistan later initiated a truth and reconciliation commission, which convicted hundreds of Kalistani Regulars for their actions during the war, and paid reparations to Likatonia for the violence. Kalistan is one of the few nations ever to fully admit to war crimes in a conflict setting.

During this period, Kalistan strengthened ties with Dolgava and Hutori, as well as Egelion, whose King married Lady Nicole Catalina Ananto-Bjorksdattir, thereby guaranteeing that all future Egelian Monarchs, as well as any children from royal outmarriages, which Egelion is fond of, will be indirect descendants of Fredrick Guerra-Ananto. Also during this period, Kalistani royals acquired their fondness for surfing, with the Empress Consort Monica Ananto-DeLaurentis being the first member to fully and enthusiastically embrace the sport. As Fredrick III Ananto's reign neared an unexpected end, the Crown seemed to be moving toward the establishment of more democratic governance, both at the local level as well as allowing some experimentation with it at the national level. Kalistani duchies, however, became a hereditary title.

The war torn era of Fredrick III Ananto came to a tragic end when Fredrick was killed in a plane crash on a flight from Gendaris to Lhasa. His daughter, the new Empress Mary I Ananto was still in National Service when the crash happened, and Fredrick's sister Michelle Ananto-Sandoval became Princess Regent. Soon after losing the Emperor, the Dynasty lost Carolina Ananto-Hulanevek to pancreatic cancer. While these losses were sad, within a few years, Mary Ananto ascended the throne as Empress Mary I Ananto. She immediately set out to make the nation a glittering Empire. Jewel acquisition and setting hit an all time high, and over the course of her reign, she had an entire dress made of diamonds and rubies, and a much more elaborate dress composed of a mosaic resembling a peacock, made of thousands of precious stones. But her piece de resistance was the Imperial Seat, which is a solid silver throne encrusted with precious stones of all types, inside a full solid silver pagoda that is similarly just encrusted with diamond, rubies, saphires and emeralds, and which features amethyst most prominently. The Imperial Seat is where all formal Audiences take place.

The beginning of Mary's Glittering Empire saw a resurgence in prestige pop music and couture fashion. It also saw the rise of professional modelling as a career in Kalistan. Regretably however, by 5637, Kalistan was back in a war. The rest of the world finally discovered the truth about what Kalistan had been fighting almost completely alone for more than 40 years, that Kundrati was a dangerous fascist rogue state which needed to be completely neutralized. Several nations now including Luthori, Davostag and Hutori as well as Kalistan invaded Kundrati, wiped out the Legionary high command, and accepted peace. Kalistan, whose presence in Kundrati was only supported to be in a support role, departed the nation, and then without fully decapitating the Legion, or de-legionifying the nation, the other countries left too, ensuring Kundrati would suffer another twenty years of misery under uniquely bad government. Around this time, Kalistan also pointed out the beginnings of its ongoing rivalry with Egelion.

In 5641, Lodamun peacefully separated itself from the Anantonese Empire over a desire to pursue an entirely independent foreign policy, and in 5642, Kalistan began talks to normalize relations with Baltusia after centuries of complete estrangement. Kalistan also strengthened trade and cultural exchange with Xsampa whom it had first approached following its nuclear attack by Beiteynu and its conventional attack by Kundrati at the start of the Artanian War. The Glittering Empire Project continued on with the rise of and support for the Supermodel in Kalistan, with Kelsey Ryan being named Kalistan's first supermodel. There was also a stronger push for democracy, with a temporary lifting of the Single Party Law and the short proliferation of multiparty democracy in the National Assembly, before it became clear that once more fascist and anti monarchists forces were exploiting democratic institutions to hurt the nation.

In 5650, Empress Mary I Ananto became the first Kalistani Monarch to visit Athosia since the Anantan Empire. She was there to greet the new King, George Alvarez, who was a member of the Alvarez line. This meant that a Descendent of Fredrick Ananto now held title to Athosia, and was seemingly the culmination of the Ananto Family Passion. Alas, it was not to be, though. While Mary did acquire title to a significant tract of coastline along the shore at Playa de Paz, the rest of Ananto remained outside of her direct control. Soon, the Government of Baltusia placed the King under House Arrest and he eventually fled to Kalistan, where he lived the remainder of his life trying to help Athosians integrate into Kalistani society. The dream slipped away as it was about to be grasped.

By 5661, democrats who were being whipped up by anti-monarchist factions has begun widespread civil disorder throughout Kalistan, and the National Government ended up revoking the multi-party privileges they had tried to extend to the people of the nation. Mary was in full support of the reversal, and she was becoming more and more conservative as she got older. To buy off democracy advocates the Government passed the City Act which enshrined local autonomy in Free Cities, but essentially ended any hope for democratic governance for the rest of the nation. Immediately, Kalistan was hit with another international relations crisis--The Egelian seizure of a naval base in Meriath. The Empress was caught without a viable response in this instance- but its lack of ability to formulate a policy response in light of a catch 22 showed how far Kalistan had declined in power from its zenith at the end of Carolina's reign. Egelion won simply because Kalistan could not respond effectively and did not wish to risk war. Echoes of this fait accompli would be seen later during the Keris War, where Egelion hoped they could successfully invade and annex part of Kizenia without Kalistan noticing until it was too late. Kalistan was ready with its response to Egelion's efforts to encircle the Empire, then, but nearly missed the window again.

During Mary's later reign, Kalistan saw major improvement in its relations with Valruzia whom it had helped with the validate the results of its first few post dictatorial elections. By 5665, Kalistani social scientists were using the word retrenchment in relation to Kalistan's foreign policy, as it slowly either pulled back from the world, or was actively being pushed back by more than a couple nations. Kalistan's use of the word retrenchment sent alarms ringing off across Terra, because nations scrambled to understand what the world would look like when they could no longer rely on Kalistan to serve as their lightning rod. The alarm was echoed later when Mary's successor, Fredrick IV moved the policy from optimistic internationalism to explicit retrenchment, so much so that several nations complained that Kalistan was in danger of becoming a pariah state because it was rejecting the global order that others required Kalistan to adhere to so they could reliably pressure and condition Kalistani action globally.

In 5665, the era of the Supermodel also hit its zenith as the Crown Prince, Fredrick IV Ananto became engaged to Super Model Jennifer Connor. The two would marry in Eveari in 5668. The Glittering Empire also met its peak as House Ananto passed the ₭1 Trillion Imperial Ruble valuation in 5667, a combination of assets, investments and holdings. Empress Mary became the wealthiest Kalistani to ever live when the results of that year's audit were publicly announced.

Mary announced her retirement and stepped down from the throne in 5672, ushering in the last Ananto Emperor and Empress yet crowned. The Dual Monarchy of Fredrick IV Ananto and his wife Jennifer I Ananto was initially marked by 10 years of attempting to travel, to reach out, to rebuild connections, to improve trade, and to build new bridges. They did have some success, but ultimately, their short reign was marked by far more disappointment than success.

The first was a very halting reopening with Kundrati. The first steps on Kalistan's part were not really followed through on Kundrati's part, leaving Kalistan waiting for years before it could go ahead with its slow walk overture. A similar situation existed with Luthori. And the Kalistani Chancellor's strong anti-communism actually damaged relations with communist and socialist nations. Kalistan ultimately took a harder stance against the incarceration of Egelion's queen than Egelion did, and a harder stance against its old friends' position on Yeudis than much of the world did. It was also alienated from its old partners in Xsampa due to their proposed annexation of part of Beiteynu. In its effort to both make friends and remain a relevant voice in world affairs, it did neither.

So it was no surprise, in Kalsitan at least when, after 10 years of failure to obtain anything by playing the world's game by their rules, Kalistan reverted to form and decided to play it once again by Kalistani rules. Bu 5682, Kalistan was declaring internationalism dead in Kalistan, and was getting sandblasted internationally for saying so. But before that could happen, Kalistan was once more almost outflanked in Kizenia as a military coup overthrew the legitimate monarch of Kizenia. Kalistan responded immediately by deploying the First Fleet to the edge of Kizenian Sovereign waters, and making it known that Kalistan was prepared to intervene. As soon as the first Trigunian troops entered the nation, Kalistan occupied the two southern cities of Luncasi and Deltabor. The two Anantonese facing cities had significant Kalistani expatriate populations there, and Luncasi provided a good debarkation point for Kalistani aid to the Egelian War effort.

The war was successful, but it quickly became apparent in Kalistan what it had been about. Egelion sought to opportunistically claim the Kizenian throne for itself and annex a strip of land in the far north. The Anantonese Empire said it desired to see NEKK free of all foreign influence, but supported the annexation because Kalistan would have liked to use that as a precedent for its own resolution of claims in Athosia. To wit, Egelion changed its reparation scheme, rejected the northern annexation, but placed its own king on the throne of the Kizenian Monarchy, quickly declaring an Empire in Keris. Kalistan, however pushed for some equity to rebalance the radically unbalancing act of Egelion declaring an empire over Kizenia and Trugunia, based out of Altea. Kalistan obtained concessions in Luncasi to be able to lease a military base in the city, which was not there yet, but which Kalistan has now completed as an effort to prevent a similar expansion of Egelian naval capacity further along the Anantonese Coast.

In 5684, Kalistan came to some terms with Tel Bira over outstanding grievances relating to the Kundrati war. Kalistan kept its side of the deal, Tel Bira has not to date kept their side of it. The next year there was finally a little movement on Kundrati. Later that year, Emperor Fredrick IV Ananto became the first Kalistani Monarch to set foot in Kundrati Mainland since Carolina left it as a six year old girl. He, his wife and their two sons never made it back him: their plane crashed in the Mad Dog Ocean, killing them all, and leaving the minor princess Carolina-Katherine Michelle Ananto-Connor an orphan in the care of her Aunt, Nicolette Ananto.

The Legacy
The Fourth Anantan Dynasty was about building and growth. The Fifth has been about tragedy and decline. The Fifth Dynasty was founded by an assassin's bullet. Tragedy has followed this family moreso than most families. There have been a lot of successes, mostly due to the strength of character and courage of convictions possessed by Kalistani Monarchs of the Fourth and Fifth Dynasties. Kalistan will always be a relevant nation. It will not always be an arbiter on the International Stage. But as our new Monarch prepares to take her place among the most singularly powerful people on this planet, it is certain that she will be of some consequence. The Princess Regent, who has governed for four years, has already made more peaceful connections than her predecessors did in thirteen. She's repaired a lot by standing against the excesses of some of her advisors. She is committed to peace, and she is sworn to the idea that she wants to hand her niece, who she adopted as a daughter after the Late Emperor and Empress perished, a peaceful and prosperous Kalistan.

The Princess Regent said she intended to maintain her brother's policies. But she has already radically altered the trajectory this Empire was on under the later co-monarchs, for better or worse time will tell. She has calmed the stock market. She has improved the living standards of Kalistanis. She has not engaged in hostilities. She has welcomed nations from around the world to Kalistan when they wouldn't step foot in this nation before. She has passed the Hulanevek out of Ananto control for good. It is possible that things can get better for our Nation. Perhaps she can live up to the dream Fredrick IV Ananto once had about Kalistan at peace with its neighbors and respected globally. It certainly seems like she is trying to succeed, where her brother had failed. Only time will tell what the next Ananto faces.

[GreekIdiot]

Amudim
Tel Bira's planned de-classification of Kundratijan documents to "move forward" despite published falsehoods by Kalistani "The National" - "relations not shaped by biases"
OCTOBER 5689
https://forum.prtcy.com/thread-3-post-10...l#pid10687

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Kalistani Government Officials join in a rare moment of agreement with Amudim
"Opinion papers can print what they like, but not lie," said Minister of Education
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
November 1, 5689


Minister of Education and Culture Simmons addresses History by The National on Radio Kaliburg

"We have to get the facts straight," said Her Imperial Majesty's Education Minister, Janet Simmons, while speaking on the Capitol Morning radio program on Radio Kaliburg this week. "Opinion papers, like The National, can print what they want, but they cannot lie." She was referencing the recent publication of a "A Brief History of House Ananto's 4th and 5th Dynasties, 5148 - 5689" by the pro-nationalist journal The National last month which contains what she calls "factual inaccuracies" regarding Kalistan's history running up to the Kundrati Crisis.

"I want to give the magazine the benefit of the doubt," said the Education Minister. "It's their first really long form piece, maybe the author was up late doing research, and maybe smoked a little too much while trying to hit a deadline. Whatever. But I do find it strange that I should be saying this: In one aspect the critique of the piece from the Sholemberg Chronicle is accurate. There are some glaring factual and historical details that are simply mis-stated and need to be corrected for the record."

The factual inaccuracies are primarily in the period detailing the lead up to the War in Kundrati, during the beginning of the reign of Empress Carolina I Ananto. "We see here that The National has reported that the so called "Hubris War" began in the late 5580, as a run up to the Nuking of Xsampa by Beiteynu. We find no evidence of the factual historicity of this. Of course Amudim used this inaccuracy to smear and dismiss the entire history. In fact, the primary catalyst for Kalistan's expansion into the Mad Dog was a disagreement around the organization known as the Three Point Federation and its control over the Migrants' Pass. It would appear that Lodamun had contracted for a naval base in Malivia, which upset the members of the 3PF, leading to a naval stand off between Lodamun and 3PF members in the Migrant Pass. The later events of the Red Bass War which led to a nuclear detonation in Metz-Leonid and the events surrounding Kundrati's decline into totalitarian fascism were tangentially, but mostly unrelated."

The Education Minister, in correcting the record, wanted to also ensure that the record on Amudim's part was corrected as well: "To be honest: it is true that they would never get a cent from a Kalistani Newspaper in a slander lawsuit, no matter how many judgements were rendered against it. The Press in Kalistan is free. They are free to print what they like, and the only laws we have limiting the freedom of the press are laws concerning factual inaccuracies. So The National, as long as it is not deliberately printing falsehoods, can add its slant if it wants. But while we're on the topic of lies, let's also be cautious not to print lies and half truths of our own. I'm looking at you, the so-called "journalists" of the Sholemberg Chronicle. We do in fact believe it to be factually accurate to place the blame for the missile attacks of August 10th and 11th, 5612 squarely on the shoulders of Beiteynese rocket scientists who helped Kundrati acquire, modify and deploy the missiles Kundrati launched from Likatonia that devastated our cities."

Education Secretary Simmons then took it to a personal level: "Princess of the Empire Mary Ananto-DeLaurentis was a baby when her family was forced to flee her home and move to Eveari while the Imperial Residence was deemed unsafe for human habitation from the contamination of those rockets. That stuff happened in living memory of tens or hundreds of thousands of Kalistanis. And Beiteynu, now Amudim has given us excuse after excuse for not admitting their role in that event, or the attempted discrediting of Kalistani allegations of death camps in Kundrati in its case for sanctions and war against Kundrati. Neither of those have been admitted, we have no expectation that they ever will be admitted, and so we ask the Yeudis in Sholemburg to perhaps take the plank out of their own eye, before pointing out a minor factual inaccuracy in our reporting."

The Education Minister added that The National might be immune to civil suits from other nations, but nonetheless must still comply with Kalistani laws. "We assume that The National, which is unnecessarily critical at times of Her Imperial Majesty's government and policy, nonetheless simply made a mistake in its reporting. We have contacted the editors and have asked them to correct the record in their online version of the story. They have one month to do so, and if they fail to comply, they will be subject to penalties under Kalistani Standing Statues, Title X, Section 1, subsection d, which states 'X.1.d The government's policy regarding regulation of media content- There are laws against the publication of false information; everything else may be published freely.' It's a simple fix, and doing so will bring their reporting, slanted or not, back into conformity with Kalistani laws."

As for the complaints by Amudim, The Education Minister said "I don't know what else to say about the rest of the article. 'Sorry'? I suppose that's more than the apology that Amudim has given us to date for killing more than 40,000 Kalistanis as we slept."

@TheRepublic

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AYIC Director flies to Tel Bira
Yeudi Leader says that connections with Diaspora are critical for Kalistan
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
December 20, 5689


Jacob and Jeanette Maxwell fly to Tel Bira to meet with Diaspora Officials

Director of the Anantonese Yeudi Interest Committee flew to Tel Bira this week. His mission: to meet with and discuss steps forward in cooperation with a wider Yeudi Diaspora in Terra. He flew with his wife, Jeanette Maxwell, and several members of the AYIC committee, including his chief security officer James "Messer" Liebowitz and several members of the AYIC Board of Directors.

"What we are looking for here is to present a more united front with regard to Terran Yeudi Affairs," said Maxwell. "This is the long term goal for AYIC: to hook into the broader Yeudi cooperation network across the globe. Tel Bira seems to be a great place to start."

Maxwell said that the time is now for a more united front: "Whether it be the recently bigotted policies of Selucia toward Yeudis, or even the tweet that came out just a couple months ago from a rogue member of the Valruzian Government, I mean. Come on, can you still believe they are playing these games? To even my own Government selling away our national heritage to Hutori, it seems that increasingly Yeudis are under threat here, and its time to take this seriously. We need to work together to stop the erosion of our freedoms to exist as individuals with our own cultural identity and our own history. This is basic stuff people."

Maxwell said he would be in Tel Bira for a month. "No, this is not an official mission of any kind," said Maxwell. "I'm going as a representative of the Yeudi Community in Kalistan and Northern Seleya. Since Kalistan has reopened trade and transit to Northern Majatra after all these years, my wife and I want to take advantage of this, possibly to see some of the Holy Land. So few Kalistanis have had the opportunities to do so." Maxwell said its time for Kalistani Yeudis to consider getting back to the roots.

"One thing this diamond debacle has shown us," said Maxwell, "is that the only full time, ride or die friend a Yeudi has, no matter where we are born, the only one we can rely on is another Yeudi. My organization worked tirelessly to encourage this Empire to do right by my people and yes, of course, we've been treated far better here than in many places in Terra, that's for sure: At least the Government isn't actively attacking us and asking us to leave. Or heaven forbid, putting us in concentration camps. But the cavilierness of the Princess Regent in just handing away Yeudi cultural heritage like that shows that she and I don't always necessarily share the same opinions. And I may have been born Kalistani, but I assure you, I am Yeudi first. May God forgive the Princess Regent. Millions of Yeudis in Kalistan will have a tougher time doing that I suppose."

The Director of AYIC said he would like to see the finance capital of Majatra, and possibly visit Yishelem to view sites that are particularly important to the Yeudi People. He also is going to be holding at least two separate fundraisers in Amudim to support AYIC's efforts to continue lobbying in the National Assembly. "Yes, we will keep track of every cent we raise and fully disclose all donations to the Interior Ministry upon our return," said Maxwell, responding to questions being raised by Deputy Bradley Schwartzman of Dana, a former donor to and public supporter of AYIC who has since become somewhat disillusioned with Mr. Maxwell's leadership, and who wishes to launch a public audit of AYIC to ensure that AYIC is not obtaining lobbying funds from gambling Syndicate entities in Sulari.

@TheRepublic

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Kalistani News in Brief: Pawlik Inducted into Ancient Order of Grey Smoke;
Sulari Gambling Syndicate under Scrutiny; Empress in Waiting prepares to Study Abroad
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
April 15, 5690


President Pawlik of Valruzia becomes Lady Companion of Order

Pawlik Inducted into Ancient Order of Grey Smoke
President Urzsula Pawlik of Valruzia was inducted this week into the Ancient Order of the Grey Smoke, at the rank of Lady Companion. The title, which is believed to be largely ceremonial, and requires no monetary or other contributions on the part of the Valruzian President, is nonetheless highly prestigious, and grants the President special access to the Royal Family in Kalistan. The President was inducted by Her Highness, Princess Regent Nicolette Ananto-Collins, who is the acting sovereign of the elite club.

"The Ancient Order of the Grey Smoke is perhaps one of the most secretive societies in the world," said Social Columnist James Conrad, who has reported for years on the goings on in this organization for La Moda. "They publish membership lists, so we can see who's on the list: It's mostly all active members of the Royal Family, high Government officials including the Chancellor, the Foreign Minister, many of the peers, and there are some other interesting names there as well. What is far more telling is who is not on there: From what we can tell, those on that list hold close confidence with the Empress, and everyone else, even leaders of very powerful nations, have to get in line with everyone else."

What goes on in the Order's secret meetings has never been documented anywhere, nor will any spokesperson confirm or deny any information about what happens after doors are closed. It is however believed that Order members can speak with the Monarch of Kalistan without needing a formal audience. Whatever the benefits are, Dame Pawlik, as she may now call herself in Kalistan, possesses them, and as the appointment is for life, whether she retires from office or not, she will always have a home in Kalistan and a friend in the Empress.

Sulari Gambling Syndicate under Scrutiny
The Bookmakers Association of Suldanor, the primary bet makers in Kalistan, who license in all Sulari casinos, and who operate maintain all pari-mutuels and off track betting facilities across the Empire are facing questions from regulators in Her Imperial Majesty's Finance Ministry, concerning three failed audits in a row. The Bookmakers' Association, who is a consortium of punters whose job it is to ensure odds and fair gaming has trouble getting its receipts to match its cash flow.

"There is at least some evidence of leakage," said Alexander De Soto, chief auditor for Her Imperial Majesty's Finance Ministry and Head of Accounts for the Imperial Bank. Leakage is industry jargon for missing money: It's usually associated with bank deposit receipts and income statements not matching. "We are asking the Bookmaking Association to turn over all records of income and expenditures for the last 20 years so we can look back to see if this is an actual good faith error, or if there is a systemic issue we need to look closer at."

De Soto and the Imperial Bank are beginning their inquiry following a statement from the floor of the National Assembly from Deputy Bradley Schwartzman last month. "Deputy Schwartzman said he was acting on a tip from several anonymous constituents that there was something off about some of the Bookmakers' operations. So he asked me to review the audits from the Association's records, and sure enough, there were some discrepancies that we were able to identify." He said the potential leakage can total more than 15 million Imperial Rubles over the last three years. "We need to compare the Association's bookkeeping for the last 20 years to determine what we are even looking at," said De Soto, who said The Bookmakers' Association has until November of this year to comply with Government requests.

Empress in Waiting prepares to Study Abroad
Her Imperial Majesty Empress in Waiting Carolina-Katherine Michelle Ananto-Connor is preparing to study abroad for the fall semester of 5690. She will be travelling to Nowagard, where she will lodge at the home of Lady Lena-Maria Kowalski, Courtesy Countess of Lhasa in the Duchy of Nevaras. Kowalski, who is a native of Nowagard Valruzia has offered the young monarch her home, which is near the school she will study Valruzian language at, as well as core curriculum studies like math, philosophy and politics.

"It is an honor to host Her Imperial Majesty at my family's home in Valruzia," said Lady Kowalski. "I will travel with her to the Capital, and stay with her for the first two weeks, before I will leave the rest of her stay to her Governess and security. My home is her home of course, and I believe she will find the experience rewarding and fulfilling." Lady Kowalski said she is working with the Royal Family to ensure that Her Imperial Majesty will want for nothing while she is immersing herself in Valruzian life and language.

Lady Kowalski said her family still lives in the Valruzian capital, and has invited Her Imperial Majesty to dine with them five nights of the week the entire semester. "The best way to learn the language is to speak it with native speakers," said the Countess. "Her Imperial Majesty told me that her intention is to speak as little Vrassan as she possibly can as she studies. My family will look forward to talking with her and introducing her to all the things our proud culture has to offer." Kowalski did acknowledge that her brother Szymon Kowalski is a member of the KPW, but said he was a pragmatist and is very kind. "I think Her Imperial Majesty and Szymon will have a lot to talk about," said Lady Kowalski with a smile. "Variation is the spice of life!" She added that her parents are ardent supporters of Forward Valruzia and the President. "When my father and brother start talking politics, things get quite animated in the Kowalski House."

@TheRepublic