Kalistan

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Kate Milan tapped to play Empress Nicolette
Republican Pictures new biopic to be titled "The Great"
Sualri, Duchy of Suldanor
April 6, 5708


Empress Nicolette I Ananto to be portrayed by comedian Kate Milan (left) in new biographical film

House Ananto has approved the script for a new Republican Pictures biographical dramatization of the life of Empress Nicolette I Ananto.  The film is titled "The Great" and is closely based on the biography of the same name about the Empress by noted Nationalist author Nina Rogers, that spent much of last year at Number 1 on Bestseller lists in Kalistan and abroad.  Rogers joined the production as an assistant director and histoical consultant, and House Ananto's Lady Christina Ananto-McKinley said Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto had the opportunity to read the biography and is reportedly "glad that someone will make a movie about Nicolette Ananto."

"House Ananto was very cooperative with our requests to make this motion picture," said Rogers.  "The story isn't all complimentary hagiography:  it runs up against the prevailing narrative of Nicolette as an enlightened lover of her nation, and represents a more ruthless and extremely politically savvy operator, a pure political animal, in many ways not sympathetic at all, but often quite cynical in her approach to politics.  Much of the story is about a woman who grew up into privilege and was very intolerant of different viewpoints, and how that sort of cold, instrumentalist view of power served as the origin story for Kalistani Imperial Autocracy.  Nicolette was as beautiful as she was terrible, and her influence still governs Kalistan today through her descendants and her attitudes, often very imperious and dismissive of the opinions of her own citizens, that still dictate the relationship between sovereign and subject.  But she is also an amazing example of Kalistani excellence which has not been duplicated, anywhere in Kalistani History, and certainly not anywhere in Terra."

Rogers said the only revision House Ananto suggested to the script was to exclude parts in the script that depicted the former Empress as promiscuous, including one scene which depicted her at an orgy where she used significant amounts of cocaine and slept nude with several men and women in a pile of gold coins and gemstones.  "There are a number of secret histories that discussed the early adulthood of the woman who became Nicolette the Great," said Rogers.  "These were included in the book to demonstrate that the Empress had been essentially a libertine and a wild young woman who, when tasked with authority, left her previous debaucherous life behind, and became very serious and focused on her task.  These histories have been subsequently verified by numerous printed first hand accounts."

But House Ananto reportedly felt that portraying the Empress like this was unnecessary to telling the story in the script.  "Lady Ananto-McKinley said that Her Imperial Majesty did not feel like the sex or the nudity advanced the story at all, and asked that the movie focus on the political and historical aspects of the Empress' life."  Rogers said it was not an issue to omit those scenes without damaging the integrity of the film.  Also omitted, though not by Royal Request, was rumors of the Empress' affair with Lady Diane Smith, who was later promoted to Foreign Minister, before she was married.  "Those rumors were reported as rumors," said Roger, "and the Director felt they were a distraction to what else is going on in the script so we didn't even address them here."

"Everything in this movie is true, in that it actually happened," said Rogers.  "The script itself contains actual dialogue from back in the day, though some of the dialogue was embellished for dramatic effect, and at least two characters are composite characters of several of the people the Empress dealt with on a semi regular basis.  But yes, this is indeed a true story.  Even the parts that make the Empress look a bit less like the national story depicts her as."

To play Nicolette The Great, the production hired veteran comedic actress Kate Milan, who currently hosts a the popular weekly stand-up comedy contest "They Who Laugh Last" on KRTVN and has done almost exclusively comedic roles throughout her entire 17 year long career.  "I mean, I sort of look like her," said Milan in an interview.  "We're both blondes, I guess."  Milan said she read for the part because she lost a bet with her brother.  "Well the bet involved drinking a bottle of cayenne pepper sauce.  It was a contest more than a bet, but anyway I lost, and my good dear sweet brother Mike made me have my agent apply me for the part. Playing scary b—ches is something I’ve done often. But I always do it for laughs: there’s really nothing funny about this movie except Nicolette’s sharp wit, so it will definitely be a challenge for me to play such a serious role." 

Milan read the script and thought, "This woman is a completely cynical monster.  She seems like she would like torturing people.  But she did it with such, like, I don't even know, such this high class etiquette that people who dealt with her weren't aware that she had slit their throats until 15 minutes after they were already dead.  She was such a snooty, self-possessed person--An icy cold dictator masquerading as this beautiful, sophisticated, ultra-aristocratic socialite, she and her Chancellor more or less overthrew the Republic by themselves.  And she didn't even bat an eyelash or break a sweat.  She was so loved for it.  I instantly fell in love with her.  I get it.  I totally get it."

Rogers said that when Milan read for the casting director, everyone in the room knew that the comedian would bring a sociopath's energy to the serious and very un-comedic role.  "No, this portrait of Nicolette is not often flattering.  Nicolette was born believing that the world rightfully belonged to her.  And her self-justified arrogance knew no bounds, to the point where she would say things that were so over the top that they were a mix between hilarious and just absolutely terrifying.  And she did it with a perfect smile, perfect hair, perfect body, and unmatched devastating wit that caused the entire nation to fall in love with her and earned her the nickname 'The Great' by succeeding generations.  Kate has a lot of natural poise, and she knows how to deliver a bone chilling remark with the timing of a comedian, and hearing her deliver the lines just cut us all to the bone.  The whole casting team were so uncomfortable by a test script they had heard others read twenty or thirty times already, and they were torn between utter terror and just wanting to fall over laughing.  We knew we had our Empress when Kate read for us."

Additional casting is ongoing.  Rumored to play the Prince Consort is Sulari's Mick Douglass.  "The Prince Consort Victor Martin was a bit of a playboy, who cheated on the Empress with numerous women during their marriage.  But The Empress was his one weakness, and the two were actually great friends and it is wrong to say their marriage was loveless.  They both had deep affection for one another, and even after the Empress knew about the Prince Consort's infidelities, because how could she possibly not know, they stayed together because they were perfectly compatible and partners in most aspects of life. Mick and Kate have that kind of energy together, a mutual respect that has everything to do with personality and almost nothing to do with romance."  It is reported that newcomer Brittney Sutton will play a young Nicolette II Ananto, and other principle characters are still in casting.

"We are expecting to be done shooting this movie in early 5709," said Rogers, "and then are looking for a summer or fall 5709 release." Rogers says the film has a budget or more than ₭6 million Imperials and shooting will be done in Kaliburg and Sulari primarily with some locations through Ananto and Suldanor planned.

@LaModa

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Editorial : "Is MATO a joke?"
Foreign Minister asks question on everyone's mind
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
May 12, 5708


Foreign Minister Sir Thomas Harney questions raison d'être of Majatran Alliance

Editorial: "Is MATO a joke?"
By Sir Thomas Harney,
Her Imperial Majesty's Foreign Minister

Years ago, Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto told me personally her goal was to reach out to nations around the world and attempt to improve our standing globally. She said she felt that Kalistan was far more successful working with people that it was standing alone, above everyone. Those of us who had made a career of the foreign service, myself included, counselled her that this could work if it was done correctly: Kalistan would need to be willing to condescend to the level of others, which, despite our best intentions, has always been a difficult ask for any Kalistani, let alone, a Kalistani sovereign. She said she was willing. We said she would need to meet others where they were at. wherever they were at, because not everyone is at the same place in the journey as Kalistan, or indeed, even on the same path. She said her interest was to become friends with as many nations in the world as possible, and to do so on terms that were mutually beneficial for all involved, not just Kalistan.

And finally, we told her that she would need to be willing to simply accept the reality that some people never would be willing to accept the existence, let alone the prosperity or success of Kalistan, because they were simply too obstinate, and had no other redeeming character traits whatsoever. And in those instances, it was simply advisable to just avoid them and move on with life rather than wasting any time trying to get them to change their minds. Some people, you just can't reach. She said she would want us to try nonetheless. Because the Empress is a genuinely decent and optimistic human being, underneath all the imperial Protocol and distance she is kept at from the people of her nation. I know her on a more personal level, and can vouch for that, though you will likely never read about it in any newspaper. She has faults, sometimes she is too intellectual for practical reality, and despite what she thinks, she doesn't know everything already without having to learn it. But she does want to learn things she doesn't know about. She has the intellectual curiosity that characterizes philosophers, but escapes politicians world wide.

We have had some major successes in the world. We are working together with other regional partners now for the first time, and are even inching, against my advice, toward an opening with the Kerisian nation called Nadiya. We have improved relations with Egelion and Lodamun, even while we have seen Gaduridos amputated from the Empire. We are looking at Seko as a possible next approach while we remain allied with Valruzia culturally and now in many areas of security as well. We have had a number of successes.

Majatra and Artania, however, are areas that have elluded us. The only relationship we have that is active on that side of the planet is with Tel Bira, and even that has suffered neglect for many reasons. What is far more concerning is the rise of a hypermilitaristic collective security pact there called MATO, or the Majatran Artania Treaty Organization. This group of relatively minor nations seeks to take even more money away from public services than they currently reluctantly contribute and put it toward military spending, and then ostensibly use that massive military spending to attack other nations that they deem to not be "free" enough, or as they put it, " by promoting conditions of stability and well-being, and by stimulating freedom and sovereignty across the globe."

Friends, I can tell you, as a career long member of the Foreign Service, this is diplomatic doublespeak for "we define what freedom is and we grant ourselves a mandate to force it onto others by whatever means we deem necessary." Their treaty, which is on its face, quite vague, is vague for a reason: it is to provide them latitude to do whatever they wish, using their bloated and obscene military budgets to do so, regardless of who opposes, and regardless of any standards of decency or even actual concern for sovereignty. This is not a defensive, but an offensive treaty, and those who are party to it are bandwagoning with nations who seek to push a radical neoliberal notion of internationalism onto others, most especially others who do not want it.

Their targets are likely just states they disagree with. They can employ all the vague platitudes they want, but given their attitudes with regard to nations on our side of the world, where we are viewed as dens of repression and suffering, it is only a matter of time before they begin bending their massive expansion of weapons conglomerates, or their long sought after ICBMs and IRBMs toward the Anantonese Region. It is hard to see a region known for its conflict and rotten great power politics claiming the mantle of peace and stability, except at the point of a gun aimed at a region that has, with the exception of a brief civil war to overthrow a dictatorship in NEKK, known only peace and stability for centuries. And yet this is precisely what this purely offensive military alliance known as MATO are doing: We all know who they are thinking of when they talk of force, we all know that their aims are world domination, and anything they say to the contrary is a lie.

I was asked recently if I thought MATO was "a joke." The context of the question involved our work in Altea at the Eastern Terra Coordination Conference, where we have been building structures that actually achieve internal peace and cooperation while protecting the sovereignty of the nations who are participating, and the freedom of those nations to act in coordination with others for regional security. The person I was speaking with asked if I thought our accords with the Kerisian Empire and other Northern Seleyan nations was necessary given the "joke that is MATO." My response I think surprised the fellow: MATO is no joke.

It is very serious about forcing its vision of the world under western domination down everyone's throats. The norms they seek to force on the rest of us are their norms, not ours. Their values, not ours. Their forms of government, their prosperity, their control. Not ours. They will do this through soft power if they can get away with it: A free trade agreement that allows Majatran or Artanian penetration into local markets here, diplomatic and bilateral security cooperation agreements there. Like tentacles reaching out and attaching themselves to several parts of the planet, all tying them to the interests and aims set in Wiel and Bannerhafen and Ft. William, and essentially making colonies of all in the name of freedom and sovereignty. Again, their sovereignty and freedom, not ours.

But make no mistake about it: They will use hard power if they can't get the job done the other way. MATO is first and foremost an offensive military organization, where all members agree to overspend on their military budgets and who all agree that any violence against one, even in self defense against the violence that that one one or several MATO members perpetrate in an effort to dominate, is violence against all. If, hypothetically, Luthori were to launch a pre-emptive strike against Kaliburg with one of their new MATO supplied intercontinental missiles utilizing MATO supplied satellite technology, and in pursuit of MATO militaristic agendas, and Kalistan were to fight back, under Article 5, Luthori could conceivably claim that Kalistan attacked it, and if it is in MATO's interests to do so, they can choose to agree with Luthori and all subsequently declare war on Kalistan. Because that Kalistan's self-defensive response gave them all the pretext they needed to start the war they have wanted against Kalistan for centuries.

It's right there in Article 5, which states,

"Members of the treaty commit to defending all signatory nations by any means necessary. An armed attack against one member state is to be seen as an armed attack against all member states. When war is declared upon a member state, this clause is invoked and all member states are bound by this treaty to take any such action as the member state deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the Majatran-Artanian area."

and is left deliberately vague regarding what conditions a military response to aggression from one MATO nation would be deemed by the organization to be an "armed attack." If Luthori attacked Kalistan "pre-emptively" Kalistan would certainly declare war on Luthori as a response for the attack. This would immediately trigger Article 5. It's deliberately vague on what the organization will do if one of its members starts a war, and it is left intentionally vague because they want to guarantee themselves the latitude to do just that.

MATO is not a joke. It is deadly serious, and it needs to be taken seriously by anyone who believes in peace and security. It is well known that MATO memberstates will be targeting Anatonese states: they are currently building the weaponry right now to do just that. We can argue about whether it was necessary in the first place for this escallation to happen, but by the time that argument is resolved, a Vanukean force will be sitting off Kaliburg, holding our nation's capital hostage. Because force and violence is all these western barbarians know. The Altea conference is but a first step in actively deterring their bellicose and quite frankly greedy policies toward our region. It must be followed up by solid action aimed at containing and ultimately smothering this western initiative before it comes online and becomes an existential threat to us all.

MATO is no more of a joke than putting a poisonous viper in the crib with your baby is a joke. Wise leaders do not countenance warmongers. This is why it was both a shock and also not a shock at all that the Luthorians became the latest nation to cozy up to the liberal internationalist menace. A shock because Her Imperial Majesty thought better of them, not a shock because I feel like I have been warning her otherwise for her entire reign. They did exactly what I, and any other savvy reader of foreign policy expected them to do. Not a surprise. Her Imperial Majesty thought to make Luthori our friends, and once again, Luthori went out of their way to sabotage that effort on Kalistan's part. Eventually our rulers will realize that Luthori scuttles any openings or attempts from Kaliburg to improve relations between our nations, and they do so with alarming, though often delayed regularity. We knew that Vanuku, Amudim and Narikaton were not to be trusted. But we tried with Luthori. And they ended up picking the side of the viper, not the side of peace and integrity.

Water under the bridge. Someday we will learn. In the meanwhile, it is incumbent upon us to do all we can to not get caught out. The world cannot afford a revival of the Dorvish mindset--where the west does as it wishes, and the east suffers what it must. Those days need to be over and buried. MATO may not be a joke, but it is also not irresistible, and I believe Her Imperial Majesty is working with exactly the right group of nations who will be able to do just that.

Peace, friends.

@TheNational

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Kalistani News in Brief: Princess Nicolette returns from Egelion
ISCA sends new satellites into orbit; Art Rock Returns to the Charts
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
July 20, 5708


Kaliburg Artist Thomas Jones brings weirdness back to the Top 40

Princess Nicolette Returns from Egelion
Her Highness, Princess of the Empire Nicolette Ananto-Collins returned to Luxon from her extended sojourn in Altea Egelion where she represented the Empire of Ananto and Kalistan to the Eastern Terra Cooperation Conference. "They are nearly done there," said the Princess in a brief press conference at Kaliburg International Airport in Port Davon. "We have agreed upon a number of very important topics. However, we are certain there was not a spirit for any sort of formal integration expressed there, with all three Seleyans stressing explicitly that economic integration was not on the table."

The Princess stated that an important agreement over military communication and intelligence sharing was reached. "I believe the spirit of the conference was achieved during our discussions, and we got agreements that we all could live with," said Her Highness. "Collective security was nixed early in principle: Given some of the other developments in the world, the Northern Seleyan and Kerisian states widely steered away from anything that looks like a solid military alliance or an international organization, where any of us sacrifices our own sovereignty to that of a much larger whole. Instead, we developed protocols by which we can all see our own interests in the security of the entire region, and have an incentive to help and assist one another to prevent foreign incursion into our region. It forms the foundation for trust and further, bilateral, trilateral, or multilateral cooperation on specific projects in the future because it helps us all reduce insecurity amongst ourselves."

The Princess said that all that was left would be a signing, which Her Imperial Majesty Empress Carolina II Ananto would likely prefer to do herself. "The negotiation parts are done. There are still some discussions which may happen around cultural exchange, and the Marquess Lady Marisol Paz Alvarez-Navarro will remain in Egelion to tie up any loose ends as Kalistan's representative." She also said Her Imperial Majesty has charged Lady Alvarez to approach the Nadiyans to propose an initial meeting concerning the longstanding coldness between our two nations. "I personally did not have orders to speak with the Nadiyans on any level, but at the very end when I was recalled, Her Imperial Majesty issues those instructions to Marisol Paz, who will propose a bilateral meeting between Kalistan and Trigunia/Nadiya with the aim of just talking and seeing if there is any interest in either side in building a new relationship between our two nations. I don't want to prejudge the discussions which have not happened yet."

ISCA sends new satellites into Orbit
The final three Geosynchronous satellites entered upper Terran Orbit this week, to complete the Observation Network for IBSI. The satellites will aim their cameras at Southern and Central Majatra, southern Seleya and central Dovani. Robotic probes also performed maintenance on one satellite which was malfunctioning and was slowly moving out of position over Keris and Northern Seleya.

"These launches have been scheduled for years, but we also sent the robots up because the Kerisian satellite has not been sending pictures of the northern continent back to us in Spencer," said ISCA director Diane Cammron. "We think a piece of space junk or some kind of rock or something hit it, and at that speed, it caused a bit of damage and changed the orientation of the cameras. We sent the robotic probe up to rendezvous with the satellite to see if it could be fixed, and it turns out, it just needed to be turned around and the power supply, which had been damaged, needed to be replaced, which we were able to do remotely."

In addition to the defense intelligence satellites, three new communications satellites were launched to not only increase Kalistani microwave transmission capabilities, but also to increase the range of Kalistani telecomm. "The KRTVN satellites were the most important ones from a commercial perspective," said Cammron. "With these satellites, KRTVN can be received in eastern Dovani by those with satellite receivers. Kalistan already broadcasts globally, but there are several locations that KRTVN wasn't available, and these telecomm satellites help fill in the gaps in the network."

Art Rock returns to the Charts
The Kaliburg Art scene has been bubbling under the mainstream since it broke out of small independent clubs almost thirty years and hit the top of the charts in the mid 5680s. To date, nobody has matched the success of Kaliburg's Anne Jean, who reached the height of her fame in 5686 with her album Absentee, either in terms of sales or in terms of creativity and music has mostly returned to alternative since then. But Art-Glam musician Thomas Jones, of Kaliburg has shown that art rock both still exists and is commercially viable.

His debut record, recorded for KMI is called The Duke of Kaliburg, and features a heavily colorized photo of the musician in KMI studios in downtown Kaliburg. The album entered the charts at number 26, making it the first art rock album to make it into the Top 40 on the KRTVN Radio 1 Albums Chart in over 20 years. The lead single, "The Taste was Not So Sweet" is a heavily orchestrated R&B inspired Art pop, almost a baroque pop song that discusses social and personal dynamism. Other songs on the album are more blues inspired, but one song, "Cavemen," which is a song not destined to be released as a single, according to KMI, is nonetheless a swaggering Glam Rock tune art tune that showcases Jones' musical composition abilities.

The album has already attracted a very loyal following among art rockers, and for many music listeners of this generation, Jones' record is their first introduction to art rock. "The Taste was not so Sweet" is already in heavy rotation on KRTVN Radio 1, and is expected to debut in the Top 20 on the Top 40 Countdown this weekend. Jones, for his part is preparing to tour in support of the record and will spend time in Sulari, Port Swedes and Eshar before making his way back to Kaliburg, where he will will play some of his largest shows to date.

[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ft3b1-Cm-0M]
Check out the promotional video for "Cavemen" from Thomas Jones' KMI debut The Duke of Kaliburg right here

@TheRepublic

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Obituary: John Rincon, celebrated "Duke of Kaliburg" dies
Lord Mayor reads official proclamation from Her Imperial Majesty at public memorial
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
September 4, 5708


John Rincon, a local indigent and self described "Duke of Kaliburg" was loved by the community

Mr. John Rincon, who achieved a degree of celebrity in the Capital, primarily for referring to himself as the "Duke of Kaliburg", died last week at the age of 46. Mr. Rincon was a homeless man who it was believed also suffered from mental illness, and who lived his life wandering in the streets of Kaliburg. He had a reputation for always greeting people with a positive word and a smile, was a regular at local music venues, and became something of a cult figure among many in Kaliburg. The recent Thomas Jones record was even named in his honor.

Very little is known about Mr. Rincon's early life. It is believed, though this has not been confirmed, that he was mustered out of National Service early for an unspecified medical reason, possibly related to his mental health. He attempted to hold various jobs in Kaliburg, either as a dock worker at Port Davon, or as a construction laborer, but it soon became clear to him that his mental illness, which caused him to hear voices and led to him losing sleep regularly prevented him from holding steady employment. He entered the hospital multiple times in his 20s and was under therapy for his illness, but eventually he simply stopped reporting to services and took up life on the street.

He first came to the community's attention when in 5692, he happened upon a large house fire in downtown Kaliburg, and through his efforts, which were at the time, verified by eye witnesses, he went into the burning house and emerged with the three children who were trapped in the home. Entering the house again, he dragged out the woman of the house, who was unconscious from smoke inhalation. Firefighters arrived on the scene as he was emerging from the home and administered CPR, saving her life. Stories spread about him after that and the Lord Mayor of Kaliburg, at that time wanted to present him a commendation from the City for saving the lives of this family, but they were unable to find him.

But later he re-emerged in public and took to strolling in downtown Kaliburg nightly, greeting everyone he met with a smile and a tip of his cap. Those who recognized him from his heroic deed began offering to take him out for dinner, or buying him clothes, or helping him get out of the weather when he needed, and his fame continued to grow until restaurants he liked in downtown Kaliburg began offering him "lines of credit" to thank him for saving the lives. These lines of credit were in reality a running tab that he was never expected to pay off--it became practice for the tabs to be made public and occasionally, almost as an event people would go to those restaurants and offer to pay Mr. Rincon's tab. Soon other establishments began offering him similar arrangements.

He would come and go irregularly, but whenever he was sighted, people would speak about him. In 5698, he took out an advertisement in the local Kaliburg newspaper which invited all residents of the "City of Kaliburg and Port Davon" to attend a short lecture and proclamation that Mr. Rincon would deliver on the steps of the National Assembly. About 450 residents of Kaliburg actually attended the event and Mr. Rincon, in his signature suit, called them all close to read a proclamation.

The language was as follows:

"At the request of the large number of the Citizens of the Anantonese Empire consisting of the Empire of Ananto and Kalistan and the Kingdom of Gaduridos, I Johnathan Rincon the first of my name, do declare myself to be Duke of the Grand City of Kaliburg and Port Davon, and hereby require an immediate convocation of the National Government to confirm their recognition of this title, and hereby ordain the Lord Mayor and City council of Kaliburg and Port Davon to heed the same, signed His Grace, Johnathan Rincon, Duke of Kaliburg."

The crowd who had assembled, were perhaps fans of Mr. Rincon, and all cheered for Mr. Rincon and acclaimed him the Duke of Kaliburg.

The proclamation was printed in the newspaper under the headline "Curious News": There were a couple issues with the claim, said the editor. First of all, Kaliburg is not a duchy, and second of all, Dukes are named by the Empress, not self proclaimed. Nonetheless the event was treated as an interesting tidbit and most people assumed that he was merely a crazy man and indulging him in his fantasy would not hurt anyone or anything.

Over the next ten years, Mr. Rincon was actually referred to as Your Grace whenever he went into a business establishment. The newspaper allowed him several opportunities to write guest columns where he expressed his views on politics of the day, as well as business and international affairs. He generally wrote in favor of Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto, and said he intended to make a meeting with her on several occasions to discuss reforms, but never got around to it. In 5704, he suggested that the Institutional Party should be abolished because they stand in the way of Her Imperial Majesty speaking directly with the people, but then convinced himself, in the same column, that perhaps "...they do occasionally do some good, so we will allow them to stay so long as they keep doing the people's business." He advocated for greater charity from businesses to the poor of the City, and called for expansion of National Service for all. All the while, more and more people recognized him and when they saw him in the streets, showed him the same sort of courtesy they would show him if he was actually a Duke. He was even granted a free apartment for life in the Westwood building in Lolla, "as a gift of the people of Kaliburg and Port Davon to His Grace, the Duke of Kaliburg," though he reportedly rarely lived there and preferred being outside much of the year.

Crowd begins assembling for Public Memorial for Mr. Rincon in Kaliburg earlier this week

Following the abolition of the Anantonese Empire, Rincon himself attempted to propose a new currency for Kalistan. His drawings, which he provided to the Kaliburg press were hand drawn but were surprisingly detailed. The bills were largely pink in color and were denominated in dollars and cents. But by the time they were passed up to the Finance Ministry by one of Rincon's supporters, the decision had already been made to move to the Peso. He was also fond of passing out "1 Dollar" tokens to people, especially people who were unhoused in the capital, telling them that several businesses in downtown Kaliburg would accept them for a free meal. And sure enough, many of those restaurants where Mr. Rincon kept a running tab did indeed accept these tokens, adding the cost of the meal to his own tab.

Rincon was frequently seen at music venues passing out business cards that he had made for himself, which had a smiley face on them and the motto "Today is a good day" along with his name on the back and his occupation listed as Duke of Kaliburg and Newspaper Columnist. It is believed that one of these cards was given to Thomas Jones while he was making his record, and the title became the title of his album The Duke of Kaliburg, which recently hit number one on the KRTVN Radio 1 Top 100 Albums chart.

In July of this year, it is believed that Mr. Rincon contracted a severe infection in a cut on his foot. He waited too long to go to the hospital and by the time he arrived at the ER in late August, his blood had already become infected, and he was beginning to experience organ failure. Doctors did all they could to save him but he died on the night of August 27 this year. Funeral arrangements were made by his now legion of supporters in Kaliburg, and he was buried in Imperial Cemetery in a simple grave with a headstone that read "Here Lies Mr Johnathan Rincon. Long live the Duke of Kaliburg." At the public memorial for Mr. Rincon, attended by more than 3000 at the National Assembly, Lord Mayor Jose Betancourt read a proclamation:

"From the Hand of Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto. We do hereby posthumously declare the man formerly known as Mr. Johnathan William Rincon, of Kaliburg and nearby environs, now deceased, to be the Duke of Kaliburg. This title shall be created for him alone, is nontransferable and shall be his sole possession in the afterlife from now until the end of history. We do also ordain that all debts incurred by the Duke of Kaliburg to be hereby purchased by House Ananto, for which we shall make remission, cent for cent to those who own outstanding debts belonging to His Grace. This is our will and as such is beyond question. Signed Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto, and etc."

The outstanding debts that Mr. Rincon had with local merchants totaled ₭238.48, most of which was for a suit that he purchased for himself for a portrait that he had commissioned in March. The crowd, assembled to pay tribute to the local celebrity turned Noble celebrated the proclamation, and in his honor, enjoyed a free concert on the National Mall, which featured a guest appearance by Mr. Thomas Jones himself.

RIP Mr. John Rincon, Duke of Kaliburg.

@LaModa

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Empress flies to Altea to sign Altea Accords
Presents Emperor with new title and land grant
Altea, Egelion
November 4, 5708


Her Imperial Majesty arrives in Altea Egelion for a short visit

Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto visited Altea Egelion this week. The formal visit was very short, merely an overnight visit, where the main business was for the Empress to affix her signature to the recently concluded Altea Accords and attached Anantonese Intelligence and Security Accord. She also met briefly with His Majesty, Emperor Leon Alexander and Empress Isabella, where she thanked them for their recent donation of 10 million Egelian Crowns (about ₭9.3 million Imperial Rubles) to House Ananto, along with the beautiful Vine Ring produced by Egelian master jeweler Diamant.

"In accord with the terms of the Grant, we have allocated the considerable funds to continue rebuilding in the city of Eveari following the deadly earthquake earlier this decade," said Her Imperial Majesty at a brief public conference. "The Montilivet family has formal ties to the Eveari Community, with their estate at Casa Verastela, which is north of the town. Verastela was not damaged by the earthquake, but much of the city is still rebuilding. This money will be directed toward public services in neighborhoods in the south end of the town, including staffing and funding for special education programs and public health initiatives. We are grateful for the donation to the people of Eveari in the name of the Emperor and Empress, and ensure a full and transparent accounting of every cent graciously donated by His and Her Majesties."

In return, Her Imperial Majesty aggrandized the Emperor's hereditary Anantonese title to Viscount, and formally named him Viscount of Verastela. Her Majesty was awarded the courtesy title of Viscontess of Verastela. The title also comes with an additional 500 acres adjacent to the current estate which currently sits at 250 acres. According to right, the Emperor and Empress and their descendants may continue to possess the title in perpetuity, and may also participate, at their discretion, in all advisory discussions in the Chamber of Peers (which itself has no independent legislative authority, but may act as an advisory body to both the Empress and to the National Assembly.)

The visit also involved Her Imperial Majesty touring the Egelian capital, and eating at a local restaurant where she had the opportunity to dine with several local customers who recognized her and asked if she would share their table. She also took in a cultural performance featuring Egelian flamenco dance and music, which she appreciated greatly. She returned to Kaliburg the next morning, and was greeted by the Prince Consort and the Minor Princelings, signed Accords in hand. The National Assembly ratified the accords the next day without much debate.

@TheRepublic

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Government releases Proofsheet for New Peso
"Pesos begin in September 5709" says Berry
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
December 20, 5708


New Currency adopts more classic design

Her Imperial Majesty's Finance Minister, Dr. Roger Berry, who has been overseeing the new currency design for the Empire of Ananto and Kalistan has released a proof sheet which features the new design for Kalistan's currency. Designated the Imperial Peso, the new currency will replace the current Imperial Ruble beginning in September 5709.

"We went out to artists across the Empire and asked them to design us currency which is both familiar, and at the same time, different from our current money," said Minister Berry. "Each of these designs feature a composite of hand drawn and computer assisted graphics design to create unique Kalistani bank notes for use as a medium of exchange within Kalistan And Ananto. We preserved the coloration of many of the bills, especially in the 1 and the 20, which are closest to their older designs, both in theme and in coloration, because those two bills are the most common bills in circulation and we felt that people are perhaps the most used to those. The others have undergone a much more comprehensive redesign."

Nicolette I Ananto remains the face of the 100 Peso note, as she was on the 100 Ruble note. This was a specific request of Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto. Other obverse portraits included Fredrick II Ananto and Fredrick IV Ananto on the 1 and the 50 respectively, The Black Empress Pavlina I Ananto on the 5, Mary I Ananto on the 10, and Carolina I Ananto on the 20. "With exception of Nicolette I Ananto, the new Peso features only historical members of the Fifth, or Kundrati Dynasty, including Pavlina," said Minister Berry. "We thought it prudent to remove the republican leaders from our bills, though they are important historically to our nation and just focus on the predecessors of our current Monarch. Each one of these monarchs was important in his or her own right, and their bills feature imagery loosely tied to these monarchs' reign. For instance, Mary's 10 features a redwood forest as its reverse, demonstrating her strong commitment to forestry and her foundation for Kalistan's future deep forests."

Numerous security features positively blanket each note to make them difficult to counterfeit. "From the actual complexity of the drawings to rfid chip inlays, to unique and cryptological serial number sequences to watermarks and polychromatic ink that looks different when rotated under light to black light designs embedded into the artwork which can be easily used to determine whether a bill is fake, these bills may look somewhat antique but they are state of the art in terms of technological anti-counterfeiting measures. We know we will not stop counterfeiting, but the goal is to make the currency too difficult and perhaps too expensive to counterfeit in a way that will be profitable. The goal is to improve confidence that the bill you are getting will be a genuine bill, and has the actual backing of the Imperial Government, rather than some cheap copy that someone made at home." Berry said he hopes that fakes will be impossible to miss.

One other aspect of the currency that the Finance Ministry intends to use to maintain the value of the currency is a public database of every single physical peso issued along with all outstanding electronic currency. "We want people to know how much money, both in terms of money in people's actual pocket, and the 1s and 0s that are in people's bank accounts there in circulation. This is theoretically easy, as all notes when they are printed, are recorded by the Imperial National Bank's Engraving Department, and 90% of all monetary transactions go through the Imperial National Bank's EFT system. It is possible to make that ledger public without tying it to any individual identifying information, so people can be free to check it at any time to ensure that there is not a wild spike or drop in Kalistan's monetary supply." Private banks like the Bank of Kalistan and the Bank of Suldanor will be asked to provide similar information, but the ForIn Bank is shielded from any such reporting. "But the ForIn Bank is for foreign investments, so those investments wouldn't have any effect on the Kalistani monetary supply," said Minister Berry.

The 100 Peso Note is an example of many of the multitude of security features in the new currency including the 14k Gold leaf inlay which has the Imperial Seal on the obverse and a grape wreath on the reverse, as well as watermark and polychrome ink overlay.

When it comes time to begin turning money in, Berry said the process should be fairly easy. "We will simply denominate bank accounts in pesos rather than rubles, at the exchange rate we land on. We are aiming to start wherever the ruble is at the time and then go from there." In terms of physical currency, citizens will have one year from the date the currency goes out of effect to get full value from the trade in. "The Imperial Bank will exchange it at face value for one year but after that, the currency will not be considered legal tender and will only carry a collectors' valuation, whatever that happens to be. At that time we will be able to evaluate, based on the amount of old money surrendered, what the Ruble will be valued at: it will likely appreciate in value, which will make foreign goods increase in price in the market, while preferring domestic goods." The face value exchange rate shall hold for all Kalistani nationals, at home and abroad.

"We still have to deal with a somewhat sizeable amount of Kalistani currency held by foreigners," said Berry. "We do not know how much Kalistani currency is held by foreigners, but the Bank estimates it to be somewhat less than 1% of the total amount of currency. Kalistani currency is not attractive to foreigners, because it does not generally move: It is considered a more conservative investment option than even long term treasury bonds from stable developed nations. Return on Investment is almost right around 0%, in line with Kalistan's Zero Percent Growth policies. So foreigners usually only invest in Kalistani currency when they want to protect against inflation in their own economies or when they want to wash money in their home country. We will need to wait until we begin conversion until we can figure out how much of our currency is held abroad, and then what to do about it to try to get it back." Berry said if there is resistance to conversion from foreigners, it may just happen that the money is not converted. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

Finally, Berry said that the symbol for the new Kalistani Imperial Peso will be the dollar sign. "Few know that $ originally meant pesos before the dollar took it over--It was originally a p superimposed over an s, for pesos. It is unclear why the dollar also adopted the sign, but it has become associated with both currencies since then, so it will replace our current Kip (₭) as the symbol of our currency. Kalistan is the only nation that uses the ₭ currently, and replacement for it on broken or worn out engraving plates is incredibly expensive. Switching to $ is expected to save us several million KRB in the engraving process alone." In addition to the adoption of the Peso sign, the new 3 letter designation for the Imperial Peso with be KPS, or the Kalistani Peso. To differentiate the currency from other nations, when discussing them at the same time, the currency may also be annotated K$, or the Kalistani Peso.

The Engraving section of the Imperial National Bank will begin printing the new Pesos in December.

@TheRepublic

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Construction in Eveari is ongoing
"City will never be the same" says City Manager
Eveari, Grand Duchy of Ananto
February 5, 5709


Empty lots and areas still pepper city scape in Eveari but construction continues

It's been three and a half years since a major earthquake damaged much of the city of Eveari and displaced more than a quarter of a million residents. The city is slowly recovering, and has either restored or entirely rebuilt more than 40,000 housing units much of it in multi-family units, but there is still a significant amount of work to be done on the city. And some are saying that Eveari will never return to what it once was.

"Eveari's urban landscape is permanently changed by this devastating earthquake," said City Manager Kristin Berg, who has been overseeing reconstruction for the County of Eveari. "This city will never be the same. But this doesn't mean that we can't restore as much of it as possible. Some areas will likely be redesignated as greenspaces, some areas may change from homes to shops. The Earthquake, while very destructive to the city, also provides us with some opportunities to make improvements to better serve the needs and wants of the community where property concerns before and historic building status and things like this would have prevented it."

There is still a lot to do, though. "Many families who lived here have moved to other towns and cities across Kalistan, and will not be returning. The County office anticipates that more than 150,000 people who called Eveari home before the quake will not ever return to Eveari. That will obviously affect economic opportunity in the ancient city, but alternatively, it will ease a bit of the pressure on public services as well, so with everything there are positives and negatives. We are trying to focus on the positives, and though nearly all the evidence of destruction is cleared away, we are trying to see the scars on the city as chances to make the city better, stronger, more efficient, and more beautiful."

Still missing is the Ananto Estate, which was finally demolished last fall and now is completely gone. "The structure was just too heavily damaged for it to be habitable," said Berg. "Her Imperial Majesty made the decision to abandon efforts to save it, knowing that she would never feel safe with her family in such a heavily damaged building, and made the decision to demolish the place after as many objects of value, both monetary and sentimental could be safely removed from the property and stored." Of particular concern was the Imperial Gem Vault, which, while buried deep underground, also suffered some structural damage. "The access to the vault was damaged for the most part, so all of those precious stones were sealed up in a vault of reinforced concrete for the better part of a year, completely inaccessible. Much of the work on the property has been directed at building a new access to the vault and collapsing the old access point so that it could be checked out to see if the vault itself remained." The vault was structurally undamaged in the quake, besides being in a state of complete disarray. House Ananto is still working on plans to potentially rebuild a new home for the Empress on the property, "...but they have told us that rebuilding the city is more important at the moment," said Berg.

For now, life has by and large returned to normal for most of the residents of Eveari. "There's not a single person who lives here whose life wasn't touched in some way by this earthquake," said Berg. "Either we ourselves, or someone we know were injured, displaced, lost property, wondered if our loved ones were ok, that sort of thing. None of us who lived through it will forget what happened. But we are also recovering as a community and trying to put that devastating event behind us. We still have a lot of work to do, but now that we have some distance, in terms of time, from the event, we can focus on doing what needs to be done to move forward as a community, and finally see a new Eveari emerge from the ashes and rubble of the old."

In a note of optimism, Berg added, "I am excited to see what the future holds for this town."

@TheRepublic

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Kalistan opens Center for Vrassan Studies
Linguistics and Literature differentiation is focus of center, says new Director
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
February 25, 5709


Professor Jack Northrup teaches a course in Vrassan Linguistics at Kaliburg Polytechnic University

Robert Montrose, the eminent linguistic scholar has been tapped by Her Imperial Magesty's Minister of Education and Culture, Dr. Diane Caballero, to become the new Director of the Center for Vrassan Studies, to be headquartered in Kaliburg Polytechnic University. The center will study the linguistic and literary development of the Vrassan Language in Northern Seleya. It is the first such program to offer formal study and research into the difference between the language, idiom and pronunciation of Northern Seleyan Luthorian from standard spoken Luthorian, and will focus on the various dialects within Northern Seleyan Luthorian, which is referred to, in general as Vrassan in Kalistan.

"In many ways, Vrassan is much closer to the original spoken Luthorian of Artania than modern Luthorian Standard is," said Jack Northrup, a linguist who will work with Montrose at the center and and who teaches linguistics, etymology and phoneme differentiation at Kaliburg Polytechnic, as part of their linguistics program. "A lot of the rhoticism we have retained in Northern Seleya has been dropped in Luthori, for example, while Standard spoken Luthorian has continued evolving due to local cultural influences away from where it once was when Northern Seleyans received it. As a result, our langauge, which is first and foremost a spoken language, and THEN a written language still looks far closer to the written version than the Standard Luthorian."

Northrup gave some examples. "We can see the organize. In Vrassan the word is pronounced ore-gan-ize and is pronounced as ˈɔːrɡənaɪz, while in Standard Luthorian, it is pronounces oaw-gan-ize with the hard r dropped out or ˈɔːɡənaɪz. Even using the phonetic alphabet, you can see that while 'Organize' keeps the R in both written Vrassan and Standard Luthorian, the spoken word only keeps the r, phonetically speaking, only the Vrassan speaker pronounces it. In addition, in Luthori the spelling has even moved so that it is not spelled 'organize', but 'organise.' In phonics, we learn that a word spelled like this should sound more like or-GAN-ice. But it's not. The Vrassan spelling and pronunciation is much closer to a unified whole, and ironically, it used to be this way in Luthorian, but then they evolved away. Not a value judgement, it just is what it is." Other examples are color and colour: "Vrassan color is much closer to the Egelian color (we have a different emphasis on the first syllable), but not even the Luthorians pronounce the world co-loor as you would if you said the word as it was spelled. The addition of the u is inexplicable."

In setting up the Vrassan Center, Montrose said the goal was to not only establish firmly that our two languages, though largely mutually intelligible, are in fact rapidly becoming different languages. "The superficial pronunciation matters are one thing. Rhoticism doesn't necessarily prevent understanding and communication. But there are a good many vowel shifts which suggest that our languages don't just have accents, but they are becoming different languages all together. Vrassan Speakers have a much flatter vowel sound that might lead to confusion in a Luthorian speakers. In Vrassan, a common thing example is 'I got caught on a cot'. The flat vowels lead Vrassan speakers to say those words similarly if not identically. But that could potentially lead to confusion in someone hearing a Vrassan speaker. These types of examples are becoming more and more prevalent as the months and years pass."

Montrose also noted idiomatic shifts and the large infusion of Egelian pronunciation and idiomatic usage which is becoming standard in many parts of the Vrassan speaking world. "It will soon get to the point where we are no longer 100% mutually intelligible, as words take on new meanings, new words from other languages are introduced, old words are contracted and the emphasis in syllables in compound words changes until the excess is just eroded by time and regular usage so it is just a whole new word. These processes have been at play for millennia already, and it is amazing that we can still understand one another as well as we do."

The new Director also wants to acknowledge the role that some degree of national pride plays in the study of Vrassan. "Vrassan is what Luthorian sounded like when it came to our continent. We don't sound anything like they do in Mordusia, which is much closer to the Standard Luthorian because they wanted it to be that way. Northern Seleyan nations speak a different, and some would say, cleaner language, one which is based much closer to the actual source than the modern Luthorian. You might call it more rustic, you might call it purer, but whatever you call it, its clearly not the same as what they speak in Artania. That is a language which is utterly surrounded by foreign languages, most of which are not even linguistically similar to hold family relationships.

"In Northern Seleyan nations," continued Mr. Montrose, "we all speak one kind of Luthorian. Which we happen to refer to in Kalistan as Vrassan. You would not be able to tell much of a difference at all between a native Vrassan speaker in Kaliburg, or in Kensington or in Johnston Baltusia, or in Clovisport Likatonia. We all have the same diction, we all have the same cadence, we all have significantly flattened our vowels and we all spell words for the most part the same. And all those are different from how they speak and write in Luthori. Its something we can be proud of, something that is our own, and something which differentiates us from Artania, from which some of us do not even derive our cultural lineage and merely adopted the language because at the time we were interested in beginning to trade, it just so happened to be the language of trade."

While the primary focus will be on the spoken Vrassan language, there will also be a complementary study on the written language. "Vrassan is a very straightforward and efficient language, as all creoles are" said Montrose. "Stripped down to fundamentals so it can be built into something new. But in the centuries that have passed, the things that artists and authors have done with written Vrassan have been things of beauty, and they deserve their own study as things that are ours, things that shine a light on our national attitudes, and our political philosophies, and our viewpoints of the world. And these fundamentally separate us, the mind of the Kalistani from the Artanian source, just in the way we see the world and where we fit into that world. It's quite special and we want to study that as well."

The center is endowed by philanthropists, including House Ananto, where Her Imperial Majesty continues her study of lingustics, etymology and rhetoric in her spare time, and will offer grants to scholars to come to the capital where they may either teach or research, or present on the topics surrounding Vrassan, and its dialects, as a spoken and written language.

@LaModa

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Kalistan to Improve Naval Logistics
Money coming to improve capacity at Port Swedes, Yoshimi
Yoshimi Station, Duchy of Suldanor
February 17, 5710


The Supply ship KRS-1062 gets critical Resupply at the 3rd Fleet's base in Yoshimi

The National Assembly has approved a bill worth $7.5 Billion Imperial Pesos (₭9B Imperial Rubles) to expand supply port capacity in Port Swedes Naval Logistics Center in Vrassa and Yoshimi Station Naval Base in Yoshimi Suldanor. The bill was passed as Kalistan officially begins their last decade at Luncasi in Kizenia. "We have a date certain of when our presence in Kizenia will finally be at an end and the supply port will be turned back over to the Tripartite Kingdom," said Chancellor Lord Reginald Hanson. "That date is December 18, 5719, which is less than ten years away now. And so we need to have that capacity built back in Kalistan when we lose it in Keris." The Bill also contains another $800 million Imperial Pesos for construction of new barracks and command infrastructure in Bozo River to permanently re-base the Luncasi logistics detachment of the 1st Regular Fleet back in Ananto."

The new money is believed to be associated with the new security arrangement that is settling over the Anantonese Region. "We want to be ready to support not only our own fleets in our theater of operations, being the northern half of the Anantonese Ocean, but also to support our new allies without putting ourselves out," said Hanson. "Kalistan has been so self-focused for such a long time and this much broader cooperation is a new concept for many people in our nation, but it's not that radical: it just requires infrastructure to be in place for when its needed."

The proposal includes a number of items, including a new supply dock at Port Swedes to allow for the service of more ships at once, as well as warehouses for storage of dried goods, aviation and naval munitions and armaments, an expanded replacement part section, and a new depot for personal logistics (food stocks, uniforms, bedding, etc that are used by sailors at sea.) "This will be a significant expansion of services provided by the Naval Logistics Center in Port Swedes, and is meant to cater to both Kalistani and to allied vessels," said the Chancellor. "It is meant to increase supply for the 2nd and 3rd Regular Fleets, and allow Port Swedes to become an important allied stop over between Valruzia and Lodamon on the one hand and the Egelian ports further north on the other. Geographically, it would make some more sense to also increase the capacity at Bozo River, but the infrastructure for supply is on the mainland, and Port Swedes and Yoshimi are our major supply ports currently, so this is where the money is going."

Bentasur also received an additional $100 million Imperial Pesos to build new Marine Barracks and a new dry dock facility. The loss of Gaduridos has cut Kalistan off from relying on Gaduri security or dock facilities in Ciudad de Gaduri and so it is imperative that the 3rd Regular Fleet at least have the ability to repair its ships locally without having to tow them all the way back to Kalistan." Part of that money also involves construction of new OTH Radar Facilities at Bentasur that replace the decommissioned facilities that were previously on Marlingantos.

The new spending represents about a 4.1% increase to the Defense Budget. "This may seem significant, but maintenance costs are far less than building expenses, and we expect that once the building is completed, the defense budget will return to right around $200 billion most of which is salaries, health care, and veterans pensions," said the Chancellor." "In addition, with the ending of the mission in Luncasi in ten years, the money we are spending to keep that base well stocked and open will further decrease the need for funds and should bring military spending back to a more normal level."

@TheRepublic

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Her Imperial Majesty decides to rebuild in Eveari
New Manor will be "more modern, closer to forest," says Empress
Eveari, Grand Duchy of Ananto
March 3, 5710


Her Imperial Majesty selects a new site for Ananto Manor

Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto has decided to rebuild on the Ananto Estate in Eveari. The previous Ananto Manor home was rendered unsavable by the Eveari Earthquake of 5705, which critically damaged every structure on the property, including the Ananto Family Mausoleum, leading to the mortal remains of generations of Royals to be relocated to earthen plots in a newly consecrated cemetery near the north west corner of the property at the former location for the Servants Quarters. Other buildings that were damaged were the Museum of the Empire, and the entrance to the Imperial Gem Vault.

The selected site for the new manor home will be more than a half a mile southeast of the previous location, right on the edge of the Eveari Grove nestled in the very first foothills of the Green Mountains. "This spot is special to our family," said Her Imperial Majesty, while showing La Moda's Alicia Fernandez around the now very empty estate grounds. "The trail head which Mary Ananto, our Grandmother, used to positively haunt is just near here, and that trail would lead her deep into the forest, where she would often disappear for days at a time. We felt that there was something about this spot, something magical, something that drew her here, and we feel it would be a wonderful place to build a home that we can raise our children in."

The Empress pointed out that the region was well watered by a nearby spring, so even in the dry months, the grounds remain lush and verdant. "This would make a beautiful spot for a flower garden," she said. "It is surprising that it hasn't been used this way yet, but this ground is just so sprawling, it's a wonder if anyone other than Mary ever set foot here." She noted that she would like to build a modern house. "Not something that would stand too much out from the natural setting, we think. But we do not want a rustic, you know, hunting lodge or anything like that." The Empress noted that Mary had a home in the secluded Dragon Hills in Odufaray. "No, nothing like that. We would like to stay in the 58th century, thank you."

The Empress said that eventually, she would like the former site of the home built upon as well. "The original home and all the facilities were just near the entrance, so they were very accessible, not only to our family, but also for guests. If we had important people coming in from other nations, it was very easy to get to the House. Visitors from town could very easily be welcomed. But obviously now the House will be located a half a mile away, right here. So we will want to build some facilities near the entrance, so that we can still entertain without inconveniencing our guests." Her Imperial Majesty would like to build a new Museum of the Empire that is open to the public, as well as a new reception hall and guest quarters. "We used to have a whole wing for visiting guests, but visits were usually connected with some celebration or another. So it make sense to put visitors quarters near the reception hall. And when we are not in residence, we can make those facilities available for our friends here in Eveari." The Empress also said she would like to consider horse stables on the property so she can own a horse to ride around the estate.

Meanwhile, servants quarters will be attached to the new home when it is built. "We require a huge staff to keep the main house together. Even when we are not in residence, the home requires regular cleaning, regular maintenance, and regular staff. They need to be prepared if our family decides to come to Eveari for the weekend. Throughout the year, we spend a total of about 37 days at Eveari. Eventually, we would like to increase it to between 80 and 90 days, during the warmer summer months. So its only considerate that our staff, who are employed full time here at the house, have access to the House at all times, without them needing to expose themselves to the weather."

Her Imperial Majesty also would like to build a nature interpretive center near the main house so that people can come to enjoy the forest that her Grandmother tended so carefully. "The Center will employ nature educators, trail guide for those who would like to experience the forest in a guided trek, and game wardens and forest rangers whose job it will be to organize clearing and selective burning for the health of the forest. The Redwoods can only propagate naturally with fire: they are a natural part of any healthy forest, and regular controlled burning will help us maintain the forest that our ancestor has passed down to us for generations." Her Imperial Majesty has referred to herself as a conservationist rather than an environmentalist, and sees it as her duty to conserve Kalistan's resources for responsible and sustainable use into the distant future.

The construction will begin in late April, as soon as the rains let up, and will be funded by House Ananto. Home construction should be completed by early October, with water, sewer and electricity hookups expected in either October or November, and construction of the more public oriented buildings will then begin next spring.

@LaModa