Kalistani Major History

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Regent to Shake up Cabinet
Government to ensure continuity For Emperor
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
January 3, 5537


New Chancellor of the Empire, Dame Lindsay Ontiveros-Maxwell, will take office this Summer

In preparation for the coronation and official investiture of the Emperor in a two and a half years, the Prince Regent, working closely with the current Chancellor and members of the Institutional Party, has ordered a shuffling of the cabinet and the promotion of several back bench deputies to fill in most key roles in the Government.

"It is in the interest of His Imperial Majesty that he has a cabinet in place that he can work with for a long time to come," said Prince Bjorn. "Most of the current Government is held over from the era of The Empress Nicolette II and have been in Government for decades. A new government now will allow them to gain valuable experience that will serve them well when advising His Imperial Majesty and carrying out his Fiat."

Most prominent among the promotions is the retirement of Chancellor Wilkes in favor of Dame Lindsay Ontiveros-Maxwell, age 32. Dame Maxwell, who holds a PhD in Political Theory and Public Administration from the University of Suldanor (5528), has taught public administration at the University of Ananto in Eveari for the last 9 years, where she gained tenure. She also served as a Deputy from Ananto for the last 4 years, replacing retiring Deputy Jean Grimmes in a special appointment. She has published several papers on policy convergence at the local level, describing situations that tend toward and against convergence, as well as the benefits of policy convergence for intra-state trade, cultural exchange, and revenues. Dame Ontiveros is known as a staunch political conservative and economic nationalist, and is known for her outspoken apology of the monarchy: it is likely that she will provide a smooth transition from the Policies enacted by the Wilkes Government.

Another important post to change is the retirement of Admiral Davis, who is the current Minister of Defense. "I have asked Militia Captain Martin Jackson to take up the position of Minister of Defense," said the Prince Regent. "Admiral Davis has served his Empire and his Sovereign admirably, and kept an even keel, no pun intended. But Captain Jackson will bring a new emphasis on tactical operations to our Strategic Doctrine. As new powers in the region begin modernizing their weapons systems, Kalistan is needing to play catch up. Our procurement schedule has slowed considerably, but what we need is a tactical focus in the land, sea and air. Captain Jackson began his militia career as a non-NCO in the Neveras Column, and when he saw an opportunity to be commissioned at the rank of Second Lieutenant by the Duchy, he took it. Captain Jackson specializes in mountain warfare and irregular tactics against C&C infrastructure, and with his general staff, I believe he will bring a fresh view of tactical engagement to Kalistan's Regular Ground, Sea and Air Forces. The Captain shares the view that the world is an increasingly dangerous place, that that increase knows no bounds, and that Kalistan can effectively counter the threat of even large powers by turning strength into weakness, and weakness into strength. He has our full confidence."

The New Government is expected to pass by this summer, and the new Ministers will take their position. All are members of the Institutional Party, and staunchly loyal to the Institution of the Monarchy and the Person of the Emperor.

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Kalistani News in Brief: FM welcomes Kazulia to NAM, Ananto Strait Accord
Container Ship Yard at Port Elga Expanded; Olympic Athletes Honored
Sulari, Duchy of Suldanor
February 27, 5537


Increasing Kazulian Diplomatic Ties welcomed by Government and Regent in Kaliburg

Kazulia signs NAM and Ananto Strait Accord II
A major diplomatic victory was celebrated in Kalistan as word arrived of the Kingdom of Kazulia's signing of both the Non Aligned Movement Treaty and the Ananto Strait Accord. "The Prince Regent has instructed me to thank the Queen of Kazulia and his cousin Queen Helga for her forward vision and sincere expressions of peace and cooperation to not only Kalistan, but all nations of the Non Aligned Movement," said Sir Paco Delgado, His Imperial Majesty's outgoing Foreign Minister. "As I will be retiring soon, I will consider this a fitting book end of my tenure here in the foreign Ministry, to say that the Non-Aligned Movement has grown on my watch. This movement is one of the most important movements in the world because it allows countries who seek to follow independent courses in their own foreign policy the opportunity to know they are not alone and should not feel threatened by larger states with more impressive gangs of supporters. We stand for those who wish to work for peace, rather than support those who start the wars." The Foreign Minister also had kind words for the Labor Party in Kazulia, calling their commitment for cooperation "admirable and an example to others, especially around ensuring peace and security in the Northern Anantonese Ocean." Delgado said that it was his hope that his successor in the Foreign Ministry, Dame Jacqueline DuMont will pursue the opening with enthusiasm, "... if the Emperor wills it, of course," he added.

Container Shipyard at Port Elga Completed; Military shipbuilding moves to Kaliburg
In an effort to specialize facilities, Sulari has completed its container shipyard at Port Elga. This multi-billion ruble expansion project was set back a number of years by a combination of issues that required addressing before the port could be expanded. "Port Elga was never supposed to be a ship yard that builds ships," said project Director Lionel Roberts, of Sulari Shipping Consortium, the private firm that has been in charge of the Contract. "It began operating this way when Kalistan needed to rapidly rebuild its military fleet at some point in the past. So we needed to more or less take out all the inappropriate and out of date infrastructure, and essentially start the ship yard from scratch, save the dry dock facilities. But the new facilities allow us to construct the most modern, state of the art container ships, and use Kalistani materials and labor to do so. And in addition, we do so in a way that doesn't significantly alter the environment of the Sulari Bay."

The new shipyard will be able to produce a new super container ship every 3-4 months, or a more modest size ship every 6-9 weeks, utilizing all four dry docks. "We wish to place Kalistan in the lead of shipping, and we'd like to see the Elga-SSC name on ships that sail each sea." SSC said they plan to market their ships at a "very competitive price" according to Roberts, and will begin accepting orders within three months. "We also have opened the Shipping Container Works and stamping plant here at Port Elga and are currently fabricating dozens of new containers each week. They are first being supplied to Kalistani Exporters, but will eventually make their way into the Global commerce stream." The rebuilding of Port Elga removes all of Kalistan's military ship construction operations to the National Shipyards in Kaliburg.

Kalistan Honors Terra's Olympic Athletes
While the 5532 Olympics in Aldegar had an indeterminate ending, and in fact it is unclear whether or not they actually have ended, nonetheless, Kalistan decided to celebrate those who had participated, and honored the Games' heroes. "Technically, where it stands as of this moment, five years later, Kalistan tied Aldegar for number of Gold Medals, and while predictably not netting Kalistan the coveted Diamond Medal for most medals, we apparently are the only nation who was really still waiting for Olympics Results to be fully posted," said Morris Kennan, of the Kalistani Olympic Committee. "The Committee felt that it was an injustice for the games to simply end without final results in a number of sports or even a closing ceremony, especially when our Athletes trained so hard, and put their lives on hold for so long to participate, so the Committee in Kalistan has decided to throw Kalistani Athletes a Celebration to honor those who competed and represented our Empire before the world. We also invited members of other national teams to Kalistan for the celebration," added Kennan. "12 nations took us up on our offer and we welcomed and celebrated them as we welcomed and celebrated our own Athletes, because for a moment five years ago, Kalistan is proud to say we were finally treated as equals to other nations in the world."

The celebration was held in Sulari, Duchy of Suldanor, at the Sulari National Stadium, and was attended by more than 15,000 who wished to cheer these living legends of athletic achievement and physical mastery, and say thank you. Most of the athletes themselves turned up for the celebration, and all were treated as equals, whether they won gold, silver or bronze or no medal at all. Many athletes were deeply touched by the acknowledgement of their participation, and many were moved to tears. The Prince Regent and His Imperial Majesty the Emperor, on leave from the NSP, also attended, and Prince Bjorn performed the duties of personally granting each athlete a Kalistani medal, made of solid highly polished electrum, and minted especially for the occasion that declared each an Olympian. "This is an honor that no person can take from you," said the Prince Regent in opening remarks. "It says, you were one of the greatest of all time." The celebration was capped off by a concert by Kalistan's FOMAT XXVIII entrant Brad Willis, and the celebration finally ended around 1 am.

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Duke Victor Ananto Secures Microchip Plant for Gaduridos
New Plant will splits costs between Kalistani and Gaduri Investors
Ciudand de Gadur, Vintalli (Marligantos)
July 14, 5537


New AMD microchip plant at Querehuacan being constructed with Joint Investment funds

A new microchip factory is being produced in Gaduridos which will produce integrated circuits for KalMD consumer electronics. This is the first KalMD-affiliated plant built outside of the Empire, and will be owned and operated by the joint Kalistani/Gaduri electronics firm AnantMD (Anantonese MicroDivisions, KalSiE: AMD). The company was founded as a joint investment firm between Kalistani and Gaduri Investors, both as an opportunity for Kalistani investors to invest outside of the Empire, and for Gaduri investors to build new opportunities within Gaduridos. The Kalistani Money was organized by Duke Victor Ananto, who is himself a major institutional investor in both KalMD and AnantMD, and represents a 45% share of the overall capitalization. Ananto controls the largest single block of stock in the new firm, but his bloc is not a controlling interest.

The Querehuacan plant will be constructed and opened at the cost of ₭830 Million and will employ more than 750 employees in three shifts. "Querehuacan was an excellent site for the plant given its proximity to major infrastructure, its educated and skilled population, and its access to resources," said AMD spokeswoman Marta Vasquez. "Additionally, while the plant will specialize in integrated circuits that will be shipped back to Kalistan, it will also feature a HDD production facilities that will permit us to branch out into computer data storage. This will be a major boost for the Gaduri economy, and will add to the already solid foundation that exists in this nation." Vasquez said that the decision to build the plant in Gaduridos was made because Gaduri private investors wanted to ensure that a majority of the stock was purchased by Gaduris, and therefore, decided to build the plant at home. Since Kalistani investors are the minority, they won the concession of creating AMD as a KMD supplier for 99 years, with option for renewal. "AMD is also free to sell excess supply to outside bidders." said Vasquez.

Kalistani technicians are expected to oversee the launch of the plant's operations. "The growth in demand for consumer electronics has really outpaced current Kalistani Capacity," said Vasquez. "So the demand for a new plant is there. A new plant, essentially adding more than 30% to the total availability of supply of chips to KalMD should allow them to catch up on meeting their market demands, while lowering prices for consumers both in Kalistan and in Gaduridos." The plant will begin operation in May of 5539.

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VDR's Quickstop Experiments with Far Eastern Music
Vascanian Influences and Ananti Lyrics mix with Alternative/Indie Rock Styles
Vrassa City, Duchy of Vrassa
August 5, 5537


Quickstop, the Kalistani/Vascanian Trio bring experimental music to the Mainstream

VDR, a label usually known for its alt-folk and hip hop, has released a new record by a Vrassan band known as Quickstop. Incidentally, none of them are from Vrassa. Two of the three members emigrated from the distant nation of Vascania to Luthori where they grew up with the third member of the band, and then all three emigrated once more to Kalistan, where they have lived for the last three years.

"Kalistan is obviously the place to make music," said lead singer Ajay Bhattacharia. "Growing up in Luthori, I listened to almost exclusively Kalistani music. So when I and my brother decided to start our band, there was only one place to go. Its industry and music scene definitely offer the most freedom and creative space to make a living at music, and the culture of Kalistan is far more open to hearing what we are playing." Ajay Bhattacharia and his brother Mandar, along with drummer Greg Hinton all decided to cut ties with the Artanian nation and relocated to Vrassa City, where they began working in clubs, until they submitted a demo tape at VDR and were signed to the record label.

The new LP, called "Early Wakeup Committee" features ten songs of mostly alternative rock. But the music is influenced by two things: the Bhattacharia Brothers' Vascanian culture and psychedelic drugs, primarily LSD. "Well, we grew up in a pretty strict Vascanian home in Luthori," said Ajay. "Our parents thought we would be barristers and physicians. And Mandar and I only wanted to play music. It was a real disappointment to my mother, especially when I dropped out of school. When we told them we were moving to Kalistan, my mother cried for three days. They thought we would lose our culture. But you see, here our culture is a curiosity: We are the only ones doing anything like Ananti Language rock in Kalistan. We can bring that part of our heritage to Kalistanis, and kind of mix that with the culture we are now part of."

The music is also inflected by trip hop production techniques and beats that highlight the Vascanian influences. "In Kalistan, Vascania is exotic, you know: mystical. Many of the things we hear on a daily basis in our own community back home sound positively psychedelic here. The drone, the hand drum, and all, laid on a hip hop beat with a chant over it, to me that is a raga. To Kalistanis, that is an acid trip. Both get you to the same place, in my experience."

"At the end of the day," said Mandar, the band's bassist, "we took what we know and what we like, and mixed those things to make something new. We don't reduce anything: it's all addition, and people seem to like it here. Kalistani fans tend to be far more open minded than anywhere else, and they are open to trying new sounds. Plus it helps to be among the only Native Ananti speakers in a country which was named after our language. That's pretty wild. It's sort of like returning to our roots."

Despite being heavily influenced by Vascanian traditional music, most of the lyrics are in Vrassan. "We of course speak both languages equally well," said Ajay. "I was two when we moved to Luthori, so I don't actually remember much about Vascania, but Mandar was 6. In the home we spoke Ananti, and in the school we spoke Luthorian. No problem to switch between the two. Our parents were also very forward thinking, knowing that if we were to remain in Luthori, we would need to acquire the language, so there was no stigma to being bi-lingual, and therefore it was rather easy to move to Kalistan. Some strange idioms here I admit, but nothing we can't figure out." The Vrassan language used in the songs made them instantly accessible, and the selective use of Ananti made them exciting to Kalistani listeners, who rewarded the band with ticket sales, and now album sales.

Asked what the best thing about Kalistan is, Ajay responded "The music scene here is fun. A lot of the bands are really great, everyone is very welcoming and open, and the music is maybe a little bit formulaic at times, but like everything, things get a little stale and need refreshers and fundamentalist movements every once in a while to remind musicians that they are artists first. But after the music, its definitely the drugs and the people. Our creativity went through the roof after arriving in Kalistan, for obvious reasons. Literally everyone on our block is in a band. They are all doing the same drugs and all playing music together. It is a very fertile environment for ideas and exchange."

Quickstop's debut album Early Wakeup Committee is out now on VDR, and a new video for the title song is playing in heavy rotation on M7. You can watch it here.

[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY1P0Kekjx0]

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Kalistani Sailors Embark on Round the World Race
14 Crews Set out from Kaliburg on 25,000 mile journey
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
October 1, 5537


Sailing for the Duke of Suldanor Team, The sloop known as "Princess Nicolette" sets out for circumnavigation

14 teams set out from Kaliburg this week on a major race to circumnavigate the globe. The race, which has been called "The Ananto Cup" included 14 teams sailing ocean-going sloops from Kalistan and will test the endurance and skill of each six-person team. The Race was organized by several members of the Kalistani Royalty, including Duke Victor Ananto of Suldanor. Each team had a sponsor who supplied the stake for the pool, where first, second and third place winners will get a share. Each sponsor is also responsible for all resupplies along the more than 25,000 mile journey.

"We set the route to bring the ships near port throughout most of the journey," said Race coordinator Sylvia Fredrickssen. "We of course also need to pay attention to prevailing winds: These ships are not allowed to use motors, so if they catch a slack breeze, the will need to utilize their skill to find wind." Ultimately the route will take the competitors past 7 or 8 continents, saving only Makon, which is too far north. "It follows mostly a subtropical route, veering north around Seleya, and south around Dovani," said Fredrickssen. "It crosses the Equator twice on its journey, and is expected to take about 220 days overall."

The craft will remain in constant supply and communication with relays along the route, who will keep track of the location of the ship using online GPS monitors. "The one issue these ships will face is in some of the long stretches, they will not be in range of the supply ships for long periods of time. Places like the stretch of water north east and north west of Majatran nations are long passages of open sea. Granted at that latitude, there aren't many major cyclones to pop up, but still, crews can expect daily storms, and when its not raining, it will be hot. So We will be closely monitoring the ships as they near Beiteynu, and then will anxiously await their appearance off Northern Vascania. Lots of sleepless nights."

The most successful crews will be the ones who best utilize the winds to their advantage, and who work as a team. "These ships require four people to crew them at all time" said Fredrickssen. "We have built two liberty stops into the trip, one in Valruzia and one in New Alduria, which each ship is required to put into port for maintenance and liberty for 24 hours exactly. Otherwise, these crews' lives will be sailing, day and night, and they will need to do everything they can to keep their crew fresh and working as a team, including establishing their own tasks, sleep and duty schedule and cooking schedule. This is truly an endurance test to beat all tests."

Route of the First Ananto Cup Global Sailing Race

Teams include the Duke Victor Ananto team, the ODEN team, the Grand Duchess Martha Greene team, and the Imperial team, among others. The Most eagerly anticipated showdown is between the Duke Victor Ananto team and the Grand Duchess Martha Greene team, both of whom are odds on favorites to win the race. Kaliburg book makers give the Duke Victor Team 2.5:1 odds of winning, while the Grand Duchess Martha team has 3:1 odds at the start of the race. The Dark Horse ship sponsored by Count Conrad Brandstad of Vilbin rounds out the longshots at 31:1 odds.

"This is the first time we have put on a world sailing race," said Fredrickssen. "While its all Kalistani teams this year, perhaps, if al goes well and we decide to do it again, next time some other countries will be interested in participating. But if not, I am sure Kalistani betters and sportsfans will be fine with just Kalistani teams racing."

Now that the teams are off, all we can do is watch. They will clear Lodamun in just over two weeks and then it is open sailing. By then, they will begin to lose sight of one another as some teams pull ahead, while others do their best to keep up. By year's end, the sailors will reach their first liberty port in Valruzia. We wish all crews well, and will be excited to follow along their route.

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Ananto Cup heads West
All 14 teams have cleared Valruzian Liberty Port
Knińsk, Waluzyjskie, Valruzian Republic
January 3, 5538


The Countess Diana Morrison, in port in Likatonia as they repair from storm damage enroute to Valruzia

The last sloops have departed the Valruzian port of Kninsk in the around the world Ananto Cup. Duke Victor's team, the odds-on favored team, pulled into the Valruzian Liberty station first, and sailors were relieved to have the opportunity to spend some time ashore, take a bath, get some local food and perform needed maintenance on sails and rigging. In exactly 24 hours, they set sail once more headed west toward Majatra.

Over the next several days, the remaining ships came into port to perform the same operations. Between first and last place, there was a mere three days in total. Some ships required a bit more maintenance than their allotted 24 hours would allow, setting them back a little further, but none of these distances behind the leader is fully insurmountable. The crews themselves appreciated the additional time in port, but when repairs were completed, they were fully back in the hunt for the leader.

The worst damaged ship at the Valruzian stop was the Countess Diana Morrison, sponsored by Grand Duchess Martha Green of Kalistan. The ship was caught in a storm off the north west coast of Likatonia and nearly capsized as the crew tried to run before the wind. That mistake was costly, but the subsequent flooding overwhelmed the ship's pumps and they crew decided to make for shore, where they dropped anchor to physically bail out the ship. That delay cost them 14 hours and then an additional 12 hours in Valruzia as they had to wait a day and a half for a new bilge pump to arrive. After installing the new pump and replacing a torn mainsheet, the Countess D. Morrison was back on the waves, in ninth place behind the leader.

As the crews head west toward Majatra, they will not stop again until they make Temania in about two and a half months. Though is may not seem like it, the longest leg of the journey is now completed: the ships had to sail north around Seleya, and then had to sail south quite a ways. The total time from Kalistan was just over three months. Average speed of the Sloops was about 12 Knots. The pace could pick up as they head west with the trade winds in the lower latitudes, but the trickiest seas of the leg are expected to be around Vascania, where the ships will sail through the southern trades but will have to navigate the calmer horse latitudes for a small portion of the journey. The ships will also be sailing through some of the recently contentious international waters around Vascania and Rapa Pile: Kalistani supply vessels will be stationed in Vascania to intercept the race, but hopefully the security situation holds to allow the race to pass through in peace.

Seleya bids farewell to the Ananto Cup. Below are the standings at Kninsk, Valruzia.

Place-----Team----------------------Time to Kninsk-------Time in Port (h)
1----------Duke Victor----------------91d 4h 21m-----------24h
2----------ODEN-----------------------91d 12h 3 m-----------24h
3----------Duchess Elizabeth--------91d 22h 16m----------25h12m
4----------Count Michael------------92d 12h 5m------------24h
5----------KalMD----------------------92d 14h 12m-----------26h
6----------Republican Studios-------92d 17h 32m----------24h
7----------Grand Duchess Marta----93d 9h 47m-----------36h 17m
8----------MoCo-----------------------93d 11h 1m-----------24h
9----------AeroKal--------------------93d 13h 56m----------24h
10---------Barron Albert-------------93d 22h 15m----------27h 32m
11---------Duchess Marnie-----------94d 1h 31m-----------24h
12---------KMI-------------------------94d 8h 12m-----------24h
13---------Count Conrad-------------94d 9h 40m-----------24h
14---------Duke George--------------94d 10h 7m-----------24h

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Kalistan takes measured approach on Vascania
Criticism of militarism "borders on hypocrisy", says new FM
Yoshimi, Duchy of Suldanor
February 20, 5538


Dame Jacqueline DuMont, His Imperial Majesty's New Foreign Minister, restates policy of Non-Alignment

The incoming foreign Minister, Dame Jacqueline DuMont, gave a major policy speech on the campus of the University of Kalistan, in Yoshimi this week. The topic of the speech was on Vascania's invasion and annexation of the islands of Rapa Pile. "It is the policy of His Imperial Majesty's Government that Kalistan remain non-aligned on the matter of Vascania," said Dame DuMont. "Non-Alignment does not however mean isolation, nor does it mean neutrality. While Kalistan does not adopt a side in the conflict either pro or anti, Kalistan does reserve the right to call out policy that borders upon hypocrisy in the response from the rest of the world."

The Foreign Minister specifically noted the sanctions placed on Vascania in absence of World Congress resolutions. "We ourselves condemn the war, the invasion, the illegal occupation and the unlawful annexation of Rapa Pile by the Empire of Vascania. That said, we also do not do so because we opposed the concept of settlement of legitimate territorial claims: We just have not determined, for ourselves that the claim to annexation of Rapa Pile was legitimate. And if it is not legitimate, then the invasion and occupation of the islands are also illegitimate. We encourage Vascania to resolve the matter peacefully, restore the independence of the Pilese people. In this sense, the sanctions that are called for to put pressure on Vascania would be something that is just, and we hope that Vascania will rectify the relationship with their neighbors and the world."

The Foreign Minister then noted that the condemnation of some nations seems to be inconsistent with their actions in other parts of the Globe. "Kalistan has been traditionally reluctant to call out our friends in Lourenne," said Dame DuMont. "However, it seems very inconsistent for Lourenne to take such a strong stance against militarism, while themselves proliferating weapons of mass destruction to their colonial possessions. According to their newspaper, we read that they are transferring an aircraft carrier EACH to every nation in the Canrillaise Empire. This is not only a dramatic increase in Lourennais Power in Southern Seleya, but also defies comprehension with regard to how many aircraft carriers had in its possession that it has simply proliferated around the globe now. It makes liars of those in Lourenne who claim they support peace: You can not credibly claim to be for peace while maintaining a hegemonic naval capacity that dwarfs the rest of the world's capacity combined."

Dame DuMont contrasted the new Lourennais naval doctrine of global projection with the Kalistani doctrine of armed self-defense. "Compared to the capacity of Lourenne, and nations like it who are constantly involving themselves with war, and are often the instigators of war, Kalistan and other members of the Non-Aligned movement practice something more along the lines of non-Projection and defense in depth. The Kalistani Military Doctrine will never place our armed forces on another nation's door steps. We are not the world's police, nor do we think we should be. The Non-Aligned Position, which is the one that Kalistan is unequivocally committed to, believes that alignment into military blocs encourages militaristic behavior: If you have the weaponry, eventually, you are going to use it. We can be secure without bowing to the great powers of the world, but it is just strange that those great powers believe that their massive military contributes in any way to anything other than war."

The Foreign Minister finished her speech with a word of hope. "These comments should not be read anywhere as a breech between Kalistan and Lourenne," said Dame DuMont. "Though Kalistan sits outside the monetary regime, we still trade with Lourenne. Any criticism we offer is strictly to encourage our neighbor to adopt the road of peace. Aircraft carriers are a status symbol, but they carry dangerous implications, and they are threatening. They are like toxic waste, and proliferating them to other, far less politically or economically stable nations is like handing poison to them. Lourenne is a trusted international leader, and their projection has been accepted by most of the world because most of the world benefits from it. Other nations striving, almost obsessively, to acquire them, or even worse, just being given them, is like planting the seas for future wars. We encourage Lourenne to reconsider its military expansion, because otherwise, it undermines their credibility as a partner for peace, both in Vascania and in the rest of the world."

The Foreign Minister added as a post script: "The worst thing in the world to be seen as is a warmonger. If one proliferates weapons of war, especially ones as dangerous as forward projections systems like Aircraft carriers, there is little to differentiate what they are doing with what they are criticizing and condemning. We hope Lourenne will choose peace."

The speech was generally well received by the audience, though there was some expressed concern that it was perhaps a bit too provocative, when nothing is likely to come of it. "Nobody cares what Kalistan thinks," said one professor who heard the Speech. "Kalistan frequently punches well above its weight class, only to be reminded time after time that its opinion carries no weight, or is ever even asked for, when put up against the whims of Great Powers. "

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Ananto Cup arrives at New Alduria
ODEN team leads sprint for Kaliburg
Moranvil, New Alduria
March 30, 5538


ODEN Sponsored Empress Katherine ship sits at anchor while Skipper works on her tan

The Ananto Cup yacht race has completed the middle passage of the global race, and the ODEN sloop was the first to launch on the final leg to Kalistan. The main pack of three ships, consisting of the ODEN Team, the Duchess Elizabeth Borland Team, and the Duke Victor Ananto team increased their distance ahead of the trailing sloop from about 3 days to five days, and the opportunities for the followers to catch up are growing less and less each day, barring some event that slows one of them down.

The Oden Ship, skippered by Dana Wilson, demonstrated expert sailing, by increasing the sloop's average speed above 15 knots. "The ODEN team is lucky to have several skilled mariners on our team, including the Dahl Brother, Markus and Sven, who were born and raised in Kazulia, and grew up on their grandfather's fishing boats. The Dahls know the sea," said Wilson. "They find water that is smooth, and its almost like they invent wind when there was none." Despite being behind the Duke Victor Team's ship most of the second leg, the ODEN ship caught up after passing Vascania, and the two dueled for the lead south of Xsampa, with ODEN finally taking the lead three days out of Moranvil. "One thing neither of us paid attention to was the fact that the Maiden of the Sea, sponsored by Duchess Borland, was hot on our heals and watching what we were doing," said Wilson. "Following our marks, they also zipped past The Princess Nicolette too."

The previously plagued Countess Diane Morrison, sponsored by Grand Duchess Marta Green, also made up significant time. The started the leg in 9th place after having to make fairly extensive repairs, but roared past several competitors, and arrived fifth in Moranvil. "After the rough start, we had to bring our A game to move up into the top half," said navigator of the Morrison, Brad Gilbert. "Having a ship that is not leaking constantly is a great start. We actually got a little rest over the last few weeks. It has really made a difference in our attitude and our performance."

The rear was pulled up by the Count Conrad Dontes team, sailing the Lady Alice. "We're still in this," said skipper Winston Connelly. "We had some issues with the jib north of Vascania. The winch was jammed and the jib was stuck preventing us from fully reefing the jib in the strong cross winds. We had to do a lot of tacking and reefing on the mainsail to to avoid upsetting the ship. Since we had a much less straight line than other ships, we lost a bit of ground." Later, they were able to extend the job all the way out, and much of their 24 hour stop over in Moranvil was spent replacing the winch on the jib so they could use the jib sheet correctly.

All 14 sloops now turn northwest toward Indrala, then they will pass east of Gaduridos and then will land in Kaliburg. At this rate, the sloops are expected to make Kaliburg in a month and a half, just shy of 220 days around the world. Below are the current standings after Moranvil, New Alduria.

Place-----Team----------------------Time to Moranvil-------Time in Port (h)
1----------ODEN-------------------------176d 2h 23m---------24h
2----------Duchess Elizabeth----------176d 12h 52m--------24h
3----------Duke Victor-----------------176d 21h 15m---------24h
4----------Count Michael--------------177d 12h 5m----------26h 38m
5----------Grand Duchess Marta------178d 1h 8m-----------24m
6----------KalMD------------------------178d 10h 37m---------24h 30mh
7----------MoCo-------------------------178d 11h 1m----------24h
8----------Republican Studios---------178d 23h 1m----------24h
9----------AeroKal----------------------179d 10h 21m---------24h
10---------Barron Albert--------------179d 19h 35m---------27h 32m
11---------KMI--------------------------180d 1h 38m-----------25 30mh
12---------Duchess Marnie------------180d 17h 20m---------24h
13---------Duke George---------------180d 21h 43m---------24h
14---------Count Conrad--------------181d 2h 18m-----------27h

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Team Sponsored by Duchess of Vrassa wins Ananto Cup
Borland Team sailed "perfect race"
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
May 14, 5538


Second Place finishers Duke Victor Team nearly pass the Leader but fail to pass them in the end

The Ananto Cup has been won in Kaliburg. After 217 days, 1 hour and 31 minutes, the "Dame Smith" sponsored by Duchess Elizabeth Borland of Vrassa has narrowly edged out her competitors to win the round the world race. Over the next seven and a half days, all fourteen teams weighed anchor in Kaliburg, having each completed a full, assisted, nearly non-stop circumnavigation of the globe. Though the honors go to Duchess Borland's team, the sheer feat of circumnavigation of the globe is something that few individuals in Terra can say.

"We've done something that few, in the history of mankind on Terra have accomplished," said Captain Dona Taggert, of the KMI team. "We might not have gotten to take the purse that the champions did, but nobody can take away our accomplishment. Plus, it was great work for eight months!" The entire fleet averaged 6.5 knots over the course of the entire journey.

The total prize of ₭1 million will be awarded to the six person team of the Dame Smith. ₭500 thousand will be awarded to the crew of the "Princess Nicolette" sponsored by Prince Victor Ananto of Suldanor, and ₭100 thousand will be awarded to the crew of the "Empress Katherine" sponsored by ODEN. In addition, all sailors have been paid a salary of between ₭40,000 and ₭60 thousand for their time. All funds were provided by the fourteen team sponsors, as part of their sponsorships, which ended up being in just over ₭1 million each. "There was so much to pay into for the sponsors," said race coordinator Sylvia Fredrickssen at the start of the race. "Besides salaries, you have food, maintenance, the cost of the yachts, salaries for the support staff, the port fees all along the route... The total budget for this race was ₭18million, and Duke Victor and ODEN both put in an additional ₭500 thousand during the last leg to cover unanticipated costs."

"I don't think too much about the costs," said Duke Victor. "I made a lot of the money back betting parlay on the race, but it was never really about the money. I have more money than I know what to do with, as do all the other sponsors. This was an opportunity to draw attention to both the sport, as well as to honor the perseverance and fortitude of the human spirit, and to raise Kalistan's prestige in the realm of elite level sporting. To my knowledge, there hasn't been a similar race around the world like this. But, like so many other things, Kalistan did this first, and we will have done it best." Duke Victor himself launched from Gaduridos to meet his team as they passed close to the Islands and to cheer them on.

ODEN sponsored team, aboard the "Empress Katherine" are joined by their local Kalistani Ground crew for the cruise through Davon Bay just before docking third

The first four teams were less than 18 hours apart coming into Kaliburg, but the first three teams arrived within 3 hours of one another. A large crowd turned out to Port Davon to welcome the first three teams home, and the event was marked by a concert featuring the rising Vrassan Band Quickstop and the Empire's entry into FOMAT, Brad Willis. The Prince Regent was on hand at the event to greet the first three teams.

Robert Seville, navigator of the "Princess Nicolette", which came in second was just glad to be home. "I mean, we could see them all day today. When the sun was coming up and we were already in the straits, we noticed their sails on the horizon and we called them on the radio and I could just feel like we were gaining on them all day, but then they disappeared from view, and it as it was, that was when they entered Davon Bay and completed the race. We were so close, but I am just glad to be home. And considering that we've been fighting for the lead since leaving Valruzia, I'd say that the Dame Smith earned their victory!"

Ove the course of the next seven days, the remaining teams sailed into Davon Bay. They didn't have the fan fare or the concert to return home to, but the press was on hand to greet each team as they arrived. Kalistan's Grand Duchess' team, sailing aboard "The Countess Diane Morrison" arrived early the next morning, after having so many difficulties in the first leg of the trip. There weren't any significant mechanical difficulties, however, much of the bottom half of the finishers were affected by fairly strong storms between Indrala and Gaduridos that the front runners were able to beat through the ocean. Those storms slowed the pace of the sloops travelling through it, but no ships experienced the same issues that many did on the first leg of the journey.

The Corporate Teams finished in the middle of the field. This feat of endurance will go into the Kalistani Canon as the Greatest Sea Race ever run. The people of Kalistan welcomes our mariners back home. A combined celebration, along with a large parade are planned for the end of this month, and memoirs are already in the works about the race. In addition, much of Republican Studios' route was recorded, and a documentary film is being planned to incorporate that foots, interviews from many of the crew members on the various teams, and other recorded footage from the race.

Congratulations to the Crew of the "Dame Smith" her Captain Thomas Carrangus, and her Sponsor Duchess Elizabeth Borland.

Dame Smith Fore Crew, with Jib stowed and running Mainsail only in Davon Bay as they tack into harbor. The crew share a beer in celebration of their victory

Place-----Team----------------------Time to Kaliburg-------Tim behind Leader
1----------Duchess Elizabeth----------217d 1h 31m---------0m
2----------Duke Victor-----------------217d 3h 54m----------0d 1h 23m
3----------ODEN-------------------------217d 4h 2m-----------0d 2h 31m
4----------Grand Duchess Marta------217d 19h 25m--------0d 17h 54m
5----------Count Michael--------------218d 14h 0m----------1d 12h 29m
6----------KalMD------------------------218d 22h 22m---------1d 20h 51m
7----------MoCo-------------------------219d 9h 44m----------2d 6h 13m
8----------AeroKal----------------------220d 0h 40m----------2d 23h 9m
9----------Republican Studios---------220d 21h 17m--------3d 19h 46m
10---------KMI--------------------------221d 4h 7m------------4d 2h 36m
11---------Duchess Marnie------------221d 20h 41m---------4d 19h 10m
12---------Barron Albert--------------223d 15h 55m---------6d 14h 24m
13---------Duke George---------------224d 1h 6m------------7d 0h 35m
14---------Count Conrad--------------224d 18h 5m----------7d 16h 34m

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The Strict, Informal-not-Informal Rules of Imperial Etiquette and Privileges
Regency relaxed rules, but they are expected to return next year
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
July 15, 5538


His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Fredrick II Ananto, home on NSP Leave, talking to Eveari Socialite Danielle Andrews at Tea in June

As the Regency nears its termination when His Imperial Majesty ends National Service sometime next summer, it is important to reflect on the contrast between the informal etiquette and customs of the Regency and the rules of etiquette and propriety that will be re-established in the near future. It has been nearly a decade since there has been an actual sitting Emperor, and so, to help Kalistanis (and foreign visitors) shake off the rust and brush up on Imperial Etiquette and Customs, we present this handy dandy guide.

Titles of Nobility in Kalistan

All members of the Ananto family, whether married into it, or born into it, are Royalty and members of the Nobility. But not all members of the Nobility are Royalty. The only title that is hereditary is the title "Emperor or Empress" but any other title may be claimed by the Emperor or Empress for any reason. Most titles are granted to others as a matter of practice, and are often granted based on loyalty to the House, closeness in business dealings, or some extraordinary accomplishment. The Sovereign is free to create or destroy titles, but the decision to do so must be ratified by the National Assembly.

Royalty refers exclusively to members of the House of Ananto. Only Royalty may hold the title
Emperor/Empress,
Prince/Princess,
Crown Prince/Crown Princess.
Prince/Princess Consort is the title of the Spouse of the Current Sovereign in the event that there is no co-rule.

Members of the Nobility include all those who are granted titles by the Sovereign. These titles are
King or Queen- To refer to Nations regarded by Kalistan as integral to Kalistan but which are currently not politically controlled by the Sovereign;
Grand Duke/Duchess- Refers to either the Administrator of the Grand Duchy of Kalistan or the Grand Duchy of Ananto. The Grand Duke/Duchess is the Sovereign's Viceroy in that Administrative region. The Sovereign usually takes the title of Grand Duke/Duchess of Ananto for themselves, while appointing a close confidant Grand Duke/Duchess of Kalistan, who becomes the Sovereign's chief personal advisor.
Duke/Duchess- Administrative Head of one of the Duchies of Kalistan. Can either be a Royal or a trusted associate.
Count/Countess- Administrative Head of one of the many Sub-Duchy administrative divisions. Is often promoted by Duke or Duchess as a close associate of theirs.
Marquee/Marquess- An Honorary title equivalent to Count that accompanies significant land and incurs a tax liability and an annual public service requirement, but no administrative functions
Grand Mayor- The Crown's Representative and executive officer in Free Cities across the Empire that hold a revocable veto over the action of city councils
Baron/Baroness- Usually an honorary title that accompanies a small parcel of Land and incurs a tax liability and annual public service requirement, but no administrative functions.
Lord/Lady- An Honorary Title that comes with no land or Tax Liability or explicit Administrative functions, but does incur an annual public service requirement The Service requirement is usually involved in Upper level Duchy and Imperial Bureaucratic Staffing. Also receives the purely ceremonial title of Baronet/Baronette.
Sir/Dame- An honorary title that comes with being Knighted by the Sovereign, in recognition of service to the Empire or a specific high level of Achievement in some matter that brings prestige to the Empire. Also receives the purely ceremonial title of Knight of the Empire.

All members of the Nobility are considered "Peers" of the Sovereign. All appointments to the Peerage are considered to be lifetime appointments which are not transferrable to heirs, with the exception of those titles claimed by the Sovereign, who can bestow the titles on anyone they wish. All Peers are entitled to sit in the Upper House of the National Assembly, and only Peers may receive membership in the Ancient Order of the Grey Smoke (though membership is not guaranteed with Peerage.)

Addressing the Emperor, Members of the Royal Family, and Members of the Nobility

Kalistan is very formal about addressing members of the Royalty and Nobility. These rules can trip up Kalistani Nationals and foreigners alike.

All members of Royalty, excepting the Sovereign, when being addressed directly must first be addressed as "Your Majesty". The Sovereign may never be addressed directly in public and when being spoken about, must be referred to as "His Imperial Majesty" or "Her Imperial Majesty" first and then "His Majesty" or "Her Majesty". When writing about the Sovereign, the full address "His Imperial Majesty" or "Her Imperial Majesty" and then the customary Name "Emperor/ Empress [Given Name] [Number] Ananto" must be used first, in all cases, and then the Short title "Emperor/Empress [Name]" may be used. The only exception to this role is for those who have either retired or abdicated royalty, and then in this case, they are referred to in the manner of Nobility. Spouses and Parents are the only citizens allowed to refer to the Name of the Sovereign in public without the formal title, though expressing too much intimacy should be done rarely, to ensure a proper Distance between the Sovereign and the People.

All Members of the Nobility are addressed as "Your Highness" first, and then "Sir" or "Madam" in every subsequent reference. Non-Royal Nobility may be referred to by their Title, their Title and first name, or their Title and last name. The Nobility are entitled to claim the Title as an additional non-hyphenated last name, for example, "Grand Duchess Marta Greene Kalistan" to note that Her Highness is the the Grand Duchess of Kalistan.

Rules for talking about the Sovereign do not merely cover when someone who is lower in social status addresses the Dread and Almighty Emperor or Empress of Ananto and Kalistan. They apply to all mortals, including the Sovereign themselves. After all, talking about yourself when you are the physical embodiment of the entire Anantonese Nation is not just about you.

The Sovereign may never, in public, at any formal or informal setting, refer to themselves in the first person singular. "I" or "me" is strictly forbidden in all public settings. The sovereign may only use a form of the first person plural, to signify that they are speaking for the whole People of Kalistan.

The only exception to this rule is when the sovereign has either retired from public life, is serving as a regent in the name of the actual sovereign, or is in private with members of their immediate family only. If commoners are present, they may never refer to themselves in the first person singular.

The only member of the Royal Family entitled to posses a last name that is unhyphenated is either a future, current, or former Sovereign. In this case, the last name Ananto acts as a title, as in Emperor Fredrick, when he is invested will be THE Ananto, rather than just AN Ananto.

Physical Contact

The Person of the Sovereign is explicitly off limits in Kalistan. It is not permitted in any way for anyone, with the exception of immediate family members, to physically interact with the Sovereign in any formal or public setting.

No physical contact is permitted between Commoners and non-Royal Nobility and the Sovereign. In informal settings, commoners must remain a reverent distance from the person of the Sovereign. This prohibition extends from the moment the Sovereign is invested with Imperial Power.

There are to be no public displays of personal contact between members of the Royal family and the Sovereign. Private physical contact is permissible. The only exception is at personal family events such as weddings and funerals.

In Formal Audience

An Audience is a formal affair where a person seeks to elicit a policy from the Sovereign and their Government. The appeal of the audience could be a call for action, or may be a plea for acknowledgment of diplomatic credentials, or anything in between. It is an official function of the Sovereign, and the strictest protocol is maintained during formal audiences.

When attending a formal audience with the Sovereign, no person, save the Chancellor of the Empire, may approach the Sovereign to an arm's distance of the Sovereign's Person. All other attendees must remain further than 15 feet from the Sovereign at all times.

While a bow or a curtsey is not expected, it is not prohibited to show deference to the Sovereign when in their court.

The Sovereign is always the first to be seated, and the first to stand in any instance when sitting is called for. The Chancellor of the Empire always invites the guests to be seated, and guests, once seated, are expected to remain seated until invited to stand by the Chancellor.

The Sovereign may meet with no foreign citizen without the presence of the Chancellor of the Empire being present. The person requesting the formal Audience may not address the Sovereign directly, but should direct all questions and responses to the Chancellor. The Sovereign may ask questions of the person seeking the Formal Audience.

No weapons are permitted into the presence of the Sovereign.

The Sovereign may compel the presence in Audience of any Kalistani Citizen. Ignoring a Summons to an Audience is equivalent to ignoring a subpoena and carries with it legal penalties.

In Informal Settings (Teas, Parties, Public Speaking Events, Public Cultural Events)

Being Invited to Tea is code for "The Sovereign wishes to meet in an informal setting." Green Tea and a light pastry is served at these events, and they usually involve more than one guest. The Sovereign will schedule these events to provide an opportunity for more unguarded conversation or to give individuals a neutral ground to discuss matters among themselves. Unlike an audience, an informal meeting does not require any action on the Part of the Sovereign or the Government of Kalistan. Other informal settings include parties, public events and cultural events, where the Sovereign may ask certain individuals to attend as the Sovereign's Guests, but in doing so, some business may also be carried on.

At a tea or similar informal meeting, most rules listed under an audience are more like suggestions. Proximity to the Sovereign is usually permitted. Attendees may hold conversations with the Sovereign directly, though rules about addressing the Sovereign, Royalty and Nobility and physical contact are still maintained even in an informal setting

The Chancellor is not required to be present at informal meetings.

Informal Meetings can be held for the benefit of the attendees. The Presence of the Sovereign in this case serves the roll of facilitator, rather than participant. In this case, it is likely that the Sovereign will remain silent while the meeting is going on between the attendee, but will be present, as the outcome likely interests Kalistan as well.

Informal meetings can be legitimately proposed simply for the purpose of socializing. There are so few opportunities for the Sovereign to simply "hang out" so to speak, that they may schedule a ball or a dinner or may attend a concert with friends for the sake of living a somewhat normal life.

The Sovereign may, at will, waive the strictest titling rules in an informal setting. They may never waive physical contact rules.

Ignoring an invitation by the Sovereign is considered bad form and a personal slight to the Sovereign. There are only social consequences to ignoring an invitation, but no legal implications.