Rauchen

I object to being the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Maybe something more like the Teutonic Order or Duchy of Prussia. Otherwise, very nice.

[quote][u][b][center][size="5"]Withdrawal Complete[/size][/b][/u][/center] [center][img]http://www.welt.de/multimedia/archive/01074/jm_bundeswehr_BM_B_1074742p.jpg[/img] [size="1"][i]Prussian soldiers lined up for roll call prior to departure from Kalmar City[/i][/size] [/center] The Prussian forces formerly stationed in Greater Yarmouth, Kalmar, and Gotland have now completed their withdrawal from those regions with the departure of the last companies from Kalmar. Generalmajor Tyr Bernat oversaw the tail end of the Kalmar withdrawal, having been reassigned from command of the Yarmouth detachment after organizing the conveyance of authority to Irish civilian and military officials. The general had delayed the extraction of the forces stationed in Kalmar as a precaution against resurgence by the Swedish fascist factions, but this week gave the go-ahead for the last 500 men stationed in Kalmar to return to Prussia. When asked for his views on Prussia’s abandonment of its overseas holdings, Bernat simply said, “It was a political decision. I am a soldier, so I leave politics to politicians.” The general refused to answer any more questions, instead suggesting that reporters “go find something more interesting to do.” A force of 50 Prussian soldiers will remain on the primarily German island of Farö, northeast of Gotland, and another 75 will be stationed in the township of Farösund, just across the strait from the island. These two areas have a combined population of roughly 7,000 people, 6,400 of which are Prussians, and the territory will be administered directly by the King as the Farö District. The population of the district is expected to increase slightly because of Prussian citizens migrating from Gotland and Kalmar.[/quote]

Green energy now provides 75% of Prussia's energy demand, the environment is preserved because of reliance on industrial hemp for various needs rather than deforestation and mining, and the Prussian government only gets involved in the day-to-day lives of its people if a crime is committed. Live and let live. $%&@ yeah I'd live in Prussia.

Can you mark the borough of Yarmouth, that Prussian exclave in England, as part of Ireland as per [url="http://forums.cybernations.net/index.php?showtopic=107039&view=findpost&p=2880117"]this agreement?[/url] Thanks.

Tolkien put his signature on the document and returned it to the folder and had his secretary create a copy of the treaty for the Irish diplomat. OOC: Can you post your sigs?

Can you please relabel Kurland as Prussia?

[quote][center][u][b][size="5"]Third Election Results[/size][/b][/u][/center] The third nation-wide elections were held on schedule this week; all votes have been counted and results have been announced. The shifts in power have largely met expectations, though the new Prussian parties have been far more successful than expected. The Nationalists and Democrats have, for the most part, maintained their strong standing in both national and local government, but the Nationalists failed to seize any new seats in the expanded Diet, and will still have 28 sitting members. The Democrats, on the other hand, took seven seats, bringing their party total to 23. The Nationalists managed to maintain the countships in Kurland and Harrien, but lost Ösel to the Monarchists. The Monarchists have emerged as the stronger of the two new Prussian parties, seizing 23 seats in the Diet not only in Preußen, but throughout Kurland. The PMP also succeeded in breaking into the local governments of Kurland, Livland, Memelgebiet, and Ösel, while dominating Preußen. Their allies, the Meritocrats, won seats scattered across Kurland, and effectively controls the government of Memelgebiet, as was predicted. The KMU will hold 13 seats in the Diet. Surprisingly, the NRP and FPO, who were expected to at least maintain their presence in the Diet, were pushed off to the side by the PMP and KMU, and the Orthodox Church has almost been utterly removed from Kurlandic politics, clinging on to only one seat in the Diet, which they only won by a margin of 1.3%. [/quote] The results of the legislative and local elections are broken down by county. [size="4"][u][b]County of Kurland[/b][/u][/size] [u][i]Legislature Seats[/i][/u] 15 Delegates Nationalist Party of Kurland: 6 Democratic People's Party: 4 Prussian Monarchist Party: 4 Nordlandic Revivalist Party: 2 [i][u]Local Government[/u][/i] Graf: Sverrir N. Hall (NPK- 37%) Council (7 Members): 2 NPK, 2 DPP, 1 PMP, 1 KMU, 1 NRP [size="4"][u][b]County of Livland[/b][/u][/size] [u][i]Legislature Seats[/i][/u] 30 Delegates Nationalist Party of Kurland: 11 Democratic People's Party: 11 Prussian Monarchist Party: 3 Nordlandic Revivalist Party: 2 Kurlandic Meritocracy Union: 1 Free Peoples' Organization: 1 Independents: 1 [u][i]Local Government[/i][/u] Graf: Gundahar C. Ritter (DPP- 42%) Council (17 Members): 8 DPP, 5 NPK, 2 PMP, 1 FPO, 1 Ind. [size="4"][u][b]County of Harrien[/b][/u][/size] [i][u]Legislature Seats[/u][/i] 24 Delegates Democratic People's Party: 7 Nationalist Party of Kurland: 6 Kurlandic Meritocracy Union: 3 Free Peoples' Organization: 2 Nordlandic Revivalist Party: 2 Kurlandic Orthodox Church: 1 Independents: 3 [u][i]Local Government[/i][/u] Graf: Friedrich O. Ingersleben (NPK- 34%) Council (11 Members): 4 DPP, 3 NPK, 2 KMU, 2 Independents [size="4"][u][b]County of Ösel[/b][/u][/size] [i][u]Legislature Seats[/u][/i] 5 Delegates Prussian Monarchist Party: 2 Nationalist Party of Kurland: 1 Kurlandic Meritocracy Union: 1 Nordlandic Revivalist Party: 1 [u][i]Local Government[/i][/u] Graf: Eyvindr C. Vann (PMP- 47%) Council (3 Members): 1 PMP, 1 NPK, 1 KMU [size="4"][u][b]County of Memelgebiet[/b][/u][/size] 6 Delegates Kurlandic Meritocracy Union: 4 Prussian Monarchist Party: 1 Democratic People's Party: 1 [u][i]Local Government[/i][/u] Graf: Kasimir R. Förstner (KMU- 61%) Council (5 Members): 4 KMU, 1 PMP [size="4"][u][b]County of Preußen[/b][/u][/size] [u][i]Legislature Seats[/i][/u] 20 Delegates Prussian Monarchist Party: 15 Kurlandic Meritocracy Union: 4 Nationalist Party of Kurland: 1 [u][i]Local Government[/i][/u] Graf: Faramnund W. Adenauer (PMP- 88%) Council (11 Members): 8 PMP, 3 KMU [u][b]Legislation[/b][/u] LM-41 [i]National Heritage Act[/i] Summary: A motion to officially change our national name to the Kingdom of Prussia. All aspects of government remain unchanged, but the National Diet of Kurland will be known as the Prussian Reichstag and the flag will be changed to the old Prussian banner. For: 90 Against: 4 Abstain: 6 Approved by King [color="#008000"]PASSED[/color]

[i]Classified[/i] Alaric strolled across the grounds of the Königsberg Cathedral, admiring the old Gothic architecture and pristine condition of both the edifice and the grounds. It was midafternoon, and the position of the sun caused the gilded plates around the windows to gleam. With the decline of traditional Christianity in the Baltic regions, the number of guests visiting for religious reasons had greatly decreased, and traffic was slow on Saturdays anyway. A small group of Lutheran priests had been maintaining the building and grounds for ten years, and Alaric had to applaud their results. The cathedral still looked as it had when it had first been restored by the Russians in 1994. Königsberg, as the historic capital of the state of Prussia, had received a constant stream of tourism while under Germanic control, and income from tourism continued to flow when Kurland took control of the city. As was the case with most of the territory ceded by Germany, the transition had been simple, peaceful, and easy, for the most part. The Kurlandic National Police Department had established branches in the new counties, and the ranks had been primarily filled by local volunteers and former German police, but some of the higher ranked officers had been transferred there from Kalmar and Gotland. Transitional governance had been primarily in the hands of former Germanic officials, with only a few Kurlandic bureaucrats being sent to help reform the county government from the Germanic to the Kurlandic style without disrupting the day-to-day life of the Prussians. The region had been consolidated into two separate counties, Preußen and Memelgebiet, both currently governed by former Germanic state officials. It was unavoidable that Prussia would bring with it Germanic influences, both social and political. The Kurlandic Meritocratic Union had been formed, headquartered in Memel, while a Prussian Monarchist Party had sprung up in Königsberg itself. The Monarchists, who appeared to be the stronger of the two, advocated centralization of power to the monarchy and even a return to the old Prussian hereditary monarchy rather than the existing elective one. The Meritocrats were supporters of the elective monarchy, but some members did voice support for a hereditary government. But rather than centralizing to the monarch, Kurland should assign positions in the government to citizens based on their individual qualities and achievements. Both of the new parties wanted Kurland to assume the hallowed name of the Kingdom of Prussia, and that train of thought had caught on throughout the country. It was getting to the point where there was little excuse not to begin the election of legislators and governors in the new territories. The local governments had been completely restructured to the Kurlandic style, and the vast majority of residents had been naturalized and registered for voting. The Diet merely had to pass a bill recognizing Preußen and Memelgebiet as Counties of Kurland, and part of the bill would also reform the county lines; certain counties had been cooperating so frequently that their governments were becoming increasingly unified, so Chancellor Konstantin Tolkien had proposed consolidating them to the Diet, and the idea had the support of plenty of DPP and NPK members, and a recently-held plebiscite had shown that most Kurlanders in the affected provinces had little problem with redrawing county lines. Alaric had spent the last week in Königsberg and Memel meeting with various community and political leaders in the new counties, hoping to begin the relationship with the new local governments on even more favorable grounds. He was generally supported by the Monarchists and Meritocrats, but it never hurt to let one’s allies know how appreciated they were. He had just come from a meeting with Faramund Wulf Adenauer, the Chairman of the Prussian Monarchist Party, and a likely contender for the coveted position of Graf of Preußen. The king’s refusal to align himself with any political party seemed to have made the meeting easier, allowing Adenauer to view him as an independent leader rather than the pawn of some party. The fact that the PMP’s chairman was one of the few liberals in the typically center-right party led to the two politicians hitting it off, and by the time Alaric left, there was little doubt that he had the near-full support of the Monarchists. When they had parted company, Adenauer had left the king with one bit of advice: “Keep your eye on the Church,” he’d said, referring to the highly-political Kurlandic Orthodox Church. “They’re losing what little influence they had in the nation and the region, and they’re bound to be getting desperate. Beware the desperate man who speaks to invisible people in the sky.” Alaric had merely laughed, dismissing it as the typical Germanic bias against organized Christianity, but he had to admit that the clergymen in the Diet had been more vocal during sessions, loudly voicing their extremist positions despite having almost no support from other parties or even many people. They’d also been increasingly aggressive towards members of the NPK and DPP, which didn’t seem wise, considering they were the two strongest parties in the Diet. This was his last day in Königsberg, Alaric noted lazily, watching leaves fall from a nearby oak tree. Tomorrow he’d head to Memel to meet with the Meritocratic Party’s leading members, and soon after that, he would return to Riga. *Public* [quote][u][b][center][size="5"]County Lines Redrawn, Elections to Be Held[/size][/center][/b][/u] The Diet is voting on a motion introduced by Chancellor Konstantin Tolkien that would consolidate certain states into more unified bodies, and formally integrate the western lands ceded by Germany as Kurlandic Counties. Elections are to be held in the two new counties of Preußen and Memelgebiet, and are expected to be dominated by the two locally-formed parties, the Kurlandic Meritocratic Union and the Prussian Monarchist Party, each led by former Germanic leaders and citizens, but also comprising of some northern Kurlanders. Due to the numerous administrative changes the government has undergone, elections will be held for the entire Diet. The KMU, led by Eirikr Anzo Winther, a former Germanic army officer, is a centrist party that advocates the appointment of government officials based on their individual attainments and talents. The Meritocrats favor a centralized government revolving around the monarch and a council made up of the most proficient and accomplished men and women in Kurland, who would be appointed by the monarch. The KMU, however, still supports allowing the Diet the power to impeach the monarch and councilors, in the event that the public demands such. The party favors corporate regulation, but wants to lower the current tax rates on the wealthy. They want to increase funding to the military and apply meritocratic ideas to training and organization, rewarding the most skilled rather than the most well-connected. Several leading members, including Chairman Winther, favor adopting the historic name of Kingdom of Prussia, while maintaining the elective monarchy. The KMU has indicated that it supports close relations with Sweden, Germany, and Norway-Denmark and courteous relations with Finland and Slavorussia. Chairman Winther stated in a press conference that the KMU is open to the idea of relations with Ireland and Canada. The PMP, as its name suggests, also supports renaming Kurland to Prussia, in the process moving the capital from Riga to Königsberg. Headed by Dietmar Cenric Teufel, a former German statesman, they support a meritocratic absolute monarchy, with few constraints on the power of the monarch and a small ruling council, composed of experienced individuals appointed by the monarch. They also support changing the Succession from elective to hereditary, though they have not indicated whether they support King Alaric I von Ösel’s bloodline, the Hohenzollerns of old, or a different family. The PMP leans to the right, preferring not only a more hands-off approach to the economy, but also higher taxes on the wealthy. The majority of its members favor treaties with other Nordic nations- Sweden, Germany, and Norway- as well as Ireland and Canada. The NPK, DPP, FPO, and NRP have a small amount of influence in the new territory, while the Kurlandic Orthodox Church has been utterly unable to break in due to the lack of local Christians. The elections are scheduled to begin within the week. Due to explosive population growth and territorial shifts, there will now be 100 seats in the Diet, plus the Chancellor.[/quote] [u][b]Legislation[/b][/u] LM-39 [i]Prussian Integration Act[/i] Summary: A motion recognizing that the Counties of Preußen and Memelgebiet have successfully completed the transitional phase into Kurlandic rule. Elections for Graf and local councils are to be held within no more than two weeks. For: 62 Against: 0 Abstain: 3 LM-40 [i]County Reform Act[/i] Summary: A motion to combine the provinces of Kreis Dorpat, Kreis Pernau, Jewe, and Harrien into the County of Harrien; combine Kurland and Semgallen into the County of Kurland; combine Livland and Lettgallen into the County of Livland. The county governments will be merged, and disputed positions will be decided by election. For: 47 Against: 12 Abstain: 6

OOC: It's cool. IC: "Understandable," Tolkien nodded, pulling one of the sheets of paper towards him. He scratched out a few lines of typing on it and pushed it towards the Irishman. "I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of preparing a rough draft beforehand in the event that you accepted my offer. I've removed the trade clause from it, but I believe the rest should be in order." [quote][center][b][u][size="5"]The Reval Agreement[/size][/u][/b][/center] Preamble In the spirit of friendship and regional prosperity, the Kingdom of Kurland and Republic of Ireland hereby enter into a pact of economic and military cooperation. Article I. Friendship The undersigned nations agree to maintain cordial relations in all situations. Neither state will engage in activity that will be in any way detrimental to the other’s security. Kurland and Ireland also agree to share any information that could impact the security of the opposite signatory. Article II. Mutual Defense The signatories of this treaty hereby agree to defend their counterpart in the event that an aggressive war is declared against one of the participants. This clause does not apply to wars being declared on a signatory as a result of their involvement in a pre-existing conflict; in this event, intervention becomes optional. Article III. Greater Yarmouth Kurland hereby agrees to withdraw all military and civilian personnel from the Greater Yarmouth borough over a period of one month (IC). Authority over the region will be transferred to Irish officials by the end of this time frame. Article IV. Cancellation Should either signatory feel that this pact is no longer an accurate representation of their mutual relations, they may cancel it at any time. A signatory seeking to cancel the treaty must first deliver 72 hours (RL time) notice to the other nation. This treaty will remain active throughout this cancellation period. Cancellation will not reverse Article III. Signed for the Kingdom of Kurland, [i]Alaric I von Ösel[/i] King of Kurland [i]Konstantin Tolkien[/i] Chancellor [i]Approved by the National Diet[/i] Signed for the Republic of Ireland, [i]James Price, President of Ireland [/i] [/quote]

"The Kingdom of Kurland extends full recognition to the state of Canada." -Ludvig Mikaelsson Foreign Minister

[quote][size="5"][u][b][center]Withdrawal Halted[/center][/b][/u][/size] The Kurlandic military withdrawal from the former counties of Kalmar and Gotland was put on hold this week as a result of civil discord within the Swedish realm. Since the Treaty of Riga signed last week, the Kurlandic administration and military have been transitioning control of the territories to Sweden's government and armed forces. With the abolishment of the monarchy and the state of violence in the rest of Sweden, King Alaric I, Defense Minister Sigifrid Protz, and Generalfeldmarschall Emelrich von Reval have determined that the Swedish nation is in no position to assert authority over their new territories at this time, and the king has issued a declaration extending the Kurlandic presence in Kalmar and Gotland for the duration of the Swedish civil conflict. Under this extension, the Kurlandic Heer will remain in possession of military stations throughout the two provinces, including bases and ports, both of which will remain open to Swedish governmental forces for resupply and stationing. The Kurlandic National Police Department branches that have long been established in the two provinces will maintain the role of civilian law enforcement. The People's Union of Sweden has agreed to allow Kurlandic forces to remain in the provinces for the time being. "I remain hopeful that Kalmar and Gotland, being removed from Swedish politics, will be spared from the conflict engulfing most of Sweden," King Alaric said in a press conference today. "However, I cannot in good conscience abandon fellow Kurlanders when the possibility exists that the violence will spread to these provinces. The KNPD and Army will remain in place for the protection of Kurlandic and Swedish citizens in the two provinces until such a time that the People's Union can assert effective control over them. In the meantime, the Army will hold the Kalmar borders to prevent rebels from smuggling arms into or out of the province. Swedish government forces will, of course, not be impeded." Administrative transitions will not be halted, but they are expected to slow until southern Sweden and Stockholm are secured and Sweden can send the proper officials to oversee and expediate the transitional period. Until then, a bare minimum of Kurlandic bureaucrats will remain in the provinces to continue to provide services for the people, though much of the funding will come from charity organizations, as Kurlandic officials will not be able to extract taxes from the populace.[/quote]

"Given that the transition was sponsored by the previous regime, and the current one is at least partially made up of members of the abolished monarchy, the Kingdom of Kurland extends its recognition to the People's Union of Sweden, and will operate under the assumption that the Treaty of Riga is still active. However, given the current instability of the Swedish nation, I am concerned for the welfare of the Kurlandic citizens on Kalmar and Gotland. As these provinces are both recent additions to the Swedish nation, and are more in tune with Kurlandic rather than Swedish politics, I doubt that violence will spread on its own accord there, but there is no guarantee that an action by one of the beligerents in this civil conflict won't damage local stability. As such, we are temporarily halting the Kurlandic withdrawal from these two counties for the duration of Sweden's civil strife. Our military forces will remain out of civilian law enforcement, but the KNPD branches previously established in the region will continue to maintain order as they have throughout the transition. When all is said and done, we will withdraw fully from Gotland and Kalmar in accordance with our agreement." -Alaric I von Ösel King of Kurland

I actually support this idea. TBM makes some sound points, and let's face it, the CNRP-ized Fantasy RP section can easily discourage character RPers. Some folks aren't interested in politics and the like, and just want to come on, create a character, and engage in various shenanigans with likeminded RPers. Imagine you're one of those people on your first visit to the Open National RP section, naive little mind full of ideas of elaborate plots and backstabs. You open up the "IC" section and how would you react? Probably confusion. At most times of the year, you have to dig through a couple dozen nation RPs just to find a character one, and 9 times out of 10, these are closed RPs. [quote name='Triyun' timestamp='1323375841' post='2869510'] I'm unclear, would this be a completely seperate universe, or would this be just a sub forum where you do character RPs with the same chars while in this current sub forum I keep going Napoleon. Personally the way I view CN RP is like Star Wars books for those who have read them. You focus on a few characters as the main ones, but as a back drop great political and military struggles amongst Great Powers on a major scale take place. I think that makes for the most interesting RP. I think people should be willing to open their nations to character RPs (within reason and not abuse by the character RPer) should someone wish to do that. In my opinion the big thing that has to happen is that people have to interact with one another and create bigger stories. We need less sim city, but we also need a lot more reasons for characters to interact. [/quote] Hell, that could work, actually. I'd be willing to open up my nation for that sort of RP, with certain restrictions, of course. For example, other RPers still can't use politicians, military, or intelligence characters from the host nation, obviously. And common courtesy dictates that you should approach your host about the RP first, and on a similar note, the host nation should be openminded. Unless the RP could derail the host's own national RP, then there's no real reason to refuse it.

Recolor Kalmar and Gotland as part of Sweden, excepting the island of Faro northeast of Gotland, please. Related RP is [url="http://forums.cybernations.net/index.php?showtopic=107017"]here.[/url]

"Excellent!" Alaric exclaimed. "I will have this sent through the Diet today." He raised his voice. "Oberst Weiman!" One of the two Raiders outside opened the door. "Yes, [i]meinen König?[/i]" he inquired. Alaric folded the rough draft and sealed it in an envelope. "Take this to Chancellor Tolkien at the Diet building. Or send the major." "[i]Jawohl,[/i]" Weiman said, taking the letter, saluting, and marching back out the door, where he would promptly hand the letter over to his subordinate, Major Kästner, who reluctantly departed. The king turned back to his guests. "If you have the time, you can wait until this is formalized and sign it here and today. But it may be a few hours, and it is a beautiful day out. Allow me to show you around our humble capital..." The treaty would be copied and sent to the Diet just a block away, where Chancellor Tolkien would take charge of the Diet long enough to present and push approval through. Within two hours, the treaty had been formalized, and the final draft sent to Alaric, Mikaelsson, Tolkien, and the Swedish officials. Alaric entertained his guests with a brief tour of Riga while the agreement was reviewed, taking them to the old Livonian Order castle, the Riga Cathedral St. Peter's Church, and the [i]Wöhrmanns Garten[/i], and had them returned to the palace to sign the final draft. [quote] [center][i][u][size="6"]Treaty of Riga[/size][/u][/i][/center] Preamble In the spirit of friendship and regional prosperity, the Kingdoms of Kurland and Sweden hereby enter into a pact of economic and military cooperation. Article I. Friendship The undersigned nations agree to maintain cordial relations in all situations. Neither state will engage in activity that will be in any way detrimental to the other’s security. Kurland and Sweden also agree to share any information that could impact the security of the opposite signatory. Article II. Trade Kurland and Sweden agree to promote trade between one another, and will reduce or remove restrictions on that trade. Article III. Mutual Defense The signatories of this treaty hereby agree to defend their counterpart in the event that an aggressive war is declared against one of the participants. This clause does not apply to wars being declared on a signatory as a result of their involvement in a pre-existing conflict; in this event, intervention becomes optional. Article IV. Military Access Kurland and Sweden both agree to allow the air and naval forces of the other signatory free access to ports and air bases. Positioning ground forces in the other partner’s territory still requires prior consent by their respective governments. Article V. Kalmar and Gotland Kurland hereby agrees to cede control of the Counties of Kalmar and Gotland, excluding the island of Fårö and the township of Fårösund, to Sweden. In return, Sweden promises to allow all residents of Kalmar and Gotland dual citizenship. The transition will be completed over a period of two months (RP time). Article VI. Cancellation Should either signatory feel that this pact is no longer an accurate representation of their mutual relations, they may cancel it at any time. A signatory seeking to cancel the treaty must first deliver 72 hours (RL time) notice to the other nation. This treaty will remain active throughout this cancellation period. Cancellation will not reverse Article V. Signed for the Kingdom of Kurland, [i]Alaric I von Ösel[/i] King of Kurland [i]Konstantin Tolkien[/i] Chancellor [i]Ludvig Mikaelsson[/i] Foreign Minister [i]Approved by the 2nd Kurlandic Diet[/i] Signed for the Kingdom of Sweden, [i]Caroline of Bernadotte Queen of Sweden Christian Nyquist Minister of International Affairs and Trade Leading Foreign Representative of the Swedish Parliament[/i] [/quote] Shortly after, Alaric apologetically excused himself to return to other matters of state, and Mikaelsson escorted the Swedes back to the airport, where they would find their transport refueled by Kurlandic ground crews and prepared for takeoff whenever they were ready.

"Of course. I took the liberty of preparing a rough draft before this meeting," Mikaelsson said, taking a sheet of paper and a pen from a drawer on the table. "I just need to write up the military access clause." The foreign minister scribbled quietly for a couple of minutes, then handed it to Nyquist. "If you find this agreeable, we can formalize it and sign it this very day." [quote] [center][i][u][b][size="6"]Treaty of Riga[/size][/b][/u][/i][/center] Preamble In the spirit of friendship and regional prosperity, the Kingdoms of Kurland and Sweden hereby enter into a pact of economic and military cooperation. Article I. Friendship The undersigned nations agree to maintain cordial relations in all situations. Neither state will engage in activity that will be in any way detrimental to the other’s security. Kurland and Sweden also agree to share any information that could impact the security of the opposite signatory. Article II. Trade Kurland and Sweden agree to promote trade between one another, and will reduce or remove restrictions on that trade. Article III. Mutual Defense The signatories of this treaty hereby agree to defend their counterpart in the event that an aggressive war is declared against one of the participants. This clause does not apply to wars being declared on a signatory as a result of their involvement in a pre-existing conflict; in this event, intervention becomes optional. Article IV. Military Access Kurland and Sweden both agree to allow the air and naval forces of the other signatory free access to ports and air bases. Positioning ground forces in the other partner’s territory still requires prior consent by their respective governments. Article V. Kalmar and Gotland Kurland hereby agrees to cede control of the Counties of Kalmar and Gotland, excluding the island of Fårö and the township of Fårösund, to Sweden. In return, Sweden promises to allow all residents of Kalmar and Gotland dual citizenship. The transition will be completed over a period of two months (RP time). Article VI. Cancellation Should either signatory feel that this pact is no longer an accurate representation of their mutual relations, they may cancel it at any time. A signatory seeking to cancel the treaty must first deliver 72 hours (RL time) notice to the other nation. This treaty will remain active throughout this cancellation period. Cancellation will not reverse Article V. Signed for the Kingdom of Kurland, Signed for the Kingdom of Sweden, [/quote]

"The change came as a result of popular demand," Tolkien replied, leaning back in his chair and watching the diplomat evenly. "When the Nordlandic Revivalist Party brought up a bill to divert more spending to building up Yarmouth, 64% of Kurlandic voters called their representatives in opposition of the bill, so it died in the Diet. Since then, the Democratic People's Party has been on a hot streak, rallying popular support around a bill to cut military spending and withdraw from Yarmouth. At least half of the Nationalist Party has jumped aboard the plan simply to avoid losing their seats." The chancellor grinned bemusedly. "Politics, eh? For this deal, I propose that Kurland and Ireland sign a mutual defense agreement, and perhaps a clause prioritizing trade between our nations. As previously stated, we will also withdraw from the Yarmouth in this deal."

Alaric polished off the last of his drink as he listened to Nyquist. "I have no qualms about granting that access, so long as it is reciprocated by Sweden. I have nothing further to put forward. Is there anything else you'd like to talk over before we draft the agreement?"

"That would be very agreeable," Alaric said, taking another sip from his glass. "That settled, let's turn our attention towards Kalmar and Gotland. Recently, a protest has swept over the county of Kalmar, requesting reunification with the Swedish nation. I have no interest in maintaining an empire of reluctance, and I will not deny my constituents what they seek. However, a significant number of Kurlanders have migrated to Gotland and Kalmar since their integration to take advantages of new opportunities in green energy and automobiles. Roughly 13% of the population of Gotland is now Kurlandic Germans, and so is 5% of the population of Kalmar. That's about 20,000 in Gotland and 14,000 in Kalmar. Those on Gotland are particularly opposed to reintegration with Sweden. The German population is centered primarily around the Fårö island to the northwest of Gotland, where they form the local majority, but a significant number of them also populate Visby. Therefore, I propose that Kurland transfers control of Kalmar and Gotland to Sweden, excluding the island of Fårö. I would also request that Sweden allow those Germans who remain in their area of control dual citizenship in both of our countries, and that you allow those Swedes who currently hold Kurlandic citizenship to maintain that status. Would this be acceptable?"

"The Kingdom of [s]Sweden[/s] [s]New Portugal[/s] Kurland hereby welcomes and extends recognition to the Northern Imperium."

Just as Caroline spoke, Alaric's secretary opened the door, bearing a tray laden with a water pitcher, several liquor bottles, and four glasses. She set them on the table and turned to leave without saying anything. "[i]Danke[/i], Alexia," Alaric called as the door swung shut behind her. He gestured for his guests to help themselves and poured himself a small glass of Jägermeister as he listened to Nyquist. "It is our responsiblity," he said, taking a sip from his glass, "to step up and maintain the security of the Baltic, in the wake of Germania's collapse. Their position as a cornerstone of Baltic stability could very well jeopardize the region to influence from exterior forces. I don't place much faith in Greater Germany's ability to fill this void on account of their own extensive coastlines and borders, and I'd much rather have more...localized powers involved in any coordinated efforts." "I think," Mikaelsson piped up while stirring a vodka and Sprite, "that the failed Nordic Council had a fairly agreeable basis. Regional security, economic cooperation, and defensive reassurances, all wrapped up in one neat, albeit unsuccessful, package. Considering that this is only a bilateral meeting rather than a multilateral bloc conference, I think a defense pact, with economic clauses, will work well."

"Domestically, Kurland's economy has been growing steadily since its birth, and the integration of Prussia since the fall of the Germanic Union has given us a considerable boost in our industrial base," Alaric said. "However, our trade relations abroad are limited almost entirely to Norway and Slavorussia- one of the negative points of the Germanic collapse. They were our primary trading partner, you see. We've been looking to expand foreign trade recently, as the loss of the huge German markets has really begun to hurt our manufacturers." "I can't say that I share your concerns about Norway," Mikaelsson told Nyquist. "I'm confident the Norwegian Worker's Party will be as competent in their administration of Norway as their predecessor. But I can understand the Finnish concerns. The Defense Ministry indicated high levels of Finnish activity near our coasts and across the Gulf of Finland that only recently died down. Considering the new Finnish government has made no effort to make diplomatic contact with us, we are extremely wary of their intentions." The procession passed the National Diet building, where a trickle of legislators were dispersing for a late lunch break. They arrived at the palace, just a block away from the Diet, and the two Raiders assigned to the limo once again got out to hold open the doors. Two more that were stationed outside the palace did likewise with the ornate double doors. The two Swedish [i]Livgardet[/i] officers were allowed to accompany the dignitaries inside, but the rest of the Raiders from the convoy, aside from the SUVs' drivers, scattered to their preassigned posts. "Welcome to my home," Alaric said sweeping his arm about as they crossed the threshold. "Not nearly as glamorous as the famous Kadriorg Palace in Reval, but I, unlike the Czars of old, had this place constructed from my personal funding and optional donations rather than the treasury. It wouldn't do to spend the taxpayers' money on excessive luxuries." Minister Mikaelsson now led them up the stairway to the second floor of the palace and led them down a side hallway to one of the palace's two conference rooms. This one, the smaller of the two, was furnished with a conference table, ten comfortable office chairs, a bookshelf, and a slide projector that was gathering dust. Alaric dismissed the two Raider officers to wait outside and respectfully requested that the [i]Livgardet[/i] joined them as he and Mikaelsson walked around the table to occupy two chairs at the middle of the table, facing the door. "So, Caroline and Herr Nyquist, what is it you would like to discuss first?"

"We can speak in the conference room," Tolkien said, gesturing towards a door off to the right of the stairwell. He led the diplomat into the room, dismissed the Ministry employee, and left his two SEK guards by the door. Closing the door behind him, the chancellor turned to the Irishman and clasped his hands together. "So, to business," he said briskly. He strolled over to a seat at the conference table and took out a thin folder. "As you may already know, Kurland initially acquired the Yarmouth region after the Anglo-Germanic War. We have used it as a base for a portion of our air force, and had intended to use it as a naval base in the future. However, recent changes in the European geopolitical situation have also led to shifts in opinion in the Diet. We have determined that Kurland does not have the need to build and maintain a large military base in England at present. With your recent acquisition of England, it goes without saying that you have developed an interest in Yarmouth as well." He smiled slightly. "And you do appear to be eager to discuss it." Tolkien took a few sheets of paper out of the folder and continued, "My reason for mentioning the Yarmouth region in my message was to discuss the possibility of transferring it to Irish control, at long last uniting the British Isles under one banner. At the same time, I'd like to foster strong, positive relations between our realms. I would assume that is of interest to you as well, else we wouldn't be here together. Our offer will take care of both of these points." He indicated the papers in his hand. "We propose an alliance between Ireland and Kurland, and as part of the pact, we would transfer Yarmouth to Ireland over a period of one month."

The Irish diplomat would be received at Reval International Airport by an employee of the Foreign Ministry, who would escort him to Kadriorg Palace. Chancellor Tolkien was awaiting his arrival in the entrance hall of the palace. "Greetings, honored guest. Welcome to Kurland. How was your journey?"

"I simply wanted the pleasure of welcoming my honored guests to my country personally," Alaric replied. He gestured towards the limousine. "Shall we get underway? There is extra room in either of the SUVs for your escorts." He led the small group of diplomats and guards back to the convoy. The two Raiders assigned to the limo held the back passenger doors open for the statesmen before returning to their seats up front. Alaric and Mikaelsson took the two seats closest to the back of the limo. "So, Your Highness,- may I call you Carolin?- I understand that Sweden has been experiencing an economic rejuvenation," Alaric said as the procession began to move. "I'd expected nothing less. The Swedish people have proven resilient in standing strong through worse."