The Chancellor has invited the Iron Duke to Regalia. This means that the following states have active ambassadorial presence in the capital of Regalia at time of posting: Duke Rikharr Maladetto Lampero I of Vultaro Ambassador Kassou Idawalé of the Songaskian Masaya Ambassador Virèlle Bellatronix Baroness of Montchère of the Ithanian Sovereignty Representative Kharat Ëssalmaan of the Sihndar Holds With the Melé-Pelé of the Imperial Court coming up, many of them seem willing to make an appearance. Word eventually does also reach the Imperial Court that the Peerage will be conveniently gathered for the next Regent election, noting that if House Sorenvik continues to maintain that they "have too many things to do in the city" -- to follow up on their obligations to Court life -- "That they should also have too many things to do in the city to have an opinion on the next Regent" - Effectively threatening with a political isolation if they refuse to make an appearance at the retreat. ((For other meetings with Ambassadors, DM me with a time and date and we can make an appointment)) Violante de Azcoissia and Rodrigo Peirgarten lead a group of emissaries to Daenshore and Hallonq to meet with the viscounts and inspect the defenses. They diagnose that indeed the bastion walls of Daenshore are very old, it is presumed hundreds of years old and many of the tops have weathered and moss and plants are growing from the top as much of the defensive structures were mothballed, no doubt to slush fund the money elsewhere. Meetings with the viscounts don't lead to much, though due to the presence of the Chancellor's wife, House Playero is denied entry to Daenshore, as the Viscount suspects them to try and cause more civil unrest, and the Viscount doesn't want to accidently cause a diplomatic issue. The Viscount seems unwilling to accidently offend Violante and by proxy the Chancellor Madelyne by seeming to condone the actions of House Playero. This results in the Playero order being bounced (which is a more elegant way of bouncing it than just saying "you lack the funds", it not possible to build and fund and staff medical clinics in a jungle without serious financial backing). Valarosta ino-Femunn travels with the Chancellor's contingent to the state of l'Elvellen to try and battle the rebellion. The rebellion is effectively brought to a stalemate, as each time Valarosta bags a win against a more formalized rebel army, another smaller one pops up in the vanguard or in another city. The Chancellor's contingent is clearly not enough to deal with the forces that are suspected to be funneled in by the Allorn Empire. Additionally, the Chancellor's Contingent's presence seems to annoy the Ithanian Sovereignty, with General Maxmillien de Boule-Buerre holding his armies standing within the Andois and Visois states, sometimes even within viewing distance of Valarosta lining up for battle, but refusing to reinforce or help. Florian Peirgarten and a team of sculptors produce a statue of Emperor Alexander to replace the one that was destroyed in the rebellion in l'Elvellen. It's pretty. Doesn't do much. Markus Delmotte travels to Ithania where he meets with the king to inquire about his occupation of Andois and Visois, to which the King clarifies that "Regalia is unable to excersize its own authority this far from the capital while it is busy blundering wars in the south, and so Ithania will take charge of defending its immediate neighbors as part of its increased sphere of influence". When inquired how Ithania would end the occupation and what Regalia should do, the King simply states "Regalia should validate the occupation and acknowledge the sphere of influence of Ithania over Andois, Visois, l'Elvellen and Minaal. The Ithanian army has meanwhile also occupied Sulèce, and the Salarian Duchy, which both simply opened the borders because their miniscule armies could not stand against Ithania. Tujia Viduggla represents the the Foreign Ministry to Nordskag where she meets with the King regarding the refugees. Nordskag indicates it does not need help, and is already planning to re-settle the Jorrhildr refugees in Hvitskag, or rather their occupied territories. They state they do not need any particular increased assistance, but are worried about the increasing hegemonic attitude of Ithania, and that eventually, there might be conflict between Ithania and Nordskag over the wars between them that were never settled in the past bar for Regalia simply strolling in and occupying both nations to prevent warfare as an unofficial cease-fire. Nordskag is unable to keep up with Ithania's population boom, Mages, and terrifying economic power that keeps increasing as one of the most peaceful and prosperous regions in the world. Abelhard Petrou is sent to Talamoor by the Foreign Minister, but he actually disobeys that order and goes to Talath instead, offering an increase in standing garrison from the Regalian state. Talat happily agrees, and the budgetary strain of the garrison is added to the finances of the Empire. They indicate no other additional needs bar wanting peace. Talisin Oruisin tries to get into the Allorn Empire, masquerading as Allorn loyalists with Ailor slaves, however they make the critical mistake of going going Sol Fazais, which as a Regalian loyal state has some of the most tightly controlled border states with the Allorn Empire, as the Allorn Empire suspects that Regalia will send saboteurs and spies through Sol Fazais already. They don't make it very far before they are caught by the Allorn Moon Society, and imprisoned at a border outpost where they are questioned for days. There is even a consideration to just sell Surlegtei on the market somewhere, a fate that would no doubt have him disappear into the byzantine slavery system of the Allorn Empire, but the group is miraculously saved by the Sol of Fazais who intervenes as a mediator to try and bargain for their release. On the way out, they can however see a few Cielothar villages close to the border, completely abandoned, their windmills that would normally never cease moving, dismantled, and the houses looking more like soldier barracks than actual houses. The Allorn Empire has seemingly started militarizing the border with Sol Fazais, and the group is sent back to Regalia with the request from the Sol not to try a stunt like that again and cause a border incident with a hostile nation. Haeddi van Hal and Cro-Maanx travel to Hadar to meet with the Qar-Digmaan. After an exchange of goods, the Qar-Digmaan speaks to Cro-Maanx and Haeddi Harhold (who presents him a painting of her homeland, also the County seat of Hengest Harhold to whom Cro-Zzhin was endeared) that the political situation in Hadar has become very complicated since the recent losses against the Sendrassians. While the Qar-Digmaan tries to posture to the Regalian Empire, internally many of the Digmaan have stopped obeying his orders and started carving out their own spheres of influence as the local population started losing faith in the Qar-Digmaan for putting so much stock into Regalian loyalty. While the Qar-Digmaan still controls East Hadar, West Hadar has effectively become autonomous from him, made worse by Sassrakkand involvement in the seduction of the local Digmaans into independent mindsets. Some influence remains over the northern states, but the Qar-Digmaan's personal loyalty base is shrinking. The group then ventures on to Zzonzeer to track the source of the blight, and are indeed able to confirm that the blight originated from Zzonzeer as produce brought back by Regalian soldiers. The Blight however is completely not affecting anything in Zzonzeer or indeed the extended Hadar region, and the Soor-Rassa-Allar says they have no record of a blight in their lands or any idea of how to solve it. One representative does travel back with the two however, promising to help do experiments in the archipelago with them. Vyzal's slaves that were hijacked by Biriq son of Keded are shipped off to the Asha lands where the slaves are integrated as free citizens. Following the removal of the slaves intended for Telarel's lands, Telarel's lesser nobles petition the government to act against slavery piracy, by adopting a government directive that anyone caught stealing or freeing slaves, even in anti-slave regions of the Empire, should be treated as a capital criminal pirate, and be put to death. Zhu Fen'ha Te sells of his spring bazaar finances to the Hadravyan kingdom, managing to set up a small office building in the capital with the profits.
