Background: When taking into account recent global developments, the Open Ocean Merchant Guild is committed to modernising the Empire's trade route and trade post network. One identified, potential location for the establishment of a new route is between Regalia and Farah'deen. The civil war in Farah'deen has ended, and the young Massya who favours peaceful relations with Regalia has been restored to the Songaskian Masaya's thrown. This presents a unique opportunity for both Empires. The Open Ocean Merchant Guild sees benefit in consolidating this new, friendly relation with the Songaskian Masaya through the peaceful activity of trade. Farah'deen and Regalia are very geographically different, and thus are capable of supplying each other with a rich variety of exotic goods. Furthermore, a trade post in Farah'deen could also supply Regalia with a much-needed platform (e.g. a friendly, intermediate port for Regalian ships) for exploring trade and conquest options further east, where the Yang Tzu and other, unexplored areas lie.

Given the potential importance and uniqueness of this endeavour, the Open Ocean Merchant Guild is committed to involving the State Assembly in all of its major decision-making processes and actions from here on in, so that maximum success and benefit for the whole of the Regalian Empire, in regards to our project, can be achieved. The Open Ocean Merchant Guild, however, presents its first, current problem.

The Current Problem: While the Open Ocean Merchant Guild currently has the necessary charter rights to be able to physically establish and maintain new trade posts, the guild lacks the rights to be able to make any money from them. As such, the guild cannot currently afford to pay for trade post establishment, infrastructure and maintenance, security, running costs and staff. Specifically, the Regalian Ministry of Finance and the House of Trade currently hold monopoly rights on being able to impose tariffs at trade posts, and thus hold monopoly rights on being able to make money from them. Furthermore, upon hearing of our endeavours and goals, the Regalian Ministry of Finance and the House of Trade revoked our mooring and departure rights so that our ships are unable to go anywhere, and we are essentially stranded. The Open Ocean Merchant Guild thus asks the Consuls and State Assembly to consider the following motions.

• Proposal 1: The Open Ocean Merchant Guild gains the right to be able to legally impose tariffs on trade posts and routes established, overseen and/or maintained by the Guild.
• Proposal 2: The Open Ocean Merchant Guild's mooring and departure rights are restored.

If the Open Ocean Merchant Guild is granted these rights, then our next steps will be to compose a document draft concerning a formal trade post agreement with the Songaskian Massya; to present this draft to the State Assembly for edits; and to coordinate with the State Assembly in regards to putting together a team of diplomats, financial experts and Guild representatives, who will visit Farah'deen and present the trade post agreement to the Massya.