The Skathian Post

The Skathian Post is a newspaper based in the Democratic Republic of Khokharsa.

The Skathian Post headquarters are found in Südenberg, Northwestern Khokharsa.

Federation Free Press
News and Opinion in the Solhaven Federation
15 Elva 1597

Chancellor Scott to embark on international tour


From our correspondent in Hyperion:
Chancellor Montgomery Scott has announced his intention to take a lengthy overseas trip to sure up the Federation's economic and political ties on Kvaenna and around the world. His first stop is scheduled to be Goldecia then Taeunas in Kvaenna, in order to sure up Solhaven's ties with the new Kvaennan Economic Community, which the Chancellor is expected to put the Federation on the path of joining in the coming weeks. This decision was long expected from Mr. Scott, but nonetheless still is a rapid change in pace in government affairs even into the third parliamentary term. Mr. Scott's decision came after lengthy back-door negotiation between the Chancellor's senior staff, the Foreign, Home and Treasury Offices and the leading powers of the K.E.C. for the last few years. Mr. Scott's further itinerary also includes trips to Adwest, the West Brigidnan Union, Severyane, the Allied States of Carpathia, A'sir, Kazemura, the Mestran Imperium, Lomarre, the Holy Lanlanian Empire, Drahen, Nyland and then finally back home.

The Chancellor's trip is a bit of a gambit, in that some of the nations on his list are known to be "aggressive, unfriendly powers yet still economically viable for foreign investment". However, the government's official position seems to point to an "centrist way of making allies of nations of all varieties".

In recent years, Solhaven's economy has tepidly grown. It has risen to the 16th biggest economy in the world as of 1595, and is considered one of the strongest economic powers in Kvaenna. The unification of the city-states as well as the formation of the Federation has sparked an increase in foreign investment and consumer confidence in the overall national economy. The gross national product of the Federation has grown at an average of 2.58% per every 5-year parliamentary term, as well as an job growth average of 63,500 per month over the last two terms. The economic surge has likely contributed to Chancellor Scott's continued popularity as well as the steady strength of the Federation Party over the last two election cycles.

Some opposition MPs, particularly those in the Union Party, believe that the Federation is having to make "too many deals with too many devils". William Decker, the Union MP for Oberon, said after the release of the itinerary, "Mr. Scott's choices of nations he wishes to deal with are problematic. They stretch from imperial regimes to communist dictatorships." The Leader of the Opposition, Jonathan Gates Archer, MP for the City of Enceladus, said in a statement, "The government's idea of a centrist way is a bit confusing. There is no middle way in allying with dictatorial regimes. The Chancellor cannot just simply say that these trade talks he wants are simply for continued economic gain."

No Union or Democratic Republican MPs have voiced any significant opposition to the possibilities of the Federation's entry into the Economic Community, though some have shown concern that joining such a conglomerate could derail some, if not all, of the economic growth the Federation has enjoyed.

The Capital Building
The Capital District, West Brigidna
Elva, 1597


"Meeting adjourned." The knock of a gavel and everything was a shuffle of papers and coats and computers. The meeting of the executive council for the West Brigidnan Union had just ended and the various individual leaders were on their way along with their aides and orderlies. 

It had been nearly five years since the Union had been established, itself the product of decades of cooperation and effort by the governments of Florinthus, Galeae, Oslanburg, and Vienland. It had been a long process filled with pitfalls and triumphs, compromise and disagreement. Even now, five years in, things were still not entirely smooth on all fronts. 

The military, one of the more important parts of a government, was still not properly merged on all accounts, and leadership, both civilian and military, were still at an impasse of how to move forward. That had been the subject of this particular meeting of the executive council, presided by the Prime Minister of the Union, Klaus Ofthevek, an Oslanburgan who had been selected as the first to fill his role. 

Ofthevek was a curious choice, as he had no prior executive experience and was simply a rising voice in the Oslanburgan Democratic Party. What he lacked in experience he made up for in tact and prudence, which was why he was one of the prime choices from the  newly established legislature. His term, which was to be up in 1601, was frantic at times, as the establishment of an entire government was on his list, but he had settled into the groove well enough. 

There was opposition to his leadership, however, particularly from Florinthian union-sceptics who were unwary about an Oslanburgan being chosen to lead the new government. There were still occasional protests in the more conservative regions of Florinthus, though their frequency had died down in recent years. 

All eyes, however, were on 1600. The second general election in the new Union, and a critical one too, since the government could potentially change hands.

1596 Nyland Federal Elections
For President and Half the Legislature
15 Vintyr 1596

Quote:This is a thread for the 1596 elections in Nyland. The Presidency is contested, and half the legislature's seats are up for grabs. Actual in-context, rp voting took place in Vintyr of 1596. Legislative voting opens now, and presidential voting opens later.

MCN 103 | CDA 94 | PCP 80 | NL 77 | UP 76 | NKR 50 | NPA 19 | MIP 14 | NCP 12 | empty 10

Handwerpenstad, a few weeks after the military coup

It was time to coronate the new emperor of the reformed soyabarian empire. Alec Baldwin Styrland, A relative on the lanlanian side of the soyabarian crown family. Send from the beast itself to take up the throne. Not knowing what would happen to him on his coronation day.

your majesty Said the master of ceremonies are you ready to be tied up for the parade?

What parade master? he said confusingly

Your majesty, it is costum for the soyabarian emperors to parade trough handwerpenstad on foot said the master of ceremonies, he hesitated for a moment they should have told you before you accepted the throne, but one cannot wave the costum and be crowned emperor, the whole thing is supposed to stave off bad luck

WHAT WILL THEY DO TO ME? snapped alec

With an emotional look on his faceyour majesty sir, I have to tie you down like a common criminal, and you have to parade trough the city and let yourselve be pelled with a constant barrage of tomatoes by the common populus before taking your oath and recieve the crown

But why? is this country really this uncivilized like they told me? Said alec with a concerned look on this face

No your majesty, were not a nation of brutes but this tradition goes back to the first emperors of old, when soyabar kicked out all the lanlania's and it has become law ever since. one of the only laws that still binds you said the master carefully

Alec sighed in disgust and simply said whatever then

They continued to bind him in chains in preparation for the parade

Ooc: you may send a delegation, you may chose to let your delegation partake in the tomatina like event from a stage or just them go to the senate building where he will be crowned

It is time for Solhaven's evolution to finally come to fruition.

As many of you know, when I started Solhaven it was a Skyrim-esque collection of city-states that formed a loose confederacy. There really wasn't a strong central government with much of the political power reserved to the nine cities. Before I fell into my unintended hiatus, Solhaven was slowly changing into a more centralized state, but still divisions lingered particularly between East and West. I call this period the "Original Solhaven" because the country was still trying to find its place in the world and still trying to get its act together.

Now comes the "Next Generation".

From this point forward, Solhaven will look like this:

POPULATION AND CULTURE
In 1585, the Solhaven Confederacy ceased to exist as was replaced with the Solhaven Federation. Hyperion remains the nation's capital but has fallen to the third largest city in the country, with the city of Enceladus now overtaking the capital as the largest city (3.5 million in Hyperion, 5.94 million in Enceladus) with Magecastle now the second largest city (4.42 million). The Federation still has a heavy English/Welsh tilt to it as compared to real life, and (if the current statistics page is to be considered wholly accurate) has a population of 70.76 million.

GOVERNMENT
The government of the Federation transformed a council-ruled confederacy into a parliamentary democracy headed by an Chancellor. There are 550 seats in the Federation House of Delegates, and it is here where the power lies. As you would expect in a parliamentary (or Westminster) system, the Chancellor would be the leader of either the majority party or the largest party in a governing coalition. Currently there are four - yes, FOUR - major parties in the Federation. They are the Union Party (center-left, liberal), Federation Party (center-right, conservative), Democratic Republican Party (left-wing, border-line socialist), and Alliance Party (right-wing, ultra-conservative). The last election was in 1595 (so two RP years ago) to seat the 3rd Federation Parliament, with 275 seats needed to clinch majority. The Federation Party won the most seats and ended on 209, 66 shy of a majority. The Union Party took second place on 143 seats, and the Democratic Republican and Alliance Parties tied for third on 99 seats each. Needing a coalition, the Federationists allied with the Alliance to form a government headed by Chancellor Montgomery Scott, who was retained for a third term.

FOREIGN POLICY
With a conservative-leaning government, the Federation has taken to a more globalist stance in foreign affairs now that most of the domestic affairs of the past ten years have been addressed to some degree. The Federation has taken to strengthen its ties with its Kvaennan neighbors as well as some of the premier economic powers of the world, such as Nyland, the HLE, West Brigidna, and Severyane. While not hawkish, Solhaven will show a willingness to exercise its strengthening military might (which I'll get to in a minute) if it feels threatened.

MILITARY
In 1587, two years after the formation of the Federation, Parliament commissioned Solfleet, the military arm of the Federation. Created technically as a government agency, much of Solfleet's command structure operates independently of the government itself despite the look of a regular military consisting of an Army, Navy and Air Force. Over the last few years, Solfleet has greatly expanded the military capabilities of the Federation, with several large bases throughout Federation territory and sea-based defensive platforms (built in a manner similar to an oil rig) that act as both a shield against invasion and as a supplement to the Navy and Air Force.

Got any questions? Feel free to ask.

Eskkya Today
Eskkyas news as it happens!

The Free Arkianian Post was founded by Arkianian political refugees with the objective of providing uncensored news on Arkiania, to Arkianian's themselves and the world. The Free Arkianian Posts operates anonymously in Arkiania and also operates a pirate radio station inside Arkiania. Reporters and sources of the Free Arkianian Post regularly face arrest and life imprisonment in Arkiania for reporting on stories which are censored and regularly covered up by the Arkianian government. The Free Arkianian Post also operates offices in Octitania and formerly operated Achia before the Arkianian invasion.

Unlike Sal, I don't have a fancy name to call these, despite trying to think of one for a while. I'm not as creative.

In any case, since I apparently (according to Sal) know more than butts about video games, I didn't feel it right to hijack her thread with my own take on games I have played. So, here's my take on games I've played. Games will either be recent listings or nostalgia trips into my past, but the nostalgic ones will get a different treatment, and be listed as such. Maybe a different title, I dunno.

Anyway, hope these inform and entertain...though mostly the former, as I'm not a funny person.