Strathae Election Friday 27 Nueva 1583 CE

Clan Assembly Members:

My membership has not yet been approved really, but I feel like this is a necessity. Maybe. Or at least a reminder I have not been shot to death by the current Fascist regime in power here in Manila (as Lom and Hadash not-so-subtly suggested)

So yeah. Hi again guys!

BTW: If someone would be so kind, can ya'll give me a rundown on what happened to my baby Adwest in the few couple of months I was gone? I don't really mind what fate it has befallen b/c I'm thinking about releasing it and summoning a new nation to play with. Something closer to home.

Estian (Vestor, Chiri)
Lanlanian: The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.
Estian: Sox momem sako zogo duz sox pupiz zogi duzozo.

The language of Estian has a long and proud history on the Estian subcontinent, being the official language of all states of the Mandate International and the lingua franca of the region due to its association with Imperial Estia, one of the medieval southern great powers. Estian has an ultimate stress pattern, with stress being placed on the last syllable in a word. Estian has a subject-oblique-object-verb order which differs from many modern languages. "Yuri deserviced the traitor with a deservicing implement" in Lanlanian takes the grammatical order of "Yuri with a deservicing implement the traitor deserviced" in Estian. Words follow a C-V-C syllable structure.

Derivational Morphology
Noun → adjective: -o
Adjective → noun: -(o)d
Noun → verb: -(o)s
Verb → noun: -(i)go
Verb → Adjective: -(a)po
Adjective → adverb: -(a)s
One who [verb]s (e.g. deservice → deservicer): -(o)t
Place where (e.g. bake → bakery): -(o)ko
Diminutive: -(o)m
Augmentative: -(e)pi

Noun Morphology

Kvennan Economic Community Treaty

In the interests of regional peace, stability and prosperity the undersigned agree to the following.

1:Every nation shall drop trade barriers for members of the Kvaennan Economic Community
2:All tariffs shall be dropped by member nations on trade with member nations of the KEC
3:All financial service companies shall be able to freely offer products across all member states of the KEC providing they meet the state's regulatory standards.
4:The KEC shall establish a fully open aviation market within the KEC free trade zone
5:All service companies and media companies shall have the freedom to operate in any KEC member state providing they meet the state's professional and censorship standards as clearly outlined by the member states government..
6:The KEC shall operate an optional 28 day joint tourism visa for the whole KEC. Nations shall have the right to choose whether to join.
7:Any nation requires 66% of member states to vote in favour to join the KEC
8:Unless an opt-out occurs overseas territories of countries shall count as members of the KEC

Members:
1:The Kingdom of Goldecia
2:Kolhari Imperium
3:Aeriland
4:Aflinland
5:Hylian Federation
6:Taenus

I admit Lines is the Supreme Emperor, my master.

That's right, friend! You too can pay for the lovely privilege of having the overwhelming burden of your pesky rights lifted off your shoulders, for only $59.99 a month! Browse the internet without having to worry about an expectation to privacy...because you'll have none! Of course, if you're an America-hating liberal who cares about such ridiculous crap like "freedoms" or "rights", you can pay an "optional" penalty fee of only $29.99 a month, and trust us to keep our word and not sell your soul anyway. \o/

But before Drumpf and the "Republican" congress hurriedly tries to further erode the FCC and our associated rights, I was wondering about some good VPNs, browsers (that aren't owned by Microsoft, Google, et al), ad-blocking software (I know I made a thread about that somewhere...), and...maybe, like, a good search engine that isn't notorious for logging every little detail about your life? That'd be cool.

I know Zab uses some interesting stuff, and I know you guys know a lot about this kind of thing. I've gotten old, though; back in the days before data & algorithms, back when the web was "surfed" and life was free... ah, good times...

So, I was browsing YouTube and saw a video. That video was talking about how realistic Ghost in the Shell was. But, that video made me think of a different question. It's a very philosophical question, but a question that I have. I'm thinking of trying to incorporate this into a story, and while I have my own thoughts on this question I wanted to know what other people think the answer is.

What is human? What does it mean to be human?

Seriously, that's the question.

If I'm hit by radiation and my body mutates into some unrecognizable form, but my brain is still the same, am I human?

If I lost my left arm and replace it with a cybernetic one, am I still human? What about my leg, am I still human than? What about my whole body, if it's just my brain that's the same then am I still human?

What is a human? What does it mean to be human? Where is the line between human and not-human?

Just let me know what you think the answer is.

Ten kilometers south of Posio, Balochia
Near Arl Lappa
10 Dosa, 1583
Late Afternoon

Biede Brekke pulled the parka tighter over his face as the wind whistled above him. The wind was a constant this time of year. The ancient Saamojedi would blame Biegkegaellies, the diety of the winter winds. He was an angry god, and constantly punished the world for his frustration at his banishment to the skies. He was especially frustrated near the solstice, the anniversary of his banishment. Brekke knew better but cursed the diety nonetheless.

He had been hunting caribou for most of the day with a few of his comrades. They were several meters in either direction. They had followed the beasts to one of the few rivers deep enough to run in winter. The beasts sloshed greedily at the edge of the river, filling up for the rest of their journey. This was a particularly good place to hunt, as the river was deep enough to slow them down, making for easy killing. Furthermore, once dead, the beasts would be easy to catch with large nets further down the river. It was very narrow, but deep, and the dead beasts would have to be caught quickly before they sunk.

As they watched the caribou drink, he identified his target, a large female. He heard a small whistle, similar to a bird call. That was the signal that they would fire soon. He set his rifle, his hand gripping the cold weapon.

A second whistle, that was the signal that, in ten seconds exactly, they would all fire. He waited.

The shots rang out in deafening fashion. They were old rifles, and small clouds of smoke erupted from the barrels. The bellowing of the beasts was loud. Two out of the three had been hit, judging by the injured beasts. In the chaos, the hunters dove into action. They moved down the hill quickly, not wanting their targets to escape.

The two that had been hit were clearly struggling with the current, and were easy to point out. The hunters stood on the shore and threw ropes out to catch the beasts. It was difficult work, but the hunters were trained. Soon enough they had ropes around the necks of the two unlucky beasts. The others made it to the far shore, where they bolted.

The remaining two, exhausted from the struggle, were dismissively being dragged along the river. When they reached a narrow point, where nets had been set, the caribou could hardly struggle as the hunters aimed their rifles a second time, for the killing blow.

A second set of shots rang out. A good haul. The carcasses were pulled ashore and hoisted in the air. The hunters waited for several minutes before they could hear the sound of engines in the distance. A large snowmobile suddenly burst into the clearing where they had hung the animals. The men who brought the vehicle were pleased, the meat would feed the village for a few weeks at least, on top of the current rations from the south.

The beasts were slung over the back end of the vehicle and strapped on with cords. After they had been secured, the driver offered a congratulatory goodbye and drove off in the direction of the village. The hunters had already gathered the ropes and carried them on their backs and began their own trek back. Their snowmobiles were a bit closer, but still about an hours walk away.

---

They could see the smoke from a few kilometers away. Large black columns of smoke drifting lazily into the night. Above the sky, the northern lights could be seen, making for a macabre sight as the plumes appeared before them. It was not a good sign. When they saw it, they rode even faster. It could really only mean one thing. As they grew closer their hearts sank. Great fires in the village. Nearly every home was burning. Wood was the primary building material so there was plenty of fuel.

The caribou they had only so recently killed were among the blaze as well. The waste was monumental. Brekke was unsure if he was crying from the smoke or from the tragedy. The three hunters moved through the village, searching for anything resembling a living person. Oh, there were bodies, both burned and unburned. The snow was stained red. Women, children, and men lay prostrate and cold, their lifeblood spilled.

Brekke did not want to find his home but found himself unwillingly drawn to it. It must have been one of the early ones, as the flames were nearly finished. He peered inside to see two forms that were at one point his mother and sister. This time he knew why he felt tears.

---

The hunters camped outside the village, in the forest. They were unsure if the vagrants would return and didn't want to be in the village when they did. Brekke could not remember a colder night, even while the embers of the village warmed the entire area. They couldn't have been more than an hour late. If they had even been an hour sooner they too would be in the snow.

The next morning they awoke to see the last dying embers of their homes fizzling out. The day would be spent burying the dead. It was heavy work, in more ways than one.

When it was finished, they grouped together. They would leave for the city tomorrow. There was nothing left here for them. Someone had to be held responsible. Above them, Biegkegaellies continued to bellow.

OOC Thread: http://board.eternityrpc.com/showthread.php?tid=366

Helping Siora Grow

What is Greenbank?  Greenbank is the cornerstone of the not-for-profit Global Biodiversity Initiative.  Dedicated to preserving and sharing the genetic diversity of Sioran flora, Greenbank is the world's largest and most comprehensive seed vault.  With its roots in the foundation of the 1498 Arctic Nations Seed Trust, Greenbank is also the oldest initiative of its kind, and throughout its decades in service, its mission has remained the same: to preserve and promote the sharing of global plant resources for culinary, medicinal, industrial and cultural use.


What is a seed bank?  A seed bank, also known as a seed vault or seed library, is a type of biorepository - a physical storage facility that specializes in collecting and cataloging samples of living organisms.  Seed banks are designed to keep seeds viable to be planted even after long periods of storage.  In the event of a natural or other disaster which would impact global weather conditions, seed banks like Greenbank are designed to withstand harsh conditions for several decades in order to keep their precious cargo viable.


Who owns and operates Greenbank?  Although, as in keeping with tradition since its origins as the Arctic Nations Seed Trust, Greenbank is located in Karjelinn and is currently headed by a Karjelinnian CEO, its board is comprised of representatives of eleven different nations.  The day-to-day operations of Greenbank are managed by a rotating staff of botanists, cryogeneticists, bioengineers, and other highly specialized scientists from all corners of Siora.


Where do the seeds in Greenbank come from?  Seed donations are typically offered by a nation's federal agriculture, wildlife and/or forestry department.  At times, Greenbank may contact a nation to request samples of certain seeds if the plant is of particular importance - for example: extreme weather-hearty crops, or important medicinal herbs.  If you are a representative of a federal agriculture, wildlife and/or forestry department and you would like to make a seed donation, please make your inquiries here.