[Global Health Coalition Summit, 1424 [Nov. 3rd to Nov. 16th]]

Tabling for a Private Company

Assurance des Colons (Pioneer Insurance Company)

Assurance des Colons (AdC) is one of the major insurance companies within Nouveauterra. AdC formed in 1340 when Louis Colline and Andres Lambert wanted to insure cars and motorcycles in rural Nouveauterra. The low-price insurance became popular, and through the acquisition of Santé Intérieure, a health insurance company, AdC acquired the necessary licenses to issue health insurance.

AdC is the only full-circle insurance corporation in Nouveauterra, providing health, home, auto, business, pet, and life insurance. Many medium to small sized businesses negotiate bundles with AdC because of the affordable access to many options of insurance. AdC also provides special discounts for government workers, active and former military members, and emergency service workers (nurses, police officers, firefighters, etc.). As part of the company's commitment to social, AdC performs research to explore challenges in healthcare in Nouveauterra, and economic policies that impact the public. A member of AdC will give a talk on rural healthcare as part of the Speaker Series.

[Global Health Coalition Summit, 1424 [Nov. 3rd to Nov. 16th]]

Tabling for a Private Company

Serin Dispositifs Médicaux formed in 1373 from a group of doctors, engineers, and venture capitalists who saw a growing continental need for medical equipment. Founded and still headquartered in Ruisseau Rouge, Mare de Sang, Serin’s continent spanning corporation provides many pieces of medical equipment, and maintenance services. Their product range:

• ECG machines
• Anesthesia masks
• Blood oxygen monitoring equipment
• Dialysis machines
• Oxygen pumps
• and many more!

Serin has also recently gone into business selling heart monitoring and fall detection equipment for elderly customers through Serin à la Maison (often shortened to Serin Maison). Their wristwatch (Compagnon) and their wearable simple phone (Gardien) connect subscribers to a nationwide network of emergency call centers. These connections enable a Serin operator to request medical assistance once certain criteria are met. These include: a detected fall without a call cancellation, evidence of heart attack, a tachycardia event, or a direct request from the subscriber.

Learn more at serindispositifs.com

[Global Health Coalition Summit, 1424 [Nov. 3rd to Nov. 16th]]

Tabling for a Government Authority

Nouveauterra’s Ministère de la Santé (Ministry of Health) has a broad mandate which includes: Monitoring diseases, studying the health of the nation, and making best-practice guidance for healthcare providers and health networks. One of the bureaus under the Ministry’s control is the Bureau of Citizen’s Medical Care (BSMC).

The BSMC was formed in 1409 during the administration of President Cico Pantera. The BSMC’s mission, along with the bill that created it (the Comprehensive Pauper’s Healthcare Intervention Note), was to provide health insurance to the poor, and access to complex medical care for those who otherwise couldn’t afford it.

Before 1409, health insurance in Nouveauterra was strictly through private insurers. Government workers could enroll in discounted packages through the state, but there was no public option. Medical care was either paid by the patient, an insurer, a negotiated payment with the previous two, or in rare cases waived entirely. The cultural movement that spearheaded the creation of the BSMC was the death of Flora Tireur in 1408.

Flora Tireur was a 23-year-old line worker at Entreprise Automobile de Routier in Andreosia, De Rek. Tireur began to experience a rapid onset of severe symptoms, and her general doctor discovered it was ovarian cancer. Tireur’s private insurance through her employer could only cover part of the expensive treatment necessary to save her life. Tireur faced the choice of either crippling debt or death from rapidly evolving cancer. An online fundraiser spread, but by the time it met its quota Tireur had passed away from gastrointestinal cancer that had spread from her ovaries. After lawmakers and activists campaigned, the CPHIN was passed by a majority of the Grand Assembly.

The BSMC of today has two main programs, the Affordable Health Insurance Corporation, and the Board for Medical Intervention. The Corporation intakes money from companies through taxes, and very small payments from customers, and uses the money to cover for medical care at any medical facility in the nation. Part of the CPHIN included a requirement that medical institutions and care centers must take BSMC insurance in order to continue receiving grants for other programs (such as disease prevention). Citizens can submit an application and if they have a low enough income, they can qualify for insurance.

The Board for Medical Intervention reviews cases submitted to them through patients and healthcare providers. These cases must describe the treatment deemed necessary, the cost, and the reasoning for why the Board should grant funds for the treatment. The Board is often called upon for novel yet expensive treatments, as well as treatment for compound illnesses (multi-organ cancers, complex brain trauma, etc.).

Although there are critics of the BSMC, it enjoys widespread enrollment in the country, insuring over half of the nation’s citizens. Children are also automatically enrolled in the Corporation healthcare scheme for free when they enroll in school, removing the extra cost of healthcare for parents.

You can learn more about services and programs at the public website, bureaumedicauxcitoyen.no.

[World Cup of Football IV Signups & OOC Thread]

Nouveauterra is signing up!

[Global Health Coalition Summit, 1424 [Nov. 3rd to Nov. 16th]]

"Hello, I am Actius Veres, Interim President of the Global Health Coalition."

"Welcome to the 1424 GHC Summit! We’re glad you could join us. Have a look at the tables for our coalition members, and pop in for our speaker series and round table events in the Van Dijk Auditorium. Don’t forget to follow us on social media, and take a brochure while you’re at it. We at the Coalition hope you learn a lot from our summit, and that what you learn contributes to a better global health landscape."

OOC: This is the start of the RP, I hope you guys enjoy it!

On 9/29/2024 at 5:28 PM, Nouveau said:

The Global Health Coalition Summit is a gathering of major pharmaceutical, medical, and educational institutions to share ideas, highlight important health issues, and to allow for excellence in medicine. The GHC (NPC and not super powerful) is composed of physicians, researchers, government officials, NGOs, and benevolent financiers with the goal of furthering global health, and excellence in health practices.

The summit will last from November 3rd to the 16th in Nouveauterra at Hôpital Universitaire Tombeau, and will feature medical institutions, insurance providers, research institutions, and government entities. The summit will allow for the discussion of successes, challenges, and knowledge in the healthcare sectors around the world.

How to Participate: There are 4 posting types

Speaker Series: You have a person or a group of people present an idea or issue to the summit. Get creative, with charts, graphics, maps, anything like that.

Panel: Two or more players collaborate on a discussion between characters and post the discussion in the thread. Make sure to tag participating players with @ and their forum name.

Tabling: A player posts about an insurance provider, medical institution, research institution, health related NGO, or government health entity that has a table set up at the University Hospital. This should have a name, logo, and an information/historical section. It can also include any current developments.

Contemporary Event: This is for posts about current events that coincidentally happen while the Global Health Coalition Summit is also taking place. This can range from an economic deal to an assassination, celebrity drama, etc.

Graphics, audio, visuals, and everything else are highly encouraged. You can always DM me or message me on Discord for clarification.

 

[Global Health Coalition Summit, 1424 [Nov. 3rd to Nov. 16th]]

---

The Host City of Ruisseau Rouge

Left, a photo of the Jolly Swamp Raker Statue

Right, an aerial photo of Ruisseau Rouge focusing on the neighborhood of La Escapade

Ruisseau Rouge, the seat of power for the state of Mare de Sang, has a population of 520,144. The slow-paced small city has had little development in recent years, as the northern region undergoes major changes to its economy. Ruisseau Rouge was an intersection for major railway lines used to service heavy industry further north in the early 1300s. As northern industries changed, the necessity for rail interchanges changed too. The primary use of these rail interchanges is for commercial goods heading for the members of the Doll Guldur Economic Agreement (GECA), and foreign goods coming south to the major cities.

The most active part of the city is the Market District, home to the Jolly Swamp Raker. The Jolly Swamp Raker was a previously unnamed statue commissioned by the first city council in 1251. Built to commemorate the founding of the city, the statue moved locations several times before the city settled on creating a fountain, and setting the statue within it in 1258.

The state and federal government are the largest employers in the city. These employers include: Université Nationale à Ruisseau Rouge, Hôpital Universitaire Tombeau, the Collège de Médecine de Guerre, and the Viriarma federal police (through its Department Nord headquarters).

The largest private employers of the city include Société Électrique de Grand Sang, Mare de Sang and the northern region’s largest energy provider, Serin Dispositifs Médicaux, a medical equipment manufacturer, and Société de Crédit Lansier, an investment bank.

OOC: The Summit begins next week Sunday, November 3rd.

An opening message will be released on the 3rd, and posters can begin posting.

Thanks in advance to everyone who writes for the event. I'm excited to see what people post.❤️

[Global Health Coalition Summit, 1424 [Nov. 3rd to Nov. 16th]]

---

More about Hôpital Universitaire Tombeau

Hôpital Universitaire Tombeau (Tombeau University Hospital)

Hôpital Universitaire Tombeau was founded in 1235 by Marcelle Fullo Tombeau, a wealthy physician in the then northern territories controlled by the national government. Tombeau was a military doctor, who saw that many settlers didn’t have proper medical care, and had to beg army physicians for surgeries.

Marcelle Fullo Tombeau, painted by Henri Van Slyck, 1256

Tombeau created HUT in a two room brick walled wine press building. HUT was initially called l'Hôpital du Pauvre Voyageur. Funding was tight, and came from donations from friends, and donors who would mail donations through word of mouth, or almanac advertisements. Medical care was free, or extremely discounted (sometimes called penny exams).

The Original HUT building found in 1386, before it was restored as a historical site

 

A vicious winter in 1248 left many people injured, and the free medical care provided by HUT drew the attention of the committees forming the state of Mare de Sang. HUT gained a state charter in 1250, and has been a state funded medical institution ever since. The teaching function of the hospital began in 1255. It began to take in students, have a curriculum, and certify physicians.

 

---

the modern HUT campus in the heart of Ruisseau Rouge

To date HUT handles the highest volume of severe illness cases in the northern region. HUT has a full service burn-unit, intensive care unit, and epidemiology unit, among other specialty services. HUT’s 9000 staff, students, visiting physicians, and affiliated out-patient specialists play a major role in the overall health of the northern region.

OOC: Official event begins Nov.3, stay tuned for updates

[Chienoir, a Short Story in Nouveauterra]

Part 3

Darkness consumed the landscape, except for the few streetlights in the center of town, and The Longhouse on the main road. The all purpose trucking oasis and gas station at the edge of town was well lit, with a wide neon sign on a tall steel pole. In a corner of the large lot, away from the resting trucks, was Leon leaning on his sedan. Leon zipped up his coat and kept his hands in his pockets.

An old white truck with chipped paint slowly came into the parking area. It slowed down near Leon and the window rolled down. “Stay close to my tail, we’ll have our lights back on when we hit Rue de la Fête.”

Leon got in his car and followed Marcelle out of The Longhouse parking lot, down a packed dirt service road, and towards the desert. Stars and mountain tops were the only visible entities. The moon was asleep as well. Leon drove, watching the white pickup as it rumbled over stones, and unpacked earth. Leon backed away from Marcelle’s car. Leon’s windows were kept down in the hopes of hearing something from Marcelle, but all he got were diesel fumes.

Marcelle turned on his car’s lights, and Leon did too. Leon looked to see a small box on a wooden pole. When they drew within a stone’s throw of the mailbox they both stopped and turned off their cars. Marcelle and Leon got out of their cars and walked on the sand. Marcelle held up a hand. He crept forward, and came to stairs in the earth. They both descended the stone steps and came to a wood door.
“Quies,” Marcelle said. “It’s Marcelle.” An old metal lock turned, and the door opened. A woman with dark hair and tanned skin opened the door. She was adorned in many beads, bracelets, and a gold chain. Her hair was half concealed in a thin skull-wrap.
“I smell death,” Quies said. The door began to close until Marcelle’s boot stuck in the doorway. “You don’t want to hear what I have to say.”
“I’m here because you’re all I have left,” Marcelle said. Quies let out a short sigh and opened the door.

Leon and Marcelle walked in and sat at a small table in the dim kitchen. Quies sat opposite from them.
“I know you two are in deep trouble,” Quies said. “I can sense it from the water of the spirits. Five people too many have died. Black dogs are in every shadow, every rise and fall in the land.”
“We know. We’ve seen them.” Marcelle said. Leon raised his hand, but Marcelle raised his quicker. “What do we do now?” Leon shook his head.
“I can’t tell you,” Quies said. Marcelle grabbed Quies’ hands as tears grew in her eyes.
Footsteps echoed above their heads. Leon rose to his feet, with his pistol held high. Marcelle and Quies sat together at the table. “One by one,” Quies mumbled. Snarls crept in through the walls, and heavy breaths chilled Leon’s spine. “Until they’re satisfied.”

“I remember, one must make amends, so to speak,” Marcelle said. Quies looked up.
“It’s a price you cannot pay,” Quies said. Marcelle drew closer and hugged Quies. He let out a short chuckle.
“Maybe if I had listened to you and we ran away,” Marcelle said. “We’d be happy in Saint Mark. Eating pickled plum.” Marcelle gave a small laugh. Quies did too, through tears.
“We were kids. Breaking the law always sounds fun. But disappointing our parents wasn’t an option,” Quies said. “Maybe it’s fate that we would be here like this.”

“Am I losing my mind!?” Leon yelled as we walked towards the door and aimed his pistol at it. Marcelle let go of Quies.
“Go to Felix,” Quies said. “Beg and pray. That is all you can do. Maybe they will have mercy, but I’ve never seen it.” Marcelle leaned over the table and gave a kiss to Quies’ forehead. “This may be goodbye. I hope to see you in the waves of the sky, caros.”
“I hope to see you there too,” Marcelle said. He turned on his heel and rose up. “We have to get to Monture d’Or.” Marcelle drew his pistol from his pocket and leapt to the front door.

Marcelle and Leon gave each other a quick nod. Marcelle threw open the door. Both men came out the door with guns drawn. They hurried up the stairs and to their vehicles. They turned them on and began to fly towards the road. Leon drove with his shoulders high and his windows rolled up. Shoulders and snouts and fangs faded in and out of the darkness. A snarl or a bark would catch his ear and he’d twitch to one side. Figures in the distance would disappear, only reappear at a moment’s notice.

The two men followed the dark road, and headed towards the small outpost in the darkness. Monture d’Or. A free, public hospital in disrepair. Only one floor tall with a couple dim lights illuminating the brick walled building. It somehow didn’t grow brighter as the two cars approached it. Marcelle and Leon screeched their cars into the parking lot, and jumped out of them. They ran through the front door, howls and the gnashing of teeth on their heels.
The waiting room had a few short metal benches, and a wide desk at the other end. Marcelle and Leon came up to the desk, and a heavy set man looked up at them.

“We’re with the Viriarma,” Marcelle said. “We need-” the nurse spoke up.
“Thank the gods you’re here,” the nurse said. “Maybe you can shoot some of those wild dogs out there. They’ve been driving me nuts.”  Marcelle leaned over the table.
“Where is Felix Nauta?” Marcelle said. The nurse’s eyes widened.
“He’s down that hallway to the right,” the nurse said. “110.”

Marcelle and Leon ran down the hallway with guns drawn. Past stained linoleum and dingy walls. Around the corner, and to the only partly lit room. Marcelle and Leon entered the room to Felix. He was covered in a bedsheet from his hips down. An IV in his arm, and a heart monitor on his finger.

“I didn’t think I’d see you two here,” Felix said. He coughed and his heart rate spiked for a moment. Marcelle grabbed the seat by the door, and brought it closer.
“Let’s say, some circumstances brought us here,” Marcelle said. Felix laughed.
“Circumstances,” Felix said. He shook his head and relaxed his body. Felix pointed at Leon, who stood by the door. “Who needs enemies when you have friends like these, right?” Felix coughed again, and Marcelle looked away.
“I wasn’t trying to hurt you,” Leon said. “I was just trying to stop that jackass.” Felix slammed his fist, and the beeps of his monitor jumped up.
“And you covered it up,” Felix said, pointing to Marcelle. “You put ‘not service related’ on my report. Because you coded it like that, my health insurance won’t cover the full cost. I’ll be paying debts for this surgery for years. I don’t even know if they’ll let me serve again.”

Marcelle let out a deep sigh. He looked up at Felix. “I couldn’t lose two peritus in one go,” Marcelle said. “I couldn’t.”
“You could’ve said it was the guy’s gun. Or hell, that it was a piece of the truck from yanking him out that rust bucket,” Felix said.

“No, you just wanted it under the rug. The funniest thing.” Felix pointed at Marcelle. “They couldn’t get the fragment out. Now there’s a piece of copper a hair away from my heart, and one day it could breach it. I’m fucked!”

Felix laid back in his bed and stared at the ceiling. Marcelle clasped his hands together.
“For the sake of the town,” Marcelle said. “The people. Your family, our families. Would you forgive us?” Felix looked over at Marcelle.
“Are you even sorry for what you did?” Felix asked. Leon looked over for a moment.
“I had to shoot him,” Leon said. “I did what I had to do. He was gonna kick your ass.”
“There’s your answer, Dux Princeps,” Felix said. “You deserve everything that’s coming to you. Everything. Get out of my room.” Felix relaxed on the bed and turned his head away.

Marcelle balled up his fist and inhaled deep into his lungs. He stood up. His eyes were planted on Leon, who gave back an expressionless stare. Marcelle walked towards the door with his eyes relaxed. Leon followed Marcelle down the hallway. They came out of the lobby and to the front of the hospital. Marcelle lit up a cigarette once again. Leon turned to Marcelle.
“What is a chienoir?” Leon asked. Marcelle shook his head.
“The Danav people tell stories of these dogs from long ago,” Marcelle said. “If a member of a group betrayed someone, and left them to die in the wilderness, the spirit of the air would guard their soul. But dogs would come to feast on those who betrayed them. Some say it’s a folk story to stop wickedness. If you betray your brother the chienoir would come for you.”

“But, if those dogs in the road, or in Goede’s house are real,” Leon said. He cut himself short.
“I told you it was no fairytale, boy,” Marcelle said. “They’re surrounding us right now! You couldn’t even repent for a moment to save your skin! Now the dogs will never leave. They will eat us.” Marcelle threw down his cigarette in anger.
“So what now?” Leon said. Marcelle started walking to his car.
“Say your last prayers, and die quickly,” Marcelle said. “Go into the wilderness, and let the dogs consume you. That is all that is left for us.” Marcelle began to walk.

“Where are you going?!” Leon shouted with a hoarse voice. Marcelle stopped and turned back.
“I’m going to my beloved,” Marcelle said. “To truly say goodbye one last time. That’s if I even make it. I’d be cautious if I were driving far. Their presence tends to make people sleepy when they’re traveling far. Just go home and say goodbye.”
“I’m not doing that shit!” Leon shouted. “I’m getting out of here!”

Leon ran for his car and jumped inside. He slammed the door. Marcelle watched in awe as Leon’s car sped away. Marcelle got in his truck and opened a brick-like laptop. The laptop had a page open. It was an incident form. Marcelle dragged the document to an email draft, and began typing.

To Hoog Department Viriarma Human Resources,

My apologies for the late email, but I need a change order for incident report DH14140815 Attachment F, regarding Peritus Felix Nauta.

In previous documentation, I listed Peritus Nauta’s injury as not being directly related to service. However, after further investigation, myself and office staff determined the injury was sustained during service. Please adjust this report accordingly, and forward updated documentation to Peritus Nauta.

Sincerely,
Dux Princeps Marcelle Cordonnier
Officer-in-Charge of Antonville-Hercus Zone

Marcelle hit send on the email, and closed the laptop with a quiet sigh. He began to babble to himself as he turned the truck on, “Forgive a fool like me, gods above. I put myself above others, when people who’ve built me up in my life have done the opposite. I know my sins are many, and deep. I’ve held secrets, killed honest men, and betrayed my very unit. In fact, you know the sins I’ve done and I’ve forgotten. The wolves are coming closer now. I’m sure they won’t miss their man. If it really is my time to go, make it quick. I’ve seen death, and know it is usually painful. Spare me, maybe, this one time.”

Before Marcelle could comprehend how far he had driven, he came to the mailbox in oblivion. The faint sound of breathing, and shuffling sand surrounded Marcelle. He got out of the truck, and went down the stairs. He knocked.

“Caros,” Quies said. Marcelle stepped in and set down his gun on the small kitchen table.
“I don’t think I’ll be alive tomorrow,” Marcelle said. “I’ll leave your door, and the dogs will take me. I want to spend one more night with you before I am gone.”
“Then rest,” Quies said. “Let me hold you.”

Quies and Marcelle slipped into bed. Marcelle clutched Quies and attempted to hide his tears, yet Quies could see them. She rubbed his scalp, and whispered over him. The low gurgle and panting of dogs circled the house. As Quies outed a small candle, she wiped away her own tears.

---

Leon screamed into the air. His throat was torn apart by his voice. The arrow for his gas tank drew further and further down. Every gas station, interchange, and rest area was more deserted than the last. The engine’s roar shrunk to a whimper. The howls of the damned clawing at Leon’s mind. The engine fell silent, and the car began to roll. Leon kept the car on the road, but it slowed until all of its momentum had waned away.

Leon jumped out of the car, pistol in hand. “You want me!? Have me, god damn, come on!” He shot at the darkness. The forms twisting around each bullet, and yet remained whole. Shoulders of great beasts circled Leon. He held up his pistol, and yanked out the empty magazine. As he reached for another, teeth bared down on his forearm. He yelled, and threw his arm to one side, sending the pistol in the sands. Leon yelled once more before he fell down, voice cracking and tears streaming down his face. Teeth and fur engulfed him. The keepers of the night made a meal of the man. Cracking bone, and twisting flesh until only shards remained.

---

Marcelle woke up in darkness. He gasped, and looked over to Quies, who was fast asleep in an upright position. Marcelle climbed out of bed. He grabbed his pistol from the kitchen table, not breaking his stride to the door. He opened the door, and stepped outside. Marcelle went up the stairs to the mailbox. He looked out at the desert sand. A black dog stood in the distance. For a moment, the two seemed locked together. Marcelle squinted in the morning sun. The dog stood still.

The dog turned into the wind and vanished. Marcelle fell to his knees. He threw the gun into the wind before he fell onto his side to cry tears in the sand. They would dry up as quickly as they fell.

[Chienoir, a Short Story in Nouveauterra]

Part 2

Leon sat in his interceptor and stared at the sands and the road, wide brimmed hat tilted down, reclined in his seat. No cars. Not even a passing plane. Leon looked down at the coffee cup in the seat divider. He brought it to his lips. He tasted air. He took off the cap and planted it deep in the cup. A buzz came over the radio set.
“Any available units, respond to a call of dangerous wildlife at the 101 Rue des Bosquet. Described as multiple dogs at the northern edge of the property.”
“105 responding, show me in route,” Leon said. He put on only his lights, and fixed his hat.

Leon took a left down a long, desolate road, with a small dot of a house far down it. A shape moved in the sand. Leon looked to where it was, and slapped open the lock on the shotgun holder beside his seat.

“105 is approaching 101 Rue des Bosquets, consider me on scene now,” Leon said. He came to a stop in front of the house.

A short, one story farm house stood in the sand. The sandstone walls and slate roof nearly blended into the mountains far behind it. Leon stepped out of the interceptor with his shotgun in hand.

“Be careful!” an old woman shouted from within the house.
“Goede!” Leon said, “Is Jan with you?”
“No, it’s just me and my shotgun,” Goede Sterk said. “But two shotguns is better than one.”
“Have you seen the dogs move anywhere?” Leon said. He brought up his shotgun and stepped closer to the house.
“Close to the road,” Goede said. “Come inside! We can shoot them from here.”
“I’ll be on the porch,” Leon said. He came around the house, watching the sand and the distance. The shotgun held high, but not in line with his eye.

“You ever use that gun, Goede?” Leon asked as he came to a backdoor.
“On Jan,” Goede said. “You know how some men are. They think a little ass is a great snack for the road. But bring a harlot to my home, oooohhhh I could’ve plastered him on the wall, and I wouldn’t repent!”
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that last part,” Leon said. A laugh boomed within the house.
“Don’t worry, I won’t kill him when you’re on duty,” Goede said. Leon shook his head and knelt down by the backdoor. “What happened to your friend?” Goede asked.

“Friend… Nauta, he is on leave,” Leon said. “He was hurt while responding to a call with me.”
“Oh right, that joyriding punk in the stolen truck,” Goede said. “I heard he had a gun.”
“He did, yeah,” Leon said under his breath. “Do you see anything?”
“No, I. What was that? OH LORD---!” A yell came from the house. A boom echoed out from it, cracking in Leon’s ear.
“Goede!” Leon yelled. He turned around and grabbed the door handle. “Goede are you alright!?”

Leon looked to a window right next to the door. He butted the window with his shotgun. Glass snapped and crashed to the ground. Leon cleared the remaining glass with the gun barrel. He reached inside and turned the lock to the door. He yanked the door open. He looked around the dark room, and saw Goede. He vomited and leaned against the door frame. An enormous splash of blood covered the front door. Goede’s headless corpse spasmed on the floor.

---

Marcelle and Leon stood at the front door to the house.  The interceptor and the command cars parked in front of the house, and a white van at the side. Camera flashes lit up the windows every couple of minutes.

“Leon,” Marcelle said. He threw a stump of a cigarette to the ground. “Goede was a sane woman.”
“I didn’t see a damn dog!” Leon said. Marcelle took off his hat and stared into Leon’s eyes.
“But did you see something?” Marcelle said. The two men faced each other with a cold to their eyes. Leon licked his dried lips.
“No,” Leon said before turning away. Marcelle put his hat on.
“If you’re hiding something from me, the gods will have a field day with your corpse,” Marcelle said. Leon turned back to Marcelle.
“I didn’t shoot that woman!” Leon said.

“I never said you did, boy,” Marcelle said with a sideways glance. Leon looked over Marcelle’s shoulder, and saw shoulders dance in the sand. Marcelle turned his head to the desert, and then turned back to Leon. Marcelle shook his head and retrieved a cigarette from the breast pocket of his khaki uniform.
“How are you so sure it’s a chienoir?” Leon asked. Marcelle looked up from his cigarette, with his unlit lighter held close to it.
“Come to The Longhouse on the main road after sundown,” Marcelle said. “Bring your gun.” Marcelle lit his cigarette and walked towards the command car. Leon looked at the house and let out a loud sigh before walking to his interceptor.

[Chienoir, a Short Story in Nouveauterra]

Part 1

Closing eyes attempted to focus on the road ahead of it, continually sucked beneath 18 wheels and 36 metric tons of freight and tractor. Gavs Urs kicked himself awake and looked at the time on the dashboard. Nearly 1800 hours. He was coming up on the end of his 10 hour limit for driving. He had to stop soon if he wanted to be on the right side of the law.  The next town is just a couple clicks away the veteran said to himself, I just need to get there. Gavs kept his foot planted on the gas pedal, and stretched as many kinks as he could out of his arms and back.

The orange and purple sky, the black road, and the khaki mountains in the distance was all Gavs could see. Until he saw a black dot in the distance. It’s another car. Maybe if I focus on it and the shrubs I can keep myself awake. The black dot grew in the road. It darted off the road and vanished. Gavs shook his head. A new black dot appeared in the distance. It was large in the road, but still just a blob. Then it vanished. Gavs slapped his face and aimed the AC vent at his face.

Gavs looked to the bushes on the side of the road, and saw shoulders. They flowed in the little shadows of the shrubs and stones. Then they were on the road.

Gavs twisted the steering wheel. He hit the brakes and punched the tall shifter with a soccer ball head. Eyes wide. Short sharp breaths with every whip of the wheel. Gavs body whipped inside the cabin. He screamed.

The tractor and its trailer bounced on their tires and turned over. Screeches, sparks, and smoke rocketed out from the engine bay of the flat faced tractor. Soon the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames. The cargo of food stuffs spilled onto the road and caught fire with the runaway diesel.

As the sun descended in the sky, lights flashed and sirens roared in the distance. An officer of the Viriarma flew down the road and shouted into his radio, “I have a vehicle fire on state route 15 outside Antonville, requesting a highway fire unit. It looks like a tractor trailer just overturned.”

---

Peritus Leon Boulanger stood beside his interceptor car, watching from a distance as the tractor and trailer became an inferno. Leon cleaned off his narrow nose, and took sand out from the sides of his squinted eyes. Dux Princeps Marcelle Cordonnier joined him. The old chief snorted with his large nose, and waved a cigarette by his large, gray mustache before lighting it.

“Don’t say it,” Leon said, before taking off his hat to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
“There is nothing that we can see from here that would cause a crash,” Marcelle said. “It has to be the chienoir.” Marcelle looked over at Leon.
“That’s a xenoxeno myth,” Leon said. “You listen to too many fairy tales.”  Leon fastened his hat to his head.
“This is no fairy tale, Leon,” Marcelle said with a blank stare. “The chienoir is real. I’ve seen one myself. I would never wish it on my worst enemy.”

A fire engine came to a halt nearby with only its lights flashing. Fire fighters jumped out and gathered together.

“Write down what you can,” Marcelle said. “Get some cones from the shack and tape it off. I have to email High Crimes so they can send an Auto Repertor. Three crashes in only a couple days is going to raise some red flags, especially a food truck like this one.” Leon started walking towards his patrol interceptor and opened the door.
“I’m coming in tomorrow, right?” Leon said. Marcelle stopped in his tracks.
“Yes, Nauta’s surgery was just cleared,” Marcelle said. “Hopefully the poor bastard’s shoulder will be back to normal. If not, then we’re going to be pulling long days again.”
“I’ll say a prayer for him,” Leon said. “See you then.”

Marcelle entered the command car and drove off at high speed. Leon got into his interceptor and began typing on the laptop planted where the car radio would be. Leon looked up from his laptop towards the blaze. Firefighters got to work cutting away nearby brush, and hitting burning cardboard boxes with foam. A figure stood behind them. A dog, with its head held high. Leon blinked. The dog vanished. He looked back at his laptop and continued typing, shielding the road from sight using his hat.

[Bloise International Film Festival, 1424 [Dec. 1 to Dec. 21st]]

 

Critics, columnists, and connoisseurs gather annually for three weeks at the Dome of the Moon Dancers in the seaside village of Ville-de-Bloise to celebrate the year’s films, documentaries, and artistic projects.

The Société Cinématographique d’Nouveauterra (SCNouv) organizes the film festival with screenings of films submitted by filmmakers, and endorsed by Society members. SCNouv is composed of film journalists, screenwriters, directors, educators, and masters of the craft, all in celebration of film, and to bring light to new filmmakers.

At the end of the festival, SFNouv votes (Excel RNG) for a number of different films, actors, directors, and cinematographers, to be recognized for their efforts. These come with awards, which include: La Flor d’Or for best film overall, La Petal d’Or for the runner up film, La Stem-d’Or for the third voted film. Also included are Best Actor, Best Actress, Best School Film, Best Documentary, and Best Cinematography.

How to Participate

Players can submit a max of 8 films throughout the entire event.

They all must be contemporary (released in 1424). Please use the format below to aid in judging:

(Poster Encouraged but Optional)
Title
Genre
Maturity Rating (In Own Country)
Film Studio (Established Studio, Indie Studio, or School Project [school must be named])
Leading Actor/Actress/Documentarian
Supporting Actor(s)/Actress(es)/Documentarian(s) (If Not a Solo Film)
Cinematographer(s)
Description of the Film/Documentary

Deadlines:
Dec 6th: School Project
Dec 13th: Indie Films
Dec 20th: Established Studio Films

If there are any questions or if you need assistance, please message me in Discord

[Global Health Coalition Summit, 1424 [Nov. 3rd to Nov. 16th]]

The Global Health Coalition Summit is a gathering of major pharmaceutical, medical, and educational institutions to share ideas, highlight important health issues, and to allow for excellence in medicine. The GHC (NPC and not super powerful) is composed of physicians, researchers, government officials, NGOs, and benevolent financiers with the goal of furthering global health, and excellence in health practices.

The summit will last from November 3rd to the 16th in Nouveauterra at Hôpital Universitaire Tombeau, and will feature medical institutions, insurance providers, research institutions, and government entities. The summit will allow for the discussion of successes, challenges, and knowledge in the healthcare sectors around the world.

How to Participate: There are 4 posting types

Speaker Series: You have a person or a group of people present an idea or issue to the summit. Get creative, with charts, graphics, maps, anything like that.

Panel: Two or more players collaborate on a discussion between characters and post the discussion in the thread. Make sure to tag participating players with @ and their forum name.

Tabling: A player posts about an insurance provider, medical institution, research institution, health related NGO, or government health entity that has a table set up at the University Hospital. This should have a name, logo, and an information/historical section. It can also include any current developments.

Contemporary Event: This is for posts about current events that coincidentally happen while the Global Health Coalition Summit is also taking place. This can range from an economic deal to an assassination, celebrity drama, etc.

Graphics, audio, visuals, and everything else are highly encouraged. You can always DM me or message me on Discord for clarification.

[Doll Guldur Economic Cooperation Agreement (GECA) Main Thread]

Overview

GECA Major Offices Office of the Commissioner The executive officer of the GECA, calling and leading discussions and dialogues, commissioning reports and investigations The position of Commissioner is filled through an election, where members nominate a person for the position, and a majority vote confirms their ascension to the position of Commissioner The Agreement Body The legislative body of the GECA, voting on provisions and enactments The position of Chair of the Agreement Body is passed sequentially between members annually Office of the Secretary Assistant to the Commissioner, aiding in discussion and research necessary for activities of the Members Committee Office of the Ombudsman The judicial body of the GECA, independently investigating members of the GECA for wrongdoing and bringing issues to the Members Committee for action Office of the Treasury Management of money for the GECA, including funding necessary for position holders, officers, and overall organizational health Management of special programs for participating parts of the Agreement Body Doll Guldur Police, Gulpol Enhancing law enforcement activities within the GECA and tracing criminals outside the GECA for the purposes of extradition or interdiction Office of Border Security Securing the economic bloc's borders for the regular trade in goods, and immigration Doll Guldur Continental Bank The creation and distribution of a unified currency, setting interest rates, and issues loans and bonds to be used by member nations for economic stimulus/security Guldurian Continental Wealth Fund making strategic investments necessary to secure member nations from severe economic crisis (issuing loans, selling bonds, and economic advisement) Office of Standards and Regulation The formulation of bloc-wide regulations for items such as food inspection, health and safety, vehicles, etc. Office of Grants Using a portion of member fees and donations, enable member states to draw grant money for the purposes of economic development, such as infrastructure construction and local grant programs Office of Strategic Projects create and maintain the bureaucratic infrastructure necessary for member states to fund, manage, and collaborate on multinational development projects Office of Programming using a portion of member fees and donations, enable member states to direct funds from the Office for the purpose of funding national programs for economic development, such as state agricultural banks, or tax incentives

Major Acts in Chronological Order

xxx

The Agreement

Spoiler Statement of Intent The intent of the Guldur Economic Cooperation Agreement, hereafter referred to as GECA, is: To foster economic growth among signatory members through increased trade To spur growth in internal economic activity of member states To increase regional economic security from large disruptions to the global economic system To promote regional economic and political security To aid in the development of signatory member economies through economic incentives and programs To provide avenues for cross-member projects and programs Provisions For the purposes of economic growth: To foster economic growth among signatory members, we agree to: Enable free trade between member states Enable visa-free travel between member states through the creation of the Free Travel Zone, whereby citizens of member states and authorized third-party states can freely travel through the borders of connected member states, and through international boundaries To unify regulations regarding controlled products through mutually agreed upon standards. These products range from agricultural products, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and any other products determined to require oversight To spur growth in internal economic activity of member states, we agree to: The establishment of the Office of Grants, with the purpose of using a portion of member fees and donations to enable member states to draw grant money for the purposes of economic development, such as infrastructure construction and local grant programs For the purposes of security and stability: To promote regional economic and political security, we agree to: Fund the securing of external borders by member states, and the creation of an Office of Border Security to aid member states with border security Fund the creation of a multinational law enforcement body, hereafter referred to as the Doll Guldur Police or Golpol, for the purposes of enhancing law enforcement activities within the GECA and tracing criminals outside the GECA for the purposes of extradition or interdiction To increase regional economic security from large disruptions to the global economic system, we agree to: The establishment of a sovereign wealth fund, the Guldurian Continental Wealth Fund, with the purpose of making strategic investments necessary to secure member nations from severe economic crisis (issuing loans, selling bonds, and economic advisement) For the purposes of economic aid: To aid in the development of signatory member economies through economic incentives and programs, we agree to: The establishment of the Office of Programming, with the purpose of using a portion of member fees and donations to enable member states to direct funds from the Office for the purpose of funding national programs for economic development, such as state agricultural banks, or tax incentives To provide avenues for cross-member projects and programs, we agree to: The establishment of the Office of Strategic Projects, so that member states can have a formal system for funding, managing, and collaborating on multinational development projects Topline Administrative Functions and Offices in Furtherance of the Agreement Office of the Commissioner The executive officer of the GECA, calling and leading discussions and dialogues, commissioning reports and investigations The position of Commissioner is filled through an election, where members nominate a person for the position, and a majority vote confirms their ascension to the position of Commissioner The Agreement Body The legislative body of the GECA, voting on provisions and enactments The position of Chair of the Agreement Body is passed sequentially between members annually Office of the Secretary Assistant to the Commissioner, aiding in discussion and research necessary for activities of the Members Committee Office of the Ombudsman The judicial body of the GECA, independently investigating members of the GECA for wrongdoing and bringing issues to the Members Committee for action Office of the Treasury Management of money for the GECA, including funding necessary for position holders, officers, and overall organizational health Management of special programs for participating parts of the Agreement Body Procedures for Ascension to the Agreement Body In order for an interested party to join the GECA, and interested party must: Send a signed letter of intent approved by the head of state, the head of government, the executive of the chief body for national finance, and the executive of the chief body for diplomatic affairs to the Office of the Commissioner for record keeping and approval Provide an unadulterated reproduction of this document to the legislative body of the national government for approval by majority vote, and ratification of adherence to the agreement by the head of state or provide an unadulterated reproduction and/or reading of this document to the voting populace of the nation, and a referendum be held, requiring a majority voting in favor of ratification of adherence to the agreement. Only if the ratification receives majority approval can it be sent to the head of state for signing Send a certified tallying of adherence to this agreement to the Office of the Commissioner to be sent to the Body of the Signatories for approval or disapproval by unanimous vote Procedures for Descension from the Agreement Body In order for a signatory member to be forcibly removed from the Agreement Body: A vote for descension must be called by a member of the Members Committee The vote calling nation must state the case for the descension of the accused member. Reasons for descension include: Open disobedience of agreement provisions Covert disobedience of agreement provisions Malpractice in procedures for ascension to the Agreement Body The accused nation must state their defense to charges outlined by the vote calling nation All members, excluding the vote calling nation, and the accused nation, shall vote on descension from or sustainment to the Members Committee. The vote must be unanimous Upon receiving a unanimous vote for descension, the accused nation will begin procedures for formally leaving the Members Committee, and be considered of Non-Agreeing Status by all members of the GECA In order for a signatory member to voluntarily withdraw from the Agreement Body: The descending nation must either Call a vote in their respective legislative organ, and vote in the majority to descend from the Members Committee, and have such a procedure ratified by the executive of the nation Call for a referendum, and tally votes in the majority to descend from the the Members Committee, and have such a procedure ratified by the executive of the nation Upon receiving a vote tally in favor of descension, the Members Committee will approve the request, and the descending nation will begin procedures for formally leaving the Members Committee, and be considered of Non-Agreeing Status by all members of the GECA

 

[Doll Guldur Economic Cooperation Agreement (GECA) Main Thread]

Doll Guldur Economic Cooperation Agreement aka GECA GECA Flag

Map of Member Nations Highlighted in Green

History Event Date Founding during the Guldur Cultural Festival July 17th, 1394 Ascension of Novia Xenia XXX Ascension of Poldanz-Rumeria XXX Creation of the Doll Guldur Continental Bank July 17th, 1424

Statistics Total Wealth $1,756,843,679,794 Total Population 70,431,083 Land Area 1,053,242 sq miles 2,727,884 sq kilometers Members: Republic of Candelu Khesed Archipelagic Republic of Emmeria Commonwealth of Nouveauterra Republic of Novia Xenia Monarchy of Poldanz-Rumeria the Zhiznovsk Collective

Mission and Objectives Mission Create an economic eco-system that mutually benefits member nations with stability, growth, and economic security Objectives To foster economic growth among signatory members through increased trade To spur growth in internal economic activity of member states To increase regional economic security from large disruptions to the global economic system To promote regional economic and political security To aid in the development of signatory member economies through economic incentives and programs To provide avenues for cross-member projects and programs

 

[[Factbook] The Commonwealth of Nouveauterra]

The Commonwealth of Nouveauterra has regnums, governed isles, and administrative departments formed for the purposes of representation, pooling resources for the common good, and the enforcement of law within the nation. Below are the three divisions:

Regnum Number Meaning Dunpad 1 Thin path Champvert 2 Green Field Ferme 3 The farming area La Havre 4 The Refuge Mare de Sang 5 Sea of Blood Pics Rouges 6 Red Peaks Du Nord 7 Northerly Le Tabouret 8 The Stool La Repos 9 The Rest Le Marteau 10 The Hammer Sorx 11 Shrew Hircus 12 Goat Du Sud 13 Southerly De Rek 14 The Stretch Corne d'Abondance 15 Horn of Abundance Alba Petra 16 White Rocks Pax 17 Peace Le Passage 18 The Passage Mucro 19 The Boundary Trebec 20 Three Beaks

Isles Number Meaning L'Ile du Noir 1 Island of Black Ile de Valéry 2 Island of the Brave Ile des Lances 3 Island of Lances Ile de Gaius 4 Island of Rejoicing Ile Blanche 5 Island of White Ile Renault 6 Island of the King's Advisor L'Ile des Perdus 7 Island of the Lost Ones Ile des Sirènes 8 Island of Sirens L’Ile du Gremium 9 Island of the Bossom, Bountiful Ile aux Baleines 10 Island of Whales L'Ile de la Concorde 11 Island of Agreement Ile Faucher 12 Harvest Island Ile aux Corbeaux 13 Island of the Crow

Departments Name Color States and Isles 1 Nord Dark Red Dunpad, Champvert, Le Ferme, La Havre, Mare de Sang, Pic Rouges L'Ile de la Concorde, Ile Faucher, Ile Aux Corbeaux 2 Grotnok Emerald Du Nord, Le Tabouret, Le Marteau Ile des Sirènes, L’Ile du Gremium, Ile aux Baleines 3 Plaque Purple La Repos, Sorx, Hircus L'Ile du Noir, Ile de Valéry, Ile des Lances, Ile de Gaius 4 Hoog Cyan Du Sud, Corne d'Abondance, Alba Petra 5 Sud Blue De Rek, Pax, Le Passage, Mucro Ile Blanche, Ile Renault, L'Ile des Perdus 6 Capital Gold Trebec

 

 

[Rugby World Cup V [rosters, roleplays, results]]

The newly opened Doll Guldur Continental Bank Building in Strijdkreet

Guldurian Leaders Celebrate 30 Years of Economic Ties, Announce New Currency Plans

16/07/1424

Edvard Van Meer

Strijdkreet, De Rek - President Guy Laclare and Guldurian leaders gathered in Strijdkreet to celebrate 30 years of the Guldurian Economic Cooperation Agreement being signed. The celebration was also used to announce the formation of a Guldurian currency, as of yet unnamed, and future plans for the implementation of a bloc-wide state bank. The gathering was held at the brand new Doll Guldur Continental Bank Building unveiled in the heart of Strijdkreet.

President Guy Laclare

“Today marks 30 years of the Guldur Economic Cooperation Agreement being in force,” President Laclare said.  “30 years of challenges, from the demands of industry and clean economy, to new international security and cooperation issues. But they’ve also been 30 years of achievements, from new construction, and economic partnerships, to greater growth and security for each and every one of us. ”

The Guldur Economic Cooperation Agreement, formed in 1394, created a series of economic guarantees and practices which have persisted today. These include wealth funds for economic development, unified food and packaging standards, and its highest profile tenets of free trade and visa free travel within the trade bloc. Supporters argue free trade and travel has strengthened a continent otherwise divided by difficult geography, and increased regional economic security. Critics however argue that the bloc has been economically disruptive, shifting jobs away from localities, and causing economically disruptive imbalances in wealth.

The celebration, which included Emperor Sebastiano Tiveron of Candelu, Minister-Crown Anean Nordennaici of the Republic of Emmeria, President Guy Laclare, and a representative from the Zhiznovsk Collective, was held in the newly unveiled Doll Guldur Continental Bank Building. The building is slated to be the headquarters for the Doll Guldur Continental Bank. The DGCB, if approved by bloc-wide referendum, would begin a process of standardization throughout the bloc where all members would use a new common currency. The DGCB would also control interest rates, bonds, money printing and a number of economic measures, such as loans to bloc members.

GECA already has a number of cross-country agencies, from the bloc-wide law enforcement assistance program known as Dolpol, to the Office of Strategic Projects, which aids in coordinating large multi-member infrastructure and construction projects. Approval isn’t guaranteed, as many now commonly accepted provisions started as hotly contested items. The formation of GECA took nearly four years of work before 1394.

OOC - admins please credit this post to these users: @Zhiznovsk, @Candeluian Minister, @Nouveau, & @Khesed Archipelagic Republic

[Rugby World Cup V [rosters, roleplays, results]]

Quote

The nation split into two sections when the war broke out into the open. The Lyonnot North, headed by their President Adrian Lyon, and the Republicaine South, headed by the rightful President Yves Charron.

Adrian Lyon and his allies were holed up in their newly cobbled together capital in Agentum in the far north of the country, and formed the Coalition of Dissenting States. Adrian Lyon as the President, Vincent Gens as the Secretary General. Their leading generals were from my graduating class of Collège de Guerre Du Sud: Maximi Eustace Villers, Horacio Urs, and Felix Regnos.

Yves Charron and the Republic were concentrated in the south in Pointe-d’Espoir. Yves Charron as the President, and Cato Eurastas as Prime Minister. The leading generals of the Republic were Maximi Lucien Gambon, Serg Larchemont, and myself.

The Republic was in a poor state when the dust settled on the Eighth of May. A good portion of generals in the ranks of the Army of the Republic had joined the side of the Coalition. The government had to be righted as some important ministers had also defected to the Coalition. The silver lining was that the Republic had a greater share of the populace, and the greater economy.

The Coalition indeed had the greater hand on the Eighth of May. They had experienced leadership and manpower in their Army of the Coalition. They also had shrewd ministers skilled in administration. However, they had fewer men, and even fewer resources. This guided their thinking, that much was sure.

We learned of the Coalition’s first move in only a couple days. They had gathered a band of nearly 8,000 soldiers, mutineers, partisans, and officers. They would attempt to strike Pointe-d’Espoir and decapitate the Republic in one move. This was likely fueled by Adrian Lyon’s ego, as he was robbed of his moment in the Sun by my rifle fire, but also the need to end the revolt as quickly as possible. They knew the long game of organized warfare favored the Republic.

The Coalition Army, led by Maximus Felix Regnos, would march from the north, through Evertkil, then Zandigekrek, and to the western side of Pointe-d’Espoir. They would have to traverse down, and then up the Oterbrooke, and lastly up one more time to the Citadelle itself, seated on a raised plateau of stone. It was their shortest path, and it gave the Republic the least time to react.

Monsieurs Gambon, Larchemont, and myself gathered together to make a plan for the defense of the Citadelle. We had nearly 6,000 men in close proximity to the capital. We sent out messages to gather as many of them in the capital. We also solicited the help of partisans from wherever we could get them. The heavens had aligned in our favor as nearly 1,000 men were drawn up from the nearby cities of Gué and Strijdkreet.

We ordered the men to create stockades, and fortifications to slow down the Coalition, and ordered them to run to the next line of fortifications if they were overrun.

May 13th came. Scouts had spotted that a rainstorm had severely delayed the Coalition wagon train, and using this good fortune we made sure the defenses were readied. I sent out a telegraph to the men of the stockades to steel their nerves, and ordered horses be readied for the President and the Prime Minister if our efforts were to fail. The fighting would begin in earnest at midday, when the Coalition Army encountered the defenses at Evertkil.

- an excerpt from the chapter "The Battle Lines in the Year 1254 AF" from the memoir "My Personal Account of the War," by Maximus Ter Servilius, 1260, Witt & Ecklund

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Individual corporate entities could lobby or bribe government officials all they wanted, but it required effort, and people stepped on each other’s toes daily. Niels Van Niewhus, together with the gentlemen of the Lacquered Room, discussed if there was a way to shape the ideas of the government before they spoke to officials. Niels Van Niewhus had an idea.

Before the internet, information had to be physically gathered by people, either creating giant tables of information or compiling many interviews, and put into large libraries for access. The Nouveauterran government had archives dug into the mountainsides for some precious artifacts, but it didn’t have a formal system for gathering information except for hearings, which could take a long time and be costly. That is where the industry minded Niels Van Niewhus stepped in. He proposed to a few Burgesses in the Assemblee that the government needed a Ministry of Information to formally gather information to aid decision making, and he knew just the kind of people to man such a ministry.

The Burgesses took up the idea and in quick order established the Ministry of Information in 1310. Niels Van Niewhus recommended that workers have an education in library science, and research. It just so happened that Van Niewhus had funded the creation of a library science school at Université Gué, where he was a prominent member of the board.

Part of a student’s education at Université Gué in 1310 was in “modern economics,” which included ideas like economic security coming from large corporations, and that controlling companies is simply a cost to the consumer and the populace with nothing gained. These ideas were reinforced in multiple classes and at seminars students could attend.

The Ministry of Information quickly grew, especially with the talent pumped out by the Université Gué. It meant that persuadable Université Gué alums were near government officials, and could carry on messages or ideas before anybody met with the officials formally. One such idea came from a study by the MoI which found that fertilizer and pest controlling agents increased crop yields, and that they should be subsidized for the protection of national food stores.

The Ministry of Land Management adopted this idea and drew up a subsidization program for the pest control chemicals in 1311. Martin Août, a friend of Université Gué and Niels Van Niewhus, had invested heavily in pest control agents for the Août Agriculture company, and had met with Niels Van Niewhus days prior to the proposed measure being given to the MLM by the MoI. The chemicals did increase crop yields, but exposed local waterways and people to hazardous chemicals for over 50 years.

- an excerpt from the chapter "Order from Chaos" from the historical book, "The Brokers: The Powerful Families Who Shape Nouveauterra" by Walter Van Zeeman, 1399, Dolphin Press

[Rugby World Cup V [rosters, roleplays, results]]

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Our war among brothers was not only because of a great divide in ideological positions. We fought because of foolish ambition. The late Tyrant Adrien Lyon plunged our country into darkness when he proclaimed that he would rule absolutely until his death, and that no person could stop him.

Many in the country were divided on the issue of the Xenoxeno, and on whether the President had absolute authority to issue mandates within the country. Gatherings and riots broke out in many cities. Maximi like myself, such as Monsieur Gambon and Monsieur Larchemont were concerned that the army of the republic was at risk of being forced upon the populace to control it, as had happened in the Brandy Uprisings of some forty years ago. And many Xenoxeno men and women, whom I have had the pleasure of knowing, were having their rights curtailed because of an absolute mandate set by President Carlous Charibert elected some eighteen years ago.

These issues could have been solved in good time through debate and statecraft. In fact I had spearheaded an effort to have these issues discussed in the Grande Assemblee. However, Adrien Lyon in his rapacious opportunism wanted to use those issues to gain absolute power. Prime Minister Yves Charron pleaded with Adrien Lyon to not go about with his drafted mandates: absolute control of the army of the republic, absolute control of law enforcement in the country, absolute control of the judiciary. A king in everything but name.

Lyon did not listen. He gathered his alike minded fellows in the Army of the Republic, in the Grande Assemblee, and in society before he announced his Proclamation for the Absolute Mandate of the Presidency. He was wise in garnering support among the most powerful actors he could find, though he did not take into account that there were others who wouldn’t be so easily defeated.

Maximus Gambon, Maximus Larchemont and I sat in a small teahouse near la Place Héros to discuss the President’s next move, when a gang of Lyonnots descended on us to arrest us. They were military men in uniform, with rifles and bayonets who had turned coats for the enemies of the state. Through incredible luck and our expertise, we cut them down and shot them like stray dogs. We knew that because of this, Lyon was attempting the same thing elsewhere. We rushed to the Ministry of Defense and found mutineers put in the brig, and the Minister of Defense Pierre Nancy himself searching for any loyal men in the Army. We told him we must secure the Citadelle, if five thugs with guns had already tried to arrest us.

Burgess Nancy gave us a contingent of 300 men to secure the Citadelle. We made our way to la Citadelle de la République, and came across the sight of mutineers and traitors holding up at gunpoint a great many members of the Assemblee, unaware of the conspiracy.

A shoot ensued as the Assemblee was desecrated with blood and steel.  I led my contingent of 100 up the stairs of the Lower Assembly Hall and took control of the viewing gallery, where we shot at the mutineers with great accuracy. The Devil Lyon, watching his men lose the fight, escaped with his retinue of thieves. Once calm had settled in the Assemblee, I read out the declaration of war against Lyon himself, and enemies of the state.

Prime Minister Charron became President Charron, and the distinguished Councillor from La Passage Cato Eurastas became the acting Prime Minister. Larchemont, Gambon, and myself became head generals of the ensuing war.

- an excerpt from the chapter "The Upheaval" from the memoir "My Personal Account of the War," by Maximus Ter Servilius, 1260, Witt & Ecklund

[Rugby World Cup V [rosters, roleplays, results]]

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The high society social clubs of 1302 Gué were filled with three types of men: new money swindlers, ruthless old-money loan sharks, and outright thieves. The fact that only one reported murder ever happened at a social club during that time beggars belief, but equally surprising is that some of the most important choices and relationships of the next century were forged in those smoky halls. Because of this fact, the dealings in these clubs are opaque to us now, especially as many of these clubs were exclusive, and charged fees.

What we do know from writings of the time, and the collected journals of confidants, is that a chance encounter brought six of the nation’s most wealthy men together in the same club called La Salle de Lacques, or the Lacquered Room:
Lucius Valaris, the head of the major shipping company Porteurs Valaris
Ernst Boul, the head Boul of Boul Médecine
Niels Van Niewhus, the proprietor of Fabrique Niewhus
Horatio Rex, founder and head of Rex Electrique
Martin Août, head of Société de Grenier Consolidée (SGC)
Fabien Van Meer, head of Entreprise de Matériaux de Mistige Inham (EMMI)

If you haven’t been paying attention, four of the names here are major corporations in Nouveauterra. Rex Electrique is still the largest energy provider in the country, providing energy for the capital and its surrounding villes and communes. Boul Médecine became Boulaire through a major corporate acquisition in 1365, and is now the premier pharmaceutical company in Nouveauterra. Porteurs Valaris later merged with tugboat giant Heraclitus in 1395 to become the major shipping conglomerate VH. Finally, Martin Août left SGC in 1308 to form what is now Août Agriculture, the largest fertilizer company this side of the Gate of Time.

The other names here are more complex. EMMI would absorb more mining and resource companies, and rebrand itself after a mining accident that killed nearly 100 miners in 1323. That company is Matériaux Unis, or MatUnis.

Fabrique Niewhus no longer exists. But what does exist is the Niewhus System, our federal monetary reserve system that created the State Bank in 1312. And most importantly for many parts of this story, Niewhus would later be introduced to investment banker Julius Castellum. They would form Castellum-Niewhus National Bank. We now know it as Castellum-Niewhus-Perrier, CNP, the wealthiest financial service company in the nation.

What these families did, and still do through their descendants is why this book was written.

-an excerpt from the chapter "The Brokers" from the historical book, "The Brokers: The Powerful Families Who Shape Nouveauterra" by Walter Van Zeeman, 1399, Dolphin Press

[Rugby World Cup V [rosters, roleplays, results]]

A protestor on the streets of Pointe-d'Espoir

Government Legalizes Deep-sea Mining, Protests Erupt In the Capital

Lucio Justinus

3/7/1424

Pointe-d'Espoir - The Grande Assemblee voted yes to deep-sea mining according to the Grande Assemblee clerk. The new regulations would allow companies to bid for quadrants of the sea, prospect for resources, and perform mining for limited time periods. The vote came a year after two companies, Buire and MatUnis, petitioned the government to consider prospecting licenses near L'Ile du Noir, a small island far east of the mainland. Protests formed outside la Citadelle de la République by opponents to the bill.

Buire and MatUnis, two mining conglomerates based in Nouveauterra, petitioned the Ministry of Land Management in 1423 to allow for licenses off the coast of L'Ile du Noir. The small island of over 500 people sits just over 150 miles from the capital, and is theorized to be at the center of a nodule field containing precious metals, from platinum to gold. The Ministry of Land Management didn’t have prior authority to grant such licenses, and the issue was taken to the Grande Assemblee.

The Assemblee’s Committee of Economic Affairs held hearings in late September 1423, and created a draft bill based on testimony from experts, activists, and representatives from Buire and MatUnis. After the 1423 election, and readings in the Lower and Upper Assemblies, the bill passed along party lines today. In a speech supporting the bill, Burgess Eustace Leonis said, "This bill gives Nouveauterran businesses the opportunity to stay ahead in the global marketplace, and provide jobs to many people from the highly skilled to the kid straight out of École Civile."

 

Burgess Marcellus Rucy

Protestors against the bill gathered outside la Citadelle de la République by midday today, including Burgesses Reverie Demercie and Marcellus Rucy of the Terre et Mer environmental party, holding signs and chanting in the street. Burgess Rucy organized protest chants with his hands. Police formed containment lines around the protestors with shields rested on the ground.

Burgess Reverie Demercie and her wife Olivia

“The Ligue should be ashamed of what they’re letting happen,” said Burgess Demercie. She stood with her wife Olivia who held a sign, “laisse la mer se reposer”, Let the Sea Rest.

Protestors and activists claim that the deep sea mining will wreak untold levels of destruction on marine life by disrupting the seafloor.

“Most of what we know is preliminary,” said Roan Portier. He is a marine ecologist at Université Ferax. “But even studies of dredging, deep drilling, and natural vortexes shows that deep sea mining would significantly impact ocean life, wherever it takes place. Many bottom feeders and animals rely on the certainty of the seafloor for survival.”

Protests are rumored to continue into the foreseeable future, but as of this moment the bill stands. Buire and MatUnis are said to submit licensing bids for prospecting after the 90-day delay period imposed by the Ministry of Land Management.

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    Organisation Nationale de Radio Publique

Rugby Commissioner Billy Bixtel Accused of Betting On Games by Fmr Rugby Player

1/7/1424 | Morning News

Vita Falx

Spoiler

Former Rugby Player Jacques Mesnard

Jacques Mesnard accused Rugby Commissioner Stanwijk “Billy” Bixtel of betting on rugby games with insider knowledge. Mesnard, a former player for Club Rugby Pointe-d’Espoir and five-time champion, spoke on La Tasse du Matin to Valentin Laurier late last night.

Mesnard accused Bixtel of using his unique position to bet on the outcomes of games. Mesnard said he has first hand evidence of collusion between Commissioner Bixtel and key stakeholders in the rugby clubs to bet on players and even games. “It’s hard to blame him, you know?” Mesnard said. “He knows its a money-tight league, everybody does. Hell, maybe the bets are to attract more viewers. It makes sense he’d even try to get a few marks off of it too, just for himself. But he’s the [expletive] Commissioner. Have some [expletive] class and bet from the sidelines, not in the bull-pen.”

Commissioner du Rugby Professionale, Stanwijk "Billy" Bixtel

This wouldn’t be the first scandal to potentially befall Bixtel. Bixtel was a defendant in a 1410 lawsuit which alleged he and other commissioners had strategically invested in real estate which would later be bought for the building of stadiums and sports venues. Bixtel was also investigated for using public funds for sex workers and a private limousine for his 1408 birthday which led to a major, though non-fatal, traffic accident. This is among many other accusations from his time as Commissioner for the League Futbol Collegium Nationale.

Some put doubt on Jacques Mesnard’s claims, since has made many inflammatory remarks and provocative claims after his retirement from CRPE. He remarked in 1421 that if the women’s sports circuit were to grow, “they’d need more bikinis and more beer commercials.” He said of the Felix Hautlieu University Student Athletics Head Physician Aqur Astra, “I’d recommend any rectum having human being to not bend over when you’re in his office,” in 1422. Aqur Astra was the first person of Danav descent to hold the position in the university’s history. And in 1423, Mesnard stated, “If there weren’t so many boys lopping off their testicles, we’d have stronger men in society.”

Whether or not the allegations will be taken seriously is up for debate, but anyone who would make a claim with that much confidence is either sure of the truth or secure enough to lie.

 

[Doll Guldur 1394 continental culture festival / Founding of the GECA]

The Nouveauterran Speech for GECA

 

 

 

 

 

 

President Hector Tortugus, Prime Minister Marta Resus, Minister of State Rex Brunus, and Minister of Finance Lalo Grasse of Nouveauterra came up to the large pop-up forum stage at the center of the festival grounds. Their entourage of security shadowed them at the edges of the stage.

President Tortugus began his speech. “People of Doll Guldur, and especially Candelú, thank you for your graciousness in hosting our nation at the Doll Guldur Cultural Festival. Tonight I want to highlight an initiative that my compatriots and I have been discussing and collaborating on for some time, that will benefit all of us. First I want to start with the facts.

“The peoples of Doll Guldur have been connected culturally and economically for centuries,” President Tortugus said. “Trade in goods, culture, ideas, technology, and more. Each and every one of us have benefited from it. Nouveauterran crops, Emmerian technology, Zhiznovsk timber, and Candelunian coding. All of which makes our ordinary lives possible.

“It is also a fact that when one of us struggles, we all struggle,” President Tortugus said, beating his gut with his fists. “People lost their jobs and economies stagnated because investment and goods vanished during the Second Northern War. Food shortages in one nation makes the bowl a little emptier in their neighbors’ houses. And far away nations boom with growth while we struggle to put up factories. How is it possible that we can have wheat without the chaff? Strength in unity and independence? Good, without the bad?”

“The Kingdom of Candelú, the Republic of Emmeria, the Commonwealth of Nouveauterra, and the Zhiznovsk Collective have come together to build and secure our home continent,” President Tortugus said. “This is in the form of the Guldur Economic Cooperation Agreement. The GECA will have free trade of goods and services across borders, free travel within the GECA zone, mutual law enforcement and security, unifying safety and regulation, and providing economic security.

“GECA is an opportunity for a new age for Doll Guldur. Fraternity, security, and prosperity for every Gulderienne. Thank you all, and I hope you will join us for the signing and celebration of GECA.”

The four would take on the applause and leave the stage to music. They would walk around the festival grounds with security, sampling local cuisine and posing for photos with media.

[Doll Guldur 1394 continental culture festival / Founding of the GECA]

The Nouveauterran cultural stands and tents displayed many wares, foods, and nationally important corporations.

At the far side of the cultural stands were stands owned and manned by Xenoxeno people. The ancient indigenous group has been on the Nouveauterran peninsula for thousands of years, and were integrated into the cultural fabric of the new Nouveauterran political structure as it formed.

Many stalls have clothing. Pure wool tunics and pants usually in a single color, goatskin sandals, and two tone headscarves. Gemstone bracelets, necklaces, and handcrafted gold chains and rings are also on display.

A few large stalls had Xenoxeno cuisine. The cuisine was formed by many centuries of semi-nomadic life. The stalls however only had a small tasting of this palate, usually in easy to carry forms. Marinated and smoked goat, pickled radish, and lentil mash is recicibu, or a resting meal made when ancient nomads set up camp. The dish was handed out in paper bowls with forks.

 

 

 

A popular finger food is crus, goat or chicken with fruits and veggies roasted on a small stick. Its doused in spices and fermented bean marinade for a tangy flavor, with a kick of Annabelle spice for a simple and filling snack handed out as-is.

 

And as a sweet refresher, a more common modern drink of lac, which is a very sweet rice pudding fortified with goat's milk and sugar beet juice, usually refined into a drinkable form if sold as street food.

 

 

 

 

 

More common street food was being sold as the stands came closer to the center of the Nouveauterran area. One of the most common street foods of working and upper class people is haché; a sandwich made of soft circular bread, with eggs and an addition of smoked meat and vegetables mixed together and chopped. It was paired with any combination of sodas and chips.

Also served were dolkvuis, deboned and barbecued on skewers, and handsized spirals of fruit leather on sticks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A number of major corporations also secured stands. To note a few major companies:

Boulaire, a pharmaceutical company, had banners displaying its production facility, and a number of medicines they manufacture, from generic heart medication to anti-inflammatory medicines.

 

 

 

Août, a chemical company, advertised its many different industrial and gardening fertilizers.

 

Air Nouveauterrre, a regional airline, displayed its different travel routes on a giant map of the world, with red lines to every airport they service: in one way or another they reach virtually every continent.

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Representative Arno Châtaignier in 1423

Châtaignier Pleads Guilty to Stealing Secret Documents, Cooperates with Prosecutors

27/6/1424
Augustin Blanc

Pointe-d’Espoir - Burgess Arno Châtaignier pleaded guilty to theft and secrecy charges, and became a witness for the state in the Tribunal Regnal de Centre today. Burgess Châtaignier was arrested in connection to a January brawl where secret documents spilled onto the ground before he fled the scene. Sports commentator Valentin Laurier pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in a separate local court for the same brawl, and was not charged as an accomplice with Châtaignier.

Prosecutors alleged that Burgess Châtaignier copied and removed classified documents during his time as a co-chair of the Lower Assembly Committee on National Intelligence. The charge of theft of secret information doesn’t require a direct motive or end-goal, only the unauthorized removal of secret documents from their designated area(s).

Burgess Châtaignier became a witness for the state as part of his plea agreement. “There’s a lot of espionage activity in the world today, especially with world rugby in full swing,” said Phd. Roger Feros. He is a doctor of constitutional law, and a national security legal scholar of Lacoqueville University. “Any number of foreign actors could be attempting to develop sources and assets for their own causes.” Châtaignier’s cooperation could bolster any effort to root out spies and their networks.

Special Prosecutor Patrice Valus

“Mister Châtaignier and our team came to a mutual agreement,” said Special Prosecutor Patrice Valus. “We’re hoping that his cooperation will aid us in discovering the end-users of these stolen documents, and encourage witnesses to come forward.” Burgess Châtaignier nor his legal team had no comment when questioned by Le Crieur.

A photo of Representative Tibus Iferos outside the Tribunal Regnal de Centre, 1363

The conviction of a sitting member of government for breaking secrecy is new territory. Councilor Tibus Iferos, in 1363, was the closest any representative has ever been to being prosecuted for secrecy crimes while in office. Iferos however was released, as the prosecution could not produce evidence sufficient for a trial at the time. “Most disclosures are found out after the fact,” said Mari Flondeur, a constitutional law scholar and lecturer at Felix Hautlieu University. “And people get a fine and a slap on the wrist. Actual conviction is very rare, and convictions like this are usually used to tie down career criminals in order to charge them for worse crimes later.”

Juge Regnal Guy Guyon has scheduled sentencing for late next month. The sentences for the pleaded to crimes range from 5000 mark fines for every instance of unauthorized use, to 2 years in prison.