Foreign Concerns Gazette/Year 453.5 - 454

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Category:Session Summaries
Alusian-Shantine War Rages On
Military and Civilian Death Toll Exceeds 10 Million
Over 80 Million Troops Mobilized
Economic News:
*"War Means Boom Times If You're Not Fighting" Aeldman Arms Contracts Drive Up GDP By A Quarter. 
**"One Foot On The Brake" Serene Doge's Office Limits Arm Production Contracts To Avoid Overheated Economy. Some Experts Say Too Little Is Done To Prevent Distortion.
**"We Need An Off-Ramp" Aeldman Markets Signal Worries About "Arms Bubble" As Other Businesses Struggle To Fill Positions, Supply Chains Strain At Capacity.
**"Pay To Play" As ISC Distortion of Aeldman Economy Reaches All-Time High, Thousands of Firms Rely on Aeldman Loan Program to Survive. Inflationary Fears Run High, As Do Concerns About Private Sector Debt Burden.
*"The Bachelier Protocol" Aeldmen Begin Economic Policy of Subsidized Foreign Investment, Providing Preferential Pricing on Capital Goods to Aeldman Firms That Install Them Abroad.
**"Generating Demand" Aeldman Economic Policy, Brainchild of Finance Minister Tissa Bachelier, Represents Substantial Departure From Half-Century of "Mervodan Doctrine" Emphasizing Sales To Foreign Powers and Domestic-First Economic Development. New Bachelier Program Claims to Stabilize Currency Demand By Offsetting Aeldman Exports With Productive Output From Foreign Countries, While Preserving Preferential Status For Aeldman Supply Chain.
**"A Long Way To Go" Bachelier Policy Has Thousands of EU Behind It, But It May Be Years Before Aeldman Investments Equal Any Sizable Fraction of Massive Export Industries.
**"Early Adopters" Leading Destinations for Factory Investments are Orcish Directorate, NCC, Druz.
*"Covenant With Dwarves" Bank of Valdos Breaks Ground On Investments in Kingdom of Druz, Receiving Investment Rights In Return For Significant Line of Credit for Capital Goods Imports from Aeldrum. 
*"Growth Amidst War" Shantine Economy Posts Respectable Growth Amidst Pressures of War, Suspension of Mechanization Imports.
**"Robust Economy" Shantine Agricultural Mechanization Generated Disappointing Growth As It Competed With Foreign Trade, But Proves a Blessing Against Trade Sanctions from Alusia, Imperium. Shantine Economic Ministers Declare, "In Her Divinely Inspired Wisdom, The Empress Has Gifted Us The Means To Prosper Even In War"
**"New Trade Partners" Opening of Nipponese Trade in Former Adarnum Concessions Brings Supplemental Cash To Bishant.
*"The Rug Pulled Out From Under Them" Etheric Lanes Occupied By Shantine Warships See Economic Chaos As Interplanetary Commerce Evaporates. Alusian Economy Contracts On Lost Supply Chains and Other Ructions: Economy Accessible To Alusian State Estimated Down One Fifth
**"Bank Holiday" Alusia Seeks To Limit Capital Outflows By Declaring Bank Holiday, Then Encouraging Policies Limiting Withdrawals From Consumer and Industry Bank Accounts. While Largely Successful At Stemming Bank Runs, Alusian Policy Results In Soaring Interest Rates, On Course For 10%-12%. Speaking Off-Record, Alusian Economist Comments, "Keeping Money In Banks Helps The State, But In Addition To Preventing Panic Withdrawals, It Stalls Consumer Spending And Dries Up Credit. Nobody Knows When They'll See Their Money Again, So They're Holding Tight To What They Have. I Expect Interest Rates To Keep Growing, And Probably Some Serious Deflation."
**"Domestic Sales Pick Up Slack" Alusia Offsets Some Lost Foreign Demand For Factories With Heavy Sales of F1s and Specialty Infrastructure Foundries To Domestic Industry.
***"Demand Holdout" Bank of Valdos Receives Order Of Modular Smaller Scale F2s to Support Crash Industrialization Program In New Conduit Colonies.
*"Currency Boom" Aeldman Ducat Buoyed By Unprecedented Foreign Materiel Sales, While Other Major Currencies Flag. Explosive Appreciation of Ducat Against Almost All Cosmic Currencies.
**"Lost Export Demand" Loss of Factory Sale Receipts Drops Alusian Drachma.
**"Taking The Hit For Others?" Fialta Imperial Crown Drops Mostly On Fiscal Policy of Bank, Church of Dalthad: Investment and Loans Abroad From Imperial Monetary Supply and Temporary Freeze on Remittances from Key Foreign Powers (Alusia, Sermaye). Remittance Freezes Driven By Protective Measures Toward Capital-Constrained Partners.
**"Blip, Or Normalization?" Istomiri Dinar Surges To Top Of Currency Boards On Low Imports, High Exports As Pent Up Union Production Comes Back Online.
**"Keeping Up" Saldanese Crecible Sustains High Relative Valuation On Strength of Foreign Investment in Executive Board Research Project.
*"Lucrative Prize" Thalranese Marches See Substantial Gains From Union Annexation: Integration of Highly Industrialized Union Worlds Drives Thalranese GDP Up One Third.
**"A Higher Technological Base" Relatively Developed Union Economy May Carry Thalranese Into Modern, Competitive Technological Stance To Match Other Leading Secondary Powers.
*"They Can Be Made To Cooperate" New Celestial Confederacy Sees Umbran Labor Entering Economy, As Once Marginal Populations Become "Tamed" and Productive. Experts Say Umbrans Are Latently Psionic Deep Ether Mutants With Limited Hive Consciousness, Individual Semi-Sentience, Descended Possibly from Distant Populations of Dwarven Exiles.
*"Trade Partners" Istomir, Thalranese Reach Agreement for Close Economic Integration. With Mass Population Shifts Expected, Both Nations Assume Freedom of Movement Posture, Minimal Customs Restrictions. 
**"Kicking Up" To Ensure Free Trade With Marches, Istomir Pegs Tariff Policy to Thalranese Import Rules. Thalranese to Collect Half of Istomiri Import Tariff Revenues.
*"Cash Burning A Hole In Their Pockets" Thalranese Mercenaries, Some Having Served Three Years In Nipponese and Marcher Conflicts, Return Home Flush With Cash. 
**"We Had Nowhere To Spend It" Highly Naval Character of Wars Meant Fewer Opportunities to Spend Cash on Entertainment Mid-War, Leading to Much Higher Wealth Accrual.
**"Land Grab" As Seized Lands of Union Grandees Auctioned Off, War Veterans Form Major Buying Group. 
***"Old Habits Die Hard" Reports Of Recently Relieved Crews, Veterans Associations Blocking Auction Halls, Intimidating Civilian Buyers To Keep Prices Low For Union Real Estate, Equipment.
**"The Great Gun Selloff" Thalranese Officers, Lords Sell Off Large Quantities of Surplus Materiel, Much of It Aeldman.
***"Self-Owned Business" As Thalranese Navy Stands Down, Ambitious Veterans Pool Funds To Buy The Ships On Which They Served.
International Relations and Affairs:
*"A Nation Reborn" Shantaran Archpriestess Neverin Declares Birth of Nation of Istomir, Based on Former Territory of Shantaran Free State. 
**"Re-equilibration" Thalranese Grant Two Former Union Hinterworlds, Promise Transit and Resettlement Rights in Istomir to Shantarans. Serene Duchy of Aeldrum Provides Financing for Arrangement, Expected to Affect Up To 25 Million People.
**"Occult Principles" Inaugural Speech of National Government Features Religious Appeals, Manifestations of Shantaran Power. Onlookers Report Looming, Impossible Shadows, Mental Discombobulation.
*"Carving Up The Union" International Community Recognizes Dissolution of Fialta Union and Territorial Partition To Thalranese Marches, Istomir, Fialta Imperium.
**"The Split" Firhbank and Surrounding Worlds Ceded to Thalranese; Istomiri Take Former Shantaran Free State; Fialta Imperium Confirms Suzerainty of Worlds Near Hybern.
**"Guarantees" Aeldmen Issue Public Declaration of Protection For Thalranese Marches In New Territories. Thalranese, Istomiri Enter Into Mutual Defense Pact.
*"Putting Bounds on Conflict" Fialta Imperium, Serene Duchy of Aeldrum Assume Responsibility for Security of Del'Mar Theater as Thalranese Lift Blockade, Withdraw. Joint Naval and Ground Occupation is at Invitation of Alusian Empire. Imperium, Serene Duchy Issue No-Fly Order For Combatant Vessels in Region, Cutting Off One Avenue of Conflict For Shantine, Alusians.
*"High Level Talks Fail" Reported Discussions Between Empress Theoboda, Empress Illyana Appear to End Inconclusively.
*"An Agreement In Principle" Group of Four (Sermaye, Bank of Valdos, Saldan, Aeldrum) Reach Framework for International Regulation of Intellectual Property. Agreement Undertakes Mutual Protection and Economic Enforcement of IP, Provides Charter for Formation of Large International Institution to Monitor and Regulate IP.
**"Not Finalized" Negotiations Expected to Continue Into Next Year Over Financing of Institution and Provisions for Right of First Refusal on Technology Licensing and Other IP Contracts for Constituents of IP Board. 
**"A New Kind of Regulatory Body?" Present Framework of Board Is As Chartered Corporation, With Certain Rights Allocated According to Financial Stake.
*"Territorial Transfer" Shantine Empire Reaches Agreement with Nippon States to "End Lease" of Nipponese Territories Ceded At End of First Coalition War. Nipponese Ambassador, "These Worlds Were Leased From Nippon by the Shantine, Who Have Duly Exited Their Contract."
**"Basing Rights" Aeldmen Secure Naval Basing Rights In Restored "Shantine Quarter" of Nipponese Imperial Space Territory.
**"Cash and Arms" Nipponese Reportedly Provide Materiel Directly as Well as Credit Against Shantine Purchase of Materiel From Aeldrum.
**"Stay Behind" Knights of Adarnum Retain Some Fortification Rights In Nipponese Cession But Give Up Revenues.
*"Call for Volunteers... But Few Takers" Alusian State Messaging Emphasizes International Character of Defense of Country, but No Nations Authorize Citizens to Join Alusian Army.
*"Outward Face of the Empire" Alusian Empress Decrees New Heir, Crown Prince Melchior, Idolmarite Bishop of Reilla. Melchior, an Alusian Royal by Blood, Was Instrumental in Economic Development and Administrative Integration of Reilla. 
**"A Different Kind of Religious Establishment" Melchior Ascends to Title With Warm Support of Former Patron, Idolmarite Cardinal of Ahlam.
*"Uneasy Inclusion" Preferred Successor of Patriarch Antim Acknowledged by Empress Illyana, Elevating Bishop Mirtha to Patriarchate. 
**"The Thick of It" Mirtha Takes Seat at Ahlam In Midst of Unrest, Refusing Alusian State Protection.
**"Willing to Talk" Reports that Patriarch Met with Aeldman Patriarch, Alusian Idolmarite Cardinal, Others Seeking Consensus on Religious Policy. Mirtha Signals Openness to Discussion, Assents to International Religious Statement Against Partition Degradation, But Draws Distinct Line from Alusian State on Other Matters.
*"An International Retort" Alusian Religious Council, Aeldman Religious Protection Council and Imperial Pentacle Churches Rebuke "Threat to Partition" Posed by Divine Escalation. "Millenia ago, at the end of the Pantheon War, the Gods agreed to co-exist and made commitments about how their power was to be made manifest in our mortal plane. Shantine exceptionalism has made a mockery of the promises made by Kirva as part of the Partition and has brought us to the brink of a second Pantheon War. The actions of Bishant and the Knights of Adarnum to flout these promises made by Kirva must immediately stop and the Shantine Kirvan establishment must promise never to repeat these mistakes."
**"Recognition" International Character of Statement Against Shantine Kirvan Invocations of Divinity Represent Historic Interfaith Recognition, Including Of Aeldman Spiran Church.
Military, Criminal and Disaster News:
*"Rallying the Troops" Dalthadi Angel Manifests At Reillan Hinterworld, Hosts "Evening of the Era" In Support of Alusian Defense Against "Shantine Crusade." 
**"Religious Proxyism" Observers Comment on Highly Pentacle-Oriented Emphasis of Event. Angel Decrees, "Followers of Dalthad, Valdos, and the other Gods of the Pentacle. Your way of life is at threat from Shantine extremists, you must join together with the Idolmarites and moderate Kirvans in order to defend a society in which you may worship as you choose from this threat! These extremist Shantine heretics have gone too far, today you must say they go no further for you go with your gods behind you!"
*"A Death In the National Family" Assassins Strike Alusian Chief of Department of State, L. Beriak. After Fending Off Assault From Seraphim at Reilla Office, Beriak Retreated Under Cover of State Department Security Forces, "Chem-Trooper" Bodyguard, But Did Not Return Safely to Any Government Facilities. The Much-Feared Architect of Alusian State Security and Internal Affairs Is Presumed Dead, Most Likely Slain by Affiliates of Kirvan Insurgency, Though Rumors Persist That Beriak May Have Been Killed By Shantaran Cultists.
*"Ahead of Schedule" As Both Powers Mobilize, Bishant Strikes First, Drawing on Substantial Fleets Already in Service to Push to Lechtus. 
**"Rapid Countermeasures" Alusian Fleet Scrambles to Delay Shantine, Detonating Null Bomb to Buy Time to Take Position. Without Sufficient Time to Bring New Ships Online, Alusians Defend Lechtus with Fleet Based Around Surviving Ships of Battle of Ahlam.
**"Overpowering" Shantine Fleet Obliterates Alusian Amphibious Forces, Damages Almost All Alusian Warships at Lecthus. Alusian Fleet Withdraws In Off-Lane Stealth Posture.
*"Two Different Strategies" Alusian Arms Receipts Signal Heavy Emphasis on Warships, Ground Forces, Without Amphibious Support. Shantine Material Strategy Appears Split Between Heavy Investments in Elite Naval Core Raised by Ontario General Staff Program and Mass Production of Amphibious-Supported Warships Crewed by State and Church.
*"A Hard Won Fight, But Won Hard" Shantine Forces Absorb Heavy Losses But Storm Lechtus. Shantine Ships Now Control Line From Bishant to Ahlam to Lechtus, But Alusian Forces At Ahlam Remain In Control of Planet
**"The Inner Gate Holds" Emergency Alusian Ground Reinforcements Hold Interior Gate of Lechtus, Await Impact With Shantine. 
***"Amidst Carnage of Industrial War, Individual Heroism Remains" Alusian Color Sergeant Reportedly Holds Critical Mountain Pass For Two Hours To Buy Precious Time for Alusian Retreat, Brought Low Only By Squadron of Knights of Adarnum. 
*"Arms For The Faithful!" Knights of Adarnum Lead Seizure of Arms Depots, Strikes on Isolated Garrison Positons At Ahlam, Exploiting Gate-Centric Defensive Posture of Alusians. 
**"A More Powerful Foe" Estimates That Insurgent Forces On Ahlam Maintained Steady Net Numbers, Replacing Lost Fighters with New Recruits. With Better Equipment, Combat Experience, Some Insurgent Units Begin Forming Into Zanevuela-Style Divisions. Kirvan Militant Commander Tells Reporters, "We Will Fight and Die Happily Until This Heathen Government Learns It Cannot Blow Out The Kirvan Flame. Praise Kirva and Her Living Prophet Theoboda!"
**"Cut The Lines" Supply Lines from Ahlam Interior Gate to Capital District, Shantine-Facing Gate Threatened By Expanded Reach of Kirvan Insurgency.
Culture and General Interest:
*"A Proper Liege" Empress Theoboda Assumes Title of Grand-Master of the KoA, Receives Oaths of Fealty and Reconciliation From Rival Knightly Chapters. Hundreds of Seraphim Undertake Ritual Trial by Angel, Proclaim Loyalty to Empress. One Seraphim Captain, Balthazar, Insists On Being Tried Six Times: Burned and Scarred, Balthazar Declares, "I Now Truly Know That My Heart Is Without Sin."
*"Uncommon Candor" Patriarch Mirtha, Bishop Melchior Issue Joint Statement on Death of Patriarch Antim, Noting Late Patriarch's Contributions to Alusia and Admitting Failure of State in Killing Patriarch During Attempted Apprehension. Mirtha and Melchior Call For View of Antim's Legacy Based on Patriarch's Life's Work, Not Allegations.
*"This Year's Best Wine Investments" Elvish Enclave Files Formal Protest at Inclusion of Shantaran Red In "Wine Speculator's" List of Best-Appreciating Connoisseur Wines. Complaint Includes Claim That "Shantaran Wines Are So Commonly Served With Poison That They Should Be Considered Cocktails."
*"The Films Will Be Unforgettable" Rex Regis Roy Rez IV Announces Intent to Produce Nine-Part Live Documentary Series on Alusian-Shantine War. "This May Be the Most Important War In a Thousand Years, And I've Retained Ten Thousand Journalists and Crew to Capture Every Angle We Can."
*"Get It Out of Their System" Amidst Growing Social Tension Over Demilitarization of Orcish Civilian Life, Orcish Director General Signs Authorization for Orcish Veterans To Take Limited, State-Approved Tours of Duty Abroad Under Foreign Command.
*"Failing Harvest" Etheric Storms Blight Crops At Brumaire. Unusual Weather Patterns Reported Across Several Shantine Worlds
*"The Long Apocalypse Is Just Out of Sight" Spiran Theologian Al'Hazred Receives Inundation of Curiosity, Support and Criticism Over Claims About End of Cosmos. Attendance at Spiran Seminars Surges, In Aeldrum and Abroad as Spiran Church Groups Appear in Sermaye, Orcish Directorate.
*"We Must Not Allow Uncontrolled Growth" Doge Sevrar Orvhim of Neveth Leads Criticism of Aeldman Industrial-State Cooperative, Drawing On Economic and Politic Concerns. "We're building a house of cards, and the people will be left holding the bag when it falls, not the industrialists whose fortunes are being minted."
*"A Center of Fialta Culture and Lore" Fialta Emperor Neptos Announces Creation of Great Fialta Academy. Academy to Build on Engineering and Military Schools Developed Recently, Extending to Military Technology Innovation and Deep Studies of Lore, as Well as Liberal Arts in Fialta Fashion.
**"A Long Tradition to Draw On" Fialta Space Has Many Othali and Valdosian Academies and Schools Funded By Private Bequests and State Grants, but New Academy Envisions Scale to Rival Great Colleges of Saldan.
**"A Pentacle and National Effort" Bank of Valdos, Church of Dalthad, Church of Othal Expected to Have Heavy Role in Funding and Financing, But Project Is Distinctly Fialta in Character, Emphasizing Unique Cultural Values and National Virtues.
***"Competitive Advantage" Lore and Military Technology, If Made Accessible to Wider Economy, Could Make Fialta Imperium a Leading Power in Intellectual Domains Long Dominated By Aeldrum, Saldan.
**"A Repository For Our Superior Culture" Fialta Academics, Nationalists Praise Academy As Symbolic of "New Fialta Culture," Distinct From Traditionalism of Marches While Still Uniquely Fialta. Fialta Poet-Philosopher Quintus Vesir, "A Fialta Should Be Able To Write An Epic, Declaim It, And Duel His Critics With Pen and Sword. Not All These Virtues Can Be Learned From Brawling." Rival Poet Claudius Lentus Retorts, "Florid Like an Elf. Show Me This Virtue You Vaunt. You Choose, Ink or Blood."
**"Not All Are Impressed" Thalranese Commentators Scoff At Great Academy. "Hokey notions and moral weapons are no match for a good hydrogen pistol at your side."
*"The Great Victory More To Come?" Thalranese Pubs, Veterans' Clubs, Noble Halls Filled With Clamor of Exploration and Future Conquest In Undiscovered Lanes and Untamed Worlds. Grand-Captain Videc In Address To Associates At Mir'Thalran, "Cattrel and Armalos Brought Translane to the Marches, Let Us Use It!"
*"Heroes of the Alusian Idea" Empress Illyana praises the Alusian army for its "Discipline and Valor" in the face of daunting odds, as "the defenders of Lechtus fought a rearguard worthy of song and allowed their comrades to take position and hold the line." While Religion Takes Center Stage In Much Alusian Messaging, Observers Report That Military Brass Receives Much of Public Credit for Defense of Nation. "They're Dying Right There With The Sailors and Footsoldiers."
*"Heroes for God(s)" Shantine Crown-Princess Irboda Receives Delegation of Marcher War Heroes at Patriarchal Palace on Tar'Thalran with Gifts, Praise. "Those Who Would Stamp Out Faith Think They Can Hide Behind the Lie That We Hate Those Different From Us. What We Are Commanded to Hate is the Tyranny of Those Who Think They Can Put Themselves Before the Divine." Irboda and Priestess Marinia Spend Two Hours In Closed-Door Meeting, Before Stepping Out to Award Honors to Kirvan and Thalranese Marcher Soldiers. 
*"Show Us An Angel, And We'll Call It Divine" Protesters Across Cosmos Demand Alusian, Aeldman Churches Summon Evidence of Divine Support of Criticism Issued Against Shantine Kirvan Church, Citing Inherent Divine Approval Around Death-Strike of Arren Kane.
**"A Day Of Light For the Blind" Idolmarite Angel Summoned At Aeldman Charity Hospital In Symbolic Day of Healing To "Open Aeldrum's Eyes To Perils of Political Blindness" Thousands of Blind Aeldmen Have Sight Restored, Petitions and Demonstrations Across Country for More Active Role In Bringing Peaceful End to Alusian-Shantine War.
**"No Sign of Kirvan Answer" No Kirvan Angels Appear to Have Been Summoned to Give Answer to Critics of International Announcement.
*"Driving to New Equilibrium?" Aeldman Midterm Elections Grant Outright Majority to Neoconservative Party and a Dogeship to Party Chair Sevrar Orvhim.
**"Broken Coalition" Sinvas Luvelath Loses Dogeship of Neveth to Orvhim and With It, Base of Political Coalition That Counterweighted Bareth Conservatives for Forty-Five Years. Colonialists Survive Under Luvelath's Leadership, But Once Dominant Colonial Majority Reduced to One Quarter of Colonial MPs.
**"A Politics of Nationhood" Analysts Note Strong Capture of Secularist Talking Points, Politicians By Count Orvhim, Giving Neoconservatives Fresh Political Platform. Orvhim Campaigns on Need To Manage Distortive Effects of Industrial-State Cooperative Programs, Risks to Aeldman Prosperity, Accumulation of Wealth and Power by Key Industrialists.
**"Surprises in Religious Parties" Kirvan Party Wins Notoriously Fractious Galthad Spire, Swathe of Formerly Progressive MP Seats. Dalthadis Win Strategic Posts Such as Governorships, Growing Parliamentary Share, but Largely Lose Out In MP Contest with Kirvans.
**"A New Kind of Industrialist?" Baroness Chella Nebai Wins Estonne Spire By Plurality. Though Not Yet Tested Against a Leading Neoconservative Candidate, Nebai Showed Strong Popular Appeal Based on Long History of Technological Innovation and Socially Favored Programs Such as Healthcare. Doge Nebai is First Aristocrat Elected to Estonne Spire In Two Centuries.
**"The Key to Supermajority" Borne on Some High-Profile Wins and Unexpectedly Strong Success in Colonies, Industrialist Party Captures Necessary Votes to Guarantee or Deny Constitutional Supermajority to Neoconservatives.
**"Failure to Launch" Laena Aefendt, Widow of Late Serene Doge Bareth, Loses Orim Spire Election By Shocking Margin to Neoconservative Baron Liteth. Dowager-Countess Campaigned on Husband's Unpopular "Alldmen" Platform, Declaring in Answer to Skeptical Question from Orim Grandee, "It Is Up to Aeldrum to Make Itself the Kind of Nation that is Ready to Hear the Serene Doge's Last Speech Properly." Before Her Recent Political Career and Marriage to Bareth, Laena Was Co-Founder and President of the "Society of Admirers of Bareth Aefendt," Whose Core Membership Mobilized For Such Orim Dogeship Campaign Events As "Crispin's Birthday Fundraiser" and "Good Words for Bareth Day." 
***"Our Man In Orim" Media Coverage Remained Focused On Dowager-Countess After Election Day, Leading to Hot-Mic Complaint from Doge Liteth at Neoconservative Rally, "You'd Think I Didn't Even Run." Video Footage of Doge Orvhim Glaring At Liteth Goes Viral.
**"Taking a Drubbing" Progressive Party Reaches Lowest Parliamentary Vote Share Since Its Inception, At 3% of Votes. Party Chair Jill Fermal Narrowly Survives No-Confidence Vote of Party Members As Party Loses Dogeship of Estonne, Key Governorships, Majority of MPs.