Kho
Landed Knight
Posts: 140
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Post by Kho on Aug 13, 2017 7:01:41 GMT
To Her Excellency Ishui Bolu, Grand Mayor of the Crowned Republic of New Byrnis and Protector of the Middle Sea,
Whereas news of the independence of the various nations which until recently constituted a part of the Berrandan Kingdom has reached us, along with news of Your Excellency's support for the independence of these nations, His Sacred Majesty has made known his desire for a close working partnership between our two realms for the purpose of securing the protection and ensuring the continued independence of these newly-freed states. Aware of the hostilities recently initiated by the Seftian Empire against a number of these newly-freed states, His Sacred Majesty wishes to discuss a joint course of action between our nations in the interest of securing the best possible outcome for those who sincerely seek after their freedom and sovereignty. It is His Sacred Majesty's belief that joint action by our realms would prove far more effective in bringing about a peaceful resolution to the conflict - or, if that proves impossible, of militarily restraining the Seftian Empire from forcing its will upon those who so clearly wish to be free of it.
It is His Sacred Majesty's greatest hope that cooperation on this matter will prove to be the beginning of amicable relations between our nations, and continued cooperation in the interest of securing the freedom and upliftment of all the peoples of Ergoria.
In Friendship from His Sacred Majesty and the Holy Union of Haiho-Ausvinthus and True Eshara,
His Sacred Majesty's Private Secretary, Councillor Thorlund Great-Wealth III
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Post by aspenivan on Aug 13, 2017 21:49:22 GMT
To His Highness Aulus I, Recimir of Haiho-Ausvinthus,
I must admit I received your secretary's missive with pleasant surprise as well as some consternation. While both of our realms happily support the same cause in the instance of containing Sefti excess, your Highness' desire for a "close working partnership" with the Crowned Republic appears a departure from your Highness' last four decades of policy and public rhetoric. If indeed your Highness' words are sincere, which I am inclined to believe, I would ask of your Highness the following gestures of goodwill to so demonstrate:
Firstly, that the Confederation of Haiho-Ausvinthus officially open its ports to the merchants of New Byrnis. Long has your realm been the sole exception among Northern kingdoms in this regard, where even the Sacrye Giants have welcomed the purple and blue of House Ishui and its Republic into their cities.
Secondly, that your Highness publicly affirm the inviolable right of New Byrnis to its territorial integrity, its Aedakom faith, and its Survaekom languages and customs. Otherwise, what guarantee have we that, should the balance of power in the North one day favor your Highness or a successor Recimir, Haiho-Ausvinthus will not see fit to attempt to end our proud Republic's existence in the name of "restoring Eshara" and "securing Ergoria for Ergorians," expelling those deemed "too Southern" and destroying all sites and symbols of our "invader" faith?
Third and finally, that your Highness reply to this letter in your Highness' own hand, as I have written to your Highness. Such respect among equal sovereigns is the only proper basis for cooperation.
If these conditions are unacceptable to your Highness, I must regretfully decline any offer of coordinated planning. In such a case, we may still be partners in a cause, but only at a distance, each pursuing our own ends, for there would be no solid ground for trust between our peoples.
In Friendship from the Jewel of the Southern Shores and its citizens,
Her Excellency Ishui Bolu, Grand Mayor of the Crowned Republic of New Byrnis and Protector of the Middle Sea
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Kho
Landed Knight
Posts: 140
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Post by Kho on Aug 14, 2017 0:24:05 GMT
To Her Excellency Ishui Bolu, Grand Mayor of the Crowned Republic of New Byrnis and Protector of the Middle Sea,
It is not Our intention that Our overtures of friendship and mutual cooperation should cause Your Excellency any consternation in the slightest. While it is undeniable that the previous four decades have seen little to no relations between our respective nations, it had been Our intention to remedy that at the soonest possible time. Our agent has, however, become detained by various matters of great import in the Most Serene League of Vinaya. He will, if it is the will of the gods, make his presence known to Your Excellency immediately upon arrival to discuss the various matters which it is his task to bring forth before Your Excellency. However, We must apologise for his delay, and apologise again if it should appear that necessity, rather than a sincere desire to form amicable relations between our respective nations, has caused Us to bring forth these communications.
We shall, of course, respond to Your Excellency's gracious and reasonable requests with Our own hand. The Holy Union recognises and respects the sovereignty and sacred integrity of the nations and peoples of all Ergoria - more so those who recognise and respect all these in kind. The Crowned Republic of New Byrnis is an old and respected nation, and while it has not existed in its current form for long, the Holy Union recognises it as the rightful heir to the Kingdom of Elias and so rightfully Ergorian. While the Holy Union does not deny its sadness at the near-destruction of all things Eliasian and their replacement with Southern customs and ways, it is not the place of the Holy Union to force anything upon any people, and it is not Our intention to move in that direction. While We cannot guarantee continued amicable relations between our realms beyond Our reign, We are more than happy to put in writing Our commitment to peace and mutual cooperation with the Crowned Republic of New Byrnis, for all Our successors and their progeny to see and uphold. Moreover, in Our position of religious authority over those adhering to the Esharan faith within Our dominions, and having read widely and deeply the many works of Esharan scholars, We can assure Your Excellency that expulsion and wanton destruction of those who hold differing belief systems to our own is not the Esharan way. So long as Your Excellency can guarantee the same respect for our faith and ways, and the facilitation of peaceful discussion and debate between the adherents of our respective faiths, there shall never again be need for hostility and bloodshed. We shall not deign to write overly much on this issue, for Our agent has been tasked with discussing them more fully with Your Excellency and all the notables of the Crowned Republic who may want a say or have insight into the matter.
It would be Our pleasure to initiate trading relations between our respective realms, however our nation's infrastructural capabilities mean that we are currently at full trading capacity. The various trading districts across Our realm require expansion before We can initiate trading relations with any other than those with whom we trade already. We shall direct Our Council of Trade & Commerce to immediately look into expanding Our realm's trading capacity. Once it is done, the Jewel of the Southern Shores shall be the first We turn to in trade. We hope sincerely that Your Excellency finds that this guarantee satisfies that request.
Having responded to Your Excellency's request in what We hope is a satisfactory manner, We also must put forward some requests of Our own to ensure mutual respect is maintained;
We would firstly request that the Crowned Republic, if it has ever done so, rescind any recognition of the Seftian Empire's claims to the legacy of Old Eshara and recognise instead the Holy Union as the only rightful continuation of Old Eshara. The Holy Union attaches great significance to this, and it is a matter of personal importance to Us, in whose veins runs the very blood of the Basileis of Old Eshara - four of whom, before Us, have borne the name Aulus.
Secondly, We would request that, in all future correspondence, the Holy Union is referred to by its various correct names - those being; 'the Holy Union of Haiho-Ausvinthus and True Eshara', 'the Holy Union', 'the HU', 'Haiho-Ausvinthus and True Eshara', 'Haiho-Auvinthus and Eshara', 'Eshara'. In addition, We would request that - for the sake of mutual respect - that We are referred to by Our correct style - those being; 'His/Your Sacred Majesty', 'Sacred Majesty', 'Majesty'. We recognise that lack of previous communication between our respective realms, and the distance between them, may have created miscommunications and misunderstandings. Your Excellency can rest assured that all such previous errors have not in any way been taken to heart. If We have ignorantly referred to Your Excellency incorrectly or in a matter that appears disrespectful, or to the Crowned Republic, We request Your Excellency's forgiveness and submit a request for all the correct names and styles.
Thirdly, We would request that once our agent has reached the Crowned Republic and accomplished all his duties, Your Excellency make possible his safe crossing of the Middle Sea. Being far more aware of the affairs and geography of the Southern Continent, We trust far more in Your Excellency than any maps that have reached Us to ensure the completion of Our agent's journey to the Aedakom Holy City of Messara.
If Our response and guarantees are acceptable to Your Excellency, and if Our requests can be guaranteed in kind, then We look forward to mutual cooperation in ensuring the independence of the Berrandan successor-states.
In Friendship from the Government and People of the Holy Union of Haiho-Ausvinthus and True Eshara,
His Sacred Majesty, Recimir Aulus V
The Chosen-of-Eshar
Avatar of the Gods
Keeper of the Throne of Words
Master of the Worlds Spiritual and Temporal
&tc.
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Post by aspenivan on Aug 19, 2017 20:46:40 GMT
To His Majesty Aulus I, Recimir of Haiho-Ausvinthus,Your Majesty's responses to my requests are most satisfactory; their further elaboration may be carried out upon the arrival of your Majesty's representative. As for your Majesty's own requests, I will respond to the best of my own ability and as befits the interests of those citizen-subjects I am entrusted to protect. The first request is already fulfilled; The Crowned Republic of New Byrnis has never recognized the pretensions to Imperial titles of the Sefti-Cerdigonian Commonwealth and the now-defunct Kingdom of Ontare-Berranda, let alone their baseless claim to the legacy of Eshara. The second request is, regretfully, more difficult for me to accept in its fullness. It has long been the policy of the Crowned Republic of New Byrnis to recognize no Imperial titles. The only Majesty our state has ever recognized was the Grand Survaek Emperor himself, who was stripped of such title in the eyes of the world near a century and a half ago. Even the rulers of the Kingdom of Byrnia and the Raethonite Commonwealth, more vast and populous than any single Northern realm, do not receive such honors from New Byrnis - they do not even seek to claim such titles in the first place. However, for the sake of friendship and mutual respect, I can deign to address your Majesty by the imperial honorific. Yet, the specific title "Emperor of Eshara" presents the true problem. Take, for example, his Highness the Khaitis King; why do none afford him the title he so insistently claims, Grand Survaek Emperor? Aside from concerns over Vaekirate sanction and past grievances, the clear reason is that affording such a title would legitimize an implicit claim on the greater part of the known world, the entire Southern Continent and the bulk of the North. Likewise, for New Byrnis to recognize any realm as the "Esharan Empire" would be to recognize vast territorial claims that, if pressed, would gravely threaten the sovereignty of most realms in the North. In fact, as your Majesty deems New Byrnis successor to Elias, would not such recognition be a form of public prostration? Would your Majesty ask that I affirm a title that would implicitly justify -if not outright invite- my Republic's vassalization, returned to the legal position of its supposed predecessor? I hope your Majesty can understand the immeasurable obstacles I would face from my citizen-subjects, my allies, and most of all my own heart in recognizing your Majesty's claim to the Esharan Imperial legacy. If your Majesty nonetheless insists on such recognition, I must in return insist on conditions. In particular, I would ask that your Majesty relinquish any historical claim to both territory and vassals on the Southern Shores, the territories of the Ikegami Clan, the territories of the United Kingdoms of Almuria and Beg Gurhim, the territories of the Kingdom of Ontare, and the Sefti-Cerdigonian lands South of Pavil and Powys. Only under such circumstances may I, in good faith, refer to your Majesty's realm as "Eshara." As for the addenda "Sacred" and "Holy," as an Aedakom I simply cannot write them. I mean no disrespect to your Majesty through their omission; rather, I mean only to respect my own faith and the faith of the vast majority of my citizen-subjects. Finally, your Majesty's third request. This I grant without hesitation; it is my pleasure and honor to ensure the safe and efficient passage of your Majesty's chosen representative to Messara. In Friendship from the Jewel of the Southern Shores and its citizens,
Her Excellency Ishui Bolu, Grand Mayor of the Crowned Republic of New Byrnis and Protector of the Middle Sea
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Kho
Landed Knight
Posts: 140
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Post by Kho on Aug 20, 2017 2:35:37 GMT
To Her Excellency Ishui Bolu, Grand Mayor of the Crowned Republic of New Byrnis and Protector of the Middle Sea,
We thank Your Excellency for the generous response. Your Excellency's words appeal to reason and We find nothing in them that which is aberrant to Our mind. Fully aware that the addenda of 'Sacred' and 'Holy' are not recognised by those not of the Esharan faith, We are more than happy for those correct names bereft of the terms to be used in all official communications from the Crowned Republic. We must express Our gratefulness at Your Excellency's guarantee that our agent's safe passage to the Holy City will be secured.
It had not been known to Us that the style of 'Majesty' is considered an Imperial honorific in New Byrnis. Know that the Holy Union does not consider itself an Empire, nor is the title Recimir equivalent to the Basileus of Old Eshara or any other Emperor. The Holy Union is the only legitimate continuation of Old Eshara, it is not an Imperial or territorial claim. The Holy Union lays no claim, and has never lain any claim, to the territories of the Ikegami clan or the United Kingdoms of Almuria and Beg Gurhim, and it does not lay claim to any right of fealty from the Crowned Republic of New Byrnis or any other sovereign state on the Southern Shores. Berranda has been an independent Aedakom duchy since long before the fall of Old Eshara, and so the Holy Union naturally has no claim to its territories either, or to those of Ontare. We do, emphasise the importance to us of those core territories of Eshara which are of historical, cultural, and religious significance to Esharans. Such regions as those of old Crimsamara, old Tarsusin, Irenor, Aveiro, Calleruga, the Montasaar ranges (which now go by a different name) - that is to say, the region which lies generally on the Tumble Way, Red, and Jetma Rivers. This is not to say that the Holy Union would ever seek to secure these territories in an aggressive war of expansion - but it is to say that these territories together make up the core regions of 'Eshara', and any heir to Old Eshara and her people is obligated to make that clear before all the nations of Ergoria. There are holy sites in these regions, places where our forefathers dwelled. They are of course important to Us, but any thought of annexing them to the Holy Union is out of the question.
Moving on to matters of greater import, We are aware that the Seftians have decided on a military subjugation of the Berrandan successor-states. We have communicated Our recommendation against any such action to the Seftians. We are aware that words are unlikely to sway them, but We would recommend that Your Excellency write to them to recommend such a course also. Perhaps, sensing that the greater number of neighbouring nations favour a negotiated settlement, the Seftians will rethink their plans for an attempted military subjugation of the successor-states.
In Friendship from the Government and People of the Holy Union of Haiho-Ausvinthus and True Eshara,
His Sacred Majesty, Recimir Aulus V
The Chosen-of-Eshar
Avatar of the Gods
Keeper of the Throne of Words
Master of the Worlds Spiritual and Temporal
&tc.
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Post by aspenivan on Aug 20, 2017 3:46:04 GMT
To His Majesty Aulus I, Recimir of Eshara,Your Majesty shows great wisdom, discernment, and good faith in your Majesty's words. Should your Majesty publicly affirm the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the realms inhabiting what was Old Eshara, you can expect me and my successors to continually affirm your title. Surely arrangements can be made in respect to important sites in this territory, perhaps making arrangements for safe pilgrimage, the repair of old monuments, and other such measures to peacefully affirm the legacy your Majesty's ancestors. The Crowned Republic has maintained good relations with the United Kingdoms and the Ikegami Clan in particular, and I would be delighted to host a summit among our four powers to elaborate on such matters. I agree with your Majesty that every measure must be taken against the Commonwealth's military response. I will heed your call to write to King Aeron, but the army and navy of the Crowned Republic stand ready to intervene as well should he persist in his aggression. Is the Union of Eshara prepared to intervene as well, if the Sefti will not heed our words? In Friendship from the Jewel of the Southern Shores and its citizens,
Her Excellency Ishui Bolu, Grand Mayor of the Crowned Republic of New Byrnis and Protector of the Middle Sea
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Kho
Landed Knight
Posts: 140
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Post by Kho on Aug 20, 2017 4:19:51 GMT
To Her Excellency Ishui Bolu, Grand Mayor of the Crowned Republic of New Byrnis and Protector of the Middle Sea,
If We show wisdom, discernment, and good faith, know that is nothing but a poor reflection of all that Your Excellency has shown and continues to show. We would be most happy and willing to partake in the convention Your Excellency has proposed. Eshara has taken care to foster relations built on friendship, truth, and transparency with the Ikegami clan and the United Kingdoms, and We have no reason to doubt that both nations would be open to these negotiations. We shall direct Our Council of Knowledge, Understanding & Enlightenment to put aside a regular sum of money from the Treasury for the repair and upkeep of these various sites - We would not expect that the Crowned Republic should bear this burden, and Eshara would be honoured to carry it out as a sacred duty. Should the proposed summit bear fruit, Eshara will likewise pay for the repair and upkeep of all these sites. We thank Your Excellency without reserve.
While the outbreak of war in the west means that some of Eshara's forces have been diverted to the west, the 2nd Esharan Army stands well-drilled and ready at the border with the Seftians. Should they pursue their planned war of aggression, Eshara will stand prepared to intervene alongside the Crowned Republic.
In Friendship from the Government and People of the Holy Union of Haiho-Ausvinthus and True Eshara,
His Sacred Majesty, Recimir Aulus V
The Chosen-of-Eshar
Avatar of the Gods
Keeper of the Throne of Words
Master of the Worlds Spiritual and Temporal
&tc.
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