Speaking on behalf of His Majesty, King John, I wish to first say that the great love and passion of the citizenry of Cézembre should be a model for all of the nation.  Even as opinions sharply differ and new ideas are introduced, everyone is committed in their love of country.

I think I should speak up in a few regards, however.  First, I urge that Cézembre's efforts to differentiate itself should never extend to secession in any form.  The Organic Law said of our sacred lands that, "Aceasta teritoria isch sacreu es unviolaval. Ça non serà cedada, reduçada eda smesada."  In English: This territory is sacred and inviolable. It shall not be ceded, reduced or broken up.  We are one state.  I believe I can say without qualification that His Majesty would never countenance any laws or actions which contradicted that sacred unity.  I further believe that His Majesty would decline a separate provincial title of royalty which was independent of the Talossan throne.  His Majesty is Regeu da Cézembre because he is Regeu dal Talossa.

That said, I know His Majesty favors efforts by citizens of Cézembre to affirm their support for the monarchy.  If that is the will of the province, then I speak for His Majesty to urge only that this goal be focused on ways in which the monarchy can be strengthened and supported within the bounds of our national traditions.  The Royal College of Arms needs assistance -- who among you will step forward and offer to help?  Or assist the other provinces with some of your marvelous innovations -- surely there are some in Vuode or Maritiimi-Maxhestic who might wish to claim their own homestead, much as you have done here?

Cézembre has been an active and diverse province for my entire time in Talossa.  I have no doubts that this will continue, for it is a mighty place.

              —  Sir Alexandreu, Rexhaint d'Ian Regeu da Cézembre

Today is Easter Sunday, and a happy holiday to all who celebrate it!  This Christian holiday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead after three days, and is considered the holiest day in the calendar.  Unfortunately, many of the traditional Easter events in Talossa have been canceled this year due to the ongoing pandemic, although there are still nearby events in America, as with the Bunny Train in East Troy.  Happy Easter!

              —  Sir Alexandreu, Rexhaint d'Ian Regeu

Lexh.F.40 directs that "once per Cosa, and during the final Clark of a Cosa, the Sovereign shall conduct an Investitures Ceremony where the recipients of these awards shall be announced. The Sovereign shall formally present award insignia to those recipients on behalf of the body conferring the award."

It is my pleasure to announce on behalf of His Majesty King John that the Pirmalaiset Maravetx d'Avestür (First Ceremony of Investiture) will be held on the 20th day of April 2021/XLII.  Any national or provincial government office or civil service office may request that the Crown award any decorations that they wish to bestow, and such requests will be granted to the best of my ability as long as they are received at least by the 18th.  Requests may be public, as the national government has done, or in private, if you wish to surprise the recipient. Some unexpected awards are already planned. All awards will be granted with due pomp.

              —  Sir Alexandreu, Rexhaint d'Ian Regeu

A happy holiday to all who celebrate today!  Talossa's Cestours have a long Jewish tradition, with the Jewish Museum of Milwaukee showcasing some of that rich history to people who visit it in Maritiimi-Maxhestic.  Their YouTube channel also offers Museum Moments, a series of short videos which relay information about key moments in Jewish history, usually with a Milwaukee/Talossa theme.  If you have a chance, visit and learn.  And a happy festival to all on this Passover!

              —  Sir Alexandreu, Rexhaint d'Ian Regeu

Þonoreschti Membreux dal Cosa es Senators:

A bill has been proposed and presented for your consideration in the upcoming Clark entitled "The Talossan Law Repatriation (Crimes Repugnant to Talossanity) Bill," sponsored by our Most Honourable Seneschal, Dama Miestră Schivă.  I am here to object to this bill with my most strident opposition.  It addresses an important issue, establishing an entirely indigenous Talossan law.  But I urge you to reject the bill, and return to work on the problem with more thoughtful consideration.  This proposal is deeply flawed.

Much of the proposal is unobjectionable.  My concerns are centered on its third provision:

Quote3. A Talossan citizen who is convicted in another jurisdiction, by a credible judicial authority, of an offence incurring penal servitude which is repugnant to the values expressed in the Covenant of Rights and Freedoms, shall be guilty of the crime of "repugnant behaviour bringing Talossa into disrepute", and be liable to a punishment of severity in strict proportion to the severity of the said offence.

My objections are manifold and serious.

The proposed law is inorganic.  Talossan citizens are afforded rights of due process, but little actual process is afforded by this provision.  If charged under this provision, a citizen found guilty by a foreign court is automatically deemed guilty of a Talossan crime.  While they might contest the fact of their conviction, or might contest the "repugnancy" of the crime in question, they have no opportunity to challenge the actual conviction itself.  That's a serious problem for those Talossans who live in places with judicial systems that are questionable or flawed.  Further, the law as written could possibly make things such as euthanasia illegal, in direct contravention of the Covenants.

The proposed law is unethical.  It would leave it entirely unclear what would sort of behavior would be illegal under Talossan law.  Any conviction for any crime could hypothetically be subject to prosecution under Talossan law.  The Government is unlikely to seize upon flimsy crimes such as jaywalking, but what about more serious crimes such as tax evasion?  Is that illegal under Talossan law?  No one could say for sure if this bill were to pass, since it would depend on the whims of the Government and judge to decide what they thought was particularly "repugnant."   The Covenant's theoretical prohibition of "activities which injure, endanger, risk or compromise the physical health, privacy, or tranquility of other persons" is very broad if considered as a crime.

The proposed law is impractical.  Is abortion a crime under this law?  Unclear!  The Eighth Covenant guarantees it, but the Sixth Covenant overrides the Eighth!  We've never considered the Covenant of Rights and Freedoms to be a list of crimes, and it doesn't make sense when you read it that way.  In some places, for example, affirmative action is illegal.  Is that a Talossan crime?  Maybe!  Is it illegal to have a scholarship fund for LGBT youth?  It sure is in Iran, and maybe in Talossa!  If you're a politician, is it a crime not to announce a dirty secret from your past "which reasonable voters might find helpful, profitable, or informative?"  Maybe!

I will be grateful for any questions that this body might have, or for the assistance of those who can find ways in which my reasoning is in error.  I repeat that I favor the overall goal being sought; my concerns are only with this particular approach, which is fatally flawed.  I urge you to reject it.  Discussion of the bill as it has evolved can be seen in this initial thread here and then in the Hopper here.

              —  Sir Alexandreu, Rexhaint d'Ian Regeu

The College of Arms is a long-treasured Talossan institution.  Quaint and sometimes silly with its traditions and blazons, it also has a serious edge to it: the armorial achievements of citizens reflect their values and the honour that they show through their citizenship.  I can think of no one better to lead the College, with its twin values of silly pomp and serious honour, than Sir C.M. Siervicül, UrN.  A Talossan at heart since 1996 and by law since 2005, Sir Cresti has served as Seneschal and un Cadi del Cort pu Inalt, among many other offices.  An enthusiast for del Glheþ, he has translated numerous works and helped guide its development.  He is known by all to be kind, upright, and an honourable man.  It is fitting, then, for him to help others to better reflect their own innate honour as Talossans, by moderating the Coletx d'Armeux that assists our citizens and institutions with their armorial achievementd.

And so, acting on nomination by the Seneschal del Regipäts Talossan:

Com'el rexhaint per la Coronă, perventüră apüntéu Sir Cresti M. Siervicül, UrN, àl óifisch del Regeu-Hamiltă d'Armeux, es lo comandéu à servar el Legeu Orgänic es sieu Regeu àl miglhor da sieux capacitaes.

Acting as regent for the Crown, I hereby appoint Sir Cresti M. Siervicül, UrN, to the office of Squirrel King of Arms, and enjoin him to serve the Organic Law and his King to the best of his abilities.  Done under my hand in the name of King John, Regeu del Regipäts Talossan, this second day of January in the year 2020/XLI.

              —  Sir Alexandreu, Rexhaint d'Ian Regeu

Happy New Year to all Talossans everywhere!  I hope that we all have a wonderful 2021!

Over recent years, we have observed the quietude of this great College with dismay.  For many years, Talossans of every stripe delighted in seeking a grant of arms, and for many it was one of the formative moments for their life as a new Talossan.  They found their people and they were given the opportunity to choose important symbols for themselves as they added this laurel to their identity -- a visible new sign of belonging to their new community.

Even further, the process of obtaining arms was a boon for the whole nation.  Seeking out the College and engaging in the process required detailed conversations about ideals and history.  For many Talossans, the conversation has been among the first few chats they've enjoyed with their compatriots, and it was often a chance for the country to get to know each new immigrant a bit better.  Flush with success, the honoured citizen might turn their attention to some other aspect of civic life.  All profited from the process, and we are the poorer for its diminishment.

In the coming days, the Crown will turn its attention to assisting the leaders and members of the College to reform and reinvigorate their ranks.  No one shall lose their place in the College; that's not something that's done.  But we will be acting promptly to show Talossans a revitalized Royal College of Arms.  We all owe it to each other and to our nation.

              —  Sir Alexandreu, Rexhaint d'Ian Regeu

With great regret and with a fierce eagerness to reverse this decision at the slightest inclination of its object, the Crown hereby discharges Çesli da Chilseu from her longtime position as Royal Cunstaval of the United Provinces of Vuode and Dandenburg.  Efforts to contact her have not succeeded, and we hope it is a rich and happy life that occupies her time, though her gain is our loss.  Çesli has served her nation as Seneschal in the past, and has given nine years' service as Royal Cunstaval for her wonderful province.  We hope that future days see her return to activity in the Kingdom of Talossa and the United Provinces once more.

              —  Sir Alexandreu, Rexhaint d'Ian Regeu

At this time and for the foreseeable future, the Crown shall be declining to appoint anyone to the vacant office of the Royal Cunstaval of Atatürk.  Instead, pursuant to Constitution of the Glorious Province of Atatürk, the Crown will continue to exercise the powers of the Royal Cunstaval with kind care for the excellent citizens of the province.  Any Atatürkeys who need the support or seek the succor of the Crown shall find it.  Please contact me if you have any questions via Private Message or publicly, here.

              —  Sir Alexandreu, Rexhaint d'Ian Regeu

S:reu Avocat-Xheneral:

It has been about ten months since the "Appeal of Judgement re: Legality of non-Talossan Name" case.  It is my understanding that the appeal is complete and Senator Pinatsch cannot be in any further jeopardy about the matter, but has anything been undertaken to correct what the appeals cort called "serious errors in law and procedure" in the original decision, either in a judicial or legislative sense?

Quote from: Eðo Grischun on October 31, 2020, 06:07:44 PM

Quote from: Dr. Txec Róibeard dal Nordselvă, Esq., O.SPM, SMM on October 31, 2020, 11:40:13 AM
Welcome Alfred! You have an interesting surname. Are you descended from the Hapsburgs who ruled much of Europe in previous centures?

NB: The applicant has decided to "deed poll" their surname and go by an assumed 'street name'.  Their true and legal name has been collected and verified by the Immigration Sectetary and MinInterior and will be kept on file as part of our records, and can be shared with the Chancery, if required.

May I ask how many citizens have a availed themselves of this pseudonym service? I wasn't aware that was a thing we were doing.



(modified by E. Grischun:  Topic split and moved from an immigration thread to its own Terp thread in Lobby.  Post contents not edited.)

Ministreu Davinescu, are any appointments yet outstanding for enrollees (such as an admiral)?  I would like to address them as soon as possible, if so.  And is there any roster available?

Just a thread to collect legal questions for my own interest.

It recently came up in the immigration board that there are some folks interested in playing D&D.  I'd be happy to DM a one-shot in 5th edition just to start, using Foundry VTT.  It's okay if you're new, since I have a lot of experience with newbies and 5e is really remarkably easy to play.  Please post here if you'd be interested.  Play hours would be something like 8-11 pm EST on some weeknight or another, depending on scheduling.

The new Article VI has a Section 5:

Quote
The second Clark of every Ziu may entertain business as normal, but especially shall occur after a month of recess following the first Clark.  The Seneschál shall have the express duty during the said month of recess to form a government and prepare their legislative agenda, and shall announce publicly both the roster and the agenda at least before, if not sooner than, the last day on which a member of the Ziu may submit a measure to the second Clark.

What does the first sentence mean?

And also it seems that the Seneschal must personally stay in power through a whole Government, even if they're ill or can't otherwise do the job, since they can't legally be replaced without a new general election (Section 7  "No election for the Seneschál shall occur, except during the first Clark of a newly seated Ziu.")?  Am I reading this one right?

Ben morgun, buna vhespra, es azul.
Good morning, good evening, and hello.

I wished to consolidate all information about the new Zuávs da l'Altahál Rexhitál on Wittenberg.  This thread will be an overview of current policy, recruitments, and promotions.

Els Zuávs da l'Altahál Rexhitál is the new face of the Talossan military, to the maximally operable extent that I am permitted.  We will reward rank for real achievement.  When you see someone with a rank in the Zuávs, then you will know that they did something to earn it.  We will be a cultural organization, working to defend the throne and the country by creating, propagating, and promoting interesting creative and practical work of a Talossan nature.

This is not a political organization.  It is not affiliated with any party or movement, and while els Zuávs are subordinate by law to the elected government, we will act independently and apolitically.

This is not an empty organization.  You will be rewarded with pompous ranks and awards that mean something, because you will receive them only for real achievements.

This is not a violent organization.  Violence is anathema to els Zuávs.  We are waging war, but it is a war on apathy and philistinism.  Our battlefield is the waiting world, ready to be changed into something Talossan.

Policies
All outstanding officers and enlisted men and women of the Zouaves with enlistments or commissions prior to Oct 27, 2019/XXVIII have been discharged, with thanks from a grateful nation.  Further, all existing regulations, provisions, or other guidelines of any form, barring those found in laws currently in effect, regarding the Zouaves and published/declared before the same date are declared null and void.

The Zuávs Mission is defined as follows: "Els Zuávs da l'Altahál Rexhitál work to defend the throne and the country by creating, propagating, and promoting interesting creative and practical work of a Talossan nature."  All officers and enlisted men and women of the Zouaves shall be expected to direct their efforts towards this mission.

All of those who apply to join the Zuávs will be granted the rank of Private, without exception, and may begin advancement immediately.  Only new activity is eligible as an exhibition, but there are many approaches you can take to the creation, distribution, and promotion of Talossan culture.  An incomplete list might include:

• translating a poem or story
• creating and populating a new category of articles on the wiki (not a single article, sorry!)
• recording a Talossan song
• making a suite of promotional posters to encourage people to immigrate
• conducting a well-organized public opinion poll
• creating a new website to promote some aspect of our language or culture
• publishing a significant body of opinion columns in a magazine or newspaper (generally five of significant length would be a reasonable tranche)
• editing and presenting a full edition(s) of a magazine or newspaper (generally consisting of five articles or columns in total)
• arranging or giving a promotional interview in another country's media regarding Talossa
• a set of articles examining different aspects of Talossan history
• or significant advertising in five or more places about the wonders of Talossa.

If you're unsure if something will qualify, please ask!  My answer will rely entirely on whether or not the activity creates, distributes, or promotes Talossan culture -- and that's a very broad category of approaches!

Ranks
Enlisted Ranks

Private
All enlistees begin with the rank of Private.  While this may seem humble, it serves as an immediate notice that you intend to improve your country in a real way.  Few Talossans can say as much.

Private Second Class
   Promotion to Private Second Class (PSC) is predicated on any single good-faith exhibition of creation, contribution, promotion, or preservation of Talossan culture.  For example, translating a single poem, creating and populating a new category of articles on the wiki, recording a single Talossan song, making a suite of promotional posters, or similar activities would each be sufficient to merit promotion.  Activities unrelated to culture, such as writing laws, will not ordinarily be considered as justification for promotion.  Failed attempts will also not merit consideration.

Private First Class
   Promotion to Private First Class (PFC) requires five exhibitions of a similar calibre.  They may each be of the same nature, or they may be varied among many avenues, as the Zuáv pleases.

Specialist
   Ten approved exhibitions are necessary for promotion to the rank of Specialist (SPC).  Despite the title of the rank, there is in fact no requirement to specialize in any particular field of achievement.  However, should a Specialist so request, they might be recognized as an expert in one particular regard.

Corporal
   Twenty approved exhibitions are necessary for promotion to the rank of Corporal (CPL).

Sergeant
   Thirty approved exhibitions are necessary for promotion to the rank of Sergeant (SGT).
All sergeants must, further, pass the Sergeant's Exam, a language exam focused on Talossan English phrases to be customarily used.  It is expected that you will consistently employ these phrases in the place of their English equivalents when socially appropriate.  The Exam may be retaken as many times as necessary, but promotion to Sergeant will not be considered without a passing grade.

Sergeant First Class
   Forty approved exhibitions are necessary for promotion to the rank of Sergeant First Class (SFC)

Master Sergeant
   The highest enlisted rank may be reached after fifty approved exhibitions.  An enlisted Zuáv at this rank will have made a lasting and distinct impression on Talossan culture; their place in Talossan history is assured.  This is not an exaggeration.  Only a score of people in Talossan history have ever reached this level of achievement.

Officer Ranks

Second Lieutenant
   Officers in the Zuávs are expected to help administer the organization, and will be assigned tasks as necessary.  These tasks will generally be supervisory in nature.  Master Sergeants who wish to advance to Second Lieutenant (SLT) must pass the Officer's Exam, a basic language exam focused on brief conversational Talossan, before they are eligible.

First Lieutenant
An SLT who excels at their position will be promoted to First Lieutenant (FLT).