Somehow I'd never read much, until this week, by Elizabeth Hand.  (If my notes are correct, all I'd read of hers was a short story "Echo", and the much-awarded novella "Last Summer at Mars Hill".)  But the last few days, I've been correcting this oversight, and enjoying myself a lot -- "Illyria", "The Maiden Flight of McCauley's Bellerophon", "Near Zennor", "Wylding Hall".  Haunting stuff, and *very* well-written.

-- John R

Dama Miestra makes what I think is a good suggestion.  Another point for discussion here is whether (in the opinion of y'all) it seems proper for the Monarch to take an active role in the Courts.  I'd have to recuse myself, of course, from pretty much anything with a political angle to it.

Estimada Audrada, I haven't touched a bow (well, at least I haven't shot one) in about 50 years.  Or do darts count?

-- John R

Estimats citaxhiens, I apologize to you all for my not having been sufficiently present in the Kingdom of late.  I intend that this will now change.

When I first immigrated, I made many friends in Talossa, and brought a number of my existing friends into the Kingdom.  That group served in various offices together, created arms together, invented jokes and traditions, and fought with a King who frequently abused his powers.  I made strong bonds with many of these friends, and we spent years together building and developing this unique community.

Over the last few years, all of those friends have become inactive or left the country, for one reason or another.  (One, especially valued, died.)  At the same time, a concentrated campaign began which attacked me personally.  I was left without strong bonds with many other Talossans, and at the same time every visit to Wittenberg became a painful chore.  In time, I began spending less and less time in a community that felt distant, often hostile, and almost never fun.  I was moved to action by duty alone, intervening to preserve our constitutional order or when emergencies demanded it.  Justifiably, many citizens have become upset at this distance, and some have even turned against the very institution I represent.

But I swore an oath.  And I took it seriously then, and I take it seriously today.  When I felt a distance growing between myself and the community over which I am sovereign, I should have acted.  I am not solely at fault, but I am at fault.  And so I apologize to my beloved country of Talossa.  You have deserved better, and I will do better.

Over the past year, I trust many have noticed that I have begun to work harder to improve this state of affairs.  I appointed a regency when I felt it was necessary, and have begun assembling a working sabor to assist me with my duties and offer me advice.  I have tried to make more regular appearances.  I wish to get involved once more, and I wish for Talossa to flourish.

I would like to become involved once more in Talossa's legal community.  At one time I had a solid command of our laws, a command that stood us in good stead when it came to battling my authoritarian predecessor and enshrining in the Organic Law many provisions to make misbehaviour like his impossible in the future.  Now, I would like to offer my services as a Community Jurist and use some of my knowledge of Talossa to assist with hearing cases.

I further wish to become involved in the College of Arms once again, where I remain the Blanc Wolf Herald.  The College of Arms organizes and encourages the honors of our nation, and this modern incarnation of the medieval tradition is strongly bound up with the throne, the font of honor.

And of course I'll plan to participate in the Science Fiction & Whiskey Society, a club to which I have been devoted in the past and which I continue to find intriguing.  If enthusiastic reading and drinking qualifies me, I'm in.

And I wish to become closer to many of you and become your friend, those whom I do not yet have the privilege of knowing.  Many wonderful things are happening in a country that seems to have come alive again since the end of this past Cosa, with poker tournaments, virtual archery competitions, civics quizzes, and much more.  I hope to join some of these activities and get to know you.

I know that the future is not in my hands, nor even wholly in the hands of the citizens of my Kingdom.  As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase."  But I will lay on once more to the planting with a good will, and I hope and pray to see the increase.

– John R

I am most happy to make this appointment, of Béneditsch Ardpreister, as Squirrel King.  I feel quite sure he'll do a really good job as head of the College, and bring to this post a high level of integrity, skill, and enthusiasm.

And I add my voice to the Seneschal's in thanking Sir Cresti and Count Thord for all they've done -- and it has been a LOT -- to further the flourishing of heraldry in our Kingdom.

Done under our hand royal at the city of Centennial in Colorado this 10th day of August being the Feast of St Lawrence Deacon and Martyr, in the year of salvation 2022, of the independence of Talossa the forty-third, and of Our reign the seventeenth.

-- John, Regeu da Talossa

I finally got around to reading the 2020 Nebula "Best Novel", A Song for a New Day by Sarah Pinsker.  Wow, it's good.  Set in a not-very-distant-future America, in the music industry; and reflecting on social isolation (as in lockdowns and quarantines).

-- John R

We are grateful for the good service done to Us and Our kingdom by the Secretary of State, Dr. Txec dal Nordselva.  He has shown himself to be a citizen of great character and competence, and We have never had cause to doubt his loyalty or good-will.

With confidence in this judgment and fidelity, and wishing to avail Ourselves of more such, We hereby appoint Dr. Txec dal Nordselva as a Guar dal Sabor Talossan, and charge him to give Us honest and good counsel to help Us better guide and assist Our kingdom.

-- John R

I approve the PD. My thanks to the Seneschál and Baron Alexandreu for tracking me down.

-- John Regeu

I can almost surely make myself available, yes.  Times?

-- John R

Talossa is a nation; and more than that, a dream, a dream that belongs to no one person.

The dream and the nation were born in the heart of a boy in America's Milwaukee, long ago, but from the moment it left him and began to spread, that dream belonged to the world.  It belongs to friends of that boy, and those who have never known him.  It belongs to active and eager citizens, and former citizens who have drifted away.  It belongs to the friends of the throne, and those who oppose it.  Talossa is a dream of what the world could be, and that dream belongs to everyone who is Talossan in their heart.

At one time in our history, the reckless pride of a poor leader drove out from our body politic a great body of worthy citizens.  In the ensuing years, the Kingdom of Talossa and the Republic of Talossa lived mostly as strangers, or worse, as enemies.  Our hearts were cold toward each other; it took far too long for that chill to end.

Today, we celebrate ten years since Reunision, one of the greatest days in Talossan history.  It is a day on which we celebrate the dream of Talossa, and a unified spirit in service to that dream.  We celebrate the fact that no one owns this dream.  It lives in your heart.  And if you are ever away from your people, know that Talossa is still within you.

In the parable of the prodigal son, a boy leaves his father and travels far abroad.  He has great cheer in his travels, but soon finds himself miserable.  He resolves to return to his father, to grovel and beg forgiveness.  "I will arise and go to my father," the boy says to himself, "and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son."

The boy returns home, determined to abase himself.  But to his astonishment, as soon as he comes within sight of his home, "when he was yet a long way off", his father rushes to him with compassion and joy, covers him with kisses, and commands a feast.  When the boy's elder brother complains and wants to scorn the returning prodigal, the father says with a smile, "Thy brother was dead, and is alive again.  He was lost, and is found."

Reunision was the return to each other of all our prodigals.  The Republic returned to the Kingdom, and in the same measure the Kingdom returned to the Republic.  Let us remember the important thing: "Thy brother was dead, and is alive again.  He was lost, and is found."

Qe vivadra Talossa!

              —  John Regeu

NOI, IAN, Gräts à Díeu Regeu da Talossa es da toct sieux Reic'hs es Cuntradas, Regeu da Cézembre, Avötz da Péngöpäts es las Nouas Falklands, Zefençadeir del Feitz, Duceu dallas Forziuns Armeschti, Vice-Regeu da Hoxha es Vicar d'Atatürk, graitent el Regipäts es sieux citaxhiens es Cestours.  Noi sint rats es fiis àð actarh sür l'aðviçéu da Noastra Regeu Hamilta d'Armeux, da sieux Piersequinds, es dels altreux membreux del Coletx d'Armeux per affirmarh es anonçarh püblicmint els Þonörs Rexhitais qe Noi otorgent perventüra à qátor citaxhiens deneux del Regipäts Noastra.

TANDI QE hi tent venescu avant Üns certaes citaxhiens da Talossa perþonests es plicteschti qi requestent el favour Noastra, es qi tiennent petiziunat qe Noi, in virtù del pevarh Rexhital cunferat solamint à Nhoi, otorgadrent es cunferadrent à lhor, es à lors sovinds lexhitais, dallas armeux; es

TANDI QE Noi derivent dallas graçù es favour Rexhitais Noschtri embù el sarvoir es el pevarh à cunferarh dallas armeux come dallas cadais da Nhoi, es àð emestarh in tais facendas üna proclamaziun Rexhital avetz el Grült Saxhel del Regipäts; es

TANDI QE Noi apartì tiennent estescu clinats par acestilor citaxhiens, qi Noi toctziua tiennent trovat àð estarh preparats per la serviçù del Regipäts Noastra; nun

PER ACESTILOR RAZIUNS, avetz els pevarhen Rexhitais citats super, pa la circümspicença ampal, el sfäts ben, es l'adanaziun propra, Noi tiennent reconeiçat els favours zepictats aicì es tiennent cunferat àð acestilor citaxhiens qe os es lors sovinds lexhitimätsilor estadrent daincets els porteirs d'acestilor Armeux, es qe os tenadrent acestilor Armeux come lor drept, come c'e la privilexhù es l'üsonça Noastra, sanc la vía eda l'unfaþilità d'aucün perziun.



OCSÅ qe c'estadra säpescu qe ça Noi piaça àð apüntar tres citaxhiéns deneux à noastra Coletx Rexhital dels Armeux, es Noi lor zirent àð estar fidéux àl principal es coraxhösen in la vischtă.

Mic'haglh Autófil com'el Estacat Lung

Txec Róibeard dal Nordselvă com'el Precurseir dal Aquilă Rutx

Baron Alexandreu Davinescu com'el Precurseir dal Ceoară Priet


Zonescu sub Noastra mha Rexhital à la Cità da Centennial in Colorado li ziua veintlaiset d'Avrïu, estind el Festival da Tafsut Imazighen, in l'ár 2022 dal salvaziun, el qareinçe-tierçeu dal independençù da Talossa, es el seifdeschlaiset d'Ár röin.

— Ian Regeu

---

WE, JOHN by the Grace of God King of Talossa and of all its Realms and Regions, King of Cézembre, Sovereign Lord and Protector of Pengöpäts and the New Falklands, Defender of the Faith, Leader of the Armed Forces, Viceroy of Hoxha and Vicar of Atatürk, greet the Kingdom and her citizens and Cestours.  We are pleased and proud to act on the advice of Our Squirrel King of Arms, his pursuivants, and the other members of the College of Arms to affirm and announce publicly the Royal honours granted to four worthy citizens of Our Kingdom.

WHEREAS there have come before Us certain honourable and dutiful citizens of Talossa requesting Our favour, which loyal subjects have humbly petitioned that We, by virtue of the Royal power conferred only unto Us, might grant and confer unto them, and their lawful heirs, a coat of arms; and

WHEREAS We derive from Our Royal grace and favour both the commission and the power to confer achievements of arms as a gift from Us, and to issue in such matters a Royal proclamation with the Great Seal of the Kingdom; and

WHEREAS We are particularly inclined toward these citizens, whom We have always found ready in the service of Our Kingdom; now

THEREFORE, with the Royal powers cited above, upon ample consideration, good counsel, and proper knowledge, We have recognized the favours described herein and have conferred upon these citizens that they and their legitimate heirs should hereafter be bearers of the following coats of arms, and that they should therefore have these arms as right, as is Our privilege and custom, without leave or hindrance by anyone.



ALSO let it be known that it pleases Us to appoint three worthy citizens to our Royal College of Arms, and We bid them be true to principle and bold in vision.

Mic'haglh Autófil as the Long Fellow

Txec Róibeard dal Nordselvă as the Rouge Eagle Herald

Baron Alexandreu Davinescu as the Noir Raven Herald


Given under Our hand Royal at the city of Centennial in Colorado this twentieth day of April, being the Festival of Tafsut Imazighen, in the year of salvation 2022, of the independence of Talossa the forty-third, and of Our reign the seventeenth.

— John Regeu

I approve, countersign, all that.

But I'm not certain why this is so urgent that we don't do it with a regular bill.  Ah well.

-- John R

FWIW, I didn't like The Three-Body Problem much.  So much of the story had to do with the physics of the 3-sun system, and the author got the physics all wrong.  Bah humbug.  :-)

-- John R

PRESENT

-- John Regeu

El Regeu en volt.

-- John R

We JOHN by the Grace of God King of Talossa and of all its Realms and Regions, King of Cézembre, Sovereign Lord and Protector of Pengöpäts and the New Falklands, Defender of the Faith, Leader of the Armed Forces, Viceroy of Hoxha and Vicar of Atatürk, having thought fit to dissolve this present fifty-sixth Cosa of the Kingdom of Talossa, do to that end publish this Our proclamation royal, hereby dissolving the said Cosa accordingly; and do discharge and excuse the Members of that Cosa from their meeting and attendance thereat from the conclusion of this month instant. And We being desirous and resolved for the better governance of these Our realms to have the advice of Our people in the Ziu assembled, do hereby make known to all Our loyal commons, knights, and nobles Our royal will and pleasure to call and assemble a new Cosa, and do hereby further declare that We have given order that Our Chancery and Secretary of State do forthwith issue out writs and ballots in due form, and according to law, for the election of a new fifty-seventh Cosa as well as Senators for Maricopa, Fiova, and Maritiimi-Maxhestic in their regular rotation.

Further, We desire at this time most heartily to thank and congratulate, on Our own behalf and that of the entire Talossan nation, the citizens who served in this now-dissolved fifty-sixth Cosa, especially thanking S:reu Txoteu É. Davinescu for his faithful service as Our Seneschal during this last Cosa, and all the other members of the Government who so generously give of their time and effort for the good of our nation. Further thanks are due to Sir Gödafrïeu Válcadác'h URN, and S:reux Beneditsch Ardpreister and Ian Plätschisch, whose present distinguished terms of service in the Senäts will end with the upcoming election.

Given under Our hand Royal at the city of Centennial in Colorado this twenty-seventh day of February in the year of salvation 2022, being (according to the Orthodox Paschalion) Sexagesima Sunday, of the independence of Talossa the forty-third, and of Our reign the sixteenth.

              —  John Regeu