news SBC: Seylosian Brodcasting Corporation

[Seylos]

Death of the King

Just days ago King Stuart passed suddenly after suffering a major heart attack. It is unknown the circumstances behind the death, as the Monarchy has declined to release the state of the King's health prior to the incident.

King Stuart's reign has been marred with controversy for the past decade after ascending to the throne. Many critics have attacked his government for being rife with corruption and excess. Numerous photos and videos have been released over the years featuring the King flaunting his wealth in the face of an economically depressed nation, adding to rising discontent among the general population. Even the upper nobility have criticized his rule with the Duke of Hastington infamously shouting at the king at court when he announced a new 250 million pound palace and gardens for himself. Had Prince Aidan not intervened at that time, the Duke may not have been alive today as it was discovered later that the King had ordered his immediate execution before being calmed down by his son.

Following her father's death, Princess Margaret immediately retracted any claim to the throne stating that she believe she could be of more service to the Seylosian people in her current position. This leaves only the two princes to contend for the kingship, and it will certainly be an uphill battle for both. Little precedent has been set for the early death of a monarch, and since Seylosian law requires that the reigning monarch  explicitly name their heir what happens next is unsure. Currently it appears the Prince Aidan commands enormous popularity from the people however his brother Henry commands much of the noble support and wealthy. On top of this there have been growing rumors of potential foreign influence

 

Edited June 18, 2018 by Seylos (see edit history)

[Seylos]

Launch of the HMS Defiant

Today the Seylosian Royal Navy announced the launch of the long awaited HMS Defiant after what had been a series of delays. For the past three years Seylos has been without any critically needed aircraft carriers since the last carrier, the HMS Seahawk was decommissioned due to old age. The new Manchester Class aircraft carrier the newest class of ship introduced into the Seylosian armada and carries an impressive array of technologies fit for the modern era. Originally the Manchester class of ships were drawn up as part of a massive naval modernization program which has been in progress for the past seven years.  A yet unnamed sister ship is still in the construction phase with a so far undefined launch date.

 

                                                                                                  

                                                                                                                                The HMS Defiant begins her maiden voyage with a tour of the country's coasts.

[Seylos]

Upper Government in Chaos

Confusion reign in the government following the death of the king. As of now no government sources truly understand exactly who is in control. In the midst of the chaos soldiers from an unknown branch of the military attempted to take control of the SBC's main Selbourne offices. For hours a tense standoff followed until a contingent Royal Palace Guard also arrived on the order of Prince Aidan and confronted the unknown soldiers. After another hour the soldiers departed, and the officer in charge of the Royal Palace Guard group informed the SBC that they would continue to guard the offices to prevent any further issues.

The mystery continues to deepen as the office of the Exchequer has reported to disappearance of millions of pounds from the Royal Treasury as well as frequent military reassignments puzzling the few members of military command the SBC could contact.

With the tensions building, a new crisis may be coming soon for the country.

 

                                                                    

                                                                                                   An image of some of the unknown soldiers outside the SBC offices.

Edited June 19, 2018 by Seylos (see edit history)

[Seylos]

Prince Aidan Takes Matters Into His Own Hands, Prince Henry Meets With Powerful Nobles

This morning Prince Aidan addressed a crowd of journalists that had been growing outside his Royal Residence in the heart of Selbourne. The prince took the time to attempt to address the growing concerns over the stability of the government. Of course he also took the time to criticize his brother for courting the nobility instead of trying to actually govern the country.

"I'm fed up with how my brother has decided to handle this situation, and he can try to get the support he wants from the nobility, but we both have a country to run and if he isn't going to help in this responsibility I have to make sure things get done." The Prince said while addressing the crowd. "Today I've made sure to shore up our national defense by ordering a general modernization program for out military. The last thing we need in this confusing is to have our armed forces caught off guard in a crisis."

The prince went on to make a major accusation towards his brother regarding the missing treasury money, "My brother has a penchant for taking after our father and it wouldn't surprise me in the least that he was responsible for draining the treasury. As of now the office of the Exchequer has begun a detailed investigation but nothing new is forthcoming. I've taken the liberty of using my own personal royal funds to kick off the beginning rounds of modernization efforts within the country of which more information will be released at a later date."

After the Prince had finished speaking the commander of the Royal Guard, Brigadier Delyth Kendrick make a quick show of addressing the crowd, "We've heard the concerns of the citizenry regarding unknown military members attempting restrict movement throughout the country. We understand this can be very frightening but we need everyone to stay steady and report any sighting to the Royal Guards immediately, we have setup a hotline regarding the matter which will come with our official press release."

\

Brigadier Delyth Kendrick making his brief statement regarding security matters.

[Seylos]

Outrage Over Mundus Liber Institute LGBT Survey

After the publishing of the recent Mundus Liber survey, a government funded group from Mauridiviah, outrage spread throughout the whole of the country. Many people who commented to the SBC were angry at the survey's results.

"I couldn't even believe what I was reading, " 56 year old John Havers from Sessex said, "Are they telling me that me and all the people I've known for decades in Sessex only 'generally' like LGBT people? Christ me own son is gay,  and the King, bless his soul, is just the same."

Reactions in Selbourne were even more drastic, with some calling for the government to call out the Mundus Liber Institute. Mary Clevens, 34,  looked both confused and angry when interviewed, "I don't quite understand, when were we supposed to make laws to protect something that everyone of us knows is a fact of life? Let's be real here, who cares anything about a bunch of centuries old laws, we certainly haven't since they were feckin made! As far as I'm concerned these Mauri-whatever survey people can kiss my arse."

The outrage even spread to protests near Royal Palace, where even King Aidan made a brief appearance. In his address to the crowd he made sure to talk regarding their concerns, "I understand your frustration of our rankings in this international survey, but I don't believe any of it is representative of the Seylosian people. Never have we decided to distinguish between... I'm sorry I'm having trouble wording something I suppose I've never thought of having to even talk about this before... Distinguishing between non-LGBT and people who are. The world we live in is much different to others, and we must carry on the way we always have. Two consenting adults in any form of healthy relationship has never been a concern of anybody, and it certainly never should be. Thank you."

Still small protests against the survey occur around the nation, with even a public petition reaching almost half a million signatures demanding diplomatic actions be taken. A representative of His Majesty's government responded simply, "While we understand the frustration every Seylosian citizen may be feeling right now, it must be understood that this is not an official Mauridivian statement. As we all know even the SBC is contrary to Kings at times."

Edited July 4, 2018 by Seylos (see edit history)

[Seylos]

Massive Regional Restructuring Announced

In a shocking announcement, King Aidan announced a massive series of regional reforms that will begin taking place in the nation in the near future. For the majority of Seylos's history elections have only ever been held on the local level, with regional governance dictated to mostly to the nobility. However after the events of the coup attempt by the former Prince Henry, it appears reforms to this system have finally arrived.

For many years the powers of the nobility have waned, as the monarchy has assumed more control over the government as a whole. Now with some powerful nobles disappearing with the exiled prince it seems the last bit of opposition in the way of total reform has been pushed out of the way.

"We've been very fortunate in how lucky Seylos has been when it has come to the monarchy. With the exceptions of King Aidan's father most monarchs have been seen as generally competent administrators who have looked after the country, " said Professor Miles Jameson from the University of Norfolk when interviewed on the new situation, "In fact the system of selecting an heir has only ever been a tradition for kings, never for the nobility. The system supporting the nobles has been rotting underneath it for the past hundred years, and it's only ever been on the direct intervention of the monarchy that disaster after disaster has been averted. However during the reign of King Stuart these problems began to boil over due to what most people would perceive to be his poor stewardship. Many believe the nobility could reassert their dominant position again if Henry were to take the throne, however the severely underestimated how much the Seylosian people simply didn't like them."

In fact these reforms couldn't come any sooner as many counties and duchies have had to come under the direct control of the crown government following administrative issues.

"The fact is, the monarchy cannot be everywhere all the time hovering over the people, nor should it," King Aidan stated during his televised speech. "Our nation will fall into a crises difficult to get out of unless the situation changes this instant. In my capacity as King of Seylos, I've ordered the creation of an election commission for each administrative county in Seylos. These commissions will begin the process of organizing this new election process and in short time run the elections under the authority of the crown. I sincerely believe that this step into a more involved democratic process will strengthen Seylos more than we can imagine and bring our country into a brighter future."

After the speech unnamed sources within the government spoke of even further changes to national governance which have yet to be fully formed. It appears the age of nobility in Seylos is starting to come to an end.

[Seylos]

Outrage Again Over Mundus Liber Survey

Unsurprisingly another wave of national outrage has hit the nation as the results of Mundus Liber's Freedom Survey has been released. The SBC caught up with some of the interviewees from last article to ask them how they felt.

56 year old John Havers was returning to work after dropping his son off for the second time at university, "Ah those Mundus people are at it again? Look I'll tell ye I'm tired of them judgin us like this. I go to work, where I get wonderful benefits and don't have a fear of getting fired for things out of my control, I go out with the lads to the pub where we don't have any police trying to arrest us or people tryin to put us down for the way we think and have a good time. When I'm done with that I go home to me lovely wife and spend time with her watchin the tele, which has anything you can want and the government doesn't have any of their greedy hands in. Watch the SBC get some good news that int propaganda. Me boy is off to uni, and he doesn't ave' to be afraid of who is he there or here or anywhere. They'll be teachin him some right good stuff over there and they do some proper free thinkin. And what? Seylos is behind some religious government that bans political parties, or some other place that lets people get tortured, or another place where you can become a f*ckin indentured servant? These people are right outta their minds. Yeah we got our problems, but I can tell yeah after readin about places that are supposedly better than us I'd rather be in Seylos than any other place."

Our reporters then traveled back to Selbourne, where there were already protests over the survey. Outside of the Royal Palace, police lined the perimeter watching over the peaceful protest outside. In the protest our reporter caught up to 34 year old Mary Clevens who had her own ideas about the survey, "Oh yeah, I'm right f*ckin mad at these survey people. They just don't get us ya know? We got our self a king who's a good man and leadin us to better places. Who needs these arseholes to tell us how free we are!? As far as I'm concerned these Mundis-whatever survey people can kiss my arse."

The King was currently not in Selbourne, but released a statement that again voice disagreement with the survey but also took time to remind people that "Mundus Liber does not represent the government of Mauridiviah directly in international affairs. This will not affect our working relationship with any of our allies."

 

[Seylos]

Role of Prime Minister Has Been Officially Announced

Today was a busy day for the government as a series of major announcements were put out concerning not only the government but the military structure.

King Aidan recently signed into law the latest of the new governmental reforms which will create a position of Prime Minister. The Prime Ministerial role will be different that other future members of parliament in that it will be a directly elected role by the whole of the country. The new PM would be second only to the King himself in the government hierarchy, giving the position a significant amount of power right out of the gates. While this new move won't replace the non-democratic power of the monarchy, it is still an unprecedented step forward in Seylosian politics that in such a short time much power has transferred from the fractured nobility into the hands of the people.

Professor Miles Jameson showed excitement for the new position upon hearing the news, "This is a massive turnaround for the decaying political structure of the Kingdom. Not only has this move seemingly solidified the power and popularity that King Aidan is enjoying right now, but it has breathed new life into our political system. Without these new reforms we may well have been in dire straights just months from now."

While we tried our best to contact members of the nobility for comment is appears they are staying quiet on the subject for now.

 

Military Humanitarian Order Founded

 

King Aidan has announced the foundation of a military order dedicated to humanitarian aid and providing armed protection of a civilian populace in heavily disputed warzones where the government is unable to do so. Currently the order has been titled 'The Military Order of Camillus' or sometimes known as the Knights, an entirely separate and independent branch that answers only to the king himself.

"Currently the Knights has 150 active combat personnel and a pool of over 500 aid workers from various backgrounds to deploy on missions in the future. The Royal Navy has set aside one frigate, one patrol ship, and the hospital ship Bristol for the use of the order. Dr. Alecia Brynn has been selected to be the order's first leader and Major Garrick Scott has been selected to lead the Knight's military contingent," The King spoke while giving his announcement. "We have faith that the Knights can help people anywhere in the world, regardless of nation origin, race, or any other factor. Because of these lofty goals, we also wish to open up recruitment for this order to any people of the world. We know in an undertaking such as this, diversity is key."

Critics have been quick to attack this move by the King, calling it a ridiculous attempt at becoming a world police. At the same time other critics have touched on the fact that the Knights would be allowing non-Seylosians into the armed forces even if they are only restricted to the Knights.

Regardless the creation of the Knights seems a symptom of the times, where reports of civil war, war crimes, and disaster have become much more common in recent years. It may be the King is trying to propel Seylos even higher into the world stage.

 

 

Edited September 17, 2018 by Seylos
I came up with a better name for the knights (see edit history)

[Seylos]

Curious Encounter In the Dolch Sea

The Dolch Sea (also known as the Dolch See) has been a grey area for the Seylosian Royal Navy for many years. Royal Navy doctrine has been mostly to avoid causing unneeded tensions with Derthalen to the north. However during times of the year where Seylosian shipping traffic picks up in the Dolch, there are increased patrols in the area to ward off any piracy actions. 

Yesterday the navy cruiser HMS Ardent responded to a call from a Seylosian freighter that was concerned it was being shadowed by unknown ships as it made its way through the Dolch Sea. At midday the Ardent met up with the freighter and took up a position next to it in order to escort it. Almost an hour later three small ships appeared moving on an intercept course towards the freighter. What those ships didn't know however is that the freighter had already contacted the Ardent, and the commander had made the decision to continue hiding behind the freighter.

As the pirates got close to the freighter, the Ardent dropped from behind the freighter and confronted the ships. However, unlike most pirates who would usually flee at the sight of a modern warship the ships pressed on. In fact surprisingly they changed their target from the freighter to the cruiser. After firing a few warning shots from the Ardent, they were suddenly met with a hail of machine gun and RPG fire. 

"I was certainly taken aback by the brazen assault, but I wasn't going to let them get away with it, or hurt any of my crew," Captain Jason Lennox said in a later interview.

While the Ardent was taking a beating from the pirate assault, Lennox ordered the ships destroyed. And within only a few minutes, the Ardent's single five inch gun and heavy cannons laid the smaller boats to waste. 

The Royal Navy is reporting one survivor from the attacking pirate ships who is currently recovering from their injuries. The spokesman however did not elaborate on any information that may have been gathered from this individual.

[Seylos]

Mysteries Grow in the Dolch Sea

The mystery of the Dolch Sea continues to grow every day as more announcements regarding piracy in the area emerge.

Yesterday around 21:00 the Royal Navy frigate HMS Argo was on routine patrol in the sea, when it spotted what appeared to be another frigate sized vessel sailing due east on course taking it away from the Argo. No Royal Navy ships were reporting to be that close to the Argo, and when they attempted to hail the mystery ship no response was given. After the lack of response the captain gave the order to lay in a course to bring the Argo closer to the ship to establish who it belonged to. They managed to get close enough to establish that the ship they were pursuing had no obvious markings tying it to any nation or organization. By this time the weather had begun to pickup and the Argos eventually lost sight of the ship.

Following this new sighting, it has been revealed by the Royal Navy that the sole survivor of the attack on the Ardent has unfortunately passed away.

"It appears that the injuries sustained by the individual in question were too severe, and at 9:47 this morning after a lengthy period in a coma, he passed away. He was unable at any point to reveal any information regarding the organization or group of people that he worked for, though it has been reported that before falling into the coma he was adamant that something had to be sent somewhere. At the moment we are looking into anything of value that statement has to offer, and of course the recent sighting by the HMS Argos.

First Governors Elected Country Wide

For quite some time since the fall of the nobility from grace, regional governments had been hurriedly readying themselves for Seylos's first regional elections. In fact what has shocked many people, is the fact that the majority of candidates have no stated political party. However some political parties have begun to spring up in force in the wake of the elections. The Constitutional Royalist party has gained an enormous amount of support in the areas surrounding Selbourne and in the southern districts of Alba who support the monarchy in its current form albeit with some constitutional restriction and appear to be relatively centrist with their political views. The Conservative party, one of the few open parties before King Aidan's ascent to the throne has gained more traction in high income areas pushing for more conservatives values. On top of this their historic opponents in Labour have taken strongholds in Cymry and northern Anglia. Not to mention the many other smaller parties that have gained small footholds in hey regions.

Eight gubernatorial elections were held over the weekend with another ten to go: four in Anglia, two in Alba, and two in Cymry. For the Selbourne region, a Constitutional Royalist party candidate was elected while in Coventry region a Labour candidate was voted into office. However the six other elected governors have still not yet decided on which party or even if they want to join a party in the future. While a governors role has shifted over the years to be slightly less important, dealing mainly with logistics in counties as well as inter city commerce, the elections show a potential future picture of political parties in the country.

Suffice to say with the political arena heating up and Parliamentary elections around the corner a wildly different political landscape in Seylos is beginning to spring forth..

[Seylos]

Selbourne Halloween Harbor Festival

As the Halloween season comes to a close the people of Selbourne celebrate this ending with the years long tradition of the Harbour Ship Festival. This year over a hundred sailing ships took to seas outside Selbourne, many in older ships, yachts, wooden sailing ships, fishing vessels. Keeping in tradition of course the crews of these "haunted ships" dress up like skeletons and party throughout the entire day.

The festival has its roots in the founding of the city, where many superstitious citizens fresh from immigrating to Seylos, were terrified of an attack from Great Burlington to reclaim their lost people. Around this time these people would board this ships and dress them in the most menacing and "spooky" ways they could think of in order to ward off anyone who wasn't welcome. Later it evolved into a naval tradition as a why to fight back the supernatural denizens of the sea and bring good fortune to sailors around Seylos's shores.

In the modern day spectacle, fireworks are shot off at night, and the Royal Coast Guard cruises about in their patrol ships firing water cannons in a vain attempt to fight off the skeleton invasion.

"Well with all those terrifying things happening in the Dolch See, I think we need this now more than ever!" yelled Jason Goodman, a young university student from Selbourne who is partying with his friends about a yacht dressed up as an old warship, "Plus Seylos makes all the world's beer right!? We gotta help the economy by drinkin' it! Yeah!"

We caught up with the captain of the Royal Navy frigate HMS Fairfax and asked him if there were any safety concern for the public, "No, no I'd say everything here is all in good fun and both us and the Coast Guard are here in case things get out of hand. I won't lie though I thought about gettin them to fire off the forward gun to put some real fear into those uni students. We aren't going to do that though, please don't write that we are."

The festivities wrap up around 0300 the next day, with the harbour being cleared for normal traffic.

[Seylos]

A Dramatic Day

Today a series of important announcements have arrived from the Royal Government which has both shocked and pleased people around the country.

Foreign Minister Geoffrey Tatum approached the SBC to give a special announcement regarding the Derthalen Empire to the north, which historically has had an ice cold relationship with Seylos.

"We have confirmed that recently an ocean liner registered with the country of Limonaia has been hijacked by pirates sponsored or directly in control of Derthalen. The ocean liner was scheduled to dock in Seylos while continuing its normal duties and failed to reach its destination. A Royal Navy ship, the HMS Argos, had received a distress call from the ocean liner and after following the trail the captain had come to conclusion the most likely suspect would be those associated with Derthalen. The highest military admiralship and analysts have also come to the conclusion as well that this is the most likely event. Seylos cannot tolerate such a flagrant disregard for peaceful transit in the Dolch Sea, and as a result we feel the most necessary action is the most harsh we can perform at this time."

"As of now, the Kingdom of Seylos has enacted a full embargo against Derthalen among other measures. Any assets of Derthalen citizens in Seylos have been frozen and those from Derthalen within our borders not under an immigration visa have been given sixty days to leave the country or face deportation. Any unable to return to Derthalen will be given the utmost of humanitarian respect until the time that they can return of their own free will. No commercial or civilian traffic shall be allowed by air or water to Derthalen and the Royal Navy has been deployed in force to the Dolch Sea to ensure the continued security of the area."

The SBC was able to continue a smaller discussion with other members of the government who confirmed that the elected House of Governors have voted for the emergency measure overnight in favor of the Derthalen Embargo in conjunction with the Royal Government. More will follow as information becomes available.

[Seylos]

Seylos Condemns @Rihan's Conquests in Enolia

For many weeks now the Rihan Republic has been engaged with its neighbor, Enolia, over what was assumed to be a terrorist attack. The SBC has just obtained breaking news that the Enolian capital of Duronom has been captured by the Rihan Republic in what can only be described as a bafflingly amazing military victory. However upon hearing the news, His Majesty's government has an extraordinarily negative reaction.

"We are incredibly disappointed that Rihan has continued to engage in such an aggressive war with its neighbor. While we understand that a terrorist attack is behind the motivations for invasion we are not satisfied with how Rihan has conducted itself through these military operations. Instead of diplomacy, Rihan has taken the route of total conquest, to keep the people of Enolia under their rule. We can only imagine how much more suffering will come of this and how many slaves could result from this. Seylos wants Rihan that we are watching."

This statement came from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Tatum who has come out hard in the past against states such as Rihan and Derthalen over their use of slaves.

 

Parliamentary Commission Concerned Over @Llalta

The Parliamentary Commission on Voting has expressed concerns over Llata's decision to include 16 year olds in voting rights.

The High Commissioner had this to say, "While we respect Llalta's sovereign right to make rules in accordance to its own values, we cannot accept that 16 year olds have to ability to vote in Parliamentary elections. What they do on the local level is up to their own governing council of course, but in regards to 16 year olds voting in Seylosian Parliamentary Elections it simply will not occur. "

While Llalta is a sovereign crown dependency, it does get some parliamentary seats which could possibly result in a legal battle to determine the rights of 16 and 17 year olds in Llalta when it comes to voting.

Edited March 9, 2019 by Seylos (see edit history)

[Seylos]

Landmark Agreement with Gallambria, Seylos Looking to the Stars

Yesterday the King signed an agreement brought to him from the ambassador to @Gallambria in a landmark moment to try and move Seylos directly into the Space Age. The Royal Navy and Air Forces have come together with the government to help form a new civilian agency, the Seylosian Space and Aeronautics Administration (SSAA). Under this agreement the SSA has been committed to work directly with the Gallambrian Space Agency to further both nations interests in borth aeronautics and space exploration.

For decades Seylos has lacked any sort of major aeronautics industry after the collapse of the country's largest aircraft manufacturer, Vertical Enterprises, in the mid 1970s. The government hopes with this initiative that an entire new industry will blossom, giving the country a decisive edge against others on the world economic stage. In fact the latest aircraft to be designed and Seylos, though build in Prymont, is the Harrier III variants which has pushed the Seylosian air technology into the modern era.

In fact the Harrier program has already brought benefits to those that were involved, many of whom have reportedly already been recruited by the SSAA both military and civilian alike. On top of this, the creation of the SSAA has also spurred an enormous amount of excitement in the field of academics, with both the University of Selbourne and University of Norfolk both confirming they have been approached for consultation regarding the agency.

The city of Kirkwall has already been chosen as the main headquarters for the SSAA not only due to large available amounts of desirable land for the agency, but also the most favorable weather patterns for potential launches that could occur in Seylos. The mayor of the city has already released in statement that he is "absolutely thrilled by the announcement and the future benefits it could bring to the city of Kirkwall".

The government has said that more information will be released in the coming days to the SBC, but until then this seems to be an enormous step forward for Seylos towards the stars.

[Seylos]

Unification Act of 2019 Signed

Today the Unification Act of 2019 has been signed between Seylos and the Duchies of Eire, Pleinmont, and Sark. This has been hailed as a landmark agreement that stands to not only drastically increased the size of Seylos as a whole but manage to save Eire from a series of financial woes that have been plaguing the country up until now. Not much is known about what occurred during the violent negotiations and signing ceremony but it appears that the King himself has garnered the respect of the governments of Pleinmont and Sark.

During the early negotiations a terrorist attack struck the Ducal palace in Eire causing a panic among government official and the military as any rushed to find out the status of the king and his envoy in the crisis. So far the government has only release that the king and his guard were involved in a minor skirmish in the palace in which the King was able to leave the area without harm. However it seems somewhere along the way that whatever happened made a sizable impact upon the governments of both Pleinmont and Sark who have also kept fairly quiet about the incident.

Regardless the signing ceremony continued in the capital city of Sark, Weymouth. The King made a brief appearance signing the documents on the balcony of the of Seylosian embassy in Weymouth in front of the massive crowds that had turned up mostly in support of the signing, though significant numbers of people had arrived in protest.

This is a developing story and we will continue coverage as news of the Unification spreads around the world. Already the Seylosian stock markets have begun to respond positively with inevitability of unrestricted trade between the former sovereign nations.

 

[Seylos]

A Sharp Rebuke of Rihan

Shock and outrage have followed since the official word from @Rihan following not only the annexation of Enolia but the coup that led to their current Praetor, Krassus Morror. Seylosians have waited for an official government response and today we finally have one. King Aidan appeared with several leading members of parliament to hold a press conference and speech regarding these events today. What follows is a piece of the speech spoken by the King about the situation.

"What we have seen in the past few weeks is amongst the greatest causes of concern not only for Seylos and her allies, but potentially around the world. Rihan has created a direct threat to the peace and stability of the nations of Aurelia while violently moving forward with it's insatiable need for territorial conquest. Not long ago, Enolia, a sovereign nation on Rihan's eastern borders capitulated under a direct invasion from Rihan. The conflict was local, but the message is clear. Those willing to stand in the way of Rihan's ambitions were to be met with force.

Even more concerning is not only in the successful conquest of a sovereign state, but in its aftermath. Even after a heavy campaign, now Praetor Kassus Morror led his own forces in a violent coup against the former government leading to the deaths of thousands and the brutal killing of their former leader in an archaic and barbaric duel. Typically we hear the word 'barbaric' thrown around as a generic word used by Aroman successor states as a way to look down upon other cultures, but today I believe the word barbaric can truly apply to the action taken by these people. To bolster his armies, Praetor Morror promised freedom to slaves, of course forcing them to fight in his armies regardless of the offer. Let us not forget that many of those thousands they forced against their will to fight for this brutal empire. Those who had no choice in their lives for the sake of conquest. Never before has the modern day world seen slave armies marching in support of a coup. We have dealt with the likes of Derthalen for years, and the threat they pose with their slaving. But in this moment we have never seen a nation truly militarize their slave population, a true evil that must be destroyed.

And yet while Rihan drives its lowest towards death and endless war, we seek to expand our horizons to create a better world without threatening our neighbors and promising more for those in most need their most basic rights in support of conquest. Seylos reaches out it's hand in peace and cooperation towards many of our fellow nations on this planet such as Shffakia, Fulgistan, Gallambria, and Tagmatium. Many nations who hold many values are willing to come to the table and discuss our mutual interests in the hopes of moving the entire Eurth forward, all without the need of brutal conquest. Such labors have already brought Seylos well into the space age, with Gallambria and Seylos preparing to take that step together.

We implore Rihan to take a different path, lest the rest of the nations of Eurth decide to change your path for you."

 

The speech ended with several other ministers and members of parliament making short statement regarding the situation ranging from economic to military concerns. This story is still developing and the SBC will be monitoring it for any reaction from involved parties.

[Seylos]

Our First Steps Into the Unknown

(On Television)

A news anchor appears, a large grin on his face.

"Today we have an incredible live event for all of Seylos. The first public broadcasting of our attempts to reach space. The SSAA is launchingits first rocket set to breach the seventy five kilometer barrier today. And for context to our viewers, scientists put the edge of the Eurth's atmosphere at one hundred kilometers making this the closest any nation in the new world has attempted to achieve in space flight. We take you live now to the launch pad at Kirkwall"

The image changes to a launch pad near the ocean. A smaller rocket it seen on the launch pad, steam erupting from where its engines are located.

(Controller) "T-minus ninety seconds. Main engine launch sequence had begun"

(Launch Control Staff) "Roger that, onboard computers have assumed control. Launch area has been cleared."

(Control Room Staff) "Main booster go, navigational guidance go, pad separation go, fuel mixture go. Rocket has been transferred to internal power."

(Controller) "T-minus thirty second. Engine startup in progress"

The camera focuses in on the bottom of the rocket, sparks shooting from the bottom of the vessel. Soon the engines light up, intially bright orange then shorter and blue in color.

(Launch Control Staff) "Airspace continues clear, go for launch"

(Control Room Staff) "Auto sequence is confirmed, starting now)

(News Anchor) "An incredible sight we are seeing as Seylos' first serious space attempt is underway"

Massive column of smoke erupts from the bottom of the rocket. The rocket begins to shake and slowly move upwards.

(Controller) "And launch of SAP-05 to seventy five kilometers)

(Control Room Staff) "Fuel mixture reads nominal. Temperature readings nominal. Five is on course"

The rocket erupts from the pad, heading straight towards the sky at a slight angle taking it towards the sea. Behind the rocket, ships can be seen as small dots in the background.

(Controller) "SAP-05 at one kilometer and continuing"

The camera focuses in on the rocket forcing itself upwards.

(Controller) "Five has made it to ten kilometers, speed increasing."

(Launch Control Staff) "Fuel mixture nominal. Engine output exceeding recommended levels."

The camera focuses is on the rocket, its plume of fire growing more intense.

(Controller) "Five has reached thirty five kilometers and still rising."

(Launch Control Staff) "Fuel mixture is showing significant deviation, engine output showing significant deviation. Request abort."

(Control Room Staff) "Significant course deviation, request abort."

Camera is still following the rocket which has noticeably tilted in a northernly direction.

(Controller) "Control has requested an abort, which has been approved. Five is at forty seven kilometers."

Suddenly a bright light flashes on the camera followed by a massive smoke plume as fiery debris spreads out.

(Control Room Staff) "Abort successful"

Camera cuts to control room staff who are smiling and shaking hands.

(News Anchor) "Well this certainly turned to be exciting. And by the look of the control room staff, even after losing their rocket they are incredibly excited. We are told the goal was seventy five kilometers but to the peopl in that control room even twenty eight short seems like a success. An incredible step for Seylos, as we try and head for the stars. We'll be bringing on experts to try and analyze what's happened here today. Stay tuned."

 

[Seylos]

A Warning Issued for the Dolch Sea

Today the Royal Navy has issued a series of new guidelines when approaching trade for the Dolch Sea. 

"Right now, the Royal Navy cannot guarantee the safety of ships traveling in the Dolch. We implore all maritime traffic to divert around the south of the Seylosian islands in order for the Royal Navy to offer better protection against hostile elements"

This comes as yet again another rash of pirate attacks and unknown raids have occurred in the Dolch Sea. Almost a year ago Seylos and sever other nations launched a series of anti piracy operations in these waters to stop various criminal elements from attacking unsuspecting commercial vessels. However, with only Seylos patrolling these seas actively, it has proven too much for the Royal Navy as ships are spread thin. On top of this, the same mysterious organization has apparently redoubled its efforts from the previous year to cause mayhem and destruction. Ceris, the neighboring island to Seylos to the west and home to many nations, has experienced the worst of these attacks. Sources within the government have confirmed that some of these nation states have appealed to Seylos for additional assistance, regardless of their past isolationist views.

A Royal Navy spokesman has stated that Seylosian navy presence in the area has been reorganized to more optimally protect maritime traffic to Seylos, however it appears for the moment the only ships in the Dolch are guarding Seylos's northern shores, particularly Kirkwall which is home to Seylos's space program.

Another Launch Ends in Disaster

The SSAA has found itself dealing with a disaster of its own as another of its rockets has met with an unfortunate fate. Earlier today, the rocket labelled as SAP-09, exploded on the launch pad casting doubts as to whether or not the SSAA has made any real progress towards space flight.

"While today can be looked upon as a failure, it should be known that achieving something monumental as space flight will take enormous amounts of trial and error," stated SSAA spokeswoman Shelby Clearwood, "Every attempt at a rocket launch allows us to further refine our knowledge of rocket and spaceflight making it possible for the future."

Others were more skeptical, with opponents in the House of Governors voicing dismay over the apparent waste of funding while Ceris is in disarray. Several representatives voiced their governor's opinions that Seylos should be focusing on Eurth, and not the stars to solve their problems and the possibility of nearby dangers.

 

[Seylos]

The King Makes a Plea for the People of Cussia

Today King Aidan pleaded with the Kingdom of @Gallambria to stop a blockade before a humanitarian fleet could usher the oppressed Christians of Haruspex from Cussia.

"I am pleading with His Majesty King Albert and Prime Minister Burnett to not attempt a military blockade of Haruspex. Seylos and many other nations have secured the ability to evacuate many refugees from the affected areas as possible. We all understand the desire to save those from the horrible circumstances they have been dealt but now is not the time for conflict. Now we have the opportunity to directly save people in the the worst place they can imagine. Please help us in making that goal a reality."

The SBC was told later that the King had a personal call with people within Gallambria's government however they were not told explicitly who was present.

Many political commentators are divided on the king's statement. Some believe that while the king's statement comes from a 'good place' it sends a terrible message that societies like those in Haruspex could continue to abuse cultures inside their territories. Other believe that the king in making a smart choice with his attempt to evacuate as many people as possible before a possible military conflict.

 

[Seylos]

 

 

[Seylos]

House of Governors Enacts War Bonds Act

Today the House of Governors passed the War Bonds act, only the second of its kind in Seylosian history. The last such institution of financial measures such as these was created during the wars over Alharu which Seylos had become directly involved in. From sources within the Monarchy we have learned that this situation has become exceptionally draining. For the moment popular support lies with assisting the Cerisers but opinion polls dropped from nearly 70% to 59% after the attack on Liechnenfax. Many in government are worried about Seylos's continued involved in what several parties consider a failed island state. However most party heads by themselves continue to support the effort citing the need for Seylos to be a stabilizing influence in the region.

The War Bonds Act, from senior staffers in the House of Governors, is designed to fill in the significant budget shortfalls when it comes to the garrison and overall military operations in Ceris. Senior military officials have spoken as to how unprepared the Seylosian military was for an all out offensive in the region even with allied nation support. So far the King himself has remained silent on the issues though an official spokesperson for The Monarchy has commented that "The War Bonds act will ensure continued funding for our humanitarian and military defense efforts in Ceris, the King believes that this is of the utmost importance and fully endorses the House of Governors in its efforts."

King Enacts Military Expansion

The King, on top of the announcement from the House of Governors, has announced a massive expansion of the Seylosian military given the current circumstances. Across all branches, and additional twenty thousand personnel and ten thousand emergency soldiers are to be recruited and trained to meet the needs of the current crisis. The twenty thousand regular military volunteers would follow the same strict guidelines, training, and educational requirements as every soldier currently serving within the military at this moment. However the additional ten thousand emergency soldiers would not be restricted in the same way.

Representative Katherine Bailey voiced her concern over the emergency declaration, "While I am confident in the training and moral steadfastness of Seylosian personnel I am skeptical that a force raised with only combat training could perform their duties to the same humanitarian standards that our servicemen and woman currently do. Any lax requirements allowed could create significant issues for Seylos in the future and tarnish our international reputation as a force for good on Eurth."

In a rare statement, King Aidan himself took the microphone to directly address such concerns, "Though I regret having to pass such measures, It comes as no surprise to the people of Seylos that we are far from the strongest military power. We must rise to meet the difficulties of the modern world. However I want all Seylosian to be assured that I do not take the measures alone. I have consulted with the House of Governors and I more importantly seek your input on this as well. A King cannot rule without the support of his constituents, and I promise to not leave you out of this process. However I believe that right now these measures are necessary. Each emergency act soldier will be trained in the same combat and sensitivity training as any Regular. And they are still required to meet academic standards as set by the Emergency Act of 1958.."

[Seylos]

The Horror of Ceris

The war in Ceris has dragged on for some months with only some hope on the horizon. The loose coalition of Seylosian, Gallambrian, Tagmatine, Salvian, and ICEB has managed to hold the line against the wave of religious extremists known as the Sentists. However what has been the human toll as a result of this? Most of these nations can hold their heads high and say their military casualties have been quite low, but as the SBS has noted throughout the conflict they haven't done most of the fighting. The brunt of these attacks have hit independent Ceriser nations causing mass destruction on an immense scale. No nation has been hurt worse than Hodrea, which used to dominate the central mass of Ceris and had taken up the mantle of successor state of the Occlait Kingdom. Even before the disaster of Liechnenfax Hodrea suffered a series of disastrous defeats that lead the the deaths of hundreds of thousands. The worse loss before their capital was the city of Kassel. Originally a population of over two hundred thousand, reports show it as nothing more than a ghost town crumbling in its abandoned state. Most of the inhabitants were massacred when the Sentists began their first major assault throughout Ceris. After Kassel, city by city continued to fall adding to the body count created by the extremists.

The SBC has obtained statistics from the military that show disturbing numbers from Ceris. Liechnenfax by itself has caused a single loss never before seen on Eurth. From initial counts, which are still increasing today, over two million people were killed as a result of the battle. Of course the entire city was nearly razed due to the massive explosion set off by the Sentist extremists, with some reports showing fires burning in the city over a month after the initial attack. Refugees have poured over the eastern Ceriser states, and ships fleeing the devastation have been stuck outside Seylosian ports seeking refuge from the terror of the island. Though the SBC doesn't have hard figures, experts have made the estimation that as many as ten million civilians have been killed in the apocalyptic conditions of the island.

"What we are seeing is a humanitarian crisis never before seen in the history of the planet." Professor Jacob Harrington, chair of Humanitarian Sciences at Selbourne University, said when interviewed, "The surrounding nations can't take in this massive influx of refugees. Seylos itself has tried to deal with almost half a million displaced Cerisers as a result of the war. These are just the people that have arrived by ship, usually in the most unsafe conditions. Refugee camps in the north of the country are close to bursting, Seylos can't support anymore people coming in from Ceris. The situation is at the point of apocalyptic."

Other nations have pledged their support to varying degrees over the months. Tagmatium has dedicated itself to securing the nation of Secryae, which many refugees have fled to. Gallambrians, while not hosting much in the way of refugees have dedicated considerable military support to the Seylosian cause, a continuance of the close relations between both Seylos and Gallambria. Galahinda has pledged significant amounts of financial support for reconstruction efforts in the area and the Salvians have helped secure the coastal regions of northen Hodrea while devoting more military resources to assisting the Tagamtines in Secryae. However it has yet to be seen if these efforts have had any significant impact on the peoples that have been uprooted from their lives in the desolation of Ceris.

One thing is for certain is that the rest of Eurth needs to act. Ten million dead, how can this small collection of countries handle the devastation left in the wake of such horrors?

[Seylos]

Sanctions Announced Against @Haruspex

 

Today the Monarchy in conjunction with the House of Governors announced a round of sanctions against the government of Haruspex. For some time now, even with the war is Ceris, growing public outrage against the the actions of the government of Haruspex has continued to increase. Seylos has taken an increasing number of refugees from the lands occupied by the dominating nation, known as Cussia. In fact a formerly disputed island between Seylos and Eire has been deemed as New Cussia from the sheer numbers of Cussian refugees flooding in from the Haruspexian occupied territory. Refugees have described the horrifying conditions they lived in before being taken away by the Seylosian relief ships to the region, where abuses by the the occupying Haruspexian forces were extreme.

"Seylos has not forgotten the crimes committed by the Haruspexian government during their occupation of Cussia," Foreign Minister Geoffrey Tatum stated in a press release, "We are deeply disturbed as to the continuing military build up of the Sovereign Imperium of Machina Harupsex, and ask our partners in @Tagmatium Rulesto condemn the actions of Imperium as it attempts to spread its influence across an already destabilized Europa."

Recently the Haruspexian 5th Fleet had been reassigned to the Haruspexian colony of Kaldana, which has triggered a response from the Seylosian navy to begin naval exercises in the Adlantic, headed by the recently refurbished Tagmatine carrier HMS Trapezon, her namesake from the port of construction, and her newly reassigned fleet.

Some critics in Seylos have gone against the Monarchy, attacking such as action as an unnecessary diversion from the war in Ceris, which has already taxed the Royal Navy to its limits.

"Such a response can only lead to possibly devastating conflict between Haruspex and Seylos," Jacob Farrington of the Conservative party responded, "Haruspex is not our enemy, and to stoke additional tensions is an extraordinary mistake, especially damaging Seylosian business in the country. In fact, I believe that the Monarchy has over responded to a simple Haruspexian internal matter."

Still however, House of Governor opinion of Haruspex was heavily slated against the country, as almost every non-conservative representative voted for the sanctions against the country. In the same act, the house voted to expand the Seylosian fleet, which with the already stressed economy would be a financially difficult achievement to reach.

[Seylos]

Excitement has been building across the nation as two major events have been rapidly approaching. With the war in Ceris turning radically in favor of the Coalition forces, several Ceris nations with Seylos have been revealed to have been in talks for the past few months discussing the possibility of a supranational union. The idea was first born out of a potential mutual defense pact in its infancy, but with the destabilization of the entire island, many nations have been looking for an anchor in the middle of the brutal storm. It appears that with Sentist attempts to breach Eastern Ceriser defenses, with the assistance of Seylos, confidence in the possibility of the union skyrocketed. Other sources claim the final deciding factor was the securing of southern Corinium from Haruspex domination. Regardless of the reasons, the government had put out a statement several days ago stating that the union would move forward and an official signing ceremony would be held today.

A crowd estimated in the hundreds of thousands expanded out from the Royal Palace in Selbourne as leaders from all the Ceriser nations attending and King Aidan gathered for the signing. Onlookers were seen cheering, and during several SBC interviews many cited that what they were most excited about would be the prospect of peace finally in Ceris and a stable region. Though some minor protests were seen, it appears public sentiment is heavily on the side of forming such a Union with the prospect of peace so close. In interviews before the official ceremony, HRM King Aidan took to a few interviews and as he “hated intense negotiations” he believed that any effort was worth the payoff the nation was about to receive.

Finally as sunset approached the official signing ceremony began with a speech from the King.

 

“Like all of you gathered around us today, I am incredibly excited to be a part of what is probably the most monumental part of our shared histories. Today we are creating the solid foundation for peace and prosperity in Southeast Argis, in the hopes this union can improve the lives of every citizen not just within our own borders, but the nations that surround us. It goes without saying that the past year has been amongst the most difficult in our recent history, and for our Ceriser brothers and sisters perhaps the worst they have ever seen. I can say without a doubt that I am proud of each and every one of you. There will be trials in our future I am certain, but with the creation of this union have no doubt we will all be stronger. So with my fellows leaders of Cenia, Seskoaburg, Ashington, Astaria, Egris, Esnos, Atrya, and Ostros it’s time to sign this treat and found the North Adlantic Union.”

 

The signing ceremony was brief as each leader took a turn signing the document. When the final signature was written the crowds burst with excitement and a massive fireworks display off the coast lit up the night for one of the biggest celebrations in Seylosian history.

Economists warn the road will be difficult ahead as almost all the countries in the Union have experience serious hardship during the crisis, but it’s hard to deny that the potential from Ceriser nations is enormous for economic growth.

[Seylos]

Massive Stock Volatility Hits Seylos

After the fall of the Radiant Republic, the Seylosian stock market went through a series of massive ups and downs throughout the past several days. Indeed the volatility was so bad directly following the announcement of the closure of the Sunset Sea Island's border, that trading was suspended briefly to prevent a mass sell off. Companies with investments in SSI have already seen almost a hundred billion pounds in losses as business ceased overnight. On the other side however, the markets also saw extreme growth in other areas, especially in companies that had announced expansions into Ceris. The trading markets in Astaria and Ostros have exploded to almost 250% of their starting market values. While it is doubtful the markets wills stay permanently in this position, it's clear that the prediction of a Ceriser Economic Miracle may be closer than ever before.

With the war against the Sentists coming to its probable end, a provisional government supported by the NAU in Hodrea has been in the process of being created and already companies like the Tahgd Brewing Group have experienced massive stock gains after they had announced a partnership with the NAU Economic Development Office to help in ecological restoration initiatives and job creation in agriculture and light industry in the war torn country.

NAU Sends Task Force to Assist in Evacuations

The NAU had gathered a small fleet of ships, both military and civilian, to help along with other nations to begin the evacuation of foreign nationals in the Sunset Sea Islands. Just hours after the fall of the Radiant Republic, an emergency meeting of the NAU Council was held and the decision was made to dispatch what available ships they could spare for the efforts. The collection of ships, mainly made up of NAU Ceriser ships and led by Commodore Linnette Rowland aboard the HMS Terra Firma, an amphibious assault ship previously present in the evacuation of Cussia, is already well past Iverica and making its way to SSI. NAU officials have stated they have been in contact with several nations regarding this new crisis and are working with them to ensure everyone can get home safely.

Seylos Transfers Ships, including HMS Trabezon, to new 'NAU 1st Fleet'

Seylos has finished the process of transferring the HMS Trabezon as well as three other smaller ships under the command of the new NAU Navy. The NAU Naval Command is the only military service that has been created specifically under the NAU umbrella. Several other Ceriser nations have donated what small amount of ships they have to form the 1st Fleet, with a total of 12 ships. The crews right now have gathered Norfolk for a series of joint training exercises and additional education to bring all service members up to speed. While there are discussions to have sailors pledge service directly to the NAU, for the moment they have all remained in the service of their home nations with only the ships having fully transferred service.

In a lengthy ceremony the Trabezon was transferred and received an official name change upon transfer of service to the 'UNS Solidarity'. Full command staff details haven't been fully released yet but are expected to be released in the coming months.

Questions have arisen to how Seylos itself will deal with the loss of a carrier from direct service, however the Royal Navy has issued a statement about the current state of the Norfolk Naval Yards and its projects. Currently, a second Defiant-class carrier is scheduled for possible completion soon, though delays have marred its construction. SBC last reported on its construction in 2018, though even then complete details on its progress were not fully available. The Yards have also confirmed the continued construction of a number of smaller vessels to offset both the transfers to the NAU, the loss of the HMS Thunderchild, and expansions to the fleet size. Rumors have also circulated of a potential purchase of a Trident-class ship from Gallambria, though this has been seen more of diplomatic move with TRIDENT countries than any serious attempt at expanding the fleet from outside the Norfolk Naval Yards.

Corinium Offered Full NAU Membership

Following the standoff between Seylos and @Haruspex last month, the NAU has fast tracked an offer for the Republic of Corinium to join the North Adlantic Union. While not too many details have been released regarding the offer, it has been made clear that Corinium has officially accepted.

The SBC will update with further details as they come in.