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By Tagmatium Rules
To: Their Excellency, Eduardo Guerra, Minister of Commerce of the Christian Commonwealth of @Ebrary
From: the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion of the Megas Agios Basileia ton Arhomaion
Your Excellency,
There has been some brief talk between our nations' foreign ministers with regards to a trade agreement between our nations, as well as the idea of regional security. I have been charged by his Aroman Majesty, Kommodos III, by the Grace of Christ the God, Holy Emperor and Autocrat of the Aromans, Equal-to-the-Apostles, to discuss the former with you. However, my government is not adverse to the latter becoming a topic as well although for this we would have to bring in representatives from my nation's Ministry for War. This would enable for a more serious discussion on the matter but it is also beyond the scope of what I am sending this message about.
It does seem that in some areas, our economies could be considered to be direct competitors. This is especially true of the agricultural sector, as both of our nations lean more heavily into that than others may do. I appreciate that that comes across as protectionist but I feel that the wurld economy has not yet moved into a stage of truly free trade with other nations. Trade agreements such as what the Holy Imperial Government is hoping to achieve with the Christian Commonwealth is a step towards this, however.
My government would be keen on Ebrary opening certain aspects of its market to imports from my nation by reducing tariffs, customs duties and import fees. My ministry has prepared the following list in light of this. This list has also been tailored to areas where it seems that your economy might be open to foreign imports, especially where it is not directly competing with domestic production or manufacturers. This is not considered to be an exhaustive list but should provide us with opportunity for further discussion.
The list is as follows:
Biofuel, especially biodiesel Agricultural chemicals Renewable energy technology, whether for domestic or industrial purposes Consumer electronics Luxury goods, such as but not limited to wine, brandy and whisky I have had analysts employed by my ministry going over your nation's economy, as well as conducting interviews within Tagmatium in order to find out what areas of my nation's economy might be receptive to Ebrarian imports. Therefore, the following list has been compiled and it is of areas that my government would be willing to look at reducing tariffs, customs duties and import fees.
Motor vehicles Natural gas vehicle technology Beef and beef products Soyabeans and related products Luxury goods, such as but not limited to wine, brandy and whisky I hope that these will give us a starting point for discussion. It is realised that our nations may turn out to be against one or more of these, or they may be dropped during further negotiations but that certainly should not stop us from trying.
Of course, any food products or others, such as motor vehicles, that are imported to my nation will need to meet the safety standards of the Greater Holy Empire and it is imagined that the reverse is true as well. The health and safety of the Aroman population is a key concern of my government and it is imagined that the same is true of the Ebrarian government. If products do not meet the standards laid down by laws concerning them, then we will need to take a joint look at whether our nations can raise the bar or come to some sort of agreement over them. Equally, Tagmatium has some of the highest environmental protections on Eurth and this has been pledged through international treaties as well as our responsibility to protect God's Eurth.
This is the reason that my nation is proposing a reduction on tariffs on renewable technology. The Greater Holy Empire has consistently met targets set by the Holy Imperial Government for providing all of its energy needs through renewable sources. A key part of this has certainly been nuclear technology, of which the Aroman power plants have had a consistent safety record for almost fifty years. If these talks go well, perhaps sharing this can come up for discussion, if the Ebrarian government so wishes. Of course, as your nation is mainly fueled by natural gas, I recognise that introducing a competitor to that industry may not be something that your government considers.
Our foreign ministries also discussed the possibility of looking at the visas for our nations and this is something that can also be addressed during these talks. Student visas would enable the youth of our nations to experience higher education is each others' nations. Tagmatine universities are consistently ranked amongst the highest on Eurth and I am sure that those of Ebrary are equally as good. Other visas, such as tourist and working ones, can also be up for discussion. I believe that this will help bring our nations together and strengthen them, a necessary thing at a time when it seems that the wurld is becoming more hostile.
Indeed, the Cetan Sea is becoming more hostile than it has been before. If the Ebrarian government wishes, then a topic of our negotiations could also be armaments. Although my nation does have a significant armaments industry, this is primarily turned towards the armed forces of Arome. We would be willing to cooperate with Ebrary and help it to be capable of facing a hostile wurld.
Our shared faith in Christ give us better understanding between us than most nation, and I pray that these negotiations are satisfactory to all.
Takitos Khalkeos
Megas Logothetes, Grand Minister
of the
Logothesion tou Kommerkiarionikou, Ministry of Trade,
of the
Megas Agios Basileia ton Arhomaion, the Greater Holy Empire of the Aromans
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By Tagmatium Rules
To: Their Excellency, Oiguina Escoffier, Trade Minister of the Autokrateia ton Megas Zaxareia, the Empire of Greater @Zaxar
From: the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion of the Megas Agios Basileia ton Arhomaion
Your Excellency,
It has been noted by the Holy Imperial Government that your nation is on the verge of becoming one of the largest suppliers of lithium to the rest of the wurld. This is primarily due to the fact that your nation has some of the largest and most readily exploitable reserves and sources of it on Eurth. It has also been noted by my government that your nation has already struck a trade deal with at least one of your fellow Aurelian nations and it also seems that word has got out that Tagmatium is equally interested in pursuing such a deal with your nation. This, I can very much confirm, is the case.
Whilst your nation is not the only nation with available sources of lithium on Eurth, the Empire of Great Zaxar is the only one that the Greater Holy Empire is interested with doing business with at this time. Your nation has shown itself to be a nation whose star is rising at the moment, and it would be in the interests of my nation to help this star to continue to rise. Although we would envision this to be a reciprocal relationship between our nations, as such a relationship would be of benefit to both Zaxar and Tagmatium. To this end, I am requesting that your government facilitate talks starting between your nations' lithium mining companies and companies within my nation that are keen to utilise this source, to enable the export of lithium to Tagmatium.
Whilst this trade would be a good next step in the short history of relations between our nations, there is undoubtedly more that we can do for each other. In order to make this more of a wide-ranging trade deal, one that benefits both of our nations beyond just trading in lithium, I would also request that our nations use this opportunity to investigate what tariffs might be reduced against the other products that can be sourced from our nations, what investment opportunities might be available and what further aspects of trade that we could encourage between our nations.
For example, my nation is known for its expertise in farming, and a standing deal exists between Tagmatium and the Dominions of @Metztlitlaca whereby experts from my nation help to improve the farming techniques employed by the farms of Metztlitlcaca. Equally, my nation is a main exporter of farming machinery, fertiliser and other related products. I know that Aurelia has one of the most extensive rail networks in the New Wurld, and there are several locomotive works that would be keen to do business with state- or privately-owned rail companies in your nation.
The people of Tagmatium, the Holy Emperor and I await your reply.
Through faith in God and through trade, we can bring the wurld's nations closer together.
Takitos Khalkeos
Megas Logothetes, Grand Minister
of the
Logothesion tou Kommerkiarionikou, Ministry of Trade,
of the
Megas Agios Basileia ton Arhomaion
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By Metztlitlaca
5th December 2018 - 14 days before the fire.
Musty carpets, musty walls, musty air, Xiying thought to himself as he budged his metal cart through the archaic and near-abandoned hallways of the South Palu Foreign Affairs Department. Outside thunder rumbled, rain pattering against the ruined rooftops above. The grim yellow lighting keeping the room in a perpetual sickly glow flickering every so often. The cart was filled with dusty books and piles of crumpled stained papers, the weight causing the cart's wheels to squeak. The beige walls were lined with towering rusting cabinets threatening fall and crash upon Xiying and the cart. Nevertheless he pushed forward. The halls felt endless, the only distinction between where he was going and where he came from were the occasional intersections of hallways, collapsed white wooden doors, and already torn down walls exposing the department's insides to the harsh tropical winds of the night. As far as he was aware there was only himself and three others shovelling the documents to the vans outside. Vans that would take them to new undisclosed locations. Where exactly he didn't know nor care to know, he wasn't being paid to be nosey, he was paid to move the documents, stay quiet, and not tell a soul about anything he's seen inside the rotting corpse of a building.
Suddenly the cart lurched backwards, its front wheels hit against an unseen fallen cabinet. The sudden stop snapped Xiying back to reality, stepping around the cart to inspect the cabinet. It had fallen on its side, the drawers hung open with papers and small A6 diaries spilled out upon the damp carpet. Xiying grimaced before beginning to slowly lift the cabinet up from its end, bending his knees and using all of his strength to lift and push it back. Just as the cabinet thudding back upright one of the drawers slipped out completely and thudded against the floor causing hundreds of papers to scatter including several sealed mail.
"Damnit.." He muttered, swiping several of the papers and mail and shoving them into his pockets to free up his hands, continuing do so for several minutes before he had collected them all, yanking them out of his front and back pockets and tossing them crumpled back into the cabinets. He had only been instructed to take documents from certain rooms, and not to deal with anything in the hallways or side rooms. Xiying dusted off his hands on his trousers and rubbed the dust off from his nose ending with a deep breath and a cough.
Outside a car horn began to be played repeatedly. Xiying went back to the cart hastily and begun to quickly push it down the hallway.
He'd made it to the exit of the building, the glass double doors already smashed and swung open. The department was surrounded by dense white-bark savanna trees, dry shrubs and bushes, and cracked orange dirt. The only light came from the building itself and the light from a distance rural village downhill, the campsites like fireflies. Xiying knew the difficulty the local government had to endure to gain the rights to recover lost data from the building, tribal monarchs rarely gave an inch unless the federal government got involved or there were enough bribes to buy a new fancy house. They had to drive the vans around the villages on what few dirt roads that existed, taking them the entire day from sunrise to sunset to get from Pomodoria City to the building. He was not looking forward to the back trip. Xiying exhaled, speeding up and began to run with the cart through the rain around the side of the building towards four white unmarked vans, and towards the only one without its headlights on. With haste he swung its back doors open and tipped the cart's contents into an already full back and slammed the van's backdoors shut. He made is way to the side and hopped into the front, where another man, burly and clearly of Lysian descent, was already starting up the engine, the headlights buzzing to life. No sooner had he jumped in did the van begin to move, the other three vehicles doing the same as they moved into a single file line, down the unmarked dirt roads. The occasional dip in the mud causing the whole van to jostle and turn causing Xiying's stomach to churn. He'd already became acquainted with the driver, Yaotel, a silent man who only wanted to do his job. Seeing as he wasn't going to get any small talk of the man Xiying drooped his head onto the window and slowly went to sleep.
The sudden jostle of the vehicle woke Xiying from his sleep. The rattling noise of something loose within the van was only complimented by the continued rainfall, the rolling sludge of the mud beneath the wheels, and the faint echoes hidden within the savanna forests. Suddenly a walkie talkie next to the gear shift crackled to life, a lady speaking in an unrecognisable accent of Nawātl was being said was breathless and on high alert. The accent was too heavy for Xiying to understand, only hearing some lone words from Anglish such as 'banmāh' (vans), 'aleconiz' (electronics), and Yaotel's name. He'd turned his gaze briefly towards Yaotel, who leaned back in his chair, eyes dead set on the road. But before Xiying could turn back towards the window, the burly driver spoke up.
"You were asleep for four hours. Sunrise is in an hour, we'll be stopping at a nearby village for rest in half an hour."
Xiying's eyebrow rose. "I thought the contract stated we were not to dist-"
"We'll be stopping at a nearby village for rest in half an hour." Yaotel cut him off, his tone of voice monotonous. Not once did Yaotel take his eyes off the road. Once it was clear to Xiying the conversation was over, he twisted himself to look out the door window towards the endless dense trees and the occasional landmark. The three other vans remained behind them, all four going at a snails pace to prevent slipping off the roads. The contract specifically stated to not disturb the local villages, the last thing the local tribal monarchs want are unmarked government vans parading themselves down their roads and disturbing the local balances of power casually buying out entire local hostels or purchasing the most expensive meals at the only restaurant in the village. Nevertheless Xiying could sympathise with the drivers, Yaotel himself with heavy bags under his eyes.
"If they didn't want us to stay in a village, they'd have packed us with camping equipment." Xiying muttered to himself, crossing his arms. Yaotel in the back nodded and the van suddenly began to speed up. Distant twinkling of lights told him they were close. Xiying twisted his body, itchy from being in the same posture for hours on end, only to hear crumpling from his behind. He'd frown and shuffled forward, pulling out a crumpled unsealed letter from his back pocket. Yaotel's eyes finally dislodged themselves from the road, a frown creasing across his face. "You took a document from the department?"
"Hm, oh-" Xiying glanced at the partly folded letter, a broken red wax seal partly crumbled to dust and smeared on the envelope and most definitely on his trousers.
"-no. I must've forgotten I put it there. It's from the hallways so, nothing that could get us in trouble. I think." Xiying remarked, his voice tense. Yaotel's eyes turned back to the road.
"They're planning to burn the building down in a fortnight. I'd reckon it's important enough to be burned. What's inside?" Yaotel said, causing Xiying to squirm in his seat. He'd pull back the letter's envelope to pull out an ancient piece of paper. Scrawled across the paper were old Crescent Empire syllabic script and, surprisingly, old Esonyan script. It's distinct style even noticeable to a common man like Xiying.
"It's... Something. Esonyan and the Crescent Empire? How old is this document.." Xinying muttered in confusion, squinting his eyes and pursing his lips. At the bottom were two black lines, on the first was more Esonyan text, but the other black line was empty. Xinying pushed the paper back into the envelope and examined its back, revealing the date and context.
"1563, Chocolate Wars Treaty.." Xinying read out, causing Yaotel's eyebrows to raise higher than before.
"1563? That's bloody old. Don't know what the Chocolate Wars are though." He responded, the burly man quickly flicking his eyes from the road to the letter then back. The village lights now brighter with the individual shanty homes of the rural village now visible, light from the sun peeping out from behind the horizon.
"Chocolate Wars. Chocolate Wars." Xinying repeated in a loud whisper, looking up with eyes tightly closed. "Can't think of anything."
"We can always check when we finally arrive back in Pomodoria City." Yaotel said, slowing down the van.
"Sound's dumb." He'd remark with a scoff, still holding the envelope, finally looking up to see the village ahead.
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