Empire of AndrewBoard

Socialist Republic of Andrew wrote:

That is incredible to hear Orson! I certainly didn't know that the older Orsonian Empire had taken to adopting more Roman/European styled traditions back then. But I suppose it does make sense, as we discussed awhile ago about the Orsonians being a species of dominance and the Roman Empire itself (both IRL and I can only assume EOA as well) were the epitome of Imperial dominance, having ruled a massive Empire spanning multiple continents, lasting for centuries and quite possibly setting the tone for the modernization of military and civilization as we know it today. So I can definitely see the Orsonians adopting some Roman/European traditions and styles. Quite fascinating!

Appreciate it Andrew! Indeed, the Orsonians were inspired by the dominance of the Romans for so many centuries. Also, glad to hear that someone came to look after those horses- definitely a strange situation lol.

Oceara wrote:

Does your nation have any famous feuds between prominent families? The Confederation's most famous feud between prominent families is the feud between The Sangares and the Keitas, the Keitas are angry with the Sangares overthrowing their Dynasty in 1800, while the Sangares are angry with the Keitas because the Keitas defiantly backed the PPD over the Conservative Party in 1920 instead of working with the Conservatives to rebuild a monarchist movement. The Keitas continue to vote PPD out of spite for the family that betrayed theirs' while the Sangares continue to promote corporate interests over that of monarchists within the Conservatives out of spite for the Keitas "Insulting Lack of pragmatism" perpetuating the feud.

Monarchists in the Confederation are surprisingly moderate and tend to be members of the PPD as a result of this feud, as the politics of monarchism in the Confederation turned towards electoral monarchy. The movement is still extremely tiny, as the base of the PPD at large doesn't approve of monarchy in any form and the Feud with the Sangares which are the face of the Conservative Party left monarchists without much inroads to poach voters from the Conservatives base.

(Decided that it made sense to have the monarchists have a rift with the Conservatives considering the origin of the Conservative party)

Interesting to see the internal dynamics of Malian politics, and how the major families continue to influence it to this day.

For Orson, the most infamous is the Palace Feud of the early 20th century. To sum it up, it was not a feud between different families, but instead between two camps of the Jackson royal family. The feud began when Emperor Shoan Jackson died in 1900, after spending 94 years on the throne. Shoan outlived his original heir, Val Jackson, who died in 1877; according to succession law, Val's children were next in line to inherit. The two eldest children were Prince Sion Jackson and Princess Biala Jackson, both twins and both with a valid claim to the throne. This immediately caused a political crisis, as a similar situation had caused the Empire to experience the Succession War in the 16th century, leading to fall of the founding Akaran dynasty from power. Shoan tried to resolve the situation by having the two siblings be co-Emperors, but this utterly failed as they were staunch rivals. Sion and Biala used their political connections to form factions in support of their claims, and every member of the royal family, bureaucrat, and politician had to pick a side. Violence rapidly erupted across Fort Victorium, with duels and gunfights in the streets, assassinations, and bombings. Biala was killed in 1904, and Sion met his end in 1911, but the fighting continued for decades afterwards. Between 1911 and 1963, 12 different Emperors sat on the throne, each assassinated or killed in these brawls.

The Palace Feud had three major effects on Orson:

1. It legitimized political violence and introduced a level of ruthlessness in Orsonian politics unheard of during Shoan's reign. Politicians were encouraged to use all means necessary to obtain power, enrich themselves, or otherwise engage in flagrant corruption. Turner and many Aturorists politicians grew up during or in the aftermath of the feud and were highly influenced by this political climate.

2. It, alongside Orson's defeat in the Second World War, led to the birth of the separatist movements. People across the Empire increasingly resented the Constitutional regime for its systemic corruption and general weakness, and took advantage of the lack of direction or leadership after the 1940's.

3. It set the tone for Emperor Thorseus's reign. By the time he became Emperor in 1963, he was the last surviving member of the royal family. Thorseus not only lacked any formal training for the throne, but was extremely jaded and depressed after seeing his beloved family be viciously killed over their obsession with power and glory. Thorseus utterly despised ruling, and as a result accomplished very little during his entire 40-year reign. He indulged in drugs, sex, and parties to take his mind off of his depression while the Empire fell apart around him. Thorseus could have used his power to introduce numerous political reforms and appease the separatists, and Orson might still be a democracy if he had actually ruled. However, Thorseus chose to do nothing at all, and Orson paid a horrible price for it.

The Orson Empire wrote:

Appreciate it Andrew! Indeed, the Orsonians were inspired by the dominance of the Romans for so many centuries. Also, glad to hear that someone came to look after those horses- definitely a strange situation lol.

Definitely man, and especially since the Roman Empire existed long before the creation of the Orson Empire in the 13th Century, so it definitely makes sense for the dominance oriented Orsonians to gravitate towards such a system. And it's even more ironic, because similar to the Romans once again, the Orsonians have had a great number of civil conflicts and plots to take power from each other (such as the infamous palace feuds). Perhaps the Orson Empire truly is based off that of the Roman Empire in more ways that one?

And definitely man, it was very strange lol. Glad it was taken care of though.

Year: 2030
SITI has developed technology to allow for individuals that had brain extraction procedures during WW3 due to mortal wounds sustained in combat to live in less bulkier robot bodies by having their neurons replaced with artificial neurons with the same data on them as contained in the neuron being replaced at the time of replacement. Leading to seamless transfer of consciousness to an artificial brain which no longer requires a life support system to operate and which can be simply plugged into the power supply of the robot body.

The stripping out of the chamber containing the life support systems to keep a brain alive would allow for bodies that are actually of proper human proportions, combined with this technology also allowing for the replication of an entire nervous system the body could also feel just like a biological one aiding in preventing or relieving Dysphoria alongside the ability for these bodies to be customized to one's liking quite easily.

Cybus1 wrote:

Hahaha! I love it! I especially like the fact that your health minister tried to disinfect Andres’ grandmother, right in front of him, and promptly got knocked out.
And the fact that he’s being yelled at and punished by his wife for the cocaine brownie incident. I kind of forgot Andres had a wife!

Thanks Cybus! I'm glad you enjoyed this latest installment! I am especially glad you found the scenes with the health Minister and Andres wife to being amusing! I had a great deal of fun writing them.
And yeah! Andrés has actually been happily married since 1972/73! She's the love (and absolute fear) of his life lol.

Braindance:
Braindance technology is a mechanism to experience other people’s sensations, developed by Ryan Industries.
While recording experiences for a marksmanship training Neuromod, a glitch occurred that was only detected afterward the Neuromod was tested on a user before being shipped. The tester didn’t just gain the knowledge of how to be an excellent marksman, they felt vestiges of the experience of shooting, the kick of recoil, the crack of the gunfire. The experience was reportedly surreal but helped the user comprehend the information.
Realizing the potential of this, a team was set up to research this phenomenon. The team developed a rudimentary means to hook into the nerves and record sensations, and discovered that the data could be saved and then, if connected to a different individual, be played. The user would experience the same sensations as the recorder. Several years of experimentation later, the Braindance implant was announced with great fanfare by Ryan Industries.
Each Braindance implant consists of a small device connected to the nervous system, a small device implanted at the brain, and a suite of powerful sensors. The nervous system connection allows the implant to transmit information to and from nerves and control nervous input to the brain, while the brain implant records and analyzes what occurs in the brain during recording, and plays it back, essentially recording or playing thoughts. When playing a Braindance, this is used to replicate the sensations of the recorded individual, feeling every bit of pain, pleasure, every thought, everything the individual experienced, without risk to the body. To allay concerns over invasions of privacy, the implants possess no wireless connectivity and all sensors automatically turn off when a Braindance playing or recording session is terminated by the user and stay off until the next session. The implants can be accessed via a small port at the side of the neck, and access via this port (preferably at a Ryan Industries store, though a home system is available for a somewhat exorbitant price) is the only way to update software, download new Braindance experiences, or upload Braindances you have recorded. Evolved versions require only one implant anywhere in the body, because of the adaptability of Blacklight.
Obviously, the fact that Braindancing requires an implant makes it a limited market, but Ryan Industries is working hard to try to develop a wearable device or mechanism allowing more customers to experience Braindances. Many Rapturites have Braindance implants and the technology is slowly growing in popularity in the broader Empire. Ryan Security personnel use Braindances to train (alongside Neuromods and conventional training), and some Rapturites have even become Braindance stars.
Concerningly, some criminal groups have reverse-engineered the home Braindance systems and there is a fairly large market for illegal Braindances; while sexual Braindances are available on the open market, illegal Braindances involve things like illegal drug use, harmful fetishes, or even the death of the recorder being recorded and made available through the black market. Ryan Industries and the Imperial government are working together to crack down on this black market.

Thoughts?
(Obviously derived from Cyberpunk 2077. I thought the concept was fascinating, but realized the only way the Braindance wreath thing you use in-game works is because almost everyone has cybernetics already and it can just transmit the data to your already-extant cybernetics that are attached to nerves and such. In the EOA-verse, cybernetics are generally a rare thing, so I had to rethink how it works, ending up with the implant. In addition, I figured since Ryan Industries already had Neuromods that record knowledge, it wouldn’t too big a leap for them to be capable of recording and replaying sensations and thoughts and experiences.)

Novo Wagondia wrote:

Great work with Braindance, Cybus! It reminds me somewhat of the Seldre Serum you and I designed many years ago, which was used to create a realistic dream state experienced by multiple people at once. I also find the name oddly captivating, if a little bit dystopian.

I could see Braindance having immediate utility in the medical community, for diagnosing illnesses and injuries much more accurately than is possible with the spoken word.

Thanks! It’s not exactly mine, just taking the concept from Cyberpunk 2077. But yes, it could be quite useful for diagnostic purposes!

(OOC: First appearance of the Orson at Midnight talk show. Let me know what y'all think.)

Orson at Midnight: 10 June 2021 Show

Live from Kimaam Central Studio in Aturo, you are watching Orson at Midnight!

*The show's opening cutscene and jingle plays, while the camera zooms in on the set, showing an Orsonian woman in a red dress, sitting behind a desk. She has an excited expression on her face. Behind her is a large TV screen, with a background image of downtown Aturo and its many skyscrapers*

"Welcome, welcome all you beautiful people watching at home! I am Zoa Solane, your host of the Empire's original and greatest late night talk show. We're digging real deep in tonight's episode, so I recommend settling in with a drink and a snack, or for those at the bar, order another round and kick your feet back."

"In our first segment, we are discussing someone who just doesn't get enough bloody hate: Mr. Andrew Ryan, the hardcore capitalist, entrepreneur, and leader of the so-called Free Economic Zone of Rapture. Yes, I know, not a name that's heard too often around the country, but I'm certain our viewers at least know of him. A great number already despise his guts, and immediately know what I'm getting into."

*Behind Solane, several images of Andrew Ryan appear*

"Just take a glance at him and his ugly mug. Disgusting shape-shifter and skin-shedder. You just know when he sheds that false human appearance, the biomass melts off in these gross chunks- ughhh! But you see, that's the reality of it- they're all monsters underneath, aliens from the void who taunt us while hiding under supposed 'civilized' principles."

"But I digress. You see folks, Mr. Ryan is involved in the Pipeline. He constantly proclaims the freedoms his people have in Rapture and their general prosperity, but we all know that's a bloody lie. Folks, imagine Jeffery Epstein, that sex offender from America who totally killed himself, had his own private city with no international oversight. Imagine the pedophile island dialed up to 11! That is who Mr. Ryan is, and that is what Rapture is. Let's take a look at some footage to prove it. Remember- everything we show is absolutely real and documented.

*A long montage of "real" footage of Ryan in his office and home within Rapture is shown; the "evidence" was captured by undercover journalists of Kimaam Central Studio. The various scenes show Rapture residents being executed, Ryan torturing people with some sort of electroshock weapon, Ryan beating and berating several people, and even an outright Consumption, among various other incidents. The last scene shows a group of five semi-naked women who are standing in front of Ryan. One of them bends down in front of him before the footage cuts off*

"Overwhelming, isn't it? We had to cut that last one before it got too naughty, but it's among the most revolting."

*Background returns to Aturo skyline"

"Those women are apart of Ryan's haram. Yes, our sources confirm that he keeps a haram of young women to exploit at his command. Unbelievable! Folks, I swear, if our brave boys and girls weren't already serving overseas...we ought to have just dropped a nuke on that underwater city, erase it and its crimes from the history books forever!"

*Camera pans to focus on Solane completely as the jingle starts to play again*

"But folks, it's far from over yet! After the break, we dive even deeper into how Rapture serves as a funnel for Orsonians to be transported from Wagondia to the dreaded slavers waiting, practically salivating over reliving their ancient customs. Stay tuned for these short messages."

The Orson Empire wrote:

(OOC: First appearance of the Orson at Midnight talk show. Let me know what y'all think.)

Orson at Midnight: 10 June 2021 Show

Live from Kimaam Central Studio in Aturo, you are watching Orson at Midnight!

*The show's opening cutscene and jingle plays, while the camera zooms in on the set, showing an Orsonian woman in a red dress, sitting behind a desk. She has an excited expression on her face. Behind her is a large TV screen, with a background image of downtown Aturo and its many skyscrapers*

"Welcome, welcome all you beautiful people watching at home! I am Zoa Solane, your host of the Empire's original and greatest late night talk show. We're digging real deep in tonight's episode, so I recommend settling in with a drink and a snack, or for those at the bar, order another round and kick your feet back."

"In our first segment, we are discussing someone who just doesn't get enough bloody hate: Mr. Andrew Ryan, the hardcore capitalist, entrepreneur, and leader of the so-called Free Economic Zone of Rapture. Yes, I know, not a name that's heard too often around the country, but I'm certain our viewers at least know of him. A great number already despise his guts, and immediately know what I'm getting into."

*Behind Solane, several images of Andrew Ryan appear*

"Just take a glance at him and his ugly mug. Disgusting shape-shifter and skin-shedder. You just know when he sheds that false human appearance, the biomass melts off in these gross chunks- ughhh! But you see, that's the reality of it- they're all monsters underneath, aliens from the void who taunt us while hiding under supposed 'civilized' principles."

"But I digress. You see folks, Mr. Ryan is involved in the Pipeline. He constantly proclaims the freedoms his people have in Rapture and their general prosperity, but we all know that's a bloody lie. Folks, imagine Jeffery Epstein, that sex offender from America who totally killed himself, had his own private city with no international oversight. Imagine the pedophile island dialed up to 11! That is who Mr. Ryan is, and that is what Rapture is. Let's take a look at some footage to prove it. Remember- everything we show is absolutely real and documented.

*A long montage of "real" footage of Ryan in his office and home within Rapture is shown; the "evidence" was captured by undercover journalists of Kimaam Central Studio. The various scenes show Rapture residents being executed, Ryan torturing people with some sort of electroshock weapon, Ryan beating and berating several people, and even an outright Consumption, among various other incidents. The last scene shows a group of five semi-naked women who are standing in front of Ryan. One of them bends down in front of him before the footage cuts off*

"Overwhelming, isn't it? We had to cut that last one before it got too naughty, but it's among the most revolting."

*Background returns to Aturo skyline"

"Those women are apart of Ryan's haram. Yes, our sources confirm that he keeps a haram of young women to exploit at his command. Unbelievable! Folks, I swear, if our brave boys and girls weren't already serving overseas...we ought to have just dropped a nuke on that underwater city, erase it and its crimes from the history books forever!"

*Camera pans to focus on Solane completely as the jingle starts to play again*

"But folks, it's far from over yet! After the break, we dive even deeper into how Rapture serves as a funnel for Orsonians to be transported from Wagondia to the dreaded slavers waiting, practically salivating over reliving their ancient customs. Stay tuned for these short messages."

Wow! Excellent work and very entertaining! I love the sheer insanity of this and how they made a ton of fake footage. Ryan is definitely a Human and he has no intention of Evolving. Zoa is certainly charismatic!

Overseas Monitoring Site 9- Outer Forests

Andres's attempt to catch his daughter, while close and noble, proved unsuccessful with the sudden arrival of Agent Gen, who in turn, punched his left arm so hard, that chunks of his exoskeleton covering his arm, as well as the remainder of his military fatigues, both blew off, as blood bursted from his fractured arm, as he hissed violently in pain, clutching his now bare and bloodied arm. Princess Amira herself, gasped weakly as she flew just barely passed her father's grasp, as she suddenly slammed hard into the unforgiving earth below at an immense speed, causing her to bounce up and spin, slamming into the ground and repeating the process, as she slid violently for a number of meters, before finally coming to a dreadful and painful end. The intense impact not only caused even further greater injury to her already fragile state, but practically knocked her unconscious...the last image she seeing in her fuzzy vision being that of father being viscously double teamed by the last two remaining Inquisitors as they moved and struck with such immense speed and precision, before finally blacking out due to her intense trauma and physical exhaustion from these last couple days.

-Meanwhile-

Sultan Andres has now found himself in a position that he did not want; being surrounded and double teamed by multiple raging Orsonians. Their inhumane speeds mixed with their surgical like precision hit and run attacks were proving both challenging and effective. The elderly and wounded Sultan was attempting his best to defend himself and try to launch some sort of counter attack, but every time he came close, his target would dodge and weave out of the way at the last second, allowing the other to hit him in his blind spot. With each hit, more and more chunks of his already heavily damaged AECS began to fly off, exposing more of his body, which quickly began targets of further assault, causing further lacerations and gashes to form on his exposed body at an inhumanly fast rate, as deep shades of crimson continued to leak out and seep through his remaining desert tan fatigues and flowing freely down his battered and exposed skin.

As the brutal dual assault continued, Andres tried desperately to hang in there, as each shot caused him to stagger and stumble around, as small puddles of blood mixed with metallic pieces from his exoskeleton, began to form around his feet, painting the once lush green grass with a grueling shade of blood red as more blood and metal continued to drop to the earth below. But despite this, the Sultan's veins and eyes continued to glow purple, as he snarled and hissed in pain, with each sharp strike he took, while having no choice but to seek cover from behind his shield(which was beginning to crack itself) as he closed his eyes tightly, attempting to fight the pain as well as figure out their attack pattern.

Finally, after what felt like hours of intentionally enduring their hellacious assault...the now heavily wounded Sultan found out their attack pattern, realizing small, but noticeable spaces between their attacks...this would be his moment to strike. Upon opening his purplish glowing eyes, he let out a loud drug and adrenaline fueled war cry and suddenly swung his shield to his side, as if on que, knocking the hand of Agent Gen away from him as if time itself slowed down, with Andres's animalistic purple eyes staring in the the blood shot red ones of Agent Gen, as Andres's bloody soaked strength enhanced right hand shot forward and grasped around the throat of Agent Gen, squeezing tightly as he used his left hand to quickly grab one of Agent's Gen's tendrils that attempted to strike his head, stopping it just in time, all of this happening within mere milliseconds (due to enhanced speeds as well)

"RAAAAHHHHHHH!!!" Andres let out his war cry as blood and saliva spat from his mouth as his grip tightened around Agent Gen, and with all of his strength, he quickly heaved the male Inquisitor off the ground and swung him side ways, straight into Agent Garm who just suddenly appeared herself, as per their attack pattern, violently swatting her away with her own ally, sending her straight across the open field some distance. Not done with Agent Gen however, Andres's iron vice like grip remained firm as he suddenly and violently hoisted the Inquisitor upwards high into the air by his throat, as Andres with all of his strength, violently chokeslammed Agent Gen hard into the ground with enough force to create a small crater below them. Andres quickly hoisted him up again, repeating the same attack, causing the crater to expand further. In a final act of aggression, the ever aggressive and heavily wounded Sultan grabbed the collar of Agent Gen, pulling his face towards his own, as Andres pulled his left arm back, activating his impact recoil shield as he swung it forward, attempting to deliver yet another close range impact recoil backhand to Agent Gen....

The Orson Empire wrote:

Indeed, the Roman civil wars actually provided some inspiration for my own internal conflicts, alongside the French Revolution and their own political instability.

Also, nice work on that issues post. The part where Minister Allen was spraying Andres's grandmother gave me a good laugh.

I am very glad to see you taking great inspiration from many real life moments and implementing them into your own history, with your own nice little spins on them! They have really become things of fascination and great pieces to read!

And thanks man! I am glad that you guys are finding them amusing. I try to find the best posts that i can write up something humorous with, so i am glad the Health Minister scene gave you a good laugh.

Cybus1 wrote:

Braindance:
Braindance technology is a mechanism to experience other people’s sensations, developed by Ryan Industries...

Incredible work on this piece Cybus! I certainly think that it is a very ingenious addition to the Cybusian arsenal of scientific advancements. And i must say, i am truly impressed with your creative mindset. Of course, you do get inspirations from platforms, such as video games, but you always manage to add a nice personal spin to it practically making it your own original piece! There are truly times that when i read your posts, even though I know a lot of the characters (such as Alex, Dana, Mr. House and Andrew Ryan), have come from video games, i truly forget that they do, since you've always done such a splendid job in essentially making them your own! Keep up the great work! :)

The Orson Empire wrote:

(OOC: First appearance of the Orson at Midnight talk show. Let me know what y'all think.)

Orson at Midnight: 10 June 2021 Show

Live from Kimaam Central Studio in Aturo, you are watching Orson at Midnight!

Woah! Incredible work Orson! This segment was really entertaining to read! I certainly do agree with Cybus1 and Oceara. The insane amount of false news and down right lies presented by Zoa is just astonishing (in a good way lol). From the "footage" of Andrew Ryan committing horrible crimes to having a literal harem is just crazy and i love it! Plus not to mention just how "free spirited" Zoa seems on air, openly bashing and insulting Andrew Ryan on national news, is a delight to see, and i cannot wait to see more of this lovely show host!

And Oceara actually made a very good point; Major news networks and shows, such as Orson at Midnight within the Orson Empire, really do seem more along the lines of evening time entertainment, rather than factual news for the population. And just as you said above; Orsoians pack into bars and drug dispensaries to intentionally get high/drunk to watch this stuff! It might as well be the Orsonian equivalent of Jerry Springer, getting the viewers highly entertained and into the show with over the top content.

Mercerist monasteries:
A component of Mercerism since before the Rebellion, Mercerist monasticism comes in a few distinct forms. Monastaries, as with Mercerist temples, are often beautiful and elegantly designed, architectural monuments to the Mercerist truth and Cybusian engineering skill. The ancient Cybusian word for monastery is ermitzha.

Monastic Orders:

Isolationist:
Isolationist orders focus on isolating themselves from society to better serve and praise Alexander. They tend to establish ermitzhas in beautiful but isolated areas so that they may commune with the world and avoid others and focus on praying and worshipping. They are not completely isolated; they do get supplies from local communities if they can’t make or grow it themselves, and they will always offer refuge or a bed for a night for travelers or those who need refuge. However, they generally avoid active missionary work and interacting with nearby communities unless necessary.

Economic:
Economic orders focus on providing a service to the nearby communities, be it brewing beer or crafting and selling Bone Charms; the logic being that in doing so they provide something needed by the community, spread the word of Mercer, and gain funds to use to support the monastery all at the same time. Economic orders do not actually seek to make a profit, with all revenue being spent on the ermitzha or necessary expenses. The monks generally produce excellent products, the quality of their products being seen as reflective of their devotion to Lord Mercer.

Missionary:
Missionary orders focus on helping local communities and spreading the word of Lord Mercer in the process. These missions vary, from acting as medical personnel (doctors, nurses, midwives), to housing the homeless, from acting as teachers to donating food to the needy. They are perhaps the most social of the orders, going out into the community from their monasteries, which are often located in more urban areas than other orders.

Innovationist:
Innovationist orders focus on exploring and studying things, such as the flora and fauna of the world they are on, compiling histories, and other such activities, to better understand Alexander’s creations and his Empire. They tend to send monks out around the world to catalog things and collect information for the monks to record or publish.

Monastic Buildings:
There are several types of monastic building, but they tend to have several things in common:
Ermitzhas usually have a large bell tower, where bells are rung to wake the monks, tell the time, summon monks to meals and prayers, and to attract locals for service or business (in the case of missionary and economic orders, respectively). This belfry is often attached to a Mercerist temple, and it is not uncommon for there to be several belfries.
There is always a dormitory, consisting of individual rooms for each monk, with a large communal kitchen and dining area. The dormitory tends to act as the exterior of the monastery, with an inner courtyard and an elaborately decorated temple and belfry forming the center, along with statues, small exterior shrines, and other such features. The walls of an ermitzha tend to be white or a pale red, blue, or sometimes black or grey, and there are often onion domes. Beautiful Art Deco inspired icons of Alexander, Saints (both Imperial and local), and murals decorate the temple and other structures.
Each ermitzha has cropland and pasturage, an infirmary, and other such structures, and are mostly self sufficient as a result of this. Specialized orders may have other structures such as a brewery, small factory, or a dedicated library or greenhouse.
All ermitzhas have either an elaborate underground catacomb where the remains of deceased monks are kept (the remains not turned into Bone Charms, at least), or, more rarely and more morbidly, a “bone church”: a small chapel whose interior is lovingly made of the remains of monks where the nature of the universe and life and death are pondered. Sometimes a more ordinary graveyard is maintained.

Monastic Life:
Most ermitzhas have the monks wake before dawn to the ringing of the bells. They conduct a service where they praise and worship Alexander and whichever Saint or Saints they choose to honor, and then eat breakfast as a group at dawn. From there, the day differs depending on which kind of order the monks belongs to; an isolationist order would spend the day praying and worshipping either in the temple or individually, while an economic order would send some monks to local communities to sell their product while others work on creating more; a missionary order would send most of the monks out into the community to conduct their specialized mission, while an innovations order would see some monks recording, drawing, painting, cataloguing, and reading, while others would be sent on expeditions to gather knowledge for other monks to preserve, while others conduct rudimentary experiments and tests.
All the monastic orders do have a few things in common, however. They have communal meals, worship services every morning, afternoon, and evening, and they each live and work to find a closer connection to Lord Mercer and the Saints and/or to spread the word of Mercerism.

Done with my monastic orders. Credit and thanks to Novo for the word ermitzha!

The Orson Empire
Novo Wagondia
Timmy City
Cybus1
The Unified Nations of Felucia
Socialist Republic of Andrew
Santa Lucija

Year: 1994 (After the Gulf of Guinea Crisis between West Africa and the Orson Empire)
Prime Minister Oumar Sangare has made a visit to the UCP headquarters in Santa Catalina and has personally brought the following proposal to vote on the floor:

UCP Resolution 1994 I - On the establishment of the Protocol on International Emergency Communications

The United Council of Peoples,

• Recognizes the risks to Global Peace and Prosperity from time critical crises.

• Understands that modern communications infrastructure is vital for the conduct of diplomacy in a timely manner.

• Alarmed by the difficulties presented by crises of a time critical nature in allowing for diplomatic solutions and present large increases in risk of war over miscommunication in such situations.

• Resolves itself to make necessary steps to create communications infrastructure necessary to navigate these kinds of crises in a way that is consistent with the UCP Charter.

• Acknowledges the sovereignty of the Member States of the UCP and creates room for individual member states to approach their own solutions to these issues if they elect to do so.

• Establishes The Protocol on International Emergency Communications as an optional protocol of the UCP Charter.

• Restricts the Protocol on International Emergency Communications's obligations to only apply to it's signatories and not to the overall UCP Membership.

• Grants De-escalation hotlines from the Protocol on International Emergency Communications the same protections under international law afforded to UCP assets, this protection binding by this resolution to the full UCP membership and not solely to the signatories of the Protocol on International Emergency Communications.
  

--(This is where the resolution itself ends, and where the Protocol itself begins. The Protocol is an optional treaty that will come into existence if the resolution is passed, and only binds to those nations that specifically sign it.)--