ZB1996 — Roleplayer Guild

February 3rd,Ilezabeta City

Massacre at Staban
The second election this year occured in the bordering nation of the commonwealth of Moravia, suceeding the election in the PRK. There has been international speculation, including in this nation, as to the fairness of both of these elections, as both incumbents were elected without any real opposition. However, while talk of the national elections of these nations is certainly at mind, what has not been discussed is the massacre that occured at roughly the same day. When the Caesar of Moravia's second inauguration was to take place, an uprising by the workers in the city of Staban, an industrial city in Moravia, occured. This had been preceded by petitioning and labor strikes, which only brought the ire of industrialists and the disapproval of the ruling government. They were fired on the spot. The workers then rioted against the security forces of their workplace. Only moments later hundreds of armed soldiers and military vehicles arrived at the scene, tragically killing hundreds of laborers. Through intense coercion, the ringleaders were found and given cruel punishments. Only the Liberty Times has given mention to the massacre in proper fashion. The incident has gone unreported by the Zenovii press, and seen as a minor strike breaking. This is not proper treatment a tragic massacre of such a scale should be given.
-From the Castelul Tribune

Sir Vali Radmridreu was uncomfortable with the situation. Although it had always seemed so, he was not much of a moderate in regards to his political party. While he had been friendly to labor, he had not actually compromised towards any of their demands. He was the perfect example of style over substance. However, when hundreds of people die, that was where Sir Vali drew the line. The event had gone unreported, while those who heard of it had supported the actions of Moravia. It seemed tragic to Vali that his fellow party members were so cold. Sir Vali was now going to argue on behalf of labor honestly for the first time. He was going to become the moderate everyone thought he already was.

When he exited the train he was alone. There was not anyone hounding him for recent events. Not a single one. He hurried over to the tram that took him to the House of Parliament.

Sir Vali entered the chamber of the cabinet. The mood in the room was normal. Sir Vali was not a man with a "bleeding heart" and did not rush to go into the issue. For most of the day they discussed the daily issues of economics. Then Sir Vali went into detail about the massacre at Moravia, so who had not heard of it.

"I think we must speak on the issue of what happened in Moravia," Sir Vali said. "It was a great tragedy."

"It was a labor riot in another nation," Lord Alexandru Gheata, minister of finance, said. "Moreover, it was in the land of those whom we call the enemy, if that can still mean something after a long and tedious sixty years."

"I can only see it as a tragedy that ought to be acknowledged," Sir Vali said.

"It is a dreadful topic, yet far too common of a topic," Lord Gheata said. "Yet if we must be serious, I simply do not see what all the fuss is about. For sure it is an ugly topic, but you have overseen many ugly topics, minister."

"We cannot attach our name to the issue and give the issue domestic political legitimacy in regards to actual politics," Lord Boris Perigord, minister of foreign affairs, said. 

"I must agree with the foreign minister, Sir Radmridreu," Prime Minister Nikolas Cinsti said. "We will only be harmed by making decisions towards it, and it is not our place to deal with. We were not elected on the backs of labor."

Although Sir Vali wanted the government to acknowledge that there had been a massacre, there was no other among the cabinet that would move towards it. Sir Vali found that even compromise towards the issue impossible. Against Vali's wishes, the cabinet moved on from the issue.

A major issue looming for the cabinet was the election. Later this year the general election was coming, and before that nomination for the leader of the party. Whoever won the party leadership would go on to be prime minister, if their party won enough seats to form a government, or leader of the opposition, if they got second. Currently, Prime Minister Nikolas Cinsti was preoccupied with regaining his party's nomination. It seemed to be that the only serious candidate to challenge Cinsti was the young and charismatic Inclestare Lewin, Head of the House of Lords. With his charisma, his wit, and his natural oratorical ability, his popularity among the party machinery was growing. Adrian Brasab, frontrunner last time and eventual runnerup, still had a powerful conservative base to draw on, but he had adamantly refused any attempts to draft him and supported Cinsti.

Currently, it appeared that the Zenovii Patriotic Party should win reelection. The economy had improved since 1935, and the military buildup promised had been somewhat delivered. However, Sir Vali couldn't help but feel there was something major the whole of them were missing, which would land them in political hot water.

February 4th Ilezabeta City, Capital Square

Princess Miruna was standing in the center of Capital Square. In terms of where society was concerned, she was standing at the center of the nation. She stood in front of a giant platform in front of a gigantic crowd. The only crowds she had seen that were bigger were the coronations of kings, such as her brother and father. There was a microphone in front of her, and this would be her first live speech.

"My people, I come before you with a declaration. It is a humble declaration and a simple one, yet it is a declaration nonetheless. I come before you with the meek declaration of peace. Yes, it is only peace that I speak of. I speak of peace, not only of our nation, but on behalf of the entire world. I am not asking you of disarmament. I do not ask of you to put down your rifles, dismantle your tanks, and decomission your destroyerd. That is not what I ask of the nation of Zenovia. For I know that the reason that for which we desperately build machines of death is not because we crave war, but because we love peace. It may sound paradoxical, but I know it to be true. I have seen it in the eyes of the Zenovii, as I gaze through this beautiful city. We are afraid. We have been afraid. And we remain afraid. Since the time of the last conflict we have feared that we may once again have to jump back into the battlements and sound the drums of war. It is not something we want. It has been sixty years, and the number of those who can remember the war grows shorter and shorter each year. Yet we remember the lessons well. We all know what the effects of the war were, and I shan't repeat them. I will only tell you that in that war, well over two million good Zenovii men died. They died bravely, but that is not the point. I will not disrespect their memory by saying they did not die in vain. Those men shouldn't have died at all. But there is nothing I can do about that now. Now all I can do is offer my own solution, to maybe stop future tragedies from occuring. I propose peace, like I said before. It cannot be only one nation that desires peace. In order for peace to work, it has to be desired by both sides. My people, I announce to you the commencement of two things. From this day forward the Organization for International Cooperation and Peace, the OICP, is formed. We are an organization dedicated to the idea of peace, an eternal peace, a lasting peace, which shall be formed by the creation of constructive dialogue between nations. Secondly, the OICP embarks on its first mission. I embark on a goodwill tour. I shall travel to the lands of all the nations of the world, and I will speak on behalf of the OICP and our mission. I firmly believe that if I speak to them with respect, if I listen to what they are saying, and I agree to compromise, then good relationd can be established. As scripture says, 'To do unto others that which you would have done unto yourself shall be the golden rule.'"

From that day forward no one again treated Miruna as a naive little princess who was sad her husband died. They would say she was overally optimistic, but now she was a force in her own right. The speech Miruna gave in Capital Square, on February 4th, would be recorded as one of the nation's finest and most famous in the modern era. When the speech was finished, there was an uproarious applause and sounds of sobbing and tears.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Miruna said to the crowd.

The Cabinet approached Princess Miruna. After giving the archaic niceties that her positition as princess required, she met the cabinet not as a princess, but as head of OICP. The photo of Miruna and Cinsti shaking hands was the front page on all the newspaper, and soon became legendary.

In a dank and uncomfortable textile factory, Ilezebeta City

In the Trollish district of the city, there was a textile factory where trollish girls, most too young to bare a child, worked for ten hours a day for menial pay. Moggana was one such girl. She continued to work despite losing a finger in an accident, for which she received no compensation and no work leave. Despite her situation, she kept smiling. She used to have plenty of friends, but they were all gone now. Hagina had lost a finger in an accident and succumbed to gangrene. Throgga caught pneumonia in an outbreak and perished. Now Moggana only had Thaggalia. Thaggalia was unlike Moggana, and was much less cheerful about her abysmal situation.

"Heard the princess Miruna 'as in t'day," Moggana said. "Wish'd me could've gone."

"Shut up 'bout da damn princess," Thagallia said. "She no care 'bout yah. We jus' Trolls. Humans say we dumb as rocks 'cuz we ain't ever invent mathematics. She no different.

So Moggana did. Even if Thagallia didn't like to talk much, Moggana was still her friend, and she made sure she knew it. Although she never said much on it, Moganna knew that Thagallia valued her as a friend.

Then there was a sound, and there was a loud commotion coming from the other girls. It began to get so loud that Moganna, who was normally dilligent, stepped away from her machine. It was not until someone yelled fire did she understand.

Everyone rushed to the door, trying to get out. They would have enough time to get out. However, that would only have been the case if it was unlocked. The supervisors, to prevent anyone from taking breaks, had locked the doors. They tried to push down the doors, but they could not even dent the iron doors. All the girls could do was panic and scream, and keep trying. Thaggalia got on her knees, and started to pray to the spirits.

"I didn"t know ya to be the pious sort," Moganna said.

"Y'all got many sides," Thagallia. "Moganna...I want ya to know...I always valued ou' friendship."

"I know," Moganna said. "Least we got to know eachother."

The fire killed all two-hundred and thirty-nine girls. At the time, the press would remain nearly silent on the incident. However, the Troll community mourned them heavily, and it was not the last time this tragedy would be heard from.

February 6th, in the Capital of Avalia

Serghei Blocare sat at his desk, with a piece of paper on it and a pen on his hand. He began to write to the Chancellor of Avalia. No doubt relations would be somewhat awkward at first, but that early contact would have to be done.

Dear the Esteemed Chancellor Helena Vortzeria,

As you may be aware, her Majesty Miruna, princess Miruna, is to eventually arrive here in Avalia after an initial trip to a land south of here. In order to better prepare the coming engagement, I would like to better clarify the positive feelings Zenovia has towards Avalia and establish links between our respective nations. In other words, I would like to set up a treaty of mutual trust and defense, in order to foster even greater goodwill between our nations.

-Sincerely, Serghei Blocare, Zenovii Ambassador to Avalia

Then Serghei handed the letter to the Valkyrian aide. The letter should arrive to the Chancellor later that day.
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