Magdali World Tour

Seeing the big ships come into port was the better part of thirteen-hundred men. Most were there to run the land-side operations of unloading the crews and carrying out inspections, but a fair few were simply meant to look pretty for the cameras. As the formerly Magdali warship was brought to dock and the gangways were set up, the band was set to play the anthem of the visiting monarch. A nice lush carpet was set out for her, heavy tables set up on it, and velvet ropes to indicate the proper direction to travel once things were down.

Members of the admiralty waited patiently to greet the monarch in her costume and her officers before then proceeding with the handover ceremony and the signing of papers to formalise receipt. The ship presently docked was then renamed 'so Aiwspeþs' in honour of its long voyage. With the more important aspects of the visit dealt with, the party were escorted indoors to immigration.

A series of men were sat at desks with little flags which they could raise and lower to indicate if they were seeing anyone, gathered before them were entry permits, clipboards, declaration forms, and health declarations. 


With the Queen Isabel being the most important, she was naturally first to go up. She was brought to the most comfortable of the stations and on the desk was a little plaque reading 'Customs & Immigration Station 3, Hogarth Jansen'.

'Name, age, occupation, and purpose for your visit? Also, please fill out these forms in black or blue ink, not red nor green. Pencil is likewise not allowed.'

He gave her the blank entry permits to fill in and the declaration forms. Ever the professional, he retrieved two shot glasses and a bottle of liquor before saying a very loud and obvious prayer over the alcohol and then pouring out the drink for her and himself. While she might be a visiting dignitary, he would ensure she passed basic immigration standards.

As he did this, he noticed that she had already filled out the health declaration. Reading it over he got a pained look deep in his eyes as he realised he would be going into full quarantine after this. He wrote down a note and flagged down a runner to deliver it to his superior.

'I am afraid to inform you, that you are going to be required to undergo full quarantine and sterilisation procedures before entering the Raikh proper. If you have only been to one country outside of the Raikh and there are no health advisories for that country or general health advisories in effect, you only need a fifteen day quarantine to enter the Raikh. If any of those things are not true, as has been written here, you have to go through the full forty days.'

Hearing footsteps approaching his desk, he switched to making introductions.

'These gentlemen have been assigned to take care of you and run errands for you during your quarantine, they are your dogsbodies.'

'Hey, I'm Larij, this is my brother Darryl and this is my other brother Darryl.'

The Empress was subjected to a forty day stay on the lovely Tholish estate, with all the amenities that entailed. She languished in luxury as she was fed fresh haddock with lemons and salad on fine porcelain plates with silverware of the finest make. She writhed in agony whenever she slept, for the beds were decked in six-hundred thread sheets with soft down pillows and woollen blankets knitted from finest kashmere. When she grew used to these tortures, she would invariably be brought out by one of her gaolers to engage in constitutionals or games of horse polo, to then be serenaded as she was fed that most base of foods, oyster soup, while reclining on a bed of pillows and a blanket under the sky. Her evenings were similarly taken up by reading of poetry, books on chivalry, and listening to an odd man in colourful clothing singing about epic affairs and history, as well as coming up with witty rhymes.

When she retired to her chambers once more, she would be left to play with boxes of jewellery, jewels, and silks. If those activities were not enough, she would be brought out to the ponds to see fish and frogs and other wet beasts, with a nice gazebo and seats nearby for quiet isolation. Beyond that, weapons of all sorts were made available to her and alcohol and fresh honey too, with bags of feathers ready at hand though surely she would not seek to combine these elements together. If she were so inclined, she would inevitably find the kennels filled with many hunting dogs and nearby to the kennels falcons. Finally, should her exercises and tribulations not be great enough, she was free to engage in gaming with whatever she could find in the lounge.

Her's was a world of true misery for those forty days.

With the quarantine completed and no deaths, the Empress was taken from the Tholish estate and loaded onto a train with her own private car. After a day or travelling south, she was finally in the capital of Blairhaim and was met by a royal coach and some soldiers. She was in turn escorted to the Sluut, which was now located in an inner walled city. To arrive there, she had to go through one outer and one inner checkpoint, each time the vehicle was inspected and the identities of all were confirmed. The administrative district was surrounded by fortress walls made of red brick, with sloped embankments. There were armed guards and barriers at all entrances designed to make it impossible for a vehicle to crash through, with the gateways having two combination sets of heavy metal gates and portcullises. Shooting positions were well hidden but present.

Once at the entrance to the Sluut, her baggage was taken aside and searched for any weapons or explosives. She was issued an itemised baggage claim ticket and informed that she would have her things delivered to her rooms after inspection, though those items which were of immediate importance were inspected first so she might take them with her right away. She was then led aside into a booth with an odd glass hole in it and asked to be seated on the bench. Behind her were height lines and numbers and before her was a sign telling her to look directly ahead into the glass. She then heard a voice asking her to stop smiling and to hold still. After flash of light, she was told she may exit.

With that done, her person was not searched and immediately they asked her to surrender her weapons. She naturally handed over her revolver and was then given a cursory inspection before finally being allowed through with a small dog and some alcohol. She was now taken to the throne room where she did not have to wait, for the schedule had been cleared for her. Entering the room, she saw the Hauhkuno, his wives, his slave-empress, and some odd looking Magdali knights all present, though only the Hauhkuno and family sat on a raised dais and there was a seat next to his open for his husband.

She was given leave to approach the dais after giving a curtsey and was allowed to present her gifts, which were then taken by servants once receiving approval. With the formalities out of the way, the Hauhkuno rose from the Swersgesat and went to her along with his wife, Margarida. They then went to a hall where food was laid out and enjoyed a private reception in her honour.

After a few days of pleasant company and campanionship as well as catching up with family, she was offered the chance to pay her respects to the Hauhkuno Vauhoks. She naturally accepted and set off up the mountain with a guide and the Hauhkuno. She was rather vigorous in this exercise and ascended swiftly without issue, though her guide did so more slowly with the Hauhkuno. Once at the tomb, she and the Hauhkuno sat vigil for four days without fire nor sleep. Though both suffered, one did so much worse than the other. Haimfaðs' leg burned and then became numb and finally heavy, but he refused to quit the vigil while she remained. On the fourth day they finished it, but his leg was too far gone. Adjusting his position and removing his sword, he began hacking away at it to cut off the blackened flesh. The guide aided him once he started losing strength and helped tend to the wound. 

In her desire to see Hauhkuno Vauhoks, the Empress left that commotion alone and went to the boulder which sealed the tomb. With a wide stance and a great deal of determination, she began a heroic struggle to lift that boulder which was placed by ten men. Though she strained against it, she could not lift it and she lost her breath. But before she did, she swore she had felt it start to give way. Choosing that one attempt was enough, she returned and began the descent down the mountain with her companions.

As the Royal vessel headed towards the entrance of the great port, they were hailed over the radio by the Port authority to await their tugs and that a Port Pilot would be arriving to navigate the vessel to the correct jetty. As the ship was slowly brought in, the Empress was given a 31 gun salute in honour of her arrival. At the Jetty awaiting the Empress was First Councillor Dyson Yerkes and the Lord Mayor of the City of Sheen himself, Mr Garend Marston. Sheenish troops surrounded the pair armed with new Prototype firearms.

With the First Councillor, the Lord Mayor and the Empress aboard the coach, the coach headed off along streets lined on either side with Citizens of the Association cheering for the arrival of Isabel to the City of Sheen. The coach took them past the Guildhall, and then past the Hall of Saddlers, which Marston, a member of the Guild, happily pointed out. Marston continued to talk about how his son Renard had become interested in becoming a member of the Guild of Saddlers, and about how his daughter Lily had been involved in the Universal Suffrage Movement. Yerkes pointed out along the way on the other hand all the buildings he owned.

"Well, this is it, the Mansion House."