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Post by Arnold Colston-Westbrook on Oct 4, 2022 10:46:28 GMT
A Long Overdue Meeting
The banquet hall was bustling with activity. The walls, covered in intricate mosaics of mythical battles against giant beasts, glinted and shined in the mix of electric bulbs and decorative torches. The entire glass back wall of the hall had been opened up to allow in the cool late evening air. In the traditional Narundan style a central table ran almost the length of the room which was covered in food of all shapes and types. Smaller tables were scattered about the room where the attendees could sit to eat, mingle, or even relax their legs. Nobles, officers, government officials, and eligible ladies chatted and danced with the music, which wafted over from the live band. The Sheenish contingent, even the airship crew, were swamped. Officers asking about the dirigible's design, young men asking for stories about their homeland or their journey, and more than a few curious women.
In the centre of it all was a man on a mission. Tomas, one of the royal butlers, was looking for a man in a sea of men. It took him almost ten minutes of searching to find his target. He was busily making conversation with an interesting mix of officers and civilian officials, the content of which Tomas was unable to hear. After waiting for the right moment to interrupt the conversation he briskly walked over to the man's side. "Prime Minister Yerkes?"
The man turned at the interruption, "Yes?"
Tomas bowed respectfully, "Sir, I have been asked to inform you that Prime Minister Colston wishes to speak with you soon."
Prime Minister Yerkes nodded, "Of course. When would this meeting take place?"
"His Highness the King will be making a toast soon, so the meeting will take place immediately after. If you could be so kind as to stay in this area I will come find you afterwards." Tomas replied.
Yerkes nodded again, "Excellent. I will keep a lookout for you."
With that, Tomas bowed and stepped back into the crowd to continue his duties as a host.
A short while later a bell rung, its toll clear and true through the hubbub of the crowd. Almost immediately all of the Narundans fell silent, with the Sheenish following quick behind. A small platform had been carried in, upon which King Raymond Westbrook now stood, high over the crowd in ceremonial garb.
The King spoke, his voice cutting through the now silent room, "Ladies and gentlemen. It is my honour to host you all tonight, to celebrate the landing of the first passenger dirigible in Narundan lands." At this, applause rung through the room. After a polite length of time the King silenced a noise with a wave of his hand. "This is a great day for the development of passenger travel, and a first step towards a cooperative future with our new Sheenish friends." The King paused for a moment and cleared his throat with a wet cough, "I propose a toast! To the future. May it be as enjoyable as the way there." With that, the king raised his left arm which was holding a glass of an amber-gold liquid.
The crowed rang with cheers of "To the future!" as most of the attendees also raised their drinks up high.
After the first wave of cheers died down someone else in the crowed yelled, "To the King!" and immediately cheers of the same echoed throughout the hall.
Then, as suddenly as it began, the toast was over and the feast went back to the way it was moments before. Few noticed as the king slowly and stiffly waked down the few steps to the floor with the aid of a walking stick.
With the King's toast over, Tomas hurried back over to the place he had left Yerkes and found him only a few meters away from where he last saw him. Yerkes noticed his approach and politely excused himself from the conversation he was listening in on. When Tomas got close he bowed again and said, "If you would please follow me Sir." before turning and heading towards the double doors at the front of the room. The two uniformed guards by the doors opened them as he approached, allowing them to head out into the hall beyond. Turning right and traveling down the hall for a few dozen meters they reached a door which Tomas opened without knocking, but did not go inside.
"In here please." He said, gesturing towards the entrance.
Yerkes smiled and said, "Thank you." before turning into the room. As he did so the door was closed behind him.
Before him was an immaculately decorated room filled with art and finery. A fire danced in the fireplace against one wall while two green velvet seats and a low table dominated the centre of the small room. On the far end of the room, holding a crystal glass of liquor, stood a finely dressed man. The man turned, nodded his head in a slight bow and said, "Prime Minister Yerkes, it is so nice to finally meet you. I am Arnold Colston, Prime Minister. Though please, call me Arnold."
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Post by xander10 on Oct 25, 2022 1:19:38 GMT
A Long Overdue MeetingThe banquet hall was bustling with activity. The walls, covered in intricate mosaics of mythical battles against giant beasts, glinted and shined in the mix of electric bulbs and decorative torches. The entire glass back wall of the hall had been opened up to allow in the cool late evening air. In the traditional Narundan style a central table ran almost the length of the room which was covered in food of all shapes and types. Smaller tables were scattered about the room where the attendees could sit to eat, mingle, or even relax their legs. Nobles, officers, government officials, and eligible ladies chatted and danced with the music, which wafted over from the live band. The Sheenish contingent, even the airship crew, were swamped. Officers asking about the dirigible's design, young men asking for stories about their homeland or their journey, and more than a few curious women. In the centre of it all was a man on a mission. Tomas, one of the royal butlers, was looking for a man in a sea of men. It took him almost ten minutes of searching to find his target. He was busily making conversation with an interesting mix of officers and civilian officials, the content of which Tomas was unable to hear. After waiting for the right moment to interrupt the conversation he briskly walked over to the man's side. "Prime Minister Yerkes?" The man turned at the interruption, "Yes?" Tomas bowed respectfully, "Sir, I have been asked to inform you that Prime Minister Colston wishes to speak with you soon." Prime Minister Yerkes nodded, "Of course. When would this meeting take place?" "His Highness the King will be making a toast soon, so the meeting will take place immediately after. If you could be so kind as to stay in this area I will come find you afterwards." Tomas replied. Yerkes nodded again, "Excellent. I will keep a lookout for you." With that, Tomas bowed and stepped back into the crowd to continue his duties as a host. A short while later a bell rung, its toll clear and true through the hubbub of the crowd. Almost immediately all of the Narundans fell silent, with the Sheenish following quick behind. A small platform had been carried in, upon which King Raymond Westbrook now stood, high over the crowd in ceremonial garb. The King spoke, his voice cutting through the now silent room, "Ladies and gentlemen. It is my honour to host you all tonight, to celebrate the landing of the first passenger dirigible in Narundan lands." At this, applause rung through the room. After a polite length of time the King silenced a noise with a wave of his hand. "This is a great day for the development of passenger travel, and a first step towards a cooperative future with our new Sheenish friends." The King paused for a moment and cleared his throat with a wet cough, "I propose a toast! To the future. May it be as enjoyable as the way there." With that, the king raised his left arm which was holding a glass of an amber-gold liquid. The crowed rang with cheers of "To the future!" as most of the attendees also raised their drinks up high. After the first wave of cheers died down someone else in the crowed yelled, "To the King!" and immediately cheers of the same echoed throughout the hall. Then, as suddenly as it began, the toast was over and the feast went back to the way it was moments before. Few noticed as the king slowly and stiffly waked down the few steps to the floor with the aid of a walking stick. With the King's toast over, Tomas hurried back over to the place he had left Yerkes and found him only a few meters away from where he last saw him. Yerkes noticed his approach and politely excused himself from the conversation he was listening in on. When Tomas got close he bowed again and said, "If you would please follow me Sir." before turning and heading towards the double doors at the front of the room. The two uniformed guards by the doors opened them as he approached, allowing them to head out into the hall beyond. Turning right and traveling down the hall for a few dozen meters they reached a door which Tomas opened without knocking, but did not go inside. "In here please." He said, gesturing towards the entrance. Yerkes smiled and said, "Thank you." before turning into the room. As he did so the door was closed behind him. Before him was an immaculately decorated room filled with art and finery. A fire danced in the fireplace against one wall while two green velvet seats and a low table dominated the centre of the small room. On the far end of the room, holding a crystal glass of liquor, stood a finely dressed man. The man turned, nodded his head in a slight bow and said, "Prime Minister Yerkes, it is so nice to finally meet you. I am Arnold Colston, Prime Minister. Though please, call me Arnold." "A Pleasure to finally get to meet your Arnold, please, call me Dyson. May I?" gesturing towards the liqour. With a nod from Colston Yerkes poured himself a small drink and produced a box from his blazer pocket. "Cigars made in the plantations of the Southern Territories, a small symbol of my immense gratitude for helping me organise this whole journey" Yerkes said while passing the box to Colston to admire. "It was a fine speach by your King," Yerkes continued, "and I do think that the future for air travel is bright. We could even see the masses travelling a few decades down the line once it's cheap enough. Though right now I think the more important thing is making it as easy as possible, I think it's in both our best interests to work together to make a craft that can do the journey without having to stop in Druskia, It would certainly make the venture more profitable for both nations and make visiting either nation a more welcoming prospect for Narundans and Sheenishmen alike" |
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Post by Arnold Colston-Westbrook on Oct 26, 2022 13:17:23 GMT
Arnold looked over the cigar case for a moment before tucking it into a breast pocket and motioning towards the two chairs next to them. As the two men moved to sit down Arnold began to speak, "Yes, it would seem that both our nations have great interest in aircraft technology, though our emphasis has been on more... military applications." Arnold chuckled slightly, "I don't think it actually occurred to anyone to put passengers in a dirigible."
Taking a sip from his drink he continued, "But yes, I'm sure that cooperation in this field will improve both our nation's capabilities. For us the limiting factor at present is engines. Our designs are heavier, less powerful, and less fuel efficient than their foreign counterparts, so I'm sure Kleingroth or Vulcan Aero would jump at the chance to improve their designs. And I must agree, a non-stop trip between our two nations would be preferable, especially with the volatile state of Drusskia. Now, as dirigible technology is classed as a military secret there will be a few hoops that will have to be jumped through in order to get any potential program off the ground. However, if such a project does go ahead I'm sure they won't pose too much of a problem."
Arnold paused for a moment, "Though it is a surprise you travelled all this way, especially as we are the enemy of one of your allies, and a significant trading partner at that. This seems like a rather insignificant negotiation for someone as powerful and prominent as yourself. Surely a lesser minister could have proposed such an agreement while drawing less ire from the Sadalers." Arnold took another sip from his drink, "That is, of course, unless this wasn't your only proposition."
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Post by xander10 on Nov 4, 2022 4:08:05 GMT
Arnold looked over the cigar case for a moment before tucking it into a breast pocket and motioning towards the two chairs next to them. As the two men moved to sit down Arnold began to speak, "Yes, it would seem that both our nations have great interest in aircraft technology, though our emphasis has been on more... military applications." Arnold chuckled slightly, "I don't think it actually occurred to anyone to put passengers in a dirigible." Taking a sip from his drink he continued, "But yes, I'm sure that cooperation in this field will improve both our nation's capabilities. For us the limiting factor at present is engines. Our designs are heavier, less powerful, and less fuel efficient than their foreign counterparts, so I'm sure Kleingroth or Vulcan Aero would jump at the chance to improve their designs. And I must agree, a non-stop trip between our two nations would be preferable, especially with the volatile state of Drusskia. Now, as dirigible technology is classed as a military secret there will be a few hoops that will have to be jumped through in order to get any potential program off the ground. However, if such a project does go ahead I'm sure they won't pose too much of a problem." Arnold paused for a moment, "Though it is a surprise you travelled all this way, especially as we are the enemy of one of your allies, and a significant trading partner at that. This seems like a rather insignificant negotiation for someone as powerful and prominent as yourself. Surely a lesser minister could have proposed such an agreement while drawing less ire from the Sadalers." Arnold took another sip from his drink, "That is, of course, unless this wasn't your only proposition." "Indeed it is not the only such proposition I had, felt we should start with the light pleasantries before hitting on something much more substantial" smiled Yerkes, "As you well know, my businesses have made some deals with businessmen in your country, and given the presumed joint interest in distancing from the crazed Ostrean Kings who seem constantly hell bent on war, indeed I have had to steer the Association away from several potential conflicts they have jumped right at the first chance to get stuck into, and as such I have felt that it is high time to start steering away from their self destructive natures, It's part of why I changed plans from Morthal to the inaugural flight coming to here, the Association simply cannot rely on the Tholes or the Sadaler anymore." He took a sip from the glass, "I'm here to propose a defensive alliance between Narunar and the Association, realistically your people are the most reliable state near us in a fight with any Ostrean Power, and I believe we are your most reliable choice too." |
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Post by Arnold Colston-Westbrook on Nov 7, 2022 12:40:27 GMT
Arnold looked down at his almost empty glass and gave it a swirl, watching the liquid flow around the glass. Placing his drink on the table he began, "While your proposition isn't exactly... unexpected, that does not make answering it any easier. I can understand your distaste for the Sadalers, they are a nasty and untrustworthy people. However, I also understand that the Association has a rather deep and intricate relationship with them. Their food keeps your people from starving, and your nation is a core part of the Hansa which, as far as we are concerned, is a Sadaler dominated organisation. And while we have the food with which to feed your people, if you remain in the Hansa you would be forced to import it at a ridiculous markup, with much of the profits going to the Sadalers who, may I remind you, are our hated enemies." Arnold sighed before speaking again, "If we are to form this pact then I am afraid there are some conditions that I do not believe you would be willing to accept. The first is that you must cancel any existing military or defence treaties with the Sadalers. While we are not asking you to have no contact with them, you must understand that an ally with strong ties to our enemy is unacceptable. Second would be your withdrawal from the Hansa and its associated defensive pact. While your nation remains in that organisation trade between our nations is severely hampered, and while you are in the defensive pact the Sadalers feel confident in provoking us in the hopes that they can twist events so it seems as if they are the ones attacked." Arnold held up his hand, "And before you ask, no. We are not willing to join the Hansa. Monopolies go against the spirit of my people and putting ourselves in bed with the Sadalers is out of the question." Arnold leaned back in his chair, "So what say you? I understand if these conditions are too much and you decline. Even then I hope cooperation between our two nations can continue."
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Post by xander10 on Nov 22, 2022 0:16:38 GMT
Arnold looked down at his almost empty glass and gave it a swirl, watching the liquid flow around the glass. Placing his drink on the table he began, "While your proposition isn't exactly... unexpected, that does not make answering it any easier. I can understand your distaste for the Sadalers, they are a nasty and untrustworthy people. However, I also understand that the Association has a rather deep and intricate relationship with them. Their food keeps your people from starving, and your nation is a core part of the Hansa which, as far as we are concerned, is a Sadaler dominated organisation. And while we have the food with which to feed your people, if you remain in the Hansa you would be forced to import it at a ridiculous markup, with much of the profits going to the Sadalers who, may I remind you, are our hated enemies." Arnold sighed before speaking again, "If we are to form this pact then I am afraid there are some conditions that I do not believe you would be willing to accept. The first is that you must cancel any existing military or defence treaties with the Sadalers. While we are not asking you to have no contact with them, you must understand that an ally with strong ties to our enemy is unacceptable. Second would be your withdrawal from the Hansa and its associated defensive pact. While your nation remains in that organisation trade between our nations is severely hampered, and while you are in the defensive pact the Sadalers feel confident in provoking us in the hopes that they can twist events so it seems as if they are the ones attacked." Arnold held up his hand, "And before you ask, no. We are not willing to join the Hansa. Monopolies go against the spirit of my people and putting ourselves in bed with the Sadalers is out of the question." Arnold leaned back in his chair, "So what say you? I understand if these conditions are too much and you decline. Even then I hope cooperation between our two nations can continue." Yerkes stroked his chin... he had forseen the Sadaler being a problem, but not the Hansa itself, but then he had an idea. "While I cannot reasonably agree to the terms of leaving the Hansa, I do understand why you would request that we do. We are already planning on pulling out of the defensive side of the Hansa, and thus our alliance with the Raikh so do not worry about that part, but for there is a way around the whole Tarriff issue, you see... if we were to have you technically sell all you trade with us to the Imperium Divinium, a nation you do already hold good trade relations with and reduced tarriffs if my understanding is correct, and then trade them to us. For all intents and purposes it will be as we had a proper trade deal going on, but without any extra paperwork required besides making sure that the Imperium is fine with this. What do you say Arnold?" |
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Post by Arnold Colston-Westbrook on Dec 5, 2022 11:17:11 GMT
Arnold sighed. It was going as he had foreseen. "I am sorry but that is unsatisfactory. You must understand that relying on a third party to facilitate trade, even if that party is cooperative, is a far from ideal situation. Having our entire trade relationship placed in the hands of another is something we are simply unable to accept." Arnold stood, finishing his glass as he did so and continuing "Well, while these talks have been less fruitful than I had hoped it is still only the start of our relationship. I hope we can continue the spirit with which we have enjoyed these talks into the future. The banquet will surely continue for a few more hours; let us enjoy the fruits of this new relationship, perhaps literally! I mean seriously, our mangoes are amazing."
With that, Arnold escorted the Sheenish Prime Minister into the banquet, few noticing their entry before they mixed with the crowd. Indeed, the banquet did continue till midnight.
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