[center][h3]Ceresian Empire[/h3][i]January 17th, 1940, Myrmidarium Harbour[/i][/center] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/Qo7feHn.jpg[/img][/center] [center]{==================================}[/center] The cold morning wind of Myrmidarium in winter was forming a thick blanket of fog, now reaching over the docks ocean-current warmed water. The coastal cities usually bustling harbour was empty and the city eerily quiet. The great monuments and statues of the cities mighty Abyssiasist temples obscured the morning light, casting shadows over the city. Through the fog, a line of stately, gloss black automobiles of foreign making were parked within the naval base adjacent to the city harbour, and a small crowd was gathering as they exited their vehicles with the help of guards and chauffeurs. Of the group of automobiles, one remained unopened, its occupants remaining inside. “We have arrived sir, you wish to watch from here right?” The chauffer asked the passenger, gesturing to the naval vessel floating in front of them, beside the dock. “Indeed, until the Abyssinite Guard comes” Jean-Baptist Etienne de Richelieu replied. He was to remain within his automobile even as the other foreign advisers emerged and mingled outside. Richelieu had come to this country without the sanction of his government, so when considering his reason for being here and his position on his homelands blacklist, he kept his figurative head down, and stayed in the car. Today was to be a remarkable one, despite the dour mood nature wished to impose upon it. While the group of men and a few women outside the car was only a few dozen, many thousands of people were gathering along the harbour outside the base, clearing the rest of the city and now waiting in silence; gathering to watch the maiden voyage of the HDS Sylvia XVII. The vessel was to be the new flagship of the Sacred Empire and the Siren-Empresses personal vessel. Richelieu was very much eager to see its sailing, considering he helped design it. While Minister Kerensky and his cohorts can be given the praise for the creation of the original Argonautilus, the HDS Sylva XVII was more than simply a warship; it was a piece of art. Looking to its final form now, Richelieu could see just how more impressive it was than the designs, sketches and even model figure that Kerensky had him work on previously. Gleaming white, the dreadnought submarine was adorned with decorations, statutes of ancient Mesulid warriors, creatures of the deep and religious icons. It was a fine side-project. Still, he wasn’t here to marvel at his earlier work, as much as it was enjoyable and as much as he wanted to have the time to do so. Marian aristocracy had it rough these days with many families now impoverished due to revolutions in Vinculi. While his homeland was now once again under the right and proper rule of the Marianne Empire, most of the aristocracy got the short stick with losing nearly everything but their titles. So here he was, illegally selling his designs and inventions to a foreign nation on the off chance that he could restore some form of reasonable living standards for his siblings and mother, and to perhaps one day show his homeland the significance of his ideas. In short, like quite a few foreign advisers who shared similar stories, he was an exile; an exile with very valuable schematics and ideas, ideas worth the time and effort to seemingly betray his country to see them put into action. Richelieu continued to watch the ship until a new line of glossy black cars arrived. Among them was a porcelain white vehicle bearing flags and the imperial regalia that could only belong to the Siren-empresses own; the vehicle also positioned in between two armoured cars. The foreign advisers had since been moved to the side, a small army of black long coat wearing Abyssinite Guard (Secret police) and armoured Myrmidon Honour-Guards forming up around the base as the convoy of vehicles stopped. Siren-Empress Silvia XVII and other Mesulid ruling caste members slithered out of their automobiles then, followed by more honour guards wielding tridents, spears and SMG’s. The Siren-Empress was mostly obscured by gaudy, oversized feather fans and tailed by various servants carrying containers and other objects. She was to be taking part in the launching ceremony of the vessel and from there would speak of the matter that truly concerned Richelieu; his work. “She’s smaller than I imagined” Richelieu said to himself, wondering how someone who may well be the youngest state leader in the world continue ruling with such clout. He knew the answer of course, but it was still so strange. The religious fanaticism here was very, very real, as he had learned as such in his short year-long stay in Ceresia. The claim to godhood made by this girl was taken very seriously by even the lowest denizens of this nation, quite a feat, considering how his homeland has seen kings and emperors repeatedly overthrown by the commoners. “Sir, please avert your eyes” the Chauffer said, his politeness having an edge to it; it was a warning. Richelieu had near forgotten an essential rule of this land.[b] Under no circumstances may you draw eye contact with the Lamia Mesulus without proper cleansing[/b], as well as the more important corollary to this: [b]Looking upon the Siren-Empress without purification in the Cleansing Ritual or by the unfaithful is punishable by death[/b]. Worried, Richelieu figured that due to either the distance or the various fans and other objects obscuring a real view, he was still alive. [i]I really need to hire my own Chauffer[/i] Richelieu thought. Sitting there and waiting as the Siren-Empress went through the fanfare of boarding her namesake warship, Richelieu waited until an anonymous Abyssinite Guardsman arrived and knocked on his window. “It is time” Richelieu declared before opening the door, taking a suitcase out from below his feet and giving his farewell to the driver. “Master Richelieu, we of the Abyssinite Guard assume you have completed your assignment?” The guardsman asked as they walked towards the ship. Richelieu simply nodded in response, more concerned with using the line of cars as concealment as they neared their destination. It was not until they had arrived aboard the ship that he finally responded. “I have the plans completed. Schematics, cost estimates, required resources; all I need is time and the base product”. "When will my audience with the Siren-Empress begin?" “The Siren-Empress will be pleased; your audience will begin within the hour once we have dived” the guardsman said, now leading Richelieu inside the submarine-battleship. As they walked, the vessel moved from the dock and the Siren-Empress was finishing the ship launching ceremony. Instead of the usual cheering Richelieu had seen in his homeland when a notable ship launching was underway, the Ceresian’s begun to sing. While he couldn’t understand the archaic wording of their already complicated language completely, he knew it was a religious hymn, a hymn towards a holy war against something about the sky. After the singing, Richelieu ignored most of the ceremony and the event itself passed by him entirely. Focused now entirely on his audience with the Siren-Empress and the implications of the contents of his suitcase, the all important assignment that Ceresia gave him. Pacing back and forwards he for long enough and he did not feel the time pass or even the vessel diving, so concerned with his sole purpose here. [center]{==================================}[/center] [center][i]An hour later, somewhere in the HDS Sylvia XII’s corridors[/i][/center] He knew the time had come once two servant girls arrived and were ushering him down the submarine-battleships ornate halls, and eventually leading him to a room divided by a decorated semi-transparent wooden screen, once again covered in religious icons. The Siren-Empress was sitting immediately behind said wooden screen, Richelieu seeing only her and another figure as silhouettes. Richelieu bowed immediately after handing the suitcase over to one of the guards, and remained doing so while what he the Siren-Empress and the other figure behind the screen were whispering something he could not make out. After a length of time he could not determine and growing pain in his back, a man’s voice spoke from behind the screen. “Typically speaking Master Richelieu, It is advised to build a new vessel from scratch than to constantly repair and modify an existing one, considering the costs of doing the former. Why would you suggest these modifications?” The voice inquired. Richelieu could tell from the man’s tone however that he was not questioning him, but was checking to see how much of the situation he understood. Richelieu was perceptive enough to see the direction of where this was heading, they wanted to know if he had figured out what they had already knew. He did. After some thought and a brief pause, Richelieu figured he’d be honest with the depth of information he possessed concerning the current state of the world: A war was coming, a war of unprecedented scale and ferocity. It was inevitable; but more importantly it was coming fast. “Sir, if I may speak frankly... it is to my understanding that anywhere between five years from now and tomorrow morning, the nations of the world will be at war. It is also to my understanding that this war will be a conflict of such size that its costs will be enormous and will only grow the longer the war lasts. Those costs will be payed despite this, because defeat would mean total destruction” Richelieu said after the brief pause of silence. “So, you understand we are not merely modernizing, but are mobilizing the military and yet you are still willing to take this project for Ceresia. Why?” The unseen man’s voice replied, now leading to the genuine question. It was now the time to bring the core reasons for his actions into the open. “I believe that, even if my government may or may not disagree, Ceresian military interests are Marian and possibly all of the Vinculi’s military interests. If our nations are to survive, it is imperative that we are prepared, nothing else matters”. Richelieu said, before turning directly towards the figure where the voice was coming from. “With this in mind, I would like to point out that you sir had over fifteen years to prepare this nations navy”. Richelieu was making a risky guess here, however he suspected the man he was talking to was none other than Minister Kerensky, a fellow foreign adviser. “If I am to reform and modernize the nation’s air force as you have the navy, I must do it within a significantly shorter time span. It is with this in mind that I would retrofit all existing airships within the Ceresian air force first before attempting to build new airships, as we do not know how long we have and her divine majesties air force must be ready to fight at any moment” Richelieu said, finishing his speech. There was more silence followed by yet more whispering, Richelieu was certain that the empress had finished skimming over his designs after being handed to her by Kerensky. A verdict was coming. ... ... “The project is approved Master Richelieu. Her Divine Majesty commends you for your so far stellar work in the name of peace and the continued security of the world. She would name you Chief Minister of Aeronautical Reform”. Kerensky said. Richelieu had achieved what he had come for. “I am humbled by Her Divine Majesties trust placed upon me. I, Jean-Baptist Etienne de Richelieu and once of the Richelieu March, with great gratitude hereby acknowledge my responsibilities as Chief Minister of Aeronautical Reform". "Long live the empire”. "Long live the empire" Kerensky said in turn. Richelieu then finally stood upright and was given back his suitcase of schematics and plans. He could not leave the vessel yet as it was still submerged; its maiden voyage was to stop at a nearby port where he would be dropped off while the HDS Sylvia XVII then left for its proper maiden voyage across the globe. As he left the room and walked down the corridor, he steeled himself with knowledge that his understanding of the world was correct and his actions were justified. His actions would save Marianne and the entire world from either the tyranny of fascism and communism... or both. Even if he had to work with such a brutal theocracy, even if he was called a traitor, his ideas would save the world. “And so begins the long road... to the end” Richelieu whispered to himself. [i]And so he prepared for war. [/i] [hider=summary] -Introduce empire -Introduce some cultural and religious rules -Launch the new Argonautilus-class flagship of the empire -Introduce new Chief Minister of Aeronautical Reform -Said minister has been given the go ahead to reform the air fleet by modifying all existing airships -The maiden voyage of the HDS Sylvia XVII begins, its voyage around the world for state visits will soon begin. [/hider]