Helmarie Legalizes Practice of Unofficial Religions in Public

Current Date:
Oron 39, Salgan 6, Adonsik 40, Vylor Cledman VI
(39th Day of the 6th Month, 40th year of the reign of Emperor Cledman VI)


Ulor Esinie of Helmarie province has issued a decree legalizing the practice of unofficial religions in public. Currently imperial law prohibits all public praying, worshipping, displaying of religious symbols, construction of temples or other religious buildings, carving of idols, sacrifices, etc. except for the official religion of the empire which is the Zekresh religion. The sacrifice of goats to Gilhalnan on the solstices is not actually required by law, but is strongly encouraged. The worship of other Zekresh gods is also permitted and large temples to them have been built in every province with money from the Imperial treasury. All other religions must be practiced in secret, if at all, and they are strongly discouraged by imperial officials. In some provinces there are fines and penalties for being a member of any unofficial religion, even in private.

Lord Chancellor Rubanya Cledman has endorsed the move by the Ulor of Helmarie and sent messages asking the Uloro of other provinces to consider following the example of Helmarie province and issue decrees legalizing the practice of unofficial religions in public.

The Ulor of Trayavix Province has agreed to issue such a decree and has set his scribes to preparing the decree. The Ulor of Slythia has taken a middle course, legalizing the Cult of the Viper God only and retaining the ban on all other religions except the official religion of the Empire.

For more information on the official religion of the empire, see here:

http://nationsandempires1.blogspot.com/2006/11/zekresh-religion.html

The Lord Chancellor has said of this, "We have tried for centuries to make all the peoples of the empire into devout worshippers of Gilhalnan the Goat God of the Forest and the other holy deities of our religion. Alas, those who are going to join us in our sacred temples have already done so. The others, and I speak of the vast majority of the population of the Empire, have their own gods and goddesses and there is no reason they should not be able to worship them in public as we worship our gods in public. There will be less grumbling about Imperial rule if we permit our people this small liberty. Gilhalnan will understand. After all, the Ulor of Helmarie has already carried out this reform and the sky didn't fall. The Empire didn't crumble. Goats did not rush out of the forest and smite him to show Gilhalnan's displeasure."

Levorek, a member of the Imperial Council, and the leader of the Loyalist Faction, has been critical of this proposal, "Ulor Esinie of Helmarie is playing with fire and we could all get burnt. Religion is one of the things which holds the Empire together. People who pray together, stay together. If we legalize unofficial religions, there will be six hundred temples to six hundred different gods in every city. I predict arguments over religions, dissent, chaos and holy wars that will tear the Empire apart. It was wise to suppress the unofficial religions and urge people to follow the one true faith. We should reconsider allowing the worship of heathen gods in private, too, I say. And since when is this up to an Ulor to decide? This is a matter for the Emperor to decide."

Ulor Esinie of Helmarie Province said, "I have decided to join the Reformist Faction and stop suppressing the native religions of this province as the Lord Chancellor suggested."

Here is more information on the Stavuk Vyloresh
(Imperial Council) where this is being debated
http://nationsandempires1.blogspot.com/2006/11/imperial-council.html

Here is more information on Helmarie province which
initiated action on this issue:
http://nationsandempires2.blogspot.com/2006/11/salan-helmarie.html

Separatists Hold Ulor's Advisor for Ransom in Helmarie Province, Ulor Dismisses Army Officers

Date:
Oron 15, Salgan 5, Adonsik 40, Vylor Cledman VI
(15th Day of the 5th Month, 40th year of the reign of Emperor Cledman VI)

Separatist rebels from one of the Trond tribes captured Gurok, the advisor to Ulor Esinie of Salan Helmarie and held the advisor for ransom. Ironically, Gurok was captured while delivering a 15,000 baylo ransom for a lower ranking provincial employee who was also being held for ransom. The lower ranking employee had been sent to spy on Trond separatists, but was instead captured by them.

Ulor Esinie has declared an emergency and used his emergency powers to call out all five phalanxes of the Imperial Army garrison in Helmarie province. The troops searched the whole province for the missing advisor with no luck. Ulor Esinie has also taken the extremely unusual and legally questionable step of removing from office all the senior officers of the garrison for incompetence and corruption. Appointment and removal of Imperial Army officers is normally done by senior army officers, the Lord Chancellor or the Emperor, not by the Ulor of a province.

Ulor Esinie alleges that while the garrison commanders reported their units as being at nearly full strength (1,000 men for each of the five phalanxes) when they were called upon to assemble for inspection, all five phalanxes could only muster a little over 3,000 men instead of the 5,000 they claimed to have. Ulor Esinie alleged that the commanders had been fraudulently pocketing the pay for nearly 2,000 soldiers who didn't exist.

It has been subsequently reported that the army was unable to locate the advisor, Gurok and the Ulor had to pay an additional ransom of 10,000 baylo to secure his release. The separatists have not been captured and got away with 25,000 baylo, a vast fortune.

Gurikan Falan (Captain General) Trenyva at the Imperial Army fortress at Trayavix, who has command over the garrison in Helmarie objected strongly and called upon the Emperor to remove Ulor Esinie from his post for interfering in internal army matters. Captain General Trenyva has already issued orders to reinstate the dismissed officers, but this order has been countermanded by the Lord Chancellor.

Lord Chancellor Rubanya Cledman praised Ulor Esinie's actions as necessary to cope with the emergency and also an example the army should follow for how to put a stop to rampant corruption. The Lord Chancellor accused the Imperial Army officer corps of routinely pocketing vast amounts of money for "ghost soldiers" who don't really exist and used the opportunity to again call for creation of an ombudsman and a staff of inspectors, funded by the proposed dog tax, to root out corruption.

Field Marshall Krulmuk, commander of the Imperial Army, said that not only did a majority of the Imperial Council disapprove of Esinie's actions, but that Krulmuk had already bypassed the Imperial Council and directly urged the Emperor to dismiss Esinie as Ulor of Helmarie Province.


Here is more information on the Stavuk Vyloresh (Imperial Council)
http://nationsandempires1.blogspot.com/2006/11/imperial-council.html

Here is more information on Helmarie province:
http://nationsandempires2.blogspot.com/2006/11/salan-helmarie.html

Famine and Rebellion in Kopixer Province

Date:
Oron 12, Salgan 5, Adonsik 40, Vylor Cledman VI
(12th Day of the 5th Month, 40th year of the reign of Emperor Cledman VI)

Famine has gripped Kopixer province for several months now. Riots have broken out and the Ulor has resigned. The Imperial Army garrison has struggled to restore order, but the riots have turned into an outright rebellion. Hundreds of people have been killed.

The Emperor has sent the 3rd Kantora Zekresh (3rd Phalanx from Zekran) with two shiploads of grain to restore order and end the famine. Captain Nemt, the commander of the 3rd Kantora Zekresh, has been appointed the new Ulor of Kopixer. Captain Nemt is a distinguished army officer and a member of an old and respected Zekresh family from the capital city.

Language Requirement Abolished in Helmarie

Rubanya Cledman
The Lord Chancellor of the Empire







Levorek Cledman, Imperial Councilor









Current Date:
Oron 22, Salgan 4, Adonsik 40, Vylor Cledman VI
(22nd Day of the 4th Month, 40th year of the reign of Emperor Cledman VI)

Ulor Esinie of Salan Helmarie has issued a provincial decree removing the requirement that employees of the provincial government must speak the Zekresh language.

The Helmarie Ulor's advisor, Gurok, said the measure was necessary because so few people in the province speak Zekresh. "Why, 19 of my own relatives have now been able to get jobs in the provincial government of Helmarie because of this new decree. It was a wise move by the Ulor."

Lord Chancellor Rubanya Cledman has taken notice of the move and is reported to have said, "I've been proposing a similar measure for years, but the Emperor hasn't gotten around to it. If other provinces follow the example of Helmarie, perhaps we can prove the critics wrong and get the Emperor to approve this measure for the whole Empire. It is long overdue. Most of the people in the Empire do not speak Zekresh."

Levorek, a member of the Imperial Council, opposes the move, saying, "Is this the Zekresh Empire or not? If it is then everyone should speak Zekresh. Government officials most of all."

The Emperor was not available for comment.

Lord Chancellor Proposes Dog Tax

Rubanya Cledman
The Lord Chancellor of the Empire











"Rawrf?"







Current Date:
Oron 1, Salgan 2, Adonsik 40, Vylor Cledman VI
(1st Day of the 2nd Month, 40th year of the reign of Emperor Cledman VI)

Lord Chancellor Rubanya Cledman is proposing to tax dogs. The tax is part of a reform proposal to appoint an "ombudsman" to investigate corruption within the empire. The ombudsman would have a staff of 100 inspectors and auditors. The ombudsman's office would be funded by a new tax payable by dog owners at a rate of 1 bayla per mutt dog per adonsik (year). Purebred dogs would be exempt.

The proposal has been discussed by the Imperial Council, but was not endorsed by the council. The Lord Chancellor has agreed to discuss the matter further with the council before bringing it to the attention of the Emperor. Various councillors have urged the Salan Uloro (provincial governors) to write letters to the council expressing support or opposition for this proposal.