The Straits Of Archlancer Pact is a small, local, alliance based around Archlancer Island and the North and South Straits Of Archlancer. This thread is for issues relating to the Pact and actions taken therein. The current terms of the Pact are as follows:
The Pact Charter
I. Naval Cooperation: The respective navies of the member nations may move freely through each nation’s territorial waters. They are expected to assist any and all vessels of either nation in times of crisis and great need if at all possible, especially in regards to piracy, accidents, and natural disasters.
II. War Time Cooperation: If any member nation is attacked with military force by an outside organisation, coalition, or nation, all other member nations are expected to assist other member nations to the best of their abilities in the defense of Archlancer Island, the Isle Of Avalon, and the surrounding seas and straits. This does not come into effect if a member of the Straits of Archlancer Pact was the provoker - in this situation, the remaining member nations may choose whichever course of action they deem appropriate, independent of the wishes of the provoking nation or nations.
III. Economic Cooperation: Companies and corporations from each member nation of the Straits Of Archlancer Pact are given a reduction in tariffs when traversing the opposite party's territorial waters. No tariffs need be paid by any vessel of the Lancerian Empire when traveling to the Lancerian enclave, Île Sudhommes, via the 'shared waters' corridor through Archegnuman waters. Should the North Strait of Archlancer become a tolled route as well, a similar corridor will be provided from the Isle of Canterbury to shores of The Lancerian Empire and Port Kent.
IV. Pact Headquarters: The Straits Of Archlancer Pact Headquarters will be located at the military port on Île Sudhommes. This base, hereby referred to as Straits Of Archlancer Base Camaraderie (SAB Camaraderie) may be used freely, and will be operated and maintained cooperatively, by all Pact member nations. In addition, facilities at this base will house the administrative offices of the Pact and the council chambers of The Pact Council, the primary locale for Council Meetings.
V. Amending Forumla: All member nations of this Pact must unanimously agree to any amendments made. If there is not a unanimous decision to amend the terms of this pact, no amendment shall be made.
~ His Highness King Lennart Raybrandt and The Round Table ~
~ Official Statement ~
Queen-Empress Amelia, Emperor Nathanael Iluvatar, Lancerian and Archegnuman peoples, envoys and representatives:
King Lennart Raybrandt of Avalon thanks the current Members of the Straits of Archlancer Pact for the kind invitation. The Lancerian Empire and The Archipelagian Kingdom of Archegnum share with our young island Kingdom not only a geographical area but also a strong desire for peace, prosperity and freedom in the region.
Right after The Foreign Affairs Office established relations with both Monarchies, our local trade and cultural exchange have skyrocketed, creating a feeling of affinity for Lancerian and Archegnuman cultures and products, as well as sympathy with the peoples at both sides of the strait. It only seems the logical next step to take this friendship to a whole new level.
Hereby, King Lennart Raybrandt, with the unanimous support of his Round Table, declares Avalonian intention of being a permanent member of the Straits of Archlancer Pact and honour the agreement until the last consequences.
A public statement by Prime Minister of The Lancerian Empire Isaac Oudinot on the admission of The Isle of Avalon into the Straits Of Archlancer Pact:
Today, I am proud to say we've made great strides in the security and good relations between the nations of the Archlancer Straits. I'm extraordinarily honoured to announce that the Isle Of Avalon has decided to accept the invitation and become a permanent member of the Straits Of Archlancer Pact. This marks the beginning of a new era of political cooperation among the nations of the Archlancer Straits unparalleled in the history of region. On an administrative note Ambassador to Avalon, Marshal Francois Havilland, will assist me in assuming the duties of representing the Lancerian Empire in most issues regarding The Straits Of Archlancer Pact. May those of the Straits Of Archlancer Pact prosper forever!
An address to the members of The Straits Of Archlancer Pact by Marshal Francois Havilland:
Dear esteemed fellow nations of the Straits Of Archlancer Pact,
I must first say that I am very excited to welcome The Isle Of Avalon to the Pact. I've grown very fond of this nation in my short time here as ambassador for The Lancerian Empire and I hope this ushers in even closer relations between our three nations.
Having said that, the admission of Avalon creates administrative issues to be dealt with promptly. The current wording of the Pact is insufficient and therefore, with approval from the Prime Minister already in-hand, I propose the first and second amendments to The Straits Of Archlancer Pact in the interest of correcting this issue and creating a written system of amendment in the interest of the future of the Pact. A copy of each amendment is attached to this message with changes highlighted in green, I politely request that they be reviewed and approved by both of your nations before being implemented. If one or both nations find the terms of the amendments unsatisfactory then the amendments may be changed to satisfy the interests of all parties. If an agreement cannot be reached, then I can only recommend that the amendments not go forward.
To a prosperous future,
Marshal Francois Havilland
Ambassador to the Isle Of Avalon and Deputy Representative of The Lancerian Empire to the nations of The Straits Of Archlancer Pact
I. Naval Cooperation: The respective navies of the member nations may move freely through each nation’s territorial waters. They are expected to assist any and all vessels of either nation in times of crisis and great need if at all possible, especially in regards to piracy, accidents, and natural disasters.
II. War Time Cooperation: If any member nation is attacked with military force by an outside organisation, coalition, or nation, all other member nations are expected to assist other member nations to the best of their abilities in the defense of Archlancer Island, the Isle Of Avalon, and the surrounding seas and straits. This does not come into effect if a member of the Straits of Archlancer Pact was the provoker - in this situation, the remaining member nations may choose whichever course of action they deem appropriate, independent of the wishes of the provoking nation or nations.
III. Economic Cooperation: Companies and corporations from each member nation of the Straits Of Archlancer Pact are given a reduction in tariffs when traversing the opposite party's territorial waters. No tariffs need be paid by any vessel of the Lancerian Empire when travelling to the Lancerian enclave, Île Sudhommes, via the 'shared waters' corridor through Archegnuman waters. Should the North Strait of Archlancer become a tolled route as well, a similar corridor will be provided from the Isle of Canterbury to shores of The Lancerian Empire and Port Kent.
The Straits of Archlancer Pact
I. Naval Cooperation: The respective navies of the member nations may move freely through each nation’s territorial waters. They are expected to assist any and all vessels of either nation in times of crisis and great need if at all possible, especially in regards to piracy, accidents, and natural disasters.
II. War Time Cooperation: If any member nation is attacked with military force by an outside organisation, coalition, or nation, all other member nations are expected to assist other member nations to the best of their abilities in the defense of Archlancer Island, the Isle Of Avalon, and the surrounding seas and straits. This does not come into effect if a member of the Straits of Archlancer Pact was the provoker - in this situation, ]the remaining member nationsmay choose whichever course of action they deem appropriate, independent of the wishes of the provoking nation or nations.
III. Economic Cooperation: Companies and corporations from each member nation of the Straits Of Archlancer Pact are given a reduction in tariffs when traversing the opposite party's territorial waters. No tariffs need be paid by any vessel of the Lancerian Empire when travelling to the Lancerian enclave, Île Sudhommes, via the 'shared waters' corridor through Archegnuman waters. Should the North Strait of Archlancer become a tolled route as well, a similar corridor will be provided from the Isle of Canterbury to shores of The Lancerian Empire and Port Kent.
IV. Amending Forumla: All member nations of this Pact must unanimously agree to any amendments made. If there is not a unanimous decision to amend the terms of this pact, no amendment shall be made.
From: Lord Caradoc of Reynesse, Head of The Foreign Affairs Office To: Francois Havilland, Ambassador of the Lancerian Empire in Avalon
I speak on behalf of the King and the Round Table when I say this amendment is exactly what we were expecting. We agree and hope the Archegnuman authorities also approve.
Incidentally, tariffs for traversing our waters are already set very low and our main port in Adennwyth is a free port with relaxed customs regulations and no customs duties. Ships from the Pact will sure benefit from those regulations, and we will make sure they have priority of movement, entry and dockage over any other foreign ship. In no way we expect any other Member of the Pact to do the same, but it really works for a relatively small, emergent economy like ours, interested in make trade with immediate neighbouring Nations much easier.
A public declaration from His Imperial Majesty Nathanael II of Archegnum and her Empire
"Friends, allies, and people of Archegnum. Today is a great day in the history of these Islands. For today is the day that we welcome wholeheartedly into the Archlancer Pact, the Isle of Avalon. Through this measure; our security is improved, our influence extended, our economy boosted, and our allies increased. Rejoice with myself, my family, and our government in Parliament, as we greet the newest member of our greater family, that of the Archlancer Pact."
An address to the members of the Straits of Archlancer Pact, from the Archegnuman Envoy
Greetings and Salutations to our fellow members of the Straits of Archlancer Pact, and in particular to our newest member, the Isle of Alavon,
The Government of the Archipelagian Kingdom of Archegnum, and His Imperial Majesty Emperor Nathanael II, wish to express their joy and great pleasure as we welcome Avalon into our family of nations.
It is again, with great pleasure, that we accept wholeheartedly the proposed amendments to the agreements set our in the Pact, in order to accommodate a third member and to clarify certain vague clauses of the terms of the Pact.
The Archegnuman envoy to the members of the Pact would like to propose meeting to discuss several issues regarding certain aspects of the Pact. For example, perhaps we should decide upon an appropriate title for the document in which the terms of the Pact are set out - if we may be so bold, we suggest the incorporation of the word 'Charter' into its name.
In addition, we request that the members of the Pact make arrangements to decide upon either a permanent meeting place for the Pact's envoys or an appropriate rotation scheme.
Finally, our Government feels it would be appropriate to make clear a term with which to describe meetings of Pact member states - perhaps 'Council' or 'Committee', two suggestions from His Majesty himself. We feel decisions regarding basic terminology will greatly ease the wording of statements and references concerning the Pact, its member states, and its policies.
The Archegnuman government has chosen to comment on the Closure of Waterways to Military Aggressors at a later time.
May the Pact continue on unwaveringly,
Lucas Ambrose,
Ambassador to The Isle of Avalon, Temporary Chief Envoy to the Straits of Archlancer Pact.
Dear esteemed fellow nations of the Straits Of Archlancer Pact,
I'm extremely glad to hear that the amendments made to the Pact have been accepted. I'd like to take this moment to officially announce the passing of Amendment I: Addition Of Avalon and Amendment II: Amending Archetype to the Straits Of Archlancer Pact. All official records have been updated to accomodate these changes and the appropriate parties have been made aware.
Secondly, I would like to address the concern of a permanent meeting place for the Pact's envoys if necessary and a general place whereby the Pact can operate from in its other administrative needs. For this I propose Île Sudhommes just north of Archegnum's southern territories and right next to Bluepoint. For those unfamiliar with the island's location, I've attached one of Archegnum's official maps.
This island, I propose, is rather centrally located between our three nations, being a convenient location for all our nations. Futhermore, a Lancerian naval base, RLNB Détroit du Sud, is present on this island which may accommodate ships of our navies. In the event of a military conflict, this base will inevitably mark an important station for defending our nations and islands. As such I further propose that this base become, though remaining technically Lancerian owned, a Straits Of Archlancer Pact Naval Base, allowing a port in the heart of the strategically vital South Strait Of Archlancer whereby all Pact ships may freely re-supply, re-arm, and coordinate patrols or missions from. In the vein of patrols I have another proposal which I will save for a later address to increase the cohesion of our naval forces. This base would begin to house the administrative and meeting facilities of the Straits Of Archlancer Pact and be ran and maintained as a joint endeavour by all three nations. If chosen, a new name would be appropriate and so I would suggest it become Straits Of Archlancer Base, Camaraderie (SAB Camaraderie). I'm very interested to hear your opinions on this proposition.
Finally, though I don't necessarily agree that changes need to made, the Prime Minister has said that he is interested in the nomenclature suggestions you've presented. We'd like to hear from Avalon before making a decision in that matter.
Eager to hear your opinion,
Marshal Francois Havilland
Ambassador to the Isle Of Avalon and Deputy Representative of The Lancerian Empire to the nations of The Straits Of Archlancer Pact
Avalon as a nation is happy and grateful with every agreement and every step on the right direction, as we are natural partners given history and geography, as well as a shared outlook on strategic issues and mutual trust.
Nomenclature is not our major concern but the King seems to prefer "Council" to describe those meetings, and Charter seems more than appropriate for the main document. We also refer as "the Charter", but rather informally, to our Foundational Act of 2013, roughly our equivalent of a Constitution. But there's no confusion possible and we would support said change.
Finally, a permanent meeting place is probably a better idea than a rotation scheme, at least during peacetime, and we thank Lancerian authorities for what we think is a brilliant idea, and a good first challenge, a good first chance to build something together. We approve of the Name, the plan and the spirit, but will also keep in mind any considerations or concerns that Archegnuman authorities may point out.
Sincerely yours
~Lord Caradoc, Head of the Foreign Affairs Office~
Dear esteemed fellow nations of the Straits Of Archlancer Pact,
In light of the stances taken by your nations I propose Amendment III: Nomenclature Nominations and Amendment IV: Permanent Port.
Amendment III seeks to clarify the nomenclature. I propose the stance that the name of our defensive alliance retain The Straits Of Archlancer Pact and the binding document be hereby referred to as "The Pact Charter" and colloquially as "the charter." Though unlisted, the ambassadors to the Pact would now be known as "The Pact Council", the meetings of these ambassadors will be referred to as "Pact Council Meetings" and colloquially as "Council Meetings", and the ambassadors permitted to use the title "Pact Councillor" (or more officially, "Straits Of Archlancer Pact Councillor") if they chose. Amendment IV will be the first change to use these terms if Amendment III passes.
Amendment IV outlines the potential permanent headquarters of the Pact on Île Sudhommes, it's name SAB Camaraderie, and the facilities the cooperatively-run base will house.
The proposed changes to the document are as follows, changes higlighted in green.
The Pact Charter
I. Naval Cooperation: The respective navies of the member nations may move freely through each nation’s territorial waters. They are expected to assist any and all vessels of either nation in times of crisis and great need if at all possible, especially in regards to piracy, accidents, and natural disasters.
II. War Time Cooperation: If any member nation is attacked with military force by an outside organisation, coalition, or nation, all other member nations are expected to assist other member nations to the best of their abilities in the defense of Archlancer Island, the Isle Of Avalon, and the surrounding seas and straits. This does not come into effect if a member of the Straits of Archlancer Pact was the provoker - in this situation, the remaining member nations may choose whichever course of action they deem appropriate, independent of the wishes of the provoking nation or nations.
III. Economic Cooperation: Companies and corporations from each member nation of the Straits Of Archlancer Pact are given a reduction in tariffs when traversing the opposite party's territorial waters. No tariffs need be paid by any vessel of the Lancerian Empire when traveling to the Lancerian enclave, Île Sudhommes, via the 'shared waters' corridor through Archegnuman waters. Should the North Strait of Archlancer become a tolled route as well, a similar corridor will be provided from the Isle of Canterbury to shores of The Lancerian Empire and Port Kent.
IV. Amending Forumla: All member nations of this Pact must unanimously agree to any amendments made. If there is not a unanimous decision to amend the terms of this pact, no amendment shall be made.
The Pact Charter
I. Naval Cooperation: The respective navies of the member nations may move freely through each nation’s territorial waters. They are expected to assist any and all vessels of either nation in times of crisis and great need if at all possible, especially in regards to piracy, accidents, and natural disasters.
II. War Time Cooperation: If any member nation is attacked with military force by an outside organisation, coalition, or nation, all other member nations are expected to assist other member nations to the best of their abilities in the defense of Archlancer Island, the Isle Of Avalon, and the surrounding seas and straits. This does not come into effect if a member of the Straits of Archlancer Pact was the provoker - in this situation, the remaining member nations may choose whichever course of action they deem appropriate, independent of the wishes of the provoking nation or nations.
III. Economic Cooperation: Companies and corporations from each member nation of the Straits Of Archlancer Pact are given a reduction in tariffs when traversing the opposite party's territorial waters. No tariffs need be paid by any vessel of the Lancerian Empire when traveling to the Lancerian enclave, Île Sudhommes, via the 'shared waters' corridor through Archegnuman waters. Should the North Strait of Archlancer become a tolled route as well, a similar corridor will be provided from the Isle of Canterbury to shores of The Lancerian Empire and Port Kent.
IV. Pact Headquarters: The Straits Of Archlancer Pact Headquarters will be located at the military port on Île Sudhommes. This base, hereby referred to as Straits Of Archlancer Base Camaraderie (SAB Camaraderie) may be used freely, and will be operated and maintained cooperatively, by all Pact member nations. In addition, facilities at this base will house the administrative offices of the Pact and the council chambers of The Pact Council, the primary locale for Council Meetings.
V. Amending Forumla: All member nations of this Pact must unanimously agree to any amendments made. If there is not a unanimous decision to amend the terms of this pact, no amendment shall be made.
Sincerely,
Marshal François Havilland
Ambassador to the Isle Of Avalon and Primary Representative of The Lancerian Empire to the nations of The Straits Of Archlancer Pact
An announcement by the Archegnuman envoy to the Pact Council
As a first order of business, we would like to ask both Avalon and the Lancerian Empire to welcome Mr Nutius Lympne, our elected official chief envoy to the Council.
Secondly, the Archegnuman envoy has been in discussion with the central government, and together they have decided to approve the changes/disambiguations set out in the proposed Amendment III. We feel that 'Charter' is an appropriate descriptive term for the Pact Document, although we hope that the aforementioned name does not become confused with Avalon's constitution. 'Council' also brings a sense of formality and officialism to the Pact, perhaps a measure that will boost non-member states' regard for the members of the Pact and the Pact as a whole.
Therefore, the Archegnuman government approves Amendment III.
Lastly, it is our opinion that the Lancerian envoy has chosen an excellent location for a more permanent meeting place, central to all of our nations in terms of geography, and deep within the defensive perimeter of the Archipelagian Kingdom of Archegnum's territorial waters. Ambassador Lympne will relocate there, and all future official Archegnuman announcements concerning internal (and most external) considerations of the Pact.
Therefore, the Archegnuman government approves Amendment VI.
"This is Logres Central TV, breaking news; The Round Table has chosen a worthy Knight as an Envoy to the Pact Council, his name is Frank Carwyn, an Avalonian officer who was awarded the Three crowns medal last year for his decisive role in the creation of the Avalonian Defence Force. His first job as an Envoy was to announce Avalon's stance on the last amendments to the Pact Charter proposed by Lancerian authorities, that would effectively provide the Pact with a base of operations and Headquarters, here's a excerpt of his announcement: "
Sir Frank Carwyn:
[...]
... And so I've been appointed as the main link between Avalon and The Pact, and that can only mean one thing: the approval of the Amendments as they have been sent to our attention by Marshal François Havilland. The changes in nomenclature are appropriate and we agree on the conditions for the creation of SAB Camaraderie, the King himself has received Amendments III and IV as a, and I quote, "necessary step that has been well thought up" and He especially commends Lancerian generosity on its conditions...
Dear esteemed fellow nations of the Straits Of Archlancer Pact,
In light of the positive position taken by your nations, I am proud to say that Amendment III: Nomenclature Nominations and Amendment IV: Permanent Port have passed. All necessary documents have been updated.
In future, I will have the last of the propositions myself and the Prime Minister had come up with in relation to the Pact. This proposition would be military based, and I will send messages with those details in the upcoming days.
Dear esteemed fellow nations of the Straits Of Archlancer Pact,
I am very happy to report today that the offices of the Pact are preparing to open tomorrow and the few necessary changes to the newly-christened SAB Camaraderie are nearly complete. On this positive note, I would like to propose the final set of reforms that I had envisioned when I was selected as The Lancerian Empire's representative to The Straits Of Archlancer Pact.
The first of the proposals is the adoption of a Proactive Patrols Policy. The purpose of this Pact is defensive but preparedness is always a wise trait. Even if one hopes not to use a knife, he keeps it sharp. With that in mind, I propose the establishment of three Defence Sectors that our ships may patrol in peacetime, actively protecting our sovereign waters, and being always ready to respond to disaster or emergency. The areas of the three sectors I propose are as follows:
(OOC: This map is just slightly out-of-date, and will be updated as soon as the next version of the map comes out if adopted.)
These three sectors will each have a Sector Commander from each nation, Lancerian for the North sector, Archegnumian for the Central sector, and Avalonian for South sector, that may be called upon to report regular status updates and advise the Pact Council as necessary. In times of war, too, these pre-organized sectors of defense will give us a prepared edge in ensuring the security of our lands from those who may do us harm.
As part of these sectors, I think it would be in the best interest of the Pact to create a Straits Of Archlancer Base in each of the sectors. SAB Camaraderie would doubly serve as Headquarters of the Pact and the Headquarters of the Central Sector. Though the Lancerian Empire would be willing to spare land to for an SAB base in the North Sector, perhaps an SAB could be established on the Isle Of Canterbury that would then act as the North Sector Headquarters. Finally, an SAB Headquarters for the South Sector would have to be established somewhere on the south shore of Avalon. This part of the proposal would likely have the greatest impact on your nations, land-wise.
As may be obvious in the title "Proactive Patrol Policy" these sectors would be regularly patrolled. If the pact is ever called upon to defend our territory, it is inevitable that our navies will have to work together to achieve common goals. With that in mind, and to encourage equal levels of patrol through all three sectors, I think that patrol groups formed (likely one group per sector, though we'll seek the counsel of military minds to that end) should consist of ships from all three nations. A compromise that I might even prefer is that each sector's patrol fleet is made primarily of the nation's navy that is most present. For example a patrol group for the North Sector may consist of mostly Lancerian ships, but would include ships from Avalon and Archegnum. The Central Patrol Group would consist mostly of Archegnumian ships but would include ships of both The Lancerian Empire and Avalon and the South Patrol Group would consist mostly of Avalonian ships but include Lancerian and Archegnumian ships. These patrol groups would not be required nor expected to consist of the majority of your respective navies, leaving you free to pursue your own naval interests as you see fit while it would also fine-tune our inter-ship and inter-navy communication, eventually allowing our navies to fluidly and competently work together in any scenario from rescue to combat to achieve the best possible outcome. These ships would work on a rotational schedule so that other ships can be rotated into the groups to improve their skills and so ships can eventually be rotated out for repairs, upgrades, retrofitting, etc. as required by each nation. On another procedural front, standard patrol procedures would be established that apply to all three sectors so that any Pact ship may operate fluidly with any other Pact ships working in any portion of Pact waters.
The final proposal I have are annual or semi-annual Archlancer Pact (ARCHPACT) Enhancement Exercises. Once or twice a year, a section of ships from the navies of Pact member nations would assemble and go through a variety of combat drills designed to test our fleets and their combat prowess. Not only would these Enhancement Exercises further improve our skills simply by running through simulated combat drills as opposed to peacetime patrols but it would truly test our theoretical combat abilities, thereby identifying weak points to be improved upon and gaps filled to increase the strength of our combined might.
Please note that these are only procedural additions and not charter changes, this is because they are changes that may need to be changed more frequently as strategies evolve and change during both peace and wartime. This gives us greater flexibility.
I believe these final policy additions will make our nations some of the best protected peaceful nations in The North Pacific. We will be a leading example of international cooperation and friendship. I encourage your nations to strongly consider these propositions and hopefully their terms are acceptable, where they are not, compromises may be reached.
Eager to hear your feedback,
Marshal François Havilland
Ambassador to the Isle Of Avalon and Primary Representative of The Lancerian Empire to the nations of The Straits Of Archlancer Pact
A declaration from Mr Nutius Lympne, chief envoy to the Council
The government of the Archiepelagian Kingdom of Archegnum has discussed this matter in great detail over the past few days. I have been given authority to inform the members of the Council of Archlancer that Archegnum will agree to the suggestions outlined by the Lancerian envoy, after a few clarifications and additions have been made.
The suggested sectors have been deemed as acceptable, and the Imperial Archegnuman Navy is willing to bear the brunt of the responsibility for the Central Sector, considering its encompassment of the Straits of Archegnum (a.k.a South Straits of Archlancer). They are also
We have three questions, however. Firstly, it is the opinion of both the Archegnuman government and the Naval Wing of the military that an Archegnuman presence is required further south-east, along the Ryccian coast and into the waters about northern Eumenor, to secure southern trade routes and defend the region from pirating. Although we neither request nor require support from the rest of the Pact in this endeavour, we would like to establish, perhaps in a separate clause or appendix, that the navies of each member state are at liberty to extend influence beyond the established boundaries.
Secondly, the Archegnuman military has requested a full report concerning the potential need for vessels of member-states to embark upon offensive or defensive operations outside of the naval sectors outlined. Our Overseas Territory of the Archegnuman Viceroyalty of Illyiah, a Dominion under the Imperial Crown, for example, may well require assistance from the central Imperial Military, particularly naval. The question we must ask is as follows: Is there a suggested standard method for temporarily extricating a member-state's naval forces from certain sectors (or reducing the naval force deployed within the sectors), and how are other members expected to respond to such a procedure - should they be expected to supply additional naval force to cover the waters left unpatrolled, or are they at liberty to abstain from doing so? We feel that this must be discussed.
Finally we must ask a question concerning the sovereignty over the proposed military bases. The Archegnuman government would like to retain sovereignty over any Pact bases established in its territory, in the central nation or in the exclaves. However, we are willing to take into account requests from the Council concerning policy within the bases, and will permit international administration (but not sovereignty) on the condition that it be on consultation with the Archegnuman government. Is this acceptable to the Council?
We look forward to your response,
Nutium Lympne
Chief Archegnuman Envoy to the Council of the Straits of Archlancer Pact
*Lord Galahad, Head of the Avalon Defence Force and Lord Caradoc, Head of the Foreign Affairs Office, stand in front of a giant map with the proposed defence sectors, placed by the Round Table. Lady Eithne, proposed Sector Commander, and King Lennart listen closely to their explanations and take many notes. The rest of the Lords and Ladies stay quiet*
"They've been keeping in mind the size of our military", said Galahad. "While it's true that our technology rivals that of the most advanced nations, we simply can't cover a larger sector"
"Even that looks like too much, if you ask me" observed Lady Morgan.
"It could be difficult the first two months, but we'll have a second destroyer and a third frigate finished by then" said Lady Eithne confidently. "With that and the reformed amphibious transport dock, we'll be more than ready to face any threat on that sector"
"Aren't you being too optimistic?" said King Lennart, in his famous Avalonian accent "they finished the first destroyer on time, but work on the second one has been troublesome. Too many different technologies to implement... Last report wasn't as good as one would expect for a warship that's supposed to be working in two or three months"
"two months, that's the deadline. We will be able to use it after New Years' Eve" Eithne wouldn't run any risks, she had made clear to the public company behind the project that she had enough power to put them all in jail, if needed. And it was true.
King Lennart suspected such a line of action but never asked for details. If Eithne was so confident about her deadlines, then he wouldn't worry about it... but, what about those two or three months till the warships are functioning properly?
"In the meantime... ?" The King dropped half a question.
"Archegnum authorities have declared their intention to keep patroling the Ryccian coast" Galahad explained "we will formally tell them not only to feel free to cross our Sector, but to help strengthen our numbers until our navy works at full capacity from New Years Eve on"
"So we're hoping that Archegnum agrees to increase their presence in our sector, in exchange for free entry and movement through our waters" Said Eithne in all honesty, "to show our good will, we should also agree on their concerns about Sovereignty and Administration over the Pact bases".
"Yes" concluded Lennart "We were doing that anyway".
"Ironically" said Galahad, "they're also concerned about hypothetical areas left unpatrolled and want to know if the Pact members would have to supply extra warships to cover them"
"Well, both our Sector and territorial waters are rather small in size, keeping in mind our Navy and Air force sizes combined, it shouldn't happen to us, at least not after we finally get the new warships, but still we agree that such a procedure such be planned, at least for wartime or troubled times"
Dear esteemed fellow nations of the Straits Of Archlancer Pact,
Archegnum has raised very valid concerns to the proposed changes that I'd like to address today.
To respond to Archegnum's first concern, such a clause would almost certainly be included in the final wording of the Policy. The purpose of these defense sectors is solely defensive but should have no desire to restrict the offensive interests of any member nation. Any member nation may take any action they wish outside of their contributions to Pact defensive sectors.
Having said that, it's been noted that with our close trading ties, protecting trade for Archegnum is protecting trade for the Empire and Avalon. With that in mind a second draft of the sectors has been made and attached to this message with an extended Central Defense Sector. Either draft is up for consideration as the final.
In response to your second concern, I believe this is an issue for finer military minds to discuss on a case by case basis. The Pact is meant to exist indefinitely and it is inevitable that the sizes of our navies will shrink or build as time goes on. Ships will be temporarily out of service to be retrofitted. Offensive wars, or a call to arms from a non-Pact nation may drag one or more of our nations into war. There may be scenarios where our navies are simply too occupied to patrol every single part of the patrol zones. To establish a procedure to cover all these various scenarios is nigh unto impossible. Instead, in events such as this, I believe the Sector Commanders (each of which hereby forms the Pact Military Council) should come together (physically or through various methods of communication) and have a "Military Council Meeting" to discuss what the best course of action is in regards to each scenario, in addition to plans going forward to account for possible events as the scenario unfolds.
(OOC: We have two options here. I've established and named exactly how many ships are in my Navy and I'd be willing to get slightly more roleplay in depth in the sense of literally assigning ships to sectors and that sort of thing, straight through to establishing how many ships are in each patrol group and a rough composition. It appears as if Lennart has his navy somewhat mapped out as well in terms of numbers at least? I don't know about you Arch, but if we did decide to get slightly more in-depth there, then you'd have to establish a reasonably sized navy and such. The second option is that we simply "leave it to the Military Council" who "sorts this out" without us having to actually list any specifics.)
Finally, I'd like to take a second to propose an official definition of a Straits Of Archlancer Base to address you last concern. The proposed definition is as follows:
A Straits Of Archlancer Base (SAB Base Name) is a base of the Straits Of Archlancer Pact, constructed upon volunteered land of a Pact member nation. The territory upon which any SAB is located remains the sovereign territory of the nation which volunteered the territory. In regards to administration, maintenance, and upgrades, every SAB is cooperatively run by the member nations, with oversight where necessary, especially in regards to modifications or expansions of the base, by the Pact member nation that volunteered the territory with the appropriate military and government organisations.
If these explanations are sufficient, then I will produce a final wording of the Proactive Procedures Policy, the ARCHPACT Enhancement Excercises, and a new glossary with various necessary terms in the upcoming days.
Sincerely,
Marshal François Havilland
Ambassador to the Isle Of Avalon and Pact Councillor for The Lancerian Empire in the Straits Of Archlancer Pact.
An Emergency Address By Marshal François Havilland:
Dear esteemed fellow nations of the Straits Of Archlancer Pact,
Today, significant events have taken place within The Lancerian Empire. The Queen-Mother Amira and the Heir-Apparent Richard of McMasterdonia have made a public statement supported by the Queen-Empress and Parliament as I'm sure you've already been informed.
What remains important is a confirmation of Prime Minister Oudinot's statements. The Lancerian Empire has declared war on the rebel groups within McMasterdonia including the illegitimate Patriarchate of Cape El. We have called for the peaceful abdication of King-Regent Albert. In the event he refuses to release his grip upon the throne, the Lancerian Empire will have no choice but to declare a limited war upon those forces of McMasterdonia who remain loyal to Albert. Those forces who rally to the cause of the Queen-Mother Amira will be welcomed.
As this is an offensive action by The Lancerian Empire, Section II of the charter is not activated and this statement remains simply a notification of war as the Empire is not requesting military aid at this time.
In light of these events, my work on the Proactive Patrols Policy is temporarily postponed.
Sincerely,
Marshal François Havilland
Ambassador to Avalon and Straits Of Archlancer Pact Councillor for The Lancerian Empire
