Wrythe’s border defences upgraded
The border defences of the capital have been improved with the installation of a new gate at the north-eastern border of Wrythe. HIH Emperor Father Terry installed the new oak door earlier this week. It replaces an old door which was quite literally falling apart and offered minimal obstruction to invaders, which had been in place since the Imperial Family moved to what is now the Imperial Residence in 2004. Old rusting locks have also been replaced. The gate does not actually lie on the border between Austenasia and the United Kingdom, but is between Commius Flats and a path which runs down the side of 2 Imperial Road. Nevertheless, the small and featureless Commius Flats has no boundary marks or border controls whatsoever, and so this gate is the first obstacle which would be faced by an attacker invading Austenasia from the north-east. The need for the old gate to be replaced was noted as long ago as July 2009 during Operation Fulcio, an initiative by the Ministry of Defence to strengthen the defences of the Empire.
Crepundia unveiled
A Juclandian community has been established in Wrythe, being officially unveiled earlier today. However, this community has not traveled from Juclandia, nor do its citizens count towards the population of Austenasia. This is because, like the Juclandian city of Jucărești, this new community – named Crepundia – is comprised entirely of toys. The culture of the Kingdom of Juclandia (bordered by Romania) is unique in being heavily based on toys, even counting them as citizens. Crepundia is a joint Austenasian-Juclandian cultural project, with the group of toys serving almost as a symbolic Juclandian embassy. Based in 2 Imperial Road, the fictional origins of Crepundia were explained earlier this year with the release of Cool Barbie VII – Secession. In the film, a group of toys unhappy with their government’s high military spending stage a protest which turns into a riot; they leave the main society of toys and are allowed to set up their own kingdom.
