Autumn starts in Austenasia as university approaches

His Imperial Majesty the Emperor has announced the beginning of the autumn of 2013 in the Austenasian calendar. The announcement of the official change of season, a prerogative first exercised by the Throne in November 2008 but only found in law since September 2009, was made by Emperor Jonathan I over Skype earlier today to several government members. Next week, the Emperor will start a three year course in Theology at the University of Roehampton. He will be living in accommodation at the university, but will travel back to the Imperial Residence several times a month, the university being less than seven miles away from Wrythe. He will be attending Roehampton University with Countess Eritoshi, who will not be living there but will instead travel from Thanasia on British public transport.

Expedition investigates tunnel legend

Emperor Jonathan I and Countess Eritoshi yesterday investigated legends of a huge network of tunnels underneath the British town of Beddington leading into the surrounding area. Emperor Esmond III had led an informal expedition in search of the entrances to these tunnels on 29 May 2010, but this had little success other than finding a shaft covered by a large rock which went into a mound in a park in Wallington. The expedition, recorded on camera for the Imperial Geographical Society, first went to Copan, where they investigated some pipes directly over one of the possible routes taken by the tunnels if they branched off towards various old buildings as rumoured. However, these pipes were found to have been for drainage in the days when a watermill stood in the north of Copan. The Emperor and Countess next headed into Wallington, to the same park explored by Esmond III’s expedition in 2010. It was judged that the mound with a shaft leading down into it was probably once an old air raid shelter – it could not be proven otherwise, as an attempt to move the rock which blocks the entrance failed. The expedition afterwards walked to Beddington Park to visit Carew Manor. It is known that a tunnel exists under the medieval Carew Manor, but both it and the church next to it were closed and so there was nobody there to ask about the tunnels. Walking in the direction of the Plough Inn, the Emperor and Countess explored a small wooded area between the two locations. A circle of tarmac was discovered in the woods, which the Emperor suggested may possibly be a blocked entrance to the tunnel running between the two. Arriving at the Plough Inn, the expedition spoke to the assistant manager, who confirmed that the tunnel entrance in the cellar had been bricked up. She told them that a nearby hill on which some houses were built had been made with the soil excavated when the tunnels were dug. After walking over the hill and noting the large amount of soil that would have been needed to construct it, the Emperor and Countess walked down a road known to have a manhole cover leading down to the tunnels. A relatively large, unmarked one was found, which is likely to have been the one connected to the tunnels. The expedition then departed via bus to Thanasia. This was the fourth IGS Expedition to have taken place so far in 2013. A video of the expedition can be seen here.

University places confirmed for Jonathan I and Countess Eritoshi

The places applied for by His Imperial Majesty the Emperor and Countess Eritoshi of Memphis at the University of Roehampton have both “been confirmed” by UCAS as their exam results were released this morning. The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), the admission service for applications to universities in the UK, sent Emperor Jonathan I and the Countess of Memphis messages to their accounts on the UCAS website confirming their places after Roehampton University was sent their exam results. The Emperor and Countess both finished their A-level exams in June. An A-level – officially known as an Advanced Level General Certificate of Education – is a qualification earned in the UK after two years of study at the completion of pre-university education. A-levels of a certain grade are required to enter university. Both the Emperor and Countess will attend the University of Roehampton in September, the former to study Theology and the latter Zoology. The University is less than a mile away from the southern bank of the River Thames, and the Emperor plans to live there for most of his three year course. Jonathan I obtained an A in Sociology, a B in Government and Politics, and a B in Law. He has received congratulations via telephone and Facebook from several friends and members of the extended Imperial Family.

Populations of Wrythe and Thanasia return from Wales

The immediate Imperial Family returned to Wrythe yesterday evening from holiday in North Wales. The four residents of Wrythe stayed in a large house in the coastal town of Criccieth. Unbeknownst to them until a few months previously, the population of Thanasia (Countess Eritoshi and her sister) and their parents were also staying in North Wales the same week, a few miles away in the town of Harlech. The two families met on Monday morning and Thursday afternoon, exploring Harlech Castle before investigating rockpools and swimming on the nearby beach on the latter occasion. The Wrythians had arrived on Saturday 3rd August, whereas the Thanasians had arrived on Friday 2nd, climbing a nearby mountain on Saturday. Horse rides, ten-pin bowling, archery, coastal walks and a visit to a petting farm were just some of the activities that the residents of Wrythe partook in during their week away. The Emperor used the time spent in long car journeys to write up three new Imperial Decrees, which can be seen on the Austenasian government website.

County of Memphis granted autonomy from the Grove

His Imperial Majesty Emperor Jonathan I has passed an edict granting the County of Memphis autonomy from the Kingdom of the Grove, of which it is a part. The Grove and Copan (collectively known as Orly) were both liberated from foreign rule by a rebellion last week which refounded the two states as they existed prior to Declan I of Wilcsland seizing control over them in December 2010. Jonathan I accepted the wish of the Orlian people to have the two kingdoms restored under Austenasian suzerainty, as Orlians generally regard the authority of their monarchs to come from the Austenasian Throne, which appoints them. Having appointed new monarchs of Copan and the Grove last week, Jonathan I also promised that he would grant Memphis, capital of the Grove, relative autonomy. Her Illustrious Highness Countess Eritoshi, a close friend of the Emperor, has held the title Countess of Memphis since September last year. In a lengthy proclamation issued by the Emperor last night, Memphis itself and a large part of the surrounding area in the Grove have been incorporated into a County of Memphis, ruled by Countess Eritoshi, who now has the power to veto any command of the King of the Grove in regards to Memphis and, while recognising him as her feudal superior, cannot have her title or powers removed by him. The proclamation, named the Second Edict of Orly, is nearly two thousand words long due to also delineating in precise detail the exact boundaries between Orly and the United Kingdom, and within Orly between the Grove and Copan.

Declan I deposed as Austenasian suzerainty reasserted over Orly

Dissatisfaction with Declan I broke out into open rebellion in Orly today as citizens declared the King of New Wessex deposed from Orly and asked the Emperor to appoint new monarchs. King Declan I of New Wessex, who has ruled Orly as a Wessaxon constituent country since January 2012, was due to visit Orly today. After it was found out that Declan had missed the first two trains and would arrive over two hours later than planned, a group of Orlian citizens who had met to greet him grew restless. Waiting for him to arrive, the citizens learnt that he planned to demand Jonathan I relinquish the title Shahanshah (King of the Kings) of the Carshalton Nations, a title assumed by Declan I himself when he was Emperor of Austenasia to denote the position held by the Emperor as overlord of the Carshalton Sector. This led to overt discontent, with the Orlians openly expressing their wish to be under Austenasian suzerainty rather than independent rule by a foreign monarch. Walking to Orly from the nearby train station, citizens refounded the kingdoms of the Grove and of Copan, polities which had been deprived of their sovereignty when Declan I unified them into the Tsardom of Orly (later declared part of New Wessex) in December 2010, and declared Declan deposed. Telephoning Declan I via mobile to inform him of the unfolding events, the Emperor discovered that he had not yet even bought his train ticket. Realising that it may be ill-advised to go ahead, Declan cancelled the visit. Given the phone by Jonathan I, Countess Eritoshi of Memphis bluntly told Declan I that there was no support for his reign in Orly to continue and stressed that Orlians would always consider the Emperor as overlord, resulting in Declan relinquishing New Wessex’s claim to sovereignty over Orly. The Emperor, Countess Eritoshi and Crown Princess Caroline (the latter giving her consenting vote via mobile) passed an Act of Parliament renouncing Austenasian recognition of Wessaxon sovereignty over Orly. Emperor Jonathan I then made an Imperial Edict appointing Calum I – the founder of Orly, and Duke of the Grove under New Wessex – King of the Grove, appointing prominent Orlian citizen Emma I as Queen of Copan, and promising autonomy for the County of Memphis in the Grove to Countess Eritoshi. Orly was founded on 4 July 2010, being split into the Kingdoms of Copan and of the Grove later that month, both recognising the suzerainty of Austenasia and the right of the Emperor to appoint Orlian monarchs. Declan I, the first King of Copan, rejected Austenasian suzerainty over Orly when he reunified it in December 2010 as part of a larger secret plan to remove the then Emperor Esmond III from power, but its citizens always made clear their recognition of the Emperor as their overlord. Esmond III and several Orlian citizens who were unable to attend the would-be visit have expressed their delight at the news that Orly is once more under the suzerainty of the Empire.

Jonathan I returns to MicroWiki Community

Emperor Jonathan I has announced the end of a self-imposed period of partial withdrawal from the MicroWiki Community which started earlier this year. His Imperial Majesty announced on 7 March that he would stop active editing on MicroWiki and withdraw from the majority of Skype chatrooms associated with its users “so as to be able to better focus… time and effort on revision” for his A2 exams (the second year of the General Certificate of Education Advanced Level), the last of which took place today. The Emperor has now completed courses in sociology, law, and politics, the results of which will be revealed on 15 August. He intends to study at the University of Roehampton in September along with Countess Eritoshi of Memphis, who finishes her exams next week. Since 7 March, Jonathan I has made less edits on MicroWiki than he did in the last week of February alone. He has also made a total of seven posts on the MicroWiki Forums, having previously had an average of over a post a day since joining the forums in January 2011. His Imperial Majesty announced his full-time return to the MicroWiki Community earlier this afternoon.

The Empire continues to expand

The recent exponential territorial expansion of Austenasia under Emperor Jonathan I has continued with part of the house of Countess Eritoshi of Memphis being annexed as the Town of Thanasia. The new Town was annexed by an Imperial Decree earlier this afternoon after discussions about Countess Eritoshi’s home joining Austenasia began on Friday 10th. The Countess, who is a close friend of the Emperor, has been appointed Acting Representative of Thanasia until a Local Election is held, and her sister has been made Baroness of the new Town. Only part of the Countess’ house has been annexed – specifically, the territory directly underneath her room, which means that her sister’s room and part of the kitchen are also now part of the Empire, while the rest of the house has remained part of the United Kingdom. Due to the relatively lax border controls between Austenasia and the UK, this should not result in too many problems. This annexation, while not of a large territory, has continued the explosion of new territories seen so far under the reign of Jonathan I, being the fourth new acquisition of Austenasia – after New South Scotland, Axvalley, and Corinium Terentium – since he ascended the Throne less than four months ago. Thanasia is the third Austenasian Town alongside Wrythe and Zephyria (Glencrannog having been transitioned to a Territory earlier this month), and adds two new subjects to the Empire.

Sir J. Goldie resigns from military command

Legate Sir Joseph Goldie KCP, commanding officer of Legio I Britannica, has resigned after more than three years of military service to the Empire. Sir Joseph was recruited into the Austenasian Army on 8 March 2010, the second day of the Austenasian Civil War. A close friend of the then Emperor Esmond III, who was Monarch at the time, Sir Joseph was immediately appointed General of the 1st Inner Austenasia Division. Given the informal designation of “High General”, Sir Joseph was a leading Esmondian figure during the civil war, second only to the Emperor and Prime Minister. Instrumental in recruiting new soldiers, he retained much influence in the unofficial imperial court which grew out of the Esmondian military HQ at Esmond III’s school after the civil war ended. General Sir Joseph became known as Legate Sir Joseph when the 1st Inner Austenasian Division was renamed to Legio I Britannica in January 2011. This was part of extensive military reforms which were widely welcomed by most soldiers, one aspect of which was to remodel the Austenasian Army on Roman rather than British influences. By an Imperial Decree issued earlier this afternoon, the Emperor has appointed Countess Eritoshi of Memphis the new Legate of Legio I Britannica. He also granted the legion the battle honour of “London 2011” in recognition of the part which it played in protecting Austenasia during the riots in England in August 2011 – although the legion did not see combat, soldiers were mobilised and played a vital role in assuaging the fears of Austenasian residents away on holiday who had left their properties defenceless. Sir Joseph has been given another knighthood by the Emperor in recognition of his three years of service, being made a Knight Commander in the Austenasian Order. He will from now on be known as Sir Joseph Goldie, KCA, KCP.

Jonathan I announces temporary withdrawal from MicroWiki

Earlier today, I recieved the results for the A2 modular exams which I took in January. They weren’t bad, but I could have done better, and I will need to do better in order to achieve grades good enough to be accepted into Roehampton, the university that the Countess of Memphis and I both have offers from and plan to go to in September. I have come to the decision to partially and temporarily withdraw from the MicroWiki Community so as to be able to better focus my time and effort on revision for my final exams, which take place at the end of May and start of June. I have withdrawn my candidacy in the GUM elections for Supreme Judge, leaving Quentin as the only candidate. In the now probable event that he becomes Supreme Judge, I will send him my work on the compilation of GUM motions and conventions that I have been working on, with explanatory notes on how I was conducting my work and what the best way for him to continue with it would be. I apologise for letting down all those who voted for me. In regards to the GUM as a whole, I will not allow the Empire to remain a full member until June with no activity seen from it, but I will be missing the occasional Quorum session. An hour or so each fortnight isn’t much to ask, but from now on I shall be making revision my top priority and cannot promise to attend each and every scheduled Quorum session. I reaffirm, however, the central position of the GUM in the Empire’s foreign affairs and Austenasia’s commitment to remaining a full member. I will still be coming online on Skype pretty much as regularly as I always have done, and I will be available for private conversations, but I will withdraw from all micronational chat rooms other than the GUM rooms and the Yellow Bear Micronational. I will no longer be on the Forums, and will no longer be doing any work on wiki articles, other than perhaps to make some minor updates now and then if necessary. Production of Cool Barbie will continue, but at a much slower rate – expect to see Episode VIII released in the summer, not later this month. Do not confuse this with an announcement that Austenasia is becoming “inactive”. The Empire shall continue to function, as it always has done, in “real life”. Whether or not its head of state uses a certain website as frequently as before makes no difference to that. This period of self-imposed withdrawal shall begin immediately, and will end after my exams are over some time in early June. Getting the grades to get into Roehampton University is now my top priority. No fighting while I’m gone! ICJA Cheam, 7 March 2013