The East Pacific Newspaper
Volume Two, Issue Three
Introduction
by Todd McCloud
Its that time again, time for a Christmas issue brought to you by the aspiring elves of TEP! Well, actually they arent aspiring to be elves. More like giants among elves, which isnt too hard to become. Still, weve compiled a nice paper for all to read in their viewing pleasure. We hope its a good show and that youll get some enjoyment out of it!
So what have we been doing in The East Pacific these days? Well, if you must know
because you were totally going to ask that question next
were roleplaying, debating, and above all having fun. Were currently in the midst of some Winter Solstice Celebrations, made possible by the hard-working and fun-loving individuals in the region of the east. But what else? Were also roleplaying. Roleplaying, you might say? Whether or not you do roleplay on NS, its actually pretty fun and exciting. Who else wouldnt like to see their characters turned to goo and drilled with four dozen bullet holes! Actually were a little more benevolent than that. But only a little bit. Just a smidgen. And when we arent roleplaying or just goofing around, we work on our government. Our Magisterium has picked up activity in the past few weeks or so, and the Conclave has just finished polishing off their standing orders. Of course our delegate remains ever vigilant and is only mildly oppressive! Nah, hes actually a good guy, except for how he roots for the Pittsburgh Steelers
everyone knows the Cleveland Browns is the superior team 
But its Xmas time in TEP. This year is a bit of a different feeling for some. I suppose it has to do with the mind control device recently installed within the bowls of the Pax Box, but apart from that and the occasional forced hailing of the Hive, there is still an inner thread that keeps us all together. And while a few of us may tug on that thread every once and a while, it doesnt break. Weve gotten a bit more festive this year, as we tug on that string with candy canes instead of just fingers. The string may be a bit worn, but our resolve remains unbroken. Unbroken, I say! Lets just hope those candy canes dont have too much force behind them. Well, so be it. A Christmas that is full of strings and not some guy in a red suit with a beard who likes to give gifts to children. This doesnt seem like such a bad th-GLORY TO THE HIVE.
What did I just say? Oh well. Best of luck to everyone, and safe voyages!
Call all Foreign Dignitaries…get yo gift!
by East Malaysia
Are you the ambassador to TEP?
Hate that you can’t get edit your post or control your embassy?
That is all changing!
Next time you drop by the forum just contact me [East Malaysia] or post in my office located in the http://z1.invisionfree.com/forums/The_East_Pacific/index.php?showtopic=8091.
I’ll be rolling out the mask and granting embassy permission no later than first of the year (and before if anyone drops by) but you have to request it!
~EM.
Magisterium Elections
by Chancellor Shaw
Late November marked the beginning of TEPs fourth quarter, which means a new batch of victi- er, I mean, volunteers came forward to be elected into our Magisterium. All joking aside, this is one tough job. Thankfully we have what looks to be a great group of people who stepped up to answer the call.
This past Magisterium election was full of vibrant discussion as to what each person wanted to help TEP with during their term. Of the eight who were nominated, seven were elected. Since then one of our Magisters has had to resign, leaving us with six strong minded, capable individuals who got right at the busy job they had ahead of them.
The Magisterium is the legislature of The East Pacific. They are tasked with creating, proposing, debating on, and passing bills and laws to make our region run smoothly and fairly for everyone. It is because of these individuals that we have laws like our Secondary Endorsement Cap Act and our Adspum Rules. Speaking of which, one recent debate of interest was the consideration of the new Nationstates Century Theme, and what impact it would have on TEPs RMB Advertisement regulations. The Magisterium has also been going over Rights of Residents, and Ambassador masks for our Forums.
Although it may not always be the most glamorous job, we are indebted to the six Magisters currently serving our region. The position really is the crux of our government, and it takes a keen eye for not only looking at how to keep our region running, but also how to alter and improve laws in our ever changing world. So stop by, if you can, and say hi to the people who keep TEP going as one of the most vibrant, active communities in Nationstates.
A Minute in Roleplay
by yk001nul
Courtesy of the Fyrdowsi Spy News Network
Oh No, Not Again! Vekaiyu Split Apart in the War of Illusions
The Spy was peacefully sipping his coffee in the quiet township of Iruk when everything suddenly went up into flames, casting the city into chaos. It did not took very long for The Spy to discover that everywhere around Vekaiyu, skirmishes were blooming, fueled by an attempt on the life of the Premiere of Listonia. Very soon enough, The Spy watched as the simple political counter-attack turned into a war of philosophy against philosophy, of vulpine-kin against vulpine-kin … of Maxists against non-Maxists.
As was expected by The Spy, the war soon brought lots of interested (and deeply involved) parties. The Nation of Vulshain was one of the first to join the battle, partly because of blood bonds, and partly because of something else. Nothing couldn be more gruesome than the participation of the war legions of Allegheny, who mobilized their large army forces, laying waste to major cities such as Iruk and Nilisa.
Several other nations took note of the war, such as the concerned Nation of Bai Lung and Nation of Veerilion, but did not enter the prolonged skirmish for specific reasons. The Spy however knew that pockets of his fellow brothers and sisters in spirit were living in the cities, protected under the Secrecy Act of the Theocracy.
Thus, The Spy received special permission to peer through the eyes of an unordained brother who was in the midst of the battle, using the Divine Sight enchantment provided by a vulpine brother closest to the man in mission. Lo, how different things were under the illusion of destruction! Through the brother’s eyes, he saw the bitter echo of what once was Maxism incarnate himself walking the very earth, silently possessing a hapless Alleghenian officer in search of the only thing binding himself to the mortal planes. He saw how the unordained brother managed to overcome his weakness and send all the imperiled brothers and sisters, as well as several uninitiated residents of the cities, to the land of Fyrdowsi near the end of the conflict.
A visit by the Premiere herself to the devastated cities after the end of the major battles could not heal what has been done. Many major cities of Vekaiyu’s provinces, such as Iruk, were reduced to rubbles, and links with the Nation of Listonia remained sensitive. Frankly, The Spy thought that all this would not happen if Vekaiyu embraced the Merciless Master instead, but he felt that nothing happened without His wisdom, and the proud Vekaiyu citizens might live through the conflicts as if nothing had ever happened.
Dizzying! Shades of Every Perceivable Spectrum Abound in the Different Colours!
The Spy recently received a report from one of the cleric group researching a way to enter someone else’s dream via meticulous incantations and mental preparation. Honestly, The Spy thought that he had heard it before in a cinema advert section of a newspaper, but he paid no attention to the similarity as he peered through the group’s metageological scan. He happened upon a scan made over the Nation of Reziel, where a figurative dream description of a young woman who was being called Mother by a man about her own age caught The Spy’s eyes. He quickly cross-referenced the dream report to an official espionage report on the inner workings of the great nation of Reziel itself.
It seemed that a silent crisis of rulership heritage was abound in the ancient nation, owing to its absolute fascination in the twins-bonded relationship of the kingdom and the Nation of Kangarawa. It seemed that someone in its government thought of its king as being incompetent enough to rein in his own twin brother, but The Spy thought that it was a norm among any nation with kingdoms at its helm. But The Spy found it most shocking to read that a shadowy element of the nation called the Brotherhood attempted to end the life of a simple woman over governmental problems. The trouble subsequently reached a climax in a flyer machine’s accident involving a noblewoman of Reziel, which did not seem like an accident at all.
Wonder of wonders, The Spy found a twist in the seemingly simple end of the story. It seemed that the Kangarawans were quite clever in devising political assassinations; although there were no records suggesting direct involvement of the Kangarawa government in the accident, a portion of a military cable leaked from within the government’s machinery seemed to suggest that they, at least, preferred the accident to happen.
Between the almost fanatical obsession of a noblewoman with her unborn child and the strained relationship of two ancient kingdoms, The Spy concluded that the nations would have a better future by having a Fyrdowsian ‘middleman’ among its midst. The Spy sent the report along with a commendation for an ‘embassy’ in the turbulent kingdoms to the Order’s Operation Center for further actions.
Where’s the Skeleton? Look Behind the Alabaster Walls!
It wasn’t usual for The Spy to get to see an espionage report from across the Regional Border, but The Spy got that opportunity when a correspondent from the West Pacific handed him a copy of all infiltration activities going on beyond the Border. Fledgling it might be, but interesting nonetheless.
A section of the report from the nation of Mahanoy piqued The Spy’s interest. It seemed to start with the purported death of a man, and a miraculous rejuvenation of another. An article on the confirmed presence of a high-borne vulpine, possibly a Vekaiyu Premiere, right there in the West made The Spy wonder as to the extent of the vulpines’ influence. Further on, the report also made it known that a man described earlier in the report was in fact a marked man who lost his memory. The agent who made the report seemed particularly interested in the marked man’s journey, going as far as describing his experience watching the marked man making an illegal landing of a flyer machine into the nation of Allegheny’s airspace, slipping a note of commendation to the pilot of the aircraft in the report’s footnote.
The report described various facts currently not known by any other spy agencies in the region, such as Allegheny’s pseudo-religious culture in the midst of the back-stabbing world of the hard-nosed nation, the shadier elements of the East Pacific Treaty Organization, Reziel’s level of readiness against the hordes of Packilvania and various other issues performed in secret by the great nations. Near the end of the Mahanoy report, The Spy was presented with vivid descriptions of a cosy relationship between an unknown Alleghenian military woman and the marked man, who was assumed to have assigned a new identity to himself. The Spy deemed the report worthy of national interest and submitted it to the Operation Center for further research.
All Hail the King! Vulshain King Made Known in the Coronation of the New Monarch of Vulshain
The Spy has always thought of kings and kingdoms as a heretical remnant of the world’s feudal past, as per the official dogma of the Theocracy, but it would not hurt to discover the camaraderie of a coronation in a kingdom somewhere. Thus, The Spy found himself amidst the dingy, smelly and sweaty masses of crowds greeting their new Leader in the nation of Vulshain. Ever the curious one, The Spy could not resist in getting to know more about the King. Posing as a lowly cameraman, The Spy masqueraded as a television crew en route to a special interview with the ruler, and from thereon, things get a wee bit more interesting.
It was clear that despite an assassination attempt on the king, there was not even a little bit of worry on Vulshain’s side. The King even had the leisure to casually enter the Southern Yugoslavian territory, with only a team of snipers to vouch for his safety. The Spy himself heard the leaders of the two country conversing about terrorists and terror in an almost make-belief casual calmness, which led The Spy to believe that they have something to hide.
Correction, it was actually someone to hide, after The Spy conducted a more thorough infiltration. The Spy had managed to crawl his way into a hospital where the terrorist, a certain unknown individual from the nation of Rygard, was said to be held without trial. From the way the military kept the terrorist at bay, The Spy was positive that something bad was bound to happen sooner or later. It was not long before a field agent near a Rygard embassy sent The Spy a pigeon message, stating that a group of guards opened fire on a group of people for no apparent reason. Seeing that embassies were often hosts to multinational guests, it was inevitable that the casualties involved victims from other nations, such as East Malaysia and Kelssek.
After seeing all the conundrums and conspiracies of the royal elites, The Spy was convinced that the way of dynastic Kings and Kingdoms was doomed. Therefore, The Spy proposed to the Operation Center that all future operations within any foreign Kingdoms be held with ultimate caution.
Country Profile
by Terasu
The Elafos Coalition was formed in the year 1066AD and is comprised of the city states, Aetria, Aquitania, Lycia, Nocteia, Tyr’asu, Valeria and Vylade. Originally immigrants, the ethnic group which now resides widely across the North Western corner of The East Pacific began to arrive in late 900BC. Their origin is ultimately unknown, although academics have suggested several areas outside of The East Pacific, there is no concrete evidence to validate any such theories. Ancient texts generally refer to some unknown force, believed to be an opposing nation, which forced the Elafosians out of their home and across the sea. While the Elafos Coalition contains the largest concentration of people that actively identify themselves as “Elafosian”, such groups are spread throughout several islands within the Jeneras (all of which maintain close ties with the Coalition) and the neighbouring Iskios Federation. The Iskios Federation, long time rivals of the Coalition, is made up of the states Askia, Gallecia, Illyricium, Merhenia, Ormark and Skatos. Gallecia, Merhenia and Ormark predate the arrival of the “Elafosians”, once being formidable nations in their own right. After a prolonged war with the Coalition spanning over a century (1100-1300AD, roughly), they found themselves defeated but allied with three dissenting Elafosian states, Askia, Illyricium and Skatos. In modern terms, tensions between Elafos and Iskios led to a war, still ongoing, which saw Askia, Illyricium and Skatos rejoin the Coalition.
While not considered a “super power” on a regional scale, the Coalition is by no means weak. Elafos usually prefers a “hands off” approach to regional politics, although it often sees itself as an enforcer of the North West, along with its close ally Warre.
Interviews
by Vulshain
I interviewed two of our resident Roleplayers here. Both of them are very nice and friendly, and great to hang out with. Also, I see them as some of my best friends since I arrived here. Let me introduce Todd McCloud and Southern Yugoslavia!
Todd <font color=“green”>McCloud</font>
Me: What got you interested in roleplaying?
Todd: Probably the uniqueness of it. Initially I thought it was a little weird, but I was not aware of how intricate and exciting the extent of roleplaying one’s own characters and nations with other people, and playing out their plots and ideas in addition to my own. It’s quite fun, really. I recommend it to anyone.
Me: You put a lot of time and effort into the histories and backgrounds of your nation and characters. What was your reason of putting so much effort into designing your nation and characters? Would you recommend this approach to roleplaying to others?
Todd: I like history, personally. Applying history to my nations simply fulfills that like for me with respect to my nation. As far as backstories, they can be both beneficial and hindering. A little bit of backstory is okay, but too much or too heavy of a reliance on it can be stifling to other roleplayers. In the same breath, backstories can help other roleplayers get a glimpse of just what character or nation they are dealing with. So, I recommend a healthy balance, personally.
Me: How long have you been roleplaying? You don’t have to be specific. (Laughs)
Todd: About 2-2.5 years now. Off and on in between.
Me: You were just elected as one of the new Magisters. Congrats and welcome to the Magisterium. Now, what other positions in TEP’s government have you performed while a citizen of the East Pacific?
Todd: Well, I was the delegate of the region for one year, starting in 2009. After that, I became an arbiter and served there for a while as a judge in the region. I now do regional map updates and help in the magisterium.
Me: What were some of your responsibilities as arbiter, so that those who are interested in becoming an arbiter will have a good idea on what they have to do?
Todd: Essentially, I helped write the standing orders and ruled / debated on particular issues that were brought up in the conclave. Arbiters are selected, however. They should have a sense of what we do in The East Pacific in addition to having a level head. One of the things I tried to push when I was arbiter was to have people voice their opinions and not be afraid to go against the majority if they feel they need to. Great minds don’t think alike. They think for themselves.
Me: A lot of your characters are either athletes or interested in sports. Does this mean that you are into sports as well?
Todd: I was at a time. I played lacrosse in grade school. But aside from that I just simply like to stay healthy and exercise. I can’t sit in front of a computer all day. My brains turn to oatmeal. (Laughs) Of course, I’m not a health nut. But I guess I’d say I try to shake things up a bit.
Me: (Laughs) That is a good idea. It’s not healthy to be a couch PAX FRUIT. Here’s my next question: How did you get involved with TEP’s newspaper?
Todd: I don’t really remember off hand. I think it was because when I changed the embassies on TEP’s forums such that every region got their own sub-forum instead of just a thread. Doing that took a while, but the end product looked nice. I figured maybe it would be good to re-start our newspaper. We were all gung-ho for it, and the first issue was a success. I like newspapers that are big and have a wide variety of contributions from other players in the region. One person explaining what a region’s doing just seems a bit one-dimensional.
Me: When you’re not roleplaying or working, what do you do for fun in your spare time? This also includes when youre not working on your Nationstates Wiki.
Todd: Do you mean on NS or apart from NS?
Me: Apart from NS.
Todd: I have a group of friends I typically spend time with. I also like to go places during the evening and socialize with people.
Me: Okay, let’s go back to that same question, but this time, what do you do when you’re on NS?
Todd: Many things, (Laughs). Though nowadays I’m mostly just in TEP having fun there.
Me: A few weeks ago, I was reading an article in a roleplaying magazine that talked about a rise in godmodders. The article went to say that the vast majority of these godmodders aren’t doing it intentionally, but are simply doing it by accident as they are newcomers to roleplaying. My question is this: do you any tips, advice, warnings, and suggestions to newcomers to roleplaying on how they can avoid godmodding?
Todd: Just don’t make your nation too awesome. Try and have a balance between flaws and strengths. Don’t have “end-all” tech where no one can really stand up against you. Respect players with their RP histories, and don’t be afraid to make your nation lose. A loss that is roleplayed well is a win for the roleplayer himself or herself.
Southern <font color=“red”>Yugoslavia</font>
Me: What got you interested in roleplaying?
Southern Yugoslavia (SY): Towards nation roleplay?
Me: Yes.
SY: Probably just being able to have the power to control your own nation, and react to world events created by others in your world.
Me: You put a lot of time and effort into the histories and backgrounds of your nation and characters. What was your reason of putting so much effort into designing your nation and characters? Would you recommend this approach to roleplaying to others?
SY: I like just knowing what happened prior to current event, and what could have caused it along the timeline. It probably partly because I’m a history buff. And by approach do you mean creating histories of the nation and characters, or nation roleplay?
Me: That is correct.
SY: If you’re someone that’s into political/nation simulators, then yes, I would reccommend them creating a nation and finding a home to roleplay in to allow their nation to grow and flourish.
Me: How long have you been roleplaying? You don’t have to be specific (Laughs).
SY: Hmm… Well I’ve had Southern Yugoslavia for a little more than a year. I would probably say ten to eleven months on the Nationstates forums. Here at the East Pacific however, I’d say probably five months.
Me: In your free time, when you’re not roleplaying or working, or doing schoolwork, what do you like to do?
SY: Well I typical enjoy running, playing some video games (who doesn’t?), hanging out with some of my friends or watching movies.
Me: What advice or suggestions would you give to people who are just starting nation roleplaying? For example, how would you advise them in order for them from accidentally godmodding?
SY: Do your research. Pick a country that has roughly the same population as you. Check their economy and military. You can’t have a nation with seven million people, then try to say your economy is as large as the United States or China.
Me: Excellent advice.
SY: Thank you. And if you can’t seem to find a nation with the same population as you, then it’s okay to go up or down a few million.
I want to thank both Todd and SY for allowing me to interview them. That were very friendly and we had a lot of fun doing these interviews.
Humor
Want an Embassy in TEP?
The East Pacific is looking to get more connected on an NS-worldly spectrum. We currently have 26 active embassies, and would be honored if your region would consider setting up an embassy on our forum. Here’s how it works:
Go to the forum http://z1.invisionfree.com/forums/The_East_Pacific/index.php?showforum=344, and post a message with the topic title being your region’s name. In that topic, please include your region’s name, a link to your forums, approximate number of nations in your region (optional), and a potential ambassador (this may be changed - we understand selecting ambassadors may take time).
We will then review your request shortly. Once the request has been reviewed and passed, a sub-forum will be created for your region’s representation and news. The address will be posted as a reply in this thread, and your ambassador may begin posting immediately!
Also, http://theeastpacific.com/.
http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/5103/1282444321312.jpg
Now look I say look boy! If you read this in my voice, you must reply below!
