[!] An elegant piece of parchment was posted on the Adelsburg notice board
Arch-Steward's Mandate - One
Issued from Adelsburg, Marketday 14, Highsun, 1534
Arch-Steward's Mandate - One
Issued from Adelsburg, Marketday 14, Highsun, 1534
Governing is a very difficult task, made infinitely more difficult if one does not have a clear goal that they should work to achieve. I can not begin to describe how foolish it would be to have the power of the state invested in me, only to then wield it as a blind man does a sword - without clarity. The purpose of this mandate then, is primarily to describe the myriad issues facing the Hadrian Empire, to examine cause of these problems, and then to describe how the Arch-Stewards office will work to address them.
First and the most apparently obvious is the desolation that Hadriana experienced under the so-called 'Electorate' - While the efforts of migrating Attians has begun to mitigate the problem, we still have a long road ahead of us before Hadriana has truly recovered. The root of this desolation lays in the war as well as the acts of the previous government, especially Sine Verrador. Certainly, it is the case that the conflict with the Republic was a significant strain on the state and it's people, draining funds and causing the streets to grow empty. The rebel's coup d'état acted like fuel cast onto the ember, causing it to grow to an inferno - Their acts left many dead and more exiled. Then when faced with the prospect of empty fields, closed businesses, and a dwindling populace, they only increased in their zeal. They founded an Inquisition to scour the populace for Kaiserists, they encouraged the Church to threaten damnation to exiles who did not swear loyalty. With great zeal and tireless effort, they put all the resources of their newly seized Empire towards crushing Hadriana even more. As if their fervor would somehow make the shops open once more and bring back the dead to toil the fields. Incalculable efforts spent accomplishing nothing.
This, is the exact lack of clarity that I seek to avoid. To address this desolation is a complex task, to which the following efforts will be made - First, the civil government of which the Arch-Steward is at the head will be established as swiftly as possible. Stewards within each Duchy will be appointed, committees for the purposes of hosting cultural events will be established, and through these the issues of housing and the reopening of businesses will be addressed. Second, the Imperial High Court will be brought into operation as swiftly as possible - this will be detailed in a further mandate soon after this one.
The second issue is more enigmatic. If during the bloodshed of the last few years Hadriana suffered a physical death, then it has also suffered a cultural one. One will scarcely find amongst Attians a famous poet, a great writer, a genius philosopher or grand priest. This is not a condemnation of the Attian people, but rather a consequence of the bloodshed. Similarly, I have observed that it is rare for an Attian to be proud of being Attian. Our name has become associated with civil war, conflict, and the illegitimacy of the Electorate. Our culture declined, and both the external and internal view of it has degraded as well. My vision is for Attians to wear the name as a badge of honor, to feel pride in their culture and their people, and to take pride in being part of one of the greatest peoples and greatest Empires to ever exist on Eden. To this end, I would pledge that the committee to be established for cultural events will serve both to reinvigorate our culture as well as the cities, and that I will work tirelessly to encourage the opening of theatres, colleges, and other cultural institutes. We will also work to reclaim the reputation that the Hadrian Empire once enjoyed, through the establishment of diplomats, trade agreements, and other efforts to regain the good reputation our nation once enjoyed.
These are not the only problems facing our Empire, but they will be the first that we triumph over. More mandates will follow in the coming months as we bring Hadriana back to it's feet, and in time I hope this will come to be viewed as a turning point in our history - Not as the end of a tyranny, but rather the start of a golden age.
Signed,
Eveline Ludwig,
Erzsteward of the Hadrian Empire,
Eveline Ludwig,
Erzsteward of the Hadrian Empire,
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