12-15-2020, 04:00 AM
OOC Note: This is a continuation of the Artists of Progress roleplay, although nations which did not participate the Artists of Progress roleplay are welcome to join as observers. Please format your initial posts as interactions with other conference attendees or with any one of the Laeralian mediators listed.
Sunday, December 13, 2020
Jinyu, Laeral
Jinyu was a small, scenic city along the Beuvron River in southern Laeral. It was at the Jinyu Conference Center, a modern steel-and-glass building situated on a small bluff with picturesque views of the river below that the representatives of over half a dozen nations and unrecognized polities had gathered to find a way forward for Huenya and the surrounding islands. Unlike the Maivers conference, where the Laeralites had strived to create a private atmosphere for the attendees, this conference would be open to the media and as many national delegations as had wished to attend. The intent of this, President Liu had insisted, was to place pressure on the reticent delegates to make progress at the negotiating table. With the media and numerous other nations present, any delegation seeking to slow down the talks by negotiating in poor faith would be exposed for their actions.
“The delegates have been arriving since early this morning, Madam President,” said Alexandre Herault, President Liu’s Chief of Staff. He was a sharply-dressed Arrivée man with a slim build, barely a decade removed from grad school, but his rivals in the Laeralsford political sphere knew far better than to underestimate the young man who was perhaps President Liu’s closest confidante. “They’ve mostly been settling into their lodgings in town, but we’re expecting them to arrive at the conference center in a few hours.”
“Excellent,” said Liu Mei-han, president of Laeral and official host of what was officially being called the Jinyu Peace Conference. If the pressure of hosting the international conference meant to bring an end to the war in Xiomera was weighing on her, she didn’t show it. Her expression was as stoic as ever, as was her wardrobe-- a black blazer and pants over a white undershirt, with the sole decoration a Laeralian meihua (plum blossom) pin in gold, and the jade Minjian bracelet she often wore. “Tanvi and some of the others from the Foreign Ministry will be circulating to welcome them inside and distribute the agenda. The plan is to circulate and meet individually with the delegations on the convention floor and in the meeting rooms over the next few hours, so that we can get a sense of where everyone’s opinions lie and possible areas for compromise. Then we’ll make our conclusions and present to the delegations the draft agreements on the various issues at hand, and amend them as needed.”
“You did get a chance to look over the final handout for the delegates, didn’t you?” Alexandre said. The handouts, elaborate documents on fine cardstock, would be distributed to each delegation as they arrived.
“I did,” Liu said. “It's very good that we were able to get Cyril Lin to attend. He may have been in retirement for a while, but he’s the best Xiomera hand we have, and I want his expertise. Especially when it comes to the Xiomerans, since we don’t have much of a rapport with them.”
“Alright,” Alexandre said. He exhaled slowly. “Are you nervous at all?”
“Not at all,” said Liu. “I have my notecards, I know a great many of the attendees personally, and I have a wonderful staff behind me. It’ll be basically a relaxing backyard cocktail party, won’t it?”
“Since when has anything involving the Xiomerans been relaxing?” asked Alexandre.
A full-size version of the attached handout can be accessed at https://docs.google.com/document/d/16Zxb...sp=sharing
![[Image: rFVf9hn.png]](https://i.imgur.com/rFVf9hn.png)
Sunday, December 13, 2020
Jinyu, Laeral
Jinyu was a small, scenic city along the Beuvron River in southern Laeral. It was at the Jinyu Conference Center, a modern steel-and-glass building situated on a small bluff with picturesque views of the river below that the representatives of over half a dozen nations and unrecognized polities had gathered to find a way forward for Huenya and the surrounding islands. Unlike the Maivers conference, where the Laeralites had strived to create a private atmosphere for the attendees, this conference would be open to the media and as many national delegations as had wished to attend. The intent of this, President Liu had insisted, was to place pressure on the reticent delegates to make progress at the negotiating table. With the media and numerous other nations present, any delegation seeking to slow down the talks by negotiating in poor faith would be exposed for their actions.
“The delegates have been arriving since early this morning, Madam President,” said Alexandre Herault, President Liu’s Chief of Staff. He was a sharply-dressed Arrivée man with a slim build, barely a decade removed from grad school, but his rivals in the Laeralsford political sphere knew far better than to underestimate the young man who was perhaps President Liu’s closest confidante. “They’ve mostly been settling into their lodgings in town, but we’re expecting them to arrive at the conference center in a few hours.”
“Excellent,” said Liu Mei-han, president of Laeral and official host of what was officially being called the Jinyu Peace Conference. If the pressure of hosting the international conference meant to bring an end to the war in Xiomera was weighing on her, she didn’t show it. Her expression was as stoic as ever, as was her wardrobe-- a black blazer and pants over a white undershirt, with the sole decoration a Laeralian meihua (plum blossom) pin in gold, and the jade Minjian bracelet she often wore. “Tanvi and some of the others from the Foreign Ministry will be circulating to welcome them inside and distribute the agenda. The plan is to circulate and meet individually with the delegations on the convention floor and in the meeting rooms over the next few hours, so that we can get a sense of where everyone’s opinions lie and possible areas for compromise. Then we’ll make our conclusions and present to the delegations the draft agreements on the various issues at hand, and amend them as needed.”
“You did get a chance to look over the final handout for the delegates, didn’t you?” Alexandre said. The handouts, elaborate documents on fine cardstock, would be distributed to each delegation as they arrived.
“I did,” Liu said. “It's very good that we were able to get Cyril Lin to attend. He may have been in retirement for a while, but he’s the best Xiomera hand we have, and I want his expertise. Especially when it comes to the Xiomerans, since we don’t have much of a rapport with them.”
“Alright,” Alexandre said. He exhaled slowly. “Are you nervous at all?”
“Not at all,” said Liu. “I have my notecards, I know a great many of the attendees personally, and I have a wonderful staff behind me. It’ll be basically a relaxing backyard cocktail party, won’t it?”
“Since when has anything involving the Xiomerans been relaxing?” asked Alexandre.
A full-size version of the attached handout can be accessed at https://docs.google.com/document/d/16Zxb...sp=sharing