T H E

B E A C O N S

O F 

W H I T E S P I R E

TO OUR ALLIES ABROAD,

The Legions of Darkness are marching to sprawl over the River Constance. We will meet them on the field, and we will meet them at Enswerp. As a pagan host readies itself to put a fire to Canondom, we of Godwin’s folk remain resolute, and we shall make our stand here to live or to die. For a century, and even longer against the ancestors of the grandfathers of these invaders, our people have made the same choice: resistance.

They claim a mandate over the Heartlands and will ride to subjugate all in their paths. They will not stop at Aaun. They will not stop at Petra. They will not stop at Balian. They will not stop at Haense. Where their gaze is now set upon the hamlet of Enswerp which they intend to sack, and the woods and reliquaries of holy Calliopeburg which they seek to desecrate, homesteads and chantries of Mankind across Aevos shall soon meet the same fiery fate.

They may call their realm a different name, they may don different uniforms, pretend to swear fealty to other monarchs. But make no mistake - they return as the League of Veletz. Their purpose is dominion. Though they are lesser sires of lesser men, and but a sliver of the tyrant’s blood now remains in their veins, their goal remains what it had always been - the final and everlasting restoration of Aurelian’s Pertinaxi empire, with House van Aert at its helm and Mankind grovelling at their feet.

It would be foolhardy to claim that we have never erred, that we have never regretted, that we have never made a mistake. But Veletz lies about our brother James. We did not slay him. We have acted in grief, we have acted in revenge, we have acted as a human. But we have never acted wantonly, or with bloodlust, as the Host of Veletz does. Their concern for his fate is merely an act, a pretence for this invasion which we have already seen through.

Now is the time that we must act. There is one chance to halt the advance of Veletz, and that is now, at Enswerp. At Enswerp the record of our Kingdom shall be made. The mettle of Canondom shall be known.

We have raised a mighty fire on the Hand of Horen. We have ordered the beacons of the Langkette Mountains to be lit:

AAUN CALLS FOR YOUR AID.

TANDEM TRIUMPHANS

Charles II, King of Aaun

HIS APOSTOLIC MAJESTY’S MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Known officially as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but often shortened to the Foreign Office. Is the department tasked with maintaining international relations, executing foreign policy and safeguarding the interests of Aaun. The Head of the Ministry is the Secretary of State for Foreign affairs, who occupies one of the Great Offices of Aaun. The title is more commonly known as High Commissioner, named so for the procurement of letters of credence for Crown Ambassadors.

The Ministry employs a wide range of civil servants, diplomats and ambassadors. All of these civil servants work in tandem in a network of embassies and consulates. Founded on the fundamental diplomatic principles the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on behalf of His Apostolic Majesty, the King of Aaun assists in managing relations and foreign policy. Given its importance, it is a common career path for the aspiring statesman to rise through the ranks.

THE DUTIES OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

• The duty to ensure continuing good relations of the Apostolic Kingdom with amicable foreign nations on the continent.
• The duty to report on the relationships which the Apostolic Kingdom maintains with the states of the world.
• The duty to provide for the welfare of Aaunic subjects who should travel abroad, negotiating peacefully with foreign states for their continued safety, and making such incidents known to the Privy Council as should be known.
• The duty to inform the Crown and the Cabinet of the customs of their subjects so they may better administer them.
• The duty to organize meetings with foreign dignitaries, and to periodically travel to foreign lands in the Crown's name, acting as its favored ambassador and negotiator.
• The duty to negotiate and establish treaties on behalf of the Apostolic Kingdom, as the King’s peace may demand.
• The power to act as the Crown’s representative in all foreign holdings, governing their affairs in his name, and assuring the welfare of its subjects.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The 3rd Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs

Johannes von Alstreim

apt. 11th of Sun’s Smile, 1956

The Foreign Secretary heads the entire Foreign office and its constituent departments, and thus holds complete authority over the Ministry. It is his duty to structure the Ministry of Foreign affairs in a manner that upholds its principles and fulfills its responsibilities.

As the head of the Foreign office, the role of the Foreign Secretary is mainly managerial, focusing on the oversight of the Ministry and the delegation of responsibility to the various Crown Ambassadors and Envoys. The Foreign Secretary holds penultimate say on decisions pertaining to foreign policy, bar His Apostolic Majesty, and it is his responsibility that the Ministry maintains diplomatic relations that are in line with the Apostolic Crown. If no directive is given from the Apostolic Crown, then it is the Foreign Secretary’s prerogative to plan the direction of foreign policy for the benefit of the greater Union.

The Men who have served as Secretaries of State for Foreign Affairs:

The First Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Johanes van Aert

The Second Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Aleksander Jazlowiecki

The Third Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Johannes von Alstreim

THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, almost always shortened to Foreign Under-Secretary, is essentially the second in command of the Ministry. In case of the Foreign Secretary’s incapacitation, the Under-Secretary performs his duties until the Foreign Secretary returns or a suitable replacement is chosen. The Under-Secretary is usually selected from those already employed within the Foreign Office.

The Foreign Under-Secretary manages the day-to-day affairs of the Foreign Office on behalf of the Foreign Secretary. He is also the head of the Diplomatic Service, placing him in charge of all of its personnel. He is additionally charged with ensuring that the Corps is well-educated on the matters of foreign culture and policy and the general education of the Corps. 

THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE

The Apostolic Crown’s Diplomatic Service comprises all the diplomats and attachés employed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This service constitutes the majority of the personnel within the Foreign Office. These diplomats are frequently deployed as needed to various nations and offices throughout the lands to facilitate communication.

Members of the Diplomatic Service are afforded specific benefits and privileges, which are respected by all civilized nations. For any nation to break these privileges bestowed unto diplomats is considered a hostile action.

The privileges bestowed are these:

Diplomatic Immunity

• The diplomat shall not be persecuted or prosecuted while on a diplomatic mission.
• The diplomat shall not be harmed while on a diplomatic mission.
• The diplomat shall not be detained while on a diplomatic mission.
• The host nation at any time can declare a member of the diplomatic staff a persona non grata and revoke their diplomatic immunity given a reasonable amount of time to remove themselves from the host nation.
• Actions not covered under diplomatic immunity are those outside of the diplomat’s official functions.
• The family members of those on a diplomatic mission shall enjoy the same protections.

Right of Safe Passage

• Diplomats moving throughout foreign nations in which official diplomatic relations are established are to ensure the safe passage of all diplomatic persons.
• Dangers on the roads are to be dealt with in a timely manner by each host nation with established diplomatic relations, those being brigands, marauders, and wildlife.

Inviolability of Premises

• The premises of a diplomatic mission, such as an embassy, are inviolable and must not be entered by the host country except by permission of the head of the diplomatic mission. Furthermore, the host country must protect the mission from intrusion or damage. The host country must never search the premises, nor seize its documents or property.

Inviolability of Documents

• The archives and documents of a diplomatic mission are inviolable. The receiving country shall not seize or open such documents.
• The host country must permit and protect free communication between the diplomats of the mission and their home country without fear of the host nation’s Intelligence Services.

DIPLOMATIC MISSION

The cornerstone of modern diplomacy is the diplomatic mission, envisioned by the Orenian diplomat, Marcus de Rubrum. A diplomatic mission is defined as a congregation of state officials located within a state that is foreign to them, with official duties to represent their originating state. The missions have varying levels of importance, scope and duration. A diplomatic mission refers to the resident mission or the main office of a state’s diplomatic representatives to another country, usually an embassy.

A mission is always headed by a diplomat who is granted a letter of credence by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs. This letter grants the diplomat their official credentials to act on the behalf of the Apostolic Kingdom. The letters of credence must be shown to the ruler of the foreign power in order to formally begin the mission.

DIPLOMATIC RANK

Within the world of diplomacy, there exists a standardized system of professional and social ranks. The rank of a diplomat is determined upon the size and scope of the mission they are entrusted with. A diplomat not serving in any official capacity is not granted a diplomatic rank and is referred to as a diplomat.

Crown Ambassador

The Ambassadorial position is the most coveted and thus highest ranking of the diplomats charged with a diplomatic mission. An ambassador is granted a letter of credence and is treated as the personal representative of the Apostolic Crown and his government. An ambassador's diplomatic mission is defined as an embassy, which must be located within the host’s capital.

Envoy

The rank Envoy is short for Envoy extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, who also holds charge of a diplomatic mission, however, it is a mission of a smaller scale than that of an ambassador and may serve in a temporary or permanent posting, all dependent on the scope of the mission. The envoy holds plenipotentiary powers, that is, full authority to represent one’s government, an envoy does not represent the head of state.

Attaché

An attaché is a diplomat who assists the head of a mission in the fulfillment of the duties charged by the mission. Attaché’s make up the majority of the diplomatic corps, as it includes all the diplomats who are not granted a charge of their own. Their authority is passed down to them by the head of the diplomatic mission, when it is necessary for them to represent their home nation.

JOINING THE FOREIGN OFFICE

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is always searching for patriotic civil servants to enroll in His Apostolic Majesty’s Diplomatic Service. The Ministry is searching for capable or aspiring statesmen, negotiators and scribes to serve.

The Foreign Office requests that all candidates that present themselves be in good standing in the view of the Apostolic Magistrates and all foreign judiciaries. Travel is expected of all employees. Temporary residence may be required depending on one's posting. Diplomatic immunity and writs of passage are bestowed to all servants acting on behalf of the Foreign office.

A formal education is desirable, but not required. Candidates with a legitimate education will receive benefits, but proof of this must be demonstrated.

To apply to the Foreign Office, send a letter of inquiry to the Foreign Secretary, Johannes von Alstreim, to schedule an interview.