Embassy

Overview

Creating an embassy allows the Empire to open diplomatic relations with a foreign nation or empire. Embassies formalize the communications between the Empire and other powers, allowing respective governments to send official communications. Operating an embassy requires the an Imperial citizen is appointed to act as ambassador, and duly empowered to speak on behalf of the Empire.

The Empire can open embassies with distant foreigners such as Asavea, Jarm and the Commonwealth. These foreign powers are empires in their own right and have a similar level of might and influence to the Empire, but are far away over the seas and have many concerns of their own. The Empire can also open embassies to nearby foreigners such as the Axos, the Faraden and the Iron Confederacy. These nations possess power equivalent to one or two Imperial nations, but they are much closer to the Empire and their concerns are much more likely to be aligned with Imperial concerns.

Senate Commissions

The Imperial Senate may pass a motion for the construction of an embassy. The senate must select a territory, and a region within that territory, where the embassy will be constructed.

Each embassy is tied to a single foreign nation. When the construction is complete a new Imperial title of ambassador is automatically created. An ambassador automatically has the power to negotiate with the foreign nation. Appointment follows the normal constitutional process for an Imperial position appointed by the Senate and re-appointed each year after that.

The Senate does not need the approval of the foreign nation to begin construction, but unless a foreign nation chooses to recognize an embassy and to reciprocate then it will not provide any benefits of any kind.

Benefits

Ambassador to a Foreign Nation

Each embassy is overseen by an ambassador. If there is no existing ambassador, a new title is automatically created when a new embassy is created. If an ambassador already exists, they are automatically given custodianship of the embassy. It is possible to appoint an ambassador to another nation without constructing an embassy - however most foreign nations will only take an ambassador seriously if an appropriate embassy is constructed to house them and the civil servants required to support them.

Without an embassy, the ambassador does not have access to the power of mercantile support, and their briefing is likely to have minimal content.

Costs

• Materials: 25 wains of weirwood and 25 wains of white granite
• Labour: 12 thrones
• Time: 1 season
• Upkeep: 5 thrones

Limitations

Operating an embassy is completely dependent on the agreement and cooperation of the foreign nation it is tied to. An embassy with a hostile foreign nation that is not prepared to accept Imperial diplomacy provides no benefits of any kind.

Even if an agreement is made and an embassy is constructed, it remains contingent on the continuing goodwill of the foreign nation that it houses. If relations sour then they may choose to end contact with the Empire at any time.

An embassy is built to the designs required for a specific foreign nation - it is not possible to reallocate a building to a new nation and no nation would accept the insult of being offered a used embassy built for another nation.

More Prestigious Embassies

It is possible, as with many commissions, to enlarge an embassy. This generally requires equal amounts of weirwood and white granite. A larger embassy is more prestigious - the foreign nation will recognise that the Empire values diplomatic relations with them. It will send the same message to other nations - those with smaller embassies will know that the Empire values relations with them differently. FInally, a larger embassy will be more attractive to visiting merchants - meaning the ambassador's ministry will gain extra purchase levels based on the amounts of extra materials spent.

It is of course possible that an appraisal could be performed by the civil service could provide more information about the benefits, costs, and potential drawbacks to enlarging one or more embassies.

Existing Embassies

The following embassies have been constructed in recent years:

• An Asavean Embassy in Sarvos.
• A Jarmish Embassy, a Sarcophan Embassy and a Axou Embassy in Cargo, in Redoubt.
• An Iron Confederacy Embassy in Sarvos.
• A Faraden Embassy in Anduz, in Segura.
• A Sumaah Embassy in Necropolis.
• A Commonwealth Embassy in Siroc in Madruga.
• An Otkodov Embassy in Mieriada in Miekarova