Selixian Log

2003-06-10T15:58:00.000-07:00

Proclamation of Rights

People of Ireland,

I, Talrius Concertus, Legate of all the Fourth Legion, am here to present to you the terms of our treaty, on the grounds of the victory of Rome. You shall all hereby be loyal servants of Rome, and shall accept all rights granted to you, and all constrictions on your way of life, as stated by the Senate of Rome, or the Provincial Governor. As representative of his most gracious majesty the Emporer, I now shall state the grounds of our alliance.

Administration of the Province
Progustal, former ruler of Ireland, shall maintain his rights to rule, though with certain restrictions. He [Progustal] may not lower or raise taxes without the consent of the Provincial Governor and the Senate of Rome, and may not launch any military campaigns against any tribe or country without the consent of Roman rule. All of his actions, apart from immediate family affairs, shall be monitored and advised by the Senate of Rome and the Provincial Governor. In all of his affairs of state, he shall consult the government and rule of Rome in his immediate area. All of his decisions in the administration of his country must recieve the consent of the Provincial Governor, appointed by the lord Emporer and the Senate of Rome, before becoming law. He shall accept any decree from the Roman government, and must bow to the will of the Emporer and Senate. All orders from Rome must hold first priority in his daily office, and shall be carried out immediately with all speed and efficiency. Any disobedience or treason will not be accepted and a penalty, stated by his most gracious majesty the Emporer and the Senate of Rome, will take immediate action. In his rule he will act co-operatively and jointly with the Roman goverment. In all financial affairs which are not purely personal he shall seek the advice of the Provincial Governor and will act in all matters with due humility to the Emporer of Rome. We [the government of Rome] do recognize his rights to deal out penalties to local criminals, and he may also exile any of his subjects, though all these decisions may be vetoed by the Provincial Governor, acting on the orders of the Emporer or Rome. He [Progustal] will be allowed to appoint and maintain his own council, who shall also advise him on all matters. However, if the Roman government sees one of the members of the council a threat to the Empire, he [the member of the council] shall be immediately removed.

The People of the Province
All of the people of Ireland shall be given Roman rights, and will observe Roman customs. They will regularly worship the Roman Gods. But they will still be allowed to keep most of their own customs and Gods and Goddesses, as long as they are not hostile to Rome [as there are no such customs, you may simpy disregard this]. They [the people of Ireland] are advised to learn how to read and write and perhaps even speak Latin, though this is not compulsory. They shall not speak any words of treason or hatred against the Roman Empire. They shall enjoy the Roman technology, and those fit enough will help in the undertaking of various building projects. Roman culture will introduce to them aqueducts, public bathouses, a network of good roads, trade which will benefit both sides of the treaty, and other Roman technologies. The trade will increase the wealth of your nation, and will also bring new and exotic goods to your country.

The Military
To a certain extent you will be allowed keep and maintain your own military. Your current surviving soldiers will become Auxilary in the Roman army, and all boys fifteen years and up will be recruited. You will be protected from attack by Roman legionaries in your country, and you may also maintain your guards. You will benefit from this with Roman protection, and Rome will bring new military technology to you.

Finance of the Province
All financial matters shall be monitored by the Provincial Governor. The Provincial Governor will impose taxes on imported and exported goods, and will also advise [Progustal] on all financial problems and affairs of the conquered province. Of the taxes collected, two thirds shall go to the provincial treasury, though one third [be it in goods or money] shall go directly to the treasury of the Empire of Rome. However, all matters which are of a personal or purely family-related nature are untouchable by the rule of the Roman Empire.

Hostile Tribes
In the land of Ireland, there are various hostile tribes, who would gladly see the Roman rule gone from this area. As the Empire cannot allow this, there are laws imposed upon these various tribes, namely the Cullchans, and Shamras, the Hillcons, and the Montrowns. Their lands are forfeited, and now under the direct administration of the Roman Senate and the Emporer. We will attempt to persuade the tribes that Roman rule is not that bad, but those who do not agree will be enslaved or tried and executed for treason. Their chieftains will most definitely be executed or thrown to the lions. They [the hostile tribes] shall be stripped of their wealth and goods, which will promptly come under the control of the Emporer and Senate. All their rights, customs, and laws will be dissolved.

Talrius Concertus, Legate of the Fourth Legion and Provincial Governor of Ireland

2003-05-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

Redwall... No longer like the picture on the front

Now, I'm a big fan of Redwall. In fact, I love it. But, in my view it is no longer about the Abbey of Redwall, as the early books were. It has now become an adventure saga, with far-off lands and sea voyages figuring as the main settings. I do still call the series 'Redwall,' but the Abbey Redwall has become something which is only mentioned at the end of the books. I do like the adventures in far-off lands in the more recent books, but I would like it if Brian Jacques, the author of the Redwall series, would make a book using the following plot:

In the prelude, Triss (the current Redwall champion), leaves to fight evil armed with the sword of Martin the Warrior (the founder of Redwall Abbey). But she is killed by vermin, and the sword of Martin falls into the hands of Tharion, leader and founder of the Starkan Clan. Then, Tharion's grandson, Raclan, assaults Redwall, and wins. After a while, a Redwall resistance group, Redwall in Mossflower or RIM, begins the take-back of Redwall. In the end, Mattis, a descendant of Matthias, kills Raclan, and Redwall is regained. This would be a new idea, and it would be at what I call the Heart of Redwall. The Heart of Redwall is Redwall Abbey and Mossflower. The first book is at the Heart of Redwall. I want Brian Jacques to return to this theme, where Redwall Abbey and Mossflower are the setting, and everything revolves around them.

2003-04-26T14:05:00.000-07:00

The trapping of wild animals has had a great impact on the world. I am very interested in wild mammals, what you could call a furry freak. Maybe. My special favorites are the members of the weasel family. The weasel family includes:
Weasels (Of course)
Pine Martens
Fishers
Minks
Otters (Sea and River Otters)
Skunks
Wolverines
And Black-Footed Ferrets

All these fit under the category of Weasel Family. A lot of them are endangered. I believe that the Fisher may be endangered... Must do some research there. A few years ago the Sea Otter was on the verge of extinction, due to vast hunting and trapping for its valuable fur. The rich, soft, warm, and over-all fine fur was rated the best. The Pine Marten, though, is not endangered due to hunting, but due to the clear-cutting of the forests in which it makes its home. Also, this family includes the ermine, whose fur was (and still is) used for royal robes, crowns, and so on. But, hunting and trapping has its uses. For instance, it helps keep over-population under control. Once, the government of America had to allow hunting in a certain area where the deer and elk population was getting out of hand. But, I went recently to a slide exhibition at the Alix Goolden Hall. The slide show was promoting the Great Bear Rainforest, which is in danger of being cut down. The speaker showed a slide of a bear, killed by a Texan. And the Texan was in a helicopter! Yup. Shooting down innocent animals from an aircraft is the newest trend. Anyway, this was a female bear, not even yet old enough to have cubs. When Ian, the speaker, asked this Texan why he shot the bear, this guy said: 'Well, a big male bear, that's the dream of every hunter.' Apparently the guide had told him that this bear was male. Hunting can be OK, in some respects, but is usually a pointless and cruel blood sport.