Diplomacy, Intrigue, Politics
Sometimes referred to as the Veiled Consulate this powerhouse of politics and nobility represents the upper echelons of Basanic society and their interests abroad through both open and covert means or so people whisper in darkened corridors. The corridors of these buildings are full of diplomats and ambassadors and some say, in whispers… spies. Daer Akmir supports a number of nations; some ancient and decadent, some new and burgeoning others strong and settled. At the edge of their borders great armies jostle and manoeuvre providing a deterrent to war, through the roads and waterways trade flows like water bringing food and wealth to the cities that are the beating heart of the great peoples of the world. Wheels turn, Kings and Emperors come and go and wars take the lives of millions but still the civilisations of this continent survive. Why? There are folk out there that dedicate their lives to the politics of their people and to the politics of their opposites.
These people form the diplomatic wing of the Royal Basin comprised of Diplomats, Ambassadors, Envoys, Emissaries and Heralds. Their duties take them far and wide across Daer Akmir and it is vital that they have received the training that the Guilds bring regarding not only culture but also the political aspects of the lands that they will be travelling to. Alongside that some magical training coupled with some skill at arms is never a bad thing have at your disposal in hostile territory, diplomatic immunity or not. A diplomat bears the diploma of their nation allowing them to speak on the behalf of their nation and their sovereign to the heads of other states and similarly important individuals.
All of the great nations have diplomats in one form or another and have had since wars were considered not the best way of getting things done. Diplomats travel across the open world to speak politically and carry with them the word of the leaders of their land. They are able to discuss, debate and suggest and eventually return with proposals for their leaders to be ratified and returned to those that they deal with. Few are skilled enough to begin this path and fewer still to see it through to the end but those that do are forged in The Veiled Consulate an organisation funded by the Golden Table but supported by the guilds for the purposes of training of diplomats and Ambassadors. An ambassador is an official envoy, essentially the highest ranking diplomat who represents a state of the Royal Basin and is also accredited to another sovereign state, or to an international organisation as the resident representative of their own government or sovereign or appointed for a special and often temporary diplomatic assignment.
These assignments are occasionally in the interests of peace, sometimes in the interest of war but always in the interest of the Royal Basin. The term, in its most common use, usually applies to the ranking government representative stationed in a foreign capital. The host country typically allows the ambassador control of specific territory called an embassy, whose territory, staff, and equipment are generally afforded diplomatic immunity in the host country. Like diplomats Ambassadors share a level of the same diplomatic immunity in the areas of travel and immunity however they also find themselves safe from prosecution according to the laws of the area that they stationed in. Instead they are extradited to home soil for any criminal proceedings; failure to do so usually precipitates a war, a war that was, in most cases, on the cards and in which the ambassador has been an unwitting pawn.
The role of the ambassador expands on the diplomat into very clear areas that move away from just speaking on behalf of the nation but more into a representative role. Each nations citizens move from country to country, crossing borders, settling in new lands but keeping the credential of their birth land. An Ambassador shoulders the burden of protecting those citizens; coming to their aid and looking after their interests, interpreting and negotiating for them where necessary. As a nation expands so too does the opportunity for trade and prosperity, this is often one sided unless there is an ambassador present to act as an intermediary between foreign business and their own. Finally and most importantly an Ambassador’s position away from home is one that is designed to promote peace between peoples. Fostering trust and global laws that prevent the abuse of human rights, crushing slavery, criminal activity and also disseminating foreign cultures into friendly and new environments. Ambassadors are a rare breed, each and everyone as ready to lay down their life like the heroic warriors who breach the frontlines on a daily basis. Just as brave, just as bold, often unsung.
What Members of the Velvet Table Are
- Skilled Politicians
- Spies
- Hard bargainers
- Heroes and Patriots
- Peacemakers
What Ambassadors and Diplomats of the Velvet Table Are Not
- James Bond
- Quislings
- Simpering, self serving politicians
Holly Goodall
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