[Desc. Coming Later]

Requirements to Apply for a Colonial Charter:
- Must have 35 RP Posts (Posts in OOC do not count)

“What the hell is she playing at?” One of the finance ministers moaned. “She thinks just because her little Merian lap dogs came from up north that she can do something like this?”

In the big Stock market building off of the Main square, the trading lobby was filled with activity. Lawyers, financiers and merchants rushed too and fro. Yet despite all this action, there was a forlorn ambiance that hung around the room. People had been ruined by this unexpected economic emergence. People were in dirty, panicked and skittery.

The man who had uttered his previous remarks so casually was leaned on an untidy desk, his tweed suite in disarray. “So, she launched a private company...” The man spat. “Public now.” Said his counter part. A man, equally hardened, equally untidy who stood with his coat over his arm and a cup of coffee in hand.

“A public held colonial company whose only purpose is to fund explorers and adventures...” The second man said. “What is that damnable woman up to?”

The two men stood looking at each other. “Stocks have already risen to 150 a share.”

“God.” The first man said. “It’s replaced almost everything ahead of it... the entire stock market is in shambles.”

“God.” The second man said.

“Well.” The first man responded, “I suppose.”


*****

Upon the Order of her Imperial and Royal Majesty, By the Grace of God, Empress of Meria, Queen of Serdio, Queen of the Sudland, Lady Caesar of Eden, Princess Executive of Ivendell, High Princess of the Imperial Isles, Estansa of all the Jaran and Reverend mother of the Clayre, in conjunction with Alvin Newrose, Colonial Minister under the administration of Richard Keen, Prime Minister to His Serene Highness, Prince Charles Tigris Van der Mehk, Governor of Odon and funded by the private hands of Houses Orange, Van der Walle, d’Albret, Artois, Astor, Wye as well as the United Outer Companies of Sade (UOCS),

The Colonial Funding company has been founded with the intent to fund private individuals in their expansion and discoveries upon the Unexplored Continent. Any wishing to apply for a Charter may do so in the name of Serdio, the Empress and the King.

The man at the stock exchange building read the notice and sighed. According to his employer, Alvin Newrose, he would take all applications for expedition and colonial charters. He was only too thrilled.

Walter Gilbert, a tall, slender man of twenty seven walked into the Colonial Ministry Office. His short black hair, waxed and cleaned, shone brightly as the sunlight from the windows reflected off it. He rubbed his prickly chin, affixed with short stubs of facial hair. Above the stubble beard was a thin mustache, well-kept and neat. He was wearing his dress military uniform, being a captain in the Serdian army. His medals clanked as he walked with military uniformity and rigidity to the desk.

He approached the clerk and said, "My name is Captain Walter Gilbert and I am here to receive the official charter for the Montmorency colony. His Highness said the finances had been taken care of."

Johnson, the Head Secretary for the Colonial Ministry, called an undersecretary who brought forth forms, notes and documents. Presenting the documents to the Captain, the Charter was drawn up.

A notary was called and, once the documents were in proper order, the charter was granted.

"The Landing station serves as a warehouse center and disembarkment point. The Charter leaves boundaries flexible. You have four months to establish a basic settlement before the final charter is written up and delivered to His Majesty for signing."

"Thank you, good sir," Walter replied confidently, "I have already assembled a group to embark on this journey. I am certain that we shall report our success within little time."

Walter didn't just come off as confident. He was. The group of colonists he assembled was large - some three hundred eager young men with a core of two dozen former soldiers. The men mostly would bring mêlée weapons, but the military men would be bringing their muskets with bayonets. Walter had gathered quite the group and weeded out the weak. He was prepared. They set out that very day for the Unexplored Continent.

Francois Laurent walked into the Stock Exchange building wearing his finest clothes, and approached the Colonial Ministry Office, knocking on the door and entering, saying.

"Sir, I have come from the Neueland Company, which has been formed by several of the upper nobility, putting fortunes into the recruitment of colonists and construction and purchase of ships and materials with which to build colonies in Serdio. We have five ships ready to leave from Esto Gaza, as soon as a charter for the colony of Neueland is granted."

He presented documentation with all the proper paperwork, including the seals of the Prince of Foix, the Grand Dukes of Bourgogne and Harcourt, the Dukes of Anjou, Savoie, and Visconti, the Marquesses Laurent and Rohan, and the Count Gontaut, along with documentation of five ships with full rolls of 513 colonists ready to go when the charter was granted.

Johnson looked over the paperwork, only marginally interested. Though it was true that many powerful and impressive names were put on such documents, Johnson wondered whether the nobles who backed such ventures were personally interested in the success of these colonies, or if these were the fruits of haute bourgeois backed by the fortunes of aristocrats.

“Approved.”

The man said, masking his musings with indifference. The colony would be granted a non royal charter, which the King would sign only after it’s basics were established.