Monica Lopez honored

(Year 234, Winter) Tonight was a special moment to Monica Lopez (53), manager of Advorton Zoo in Ciudad Enamorada, region Advorton. At the local recreation center she was awarded the Advorton regional honor for her work on the Zoo project for many years.

The medal, for this region with green silk ribbon, was given my the regional Mayor, Elvira E. Honeydew (52). Monica originally ran the Zoo together with her husband, but after she was widowed two years ago, she has been managing the popular attraction of Ciudad Enamorada alone, occasionally assisted by her two children. They also run a Zoo shop, providing souvenirs as well as homemade produce based on eggs, honey and milk harvested in the zoo.

Noble Swordsmanship Club Founded

(Year 234, Winter) Mazaloom kingdom got its very first swordsmanship club - at least it is the only club currently active. Noble Swordsmanship Club was founded by HRH Crown Princess Emireza (23), and she is also the Leader untill she starts University. The Crown Princess and her father, His Majesty the King, are both active swordsmanship enthusiasts.

An agreement was made for the club to use the venue in StrangerVille, recently built by Ted Rossell Mester Acres.

Maz Bank reporting Successful Transfer

(Year 234, Winter) This Winter most Mazaloom citizens chose to move their financial deposits and loans from SimNation's stately bank Sim City First Trust Bank, to the new national bank serving our kingdom, Maz Bank. Now the latter reports that the transfer was successful, but that their full financial capacity was taken.

Mr Robert Sutton is CEO at Maz Babk, Inc.

Banks are basically companies running their profittable business, but when they are stately supported and proven to stay for years to come, they might obtain a touch of institution. SCFTB is such an institution for SimNation, founded nearly a century ago. Maz Bank, on the other hand is brand new, although breaking off from SCFTB's branch in Mazaloom. The total amount of Simoleons going through this sysem is surprisingly big numbers!

The Ondarion Project

(Year 234, Winter) Three very small districts from three different nations, have united in a political project called «the Ondarion Experiment». The districts were selected for the project as they are all having a long story line focusing on both leadership and knowledge, but they also happen to be located in a line along equator. Now their head persons will contribute with local information regarding science as well as politics, in order to see how much variation there might be thanks to location and politics. The idea is to learn from each other.

In the west we find Dambele (Empire of Snorthia), centered is Bellacorde
(Mazaloom kingdom), and in the east is Verdemar (Sea kingdom).

The three contributing districts are: Bellacorde in region Tredony of Mazaloom kingdom. Dambele in Simerinia kingdom of Empire of Snorthia. Verdemar in Thebia of Sea kingdom. 

The Landgraab Dynasty

(Year 234, Winter) This morning a press brief hit news desks nation wide. The Landgraab business imperium is reorganizing. The top company, Landgraab Industries, Inc., is among Mazaloom's biggest companies, but there are numerous smaller companies owned fully or partly by companies within the Landgraab concern, or by members of the super wealthy Landgraab family.

Mr Malcolm Landgraab Mester Cacti posing at Landgraab Industries, Inc.'s head quarters.

Today Mr. Malcolm Landgraab (81) is Head of the family, including House of Landgraab and the low nobility title Mester Cacti. To many's surprise, the Landgraabs never held any real peerage, and the Mester status doesn't really qualify as real nobility. They were never involved with Politics, at least not as electable candidates. There's no doubt they had significant influence on our community, though.

Nobility Reform: Nobility Career

(Year 234, Winter) The second part of the Nobility Reform, is the new Nobility career. It is totally separated from the first part, the Dynasties. Technically a noble person won't need a dynasty, and a Dynasty member don't need the Nobility Career. In Mazaloom these two features do connect, though, as we use the career slightly different. Here, you can't have a peerage without also being member of a House, and all Houses had to register as dynasties in order to obtain their new crest emblem.

By design, the career is like most other careers, where you start on the lowest level and climb your way up through promotions. In Mazaloom and our neighboring nations, the career is used for categorizing nobility. This means you immediately get the nobility career level that suits with your highest ranked peerage. This category is static, and no promotions will be involved.

Swordsmanship to StrangerVille?

(Year 234, Winter) Mr Ted Rossell Mester Acres, residing in StrangerVille, has built another community lot based on his personal uncommon architectural taste and interest. Today he invited for a small show-off at Cliff Side Crest.

Rossell has been taking a central position in the little community. This coming election is their first to elect their own district Mayor, but unfortunately he can not run, as elders are not allowed. Instead he wants to bring Swordsmanship to StrangerVille - in his own way.

New Dynasty emblems for Dukedoms

(Year 234, Winter) Today there was another ceremonial event taking place at the Royal Palace of Mazaloom. It was time to hand the framed new crest emblems to the first nobles, this time all five dukedoms were present.

The event took place in Mazaloom Great Hall, which is the entrance area of the palace, regularly used for smaller exhibitions and concerts etc. The press was there, and a few curious commoners had arrived, to witness the whole thing.

One by one the five dukes stepped forward to get their new framing. The crest will identify their brand new dynasties, as Mazaloom had no such thing in the past. Someone might need to make a few adjustments to get the symbolic deco object up on the wall...

Nobility Reform: Dynasties

(Year 234, Winter) This morning the Royal Palace Office (RPO), on behalf of the Royal Chamber, announced upcoming adjustments to the set of rules for Houses of Aristocracy. Mazaloom kingdom had a well developed system for generations. This will continue, but as the global world adjusts to various expansions, the nations of Snorthia, Sea and Mazaloom have debated to find a common base for their aristocratic structures. This means, in all three nations some fine tuning will take place this coming Spring.

His Royal Majesty King Tarriot of Mazaloom is head of the Royal Chamber.

Before you read on - in all three nations the traditional culture will stand strong. While we will still have our national uniqueness, there are some fields where we can come up with common solutions. This should be possible for both the Dynasty system and Nobility (career). The idea is that if the three nations share bits of their aristocratic structure, it will be easier for all to relate, accross borders.

One reason for the adjustments is the implementation of Dynasties. This old community form with origin in the Empire of Snorthia, never established in the kingdoms of Mazaloom and Sea. However, while the main structure from Snorthia will now be used by all, there might be minor influences going the other way - such as Mazaloom's Houses having a focus skill, which will now be adapted by Snorthian dynasties, too.

So, what is new?

Historical Society introduces new Genealogy Tools

(Year 234, Winter) These days anyone into genealogy will applaud new tools for researching your family tree. As usual, our very own Mazaloom Historical Society was involved making this available to residents of Mazaloom kingdom. With this genealogy as a hobby becomes even more interesting.

Club leader Mila Munch (80) is enthusiastic as always.

Prime Minister House Opened

(Year 234, Winter) Mazaloom kingdom got its own Prime Minister House! It was debated a couple years ago, and now the building is ready, just in time for the upcoming election.

Current Prime Minister, Mr Wilder, is too old for re-election, and he will not move in. But our future PM will stay here for as long as holding the PM position. The building is not exactly a castle, but provides good standard facilities for a Prime Minister's many working tasks, like meetings and receptions, and upstairs there is enough space for a small family to reside. Private needs will vary from period to period, and because most top politicians are quite old, children might have left the nest already.

This week there was a formal opening of Prime Minister House, that is located at Willow Field in Gloomville (Region Gloom).

The Royal Palace Cellar

(Year 234, Winter) It's about 85 years since the royal palace Chateau Peak was built in Del Sol Valley, but this far no footage showing the mostly locked off undergound were leaked to the public. Fact is that there was not that much to boost about, mainly the kitchen, servants' section and a prison cell. Well, that is what we all thought, anyway. The palace holds a full cellar, several sections holding daily activity. Recently a photographer was admitted access to explore some of the underground facilities. 

Let's start on ground floor, more precisely in the so called official quarters. Between the Throne Room and King Tybe's dining room there is a rather small kitchen (above). This room connects to the main kitchen right underneeth it, and is used for preparing food to smaller events. For the big gala events this room is where the servings line up before being brought out to the guests.