The Empire of Ela’r’oech has stood the test of time once more, entering into the year 2024. This year has seen many ups and downs for the Empire.
Politics
In January 2023, McKeenist insurrectionists declared war on the Empire, being swiftly defeated by Ela’r’oech. Shortly afterward, a nation with the name of Zeprana led by Grant Taylor would be incorporated into the Elarian commonwealth, with Emperor Charles I as their King.
In February, the now infamous Madgett v. Perdomo case was decided in favor of his majesty. Emperor Charles I of Ela’r’oech would now become Emperor Charles I of Ela’r’oech and King of Pontunia. This title is still disputed by many, who refer to it as imperialist. Such comments, however, are luckily often discouraged as they are often xenophobic in nature.
In March, it would be decided that Pontunia and Ela’r’oech should re-initiate the United Kingdom of the Great Bayou, however as there was no support from Pontunians, the plan was swiftly abandoned with Andrew Perdomo being given another chance to serve as monarch.
Ian Clark was elected as second Chancellor in April. During his term, we saw an expansion to the Elarian National Space Program with Project Lotus. Lotus I was deemed a success, as Ela’r’oech was able to actually record their drone in the air.
Shortly after Lotus I, the League of Elarian Nation States – or LENS as it’s often referred – revised a new Charter. Multiple micronations joined such as Kamore, Bushistan, Pontunia, and others even outside the initial Elarian sphere of influence. LENS would enjoy success until mid-2023 when it would be de-facto abandoned by most of its member states.
In August, the nation would suffer national tragedy as an unknown assailant would swat the Emperor. Swatting is a criminal harassment act of deceiving an emergency service into sending a police or emergency service response team to another person’s address. In this specific instance, the Emperor had his life threatened and as such, the Empire delved into an investigation which is still ongoing to find the individual responsible.
In response, the nation’s armed forces would change in October, undergoing a massive overhaul. These changes would equip Elarian soldiers with tactical gear, airsoft weaponry, and more equipment to defend themselves with. Pontunians would respond by calling for the murder of Elarians, with the Elarian Armed Forces – or EAF – then being placed on standby. This would lead to the infamous Elarian-Pontunian conflict which is still ongoing to this day, yet to see a true escalation.
In November, due to their xenophobic and anti-Elarian actions, Pontunia would be recognized by the Empire as a false breakaway decided by national referendum. The referendum’s passing would lead to celebrations within the Empire and growing support towards the Neo-Knights of Ela’r’oech.
In December, we had our latest political elections. Chancellor Jaden Armstrong and President Ian Clark would be voted into their respective offices, serving alongside two Parliamentary Members.
Culture
Elarian culture would grow exponentially in 2023, with Anti-Pontunian sentiments becoming a growing norm after the Madgett v. Perdomo court case. The Emperor would also work on his new book series titled Enduring Symphony. Elarian-made works such as Fight of Gods would also be seen by many.
Fight of Gods, Devil’s Brigade, MicroPlus, and many products influenced the culture of the nation. But, notably, the politics of the nation influenced the Empire’s culture the most. Elarians have gone back to formality, addressing their superiors by rank and the like. Nationalism in the nation silently grew as well, with members from the Neo-Knights of Ela’r’oech being voted into many political positions within the Empire.
Pontunian aggression also influenced Elarian culture, as many saw Anti-Pontunian sentiments on the rise like previously mentioned, but also the Elarian Armed Forces would see a nearly 300% increase in voluntary entry as young men in the nation got ready to invade the Pontunian Republic in Metairie.
Products
As previously mentioned, the Emperor wrote a book series in 2023, with the books themselves set to release in 2024. This year also saw the release of VaultWiki, a collection of wikis hosted by the site of the same name including MicroVault, a MicroWiki competitor ran by Ela’r’oech.
In 2022, Fight of Gods served as a great show for Elarian to watch. However, in 2023, Fight of Gods would become a household name in the video games industry with the release of Fight of Gods: Limit Break Remastered. The anticipated sequel to Limit Break 2, this game served as – for lack of a better term – a gamechanger to the current Elarian video game industry.
Devil’s Brigade: Spec Ops, which released as well in 2023 for the LitHD, saw a massive player decrease by nearly 40% the day Limit Break Remastered released. Spec Ops, a game serving as a standalone story part of the Devil’s Brigade game series (Devil’s Brigade & Devil’s Brigade 2), was developed from 2022 to 2023. It served as one of the most played First Person Shooter games in Ela’r’oech in 2023 alongside Devil’s Brigade 2, with Limit Break Remastered being the most played Arena Fighter in Ela’r’oech, with the Japanese developed Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 coming in second place, and Limit Break 2 coming in third.
The Ela’r’oech Football League also had a great season in November, with the King’s Royal Guard winning the Champ’s Cup once again for the second year in a row. ULTRA, the Elarian video game tournament, saw a break this year with no participants.
Elarian made shows such as Archives and Elarian Independence Series saw massive success this year, with their creators being praised for their artwork and creativity made in honor of the Empire.
2024: What To Expect
Elarian News Channel, the news company started by the Emperor, has made it known that their former magazine Ta Sïrse will be returning for a full annual run in 2024 debuting with a special volume on January 1st.
Additionally, Devil’s Brigade: Firesquad is set to release in 2024 after years of development thanks to ACBIC Games and Newmaker Studios. But it may not matter, as speculation has many Elarians wondering if the independently developed MicroRevolution will release in the same year.
The Empire also closed off the year with an explosives test. This leaves the possibility for military expansion almost unforeseeable, as this year has brought the Empire ever closer to becoming a fully realized state.
The Empire also saw an increase in physical citizenship by nearly 500% or even more this year thanks to election cycles. This trend may increase into 2024 and is expected to from researchers at ENS headquarters.
Overall, the Empire is expected to have another amazing year in 2024 and ENS is ready for it.
Thank you for reading ENS in 2023. – Anthony and Terry
Ela'r'œch News Source 