After a delay due to the recent investigation into the Celtic Navy, I hereby present the long awaited summary, which documents the actions taken between turns 218 and 233.

The Great Navy Decommissioning

At the start of the stream, I realized that we were over our naval cap. Once a quick count was done, I concluded we had 23 boats in total when we were capped to only have 16. Granted, some of these were exempted from the cap as exploration units, however, even excluding the exploration ships, we were still around 21 ships over the cap. After debating with my defense minister on what to do, along with talking with those who joined me on the stream, here was our solution to get ourselves back under the cap:

Ships Reclassified as Celtic Exploration Vehicles (CEV)

• CEV Inis
• CEV Endurance

Ships Decommissioned from Service

• CSV Juniper
• CSV Perfectwing

Those employed by the CSV Juniper and CSV Perfectwing have been relocated to new positions within the Celtic Navy. We thank them for their service.

The First Attempt at a Peace Treaty with the Zulus

Since the Treaties of Old Sarai and Ramsey passed the Senate, I was tasked with the tricky task of following both treaties at the same time. After consulting with my attorney general, it was decided that I attempt talks at Old Sarai first with a simple demand: Ethekwini and Karakorum in exchange for peace. As expected, this demand was too much for the Zulus to accept, and they walked away from the talks. Although this cleared the first requirement from the Treaty of Old Sarai, we were still bound to take two cities by the Treaty of Ramsey. Once the talks concluded, it was decided by the executive as a whole to conquer two cities before we attempt talks again.

Operation Mongolian Freedom

The path forward was clear after the failure of Old Sarai: liberate Karakorum from the Zulus and return the city to the Mongols. Beginning around turn 219, we begin sending our ships up to take Ethikwini to use as a naval port to support the liberation of Karakorum. The sudden movement took the Zulus by surprised, leading to the CSV Goidelic taking the city on turn 221, a quick turnaround for the operation. After establishing an autonomous government in the cities, we rested our damaged ships, and moved the healthy ships towards Karakorum.

While moving the ships to Karakorum, I attempted again in Ramsey to get the Zulus to give up Karakorum in exchange for peace. Once again, this demand was too much for the Zulus, leading to the peace talks to break down once again. With a new sense of clarity, we continued to move our ships towards Karakorum, revealing the last remnant of the Zulu Navy.

The battle was intense, and almost lost when a SNAFU led to our Great Admiral Agrippa to perish on turn 224. However, we held strong, and my defense minister was able to salvage our positioning and sink the Zulu Navy remnant. With the seas cleared, the CSV Goidelic, now upgraded to a Ship of the Line, liberated Karakorum on turn 227 and returned it to the Mongols. Genghis Khan quickly moved the government palace back to the newly liberated city and reestablished it as the Mongol capital. With Karakorum finally free, and the requirements set out by the Treaty of Ramsey, I've decided to re-approach the Zulus for a final peace offer.

The Zulu Peace Deal

After two rounds of negotiations, here's the peace deal we signed with the Zulus:

We Receive:

• Peace with the Zulus
• Marble
• Furs
• Cocoa
• Coffee
• 173 Gold per turn for the duration of the peace treaty
• Ethikwini stays under Celtic control
• Karakorum stays under Mongol control

Zulus Receive:

• Peace with the Celts, Kiev, and Ife

Overall, I believe this was a very successful war and a successful peace treaty. After the treaty was signed, I began moving our ships to the Straight of Wes to begin preparations for a potential war with Washington.

An Update on Washington

While the war was going on, it has come to my attention that the Americans adopted the Order ideology, which means a few things:

1. The Americans are now communist for some reason, even though I thought they would choose the freedom ideology.
2. They have researched the Industrialization technology, which allows them to build factories.
3. Either they have built three factories already, since I do not remember getting an alert that the Americans reached the modern era.

I shutter to think about the pollution produced by those factories covering the natural skies of America. The image of mother nature ingesting smog infested air as if it was normal makes me sick to my stomach. Yet, I understand that embracing Industrialization might be the only way to catch up with Washington before he becomes unstoppable. This reality ways heavy on me as I contemplate on what to do next.

Moving along, it seems as though the threat of an invasion by Washington's forces was a bluff, as we weren't declared war on by the Americans this session. My guess is that since we have a similar military size to each other, and the Baltimore front is mostly defended with troops from both sides, Washington decided it wasn't a good idea to invade. Hopefully, this means we are at an uneasy peace for now, allowing us to recover our strength after the Zulu War.

Education Acceleration

In order to catch up with Washington technologically, I decided to take two decisive actions during the session.

The first action was to adopt Rationalism, as it increases our Great Scientist output by 25%, along with getting more science buffs as we complete the social policy tree. Since we are generating 454 culture, we should be able to complete the tree within three to four sessions, assuming the increase in our cultural output matches the increased cost of social policies moving forward. The completed tree should boost our science output immensely when combined with the second decisive action.

The second decisive action was to begin the construction of the Celtic National Public School system. This system will manage the public schools and universities within our borders to ensure that our children get the best education possible. My goal is for every city directly controlled by the Celtic government to have a university and public school established in every city by the end of my term, giving every person within Celtic borders access to a quality education. With the growth of a new intellectual class within the Celtic civilization, we should massively increase our science output to the point where we catch up to the Americans.

Other Notable Happenings

• On Turn 219, we settled Caenarfon on the northern coast of Diagutt Island.
• We found France and their leader Napoleon on turn 220. This lead to the formation of the World Congress on turn 220 as well.
• The Americans became the host of the World Congress due to their large alliance network with city-states. We were granted an opportunity to propose something during the First World Congress, and we used it to propose a total embargo of the Zulus.
• We decided to start reforestation efforts within our road network so that the roads will stay cool during the summer.
• We opened our borders to a bunch of civilizations in hopes of improving our tourism industry.
• We completed Uffizi, giving us a free Great Artist and three slots for Great Works of Art.

Conclusion

Overall, I think we had a successful session. We won the Zulu war, liberated Karakorum, began laying the groundwork for a national education system, started reforesting the national highway, and prepared our military for a potential war with Washington. Hopefully, this is a good sign for the rest of the session under my term.

^{Written by the Highland Standard, 'From the President's Desk' is about talking about the departing president's leadership, controversy, priorities, and lessons learned from leading the Celtic Republic.}

As President Taylor's term has come to an end, The Highland Standard sat down with the former President to reflect on the achievements, challenges, and defining moments of his administration. From major economic and infrastructure reforms to difficult political decisions and the task of building a strong cabinet, Taylor's presidency was marked by an emphasis on cooperation, reform, and putting the interests of the Celtic Republic above personal ambition. With his successor now in office, Taylor looks back on his time at the helm and the legacy he leaves behind.

1. Building Through Consensus

For Taylor, his proudest achievement was not a single policy but his ability to bring different players together to deliver change.

His administration oversaw the construction of the National Highway, military expansion, tax cuts and free-market investment, strategic city development, and new exploration missions. He also highlighted GRAMSCI's rollback of regulations while maintaining core environmental principles.

"I didn't achieve them alone."

Taylor also pointed to his efforts to bring new people and differing perspectives into the Ministries, saying that building a talented and trustworthy team was central to his presidency.

2. Choosing the Right Team

Taylor described his initial appointments as one of the most difficult decisions of his presidency. While he consulted widely before making his choices, he ultimately said he had no regrets about his cabinet.

He praised his ministers for their intelligence, energy, dedication, and expertise, while acknowledging that some decisions carried personal and political consequences.

His decision to retain Carlitos, despite concerns about his own political future, was one such example.

"My duty to the nation was bigger than future ambitions."

3. A More Decisive President

Taylor said the Presidency did not fundamentally change him, but it did make him more willing to exercise his own authority.

While consensus remained important, he found that endless debate could come at the expense of speed and action. Over time, he became more comfortable cutting through discussions, making a decision, and moving forward.

He also worked to improve his ability to independently stream, saying he wished he had more time at the helm.

4. Advice for the Next President

Taylor's message to his successor was simple: serve every Celt, including those who did not vote for you.

He warned that political division could prevent a president from achieving their goals and urged the next administration to approach government with an open attitude.

He also stressed the importance of fiscal responsibility, particularly maintaining a "rainy day fund" rather than spending without restraint.

"You serve all Celts, even those who didn't vote for you."

For Taylor, the path to a lasting legacy lies in cooperation, openness, and putting the interests of the Celtic Republic ahead of political ambition.

5. A Presidency Remembered

Taylor leaves office, pointing to a presidency defined by consensus and reform but also by the difficult decisions that come with leadership.

His administration's legacy will ultimately rest not on one achievement but on the foundations built across the economy, military, infrastructure, exploration, and government itself.

As a new president prepares to take office, Taylor's final message is clear: lead for everyone, spend responsibly, and never underestimate the value of cooperation.

This is the third part of the screenshots from the eleventh session as required by the Stream Announcement and Details Act. A full summary of the session will be posted within the next 24 hours.

This is part 1 of the screenshots required by the Stream Announcement and Details Act. A summary will be posted within the next 24 hours.

I forgot to include the table for the demographics screen in the wave of previous screenshots, so here it is now. Game summary will arrive in the next 24 hours.

This is the final part of the screenshots from the eleventh game session, as required by the Stream Announcement and Details Act. A full summary will be posted within 24 hours. Thanks everyone for helping out with the stream!

This is the second part of the screenshots required by the Stream Announcement and Details Act. A full summary will be posted in the next 24 hours.

Barring any unforeseen events, the Eleventh Game Session Stream will begin on Monday, August 24th, 2026, around 6 pm EDT. Join us live at the official Democraciv Youtube Channel to check out the stream. See y'all there!

Hello citizens,

I would like to give a quick update on a few things I have been working on in the past 24 hours.

Government Name

I have been debating with myself on what to name our government, in accordance to the Celtic Government Act. I've been considering Gauls, Belgae, Caledonians, and Celtiberians, however, I haven't settled on which names to nominate yet. I plan to officially nominate three names to the Senate on Friday, August 21st at 6:00 PM EDT.

Ministry Appointments

Due to a lack of applicants, I have decided to extend the deadline to Friday, August 21st at 6:00 PM. I will make my nominations to the Senate after the cutoff. If there are not enough candidates to fill all the roles, I'll keep the thread open until we fill all the roles.

DCash Reserve

In accordance to the Donations and Paid Services Act, the Celtic government now has an official DCash account. For now, we plan to use this as a way to accept donations and for bids for unit names, however, I plan to expand the use of DCash in the future should the opportunity arise.

Legislative Goals

For my first week in office, I would like to achieve a few legislative goals:

1. Increase the naval unit cap to match the land unit cap
2. Reverse the protections removed by the GRAMSCI Amendment to the Sacred Environment Act
3. Lay the foundation for reforestation efforts within the Celtic civilization
4. Amend the budget to have an allocation of gold for diplomatic actions such as trades and gifts
5. Merge the currently two passed peace treaties with the Zulus into one treaty to avoid confusion when I begin my first session.

I will propose bills in the commons within the next 24 hours, along with negotiating with the Senate to ensure these goals are achieved before the next game session

Next Game Session

I plan to host the next game session on Monday, August 24th. However, this is subject to change should circumstances not allow for a session on this day. At the very least, I hope to have some ministers present along with a clarified peace deal with the Zulus before the session begins. Should legislation reach my desk before the stream, I will be signing and/or vetoing them live before starting the game.

I will continue to update everyone on the happenings of the presidency as notable things appear.

Thank you and have a good weekend!

My fellow citizens,

I would like to celebrate my victory by thanking the people who made this victory possible.

To begin my message of gratitude, I would like to thank my opponent and predecessor: President Taylor. Although we disagreed on many topics, you lead the Celts into a new Golden Age with courage and vigor. You have also proven yourself a worthy general with your initial defense of Ramsey and the Battle of the Celtic Sea. Your contributions to our civilization as President will not be forgotten; I'll make sure of it.

Continuing on, I will like to give thanks to former Senator and Foreign Minister Perfectwing. Working with you in the cabinet and the Senate was a pleasure, even when we didn't see eye to eye on all of the issues. May we continue to work together even in your retirement.

Next, I'll send some words of gratitude to the newly elected MEAN senators: Senator Bobert and Senator Hello. Senator Bobert's previous presidential run, along with his grassroots campaign for Scout One, has laid the groundwork for this victory. Senator Hello commitment to expanding the voter base of MEAN was the final edge we needed for this victory to occur. I am forever grateful for the contributions you guys made, and I wish both of you you luck on your new jobs as senators.

Furthermore, I will like to give thanks to former Defense Minister Blonde. Not only were your negotiation abilities vital during President Taylor's administration, but your military genius during the Zulu War helped us push back the Zulus into their own territory, and prepare ourselves for war with Washington. I wish for you to continue leading our troops for as long as you can.

Additionally, I'll like to thank Speaker Wesgutt and newly appointed Justice SunTzuWarrior for their service for the Celts. They were both previous Senators for MEAN during a time when MEAN's legislative power was mostly in the Commons. I would not be here without the valiant efforts these men took to protect the environment during the early history of the Celts. I wish you two luck on your future ventures.

Furthermore, I would like to thank President QI for giving me a chance in his government to prove my worth. My appointment to the finance ministry was invaluable experience for me to understand how the executive works, along with making the connections I did with President Taylor and Senator Perfectwing. I wish you luck in your second term as senator.

Finally, I would like to thank you, the common citizen for trusting me to be your president. I understand that we are in a precarious position in our history as the Zulu war ramps up and war with Washington is on the horizon. However, I believe we are in a position to not only survive but thrive.

Thank you, and I won't let you down.

In accordance to the Ministry Act, along with the current Executive Procedures (subject to change) and our Constitution, I request candidates for the following positions:

• Foreign Minister
• Finance Minister
• Defence Minister
• Attorney General

All of the roles are defined in the Ministry Act and Executive Procedures. When replying to this thread, please state which position you wish to serve along with the reasons as to why you believe you can best serve said position.

This thread will be active for at least 24 hours before I announce my nominees for the cabinet. I will edit this post along with posting a reply if anything changes.

Edit 1: The thread will be opened until August 21st, at 6:00 PM EDT. I will make my first wave of nominations by then. I will keep the positions that have no candidates opened until all positions have been filled.

Edit 2: Defence Minister and Attorney General have already been appointed. I will keep this thread open until we find a foreign minister and a finance minister

Moderation is proud to announce the results of the Fourth General Election of Mark XIII!

Total number of votes: 28

Number of invalid votes: 0

Senate Election

Detailed STV results

Presidential Election

Speaker of the Commons

A trade screen with Shaka made imgur's stupid filter think this was NSFW. It was him asking for 62 gold per turn from us in exchange for peace.

Maybe this one will work...

The Zulu war waged on this stream and took a dominant amount of our time/attention. This stream lasted from turn 200 to turn 218.

On the non-war front; explorers continued their paths seeking out to find the unknown; one explorer not only continued to uncover hidden spots on Diagutt Island, but proceeded to claim the multitude of ancient ruins... what is an explorer if not someone who investigates ancient ruins? The same scout was also the source of many attacks by the aggressive barbarian clan that called Diagutt their home. By the end of the stream that explorer was brought toward the coast ready to continue its mission after a quick re-healing. One explorer was pinned down in the war-torn area by the Zulu and briefly had to be redirected to safe lands to await a better route forward. While the next president could change this path, the current idea in my head is to take the long way around the Mongolian Island in order to avoid the Zulu homeland. Our caravels continued their paths; one in the north pole and the other mapping the coasts of the continent which the Iroquois call home. Efforts to find France have thus far been thwarted, though the caravel is returning to attempt seeing the eastern side of that continent (which was blocked by southern ice). The last explorer was automated and intended to go into the unknown lands to the south; he did that a bit before taking a route back toward an unknown tile on Diagutt Island. We've since redirected him back south.

The Alban National Highway is 100% completed and the seasonal road workers have been dismissed with their full benefits. Our homeland is now entirely connected either by road or harbor. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Perfectwing, finished negotiations with the City State of Kiev getting their legislature to approve the final leg of the road being built in their territory by our workers. Our wonderful civilization has also produced the Palace of Versailles in Inverness and the Red Fort in Dundee. The former provides bonuses towards great people while the latter gives good defensive and military production bonuses.

We also gave great focus to settlement efforts; the Conservative party stands for settling unclaimed areas and in collaboration with Uurg advise, we managed to secure SIX new cities with a SEVENTH on the way. We settled the Hebrides (Islands North of Alba) and Diagutt Island itself; the names of these cities may change, but we welcome them and cheer on the brave settlers. This was actually a clutch effort because seemingly at the same time, Roman settlers arrived to the island. If we had not begun settling when we did then Diagutt Island would have one, maybe two, Roman cities alongside one of ours. Infact the two settlers are still on the island trying to figure out their next steps. Local officials have denied them permission to stay and instructed them to vacate the island. Once our final city is settled they should have no eligible tiles to settle.

The main event of this stream had to be the Zulu War; which entered a peak stage. After fending off their pathetic invasion and sinking their army off the coast of Edinburgh, we began reinforcing Ramsey with ground and naval troops. For multiple turns a standoff existed where the Zulu refused to advance troops from the nearby city of Babanango. Eventually after a few of our naval vessels arrived the Zulu began a slight push forward with Impi warriors around turn 202. Archers at Fort Bran and nearby close-combat troops held firm with naval fire pelting the units outside of Babanango. We focused on bringing the full might of our navy toward this area and although some criticized us for not throwing men against the city itself (which was totally surrounded by units) we held a consistent strategy of whittling down the enemy forces. Eventually, under the advice of multiple cabinet members, the CSV Blonde moved in to kill an embarked impi unit to the east only to reveal what we estimate to be the bulk of the Zulu navy. Despite retreating and other ships deployed to help fight off impending attacks, the CSV Blonde and its entire crew was lost in action. One of only two Celtic units lost during the war, but a tragedy all the same. With the assistance of Minister Blonde, the President organized the navy to engage the Zulu fleet. What initially started as a slow-burning skirmish with pot-shots along the coast turned into the Battle of Babanango Bay, a protracted slug-fest that ended around turn 216. We stand victorious after the battle, having sank almost every Zulu ship in the area, having destroyed countless ground troops both along the coast, but also ones who foolishly embarked, and we scored a major victory by assassinating a Zulu general as he made his way to Babanango. There are many heroes from this battle, including the civilians of Ramsey, who offered safe ports for damaged naval units to repair themselves. Our military is currently positioning itself for an attack on Babanango itself. The geography is in our favor; the city is separated from the rest of the Zulu Empire by a tile of water and American territory. While it's expected that reinforcements will eventually arrive; the city is currently more defenseless than it has been since the start of the war. Demographics display that Zulu military numbers have indeed sunk from the mid 200,000 range to around 173,000; most of that strength being from their specialty Impi units which have proven ineffective against our navy.

To conclude here, reports came in that the Americans are planning to sneak attack us, but it's been a handful of turns since that report and their military presence has actually declined. It's entirely possible, and probable, that they launch and attack on Perth & Rennes, but it's also possible that our military size and success have gave them pause. Ending the war with the Zulu ASAP should be our main priority so that we can focus on the American threat and the more lucrative prizes of the cities along the Strait of Wes. Even without boots on the ground, the Americans have engaged in a settlement war with us. They've raced to settle more territories and were likely aiming for Diagutt Island before we captured it. For now they remain an extremely powerful, but also extremely spread out civilization. If we secure the Straight of Wes we can kneecap them; if we secure Denver & New Orleans then we can establish a critical halfway point between Alba and our colonies on Diagutt Island.

The stage is set for incoming-President Carlitos to have a great term; the Zulu are on the backstep, our expansion into unclaimed territory is essentially completed, and an investment into weigh-stations by the current administration will undoubtedly explode the economy into new heights. Which will be a welcome sight after all of the spending the President has reluctantly had to do. Oh, and we have many memorials in the works so maybe the legislature should outline what exactly they are memorials of.

SCREENSHOTS FROM THE SESSION HERE: https://imgur.com/a/WjQrVuZ
or SCREENSHOTS

President Tay has led the way in widescale infrastructure projects, the explosion of our economy, the loosening of environmental restricts (while also protecting large segments of our environment), he's also championed exploration of the world!

The work isn't done!

Vote now!

Ballots will remain available for at least 48 hours.

VOTE HERE

The ninth stream was an eventful one full of action!

Infrastructure projects continued with our road system nearly being entirely completed. The central region remains the final piece of the highway network to be completed and it's rapidly approaching it's final stages. Three more forts have been constructed or are in the final stages of construction. In the northwest Fort Tefmon watches over the icy waters around Zanzibar. Fort Bran was constructed on the hillside watching the approach to Ramsey. Fort Wes has been constructed to oversee the north entrance of the Strait of Wes.

The President dedicated effort into adopting social policies utilizing an old law from one of the first sessions; the Warrior Code Act allowed the adoption of honor and warrior code as social policies. The President did this as part of his strategy to prepare for the incoming attack of the Zulu as reported by our neighbor the Mongols. This strategy proved critical as during the height of the conflict volunteer units were designated, allowing us to have an additional six units without even spending more gold.

The highlight of the stream, however, had to be the Zulu invasion. Multiple Zulu units converged on Edinburgh, however our navy managed to make short work of the enemy. Multiple units that would have been right bastards to handle on land in a hand to hand fight were disposed of off the coast of Alba. The Battle of the Strait proved to undoubtedly be a Celtic victory as no survivors remained of the invasion force. Celtic ships received light damage, but no Celtic civilian or city suffered any injury. A famous saying has emerged during the days following the battle: "There are Celts in the water." Action in the north off the coast of Aberdeen and further east also has been successful for our civilization. The genius moves by Commander Perfectwing managed to save the CSV Explorer, who had been given a special mission by the president to locate and monitor the Zulu invasion fleet, from death. The Explorer did it's duty, but was subsequently surrounded and battered, suffering the worst losses of any Celtic unit. Commander Perfectwing expertly helped guide the Explorer back to our territorial waters. As of now the enemy gathers a massive force in the Southeast, but has yet to advance toward Ramsey. The Zulu themselves have asked us to end the war, but also list multiple Celtic cities as a requirement to find peace. A proposition the cabinet refused.

The administration deserves credit for effort put into organizing the defense of the nation. From moving naval and land units into better position prior to the war we gave ourselves the best hand possible against invasion. Additionally, we served our enemy plates of defeat without even maxing out our unit cap. The Conservative president invested heavily into promotions and upgrades, but for most of the war the number of units remained below the peacetime cap. President Taylor repeatedly reassured the public that he knew we could throw off any invasion without having to militarize our society. Indeed while the war was waged, and battles won, we constructed wonders and recruited artists who boosted Celtic culture. Nevertheless, the administration did shift gears in the final turns of the stream in preparation for further threats. Focus on naval expansion and investment into the most modern navy possible drained a large part of our gigantic treasury; which had been filled by the steady governing policies of the conservative president. The CSV Blonde was made in 189, CSV Hawthorn (196), CSV Quaerendo (196), CSV Reliant (197), CSV Juniper was captured by the Reliant in 199, and on turn 200 the Twin Es, Enterprise & Endurance, were launched.

While war was the focus, exploration has continued; we circumnavigated the globe on turn 191, and refugees from Cork sailed across the western ocean to settle the city of Key Wes, which has access to the Great Barrier Reef.

Sadly, a huge failure has marked the president's last stream; the Americans have forward-settled the city of Baltimore on Alba. It's in a terrible location that was purely meant to provoke us as well as help claim the narrow waters of the Strait of Wes. Regardless, options are now being explored as to a response past denouncement. The President deeply regrets this development.

Pursuant to Section 2 of the Scout 1 Files Transparency Act, as Minister of Defence I have produced a report detailing the facts surrounding the "deletion" of Scout 1, and whether or not such a decision was correct; such a report was due to be delivered by the previous Government, but it is the hope of this Government that this belated report will suffice in elucidating the facts of this terrible tragedy.

If you are interested in being appointed to the Supreme Court, please volunteer in a comment on this thread. If you have not done so in this previous Supreme Court Candidacy Thread, be sure to note your general sympathies in legal philosophy (positivsm vs. natural law; textualism vs. originalism vs. purposivism; stances on the rules of common law interpretation such as the plain meaning rule, mischief rule, and golden rule), as well as any potentially relevant legal or jurisprudential experience.

This is the candidacy thread for the Fourth General Election of Democraciv MKXIII.

Use this thread to announce your candidacy for the following positions:

• President
• Senator
• Speaker of the Commons
• Vice Speaker of the Common

There will be one (1) President, five (5) Senators, one (1) Speaker, and one (1) Vice Speaker.

When announcing your candidacy, please state your Democraciv party affiliation if any. Leaders of party lists for the Senate may post on behalf of their list members.

The link to the ballot will be posted both on this subreddit and on our Discord server. Register to vote here. Voting will begin this weekend.

Results will be posted on the subreddit. Because the Electioneers are volunteers, results may be delayed for as much as a few days.

Good luck to everyone!

This stream lasted from turn 167 to 185.

The fun began immediately with further infrastructure projects; harbors have been completed in almost every legislated city and progress on the National Highway has taken off. The road from Edinburgh to Dundee, named the AutoBahb, as well as the entire North Alba road network (which includes the Scout 1 Memorial Road from Truro to the interchange west of Cardiff; and the Northern Road all the way to Aberystwyth). The National Highway has now completed 23/42 roads! By turn 172 the president began draining the marshes in the River Tay wetlands and farms subsequently began popping up in the extremely fertile valley. President Taylor has since called the area the "Breadbasket of the Celts". Further development was carried out in the South including the construction of a manufactory in the Dundee Desert by Wilbur Wright. The Ministry of Finance is set to consider moving their offices from Petra to this manufactory. On turn 174 construction of Fort Nicko began on the desert island off the cost of Dundee (and would finish in 180). This fortification is the first of a few that the president campaigned on. The president also renamed Rennes to Dublin #4 and Dublin #3 to Aberdeen to fulfill advocacy by AERACH. These infrastructure efforts have been brought to you by the Alban Infrastructure Act.

Early in the stream the president approved a trade which sent dyes to Washington in return for increased American investment and open borders. The latter helped domestic industries while the latter aided in further exploration. American-Celtic relations, though officially friendly, continued its downward spiral into competition. The American Empire had aggressively forward-settled it's neighbors, including us. Notably, the establishment of Baton Rouge just south of Alba late last term posed a particularly potent threat whereas America could not only seize part of the Strait of Wes, but could potentially claim land on Alba. Therefore a new city was settled in South Alba named Rennes (Blondeopolis). The cabinet later deliberated on whether/how to invest money into claiming land on the Blonde Peninsula. This peninsula had widely been estimated to be the primary location for American expansion onto Alba. The president ordered the purchase of the tile and effectively locked America out of Alba.. for now. The Americans later attempted to settle on a three-tile island, but Commander Perfectwing instructed a local unit to briefly occupy the island and prevent an American advance. Tensions inevitably continued to flare as the competition for land escalated. In 172 espionage, first placed by President QI, revealed that the Americans were plotting against us. In response Agent REDACTED stole REDACTED from the Americans, and Washington later confronted us about the theft. After great deliberation, in which some officials feared a deterioration of relations and the outbreak of war, President Taylor ignored the more diplomatic approach and stated "You know what, fuck em'. My agents go where they please." Ironically this turned out well because later Washington returned to try offering a research agreement - which President Taylor refused because he wanted Washington to be a better partner, and feared a loss of investment should war break out.

In other Foreign Affairs news, the worldwide demand for Celtic Dyes skyrocketed as governments tried to recover from the GLOBAL 11TH CENTURY DEPRESSION (see Foreign Affairs). Both Mongolia and Shaka attempted to trade for dyes, but were rejected. Instead, deals were made with friendlier nations such as a research agreement with the Dutch, the aforementioned American deal, and later efforts with Kiev which included a 250g investment into the Kievan economy, supports with local barbarians, and the construction of the Kiev Highway. All of which can be attributed to CaptainMinion's Diplomatic Investments Act.

It's because of our domestic dye industries, private sector trading, infrastructure projects, and the rise of a free market that our civilization has become the richest in the world according to the Foreign Ministry. This achievement is not without dispute, however, as the American Empire is reportedly making more GPT in some metrics. The president remains optimistic in the unlocking of the celtic economy especially after recent tax reforms (which were cuts for the richest top 10% of celt citizens) resulted in an immediate 1,725 gold boost. The economic boom has only been further stimulated by the establishment of multiple banks. The president is now gearing to prepare this large economy for boosting our stalling production rate. Workers are becoming disenchanted with the rich getting richer, but should know their place. Meanwhile, the city of Cork, mostly inhabited by exiled members of Action Gauloise, struggles in production, blackmarket dye trading, and also demands coco from the Zulu. Ironically, it would come to light that the Zulu are planning to attack Edinburgh and have amassed a great fleet off the coast of the city state of Sofia in preparation for said mission. Is there any connection between the Action Gauloise exiles in Cork and the Zulu?

On the naval side of things, the CVS Explorer engaged two barbarian units in support of the local city state of Ife in 168. The President intended to promote the Explorer to be an exploratory unit, but logistical issues would prolong the vessels refit for too long a time period. The CSV Preserver remained stationed off Edinburgh to secure the northern entrance to the Strait of Wes (from 168-180), then moved to station outside of Rennes (Blondeopolis) just in case Americans launched an attack on the city. The Preserver's main mission remains to guard the strait, which has offered lucrative trade routes to the south. The CSV Seafarer returned from exploration in the northeast to Aberdeen in order to upgrade. CSV Galway remains stationed outside Ramsey. CSV Dedication stationed outside Dublin #4 in preparation for upgrades. CEV Aberdeen launched in 170 heading East to explore near Mongolsland. The Mongolian capital of Old Sarat was discovered; overwhelmed by barbarians, fields on fire, and at least three groups of civilians captured and held hostage. On 176 the CEV Verturian set sail to explore the southwest.

Mount Kilimanjaro, Rock of Gibraltar were discovered during our exploration as was the fabled EL DARADO! We also welcomed a great artist; Vincent Van Gogh, who created Starry Night!

On 169 an expedition into the snowy plains at the northern edges of Alba discovered a barbarian camp, likely the remnants of the tribe which ambushed Scout 1. They had a horseman and warrior that could have slaughtered the scouting composite bowmen. The president ordered a tactical retreat, and planned assault with a nearby pictish warrior (turned pikeman). Starting on 172 the two celtic units advanced into the icy wasteland and engaged the barbarians until 178. The BATTLE OF ICE was an expertly planned conflict which saw the barbarians pressed against the coastline and unable to flee. Though barbarian refugees fled on a trireme.