It is our understanding that the presence in the
Herrschaden contingent recently attached to Prussian forces, of a regiment of
Monte-Cristan Freiwillige created some surprise. The Presipality as a State is perfectly neutral and unaligned, but it is not uncommon for adventurous Monte-Cristan boys (and girls, sometimes) to
individually enlist for a few years in foreign service: thus a purely Monte-Cristan unit in foreign service may be perceived as a shocking 'novelty', perhaps marking a change of Presipapal policy.
Such is not the case: the creation of this regiment is no more than a
purely formal modification of the status of the Monte-Cristan mercenaries already in Herrschadener service.
Indeed, the bulk of this infantry unit is made of Monte-Cristans already in the service of the Direktorat -veterans from the Jowetski legion, volunteers transfered from the Liebrgt. or the redirekted Oebel Dragoner- completed with unemployed MC soldiers from the various and sundry forces disbanded in the general area after the end of the war in Lifonlia. When creating the Monte-Cristan IR the Direktorat did not raise a new unit, merely converged in a body of their own Monte-Cristan soldiers so far scattered among various outfits: a purely administrative step, without any meaning or importance outside the Herrschaden military structure.
As for the cavalry element raised by Direktorix Katarin Lahmia during her sojourn in the Presipality, it is made of individuals serving her not as soldiers of MC nationality but as private persons who enthusiastically volunteered to become her bucellarii. Monte-Cristans greatly admire stong-minded women who broke the chains of sexist prejudices and traditions, and are extremely fond of 'Lady Katarin' as she is affectionately called here. The Presipality is in now way involved or implied in such private affairs.
Nonetheless, to prevent any malevolent comment or ill-meaning interpretation, the Presipapal Palace emphatically stresses that the so-called 'Monte-Cristan' units in Herrschadener service, and every one of their members, are under a carefully parsed contract of SWISS type, and can in no way be deemed breaches in, or infringements of, the traditional Monte-Cristan policy of perfect neutrality.
The Presipapal Palace warmly compliments and thanks the famous military fashion designer and long-lasting friend of Monte-Cristo,
David Linienblatt of Tippelbruder, for the great flags, beautiful, inspirational and meaningful in every minute detail, he kindly drew for this new units.
According to
Monte-Cristan practice, each unit has a single flag with 'State's' and 'regimental' sides, rather than a set of two flags, one 'State's' and one 'regimental'.
GREETINGS!
On the first weeks of July 1713, sighting of vessels flying a previously unknown set of ensigns was repeatedly reported to naval authorities in Western Mediterranean. This caused some logical expectation at first, along with an undeniably worrying degree, for the rumours about a new Corsairs of Berbery leadership soon arose. The fact is that the flags shown by such vessels were long known by sailors of all around Mediterranean shores, but their arrangement on ships was plainly unusual -and this was the feature mostly contributing to the rumours propagation.
However, identity uncertainties didn't last too much, for soon it was delivered an official message to all Southern European chancelleries from the Catalan Parliament -except for the Bourbon Spanish ones, to be honest- containing a formal notification of the new naval war flags adopted by this Principality, along with their detailed description. A few days later, ships from Majorca island were also reported to have switched to the new set of flags, as well as those from Sardinia -this seemed to reflect some kind of consent by the Holy Emperor Charles VI, for both islands were still garrisoned by Imperial troops, so that diplomatic unrest among most Mediterranean chancelleries began fading soon.
