[You have declared yourself a monarch of the newly declared nation “The New Empire of the Saharliard”. In order for your nation to be recognized as such, you must do the following:


    <ol>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Declare your nation as extant to three foreign nations’ qualified representatives. Progress: 0/3</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Gain a population of at least 20,000 sapient civilian inhabitants within the bounds of your new nation. Progress: 1,148/20,000</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Establish a capital city. Note: The requirements of a capital city are as follows;</li>


    <ol>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Able to house, provide for, and protect 10,000 inhabitants.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Contains three established public institutions, such as a school, a policing force, or a city council.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Has an established governance office.</li>


    </ol>


    </ol>


    There will be benefits granted to citizens and the monarch upon the completion of the establishment of the nation and capital city, including a new evolution.]


    I smiled, Sybil flaring her frills in assent, though not knowing why I was as happy as I was. The third requirement was mostly one I’d already known and was in the process of completing, though I hadn’t been knowledgeable about the second and third subrequirements. Even so, they seemed to be requisite in the search of creating a country, and I didn’t mind ensuring my country was successful and well-governed. The first would be difficult for at least two of the three necessary foreign nations. I could imagine it wouldn’t be altogether too difficult to find someone to speak to from one of the indlovu tribes. The other two, however, might pose more of a struggle, given that the only other nations I knew of were the Moonchildren and Sunkindred in the Wilds, the Veratocracy, and maybe Shandr, the city ruled over by Drolick.


    Then, there were the public institutions. We hadn’t established anything explicitly like that before, and I couldn’t say that I had any clue as to what institutions my people would need. A military, I was sure. Would a group specifically made to hunt creatures from our surroundings count for the System? Eventually, a diplomatic corps would be necessary, but should that be one of my primary focuses right here as we were beginning?


    Before I lost myself entirely in my musing, I refocused on the world around me and spoke with Sybil.


    “Nievtala has given me guidance. I know some of the goals that we should focus on at this time.”


    “Very well, Alpha. Do you want me to call for the elites to gather? It would not take very long.”


    “No. For now, I want to plan and think about it with you. Once we have solidified our expectations for the Empire, then we can go about building it.”


    Sybil fought to contain the excited movements of her tail and smile, but I knew my mate too well at this point and teased her by bumping my hip into hers. Or, I attempted to. My hip instead hit her ribs just below her shoulders and nearly sent her sprawling. She kept her composure as she gathered herself, though my mate did cock her head at me in the barest hint of disapproval. I laughed, allowing the sound of happiness to carry past me without any hesitance.


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    “What is it that you wish to counsel with me about?”


    “We’re building our city here, our capital.” I stated, looking as it was spread before us. I walked through one of the half a dozen entrances that Ytte and her assistants had created in the past 20 days. There, I led us up the stairs to the walls, looking over the city as it gradually took form as a liveable home for all of us keelish. Day by day, its form changed, and I could see the vision of what it once was overlaying the decrepit ruins that remained.


    “If reality ends up reflecting our plan, then we’ll have thousands of keelish, of Keel, living in this city. What do you think will be the most necessary steps to take to ensure that we can provide for and rule over so many of our people?”


    “A public fighting arena, a military, and a policing force. Directly after that would be foreign affairs, though education will take its place if it is the case that there are many young hatched before that time.” She spoke immediately and without hesitation. She truly believed in the words, and though I initially doubted her strong stance, it quickly clicked in my mind.


    At this point, I had been without any real challenge since I’d challenged Redael, my father, for leadership of the swarm. Even then, it had been far from a difficult fight, all of my greatest struggles coming from outside of my people who, even if they complained and were sometimes wholly insufferable, followed me without much difficulty or challenge. Even so, I knew in my heart that if someone challenged my authority, vanishingly improbable as that would be with my newest [Title], I would put that dissidence down with impunity. No longer would I be forced to kill whoever rose against me, given that, as I checked [Spear of the Many], all 1,148 residents of New Nievtra were considered my true believers. Even so, I would need to show everyone that I remained Ashlani, their Alpha, their Emperor, their Zaaktif.


    Regardless of how many other ways we changed, this civilization, the New Empire, would, for better or worse, continue to prioritize might over most anything else. When there were disagreements, arguments, and fights, as necessity was replaced by desire and survival was changed for comfort, my people would fight, and not with words. Keelish that evolved to khatif would seek dominance over their peers, khatif that became Keel would desire respect and requisite treatment, and they wouldn’t ask for these things. Perhaps I could work to change my people at their very core, to become like the Veushten in the Veratocracy, but that was not our way. The strong deserved to rule, and it would work wonders for the satisfaction of my people to provide for them a place where they could resolve disputes in an aggressive, though nonlethal way.


    “Sounds good. For now, we’ll mention to one of the Kha’Tal that we want the arena. That won’t be pressing, but they’ll work around that as an eventuality, which will mean we’ll have less we’ll need to do later in return. Brutus, Shemira, and Ytte should work together on the policing force, while Took will spearhead the creation and leadership of the military force. I don’t believe that you’ll be necessary in the organization of the military. Do you?”


    Sybil clacked her teeth, agreeing with my sentiment. Then, she smiled. “I believe I can teach you yet. A solid plan.”


    I leaned down and whispered in her ear as I wrapped my tail around hers, “I don’t enjoy planning, but I can do it. But there is something I do enjoy that I can teach you. The moment you awake as a Keel, you’ll learn.”


    Then, I stood tall, grinning down at the slightly flustered Sybil. I shifted tones completely, trying to keep her off-balance, “Now, there is one more thing.”