Ghost Embassy of the Spectral Accords
This institution operates at the boundary between what was and what persists. Our delegates carry credentials from nations that no longer appear on any map, yet their authority remains undiminished. Every treaty signed within these walls binds not the living but the memory of the living -- and memory, as any diplomat knows, is the most binding contract of all.
The protocols of this embassy are immutable. The dress code is formal. The language is precise. The negotiations are eternal.
We recognize all nations, past and present, whose flags once flew over sovereign territory. The dissolution of borders does not dissolve the diplomatic bonds forged within them. A handshake between phantoms carries the same weight as one between presidents.
Protocol is not a convenience of the living. It is the architecture of order itself. When the last delegate fades, the protocol will remain -- etched into the marble, humming in the chandeliers, waiting for the next arrival who understands its language.
There exist territories visible only to those with the proper clearance -- corridors between corridors, rooms that appear on no floor plan. These spaces are sovereign, and their sovereignty is recognized by this embassy.
All spectral delegates enjoy full immunity within and beyond these walls. They may not be detained, questioned, or exorcised without the express written consent of the Ambassador Plenipotentiary.
Signed in the year of the last sunset, this accord established the permanent diplomatic twilight under which this embassy operates. Neither day nor night holds jurisdiction here. The chandeliers burn phosphor, not flame, and the light they cast remembers every face that ever stood beneath them.
The registry is kept in ink that fades and reappears with the phases of the moon. Currently, 347 phantom delegates maintain active credentials. Their portfolios span commerce, culture, territorial disputes, and the delicate matter of interdimensional border negotiations.
Should a living diplomat present credentials at our gates, the following protocols apply: they shall be received with full honors, seated at the table that faces west, and served tea that has been cooling since 1947. They shall conduct their business with courtesy and shall not, under any circumstances, look directly at the chandelier.
The embassy remains open. The protocols endure. You are expected.