301 - Forum Diplomacy Only Steel SVC

[Archangel]

RD-GI
Greetings, Bloodgulper. It is nice to talk to someone else who enjoys the warm, coppery taste of my favorite drink. We offer you our friendship and a deal.  Knowing that you must share Amberland with the Red Mage, we are prepared to let you add a town and a village in the Eastern Steppes to add to your holdings as they grow. We would suggest that these be in the western part of that land. Either you can look for them yourself or (as I would suggest), when we take the region, we can offer up two suitable ones for you to take in whatever manner most pleases you.
In exchange, we would like a Non-Aggression Pact (NAP) with your kingdom to run through Turn 18. This means that we will take no harmful action against each other - military, political, HC votes or agent action. Write your answer in the stones and we shall read it as we fly over.
His Tremendous Majesty, King Loman Firebreather

Hail Mighty King Loman Firebreather!

We do accept your offer of Non-Aggression and will not take any harmful actions against you through Turn 18.

Let this be written in stone!!

[HeadHoncho]

OOC: Nice post to you as well, LT! And welcome to Archangel and also SyvieRafa, looks like this is the first game for both of you. I think you'll find this crew to be both helpful and fun. I said it before, but I think the public diplomacy format is good for new folks, because conflict is often deferred for the initial stage, and it's harder to coordinate attacks and so people aren't as likely to be blitzed to near-elimination as quickly as in other games. We're happy to offer hints and tips and advice, and hopefully in a manner that's even close to objective.

Speaking of which, Archangel/GI, please note that the offer of the NAP from RD also included a town and village in the Eastern Steppes, which is a nice little kicker since technically RD didn't need to offer you anything. But it's also smart, because it's better than you fighting him for access. In most games where both GI and WA are active, the two of them split Amberland, with each taking a city (GI usually taking Evanon since it's more easily accessible to his troops, and WA usually taking the more defensible Avalon), and some towns and villages going to each. From my own experience, GI as the "big brother" and the one with better movement rates for exploration usually gets control of Amberland, while WA takes a sizable minority of the region.

SyvieRafa/UN, the Gnomish offer is actually quite good as well. Although I have seen situations where the Underworld gets control of Runnimede, that tends to be rare, and more often you see GN in control with UN receiving a sizable minority of the region. Given that GN has beaten you to the RD offer, that also adds to the argument for his control. With that said, the big outstanding question will be who gets to control Cradia (tougher to decide since Runnimede only has one city, as opposed to Amberland with two), with the other person perhaps obtaining the majority of the towns and villages.

Just some initial thoughts, of course every other experienced player is welcome to chime in. I think UN could also get a good education from Thudargh in the other public diplomacy game (#195 in the Active Games thread), who has taken a really neat approach.

EDIT: By the way, in case it wasn't clear, Ruingurth and I are just having some fun role-playing two "natural enemies"... there's no animosity or hard feelings or anything like that at all, I can say (and confidently assume).

[HeadHoncho]

The King Under the Mountain, Darin III, considered the words of his closest advisors carefully. The Dwarvesmoot had gone on far longer than most, as matters of war and peace were being discussed actively. One faction was offended by the Red's demand of their ancestral capital, and was urging him to fight, especially after receiving the Black's recent missive. Another faction sought peace, although Darin wondered whether they were perhaps too eager to seek it, potentially at any price.

As his spies brought back word of other correspondence, Darin saw that if the Red were required to give up any of the Eastern Steppes, it would be a relatively small portion. But was it enough to justify the concession of Hammerhold? Wars were fought for less, in the past. And the peasants of the Talking Mountains were more favorably inclined to the Dwarves than the Red, to be sure, and plus the People had ways of fighting in the mountains that would make it difficult for the Red, especially at Hammerhold, and whether or not an outright victory was available might be beside the point if the People could hold out until the swift-flying Black could arrive.

But fighting benefited neither of them, especially with the serene lands to the south so open and inviting.

So what was a King to do?

"Grundun, write two letters..."

DW-BL

To the Great Desert King, Who Is Swift in Both Flight and Thought,

Greetings, I am Grundun, writing to you on behalf of the King Under the Mountain, Darin III! We received your recent missive with gladness.

As you yourself have indicated, peace is a precious treasure, and with that in mind, we are seeking to reach a mutual understanding with the Red. The nature of his initial contact was, perhaps, a bit more bellicose and a bit less accommodating that we might have hoped, and so it remains possible that we will not be able to reach said understanding with him. We remain hopeful, however, and to that end we intend to be flexible in our negotiations.

With that said, if and only if our negotiations with the Red break down, it would be helpful for us to know if you had any specific thoughts or assistance to offer?

Regardless, we thank you for your contact, and are interested in excellent future relations with you.

Warmly,
Grundun, Chief Diplomat for the Dwarves

DW-RD

Tremendous Majesty, King Loman Firebreath,

We bring you greetings, as well as thanks for your initial response. Although certain members of King Darin III's court were, shall we say, a bit taken aback by your interest in what has historically been the People's ancient capital, my King is a bold and innovative thinker, and not one to be automatically swayed by the immediately-expressed concerns of traditionalists.

With that said, even if we were to agree with your proposal in concept, there are always the endless details and logistics that accompany many matters of state. I hesitate to even mention them, simply because I am loathe to impose on your Tremendous Majesty's time, but I am merely a loyal servant of my King, and thus I must forward his expression of the People's interests, as mundane as they might be to an awesome one such as yourself.

We would respectfully and humbly propose the following:

1) We would like to have a non-aggression pact, and also a mutual defense pact sheerly for bona fide invasions of either the Talking Mountains or the Eastern Steppes, through the end of next winter [i.e. end-of-T19].

2) We would also like to ask you for the general area (if any) that you may be scouting on your way from the Talking Mountains to the Eastern Steppes, as well as the locations of any towns or villages in the Talking Mountains that you might overfly. (We ourselves have our second group on the border, and so unfortunately we would not have any helpful information to offer back to you.)

3) Out of a desire to control the Talking Mountains as soon as possible, as well as to assuage the concerns of the traditionalists, we would like to take Hammerhold for a season, but would then vacate at the end of this winter [i.e. T7] so you would have full production from it starting in the spring. Separately, this would allow you to concentrate your resources fully on the Eastern Steppes, and avoid the heavy food drain of a city in the mountains in winter.

4) Given the possibility of your great migration to the Eastern Steppes, and your recent deal for food with the Stubnoses, we would humbly beseech you for land rights at your village in the Talking Mountains. This would again assist us in taking control of the Talking Mountains as soon as possible. We would propose to go there politically, with plans to make the peaceful transfer in mid-Autumn [i.e. T3], so you would retain production for the next three months.

5) Finally, if there ever were to come a time when you make the decision to move your capital elsewhere, we would like to at that point ask to trade our town in the Eastern Steppes for your town in the Talking Mountains, which would have the benefit of further entrenching each of us in control of our respective regions.

Tremendous Majesty, this would essentially achieve your goal of Hammerhold, we are only requesting a bit of time, and one small village in exchange for the addition of that great city to your empire. We earnestly desire peace and friendship with you, so please let us know if the above is agreeable to your Tremendous Majesty. Until then, we remain

Your Short but Stout Stalwarts,
Grundun, for the Dwarves

[Jumpingfist]

WI

A large throne made of skulls sites at the end of a massive chamber empty. This great chamber within the floating castle of the Eternal Eye lighted with no source and its high ceiling with a twenty foot hole shaped as an eye in the center. Though the rain and clouds can be seen, not a drop enters the chamber. Alive with music and dance the chamber is filled with his most loyal followers. Suddenly everything goes quite except for the scampering for feet has small murmurs of "He has returned." .Six cloaked figures standing next to his throne look to the crowd with red glowing eyes. As the movement in the chamber stops everyone except the wizards have there heads down and none are standing directly underneath the eye shaped hole a figure appears sitting in the thrown. With his signature cloak and hood pulled over his head sitting just above his mouth. A single six inch shimmering black eye on the hood of the cloak where the figures eyes if not hidden would be opens.

Silence as the Eternal Eye scans the room. Then a the figure smiles showing his decaying pointed teeth. "I have returned!" booming unnaturally through the camber. "We are very pleased so many loyal followers are still here to see the rise of the Eternal Eye once again over the lands of Alamaze. The war with the giants took it toll but we have returned stronger. My wizards the strongest in the lands. Your efforts to stockpile the bones of our enemies will come to good use in the months to come. The Eternal Eye watches all and knows all."

A humanoid figure from outside the chamber enters scanning the room as he walks forward.
he speaks "Great King of the Mists, we represent the" he is cut off mid sentence.
The Eternal Eye catches the glance and stops staring directly on the figure. The eye becomes red and the King speaks "You are not a creature of magic. How dare you look upon the Eternal Eye!" A bolt of lightning shoots through the eye in the ceiling and strikes the human dead.

An Elf wisely learning from the human enters the chamber with his eyes averted from the king.
The King speaks "Elf you are brave to come here. Tell your King we do not seek war with the Elfs. We do not like your forest full of life and your people with there skinny fragile bones make bad warriors. We are interested in securing a peace between our people, perhaps 13 months and exchanging town in our respective lands. We would also like it agreed no Elven patrols of our seas without our approval. We can revise this peace in a year before the peace has expired."

The King "Wizards prepare the message boxes." the eldest wizard steps forward holding a square wooden box with a small floating eye above each box. The King speaks into the boxes one at a time then sends the boxes up through the eye hole in the roof.

DW
"Grundun, the Eternal Eye will accept your NAP for 13 months to be revisited in one year. We would also like to exchange villages between our lands. if you are comfortable we are willing to give the location of our village in your lands in exchange for the location of your village in our realm."

RD
"Great Winged King, as a creature of the oldest of magics and out of respect for your true power. You are welcome to visit our floating castle at anytime. We will not touch your village in our lands, but would ask for as close a description to its location as you are willing to say."

GI
"Our people have fought many wars. Let us put that in the past and agree to stay on our own side of our boarders at least for now. We will agree to stop taking your people and turning them into our Skeleton Knights."

WA
"Magus as the only other pure mage in the lands we would like to make an agreement with you that we will not use magics to kill each others wizards in battle. They are the heard blood of our kingdom and only others benefit when we fight in such ways. We have no plans to attack just seeking to set some rules of engagement between ourselves during the calm times."

All
"let it be known to all any who would take part in hurting our kingdom or our assests will fall prey to the lay of the Eternal Eye. An eye for eyes. each action against our people will get twice the reaction in return."

[VballMichael]

OOC - some more nice posts.

[VballMichael]

EL - WI

Your Lord of the Eternal Eye:

Thank you for not incinerating my young cousin who visited your court recently. We have heard your words and are in agreement with them in principle. Our initial thought is that we would prefer to keep our respective towns in other regions of the world. My people are settled nicely in their town in the Mists, and it makes a nice vacation spot and emergency escape place for my people. Likewise, I would think you would benefit from a town that is protected in our forests. Let me know your thoughts on this. If we do agree to the exchange of towns, we only ask that as you take our town in the Mists, that you do not slay or enslave the Elves who live therein, but allow them to migrate home. Likewise, we will treat your people gently (unless they prefer rough treatment). As for the peace, we gratefully accept through the thirteenth month. Our fleets will not patrol the waters between our lands, though my people do have occasion to use the waterway to come home over the next month or two.

Still, we are troubled by the magics you research and counsel you once again, as in ages past, that such dark magics can only lead to self-destruction. Witness the plague the Dark Elves caused upon themselves and they no longer roam these lands. If ever you are of a mind to see the light, please come visit us and we will share with you the gentler magics.

Loriendalis, King of the High Elves

[Jumpingfist]

WI - EL

King Loriendalis,

We shall give save passage through our lands for your soldier, sailors and pilgrims. Trust when we say there is nothing a kind hearted Elf would think as tourture that could scare the peoples of our town. I think we need to just give the location of our town. This turn we will move the troops off the town so you can move an emissary to it next month then on the 3rd month we will tax the town so all the people leave and you can gain control more easily. Plus shows we are not interested in invading your lands. Would you be willing to do the same? Our town in located three clicks west of viperhead in the forest just on to boarder of our regions.

As for magics. We are the reincarnate of the Dark Lord. The Eternal Eye has downloaded all memories and actions of the Dark Lords before me. Where the Drow failed was thinking they could manipulate the life force you draw upon for your magics to the darker magics. I focus on the forces surrounding death and the power of rebirth.

[VballMichael]

EL - WI

Let the people rejoice. We are agreed. We will also move our group this month and then tax our town in the third month. It is located in the water 4 clicks east and 2 north from Viperhead.

We hear and understand your belief in your magics and wish you luck. But our offer stands to teach you the white magic if you should ever wish it.

King Loriendalis

[IMPERIAL_TARK]

RA
Lady SteelHawk strode confidently through the Great Hall en route to her Council meeting.  Adorned in her battle garb she still found it preferable to the frilly fashions the royals seemed to adore.  She caught herself ever so briefly in one of the full length mirrors and noted the small jagged scar that ran along her left jawline, a constant reminder of what happens when one lets one guard down for but an instance. No longer the “looker” she was in her youth, she still retained her tall, agile, and athletic form but her face was clearly more “distinguished” in her mid-thirties.  Her trademark white leather cape flowed behind her trimmed in white fur and a soft blue border matching her piercing blue eyes and platinum blonde hair.  Portraits of her father, the former King (his death earlier this year still grieved her immensely) and her grandfather hung along the walls.  It gave her great pride to know that her grandfather had led the Crusades that had helped drive the Trolls from all of Alamaze once and for all.  Meanwhile, it had been her father who helped contain the Drow spread before their vile magics got the better of them releasing a plague that clearly had been meant for their pale-skinned cousins and wiping them from existence instead.  A fact she intended to remind the other kingdoms of now that she was receiving missives from many different lands.  Her own diplomatic skills had helped peacefully absorb the old Sorcerer kingdom into the Ranger lands paving the way for the Rangers to finally gain full control of Synisvania; a fact that comforted her people when she ascended to the throne as Queen of the Rangers with her father’s passing.  Her people clearly adored her, often referring to her as “the White Lady” and sometimes the “Snow Queen” given her affinity for the color white and all things cold.  Of course, she was equally pleased with the nickname she had earned from her prowess on the battlefield, though she no soldier had even referred to her as the “Blue Ice Bitch” to her face.
   The room of advisors fell silent as she entered.  Dispensing with traditional pleasantries she gave a respectful nod and immediately stated, “Tell me”.  After listening to the various missives that had arrived and her council’s wizened advice with much debate and discussion she rose and issued her decrees to the various scribes and messengers at hand.

RA -> ALL

The Rangers claim their historical regional lands of Synisvania.  Any kingdoms that have PCs in this region as of this day, may retain them and/or trade them for PCs of our own.  We welcome and entertain alliances and non-aggression pacts of all types and lengths.  We would also ask that our Patrols be allowed into other regions without interference while we reclaim many historical artifacts that have been lost or stolen from our lands.  We will extend the same courtesy to others so long as nothing larger than a single Patrol is sent and we are advised ahead of time that the Patrol will be in our lands.

RA -> BL

Your words are honorable and noble indeed.  The RA will agree to a 15 turn formal alliance (including military support to any that would initiate hostilities against either of us) to show our desire for both prosperity and security with our southern neighbor which can be mutually extended at any time if you but agree.  I would also alert you that I will have two groups entering the Southern Sands to retrieve two artifacts including the Oracle of the Old Gods you referenced in your own missive if you would find that satisfactory.  I can of course provide some tokens of food and gold as compensation if this would inconvenience you.  P.S., I appreciate your reference to my father, the former King, in your missive.  My apologies for not notifying you early that I had ascended the throne upon his death of old age.  But the many duties of the crown…. well, you understand.

RA -> DE

Long have our peoples maintained a peace despite our “different” ideologies.  The tones from the Talking Mountains grow threatening, demanding, and ominous.  I would offer a NAP between our respective kingdoms for 13 turns should that meet with your approval.  I am open to other offers.

RA-> To all who seek to claim the Eastern Steppes

Know that the RA will not stand by idly and allow the Eastern Steppes to get divvied up and serve as a base to launch operations into our lands.  We are certainly willing to negotiate in good faith for our fair share of the lands including the PCs in the Sea of Drowning and those east of the Sea in the Eastern Steppes and west of the Sea of Drowning where it dips just to the west of Synisvania.  Every PC north and west of those points we will not contest so long as our concerns are honored.  You will find our military more than ready and capable for those than do not wish to resolve this fairly and equitably.

Lady SteelHawk, Snow Queen of the Rangers

[Acererak]

DE- OOC

Hey Guys. Looking forward to sitting down and doing a bit of roleplay but also didn't want to have people thinking I'm not engaged. Work is pretty freaking busy so look for more this weekend. But:

- Clearly my early focus will be on Arcania. I would unequivocally claim it as my region, all of those who presently have pcs should be able to retain them unless they are the difference between early control, and if that is the case I will mention it on the board.

Saw a couple of missives directed at me from the BL and RA. I lean towards accepting BL overture for NAP. RA- I will consider yours as well.

Thanks all. Yours in fire.