Destiny of Empires [Diplo Game] [Story Thread 7 - April 2011]

[OzzyKP]

This is the Story and Diplomacy Thread for the Diplo Game "Destiny of Empires" (DoE)

The purpose of this thread is to post in-character story posts and diplomacy for this game. Please discuss all organizational aspects of this game the Organization Thread.
Use your Anonymous Apolyton Game Account to put posts in this thread.

Destiny of Empires is a diplomacy game.
The players try to rule their empires like they are real. Role playing and story telling is an important way to achieve this.
Fore more information visit the Diplogame FAQ by OzzyKP



For more information visit the Organization Thread.

[Russia (DoE)]

Russia accepts Inca as a host to the peace negotiations.

And Russia puts it straight:

Before the end of this turn, all involved parties in the Axis - Neandor, Vikings and France to make a statement if thy agree that South Britania including London have to be returned to England.

If no such statement is made, Russia will cease all peace negotiations considering them only attempt of buying time and tricking the world showing good will, which is not present.

If no such statement is made from all the nations from the Neandor-Vikings-France Axis, Russia will start active military actions against all of them, including, but not limited to naval and land invasions.

It must be clear - either you are willing to have reasonable peace, or you are not!!!

[Russia (DoE)]

[OOC] If you need some more time, a pause is acceptable. I am not finished my turn and will want to log in once more and act accordingly if you choose the war path.[/OOC]

[England (DoE)]

Russia accepts Inca as a host to the peace negotiations.

And Russia puts it straight:

Before the end of this turn, all involved parties in the Axis - Neandor, Vikings and France to make a statement if thy agree that South Britania including London have to be returned to England.

If no such statement is made, Russia will cease all peace negotiations considering them only attempt of buying time and tricking the world showing good will, which is not present.

If no such statement is made from all the nations from the Neandor-Vikings-France Axis, Russia will start active military actions against all of them, including, but not limited to naval and land invasions.

It must be clear - either you are willing to have reasonable peace, or you are not!!!

England agrees to such a reasonable starting point for negotiations.

[France (DoE)]

[OOC] If you need some more time, a pause is acceptable. I am not finished my turn and will want to log in once more and act accordingly if you choose the war path.[/OOC]

[OOC] As of this point in time, we are still at war. The play order has you playing first. Please play your turn. [/OOC]

[Russia (DoE)]

"That is enough, Georgii - they are just fooling us" Queen Catherine said to her Military Minister.

Esli ne hotiat mira, dam ih sekira!

[France (DoE)]

Marc Renaud, the Minister of Foreign Affairs sat in his office, reading again the recent public statement from the Inca.

On French Claims


...France, there is no justification for aggressive war, nor for aggressive dogpiling.

... your simple lies and half-truths will not persuade us.

....Your greed and sadism shine through the thin veils of "justification" and "security" you have tried to abruptly toss over the face of this war.

... You are but international muggers, bloody opportunists, now stealing bread from peasants of the English countryside to feed your villainous bands of thieves and murderers as they aim to steal yet more for King and Country.

.... as there is no inspiration in common thuggery.

.... So, you will make more poems of royal murder and royal lies, a people hopelessly obsessed with power and its machinations, in thrall to your barbaric royalty, unquestioning of its bloody and cruel nature, a nation crippled intellectually and scientifically by its military establishment, its purpose now clearly evident and on display for the world to see.

Renaud smiled to himself. And this is the so-called 'objective' nation that was going to host the peace talks. It is no wonder the damnanglais and Rus were so eager to hold it there. He mused why they did not approach a truly neutral country such as India, or even Arabia for that matter.

But it was probably all for naught anyway. Russia finally showed her hand by declaring war on Neandor. The two giants of the world facing one another. Where would this end? And what would King Phillipe do after the last few days of furious diplomacy.

Renaud would find out within the hour. The King had summoned a meeting of senior officials.

[Germany (DoE)]

To the Inca Chair of the peace process.

"I believe London will be the sticking point in these discussions.

In a another world with different historic circumstance my deep held belief is that a kingdom or said nation should claim the right to its original capital if such kingdom or nation survives as an empire and as a distinct group of people.

Such is the case with the English in this world.

However, with such appalling planning on the site locations of London and Paris along with massive losses by France in the war, and given the historic cultural battle between London and Paris I believe that France has the right to gain ownership of London in this case.

King Phillipe has the right to claim London.

If it were possible for London's wonders to be moved I would consider that, but of course such a course is not possible.

If these negotiations had occurred BEFORE the French involvement I would be softer in my position but alas for too long all the warring nations have maintained their strategic advantages and insisted on their tactical moves. Neander is guilty of this also as we do not wish to extend the war to the colonies but we have been given no choice.

I also support any Viking claims to Northern England and am wondering if Plymouth is a negotiable point or whether another city more appropriately located by transferred to the English possibly along with some war reparations.

But in this lifetime London must surely be transferred to France.

I am open to calm and rational dialog on these matters but if threats and stand-over tactics are utilized by participant nations in these talks Neander will re-consider her position.

Advise to all nations involved... choose words and tones careful else these talks utterly fail as the world plunges into an abyss.

I will attempt to have an open mind and will be persuaded by reasoned argument and not aggression.

King Veneta of the Neander Line"

[Inca (DoE)]

On the Inca Chair

It appears that there is some controversy over the Inca mediating in these matters, as Inca have taken a very public side on the matters and have arms contracts with some of the active participants, being that we are traders and merchants primarily. Inca have also not heard from England as to their acceptance of Inca leadership. Inca wish for the peace process to proceed quickly, but if this peace is not properly attained now, it will only lead to further war and strife as bereaved parties, feeling slighted or cheated, will seek to justify those slights.

We thank the Neandor and other parties for their vocal support of such a prestigious Inca role, and hope an agreeable situation may be found for all regarding the chair, be it Inca or otherwise. We simply feel that there still are serious qualms over an Inca chair, and these must (quickly) be resolved before meaningful talks can begin.

On an Indian or Other Chair

The Inca feel that giving the chair to the Indians is laughable, not due to their status, but due to the fact they are actively engaged in the war with an official declaration and are an effective Neandor protectorate/puppet state. Whatever qualms one may have of an Inca chair, an Indian chair would surely be less fair and objective.

As much as the Inca wish to take part, perhaps Arabia, or a power like China, would be better suited for the role? A power clearly not involved yet meaningful on the world stage, and perhaps in closer proximity? As some aspects of the peace talks will necessarily involve China and Japan due to the Australian issue, giving the chair to the former would be a good idea, we feel.

On the Inca Position in the Pacific

All we ask is to have our voices heard on matters, especially those of the Pacific, as it is as direct an interest of ours as of the Indians or any other, being that it abuts our own colonies and is as close to us as to the Indians. Our preliminary stance is thus:

That if Australian lands are to change hands, they must change hands into Chinese or Japanese territory, as no other power has nearly as justifiable a claim as those two. This will avoid any issues over "spoils of war" and will resolve a potential flash-point of future conflicts once and for all. Still, Inca see no reason for these territories to change hands at present unless the various parties to the talks are in accordance with this approach.


Signed,

Pupotan Manco
Sapa Tantac Y'npazhak
Capaco, Empire of Inca

[Germany (DoE)]

[B][SIZE=3]
On an Indian or Other Chair

The Inca feel that giving the chair to the Indians is laughable, not due to their status, but due to the fact they are actively engaged in the war with an official declaration and are an effective Neandor protectorate/puppet state. Whatever qualms one may have of an Inca chair, an Indian chair would surely be less fair and objective.

Mr Manco!

This does not help and it is absolutely wrong!

The Indians are a proud and independent people who have throughout history stood up for themselves, even against the Neander, in a defiant and strong manner. They are not at war with anyone.

They have negotiated tough with us and even closed borders and pressured us in other ways leaving us with no misunderstanding about who is controlling Australasian affairs.

-

And with the European war, since others refer to us as some sort of super-marionation expert, it is the Vikings who have set the pace in Europe, not Neander. As the Neander King I have purely and simply tailored our diplomacy to help reach mutually beneficial goals.

King Gozzo, King Phillipe and myself are equals in all respects. And other nations who have had dealings with the Neander may say that we negotiate true and fair. I trust this is so.

Veneta.

[Russia (DoE)]

Advise to all nations involved... choose words and tones careful else these talks utterly fail as the world plunges into an abyss.

There is no "peace-talks" to fail. You just continue with your hypocrisy. You claim the Inca biased and point out how Damn Anglais and Russia approved them - i.e. be happy by such a biased judge. The only biased thing here is you somehow missed that the Vikings approved them too

Vikings welcome peace talks. We approve the Inca as the host.

and the neandors too

I suggest the Inca chair the peace process.

You, Veneta asked about the acceptable terms for all the parties, but when you were said that the English will not leave London in enemy hands, you started to excuse the holding of London with the great losses France got while fighting this aggressive war - I can tell them that they would saved their losses by just staying at home, not launching an oversea invasion dog-piling already struggling to survive nation. Also your historical and cultural reasons. In your typical manner you put labels to the cities "ill-placed" you called ill-placed St.Petersburg too, despite it is exactly the same distance from my capitol as your city Nordica is from your capitol. And I even moved one tile away before settling Moscow. What gives you the moral right to have such claims to the other nations living places? Where the English were supposed to go if not settling on the shore? Aren't the French who settled aggressively Paris towards their tiny island?

It came to me now that none of you never actually wanted a just peace. You wanted the English destroyed and here they are. Neandor arranged it, the Vikings executed it and the puppet state of France finished them, so Neandor did not had to bloody their own hands too much. How it was "inevitable" to capture cities on the other side of the world? How they was supposed to help you relieve the blockade from your coast? How it came that "by accident" you captured the city you initially wanted to settle and then again "accidentally" the Indians gracefully dont want it, although you trumpeted to the whole world how fair you negotiated with them to have the right to settle in the Indian Ocean and you dont want any more colonies there? What they could tell? Are they nuts to oppose you and share the fate of the English? See for yourself how much they feel you are right - just 1 turn after your defensive pact was activated, they sign peace with England. This is what I call peace-loving nation. These acts only supports my initial thoughts that you claimed Australia for yourself when you initially planned this all.

Vikings are maybe the most fair in this - they straight and silent planned their war operation and executed it

If the world now let this to pass, it will be an official enact of the law of the jungle, not the right from this world. No one will be ever safe from now on from the aspirations of the strong of the day, being they Neandors, Vikings or even France.

I am asking all the nations of the world, even the one who we never met yet to stop trading with the evil Axis - the Neandors, the Vikings and the French. Condemn them now, close your borders and cancel all your deals with them, act now and dont bow and hide, hoping that the storm will miss you. Every time you shut-up for an injustice, small piece of your soul dies. Do you want to live in a soulless world?

What future this brings?

I write this proclamation exposing the evil machinations of the Axis to the world, carefully choosing my words, exactly as Neandor suggested it. My frustration is so big, that otherwise my words would be not ones who are supposed to come out of such an nobble elegant mouth as mine.

Catherine of Rus

[Germany (DoE)]

I am not sure who you are shouting at Catherine but Neander supports the Inca chair. The French have a few problems with it, not us.

Neander is simply putting ideas forward as a contribution to the peace process. Do you understand how it works? All sides calmly put forward their ambit positions (not the final result) and then the negotiations begin, slowly working towards, hopefully, a resolution.

One can not insist on a final outcome at the outset of the peace process. I'm not sure where this sudden outburst is coming from.

Veneta.

[Germany (DoE)]

How it was "inevitable" to capture cities on the other side of the world? How they was supposed to help you relieve the blockade from your coast? How it came that "by accident" you captured the city you initially wanted to settle and then again "accidentally" the Indians gracefully dont want it, although you trumpeted to the whole world how fair you negotiated with them to have the right to settle in the Indian Ocean and you dont want any more colonies there?

Catherine of Rus

I'm not sure how you know this information but Perth is on offer to India without any issue.

Veneta.

[Russia (DoE)]

I am not sure who you are shouting at Catherine but Neander supports the Inca chair. The French have a few problems with it, not us.

I am pointing out the absolutely biased statement of France that Inca is the preferred chairman by England and Russia and not saying a word that Vikings and Neandor approve them too. This is to imply how Russia and England want this "biased" chairman and we want to use this to our advantage, which is absolutely not the case.

I'm not sure how you know this information but Perth is on offer to India without any issue.

Veneta.

I have my sources of information too.

================================================== =

2 days have passed, and no Viking proposal, neither French proposal of any kind we saw. The only proposal is your and it is against everything you stated till now, either in public and in the conversation we had in private, when we decided that we must try and bring just end to this war.

While we wait to hear the French and Viking position, my position is the same that South Britannia must be returned to England.

And as we already stated, we suspect that French and Vikings are only using the Neandor diplomacy to buy time.

[Inca (DoE)]

Perhaps, while we wait for the various powers to craft their starting positions for negotiations, we can agree on a framework for the talks, including rules, a timeline, and what exactly the nature of the chairmanship entails? Chief among these structural issues would be agreement to a ceasefire while the talks are ongoing, I would think.

I would suggest that each party posts its starting position regarding:
The territories of Brittany
The Australian territories
Reparations
Peace agreements
Borders, rights, etc
Promises regarding future actions (or inaction, example: we will not attack X for Y turns under such-and-such conditions)
Starting requirements (an end to open hostilities, blockades, whatever)
A vote for the chairmanship

[England (DoE)]

There is no need for a chairmanship vote. England, as well as everyone else except France apparently, approves of the Inca.

As Catherine indicated, the return of London is non-negotiable. As Catherine also pointed out, it was the French who settled toward me not the other way around. But of course, as Catherine pointed out as well, aggressive behavior is ok if it is directed toward England. The evil Viking-Neandor-French Axis has nothing but greed and blood lust. England would be eternally crippled without our beloved capitol. We will never end this war if that is the consequence.

[France (DoE)]

It came to me now that none of you never actually wanted a just peace.

Dear Catherine...

You were very kind to my sister, so I speak from the heart here.

You will never know how close we were to peace. And I can say it was damn close. We were this close to giving General Jugan in North Africa the 'stand-down' order. Your demand for an immediate 'statement' from us, followed by the delay in playing, followed by the declaration of war tipped the balance I am afraid. We will now see where this takes us.

Phillipe

[France (DoE)]

General Nicolas-Joseph Jugan was not the highest-ranking military officer in France. That was Marshal Maray commanding the French forces in England. Nor was he the second highest. That was General Carpentier commanding the mainland forces and mobile reserve. But General Jugan was the commander of the French Arrmy of North Africa, and that was one of the largest military forces in the world.

General Jugan had spent a restless night waiting for word from Paris. The Ottoman army had withdrawn two days ago from the hills overlooking Tangiers, but they were still on French soil, and still represented a threat, either now or in the future. This was not Jugan's decision to make. This was the King's.

At 2am they received the fateful signal from across the straight. Two adjacent fires. The signal to attack. Jugan immediately gave the orders, and his aides quickly communicated those to the regimental commanders. The Army of North Africa began to move.

Using the road past the Cervaux mine works, General Jugan led his troops to a position overlooking the wheat fields where the Ottoman had camped for the night. The Ottomans were led by an experienced commander, General Dramali Pasha.



His scouts had forewarned him of the approaching French. He had anticipated such a move and established a defensive line along the Cervaux River. The strength of his army were the mighty janissaries, highly disciplined musket troops. They awaited quietly in the early morning light, at arms in the golden fields of wheat, awaiting the French assault.



The first shots were fired by the French artillery, with waves of catapult fire pummeling the Ottoman troops. They suffered horrendous losses. While still reeling from the effects of the bombardment, General Jugan ordered the French heavy horse to hit the Turks, targetting the janissaries



The charge was successful, with most of the elite Ottoman troops going down. The losses to the knights were severe; the muskets of the janissaries had taken their toll. Jugan now ordered the rest of his army to advance. The two armies met, and the largest battle the world had seen engulfed the gentle wheat fields and plains next to the sea.



But the Ottomans, outnumbered, hammered by artillery fire, and having seen their elite troops defeated, were no match for the French this day. Unit after unit was overrun and destroyed. The few survivors broke for Carthage.



The road to Carthage was not a safe haven. The light chariots of the French, very experienced in movement across the North African desert terrain moved towards Carthage. They ran down a unit of Russian scouts who were no doubt observing the battle. And moving on Carthage, they surprised the defending axe unit, defeating it and razing the city.

General Jugan, and the French Army, had won a major victory.

[India (DoE)]

Indian announcement in reply to Incan errors

It seems there exists a misunderstanding in the Incan throneroom or bureaucracy as it is apparently believed erroneously that India is a puppet state to Neandor, as well as having no legal claim to Australia. Though we have repudiated these statements previously, we feel they are of such importance that we must repeat them.

1. India is an independent nation and we have used every chance to show this in both action and words.
1.1. India refused a Chinese offer to become a puppet.
1.2 India used its strategic position to make deals with many nations that benefitted India, including a deal with Neandor.
1.3 India is NOT a puppet of Neandor
1.3.1 Making a deal with a more powerful foreign nation does not result in a status of servitude or vassalage. The deal consisted mainly in India giving access to sea-lanes which only we had control over in return for Neandorian military assistance in case of attack. This is a strategic arrangement to defend Indian and Neandorian colonies in the region and in no way affect India's independence or our neutrality. These are not empty words, we have shown our policy in action by signing a Peace Treaty with England, as our agreement with Neandor includes only mutual defence of possessions in the East Indies region.

2. India has a legal claim to lands in Australia.
2.1 India through its strategic position was before the age of Astronomy able to refuse all nations access to Australia by blocking our sea lanes. The only nations that could reach Australia when India had closed those sea-lanes were China and Japan. As such, by being sole controllers of the access to Australia from the west, we have a greater claim on it than any nation of the west.
2.2 China has no claim to Australia whatsoever.
2.2.1 China has no overseas possessions, nor do they possess a navy or a naval tradition, nor do they have any need of more lands as they currently are among the largest empires in the world. Neither have they shown any interest or made any claims upon those lands. As such there are only two nearby empires that have a claim to them, India and Japan
2.2.2 India and Japan have discussed and negotiated borders and agreements, forming a regional international consensus. As the nearest sea-faring empires India and Japan have both acknowledged each other's holdings and rights to holdings in the region.

In summary, India is a free and independent nation and we will act freely and independently. Furthermore, we have made treaties regarding the division of the East Indies as well as Australia with all legal claimholders. As such we consider the matter ended. As for counterclaims, let us make a statement that it is clear and obvious to all that Inca is a puppet of China. This is made clear by them arguing for the handover of English and Indian colonies to China and Japan. As we believe this is not in reality the desires of China, India will request from its good neighbour China to reign in the Incan foreign office based in Beijing (sic!) and instruct it to adhere to the regional power's official treaties.

[Israel (DoE)]

Public Statement of the Israelian Sanhedrin

The people of Israel, G'd's people, want to re-clarify their position in this world;
Despite the believe that Yeshuah of Nazareth was born in Bethlehem, a city in Israel, the people of Israel believe in G'd YHWH, the most High G'd Adonai. We do NOT follow this blasphemer who claimed to be the son of G'd. He was killed outside the city of Jerusalem (now Damascus) by the Ottomans. And despite the many rumors, he did not raise from the grave.

There are no christians in Israel. Nowhere. There is no christian minority. The fact that we sell bits of merchandise to the christian pilgrims doesn't mean that we acknowledge this religion of blasphemy. It only means that our laws are not against making profit out goims who come to Israel. And that is what we do.

Please stop refering to Israel as a christian nation. Christ may have been a Jew, jews aren't christians.
We do not eat pig meat so stop offering it to us. It is not kosher. The pig is considered to be unclean in Israel. We do not eat it.

Israel is the people of G'd. While the other nations in the world are lead by minor gods or angels, we are the chosen people of G'd. We are not surprised that the evil angels are turning towards eachother, especially the christian ones, pulling all nations on earth in one big world war. We are above this form of earthly warfare and patiently await the paradise of Shalom that will bring the true Shalom to earth by the Messiach.

Till then we will only act to undo the wrongs of the past.

Rabbi Amram Goan
Leader of the Sanhedrin
The highest official administrative organ of Israel

[Germany (DoE)]

A new illness spreads across the world, homo-neanderphobia.

Veneta was quite distressed seeing this illness spreading like a virus, infecting the minds of even good people. Words like "evil" and "puppet-master" and worse are enuciated by those inffected. It is a condition of the mind that disallows one's neander-preference and it is now believed that a holocaust of extinction faces the Neander kingdom.

Veneta does not hear words like these coming from the mouths of his enlightened allies, nor even the Ottoman Turks.

The early Neander medi-eval psychologists explained that those espousing such obsceneties were actually suffering from homo-neander envy and actually desired to become one of them, or at least pass on this trait.

Veneta shook his head in utter repulsion...

[Inca (DoE)]

First, the Inca meant nothing but positive things for the Neandor being a puppet master of India. Such a position is one of respect, responsibility, and honor.

We find it odd, then, that India has taken such an aggressive stance towards Inca for no apparent reason, and our correspondence has been along the lines of Inca wishing for India to make solid claims, India then delaying and being vague, and then only asking of Inca for detailed information on English non-pacific colonies and mainland territories.

Why else would the Indians be interested in England's non-pacific territories if but to give assistance to the land-locked Neandor? Please do answer this question, Indian civil servants.

2.1 India through its strategic position was before the age of Astronomy able to refuse all nations access to Australia by blocking our sea lanes. The only nations that could reach Australia when India had closed those sea-lanes were China and Japan. As such, by being sole controllers of the access to Australia from the west, we have a greater claim on it than any nation of the west.

This is the most outright lie ever conceived, and quite well known to be so by near every great state on the planet!

We suppose the I.E.S. Capaco arrived in Europe across the Atlantic then, India? Who was it that first visited the other: India or Inca? The Chinese, Japanese, Arabs, Israelites, Zulu, English, everyone knows we could have reached this land at least as early as you, and indeed likely did reach it earlier.

2.2 China has no claim to Australia whatsoever.

IF this is China's stance, then it is true. We eagerly await any Chinese comments on the matter.

2.2.2 India and Japan have discussed and negotiated borders and agreements, forming a regional international consensus. As the nearest sea-faring empires India and Japan have both acknowledged each other's holdings and rights to holdings in the region.

Again, Australia is as close to India as Incaco. Anyone with a map can clearly see the lie in your argument. New Zealand is closer to Incaco than India, Western Australiaco is farther. It is quite literally in the middle of our empires' reach.

Japan has the clearest right, being closest, in need of land, and being a naval/island power without a proper continent of their own. If they have agreed to let others settle this land, then so be it. Again, we wish for their clarification, as we do not take India on its word, having lied so many times in the past and present.



The Inca also respect Israel's desire to be non-Christian.

[Inca (DoE)]

Still, if Neandor says they are not a puppet master, then the Inca will respect this claim, and India's sovereignty will be respected as well, although any other claims they make will remain contested.

[Germany (DoE)]

England would be eternally crippled without our beloved capitol. We will never end this war if that is the consequence.

That's what the ancient French said about Veneti.

Suggest you build a palace in Iceland, Elizabeth?

And seek a peace accord that includes bans by any of us from blockading Iceland.

Just a thought Liz.

Veneta.

[Ottoman Empire (DoE)]

Neander PIRATES!!!

"I can hardly belive it..." the Sulan said incredulously ... "I refuse to believe that the honourable King Veneta would resort to piracy... It must be a French, ship... still scandalous that Veneta would entertain Pirates in his ports..."

Aysecan replied, "Your majesty, there can be no mistake, we spotted a Privateer Pirate ship Docked in Grunzen City this very day... and France lacks the knowledge to construct such vessels... It is a Neander pirate ship, make no mistake."




Send a public letter... let us get to the bottom of this...

Public Letter:

His Majesty the Sultan requests simply that King Veneta respect his public claims of neutrality, disband the Privateer that is currently docked in Grunzen City, and refrain from constructing any more such Pirate ships. Obviously, using Neander prirate ships to attack Ottoman vessels is exactly the same as declaring War on the Ottomans. Of course, Piracy must not be tolerated among Civilized nations.

Aysecan, Public Relations on behalf of
Sultan Ahmed IV of the Ottoman Turks

[Germany (DoE)]

To Ahmed,

Have no fear, these are not pirates but Neanderthals!

They are the Ghosts of Grunzen and friends of the Neanders have nought to fear.

Vendeta, King of the Neander Line.

[Ottoman Empire (DoE)]

david-galstyan.jpg

On the preposterous notion of peace with France...

The Ottoman Turks consider the issue of Peace with France closed beyond repair.

When our forces voluntarily withdrew from from the siege of Tangiers, no soldiers blood had been shed, and no civilans had died. There had been only attacks on the city walls, and destruction of 1 french mine, which could have been compensated for monetarily.

Our notice of withdrawal was public and all nations were aware of it. Our brave soldiers left their well defended, well fortified hilltops positions outside Tangiers and headed directly back to Turkish territory as suggested by King Veneta himself. Indeed our withdrawal from our fortified siege positions in France was directly in response to a request from the Neandor.

In response the French forces attacked our wthdrawing soldiers, shooting and stabbing them in the backs as they crossed the open farmlands near the Turkish border. The Frankish warriors did not stop there however, as they marched on to Carthage, killing the tiny garrison there, and burning the city to the Ground, killing every aged man, pregnant woman and newborn baby. This last act was even more regrettable because it indirectly further implicates our friends the Neandor, becuase Carthage was long identified by the Neandor as a source of strife. The French have made it seem that the slaughter of the citizens of Carthage was always the goal, and they were simply waiting for an excuse.

Our people were slaughtered under a flag of truce, and this is totally unforgiveable. It is now war to the knife, and the Ottoman Turks will not rest until the French are driven into the sea. As the famous Earp brother said "there can be no live-and-let-live with bugs."

Aysecan, Public Relations Dept

[Ottoman Empire (DoE)]

To Ahmed,

Have no fear, these are not pirates but Neanderthals!

They are the Ghosts of Grunzen and friends of the Neanders have nought to fear.

Vendeta, King of the Neander Line.

For clarification, will the Privateers be disbanded or not?... we suspect the last letter was not genuine as the forger mis-spelled the name of the King, Vendeta... Obviously King Veneta can spell his own name correctly.

Aysecan

[France (DoE)]

On the preposterous notion of peace with France...

The Ottoman Turks consider the issue of Peace with France closed beyond repair.

When our forces voluntarily withdrew from from the siege of Tangiers, no soldiers blood had been shed, and no civilans had died. There had been only attacks on the city walls, and destruction of 1 french mine, which could have been compensated for monetarily.

Our notice of withdrawal was public and all nations were aware of it. Our brave soldiers left their well defended, well fortified hilltops positions outside Tangiers and headed directly back to Turkish territory as suggested by King Veneta himself. Indeed our withdrawal from our fortified siege positions in France was directly in response to a request from the Neandor.

In response the French forces attacked our wthdrawing soldiers, shooting and stabbing them in the backs as they crossed the open farmlands near the Turkish border. The Frankish warriors did not stop there however, as they marched on to Carthage, killing the tiny garrison there, and burning the city to the Ground, killing every aged man, pregnant woman and newborn baby. This last act was even more regrettable because it indirectly further implicates our friends the Neandor, becuase Carthage was long identified by the Neandor as a source of strife. The French have made it seem that the slaughter of the citizens of Carthage was always the goal, and they were simply waiting for an excuse.

Our people were slaughtered under a flag of truce, and this is totally unforgiveable. It is now war to the knife, and the Ottoman Turks will not rest until the French are driven into the sea. As the famous Earp brother said "there can be no live-and-let-live with bugs."

Aysecan, Public Relations Dept

The King finished reading the Ottoman statement. "Well, this simplifies matters, doesn't it Marc."

Marc Renaud smiled at the King. "It does, Sire. It certainly does."

[Russia (DoE)]

North Africa. The mines on the hills near Carthage. Lonely Russian scout is observing the surroundings. The smoke from a great battle is hanging on the horizon. After the thunder of the battle fades, the scout sees advancing troops. He recognize their uniforms - those are French.

"Legushki pobedili, bliat!" he quietly grumbles to himself, but he is not scared - he is just observer, not a real soldier. When the French sees him, they run in his direction with loud shouts. The Russian scout does not understand French, but he dont likes the expressions on their faces and their tone. He seeks for shelter in the corridors of the mines. The French soldiers are at the gates and slowing down their run. They see the Russian uniform, they see the scout signs. Speechlessly, they draw their swords. Everything is clear. They are many, they are stronger and they are bloodthirsty. The Russian scout doesnt waste his words. Draws his sword and prepares to meet his fate in the dusty African mine corridor, far away from Matushka Rus.