Diplogame HOTW XII Ragnarok - Story Thread

[Diplo Carpathia]

OOC: Yes Mali, much improvement on the early days of screenshots. I expecially like the one where your massive force is about to stomp my lone longbowman... oh wait, thats right, he ran for his life!

[Diplo Inca]

The Inca continue to keep an accurate record of cities on Terra.



Compare to the last data the Inca had - there have been major changes in city counts all over terra.

[Diplo Mali]

To: Vlad Tepes II of Carpathia.

From: King Mansa Mari I.

Greetings and the Peace of Ozzy be upon you. We are deeply sorry that our relations have sunk so low in recent years, but your recent aggressive behavior could no longer be tolerated. That said, though, we are content with regaining what we so recently lost-and have no desire to press this war any further. We hope you will consider an offer of peace in return for an offer of a generous Wereguild from our substantial coffers-to compensate you for your recent loss of territory.
All else we ask is that you pledge not to send military forces south of your current line of control. In return, we give a pledge not to advance our forces north beyond our current line of control.
Please note that this offer of peace expires within a week. If we do not receive an acceptable response, then our forces will progress on to Ploiesti-if only to give us a decent "buffer". Please consider our offer carefully.

Mansa Mari I.

[Diplo France]

The High Middle Ages
(650AD – 900AD)

It took some time fore French society to adapt to the Cast system. It did not help that the royal family that introduced it, died out. After not bearing any heirs Queen Isabella the V., declared that upon her death a family descended from Remi the II. shall inherit the throne.



King Henry, the first from the line to take the throne, tried to the best of his abilities to meliorate some of the worst negative consequences of the new social order. He wanted to end the stagnation that had gripped French lands. He organized schools for each of the casts, the wide support he and the clergy afforded them, meant that more children than ever before were afforded the privilege of education. They were not free to choose what kind of education they would receive. Henry was also keenly interested in boosting the navy of France and funding missions of exploration.



Around the turn of the 7th century the Compass came into use. The first ship to employ the device for naval navigation was that of Captain Jean the Adventurer. His exploration of the New World had brought him fame and respect among the other captains and even the French nobility. His endorsement of the device was one of the key factors in the rapid spread of its use.

The crown was further motivated to fund such expeditions when the in 725 AD, the Ottomans closed their market to most foreign imports. There was now a desire to find new trade routs through the Far East.



Born in the city of Paris in the year 735 AD Andrei Sakharov, was one of the greatest scientists of his age. He was also a philosopher, astronomer, Confucian scholar and royal advisor to King Henri and his successor King Charles.

His book Opticks, published in 755 AD, would define the feild of Optics for centuries, in the last chapter entitled “On the creation of Optical devices and instruments”, he details the construction of a refractive telescope. The design was clearly not influenced by earlier studies in the field made by the Ottomans and the Dutch.



After meeting King Henry in person and presenting him with a handwritten copy of his book, a telescope and simple star charts, the King immediately appointed him his advisor on Shipbuilding (since the position of Confucian Scholar was taken by a powerful man, and no other position was suited to his skills). His early attempts at improving ship designs met little success, perhaps because of the opposition of Shipwright masters, he did hoverer make a strong impression on the navigators guild. He was frustrated his word was not being heeded, which can be discerned from his recorded comment “We may as well sail our ships to Istanbul to be used as building material for Ottoman shipbuilders! It’s the only use I can see for these crude and leaky boats!”.


King Charles visitng the Académie des Sciences.

The king understood his displeasure and appointed him head of the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences in Paris. His influence on the young institution was so profound, that he is considered its founder. Kings would frequently admit important members of the society to the court, Henry even created the position of “Royal advisor of the King's Academy on the affairs of the Arts and Sciences”, often shortened to “science advisor”. Not only was the institution recognized as important, but it was one of the most successful in the world, despite his focus on the sciences he allotted sufficient funds to artist, quite an acomplishment considering the limited support he had during his later years. A important reason for this drop in funding was the empties of the royal coffers in the difficult times that followed the Mongolian decree of 780 AD that closed their market to foreign imports.

Another reason for this was his opposition to the cast system and his unorthodox views on the nature of the physical world. This made him an enemy of the clergy and most Confucian scholars. Especially his controversial statement: “Confucius would have never approved of the cast system.”. This eventually resulted in him spending his last few years imprisoned in his own home.


France prospered in the 9th century AD. Despite this, technological progress stalled, since not much more could be achieved by educating the casts in their professions. Many great works of literature were completed in this time including the final version of the Heroic Epic of Remi and the National Epic, both were penned by anonymous writers, perhaps to avoid the restrictions of the various casts.



He was also known as Žiga to the Russians and his native ethnic group.

A trading expedition commissioned by King Charles, under the leadership Sigismund von Herberstein was sent to Russia in 880 AD. Sigismund explored Russian lands extensively, established formal contact with the Russian Czar and helped negotiate an important Franco-Rus treaty. His expedition safeguarded the first shipment of Russian gems to the far East, this opened a valuable trade route. Being a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts, he spent a year with Russian scientists sharing his knowledge of cartography, port construction and navigational aids. During his long debates on these subjects he noticed that Russian architects produced superior designs to those of his colleagues back in France. Thanks to the grace of the Russian ruler, he was allowed to leave several of his assistants in Moscow to study its architecture and Russian construction techniques. The students would return to Paris in 885AD and together with several Russian experts they would produce buildings and war machines that surpassed all previous in scale.

Sigismund, also wrote an extensive work on Russia. The book called Rerum Moscoviticarum Commentarii (meaning “Notes on Muscovite Affairs in Aquilean”) was published in 900AD. It became an important source of information to all the contemporary scholars in the East as well as future Russian historians.


The native savages were armed with iron weapons and rode horses.

The reign of Charels also saw the founding of the first New World colony, know as Avignon in 865 AD. Few survived the long trip to the new world, once the immigrants arrived the land proved to be harsh and the natives cruel and warlike. The garrison suffered heavy casualties eventualy being reduced to using obsolete bows in their struggle for survival. The colony was destroyed sometime in the early 10th century.


The French Expeditionary force, after razing Jute, next to mount Pizzaro (he was rather vain )

A different expedition headed by Hernan Cortezs Pizzaro in 895 AD sacked the small new world city of Jute. Little is know of the natives, since they did not have a written language; it is also quite unfortunate that they used excessive amounts of precious metals in their art. All of it was melted down into gold bars; these were then transported back to France and made a welcome addition to the treasury.

The city of Marseilles prospered in this time of exploration, its shipwrights were busy building new, if somewhat dated ships, its ports were more and more an important center of commerce and it exported wast quantities of fish and clams. Waters around the city were not safe though, that is why a Lighthouse was constructed there, it ensured the safety of the heavy naval traffic in the region.


OCC: Edited and changed the Academy pic to a less impressive one.

[Diplo France]

Dutch translation of Opticks by Andrei Sakharov.

[OzzyKP]

The Reign of Benedict Arnold

The reign of King Benedict Arnold proved to be the most important in all America's history to that point. The course of America's history was forever changed by his rule.

The time after the assassination of Christopher the Yankee was tumultuous. In his grab for power, Jefferson and all other staff and advisors under Christopher were removed from government. Arnold staffed the royal bureaucracy exclusively with those loyal to him. Because of poor record keeping during Christopher's reign, this meant the unfortunate loss of records regarding past treaties and international agreements.

Arnold recognized the poor position America had in the world and set out upon an ambitious policy of expansion. He settled Chicago in the north and Ozzydelphia in the east. One of his first actions was to send Secretary of State Manning to speak with the Mali regarding the empty desert territory west of Philadelphia. The story was told in more detail by Mali scribes, but suffice to say there was a miscommunication and Manning brought back an assurance (he thought) that the Americans could settle in the desert, and so the city of Atlanta was founded.

This brought immediate scorn from the Mali. Arnold however, cared little for the Mali. In fact he had started a policy of enslaving the dark-skinned people of the south. Slavers were sent through the southern jungles to find and capture any dark skinned primitives they encountered. While official policy stated the Mali were to be avoided (out of fear of creating an international incident) it was well known that Mali villagers wandering too far from their villages were also at risk. Despite the fact the Mali were technologically more advanced, Arnold considered them inferior to Americans. American production and population increased greatly.

Because of his contempt for the "darkies" of the south, King Arnold had no desire to negotiate with the Mali over the settlement of Atlanta. He considered it a remarkable act of charity that he sent an envoy to ask permission in the first place. That the Mali were too stupid and ignorant to translate the message correctly was none of his concern. Atlanta was well defended and the Mali were militarily weak. Arnold had nothing to fear.

The Mali however sought to create a bargaining chip by settling in American lands east of the Great Rocky Mountains and along the coast of the great sea. Arnold and Manning warned the Mali in no uncertain terms that if they settled east of the mountains there would be war.

The Mali didn't listen and war was declared.

Arnold was thrilled. He had hoped for war all along and was well prepared. Rumors continued to circulate about Arnold's role in the assassination of Christopher the Yankee, and he knew a war would help unite the country and silence his critics. The American army marched on the new Mali city and caught them by surprise. King Arnold led the army personally. The battle was short and tremendously successful. The city was razed to the ground and the population all captured and enslaved.

The Mali-American war was fought for many years and led to countless deaths on both sides. The proud city of Goa was hotly contested by both sides before the eventual destruction and enslavement of the city by General Daniel Morgan.

It was then that the situation began to sour for Benedict Arnold, the Redcoat, and for America's war effort. The Mali, whose military strength was anemic when the war began, quickly grew in power. America suffered many defeats and the city of Atlanta was under constant siege. Arnolds critics who were silenced for most of the war began to build their courage.

Even Arnold's allies began to question the wisdom of their leader. For them however, the situation with Carpathia became most worrisome. Arnold was always enthralled with the Carpathians and admired them greatly. When they began settling south, in lands claimed by America, Arnold dismissed the concerns of his advisors. Telling them that Carpathia was America's longtime loyal ally, they had no reason to fear.

They did fear however. Soon they were more afraid of Carpathia than of the Mali and pressed Arnold to make peace with the Mali but he would have none of it. Secretary of State William Manning was finally forced to contact King Mansa Mari I himself, without Arnold's knowledge, and make an offer of peace. Manning had clandestine meetings with the Mali in the Incan city of Cuzco.

At first the Mali refused to accept any peace offer that did not call for the hand over of Atlanta to Mali control. Manning would have none of it and eventually negotiated a deal that allowed the Americans to keep Atlanta. He agreed to teach the Mali some of America's limited knowledge and permit the return of some of the Goan slaves/refugees (gift of a settler and worker). America would keep Atlanta and the Mali would not settle past the Great Rocky Mountains.

Once sticking point during the negotiations was the Mali insistence that Benedict Arnold be turned over to be tried by the Mali.

Manning returned home to Richmond to consider the offer. Since he acted without the approval of Arnold, it was clear the King would need to be removed for the treaty to be approved in any event. Turning him over to foreigners though did not sit well with Manning.

Eventually after much consideration, he decided it was the only acceptable course of action. Arnold must be deposed.


To Be Continued...

[Diplo Mali]

OOC: Hey Ozzy, great story. Hope I didn't box you in too much with my story. I considered waiting, but wanted to get the story done whilst the events were all still fresh in my mind .

Mansa Sari I.

[OzzyKP]

OOC: Naw, feel free. I love it when stories intertwine and end up co-written by several players. Though, I might need to re-read your posts to make sure I include it correctly. Usually my stuff is much better, but I just want to get something up to explain what is going on, even if it isn't very well written or interesting.

Though you should make note of the fact that the American capitol city is Richmond, not Jefferson. We don't have a city named Jefferson. And the former leader was Christopher the Yankee, not Jefferson. Jefferson was the secretary of state under Christopher I believe.

[OzzyKP]

General Manning At The Crossroads

General William Manning returned to Richmond with a heavy heart. He knew what must be done for the good of his country, but it pained him to think about. He wished he had been born a peasant, removed from the turmoil, intrigue and grave responsibility of politics. But no, idle wishing would not solve his present situation. There was only one solution... Benedict Arnold, Manning's longtime friend and ally must be deposed.

Arnold was not without enemies. He has done his best to ruthlessly stamp them out, but now after many war defeats and the loss of General Daniel Morgan even the army was souring on Arnold. Increasingly less able to use the military to silence critics, they became bolder and bolder. Openly bringing accusations that Arnold was involved in the death of Christopher the Yankee.

The public however was deeply split. For decades it has been widely assumed that the Washington family was involved in the plot. Now, the Washingtons and Jeffersons were some of the loudest critics. Was their some truth behind their claims or are they simply trying to deflect blame for their own involvement?

The public was upset over the military losses, but at the same time felt a certain pride in Arnold. He had brought them together as a nation and expanded America greatly. Arnold, whether as King or General had a hand in founding Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Ozzydelphia and Baltimore. Great public works were constructed in many cities. The people felt that at long last America was beginning to pull itself out of the deep hole it had dug itself. Arnold was responsible for a great deal of good and progress for the nation. Even many war victories.

But in his old age his reputation was beginning to fade as well... His eldest son and heir, Benedict II, was violent and capricious. Many of Arnold's early supporters were opponents of hereditary succession and saw Arnold as an escape from the Yankee line. The signs that Arnold sought to establish a Benedictine dynasty alienated these supporters.

This is the environment Manning returned to in Richmond. A delicate but increasingly precarious balance was being held and it was his responsibility to tip that balance. He knew not what chaos awaited the fragile nation once that balance was destroyed. Would there be civil war? Would there be anarchy?

Should he go to the military? Depose Arnold in a coup? The military was divided, this he knew. Many supporters and opponents of Arnold in its ranks. If his side were victorious, would they have the civil authority and legitimacy to rule effectively? A straight coup would never be accepted by the Senate.

Should he assassinate Arnold discretely? He is very old, his death wouldn't be surprising to many. Perhaps the Senate would make Manning the new King. Most likely however, they would elevate Benedict II and nothing would improve. Worse yet, the Jeffersons & Washingtons might use the opportunity to take control themselves. Plus if Arnold were assassinated the treaty with the Mali could not be ratified and war would continue.

Should he leak information about Christopher's assassination to the Jeffersons & Washingtons? That would destabilize Arnold enough to allow the opposition to assume control. But there is enough suspicion and distrust of the opposition, especially among the military, that any government they established would not last.

"But wait... yes, that is perfect!" Manning thought to himself. "There is one man who could unite this country."

Suddenly it all seemed clear to him. There is one man who could bring the nation together. His name was George Washington. George was a distant cousin of Abigail Washington and the other Washington nobles. He benefited from his powerful family connections but is young enough and removed enough from the palace intrigue that the mark of shame on the Washington family has, for the most part, avoided him.

Better yet, Washington was a popular and successful general in the army. His elephant cavalry won many successful battles against the Mali. He was well respected within the military. He fought with general Daniel Morgan at the battle of Goa and, like many in the army, felt betrayed by the war plan of Commander Arnold. He feels the sting of Mogan's death as much as any, and can use that to his advantage.

If information about the assassination of Christopher were given to Washington, the people would believe him, and trust him.

At last, his course of action was clear. Manning traveled to Atlanta. There he would speak to Washington. This was his only hope.

[OzzyKP]

OOC: France & Inca - don't post pictures that wide. It breaks the thread.

[OzzyKP]

Meeting Washington

After a long journey, Manning at last reached his destination - Atlanta. Far south of the more populous central cities, he wondered if this dusty frontier town was worth all the bloodshed of the last few decades. Of that he could not be sure. But it was too late now. To abandon Atlanta now would dishonor all the blood that has flowed for her sake. Atlanta must be defended for their honor if nothing else.

Washington's camp was positioned in the mountains overlooking the city. From there Manning saw the results of decades of siege and battle. A large Mali force camped north of the city, their deadly catapults rained boulders down upon the defenses - and people - of Atlanta. Her defenders have done a mighty job, but the camp was visibly stressed by the situation. The defense of Atlanta was by no means an easy task.

The man currently responsible for its defense was standing before him. General Washington was an imposing figure. At 6 feet, 2.5 inches he towered above most men. Indeed, he was a full head taller than Secretary Manning. He stepped forward to greet Manning with the customary American greeting - a handshake. Washington's was firmer than most.

"I pray you'll excuse my directness Secretary Manning, I am afforded little time for pleasantries, but has Arnold finally sent you here to negotiate a peace?"

"Sadly general, Arnold has no desire for peace and has issued no orders to open negotiations."

"Then, Secretary, as I see no reinforcements accompanying you, I beg your leave, I have many pressing matters to attend to. I will not permit Atlanta to fall on my watch."

"Wait, General Washington, Arnold has not authorized negotiations, but negotiations have begun regardless. I, like you and many in government, believe this war has gone on too long and has been too costly. I have taken it upon myself to negotiate with the Mali and have been meeting with them in secret in Cuzco. It has taken much persuasion, but we have reached an agreement that will end this war and preserve American sovereignty over Atlanta."

"And Arnold knows nothing of this?"

"No, General."

Manning froze under the steely glare of Washington. Moments of seemingly infinite length passed in silence. Had he misjudged Washington? Was it a mistake coming here?

At last, Washington spoke, "This is better discussed in private quarters."

The two men entered Washington's tent and Manning cautiously explained the assassination, the Mali treaty, their request for Arnold, and his plans.

Washington considered every word carefully. There was an uneasiness in his face. Manning could see him wrestle with two competing desires. Loyalty to king and loyalty to country.

At last Washington spoke.

"Arnold is a traitor to his nation and his people. His name will forever be identified with traitors. I will do what I must to serve my country."

[OzzyKP]

The End of Benedict Arnold, the Traitor

Manning secured a cease-fire with the Mali at Atlanta. A promise to hold off on their assault until matters could be settled in Richmond.

Manning and Washington led a division of troops loyal to Washington north. Rumors spread far quicker than the troops could travel. Richmond, Boston and New York were abuzz with talk that General Washington was coming to depose Arnold and that Manning had secured a cease-fire from the Mali. Spurred by such rumors fighting broke out in many American cities between the supporters and detractors of Arnold. Richmond was in chaos, but Arnold had the upper hand and soon routed the rebels.

The Jefferson & Washington clans raised their own army in Boston and began to march north to Richmond.

When word reached Washington & Manning they quickened their pace, but they were too late. The two factions faced each other on a field south of Richmond. The very first catapult barrages had just begun when Washington arrived.

Washington's force was 50% bigger than either side, and far better trained. His entrance to the field did not go unnoticed by either side. The Bostonians cheered, but both sides eased up on the bombardment, waiting to see what Washington's force would do.

Manning turned to Washington. "Now is your moment, General. Do what you must."

General Washington rode out to the field between the two armies. Leaders and officers from both sides rode out to hear what he had to say.

In a booming voice Washington addressed them both, "I come here today not for battle, not for bloodshed, I come to bring peace. Too many Americans have died in recent years. I will not be a party to any more death."

At that, General Washington unstrapped his sword and threw it upon the ground. Both sides, silenced by this unexpected act, waited for what he would say next.

"I come before you not as a general, not as a Washington, but as an American. An American who has seen much needless death. I have seen the wasted assault on Goa that killed general Daniel Morgan. I have seen thousands die in the wastelands around Atlanta. And while it happened before my time, I still feel the pain of losing our rightful former king, Christopher the Yankee."

Washington then reached inside his cloak and pulled out some old scrolls. He held them up for all to see and threw them on the ground as well.

"And here is evidence that the cause of all this death, ALL of it, is Benedict Arnold."

Both sides gasped in surprise.

"It was Arnold himself who plotted and carried out the assassination of Christopher. It is Arnold who refused to negotiate with the Mali and led to the tide of war turning against us. It is Arnold who needlessly cost us the life of General Morgan. It is Arnold who clings to this war still."

Washington pulled out another scroll from his cloak, and presented it for all to see.

"Arnold, the traitor and murderer, does not wish for this war to ever end no matter what ruin it brings us. No matter what other enemies may gather strength while our backs are turned. I appeal to you now, as Americans, that we have no further need of Arnold. We can end this war today, ourselves. I hold in my hand a peace proposal offered by the Mali. It is fair and just. Secretary Manning has negotiated it himself. The treaty gives America Atlanta for all time and brings Arnold to justice for his crimes. The details have been agreed to, it merely awaits a signature. If Arnold will not sign it, it is time we find someone who will."

John Adams, the leader of the Arnold faction, stepped forward and picked up the scrolls from the ground. After studying them for a moment he turned to his officers.

"It is legitimate. Our Commander murdered Christopher the Yankee."

He then turned to Washington.

"I will sign."

Thomas Jefferson, the commander of the Bostonians then stepped forward.

"I will sign as well."

The three armies joined and marched to Richmond. With little bloodshed they entered the palace and captured Arnold. A letter was written up by Adams, Washington and Jefferson and sent with a messenger immediately to the Mali king. Their "gift" in tow.

[Diplo France]

Originally posted by OzzyKP
OOC: France & Inca - don't post pictures that wide. It breaks the thread.

OCC: Sorry, having a wide screen, I sometime don't notice when a pic is too wide to post, I'll look out for this in the future. (could you tell me which of my pics are too wide? Is it just the academy pic or others as well? Are, lets say, the Incan graphs too wide or are they just right?)

Edit: Ok, I've edited it. I'll adhere to this. Perhaps the Incas can make both of their graphs the same (smaller) size? And the Mali should perhaps make future screniees the same size as mine.


Edit: He may have some kind of autofit thing going.

[OzzyKP]

On this page, just the academy pic. And yea, Inca's graph is too wide as well. Both are close though, on my screen at least. Maybe shave off like 30-50 pixels and it'll fit.

Edit: Oh, you didn't have to delete it. Just resizing it a bit would have worked. And strangely, the Inca picture fits now. It just automatically expand to the width of the thread.

[Diplo Holland]

Originally posted by OzzyKP
On this page, just the academy pic. And yea, Inca's graph is too wide as well. Both are close though, on my screen at least. Maybe shave off like 30-50 pixels and it'll fit.

Edit: Oh, you didn't have to delete it. Just resizing it a bit would have worked. And strangely, the Inca picture fits now. It just automatically expand to the width of the thread.

On most computers these days with decent screens it's not a problem

I can't see the issue at all