Beyond the Pit [Pitboss Diplomacy Game] [Story Thread] . PART 3 (October)

[Pitboss Portugal]

We are well aware of your intentions to travel through our lands to the Spartan lands. I give you a word of advice; Japan is at war with the Takeda barbarians who have killed many through the deserts of Tango. Do not go too close to the mountains they are littered with enemy forces waiting to prey on innocent travelers and especially friends of Japan. If you are willing to take the risk then stay close to the coastline or ask the Spartans to send a bodyguard to protect your people. What every your people do, DO NOT go near the mountains.

Thank you for the warning General Hanzo Hattori!

Actually the Portuguese envoy is heading down to the south west peninsula. Maybe you have forgotten but Japan asked us to assist into taking out a barbarian settlement located there. Do you still need our aid? if not we will turn west and head for the desert towards the Greeks. We have been aware of the Takeda threat in the desert. That is why we have come with well sharpened axes.
Marco

[Pitboss Japan]

We do not need aid any longer thank you. You have
already helps us more then any other. We wish your
troops a safe trip to Spartan lands. Just remember it is
still both safer and faster to avoid the mountains and
stay close to the coast. And if you do face the Takeda
do not let your guard down, they are much more
powerful and organized then the barbarians from other
lands.

General Hanzo Hattori

[Pitboss Japan]

Hanzo along with a few others traveled to where Osaka
ones stood. The searched through the ruins trying to
find some clue as to whom else was involved. For days
they looked with little to show for it. They found the
battleaxes used by the barbarians lying around along
with armor they had never seen before. They took the
armor and weapons with them then traveled to where
the Castle once stood.


The castle was completely burned down except for a
small section in the basement. The room was encased
in iron and looked untouched. It took all 10 of the ninja
there to open the heavy door. Once the door was
opened they saw nothing at first. Hanzo ran off to get a
torch then came back. Inside the room was a small hole
in the wall with a lever inside of it. One of the ninja
pulled the lever, knives were shot out from the walls
outside the door killing 3 of the ninja, the door them
started to close they the ninja tried to stop it but the
door was just to heavy.


A few moments after the door closed the wall behind
them lifted up revealing a staircase. Hanzo took a deep
breath…the slowly made his decent down the staircase.
Four hours later they finally reached the end. There
they came to a long bridge that was old and falling
apart. On the other side they saw a bright light they
decided to run across the bridge as fast as they could.
They go to where the light was and they say another
armor and sword they had never before seen. It had a
note on it from Annei.

To: Hanzo


If you are reading this it is because I have been killed.
This is the armor and sword of Jimmu. Before Jimmu
became a pacifist he was a powerful warrior. He grew
tired of killing and left his armor here before going to
Japan. We found this place purely by accident by have
kept it hidden so not to allow the wrong people to have
it. My friend I know in my passing Japan will be safe in
your hands. Take this armor and sword back to Japan
learn what you can and find what you can about it. Try
to copy it and create more to protect Japan. Once you
copy its power tell my son to touch it and it will bond to
him giving him the strength and power to rule over our
people.

Annei,





Hanzo did as he was told and took everything back to
Japan to try replicate the strange armor. And also try to
solve the mystery of the foreign armor found in the city
ruins.

[Pitboss Rome]

The day dawned crisp and bright over the flood plains of the Tiber river. Already the city was alive preparing for the mysterious unknown ceremony due to take place at the Temple of Mars. Soliders could be seen everywhere, nervously checking their swords, as the crowds grew and grew, passing the hastily erected awnings covering the worst of the fire damage still visible from the overthrow of the corrupt senators. Surely the peeople of Rome were not going to face yet more upheavals. The faces of the people eched with the desire for peace, but the fear of war.

Finally, when the heat of the sun started to earn the profits of the beer sellers, the trumpets started to ring out, and the crowds pushed forward to the steps of the Temple, where a wall of Praetorians stood at the bottom steps, leaving space for the senators above.

Suddenly out of the temple marched four soliders drumming, followed by slaves carrying a statue decked out in Royal Persian costume. Some women cried out fearing the announcement of another war. But the heralds voice rang out 'We bring treaties of friendship with the Persians' and Tribune Hieronymus walks to the senators and hands them a sealed scroll. Cheers of relief erupt around the plateau.

Then a second time drummers emerge Hissing from the crowd as they see a statue unmistakable as a Portugese Warrior. But again the announcement 'We bring treaties of friendship with the Portugese'. A moment of silence and then wild celebrations as Tribune Hieronymus hands over a second scroll.

Then again - this time a Greek statue, again treaties of friendship and a scroll.

And then ... a four time. The crowd peering at the strange statue, a people unknown. The herald's voice crying out "We bring treaties of friendship with the Maya People, the great Sea Farers of the Southern Seas".

As the crowd rolls with joy at the marvel of these tidings, the figure of Tribune Hieronymus climbs back to the doors of the Temple of Mars, the Temple of War. A hush falls as he pauses, a long figure dwarfed by the huge marble doors. The he slams them slut with a resounding clang. "I bring peace the People of Rome" he shouts as the crowd descends into frenzied celebrations, which continued for days ...

[Pitboss America]

The Hovel Report

It has been many years since we have filed a hovel report. My apologies.

A great disaster fell on our people ... called the sizzling dead. The sky went black until our seers could remind the sun to come back with the help of our Celtic neighbours.

However Roosevelt did a roller in all the panic and hasn't been seen since. His son Roosevelt II has taken the seat on the thrown. Many see him as the great pretender. A revolution is feared.

Times are tough in America ... the never ending onslaught of barbarbians are not much fun. The people are calling for desparate measures. We are becoming a backwards people.

[Pitboss Portugal]

To: Ganesh of Khmer
From: King Marco

offer of cooperate.

Our boat is crossing Celtic waters and it is heading south, will you open your borders for us to enter your coast? Once your ship arrives in our territories we will allow it to explore our coast as well. What do you say are you still up to coorporate as you say?

it hope for great tiding to all.

Dear Ganesh you talk constantly about great tiding to all, but our foreign office says that you have started spying activities on our nation since we made contact just 2-3 days ago.

If this is what you call cooperation, I do not envy your neighbors. Portugal takes this as a very insulting action on your part. Unlike you I haven’t asked my intelligence foreign scouts to focus on your domestic dealings. I hope this is only a misunderstanding and that you will be able to fix this as soon as possible. I will contact you one more time in a couple of days to remind you of this crisis, please do not push me to counter your spy activities, this will not help anyone.

Maybe that is the custom on your continent, but in our lands friends do not spy on one another, quite the opposite it is taken as an act of aggression and mistrust.

Hopeful: Marco of Portugal

[Pitboss Portugal]

Export/Import

To: Alcetas Great King of Sparta
From: Marco of Portugal

First of all thank you for the open borders; we can already see the increase of goods coming in from your mighty country.

We have found that your markets offer sheep for export, would you be interested in importing some fresh Cow meet from our lands?

Thank you in advance!

Marco

[Pitboss Japan]

The first attack group was finally ready. Hanzo had
everything planned out perfectly. After the battle of
Anjou, where the white Lotus alone sank 3 Takeda war
ships, Hanzo know the Takeda strong hold to the north
had to be dealt with. Hanzo know how tied up the
Oldonians were trying to protect their own territory and
he also know it would take a long time before they
could come down a take out the Takeda city. So the
decision was made to take out the Northern Takeda
strong hold first.


A message was sent to the Oldonians giving them 5 day
to take out the city before Japan moved in. It was a
warning that was meant to give an extra push to their
plans. Hanzo would have rather just moved on to
Ansuji, but he could not and would not make the
mistake of allowing the Takeda strong hold to continue
to grow. Never the less in 4 days Imperial Japanese
forces will land on Oldonian soil. Hopefully we can meet
our Oldonian friends celebrating victory, if not then we
will meet the Takeda on the field of battle and we will
burn their strong hold to the ground just as they did to
Manila and Osaka.

[Pitboss Greece]

Hail Great Portugal,

We welcome your offer to trade sheep for cow!
As we speak we have sent one of our traders towards Portugal to establish this trade. We hope that the cows and the sheep won't start to rot on the long road from Sparta to Portugal!

Alcetas

[Pitboss Portugal]

Wonderful news King Alcetas,

We the Portuguese have come up with a special technique to preserve meat for long trips. I think this will help and reassure your people that the beef from Portugal will arrive tasty and ready to eat.

Our drying meat recipe typically uses only one type of meat, but meats from other animals such as sheep can be used too.

Drying is a common way of preserving meat in our homeland. What we do is we dry thin slices in the sun next to a smoky fire, the meat this way is protected from insects that would otherwise lay eggs in the raw meat. Cutting thin slices is essential to the process. Also drying is performed at low temperatures, to avoid cooking or over drying the meat and making it brittle.

I have no doubt that you will enjoy our Portuguese meat very much.

Marco

[Pitboss Maya]

Messages from the North

Glorious Leader Mel Gibson,

We have crossed the Greek, Olden, and Wayndot
lands.

A far journey, plagued with barbarians.

The Greeks have vast holdings, and unrivaled
production power. It is good that we have
such powerful friends.

The Olden are a curious group who's history
of battle with barbarians matches our own.
They have shown us how to ride horses,
which will no doubt be useful in battle.

The Wayndot are a peaceful and hospitable
people. We look forward to their adoption
of Taoist beliefs.

We still search for the Peircian city of Meeting.

My greatest hope that you enjoy the maps
included with this missive.

Explorer Oxocwa

[Pitboss Korea]

Just Outside of Tikal...

After months of travel Foreign Minister Hae Mosu finally arrived at the outskirts of Tikal. He had a small envoy (about twenty assorted officials, translators and guards) as well as a large collection of Aztec slaves, captured in the first Aztec wars. Colonel Kae Moon-bu was also present, as a representative of Imperial Commander General Shin Sung, "Minister, we have arrived, shall we keep the slaves here in camp?"

The Minister thought for a moment, "No Colonel, we want to show these Mayans that we are a brave and victorious nation, we shall bring them as a show of power."

"Sir, that may not be wise, they may consider it an insult if they discover these slaves are not gifts to them." the Colonel explained.

"Well, be that as it may, we do not want to risk escape, and our envoy is not very large, if we keep them in Tikal we will have the Mayan army to hold them for us."

Wonsan...

Emperor Sejong and his sister, Princess Daemok, arrived early in the morning in the village of Wonsan. There were numerous reasons for Sejong's trip; the village had been burned to the ground during the Aztec attacks, and had close ties to the former Buddhist monastery of Jogyesa, which was also destroyed by the Atecs and was rumored to be the home of the Buddha himself. So in many ways this was an Emperor on a pilgrimage, and an Emperor overseeing the reconstruction of the devestation of a bye-gone era. He also had other motives. He had felt responsible for the demise of a scouting party commanded by Jeong Jung-bu; a party that he hastily assembled and sent without protection into the northern land-bridge. This unit was destroyed by northern barbarians, and he felt it necessary that he formally apologize to his family.

The Emperor and his sister entered the estate of Jeong Jung-bu, it was quite nice, but extremely vacant. "Are you sure anybody lives here?" Daemok asked.

"Of course, look, the gardens are well kept." Sejong said, he had an affinity for flowers, something thought of as feminine by the mainly military-based Korean court.

A young woman approached, with her head hung low out of respect to the Emperor, "Emperor Sejong" she said softly.

"Yes, you must be Soheon" the Emperor said "Please, I am here as your humble servant, you may raise your head." he said with a smile.

The young woman looked up slowly, she had a look of deep concern and sorrow in her face.

"Well, this is my sister the Princess Daemok, Queen of the May and consort of the late King Pacal," Daemok bowed gracefully, "It is with great regret that I come to you today, I wish it could have been under better circumstances."

"That is not necessary Emperor, I am accustomed to such circumstances, my life has been cursed with great suffering and I am no stranger to such things." the woman said solemnly.

"Well, I can hardly believe that a woman of such beauty should be cursed in such a manner." Sejong replied, attempting at his best to lighten the mood.

"My father, as you know was killed by barbarians in the northlands, my brothers and my village were destroyed by Aztecs, my mother died giving birth to me, and my uncle now has gone out with Minister Hae Mosu, and I am sure our family's misfortune will once again take his life." Soheon said.

"It was not misfortune that took your father, it was my own poor-planning that resulted in your father's demise, and I take complete responsibility for it. I have come to make amends." the Emperor said.

"I accept your apology Emperor, you have much more important matters to deal with at this time, and while I appreciate you coming here, I suggest you leave. This home is filled with misfortune."

"I disagree, how could such a lovely garden have arisen in a place tainted with misfortune?" the Emperor said.

"Thank you for your compliment, I appreciate what you are doing, but you should feel no remorse" Soheon said.

Sejong looked at his sister, she smiply raised her eyebrows, "Well, I see you are quite lonely here, especially with your uncle now gone, why don't you accompany us back to Seoul, take your mind of of such thoughts. I will have my imperial gardeners tend to your flowers, you may tend to mine if that will please you."

Sohean, knelt before the Emperor "Emeperor Sejong, I implore you, bringing me to your home will only bring you bad luck, I beg of you to rescind your invitation."

Sejong looked down at the young woman, something overtook him, and he couldn't put his finger on it. He felt guilty over this, and in many ways felt that her lot in life was his own doing, that his family had caused all of her problems and she dutifully did not want to blame him, he knew he had to change this, "I beg of you Soheon, please come with us. Do not force me to order you to do so."

The woman looked up, her eyes began to water as if she would soon cry, "please Emperor, let me stay here."

"I understand misfortune Soheon, my family understands misfortune greatly, and I have learned that being alone with your thoughts can only exacerbate it. You will come with us, your home will be kept well, and once your uncle returns from Tikal he will be promoted to a safe position, I assure you, let me make things up to you."

The Eastern Seas...

It had been a few months since General Han Gong and Kim Jong-seo departed from Seoul on their naval voyage. They had been ordered by the Emperor to sail the eastern seas in search of a route to Piercia. The trip had thus far been long and tedious. They encountered a vast desert beyond the great Eastern mountains, a desert inhabited by barbarians they called the Mongols. A detatchment of soldiers were attacked by these Mongols and killed, it was a sad day for the crew of the ship. But they had a mission to press on. They were to meet with a contingent of slaves and scouts in the northern coast of the Mayan lands to meet with minister Hae Mosu to get their instructions on their trip to Meeting. Their tale shall be told very soon...

NEXT: The tale of General Han Gong and Kim Jong-seo...

[Pitboss Khmer]

Originally posted by Pitboss Portugal
To: Ganesh of Khmer
From: King Marco

Our boat is crossing Celtic waters and it is heading south, will you open your borders for us to enter your coast? Once your ship arrives in our territories we will allow it to explore our coast as well. What do you say are you still up to coorporate as you say?

Dear Ganesh you talk constantly about great tiding to all, but our foreign office says that you have started spying activities on our nation since we made contact just 2-3 days ago.

If this is what you call cooperation, I do not envy your neighbors. Portugal takes this as a very insulting action on your part. Unlike you I haven’t asked my intelligence foreign scouts to focus on your domestic dealings. I hope this is only a misunderstanding and that you will be able to fix this as soon as possible. I will contact you one more time in a couple of days to remind you of this crisis, please do not push me to counter your spy activities, this will not help anyone.

Maybe that is the custom on your continent, but in our lands friends do not spy on one another, quite the opposite it is taken as an act of aggression and mistrust.

Hopeful: Marco of Portugal

ah. great tiding at last. a message from marco.

it interesting covert angry message ganesh seem unsure. lots of thing said and only message now that portugal need something.

same spain. they take khmer for granted and not trade as priority. we their first neighbour but they trade far. now khmer economic theory grow and point out to world of trade routes suddenly all want talk.

khmer shipping line make huge trade for spain with no benefit for khmer and now portugal want same. two nation half world apart want trade and alliance.

ganesh not pleased.

ganesh seek wider opinion on matter. particular the tone of communication.

great tiding. it not for fun and sticking in face.

also it must clear to world that no spy sent to portugal. it espionage point marco talk of. it not seen as unfriendly in khmer. it method of understand other nation advances and statistics. it friendly information.

seek cultural understanding afore making judgement on khmer understanding and thinkings.

great tiding sincere. but khmer not fool.

[Pitboss Khmer]

here what khmer on with.

khmer net +12m gold. and 5th in world.

spain net +67m gold (for sure it them). all depend on khmer open border. all spain shipping go through khmer sea.

now portugal send workboat and need open border khmer to get spain. and big trade boost certain.

it is ganesh economic advisor say to experiment and close border with spain and see what change. such experiment not happen if spain more open to khmer. but it done now and they make diplomatic blunder you say.

if ganesh close border for spain it just a 10 cycle experiment unless negotiates are not easy. spain already offer new trade to khmer so ganesh understand change of heart.

but for now please understand need of experiment. it khmer style and hope it understood.



also other nation has huge minus of -44m gold. this nation as khmer economic understand goes should cancel open border to improve trade (need vet explain this?)

[Pitboss Khmer]

great tiding all.

khmer land now adorned by new jewel.

it everywhere.