Beyond the Pit [Pitboss Diplomacy Game] [Story Thread] . PART 4 (November)

[Pitboss Russia]

Announcement from Novgorod

To Portugal

Having rummaged through ancient texts and deliberations, it has appeared an old and dustridden document. It is in fact as you say, an agreement between my late father during his early reign, and your predecessors. However, this document is so ancient that it has passed from our memories ages ago. Partly I believe for the reason that its relevance has been void for generations. All the lands spoken of are settled. With the exception of that small peninsula. Which it seemed to us you had no interest in, which you have yourself confirmed.

As for insults, we have made none. We settled lands you had no desire for. I do not see the insult in this. We explained our actions in an honest manner. Surely this is not an insult. Yet Rome throws insults about, calling our people barbarians. Your statement seemed to support their words.

We desire no conflict, and have no ill will towards you. We discussed the matter with Rome, for they have great knowledge of your people, and we sought their advice. Their reply was clear to us. We did consider asking you, but we doubted you had any interest in the affairs of lesser nations, or the land in question. And so, some of our people sailed north and settled this land, believing that it could not be of any trouble to the greatness of Portugal.

Regardless of our failure to understand your motivations and desires, what has been done has been done, and we would much like to keep our new city. You ask that a compensation be given, but unfortunately, I fear there is nothing in all of Ruskaya Zemlaya that Portugal would find valuable. Name your fair price and we will consider it, but remember, we are not an opulent nation such as yourself.

Mikhail P. Rus.

[Pitboss Rome]

The Doors of the Temple of Mars, ajar

The first band of early morning pilgrims to the temple of Mars in Rome blinked in the sunlight. “Surely not?” they whispered to each other, “it must be a mistake”. But as the light grew, there was no doubting it. The doors of the temple, shut so many years earlier when the Senate had been cleansed, stood ajar. Nailed to it a text …

The Senate and People of Rome announce with regret that they have been forced to resort to military measures to gain satisfaction from the Rus tribesmen of the debts owed by them and the insults offered by them to Rome and its friends.

The crimes of the Rus tribes people are well known, including:

1. They did wantonly and without warning destroy the Roman city of Mediolaneum, burning it to the ground, killing all inside it – women and children – crushing them with their evil chariots.
2. Their chariots wantonly pillaged and burnt Roman farms and villages as far as Rome itself, for which no compensation has ever been paid.
3. They have deliberately extended their borders beyond the river Ren, which had long since been agreed as marking the limits of their expansion.
4. They have fostered the dangerous and deceptive new religion spreading it to our peoples, rejecting the worship of the one God.
5. They have stolen a party of settlers from us, failing to make any payment for them.
6. They have invaded land clearly agreed by treaty to be Portuguese, insulting and threatening our dear friends, stealing the site of a city rich in many extremely valuable resources.

This last invasion is the final straw. Rome bore much previously at the hands of the Rus people thinking that they had changed. However this invasion had demonstrated that they are still barbarians, who understand only one thing. Even now they simply declare "what is done is done" rather than handing over to the Portuguese the city standin on Portuguese land.

The Senate has instructed the Eastern Standing Army to commence offensive operations against the Rus. This is to be a limited campaign. Their crimes tally to three cities (Mediolaneum, stolen settlers and the Portuguese invasion), towns and villages west of the Ren, and much insult and cost. The compensation which our legions will obtain will be strictly in proportion with this. Rome has no desire to see the Rus people destroyed. We will never repeat their crimes of razing cities to the ground, nor pillaging and murdering villages and towns.

The Western and Southern Standing Armies will not be involved and will remain at their posts.

Within an hour Rome was in uproar.

[Pitboss Vikings]

Originally posted by Pitboss Greece
A messenger arrived at the Palace of Mel Gibson and handed him a letter:

Hail Mel Gibson, Leader of the Mayans.

I bring you news about the dead of Alcetas II, son of Alexander, King of Sparta.
He ruled like a wise man. He died like an idiot.

Soon his son, Aeropus, will arrive at your palace.
Will you please inform him about the dead of his father and ask him to return home as soon as possible.

The Scribes of Sparta

Similar messengers were sent to the Koreans, the Japanese, the Portuguese, the Piercian, the Wyandot, the Khmer and the Russian leaders. They all told about the dead of King Alcetas and the empty throne of Sparta.

Alcetas last words: "Aeropus, where are you?" where echoing through the Spartan empire.

The oldonians heard via the grapevine of the death and were quite disturbd they hadnot been contacted directly like the other nations.

[Pitboss Vikings]

i{ooc}

it good to see that Rome going to war with small nation....

Typical of Civ games really... Pick on the weak as everyone to ogutless to take on the big players..

Well i do hereby pledge my full support to the russians, if roma attacks then i will attack ..

I may be totaly destroyed by the large nations but this game has turned into a bore fest with the larger nations doing nothing to stop the others becoming bigger, all they want is to keep the small civs at bay..

Well so be it, but i am peeved that a nation the size of rome even thinks of attacking a small civ like rus.

[Pitboss Greece]

To the Oldonian People,

We have made a huge mistake by not informing you about the dead of our former King, Alcetas.
There are no excuses. We, the scribes of Sparta, have failed to hold up the bondings with Oldonia.

We hope that you can forgive us.

The scribes of Sparta

[Pitboss Vikings]

To the Scribes of Sparta.

Your response in an apology has appeased us. things have changed in oldonia and we no longer will be pushed around and left out of world affairs.

Our recent actions of supporting the rus is just the begiining of our new foriegn policies.

We ask that our friendsahip with you continue but the time for choosing sides has arrived and we await the worlds repsonses to the current crisis.


Big Kev....

[Pitboss Greece]

Sparta demands that Rome stops all actions of war against Russia.
If Rome will not immediately withdraw all it's troops from Russian territory then Sparta will immediately declare war.

Sparta has already troops on it's way. We will also support Russia with money and technologies. Sparta will not accept a 2nd time that Rome will damage other nations.

We will let serious consequences happen if Rome will not obey Sparta. Sparta will bring the war to Rome and we will not stop until we have damaged Rome a lot.
Believe us, we are closer to you then you may expect.

The Scribes of Sparta

[Pitboss Greece]

To all nations on Earth: Did our former King Alcetas not warn all nations that Rome was not to be trusted?
It's not for nothing that Rome declares war again on the day that Alcetas died! Rome is evil in it's core. They hope that the dead of Alcetas may help them, for they feared him.

We hope that all nations on earth will now agree with Sparta that this evil must end. Let's end all our deals with Rome, close trade routes, end resource deals at once.

Don't trade technologies with Rome anymore.
You may be their next victim.

The Scribes of Sparta

[Pitboss Vikings]

The armies of Oldonia are also on the march to address this atrocity .

We ask that nations do not interfer with this army as it passes through your lands.

You can joion us or allow us to pass but do not stop us.

[Pitboss Japan]

Itoku walk out of his chanbers with a crazed look in his eyes. This man that stood infront of Philip was not the same kind hearted emperor of before. His heart was fllled with rage and his eyes filled with bloodlust. He spoke to Philip. "What news from Sparta?" Philip responed, "My lord the Spartans are angry but do not wish war with Japan." Itoku then asked what else was happening. Philip told Itoku of the roman and russian situation. this was his responce:

Romans,
If you wish a war then a war is what you will get. Remove your troops at once or I will remove them for you. I truly hope you do not listen for I have felt angry for some time and slaughtering everyone in your country will chear me up.

[Pitboss Persia]

Scribes of Sparta

I am deeply saddened by the death of King Alcetas, but I am confident about his son being a worty heir of the spartan throne. The king is dead, long live the King !

Emperor Asiz of the Piercian Empire

[Pitboss Korea]

Seoul, Korea...

Emperor Sejong called an emergency meeting, and postponed his dinner with Subo and Sal'Ly of Piercia. The diplomatic missives had flowed in and he was in quite a position; two of his top Generals (Han Gong and Jumong) were out on diplomatic missions, his diplomatic advisor (Hae Mosu) was currently en route to Piercia passing the Roman coastline on a diplomatic mission to Asiz of Piercia. He only had General Shin Sung, his Imperial Commander, at his side and while Shin Sung was an honorable man he was no great diplomat. But even Shin Sung was currently away at battle against barbarians in the North-West of Korea. Surrounded by Korean nobles Sejong began...

"I wish I called upon you under much better circumstances" the young Emperor began, his wife the Empress Soheon dutifully at his side; "I was going to report on some diplomatic breakthroughs as our mission in the north continues. New developments with Japan, with Oldonia, and as we travel through the Wyandot territories we were going to celebrate that as well. We travel through Rome peacefully, and on to Pierica. We even entertain Piercian guests here in the city of Seoul, in fact I had to postpone a dinner with my religious advisor Subo and a high priestess of Piercia. The greed, and the insolence, the want of conflict, has won the day in the north lands. These religions, these greedy and violent faiths that these HEATHENS cling to! This Judaism, this Islam! This so-called 'god' of theirs, that demands bloodshed and fealty, they share the very same deity but both factions fight eachother in his name! This madness has wrought a great deal of pain and suffering. I have it on good word that war is nearing, that armies of Portugal and Rome, once enemies, now combine to invade backward and tiny Russia."

"Emperor, we know nothing of the Russians, all we know is they are hardly better than barbarians." Bojong of Silla said.

"Yes, that is so, I do not judge our Roman friends. We have yet to know their side, but it seems King Alcetas of Greece has decided to back the Russians, and has demanded the Roman cease with their activity."

"King Alcetas Emperor, you haven't heard?" Bojong replied, looking nervously around the room.

"Heard what Bojong?" Sejong said, "My foreign ministry has been slow lately, our minister Hae Mosu is away to Piercia...." Bojong said nothing, as if he was afraid, "Bojong what is it?"

"I believe he has passed sir, to the beyond..." Bojong said softly, the room went completely silent... beyond silent...

"That... is... impossible..." Sejong said, falling into his seat, "Who leads the Spartans?"

"His son my lord." Bojong said, "Emperor, we can't rely on the Greeks this time, we must make our own decision here."

Sejong simply sat there and stared at the table, "Very good, Bojong, you will write a message to the Spartans. We must give our condolences, we must speak of these developments, I have to start this meeting with the Piercians."

"What are we going to do Emperor?" Bojong asked.

"I don't know yet, I don't know yet..."


The Jogyesa Monastery, Seoul...

Ji Gong sat in deep meditation, he could sense a great suffering preparing to spread around the Earth. He simply sat chanting to himself, and then the voices came back to him; it had been years...

.....Ji, you must stop this meditation, it is time for your to accept your fate....

Ji shook his head, "I do not fear you anymore, I know who you are... you are not the Buddha." he said.

....finally Ji, you realize that I am not the Buddha, not yet....

"Well, I have figured you out, you are nothing more than me, and you will be nothing more than me."

....that may be true Ji, but you always change, like a river always changes, you can never step into the same one twice. You shall be different tomorrow than you are today, and you were different yesterday than you are now....

"Well, I am not going to listen to you anymore, all you do is make me look like a fool, I almost died because of you!"

....and you are not a fool Ji? You talk to yourself! You listen to a voice for years without realizing that it is nothing but your insanity.....

"What is it?!?!" Ji exclaimed.

....the suffering of this world shall grow beyond measure...

"There is always suffering." Ji said bluntly.

..... there is always suffering, but suffering can only be expunged by realizing true enlightenment, and by the realization of your inner potential, your inner-self....

"Listen, if anybody sees me like this, they are going to think me mad! And tomorrow I must attend an important dinner, with the Emperor, and with the Piercians, I have to meditate, we are supposed to tell her about Buddhism!"

.....that priestess, that piercian woman, she has great inner potential Ji, Subo may not believe this at first, but you must convince him, through her great suffering will be expunged....

"Alright, whatever you say. How in the world is she going to expunge great suffering?" Ji asked, there was no response, "Hello?" he shook his head and laughed, "Look at me, I'm insane..."

[Pitboss Korea]

TO: Aeropus, King of the Spartans
FROM: Sejong of Goguryeo, Emperor of Korea

Honorable Aeropus,

It is with great sadness and dismay that we give you our condolences over the great loss of Alcetas. He was a great man, and a true friend of Korea. He will certainly be missed.

I apologize with great shame that I did not receive your father's invitation to Sparta in time. Korea is currently strapped; we have emissaries in Oldonia, emisarries off the Roman coast headed towards Piercia (including our Foreign Minister) and our military currently battles barbarians in the north east beyond the great river. I was entertaining Piercians guests and myself married. So it is entirely my fault that we did not receive your missive in time and I personally apologize for this.

We are pleased that you have consented to our proposed deal to grant the Japanese the canal territories.

We are dismayed at the recent turn in global affairs, and believe that it is NOT in the best interests of Korea to intervene militarily against the Romans. We would like to echo this to the Spartan Greeks as well, this is not our fight. We are at peace in our sphere of the world and while we honor your bravery, we believe that political means could effect a peaceful end to this conflict.

But alas, the Oldonians have already pledged their support, as have you, so we wish you well upon your military campaign against Rome, and hope that peace comes quicker than expected.

We will be happy to visit your capital, my wife has yet to see Greece.

- Emperor Sejong of Goguryeo

[Pitboss Korea]

Just outside the Aztec stronghold, Korean encampment...

"YAH!" Pacal Voltan barked as he swung his sword at the wooden post, slashing it right on target. The Koreans had specific calls to match their movements, so unite their body and minds for the fight.

General Shin Sung clapped his hands as he slowly approached the young man, "Very good, better than your father did... better than even your grandfather boy!" he said, patting young Pacal on the back.

"Really?" Pacal said, he was a perfectionist, and he looked up to Shin Sung. The General convinced Emperor Sejong it would be best for Pacal to travel with them to fight the Aztecs. This time the Piercians would be with them (a small contingent of Piercian immortals accompanied the Korean battalion) and this would not only expose young Pacal to warfare, but also to foreigners, "I hear my grandfather was a great Korean Warlord!"

"He was, I didn't know him very well, but he did give me my position as General, so I am endebted to him. Teaching your scrawny ass to fight is the least I could do!" Shin Sung laughed.

"YAH!" Pacal said, again the slice was on the mark, "And you knew my father too I hear?"

"Well, that isn't entirely true" Shin Sung said as he pulled some splinters from the cut, he nodded in approval "On the mark again, I better not piss you off! I had dinner with him, once, when he came to see your mother for the first time. Of course that was a long, long time ago." Shin Sung said, remembering Bae Hyeongyeong.

"What was he like? My father?" Pacal said, "My mother tells me things about him, but you know, how she is..." the boy said.

"Well, I didn't know him well, but he was very magnanimous, yet humble. He was a good guy, not too funny, but charismatic ya know, easy to get along with, especially if you didn't know him well." Shin Sung said, partially speaking about his dead mentor Bae Hyeongyeong, he thought about Bae a lot.

"I wish I had met him..." Pacal said, shoving the sword into the dirt, ".... so General Shin, are you going to let me come to battle tomorrow?"

"Hah!" the General laughed, grabbing the sword from the dirt and scraping the dirt from the tip, "I don't think that is going to happen, I promised your uncle, I promised your mother I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

"But these Aztecs, they killed my father!" the boy said, "It is my right, nay my DUTY to-"

"And it is MY duty to bring you back to Seoul in one piece, unlike this log." he said holding out the sword, "This isn't poetry class son, nobody said you were finished...."

Seoul, Korea...

Sal'Ly entered the Jogyesa monastery, built hundreds of years ago during the reign of Wang Geon. It was a masterpeice, and was built to resemble the monastic villiage of Wonsan in the Jogye mountains (where it got its name). The city of Wonsan, and the monastery in the Jogye mountains. She travelled far from home, accross many miles to find wisdom (as well as political support) and she was very interested in the Buddhist teachings, especially after hearing Subo's words at the wedding of Sejong and Soheon days prior.

"Ahh, Sal'Ly of Pierica" a monk said, bowing with a large smile, "Come now, Lama Subo and Lama Ji Gong are prepared to meet you."

She simply smiled "Thank you."

"I regret to inform you that the Emperor could not make it, the King of the Spartans, he passed and the Emperor had to make haste to Sparta. The Spartans are old friends to Korea." the monk said, "Right this way, through this door." the monk said, opening two large doors, the room was quite dark, as only moonlight fell through the window. It was very modest, there was a single small plant in the window.

"Welcome to Jogyesa Sal'Ly" a grizzled voice said, she looked and there was an old man seated upon a pillow, "I am Lama Ji Gong, but everybody calls me Ji."

"Everybody calls you Crazy Ji" a voice laughed from the corner, "And I am Lama Subo, I advise the Emperor, he is so displeased he could not be here, and I am sorry a beauty such as yourself must make time with two old men like us. So just a great beauty and two old whethered men... no handsome Prince...." Subo laughed, Sal'Ly felt a little uneasy. "Haesong!" Subo said, as the monk entered, "Bring her some tea."

"So Sal'Ly, what brings you here to Korea?" Subo began.

"Well Lama Subo" she began.

"Subo is sufficient." the Lama smiled.

"Oh, okay, Subo, I have come to Korea to learn the ways-" the monk returned swiftly with tea and poured her a cup, "Oh, thank you. I have come to learn your ways, to learn your beliefs."

"And you travel with an army Sal'Ly?" Subo asked.

"Oh no, not an army, they are simply my entourage, for safety." Sal'Ly explained, taking a sip from the tea, it was quite hot and burned her lips, "Ooh, hot."

"Patience my dear," Subo said, "I know of this religion you have in Piercia, I have heard of it, this Judaism. The faith of the one, the one god, the one word of god. We believe that faiths like this, they are good intentioned, like most people are good intentioned."

"Well Subo, some would say that people are not good intentioned, and that there must be rules, that some people are evil, and practice evil deeds." Sal'Ly explained, lightly blowing into her tea, to cool it down, a bit of the tea spilled onto her leg, she grimaced slightly.

Subo slowly got up and approached her, "Hand me your tea Sal'Ly" the old man said, she slowly handed it to him, "You see Sal'Ly, why did you burn your leg?"

"My tea spilled." she said.

"Your tea spilled?" Subo asked, "Ji, did her tea spill?"

"No it did not Subo." Ji said.

"No it did not Sal'Ly" Subo said, placing the tea on the windowsill next to the lone flower, "Your tea burned your leg because you blew on it, and in fact you blew upon it too harshly, there was no need to do that."

Sal'Ly was not only confused, she was begining to regret her visit here, "So, you have taken my tea from me?"

Subo laughed and slowly walked back to his seat, "I did not take your tea from you Sal'Ly, I moved it to the window so that it may cool, now your tea did not spill, more accurately it was you who spilled your tea. You wanted it, and you lacked patience, so you blew on it. And from this greed your leg was burned."

Sal'Ly couldn't believe this, this man had spoken so eloquently the other day, and now he was speaking like a crazy old man, "Greed Subo? It wasn't greed, I simply wanted my tea to be cooled."

"Sometimes, my darling, greed is not so apparent. Especially to those who shelter themselves in greed, who surround themselves in the fruits of that greed. Base, unskillful conditions are born from those things and take shelter within them, just as an animal which lives in a hole takes shelter in a hole, a water animal takes shelter in water, or a tree-dwelling animal takes shelter in trees." Subo said.

Sal'Ly did not follow, "Subo, I don't follow." she said.

"Well, I did not bring you here to teach you about greed Sal'Ly, you do not seem as though you are a greedy woman, in general of course. But greed is one cause of suffering, and suffering exists and is unavoidable, except through englightenment." Subo said.

Sal'Ly really started to think this was a huge mistake, this man seemed to speak nonsense and had yet to teach her one thing about Buddhism, or so she thought, but she couldn't leave, because that would be disrespectful.... (to be continued, tomorrow)

NEXT: Part II of Sal'Ly's visit to Subo (with more sense being made) plus War in the North! Starring Harald Sigurdsson and General Jumong!

COMING SOON: The K.S.S. Sinjeong Arrives in Meeting!

[Pitboss Maya]

Great Civilizations,

Let it be known that Maya also pledges military support against Rome and Portugal should they attack Russia. Although we do not possess the military might of Rome, or the technological savvy of Portugal, we will join the fight along with the brave Spartans, Japanese, Russians, and Oldeons.

The Port/Rome powerhouse pledges war against Russia over some unsettled tundra? Absurd. Especially considering that Portugal is sending droves of settlers to the new world.

I second the notion that open boarders and trade deals should be canceled with not only Rome, but Portugal as well. If you cannot pledge military to the cause, at least show your disapproval through embargo.