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

[Pitboss Khmer]

To Sparta, Rome and all world Nations

Because of the previous Khmer administrations policy of no open borders with the to 3 ranked nations Khmer does not have Open Borders with Rome.

Suryavarman 1 calls on Rome to stall its attacks on Russia. Our Khmer scout is in the region watching every step of the war. It seems rom our part of the world that the flimsiest of excuses is all that is required for Rome to strike with the sword.

Thes actions will force Khmer closer to Russia and Rome may well rue this day.

Suryavarman 1

[Pitboss Japan]

Can't close for another few turns.

[Pitboss Rome]

The Senate of Rome is pleased to announce the conclusion of its military operations along its eastern frontier.

Our reason for this action were always clear and published and have been accepted as valid by the Russians themselves.

At the heart of this action was the Russian burning to the ground the city of Mediolaneum, and resettling the area with their own city. It may interest other nations to know that Mediolaneum had within its boundaries copper, stone, iron and silver . This was no irrelevant outpost but one of the riches city sites in the world.

Also there was the crime of wantonly pillaging and burning Roman farms and villages for which no compensation was ever paid, and extending their border beyond the river Ren.

Finally, leaving aside various other insults etc., the stealing of a settler.

(Note we have accepted the argument of other nations that the settlement of Portuguese lands by the Rus is a matter to be settled between them. Their action in attacking our neighbours like this, and fabricating correspondence suggesting we ‘gave them permission’ still grieves us, and we would vocally support a Portuguese claim that this settlement should be handed over to them, but we will leave this on one side for now.)

Our war aim was always to capture the city of Petrovic in compensation for Mediolaneum. This has been done and the city renamed new Mediolaneum. The city is a poorer site than the original Mediolaneum – it has but one resource – corn. Of course it is more developed now than the original Mediolaneum was when it was lost – but if Mediolaneum had not been destroyed by the Rus it too would have grown over time.

(The Rus have suggested that we threaten many of their cities. It is true that our armies have crossed the frontier in three points by land and one by sea. But as we have always maintained, our aims were limited. The potential of the Roman armies to bring widespread destruction is not the same as saying that we intended or wanted to do this.)

Thus the main debt owed to us by the Rus has been paid.

Certain matters are still outstanding:
- the pillage of Roman farms and villages
- the stealing of a settler
- expansion of Rus activity west of the Ren, including farming cows, and mining silver and copper (all of these resources are west of the Ren).

Acknowledging the feelings of our international friends whose ambassadors we have welcomed privately here in Rome, we are content for these outstanding matters to be the subject of international negotiation.

Thus we have ordered our soldiers in Russian territory to stop all offensive actions. We trust that the Rus will demonstrate their good faith and abide by this ceasefire.

We also feel obliged to point out that Rus charioteers have once again flooded the north of our country pillaging at will. Our soldiers, honourable not barbarians, have refrained from any such action. The Khmer scouts in the south of Rus will be able to confirm that our armies are in possession of mines, including valuable silver mines, but these have not been damaged.

We welcome a ceasefire, and settling our eastern frontier as we have done our northern, western and southern.

[Pitboss Greece]

Sparta will not accept cease fire unless the city of Petrovic will be returned to Russia.
The cease fire will only be signed to give Rome the chance to execute our other demands.

The Double Tongue of Rome has once again been proved.
While Rome refuses to return the Portuguese cities they have token not even that long ago, the start a war with Russia because the Russians apparently took a Roman city more the 1500 years ago!

Sparta does not accept that excuse and wants Rome to return the city to Russia and pay for the damage it has done to Russia.

Perdiccas II
King of Sparta

[Pitboss Greece]

To: Mel Gibson of the Maya

Greetings,

I am worried about your lack of response to our attempts to mediate between you and the Portuguese.
Can you please inform me about the current situation and explain your actions?

Can you also tell me what happened to my nephew, Prince Aeropus?

Perdiccas II
King of Sparta

[Pitboss Rome]

A public letter from the Senate of Rome to the new Spartan King Perdiccas II

King Perdiccas, the Senate acknowledge receipt of your proclamation of war. If this is the will of the one true god, then so be it. Our soliders await your arrival, and are currently hunting down the terrorists you have placed in the desert lands. (Welcomed under our long-standing open borders agreement, but that trust now broken).

We suggest though that perhaps this war is unnecessary and will result in the destruction of so much.

Unncecessary because our campaign is concluded. Our main grievance is satisfied - new mediolaneum in exchange for the original mediolaneum stolen by the Rus .

Destruction of so much because many nations are bound to us with mutual defence pacts. Under the terms of these pacts they were not invoke by the Russian action, but are by your declaration of war against us. We don't say this to intimidate, we know and salute Spartan courage. But we wonder what world war will achieve.

You do not like the way we have gone about gaining back a city in compensation for the one we lost. We are sorry for that. And lets be clear, there are no other outstanding debts claimed by Rome, and we have secure peace treaties on all our other borders; the rhetoric of who will we attack next is empty.

What future do you choose for the world?

[Pitboss Rome]

King Perdiccas II

It seems our messenger crossed in transit.

Your argument about the age of cities makes no sense. The point in the crowded east is the city site. We would be willing to consider a swap - New Mediolaneum for the Russian city (Ormsk) built on the site of the origianl Mediolaneum which they stole, if that would please your conscience. (Indeed the new mediolaneum site has far fewer resources than that of old mediolaneum).

And talking of double tongued - how it is that it is inappropriate for us to act against the Rus because of their betrayal of the Portugese, and yet you justify your actions on the basis of our past relations with the Portuguese. Perhaps we should both leave the Portuguese to make their own arguments?

Tribune Hieronymus

[Pitboss Greece]

To the Senate of Rome

Long ago, when Tribune Hieronymus spoke to his people for the first time, he ended his speech like this:

"I bring peace to the People of Rome"

It was a speech that started with the showcasing a number of nations with whom he had signed peace. (according to his own words).
It was the start of a new era, he said.

The past was the past.
The dictators of the early days of Rome were forgotten and should not be remembered.
Therefor the new Rome didn't want to pay for the damage done in the past.
The Portuguese cities remained Roman and the Spartan resources never were sent to Sparta.

There were no words about Russia.
No anger for pas actions of Russia.
There was peace.

Never have the Romans spoken (in public) about these issues they had with Russia. Issues apparently about things that had happened 1500 years in the past.

But suddenly the peaceful Romans crossed the Russian borders to take back a city. Never where the Russians asked to give up the city.

The reason, Hieronymus tha I refer to actions of Rome versus Portugal in the past is that it shows your double tongue.
First you refuse to return the Portuguese cities to Rome, but then you insist that Russia returns your city.

Now you claim that your neighbours don't need to fear you.
But you have said so in the past.
You have repeated numerous times to my brother Alcetas that this was a new Rome.
But then suddenly you invaded Russia.
Now you talk about peace again.
But tomorrow you invade the Piercians or the Wyandots.

Sparta cannot accept the existence of such a destructing power in the middle of our continent.

And don't name our soldiers Terrorists.
They haven't hurt Rome in anyway. They just became trapped in your deserts when you started you war.

You talk about your friends who are ready to join you in a world war against Sparta.
I don't think you do have any friends. Let them speak up, if they do exist.

Sparta will continue this war and will not rest till the Russians will have regained what you took from them, and the other demands I have listed to you before.

Sparta is not acting in it's own interest.
We are helping smaller nations that live under the shroud of Rome.
We doubt that Rome has ever helped any nation without gaining much in return.

Perdiccus II
King of Sparta

[Pitboss Rome]

Perdiccas,

You twist words.

Yes we proclaimed peace with many nations. Those deals remain and are inviolate. No mention was made of Rus, because there was no treaty with the Rus because they refused to sign one, and because they still held our city.

But tomorrow you invade the Piercians or the Wyandots.

No, we have non-aggression treaties with both of these, as with our other neighbours and as we have offered the Rus.

Notice how neither of these nations which you declare yourself the saviour of, have expressed any concern about our actions. They know they have secure treaties with us.

Fear of Rome is your invention.

[Pitboss Greece]

We will meet on the battle field.
It's not possible to talk with a liar and a warmonger.

[Pitboss Japan]

Originally posted by Pitboss Greece
We will meet on the battle field.
It's not possible to talk with a liar and a warmonger.

Hey I am a warmonger.

[Pitboss Russia]

Announcement towards the lies of Rome.


Allow Rus scribes to explain the situation clearly.

Mediolanum was an outpost placed in direct violation of a treaty between Rus and Rome. Our raiders attacked it and continued into Rome. Though we had no hope of winning, we felt forced to show that we would not take such assaults on our sovereignity lying down.

Rome ACKNOWLEDGED this and granted us ALL the lands east of the river VolgoRen. The war was ended and all forgiven.

Now. 1200 years later, under new leadership, Rome comes to seek vengeance for what not a man in Rus or Rome remembers.

The old city of Mediolanum was a small (size1) hill outpost with no chances of development. It had resources that now mostly are in the hands of Rome. Pitrograd was our western capital. It was the second biggest city in Rus after Novgorod. It had the most cottages and the most wealth, second only to Novgorod. It had markets and monasteries and temples and many other buildings, created by the hard work of centuries. It was settled on location as in agreement with Rome and Portugal made millennia past.

We hope the world sees this hypocrisy for what it is, for though we have tried our best to show kindness where we have been shown hostility, this loss has darkened our hearts and our spirits.

Mighty Rome, with its vast rich lands has set its eyes upon weak small Ruskaya Zemlya and found that even in the lands of barbarians, there are beauty and wealth. And they covet it. And now they have taken it.

Korea asks that all military action stop, yet they realize not that Rus are performing no military action, for we have no military. With the exception of a few chariots who have gone to certain death to fight behind enemy lines. We will not now, nor ever accept the loss of our second best city. We will fight and continue to fight until Pitrograd is returned to us. And we will stop at nothing, we will pay any price, offer any prize, to have our lands made whole again. Let this be known to our allies and our foes alike.


We ask the entire world to aid us in our defence and reclamation. We ask that as the most honorable of men, the King of Sparta has asked, that an embargo against Rome be made. We ask this especially of Portugal, who see a war fought in their name, that they do not desire. We ask that righteousness prevail above friendship to a nation who would use its friends discussions as pretext to their own unjust ends.

[Pitboss Japan]

I will take that offer. As my final act as emperor Japan will declare war against Rome until the Day the Russian city is returned and the Spartan demands met or Rome herself is burned to the ground.

[Pitboss Rome]

Rus,

The fact that you continue to fabricate is clear.

Days ago you accepted publicly that you were guilty for stealing Mediolaneum. Now you say that in fact it was agreed by treaty? Why? If this was true, why did you not say so originally? Do your forgers take that long to work? And why is there no mention of this agreemnt or grant of land either in the public record or in the archives or our correspondance?

And if the site of Mediolameum was so poor compared to New Mediolaneum, then why not agree to the swap I have proposed. Give us back Mediolaneum and we will return to you new Mediolameum.

[Pitboss Japan]

Japan was undergoing a change in command. Itoku gave up his throne to his old age so his 12yr old son Naruto then returned to his childhood home to die in peace. Philip was also replaced as military advisor. He was old and wished to return home to Sparta so he retired his position to his son Zander. Even Hanzo had retired and his oldest son Jiraiya became the new shogun of Japan. This change brought a new sense of pride and determination to a country that was already driven to bring down a country that has been pledging the world with their lies for generations.