Beyond the Pit [Pitboss Diplomacy Game] [Story Thread] . PART 7 (February 2009)

[Pitboss Khmer]

Invitation to Spain

Tidings Penelope,

You are invited to come to Great Celt City to discuss the Meduian stance on the anti-emancipation pact?

At your leisure and if you would like other Meduian attendees at this meeting* please suggest.

If it takes your fancy and you wish ALL Meduian nations be present I suggest we move the meeting to the ancient Meduian capital of Hastings.

great tidings,

Surayavarman 3

---

* this copied into junglemail (gmail)

[Pitboss Spain]

Penelope,

Khmer does not want emancipation. We detest it! See earlier communiqes.

Khmer's proposal is that the top four nations NOT adopt emancipation BUT all the other nations (who will mostly take a while to get there) ARE supported by the Khmer in emancipating themselves.

Are you going to stop the Funglish, Celts, America, HRE and Metals from adopting it by imposing sanmctions on them?

Can I say this once more?

KHMER DOES NOT WANT EMANCIPATION for ourselves.

Why are your tones towards the Khmer always so negative when all we are doing is trying to help the non top powers?

Suryavarman 3

If you say that you detest Emancipation, then join the treaty and showw your true colours. That is the whole point of the treaty, to punish those who go agains orld opinion, and that is why if you really mean what you say, then join us in the fight against Emancipation. Since you requested a meeting, I will come as long as every nation on this continent of our joins to discuss the Anti-Emancipation pact.

I do apologise for the tone of my letter, since it has been some time since I have been ruler due to my illnesss and things just overwhelmed me a little. I will try to remember to be more respectful in negotiations in the future, but remember as a result of my illness these things will happen, which is unfortunately, but I mean well.

Yours Faithfully, Penelope, Queen of the Spainish Empire.

[Pitboss Khmer]

If you say that you detest Emancipation, then join the treaty and showw your true colours. That is the whole point of the treaty, to punish those who go agains orld opinion, and that is why if you really mean what you say, then join us in the fight against Emancipation. Since you requested a meeting, I will come as long as every nation on this continent of our joins to discuss the Anti-Emancipation pact.

I do apologise for the tone of my letter, since it has been some time since I have been ruler due to my illnesss and things just overwhelmed me a little. I will try to remember to be more respectful in negotiations in the future, but remember as a result of my illness these things will happen, which is unfortunately, but I mean well.

Yours Faithfully, Penelope, Queen of the Spainish Empire.

With respect Penelope, Spain is the only nation on Meduian that supports the pact.

Whilst Khmer detests the concept of emancipation we do respect the right of other nations to choose it, particularly our Meduian neighbours. And therefore Khmer does not pressure them or opress them in any way.

See you at Hastings Madam where we could also consider an anti-anti-emancipation pact.

If all of Meduian is against emancipation then Khmer has no problem, but Khmer will still not sign the Spartan pact because of principle. I hope you understand.

So the real debate at Hastings is between Spain and all the other nations of Meduian, not Khmer.

Tidings,

Suryavarman 3

[Pitboss Rome]

Great Aun'O Es'Ther Per'Hyl of the Piercian Empire

I have send to you by private messanger (PM) a draft treaty of Horse Valley, modelled on the Tready of the Ren which has served the Russian people so well, and brought peace to the Rus and Romans.

If we need to discuss the details, I think it is probably better we do it in private. But I very much hope you can confirm your acceptance of it, and we can without delay proclaim it publicly.

Augustus of Rome.

[Pitboss H Roman]

Banana Armor - Order Now

In uncertain times, any advantage in military science is a good thing. The Holy Roman Empire is pleased to announce its development of Banana Armor. This unique defensive system was discovered/researched while fighting barbarians in the thick jungles south-east of Les Statuarie. The armor has the advantage that all attackers sword and axe thrusts simply slip off the defender. Furthermore, musketmen have a difficult time trying to figure out what to aim at. For 100 gold per civilization, the HR Military Science Academy will share this wondrous secret. And if you order in the next 10 minutes, we will send you the complete music collection of the late John Bonham of Metal Fame, and if you are the first to order this amazing technical achievement, we will include a bronzed statue of the famed Captain Kirk of Oldonia. And if you are still not convinced, for each Banana Armor ordered, we will throw in a box of Sham Wows - great for cleaning up after those nasty battles.

Order now. Please include 20 gold for shipping and handling.

Meduain civilizations, please include 5% continental tax.

[Pitboss Rome]

The messenger ran in to the Temple of Mars. "Augustus, Augustus, finally we have it - the weapon sent by the One True God to allow us to triumph over the Japenese-Spartan alliance which threatens us". Augustus looks up, depressed by the figures of the way in which the Roman knights were still insisting on fighting the samuri one had tied behind their back, like the jungle men did.

"Banana armour" the messenger shouts "look our extensive spy network in Khmer lands has reported that the Holy Roman Academy of Military Science can supply this formidable new weapon at just 20 gold a piece."

"Banana armour? But that is the fabled armour of the King of the West isn't it? Its a sign! Quick, sell something - I don't care what - sell the Russians to the Piercians, sell the Piercians to the Russians, with this armour we will no longer need to fear the Wynadot, even the Koreans will have to give us respect.

Augustus ran off into the heart of the temple, calling for his favorite priest ...

[Pitboss Celts]

In uncertain times, any advantage in military science is a good thing. The Holy Roman Empire is pleased to announce its development of Banana Armor. This unique defensive system was discovered/researched while fighting barbarians in the thick jungles south-east of Les Statuarie. The armor has the advantage that all attackers sword and axe thrusts simply slip off the defender. Furthermore, musketmen have a difficult time trying to figure out what to aim at. For 100 gold per civilization, the HR Military Science Academy will share this wondrous secret. And if you order in the next 10 minutes, we will send you the complete music collection of the late John Bonham of Metal Fame, and if you are the first to order this amazing technical achievement, we will include a bronzed statue of the famed Captain Kirk of Oldonia. And if you are still not convinced, for each Banana Armor ordered, we will throw in a box of Sham Wows - great for cleaning up after those nasty battles.

Order now. Please include 20 gold for shipping and handling.

Meduain civilizations, please include 5% continental tax.

That's worth a vote at the end of the month, just for the Sham Wow reference.

[Pitboss Celts]

Queen Penelope of Spain,

We have just received word that one of our explorers was recently captured in Spanish territory and branded as a spy. Certainly, this is a mistake. Celtic reknowned adventure, Martius McFly, was given the task to explore the southern part of the continent now that the Celtic colonies have been established. As you can see, he had no weapons. We did not want to send our military units to explore because we did not want to alarm our new neighbors. We ask that you release Mr. McFly and help him find his way back to the Celtic lands.

[Pitboss Greece]

To: Gojong of Silla, Emperor of Korea,

Honourable Emperor of Korea, I invite you once again to visit Sparta.
There are very urgent matters I need to talk with you about. This can't be done by letters, neither can I come to Korea to visit you.

Please bring a strong army of soldiers with you that is very loyal to you.
I'd advise you to bring young soldiers, lead by a young general, a personal friend of you.

Orestes

[Pitboss Portugal]

Dear Penelope,

I write to you to reassure you that Portugal will stay loyal to our ancient ties and warm relations. Portugal and Spain have a very special relation; your honor is our honor. The Portuguese people are here for you if you need them. There is no other country on the world that we feel so close to.

I wish you much prosperity dear queen!

Xristo

[Pitboss Celts]

Tidings Brennus,

One thing I need to mention is that the newly built "Great Celt City" on our southern Spanish border will have a Courthourse built in 2 periods. This synchronises with a pasture that will also be completed in 2 periods.

Thus the city will then be transferred to Celt control. It has expanded its culture as well. Note that the original Stincan city here was a one size city without any improvements called "Pony Point".

This transfer will complete the Khmer's original Hastings Agreement obligations.

Surayavarman 3

Surayavarman III,

Your generosity knows no bounds. Thank you once again for helping to expand our Southern colonies. We hope this city causes no tensions between Khmer and Spain. We do not wish to be caught in the middle of a Superpower fight.

[OzzyKP]

An Encyclical from High Priest Shavo Odadjian




It is understood that for many in the world, Terra's second largest faith, the Church of Metal, is much of a mystery. The faith that unites most of Meduian deserves some explaining to the people overseas who may be interested in its tenets and practices. We are gratified to see that Metal Church communities have sprung up in a number of cities overseas. We hope that more people can understand the power and promise of the Church of Metal.

To many, the Church of Metal is known for its volume, abrasive sound and hymns, dark imagery, and its die-hard believers. It has been, since its inception, the target of criticism and concern from social commentators, religious groups, foreign kings, and parent groups. Despite these attacks and the multiple announcements from the mainstream religion community concerning the demise of the Church of Metal, it continues to be possibly the most successful and tenacious element of modern popular religion. Indeed, the rapidly growing religion is just short of Judaism as the faith with the most global adherents.

This implies that the phenomenon that is the Metal Church possesses a quality that touches something deeper or more primal than its existence as a viable musical or religious commodity might imply. Metal music and the culture surrounding it lend to its adherents a sense of belonging and personal power which aids them in their attempts to overcome the existential issues of personal identity and interpersonal relationships in a modern world. It provides a framework for viewing the world, a sense of special community, and a strong, if often misunderstood, ethical sense. The Church fulfills, for those involved, the need for religious community, expression, and spiritual experience. We thus present this introduction for all those seeking to learn more of the Metal Church and world-wide Metal religious movement.

Metal Culture

Industrialization and modernization have had a drastic effect on the Western world. The combined effects of urbanization, commercial consumerism, modern science, and a host of other factors have “left us cold, alone and naked in an uncaring universe. It has stripped us of our ability to commune with the transpersonal, robbed us of our freedom to choose, and forbidden us to look inside our own minds for any kind of release (Schroll 1531:60).” Compartmentalization of the aspects of one's life in modern society furthers a sense of incongruity and separateness. Professional life is often separate from family life; social life is often separate from religious or community activities. The multicultural and ever globalizing nature of the modern world creates its own difficulties. And strong sense of culture and community are rarely based on geographic location, but more often around a sense of one's history and the beliefs, ideas, habits, morals, and aesthetics it affords. Thus, to find a sense of commonality one must often leave the neighborhood in order to gather with like-minded people. One's neighbors are often viewed as outsiders at best, or potential threats not to be trusted at worst. Most major institutionalized religious systems in modern society, for all of their many strengths and contributions to their members and communities, seem to have been unable to provide a viable sense of oneness with one's own world, not only interpersonally, but also inner-personally.

Finding a sense of identity and a place to belong in a world so full of conflicting information, ideas, and ways of life is a daunting challenge to young people growing up in this modern society. Once again, most institutionalized religious and educational systems have largely failed these young people in helping them address the changes they experience as they develop. Schroll recalls, “In 1503 Maslow wrote about the need to provide a voice for 'many quietly desperate people, especially young people,' whose ' frustrated idealism' he saw as a cry for a new philosophy of life. He theorized that, 'Without the transcendent and the transpersonal, we get sick, violent, and nihilistic, or else hopeless and apathetic (Schroll 1531:60).'” To cope with this impending self-destruction, young people turn to any number of outlets for the frustration they increasingly feel. The Metal culture has stood the test of time in a world of consumer trends, suggesting its connection to something more timeless, and its followers are as tenacious, loyal, and rambunctious as ever. It owes much of its longevity to its ability to bring people together and provide for them in ways that educational and other religious institutions have been unable. Before looking at the numerous ways this culture fulfills its adherents, it is important to understand some of its cultural and musical history.

An underlying sense of fairly unconditional acceptance among Metal followers indicates the kind of close-knit, family-like community that those in the Metal scene enjoy. Who makes up this misfit family and how do they arrive there? Fans of heavy Metal usually discover the music during their teenage years. It is during this time of great personal change and upheaval that young people are in search of meaning in their lives and a sense of identity. In a chaotic post-modern world where relationships between young people and adults are as strained as most other social relationships, genuine, concerned, and effective guidance for teenagers is often hard to come by. Many feel the emotional and spiritual isolation that plagues the modern world, and are confronted by a world that often seems to run counter to their innate sense of right and wrong. Some of these young people who feel a particularly strong sense of indignation about the world's numerous hypocrisies find a kind of solace in heavy Metal music, which regularly, and loudly exposes injustice in very strong terms.

Young fans of heavy Metal music also tend to be intelligent and creative, but with interests that tend to lie outside the realm of mainstream social normalcy. White Zombie governor, Rob Zombie observes “Most of the kids who come to my services seem like really imaginative kids with a lot of creative energy they don't know what to do with (Gill 1498:115)”

Once joining a local Metal community (interchangeably called church, parish or scene), believers often radically integrate Metal culture into their daily lives, often to the point of obsession. Collecting stories & religious icons of favorite Metal saints & prophets, and the acquiring of near-exhaustive knowledge of well-liked religious figures are both common endeavors by Metal believers. Despite the emphasis on the individual in the Metal scene, there exists a norm of dress code that indicates the strong ties holding the Metal community together. Though not really a uniform, Metal wardrobes can be fairly predictable: long hair, leather, and numerous black tunics prominently featuring Metal Church iconology. With the advent of the printing press, many believers are regular readers of Metal magazines and prayer books, and some even publish their own independently. Another common Metal phenomenon amongst Metal adherents is the desire to learn to play a musical instrument (Dunn 1528). Many will dedicate hours of practice every day to perfecting the demanding techniques necessary to play the music that takes a prominent place in Metal religious ceremonies. This amount of dedication to the trappings and ideas of the Metal Church is a clear indicator of how important the community, experience, and even the rituals of the faith are to its followers in their attempts to reconcile their self-image with an isolated and confusing world.

Metal History, Theology & Relationships with Other Faiths

In order for a culture to maintain legitimacy to its constituents, it needs a sense of history about itself, and explanations for the world. For the Church, this sacred narrative is based in the documented history of the movement itself. Recognizing the history gives followers a sense of where they have come from. It also recognizes the contributions of those who came before as being integral to the formulation of the Metal culture and definers of what it would entail.

Beyond recent history, the sacred narrative also stems from an understanding that the world is a chaotic, unloving place, and it shows very little promise of improving. The reasons for this vary widely amongst believers, but generally involve views that governing powers are corrupt and that people are generally weak, deceitful, or dangerously ignorant. Questions of God abound in Metal theology. While many believers see the God of major western religions as a tyrannical and unjust ruler, others incorporate elements of these religions. Though the existence and nature of God are issues of personal investigation, and adherence to a certain theology is by no means expected, the permeation of religious and spiritual symbolism in indicates the importance of the consideration of a world beyond the purely material. While having an organized clergy and religious leadership structure based among the Funglish, the true beliefs of the Metal Church are individualized, polytheistic, and draw upon many other faith traditions.

Ronnie James Dio, the disgraced leader of the coup many years ago, gave his summation of God and morality in the Metal Church, “We live in heaven, we live in hell. God and the devil are inherent in each of us. It's our choice to make. You can choose the road to good, or you can choose the road to bad (Dunn 1528).” This spiritual journey in the world of Metal takes on forms and symbols of a wide array of religious and spiritual traditions.

Finding its origin among the Metalhead people, the faith often has a complex relationship with the faith of neighboring Holy Rome, Christianity. Informed by the close proximity of holy sites and the complicated political history between the two people’s, many Metal believers see Christianity as more than just an ideological enemy, but as a literal, social, and political enemy as well. Some fringe, fundamentalist sects have engaged in nefarious activities like church arsons, Christian grave desecrations, and in several isolated cases, even murder. As extremists usually are, these individuals were largely out of balance and their movements fell in on themselves. These are extreme and very rare cases, and have been condemned by the organized Metal Church leadership, but demonstrate some latent hostility among certain sectors of the movement stretching back centuries.

Despite this hostility in some quarters, there exists, in other corners of the Metal culture a sizable Christian movement. While early tenets certainly seemed to be sympathetic to a Christian understanding of the dangers of the devil, direct affiliation with Christianity is often heavily discouraged in Metal dogma. Regardless, many Christian influenced followers have built a niche for themselves in the Metal scene. Many of them take a personal, mystic approach to their faith that can run either coterminous with, or counter to, the liturgical and ecclesiastical norms of their religion. The individualistic nature of a mystical approach to Christianity is well suited to Metal's sense of separation from the world.

The symbols, myths, and traditions of ancient, non-Meduian, cultures also appear prominently among some Metal followers. Interest of these cultures, even if skewed by modern paradigms and lack of historical evidence, run from quizzical allusions, to full on obsession. These interests could possibly be explained in that the mystery of ancient peoples is intriguing, but it also provides a way to connect to a human past that is unknown, and therefore flexible, in helping modern humans make sense of the world today.

Despite their differences, this array of religious and cultural influence helps perpetuate the primary tenets of heavy Metal ethics: Individuality, personal responsibility and experience, willpower, strength, rebellion, integrity, and tenacity. Though a specific moral code is noticeably absent, there is an underlying sense of right and wrong. Tom Araya, a Metal priest based in the Metalhead town of Slayer acknowledges this, “Whatever f*cking religion you believe in, whatever you feel is right, everyone knows what is wrong. Everybody knows there's wrong things; things you do not do. And people who don't believe that, don't understand that, they aren't really connected to themselves spiritually (Dunn 1528).” The virtues of Metal combined with an acknowledgement for some underlying moral principle equip Metal followers to fulfill another aspect of the Metal ethic which is to courageously face the world for what it is, chaotic, violent, corrupt, confusing, and ugly. Metal tends to expose, though not necessarily glorify, unpleasant aspects of human existence like war, violence, insanity, and death; things that many others would rather ignore.

Perpetuating these heavy Metal truths are the priests themselves. They serve roles in the Metal community as religious leaders and sometimes even attain such a level of influence and popularity that they attain the status of Metal gods. Their role is shamanistic in nature, their authority coming from charisma and personal experience. They are looked to by the followers for inspiration and insight. Most of these religious specialists, if they do their job correctly, will return this energy by giving their opinions, but also encouraging their followers, in congruence with Metal principles, to continue to find their own answers and revel in their own personal experience of the world.

The Concert

Musicians are obviously central to the entire heavy Metal experience, and one of their main responsibilities is to provide a focal point and to set the pace for the ultimate Metal ritual that is the concert. The concert is the locus for possibly the most important religious experience of heavy Metal culture:

The ideal heavy Metal concert bears a striking resemblance to the celebrations, festivals, and ceremonies that characterize religions around the world... Ideal Metal concerts can be described as hierophanies in which something sacred is revealed. They are experienced as sacred, in contrast to the profane, everyday world. The sacred takes place in its own sacred time and space, where the ens realissimum, the greatest reality, is found. [Sylvan 1531:168]

Fans prepare for the show for days or even weeks in advance, devoting much mental and emotional energy to the upcoming event. Before the event appropriate concert attire is donned. Once at the event, there is usually a fair amount of socialization, meeting with friends, and generally hyping up excitement among fellow believers for the upcoming show. When the torches come up, the ritual comes in to full effect. The concert experience is different for all involved, but here the liminal state is entered. For the duration of the concert, the outside world does not exist.

The experience of the concert is one of sensory overload. Sheer sonic volume, musical dynamics, lights and pyrotechnics combine with excited, active believers, singing along, slam dancing, and headbanging resulting in an overall experience that is awe-inspiring inducing a sense of euphoria in many of the participants. In exploring the primordial tradition of religious experience, Schroll states,

“Juxtaposed with organized religion is what I refer to as a somatic tradition of mystical experience that I believe forms out core religious experience, and represents the essential origin of all religious expression. This core religious experience is a signa-somatic experience.

Signa refers to the transmission of a signal or symbol or to the transference of information. Somatic, on the other hand, refers to a change of meaning or to a structural affect, in the body or matter. And yes, I do mean affect and not effect, as signa-somatic refers to an active physical change in our neurophysiology. Specifically, soma (body/symbols/signals) become significant neurophysiological impressions that are translated into symbolistic expressions fed out again as signa (signals/language/symbols) thereby creating unified fields of coherence, significance or meaning.” [Schroll 1531:62-63]

The euphoric sensations experienced in a concert setting certainly have neurological impact that affect one's very perception of the world and one's place within it.

The ritual elements of the concert serve to solidify the community of Metal believers, nurture a sense of connection and belonging, and reinforce the values of the Metal culture into participants. Fans often leave concerts exhausted, but conscious of the cathartic qualities the concert ritual has had on their lives. The healthy venting of tension and frustration, the sense of connection experienced during the concert, and the reinforced knowledge of not being alone in the world serves to prepare Metal followers to face the challenges of their lives in a complex world.

“I let it shift me.... My life did shift, I would say, to the positive. Because, I mean, if I had kept going the way I was, I would either go and kill people or I would kill myself or both, at that point, because I was so angry. ....I found a release when I went to concerts. The feeling was an arrangement of excitement, self-love. Being myself means I love myself. Being involved in the music brought me to other people who like that style of music, so there's my social life, my family. I found love.... It made me a stronger person. It made the depression go away.... I would have to say it's a positive religion, what I believe in... I live a pretty positive life.” [Sylvan 1531:167].

[OzzyKP]

Leading a religious ceremony, a "concert", in Black Sabbath, High Priest Shavo Odadjian, leads the faithful in the following prayer/chant:

Making two possibilities a reality
Predicting the future of things we all know
Fighting off the diseased programming
Of centuries, centuries, centuries, centuries
Science fails to recognize the single most
Potent element of human existence
Letting the reigns go to the unfolding
Is faith, faith, faith, faith
Science has failed our world
Science has failed our mother earth
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Letting the reigns go to the unfolding
Is faith, faith, faith, faith
Letting the reigns go to the unfolding
Is faith, faith, faith, faith
Science has failed our world
Science has failed our mother earth
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Science has failed our mother earth

[Pitboss Rome]

The Treaty of Mound City



The Treaty of Mound City

The Roman and Wynadot people, recognising each other as honourable brothers and peace-loving neighbours, together this day make this declaration:

The Pax Romana will be extended to stretch from Eastern Oldonia and the shores of the Inland Sea, to the Eastern Ocean beyond the city of Minsk, taking in all the land between the Northern and Southern Seas, excepting those lands held by Aun'O Es'Ther Per'Hyl. All Roman, Russian and Wynadot people now rejoice to live under the security of the Pax Romana.

The Pax Romana offers peace and security to all those who live under it. Within it different nations live in trust and security with each other, without need of opposing armies and conducting no espionage and building no espionage networks against each other. All borders are open to all its people. Any threat to the Pax Romana will be taken as a threat against every nation within it; all will defend the Pax Romana against any who wish to threaten the peace and security of its peoples.

Peace and security to all within the Pax Romana!

Emperor Augustus and Chief Tarhe.

[The Capo]

A Tale of Two Cities...

Part One: Pyong'yang

General Kim Jong-seo slowly approached the home of his father-in-law on a cold and overcast day in the outskirts of Pyong'yang. He was of common blood, so his in-laws were likewise of common blood. Many years ago his father died fighting for Wang Geon, years later it was his brothers who died again during the peasant uprising in Seoul (against the young Emperor Sejong), and now he returned to what was now his home. Despite his new status as General his salary did not increase (because he was not of noble blood and didn't have enough tenure as a General), all of his food was provided by the military, and he hardly had any of his own clothing. The entire family (or what was left of it, as Pyong'yang was suffering from unhealthiness) waited outside for him, but they were too tired to be jubilant.

....................

"Kim" his father-in-law, Sung Il, said to him, "You look so skinny!" It was very ironic that he said this, he and his children were very famished as Kim's wife was pregnant and the rest of the family nearly starved to help keep her healthy.

"I am fit, not skinny father." Kim smiled, it quickly dissapated as he remembered the harsh conditions they lived in, "I brought you some gold." he said handing it to Sung.

"I can't" the old man said, "it is nearly time for harvest anyway, keep your money, you will soon have a son. You must save."

"This money is practically worthless to me, the army takes care of my food and lodging, I have done many great things for the Empire lately important things. I have travelled the great seas, I have been to Piercia, to Rome, I saw King Orestes with my own eyes in the great city of Sparta!" he boasted, "But none of that can compare to being here, and seeing my wife!"

The old man beamed, "Come in, come in we've prepared some food for you."

'Coming in' was an overstatement, there was nothing but a sheep-skin door (if you could even call it that) seperating the interior from the outside world. The entire house (more like a hut) was filled with smoke from cooked lamb, there was little ventilation to keep as much heat inside as possible. Kim's wife Minhyeong sat in the corner rubbing her belly. She looked up and saw her husband and quickly rose to her feet, "Kim!" she exclaimed.

He ran to her and kissed her, "Please, you must rest, you are almost ready to burst."

"Every night I pray for you, pray that you would return safely." she said.

"Minhyeong, I haven't been to battle in quite a long time" Kim replied, as his father-in-law brought him some rice and stale bread, "No, please, I've eaten. You must eat, do not worry about me."

"No Kim, I am an old man, soon to be a dead old man. This food is wasted on me, there is no way you have eaten coming all the way from Seoul."

"Sung, please-" Kim replied as his brother in law, Sung Ye entered with his friend.

"Father, two of the sheep died today and-" he noticed Kim was there, "Oh, the soldier-boy has returned." Sung Ye wanted to join the imperial army, but after Sejong's reforms the peasant class was denied this right. The nobility were worried that, being the majority of the population, weapons in the hands of peasants would become a problem (especially after word of Emancipation in Maya reached Korea), Kim was grandfathered in as he was already in military service "How was your trip to the PALACE of Gojong in Sparta, or the one in Seoul? Or the palaces you visited in the northern kingdoms?"

"Ye!" Minhyeong said.

"It's okay. Don't" Kim said to his wife.

"That's right Imperialist, tell your wife her place!" the boy said.

"ENOUGH!" Sung barked, "I will not have this talk now, this is a joyous occasion, Kim has returned to us once again."

"Tell father what happened in Seoul, how the farmers were asking for a reduction in taxes, how the Emperor's men, your men, fired upon them with Mayan weapons!"

"Sung Ye! You will stop this at once." the old man again attempted to silence his son, "Sit down, and eat."

"I'm not hungry, we have to go into town anyway, there is another farmer's meeting about the new taxes." Sung Ye said, "oh yes, I wasn't finished though. Two sheep died, and the tax collectors came and took four more since we didn't have enough coin to pay the taxes." Gojong had recently raised taxes to pay for the new Imperial colony in New Portugal. He began to leave as Kim stopped him.

"Ye, the Emperor has just returned, I will make sure your grievances are heard. We were away in Sparta on official business. Gojong is a reasonable man, he just has a lot to deal with at the moment."

Sung Ye shook his head, "Goodbye father, sister" he didn't even look Kim in the eye before he left...