Beyond the Pit [Pitboss Diplomacy Game] [Story Thread] . PART 9 (April 2009)

[Pitboss Portugal]

OOC - Rome I was after city quality not quantity. It was never my intention to take all of NP, i purpusly left the empty land for others. Also there is simple no value what so ever in having cities which can't build anything. I guess you have a different game style and are after easy game points by settling wherever possible even wasteful cities. I on the other hand prefer powerful cities which can build me buildings and units quickly. And just for the record that time you could have used my carrack to to settle NP you would have still gotten what you have today. I simple took what i needed and left the rest.

[Pitboss Rome]

OCC - oh I know, sorry, I wasn't meant to be criticising you at all. Your strategy has been great, and I know that the odds and sods i have picked up are pretty pointless. That was my point by 'don't be decieved by the maps' - that Rome's holdings in NP are strategically very minor. Though its not quite true that small cities are pointless - they gave a very important boost to trade and with corps produce a good gold return back home and have surprisingly high production.

[Pitboss Rome]

Rome and Russia

The twenty Roman cavalry, in full dress uniform, approached the border post near the Silver Mines of Kiev.

The number, for those with the memory, identical to the bodyguard of Marcus Aurelius (then Emperor) when he attended the coronation of the Russian dictator St Andrei. The twenty whose ride back across the mountains from Russia after St Andrei betrayed the Pax Romana and declared war on Rome, lives on in the legends of the Roman household cavalry.



The Russian guards at the pass looked on unsure as the cavalry approached, flying the flags of Rome and Russia. The commander of the Russians remembered when he was a young solider when a troop of Roman cavalry approached this same frontier post flying both flags, in the time of St Andrei's mad war with Rome. Then he and his comrades expected death at Roman hands, but instead the Romans had announced themselves as the defenders of Russia. On that day revolution erupted in Russia and the wicked St Andrei was overthrown, and Rostislav himself emerged from the civil war as ruler of the Russians and friend of Rome.

The cavalry approached and stopped in front of the barrier, the bugler sounded and the officer demanded "The Pax Romana guarantees free movement. Open this gate. We ride for Novgorad". The soldiers looked unsure, and summoned the Russian commander from where he had been satisfying his new found lust for Spartan fish. The commander emerged, greeting the Romans warmly, suggesting they come and sit and eat while he sent a messenger to Novgorad. The Romans remain implacable, mounted, and demanded again "The Pax Romana guarantees free movement. Open this gate." The commander started to sweat in the morning sun (damn that fish). The news from Novgorad these last years had been full of Russia denouncements of Roman actions, of vitriol, of accusations, but ... he tried to remember back. There has been a directive stating "All trade deals are forthwith cancelled and transit over Russian lands or through her territorial waters by any Roman forces is strictly prohibited" but nothing had actually indicated that the terms of the Pax Romana had changed, and, well, twenty cavalry, it was hardly an invasion. And, well, let the president sort it out, he had never understood all this anger against the Romans - half of his men had Roman women. He nodded to the soldiers who raised the barrier, and the Romans rode on silently. The commander watching as the horsemen carrying those twin flags disappeared into the distance wondering with foreboding what the future would bring.

The cavalry were met at the outskirts of Novgorad by the Russian foreign minister Daniil Aleksandrovich.



The officer handed over a letter from Custos Marcus Aurelius

President Rostislav Vladimirovich,

Recent pronoucements and rumours from Novgorad have disturbed me, accuasations of Roman cowardice, greed, aggression and treachery.

You seem uninformed of the nature of the Mayan regime and of its threat to the Pax Romana; you seem ignorant of the imminent danger to your coastal cities; you seem unaware of the action Rome has been taking to secure the south coast of the Roman sea. At the same time you seem to be set on provoking anger and hatred among our neighbours – the Portuguese, the Spartans, the Japanese – while assuming that the Pax Romana will protect you.

I request your presence in Rome, where we can come to a better mutual understanding of the world.

Your soldiers and sailors have fought bravely; Rome respects that. Russia has much to contribute to the peace and security of the Pax Romana and of the Roman Sea.

Marcus Aurelius Custos of Rome.

Russian foreign minister Daniil Aleksandrovich read the message, and wondered. What would Rostislav’s reaction be. He was a proud man, still smarting from the way the Romans had stopped his train at Oath City as he was travelling to visit his troops in Pierica, and had forced his acceptance of the peace with the Japanese. But, some of what had been said was … well ... unwise. “I will take the message to the president” he indicated. “it may take some time”.

“We will wait” was the only reply.

[Pitboss Russia]

From: President Rostislav Vladimirovich
To: Marcus Aurelius, Custos of Rome

I believe I owe both Rome, as a nation, and you, personally, an apology and am not too proud to admit it. Russia’s Intelligence Service is excellent, and diligent it their endeavours, but not always perfect. Having gathered received new evidence from our agents on the ground, in Maya itself, Daniil Aleksandrovich has advised me of irrefutable evidence of the appalling crimes committed by the Maya against Korea and it’s defenceless citizens. This horrifying picture of Korean babies murdered, not in Korea but on the outskirts of Cyrene, have left me rigid with both outrage at the atrocity but also ashamed at my condemnation of what was clearly a humanitarian mission to save the people of Maya and their province from further repression rather than a mere War of Imperialistic greed.



Foreign Minister Aleksandrovich has also passed on your kind invitation to visit Rome and I shall board the next train, with my staff, to discuss these matters with you personally. Marshal Kiril Meretsokov, Chief of Staff, will accompany me also to offer his advice. He has assured me that previous intelligence reports were incorrect as to Russian Officers having been deceived into Roman service and that any Russian in Maya was a volunteer to ‘The Blue Brigade’ comprised of demobbed Russian soldiers fighting for a true and just cause. Irrefutable evidence has also been provided that the Russian Navy vessels lent were only used for the purpose promised of supply of Roman colonial settlements.

I apologise now in writing and look forward to meeting you again as a friend in the fight for liberty and justice in our troubled World. I will repeat in person my shame at the injustice Russian Intelligence has led me to be believe in Roman ill-doing in her campaign in he South.

President Rostislav Vladimirovich
For, and on behalf of, The Russian Republic

[Pitboss Rome]

Preparations in Rome for the Visit of President Rostislav

[Pitboss America]

The Hovel Report

Washington, AP

The citizens of our small country hear of wars and turmoil on other shores. It is sad that we cannot advance ourselves without destroying others. It troubles our citizens a great deal so a call has been made to the president to increase our military for defensive purposes only.

Emphasis thus far in our small nation with big allies has been on developing our economy so we can afford more technology.

Our technology has been increasing thanks to good funding from several great merchants. An appearance of a great engineer helped us push forward economics which has prompted a change in civics which will help us further. Our president has reason to believe that America will be making great strides in the near future.

Life in our relatively small and isolated country continues unscathed. We have expanded east and north which is rich in furs and lumber. With the help of our allies we have established a small city on the island of Saxony.

But as through all American history, whatever advances we make we're struck down again ... A hurricane hit Atlanta and destroyed it's aquaduct. Fortunately loss of life was minimal.

OOC my apologies for not taking more active role in diplo stories but RL demands have made it impossible.

[Pitboss Portugal]

War

Portugal and Khmer are in state of War.

Both nations blame the other for bringing them to this terrible result. Portugal has reasons to believe that it was the Khmerians who declared first, other reports from within Khmer tell the opposite.

Portuguese marines and antitank units on their way to the border to meet Khmer's tanks brigades.



New Portugal is on full alert:

Portugal's air forces ready to take flight:



Portuguese artillery and airships stationed on the border towards Khmer:

[Pitboss Khmer]

Portuguese operatives infiltrate the Khmer Government!

A state of war exists between Portugal and the Khmer.

A diplomatic bungle is suspected but it is clear that Portugal declared war first!

A Portuguese operative was caught operating at the highest levels of the Khmer Government.

The Khmer military generals appreciated a massive increase in tank production but decry the missed opportunity of converting the operative into a Great Spy.

Further developements to follow.

Rome discovers Uranium!

Major world upheaval predicted...

[Pitboss Portugal]

On Portugal's National Television

Politicians reassuring the public that they will immediately open diplomatic channels with Khmer to bring to an end this unexpected conflict.

[Pitboss Greece]

Menelaus II, Emperor of Sparta, Japan and Korea, declares:

Sparta has declared a one-sided cease fire towards the Mayan.
From next period on Spartan armies will be pulled from Mayan territory back into Korea.
Despite the unwillingness from the Mayan administration to discuss terms of Peace, I do see no honour in continuing a war against a crippled nation.
Not to mention that Spartan targets have been reached. We have secured our border and freed the people of Korea. There is no need for Sparta to execute new military actions against the Mayans.

I am disgusted by the Roman military operations that continue till this date.
The Roman targets have also been reached long ago but that doesn't stop the Romans from fulfilling their expansionistic desires.
I call upon Marcus of Rome to also declare a cease fire with the Mayans, if it must be one sided, then so be it. Return the cities to the Mayan administration that do not fit within the targets you set before you launched the invasion.

I do also urge the Mayans to accept this cease fire.

Menelaus II
Emperor of Sparta, Japan and Korea

[Pitboss Khmer]

Romans from fulfilling their expressionistic desires.

Not quite what Yurya would say...

[Pitboss Greece]

Xristo of Portugal,

Sparta is ready to full fill it's obligations of mutual defence pact.
Please let me know if any Spartan actions are required.

Menelaus II of Sparta

[Pitboss Greece]

Not quite what Yurya would say...

@$!!$% firefox suggestion I picked one of the words without really checking it out, it's been fixed now

[Pitboss Portugal]

Great Menelaus II

Thank you for the declaration of support and readiness to honor our mutual defense pact. Still at this moment I ask that you hold on to any military actions towards the Khmerians. Lets exhaust first diplomacy before we invest our full capabilities in this military mess.

Spartan and Portuguese generals reassuring each other of their mutual military support.

[Pitboss Rome]

Menalaus, Emperor of Sparta,

I have received your latests proclaimation and discussed it at length with my advisors.

I am glad that you have dropped your previous draconia demand that the Mayan capitulate to you. Your 'capitulate or die' approach to diplomacy has caused much harm.

You suggest that you are choosing to withdraw from Mayan lands. My intelligence officers indicate that in fact you no longer have the strength to capture the Mayan city which you army has been camped outside for many years reducing the defences. What I am to believe - that your withdrawal is a sudden act of generosity as you suggest, or a tactical withdrawal because your military can't do the job as my advisors suggest.

You also seem very poorly informed as to actions within Mayan lands. Long before your suggestion of a one-sided cease fire (while you were still spouting 'capitulate or be destroyed') Rome did indeed adopt a one-sided cease fire with the Mayan. We allowed a large number of weakened Mayan infantry divisions withdraw from the battle field, together with a great general and a great engineer. We offered back to the Mayans large tracts of Mayan land, retaining only that necessary to secure our south coast. We followed a one-sided cease fire.

Sadly however, the Mayan rejected this return of land, declared that their war against us would never cease, and using the very men we let withdraw from the battlefield, they assulated lightly defended Roman positions (for we were at a cease fire) massacring Roman soliders.

Sadly it is not possible to hold to a cease-fire when the other side is attacking and killing your soliders. Therefore Rome has had to restart combat operations to remove the threat of continued Mayan attacks.

What would you do Menalaus when not only does your enemy reject any dipolmacy but actually attacks and kills your soliders while you are observing a cease-fire? Would you sit around and let more and more of your soliders be killed?

I continue to hope that new leaders capable of looking to the good of the Mayan people emerge from the Mayan democracy, and we can hold constructive conversations.