The Dance of Civilizations [Diplo Game] [Story Thread Pt3 - November 2009]

[England (DoC)]

I have given orders to the western cities, they will dispatch armies immediatly.

[Rome (DoC)]

Romans we ask that you build some roads towards the Arabian borders so our troops can move faster.

We will send our finest troops to put down this barbarians once and for all.

England has the biggest army in the world!

We will provide infrastructure, but will not be finished in time for this current threat. Please send your troops in to the jungle as soon as possible.

[Arabia (DoC)]

Mecca Weekly - Barbarians

Scores of huge barbarians welding massive axes on 8 foot spears have appeared on the coast. They are cutting down jungles and forest with their movement ... great tracts of land are left defiled as they move forward and the earth shakes with each advance of the barbarian armies. The beast is upon us.

Saladin himself has left Mecca with his house guard to lead the assault against the lords of the dark. The call has gone out to all citizens to arm themselves. The citizens of Petra and New Damascas are fleeing for their lives. Troops heading south to fight the giants are not able to move forward as the countryside is full of refuges.

All of Arabia is in panic.

Dispatches from Rome, England and Greece have been received with help on the way.

Praise our neighbours and Allah please help us !

[Byzantium (DoC)]

Saladin and People of Arabia,

We the people of Byzantium have heard your call for help against the scourge of barbarians, brought to us by our dear friend and ally Aeneas. We will not fail you.

As you know we are facing our own difficulties in the North where the Ice Sea has been producing its own barbarian menance which has led to some political difficulties. Thus the demand on our military is great. Nevertheless we will come, even if not in as much force as we might have been able to supply in quieter days. Better our own people face hardship in the north, than we abandon our friends, or allow Barbarians an ounce of space in this world. Civilisation will fall when civilisation does not stand together.

Theodosius.

[India (DoC)]

We have told you this would happen, but have you listened? And this is just the beginning, evil forces will come and only the true faith can stop them! All must worship the Sha'Tao our we will all perish. Repent your sins and join the light untill it's too late.

Ashoka, high priest of the Tao, leader of the holy warriors

[Rome (DoC)]

We have told you this would happen, but have you listened? And this is just the beginning, evil forces will come and only the true faith can stop them! All must worship the Sha'Tao our we will all perish. Repent your sins and join the light untill it's too late.

Ashoka, high priest of the Tao, leader of the holy warriors

Allah will get us through this. We don't need your faith, nor your ill timed remarks in this time of turmoil.

[Russia (DoC)]

At Moscow a messenger enters:

My Lady Catherine, we have finally been able to receive word from Nova Semlja, it seems Dominika has taken control of the settlement and its garrison and claimed leadership of the army we sent north to defend it as well. She has forbidden anyone to return to the motherland in order to keep her actions hidden from you. Furthermore she has all but declared war on the Byzantine and their settlement on the eastern part of Kola. The Byzantines have reinforced their garrisons with a considerable force. Our latest reports state that Dominika's forces will unlikely be able to easily capture the outpost.

I suspected this would happen. My daughter is impatient and strongwilled. Unfortunately her ambition is not tempered by experience and guile. The Byzantines are playing a political game of making her seem the aggressor, which, considering her nature is not wholly false. However, that land must be Russian, we have been shortchanged too many times and at some point we must draw the line. Let us play the Byzantine game and see how rightful they are in their claims.

Letter to all nations:
Byzantium has claimed that their colonization of the continent of Thule is right and just based on the proximity to their lands. However, their lands stretch from the furthest east to the furthest west of their continent, and now they settle even further west, on another landmass. On Kola, which Russia has made public claims to for a long time. They claim that no Russians live near Rhodes and present maps that prove this. Perhaps they should present the whole map of Kola and not just what suits their purposes...


Now as for the proximity to their core lands... Well, good thing that our friend Zakarevh has been so meticulous in his expeditions and sent home fine maps. How large is Byzantine I wonder? An elephant pretending to be a mouse... Proximity indeed.

How many cities does the Byzantine empire have? 10.
How many cities does Russia have? 6.
Yes, clearly the expansionist aggressor here should be obvious. At nearly twice Russia's size, Byzantium grabs for new lands and call us threatening when trying to hold on to what little settlement possibilities we have left. Dominika may be rash, but she is also right.

Without that land Russia cannot grow. If I were not so old and tied down with affairs of state here, I would go there myself to find a solution. As it is, I will simply have to order Dominika to restrain herself until I find an acceptable solution.

[Inca (DoC)]

Troubled Nations,

The Quechua way is the way of Peace and Tolerance. No Barbarians trouble Tawantin Suyu and none have dared approach since the reign of Manco Capa who guided us through the years of creation. Why, you might say? The answer is simple for Quechua just embraced and enlightened these poor savages rather than butcher them.

Quechua would gladly aid you in bringing these primitives into the family of civilisation but distance prevents more than our fondest wishes for your success in this endeavour. It is a cause for joy that so many will join together in the aid of a suffering nation and shows the humanity within you all.

Ashoka, Great Prophet indeed you are but Quechua people are free to worship Sha'Tao if they choose. Within the lands of Tawantin Suyu none shall be forced to stand at any altar save that all know that any God is but another manifestation of Wiraqocha. The ceremonies and prayers may differ all know that the Creator is one be he known by a thousand names.

Itya Wanapi,
Apos, High Council of Tawantin Suyu

[India (DoC)]

From: The Indian Crown

We have heard about the evil invasion on the central continent. In this time of fear we are delighted to see how strong the cooperation and friendship amongst the nations. Unfortunately we are too far away to send you help now but our prayers are with you.
We are aware that letters from the Indian church has caused some diplomatic misunderstanding. The high priests say the words of God, but we do belive the power of friendship and diplomacy will serve us against the evil as do our faith.

King Sanjaya

[Byzantium (DoC)]

My friends, allies and fellow rulers,

I believe you have recently received a series of maps and a letter from Catherine/Dominka of Russia.

I am content that you can judge such things yourselves.

Forgive me, though, if I point out a couple of areas where, inadvertently I am sure, Catherine/Dominika may have given a false impression.

1. The map may give the impression that the Russian city NS is part of the Russian mainland. In fact it is itself a distant colony, separate from Russia itself. NS is completely surrounded by other nations. Thus Rhodes is not only much closer to Niceae than to NS, but NS itself is a isolated Russian colony far to the East of Russia itself.

2. The map and text may give the impression that Rhodes is a far-flung outpost of a huge empire. In fact Rhodes is exactly the same distance from Constantinople as it is from Moscow. If Byzantium is far-flung, so is Russia.

3. The text gives the impression that Russia is small. In fact many many nations are smaller than Russia. Indeed both my friends and neighbours the Greeks and Egyptians are significantly smaller, but they work through friendship and diplomacy, which is why Byzantium has given both a settler/city. Indeed I believe that 6 cities is the same or more than the mighty Inca and even England.

4. The map gives the impression that there are unsettled lands North of Constantinople. Tell that to the citizens of the city of Angora who live there!

Theodosius

[Inca (DoC)]

Lady Catherine,

It is the belief of the Quechua that there is much wisdom in the words of my dear friend Theodosius. It is a grave error to equate size alone with power. An outpost on a tundra ridden island is scarce worth a war and we plead with you to admonish your militaristic advisors and replace them with more enlightened and pragmatic men.

Mayta Capac,
Anointed of Wiraqocha

[Korea (DoC)]

Ka gathered once again his faithful servants to see where they had been laying mishcief lately.

His faithful lapdog from the Ministry of forgien Trade was ecstatic , he had managed to get a deal with the Koreans bestes freind the Egyptians. The over abundance of Crab meat in korea had been getting disugsting so getting some spice to add to the meals was a real treat.

The local bread makers had so much bread too but no deal with Britania could be made for corn.

Ka growled and sent him out " go negotiate more we want Corn"

[Korea (DoC)]

After the Trade minsiter left the Secretary of External affairs arrived.

"What is your report " asked the Great Wang Ka.

"Sire we have placed many spies into the world, our greatesat influence is in India...."


"You what" interupted Ka. "The Indians are our friends why are you spying on them? You fool!"

"But sire they ...."

"Be gone fool you will no longer run this ministry. " Ka looked to his chief scribe " Take a messsage to India"

To my dear friend across the ocean

It has come to my attention that my former Secretary of the Exterior has been employing underhanded tactics in your nation. I have removed him from office and if you deem further penalty should apply to him let me know. However we will cease all underhanded tactics in your direction. Please forgive this rash exercis undertaken by the youth. His fmaily now live in embarressment. To show our true friendship , we shall be instructing our people to follow your lead in Taoism s the true faith

Your friend the Great Wang Ka

[Russia (DoC)]

Lady Catherine,

It is the belief of the Quechua that there is much wisdom in the words of my dear friend Theodosius. It is a grave error to equate size alone with power. An outpost on a tundra ridden island is scarce worth a war and we plead with you to admonish your militaristic advisors and replace them with more enlightened and pragmatic men.

Mayta Capac,
Anointed of Wiraqocha

Dear Mayta Capac

The Quecha who live in peace in rich lands admonish others to follow their path. Yet you have never been attacked, you have never lost land, you have not been hemmed in by other nations, larger and stronger. Size does not equal power, in this you are right. For Russia's power now equals among the strongest in the world. But our lands are among the smallest. Yet in time, the growth of larger empires will come to a point where the small cannot resist or challenge the great. But understandably, your great people, as strong as the Byzantine empire, are both among the top 5 empires on the world, and the great will always seek for the great to become greater and the small to stay poor. You support your fellow empire for you do not believe a small outpost on a frozen peninsula to be worth a war.

You live in a land of abundance. Your great cities stretch their influence over great distances. The Byzantine outpost on Kola is not worth a war to Quecha. Kola is not worth a war for Russia either, it demands a war! The future of Russia depends on this "wasteland" as you would call it.

You think our advisors to be incompetent and belligerent men? Perhaps you should exchange your advisors for some that are actually men. Your great great power avoids trouble and conflict. Have you ever been attacked? Have you ever even been threatened? Have you ever lost lands that you believed by agreement to be yours? We have, from all sides. And you admonish us to act as you. Perhaps your gods are kind and forgiving, but in the lands of Thule, Hastog leaves us to fend for ourselves. Were we to act as you suggest Russia would not exist today, and were we to do so now, Russia would not exist in the future.

Allow me to make for you an illustration of the reason why Russia can only accept one outcome at Kola: that the outpost be removed and the entire peninsula settled by Russia. Here is a chart made by our Gheek scribes. Byzantium has demanded that the northern sea be theirs. All of it. Yet their empire already grows at such a rate that it outstrips mighty Persia by far and more than double that of Russia. Perhaps Russia should act as other nations of this world, grow strong by taking from the weak. This is not our way. We will challenge the strong. And we will be victorious.

[India (DoC)]

Greetings Great Wang Ka,

I assure you this incident won't harm our friendship, we are satisfied with your actions.
We are also delighted that you have chosen the right path. May the Tao bring us light and protect us from the darkness.
Our trade relations are improving, We welcome the fine korean wheat which your traders have brought to us.


King Sanjaya