Domination of Barbarians [Diplo Game] [Story Thread 1 - April 2012]

[Netherlands (DoB)]

Battle of Garcon Hill

Through the Darkwoods Trotseer's Braves ran with courage in their heart. They know that they must make it home to defend their homes from the bloodthirsty French

After may days of running they come to a clearing near hillside. Then one Brave spots the French "Garcon gang" or Gang of boys, through the trees armed with clubs and setting up a camp on a clearing high high above them on the hill.

"So this are the one French send to kill us" Trotseer says.



"What should we do Brave one?" a Brave ask him.

Trotseer look direct into the eyes of his men. Without flinch he say firm but quiet "Attack"

The boys-gang never knew what hit them. Even though they position is stronger on the hill, they were not ready for the speed and brazen courage of Trotseer. They rush up the hill and beat back the French before they have any time to react. When the dust settles, the French have lost the high ground on the hill and have no choice but to run for cover. Trotseer has won.

[France (DoB)]

Serge tossed another log on the campfire as he awaited the tribal elders to return from their council with Chief Benoit. Damn Nether magic made everything so confusing. He had been summoned back to Paris, after French agents had heard reports of the Nether claiming the Trotseer brigands had defeated the Garcon de Paris!

It was all more Nether lies. Not a single member of the Garcon of Paris had been hurt nor had any of them even seen one of the Trotseer Brigands. Somehow the brigands had managed to sneak by his patrols unnoticed although that wasn't possible without damned Nether magic!

The tribal elders had already explained how the Nether mystics could shed their skin, like snakes, becoming unseen spirits to bypass French patrols and then take on new skins from the dead in other locations. There was no way for a warrior to fight an enemy he cannot see or even hit with his club. It was now up to the tribal elders to devise a defense against this vile magic.

Serge had had enough though. He had been searching for 30 winters for this elusive Trotseer to no avail. It was time to plant grapes and drink wine and let a new generation of younger warriors defend Paris from damned Nether magic.

[Netherlands (DoB)]

After defeating the French, the Braves gather round the campfire to share a true tale of Nether history.

It is said that Fire Mountian the Volcano was once only with his brother Wind Sky. But Wind Sky never talks to Fire Mountain as they have said everything already since the beginning of time. So Fire Mountain was lonely and he wept tears of fire. These lava tears cooled and became Earth and she loved Fire for bringing her to life. But though Earth was beautiful, and voluptuous she was simple and witless. This is from where the saying 'dumb as dirt' comes.



So Fire was pursued by Earth, but he cared nothing for her because she not smart enough to hold his interest or flame his passions. Fire asked his brother, Wind to help him be rid of Earth and Wind agreed to help him two times. First Wind made Earth his mate so she would leave Fire alone. Later, from the union of Wind and Earth came the French. Then Wind Sky opened up his clouds and rained down. The rains became Ocean Water and Fire fell in love with her right away. From their love the Nether were created, some in the image of Fire Mountain, some in the image of Ocean Water.


The children of Fire were dark and mysterious with dark hides like rock, hair that puffed like black curls of smoke. These children of Fire are the strongest, the fastest, the fighters, the runners the jumpers. The children of Ocean Water had pale hides, transluscent like the waters, white like the ice and snow, with waves of hair that flowed like river. These are the singers, artist, thinkers and dreamers, these are the swimmers and fishers. This is why we Nation of Fire, Nation of Water.



Children of Fire are skilled in painting the skin to match the things around making them harder to see. They also good at hiding in their surroundings and moving silently. The dark skin also helps to approach without being seen and Children of fire are swift runner.



That is how we are able to defeat French Garcon-boys so easily. They is so backwards they thinks it is magic, but it is only that we are smarter than them and knows the art of invisibility. Those French thought it was spirits attacking them and they could only run and hide. Once we beat them back, we can move on to protect our river village home.

[France (DoB)]

French Burial Rites

French mystics have begun using elaborate burial rites to prevent Nether spirits from stealing the bodies of the dead or enslaving the spirits of the dead. All dead, whether friend or foe, are now buried in Mother Earth so that they are protected by her great spirit. In addition wine is poured over the grave and a large stone, called a grave stone, is placed over the wine.

Nether spirits are known for their love of wine and their greedy nature prevents them from leaving a site once they sense the wine. Being insubstantial the Nether spirits cannot move the grave stone to reach the wine therefore they stay for all eternity at the gravesite unable to overcome either the power of Mother Earth or their own innate greedy nature. Thus are the spirits of the dead saved from being enslaved by the Nether spirit magic.

French Defensive Magic

As a variant on the French Burial Rites, the town of Paris and other nearby key areas have been marked with large stones under which wine has been poured. Thus are Nether spirit spies also trapped by their innate greedy nature.

Since implementing the new defenses, the French have noted a substantial reduction in Netherlander spy activity proving once again the power of French earth magic over Nether death magic.

[France (DoB)]

Gabriel and the Persian Mystics

Around the campfires in Paris, the tale is told of how Gabriel narrowly survived the ambush of two prides of Persian mystics. Persian mystics through a blessing of the Water Mother have the ability to change into animals, like water changing into ice or steam. The Water Mother appeared in a dream to two tribes of Persian mystics, one capable of changing into lions while the other could change into panthers, and bade them to prepare an ambush to kill Gabriel and the Great Valley Seekers.

So it was that when the Great Valley Seekers were crossing the Ditya river that they were attacked by the Persian Panther mystics. Despite being caught by surprise, the Great Valley Seekers managed to slay all of the panther mystics. The cowardly lion mystics had held back planning on attacking whoever remained, for as is the nature of evil, the lions had intended to betray their panther brothers. So thoroughly did the Great Valley Seekers destroy the panthers though that the lions hesitated, fearful of attacking even though nearly half of the Great Valley Seekers were dead. In that moment of hesitation, the Great Valley Seekers managed to retreat back into the mountain forests, carrying their dead and wounded and build a defense.

A golden camel watched as Gabriel performed the sacred burial rites and at the end of the rites the camel transformed into a man. Sensing another ambush, the Great Valley Seekers would have slain the Persian camel mystic however Gabriel ordered them to stop sensing there was something different about this mystic.

The Persian mystic introduced himself as Zoroaster, the Golden Camel, and claimed to come in peace. Zoroaster only wanted to know more about the significance of the burial rites. So it was that Zoroaster and Gabriel spent many years together exchanging magical knowledge from their respective traditions.

With nearly half of the Great Valley Seekers dead, mostly the women and children for it is the nature of evil predators to attack the weak and defenseless first, many of the Great Valley Seekers took mates from Zoroaster's family so was a bond of blood formed between the two tribes.

[France (DoB)]

Bernard sat with his back to the small fire so he could watch the flickering shadows on the cavern wall. If he was very quiet and still he could hear Mother Earth's quiet responses to Father Fire's loud crackling comments. While he did not understand their spirit language he could sense the tone of their conversation and interpret their shadow gestures.

As the newest French mystic to join the tribe of elders, Bernard had been tasked with resolving the tribe's latest concern. Messengers were no longer returning from many of the other tribes and the other elders were worried that some new Nether magic was at work.

Bernard had painted the cavern walls, using berry extracts, with symbols of the known tribes. The shadows flickered excitedly between the Spanish Princess symbol, a female figure with a wooden club between her legs, and the hobbit symbol, a small hut. Bernard could sense a deep dread in Mother Earth, a powerful spirit was gaining strength in Spain and it threatened to drive out Mother Earth even as it would force the hobbits to flee their huts to build anew far away. Bernard could not imagine a spirit so powerful as to frighten Mother Earth and he would have to discuss what he had seen with the other elders.

Bernard focused his attention back to the shadows which had moved between the Spanish Princesses and the Siren symbol of a half woman/half fish. Father Fire seemed aroused by the interactions of the two symbols while Mother Earth seemed disgusted. An alliance was brewing between the two female tribal leaders but perhaps there was something more. The Siren's magical songs of seduction and their love potions, which they often concealed in their tasty stews, only worked on French men but could it be that Sirens had managed to enchant the Spanish Princesses?

Once again, Bernard was forced to shake distracting images from his mind and refocus on the shadows on the cave wall. The shadows were flickering over the black man symbol of the Unseelies, which was one of the tribes from which no messengers returned. The shadows grew wildly around the symbol as if they were out of control and Bernard could sense that the Unseelies were in disarray and leaderless. That bode well for the French tribe as that was one less tribe to worry about for the moment though some leader might arise in the future to unite this prolific tribe.

The symbols of the other two tribes from which no messengers had returned, the Immortals and the Djinn, were not touched by the shadows which stopped at the ugly little head symbol of the Goblins. Furthermore the shadows stretched down from the Goblin symbol to the Orange Flaming Skull symbol of the Nether Necromancers hinting at a possible alliance between the Necromancers and the Goblins.

Bernard pondered the shadows meaning until he deduced what they meant. The Goblins were known to have increased their espionage efforts against the French tribe. The Goblins must be targetting French messengers to the Immortals and the Djinn since the messengers have to sneak through Goblin land to reach those tribes. With none of the French Nether spirit traps near Goblin land, the Necromancers are free to unleash their Nether spirit minions to track down the French messengers for the Goblins to ambush.

Bernard was confident in his interpretation of the signs but he also needed an answer to the problem so he returned his attention to the shadows one last time. The shadows were pointing a single straight line at the white man symbol of the Seelies. Of course, the Seelie glamor magic allowed them to hide from any would be tracker. It was time for the French to learn more about Seelie magic.

[Spain (DoB)]

In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in an clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth.

Himilce

[France (DoB)]

Messengers are sent out to all the tribes known to the French declaring:

The Earth Mother's prophesies are clear. The mystics of Spain shall summon forth new spirits unlike that of any spirit seen before. From the Spanish tribe shall arise a Great Oracle which shall sway the people from the four Great Spirits of Fire, Earth, Wind and Water to follow the new spirit. The Portuguese People shall be pushed into the sea and all tribes, even the French, shall eventually bow before the new spirits forsaking the old spirits. This the Earth Mother has foreseen therefore it shall be...

...BUT IT NEED NOT BE TODAY AND NEED NOT BE IN OUR TIME!

The French tribe call upon their Spanish sisters to end their blasphemy and return to the Earth Mother's embrace! It is not too late for our Spanish sisters to forsake this corrupt path and return to the old ways.

If our Spanish sisters will not end their heresy then the French tribe calls upon all other tribes that believe in the four Great Spirits, whether Fire, Earth, Wind or even Water to shun our Spanish sisters until they return to the old ways!

[Spain (DoB)]

The ways of the French are clearly the ways of a lot of talk, fuzz and froggy behaviour.

We are friendly towards all around us. We try to live in harmony and don't go looking in some crystal ball with all kinds of misguided visions on the future.

[Spain (DoB)]

Thinking about this last french statement Himilce suddenly gets a craving for frog legs.
She starts to prepare her famous recipe for “Ancas de rana a la castellana”.

She prepares it, eats it, and her anger subsides about such misguided allegations which are clearly devised to put a strain on Spains relationship with her neighbours.

Again she finds her peace.


************************************************** *********************

Himilce's recipe for Ancas de rana a la castellana (frog legs):

Ingredients for 4 people:
24 frogs´ legs
3 tomatoes
2 teaspoons of flour
1 sprig of parsley
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons of sweet paprika
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 pinch of salt
2 green peppers
1 pinch of pepper
1 chopped onion
1 clove

Preparation:
Put the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onion.
Cut the tomatoes and the peppers into chunks and add to the pan.
Mix the parsley, garlic, pepper, clove, flour and paprika.
Add water until you get the consistency of a sauce and cook until this sauce is well mixed.
Add the frogs´ legs and cook for 10 more minutes

[France (DoB)]

The French note with deep regret that the Spanish have already forsaken the Old Ways and mock the prophesies of the Great Spirits. The Great Spirits gave life to all the Great Valley tribes including the spanish and now you turn your back on them like an ungrateful child.

If the Spanish intentions are truly friendly towards all the other tribes then swear so that all may hear that you shall not summon forth a new religious spirit. Swear that you shall not create a Great Oracle to spread the influence of this new religious spirit. Swear that you shall not take the lands of the Portuguese tribe for your own.

If these things you cannot swear then your intentions are not friendly nor are they harmonious. There can be no more sinister attack then to attack the spirits and beliefs of a people!

[Spain (DoB)]

We the Spanish do swear the following: we honor all religions and are great believers in harmony.

And we believe in not trying to impose anything on anyone.
All trades of life which strive towards harmony can welcome our warm support.

[France (DoB)]

The Earth Mother quakes. The Fire Father erupts. The Ocean spirit froths and the Wind spirit howls. This is what the Spanish call harmony! You disrupt the Natural Order for your own purpose and claim not to impose anything on anyone! You impose the very concept of Religion upon all Free Spirits!

Your elusive words clearly indicate your true intent to subvert the land of your Portuguese brothers. If our Portuguese brothers but ask then the Tribes of France shall stand with them against Spanish aggression!

[Carthage (DoF)]

.....

[Netherlands (DoB)]

The Nether are wary of the lies of France, but as we have not yet met the Spinach-speakers we have no choice but trust their words. If there are truly those that defile the honor of Water Ocean Mother, Fire Mountain Father, Wind Sky his brother, and Earth mate of Wind Sky. We must all honor the true creators of the world, and turn away from this new false thing the French Piggyswines call 'religion'

We joins our French bretheren in condemn this new evil called 'religion", though we are enemies we can agree to this that the religions are evil and bad and those that follow them must trurn away from this evil!