Domination of Barbarians [Diplo Game] [Story Thread 8 - November 2012]

[Spain (DoB)]

Would the Nether faction please adhere to the procedure of the Peace Summit?

This is not helping the peace process.
May I politely ask all other delegations to please disregard the previous statement of the Nether faction.

Could the French and the English delegations give a clear answer to Himilces question?

[Netherlands (DoB)]

Greita of Ocean faction stands after hearing these words...

Everyone who wishes to give opening statements has alredy done so. The format was announced to be opening statement then negotiation and back and forth discussiona. This is all we are doing. To say "disregard the words" of my brother Christofoor shows great disrespect. We demand an apology or we will leave this Summit immediately. No one was told to disregard the words of France when they speak out of turn so-called. If this is just a forum for French lies and propaganda we will not participate. We demand the right to be heard freely as France is!

[France (DoB)]

Yes

[Spain (DoB)]

Thank you France.


The procedure goes as follows:

1) we had our opening statements,

2) now we establish what the parties who are now in war, France and England, want to see adressed

Do you acknowledge that a peace settlement should remedie both the French situation: a country ravaged by war, and the English situation: a country with constant troubles with it's borders and cultural minorities.

3) then we see which proposals might achieve this..


We are now in step 2.

[Spain (DoB)]

And to the Nether faction we say:

"Please friends have some patience. The only way to achieve peace in these situations is step by step.
Give it a chance. You know we always have been a good friend to you.

We Catalunians try to keep the middle ground in order to be able to resolve this.

Yes, sometimes this is hard, and yes sometimes words might have been chosen more wisely.
But we have to let these ill chosen words go.

The words we are looking for is forgiveness, understanding, bygones and peace..
"

[Netherlands (DoB)]

When the Summit delegates re assemble, the delegation from the Ocean and Fire Faction is gone. On the table sits a letter

And so we see that nowhere in this procedures are anywhere for anyone else to address their problems. It is only to achieve peace for France. France does not need peace to repair their lands. At this moment scores upon scores workers are buiding improvement on every single square mile of French land all with countless Fighting men on the border of our lands to protect them and threaten us. This process does nothing for France. France is the mightiest tribe in the world with more workers and more soldiers in their lands than any other.

And still there is no apology for the grerave insult to us to disregard us as if we are nothing. So if we are nothing and the procedure leaves no room for us then we see no reason to stay. So we return to our homeland, who needs us in this time of peril. Change the name Olonico Peace Summit to Party while observing ther public mediation of the French English War.

Good luck to your efforts, and we thank you for your hospitality.

Greita of Ocean Faction

It is rumored they traveled to Rome by ship then back to their home villages.

Meanwhile Captain has made contact at last! He reports that his Fire Mystics are alive and well and the Japanese friends have make a new settlement deep in the barbarian wildlands. Now he continues with his mission to travel to meet the Chinese Emperor Qin and offer assistance to China. He is happy to hear news of a scouting party searching for Beda if survive or not.

[France (DoB)]

As the nether factions show that they have no real interest in peace by withdrawing from the Peace Summit, the French delegation receives word that england has similarly shown that it has no real interest in peace either by breaking the centuries old espionage peace treaty with France. With typical tao deceit, the english have secretly broken their word while publicly claiming a desire for peace!

The english are merely using the Peace Summit as a distraction, in an attempt to hide their increased espionage activities!

[Netherlands (DoB)]

Back to reality



"Welcome back Greita my daughter" says the Chief of Ocean Faction. "How went the Olonico Summit? Any news?"

"France is ever stubborn as always and there was not much success to report. Christofoor of Fire faction at least did mention the alliance possibility, but the Catalunians refuse to even let the idea be discussed. All they want is to quickly secure peace for their French neighbors. That was the real goal of the summit, to benefit France and to prove what great friends are Catalunians to France."

Her father frowns. "Sureley it can not be all this bad. Tell me the details child."

Greita sighed looking upwards with regrets "It all started out well enough. First the Japanese delegates arrive, then the France, then we arrive with Rome and Russia, then Celtia. Plus observers from all over the world come but no delegations sent from their nations. Himilce then says she wants each nation delegates to give an opening statement. She says

Mention a maximum of 5 matters you want to settle.
Give an insight in your arguments.

After the opening statements of each nation, the negotiation phase will commence.
But please let first each attending nation make it's opening statement.

After this there are a speech by a man called Don Fernandez, El Pacificador and then delegates are silent, only whispers in the halls for half a day. After this Christofoor speaks first, giving our Three factions opening statement and asking for Open Borders from France among other things. Then Portugal delgation arrives and gives an opening statement asking for prayer on behalf of France. Then there was a formal dinner party where nothing important was said publicly. The next day Kingdom of France give their statement, then another dinner party, this time much more lavish with much activity, drinking and merry makings. There was great scandals at this party, lots of backrooms talking. I even saw some Russian delegates following and flirting with the eternal Princess herself."

"Fascinating" says the Chief, "go on, my child" he says.

Greita continues "What starts off a dinner party becomes a 2 days long party. But finally the delegates get back to work. England give opening statement, and it seems that opening statements are finished. Two days go by and there is no more meeting of the delegations, only back room talkings. After 2 days the English stament is follo by a rebuttal from France beginning the negotiation phase mentioned by Himilce. Then in a confusing turn, Koji of the Japanese delegation makes Japans opening staement. Then Don Fernandez, El Pacificador chastises England, Nether faction, who did not even send any delegate, but I guess they see us as representing Nether faction and also France for speaking out of turn. And this even though it is only France who gave any rebuttal statements on the delegation floor. England gave no additional statement, and we faction delegates were merely making out loud observation in the hall outside delegation floor. Still we all are criticized for breaking the rules. More confusing because even France was only following the rules the Himilce gave. Opening statements were over for days, and negotiation phase had begun."

"Very confusing" says the thoughtful Chief

"Yes and downhill it went from there. Then Himilce takes over the mediation from Don Fernandez, El Pacificador, and asks direct questions to only Engalnd and France, ignoring the others delegation completely. Christofoor was not happy about this and left the delegation chamber to go speak aloud in the halls outside the delegation chamber. He spoke with the English delegate but made no attempt to quiet or hide his words. He spoke loud enough for all to hear, of the possibility of a new formed alliance in the furtherances of Daoism and all religious faith."

"That is good" says the Chief

"Yes but then Don Fernandez, El Pacificador, is jumps back in as the mediator and demands that only France and England may speak. This of course is a different procedure than the first one set out by Himilce but he presents it as if it is the same as before and that we are the ones who break the rules somehow."

"So then you left. I understand why now. Thank you my child. There is no point in staying when Don Fernandez, El Pacificador wishes only to focus on the English-French war. This war has a DMW curse on it and will end on its own without any Peace Summit. To bring true harmony to the region we must focus on the deeper causes beneath the surface to stop endless cycle of war-DMW curse-war-DMW curse. The Catalunian wastes his time trying to negotiate an end to the war that already has a curse casted by France to end it. He should focus on the surrounding issues, not the war itself. But with experiences come wisdom. Maybe they will learn something from all this, and when the DMW curse forces peace, he can stop his focus on the war, and you can return to the summit. That is, if it is still going on until then."

"Yes my father" says Greita

[Portugal (DoB)]

The young Pedro was crying when he went to speak at the summit.

"God had finally called our beloved Porto to sit right next to him. He must be happy, but we will miss him. He was a guiding light to us and a pillar to the faith. He was a holy man and he taught love and wanted peace. I will be not unfaithful to his preachings to say that we want England and France to live in peace if there is not a real reason they to be fighting. And if it is Dao against the Christian world, then this is totally different situation and requires different approach."

[Netherlands (DoB)]

Three Factions offer our sincerest grief with the people of Portugal on this sad news. Porto was a living legend a larger than life man of greatness and history. One more of the ancient immortals falls. River village is in sorrow for our friends in Portugal.

[France (DoB)]

King Louis XXIV stood on the Freedom Point shore watching as the dreaded english triremes rammed more of the defenseless French fishing boats. The King had ordered all boats to remain in Freedom Point during the war however many of the locals had defied his order, using their personal fishing boats to try to smuggle escaped slaves and desparate refugees from england through the english blockade.



The fishermen were brave but their efforts were ultimately futile as the english blockade was so thorough that nearly all the fishing boats had been captured and destroyed. The cruel laughter of the english sailors could be heard intermingled with the desperate screams of their tortured victims being hurled into the water.



The bloated corpses of the slaves and refugees were thick along the French shore, as grim faced men dragged the corpses from the water onto shore while wailing women searched the beached corpses for their loved ones.

While scanning the carnage, the King's eye came to rest on the corpse of a small child. From afar she appeared to be a sleeping beauty but as the King approached he could see that gulls had eaten one of her eyes and half of her face. The bruises on her neck, ankles and wrists showed that despite being so young she had long suffered the english slaver's bronze manacles while the festering wounds on her back showed that she had also felt the sting of the english slaver's whip.

Tears began to well in the King's eyes, as he imagined the suffering the young girl had endured in her short life. The tears quickly gave way to a rising anger as his blood began to boil at the english atrocities.

The King sharply wheeled around on the nearest woman who was searching the corpses and demanded, "Where is this girl's family?"

The startled woman quickly realized that she was addressing the King and with a tremble responded, "She had none my Lord! She was just an english slave girl."

The King's mood darkened considerably as he growled, "What was her name?"

The woman fearfully replied, "I believe it was Hope, my Lord."

The King reached down and carefully scooped up the dead child in his arms. Climbing into his chariot, he ordered the captain of the Boar's Men to his side.

"What is your command, my Lord?"

"We have a Peace Summit to attend." and with that King Louis XXIV led the Boar's Men south...

[France (DoB)]

King Louis XXIV strode up the hall to the lavish Catalunian banquet hall with his Boar's Men entourage behind him. The banquet hall doors banged loudly against the wall as the King kicked them open while carrying the corpse of a child. The noisy room full of the delegates from many tribes erupted into a tense silence. Striding up to the main table, King Louis XXIV tossed the child's corpse onto the banquet table, in the process spraying ensaladas and sopas on the fine apparel of the delegates.

This is the only peace that the english know, the eternal peace of the dead! This child's name was Hope and with her death ends the Last Hope of peace between england and France! The factions were correct when they said that France does not need peace to repair our lands and this process does nothing for France. France participated in this summit to give england one last chance to repent and atone for their sins but instead they chose to betray the very premise of this summit by killing more innocent women and children!

For millenia France, as a good Christian kingdom, has restrained itself and turned the other cheek while england and its tao allies have repeatedly invaded our lands. Our Christian perseverance has reached it's end! The english tactics are as primitive as their culture, as they continually engage in the most barbaric acts of terrorism killing innocent civilians, instead of fighting real armies. France will not negotiate with such cowardly terrorists!

Let it be known to all, that england has sown the seeds of their own destruction. France shall not rest until the english are driven from this land into the far corners of the earth!

With that final word King Louis XXIV the Last Hope, turned and left the Summit, as abruptly as he had arrived, with the entire French delegation withdrawing behind him. Hope's tiny corpse was left behind on the fine Catalunian banquet table to speak for itself...

[England (DoB)]

France accuses England of a millennium of aggression and war, yet it was France that soured our ties with the needless construction of the dread Henge of Stone in Paris. Since then, France has occupied considerable English lands and doubtless would have sought even more were it not challenged by English troops in war. France has even threatened to use its cultural influence to take control of the English capitol London, an act of subterfuge that would contravene the most fundamental rules of war.

England would happily live in peace with its French neighbor if given assurances that in the future France will refrain from its past cultural aggression. However, until such terms as those previously offered are met, France will continue to be a victim of English raids. War as all know is a brutal endeavor and any who have faced the barbarians have seen far worse than this corpse the French dump before us. This French King who does so little to defend his lands other than grovel for others to fight his battles for him deserves a far harsher justice than the peace terms England so generously offers.

[Rome (DoB)]

Upon seeing the dead child, Aulus and Minerva stand up from their chairs by the table, and it is easy to see that Aulus is crying. "My fellow Lords and Ladies, I believe this is the point where the Roman delegation departs." Aulus says, tears freely flowing down his cheeks. He gives a curt bow, before they slowly walk out of the room with every Roman present gathering around them.

As they reach the door, Minerva turns around and looks at the dead child on the table with a stern look on her face. "There, on the table, everyone can see just how much good religion and faith in a higher purpose has done for us all. May our Gods have mercy on us all for allowing this, while we have been sitting here eating, drinking and scheming with and against one another." she says quietly, but just loud enough so that everyone hears it, and then she walks out of the room. The doors are quietly shut behind her, and the Romans somberly travel home to Rome.

[Spain (DoB)]

Himilce is clearly shocked at the recent developments at the Summit, but mostly of all by Hope left dead on the negotiation table.

"Bury this poor child somewhere in the Pyrenees, where her grave looks out over her Motherland France.
Plant on her grave a Tree of Hope. Maybe when this tree is fullgrown then there will be peace again between England, Nether and France."






"Can we do anything else, Pacificador?"

"People must want something to be able to achieve it. And to achieve peace one must want it really bad.
The last chance for peace in the upcoming decade will soon be lost.
The English have given us a last, all be it a small chance."



El Pacificador proposes the following outline for peace settlement between England and France:

1) France will make sure that her cultural endeavours will not outmatch the English.
The cultural output of Paris and London will not exceed [AMOUNT] until the year [YEAR].

2) England will make peace with France and will pay damages in the form of [AMOUNT] of production value.

3) A Non-Agression Pact until [YEAR].