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

[England (DoB)]

Confident in the stability of its newly established monarchical government, England unilaterally offers peace to France and ceases its espionage efforts as well. Will Pairs accept London's magnanimous offer of a reprieve in fighting?

[England (DoB)]

Greita of Ocean Faction welcomes a new female leader.

Welcome Victoria, maybe we two can talk sense to the world.

Victoria shared the message from Greita of Ocean Faction with her mother Elizabeth, "Surely they cannot imply they hope the French are successful in assassinating you mother? They should know that should such a thing happen I would now be among the first calling for their blood." "Unlikely," Elizabeth responded, "they would be so bold, but so long as the Factions remain under the thrall of France they are not to be trusted."

[Russia (DoB)]

"Dead? What do you mean, dead?" Simon stared at the messenger. "Two thousand of our best axemen my Czar, and half as many archers. The company I was with were the only survivors and we took heavy casualties." resigned on one knee, he did not dare look into the Czar's eyes.

"Are you telling me they just attacked without following my battle plan?!"

"Well, you see.." the man hesitated, noticing the caskets on the side of the anteroom.

"Out with it man!"

"They were fouled with drink my Czar, those gifts you sent us for the victory, well, one of them cracked open while it was being carried to the camp. It would be a bad omen to waste good drink, so many buckets were gathered and they were distributed among the best warriors. After that, they all got opened one way or the other, saying it was bad luck to waste good drink, and so more came to share in the drink, and in the night there must have been more than one man who got angry in the influence. When one man let out the war cry, he was joined by a hundred others and soon the entire company was howling for blood and running for the enemy gates. It was a bloody mess my Czar. A bloody mess."

Enraged, Simon got up and grabbed an axe, smashing one of the caskets open with one fell swing, the loud crash was followed by the sound of blood-red wine spilling all over the stone floor. His shoulders heaving from the sudden exertion, he took a deep breath. "So who's in charge now? The city was taken, yes? All the barbarians dead?" As he looked at the messenger, hearing nothing but the measured breath of a man afraid to speak, he felt cold to the bone. "We do control the city do we not?"

"No my Czar. When dawn came, so many of us were wounded that retreating to the forest was the only choice for us. The English were just getting ready and the barbarians were tired from fighting us off. They had no more arrows. It fell within an hour. When I left, they were pillaging and brutalizing the barbarians, the entire English fighting force at large inside the city gates. Our men were still outside, tending to our wounded."

Simon let out a shout of anger and disappointment. Cursing Agnés and the French Wine, he ordered all the caskets to be spilled out into the river, leaving for his bedchamber where a number of servants awaited his command. It would be many days before he resumed his reign and sent formal letters to the English, congratulating them on the taking of the city with such minimal loss of blood, and thanking them for the extended help in defeating the barbarian threat.

[Netherlands (DoB)]

"Greita, it seem the English have mistaken your words for threats against the English Queen.">>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>"I don't know why such a thing happens? Why would I wish for the loss of a great female Ruler?">>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>"They rumors are that it is because you say "Leader" when you send a note to Victoria welcoming her to world affairs. They think you mean to replace their leader Elizabeth with Victoria as the new leader">>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Greita sighes "I said "Leader" not Queen. Elizabeth is the Queen she cant be replaced by a leader, only a Queen a tribe can have many leaders but only one Queen I think. Isnt that how this new Monarchy Hereditary Rule works?">>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>"Yes that is the way we understand it">>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>"And anyway why come the English cant have more than one leader at a time? We have many leaders in our tribe, me, Christofoor, Johannes, Captain. Trotseer the Brave was once a great Leader even though he was never THE leader or Chieftain. All I say is that Victoria is not one of the leading figure to her people, she is A leader not THE leader. Of course Queen Elizabeth is THE leader until she dies. But since she is immortal she can't die anyway so I dont know what all this fuss is over. You try to send kind message of welcome and this is what you get"