Domination of Barbarians [Diplo Game] [Story Thread 12 - March 2013]

[Celtia (DoB)]

Celtic messengers are being turned away from England. They say they have too much backlog for anyone to have audience with Queen Elizabeth.

[Greece (DoB)]

A Greek northern border patrol has witnessed what is said to be the greatest army ever assembled my any civilization. The Holy Romans are on the move into France.

[Portugal (DoB)]

Pedro is already old and ill and could not even stand up from his bed. Ricardo Araujo - Leader of the Jesuit order was rumored to be the next in charge in Portugal. Just as expected, Ricardo used the turbulence caused by wars between fellow Christian kingdoms, the increasing power of the Muslims states and the influence they were trying put on Christian Europe, took the chance and made his move. From the stairs of the Paco da Ribeira Ricardo called for the Christians to unite under the banner with the Cross and fight the enemies of the faith. The First Crusade was called.



Hearing that Portugal had declared war to France, the old pacifist Pedro whispered "What have they done...".... Sadly no one was even able to hear him, his words muted by the din of the mass of soldiers kneeling outside on the square to receive the blessing of their arms.

[France (DoB)]

Public message to all tribes:

I am King Louis XXXV of the Kingdom of Louis, King of Kings.

I am a Christian, and my Kingdom is a Christian land. The Crusaders of Porto are welcome to my lands and will find welcome wherever they go. I vow upon pain of death that not a hair upon a fellow Christian man of the faith will be touched with any intent other than that of friendliness, brotherhood and love of one's neighbour. I wholeheartedly believe that no true Christian will harm anybody or anything in my Kingdom.

I hear ugly rumours that I discount at once, namely that my Kingdom is the birthplace of Islamic Jihadists. Let me reassure those that find such pretty words appealing, there are no Jihadist elements in the Kingdom of Louis. In Louisiana there are a number of Muslim faithful, this is known to all. They have Imams leading their sermons and they are coexisting with their Christian neighbours in peace. I have personally talked to their Imam, and as one man to another, one father to another, one leader to another, I believe his words.

Let there be peace on earth.

[France (DoB)]

In the royal court there was a sussuration among the crowd. Barely audible whispers unable to contain the unfathomable Crusade declared by Porto upon the Kingdom, every hour another messenger arrived, relaying the massive Porto troop buildup on the outside of King's Harbour, joined by news of the enourmous HRE army it was too much, and many had left the royal court until their nerves calmed.

Thousand upon thousand of men, armed and ready for war. An unprecedented act of war from not one but two tribes at once. The King had not shown himself for many years, secluding himself in the basement halls where many were sent and few ever returned, until the latest public message was sent.

He was now far beyond 200 years old but had not been seen in daylight for as long as anyone could remember. That he did not come forth to oppose or sustain these attacks was another cause for great concern among the noble families.

[Holy Roma (DoB)]

official message to Christian Nations:
All we see in the mouth of French emissaries out all lies and deceit. Now when they saw the power of the gun to Christian they started getting big Catholic Pope. Let no one deceive their deceptive words.

They are in close alliance with the Islamic world among their troops fighting Muslim mercenaries (Persian cavalry) even has information that their Louis secretly converted to Islam and now wants to be called Abdullah. We urge all Christians to become one and crush this threat to Catholic Europe.

Caroli Magni.

[Holy Roma (DoB)]

Caroli Magni was greeted by the pope on his arrival in Rome.

[France (DoB)]

At the last, they decided that a limit had been reached. Sending every available messenger down to the basement to summon him, they made plans to end his over-extended reign. For years, intercepting messengers to the King, and knowing the grave they dug might include themselves, they replaced in silence those that served the King without question, and installed instead those that came from their own houses, their own family. Seventeen family heads and their families were in attendance, with every man willing to die for the cause. For France.

King Louis came up to a hall covered in darkness by colored curtains, torchlit walls casting shadows among the nobles faces present. Ascending the throne, wine was called for. Poisoned wine was given to him, and he drank a cup without ceremony, asking for a refill, he ordered the messengers to update. The poisoners looked at a leading noble, who with a glance indicated that more should be given.

The leading noble interrupted the messenger, to speak words boasting the King's spirit, retorting that none would withstand the will of Louis. Thus, he made the King toast and drink more of the poison. But no effect was seen. Three times other nobles gave cause to empty their cups for King, country, God and good health. As the fifth cup of wine was emptied, Louis appeared sober as a priest to the exasperation of his conspirators, though he had imbibed enough liquid death to kill a hundred men, exhausting their supply.

[Portugal (DoB)]

Pedro the Peaceloving was writing this letter to the French King with shaking hand, as last attempt to stop the Crusaders and avoid bloodshed :

"France is to pay reparations to Holy Roma for attacking and sacking Prague - a gold coin for each brick ruined in Prague and 90 gold pieces for each block depopulated. To show his true devotion to Christ, the French King must send 5 of his relatives to serve Christ as missionaries converting the population of the Promised Lands. This will calm down the rightful anger of the Portuguese Crusaders." {OOC} 1 gold per each hammer lost in buildings during the capture of Prague and 180 gold for the two lost population in Prague. 5 Christian missionaries units trained and gifted to Portugal). {OOC}

[Holy Roma (DoB)]

Caroli Magni asked his chief minister, "what do you think of our proposal Portuguese allies,"

"Lord I believe, that if the French agree to pay money for the devastation of Prague, we can have mercy."

"I agree with you IF the French agree to pay money there will be peace."

[France (DoB)]

The King's Hand, until now sworn to defend their undying leader recieved the signal from a nobleman, and as one unsheated their blades. A look of confusion was all that Louis showed, before five noble family blades pierced him from several directions. To the horror of all present, he began to laugh!

"Ahahahahahahaha!"

Standing up, tearing the blades from their owner's hands he whirled in a mockery of the King's Dance before the throne, dislodging every blood-red blade that clattered upon the floor with a deadly silence filling the royal court. Picking up one blade, he sucked upon his own blood staining the blade and a sound like moaning came from his lips. Now turning around he smiled, eyes filled with bloodlust. Revealing long incisors that did not look human at all.

[England (DoB)]

Clearing out the backlog in English message vault its was discovered that a new war in Europe had begun. As Lao Tzu teaches "war begets war and death begets death." So far the Taoist faith had avoided the crusades and jihads sweeping the lands - hopefully such peace will endure.

[Japan (DoB)]

Visiting the constructors in the field, surrounded by faithful guards, Aiko, Empress of Japan appeared at ease among her own. Pausing the men in their work to give them words of comfort and authority, she visited each worksite and experienced her hardworking people close at hand. They worked without guards close at hand, since the latest foray into her lands by the barbarians had left her with more experienced troops, and a land filled with desolation. Mines collapsed, farms burned to the ground, and roads flooded into disuse. Some of the farms still burning upon return, they were forced to chop down the remnants to construct anew, a dirge sung by the workers often accompanied this grim task.



How they surfaced every few years with increased determination, better weapons and a cunning when it came to destruction was beyond her. It defied logic that some men simply wanted to see the world burn. With her mind shifting towards the machinations of tribes far away, she smiled. Thinking of the farmer she spoke to not three days past. Repeating his words to herself, she thought of the french: "You reap what you sow."

With this simple and logical saying, she considered the renewed effort of her friends in China. Having asked for their aid to defend against, and ultimately to seek out those barbarian holds closest to her land, she was determined to not fail her people again through actions concieved in anger. The Arabic and Persian tribes were also held in high regard as new bonds of friendship matured and grew through deeds well noted in the libraries of Japan.


-recorded in the library of Kyoto, 800 AD, the year of the amorous tortoise.

[France (DoB)]

Into this sudden silence a messenger came running, oblivious to the shocked crowd, he went down on one knee before the King with a letter, stating: "Peace terms from Porto my King."

An intake of breath as he turned eyes upon this intruder, and the King grasped him by the throat, lifting him up and with a sickening crunch clenched his fist. Letting go, the messenger fell lifeless to the ground.

As if it was a horn of war, this made every man surge forward against their mad leader with cries of "For France!" "For the People!" and Louis was brought low by a tackle from behind. Many men leaping on top, where they held him and stabbed repeatedly with blades brought forth from hiding.

With an inhuman roar of rage, he rose to his feet dislodging men near twice his size as if they were babies, using his superhuman strength to tear open necks and punch holes through chests, breaking bones with sudden chops to the legs and arms of those nearby. Within moments, more than twenty men lay around him dead or dying, with many dozens more still surrounding him, blades bared but hesitant.

Seeing the pure evil reflected in his eyes, one man saw something more -the reflection of the torches- and running swiftly to the side he grabbed a torch, telling others to do the same. Upon seeing this Louis smiled even broader, and spoke with his most commanding voice: "You think fire can harm me? Kneel before me you sheep, and I may not kill you...right now."

But the man now having several companions spread around the room, they also with burning torches in their hands shouted back: "I know! Your strength will prevail against us, and no human will ever best you one to one. But there is one that will make even you go humble and admit defeat!"

Laughing at those last words, Louis, the King of Kings made a face, posed like a proud cockerel and in a sardonic voice replied: "Oh no, God is angry with me, I'm going to die, I'm going to die. Oh what a world, what a world." and he laughed for himself, not observing the men in the back of the chamber who worked with ropes hidden behind pillars.

"NOW!" the man cried, and every man tossed their torch to the ground, forming a rough circle around the King. Then, servants rushed forward with mugs, tossing them to the ground between the torches, and a rush of flames lit up the room, surrounding Louis in a circle of flame.

Pivoting on one foot, Louis turned around in the middle of a flaming circle. Shrugging, with his arms outstretched to encompass the flames around him he spoke, loudly now above the flames: "Oh it is hot. But is this all you got?" and he let his arms fall down, feigning disappointment. Setting his eyes straight at the man, Louis spoke with a low tone, barely audible over the flames: "I am going to kill you, but first I will bleed you like a pig, slowly, perhaps make your family watch, perhaps I will kill them first, yes, roasting them over a slow fire, tasting their flesh, their blood, yes. I will take my time with you. But I will kill all the others first. Say your prayers sheep, for now...what? NO!"

Talking too long, Louis had not noticed those men who worked to release knots that bound the great curtains of the royal court. A single moment was all the warning he got before they fell, once more bathing the court by a pure and undiminished sun. In an instant he covered his eyes but it was too late, the image of a tall man bending slightly backward, with a rictus of pain as he shielded eyes from the glare of daylight was burned in the memory of the witnesses, before he burst into a blue-white flame lasting less than the blink of an eye.

The flamecircle burned still, and were put out after a stunned moment. Louis, the thirty-fifth king of France was dead. A black carcass with barely a resemblance to his visage lay there, white smoke emanating from various orifices.

The man called for servants to douse the fire, and a murmur arose from those still standing. Picking up the scroll, the man opened it without ceremony. "Hey! Abraham! Why do you read that?" another from the crowd inquired. "I must." Abraham replied. "For this letter holds the future of France. Before anything else, we must notify the Crusaders and the Holy Roman army that our King is dead. But we must not mention how he died just yet. This is too dangerous for widespread knowledge."

A silent nod from his opponent, and Abraham called for the fastest runners to go forth with word that the King was dead, and peace talks would commence in earnest if they were willing to halt advances.

[Holy Roma (DoB)]

Caroli Magni thoughts on the latest information from the front. "How cruel French rulers. Rename why not generous peace terms, I tell them that suggest why the ordinary French people have to suffer so severely." Perhaps the vile French nobles hope I with unfortunately will deter from the guillotine that falls above the French doors, but they do not know me. "