Domination of Barbarians [Diplo Game] [Story Thread 15 - June 2013]

[Persia (DoB)]

This man, Peter. Where did you find him? Ah. Yes. The offal pits. What did he do there? Hide? From whom? His own Praetorian legion?! Now why was that.. ah, yes. Is that scar permanent? Really. It makes him defined in some way. How long did he hide..? Oh. No question about his fortitude then. What was his plea? To seek the order of Lothar himself? So they threatened him. His family as well? What of them..dead? By Allah, what he has not endured.. Send him to the healers, when they are done, give him an escort to Holy Roma. At least one man breathes free from Rome now.

But no reply had come from the Pope Celestine so far..

[Holy Roma (DoB)]

Pope Celestine to Mighty Malik Shah: Dear Malik Shah in allowance benefit, we read your response and we are ready to respect the arrangements there. Gates of Holy Rome are wide open for every Christian who decided to take advantage of your charity. We have the confidence of the King-Emperor Lothair, it will not create any obstacles to this.
Lord Lothar told me in private that despite religious differences, it is for peaceful coexistence between our peoples.
Written with his own hand of His Holiness.

[Netherlands (DoB)]

A sloppy scrawled note addressed to no one and signed by no one is recieved in the River Village court.

As is the custom with such messages, the clerk who gets them is free to write whatever he wants in response without even showing it to any of the Nobles at court or any of the King's high officers.

England may have had a record keeping misshap. We have no record of private correspondance.

A convenient story, however we are certain you got our message expressing our intention to accept the terms of your treaty because it was attached to the Peace Treaty, which you accepted.

Despite this, since accepting the Peace Treaty, you have violated almost all of the terms of the Peace Treaty that you drafted, so we are confused as to where we stand with England's treaty. However, we still have peace and we are happy to continue with Peace between us, if this is now all you want.

[England (DoB)]

A letter addressed to the Nether court:

Given our history of miscommunication the Nether should know formal diplomatic notes are necessary to record any communications of true significance. We therefore continue to await your formal reply to our most recent private message. Until a reply is received I must assume the Nether have no intent of accepting a long term peace agreement and will continue to take actions that presume continued conflict.

-Queen Elizabeth I

[Greece (DoB)]

Greece has launched an attack on the barbaric state of Russia, long enough have the barbarians been allowed to roam so near our borders. We have received reports that the Ottoman kingdom is waging war in the east against the Russians. The Holy Roman Empire have joined our cause and are attacking from the north.

It feels that some are trying to race for Russian territories, Greece will not allow her interests to be harmed and will claim what it takes for her new domain.

[England (DoB)]

Elizabeth shook her head, embarrassed at the blind incompetence of the Nether leadership. It was hard to believe the strange tale her diplomatic envoy had told her. After greeting generous English terms for peace with diplomatic silence, the Nether court now fumed with rage at alleged English duplicity for not accepting the very treaty that England had offered….somehow missing the fact that it was up to the Nether to communicate their interest in the agreement. While Elizabeth could understand Nether frustration if a message indicating a desire to accept peace was lost, the Nether’s subsequent categorical refusal of all terms of the agreement--accompanied with outrageous demands of compensation--were truly unfathomable. To both refuse a deal and at the same time demand compensation for its alleged refusal, the Nether court was truly a place of impossible contradiction.


The Nether people would suffer greatly at the hands of such poor leadership. Future conflict with England was all but assured, yet who could have guessed that the Nether would already suffer such losses? Even as the Nether—apparently overconfident in their military prowess--refused England’s offer to capture Viking cities…a Viking counter attack had recaptured Tonsberg. It remained to be seem if the Nether army massed outside the Viking capitol would even be able to capture the city, and in any case, losses were sure to be heavy.

[Holy Roma (DoB)]

Army of the Holy Roman Empire besieged Moscow

Excerpt from a letter to a soldier from HRE to his mother... we did not encounter resistance ... bombarding Moscow and tomorrow will be a decisive assault...King-Emperor Lothair promised to every soldier 150 acres of Russian land after the destruction of the Russian barbarians ...The officers were promised and 20 Russian peasant extra. I hope that if I excel in the upcoming storm to get promoted to officer and your mother to have slaves to cultivate our future land ...

[Persia (DoB)]

He was a bone-tired old man now. Small tufts of white hair on the side of his head nearly diminished the vast white beard he had grown and cultivated since his early days of war. With the bare head some thought him a Jinn of the olden tales, but no strength remained to wield his swords.. With his wisdom and leadership bringing him across the land through war and peace, he had experiences enough for ten men. Some memories were dim, others he wished to forget. Yet they haunted him all the more..in his fitful sleep.

Less and less he was able to rest, spending more and more time going over the reports, maintaining the realm, balancing the income and expenses all by himself. Every day the reports grew more complex and more numerous. He was sure something was missing, but could not remember what. A large wicker basket contained the messages he had to read, and three big chests contained those of his previous reports that still waited for his eyes to judge. It was all so much, but he had to maintain. He had to keep it up. He was so tired..but he had to remain strong.

Until the arrival. Only a few more days.

Then..then would Malik-Shah finally rest.

[Persia (DoB)]

Official letter is sent out to all tribes, civil and barbaric alike:

Greetings to you all, and peace be upon you.

I am Sultan Arsalan, son of Malik-Shah.



He is dead.

I live and reign rightful after him.

May our relations be ever peaceful, and blessed in the name of God.

[Persia (DoB)]

After delivering the remains of Malik-Shah's hoard of disorganized paperwork to a hundred scholars of acumen and intellect, it took them merely three weeks to get a semblance of order restored and with it, a majestic knowledge of Persia's possibilities and vast treasury newly arrived from the captured settlements in Africa.



Now a number of ships and detachments of troops were gathering by the coast, filling the storage with dried meat and figs, coupled with greenskin bananas for the journey and spices to freshen the taste. These ships had a different hull and size than the regular ships mounted in the docks by Aleppo. Every ship had a mermaid -half maiden half fish- shaped in wood on the bow, some more splendid and colored, every one of them named. A maiden or a mother or a crone, it mattered not. The ship was the queen at sea and every man her servant. This the sailors said in rough tones and never mannered themselves unless the Ship's Captain or a great leader of troops was nearby. But of their ship they ever spoke in reverence and bloodied any who sought to jibe or speak fun of her.

It was a preparation never before seen in the lands of Persia, and children made up tales to be braver than the knights of Greece, or deadlier defenders than the great guardians of England, and always more civilized than the barbarian tribes. Many dreamed of going to war, but few could know the dread and grim truth of going sword-and-shield against a foe intent on the kill. In Adrianople, they worked hard to make them forget childish tales through sweat and hard discipline. A book filled with advice from general Pizarro spoke of 'sweat saving blood'. So the taskmasters of every Barracks sought to make that nugget of wisdom shine bright in every green youth they got to train as part of the Persian army.

[Persia (DoB)]

A shimmering new dawn for the people began when Arsalan, Sultan anoited by the light and holiness of the Grand Ayatollah set sail for the high seas in the Caravels of his people. Where only England, Nether and Portugal where known to roam.

It began a time of strife, a time of peace, a time of pain, a time of joy. A time when children continued to tell the tales of Jinn and Houris, Knights and Macemen, Swordmasters of Zohak and the Bactra Crossbow Believers. From the lowest of street urchins to the wealthiest of trader's daughters tales where told and were found valuable enough to be put to parchment. Even rare books of hide and paper specifically ordered from Greek and English Master Librarians where bought at high price and valued as priceless to those with the training to read them and re-tell the tales.

The most valued collection was said to hold tales to last for a 1001 nights, a magical number said to satisfy even the most cold-hearted and cruel of Jinns, if told by the virgin daughter of a wealthy merchant. It began a tradition of courtship where girls newly bloomed held evening gatherings, inviting sons of both high and low station to listen as tales of myth and magic were created and renewed, where captivation of her audience was held as higher value than mere beauty or wealth.

In this manner of exchange a number of lowborn prodigal children with ability far above their birth gained wealth far beyond the reach of their parents. This brought a time of unsurpassed ingenuity and prosperity that shone far brighter than what was previously known as the Golden Age of Persia.

[China (DoB)]

Qin stood on the palace wall gazing upon Beijing. His people had prospered in his long absence to the east.

The city had grown, temples and libraries built. Trade in silk and rice with the remaining non barbarian civilizations had been encouraged under his wife’s rule.

His people were happy.

Qin couldn’t help wonder how it could have gone so differently.

On the travels back to China, the barbarian revolts had occurred. Civilization after civilization had been undermined. He had only just managed to get home with his guard and escorted finally home by 5000 swordsman from Beijing – sent by his wife Aiko.

The barbarians had tried to ambush them near Stone Hill but they had prevailed with his escort.

Qin was surprised his brethren in Stone Hill had not assisted during the battle, and then learned Japan had joined the Barbarian nations.

His wife had only just managed to escape with her closest relatives and her loyal palace guard.

Learning about this he chose to attack Stone Hill and liberate the city and Aiko’s brother who was stationed there before.

Unfortunately her brother had been hung as a Japanese loyalist. 1000’s of Japanese loyal to Aiko had been put to death.

The barbarians entrenched in the other Japanese cities were strong behind walls built by his own men. Qin was at a loss until the Persian leader sent a courier with a proposal.

They wanted to provide training and assistance to China, to remove the strong barb nation of Japan in exchange for an oath of fealty.

Qin had travelled to the Persian city closest to their southern border and made his pledge. Persia and China were one. 1000’s of troops stationed south were moved North to face a new enemy.

Persia was granted full use of Chinese roads and bridges.

Stone Hill was granted to Persia, where several 1000 of his distinguished archers were dispatched to work with the immortals and learn new to use a new weapon call the crossbow.

Massive structures of wood and cord called Catapults rolled through China from Persia to the amazement of its citizens.

Qin also ordered the massing of a huge army of swordsman to gather on the borders of Japan under the flag of truce.

A war the known world had never seen was about to commence.

For those that are about to die … we salute you.

[England (DoB)]

News from the New World was both confused and troubling. Reports that the great Taoist scholar Chuang Tzu had disappeared on his mission to convert the Buddhists away from their cult of death were mixed with wild tales that Buddhist fanatics sought rebirth by ritually sacrificing themselves at an alter to Chuang Tzu in the mountainous wastelands west of Deseret.News from the New World was both confused and troubling. Reports that the great Taoist scholar Chuang Tzu had disappeared on his mission to convert the Buddhists away from their cult of death were mixed with wild tales that Buddhist fanatics sought rebirth by ritually sacrificing themselves at an alter to Chuang Tzu in the mountainous wastelands west of Deseret.

[Netherlands (DoB)]

Some of the colonies in the New World prove too expensive to maintain and the Kingdom of Netherlands offers them independence and some are considered for sale. Surprisingly,they choose to join the Barbarian Celts and their ruler Brennus II, rather than be sold.

Netherlands hopes that these new colonies will intice the Celts to once again become civilized.

[Holy Roma (DoB)]

Official announcement by King Lothar to our Dutch friends: King Lothar is concerned that you have accepted Parisian rebels under his patronage. King Lothar hope that Paris will be returned to its rightful owner. King Lothar recalls that Paris had paid a great price in the Netherlands and the Sacred Roman Empire, hoping for a quick response