Tales from the Ultimate Diplomatic Front I

[drake]

"Drake II Lives Glorious Reign and with it brings great happiness and pride to the people in his homeland"

-Great Explorations-

The great explorers of the Mongolian country have continued as their ancestors have for years before them. We have reached both north and east shores in our explorations. One coast is of grass and moss and the other of sheer ice. A city has been established on one and will serve as the countries first port. Plans to build a small water craft are in place.....

The Himalayas have been crossed by our explorers. On the south side of the himalayas lies very hilly terrain and jungle. Explorations beyond these foothills has not yet begun for we have agreed to let India have this territory.

-Domestic Success-

In the homeland many great things are happening. First and foremost, a great Oracle to help ease the peoples fear has come to our land and built a great temple in our capital. He will be consulted for knowledge in times of need.

Drake II has also been declared Consul by his people who have formed the Republic. This change from Monarchy brings a great improvement in science as well as income and will help lead the Mongols into the next age of discovery.

As proof of our superior intellectual ability, Philosophy has been discovered by our great thinkers. The people come from miles around to hear the opinions of the wise philosophers in Karakorum.

Lastly, to further establish ourselves scientifically, we have almost finished the compilation of all the scrolls and books of knowledge from around the kingdom. A great vault for their holding is almost complete.

-Diplomatic Front-

The Indians, who are seen by Drake II as a potential ally in the future are held in the highest regard, but have caused unnecessary tension to Mongolian citizens. Indian warriors have been seen in the homeland after borders had been clearly established. It is our opinion that they are people worthy of respect, but not complete trust. Not yet atleast.
Negotiations have begun regarding IndoChina. The people of Mongolia live in harsh lands and are looking to expand to more friendly terrain. This land is of utmost importance to the kingdoms growth and we will do anything to gain exclusive rights to this territory.


The Egyptians, whom we have just made contact with have desecrated the European/Mongol neutral zone just south of the Ural Mountains with their prescence. They were sent away by threat of force and informed of the borders that they had just violated. They claimed to have come in Peace, but word of their sneaky ways had preceded them and Drake II's men did not trust them. If seen again in Mongol territory, justice will be swift and very harsh.

The Americans: Through means of an embassy established in our home land, we have made contact with the elusive Americans. Their peaceful ways were immediately evident to our diplomats and we saw no reason that we should live in tension considering we are thousands of miles away. A Treaty was signed with haste.

Through conversations, The mongols learned of two other great civilizations across the ocean: The Brazilians and Canadiens. Plans of an ocean crossing to meet the Americans face to face will be planned in the near future.

Relations with our brothers the europeans have only improved. We have made a fairly significant trade as a sign of trust and faith together. Details cannot be discussed, but as a result, trade routes between Mongolia and Europe have begun. Both peoples have much to offer the other and this could only be the beginning in the start of a great partnership. Although the europeans still seem to feel they are superior to us and make what they call "jokes" about us occasionally, we will tolerate it. Europes army, next to ours, is the finest in the land, and we do not want to disturb the nice balance that we have established.

-Drake III-

The intellectual son of Drake II will soon recieve his right to rule the kingdom. Drake II grows weary from traveling his expansive country. Drake the Third is still young and it is unclear to the people how he will rule the nation, but they fear not. His fathers before him have served Mongolia with honor...and it runs in the blood.....




<font size=1 face=Arial color=444444>[This message has been edited by drake (edited November 08, 2000).]</font>

[The Capo]

Provincial Palace in Istanbul, Turkey....

His heart beat in rythm with the horse's feet stomping the ground beneath him. He was a bearer of bad news, he was afraid, afraid for his life, and for the future of his people, a terrible thing had happened.....

Inside the Palace....

Ferdinand: Have all of the arrangments been made?

Phillip I: Yes my liege, everything is in place.

Ferdinand: Perfect, now then, when shall Constantine arrive, I have many things to discuss with him.

Courier: My lord! My lord! There is a messanger here, from Rome!

Ferdinand: Take his message-

Courier: He is a squire of Duke William of Orange, he asked to meet with you personally.

Ferdinand: Very well, send him in.

Messenger: (bows) sire, I have terrible news from Rome...

Ferdinand: Speak quickly, I have a meeting with Duke Constantine.

Messenger: Yes sire, well here, I cannot bear to speak of this myself (hands Ferdinand the note).

Phillip I: This had better be worthwhile, the House of Hapsburg has not time for William's petty gripes!

Ferdinand: My god! Phillip.....

Phillip I: What is it?

Ferdinand: Surely this is a sick disgusting joke!

Messenger: I swear to it my lord, I couldn't believe it myself.

Ferdinand: My god, Phillip he's dead.....

[The Capo]

The Vienna Tribune
.6 Gold
1450 b.c.

&lt;img src="http://members.aol.com/nkreefer/charlemagne.jpeg"&gt;[br]4000 b.c. - 1450 b.c.

King Charlemagne Dies in Istanbul!
Istanbul, Turkey - Sad news from the Provincial capital of Turkey, as king Charlemagne of the Franks has been stabbed twenty four times about the chest and back. No suspects have been implicated as of yet, however there is rising suspicion from citizens and some public officials that the House of Habsburg may have had some connection to the murderers. There was plenty of speculation as to Charlemagne's life, as he named his successor years before he was suspected to die, thus, according to some, prompting his assasination by those who had the most to gain from his death. "How could there be no suspects!" shouted an angered Prince Charles Martel "This is the King of Europe, and there is not one suspect, this is ludicrous, I blame the House of Habsburg!" In a retort to those comments, Phillip I, Duke of Spain said "I can understand his rage, his father was a great man, and was not deserved of this terrible fate, we should bind together in this horrible horrible crisis." Ferdinand I of Habsburg is next in line to take the throne of Europe, early reports indicate he intends on changing the Union's capital from Paris to Vienna, citing its logistical and tactical advantage. "Paris is a great city, it holds a great wonder that will serve our empire nicely, however, it is too removed from the rest of Europe, moving it to Vienna will help repair any problems in the Empire." Said Canute, a General from Helsinki. But now, in this fragile time for Europe, we should look back on what Charlemange has accomplished as King; he has issued the construction of the great Hanging Gardens in Paris, he has united the warring tribes of Europe into the European Union, he has signed treaty after treaty, ensuring huge amounts of territory to the European cause, under his reign we have not lost a single battle. This man was a great man, and his legend shall live on for all eternity. Long live King Charlemange.....

Date Set for the Monorcharial Turnover.
Vienna, Austria - The House of lords has made the date for the Monorcharial turnover as soon as possible, tommorow Duke Ferdinand I of Austria will be named King of Europe. Prince Charles Martel will present him with excalibur; Charlemagne's sword. "There was a lot expected from me" said the young Prince Charles Martel "People thought that I would fly off the handle, that I would not compose myself properly, well my father obviously had intentions by naming Ferdinand King, and I respect those intentions." Most critis believed that Charles would lead a France-Netherlands backed attack against the House of Habsburg, who has a majority of seats in the House of Lords. "Truth be told" said Phillip I of Spain "The House of Lords has no power whatsoever, they are here simply as a forum to the king, so our majority of the seats has little implications whatsoever." This will mark the second King in the history of our nation, and will take place in the city square of Vienna, at twelve in the afternoon.

Egypt cedes Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and opens up Iran to the EU.
Paris, France - Dignitaries of Egypt and Europe convened in Paris today to outline the Baghdad pact in order to grant more land to Europe. Charles Martel was the spearhead in this movement, and according to close sources was working closely with his father, who was on his way to Baghdad when he was brutally slain in Istanbul. The territories of Lebanon, Palestine and Israel were ceded to the EU by Egypt after a very large sum of money was donated to the Egyptian cause. "Iran was European by every sense of the word" said General Alexander of Macedon "We have an astounding amount of power in that area, and have worked hard to make sure it was either in European or Egyptian hands, the Indians have given us a run for our money indeed." said Alexander, quite jovial over the good relations he has established with Mongolia. "The Egyptians shouldn't be in a position to negotiate Iran in the first place" stated Napoleon Bonaparte, Alexander's second in command "We have established hegemony over the area, while Egypt sat back idle, that is not how nations compose themselves, we deserve this land." It is unclear about the specifics of the talks, but word has it that the Caucus and The steppes south of Khazakstan have been secured as well.

Trade pact signed with Mongolia
Kharakorum, Mongolia - Dignitaries of the Mongolian Senate and the House of Lords convened in the open fields of the steppes to iron out an agreement between the two nations. The Trade pact allows Mongolian merchants to be escorted deep into the European heartland, in exchange Europe will be able to establish an embassy in the Mongolian capital of Kharakorum. "The relations we are enjoying with his highness Drake II of Mongolia has been very welcome, and although his passing will mark a sad day for the entire world, we hope that his successor, Drake III will be equally benign in his negotiation."

Suez Torched by Egyptian soldiers.
Suez, Egypt - The rebellious state of Suez has been decimated by Egyptian soldiers. After centuries of bloodshed, the Egyptian army sent in one final wave of soldiers, obliterating the rebel cause, and in a show of power torched the city to the ground. "We support the Egytian's tact in this situation" said General Alexander of Macedon "I have been in the [Middle East] for years now, and know how harsh things can be, this will serve as a proper message to those who wish to challenge Egyptian control of the Suez canal zone."

&lt;b&gt;EDITORIAL&lt;/b&gt;
Benito Moussolini

In only my second editorial for the various newspapers of Europe, I have such a horrid and downtrodden subject to discuss; the matter of King Charlemagne, I refuse to say he is "dead" for all intents and purposes this man lives on in the very idea that our Union remains one. To quickly praise the man we have to realize how things were previous to 4000 b.c. when he ascended the throne of the European Union. This man did something very remarkable, and were it not for his cunning and strength in the face of adversity, we may be subjects of Mongolia, India or Egypt. Europe was composed to tribes that were heavily in aggressive relations, there was almost no tribe that did not, at one time or another, kill a member of a rival tribe. This is a very dismaying principal, but the Franks, ruled by Charlemagne and his brother Carloman, made great strides. When Carloman was killed in Gronigen by Frisian soldiers, Charlemagne dedicated his life to the pursuit of a European Union. His son Charles Martel, who is no stranger to Military himself, was a key resource in the warfare aspect of Charlemagne's campain, seizing victories against the Spaniards and Italians. When the Union was formed, it was more or less directly due to the character that Charlemagne composed himself as, a very benign and fair leader. He should be respected greatly for these accomplishments. Sadly, there is some overtone of injustice in his death. Who killed him? Who was behind it and why? These questions should be answered, for without answers to them, our Union is tarnished, our founder is dead and can not rest in peace until these problems are resolved. Prince Charles is very angry, and has every right to be, all of our citizens should take a page from his book, this man is our legacy. There is plenty of talk that the House of Habsburg was behind this, and based on the evidence this is not a very far-fetched idea. However, I believe that Charlemagne was killed due to his negotiations with Egypt. In these, he was ceded Israel and the Palestine, as well as free settlement of Iran, which I still believe should be deemed internationally neutral, but that is for another editorial. Killing Charlemange was about a good idea as you can have if you oppose these talks, clearly it was the first idea that he and his son Charles ever agreed upon. The Egyptians, despite their claimed "power" were not in a position to really tell the Europeans anything, whether or not they are strong is not an issue. The facts are that Egypt is not a very dominant prescence in the area, if I had to number them, I would say the hegemonial chain goes: Europe, India, Mongolia, Egypt. Thus giving a clear cut motive for Egyptian fanatics. I know, I may be sodding the fortress of racism against Egyptians, but these are facts here, whether or not I dislike the Egyptian race is not an issue. Facts are facts, Egypt was weaker than Europe, they were in a position to lose a great deal of Mid-Eastern real estate, including many coastal areas. To kill the European king, possibly sending their nation into Civil war is the best idea for them. I know that Magnus wouldn't have done something like this, he was almost at European mercy. But followers of the deposed Easthaven X would not have put this below them at all, Easthaven is a shrude and cunning leader, and based upon my research into Egypt's current body-politic, he has a very real chance of regaining the Egyptian throne. Therefore, I fully support the ideals of Charles Martel and Alexander of Macedon, if we do not intervene in the Mid-East and seize Palestine, we are brokering the future of our children to Egyptian swine!
&lt;font size=1 face=Arial color=444444&gt;[This message has been edited by The Capo (edited November 06, 2000).]&lt;/font&gt;
<font size=1 face=Arial color=444444>[This message has been edited by The Capo (edited November 06, 2000).]</font>

[The Capo]

Sorry for that screwy post, anyway if everyone remembers our next session will be tommorow, Wednesday the eighth, at seven pm eastern time, i am not sure if Easthaven is up for it, but if he isn't I hope Magnus can be online and ready to roll.

And if East is here, then magnus would you mind taking over the Brazilians, you were such a good player last time?

[The Capo]

Habsburg Royal Palace; Vienna, Austria....

<center>
(We always outdo the Mongols!)</center>

William of Orange: We have been gathered here to mourn the loss of a great man. He was a father, a brother, and a king. He ruled our nation as best he could, and we are all the more better for having him as our ruler. We shouldn't focus on the terrible fate that awaited him in Istanbul, certiantly there are matters that need to be addressed, but here now in Vienna, those shouldn't take precedence to what we have come here to do, and that is to crown a new King....

(William lays his sword upon the casket of Charlemagne, and bows to it.)

William of Orange: Now then, with that I rest Charlemagne, father of Martel, son of Pepin, to the gods of Valhalla, may he rest in peace.

(William of Orange exits, the anthem of the Martels plays, Charles Martel enters the square, and stands at his father's casket, he looks at it for a good five minutes, and then ascends the podium)

Martel: Good people of Europe I have come here to bury my father, what can be said of his legacy has been said, he is finished. He is now the subject of the gods, nothing more and nothing less. The only way to pay proper respects, is to continue the legacy he has left behind, we musn't ruin our Union, we musn't taint it with allegations of murder and conspiracy. We musnt' taint what my father has done. Despite the belief of the masses, I shall peacefully hand my father's sword to Ferdinand, if he will have me....

(there is a long pause, finally the anthem of Austria plays, as Ferdinand rides on his horse to the city square, he dismounts, embraces Charles, and takes the podium)

Ferdinand: (bows to Charles) It saddens me deeply that I must ascend the throne in such a horrible fasion, certaintly nobody wished for the death of Charlemagne, especially not we of noble blood. While I must look upon the circumstance with a great deal of rankor, I must also accept my title with great dignity and respect, Charlemagne was such a great man, that mere words cannot describe him, nor shall they do him justice, and only the coninuence of honorable activity form his post shall do him justice. Therefore, I shall make a number of royal decrees here now in Vienna... The first shall be the consolidation of might in the Middle East, we have signed a treaty with Magnus of Egypt, and although the current state of affairs may return Easthaven to the throne, we will expect him to live by the treaties signed by Magnus, or pay heavy consequences, we shall not budge on this matter in any sense of the word. The second, I shall hereby deem Charles Martel my head Minister of Defense, and I shall make Alexander of Macedon cheif investigator into the death of our beloved King Charlemagne. Furthermore, I shall hereby Annex Bohemia into the European Union, its capital shall be Prague. The House of Lords shall be curbed as well, as they will no longer have oversight of royal decrees pertaining to future kings (soft rise from the crowd), I shall not name my heir until I feel that it is imperative that I do so. People of Europe, I hereby accept my title, as King of the European Union!

(The crowd bursts into exuberant cheer)

Charles Martel: (Holding up the sword of Charlemagne) I hereby dub thee, Ferdinand of Habsburg (holds sword out with two hands), King of the European Union, by the sword of our founder Charlemagne of the Franks, thou are king under all that is holy, and all that is secular.

Ferdinand: (Bowing to Charles) I graciously accept this title!

(Music plays and the crowd bursts into a jovial mood, everyone is happy, trumpets blare, wine is rationed, Ferdinand is shaking the hands of his fellow lords, Charles then grabs him by the arm and pulls him to the side)

Charles Martel: You, and your house, the wretched Habsburgs shall soon perish! You will not be king for long Ferdinand.....

[GNGSpam]

Cold dried fish and curry powder. Even after his long ride this kind of meal wasnt exactly openly welcome by any of his men, but not much else could be down. The outlaying town of Indahir had been sacked, and with it most of the wheat stores. That was, in fact why he was here.

The Indian nation had long been a peaceful one. With roads connecting its core cities, and outlaying tribes volunteerly members, the need for a formal military establishment beyond those to keep the peace was simply unessecary. Then came the Scythians.

From the plans of Scythe, they had been pushed out, apparently, by the growth of a large kingdom in central Asia. Moving south in a large horde, they had ravaged the borders of India for some time....costing many lives....

So now Muhantas sits, eating cold dry fish and wet curry powder, miserable, because of these damnable barbarians. After a long fight, he had transformed the Indian forces into a hardened Veteran force, inspired by a hate for these uncouth "barbarians", tempered by much combat passed. How had the Monarchy allowed this to happen! Tomorrow though...finally, his nation would be at peace...saved from the barbarians...saved from the monarchy.

They mounted and took off to the North east. The mountains were a favorite of the Barbarians. Lacking much in the way of developed tactical thought, they did use terrain adquatly, and the Indians knew this would be a brutal battle that would...

"Commande, Commande! They are coming! The North Slope"

Muhantas wheeled his horse left and saw...the Scythians.

A bellow was let out, they charged down the sloop. The Indians had been strung out traveling along the pathway as not to needlessly tire their animals. Quickly they responded. Closing flanks they quickly grouped, and charged forward, the two sides surging towards each other...

The intial crash was likened to Armagadden. Many of the lances broke, as intended to absorb the recoil fo the blow they just struck. Immediatly the Soliders drew their swords and began a struggle for their lives. Men lost arms, or legs, and those who fell off their horse were instantly crushed.

Within an hour, it was over. The Indians had lost fully a third of their force, but the Scythian threat was no more.

Muhantas looked wearily on...a days rest would be needed. Now all that was left was what he had deemed an internal threat...to the east laid Delhi...and HIS throne.

[drake]

Deep within the heart of the Palace at Karakorum, Drake II passes away.

The people of Mongolia come from miles around to gather at the steps of the Great temple of the Oracle to mourn and seek guidance.

In the midst of this dark day, Drake the third feels sorrow and misery and at the same time excitement. HE shall be the new Consul of Mongolia and HE shall do things as he feels necessary.......

"Loyalty does not need to extend after death does it?" he thought. "My father was a great man, but I shall be even greater....I will start by strengthening our already superior army and begin a great expansion into un-explored lands.........fathers plans to build a center for the people to learn is wonderful, but these are hard times.......perhaps we should divert the resources slated for the great vault and found an academy of war instead.......for the people of egypt have not paid respect to our great nation yet and if they do not soon, they must certainly pay"

As DrakeIII was about to leave his chamber to begin funeral preparations, a messenger sent from Tabriz burst into his room: "Charlemagne is dead! He's been murdered!"




<font size=1 face=Arial color=444444>[This message has been edited by drake (edited November 08, 2000).]</font>

[drake]

"The Mongolian people hold massive celebration in Karakorum! "




National pride has never been higher than on this glorious day. Karakorum, the capital of Mongolia, is the greatest city in the entire world! Mongolians come from miles around to pray at the great temple of the Oracle. Soldiers taught in ancient combat come to our great workshop to be re-trained in modern warfare. Great philosophers of the world still consider the wise men of Karakorum, as the most intelligent and knowledgeable people on the planet. And the kings diplomats, trained in the legendary capital, have succesfully completed negotiations with the greatest leaders on and off the continent.

Science is thriving in Mongolia and we have been told by the great oracle himself that we are "#1" in the world in this area. While sifting through some scrolls collected from around the globe, (in our great vault), a wise man came across quite a discovery. It seems that other civilizations use a carved circle of wood or stone as a method of moving heavy objects! With this find, the use of what has been dubbed as "the wheel" has began in Mongolia........

Our army may be the smallest in the world, but it is of the highest calibre. Due to the recent building of the workshop, keeping it this way shall remain an easy task. Mongolia knows that a great army is not determined by it's numbers, but by it's leaders and it's technology. The military will grow along with the empire, or as necessary.

Foreign matters are in quite good shape at this time. Peace has been established with the great nation of India and relations with the mighty europeans has continued in a succesful manner. The dirty people of Egypt have remained off of our land and so we remain neutral with them at this time. We wish them no harm unless they violate our borders, for we do not want their land. Our treaty with America still stands although we have talked minimally. Our distance only allows a discussion once in a great chance.........

There has been a conflict in Persia over territories concerning India, Europe, Egypt and Ourselves. Mongolia wants nothing to do with this land and has conceded it's stake to Ferdinand and the Europeans. It is our understanding now that Europe shall have the top half and the bottom half be split between Egypt and India.

We also fear that a war may be brewing...................

[drake]

In case anyone was interested and hasnt seen this:



Egypt has for the time being pulled away from the pack. The European Union follows at a close second with Brazil and America close behind. The Indians hold the fifth spot and the mongols have the sixth....The canadians of whom are currently at war with America, may soon fall off the graph......

[The Capo]

The Roma Tribune
.7 Gold
150 b.c.

TOP STORY: Phillip II of Habsburg, Charles Martel ascend throne of Europe!
Paris, France - Indeed, the unspeakable has occured and both Charles Martel and Phillip II of Habsburg have each been crowned King of Europe. In a shocking turn of events, Ferdinand was killed in a civil battle outside of Poznan, Poland. According to folklore the assailant that ultimatley killed the king was Charles Martel, however he was in Rome at the time of the battle. As Ferdinand had yet to name an heir, the crown was literally up for grabs, and both Charles Martel and Phillip II were crowned. Charles in Paris and Phillip in Vienna. "This is not going to be a very good transition" said Alexander of Macedon, who was charged by Ferdinand with the investigation of Charlemagne's assassination, "We are almost talking a fifty fifty split as far as support goes, I expect more civilian battles to rage on in the face of this terrible, terrible time." Most leaders were not as expectant of war as Alexander, some citing that this could cause the break up of a formal European Union. "Obviously there are supporters of the Habsburgs, and supporters of the Martels" said William of Orange "But there are hardly any willing to go to war over it, I am quite certain that there will be a breaking of the Union, but I doubt many lives will be lost, at least not as much as we had during the tribal wars." Just exactly how does this play out in foreign affairs? Not much. "Charles Martel was the head foreign minister under my uncle" said newly crowned Habsburg King Phillip II "My father worked very closley with Charles, I realize what they were trying to accomplish and will try and continue it, I also understand that many things they attempted were cut short by my Uncle, and I will attempt to fix these problems accordingly." Currently there can be no official King, no heir was announced and the House of Lords will convene in Paris tommorow to decide who will ascend the European throne.

============
INTERNATIONAL REPORT
============

Eurasian, African Leaders convene in Jerusalem.
Jerusalem, Israel - In the year 350 b.c. the leaders of Mongolia, India, Egypt and the European Union convened in Israel to outline the questionable Persian territory, and to establish borderlines. Only one of the goals were met. "I believe the meetings were healthy for international relations, they may not have resulted in much other than the quartering of Persia, but I believe everyone left the meetings with a better idea of how things will play out than beforehand" said Prince Charles Martel of the meetings. The end result was ultimatley the outlinging of territory in Persia. Here is a geopolitical map of the area, outlining territorial claims/gains:
<center></center>
As you can see, the territories outlined are already under the hegemony of the European Union, Egyptian Kingdom, and the Indian Oligarcy. However after the signing of the pact, expansion will be limited to their "quarter" of Persia, Monoglia ceded theirs to Europe. The area encircled in light green constitutes a de-militarized zone, which the European Union has yet to abide by.

Tensions come to a head in northern Russia.
Timanskij Territory - The unincorporated territory of Timanskij has become the site of great international tensions, as the problems in the area almost broke into all out Eurasian war! "The death of king Ferdinand is probably the only thing keeping the world at peace for now." Said Leopold Auskerluntz, a Habsburg emissary to the Indians "It was unfortunant that this minor event would have eventually lead to a major international crisis." Reports indicate, from the court reports of Ferdinand of Habsburg, that talks were held with Egyptian as well as Mongolian dignitaries on the matter of a Euro-Indu war. According to reports, Egyptians were cooperative but skeptical of the outcome of any war. "Obviously it would be a situation where a lot of blood would be spilled" commented Napoleon Bonaparte, head commander of the Protectorate of the Middle East, "The Egyptians, although they are a strong nation, are very large, and were most likley ill-equiped for an immedeate war with India, conversley, we were prepared, which is quite astonishing, I suspect that Ferdinand may have had these intentions from his start as King." While Bonaparte's allegations do hold water, they have been shot down by interim King, Phillip II "It is ludicrous to believe that Ferdinand would have secretly been preparing for war against India, that is the act of a coward, and he was no coward." Alexander of Macedon, however, disagreed "I realized that Ferdinand was plotting an invasion from day one, I worked closley with Charlemagne as head of foreign relations to make sure this would not be a reality, Europe does not want war with India." This was later confimed through the officers of the Mongolian army. Despite these rumors, both Kings Charles Martel and Phillip II wish to repair relations with India as well as Mongolia; "Since the death of Charlemagne, we have had a falling out with our brothers the Mongols" said Charles Martel "Due to this, they have turned their trust wholely to the Indians, which is a tragic end to the greatness that could have been a Mongol-European alliance, I will work closley with Mongolian officers to repair the relationship, but I believe that due to the inefficiency of the Habsburg court, it may have been lost to the Indians forever."

Ferdinand signs Africa Protection Accord, Martel and Phillip agree to uphold.
Paris, France - Upon rumors that India was planning an incursion into Africa, Ferdinand signed the Africa Protection Accord (APA) in order to either provoke war with India, or to keep them out of Africa forever, say sources. "The obvious goal of the accord was war, it is apparent to me and should be apparent to all." Said Gustav Adolphus of Sweden, "There is no way he can uphold this simply in Africa, and as he has been moving very large amount of troops to Persia through the Caucus Mountain ranges, it seems his intent was a Persian war." The House of Habsburg, as well as Charles Martel disagree; "The goal was simple" said Charles V, son of Phillip II "Ferdinand wished to establish European dominions in Persia, and the northern Mid-East, he was simply trying to secure African land to Egypt so they would afford him this territory, he was not dedicated to war with India in the least." Whatever the reason, Charles Martel has stated if he is officially crowned King by the House of Lords (which remains in Habsburg control), he probably won't overturn the accord; "It can be worked around, Egypt has already mandated some Indian settlments in Eastern Africa, and Egypt still holds control of the continent in the end, therefore we will not act unless our allies deem it fit."

============
DOMESTIC NEWS
============

Rioting hits all time high in Poland/Austria
Poznan, Poland - Rioting due to the constant quarrels between the Houses Martel and Habsburg have reached a fevered pitch, as a battle between the Habsburgs and Martel supporters raged outside of Poznan. A bittle which claimed the life of King Ferdinand. "It was Charles Martel" said one observer "he finally gained his revenge, long live Martel!" Yet another claimed that Ferdinand killed himself; "Rather than die at the hands of Martel, Ferdinand murdered himself, driving Charlemange's sword through his gut!" Despite these renditions of the battle, Ferdinand was struck in the left temple with an arrow, and died immedeatley. As a matter of fact, Charles Martel was not even anywhere close to Poland at the time, he was in Rome, discussing the construction of a new EU Palace.

Rome to be deemed new Capital of EU.
Rome, Italy - Members of the House of Lords, William of Orange, and Charles Martel met in Rome today to discuss the construction of a new capital area. Under the plan, the King would have a new palace built in the method of the Visigoths, while the House of Lords would recieve a new building. The plan would take centuries to impliment, as thousands of workers and tons upon tons of raw materials must be amassed for the amazing project. However, there is no plan to keep Paris as the capital, and the House of Lords are planning on enacting a rule that would have every Provincial capital serve as the Union capital for at least one hundred years.

Spain falls to Martel supporters, Habsburg family flees to Austria!
Lisbon, Spain - In the battle of Lisbon, Martel supporters routed the Habsburgs and seized the west coast of Spain, renaming it "Porto Du Gal" or Portugal. Only months later, Madrid toppled to Martel supporters, driving the Habsburgs to their ancestral home of Austria. This would make France, Spain, The Netherlands, Italy and Germany in Habsburg control. While Ausria, the Balkans, Turkey, Russia and Scandinavia remain loyal to king Ferdinand. The battle of Poznan marked the death of King Ferdinand, making two seperate kings of one nation, both have stated that they would like the situation to be resolved soon.

House of Lords imposes heavier tithes.
Paris, France - The House of Lords have issued a ten percent taxation increase in order to regain money lost in the purchases of temples. "The rioting caused by Ferdinand and Charles has hurt our coffers." Said German Lord Otto Von Bismark, "It has been very difficult to pay our wise men when we must attribute the wealth elsewhere." There are rumors circulating already that the new tax increase will probably end due to the end of the Habsburg-Martel fighting, if at least temporarily. "We must begin work on technologies, we are slowly falling behind" claimed Duke Constantine of Turkey "Europe cannot be emblazened with war again, a solution must be had, and the wealth allocated elsewhere."

EDITORIAL
Benito Moussolini

Well well well. The big news now is the new leadership, the world has basically deserted us, with the exception of our allies the Egyptians, who have chosen the correct path by making Magnus their Pharoh. Now to move on with international relations, something Europe hasn't done well since Charlemagne. The stupid struggles over Kingship have done nothing but kill our men and empty our treasury, now that cooler heads have prevailed, I think the time may come to copy the Mongolian system of Republic. Although it has been rumored to be weak, Europe could probably use such a tool. We are a collection of seperate states, and while we may not like it, we don't exactly get along too well, maybe this type of government, in which a legislative body headed up by a Consul will be just the answer we need. The only differance is that under this method, ALL soldiers would be Federal, and the Legislative body would be stronger than the Consul. I kinda like this idea, what I don't like is wars over Kingship, especially the ones where common folk die for one man, I would rather elect my leader than have him commit murder for the job. But hey, I could be wrong....

[ml_4da3]

Hm. Well, I am not good at writing stories, I first wrote this story, but I felt it "was not 'worthy enough' to be posted on this forum". I focus too much on details, dialogue, and too little on raw action (the story can get "booring" sometimes). I also imagine too grand goals, acheiving it using a too "complex" story, so that I loose myself in its complexity and what goal i really had in the first place.. Further on I also think about the other players "attitude" towards egypt as a country, and me, it maybe is not that good to let the king be "bad", or talking in a "pro-christian way" (maybe some of you dont like christians or maybe the way the christians in my text talks like) (i am not christian, but the "story tries to be"). (guaah!! what it is complex to write these stories)..

Anyway, here it is; (I will try to better my story-telling-skills til the next story): (and remember, this is "just" a story, do not take it too seriously)

---
Tales from the holy land of Palestine tells horrifying stories about christian, hard-working people, and their wifes, tortured, murdered, slaughtered and raped by evil muslims and/or jews.

"Your majesty, great King of Egypt, Magnus XI, we beg on our bare knees for you to do something about this horrible situation immediately", Menmaatre, a lonley man on the streets and a member of AAAA (Alliance Against Anti-christian Atrocity) begged in a desperat, but still humble, voice.

The King, Magnus XI, could not understand how this human, this egyptian citizen, could talk like that to the great and devine Magnus XI. In disgust, Magnus just turned around and left at a leisurely pace, ignoring the emaciated middle-aged egyptian. Menmaatre shouted after him; "go ahead 'king', just leave, do not listen to me nor think about those poor christian souls of palestine", Magnus didnt bother, he was used to these kind of "begging", and besides he and his cabinett of advisors was already aware of the great problems in Palestine and they had already thought of some sort of "Crusades" to reclaim the holy lands to the christian church. "lets face it, you are too wimpy and weak to counter the evil and mighty muslims", Menmaatre continued, "We, the AAAA, demand that you immediately do someting about it!". People began to gather around, crowding the streets and curiosly watching the crazy man shouting to the king. "Dont you realize that god does not want palestine to be controlled by muslims?, god wants us [the egyptians] to liberate palestine!, dont you understand? we MUST reclaim the holy lands and donate it to the pope. The AAAA, god, and the entire civilised world demands that you..", he couldnt say another word because 3 royal guards had pulled him off the ground and held him hard, so hard he could not say another word.

Magnus XI was at the moment very tired after long nights of dealing with civil disorders, barbarian uprisings and low scientific results around the empire. ..And now this man, saying "We .. demand .." ... it was just too much for the King, he got furious, turned around and shouted; "Dont say anymore, filthy no-good egyptian, I decide what i do and not do, I am the ruler of this kingdom not you, You have no right to demand anything, you are only here to work and pay taxes! God have given me the power to rule egypt, not you", magnus continued, "It is against the constitution, god, the bible and the entire christianity to demand anything, whatsoever, from the king! if you are truly a christian you ought to know that.., tell him, Rameses". Rameses, the kings counsellor, knew exactly what he ment, so he siezed (under heavy protests from the people) the "beggar" for later punnishment in the salt mines of Giza.

This "incident" was to be the start of something bigger than Magnus XI ever could have imagined.. It was the turning point of Magnus popularity, the founding of "the crusades", and it was the start of what later would destroy the entire egytian monarchy. ..but all that was still far away in the future...

..Anyway, later, the very same day of this incident, the first egyptian political party was formed in Baghdad. Inspired by stories from india, where the people, not god, decided who would rule the empire, 13 affluent baghdad burghers secretly founded a "party", with the name "Hats". Toghether they had agreed to a party programme, a manifesto, wich stated, amongst others, that the king alone was not capable of making the proper decisions required for increased trade, boosted economy, and a stronger egypt. Further, the manifesto stated that the Egyptian people was treated badly, the king had too much power over the economy, and that the current system did not encourage trade nor competition. Also the manifesto included a "detailed" idea of how election of a ruling party would be held; "The people should be devided into four constituencys, the nobility, burhers, preasts, and farmers. Each group will have more votes per person than the next. Also there should be a possibility to buy and sell votes for the people who care / dont care about who rules egypt". All above statements, and in fact, the entire meeting, was more or less "illegal", and if the king or anyone of his many loyal followers, would know about this, everybody at the meeting would propably be hanged.

Centuries later, the people of Cairo, on orders from the King, was finnaly finnished with gathering a group of Crusaders. It was a grand troop of many thousands of highly skilled combatants and their mission would be to kill all the muslims and liberate palestine. ..To really ensure a great victory, and to gain popularity, Magnus XI, himself, wanted to be the leader of these "crusades". The crusades was, of course, a success, and the Palestine area, including Jerusalem, was later given to the pope of Rome, which made the Palestine a part of the great European kingdom (although the european scribes still believe that it was european settlers who founded jerusalem .. A few years after this, the "Jerusalem summit" was held in Jerusalem with Europe, India and Mongolia. After night-long debates and endless discussions, they finally agreed upon a fair land deviding in Persia.

Now Magnus XIs popularity began to rise again, with brand new temples across egypt and with more military defence than ever before, the people felt both safe and happy.. But suddenly something happed, wich would later lead to the assassination of Magnus XI; an european envoy showed up, stating that the indians had evil plans for colonising and claiming the entire african east coast. This was, of course, not a good thing.. Panic broke out among the cabinett of ministers, "what shall we do, we dont want them here, but we do not want any war either, protecting the african east coast".. The Europeans, our great allies, understood our problem and we signed the "Africa Protection Accord" (APA). The APA stated that "if india colonises africa, Europe will declare war against india". But, as it later showed up (in discussions with india) the indians already had built 2 colonies in africa. Since many ministers in the cabinett questioned the motives of the generous "Africa Protection Accord", and king Magnus XI didnt want any war, he decided to legitimate the 2 colonies, a decision wich made many people and "political-associations" ("parties" was strictly forbidden after an incident with a fanatic Hats member) across egypt very angry, amongst others the notorious and very militant "Egyptian National Protection Front" (ENPF). On one of the many great royal parties, they murdered the great King for his "anti-egyptian action" and they blamed Magnus XI for "national treachery". The assassination of Magnus XI was executed by a Nationalistic Fanatic called .."Menmaatre". Menmaatre was later killed by the Royal guards when he tried to flee (although his body was never found).. Nationwide sorrow broke loose now, the loss of their great leder Magnus XI was not appreciated at all.. But not everyone was sad, amongst others the ENPF, AAAA, and the Hats, (wich by now had grown to accommodate a total of ca 500´000 members) was in fact very happy, because now the three of them saw a possibility to maybe seize the power over egypt and finally get their ideas and ideals into reality......

---

Well it seemes to me as if the internal politics of egypt is quite turbulent at the moment... On wednesday
we shall see who will finally manage to seize the power of the fragile Egypt....

<font size=1 face=Arial color=444444>[This message has been edited by ml_4da3 (edited November 13, 2000).]</font>

[The Capo]

Rome, Italy.....

Pope Clement: Yes indeed, it is a heavy heavy burden, impose tithings upon them, make them swear loyalty. If they don't claim them as heretics.

Page: Aye sire, shall I fetch the King your Holiness?

Pope Clement: Yes indeed, we have much to discuss.

Page: I shall return soon (bows to the Pope).

Pope Clement: (to himself) the time is ripe, we must act now, I cannot let my grip slip to these eg-

Charles Martel: Your holiness (bows.)

Pope: Welcome welcome to the holy city of Rome, has it been well to you?

Charles: Sire all is well to me, I am very proud of Phillip as he has conceded the Kingship despite the fact that he had only one Lord vote in his favor less than I did (wink wink).

Pope: Certainly, now we can attend to business. It seems that the AAAA and the Burghers of Egypt are going to gain substancial power now that they have killed Pharoh Magnus, what action does the Union intend on taking?

Charles: Obviously the loss is sad, he was a great man and a great ally, we are not sure how the new powers will act towards us, and our accords in the Middle East and Africa.

Pope: Well what will we do?

Charles: We signed the treaties with Easthaven X, Magnus agreed to them, we expect, nay, demand nothing less from the AAAA and the Burghers. They shall respect the treaties or we shall make them!

Pope: Charles please, keep a cool head, it is becomming tough for the Papacy to maintain order in Jerusalem and Antioch, the Muslim dissidents are fighting staunchly against us, and although we retain the majority, they are growing in numbers. We must have more resources for this to continue.

Charles: At this time your holiness, resources are tied into ventures that were ignored during the civil war, we cannot afford to aide Jerusalem, they will have to fend the Muslims off for a while on their own.

Pope: Ah, but you do not understand, the Egyptians now have a priority to fund this, I plan on leveing tithes upon the new leadership of Egypt, they are so loyal to the Pope and the faith that they mustn't deny these new payments.

Charles: What are you saying?

Pope: Clearly the treaty allows for you to intervene, as they stated themselves, Palestine is under attack from the Muslim, surely this constitutes a reason for European intervention!

Charles: Nay, I don't believe that is what we signed, your holiness, you may impose your tithes, and demand full obedience by their leadership, but we cannot back such claims, at least not officially anyway.

Pope: I expected nothing more, the Union is too fragile to be put to this test, but the Papacy is not, if the Egyptians are genuinley in favor of overturning the Muslim threat in Palestine, they will pay the tithes, and they will offer their obedience and survitutde to the Papacy, anything less will be simple heresy.

Charles: Yes your holiness, I concur.

Here was the vote for Charles' ascention to the throne....
<center></center>

[The Capo]

The Berlin Torch
40 A.D.
.8 Gold

TOP STORY: Napoleon Bonaparte Resigns Generalship of European Forces
Paris, France - It was a sad day for the European Army today as General Napoleon Bonaparte has resigned his post. Bonaparte was considered a staunch supporter of Charles Martel, however it seems that these speculations were just that; "I can no longer represent an army that fights for a single man," said Bonaparte, he went on; "I have toiled for this army under his father Charlemagne, King Ferdinand, King Phillip, as well as King Charles. I don't believe in them anymore, I am sorry, but I cannot lead a successful campaign with this burden upon my mind. It is not an issue of my loyalties, I am loyal to this land of Europe, but I cannot be expected to lead a campaign that I will not be ready for." This comes as a shock to most in the Royal family, as Phillip II of Habsburg has said "The loss of Bonaparte is a huge blow to our soldiers, we must retain our mettle in this time of need especially when there is so much tension internationally." At this time there is no word on who will head up the army in his absence.

Domestic Report:

Partition of Russia approved by House of Lords.
Paris, France - The House of Lords made a unanimous decision, partitioning the Russian Free territory into three seperate Provinces. Muscovia, Ukraine and Russia were deemed official provinces, with the exception of Russia which has yet to establish an official Provincial Capital. For the mean time a provisional Chamber has been established in the Timanskij Territory. "There has already been problems" said General Gorky, in command of policing the Russian Territories "There is word that a dissident named Vladimir has been speaking out against the King Charles, we are pretty sure this is merely a legend."

Rome no longer being considered for the Capital
Geneva, Switzerland - King Charles Martel has issued a statement denying the creation of a capital in Rome. "To have the Papacy as well as the Government in Rome, would be a major message to the rest of the Union, and we do not want them to believe we are monopolizing Rome in favor of other areas." The decision was sent to the House of Lords, who voted 7 to 10 in favor of Geneva as the new capital. At this point in time construction has not began, but there is word that it shall begin as soon as next week.

Pagan rebels capture Oslo!
Oslo, Scandinavia - Pagan rebels seized the new colony of Oslo in a vicious battle against Union citizens. "We were forced to fight them on our own" said Marcel LeBree, a refugee "We were doomed to fail, they had armor and every other impliment befitting a formal army, we were routed." Word from the offices of the provisional commander in chief, Wellington, says that plans are already being carried out to free the city from Pagan rule but at this time there are no details. "All heretics shall perish, there is no excuse, the city of Oslo must be delivered from the rank stench of paganism." Said Pope Clement II.

10% More Money Allocated to Science.
Paris, France - King Charles Martel has ordered that ten percent of all thithes be allocated to the procurment of Science. "We must gain the technological advantage against all others," Said Charles "Our army is the strongest in the land, but it will not remain that way unless we give it every new advantage, we will never have the best quality of life either, unless we can gain an advantage in this area." Despite his good intentions, there are a number of people who disagree with this allocation of funds, one of the most prominant; Pope Clement. "Money should not be used on such trivial matters, such fanciful ideas, these scientists are insane, working with the devil. The money should be spent on luxuries for the Catholic Church, not for such matters as science!" However, even adversaries of the Martel family agree that science is the key, "Charles has made a wise decision," said Charles V of Habsburg "We must retain supremacy against our enemies at all costs, to fall behind is to give up on Europe, and that is unacceptable."

Foreign Report:

Egypt breaks treaty with European Union!
Antioch, Palestine - According to early, unfounded reports the Egyptian government, which was very shakey, has broken its alliance with the EU. "We are unsure at this time, as his majesty Kiya has yet to make a formal response, but according to AAAA chiefs, Egypt has ended our alliance." said Alexander of Macedon, chief of soldiers in the Middle East. The tumultuous Egyptian government gives questions as to who really is in chage. There have been major talks between Europe, and King Kiya, who is believed to have the backing of the Burghers of Baghdad. However, it is quite clear that Egypt has yet to establish a static leadership. "This is a terrible turn of events" said Pope Clement II "[The Church] supported the activities of the AAAA in Israel, without a doubt, however we do not understand how they can make such an attack against his most Catholic Majesty Charles Martel." At this time, there is no official word from Paris as to how this situation will be handled, but Martel has released an official response:
At this time, we cannot say what course Europe shall take. Before we attempt any reaction we will first attempt to make contact with King Kiya, at which point we will assess the situation in its full form, we are not sure how this "AI" came into power, but it is under very strange circumstances, one day Kiya was speaking to me, the next I hear that the "AI" has broken our alliance, strange indeed.

Mongolian Caravans reach Kiev!
Kiev, Ukaine - Mongolian Caravans have finally reached their destination of Kiev, after centuries upon centuries of a journey. "We are pleased that they have reached our great city of Kiev" said General Gorky "It is certaintly a local newsbit, everyone is preparing for the Mongols, who have added interest in our city." The original agreement was made under the leadership of Charlemagne, in which he agreed to let a convoy of Mongolians into Europe in order to continue good relations. "My father wanted this, therefore I am nobody to deny his wishes, I am glad that Europe and Mongolia still retain good standing with eachother." said King Charles Martel. Similar agreements have been made with Mongolia, as a convoy of Wine is being sent into one of their cities within the next few years.

Summit called for The Hague.
The Hague, Netherlands - The Hague, literally "The Court" will be the seat of one of the most historic summits in recent memory. "We are glad to have such an historic event in our great city." said William of Orange, Duke of the Netherlands "Preparations have been made for every dignitary involved, including our own." The meeting was called by Charles Martel, who believes that the world is becomming a tensious area. "We musn't let petty bickering tear our peace to shreds" said Charles "Obviously there has been a falling out between Mongolia and Europe since the House of Habsburg was in power, and we must fix this, as well as the current racism that runs rampant between Indians and Europeans, such mindsettings are not appropriate for our peace to continue undaunted." The Pope has been barred from the proceedings, and has released the following statement:
In a strange turn of events, our most Catholic King finds it wise that his Holiness not be present at the Summit, we find this very disturbing. We hope and pray that these heathens he is convening with will not poison his mind, we hope he stays strong in their presence.

Editorial
Benito Moussolini

Benito has been arrested in Rome for speaking against King Charles Martel and the Roman Catholic Church, we are quite sure he will no longer write Editorials, Guiseppe Garibaldi will take over in the next edition.

Thank you for your understanding....

[drake]

Praise Buddha

In a tragic turn of events, Drake IV was killed in a landslide journeying through the Altay Mountains. This comes as a great shock to a nation in which the rulers before him have lived a long full life. Almost all of the goals Drake IV set for his reign were not accomplished due to this tragedy.

A few testimonies to his greatness will live forever however. First and foremost, he has provided the people of Buyant-Uhaa with a great theatre for which they can be proud of and frequent for all ages. Along with their vault of knowledge, built by his father, it is rumored that every person living in this city is content. With so many things to be proud of, it is no wonder.

Drake IV will also be remembered for helping to repair the gap in the diplomatic relations with Europe. Plans for a trade route established in both nations is close to reality. Talks with the Europeans will continue well into the future.

4 of the 12 cities slated in the second stage of expansion were completed by Drake IV. The responisibility of completing the following eight will rest on Drake V, Drake IV's young son.

Tales of egyptian expansion have come from the west. The mongols have heard that the egyptians have spread like a disease- quickly and in-consequently. The Mongolians who are perfectionists at heart, find this behaviour very troubling. The mongols shall send an envoy soon to address this issue. In a world of limited cities, this should be of utmost importance to other countries as well.
<font size=1 face=Arial color=444444>[This message has been edited by drake (edited November 17, 2000).]</font>

[ml_4da3]

Hello all.. This is not a story, but i did not know where else to post this.. Anyway, remember last game? I lost connection to the game server, and after 1 retry we decided to stop playing. But the AI had played the last turn of my civ before we ended, wish i did not like at all, because it did mess up things pretty bad.. Anyway, when i was checking the autosave files i discovered a saved game exactly before i lost the connection to the game server.. I wonder, did someone of you discover something "important" about what another civ is doing, or would it be ok for us to just use my saved game insted, so that i would not have to work a lot with my damaged civ? It would be great if you all could accept to play the last turn last time we played one more time, it would save me a lot of work, and it would also be very nice, and I would really appreciate it..

Drake; I am not "exping" "un-planned"; i am just about to exp. all over africa.. And by the way, how do you know that i am expanding rapidly??
<font size=1 face=Arial color=444444>[This message has been edited by ml_4da3 (edited November 17, 2000).]</font>