Foreign Affairs - Volume 2

[Dis]

continued...

(Continued from previous camel)

While I am sending this message (and given your fondness for the number One), there are some other matters that seem worth addressing. First we have still not established who the other nation you have formally met is. Last we heard, you were asking them for consent for you to tell us their identities, and we remain understandably curious.

Second, although you have told us about the lands you call North Estonia, you sounded like there is a third part of the land mass connected to North Estonia. Our cartographers remain highly curious about that land, and as I indicated earlier (although it may have gotten lost amidst the flood of more urgent issues), it would be easier to determine what should be regarded as fair eventual borders between our peoples if we knew more about those other lands.

And third, the road you are building near Lookout Ridge (as we call the mountain Grog is using as his observation post) has raised some eyebrows among our people. There are those who fear (as much as it embarrasses me to say so) that even in spite of your words of peace, you are building it as a route through which to invade us. My own thought is that you are perhaps preparing the way to build a city northeast of Lookout Ridge, but it would set certain people’s minds at ease if you would tell us of your intentions. As Wisdom 4:7 says, “Ignorance breeds fear, but the fruit of knowledge is hope.”

These are all the matters I can think of at this time, and anything I have forgotten should be able to keep for a while longer. My best wishes for your health, and for that of your nation.

Sincerely,

The People of Gathering Storm
Nathan Barclay, Chief Economist

[Jon Miller]

ok, I am scared now

we wouldn't even have finished iron working by this time

Jon Miller

[Beta]

I was thinking exactly the same thing when I read this jon. What gives. If they changed research options when we traded bronze working - which they say they did - how didthey research Alphabet in, what 4 or 5 turns, or however long it has been.

Something does not smell right here. They have to have neighbours, or they popped 6 goody huts. If it is neighbours, my suspicion is that they have contact with Neu Demogyptica in the same way we do with Lux.

Or, they are bluffing to see if we will put iron working on the table. Although that seems like a stretch.

The other possibility is that they are in communication with Lux, and thus now know that we have Iron Working. The timing is a bit suspicious as well.

So - what do we do? Remember, if they get iron working, they will know where the sources are and can get cities there faster than we can. We can stall in a couple of ways:

1. Say that until they tell us how they researched it so fast, we feel threatened and are making no deals.

2. Say we have not finished the research yet. We were still 12 turns away when we did the Lux deal.

3. Say that we have new fears about their intent and are thinking about the deal.

[Wittlich]

I say use all Three excuses / stall tactics....Mainly because, I for one, would love to hear their answer to all 3 of the statements mentioned by Beta.

[Beta]

Hmmm - you know how we could accomplish that. It would look weird all in one letter. But, given that they send their FA correspondence to 4 people on the team, 3 of us - jon, Diss, and myself - could all send different PM's back at different times. Mine could be very stately and controlled. Diss's could mention dissension on the team and ask a different question. And jon could write the third one, sort of as the boss of the team, and trying to pull things together. Then again - they may see right through it.

I could start with the first question, and then use a couple of turns delay - and then ask the second question.

I think we should also have a frank chat with Lux - to see if they have been chatting. They may lie about it - but we will have the B.S. meters running at full tilt.

My guess is GS is trading with Neu D.

[Jon Miller]

I favor 2 or 1

but yah. those sit nicely with my thoughts

they might just be bluffing

Jon Miller

[Beta]

OK - I will draft up a proposed letter to go back to them. I am not going to rush. I will have it prepared later this evening - and then we can kick it around. I will use points 1 and 2.

If we decide on another tactic, we don't have to send it.

[Dis]

yes it shows alphabet as 50 beakers.

I don't think they have met Lux, or they wouldn't be willing to trade for their comm frequency.

But perhaps they have met someone else similar to how we have, or there is someone else on the continent. Although Jon said Roleplay was sure that We are the only 2 civs on this continent.

I can't figure it out.

We can mention in our response that we don't plan to invade them, but do plan on placing cities down in the jungle region. If they don't like that they can.. (well don't include that last sentence )

[Beta]

Here is my proposed letter. I was going for a tone of 'righteous indignation'. Something that will ruffle their feathers and delay things for awhile. And maybe force some answers out of them. It was VERY FUN to write.

If and when this goes, we gotta make sure the workers and settlers are always with spearmen.

Dear Nathan Barclay, of Gathering Storm.

As you can well imagine, your recent letter created somewhat of a stir in Vox Controli.

Perhaps a senator, who will remain un-named, said it best when he quoted from the One Book. The book of Pastures.

Pastures 5, verses 1-4

1. And the cows will graze. And they will eat grass. And they will defecate.

2. And it will be pure and honest, and can be used in the field to help crops grow.

3. And the bulls will graze. And they will eat grass. And they will defecate.

4. But it is neither pure, nor honest. And can not be used for much of anything.

Now, please let me explain. I'm sure you will see why we are perplexed and somewhat disturbed.

When you approached us last regarding this trade, we were 12 turns (approximately 600 years) away from completing our research on iron working. We have been watching carefully our allocation of funds to both the research and the treasury, with an aim to maximizing research, but alas, Vox is obviously not as blessed as your Gathering Storm in gold revenue.

At that point, you had just switched your research efforts and were undertaking your new direction - that of Alphabet. Or so you told us. Now, either you have a magical approach to research, or, you have been trading technology with another contact, which makes a farce of your 'patent' proposal. I, for one, would be curious to know where our knowledge of bronze working has made it to.

So, here we sit, xx number of turns to completing iron working, and you have completed research on Alphabet, which our scientists tell me requires some 50 beekers and should take nearly, but not quite as long as our iron working research, which we have been diligently working on since we came into existance.

So, before there is anymore talk of technology trading, we would like to know what is going on. Simple as that. I trust you can clarify matters for us.

As to the nation that borders us to the north, well, as I said earlier, we have promised not to reveal names. Particularly now where your integrity is much in question on our senate floor. But at least we have been honest as to our contacts. And I will also tell you that we have not concluded any trade deals with our 'other' neighbor. Our intent was to have Gathering Storm as our 'preferred' friends in this world, but that is now much in doubt.

As to the road which so bothers you, well, it is for settlement purposes only. As far as I can recall you have given us no indication of the size of the rest of South Estonia that we cannot see. We on the other hand - have given a fairly detailed description of North Estonia. I have revisited our map and measured it in square vixens, a measurement you may know better as tiles. North Estonia is exactly 31 tiles large.

So - if the people of Gathering Storm want to talk fairness, let's talk. I believe Vox settling the area north of the Sierra Centralis - the mountain range where our warriors are currenly on look-out - is more than a fair sub-division of the continent we share. If you deny us that - well, why not simply deny us existance - in which case - you will have made an enemy for life - as long as that may be.

To conclude, we definitely are building the road to establish new settlements. Thud can remain where he is to confirm who comes and goes. That was the intent of the original idea, or are you as short on memory as you would appear to be on honesty.

And to conclude what I acknolwedge is a somewhat testy letter, I will quote the scriptures of the Storm you quoted to me:

Wisdom 4:7 “Ignorance breeds fear, but the fruit of knowledge is hope.”

Someone there must have written it. Maybe he can explain it to your leaders.

BetaHound, VFA, Vox Controli

[Jon Miller]

the last bit is a little agressive

but we ahve the save, so I would like you to get it out soon

Jon Miller

[Wittlich]

The last part might seem aggressive....but I like it! It lets them know in no uncertain terms that we know that they are "playing with us" and that we demand answers to our questions....Two can play that this game after all.

I say send the message out as is!

Besides, we need those two cities established at the iron deposits before they realize the deposits are there...This letter should go a long way towards stalling.

[Dis]

actually they did have those posts that described their cartography. I'm not sure what it all means though

[Dis]

The last part is aggressive yes. And they did describe their cartography, but I'm still not sure about the size.

We can send it out. I would love to gauge their reaction to this. Although they aren't going to like it obviously. We may make an enemy for a very long time .

[Jon Miller]

or a short time

because we will cease to exist

Jon Miller

[Dis]

I like to think of the glass as half full.

Oh I made a mistake on the score earlier. We aren't in last place. actually Lux is in last place.