Team Blood Oath Horde Diplomacy

[polarnomad]

Received from the Horde:

Hi there

sailing in 6 turns

why did you move 3 and not 2? just curious, as now you could be open to attack from the cats - I do not understand

Paddy

Am tempted to respond that I couldn't really care less whether these units die on the slopes of Ocala or at the hand of some nearby mobile force...

My own thinking was that since we had no specific directions, and since Sarantium reinforcements could be arriving by road, why not just get in the way. Perhaps Paddy hasn't notcied that what lies NE is invisible to us.

[polarnomad]

Received from the Horde in the nick of time:

Mercs,

this is my thinking on use of the stack in conjunction with our keshiks coming up from the south west


sent you two best chariots on to their horses, pillage the roads and the pasture
the wounded chariot stays where it is and pillages that road tile

then have the 4 axes hit ocala

please make it so

we are now on the road to the south west and will move in as well

for vengance, for might, for VICTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Paddy

[polarnomad]

Sent to the Horde:

Horde,

New instructions received. It is as you requested. 2 chariots move to horse tile, pillaging both road and pasture. Wounded chariot pillages road and uses second movement to heal some more. 4 axes attack Ocala. 3 die, but 1 survives, killing their archer with city defender promotion. The 2 spears dig in.

Screenshots of local situation and units remaining in Ocala attached.

poalrnomad

[polarnomad]

Sent to the Horde:

Horde,

Your stack was wiped out by Sarantine forces around Ocala, which terminates your current contract. Team Merc asks that you deliver 1 Settler to us as defined by the terms of our agreement. Please give us an ETA on that.

polarnomad

[polarnomad]

Received from the Horde:

Very sad news indeed.... soon we will have our turn and know where we stand on final payment.

[Slade Wilson]

Very sad news indeed.... soon we will have our turn and know where we stand on final payment.

Why does that sound so ominous?

[polarnomad]

Yeah...

[UnOrthOdOx]

Proposed message to the Horde:

Greetings to the Horde.

We would like to inform you that Sarantium has refused to negotiate in good faith for a peacefull reconsiliation.

It appears that, unlike the Horde, Sarantium is not willing to live up to the promises they made prior to your contracting us. As such, in addition to violating our neutrality by attacking units not on contract, they are now also in violation of an actual contract.

As the confrontation drags on, their debt will continue to add up as more units are used. We find it unlikely that Sarantium will be capable of meeting the increased debt if this continues.

So, we would like to discuss a coordination of our two efforts against Sarantium. We are aware of a large stack of Sarantium units that, to our knowledge, you should not be able to see, on our eastern border. They could be heading southward to join with the other forces you are/will be aware of, or attempting to attack our town of Lima.

Given the power score, however, the two stacks combined should be making the bulk of Sarantium forces, leaving relatively few units home to defend.

We provide this intell as a good-faith measurement.

Our goal against Sarantium is a simple reclaimation of what is owed us. Yours may be something more vengefull. However, we can assisst each other towards those goals.

Also, according to our last discussion of the topic, you had informed us you would be finishing Sailing this turn. Does this still hold true?

Finally, it has been discussed the possibility that the Horde and Sarantium have joined to remove Team Mercenary. This possibility has been suspected for quite some time, and has been planned for as best as possible.

We can understand how such a decision came to pass. However, we also stand by our actions. We admit to having made some mistakes, but we are learning how to deal with this concept just as everyone else is learning how to deal with us. We can only improve on the future, not change the past.

And, despite this possibility, and what we saw as somewhat careless use of our units by both teams (quite possibly specifically to weaken us and provide xp to each other, frankly), we have honored our agreements. So far, the Horde has as well. Unfortunately Sarantium has chosen not to.

We are not out to win this game, but to honor our agreements. As such, you will not find a greedy Team Mercenary in the event of a 2 team continent. Sarantium, however, will have little choice in the matter if they wish to remain competitive with the leaders.

[Slade Wilson]

It appears that, unlike the Horde, Sarantium is not willing to live up to the promises they made prior to your contracting us.

What exactly is this referring to?

[UnOrthOdOx]

Due to the nature of how the contracts went down, both the Horde and Sarantium owed us for services rendered.

The Horde has made payments, as promised. yes, they still owe us stuff, but they have made payments already as well.

Sarantium is not.

[UnOrthOdOx]

Greetings to the Horde.

We would like to inform you that Sarantium has refused to negotiate in good faith for a peacefull reconsiliation. As such, we have found them in default on some payments, and indebted to us for the attack of a unit not under contract.

As you may have surmised, we have attacked a rather beautifull Sarantium stack that was sitting on our Eastern border. Sarantium has lost 1 sword, 4 axes, 1 archer, and 1 chariot there. The stack survivors include 1 archer, 2 chariots, and 2 wounded spears. This is not enough to pose a significant counter-attack threat.

As the confrontation drags on, their debt will continue to add up as more units are used. We find it unlikely that Sarantium will be capable of meeting the increased debt if this continues.

So, we would like to discuss a coordination of our two efforts against Sarantium. We provide you with the knowledge of thise stack on our eastern border as a good faith measure. As it is in addition to the stack along our south you should be able to see.

Given the power score, however, the two stacks combined should be making the bulk of Sarantium forces, leaving relatively few units home to defend.

Our goal against Sarantium is a simple reclaimation of what is owed us. Yours may be something more vengefull. However, we can assisst each other towards those seperate goals.

Also, according to our last discussion of the topic, you had informed us you would be finishing Sailing last turn. Does this still hold true? I trust that you will continue your excellent record of holding to your agreements, and forward it to us when the opportunity arrives.

Finally, there are those in Team Mercenary who believe the Horde and Sarantium have joined to remove Team Mercenary. This possibility has been suspected for quite some time, and has been planned for as best as possible.

We can understand how such a decision came to pass. We admit to having made some mistakes, but we are learning how to deal with this concept just as everyone else is learning how to deal with us. We can only improve on the future, not change the past.

And, despite this possibility, and what we saw as somewhat careless use of our units by both teams (quite possibly specifically to weaken us and provide xp to each other, frankly), we have honored our agreements. So far, the Horde has as well. Unfortunately Sarantium has chosen not to.

We give you the benefit of the doubt here. But, never the less, have prepared for the worst as well.

However, as you are aware, we are not interested in winning this game. As such, in the event of a 2 team continent, we would not seek more than an equal split of the land. Indeed, you will not find us greedy at all. Sarantium, however, would have little choice in the matter, should they wish to compete with the current game leaders.

Finally, it was brought to my knowledge that some on the Horde had been dissatisfied with the silence from Team Mercenary. For that, I am sorry. As you might have noticed in the bakesale thread, October is an exceptionally busy time for me, and I was absent for the majority of it as a result. The lack of communication lies on my shoulders. I'm back now, and can assure you communications will be more prompt...until next Halloween anyway.

-UnOrthOdOx
Team Mercenary Representative. .

[UnOrthOdOx]

hi there

sorry ot has taken 11 days to reply to you

basically we are now at war with you

many things have been taken into consideration, if you would like to discuss this matter, please let me know

I will honour our agreement and pay you the tech we owe you at the end of this war

cheers, and happy brawling

Paddy

[UnOrthOdOx]

proposed response:

hi there

sorry ot has taken 11 days to reply to you

basically we are now at war with you

many things have been taken into consideration, if you would like to discuss this matter, please let me know

I will honour our agreement and pay you the tech we owe you at the end of this war

cheers, and happy brawling

Paddy

Greetings Paddy, Horde.

Thank you for your response.

As previously mentioned, we are not surprised by your declaration of war. We are, however, disappointed that the Horde has chosen to do so without first honoring the Sailing agreement, which they gave a timeframe to.

Congratulations. You have managed to pillage 2 tiles, and as you are now aware, you will be able to sack Echo Cove when the turn arrives.

This was not unforeseen, and has been planned for. You will find you will be quite unable to keep Echo Cove, nor will you find much profit in destroying it.

Allow me to speak frankly on the current war, if you will, it was not a bad plan that you and Sarantium concocted: A 3 prong attack. Large Sarantine stack from the east, smaller from the south, Horde from the west. Coupled with the purposefull weakening of our forces by dispatching our hired units, it was surely a work of beauty. I commend the both of you for coming up with it.

You were originally to sweep up the west unnoticed, I believe, by my interpretation of an earlier Keshik expedition that ended up on Echo's borders shortly after it was founded.

It was a very good plan. It's been telegraphed far too badly, executed far too poorly, mostly on Sarantium's part, and occured far too late to be entirely effective.

The Sarantine forces in the east have been largely dispatched already. What remains poses no threat to Mercenary forces waiting for them there, I can assure you. And yes, we are well aware Sarantium is frantically trying to build forces to reinforce these units quick enough to be usefull. Perhaps even with catapults. We are unimpressed.

Their forces in the south similarly pose no threat. If they move, they're dead. It's that simple. Sure, they must believe they are going to harrass our forces, deny us the horses, or possibly tie them up to allow you to press on the attack. Frankly, they lack the numbers to do any of the above. And any reinforcements there can be seen well off to respond to.

This leaves the Horde stack alone on an island, against the forces of Team Mercenary. And I can assure you, we are well prepared for the Horde forces.

This will be your final chance to remove your forces, otherwise we will be forced to remove them ourselves. Remove your forces, offer peace, and send over the Sailing you owe us, and we will forgive the pillaging of the 2 tiles. Otherwise, you should be familiar with how we run tabs for those attacking us by now.

[OzzyKP]

Nice response, I like it.

[Octavian X]

Has this been sent yet? It's a beautiful message, UnO.