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The Pen is Mightier Than You Think

Page history last edited by Master of the Hunting Mist 14 years, 8 months ago

Run By: Master of the Hunting Mist

Players: Tien Xing, Mia Xla

 

 

A thunderous sound rises up far to the east of the Six Wyrm Duchy, the borders of the Obsidian Sea betraying great commotion to it's neighbours. Columns of men, numbering in the thousands, march and drill at the orders of stern and battle hardened commanders, preparing for the inevitable next command to move out. Within his tent, Tien Xing, general of the Fourth Legion and now in command of the Seventh puts pen to parchment, setting aside his sword for the moment. Hours of toiling at the drafts of the letter result in a finished message which he plans to delive rpersonally to an administrative leader of the Six Wyrm Duchy. It reads as follows:

"To the great and mighty dragons over which the Six Wyrm Duchy towers, I offer my humblest greetings. My name is Tien Xing, and I write this now in the name of the Empress of Vir Sidus. Two mighty nations stand in the east and west of the Hundred Kingdoms, each proud and strong. Yet for all these advantages there are those within these lands that would see us struck down and put to the sword. There are many ways by which a mutual agreement may be grandly beneficial. In light of this, I humbly request an audience with either the great dragons or their representative, so that we may both prosper through diplomatic relations. Think me not a fool full of flattery: I scribe this with the utmost gravity weighing upon my actions.

I hope that you will find in yourselves the wisdom to listen to what I have to offer."

         The response takes exactly two days. Quite surprising, considering the number of layers of insulation a bureaucracy *can* have, and after all, this is a Duchy of six different cities. A courier runs the return message from horse back, and does not wait a reply. It reads:

         To the mighty General Tien Xing,

         We have heard word of your mighty exploits, We of the Council of the Duchy of Six Wyrms, and feel that there is much that you can offer to Creation, Bless the Elemental Dragons that They may grace its continuation, and so We would be most pleased to hold council with you to find benefit in mutually recognizing each other's worth in an alliance.

         We shall meet at the council hall in Fire's Width, to meet with councilmembers Fire's Width and Red Scale, who shall represent the Council and speak for them in these opening negotiations. You and your retinue shall be well-recieved, and the rules of hospitality shall be observed.

 May we live in honour under the Dragon's Eye,

 Council of the Six Dragons

 (A seal is appended here)

...

         An honour guard greets your small retinue outside the city gates, decked out lavishly in red and gold, a banner of six dragons forming a wheel or circle around a star on a field of yellow and blue. Longspears gleaming, they lead you through the city while the citizenry pause in their hustle and bustle to look on. Visitors of state happen, but this seems to take them by surprise. The concourse takes you along past scenes of a reasonably well-established city, healthy and vibrant. A fountain precedes the council hall of Fire's Width, where the guard forms up, trumpets blaring a neat announcement of your arrival. The main door opens, by servents, and a man in a tall blue hat bows to you.

         "I am Growing Vine, and I serve the council. Please, Follow me.", he announces, bows until you approach, then he turns and leads the way to the council room.

         Within, you see a long table, two servants in white and black standing at attention to either side of the table. Sitting across from what is your position, are two fire-aspected dragon-bloods. They stand as you enter. Growing Vine swiftly moves to the side, and takes a seat at a scribe's table. The two fire aspects look dissimiliar; one has bright orange hair, neatly kept in a long ponytail, a trimmed beard and moustache and bright blue eyes. He's dressed in a tabard of yellow and blue with a wide flame on the chest. The other fire aspect is dressed in red, gold and silver chains around his neck, black hair, like coal, very short kept short, a few scars visible on his hands and face. His brown eyes regard you, and he opens, "I am Red Scale, and this is my fellow councilperson Fire's Width. Welcome, and be seated.", as he gestures to the seats before him.

Tien Xing dips his head in a gesture of silent respect, broad shoulders and armor plated back following slowly into a bow. His eyes are cast to the ground, presenting a vulnerable gap of time in which the Earth Aspect general might seem defenseless. His attache, Mia Xia, follows his example. They take their respective seats easily and fluidly, long since used to the tedium and trivial niceties of political summits and table meetings. The warlord is the first to speak, his deep voice resonant with discipline and a sense of honesty.

"It is an honor to have been welcomed on such short notice by Yourselves. I had expected to be relegated to speaking with one who knows not the burden of carrying on his shoudlers the responsibilities needed to oversee armies or even nations." the man make a short, dismissive gesture. "It is humbling to see such a deeply involved hand in the welfare of your people. They prosper much beneath the Elemental Dragons. May I be so bold as to ask why you were so swift in accepting my request? Many know my land to have the reputation of striking first with steel before exchanging words."

         Fire's Width nods once, and smiles as he speaks, "Well, our Immaculate Monks are very astute when it comes to regulating the behaviour of the spirits, and very dedicated to the welfare of the land, as you can see. I fear that the Order would not be welcome in Vir Sidius, but the Order of the East has seen the strain the Scarlet Empire is under, and do not wish to overextend their reach in these uncertain times. As to the speed of meeting your request, why, it was luck. Your messgae was sent at an almost ideal time to be recived by the entire council at once, and so the entire issue could be settled in the meeting itself. It is no secret that a council of ours can be factious if given reason, and a power such as Vir Sidius noticing our humble land is certainly a concern for anyone in such a position. So, yes, some luck was in your favour.

         "Are you thirsty? We have drink, food, perhaps? It was a long walk through the city, and while I will not doubt your fortitude, I will do what I can to see you ready to meet the negotiations before they begin.", and he motions to the servants to serve the table.

Tien Xing motions with his upturned palm as if to receive the offer. "The water by which we find our livelihoods made possible shall be more than enough." Mia Xia politely declines, perhaps finding Tien Xing's words acceptable without too much blunder for now. Sitting straight in his seat, the general chooses to be direct with his next words, tone carrying no light lilt of jest or hollow speech. "Normally I am obliged to seek to subsume all who stand before me, for the glory of the Empire of Vir Sidus. But in your duchy I see not men and women waiting to be conquered." he shakes his head, sincerity apparent. "I see powerful allies united behind six great dragons who may mutually benefit from the Vir Sidian cause." accepting whatever water he is given, he locks eyes with Red Scale and drinks deeply, setting down the container now that dry lips have been parched.

"To the east, as you know, Danorias, Praiseworthy Tower and Baron's Landing have fallen to the might of our armies. Do you understand why we seek to accumulate such power and why we resort to bloodshed when necessary, your graces?"

         A light flashing in his warm eyes, Red Scale leans forward with a smile on his lips, his hands clasped. "We can understand all sorts of things, were we given the reasons. Tell me, then, what drives your nation's efforts to expand itself? It is true that I have not heard of a nation that has negotiated with you successfully before, but I felt that was because the attempt has not been seriously made. After all, it would behoove any of us to not appear as war-mongering, even in the most desperate of times. We are here, then, to observe the forms of the Noble-blooded, and see how we may all profit without loss, or at least make it seem so."

Tien Xing nods slowly, hands extended to make an all-sncompassing movement. "Creation stands divided. Hundreds of petty warlords and greed influenced politicians spread throughout the East, their selfishness matched only by their inevitable doom." standing slowly from his seat, the general's gauntleted hands place fingers firmly on the table to point out invisible points on a non existent map. "Beneath us, the dead stir and seek to take that which is no longer theirs, by stealing their legacy back from the hands of the living. All around us the Wyld tries to encroach upon the purity of the world which the Elemental Dragons in their infinite wisdom protect and oversee. Even from within, foul legions of those like Walker threaten to unbalance the world itself and send us hurtling towards an apocalypse the likes of which I do not, and quite possibly not even either of you, can comprehend."

His breathing deepnds, slight aggravation at the state of events expressed clearly and concisely. "And through all of this, no amount of peace talks, no amount of negotiations can bring enough men and women together. Our cultural differences and our ideals deny us the chance. Even the Realm, once great and mighty, crumbles within itself from the weight of corruption and vice." the general shuts his eyes for a moment, lids snapping open as his moment of contemplation passes. "If we are to preserve our lives and our very existence we must band together. The Vir Sidian Empire enforces this, though bloodshed if need be. The end must justify the means, or everything is for naught."

-= OOC =- Hunting Mist says, "Got any performance?"

-= OOC =- Tien Xing does not :( Presence and Socialize.

-= OOC =- Tien Xing could... buy some :P But it's a bhit late.

-= OOC =- Hunting Mist says, "Go with presence. Who are you addressing this to?"

-= OOC =- Tien Xing says, "Red Scale mostly."

-= OOC =- Tien Xing says, "As he seems to carry a bit more weight."

-= OOC =- Hunting Mist says, "Alright, six successes. Yep, his MDV is better than that. Leader of a city and all that."

         Red Scale nods along with your impassioned speech, his eyes tracking your movements carefully. At least he's paying attention. At the end, as you wind down, he responds quietly, "Well, that *is* something. The thing is, the world is ending all the time, from what we've seen. Always a threat on the horizon, always the earth slipping away from beneath us, leaving us above some Creation-denying void. The solution of Vir Sidus seems novel to me in answering these problems; conquer as much as it can. Perhaps I am mistaken in my view? When the Realm threatened the Scavenger Lands, did Lookshy immediatly grind all under its heel, to forge for itself a weapon to repel its ancient enemy? Did Nexus threaten to collapse all economic activity unless all nations followed its lead? The problem, and the amount of aggression are well out of scale, looking from one to the other. While I agree that these problems exist, and I can see how an alliance can benefit all involved, how did it come to be that three nations fell before you had a real meeting?"

Tien Xing returns slowly to his seat, gauging the man's response calmly and tactfully. "And yet in all cases it has been by the blood of the innocent that we have been saved. Losses can be cut, threats reduced through the simple unity of the hundred kingdoms. Right now we spend more time fighting amongst ourselves, and while it is regrettable.." the general pauses, his conviction remaining. "The fastest answer is to rally the disparate kingdoms beneath one banner, or at least one cause. As for the three that fell before I sought out this meeting.. we simply could not spare the time to banter words with them at length, and on the dissolution of negotiations we were forced to act."

Tien smooths his hand over his domed, bald head, looking to the hidden sky for answers or perhaps inspiration. "We seek alliance with you, and not dominion over you, because you stand strong as possible allies against the tide of threats which ebb and flow beneath the sun above. Those that preceded you did not, or would not make for equals. The lands around you will be broguht together, and eventually all beneath the sky west of Mount Metagalapa. I would see you all, in your wisdom, stand with us. Not against us, nor behind us, but with us. My efforts, novel as they may seem to you, are still effective and still unarguably a partial solution to the weakened state of the East as a whole. I choose to stand and act instead of sit idly by as the world turns."

         Flame's Width looks over to Red Scale, to which Red Scale casually shrugs. Flame's Width looks back to Tian Xing while Red Scale drinks from his cup, "Indeed, you could crush us, likely, and you do seem to have some propensity to see things in terms of war. However, surely this is not the sole means by which Vir Sidus approaches other nations? Ah well...". Flame's Width tips his hand as if letting something go, his eyes closed, a gesture of releasing past ideas in the face of reality. "Then let us move onto the process of alliance, and the terms by which we may relate to each other..."

Tien Xing nods slowly, shifting for a moment almost uncomfortably in his seat. The political battelfield is one the warlord is still not fully used to, though passion and discipline may help to mask the fact. "What I seek is simple: a mutually beneficial trade agreement, to begin with. The Six Wyrm Duchy will for all intents and purposes be treated as a province of Vir Sidus for free trade markets. Secondly, I desire a mutual protection agreement: you will not be drafted into our wars, but should the lands under our control near you be attacked, that you will be bound to assist with appropriate measures. In return, we too shall protect you and strike down any who may attempt to harm you or your lands and the people which live upon it."

-= OOC =- Hunting Mist says, "And now we move onto Bureaucracy rolls."

-= OOC =- Tien Xing says, "I will rely on Mia XIa this time :P"

-= OOC =- Hunting Mist says, "This is contested. Sure, np."

-= OOC =- Tien Xing says, "I have no idea what she's got."

-= OOC =- Tien Xing says, "Because Darius sucks and didn't let me know."

-= OOC =- Tien Xing says, "However, since she's a diplomat and DB I figure Intelligence 3 or 4 and Bureaucracy 3 or 4."

-= OOC =- Tien Xing says, "Probably with first excellency."

-= OOC =- Tien Xing says, "Or more, it's your call."

-= OOC =- Hunting Mist says, "Hrrr...if Lytek would come back, that'd be awesome."

-= OOC =- Tien Xing wouldn't mind waiting a few minutes to see if he shows up.

-= OOC =- Hunting Mist says, "Anyways, I have this guy's stats figured out already."

(Judge) Hunting Mist rolls 22: [ -1- -1- 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 8 9 <10> <10> <10> ]

        Resulting in 12 successes.

-= OOC =- Tien Xing says, "SO yeah, I need the Int/Bureaucracy etc. off diplomat girl."

-= OOC =- Hunting Mist says, "Yay! You're up against 12 suxx"

-= OOC =- Lytek says, "Mia Xia has 4 Dex, 3 Stam, wears a Jade Breastpalte, wields a Jade Daiklaive, has an Int of 4, and Buro of 5. 1st and 2nd Excelency with a Specialty in Negotiations."

-= OOC =- Tien Xing says, "Sweet."

-= OOC =- Tien Xing says, "So 4+7+7 all in all'"

-= OOC =- Lytek says, "So with Excelency it is, 4+8+8"

-= OOC =- Tien Xing says, "Ah."

(Judge) Tien Xing rolls 4 + 8 + 8: [ -1- -1- 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 7 8 9 ]

        Resulting in 4 successes.

-= OOC =- Tien Xing says, "Epic failure"

-= OOC =- Hunting Mist sorta looks sad.

-= OOC =- Tien Xing says, "Such great epic failure :("

-= OOC =- Hunting Mist says, "So, this is how it plays out. Yes, you have a fine ally. A very fine ally."

-= OOC =- Hunting Mist says, "They will support your military, when asked for. Your support is reciprocated, of course. There is a great amount of trade set to happen."

-= OOC =- Hunting Mist says, "Troop movement is allowed between your two nations."

-= OOC =- Tien Xing has a feeling there's some great catch and/or consequence I have yet to see :(

-= OOC =- Hunting Mist says, "However...there is a request procedure that is handled by their bureacracy, and it is...obtuse. Your bureaucracy, well, a warlord hardly needs any. By the terms of the agreement, Tien Xing is the point of contact when he is in the area, obviating any need for a pompous procedure...so the Six Wyrms can get their stuff processed, well, immediatly. The return, however...is not so pleasant. Since it is a council of six cities, all sides must be present when the terms are delivered, and each city has its own bureaucracy to contend with."

-= OOC =- Hunting Mist says, "This is not evident at the meeting. Once the terms are hammered out, and after a few months of this, *then* it becomes appearent."

-= OOC =- Tien Xing says, "SO the agreement is effectively meaningless for quite some time :)"

-= OOC =- Hunting Mist says, "In the meantime, Vir Sidus is abused badly. The o nly fortunate thing is that the council of Six Wyrms can only get away with so much."

-= OOC =- Tien Xing says, "Or did I misinterpret?"

-= OOC =- Hunting Mist says, "Oh, not meaningless by any stretch of the imagination."

-= OOC =- Lytek says, "Once I find out I'll fix it Tien. It's a foot int he door ^^"

-= OOC =- Tien Xing says, "No worries, haha."

-= OOC =- Hunting Mist says, "Stuff gets done. On Six Wyrm's terms, pretty much. Like any government, there is a level of corruption within it, and things can get sped up a fair bit with the right bribes to the right people."

-= OOC =- Tien Xing thinks progress is progress.

-= OOC =- Hunting Mist says, "They'll do their best to keep the nature of the relationship hidden for as long as possible, then re-negotiations can happen."

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