Spanische Botschaft

[Picahulu]

IMMEDIATE RESPONSE
Sir, I apologize for these two messages, but as a diplomat yourself, I am sure you understand. The first was the prepared response from this morning, this is the immediate response now. Another response is being hammered out already, reaching much the same conclusion, but in less blatant terms.

As I write this, I must mention that your own new PM just arrived at my doorstep. I must hurry to show it to Milord Togas, but I must first assure you that it is a barbaric and hateful lie, manufactured no doubt to have us all on each other's throats. These Warmongers truly are barbarians, to have pulled so repulsive a trick. This underhanded foolishness of theirs must cease. Please, accept my apologies for this idiotic affair, but know that Spain is not harboring any such foul and despicable plots against your good people.

In haste,
H.de H.G.C.

[Picahulu]

(IN RESPONSE TO OLD PM)

Hail to you, Picahulu, my dear friend from the gloried and majestic lands of Arabia,

Gracious friend, Picahulu, I am mightily pleased by your letter of late, and I must apologize for not replying at a sooner date, but an illness has incapacitated me of late, and so now is the only time I have received a chance of it. The food was splendid, these Oriental spices are quite impressive, if for some overpowering. I think some of the ladies of the court had to be carried out, but it is because of the unusual heat of some of them. Overall, I’d say it was quite satisfying, and I am glad that the Sultan, may the spirits protect him, was just as pleased with my own humble cooking.

Now, down to further business. What we’d like most of all is an assurance that your good scout, Senor Arne, a fine man and cook, is not actually heading farther southward than our jungles. Please, we ask that you do not enter our heartland at this time, as you understand that we are still hammering out our final diplomatic deals at this time, and thus for the sake of proper diplomatic custom and friendship, it would not be mete and right for you to go past our heartland, as we most assuredly shall not go past yours until permission is granted. In short, we should like to ask if your gracious Sultan and magnificent government should like to establish borders with our own government, and to discuss an agreement on future settlement. My Lord Togas watches your gracious people with deep interest, and is very keen, as are all of us, to become the very best of friends with your people, good sir.

This is my government’s policy on a technology alliance. We are very open to helping your culture and allow you to help ours. It is through mutual trading that we become strong, and peace and prosperity reign. We would very much like the idea of a “Peaceful Technology Trading Accord”, so that we may both trade peaceful technologies, those secrets pertaining to the enhancement of culture, and build up both cultures simultaneously through this accord. In this way, prosperity would rise all over both of our kingdoms, and while peace is firmly established, culture will thrive. We have already made the most basic of deals, the secrets of the Spanish kitchens in return for the secrets of Arabian cuisine, and then we have traded many more important technologies. In future, may we suggest, we look to, for example, a trade of Writing for, say Mysticism or Mathematics, such trades that will boost our cultures tremendously. We look forward to these deals.

Yes, it is true that we have turned down some impressive offers from the Chinese Warmongers, but it is because of their intense threat, as you have noted, which grows all the more daily. Those people, they say, live for warfare, they look as forward to it as the Spanish do to a fine wine, or the Arabs do to an exquisite poem. All their will is bent on warfare, and on winning. They alone strike fear into the hearts of us, and we know the same goes for you, and the whole of the world, for they see trees as fuel, and rocks as axes. You are right that the only way to oppose such terror is to form early friendships, and to trade freely, to become a group of people who are almost inseparable, for what else may stand against such reckless hate?

Speaking as such, we should very much like to hear more of your own dealings with the surrounding civilizations, as it seems you already know of ours. Knowledge is strength, and with such strength, tens of thousands, here and there, may become as one to fight a common foe. Together, Spain and Arabia shall rise to become the shining kingdoms of the earth, the examples to which all civilizations are measured. Thus, we believe, it shall be, and rightly so.

I look forward to your response, my friend.

Hernan de History Guy Calamari the Younger
Ambassador from Madrid

[borc]

um Togas die alte Geschichte mit den Ottomanen zu erklären, schickte ich diesen brief raus...

Dear Togas,

Thanks for your long and friendly message!
i guess our chief ambassador picahulu will write you a more detailed message soon.

Anyway I have to write you some quick statements soon...

a) of cause we are ready to be your shield to the north!
b) we want to believe you that you have to settle in the north and the west and at the moment we have no plans to settle there but before we can talk about a border agreement for the future we have to discover the jungle between us.
For this we will not go to the south with our scout but to the west. later in the game it would be nice if you could invite our scout to travel through your wonderful country to explore the south. we also would allow you to visit our small country.
c) You wrote: "Lux Invicta claims that you broke your deal with them about settlements"...
Please let me tell you our point of view: centuries ago: our scout found a settler and our settler walked some turns to the north. he was alone and it was cold and dangerous in the darkness. a warrior of the ottomans came and showed his weapons to our shy settler. he asked us to divide the land and actually they wanted to have the much better part of the country. nevertheless my people almost were ready to accept the border deal but the ottoman warrior did not stop to follow our single settler for another 3 turns (6 turns total!). i wrote trip a message that we would not accept any deals and that we would stop all negotiations if the warrior would follow us one more step... anyway the did not stop hunting our settler :-/ since these days we dont like visitors coming from the east but after 500 years we started to write new and friendly messages to Lux invicta in the last time.

thats the story and thats the truth.
Please tell this your people...

i wish you all the best
Borc

[Picahulu]

From the pen of the Ambassador of Spain...
My friend Picahulu, I hail you, most wise and gracious ambassador, our friend in the north, the servant of the most wise and just Sultan Borc, Caliph of all Arabia, Ruler of Neu Theban, master of Neu Demogyptica,

First, let me say that it is good to be taking up the quill to pen this letter to you, my good friend. It is good that we now have that unpleasant business of the Warmonger lies long behind us, so that we may correspond freely, as equals and friends.

Would that I have the time to travel once again to Neu Theban on a diplomatic visit, I would be well pleased indeed.

Down to our business, my friend. Firstly, I have enclosed for your pleasure a good slice of beef, the likes of which few men beyond our borders have tasted. You and the Sultan will feast this evening, and the squid I have enclosed shall also satisfy your tastebuds, I am sure.

Your good Sultan has made known his wish to share with us the secrets of Iron Working, with which we may build fine pieces of work indeed, industry comes about from such trades, and so does well, and commerce is the safeguard against tyranny as you know, and friendship is heightened by it, and that, to we Spanairds, is most dear.

We would like to know what the Sultan would like for Iron Working, which intrigues us. Matters of science interest us greatly, especially members of the court. Our seers are find men indeed, though often they are found to be so wrapped up in computation and deep thought that any attempt to procure from them much of anything is useless, for they simply bob about speechless, contemplating all things. However, when they do open their mouths, the most wonderful things they teach us...

As for Iron Working, we should like to know, once again, what is the requested price for it. We should like to present 25 gold tonnes to your kingdom in payment for it, and this is a generous sum indeed, as you know. Rare is it when such a king's ransom is to be found. The vaults of our treasury bear all this, most of it the profit of the squid trade, or many other of our commercial pursuits, for which we are so famous.

I await your response.

Hernan de History Guy Calamari the Younger
Ambassador from His Magnificence, the Beneficient Majesty Togas, Thane Lord of all Spain, Overlord of the Visigoths, Flattener of the Vandals

[Picahulu]

Dear Friend History Guy, ambassador of the great merchant nation of Spain,

apologies again for letting you wait so long for an answer. As you're also a man who is keen to learn more about the world, i'm sure you'll understand that my studies have kept me away from diplomacy the last week.

We're also glad that the plot of the Warmongers couldn't harm our good relations. Be assured that we still trust the glorious Spanish people without reservation, as your immediate response and the other letters convinced even the always-doubting voices among our people the Chinese tried to destroy the friendship between our civilizations. In my point of view, this affair indicates the Chinese fear a strong alliance between Spain and Arabia - and i am convinced they've only achieved that our civs will stand together even more close in future times!

My ruler, Sultan Borc informed me you already got Iron Working from the Ottomans, that's why we have to put down that deal. Nevertheless, we would like to get Writing in the framework of our technology alliance. We will have researched Mathematics in about 12 rounds and i'm sure we'll make up a deal beneficial to both of us.

Another important matter we have to talk about is a border contract. As Borc already wrote to Togas, we never signed a contract with the Ottomans because they didn't stop to treaten our unguarded settler, which was the only condition we demanded to accept their proposal. In our point of view, Trip needs a great deal of arrogance to claim we would have broken their proposal as it was their fault the border contract couldn't be established.

At the moment we only expand to the north. Nevertheless we'll need our west OR our south to expand further when the Chinese and the Ottomans prevent us from settling in the north, that's why we have to agree which region will be settled by which civilization. Please let me know if you have any suggestions.

Of course we won't explore your homeland until you permit it, nevertheless we are ready to sign a right of passage agreement as soon as you are.

We remain in friendship and peace,
Picahulu, Ambassador of Neu Demogyptica

[Picahulu]

Hail Picahulu, my good friend, Ambassador from Sultan Borc, Master and Overlord of Neu Demogyptica,

I understand why you may have been late in this. I myself have such problems, especially with our recent boom in the squid market, so that much of my time is spent writing out new deals for the squid trade, and expanding our menu.

I agree that, if anything, the foolish plots of the inscrutable Orientals has only brought our two nations closer together, for allies are to be needed, and this was obviously a simple (poor) tactic on their part to drive a wedge between our people. Unfortunately for them, none of us are fools. They were mistaken indeed to think that they could deal with us in such a ridiculous fashion. If anything, they have simply proven to us that they are the most untrustworthy of people.

Mathematics is a keen and noble art, so we believe. Indeed, it would certainly help a commercial civilization like ours, so that we could finally get our deals straight, and figure out how many squids go into a six-pack, and etc. You understand these things, I am sure.

We are deligently research another noble art, Writing. In about 10 turns this magnificent knowledge shall be mastered, and we would very much like to trade it for the splendid art of Mathematics, if this is found to be an adequate deal. Such as this would put our civilizations on firm cultural foundations, and the both of us would stand out as the two greatest nations on this earth.

On to expansion, good sir. We would be very pleased to sign a settlement link with you, good sirs, so that we may both have bountiful land on which to expand and be fruitful, as is the right of every nation under the dome of heaven. After Writing is discovered, and we have established our embassies, we should very much like also to sign a Right of Passage treaty, thus allowing each other to explore and chart our world further.

As for settlement, Milord Togas has laid out this plan for the Sultan's inspection. We hope that you would feel safe with settling both to the west and the east. We would give up settling to the east if you would agree not to settle any further than south of the jungle, the border of your lands, perhaps. Such a division across our maps would give us both access to gemstones, with which to make us both rich, and iron, a metal which we believe you already have.

We would also wish to draw a settlement link on our maps, which would bring our nations closer together, and make trading more easy and fruitful, and would make a border between our nations.

Finally, there is the matter of your scout, the good Senor Arne. We will allow you to continue in peace, you have our blessing, may the spirits guide and protect him. However, we have very significant fears for him. The fact is, a camp of roguish barbarians is encamped somewhere in that vicinity, and they are much feared for good reason. They are terrible and cruel, and have mastered black magic, so that they may blend in with nature. We search, but we hope it is not in vain. Our bold and brave warriors are following the clues, searching for these pirates, for they are a threat to our workers. However, as of now, we must warn you that they are still lurking in the vicinity of the city of Pamplona, near your scout, and a wrong turn could lead you right to them. Thus, we suggest that until the threat is defeated you may wish to keep your scout near our warriors.

I look forward to hearing your response, Gracious Friend Picahulu.

Hernan de History Guy Calamari the Younger
Ambassador from Milord Togas, Master of Iberia, Overlord of the Visigoth, Flattener of the Vandal

[Picahulu]

Dear History Guy, my good friend from Spain,

i am delighted to hear that your business works fine and your squid dishes are desired all over your country. Our Scout Arne has received orders to buy some squid in one of your cities, and the whole parliament of ND is looking forward to taste them.

Thank you very much for warning Scout Arne to be careful of barbarians near your country, we feel that your sorrows about our people strengthen our friendship enormously. We are grateful you've offered to escort Arne and we'll stay near your forces as long as we feel treatened by the barbarians.

Just having closed down the "China file", we are confronted with a new treat from the north - the Ottomans have sent one of their warriors just to the doors of Neu Theben. They didn't dare to attack our well defended capital, but we take this as a declaration of war against us anyway. We are highly alarmed and urgently advise you to be careful, too. Considering this sudden and unexpected invasion we do not doubt the Ottomans are just as untrustworthily as the Chinese.

The consequences for both of us are that infrastructure has to be build up fast and military force should be strengthened.

We also have to face the fact that there is a great danger when Lux Invicta and the Warmongers decide to fight together against us. To avoid this situation we MAY be forced to work together with the Chinese for some time, although we would prefer to isolate them. As the Spanish people are our best friends we think it is very important to be honest about this matter. Of course we can't build up real friendship - like friendship between Spain and Arabia - with the chinese, but a temporally limited strategic alliance might be the best way to take at this moment.
The Ottomans are to be cursed that they force us to cooperate with the Chinese..

Remembering that Trip has lied to you in the past already about the "border agreement" we expect he won't admit that they've invaded our country. If he claims he knows from nothing please let us know, we'll send you a screenshot which prooves what they did.

Let's get on to our border agreement. Your proposal appears to be acceptable, although we have to discuss further details. Our State Department currently develops a detailed proposal, we'll send you a drawing which shows our conception as soon as it is finished.

I am happy we've already agreed to our next technology trade. Mathematics for Writing seems to be fair for both of us, and you got my promise we'll trade these technologies as soon as we have mastered them (we'll have math in about 10 rounds i think).

We wish you all the best and hope to hear from you soon.

Yours sincerly,
Picahulu, Ambassador of Neu Demogyptica

[Zayxus]

@ Picahulu: Das war ein netter Brief.

@ all:
Es wird beim Ansehen der Screenshots immer deutlicher, dass die Spanier ohne Konkurrenz sind auf dem südlichen Teil des Kontinents. Ferner ist das beste zu erkennende Land im Süden unserer Hauptstadt, Weideland, es ist klar, dass die Spanier dies beanspruchen würden; und es könnte zum Streit darum kommen, weil es in unserem 6-Felder-Radius liegt. Damit wäre einem Siedler im ferneren Süden bei den Pferden eine gute Verteidigung mitzugeben.

Uns das Siedeln im Osten ( und Westen) freizugeben, ist ein Witz, weil im Westen das Meer und im Osten der Dschungel ist.

Ferner ist es ein Witz, es wird uns angeboten, beim Gems/Edelsteine zu siedeln und zu teilen, aber das wäre für uns zur Zeit noch viel zu weit weg.

Es ist spannend, wie die Spanier die Ansage eines Kreiges gegen die Ottomanen beantworten; und mögen diese es für sich behalten.

[Picahulu]

My dear friend Picahulu, Ambassador from the Master of Neu Theban, the glorious Sultan Borc,

I have to say that it was not until this day that I finally received your message, for my [ooc] server was down [/ooc] band of diplomats was attacked by footpads and bandits while crossing through the wilderness between our two countries. I fought valiantly with the battleaxe, losing many friends in the battle, smiting many barbarians in the fight. My diplomats were scattered, but I fought on, and slew every one of the vandals. Thus, we were greatly delayed. Please accept my greatest apologies.

Anyway, my fellow thane lords are reviewing your message to us.

Milord Togas, Great Despot Thane Lord King of Spain, Overlord of the Visigoth, Flattener of the Vandal, would very much like to meet with thy master, Sultan Borc, the gracious majesty of Neu Demogyptica, at his thane hall for a summit on settlements, treaties, borders, and etc. [out of character] That is, in our RP channel on mIRC. [/ooc] He would be greatly honored by his presence for the talks, and these will bind our two nations ever closer.

Rumors from the north suggest of a "great rumbling", that you are expanding north. Thus, we should even more urgently wish to meet with you to work out this settlement deal.

May the spirits bless you all, and watch over you.

Hernan de History Guy Calamari the Younger
Ambassador from Milord Togas King, Lord of Iberia, Overlord of the Visigoths, Flattener of the Vandals

[Picahulu]

My dear friend, Picahulu, Wise and Gracious Ambassador from the great Arabian Sultan Borc,

To continue my earlier letter of two days previous, in which I described the attack upon my person, I follow up with this.

As I spake to ye earlier, Milord Togas above all wishes to have a discussion with your Sultan, the great and noble Borc, and is certain that he also wishes to speak with Milord. There is much now to speak of, especially on our border policy. I have sent previously the address to which we would ask the grace of your Sultan's presence. Please do respond on this, and act on it at once, for in this world we can only find those whom we can trust. As soon as possible, may we arrange a date for this most important meeting? This is what we find most urgent as of now.

Our glorious and wise philosophers and magi have made marvellous discoveries also. Mysticism has taught us many things, a great revealing of all great things above us, in the language we would understand. This was discovered under divine inspiration, and is thus very, very precious. Would you care to make an offer for it? We wish to spread the good word of the faith of Spain.

Also, our wise men are quickly advancing our knowledge of Writing. In, oh, say, four short turns this knowledge will be ours, and our culture will flourish anew, spreading over this region, and our barbarian enemies that hide in the woods will be awed by it's glory. This, also we wish to trade when we have it.

Finally, we wish to speak of international matters.

We wish to know firstly, do you have a three-way technology alliance with the Glory of War, as the Ambassador of the Chinese, Senor Panzer, suggests? We would be very interested in hearing more on this, if it is true. Also, we should like to enquire whether or not you did trade any partial map information with the Chinese in your foreign work. To be frank, we are concerned that the Chinese have information from you that only you could have given them, and this does bother us. Indeed, we find it somewhat distressing. Frankly, we worry that the Chinese have used methods that are simply not quite right to use. [ooc] We worry whether they have cheated or not. [/ooc] Please do comment on this as soon as humanly possible, for it is quite distressing, as I said.

Finally, we wish to ask of Lux Invicta, your neighbors who have, you tell us, violated your territory, and have thus provoked war. We trust that they have withdrawn. Please do tell us what has happened, for all of us, Togas King especially, are quite concerned about you, our best of friends.

Hernan de History Guy Calamari the Younger
Ambassador from Milord Togas, King of Iberia, Overlord of the Visigoths, Flattener of the Vandals

[borc]

Also Picahulu, hier ein paar vorschlaege fuer deine antwort

- der Grenz-Poll ist geschlossen, wir wollen Spanien auffordern als erste eine Karte zu schicken.

- sicher koennen wir uns mit einigen leuten in ihrem chat treffen.
aber vielleicht erst NACH ihrem Kartenvorschlag, und wir bringen dann einen gegenvorschlag mit?

- Glückwünsche für mysticism + baldiges writing!
aber wir haben erst in 12 zügen mathe...

- three-way technology alliance mit china? was meint er damit, worauf bezieht sich das THREE?

- bzgl. map information vorwurf: im chat mit china war ich mir mit ghengisfarb einig dass der sueden gross ist und einige luxuries hat... das haben wir uns gegenseitig bestaetigt... ich habe china allerdings von den 2 eisen-vorräten im sueden erzaehlt, aber nicht wo sie genau sind... im uebrigen ist das eisen nicht in spanischem gebiet sondern ganz einfach nur im unbesiedelten sued-westen... der sueden uist fuer alle da, bevor wir die border nicht festgelegt haben

- bzgl. Neues von Lux... dass wir bereits eine Armee haben darf keiner wissen, auch NIX von der Allianz mit China, das ist TOP SECRET! wir koennen ja erzaehlen, dass deren warrior uns beobachten, was ja stimmt und dass der kontakt zu lux ansonsten abgebrochen ist... aber kein krieg...

sonst noch jemand vorschläge?

[Arne]

Ich bin für nochmaliges Jammern über die bösen, bösen Ottomanen, die schon zum dritten mal nicht auf unsere Aufforderungen reagiert haben und ihre Einheiten nicht zurückgezogen, sondern geradewegs weiter durch unser Trritorium gelatscht sind. Nicht durch "beanspruchtes Gebiet", sondern tatsächlich durchs Kerngebiet. Vielleicht müssen wird das nochmal herausstellen. Und dann frage, ob die Spanier soetwas dann "withdraw" nennen würden.

Hmmh, eine three-way technology alliance besteht doch de facto nicht. Das können wir doch guten Gewissens sagen, oder?

[Picahulu]

@borc

sag mir am besten mal 2-3 terminvorschläge wann ein treffen für dich passen würde. history guy ist so am drängeln. am besten gib ihnen aber ein paar tage zeit (bis zu deinen terminen) um ihren grenzvorschlag fertigzustellen.

[borc]

di, mi oder do abend naechste woche... ab 20 Uhr unserer Zeit (GMT+1)

allerdings haette ich gerne dich, pica und darekill mindestens dabei... letzterer muss meine entscheidungen ja sonst ausbaden )

[Picahulu]

ich kann dienstags abends grundsätzlich nie, mi und do wäre besser. darekill wie siehts bei dir aus?