MP Game, Early Era, Random Nations, Victory Points

[Jurri]

Maltrease said:
Megablog

Is that like a furblog, only bigger?

[Meglobob]

Jurri said:

Is that like a furblog, only bigger?

Hey you! You are not in this game, get back to Dawnstrike where you belong. Feel free to trash talk me there!

[Tyrant]

Excuse me for sec, i need to light some incence to cover up the stench of Yomis DIPLOMACY FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE. ( spooky ghost noise )

There, much better. Now let me begin with a chronology of the actual events between Yomi and Ulm.



1) Yomi requested a peace pact. No mention of TC was made. I did not reply.

2) Several turns passed

3) TC attemped to recruit me into an alliance against Helhiem. I declined because i have a border pact with Helheim.

4) Yomi began massing armies on our border.

5) TC, not Yomi, asked me to stay out of an alleged war between him and Yomi.

6) I attacked Yomi and failed, slaying a pair of Dai Oni during the battle.

7) Yomi abandoned their capitol and surrendered all of their land to TC without a fight, put their entire force in a pile and suicided against me, slaughtering my forces prodigiously.

It's possible that there are a few widows somewhere in T'ien Chi, but as far i can tell neither Yomi nor TC lost more than a small handful of troops in this so-called war. Yomis' graph went down only because of me, and TC's never did. I had a half dozen scouts on the scene and they never once witnessed a battle between flagged forces. To put it nicely, Ushi Ushi was weak in the knees and his suicide was a sissy move.

As to TC's request that i keep out of their war, it was clearly a ploy. Was it was cover for an attack on me in alliance with Yomi, who was, i repeat, massing his troops on my border and not defending against TC. Or did he just want me to wait till he was done overrunning Yomi before he attacked me. (Sorta like how he wants you out of the way while he overruns me.) Check the map, he had no where else to go.

Having driven Yomi to suicide with whispers of despair, the silver tongued diplomats of T'ien Chi now attempt, with Rovian guile, to divert attention elswhere so they can press the advantage they have gained against my weakened kingdom without interfernece. They wave their hands, dance tap, refer vagely to graphs and spin peculiar prophecies about future events as they attempt to focus attention on Helhiem. But their performance omits a key point- they are not fighting Helheim, they are invading Ulm. They do not even share a border with Helheim yet. Indeed, if you succeed against Helheim they never will have.

Yes, Helheim has sent some raiders against TC in order to give me time to recover from my losess against TC's puppet. They have desecrated some temptes and scared off some flocks, but no more than that. We are greatful for the help, but these raids will not decide the war, my army's fate will.

Lord of Caelum, I appeal to you to reconsider your alliance with T'ien Chi.

Both Helheim and TC casually dismiss the idea that a fight between them over my territory will bog them both down, but you know what, that's exactly would happen. I ask you to let it happen. Let the heavily blessed TC Warriors, Demons of Heavenly Waters, and Pegasus riders fight with the heavily blessed Valkyries. I have no idea how powerful your forces are, but unless they are darn good it seems to me that you are getting the short end of the stick. You fight powerful Helheim while your ally gets to pick off yet another weakened nation and grab the spoils. How does this help you? Sit it out, build up, aviod losses, and let me try to bleed TC. You can always join in later.

For me it'simple, i'm going to defend myself. Unlike Yomi i'll fight for my castles. The Warriors of the Five Elements, with their spiffy blessings and fancy pants, are going to be spending a year digging ditches and complaining to the mess hall cook about beans to eat three meals a day. Like Yomi, we will very likely fall, unlike Yomi, we will fight with honor to the end.

[Corwin]

Very nice AAR Tyrant, as always.

I enjoy your writing style. Out of respect for it I will not dispute what you said paragraphs by paragraph, although I could.


Sufficient to say is that I stand by my version of the events, it is 100% true. Yomi has confirmed it as well. Until you had attacked Yomi there was no talk about you whatsoever between me and Yomi, so there were no global conspiracy against you. And, as I said earlier, it was Yomi's request that we fight 1 vs 1 war, he asked me it himself, and I seconded it in my letter to you, which you have promptly ignored.

In other words, you have brought your doom upon yourself by your own actions, when you attacked Yomi hoping to get some easy picking while they fight me. Think about it - why would possibly Yomi, who had large army and who was fighting me, all of the sudden went after you, leaving his few remaining provinces to me without fight, if not for your actions? It doesn't make any sense. I've described events of the past accurately in my post, and Yomi has confirmed it. Dead people do not lie.


Sorry, my respected rival, but that's the way it is. Prior to your sudden attack on Yomi, in my exchange with Yomi your nation wasn't even mentioned once. You can have my word on it.

I understand that you are disappointed that your plans have backfired on you in such a way, I would be too if I would be in your shoes.


Geya,
Lord of Tien Chi Empire


P.S. In any case, frankly all this doesn't matter much for our current situation and for the balance of power in our world. I am not trying to pursue Sky Lord - he has already made his choice, and he has chosen wisely, relying on his own scouts rather than on my, yours or Helheim's words.

I also think Sky Lord cares much more about who represents larger treat to the world and who is the most powerful, than who has the moral right. If so, his choice is a prudent one. Other nations, who do not even have border with us, probably care even less about this old and remote war, but they all care very much about power and threat to their freedom.


Nevertheless I just wanted to set the record straight as far as what happened and why, in the interest of future historians and sages.

[Potatoman]

The nation of Vanheim is dismissed too quickly. Although our troops have no supernatural quickness or flaming swords, the Dwarves of Vanheim have struck a mighty blow today against the citadel of Helheim itself. Helheim is now under siege by Vanheim armies, led by the heroic Gordon Donne. Knowing that victory in the field would be impossible to achieve without powerful magic or potent blessings of our own, two "potempkin village" forces of serf warriors made trouble along Helheim's border while Gordon snuck through their territories unnoticed until, this turn, he besieged Helheim itself.

Unfortunately, sacrifices were made in the name of this gambit. In the mountains of Vanheim, the Dwarves have retreated to their fortress and the surrounding lands left with only a token defense. They now lay sunken beneath a black ocean of Helheim soldiers, flowing inexorably further towards the western border of Arcosephale with the passing of each night.
But the province of Vanheim itself remains free and strong. And as long as Vanheim stands and Gordon still lives, so do the hopes of the Dwarves.

I would entreat all of my "allies" to sharply step up their aid if they wish Vanheim to weather Helheim's wrath. As wonderful as words are, the time for them is over. Purple prose does not pay the upkeep, silver tongues aren't worth the food to feed them, and the beleaguered Vans have yet to see an ounce of Tien Ch'i gold or the glimmer of a single Caelian air gem. Your empires talk a good fight, but so far it is the Vans who have been fighting Helheim alone for the past six months.

Helheim has sent me an offer of peace, and I am sorely tempted to accept it, provided reasonable concessions on his part. Only the overwhelming suspicion that he would backstab me the moment my troops left his capitol stays my pen-hand.

-Kong Jun She, Emperor of Vanheim and the Dwarves

[Maltrease]

The nation of Helheim is confused and impressed by Vanheims abilities. We had no aggression towards Vanheim and allowed peaceful trade and tourism along our borders before they attacked us without warning.

The previous month we had tentatively offered a peace (albeit late in the month) only to have our capital besieged by a cleaver sneak attack led by a glorous general.

We understand this, regrettably the realities of our time regartably require and allow actions like these.

Our only pain is the suspicion of stabbing a knife into someone after we have made a deal. Despite the fear over our size and effective arguments over our threat vs others we have never acted dishonourably.

Sadly a peace at this point is unlikely. Our gods gardens have been trampled and only his inner sactuary remains safe and pure. We hope to prevail and if so, we will always remember the tale of Gordon Donne and his noble victories.

[Potatoman]

The destruction of our ally Agartha, and the fearsome power of the Black Horsemen of Helheim was a warning that Vanheim heeded well.

We were too late to save departed Agamemnon (though we tried), so we took steps to gain as much of an advantage as possible before we could be attacked: a pre-emptive strike. Rest assured that no ambition of personal gain was involved. A sane nation does not attempt to conquer a nation twice is its size and power for territorial expansion alone.

I believe that Gordon's raid has give me something of value with which to begin bargaining. How could we do so otherwise, with nothing for Vanheim to offer?

But if Ull of Helheim will accept only death, we can march to that pyrrhic conclusion together.

- Kong of Vanheim

[Corwin]

Tyrant said:

For me it'simple, i'm going to defend myself. Unlike Yomi i'll fight for my castles. The Warriors of the Five Elements, with their spiffy blessings and fancy pants, are going to be spending a year digging ditches and complaining to the mess hall cook about beans to eat three meals a day. Like Yomi, we will very likely fall, unlike Yomi, we will fight with honor to the end.

From the archives of Celestial Empire Tien Chi, Spring of the Year of the Burning Goddess:

"Apparently Ulm's idea of fighting with honor to the end consists of giving up their entire large kingdom without a fight, while stuffing 450+ soldiers within the walls of their capital, outnumbering our soldiers once again. Fortunately the capital province is rich in supplies, so there is no danger of starvation for our troops, even if we wouldn't brought additional supply items last turn. Imperial troops are ready for the long siege, although we are sure it won't be necessary - preparations are being made to bring this siege to swift conclusion. The local peasants are celebrating the arrival of imperial troops. As one of the village majors told to commander of our scouts when they have entered his village meeting, as usual, no resistance: "Men who do not try to protect their own land, should never lay claim to it in the first place." Upon hearing this story our Imperial Historian noticed that although such a view is naturally barbaric, it has merit nevertheless."