[EMPIRE!] East Meets West [Year 449]

[QuintonBeck]

Heavenly Sovereign Wang Pak Choi looked down over the designated meeting spot the Concordatin messenger had indicated from atop a hill that lay in Zuiguo land. Years he had spent looking out from this very hill on the valleys and rolling plains of Dossi Gugga, intent to bring the divided and foolish Castle Lords there under his domain and when he had marched to do so some fools from further east had ridden in and prevented his rightful conquest. Of course, being fools, they had lost their leader, twice now, and despite the losses inflicted on his army he was certain he had done over the Concordatin and made them the fools. Doubtless embarrassment over their failures explained their presence in such stupefying force.

He turned to his long time asset the Go-Mun Jung Kim,

"If they make for an attack, slaughter the Doges and mount their heads on pikes," he spoke in his native tongue, though he was fluent in 'Trade Tongue' it was not his first language.

"To your will I am ever bent Heavenly Sovereign," came the expected reply.

Wang Choi turned to look down on the other side of the hill where the Kingdom's army remained entrenched. If these Concordatin would arrive with their armies then Wang Choi would not be foolish enough to leave his at the capital, nor to bring with him the Doges that these Eastern foreigners with no known sense of manners might attempt and take him.


***At the Designate Meeting Place***

A young to middling aged man rode to the spot on the back of a small horse, his clothing marked him as distinctly royal, embellished golden embroidery laced over and throughout a robe of deep purples and greens, but it was not all royal styling. Armor covered parts of the ensemble, a sign of readiness for war. The man's face bore a simple mustache that pointed down around the mouth and hung a centimeter beyond his chin. His skin was darker than the Jomani, more of a dark yellow, almost brown and signs of sun and wind hung heavy in his features.

The man did not arrive alone, two similarly dressed men rode in beside him and behind them four less elaborately clothed men who wore swords at their hips.

The central figure approached the other delegates from the Concordat, "Greetings to you Concordatin, I trust your journey caused you no troubles?" he spoke cordially, his voice thick with an accent but otherwise clear and precise.

[SamBurke]

There is no official Guilderene diplomat, which to those familiar with Eastern culture, might have raised questions. However, they appeared as just another color in the massive horde of people... bearing odd colors, to be sure. Steel and bright light across their armor, whirring and motion... What could they be bearing?

[TheDarkDM]

The field that awaited the Heavenly Sovereign had become a city overnight, a sprawling mass of tents arrayed in perfect order, row upon row of leather and burlap nestled within spiked palisades, the smoke of a thousand campfires turning the midday sun a hellish red. Picket lines of horses and stranger mounts had scoured the area clear of grass, and every tree had been sacrificed to fortification or fire. At the forefront of the camp, atop the tallest hill on the surround, a pavilion the size of a lord's hall had been erected, and flew the dragon banner of the Concordat - the meeting point.

As the lord of Zuiguo approached with his entourage, he saw a whip-thin man in a crimson robe approach from the palatial tent. As they neared each other, he could make out bronze skin, black eyes, and a certain attitude which suggested the man was accustomed to giving orders. Still, he bowed deeply at the riders' approach, and spoke in heavily accented trade tongue.

"Greetings, most esteemed ruler of Zuiguo. The Teotlkan awaits you within, and is overjoyed at your wisdom at accepting his invitation. I do hope you are not offended by the meanness of his entourage - when news of the troubles here reached the Concordat, he set out with all haste and could muster less than a third of our strength. Please, come inside."

The seneschal gestured towards the pavilion, keeping his head low as he pulled aside the heavy flap with no small effort. The interior of the pavilion could have passed for a lesser king's palace, the walls draped in tapestries and rare furs, the floor layered in carpets an inch thick. Across from the entrance hunched a massive chair, more palanquin than throne, the smell of sweet incense seeping from a latticework that served as the seat. Atop this mobile sauna sat the Teotlkan, shrouded in a robe of black silk dripping with rubies. At eighty three years old, the wizened figure might almost have appeared harmless, had it not been for the glint in his eyes that spoke of violence beyond imagining in his past. That glint did not disappear as he smiled, and spread his arms wide.

"Greetings, Wang Pak Choi. Come, and be welcome in peace."

He waved a skeletal hand towards the long table that sat before his throne. There were more than a dozen chairs, but only two were furnished with the tools of diplomacy - water, wine, and ink.

[BladeofObliviom]

In one of the dozen chairs sat a somewhat out-of-place figure, disgruntled by this talk of peace.

General Caris was a pureblood Frosten, hailing from the Barony of Psilberg on the border of Glazfell and Krepida. She was noble-born, though a bastard and not truly of House Blutod. Still, that was enough for an officer's commission, allowing her to make her way through the military. She had been a simple Sergeant during the campaign in Haiwaste, and had distinguished herself by directing a fleet of Agniers into an unprotected flank during the Orcish advance, throwing them into chaos and allowing the Suri to rout them. By the time of the Farridon campaign, she was one of King Khyne's most trusted military advisors, and her plans were instrumental in the victory there: If the Suri had not broken ranks to pursue the wildlings and waited for Ranger support as she had ordered, the battle might have been perfect. Still, she remained the King's second until the moment of his death, and retained her position under the new King as well.

And now here she was, directing the entire Glazfelli side of a third campaign under the command of an allied king.

It was a different experience to be sure. She'd always had someone higher than her on the chain of command to report to and trust in turn. Not that she couldn't trust the Tzaltec Leader, of course, but he was not the same as Khyne. Charismatic and clever, to be sure, but he lacked the approachability and, well, sympathy that King Khyne did. There's a huge difference between following the liege that one swore her oaths to, and following a mere ally.

The pavilion was too hot for her, she realized, even with the mercifully cooling Teardrops hanging from the ceiling, spreading their comforting chill throughout. Fidgeting ever so slightly, she held her imperious stare at the entering Sovereign of Zuiguo. Arrayed in a suit of ceremonial plate and a violet tabard denoting her rank, General Caris was not a figure to be ignored, even if she did not quite measure up to the majesty of the Teotlkan arrayed in black and ruby. Against this backdrop, her cyan flesh, white hair drawn into a single long braid down her back, and the silver-encrusted steel of her armor stood out quite keenly.

"I also welcome you on behalf of Glazfell, Sovereign of Zuiguo."

The words are quick and simple, but the introductions and terms are left to the Teotlkan. It would not do to usurp him in the arena of diplomacy, after all.

[QuintonBeck]

Wang Choi nodded towards the enthroned individual, and looked at the strange blue-skinned thing sitting at the table. If it weren't for the state in which they were meeting Wang Choi might have mistaken the creature for some sort of spirit or woman cursed by a Djin of the Deep, but as it were he assumed simply she was some foreign being from the lands beyond the east pressed into service of the Lord upon the throne. Nonetheless, he wished to avoid any curses or dark magic and sat at the table opposite the throne and well enough away from the blue woman that any curse she might have about her would not rub onto himself.

As he seated himself the two men dressed in similar styling to himself sat at each of his hands and the other, sworded men, took position standing behind him, granting him a greater height and power in an attempt to match the power given to the Teotlkan by the old man's throne.

"Tea otal kan," he asked, the foreign words coming out even more distorted in Trade Tongue, "Honored am I to meet you this day. It is a fine procession you have brought to bear. An envy of many I should imagine. You represent the Concordat of Frost and Flame in these discussions?"

[Lord_Burch]

Councillor of the Interior Amel- a short birdman of Indica, with blue-green plumage and a red crest- approaches the gates of the Zuigou city, head held high and eyes arrogant. Behind him stride two giants- both at least ten feet tall and with enormous, ornate plate armor and broadswords. Encamped on a plain are another ten giants, each equipped similarly- though not with the same finery- and a hundred men of various races- Bordeusi skirmishes, Valterran heavy infantry, and Malkan archers.

Greetings, Zuigou-Clan. I am Amel-Ta, of the Kingdom of the Silver Moon- a great kingdom, to your near east. I come as the voice of my Lady, but I speak for her alone. I am neither rallied with nor set against the Concordant. I seek entry to your halls of meeting, along with my companions, the chieftains Lex dux de Tempé and Tel dux de Mare. We wish to join the negotiations for the Doges, but also to speak personally with your leader.

[TheDarkDM]

As Amel-ta approached the tent city of the Condordat, he and his companions were allowed entry after a brief confirmation of their credentials. Half way towards the pavilion hill, he was intercepted by another red-robed seneschal, all smiles and obsequious bows.

"Greetings, honored representatives of Bordeaux. Please come, the meeting has already begun."

Back inside the pavilion, Nezetkhamun nodded his head at Wang Choi's question.

"Thank you for your kind words, Heavenly Sovereign. It is an honor to finally meet you as well. I represent the Concordat, yes, and hope we might resolve this...situation peacefully. However, before we begin negotiating in earnest, I-"

He was cut off by the arrival of the Bordussi delegation, as an aide rushed to his side to explain the situation. A slight frown creased his brow, but his composure did not waver.

"Greetings Amel-ta. Please be seated. As I was saying, Wang Choi, before we can begin the negotiations proper Guilder has requested some proof that the Doges still live. Please understand that we do not question your honor - their lives are simply to valuable to take even the slightest chance."

[QuintonBeck]

"I'm afraid if you wish to see the Dogs," Wang Choi's voice betrayed no hint of intentional mispronunciation but given his eloquence one had to wonder, "We should need to leave this tented city of the Concordat and return to my own camp. I should hope you take no dishonor either when I echo your sentiment on their value and my reticence to risk their lives and my own by bringing them into this camp."

[TheDarkDM]

The Teotlkan's smile betrayed nothing, as he simply gestured to a servant for a cup of steaming black liquid that smelled terribly bitter.

"Very well, to business. You desire a great number of resources for the two Doges, and further you desire assurances that they take their leave of your shores and never return to interfere in your affairs. I fear your terms are...unacceptable."

The Teotlkan paused to take a sip of his drink, allowing the Heavenly Sovereign to absorb the fullness of his meaning.

"I am a sentimental man, but even I realize the Doges are largely symbolic to Guilder. Even as we speak, another Doge has replaced them. But as a symbol, their deaths will simply perpetuate this war and hasten your doom. For Guilder will not stand by while you insult their honor, and you have seen but a fraction of their strength. For their strength is our strength, and an insult to them is an insult to all the Concordat. So here is my counter-proposal, Wang Choi of Zuigo - release the Doges as a kindness, and we shall transport them back to their homes and pledge to you that no member of the Concordat will interfere in your affairs again. Recognize this as the kindness it is, for if you harm either Doge I shall rain down such fire on your people as has not been seen since the birthing of the world. I shall tear down your cities and turn your fields to ash. Your rivers will run with the blood of your people and the poison of our passing, until their waters carry naught but death. For every man of the Concordat slain, I shall crucify one hundred of your countrymen along the path of our conquest, and when we reach your capital I shall erect a forest of agonized flesh as a warning to all the world not to doubt the conviction of the Concordat. All this I will do, and when I depart these shores I shall take what riches remain to you, leaving in my wake a nation of paupers in a dying land."

[QuintonBeck]

Wang Choi sat motionless as the Teotlkan spoke his words of burning and threat.

"We will have them sent to your camp. If there is no more?" the Heavenly Sovereign stood to leave.

It was best, he thought, to accept the deal, the forces present alone spoke of this Concordat's capability, and the Teotlkan had made the offer the Sovereign had been willing to work to. Given the nature of these easterners he decided it was unwise to antagonize them with negotiation over what amounted to petty cash and the less time he had to spend in their insufferably haughty and brutal presence the better. He might suffer politically for the negotiations, but he was willing to risk it and to hold dominion over which of his people died at the hands of the Go Mun rather than indiscriminate slaughter of foreigners. And with the Concordatin gone Dossi Gugga would be ripe for acquisition.