Empire4 The Súthburg Convention

[Corona]

The Súthburg Convention
This is an Empire4 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?535516-EMPIRE4!-I-A-Community-World-Building-Game) diplomatic event.


When you made it to the land tucked away in the north of Inyaka, you, unless you were flying or the like, had to cross the mountains or the river, and then you, sooner or later, came to the Avakonian road. As you were travelling, you noticed the locals: They're busy with everyday work, usually farming or practising a craft. Though still a minority, unusually many people are potters, sculptors, jewellers and other such craftsmen. You may also have noticed some seemingly uncultivated but doubtlessly fertile plots of land; if asked, the locals' explain that they're used for "moon farming", as if it was something obvious. Anyway, the country is prospering and the citizens are fairly happy, despite the dragon menace.

As you travel, a gray speck on the horizon is getting larger and larger, until you realize that it's a sprawling city, your destination. Even though it's comparable in size to Avakonia, upon closer inspection you realize most of it is uninhabited and in a state of disrepair. You enter one of the inhabited quarters on the edge. The buildings are tall, and almost all have been constructed with stone, rather than wood, even the commoners' homes. The government building, although large, doesn't look very distinct from the others, almost as if it wasn't an actual palace, but just a random building that the ruler decided to live in, and it is possible that you needed to ask a passerby to point it out to you.

When the servants open the doors for you, you walk into the interior, which, although architecturally minimalist, is richly decorated with quality furniture. You are led into a large hall with a table in the middle. There are light meals on the table, pastries and the like, though not so many that the table they clutter up the table. Aside from the many servants waiting nearby, and any foreign diplomats that might already have arrived, there are onlysix people sitting at the table:

A man with a light smile on his face, inspecting the glass of wine in his hand. It seems he doesn't even notice you. He wears a simple black tunic and his hair is... dark purple. An old woman with a welcoming expression, she says "Welcome to Sfaïr, esteemed guest. I'm sorry, you must be tired after the arduous journey here, please take a seat.". A richly dressed merchant with platinum rings on his fingers is whispering something to a servant standing nearby, who then runs off. A grey-haired man in typical Avakonian clothing stares at you unflinchingly, presumably hoping to read your motives from your face. A priest of Abhidi with a full beard also greets you, and then, when the person at the head of the table has not responded to your presence yet, the priest turns to face him "Sir Blanc, the diplomats from [country] are here..."

Sir Blanc's gaze slowly finds you and it seems like he's only now leaving the space of his inner thought. Though his mood seemed somber before, he is immediately filled with enthusiasm, and says to you: "Welcome! I am the Leader of the Sfaïri Free Alliance, Gerold Blanc. The sirs and dame to sitting to my sides are the governors of Sfaïr's territories." [They introduce themselves] "Although we're currently being harassed by the dragon, Sfaïr is not as affected by it as other countries, as you may have seen on your journey here. But I trust that you didn't come here just to observe the common people of Sfaïr."

(There are several rooms adjacent to the hall, and should you wish to speak with someone from Sfaïr or with other diplomats between four eyes, you can do so. Of course, you can also take your conversations outside.)

[bc56]

Overvann

The journey to Sfaïr was quick, the Pegasi imported from Ti Linnad flying swiftly from Overvann to the more central nation. A merchant caravan follows some distance behind, it will likely not reach its destination until well after the conference is over.

Arriving at the convention, Chief Ambassador Svessan dismounts his roan pegasus. The tiny Kobold was an easy burden for the steed, and he quickly finds some stable hands to take the pegasus for the time he's there. The kobold calmly walks into the hall, black riding cloak swishing around his red, scaly feet, and the tip of his tail just protruding out the back. He pulls the hood from his head, revealing his lizardlike (some would say draconic) head. He approaches the table and takes a seat, as bidden. "Greetings, Sir." He bows his head respectfully. "My employer and ruler, Jarl Bjorn Olafsson of Overvann, is interested in pursuing a trade relationship with your fine nation."

[nadiri]

The doge personally attended the event despite the devastation caused by the attack on her people. Soldiers had died, magical facilities destroyed and now the wealth of the small nation was being transferred to the horrendous beast who was responsible. None the less politics continued onward, it chimed with all the persistence of time.

Her usual companions were not with her, Javier and Tash while both brilliant kept her emotions in check, and for forming bonds it made her appear distant and so for the first time in a long time she wore no masks.

Stepping into the confines of Sir Blancs domicile, the ancient wealth of the remnants of Avakonian ideals glimmered like dying embers. Her eyes moved around for a moment before she focused on him and with a cultivating smile she offered her hand for him to kiss.

“I am Doge Vashta Narada leader of Lindeen. It is a pleasure to finally meet you Sir Blanc, these are my handmaidens. Each a distinguished sorceress of the districts and we are graced to be allowed into your home. Thankfully it only took a week to make it here though Cesaria remains lawless... We would be happy to aid you in putting that to an end. Of course we have plenty of time to talk negotiations after getting acquainted I hope?”

There was an allure to her eyes as she smiled at this leader of a nearby kingdom, and whatever was hidden behind her eyes were kept at a distance from the touch of interest or maybe even lust that she let more evenly claim the surface.

The 5 women behind her instantly skirted past to invade the festivities, to eat and drink. To be merry each providing an exotic appeal to what was going on but if anyone paid attention they would notice they were so much more then pretty faces but in fact crackled with magical energies of their own.

[Aventine]

As a rather enthusiastic priest, Psëtä might perhaps not have been the ideal choice as a diplomat, though the scarcity of male members of the royal family (and so many of them being far to the south) did present some difficulty. After all, failing to send a royal would not do in these circumstances. There was hope that the king's brother-in-law, Ghëtthä of Bëkkŋi, might provide a more diplomatic presence. And if all else failed, the ample number of influential Abhidic monks sent along should be more than capable of making themselves useful.

The priest, the noble and three plainly dressed monks arrive to meet Sir Blanc, having left the rest of their party outside. With a bow, Ghëtthä acknowledges the Leader's greeting and introduces his own party. "Greetings, Your Excellency. I am Ghëtthä, Lord of Bëkkŋi. I am here to accompany Prince Psëtä Qëssäs̨hëv S̨atladl. Our other companions, though they generally prefer to remain somewhat anonymous, are respected Abhidic monks from the Hills' Shadow in Lakhko, the Rushing River in Pas̨ttetl, and the Thousand Swords of Këpääs. You have our sympathies for any trouble involving the self-proclaimed 'Skyfather,' and we might benefit from a few words in private concerning it. We would also be interested in speaking about the lands to your north and west. As I suspect you will have gathered from the messages sent back and forth, our people were quite surprised to hear that there are still some who claim descent from ancient Lër̨khët on this side of the mountains. It is slightly embarrassing, to have had our king declare himself the only king among the Tëhlër̨khët only to discover more of us hidden away. We should like to help our wayward cousins, and bring to them the light of the ancient civilization we have inherited."

[Gengy]

Regno's Representative

Magi Indago of Family Garrio was nervous. The last letter from the Sultan seemed to indicate there were some... unusual occurrences at home. Indago was the official Ambassador to Sfair, and indeed, the major proponent of Initia in the region; he'd been stuck in Sfair for years (mostly because the country was trying to solidify itself) but after returning to Regno, seeing his family, and explaining himself to the Three Towers, he'd been able to return.

He was quite happy about that, and actually, now that he thought about it, he was enjoying the convention as a whole, but... the Sultan's letter indicated that a more formal delegation may very well arrive in time for the party. Yet there wasn't enough basis to actually inform Sir Gerold Blanc one way or another. All of it was very confusing, to be honest. Which was why Magi Indago was nervous -- he did not like being confused.

Still... there were a few tasks that he was sure that he could take care of himself. If someone else managed to show up, they could take over, but if not? The Ambassador would do what he had done for decades: offer solid advise to Sir Blanc when it's asked for, keep teaching those interested in Initia, and always look for a way to improve Regno's standing; in that order.

He made his presence known to Sir Blanc, and then mingled with the crowd, but Indago singled out the representative from the Overvann. They had much to discuss.

[bc56]

Overvann to Regno

Svessan is approached by the Regnan Magus. "Good day, Magus. What can I do for you?"

[SquirrelWizard]

Vaylan Chalun entered the hall followed by several Mistwalker rangers in their grey cloaks. At his side was Elise Chalun, his daughter, now a young woman still shedding the gawky appearance of youth as she neared her fullness of a woman. She glanced about her, quietly taking in the surroundings, her ears quirking as if listening to an invisible conspirator.

Vaylan approached Gerold Blanc before presenting a small ornate box inside which was a an ornately carved darkwood pipe and saying, "I am Vaylan Chalun, consort of Queen Tanya Chalun va Meera. And this is Elise Chalun, my daughter," Elise silently nodded in acknowledgement. Vaylan continued, "I hope that we can formulate some plan of action for these dragons that squat upon our lands."

[Corona]

Overvann:

"Interesting, so you have a jarl. Give him my regards, please. I may be mistaken, but is it true that Overvann is preparing to remove the dragons forcefully? We are sympathetic to your cause, and perhaps, should you tell me more of your endeavor, we could offer our, unfortunately limited, assistance.

As for trade, our interests seem to coincide. At the moment the only resource we can offer is the Platinum native to Sfaïr. And while I can offer this" Sir Blanc gestures toward a decorative platinum sword brought by a servant. "to your illustrious ruler as a gift, many foreign powers have expressed an interest in platinum, and unfortunately we had to set the price of substantial amounts of the metal rather high, though certainly Overvann can afford it.

Lindeen:
At first, Sir Blanc is captivated by the sultry demeanor of the Doge. He lowers his head and kisses her hand, though this is not customary in his homeland and gets him strange looks from the Governors. Then he shakes the feeling off and straightens his back. "It is my pleasure to meet you, Doge Narada, and of course your handmaidens are welcome as well. However, I unfortunately do not know much about these districts you speak of. Could you explain?"

"And indeed, it is awful that Cesaria remains in such a state of anarchy. I assure you, we do intend to solve the problem soon. Next time you will not have to travel so far to reach Sfaïr's borders." A charming smile appears on his face. Then, the Governor with Avakonian clothing, Sir Theophanous, gets up and whispers something to Sir Blanc. From the bits you hear, you think he's telling Sir Blanc to do actual business. Sir Blanc responds, also whispering, and the Governor sits down again. Sir Blanc turns to Vashta Narada again. "I almost neglected to mention: You proposed a closer partnership between our lands. While we are honored to be your allies, you are asking a great commitment from us. Dvatla made us a similar offer, and they seem more capable of militarily protecting us, and they are culturally somewhat connected to us, as they share a faith with us. I do not mean to insult Lindeen, but can you give me the reasons why we would rather choose your country?

Yondar
Sir Blanc accepts the gift graciously.
"Indeed, 'Veqa...'va'q... the dragon called Skyfather is currently our greatest problem, and I am glad to hear that other nations are as determined to solve the crisis as we are..."
While looking around, Elise Chalun spots someone peeking from behind a door leading to one of the other rooms. Sir Blanc notices Elise staring sideways, interrupts his speech, and follows her gaze. "Elena, come out! I told you not to spy on me when I'm working... *sigh* Well, at least introduce yourself then." ten year old girl runs next to Sir Blanc, and fiddles for a bit, being ashamed before the foreigners, before introducing herself with a bow. "I-, I'm Elena, nice to meet you!" As she rises from her bow, she smiles and her amber eyes shine like sparks. "I'm gonna be a great queen when I grow up!" "We don't have queens, dear. ...You can become a Leader of the Alliance instead, if you want. *ahem* Excuse my daughter, please. I meant to say that we are interested in cooperating with you in the matter of dragons. Taking their exceptional might, which I unfortunately experienced firsthand, into account, what strategy do you propose to stop them from oppressing the people of Emjata?

Regno:
Sir Blanc acknowledges Magi Indago's presence, and seeing that he has nothing to say, leaves him free to talk to Svessan.

Dvatla:
I would rather not have to say this, but your northern kin have some... strange ideas. I understand that they might resent us for bringing our army into their territory, though we did so with the best of intentions. However, the envoys I sent to them have reported that some Tëhlër̨khët seem to think that the dragon, who intervened to their benefit in the battle, favors them. That is certainly assuming too much; the Skyfather seems to care little for any mortal.

We welcome your offer of aid; your king has told us he is currently occupied with other matters, but should he manage to find time for us, the one thing we would appreciate the most would be if he sent master smiths and strategists, so that they can advise us on how to improve our troops' equipment and tactics.

Regarding our correspondence, the one sending the letters was Sir Theophanous there, known for his anti-Dvatlan views. I have reassigned him once it became apparent that he was not making any progress in developing our relations. For now, if I am not available, your new Sfaïri contact shall be Sir Varden Bandeson, the man with the glass of wine. It may not seem so, but he is extraordinarily competent.

The monks who came with you also interest me. I thought the faith of Dvatla was Tëlir Geza, not Abhidi?"

[nadiri]

Lindeen:
At first, Sir Blanc is captivated by the sultry demeanor of the Doge. He lowers his head and kisses her hand, though this is not customary in his homeland and gets him strange looks from the Governors. Then he shakes the feeling off and straightens his back. "It is my pleasure to meet you, Doge Narada, and of course your handmaidens are welcome as well. However, I unfortunately do not know much about these districts you speak of. Could you explain?"

"And indeed, it is awful that Cesaria remains in such a state of anarchy. I assure you, we do intend to solve the problem soon. Next time you will not have to travel so far to reach Sfaïr's borders." A charming smile appears on his face. Then, the Governor with Avakonian clothing, Sir Theophanous, gets up and whispers something to Sir Blanc. From the bits you hear, you think he's telling Sir Blanc to do actual business. Sir Blanc responds, also whispering, and the Governor sits down again. Sir Blanc turns to Vashta Narada again. "I almost neglected to mention: You proposed a closer partnership between our lands. While we are honored to be your allies, you are asking a great commitment from us. Dvatla made us a similar offer, and they seem more capable of militarily protecting us, and they are culturally somewhat connected to us, as they share a faith with us. I do not mean to insult Lindeen, but can you give me the reasons why we would rather choose your country?

The smile that played on her lips never wavered, she let fascination claim her for a moment until Blanc mentioned that they had closer ties to Dvalta and she nodded. "Do not misunderstand, we respect Dvalta, they are a magnificent kingdom, strong and worthy of respect..."


She went silent for a moment before leaning ever closer so their bodies crept across one another, touching molding to the muscle and flesh kept distant only through cloth. "They will stymy you. Dvalta has ties to the south east forcing their will on old Avakon, even invading the capital of the ancient empire while holding no rights to that empire. No legitimacy, it invites rebellion. Then they have ties to Ti Linnad and whitefeather, they then have an ancient alliance with Regno. Your needs, your desires and your ambitions will fall short to their ancient contracts. If you join him you will have no room to grow no ability to shine and your place will be as just another vote for their liege lord, but with us. You will be equal we are a blossoming kingdom, we will view you as a partner not a servant to sit in the back and wait your turn."

When she pulled back the smile grew more dangerous, more inviting. "Consider this, I will protect you and your kingdom with my life. I hope you make the right decision... I hope we can become very close."

With that she looked around and chuckled, "so where are my and my ladies chambers? I want to be able to speak at length with the lords and ladies present at this magnificent gala you're holding." If he tried to have a servent take her, her hand would slip along his shoulder. "You can lead the way I hope?"

[Aventine]

I would rather not have to say this, but your northern kin have some... strange ideas. I understand that they might resent us for bringing our army into their territory, though we did so with the best of intentions. However, the envoys I sent to them have reported that some Tëhlër̨khët seem to think that the dragon, who intervened to their benefit in the battle, favors them. That is certainly assuming too much; the Skyfather seems to care little for any mortal.

We welcome your offer of aid; your king has told us he is currently occupied with other matters, but should he manage to find time for us, the one thing we would appreciate the most would be if he sent master smiths and strategists, so that they can advise us on how to improve our troops' equipment and tactics.

Regarding our correspondence, the one sending the letters was Sir Theophanous there, known for his anti-Dvatlan views. I have reassigned him once it became apparent that he was not making any progress in developing our relations. For now, if I am not available, your new Sfaïri contact shall be Sir Varden Bandeson, the man with the glass of wine. It may not seem so, but he is extraordinarily competent.

The monks who came with you also interest me. I thought the faith of Dvatla was Tëlir Geza, not Abhidi?"

"If our cousins are at all like we once were, I suspect they would care less about 'the best of intentions' than about strength in battle. A dragon appearing out of nowhere and saving them in battle? It is not unnatural for them to assume divine favor."

Psëtä cuts in with a grunt, "Superstitious fools."

"...Yes...well, anyway. It goes without saying that should you accept our offers we would share our knowledge and expertise: it would reflect rather poorly on us otherwise, after all. As for religious matters, the Tëlir was suppressed for many years by the Imperial Successors. Abhidi largely filled the void, and while we among the nobility keep the old ways, the popularity of Abhidi does not worry us. For some time now our kings have even been on particularly good terms with most of the influential monasteries. Apart from the troubling intrusion of some curious southron thought, we have had no conflict with Abhidi in recent memory."

[bc56]

Overvann to Sfaïr

"We thank you for your sympathies. In fact, that is what we seek the platinum for. It has been our observation that certain materials are able to contain much greater runes of power upon them, and precious metals are capable of holding the greatest. We would be willing to share some of our technical designs in exchange for access to your most valuable platinum, designs which would be quite useful to securing the economic future of your nation."

[Moriko]

Taelia holds the invitation from Sfaïri while looking at the stack of paper work in front of her, we cannot decline this invitation she said to herself and quickly went to the council. Knowing that situations like these might occur the council had in the past voted who would represent the Volzen in international diplomatic events in the case Taelia was otherwise occupied and so Bete Hestia rose from the circle and exited the room with Taelia.

When they are out of earshot of the council Taelia turns to Bete and while she hands over the invitation to him says "I know that you are less than a century old and many describe you as reckless but i believe that is what we need in this current world, the people out there are rather impatient and expect results within days and answers within hours if not minutes. As you know the council has given you permission to speak for us without the need of a vote i know you will do us proud."
Bete accepts the invitation "Don't worry the people will love me you just make sure that we still have a country when i get back and that the islanders down south like us." and leaves for Sfaïri.

The journey to Sfaïri gave Bete some time to read up on the diplomatic landscape of the world to say it was overwhelming was an understatement the world changed so much to what the history books described before the currents. He was still mentally preparing his introduction when the cart stopped in front of large stone structure and even though the structure did not stand out the people on the street assured him this was the place.

After entering the building he walks up to the table and gets greeted by an old (for her race) woman but before he can reply she addresses the person at the head of the table. He now knew what Taelia meant these people act on a faster pace than the normal proceedings within Jintha and he would have to adjust quick. "Greetings Sir Blanc I am Bete from the Jintha region unfortunately Taelia had other business to attend to and i have been chosen as our representative. We much value our trade of platinum with your country and hope that we can strengthen this bond in the years to come."

As he looked across the room and saw all the representatives gathered he knew he had to dive in head first and walks up to the one that looks most like ambassador Testudo from Regno who he has had many conversations with at home.

[Gengy]

Overvann to Regno

Svessan is approached by the Regnan Magus. "Good day, Magus. What can I do for you?"

Indago bobbed his head in a bow, and took a brief second to collect his thoughts by doing what he did best: educating. "Please forgive me for the correction, Chief Ambassador, but the correct title is 'Magi'. 'Magus' is a title given to a Magi whom is a governor of people within the Sultanate; it is to help differentiate between a Magi - admittedly already a distinguished accomplishment - and a vaulted and valued position important to Oamenii and Sultanate Citizens. It is from them that we are able to derive the title: Grand Magus."

"Then again," Magi Indago of Family Garrio grinned, taking any possible perceived bite out of his words, "Our current Sultan is little more than a Speaker in terms of Initia, so if he is fine with such things, who am I to judge?"

"But that, while perhaps important to you in other social settings, is not why I'd like to speak with you today. You see, Regno is very concerned with the way things have been happening between our two nations. Somewhere along the way, there's been a divergence of ideals that has many people within the Sultanate worried. We're happy you have been working more closely with the Confederation, and that you have your own Regnan Ambassador. By all the accounts I have received, Speaker Armis has been doing well. Yet... there's a rattling and a whispering that we're hearing. An uneasy feeling."

Indago sighed. He really wasn't good at this kind of thing, but if it wasn't done by someone there could be a worse situation on hand. "So we're trying to find more common ground, ever since the treaty lapsed. Regno enjoys making friends rather than foes; I hope by now the Overvann understands this. In that vein, we're quite curious about something. Before I continue, though... Chief Ambassador, what is the Overvann's opinion regarding the Dragons near Regner?"




Taelia holds the invitation from Sfaïri while looking at the stack of paper work in front of her, we cannot decline this invitation she said to herself and quickly went to the council. Knowing that situations like these might occur the council had in the past voted who would represent the Volzen in international diplomatic events in the case Taelia was otherwise occupied and so Bete Hestia rose from the circle and exited the room with Taelia.

When they are out of earshot of the council Taelia turns to Bete and while she hands over the invitation to him says "I know that you are less than a century old and many describe you as reckless but i believe that is what we need in this current world, the people out there are rather impatient and expect results within days and answers within hours if not minutes. As you know the council has given you permission to speak for us without the need of a vote i know you will do us proud."
Bete accepts the invitation "Don't worry the people will love me you just make sure that we still have a country when i get back and that the islanders down south like us." and leaves for Sfaïri.

The journey to Sfaïri gave Bete some time to read up on the diplomatic landscape of the world to say it was overwhelming was an understatement the world changed so much to what the history books described before the currents. He was still mentally preparing his introduction when the cart stopped in front of large stone structure and even though the structure did not stand out the people on the street assured him this was the place.

After entering the building he walks up to the table and gets greeted by an old (for her race) woman but before he can reply she addresses the person at the head of the table. He now knew what Taelia meant these people act on a faster pace than the normal proceedings within Jintha and he would have to adjust quick. "Greetings Sir Blanc I am Bete from the Jintha region unfortunately Taelia had other business to attend to and i have been chosen as our representative. We much value our trade of platinum with your country and hope that we can strengthen this bond in the years to come."

As he looked across the room and saw all the representatives gathered he knew he had to dive in head first and walks up to the one that looks most like ambassador Testudo from Regno who he has had many conversations with at home.

After speaking with the Overvann, Magi Indago needs a drink. Thankfully, he has a personal barrel of fine Leann Toll Beer in his study, and was just about to head that way, when he spied the Volzen speaking with Sir Blanc. It did make sense: Jintha made regular payments and mercantile trips to acquire some of Sfaïr's rare Platinum. Yet... Magi Indago had not yet had the pleasure to speak directly with a Volzen. Reports about them were sparse, to say the least, but favorable.

He swore not to do this often, but sometimes... rank had it's privileges. <Aspectus Adsecla, are you still in my study?>

<Yes Magi.> The younger Oamenii was one of those whom had returned with Indago to assist in educating Sfaïr in the principles of Initia; if only Adsecla could properly learn it himself. Supplemental lessons were apparently in order, and Indago made sure they happened.

<Excellent. The barrel from Thae Guceart. The one I specifically told you not to open for any reason.>

<The one that has, er, smells of beer?> Looks like someone needed supplemental lessons on listening to instructions as well. But that could come later.

<Yes. Open it. Fill two mugs with beer, and set one to the side. Close the barrel again - carefully - and then bring me one of the mugs you've filled.>

The mental communication was silent for a second, though Magi Indago didn't know why. If he had to guess, Aspect Scholar Adsecla had already been in the barrel and was now pleased to have a reason to cover his indiscretion. <Yes, Magi Indago. And the other filled mug?>

<That's for you. AFTER I get my own mug.>

<Yes Magi!>

Magi Indago grinned, and bowed his head towards the Volzen. In this way, he could speak with the representatives of Jintha and still get his beer. Rank, indeed, was useful at times.

[bc56]

Overvann to Regno

"My apologies, Magi. On the topic of dragons, my Jarl has made himself clear that he intends to slay 'Ghe'dhok and any other dragon which should attempt to lay claim on his land, but also that he intends to bide his time until he's sure he can succeed."

[SquirrelWizard]

Yondar + Sfaïri Free Alliance
Vaylan nodded in response to Sir Blanc. "I'm afraid that our options for dealing with the dragons are limited at this time. The forces of the world are not very well suited for fighting a creature such as a Dragon. I would argue that a small group of elite hunters could do the job, but we would need some serious backing and equipment to even begin to think about taking on such a task. Even so, if such a group overcame one Dragon, I highly doubt that the others will readily fall prey to the same tactics." He glanced aside to the Doge of Lindeen and added, "Still there are those who would try. While I do not wish them ill, I feel that at this moment they are tipping our hands too early, putting potential resources and people at great risk. I feel this way for another reason as well. I spent some time in 'Ridi'r, their land and creatures have been shaped and twisted by the slumbering dragon. Now, Imagine what will happen when one of these dragons fights or dies?"

The consort thought for a moment, his bushy squirrel-like tail flicking with thought, "Still, there is one thing that we can use against them, they are not unified in their goals. This would open them up to manipulation if done right. Pitting them against each other would no doubt be terribly destructive, but equally effective. If we play our hands right, we might be able to influence where they fight, mitigating some of the devastation to somewhere that wont suffer as ill from it. To do this, we need to know more about these Dragons and how they interact."

He sighed, "Speaking of the dragon in the room. It is my understanding that some nations have offered you protection under their rule, specifically Lindeen. I would not extend such an offer, primarily because geographically we would be unable to honor any such agreements between our nations, but I would advise caution with the Doge. Many years past, Lindeen was offered a seat to the Northern Council with similar arrangements that Rhune and Yondar enjoy. She barely considered it instead descending into paranoid delusions, proclaiming it as an Coatl Perijanist plot to overtake the north. Such a plot is ludicrous being that one of the core tenets under which Yondar and Rhune joined was the protection of our religious practices. Lindeen is govern by its own self-interest, and while the Doge might be smiles now, allying with them may very well be courting another dragon."

[Corona]

Overvann:
"We accept your offer. I'll let the Treasurer figure out the details."(Trade TP 106.2 for Warded Locks & Fish Glue)

Jintha:
"Welcome..." Sir Blanc paused here, as the man (turtle?) from Jintha didn't give any title, but addressing him simply as 'Bete' sounded laughably informal, as if it were a child's nickname. "..Diplomat Bete. Indeed, I also wish for friendly relations between our nations. I hope that you'll allow us to import stone wood in the future."

Lindeen:
Sir Blanc is torn. He does like the doge, but she's being.. very forward. Furthermore, his wife died only recently, and he's not sure if he or the public are ready for a new marriage of his. "Well, I can lead you to your bedchambers... but see, the meeting hasn't ended yet, so would you please wait?" He returns to his seat.

Everyone:
After greeting everyone and closing some trade deals, Sir Blanc taps his plate with the side of a knife to get everyone's attention. "While this was not initially the purpose of this meeting, all of you gathered here speak of disposing of the dragons in one way or another. However, to succeed, we must stand united. Again, there is talk of cooperation, but no concrete plans have been made.

Two methods have been proposed, killing the dragons directly and turning them against each other. If we are to cooperate, we should decide on one of these plans, and all target the same dragon.

The Skyfather should be our first target, as he is the most hostile, destructive and straightforward, or stupid, if you will, dragon. He doesn't use any tricks, and didn't even consider that being friendly towards the countries of Emjata might get him more tribute. As such, plans to kill him or turn him against other dragons are more likely to succeed.

You might say that I'm arguing that we kill the Skyfather because he demands tribute from Sfaïr. This is not true. If the Skyfather is killed first with the contribution of other nations, I pledge that Sfaïr will help these nations to escape the yoke of their dragons and even help them with tribute until this can be done.

If you have any objections to this, please voice them now, otherwise we should choose the method: Kill him directly or manipulate him into fighting other dragons?"

[OOC: this would probably be a Military/Diplomacy (depending on the chosen method) international Great Project?]

[Aventine]

I intend to kill the dragon as soon as I have an F10.

I will get a more complete response up later tonight, but I figured that should be put out there OOC


"There was a time when N̨amodl was dismissed as straightforward, hostile, and above all stupid. And he died of old age in the palace that had once been his enemy's. He was in love with his own brilliance, and maybe too fond of elaborate, theatrical spectacles, but he was perfectly happy to watch people underestimate him. If a man can do it, why not a dragon? It's not a bad idea to try to remove a clear threat, but overconfidence will kill you quicker than it will."

Ghëtthä stepped back, having said his piece and curious how the others would respond. The prince slipped in behind him and whispered, "And why not let them try? A distraction, a diversion; maybe not enough of one, but let the beast's attention turn elsewhere. And their failure will make the Lady of the Fires's success that much more impressive to the heathens."

"If the snake-lovers don't pull it off first, you mean."

[Gengy]

Overvann to Regno

"My apologies, Magi. On the topic of dragons, my Jarl has made himself clear that he intends to slay 'Ghe'dhok and any other dragon which should attempt to lay claim on his land, but also that he intends to bide his time until he's sure he can succeed."

"Publicly, the Sultan's stance is to ensure that we remain on good terms with the Dragons nearest to Regno, including 'Gxe'dhok. However, privately, I have been told that the Sultan has different views on the matter. Though he is human, Oamenii greatly respect our Sultan's feelings towards his family; that's very important to us." Magi Indago said, being very selective with his words. "Our honor is our family's honor. Our glory is our family's glory. When our family is hurt, we hurt with it."

"Which is why it's very... frustrating to face into a storm, and scream in rage at the uncaring weather, as it beats upon your brow. Even more frustrating is wanting to scream at that storm, but knowing that not only would it eat you, it would then selectively kill your family for your impertinence." Magi Indago nodded slowly, not really looking at the Chief Ambassador, and hoped he was making his point.

Looking around at the gathered crowd, the Ambassador to Sfair said carefully, "I think, Chief Ambassador, that when you return to Overvann lands, you may wish to recommend to the Jarl to have a talk with Speaker Armis. A rather long one. Speaker Armis is very eager to share some of what we've learned, about many different things. And perhaps he can, as you say, help the Jarl to better bide his time."




Everyone:
After greeting everyone and closing some trade deals, Sir Blanc taps his plate with the side of a knife to get everyone's attention. "While this was not initially the purpose of this meeting, all of you gathered here speak of disposing of the dragons in one way or another. However, to succeed, we must stand united. Again, there is talk of cooperation, but no concrete plans have been made.

Two methods have been proposed, killing the dragons directly and turning them against each other. If we are to cooperate, we should decide on one of these plans, and all target the same dragon.

The Skyfather should be our first target, as he is the most hostile, destructive and straightforward, or stupid, if you will, dragon. He doesn't use any tricks, and didn't even consider that being friendly towards the countries of Emjata might get him more tribute. As such, plans to kill him or turn him against other dragons are more likely to succeed.

You might say that I'm arguing that we kill the Skyfather because he demands tribute from Sfaïr. This is not true. If the Skyfather is killed first with the contribution of other nations, I pledge that Sfaïr will help these nations to escape the yoke of their dragons and even help them with tribute until this can be done.

If you have any objections to this, please voice them now, otherwise we should choose the method: Kill him directly or manipulate him into fighting other dragons?"

As Ambassador from Regno - and living here within Sir Blanc's lands - Magi Indago took his time in answering, preferring to give others a chance to respond first. When few did so quickly, the Magi spoke up carefully, "I regret to inform Sir Blanc and his gathered guests that Regno will need to abstain from this discussion. We have found that our initial dealings with the Father of Silence have proven fruitful, and are still working on the best way to address the Brinefather in as polite a manner as we can. When those two are settled, if we can be of aid to our allies, we will be pleased to do so. We are quite aware of the plight that each Dragon brings, but are not eager to enter into any kind of conflict; after all, how do you challenge a dragon, when - if it doesn't want to fight you - it can just fly away?"

"I assure you, if the Sultanate discovers a method that works, we'll be pleased to share it with those of you whom will relish the challenge."

[bc56]

Overvann and Regno

"I will be sure to do that." The ambassador nods. He gets it.

Overvann and Sfaïr

"Our sincerest apologies, but we will be likewise unable to render aid until Ghe'dhok is dealt with." The kobold pauses. "However, we would be more than willing to lend aid afterwards."

[Moriko]

After speaking with the Overvann, Magi Indago needs a drink. Thankfully, he has a personal barrel of fine Leann Toll Beer in his study, and was just about to head that way, when he spied the Volzen speaking with Sir Blanc. It did make sense: Jintha made regular payments and mercantile trips to acquire some of Sfaïr's rare Platinum. Yet... Magi Indago had not yet had the pleasure to speak directly with a Volzen. Reports about them were sparse, to say the least, but favorable.

He swore not to do this often, but sometimes... rank had it's privileges. <Aspectus Adsecla, are you still in my study?>

<Yes Magi.> The younger Oamenii was one of those whom had returned with Indago to assist in educating Sfaïr in the principles of Initia; if only Adsecla could properly learn it himself. Supplemental lessons were apparently in order, and Indago made sure they happened.

<Excellent. The barrel from Thae Guceart. The one I specifically told you not to open for any reason.>

<The one that has, er, smells of beer?> Looks like someone needed supplemental lessons on listening to instructions as well. But that could come later.

<Yes. Open it. Fill two mugs with beer, and set one to the side. Close the barrel again - carefully - and then bring me one of the mugs you've filled.>

The mental communication was silent for a second, though Magi Indago didn't know why. If he had to guess, Aspect Scholar Adsecla had already been in the barrel and was now pleased to have a reason to cover his indiscretion. <Yes, Magi Indago. And the other filled mug?>

<That's for you. AFTER I get my own mug.>

<Yes Magi!>

Magi Indago grinned, and bowed his head towards the Volzen. In this way, he could speak with the representatives of Jintha and still get his beer. Rank, indeed, was useful at times.

As Bete notices that the man acknowledges him he quickens his step slightly, sir blanc had referred to Bete as Diplomat Bete and he recalled that people outside of Jintha were quite fond of their titles. As he neared the man Bete stretches out his hand and says "Greeting i am Diplomat Bete from Jintha and if i am not mistaken you hail from Regno. I have had many conversations with Testudo and he tells me wonderfull stories of your homeland and your prestigious Bratus Academy i do believe some of my countrymen will be attending there soon. We highly value the relationship with your country, you were the first to contact us after our isolation and we hope that we can build upon this and that our relationship will only grow stronger over time."


"Welcome..." Sir Blanc paused here, as the man (turtle?) from Jintha didn't give any title, but addressing him simply as 'Bete' sounded laughably informal, as if it were a child's nickname. "..Diplomat Bete. Indeed, I also wish for friendly relations between our nations. I hope that you'll allow us to import stone wood in the future."


Just as Bete finishes his introduction Sir Blanc speaks however there seemed to be a slight pause between the welcome and the mentioning of my name. Is this traditional or did the man forget my name that quickly and remind himself he also seems to have added Diplomat in front of it this is something to consider on the next introduction he makes. After this short consideration he replies.
"We do indeed have some stone wood available for trade at this current point in time, we are looking into ways that we can use this resource to benefit not only ourselves but also our allies like yourself. We have not yet settled on a direction we wish to take our stone wood however once the decision is made we will inform you. I extend the tanks of the people of Jintha for the invitation to this event and your welcome of me into your home."

After greeting everyone and closing some trade deals, Sir Blanc taps his plate with the side of a knife to get everyone's attention. "While this was not initially the purpose of this meeting, all of you gathered here speak of disposing of the dragons in one way or another. However, to succeed, we must stand united. Again, there is talk of cooperation, but no concrete plans have been made.

Two methods have been proposed, killing the dragons directly and turning them against each other. If we are to cooperate, we should decide on one of these plans, and all target the same dragon.

The Skyfather should be our first target, as he is the most hostile, destructive and straightforward, or stupid, if you will, dragon. He doesn't use any tricks, and didn't even consider that being friendly towards the countries of Emjata might get him more tribute. As such, plans to kill him or turn him against other dragons are more likely to succeed.

You might say that I'm arguing that we kill the Skyfather because he demands tribute from Sfaïr. This is not true. If the Skyfather is killed first with the contribution of other nations, I pledge that Sfaïr will help these nations to escape the yoke of their dragons and even help them with tribute until this can be done.

If you have any objections to this, please voice them now, otherwise we should choose the method: Kill him directly or manipulate him into fighting other dragons?"


As the words sink in Bete thinks back to the original dragon sighting that stopped the currents these creatures are big and could easily squish us if they wanted to what would we be able to do against such a force. The dragons have yet to interact with Jintha however from the reports that have been made the ones near us would demand tribute and not disturb us rather than attack.
"Jintha has luckily not had much interaction with any of the dragons so far and they seem to be content with the tribute they demand when this is given and therefore do not pose a significant threat at this point in time. That being said we are not planning on giving this tribute forever and the dragons must learn that they cannot do as they please. If you can prove that you have concrete plan to deal with the dragons be this killing them, turning them against each other or befriending them we are willing to listen.

[Corona]

The discussion of the dragons drags on, the foreign diplomats giving evasive answers or insisting that "their" dragon should be the first to be slain and Sir Blanc grows weary. He didn't call a meeting of the world leaders so that they could fight over the smallest privileges like little children, he wanted to protect the peoples of the world from the beasts that would easily destroy them all, unless the mortals stood united. Some southern diplomats that came to the event hardly even joined the discussion, signing their "Súthberg Accords" in a far corner of the room.

Having negotiated almost nothing but an agreement on the prevalent "we don't like dragons" opinion after working for hours, he finally stood up to leave. Then he remembered the Doge's request to be led to her bedchambers. He had heard of Lindeen's supposed reign of evil, but who knows? With these pragmatically self-interested rulers, anything could be propaganda. It was an obvious seduction attempt, but he was so tired that he couldn't resist her even if he wanted to, and he didn't want to. Her tan skin glistened in the evening sun's orange rays, and she had a air of intelligence around her, and Gerold was charmed instantly.

He walked up to where Vashta Narada was sitting. "Doge Narada, this meeting is fruitless and I need to rest. Will you come along?"

He helped her from her seat, and walked her up the stairs, into the best bedroom for visitors. He didn't return.

Nobody noticed them leaving, at first, as the debate was lively, and the Governors answered questions about Sfaïr for Sir Blanc. Still, he was the host of the event, so sooner rather than later someone was bound to notice. When it was found who exactly was missing and the servants confirmed that Sir Blanc and the Doge left together, the event is derailed instantly and chaos erupts among the Sfaïri present.

Elena Blanc is playing with a maid, oblivious of the diplomatic talks going on, when she overhears two servants whispering about the couple who just left. She freezes. "Huh? Daddy and... No way!" That Douzh woman is strange, in a very bad way. She hides it, but her tone lacks joy, sadness, anger and love. She doesn't feel. And daddy, he doesn't know! Elena started running to daddy to tell him, but was stopped in the middle of the room by someone banging extremely loudly on the table.

Anatole Theophanous has witnessed the last remnants of the Empire falling, he has seen the horrors of the civil war, but this, this was outrageous!"That half-elven w****! The little Doge, or should I say Dictator, thinks she can win over the world with a few sweet looks! And our grand Leader! All of you here are witnesses to this disgrace! That man is not fit to lead Sfaïr, not with her at his side! This is unacceptable, and I demand a vote on his continued Leadership! NOW! Who is against, raise your hands!"

He and one other Governor of the five present raise their hands. Sir Theophanous just gazes angrily at the relatively calm priest and the wrinkled woman, shaking her head disapprovingly, knowing he'd never persuade these holier-than-thou maniacs, and focuses on the other Governor who didn't raise his hand. "Elf! Why do you defend this shameful consorting with the enemy by our own Leader?! Just raise your hand, and we can elect a new leader immediately. Maybe it could be you. So why haven't you already voted?!" "Friend, while I am not necessarily opposed to removing Sir Blanc from his position, it would not be fair of us to have a vote on such an important matter while one of us is away, regardless of what the law says." This is the last drop for Sir Theophanous. "You can't be serious! Dame Rosagund is, as you well know, in Lasciemno, and might not return for months! You can decide this now!" The elf reacts only by smiling apologetically.

'Theo the Pompous' sees red. He storms out, grabbing Elena by the arm on his way and dragging her out."Your father... he wanted to talk to that woman, well, let's leave them alone then." Seeing her tearing up, he calms down somewhat and adds: "It's not your fault, sweetie. Come, I'll take you to the pastry shop across the street."

Certainly not all, or even the majority of the Sfaïri people are as enraged by the familiarity of the Alliance Leader and the Doge as Sir Theophanous, but they are all confused at the rather quick turn of events, and the convention's host is missing, so the priest-Governor announces the end of the convention. One by one, people leave the hall, still chatting about what happened.