WP-12-Diplo [Chilam Balam]: The Bearded Man Date:Wed, 05 Dec 2012 17:44:12 +0000 To reply, log in at http://www.websofpower.com/?Page=Login or use your newspaper form. Direct email replies do not go to the sender. (This is intended to protect the privacy of other players.) ====================================================================== From the Revised Histories of the Maya: . . .and when the intervention occurred the Chilam Balam captained his team in a formal Pok.a.Tok contest. The court at Chichen Itza was crowded. His pride, and the proof he required of himself and his vision, were vindicated when his team claimed victory. His sacrifice at the El Castillo gave honour to himself and the gods. The High Priests were preparing rituals to choose a new Chilam Balam when a most extraordinary thing happened; the Bearded Man returned. . . WP-12-Diplo [Zheng He]: The Holy Chinese Republic Date:Wed, 05 Dec 2012 18:24:20 +0000 To reply, log in at http://www.websofpower.com/?Page=Login or use your newspaper form. Direct email replies do not go to the sender. (This is intended to protect the privacy of other players.) ====================================================================== Rules of the World - My name is Zheng He, I am the former Admiral of the Fleet and new Holy Ruler of the Chinese Republic. Xuande was a weak man who caged himself in his palace and failed to see the world. He was feeble in guiding the military, and his errors led to the deaths of millions when God launched the Great Earthquakes against China, crushing some of our mightiest cities after we foolishly destroyed the Holy Outremer. Unlike Xuande, I am a man of the world, and not even a man, for I am a eunuch, able to fight for the good of all China rather than the interests of my own family. I have led the Great Chinese Fleets for many years, and am now leader of all the Chinese armies as well. The other generals and admirals of China have all agreed with me, and the proof is in our enormous battles and great loss of life today, fighting our greatest enemy, the unholy desert lord Sundiata of Niani. The God of the Grail showed us the way when He crushed our cities as punishment for our earlier failures. You may be wondering about this Grail. In fact I discovered it while exploring many years ago. A small cup, seemingly, but one filled with the greatest wisdom and power! The Mad Baldwin knew of its strength but was not strong enough himself to master it, so it left his lands and came into my hands. It is even more powerful when wielded by a eunuch, not for himself, but for his people... As for the world - Xuande had been scheming with Sundiata to partition the lands of the Mayans and then crush the Mongols. This was a path without honor. Sundiata claims it was the Mayans who started the World War by invading the Mongols, but in truth it was Sundiata who was the greatest hypocrite! Having long professed a desire for peace, it was he who instantly interfered the the War of the Grail between the Outremer and China, clearly seeking his own profit without thought for others. China had sought aid from the Mayans, which they granted in friendship, and we thank them. The Chinese are now a republic, bound by laws and the great Confucian administrative system, but led now by an elected Eunuch Senate, and no longer by an imperial "family" seeking personal gain at others expense. China will honor all agreements with all nations other than Niani. Yours from the front lines, Zheng He WP-12-Diplo [Sundiata]: Xeng He Date:Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:55:37 +0000 To reply, log in at http://www.websofpower.com/?Page=Login or use your newspaper form. Direct email replies do not go to the sender. (This is intended to protect the privacy of other players.) ====================================================================== Xeng He, your words are filth and the world knows what to make of what you say. At the bottom of this message I have attached a missive that my generals received from you before you invaded Baldwin. The world can read it if they care at all about your character, but I do not imagine any do. To clarify the sequence of events, I did join in the attack on Baldwin, though you may recall that I sent a query to you regarding my discomfort with attacking one so weak even after he invaded my lands. It is true that if he was going to die I figured I might take some lands, but I grew bored with picking on weaklings rapidly. You might want to brush up on who suggested the war on the Mayans (see below). Anyway, I did attack the Mayans when they, like you, decided to move on a much smaller foe with no warning. I would have done the same to you when you attacked Baldwin, but in that case the man was mad and, again, had already attacked me, so I saw no need to come to his aid. It is no matter. I had little heart for your faux war against the Chilam Balam, which is one reason why I never put many units there. My goal was to distract him while Khan rebuilt, and in the meantime figure out what to do. It would have been another unbalanced war, and not particularly interesting. This war that you have thrust upon us is a much better proposition. Khan and I are the underdogs in arms and production, but Allah watches over the armies of Niani, and Khan, well, Khan has horses after all. Your foolish attacks on my lands cost you dearly today, and, god willing, after more of this offensive the sides will be more balanced. Bring on those armies of yours and we shall see how this goes. Obviously, your ally's foolish inability to send a message did not help. I hope you have spoken to him about this. We are now set for glorious battle, with the forces of right arrayed against the forces of deception, betrayal, and stupidity. We shall see if this cup of the God of Abraham can rescue you from His Wrath. Sundiata Emperor Sundiata - My name is Zheng He. I am an admiral in the Imperial Navy of the Middle Kingdom. I met many of your trial chiefs while exploring the trade routes by sea. A copy of your recent message reached me. History and our own experiences have taught myself and many of my Imperial colleagues the importance of taking advantage of opportunities. This crazy Baldwin is weak and ripe for conquest. If you and your nation will ally with us, I and many other members of the Imperial armed forces are prepared to overthrow the weakling peacelover Xuande and immediately launch war against Baldwin with you. Between us, I believe we could partition his lands before either the Mongols or Mayans could react. Frankly I have never heard of Mongols wanting peace, and would like to take them out next. With both Baldwin and the Mongols destroyed, our nations would then have much the upper hand against the Mayans. WP-12-Diplo [Zheng He]: Real Life Comment Date:Thu, 06 Dec 2012 04:43:58 +0000 To reply, log in at http://www.websofpower.com/?Page=Login or use your newspaper form. Direct email replies do not go to the sender. (This is intended to protect the privacy of other players.) ====================================================================== Just for the record, I have no ill will towards any of you in real life, though the language may get a bit wild here in the game world as intrigue leads to betrayal... I hope none of you are offended either, and I am also hoping that none of you are bored any longer! There were safer courses of action for my characters, but I thought this might be the most interesting! And after all we need to make up for that very long and tedious buildup at the start... I am grateful to whomever is playing Baldwin for introducing so many roleplaying elements, and I hope we can all continue to play off one another's chacacters and stories! Also for the historical record, I believe the Ming dynasty emperor Xuande did have a eunuch admiral named Zheng He, who led a great Chinese trade and exploration fleet at a time when they dominated the East and might even have discovered the Americas before Europe. But the historical Zheng He was grounded by palace intrigues, China turned inwards, and the world passed it by as the Islamic and Western nations advanced in religion, political organization and above all technology. My research into Chinese history isn't much deeper than that, but since we started playing, I have been imagining an alternative Chinese history in which my imaginary Zheng He became a revolutionary figure. Could that have led to a totally different world history? WP-12-Diplo [Chilam Balam]: The Bearded Man speaks. Date:Thu, 06 Dec 2012 20:49:09 +0000 To reply, log in at http://www.websofpower.com/?Page=Login or use your newspaper form. Direct email replies do not go to the sender. (This is intended to protect the privacy of other players.) ====================================================================== The Bearded Man speaks. For long the Maya were intellectuals, scholars. A peaceful people, but formidable when angered! And long of memory. The Maya have considered themselves at war with Kahn since his declaration that he and his ally were planning on taking my resources by force! The horse lords were indeed worried, and I believe ultimately grateful that they were not destroyed at the time. When last I visited these lands Pacal was the leader of the Maya. The Maya led the Universe in both population and resource gathering. While some thought evil of the neighbours, I counselled Pacal in Peace. It seems some would like to rewrite histories, and punish past privacies. Sundiata, you spoke of deception and betrayal. You explained your vast array of forces on the Mayan border as destined for another foe, yet this was indeed the force that attacked Mayan villages without provocation or adequate warning. At least the Maya attacked a force with whom they were previously at war. We will eventually retake Tulum. I no longer council peace for the Maya. Together we will open the sea road and change the world. [RL there is a plaque in Tulum which states The Mayan's affirm that a sea road to Tulum will open up at a given moment and that when it does, the world will change. I could get no other information about it!] WP-12-Diplo [Sundiata]: khan Date:Fri, 07 Dec 2012 20:38:56 +0000 To reply, log in at http://www.websofpower.com/?Page=Login or use your newspaper form. Direct email replies do not go to the sender. (This is intended to protect the privacy of other players.) ====================================================================== Chilam Balam, As-Salamu Alaykum. I am confused by what you said in your last missive. You say you have considered yourself at war with the Great Khan since he declared himself at war with you. I could not remember any such claim, so I sent a scribe to investigate records. He saw that you attacked the Mongols on the 69th Period of Our Calendar with no warning. He saw that this was three periods after the Khan had sent a message saying that he wanted nothing but peace from any of his neighbors. The scribe looked and looked for this declaration of war that you alluded to, but the only thing he could find was way back in the 39th Period of Our Calendar, he threatened you if you did not share your bounty with him. But surely this is not the provocation you are claiming? Thirty periods after a provocative claim, three after that claim was clearly renounced, I imagine you're not suggesting that then a sneak attack on a peaceful neighbor with fewer than half your armies is justified because he was blustery in his youth? I imagine there must be something else. I have placed the incompetent scribe under guard as I await your reply. He will be immediately executed for missing the reasonable provocation for your attack, as a scribe that cannot find such messages is a disgrace in my court. Simply remind me when that happened, so I may punish my disreputable servant. Yours, Sundiata WP-12-Diplo [Genghis Khan]: History lessons Date:Sat, 08 Dec 2012 09:28:45 +0000 To reply, log in at http://www.websofpower.com/?Page=Login or use your newspaper form. Direct email replies do not go to the sender. (This is intended to protect the privacy of other players.) ====================================================================== It appears that all are involved in the rewriting of histories to their own advantage. What great fun! I must see what our learned ones can devise. I wonder if Baldwin is the only one who has gone mad? I must defend my people against all aggression. We have met the past aggressions of our Chinese neighbors. They know that we are fierce when pushed. I warn Zheng He to watch our for other factions within his own lands. There are many who would be emperor. We will not attack our neighbors, but we will defend ourselves. The Mayans are not our neighbors. We have sat too long while they have attempted to take our lands. It is time to fight back.