Court of the Caliph: BC Hotseat Council Thread

[deguerra]

Point taken. May we retire amicably from this dispute for now, to reopen it when the need is more presing? As was pointed out, neither of our illustrious nations is truly in the position to take the island.

[Xehh II]

The ambassador bows

Of course, you are right, there will be a better time for this discussion.

[barcamartin]

The Seljuk emissary sighs, and adresses the Georgian representative without rising to his feet.

The lands I spoke of will be Seljuk, even if your people decide to fight us. Your puny resistance would be crushed. With these words of disrespect and threats of war you greatly decrease the chances of peace between our nations. And you say that you have entered a pact with the Ghaznis ? That doesn't bother me or my countrymen one bit. We have conquered those weaklings before and if they challenge us we will crush them once more, without hesitation. As I said earlier, we had no intentions of going to war with you, Georgian dog, but your words here in this council have changed things. You should watch your tongue, infidel, or it may be taken from you !

His voice had been slightly ignorant through his entire speach, but with the last words it turned cold and threatening. Fixing the eyes of the Georgian with his gaze, he turns to his fellow Seljuk and tells him to inform the Sultan of what has been spoken in the council.

[rossahh]

The representative of Jerusalem bows to the Caliph and addresses the court:

I bring word from Jerusalem that with the overthrowing of the Shiite Fatimid Caliphate and the acension of Salahuddin Ayyubid to the Egyptian throne, an end of hostilities has been declared between our two peoples. This new-found peace shows that there is a chance for coexistence between Christain and Muslim, and we pray that it lasts.

[Zim]

The Ghaznavid representative bows in the direction of the Kwarezhm and Ayyubid emmisaries.

I would like to welcome the Kwarezhm Shah and Ayyubid Sultan to this Council.


He turns towards the Seljuk representative, without bowing.

As for the Seljuks, I would remind them that they have many neighbors, most of whom have unpleasant memories of occupation. Now that the Seljuks are in decline, I would reccommend that they not retain the attitude from the days in which they were a dominant power.

[00jebus]

A small group of men enters the chamber, looking alot like the Sassanids of old, though when their leader speaks it is with a clear turkish accent, bowing to the Calph he addresses the council

I bring word from the Khwarezm Shah, though now an old man, he wishes to make these claims and statements before he passes on.

In the few years he has left, the Shah wishes to make his claims on the following provinces known;
firstly the rebellious Khwarezm provinces of Merv, Samaquand and Termuz
secondly the Korosan provinces of Mashad, Tus and Nisapur
thirdly the Dalyami provinces of Gorgon, Sari and Amol

As all nations can profit from trade, we will be sending a permanant emmasary to Baghdad, so long as there are no objections from the Calph of course, where any man who wishes for a shorter journey may conduct formal business with us.

Though a humble nation, we strive for greatness, that does not mean we will do so in an overly aggressive way, the Khwarezm does not seek war with any of the nations represented here his eyes flash as he see's the turkish delegation, his voice seems more tense as though he remembered something painful from childhood ...though we do have long memmories and any invasion will be crushed.

We do look forward to hearing the wisdom of the council

[phonicsmonkey]

The Vizier

The Caliph welcomes the news of peace between Saladin and the Crusaders- long may it last!

The warmest of greetings is extended to the representative of the Mighty Khwarezm Shah - the Caliph would urge him to enter a constructive dialogue with his neigbours the Seljuks and the Ghaznavids to agree the peacful division of the un-aligned territories at their borders.

The Caliph does not object to the presence of a permanent Khwarezm representative at Baghdad. In fact he would urge all nations to send their diplomats here so that agreements and negotiations can be more efficiently expedited.

[00jebus]

My thanks go to the Caliph for allowing me to establish permanant residence here *the new abassador bows*

the shah would like to make it known that a formal non-aggression pact is currently en-route to the sultan of the seljuks, which already has his signature
If ratified, he renounces his claim on Amol and supports the turk claim on the settlement instead

it seems such formal diplomacy was not needed with the Sultan of Ghanzi, both he and the shah were of immiditally of one mind concerning their mutual border

[barcamartin]

A group of men enter the room. Their leader clears his throught and silences the room.

' I wish to announce that the one true Sultan and the Shah of the Khwarezm have come to an agreement, setting aside their differences. Following was agreed upon in the palace chambers in Rayy: '

- The Rayy treaty -

(Khawazi-Seljuk non-aggression pact)

- Cities of Gargon, Sari and Amol on the Southern bank of the Caspian Sea are never to have more than 6 units as a garrison, unless one ruler informs the other and validly motivates an increase of garrison troops.

- Neither nation will send troops or assassins into each others lands.

- Neither nation will use scouts/spies to incite the others cities to riot.

Doing any of the above will count as a transgression against the treaty. The treaty will remain in effect, but the transgressor must pay 500 florins to the other faction.

Attacking, assassinating or bribing armies, cities or generals of the other, on the others or neutral land will break the treaty. The one who does so must pay 10,000 florins to a uninvolved faction, democratically selected by the other factions in the council.

However, armies from one faction may help to defend allied factions from the other signatory, but only in their allies own provinces, not on neutral ground, or the property of the other signatory

The treaty may be nullified. After nullifying it, both factions are still bound by its terms for 2 turns


Private terms agreed upon during negotiation will be paid/fulfilled when the conditions are met.

Shah ala Addan of the Khwarezm

Sultan Sanjar of the Great Seljuks

[Zim]

The Ghazni rep glares briefly at the Seljuk section, then turns to address the Council.

I am glad to see that the Shah of Kwarezhm has managed to extract his fair share in his treaty, and paricularly impressed that he does so against our voracious neighbor to the west. As the Shah's diplomat notes, he and the Shah of Ghazni were of one mind concerning their border.

Since it appears the Seljuk Sultan will be going after rebel land to his southeast in lieu of the territories he rightfully agree should go to Kwarezhm, I am issuing a warning. He is not to take any territory to the east of the *Farah River, which I intend to be my western border.

He sits down.

* I apoligize if I got this wrong. In BC a river runs straight from west of Herat down to the Gulf. I don't have any good maps in the apartment, and could find a map online that showed one long, continous river in the region. I think the Farah river is the one by Herat, but am not sure, and do not know if it runs all the way down to the sea or turns into another river.

[barcamartin]

The Seljuk rises from his seat, and targets the Ghazni representative.

' There is no way the Sultan will be told what to do and not to do by the Ghazni weaklings. If the Sultan sees the lands of which you speak as valuable to our great nation he will send the might of the Seljuk army. Ghazni or not. '

Withour futher notice, he leaves the room. His assistant has no choice but to stay put, and withdraws into the corner of the room.

[Zim]

Ha, by "might of the Seljuk army" I assume you mean the overstretched forces of a decaying empire. The days of Seljuk dominance are over, your empire shattered, with shrinking borders. We do not fear you, and any atttempt to cross the Farah river will be met with overwhelming force.

Flustered, the Ghazni rep sits down, muttering to himself.

[barcamartin]

The Seljuk's assistant thinks of what to answer. Just as he rises from his chair, the doors fly open and the leading Seljuk emissary comes back in. He spots his man in the corner and walks over to him. When he hears of the latest insults the Ghazni spat out, he turns around and targets the man in blue and green.

' These words show your ignorance and stupidity. You are unwise to believe these words yourself. The empire of the Great Seljuks is never ending, and it's armies unstoppable in their rightous conquests. Heed this warning, Ghazni-dog. Your river won't stop us, neither will your beloved mountains. Tell your sultan that he may come out of his cave, we are not after him... yet. '

[Zim]

The Ghazni rep laughs.

Spared by an empire too weak to threaten our kingdom, too weak to even have kept hold of this very city in which we now meet? I will tell Shah Khusrau of this "favor" we are being granted. I believe he has not had a good laugh in a while, and this message will rectify that.

[barcamartin]

The Seljuk glares viciously at the Ghazni, and looks like he is just about ready to kill someone as his assistant pulls him back to his seat and mutters something in his ear. Occupied by this new topic, he ignores the whispers that fill the court room.

[00jebus]

the nation of Khawarezm would like to clarify its position on the minor sultanates south-east of Koroson,

we have no designs on those sultanates as of now, pehaps in five to ten years that will change, as we are not in the habbit of claiming things we cannot acomplish in reasonable time, we have not made any claim on these settlements

As the Seljuk sultan has made claims to lands in both Azerbijan and Mesopatania, we would insist he adopt a simmilar policy... lest he try and conquer on all three fronts at once and spread his forces to thiny, which wouldn't be a wise move at all, considering how antagonising his head emissary can be

[barcamartin]

' You should tell us nothing of claiming vast areas before they are even within your grasp. You stated right here in this council your territorial "desires", and they are not exactly humble. '

[00jebus]

my dear sultan, they do not need to be "within our grasp", as the people of those provinces make up the shah's armies of their own free will, it follows then, that he should provide them and their families with impressive towns in which to live, as opposed to their current rulers who let them stagnate in hovels, does it not?
If anything, these people are within our hearts, though I can see we have differing governing styles.

Though they may not be humble, they are completly honest, and well within the reach of our skilled generals and mighty soilders. How many other nations could say that?

Now, let this council turn its attention to something more important internationally than the logistics of the shah's army, or personal insults levied against the members of this august body...

Such as what has become of the holy city of Mekka? I am sure many in the council wish to know.

[Banzai Kamikaze]

An opulent bearded man enters the room, followed by a small retinue.

"Salam, fellow ambassadors. I have been sent by the the great, the powerful, nay, the legendary Salah al-Dīn Yusuf ibn Ayyub. My words are but a humble reflexion of his magnificent intelligence.

In his great wisdom, he has deemed necessary to send a new ambassador to this honorable court. You all have heard of the terrible Christian offensive which shattered the Fatimid's army defending Gaza, and which is about to occupy Damascus and Homs. Some of you may see this as a sign of weakness.

Friends and ambassadors, know that Salah al-Din wished the fall of the corrupted Fatimids, who wished to plunge the Holy Lands into a bloody war with the Honorable King Baldwen. It is He who convinced numerous Fatimid generals to join his cause and let the Christians strike the corrupted Fatimids in Gaza.

It is He who convinced the armies of Damascus and Homs to leave the corrupted Fatimids and join him.

Defeated by the Christians you say ? No, fellow ambassadors. Helped by King Baldwen. Helped by another man who wishes peace in the Holy land. Praise be to Salah al-Din ! He has risen from the ashes of the devious Fatimids to bring peace and order, not only to the Holy land, but throughout the Muslim world !

He whose deeds are legendary has risen an army larger than the horizon. Let the enemy of the Ayyubids tremble. Thousands of horses ride to the rebellious settlements of the Nile and western Arabia.

Ambassadors, I invite you for a feast, a gesture from Salah al-din himself. The Makurian, Georgian and Armenian ambassadors are NOT invited."

[phonicsmonkey]

The Caliph rises. All bow respectfully as he leaves the chamber followed by his entourage of holy men, slaves and nobles. The Vizier remains but is not mandated to speak in his absence.

[phonicsmonkey]

The Caliph and his entourage return.

The Vizier stands.

The Caliph is pleased to announce that the rebellious cities of Samara and Kirkuk have been restored to the Caliphate.

Allah u Akhbar!

[Banzai Kamikaze]

May every rebellious settlement fear the Muslim nations. May Allah bless the Caliph, for he is a son of Islam.

[Askthepizzaguy]

An emissary of the Honourable and Wise Sultan of the Turks would speak before the assembly:

"Greetings to you, noble lords. May this meeting bring peace and prosperity to your various nations and peoples.

My Sultan wishes to offer his sentiments of good will to all. It is the Sultan's will that our peoples, while varied in culture, ethnicity, and religious convictions, might find common groud to resolve our differences. The neighbors of the Turks, for example, are not of our religion, yet we would seek peaceful trade and relations with them.

The wise and benevolent Sultan envisions a great future where such distinctions are not a matter of great importance, as he knows that we all honour and serve God (Allah) in our own way.

The Sultan welcomes your emissaries of peace, that we might find solutions to our mutual problems and propser together as civilized peoples do.

In the name of Allah the most Merciful, the Sultan would also like to clarify that the Turkish people, although most peace-loving, do retain the right of self defense in case of unprovoked attack. There can and will be peace in Anatolia and throughout our lands. But all civilized nations should band together in the cause of justice and prevail upon those who would cause aggression.

The Sultan would like to offer aid and assistance to any nation whose borders have been violated by an aggressive power. To those beyond marching distance of our soldiers, we would offer assistance in other ways. Please send us your diplomats in the name of peace, that we may negotiate terms.

May the many blessings of Allah, or your chosen Divine God, be upon you and your peoples!

[Askthepizzaguy]

I do not wish to speak out of turn, but the Sultan of the Rum Turks wishes to express his regret and dismay that the peoples of the ERE and Georgia have not sent an emissary in the name of peace to establish even an informal treaty of nonaggression.

Lack of diplomatic contact in this matter is considered hostile. We wish to establish a peaceful coexistence with our friends and brothers of Georgia and the Eastern Roman Empire.

Please, for the sake of peace, meet with me to discuss terms, even if your actions be warlike, I am willing to discuss any deal which results in the further survival of the Turkish people. We may accept a vassalage and tribute deal in exchange for peace, should it come to that.

Let us not begin things as enemies. In the name of Allah, we can be your friends!

[Askthepizzaguy]

The ambassador of the Sultan of Rum would speak before the assembly:

The Treacherous Sultan of the Seljuk "Turks" has suggested that he will reconquer our lands in a threatening communication! The honourable and magnificent Sultan of Rum will not tolerate this outrage!

Fear us, traitorous Sultan of the Rum Turks. Your outlaw nation will not be tolerated. You will once again be part of the great nation of the Seljuk unless you agree to cede territory and tribute to our people! If you do not give in to our demands then war is the only possible course of action.

Let his treachery be exposed to all in this peaceful council. I am calling upon all civilized nations to come to the aid of the Sultanate of Rum, even if all you can offer is peaceful protest of this act of aggression.

We, the honourable people of Rum will not stand idly by and be bullied by a foreign power, even if they are brothers of the Faith. We are not to be bullied or trifled with.

I demand an arbitration to resolve this matter!

[barcamartin]

Hearing the the words of the Turk, the Seljuk emissary gets to his feet, clearly enraged.

' Noble and non-noble men gathered here, don't say you actually believe these words ? The foul Sultanate of Rum is just a power hungering pack of rebels, enjoying control of lands us Seljuks conquered for them. There lands will be ours, and nothing the puny Turks can do will prevent this. I ask you, noble men gathered here, to stay out of this conflict. This is a matter between true Seljuk men and pathetic Turkish outlaws. '

With these words, he glares angrily at the Turk and walks back to his seat. He mutters something to his assistant. The small man bows to his superior and leaves the court room.

[Askthepizzaguy]

The ambassador of Rum rises to his feet and angrily protests the lies of the Seljuk.

Your insults to the great nation of Rum have angered the Sultan.

It is only in the interest of peace and brotherhood that His Benevolence does not immediately declare war on your decadent empire! Brothers of the assembly, the Seljuk empire again seeks to claim rulership of the Caliphate, as demonstrated by their betrayal of their own people, the Turks of Rum.

I warn you, Seljuk; I am seeking alliances as we speak to counter your vile claims. Do not take any more aggressive action, lest our peoples come to war.

I would again call on any peace-loving nation to secure an alliance with the Sultan of Rum, as we desperately need military assistance to counter the belligerent powers of Anatolia. Your assistance brings with it the loyalty and tribute of the Rum Turks. Please help us in our most desparate hour!

The ambassador leaves the assembly and calls on his aide to sit in his place. The visibly shaken ambassador leaves to regroup and calm himself.

[00jebus]

the Shahdom of Khwarezm would like to call for restraint from both nations of turks.

It is our understanding that, to make war upon each other, armies would have to cross mountinus terrain which is bordered by the christian nations of Georga and Cillatian Armenia, who would undoubtadly get dragged into any conflict.

Surely neither sultan wishes the whole region of eastern asia minor to be engulfed in the flames of war over could be resolved peacefully?


the ambassador shakes his head as he resumes his seat and is heard muttering something about civil wars inflicting more hurt than anything else

[TheFlax]

The Georgian ambassador rises calmly.

Once more we bare witness to more Seljuk threats and warmongering. I ask you, noble lords, why are the Seljuks invited to this council of peace if all the words they share with us are threats, insults and territorial claims?

We are weary of the Seljuk's aggressive stance in every discussion and thus, until this council takes some form of action to promote peace talks instead of blatant threats we will take our leave. We encourage any who have similar feelings to do the same.

The Georgian ambassador then leaves the room, stopping only to say a few word to the Turkish emissary.

You should received our message by now, I hope it will prove satisfactory.

[Askthepizzaguy]

The delegate from the Sultanate of Rum will speak on behalf of the Turkish ambassador who is not present:
Would the honourable Shah of Kwarezm be offering to resolve this dispute as a neutral arbitrator?

It is in the best interests of all our peoples to avoid conflict. I would greatly value any assistance in this matter that the Shah or any neutral observer may offer. The Seljuk have rejected our offers of trade and a treaty of nonaggression.

It is not we who wish to make war, as the Sultan of Rum is greatly pleased to announce that the ambassadors of the Eastern Roman Empire and of the great Kingdom of Georgia have established diplomatic relations with our peaceful nation.

Already the hand of friendship has been extended to all our immediate neighbors, yet I fear that will not be enough. Unless our dispute with the Seljuk is mediated, it is entirely possible our people will have to arm for a defensive battle.

I have contacted the Georgian King on this matter, and he agrees that a treaty of mutual assistance may be in order.