Court of the Caliph: BC Hotseat Council Thread

[deguerra]

The Imam Sultan of Oman and Muscat owes loyalty to no man, Caliph or otherwise.

None the less, the words of the Caliph are both true and wise, and all faithful would be smart to consider them, lest they incur the wrath of God.

[rossahh]

Still the chair of Jerusalem remains empty...

[_Tristan_]

The Armenian messenger, still clad for war, rises up to speak.

In my homeland, wa have a saying that goes :

"Dogs quarrel among themselves but against the wolf they are united"

The filthy and rabid Roman and Latin dogs are fighting over the wolf cub corpse that was Armenia...

But killing the cub will bring the true wolf out of the woods...

Here is proof of the lowly and cowardly acts of our Christian brethren

Will no one but the Turks stand to defend Armenia from those unclean dogs ?

[Askthepizzaguy]

The Turkish delegate, who is seated next to his friend the Armenian ambassador, rises and proclaims the following:

We have now signed an offical and public treaty of alliance with the Armenians. We have also rescued the survivors of the Armenian massacre, including surviving members of the Royal Family, and they are now under our jurisdiction and our protection.

Any further aggression towards the Armenians, whose homelands were destroyed, will be seen not only as an act of war, but they will be declared war crimes.

These people are now refugees in our lands, and they pose no threat to any nation or kingdom. To act against these people now is to kick a dying man in the face while he labours to breathe, and I will not tolerate such acts of cowardice. That kind of unmerciful and unneccessary behavior will immediately bring down the wrath of the entire Turkish army, no matter what their current maneuvers are.

To put it bluntly;

If we are at the gates of Constantinople, and we are nearing victory against the treacherous Romans, and the Armenians are attacked again... We would end all hostilities with the Romans, offer them regular tribute, and even offer an alliance with them. Then we would not rest until those who would attack civilians and refugees are put to the sword or burned at the stake. The Romans may currently be our enemies, but there is a special place in hell for those who massacre civilians and refugees of war who don't even have a nation of their own.

How serious are we?

If we were allied with the aggressors, we would publicly end the alliance and immediately declare war. Further acts of aggression towards these people will not be tolerated in the slightest.

turning towards the empty seat of the ambassador from the Kingdom of Jerusalem

These words are not specifically directed at the great representative of the Latin kingdom. Indeed, they are directed at anyone who would bring harm to our Armenian brothers, be they our enemies or our allies.

turning to the council

In fact, on a more positive note, we seem to have reached a peace arrangement with the Latin kingdom, and we will verify this shortly. Therefore, we wish to make clear our position; Jerusalem is not an enemy of the Turks. Those who attack Jerusalem without just cause will not be friends of the Turks. That is the official position of the Sultanate of Rum.

We are committed to peace, great council. Since the Kingdom of Jerusalem has accepted the terms of a peace agreement, we must now press the Romans to do the same. Until then, we regret that we are still at war with the Imperialist aggressors.

The terms of our official treaty with the Armenians will soon be made public, and will bear the official signatures of both the Sultan of Rum and the new King of Armenia. Peace be upon those who would not aggress their neighbors.

We also wish to offer our thanks to the nations who are now our creditors, for they have enabled us to more swiftly end this war with Rome. Peace will come to these lands soon, and our creditors will soon be repaid many times over for their generosity.

[rossahh]

Eyes turn to gaze at the chair for the representative of Jerusalem, but still no one is there...

[Banzai Kamikaze]

Slowly rising from his infamous chair

Praise be to the Rum Sultanate and the Latin kingdom, for they have found peace where hate and despair ruled.

The Ayyubids are not conviced, however, that this conflict is entirely over until Jerusalem's delegate returns and declares peace himself.

On a personal note, I find it interesting to see how your Jesus and your Christian God do not mind Christians killing themselves.

In the eyes of Allah, these fightings were most unholy and irrespectful of His teachings. Christian ambassadors, you should bring copies of the K'ran to your noble courts and learn from the ways of Allah and his prophet Mohammad.

With an arrogant smile,

Muslims would never kill their own brothers, Christians should do the same.

[Askthepizzaguy]

There is now a formal and public Treaty of Alliance between Sultan Kilij Arslan and the recently crowned King of Armenia, Takavor Hetum.

Sultan Kilij Arslan the Indestructible, Defender of the Armenians, Destroyer of Romans, friend to all noble, peaceful, and honourable nations, hereby and formally requests that all nations respect the great friendship shared between the peoples of Rum and Cilicia. Although displaced from their homelands, the Sultan welcomes these honourable Christians across our borders, and will defend the survivors of the Armenian massacre until his own death by the hand of his enemies on the battlefield.

The Treaty of Adana

This is a formal and binding treaty agreed upon by both involved parties in Anatolia, to preserve Armenian freedom and prosperity, as well as provide aid and assistance to the Sultan of Rum in times of crisis. Here are the terms:

1. The Sultanate of Rum is to provide a new homeland for the Armenian refugees, and provide for the defense of the Armenian people.

2. The Armenian Nation is to withdraw from their conquered territories in peace, thereby allowing the Sultanate of Rum to negotiate the terms of a treaty on their behalf, with both the Roman and Latin delegation.

3. The Sultanate of Rum is to speak on behalf of the Armenian Nation in all matters of treaties and defense. Armenia retains the right to obtain her own trade agreements, and Armenia also retains the right to make their own public statements and share their unique viewpoint with the council. However, we are now one nation, and the Sultan is the head of state, therefore all matters of foreign policy must go through him.

4. The remaining armed forces of Armenia are to stand down and adopt a defensive posture within the heart of Rum territory.

5. The Sultanate of Rum and the Nation of Armenia are now united in all matters of foreign policy. Any attack on Armenia is an attack on the Sultan himself. Any peace treaties negotiated with the Sultan also apply to the Armenians. The Armenians are not to aggress any nation whatsoever, lest our alliance be terminated, unless the two nations are already engaged in war with an aggressor state.

6. The Nation of Armenia will donate whatever remaining arms and hard currency towards the cause of the Rum Turks, that we may better provide for their defense.

7. According to international law, should Armenia's war debt exceed 20,000 florins, all financial arrangements must be cancelled, until their economy is rebuilt and their currency holds weight again.

8. Prizes taken in war against the Roman aggressor state will be donated, in whole or in part, to the Armenian Nation.

9. There are private terms of the treaty as well, agreed upon in good faith and will be honoured as such. We retain alliance, military access, trade rights, and shared map information throughout the duration of this treaty.

10. The Armenian Nation is a temporary Protectorate of the Sultanate of Rum, and the recently crowned Armenian King has agreed to accept vassalage under the Sultan until such time as his nation can once again stand independent and ward off aggressor states.

11. Any further acts of aggression towards the Armenian refugees and civilians will not be tolerated. Such actions can only be called atrocities and war crimes.

Provision for Armenian Independence

12. Armenia will be donated new lands and their war debts are to be repaid. At such time, or at some time in the future after that, Armenia may request formal independence and it will be granted by the Sultanate of Rum, under the following conditions.

I. All Turkish and Armenian forces are to withdraw from one another's territory.

II. The Alliance will be formally terminated by mutual agreement, until a new treaty of alliance is signed by both parties.

III. There will be a binding agreement not to trespass or commit aggression upon one another for at least 5 turns. If this arrangement is breached, it will be a betrayal of our formal alliance, and the wrath of the council should be upon the aggressor state.

IV. Trade rights will be maintained in such a case. The termination of our trade agreements would incur a penalty of not less than 1000 florins upon whomever cancelled the deal.

V. Armenian independence cannot be granted until their nation state is no longer indebted to any nation. All outstanding debts are to be repaid; according to international law, Armenia cannot and will not be used as a loophole to provide unlimited funds which have no actual value in international trade. And so therefore, the Armenian war debt will be repaid. The honour of both nations guarantees this.


-Official signature of Takavor Hetum, the recently crowned King of Armenia

-Official signature of Sultan Kilij Arslan the Indestructible, Defender of the Armenians, Destroyer of Romans, friend to all noble, peaceful, and honourable nations.

[The Lemongate]

The ambassador of Rome who had been coming and leaving the Council quite often in the last few weeks returns with a missive bearing the seal of the Basileos in his hand.


I wish to announce to this Council that Rome has beaten back the barbarians that sought to subjugate her cities. Kilij Arslan the "Indestructible" Sultan of Ikonion has been captured at the siege of Amorion by the glorious hosts of Ioannes Ducas and Basileos Manuel Megas Komnenos. After willingly admitting to his crimes, he was paraded in the streets of the city he vainly tried to oppress and swiftly beheaded.

His remains have been sent back to Attaleia where his sons cower in fear of the Basileos of Rome and his mighty kataphracts.

Because Rome is generous, we extend an offer of truce to the new Sultan if he would return the city of Attaleia to Rome, cease his support of the felonious Armenian court in exile and pledge not to enter Roman lands or mass troops near Roman borders.

This would restore the status quo between Rome and Ikonion. Though this goes against regular Roman policy, we would be willing to hear the Caliph's point of view on this proposal. His wisdom might yet avert further bloodshed.


Peace is possible in our time. And may the Light of Christ guide the Sultan's judgement.




Completely OOC: But shouldn't we all be referring to the Turks as the Sultanate of Konya / Ikonium / Ikonion (go with your language preference) rather then Rum (Rome). I don't believe they used that name for themselves until the late 1300 when they owned most of what was Anatolia and parts of Greece though I might be wrong there. But whatever, that's just me rambling here...

[phonicsmonkey]

The Vizier stands.

Caliph An-Nasir the Peacemaker fully supports any deal between Roman and Turk that would end the bloodshed in Anatolia.

While the Caliph will not comment on specific aspects of the deal the Romans have offered, he urges the Turks and the Romans to negotiate in good faith to bring an end to the violence and fear which plague the lives of the Anatolian peoples.

He offers to act as a mediator if such a man is required to assist in the negotiations.

The Caliph mourns the death of Sultan Kilij Arslan - a great man of Islam has passed on.

He knows that the Sultan will be celebrated in paradise as a devout and committed leader of the Faithful, but urges his successor to tread the path of peace so as not to join him there prematurely.

[Askthepizzaguy]

The Sultan's messenger arrives from the Roman front:

"Due to the chaos and confusion of war, we cannot comment at this time regarding any peace deals, until the new head of state has been appointed.

With the death of the Great Sultan Kilij Arslan, his heir may be willing to discuss peace terms. However, since the intelligence from the battle has not yet come in, no deals will be made, and preexisting deals remain.

The Rum Turks have no regrets. Sultan Kilij Arslan sought peace will all his neighbors, bravely fought against Roman aggression, assisted his ally in a time of need, offered generous reimbursement packages to those supporting his cause, and never once backed down to the forces of tyranny.

I have need to present the last will and testament of Sultan Kilij Arslan, which reads as follows:

-------------------------------------------

The last will and testament of Sultan Kilij Arslan the Indestructible, Holy Warrior of Islam

Friends and brothers of the Council, if you are reading these words then the time of my death has come. But you should not feel sorry for me, because I died doing what I believe was the right thing. I lived my life to support the cause of truth, justice, and freedom, and I never once gave in to imperialist aggressors. Should I die valiantly in such a cause, then my Muslim brothers should not fear, nor should they mourn my death.

Indeed, it is a cause for celebration that a brother of the faith has died defending Armenian freedom, Turkish freedom, and in trying to prevent the forces of imperial aggressors from claiming more lands in the name of greed and avarice. Would you see this day as a defeat, I would ask that you raise your chin, and praise Allah's name. For the same manner of death that befalls the Sultan Kilij Arslan can happen to our enemies as well. Indeed, Allah has willed that no man be immortal...

Some have questioned the use of my nickname, "the indestructible", as if it were to imply that my mortal vessel were somehow eternal. This is not so. Those who strut and smirk and taunt because they managed to defeat a man in battle have much humbling in their future, because they are but mortal men as well. No, "the indestructible" refers to the truth that freedom will always triumph over tyranny. No matter what happens, no man can bend, break, or destroy the truth of our existence, part of that truth which binds humanity together is the fact that given the choice, men would rather stand up and fight against tyranny, instead of stand idly by, or join the cause of evil.

One might look to our current situation. Let us suggest that the Rum Turks have indeed been defeated in battle, and they are either to be vassals or destroyed by the Romans or the Latins. Is the battle of Anatolia over? For now, perhaps it is. But the war is not over.

No, the war against the forces of tyranny is never over. No defeat, no setback, no fear, and no despair can ever stop the forces of freedom from challenging tyrants such as the Roman Imperialists and the Levantine traitors of Christ.

The men who remain in Rum will never surrender, never falter, never waver, and never accept defeat. They have all taken a solemn vow to stand up and fight against Imperialist aggressors. It is my legacy that the Rum Turks will fight to the last man in the cause of freedom. We will also honour our agreements with the BRAVE men of the council who chose to support our just cause.

The snickering and taunting of the Romans will soon be silenced, for they do not yet realize how hollow their victory is, and how soon death will be at their doorstep. If they think the endless and mighty armies of Islam will stand idly by and watch their fellow Muslims get slaughtered, then they do not understand the concept of brotherhood. If they think that their aggressive and warlike actions towards their own Christian brethren and the council will go unpunished, then, perhaps like myself, they have miscalculated. And just as grave as my apparent miscalculation, the Romans will find their own error to be just as deadly.

Friends and brothers of Islam:

I now declare a Holy Jihad against the Roman imperialist aggressors. The city of Constantinople will fall before the might of the armies of Islam. These traitors who cowardly backstab their own friends and brothers of their faith, who trade loyalties in brothels for coin, and who have declared war on all their neighbors, they will not live to see the day when they can peacefully coexist with the vast and eternal armies of Islam.

The remaining Rum Turks have all joined this sacred quest, upon my death, they are all to summon their courage and march on Rome. I call upon my Muslim brothers, in my absence, to aid them in their cause. For now, I can no longer guarantee that any further tribute can be repaid, but I can guarantee that any further support to the Muslim Turks of Anatolia will bring more warriors of Islam into the fight for justice.

Perhaps you do not all trust one another. Perhaps you have pressing matters at home to attend to. Perhaps you are busy quelling riots in rebellious provinces, and cannot afford to struggle in the name of Allah.

Then you have a choice: You can watch the Turks of Anatolia die bravely in their cause, and do nothing to prevent Imperial Rome from marching towards your homelands...

Or you can stand with my brothers and children this day, and declare in one voice; we will never surrender to the forces of Imperial Rome. We will never vanish into the night, we will not roll over and die without a fight, we will not allow the armies of the infidel to continue killing good Muslims without retribution, we will not allow the great and noble Islamic civilization to fall to backstabbers, traitors, tyrants, and cowards!

Join me, my brothers! Join me!

I bravely accepted this challenge, and I did not waver when staring death in the face! I never backed down from my principles, and neither will the Rum Turks!

Join me, warriors of Islam! My final request to Caliph an-Nasir of the Abassid Caliphate:

Approve my call for a jihad, that the vast and endless armies of Islam would descend upon thy unclean and treacherous foe... Only when Constantinople falls, will the aggressors against Christian and Muslim nations alike finally realize that to attack a Muslim nation without cause is to invite every able bodied Muslim to their doorstep, wielding great assortments of razor-sharp weapons, chanting the Holy name of Allah!

By the death of Sultan Kilij Arslan, the Indestructible forces of truth and justice will swarm upon our treacherous foe, and the vanquisher will become the vanquished!

Let there be no peace will bullies, aggressors, and tyrants! Let there be no peace with those who declare war on their neighbors and brothers! Let there be no surrender, no vassalage, no tribute, no treaty! Let there be no appeasement of tyrants! Let there be no shame and fear in fighting to our deaths to defeat the scourge of the Islamic world! Let there be none who question the just cause of freedom! Let there be an eternal jihad against the treacherous forces of slavery and oppression! Let the proud and holy name of Islam be shouted from the rooftops, from the streets, from the hills, from the mountains, from the Ghorid emirate to the nation of Saladin Ayyubid, from the Khwarezmid nation to the Imamate of Oman, from the vast territories of the Great Seljuk, to the honourable state of Ghazi, from the Abassid Caliphate, to the Rum Turks fighting against Imperialist aggression, let the proud and holy name of Islam declare forever and unending war against injustice!

Let the indestructible cause of truth and justice lead the swords of Islam to the throats of the oppressors and invaders of Anatolia! Let the anger and wrath of Allah for these great injustices and war crimes be swiftly and forcefully dealt in stinging and crippling blows against the infidels who will one day kneel in fear of Islam!

Let my death mark the beginning, not the end, of the eternal struggle against the sinners and heretics, the pirates and criminals, the imperialists and the Crusaders. Let my death clear a path for those to follow in my brave footsteps, to finally put this vicious pack of wolves on their backs, and unapologetically cut off the heads of these serpents.

Let there be war with those who make war, and peace with those who make peace! Let the sons of Islam, and all others who care truly about justice, rise as one and SMITE THE INFIDELS!

I will be at the right hand of Allah to guide your struggle... for now that I have ascended, a proud warrior, into the kingdom of heaven, I am indeed indestructible, and so is the truth of the message I bring, and so is the concept of freedom and justice for those who would fight for it.

LET THE ROMANS HAVE THEIR HOLLOW VICTORIES, FOR THE WRATH OF ISLAM WILL DESCEND UPON THEM AND SHOW THEM THE SAME MERCY THEY SHOW THEIR ARMENIAN BROTHERS!!!

LET THERE BE HOLY WAR AGAINST THE TRAITORS OF CHRIST!!! LET THERE BE....

JIHAD!!!!

Allahlalalalalalalalalalalalalallah!!!

[rossahh]

The doors to the court open. The representative of Jerusalem strides in. He seems no longer the old man that he once was. He seems younger, more energetic, more astute.

The Armenian delegate glares at him, and he glares back. The Turkish delegate eyes him apprehensively - the Sultan's will still in his hands.

With a bow to the Vizier, the representative moves to the unoccupied chair. Upon reaching it, he turns and addresses the court.



So, we are back.

The conclusion of hostilities between Jerusalem and Armenia has allowed us to return this court of nations. Much has been said in our absence, and by many,

throwing a glance at the representatives from the Cairo, Anakara and Constantinople in turn

but we hold no grudges. We have shown that peace can prevail and we implore the Turks to see reason and accept the reasonable terms of peace from the Romans. Though it may be quite unlike the peace you previously offered them, your Sultan's recent demise by the hands' of the Romans should show you that peace is preferable to war. Can not all follow our good example and match your words of peace with action?

I duely hope so.



The representative sits down, and makes himself comfortable. He doubts very much the other representatives will simply let him return without some interrogation.

[Banzai Kamikaze]

Brothers of Islam ! Sons of Allah ! The death of Sultan Arslan results in a great sadness for the Ayyubids. His death shall be mourned for seven day by our entire diplomatic staff. We shall pray for his passing in the hands of Allah.

May he find peace, and may the Roman blade that struck him down be cursed for eternity.

The Ayyubids are deeply saddened by this death and by the turn of events in Anatolia.

We pray Constantinople will understand that this war is far from over, unless they negociate with the Turks. The Roman coffers can't hold on forever, and I believe it is in the interests of Emperor Manuel to stop the current bloodbath with a solid and LASTING peace treaty with both the Turks AND the Armenian survivors.

The Jihad called by the Sultan is stirring up a lot of debate by our Imams and Generals. Only Salahuddin's will is keeping control of the fury of our own people against Constantinople. How long this control will last is an issue of its own.

[Askthepizzaguy]

The shaken and embarrassed delegate from the Sultanate of Rum still holds the will of Arslan in his hands, and is clearly surprised by the words his Sultan wrote, as he stares blankly at the scroll, he hears whispers and murmurs in the crowd of assembled delegates... the Muslim delegates are clearly reacting to the words of the slain Arslan, far more than the delegate anticipated.

A messenger wearing Turkish colors arrives in the council chambers, appearing from the hall leading to the private negotiation rooms. He hurriedly moves over to the Turkish delegate and excitedly whispers into the Turk's ear some urgent news, no doubt.

The shocked expression on the noble Turk's face only deepens, as he clearly cannot believe what he has just been told. He immediately gets up from his seat and storms out of the Chambers, clearly moved by something the messenger has said. He heads in the direction of the private negotiation quarters, and leaves the messenger in his place.

Speaking out of turn, the messenger moves to the front of the hall and announces to the murmuring guests:


"Brothers of Islam! Even in his death, Sultan Kilij Arslan is clearly able to fight against the Roman imperialists! Already, forces acting on behalf of Rum interests have more than doubled their commitment to the security of the Rum Turks! The Holy Jihad is upon us!!!"


The Caliph reacts swiftly to this glorified mail carrier's attempt to hijack the peace negotiations. He claps his hands and the guards chase him out of the chambers. But already the warriors of Islam do not seem to need his consent to wage jihad against the infidel. Clearly, for peace to happen between the Romans and the Turks, the Romans would need to figure out a way to calm the Muslim outrage regarding the death of Arslan. Should they consider this a small matter, they will undoubtedly find themselves on the receiving end of the wrath of the faithful Muslims, who greatly outnumber the Romans.

The seat of the Turkish delegate on the council remains empty, for now, but an appointed scribe remains to take note of all the various announcements and proclaimations, and perhaps also to gauge the reactions of the assembled delegates.

If Arslan's words have provoked such a strong reaction among ambassadors and delegates trained to control their emotions, then there is no telling how the warriors of Islam in the field will react. Indeed, the blood of the Muslims is reaching the boiling point.

[phonicsmonkey]

The Caliph rises slowly from his seat, where he has been sat for some time with his brow furrowed in concentration. He is clearly troubled by the events at Court. After a long moment's pause while his gaze scans the chamber, finding the eyes of each man there and gaining his attention, he begins to speak in a low but resonant tone.

Those who see the cold mouth of the grave opening before them would call on others to join them - it was ever thus.

The dying words of the Sultan of the Anatolian Turks implore me to call a jihad against the Romans.

I cannot do so - a jihad in its true form can only be called by Allah himself, through his mouthpieces on earth the Imans. And his call will only be heeded if the Iman who makes it commands the respect and loyalty of the ummah, that they would die in battle for him.

There are no Imans in the Caliphate with sufficient stature that the Faithful would die for their words - let the Turks look elsewhere for such a man.

If they are able to find him, and his call is convincing enough to the faithful, we will see then whether there will be a jihad.

You might ask, could not the Caliph himself call a jihad?

I think not - although the Prophet's blood runs in my veins I do not claim to know the mind of Allah in this or any other matter. His angels do not speak to me as they may have to my predecessors - I must let my own conscience guide me.

And so we come to war - simple and deadly war. That is all the Turks can ask of the Caliph, and I must refuse them this.

The Romans are the aggressors in this conflict, that is true - but against their own brothers in religion the Armenians.

They have not attacked the Faithful - the Turks have joined the war of their own free will in defence of their Christian neighbours.

And well might they, but their treaties of mutual defence are their own concern and not for the Caliph or other leaders to enforce for them.

The Caliph's armies will not march on Constantinople, and he will not implore others to send their armies there.

I will call one more time for peace between the Romans and the Turks - let them sit down and discuss terms that will end this shameful cycle of violence!

The Caliph sits, clearly exhausted.

[The Lemongate]

The Turks spend so much time talking about peace and war and so little time negotiating with their neighbors in good faith. Why can't they sit down and consider returning to the state of things as they were before this foolish war. It has brought both sides only misery and death.

[Askthepizzaguy]

ooc-

Actually we've sent you numerous private messages, both IC and OOC.

(the welcome, great to have you back one was clearly OOC... I doubt the Sultan was actually overjoyed... lol)


Your offer of peace was heard and rejected for the same reasons as before, as the terms are the same, except this time we hold one of your provinces.

(you'd like to have this discussion publicly, so be it)

True, you've scored a victory on the battlefield, but unless I begin my turn and find my entire First, Second, and Third ranks annihilated, I cannot simply surrender, especially since I have received many more generous offers of assistance.

The reason we objected to your terms was because no negotiation on your part was offered, and the terms we felt were ungenerous and left us vulnerable. Having your armies stationed on the border of my capital and main recruitment center, having no buffering territories in between, and having no demilitarization aggreements, that would be a foolish peace to agree to.

I could turn as you suggest and march my armies east, to claim rebel provinces between myself and the Caliph which I've already claimed, and at least 3 other nations respect those claims. But how am I to march there when I have an undefended capital and recruitment center as sitting ducks, with hostile Roman arms parked on the border? Given your actions against Armenia, I have no choice but to not trust you.

I am not saying there is no room for peace, but given the long and the short history of Rome to date, I would need a different proposal before I could accept. You rejected mine, and so therefore you must now propose an alternative. Otherwise it is total war until one of us is a vassal or destroyed.

But, it's only a game, so don't mistake our firm stance on this, both IC and OOC, as hostility. To be honest, I just recently snagged myself a very awesome girlfriend, and if Turkey goes down in flames, I will probably laugh.

During my turn, it's all business, but right now, it's all good.

[Ramses II CP]

There is a simple matter that I wish to bring before the court. There was a private arrangement between the Sultan of the Ghorids and the Maharaja regarding the dispensation of rebel territories between our lands. It can most simply be described as the Delhi line, as Delhi and all territories east of that province were to belong to the Maharaja while all territories west of that line, including the wayward Sindi people, were for the Ghorids.

The Maharaja is extremely displeased to note that the Ghorids have, despite that agreement, layed siege to a city east of the Delhi line. If the Ghorid Sultan intends Thanesar to be a gift for the Maharaja it will be accepted, otherwise the Sultan should withdraw his men and leave the rebels of Thanesar to be dealt with by the Maharaja in his own time.

I ask the members of the council, and especially my fresh Ghazni allies, if this behavior is acceptable for Muslims?

(Kwaz have a trade rights/map info exchange offer on the table. Since some have been getting lost in the actual game, though I'd make a note of it out here just in case.)

[Ferret]

I had no idea I had broken our agreement. I was under the impression that you were to have the lands to the East and South of Delhi, which does not include this place. If you wish to renegotiate then I am listening, though you are hardly in a position to dictate the terms.

[Ramses II CP]

No renegotiation is necessary, I believe I still have the maps you sent, which clearly mark the Thanesar region as belonging to the Rajput nation. Shall I present them to the council? What is this about dictating terms? I wish only to have our agreement fulfilled accurately as you presented it.

I am most puzzled by the fact that you proposed these borders yourself, but now seek to violate them. Has the Ghorid leadership undergone some changes recently?

[Ferret]

I say again I had no idea I had broken the agreement, I shall look for the maps and send orders to my general to withdraw.

[Zim]

The period for mourning his son has ended and the Ghaznavids are again ready to deal with the Council.

Shah Khusrau is displeased with this turn of events, although it is promising that the Ghorids have declared that they will end the siege of this contested city.

Although he would be loath to choose between two nations he considers himself on friendly terms with, the newly minted alliance between Ghazni and the Maharaj would make the choice both quick and obvious. Let the Sultan of the Ghorids be warned.

[Ramses II CP]

The peace loving peoples of India are very glad to hear of your wise decision, Sultan of the Ghorids. May our borders remain settled for years to come.

Your pledge is much appreciated mighty Shah Khusrau, but of course it is hopefully unecessary.

I thank all the members of the Council for their attention to this matter as well.

The emissary of the Rajputs bows deeply to the emissary from Ghazni, then the Ghorid's man, and then towards the seat of the Caliph.

[Askthepizzaguy]

A Turk enters the throne room, bloodied and exhausted. He smiles at the Armenian delegate, and then takes his seat.

Then he waves a mocking hello to the Roman ambassador.

"I hope you didn't need that eastern army too much..." mutters the Turk, who chuckles to himself.





OOC- An entire legion of the Roman army, the very same who killed our leader last turn, has been annihilated by our forces who were lying in wait outside Ankara. The armies of Jihad are on the rise, and we are winning this battle! Let all the faithful continue to support our cause. I spit on the Roman offer of "peace".

Peace with Romans? I'm sure the Iberians, the Gauls, the Cathaginians, the Latins, the Etruscans, the Greeks, the Brittanians, the Macedonians, the Thracians, the Dacians, the Egyptians, the Seleucids, the Phillistines, and the Arabs of old know full well the consequences of peace with Rome. Vassalage and forced marches to war are the cornerstones of Roman 'peace'. I urge all Muslims to answer my call to jihad. Whether they will or not depends upon how much their spirits are made of steel.

[The Lemongate]

Smiling, the Roman ambassador looks at the Turk

And they call themselves warriors, the men who mistake the bait for the enemy!

[Askthepizzaguy]

The Turks just smile confidently and say... prove it on the battlefield.

[Ferret]

The peace loving peoples of India are very glad to hear of your wise decision, Sultan of the Ghorids. May our borders remain settled for years to come.

Your pledge is much appreciated mighty Shah Khusrau, but of course it is hopefully unecessary.

I thank all the members of the Council for their attention to this matter as well.

The emissary of the Rajputs bows deeply to the emissary from Ghazni, then the Ghorid's man, and then towards the seat of the Caliph.

there will be no withdrawal. I have recovered the original maps used in our deal and the borders of that settlement are clearly marked in red. The siege will continue unless the Raj would care to dispatch an army to relieve it, and a mighty army that would have to be to disperse such a force.

maps:

[Ramses II CP]

This crude forgery is not the agreed upon border. Thus am I repaid for dealing in good faith with your people. I suppose the men of India should be accustomed to this treachery.

It is a curious method of declaring war, to recreate incorrectly one of your own documents. Nonetheless, if you are coming, come ahead. Your early comments made it abundantly clear that this day was inevitable, and you will find our lands well prepared.

The emissary of the Maharaja walks calmly to discuss the matter with the men from Ghazni.

[Askthepizzaguy]

The Turkish delegate makes note of the unpleasant events happening at the Hindu border. Needless to say, the Sultan is most displeased, as two friends of the Anatolian Turks seem ready to go to war.

In light of recent events, it is now certain that SOMEONE is lying to the council. While it has not yet been proven conclusively which one, the Sultan will have no more dealings with the aggressor nation, as it has always been our foreign policy to back the righteous defenders, no matter what their faith.

Is it not our business? Should we look to our own borders first? One might argue that the Turks have more pressing matters to attend to. However, if we are to stand idle while an honest and faithful friend is attacked or betrayed by another, then we are in no position to be called a friend.

For now, the Turks are neutral in this conflict, as neither nation is allied to us. However, when the truth about this matter becomes clear, our position will also.

[Askthepizzaguy]

The Turkish ambassador yields the floor to a Turkish scribe and scholar:

"Upon closer inspection, this document is clearly a forgery."

The Turkish ambassador interrupts, saying:

The lines aren't even drawn in the same colour! And the Ghaznis look as though they ALSO lost territory to the Ghorids according to this "map".

However, I will not be misled. Trickery and conspiracy are commonplace in this council. I am not yet prepared to change our neutral policy at the moment.

But I now have my suspicions of treachery confirmed. And since the Ghorids supplied the maps, they must have had knowledge of it. It is the only possible conclusion. The Ghorids need not explain themselves to the Turks, for they owe us no allegiance. However, I'm sure others in the council will demand an explanation.

[phonicsmonkey]

The Vizier rises.

If the Ghorids and Rajputs would have peace, let them not be distracted by bickering over this map, which is of no consequence.

If their previous agreement is in dispute then let them come to a new understanding which reflects the reality of the situation in their border regions, and which will provide for a long-lasting peace in the East.

The Caliph is willing to mediate in such a negotiation should his services as Peacemaker be required - he has no territorial ambitions in the area.

The Caliph would also renew his offer to act as mediator to the warring factions in Anatolia, should they wish for an end to the pointless struggle there.

Have not enough souls been hurried to paradise?