Broken Crescent 2: RoPG (IC diplomacy thread)

[Askthepizzaguy]

IC Diplomacy thread for BC2:RoPG

Byzantine Empire (ERE)........Ignoramus
Kingdom of Jerusalem..........Askthepizzaguy
Great Seljuks.....................Rossahh
Ghorid Emirate...................Ramses II CP
Kypchaks..........................Elite Ferret
Ayyubid Sultanate.............. 00Jebus
Khwarezmid Shahdom..........Barcamartin
Abassid Caliphate............... The Lemongate
Turkish Sultanate...............TheFlax
Ghaznavids........................Frodge
Hindu Rajputs.....................Tristan de Castelreng
Armenia............................Galain_Ironhide
Georgia.............................Monk
Makuria.............................Prince of Troy
Imamate of Oman...............Cassu
Malikate of Sindh................Emperor Zim, Destroyer of Worlds

Jerusalem, May 7th, 1174 Anno Domini
Royal Administrators Palace



Salutations, ambassadeurs!

Bienvenue à la cour du Roi Baldwin le saint, gouverneur des Terres Saintes. Le palais de l'administrateur royal est fier d'accueillir cette assemblée. Jérusalem est désignée comme terre neutre afin d'accueillir des membres de toute les fois, pour se réunir dans la paix et discuter de points d'importance.

======================================

Greetings, ambassadors!

Welcome to the court of King Baldwin the Saint, governor of the holy land. The Royal Administrator's palace is proud to host this assembly. Jerusalem is designated as neutral ground for members of all faiths to meet in peace and discuss matters of importance.

The honourable and magnanimous King Baldwin is also opening the borders of Jerusalem to civilian pilgrims to the Holy Land, whether they be Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or anyone else who has an interest in peacefully assembling. We ask only that other nations respect our territorial boundaries, and refrain from moving ships near our ports and shipping lanes, and any neutral or enemy ships caught transporting armies within sight of our nation's shores will be boarded. We ask also that no agents trespass into our nation, be they spies, sabateurs, assassins, merchants, monks or imams. Any security breaches will be considered acts of aggression, and certain transgressions involving spies or assassins will be considered acts of war.

That unpleasant business aside, we have already contacted the Ayyubids regarding the possession of Damascus and Homs, whose people yearn to live freely to practice their own faith. In exchange for certain diplomatic concessions on our part, the great and powerful Sultanate will consider removing their armies from territory so close to our heartlands and adjusting our mutual borders in a more permanent fashion. For this favor, I will be renouncing claims to Arabia and Egypt permanently, and formalizing a peace treaty. We await a response from Sultan Saladin discussing the exact terms. May their great kingdom expand and prosper with assurances of peace on their northern border.

We also seek to establish friendly diplomatic relations with all of God's children here in the Holy Land, Muslim and Christian alike. We welcome your diplomats into our lands, where they may assemble freely. If any diplomats should happen to "disappear", we will know exactly who committed this unclean act, for we will all keep a vigilant watch on one another and we will know exactly when and how it happened. Rest assured, Jerusalem will not tolerate sabotage of our peace process, and any attack on any diplomat in our territory will be considered an act of war both on Jerusalem and the kingdom who sent the diplomat.

Jerusalem is to be a neutral and safe place for business and diplomacy to take place in an otherwise harsh and unforgiving world. Any attacks upon the peace we intend to create will not be tolerated.

Those of you who are interested in trading our fine spices, silks, cottons, and other valuable merchandise will request trade access to our lands, and your requests will be granted based upon our ability to trade in your lands, or whether or not you would be willing to pay us a small surcharge every season for the privilege of doing business here.

We turn a blind eye to faith in matters of commerce. All trade will be considered solely on the basis of profitable and peaceful exchange, and nothing more.

As for Jerusalem's territorial concerns in the north, we claim Antioch, Aleppo, Edessa, Malatya, and Diyarbakir, as well as any settlements we bring under the rule of law before any other nation.

Because we have no place to expand to on our southern border, these 5 provinces which are currently ruled by outlaws, warlords, and dangerous criminals will be brought into the fold and the criminals will be brought to justice. This will allow lawful trade to be re-established between the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the Kingdom of Armenia, the Turkish Sultanate, the Georgian Kingdom, the Abassid Caliphate, and the Great Seljuk Empire.

We will consider trading these provinces to interested parties at a future date, if the terms are profitable for us, and until further notice, we make no other territorial claims. All others will be respected.

I may allow the passage of merchants, diplomats, and other declared agents through these northern provinces, to allow greater freedom of movement in the region, however everything in Aleppo and south of there is to be considered off-limits, and you still need our permission to pass through these lands once they have been claimed by Jerusalem.

We wish to extend the hand of friendship to the Ayyubids, the Armenians, the Turks, the Georgians, the Seljuks, and the great and honourable Abassid Caliphate. I trust King Baldwin can form a pleasant and cordial relationship with the revered leader of all Sunni Muslims.

I now open the floor to your honourable delegates. In the spirit of this peaceful assembly, I welcome you all in the great language of peace and science, Arabic:

As-Salāmu `Alaykum
السلام عليكم



-Archbishop William of Tyre, acting chairman of the assembly

____________________________

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Forgive my butchery of the French language... I don't actually speak French, so I am asking French speakers to correct me.

[Monk]

A man enters the hall. He is dressed in fine clothing, carrying at his side an empty sword sheath, a symbol of his peaceful intention. His eyes gaze about, noting that not many ambassadors seemed to have arrived yet.

It would appear we are first to arrive, yes? Then it is my greatest pleasure to be first to extend our high opinion of the Great King Baldwin for holding this assembly. My lord the great ruler of the Kingdom of Georgia, Giorgi the Champion, wishes me to convey that it is his deepest hope that this council shall see the cause of peace furthered in the world.

We would like to echo the request of our noble host, King Baldwin, and request all ships and navies be kept clear of our ports and our trade routes. Any infringing upong the waters of the Eastern Black Sea, or any ships near the port of any Georgian city, shall be considered a hostile act and responded to as such. Furthermore, any spy or assassins found within our borders...

The man spits on the ground.

Shall be given no quarter and executed thusly. These are not the reasons I have come to you today, however. I come not to discuss death, but life! Allow me to be among the first to speak on the importance of trade and it's impact upon the world. Our people could profit greatly from trade rights with our neighbors, As the ambassadors in question have not arrived, I shall not adress them, but all who share borders or trade lanes with the Kingdom of Georgia are urged to contact us in setting up a trade agreement.

My leige bids me to inform the world he has eyes upon the settlements of Ani, Dvin and the great fortress of Yerevan. He also has his eyes upon the city of Van, although he admits himself that this settlement is far from his mind, and would be willing if he controls it before others reach it, to negotiate in trade for something the Kingdom could use. The first three I mentioned, however, are considered to be nonnegotiable. Great King Giorgi considers the people of these settlements to be our brothers, and for them to swear allegiance to a foreign kind is unacceptable. We humbly request that those nations around the Black sea look elsewhere for their expansion, and allow Gerogia to annex these three settlements to further unite our scattered peoples.

Turns to the Jerusalem delegates.

Once more, thank you kindly, Great King, may God's will be done here!

[Askthepizzaguy]

Archbishop William of Tyre, scholar, historian, and diplomat, holds the chair of the assembly and recognizes the honourable Georgian delegate.

The honourable Roi of Jerusalem's representative officially greets the Georgian delegate with a comfortable chair at the front of the huge assembly hall, an official table for their ambassadors and entourage, and first dibs on the welcoming feast prepared by Baldwin's personal kitchen staff.

Rumor has it that Baldwin himself is still in the Holy City somewhere, and is scheduled to make an appearance once more delegates arrive. A scribe will be making note of the proceedings here, so any absent delegates will be brought up to speed. Enjoy the banquet, Georgian delegate.

The chair re-opens the floor to new arrivals.

[Ignoramus]

A representative of the Romans arrives.

We find it strange that the Latins are eager to extend the hand of friendship towards their Muslim neighbours, yet ignore those Christians who helped them take Jerusalem in the first place.

Antioch is under our protection - any advance against it will be considered the same as a declaration of war against Constantinople itself. It is but our due, as under the oaths sworn by the first Frankish Crusaders pledged to restore such territory to our rule that was lost to the Turk after that fateful day at Manzikert.

As to the matter of trade, no merchant may enter our lands without a trade agreement being signed between our two realms. If this is ignored, then I regret that we will be forced to treat the merchants as spies and kill them.

Likewise with honourable diplomats. All diplomats must not pass past our frontier provinces. Any diplomat found, even by an ally, must regrettably be executed. Should you wish to move through our lands, you must have our express agreement.

And may I remind you that if any assassin is found inside our borders, that this will be treated as a declaration of war. Spies will be dispatched if caught, and I need not remind you that this will be frowned upon by our court.

To the representative from Georgia, we extend the hand of friendship to you. We respecct your sovereignty, and wish to conclude an alliance with you, that those Christians of the true faith may stand together.

[rossahh]

A man in vivid blue robes enters with a flourish, an entourage of scribes in tow. He takes a seat at the table away from the Georgians and Romans, lazily plucking a goblet from the table, which he sniffs and then takes a sip. He samples some of the food on offer, admiring its quality. Munching away, he eyes the Archbishop and casually inquires

We have no concerns with your claims to the Christian lands just north of your border, unlike some it seems gesturing to the Roman delegation, but we do wonder why you should seek to control the far northern provinces? Malatya and Diyarbakir are Muslim settlements, so what interest does a Christian ruler have in them?

[Askthepizzaguy]

The aged and wise William of Tyre addresses the newcomers:

To the honourable Seljuk delegate, I bid you welcome to this hall of peace and prosperity. Your words are most welcome.

As for Diyarbakir and Malatya, removing criminals and warlords near our borders is a top priority for our nation. I did not say we intended to hold those provinces forever. When our noble soldiers have brought order to the region and eliminated the raiders who threaten not just our nation, but peaceful trade and expansion of all nations, we will be willing to offer them to the highest bidder.

We have few territories to pick from, so that is why we have claimed these and no more. We've left provinces available for the Abassids and the Armenians, the only other claimants in the region. Turkey has already discussed purchasing these regions, as they contain people of Turkish ethnicity.

The only other rightful claimant to those lands would be Seljuk Turks, and you're rather far away. We're always at your disposal to discuss deals, but first SOME one has to claim these rebel territories, and I feel that we will be the first to arrive there, thus making them rightfully under our dominion. I'm sure you use a similar standard for determining which provinces will be under your control, and which ones you intend to keep.

Now, on a less enthusiastic note, we turn to our brothers the Byzantine Empire:

You speak of the crusades which helped create Jerusalem. Indeed we owe our christian neighbors loyalty and respect for that action. However, by our count, that was nearly a century ago. And orthodox christians did not go on the crusades, so I don't understand why you take credit. This Latin Kingdom owes its allegiance to the Papacy and the Franks, and would consider an allegiance to your nation as well, were your words more diplomatically phrased. We take some exception to your claims on a province on our border nowhere near your own, especially when you will be in no position to take it within the next 20 years. We dispute that claim entirely.

Our apologies, as we wish to remain friends, but we will not be coerced under threat of war, especially by those who have no rightful claims to our territory. I'm afraid you would have gotten much further with us using positive, rather than threatening, diplomacy. As such, our relations have suffered. Please do not form your words into swords to threaten us, as we find it most unfriendly.

You at once declare that we should be friends and fellow christians, then threaten us with war. It is no wonder some rift exists between Catholics and Orthodox Christians, but I will not paint Georgia and Armenia with the same brush based upon your less than diplomatic choice of words.

I am also dismayed that you would choose to drive a wedge between your fellow christians by declaring one side to be of the "true faith". Are we so different in your eyes that you would cast us out? A pity...

At least the Muslims stand together as brothers.

Should you choose to deal with us in a more... well... Christian manner, you will find us more amenable to your requests. Regrettable that we had to start off on the wrong foot, ambassador. I'm an old man and I did not work my entire life to establish peace just to see our young generation get shipped off to war, fighting fellow christians on the basis of some ancient promise made by a different nation entirely because of territory your ancestors lost to Turkish bravery, which has since been reclaimed by Latin Crusaders, some of whom we have parted company with, and now intend to bring back into the fold.

Surely you can see that there is no reason why we should comply. If you have anything further to add, I will have one of my aides work with you in private to discuss terms, as I don't want warlike rhetoric in this chamber of peace and brotherhood.

[rossahh]

The Seljuk emissary inclines his head slightly

As you say, many of those people in those settlements are Turkish in origin, so we would naturally be concerned if they were to be unduely scourged without just cause. That said, we see no reason to contest your claims. However, acting in the name of our wayward brothers in Anatolia, as you would be by taking and then simply handing over those settlements, would not be the path to open and friendly relations with our people.

[_Tristan_]

A man of very dark complexion with a mane of dark and wavy hair seen under his orange turban walks into the hall. He is dressed in large silk trousers and a matching silk doublet. A large bare-bladed scimitar hangs from his belt and he holds a hook in his left hand, letting it rest in the crook of his right arm.
After a flourishing bow to the Archbishop, chairman of the assembly, he rises and starts talking with a strong unplaceable accent.

Noble lords, my name is Devadas Avinash and I speak here with the voice of the Maharaja of the Rajputs, benevolent rulers of India.

Our Lord seeks to unify all Hindu people under his benevolent rule and according to the precepts of Vishnu, god of mercy.

Our hosts will bring back into the fold the Malikate of Sindh and all the petty fiefdoms where mere bandits claim to rule.

Our territorial claims extend north to the border of Tibet and west on a line going from the Thanesar province in the north to the Sindh lands in the south.

All these people are of our blood and will accept no other rule.

The Maharaja is a strong believer in non-violence and will only resort to force as a means to police those unruly provinces, as Vishnu professes.

However, our gods are numerous and should our claims to these lands be contested, our Maharaja is assured that Shiva and Kali will help us wreak havoc on our aggressors.

The Maharaja wishes to present to all kingdoms here represented an offer of trade of the many riches of India. We understand trade agreement as meaning free coming and going of merchants into each other country's lands, unless trade restrictions are deemed necessary by the parties.

We, Rajputs, like many of you here I believe, do not take kindly to spies and assassins roaming through our lands. Discovery of such agents in our lands will certainly make our relationships difficult with their owners. War could even be the order of the day, may Vishnu preserve us. Such will be the case also if some priests of your Christian or Muslim faith are found in our lands.

Though we perfectly understand the need for other beliefs than our own, though I personnally have difficulty to comprehend how one God is more beneficial than many Gods, our faith needs to be respected and will be respected on pain of death fior the trespassers.

Diplomats are welcome in our lands. We would only ask that their arrival be annoucned so that a convenient place of residence can be prepared for such eminent people.

The Maharaja of the Rajput wishes peace and prosperity on all the nations here assembled and thanks King Baldwin for providing more than suitable quarters for the lodging of is emissary.

With another bow to the Chairman, the Rajput emissary walks to the bench emblazoned with the Golden Sun of India.

[cassu]

A man that wears the blue red colors of the Oman enters the room

I bring greetings from the Great Imam Murshed and the lands of Oman. The Great Imam says thank you for the invite to this assembly of kings.

He wont consider a merchant or a diplomat in his lands as a hostile act as long as they don't try to take out our merchants. Spies and assassins will be consider as hostile.

He wishes to agree on trade rights with anyone who has a port in the same water as ours and as soon as possible.

Apologies for being late, it is not easy to get here trough the desert

After he has spoken he takes a seat in a nearby empty chair and start to eat the exotic food that is being served

[TheFlax]

A delegate bearing the colors of the Sultanate of Rum enters the chamber. He is armed for battle and obviously annoyed at being sent here. His gaze sweeps the room until it settles itself on the Roman delegate. Eyeing the man with contempt he addresses all present. His voice is coarse and forceful.

I am to bring you greetings from the Sultanate of Rum and thank King Baldwin for his hospitality.

We have no qualms with the claims of the Kingdom of Jerusalem or those of the Kingdom of Armenia. As for the Romans...

You claimed you help the crusaders take Jerusalem? From what I can recall your Basileos turned back his armies, not even bothering to assist in the siege of Antioch. Yet you now lay claim to that very city!

I also recall that a few decades ago the very guides you gave to the crusaders wishing to help Jerusalem led them straight into an ambush by turkish forces.

We know by experience that the Roman's arrogance is only matched by their duplicity. I suggest that for once they forget about their once great empire and concentrate on the present. If they wish peace between us, I suggest we negociate privately. The Sultanate of Rum is willing to give one last chance for peace between us and Rome.

The man snaps his fingers and a retinue of slaves enters, bearing various gifts to the representatives of Armenia, Jerusalem and the Abbasid Caliphate. He then takes place near the Caliph's envoy.

[Frodge]

A tall man enters the chamber, he is dressed in flowing green and blue silks emblazoned with the personal arms of the ghaznavid shahs.

Greetings o lord of jerusalem, i bring salutations from the shah of Ghazni. My name is Ali and you may deal with me as if you were dealing with the Shah himself. On behalf of the shah i would also like to greet the honoured delagates already assembled in this chamber and extend the arms of trade and commerce to you all.
At this poin in time the shah would like to claim the settlements of Bost and Firuzukh along with others that shall be confirmed at a later date (OOC: i can't remember any other towns in that region)

With this the ghaznavid and his retinue sit down

[Askthepizzaguy]

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=88834

OOC:

I encourage newcomers and those who don't have a map to this mod to download the province map (the one with the starting positions of factions in color, with all names of all provinces)

Those of you having trouble telling one province from another need maps. The King Baldwin offers you all free maps as part of his hospitality.

[Frodge]

My lord balwin, thankful as i am for your hospitality these maps are faulty. (OOC: they don't show up)