Court of the Caliph: BC Hotseat Council Thread

[rossahh]

The boy's momentarily darkens. There is still some fire left in him


The occupation of some of our lands you mean. Those provinces that we retain will have no need of Coalition occupation, especially considering their demilitarisation.

Keep in mind, just because we have been forced into this peace glaring for a moment at the Romans does not mean that we will simply let our citizens be ravaged by the occupiers. Even in our diminished state, we would still defend our citizens against extermination, even if were to be the ending us.

[Askthepizzaguy]

Honourable Jerusalem delegate;

Yes, that is precisely what I meant. And don't demilitarize your lands just yet, not until we've offered you the formalized peace deal, which I'm drafting now.

As a new ally, we may not even require your demilitarization at all, after all. Give us a moment to think on it. And we have no intentions whatsoever of ravaging your lands. Your people, indeed most of the Kingdom, is innocent in the affairs of past. We seek no harm to decent people.

With a respectful bow, the Turkish delegate seeks to affirm peace and friendship with the Latin state.

[phonicsmonkey]

The Vizier is most delighted.

The Caliph will rejoice to hear of this news!

Praise be to Allah, the path of peace has been chosen again!

His expression grows sombre.

The death of the last Takavor of the Armenian royal line should not pass without comment here.

The Caliph proposes that a memorial be established in Cilicia to the Armenian royal family, that their memory should not pass from these lands.

Difficult and dangerous was the path they trod, both many years past when they were forced from their ancestral lands by the incursion of aggressors, and more recently as they were assailed by the Crusaders and driven from their new homelands in Cilicia.

It is perhaps understandable, if greatly unfortunate for his line, that the last Takavor chose the path of vengeance and did not try to make peace with his neighbours and brothers of the faith.

We are certain he will be greatly mourned by his people - it seems Allah had no love for that ill-fated nation.

Mysterious indeed are his ways!

[Askthepizzaguy]

The death of my closest ally will not go without comment from the Turks, either...


Malik, Crown Prince of the Turks, arrives in Baghdad and enters the court

These were a brave people. Never once did they deserve their fate, never once did they turn away from it in fear. Fiercely they fought, and prevailed in a great many battles. They managed to lead the Coalition into this confrontation with Jerusalem, perhaps before we were ready, but their bravery and initial successes are to be commended.

Their loyalty never to be questioned.

Their commitment to the Coalition never to be doubted.

Their honourable friendship towards Turkey never to be forgotten.

Their people to be forever hailed as heroes in Muslim Turkey, though they are of a different religion.

We accept them as our brothers and they will be welcome in Rome and Turkey, and we will watch over them... Peace be upon you, my Armenian friend...

We hope this victory both for the Coalition, and for Rome, and for the Caliphate, and for peace itself, will grant you peace as well. Allah will bless you, though you are not of our faith.

I honour you...

The Turkish Prince kneels solemnly, and begins a traditional Muslim prayer before the assembly, praising Allah, and asking that Allah grant the Takavors and their soldiers passage into the Kingdom of Heaven.

[Askthepizzaguy]

Proposed peace arrangement, first draft.

According to the terms discussed:

Territorial division:
-Jerusalem, Acre, Tyre, Kerak and Baalbeck to Rome, according to the Latin proposal.
-Aleppo and Hama to the Abassid Caliphate, according to their occupation thereof.
-Antioch to the Turks, with a claim to Malatya, in case anyone cares, according to our negotiated claims.
-Tartus, Tripoli, Homs, Jaffa, and Damascus to be retained by the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem (Damascus?) according to the peace arrangement.

No tribute

New diplomatic relations:

Vassal: Jerusalem to Rome
Alliance: Turkey and Jerusalem

[rossahh]

A devilish smile lights-up the boy's face as the Vizier speaks. He stands and mockingly addressing the Abassid man:


A waste of money is that endeavor, noble Vizier. We have killed six Takavor's of Armenia in the past two years (four of them in the last two turns), so to which one would the memorial be dedicated to? Surely your time and money would be better spent helping the people of Aleppo and Hama, which you have so peacefully taken from us?



His smile is wiped away as the Turk reads out the treaty. He seems to visibly deflate and sits down. As he does so, he mumbles to the Turk:


The terms are acceptable and agreed upon.

[phonicsmonkey]

The Vizier sneers at the boy.

You have the tongue of the devil hidden behind your chubby baby face - get ye back to your nursery where you can practice your witticisms on your wooden soldiers!

If you should live long enough to speak with a deeper voice you might one day understand that a King is a King, appointed by Allah himself, and worthy of respect no matter his politics, religion or race.

Baldwin insults the Caliph by sending such a child to speak on his behalf - he should instead have remained with his wet nurse and left such matters to those with beards on their faces.

And worry not, young fool, for the pious people of Aleppo and Hama - their days have never been brighter and they rejoice at their inclusion in the loving embrace of the Caliphate of Islam!

He snorts with derision and sits down waving his hand dismissively at the youngster.

[Askthepizzaguy]

The Turk notices some of the older men in the chamber looking at the youngster with ravenous eyes and smacking lips.

Somewhere, off in the distance, the theme from "deliverance" is played on a banjo.

The Turk quietly petitions the Caliph to get the baby-faced young Latin boy some additional security. Surely this child needs adult supervision.


ANNOUNCEMENT:

Coalition members, a nation has petitioned us for membership. Given the recent loss of our friend, I ask that you vote in the Coalition Council for their inclusion, or vote however you like. Please make your voice heard.

[_Tristan_]

The Armenian diplomat enters the halls, clad all in black with a mourning look on his face. The mail-clad messenger enters behind him, clad in black also, carrying a cushion bearing a broken sword. As he begins to speak, his voice trembles.

How you Lords must have feared us Armenians to have wrought so much destruction on our peaceful people...

Never had we raised our hands against a neighbour, never had we threatened any of the people of Anatolia or the Levant...

True, our Takavors were rumoured to be fierce fighters but they also knew the ways of peace...

Only through your unrepentent agressions (his gaze hovering over the Latin and Roman delegations) you led us to such extremities...

Armenia is no more... Its people scattered to the winds...

But I fear this will not be the last time Armenians will have to suffer... And I fear the next time we suffer will be at the hands of our staunchest allies...

With a bow of his head, the diplomat goes on...

Great Vizier, I intended this broken sword as a gift to the Caliph as a sign of the defeat of Armenia...

Do not do anything to honour the memory of our dead Takavors, they are for Armenia to mourn and Armenia alone... Your efforts to honour Armenia should have come sooner in its time of greatest need, not now that there is nobody left to need anything...

The mail-clad messenger lays down the cushion at the Vizier's feet with great deference then steps back.

Now, Latin dogs and Roman scum, be sure that your leaders will never rest in peace for I curse you to the end of times... The souls of our dead brethren will haunt and chase you for all ages... I spit on your Crusaders and your Empire...

You will rot in hell for your Kingdom of Heaven...

Now, I will leave these halls forever to get back to Armenia and see to the sheltering of my people from the wrath of your so noble Highnesses...

[barcamartin]

' If the Shah had any plans of surrendering, it would seem as though they have abonded them. Leaving Urgench with a massive garrison doesn't show any will to reach a peace agreement. Therefor, it has been taken from them by Seljuk forces. '

[Askthepizzaguy]

The Turk takes note of the Armenian's words....

How would the Armenians suffer under the magnanimous governance of their allies? Though your royal family has unfortunately died in battle, we still consider your people to be our brothers and we will watch over you. It would not be the first time they prospered under the noble leadership of the Sultan. But we understand your frustrations... it is regrettable that the Takavors are no more, I was looking forward to a great and powerful Armenian ally...

Turning to the Seljuk delegate;

The Shah is refusing the path of peace? Ugh... this needless bloodshed between Muslim brothers offends me. We need a united cause for all Muslims, and this civil war between brothers of the faith, those who have at least not forsaken their faith, looking at the Ghorids is the needless destruction of Muslim lives over petty ambitions and lies. Truly this situation is offensive to Allah.

At the same time, I cannot condemn the Shah for acting in self defense, and I cannot condemn my allies for taking necessary actions. I had hoped there could be peace, but with the Shah's refusal to comply with the terms offered, it seems the Seljuks have no choice but to force their hand.

This bloodshed is unclean and unholy. I pray this war will end soon, one way or another. Let the civilians not be harmed, please.

[rossahh]

The boy sneers back at the Abassids

Of course, the demilitarisation not only extends to the Kingdom, the Turks in Antioch and the Romans in the south, but also to the Caliphate as well.

By so rudely entering into this conflict, you are bound to its peace. Therefore, your Syrian settlements, which are now border settlements, will need to reduce their garrisons to a MAXIMUM of 5 units. Before you complain, you should remember that the Kingdom too will demilitarise its provinces, so you will have need to fear an incursion northwards.

With a reduction of troops across the borders, peace will have a greater chance at lasting. Surely the "peace maker" understands this?

[barcamartin]

' I would have wished the peaceful handing over of the settlement, but no such offer had come to my knowledge. '

[phonicsmonkey]

The Vizier ignores the boy completely, refusing to meet his eye, and addresses the rest of the court.

Of course the Caliph, as a party to the peace treaty between the warring factions in the Levantine dispute, will offer to abide by the de-militarisation terms of the agreement.

He sees no need to permanently station troops in the region, and will be within striking distance at any rate should any nation be fool enough to attack his Syrian positions.

Truly is he known as the Peacemaker! Allah bless his house!

[00jebus]

' If the Shah had any plans of surrendering, it would seem as though they have abonded them. Leaving Urgench with a massive garrison doesn't show any will to reach a peace agreement. Therefor, it has been taken from them by Seljuk forces. '

Given that we are being forced from our homes to battle steppe tribes for the forseeable future, we thought an army would be neccasary, or do you expect us to conquer those smelly pagans with silk?

*looking at the turkish delate he continues*
you didn't even wait the correct amount of time, we were ready to hand it over....

*directly at the seljuk*
its almost as though your whole nation cares for nothing but blood.
and, of course, trechary

[barcamartin]

' The terms for the surrender were clear. Move all forces west from Urgench. Still in Urgench they were not subject to the terms. Either way, no cease-fire agreement was signed, so no need to bicker. '

[Askthepizzaguy]

A messenger arrives from the Coalition Council, and hands a scroll to the Turkish ambassador. The Turk rises:

We would like to announce that his term as Commander of the Coalition of Freedom has ended, and an election was held.

Due to the success of the Coalition in the West, and the urgency of matters in the East regarding the Ghorid invasion of India, delegates of the Member States have narrowly elected the Ghaznavid Shah to succeed the Turkish Sultan as the new Supreme Allied Commander of Coalition Forces.

Sultan Kaikosru wishes to congratulate the Shah of Ghazni. May his leadership carry us all to victory.

The Turk bows gracefully, and sits down.

[deguerra]

The Omani ambassador rises, looking half asleep and his tongue fuzzy from not having said anything in so long. The other delegates are mildly surprised as they had previously assumed he was part of the backdrop

It appears I have a message here for the Khwarezm ambassador from the undersecretary of trade of the Great Imam of Oman and Sultan of Muscat. It would appear there was a slight scuffle between merchants of our two nations in the Seljuk territory of Yazd, where your merchant, Ekinci is believed to be his name, was rather unceremoniously thrown out of a town rich in some resource or another.

We regret to say that this was an unfortunate mistake on the Omani merchant's behalf, as normally we are beneath such actions.

However, we are happy to announce the Khwarezm merchant is fine, albeit without resource. We hope he can find another place to trade swiftly, and may the Shah and the council forgive us for this international incident.

(OOC: it appears that if you send a merchant onto a resource that you cannot see, due to fog of war, and there is another merchant on it, the latter just gets placed on the next tile. I just wanted to let you know so that you could move him somewhere/try to kill my merchant , and don't have him wasting time)

[The Lemongate]

A messenger dressed in black enters the court and delivers a note to the Roman ambassador. With a grieved look on his face, the ambassador addresses the court:

Three days ago, our beloved Basileos, Manuelos Megas Komnenos passed away in his palace in Jerusalem. His body is being exposed at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and it will then be returned to Rome to be buried with his illustrious ancestors.

Manuelos Megas Komnenos truly was one of the greatest rulers of our time and even one of the most accomplished man of the long and glorious history of Rome. He defeated the warmongering Sultan Kilij Arslan II at the Battle of Amorion, entered Ikonion and Jerusalem in triumph and oversaw the return of Krimeia, Judea and parts of Cilicia to the Empire. A week of mourning was declared in Konstantinopolis by the new Basileos, Alexios Komnenos.

Of course, stray factions within the Empire have seized the occasion to push their own agendas, but those rebels are being put down as we speak.

All hail Basileos Alexios Komnenos! May his reign be as long and as glorious as his father's!


(OOC: I've got some adopted children to send to the slaughter to get the prince I want )

[The Lemongate]

The Roman ambassador nearly sits down, but he seems to remember something at the last moment:

Ah yes... Rome would like to remind all parties currently involved in Cilicia that Rome currently claims those lands. We would hate to mark the beginning of a new reign with bloodshed and we are sure that a peaceful transition can easily be arranged.

Megas Dux Konstostephanos is ready to take charge of all land in Cilicia as soon as they are handed over to Rome.

With a slight smile, the Roman sits back down.

[TheFlax]

The Georgian emissary seems shocked by the news of the Basileos' death.

Truly these have been dark and trying days. We mourn the death of the great Basileos of the Romans and we must sadly announce that our King has just been taken away from us by a foul illness.

Rest assured, our new King, Demetre II, shall follow the principles of integrity and chivalry held so dear by his father. The policies enacted by the late King George the 3rd will remain in vigour.

[Banzai Kamikaze]

While the Ayyubids still question the aggressive actions of the Basileos, we still offer our condolences. May he find a more peaceful existence in death.

We are, however, still distressed by the occupation of the Holy Lands by the Romans. We believe this occupation is illegitimate. We ask the Romans to return these lands to their rightful owner.

Furthermore, the peaceful people of Egypt are uneasy regarding the presence of large roman and Latin armies in the Levant.

Surely, this war is over, and there is no point in keeping so many armies.

[Askthepizzaguy]

When the hostilities have ended everywhere, the treaties are put into effect, and certain promises are kept, it will be quite simple to disband the armies in the region.

However, it is the mark of a fool to disband his armies when the peace is agreed upon, but the terms of the treaty have not been fulfilled. Would the Sultan Sallahuddin disband his armies merely over a promise unfulfilled? I think not.

The Turks will disband their armies also, as soon as things are settled. The Sultan Kaikosru wonders what business it is of the Ayyubids what happens in Jerusalem? The war that you did not participate in or attempt to halt is over, and business that is not yours is being taken care of by the parties involved.

Go back to raiding the desert for more territory. We hear you're enjoying your neutrality, as it's proven quite profitable for you. The business of other nations does not concern the Ayyubids.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

OOC- I feel I have to add something to the discussion, before the council thread becomes completely barren of controversy.

[The Lemongate]

Not even bothering to look at the Ayyubid, the Roman delegate answers:

The sort of peace you promote is for the weak, ambassador. It begets only contempt by your neighbors who fight and die with honnor to defend justice and righteousness. When the Holy Land was beset by war and evil, Rome set sail to protect the Holy Sites at the cost of security in its own lands. The same cannot be said of you. What has Egypt done in the last decade other then scheme in silence, from the comfort of its decadant palaces and month-long feasts? You have much to account for. Do not seek to meddle in the affairs of Rome. We bear you no ill will. Yet.

[00jebus]

gentlemen, we've managed to repulse a ghanzivid army, now can we have peace?

or are the ghanzivids so obsessed by conquest they cannot see that any advance towards samarquand will be met with extreme predudice.

[Askthepizzaguy]

The Turk cannot help but be amused by the Shah's army and their never-say-die attitude. While the Turks official position in the North is for the Shah's unconditional surrender to the Persian Shah of Ghazni and the Turkish Seljuk Sultanate, he finds the Shah to be a worthy opponent.

A messenger arrives from the Turkish front and whispers something into the ear of the Turkish ambassador. The expression of amusement on his face turns to shock; he rises.

I have just been informed that the Latins have... met the conditions of surrender and peace with the Turks by withdrawing to their newly defined borders. Our armies now occupy the lands they left in peace.

The Turk is puzzled, however, why the Latins did not simply hand the provinces to us via diplomacy... why they rejected the alliance we offered them? Nevertheless, the offer still stands. We have offered them the cease-fire, and trade rights, and map information, and should they accept, we will offer them the alliance as promised.

The Turk wishes to inform the Roman delegate that he is now in possession of parts of Cilicia which he may be interested in. He urges the Roman ambassador to meet with him in the private antechamber to discuss the transfer of sovereignty.

We also wish to inform those assembled here that large parts of our army have been disbanded, specifically most of the ghazis gained during the transfer of ownership of Sis and Vahka. Our budget is nowhere near balanced, but this helps us enormously. The path towards peace is upon us.

We are also pleased to announce that our royal family has doubled in size during the past several years, and we are no longer in danger of meeting the same fate as our Armenian brethren, whose citizens now enjoy our protection. Soon, they will be under the enlightened leadership of their Orthodox brothers the Romans.

We must adopt a defensive posture and focus on rebuilding. I am afraid I cannot offer any support at present to the Eastern Coalition, until our finances are in order. Let's see... there was one other small bit of business...

I am aware that the Latins are about to receive reinforcements from their Pope, who should be violating Roman territory any day now. I would ask the Latin delegate to either disband these armies (not a chance, right?) or please send a ship to carry them to your homelands safely whist not disturbing the sovereignty of their neighbors. I cannot speak for the Roman ambassador, but he's assured me that although you are now allied with the Romans, large armed forces still have no business in the core provinces of the Roman empire at this time, unless you have both resolved that matter privately.

That is all...

The Turk sits down, thankful that business has been resolved to his satisfaction with his neighbors. He looks over at the Armenian chair, now vacant, and his face darkens...

[Banzai Kamikaze]

The Ayyubid ambassador frowns. A slave brings him new letters from the Ethiopia, where the great Salahuddin fights the hordes of black soldiers threatening the Middle East.

I... Hmf.... We congratulate our Turkish brothers for disbanding part of their army, and wish them all the best for their reconstruction efforts.

As for the Romans, we maintain our condemnation of their occupation: the Holy Sites are no place to keep large standing armies and should have been spared from the horrors of war.

We ask the Romans to allow an Ayyubid delegation to observe the status of Muslim holy sites. We pray that they have not been damaged.

We also ask the Romans to protect the Muslims who now live under their occupation. Do not invoke the anger of Allah by denying them their rights.

The recent events in the Levant are of a great concern to the Ayyubids. We maintain our condemnation of the Coalition and of the Romans for their invasion of our neighbor.

We...must also condemn the Caliph's involvment in these matters. While our Sultan keeps the utmost respect for the Peacemaker, he fails to see how invading Syria would help promote peace.

So many aggressions have been made in the name of peace and freedom...In the face of so much unjustified aggression, the Ayyubids have decided to slightly raise the size of their standing army. We hope our neighbors will not feel threatened by this decision and will understand our position.

[phonicsmonkey]

The Vizier stands and addresses the Ayyubid ambassador.

Noble emissary of Salahuddin, the Caliph's actions in invading Syria have brought the very peace that you sought - ensuring that the Turks, Romans and Latins come to an agreement and cease their fighting.

Is it any co-incidence that immediately after the Caliph's intervention, the Crusaders agreed to the terms of peace offered by their adversaries?

In any event, the Caliph has demonstrated his desire for an end to violence by withdrawing his forces from the region and back to their bases across the Euphrates, leaving only those men required to keep the peace in the occupied territories.

Rest assured, Ambassador, that the Caliph's desire for peace is undiminished.

[Askthepizzaguy]

The turk mutters

If you want peace, you must prepare for war. Total pacifism only leads to total annihilation.

[00jebus]

it appears our thoerum about the seljuks lust for treachary and bloodshed knows no bounds is correct.

after accepting a peace offer... and declaring they would not advance to Khiva... they have done just that, murdering the sheppards that remained whilst our warriors are occupied elsewhere.

If they were in seljuk lands, then such an aggressive act may be justified in any noble code, but this attack, not unlike their previous cowardly actions goes against Islam, you are the sons of whores, as no man, noble, peasant or anywhere in between would act this way. This only provides more proof, as if it were needed, that the seljuk is not to be trusted.