(4th IR) Year 1 (thread 1)

[Creamsteak]

Well, as far as all the other forces and the world are concerned, Gustav is looking out for his own first. He's ignoring the earth problem, though looking closely at a foreseen advancement into that territory if the Dark Crusaders problem is ever dealt with, however, he sees the Silver Cabal as being a great deal of use to himself.

He wants to get that 'super weapon' that removes the magic of Toril, and he's going to do what he can without actually stealing or fighting over it. It's in his mind that using this spell will make him more powerful than every other nation-group save possibly the Maritochracy, which will lose some of it's power due to the splitting of worlds caused by the lack of magic.

He wants weapons, he wants tools, and he wants to bring about an industrial revolution for his people. He's not here to quibble over most of these threats, save for that of the Red Death. Is the Silver Cabal still able to aid a country that fore-sakes magi? Gustav states right out, that if the Silver Cabal can do just that, for him, then his only real objective is to irradicate the damnable Dark Crusaders first. "They will use magic against me... lots of it, and corrupt and occursed kinds... like they always would."

And as far as the Dark Crusaders temptations go, that's entirely up to Edena, and I can really only bank on my generals military discipline kicking in. Gustav, though, is immune to the effects of any charms or compulsions, and is also a celebate and extremist militarist, although only in his 20s.

 

[Bugbear]

Gustav, though, is immune to the effects of any charms or compulsions, and is also a celebate and extremist militarist, although only in his 20s.

OOC: well maybe if he wasn't celebate, he wouldn't be so Militant.

 

[Creamsteak]

OOC: well maybe if he wasn't celebate, he wouldn't be so Militant.

Yep .

And also note that as far as the two 'major' threats are concerned, I'm probing Serpenteyes character for a non aggression pact, and I'm not all that afraid of Timothy since he doesn't seem to have any interests that are the same as my own. If he steps on my toes, things will change.

 

[Lichtenhart]

Edena I have a problem.
I made three posts that clearly stated they were flashbacks, something that happened BEFORE the battle on Earth.
They were meant to be roleplaying posts, showing the interests of my char on Toril and on Earth, something I couldn't do after the battle. I would have posted them in their right order, but you asked us to tell you immediately where our armies went.
In everyone of these posts the headers clearly said they were flashbacks.
Probably you missed that bit, because you made contradictive rulings.

This is the most evident:

And so, the metallic and gem dragons of Toril clash with the undead dragons and dracoliches over the skies of Britain and Germany, while Mina and her legions battle from the ground.

However, as per his post, Forsaken One's dracoliches and undead dragons now leave Earth, having accomplished their mission.
They leave behind London and Berlin in burned ruins, hundreds of thousands dead or wounded, and millions displaced from their homes and starving in hastily improvised shelters.

In Peluria, the Domain of the Ice Queen, the Ice Queen smiles ...

Mina states she and her Knights will protect the British and the Germans.
Mina states that she has sufficient troops to do so.

In other words, Lichtenhart, Mina is asking not so subtly that your forces depart.
You can choose to defy her and stay, or you can leave.

Nobody else has yet responded to the crisis on Earth ...

By the time your forces arrive on Earth, Forsaken One's forces have departed.
However, Lichtenhart, this is your chance.
These nations want military support, and are in awe of the good and neutral dragons - you could win over many nations now, and claim them (they would join your Roster)
Others are trying for those nations, with diplomacy, force, and offers of military aid (or, actual military aid being sent.)

What do you do?

Now I'll try to answer to everything you posted to me.

LICHTENHART

When the good news about the defeat of the Red Death finally reached Krysophrenos, he celebrated in his own way - he slept for a week straight.

FROM EDENA

When he wakes up, the Red Death is back.
He can thank Forgotten One for that.
Maybe, he feels like another week long nap?

Well, this was meant to happen before the battle.

LICHTENHART

When he had finally rested, he immediately resumed its work and sent letters to all those who helped in the Ark Project ...

FROM EDENA

The Ark Project is going well, Lichtenhart. Consider it ready to implement.

If I knew this a little earlier I would have posted somewhat differently. consider it on pause for a moment. I'd also like to know if I was getting support from the magical creatures of Oerth, Athas and Krynn.

FROM EDENA TO BUGBEAR, AND EVERYONE IN THE IR

Mina is all for destroying the Red Death.
And she has thought of a way to do it!
She will spread the worship of the One God on Earth, and that worship shall crush the Red Death and drive it away.
And, indeed, vast numbers of the people of Earth, are turning to the One God.

Mina's Knights have gone to the peoples of the European Colonies.
These people, oppressed and downtrodden, are revolting against the European powers, declaring their independence, and - sadly - turning to Mina and the One God.
The Dutch East Indies.
British India.
French Indo-China.
Most of South America.
Central America, where the surviving Incas are wild with elation at their newfound freedom.
All of Africa except South Africa and Ethiopia (which was never taken by Europe.)
Hawaii.
Polynesia.
Europeans are being massacred in these areas, as the colonized people take a bloody revenge for the colonization of their lands. (Revolutions are never reasonable, and this one is not an exception. Mina and her Knights could not stop this from happening, even if they wanted to.)

Krysophrenos goes to Mina and asks her help to stop this.
"The Red Death feed on human sufferings, and though I could appreciate what you're doing, we definitely need to finda more peaceful way, or the Red Death will become too strong for us."

He, the dragons remained on Earth, and the clergy of Ilmater will try to explain these people that they have now enemies much more dangerous than their former lords and that with their behavior they strenghtening them. They will offer the leaders to bring them to see what happened to London and Berlin, to show that European countries are now as helpless as they are, and to stop violence.

SERPENTEYE

The Meritocracy will make its offer of assistance (and union) to all Asian nations. Japan, Siam (thailand), Persia (Iran), The Ottoman Empire, Afghanistan. India (including Pakistan and Bangladesh) was in real world history a part of the British Empire but if that is not the case in the IR we'll make our offer to them too. Maybe we'll even aid them if they desire freedom from the brits, we investigate the resistance in India to British rule. (with GB being completely humiliated by Forsaken One's dragons the colonial Empire might well be ready to collapse.)

FROM EDENA

Because of Forsaken One, the British Empire has collapsed (except for Canada and Australia, which remain loyal to Great Britain.)
Many countries are interested in the offer of the Meritocracy.
If there are no competing offers, the Meritocracy is going to get a LOT bigger.

GUYS, TAKE NOTE. READ THIS. TAKE A LOOK. SERPENTEYE IS ABOUT TO GET HALF OF EARTH IF YOU DO NOT COUNTER HIS OFFERS! (I'm not against you, Serpenteye. I'm just trying to let them know what is happening ... after all, people can get lost in all these posts!)

I thought that we already offered them to join the Dauntless, with the same rights of the European nations.

LICHTENHART

Flashback- Everything in this post happened before the battle

The following morning, Krysophrenos realized that his new appointment wasn't going to leave him enough time to work after the Encyclopaedia and the Gazette as they deserved, so he decided to let the work on the capable hands of his collaborators.
He charged his old friend Smaragdos, a very competent emerald dragon, to lead and coordinate the Encyclopaedists.

(etc.)

FROM EDENA TO LICHTENHART AND OTHERS

Ok, I have to be blunt.
I can appreciate the loftiness of the Icewind Compact, Dauntless, Free Nations, Free Peoples, and Underground Alliance.
I understand that your characters are outraged and horrified at what they are learning about Earth - they should be.
They should also be outraged and horrified at Mina, Ivid, and the Dragon-Kings, and I assume they are.

BUT IF YOU DO NOT DO SOMETHING SOON, TIMOTHY AND SERPENTEYE WIN.

It is that simple, folks.
While you talk, they are taking advantage of what Forsaken One did to conquer Earth, have allied with the Dragon Kings, have formed a single massive alliance, are using the Books of Domination to strengthen their people and manipulate their allies ... etc.
They are winning.
Soon, all of you will be bowing to Alarah and the Grand Caliph, and reading those Books of Domination (when a gun is pointed at you and you are told to read, you read.)

Unless you do something real quick, this is going to be over.

Tokiwong has just managed to infuriate Ivid, so Ivid is going to attack him first, and not Serpenteye and Timothy.
You guys better DO SOMETHING NOW, while you still have free will, and CAN do something.
Or, better start building reading rooms for those Books of Domination.

I think I am doing something. And I did some other thing you haven't answered to yet, like my 3 roll-calls to the magical races in Athas, Krynn and Oerth.
I contacted Guglielmo Marconi and granted him funds for his experiments, funds his government wasn't giving him.
(In real Earth he went to England to look for funds, but in this Earth London doesn't exist anymore. I'm trying to save the radio )
I stood for the rights of african people BEFORE Mina started to preach the One God, and BEFORE TFO sent his covert agents, you can check if you want, and I helped the Ethiopian ruler. (Which was under attack by italian troops. The war ended in 1896.)

I am not a tyrant, and I won't claim Earth nations, like everyone else seem to be doing. But my dragons are there to rebuild and help the Silver Cabal, and the priest of Ilmater are there to cure them and comfort them. This is hardly nothing. Can't they tell who's helping them, asking nothing in exchange, and the new tyrants that are going to rule them? Are the magical races, are the dragons from Krynn and Oerth deaf to my pleas against an enemy that could destroy us all, as already destroyed the faerie and the dragons of Earth millenia ago?

I'm enjoying this game very much, but maybe sometimes the paces becomes too frantic and something goes amiss.

 

[Bugbear]

Posted by Lichtenhart:

Can't they tell who's helping them, asking nothing in exchange, and the new tyrants that are going to rule them?

Simply put, No.

The reason being the Books of Domination. The good and most of the Neutral powers won't use them, but the evil powers have no problem with doing so.

Edena had this to say on the matter:

Bugbear, my genuine apologies, but your books are ... how do I put this? ... underpowered.
This goes for the works of William, Venus, Lichtenhart, and the others who did not use domination magic.

The problem is simple: they are using domination magic in their books, and you are not.
So, unfortunately, those who read your books merely mull over them, while those who read the domination books fanatically believe them.
I am not saying this is a good thing - it is an evil thing, really - but it is the case.

It's not a matter of who is right or wrong, or who has the best argument, or freedom vs slavery, or whatever. It's a matter of the Baddies using the books of domination to succure their empires, while the Good and Neutral powers must relly on reason. And sadly, reasion cannot stand against the power of the Books of domination.

 

[Inez Hull]

FROM EDENA

A British man calling himself Sherlock Holmes offers to be your eyes and ears on Earth and elsewhere, Inez.
Do you accept?

Indubitably

Orinil will attempt to expand his network in Earth attempting to garner local contacts and support. He will refrain from using magic to assist his network any further in Earth, to keep his network from being corrupted by the Red Death.

Orinil will publish a work giving practical tactical advice to combating magic through mundane means and spread it across Earth free of charge to garner goodwill. He will also attempt to resume contact with the Silver Cabal (Pasteur was treated well whilst captive and kept fully informed about the reasons for his kidnapping and Orinil's belief that it would result in the same objectives that the Cabal sought - the eradication of magic and defeat of the Red Death)

FROM EDENA

Ok, I have to be blunt.
I can appreciate the loftiness of the Icewind Compact, Dauntless, Free Nations, Free Peoples, and Underground Alliance.
I understand that your characters are outraged and horrified at what they are learning about Earth - they should be.
They should also be outraged and horrified at Mina, Ivid, and the Dragon-Kings, and I assume they are.

BUT IF YOU DO NOT DO SOMETHING SOON, TIMOTHY AND SERPENTEYE WIN

Orinil will pen a missive to the leaders of the Dauntless:

The Red Death grows unhindered once more whilst the noble idealists of the Dauntless debate ineffectually. You hold the solution to not only Faerun's woes but that of three other worlds, yet you refuse to act for fear of losing your own power. Idealism this is not. Either act in accordance with the equality and moral concern you espouse or drop the pretense. Previously I used blackmail to force my agenda. I realise that this is foolishness of the highest order, to attempt to use force to maniuplate those motivated by ideals. Instead I now call upon your ideals themselves and allow the world to make its judgement.


Somehow, several newspapers also come across this same letter and print it at the same time as the Dauntless recieves it.

 

[Lichtenhart]

Simply put, No.

The reason being the Books of Domination. The good and most of the Neutral powers won't use them, but the evil powers have no problem with doing so.
It's not a matter of who is right or wrong, or who has the best argument, or freedom vs slavery, or whatever. It's a matter of the Baddies using the books of domination to succure their empires, while the Good and Neutral powers must relly on reason. And sadly, reasion cannot stand against the power of the Books of domination.

I maybe wrong, indeed I am often wrong, but I can't remember Timothy, Serpenteye or even Mina say that they were using the Domination Books or The Mind Control Elixir on Earth.
So, Timothy and Serpenteye, were you?

 

[Inez Hull]

Total PL: 93 = 10 armies

Aglarond and all Cities Therein : 1 army defending
Altumbel and all Cities Therein : 1 army defending
Rashemen and all Cities Therein : 1 army defending
The Sharn : 1 army defending
The Svirfneblin of the Underdark : 1 army defending


The surplus 5 armies, drawn from The Sharn, The Elemental Legions and The Legions of the Past Awakened converge on the site of the portal. They set themselves up as self proclaimed gate keepers. They will attempt to block entry into Faerun by any military force from the other worlds, using a strategic deployment around the portal to make it into a chokepoint. Any travellers or diplomatic missions are allowed unrestricted access, although as always there are agents of Orinil's network present as secret observers.

Edena, on that point, are the past awakened able to be used as incorporeal spies? If so, they will 'accompany' any groups which travel through the portal.

 

[Kalanyr]

PL 140 = 14 Armies

10 Armies defend my forests, since I have no idea where they are in respect to one another, its just an even spread.

4 Armies go to the Aid of the British Empire, they do not conquer or take power, they just guard against any attacks that come from other quarters, they ask nothing in return for this.

Edena- Did you see my ealier posts about books explaining the nature of the Red Death and Faeries and such ?

The Faeries will aid the Silver Cabal on a magic to send the Red Death back to where it came from.

 

[Bugbear]

Orinil will pen a missive to the leaders of the Dauntless:

The Red Death grows unhindered once more whilst the noble idealists of the Dauntless debate ineffectually. You hold the solution to not only Faerun's woes but that of three other worlds, yet you refuse to act for fear of losing your own power. Idealism this is not. Either act in accordance with the equality and moral concern you espouse or drop the pretense. Previously I used blackmail to force my agenda. I realise that this is foolishness of the highest order, to attempt to use force to maniuplate those motivated by ideals. Instead I now call upon your ideals themselves and allow the world to make its judgement.


Somehow, several newspapers also come across this same letter and print it at the same time as the Dauntless recieves it.

Hmm, perhaps I should explain to you exactly why I'm not using the anti-magic spell at this time.

First of all, doing so would close the gate to earth, where a large number of the Dauntless' forces are at. This would result in the inability of those lands to defend themselves.

Second, It wouldn't solve anything. The effect lasts one year, after which the Red Death will return to a weakened Faerun.

And third, there is annother solution. The Silver Cabal are working on developing a ritual which will destroy the Red Death. The Dauntless are helping them as are the Enlightend Gnomes. If The anti-magic spell is cast, we won't be able to reasearch the ritual.

Hopefully this makes sence to you. The anti-magic spell is not a solution to the Red Death. your spreading of misinformation, telling people that it is a solution, only makes things worse.

Now, as I asked the chosen, I will now ask you. Are you going to be part of the solution or part of the problem?