I join the Arms Race
Planar
Baatezu (devils)
To entice the baatezu into my service I start by pointing out the large numbers of tana'ri and celestials who are entering this chrystal sphere. I explain to them the need to balance the chaotic influences of these creatures and that the cause of the baatezu race would not benefit from Oerth falling under the sway of such abominations. In exchange for the assistance of diabolic mercenaries I offer an advance payment of 1000 souls and another 1000 souls per month every month more baatezu are summoned. I also offer an individual pay to each baatezu of between 0.1 and 10 souls per month (depending on the HD and species of the devil). If the baatezu are still unwilling to sign the contract I offer to share some of our magic and technological lore with them. If they still balk I offer to send 10000 men (of my choice) to fight in the blood war 20 years from now. (these negotiations are to be completed within the month)
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Yugoloth (daemons)
To the yugoloth I offer the same deal as the baatezu and try to explain just why they need me more than I need them. I also offer them the exquisite pleasure of torturing prisoners of war on their free time and arrange competitions between baatezu, yugoloth, efreeti and men in the art of causing pain. If none of my planars mind I offer to arrange an "olympic games" of torture for all major species in the multiverse.
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Fire efreeti ((I don't really know what these creatures want, I have no monster manual so I'm just guessing.))
To the efreeti I offer a world to burn (figuratively). I offer the liquid fire far beneath the lands of the Dark Union for their homelands in this new world. I give them the same offer of souls as I give the baatezu and yugoloth (If they have no interest in tormenting the dead they can always use them as trade-items in the lower planes). Magic and technological lore is also offered if the negotiations seem to take too long.
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The souls offered as payment in the planar arms race come from old and infirm people who can no longer contribute to society in an other way. If any of the planar species fail to agree I can more than double the payment (though I think my offers are already quite generous). Fortunately the God-Emperor has an overwhelming diplomacy, bluff and sence motive rank and he handles the negotiations personally in the imperial capital Jalpa.
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Magical
As a high level mage the God-Emperor has long searched for ways to increase his power and unlock the secrets of the arcane age, now that Kas has returned he is making steady progress. The magical colleges of the Dark Union are given great resources to expand recruitment and research. We are in the magical arms race.
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Technological
With the wanderers sending massive efforts are begun into catching up to the gnomes and the UC. Large numbers of skilled laborers and experts put their lives at stake in finding new ways to produce large amounts of goods quickly and building new and deadlier weapons. We are in the technological arms race.
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Undead
There is a long tradition of Necromancy in the lands of the Empire. All dead, since about a decade ago, are reanimated into undead form and made to work the hardest and most dangerous work in quarries, stripmines and construction of fortresses, roads and canals and simple farmlabour, they also serve as expendable shock-troops in battle. Damaged undead are mended and reanimated. Higher forms of undead are respected and treated like other powerful citicens, although they are magically bound and compelled to obey the laws and decrees of the Emperor. Lesser undead are masscontrolled and cheaply massanimated with the aid of high level spells (9-10th.) Powerful undead are either animated or allowed to "recruit" under controlled forms, they are also forced to swear their fealty to the God-Emperor on the Rod of Unbreakable Oaths. We are in the undead arms race.
PS. Edena, I like your rules. I guess that makes me lawful evil.
DS.
PPS. And a suck-up besides
DS.
. Then again, with this level of complexity i can't understand how it could possibly be anything but pure chaos and destruction. It's just that even though I may treat this as a game of chess, I don't treat it as a serious game of chess.
