(IR) The 5th IR - 3rd OOC Thread (OPEN)

[Paxus Asclepius]

FROM ECLAVDRA TO THE LEADERS OF ALL THE EVIL POWERS (ANABSTERCORIAN, CREAMSTEAK, DEVILISH, GUILT PUPPY, KNIGHT OTU, MELKOR, PAXUS, RIKANDUR)

(PRIVATE)

[sblock]

Eclavdra sends messages to your leaders, either directly or indirectly: somehow, the message gets there. Whether written, or spoken in Eclavdras' soft, gentle voice, the following gets said:

We the leaders are all in mortal danger.
It is a simple matter for the 'good' demipowers and those 'good' leaders with artifacts to gather together into a single group: a single army of demipowers, artifacts, and 'heroes.'
This group, with it's combined might, is capable of overwhelming any and all attempts that any SINGLE ONE of us might make to avoid scrying: thus, we can and we will be scried, our location discovered, and the locations of all our duplicates - stasis clones and the like - also discovered.
This group, with it's combined might, will then teleport to our location, and destroy us, one by one, until we are all dead. Because SINGLY, we stand no chance against such combined might.
We need collective strength of our own: a treaty that states if one of us is attacked, the others will come to the aid of that one. If Iuz is attacked, the Wolf God, Acererak, myself, Rary, and all the others, with their mightiest forces ((their Epic Armies)) will come to protect Iuz. If the Wolf God is attacked, the rest of us aid him. And so on.
What else can we do? We cannot escape the Crystal Sphere. There is no place we can go where we cannot be scried and thus teleported to and attacked. We cannot hide from this threat.
We must stand together against these 'good' leaders: with our collective strength, the 'good' leaders will be far less eager to attempt such assassinations: with our collective strength, they will have to fear for their own lives.

[/sblock]

[sblock]I agree that such a treaty would be invaluable; I will send a proxy to sign it as soon as it is drafted.[/sblock]

 

[Bugbear]

'The Martians had no resistance to the bacteria in our atmosphere. Once they had breathed our air, germs which we had long become immune to, started killing them. The end came quickly: all over the world their machines begin to fail and fall. After all that men could do had failed, the Martians were defeated and the Earth was saved by the littlest things ...'

I could be wrong, but I believe that Serpenteye ruled that when the Sphere was closed (will be closed at the beginning of Turn 1) the Gods disappeared and nearly all of the clerics of Greyspace lost all their powers.
Finis Cure Disease.
Even in our Real World society, disease is a mass killer. Consider the repeated attempts to colonize the northern coast of South America which failed because of Yellow Fever. Disease nearly completely obliterated the native Hawaiians after others arrived with the germs.

In the fantasy world of Oerth, the cultures and peoples have long been dependent on clerics to protect them from disease.
Thus, with the clerics gone, they do not even have the paltry defenses medieval people used to protect themselves: they are threatened by an enemy they do not perceive, and which they are defenseless against.

And if wizards can start diseases - and I am sure there are wizardry spells that can - and if druids start diseases ...
We could see many of the people of Oerth perish in the first few Turns.

Because this tactic is all too plausible, and is not the result of any kind of 'broken' spells (the spells required are all too low in level, and all too easily obtained) my power is going to take this threat into account.
Before Turn 1 starts, before anyone has the chance to unleash disease upon my drow, I will have already sent instructions to Serpenteye on how to protect the drow.

As for the Surface Dwellers, well ... to put it in Eclavdras' words: Lolth help them. (Well, ok, Eclavdra would actually say: May these deluded ones see the Way of Lolth)

Allow me to present a counter-argument.

First let me remind you that an NPC spellcaster will charge a minimum of 15GP to cast remove disease. Some will charge more if they think they can get away with it. Now perhaps your long-time character Edena would run off to the cleric every time he caught a cold, but I doubt that the average peasent would be willing to part with his hard-earned gold for such a paltry inconvenience. Furthermore, it is illogical to think that a cleric, even a good one, would automatically agree to casting remove disease to cure minor aliments. When would they find time to revere there god or to preform quests?

Second, the description of the spell says that it does not prevent reinfection after exposure to the same disease at a later date. What this means is that it does not in any way effect the immunological process, which is the way the body builds resistance to disease through exposure. The spell simply removes the foreign bacteria and viruses from the targets body. So I argue that even people who have had Remove Disease cast upon them still have developed some resistance to disease.

Thirdly, fantasy civilizations as presented in role-playing games and literature (particularly those of a Lawful or Good nature) are often more sanitary than there real life counterparts. The people are cleaner, eat better, and routinely hunt down and destroy disease barring animals, such as rats. Cities usually have complex sewer systems which carry off waste and keep it from getting back into the water supply. I think that it is reasonable that D&D civilizations are less likely spread disease or allow a plague to start or get out of hand.

Finally, Due to common use of teleportation and other quick transit spells and items, almost everyplace on oreth has been exposed to every other place on oreth. This means that there will be less cases of "Virgin Soil" outbreaks than there were in earth's history. It is reasonable to assume that these have already happened.

I argue that the world of Greyhawk is far less susceptible to massive plagues than you would seem to think. Just because the clerics have stopped getting spells from there gods, does not mean that the common cold will wipe out nations. Though the Flu might drop their IC abit for a turn.

On the matter of the Contagion spell, it says in the description that the target contracts a disease with no incubation period. This leads me to believe that contagion based diseases are not contagious, as most diseases are only communicable before the victim shows symptoms.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

EDENA TO PAXUS

(Private, but the other players - those running the evil powers - named above may view)

[sblock]

Eclavdra speaks via her magic mirror to the Wolf God, if that is possible and allowed by him:

I am writing the Treaty now, your Highness. What terminology and terms do you wish? The general purpose is clear: our self-preservation in the face of attack from the 'good' leadership. The specifics matter not to me, so long as we ... all of us ... are clear on the general purpose.

[/sblock]

 

[Bugbear]

OOC: I propose that we should discuss, all interested, public banning of AftS spell, a anti-nuclear agreement of sorts, what do You all think of it ?
I think that gathering at Ekbir would be as good as any other time to start diplomatic negotiations. If WIlliam permits.

I am certainly in favor of an agreement not to use AFTS. I see no need to make a big thing out of it though, as such an agreement would most likely have been forged soon after the spell was first cast. I think we should all simply say weather or not we are agreeing not to use the spell. Each players decision should be put in the megapost under their entry as a mater of public record.

Proposed Details of the Apocalyse Pact:
One. Members of the pact shall abstain from use of AFTS agianst other pact members.
Two. Should a pact member use AFTS against another Pact member, this will be considered an act of war against all members of the Apocalypse Pact and find themselves expelled from the Pact.
Three. Should a non-Pact enity, be it a individual or nation, use AFTS against a Pact member, it shall be considered an act of war against all members of the Apocalypse Pact.
Four. Those who choose to reserve the right to use AFTS freely, shall receive no protection under the rules of the Pact should they find that they are themselves targeted by AFTS, be it from a Pact Member or from a Non-Pact enity.

Greater Nyrond agrees to abstain from using AFTS under the terms of the proposed Apocalypse Pact.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

A Statement from Eclavdra: William, take note!

(Remember that the vitrolic statements below are In Character!)

PUBLIC:

Eclavdra delivers the following speech, and has it broadcast to the leadership of the Baklunish Empire. Her voice is gentle and soft as usual, but also chiding and there is some wry merriment in it. It is as if a bemused mother were gently scolding a disobedient child:


Al'Akbar speaks much of the power of 'good' and 'light.'
We do not see how 'goodness' and 'light' have aided his people.

All the Baklunish nations ... Zeif, Ekbir, Tusmit, Ket ... Yecha, Ull, Tovag Baragu ... the Paynims, the list goes on and on ... all they do is war constantly amongst themselves. Thus, they are ever weak; their people slaughtered and left to rot on the battlefield, their cities and fields plundered, the soil soaked in blood.
In the thousand years since the Invoked Devastation, the Baklunish have accomplished nothing: nothing but the creation of many pathetic little states, stricken with poverty, economically in ruins, corrupt and decadent.

Not all the 'good' Gods of the Baklunish ... not even given a thousand years to rectify this situation ... have accomplished much of anything to change this wretched situation.

When the Baklunish menial is not being slaughtered by some crazed soldier, he is being whipped to death in the fields, or she is being used by the overseers.
Most of the Baklunish are such menials: fed only to be kept alive, kept alive only to work, and worked until they drop.
A few Baklunish, including their leadership, sit in ease and luxury, idleness and merriment, forsaking all responsibility and duty in the pursuit of hedonistic pleasure, induging themselves endlessly in food and wine, heedless of the world around them.

Now comes Al'Akbar, Demipower, and he says he will do - in short order - what all the 'good' Gods could not do in 1,000 years.
He will somehow change all of this, and bring peace and prosperity, justice and responsibility, to his people.
Would Al'Akbar please explain how he will do, what could not be done by the very Gods of the Baklunish?

Al'Akbar has condemned us, the drow. He has condemned all our ways, condemned Lolth, condemned how we govern ourselves, condemned everything about us.
We believe Al'Akbar should look to his own people and their behavior, before he has the audacity to condemn other peoples and societies.
And if he will not do so, then he is a hypocrite.

-

-

-

Eclavdra sends another, more congenial message:

We see once more the great wisdom of Iuz manifest, in the creation of the Apocalypse Pact.
We also agree with King Rhynnon of Nyronds' position on the Pact.
We will sign the Pact as soon as it is written up.
The drow will ... not ... be the ones to bring such mass destruction, ruin and death upon the Surface World.

Why, we would even be willing to sign a Treaty of Non-Aggression with Al'Akbar ... assuming he is honest and not the hypocrite he appears to be.
All we would ask in this Pact is that the Baklunish make no move against us, or Iuz, or the Wolf God, or engage in hostilities against other nations in the Flanaess ... that Al'Akbar indeed look to his own people and their restoration, and not engage in warmongering or warplanning against the innocent peoples of the Flanaess.
If the Baklunish were themselves attacked, they would - obviously - have the right to attack the aggressor. We respect that. The Pact would not void their right to defend themselves.
We wonder, if Al'Akbar will consider our offer?
Considering the danger we all face from the Whispered One, it is an offer well conceived.

(OOC: If Eclavdras' ridiculous statements above don't get an IC response from someone, I've losing my touch! )

 

[Kalanyr]

Thanks for the megapost update Edena (more information today or tomorrow (depending)).

Oh and

/me signs the Pact.

 

[Bugbear]

Eclavdra sends another, more congenial message:

We see once more the great wisdom of Iuz manifest, in the creation of the Apocalypse Pact.
We also agree with King Rhynnon of Nyronds' position on the Pact.
We will sign the Pact as soon as it is written up.
The drow will ... not ... be the ones to bring such mass destruction, ruin and death upon the Surface World.

I wonder if it is wise to point out that it wasn't Iuz who wrote the terms of the Apocalypse Pact, but Rhynnon (with help from Munin ).

 

[Anabstercorian]

I second the motion that Apocalypse from the Sky be quietly removed from existence.

If it isn't, the Triumvirate Rebellious will join the Apocalypse pact and move that clauses referring to the use of biological weaponry (and the forbiddence thereof) be added to it.

Further responses should be arriving shortly.

 

[Anabstercorian]

FROM ECLAVDRA TO THE LEADERS OF ALL THE EVIL POWERS (ANABSTERCORIAN, CREAMSTEAK, DEVILISH, GUILT PUPPY, KNIGHT OTU, MELKOR, PAXUS, RIKANDUR)

(PRIVATE)

[sblock]

Eclavdra sends messages to your leaders, either directly or indirectly: somehow, the message gets there. Whether written, or spoken in Eclavdras' soft, gentle voice, the following gets said:

We the leaders are all in mortal danger.
It is a simple matter for the 'good' demipowers and those 'good' leaders with artifacts to gather together into a single group: a single army of demipowers, artifacts, and 'heroes.'
This group, with it's combined might, is capable of overwhelming any and all attempts that any SINGLE ONE of us might make to avoid scrying: thus, we can and we will be scried, our location discovered, and the locations of all our duplicates - stasis clones and the like - also discovered.
This group, with it's combined might, will then teleport to our location, and destroy us, one by one, until we are all dead. Because SINGLY, we stand no chance against such combined might.
We need collective strength of our own: a treaty that states if one of us is attacked, the others will come to the aid of that one. If Iuz is attacked, the Wolf God, Acererak, myself, Rary, and all the others, with their mightiest forces ((their Epic Armies)) will come to protect Iuz. If the Wolf God is attacked, the rest of us aid him. And so on.
What else can we do? We cannot escape the Crystal Sphere. There is no place we can go where we cannot be scried and thus teleported to and attacked. We cannot hide from this threat.
We must stand together against these 'good' leaders: with our collective strength, the 'good' leaders will be far less eager to attempt such assassinations: with our collective strength, they will have to fear for their own lives.

[/sblock]

To Eclavdra:
[sblock]We'll think about it.[/sblock]

 

[Rikandur Azebol]

(Remember that the vitrolic statements below are In Character!)

PUBLIC:
[sblock]
Eclavdra delivers the following speech, and has it broadcast to the leadership of the Baklunish Empire. Her voice is gentle and soft as usual, but also chiding and there is some wry merriment in it. It is as if a bemused mother were gently scolding a disobedient child:

Al'Akbar speaks much of the power of 'good' and 'light.'
We do not see how 'goodness' and 'light' have aided his people.

All the Baklunish nations ... Zeif, Ekbir, Tusmit, Ket ... Yecha, Ull, Tovag Baragu ... the Paynims, the list goes on and on ... all they do is war constantly amongst themselves. Thus, they are ever weak; their people slaughtered and left to rot on the battlefield, their cities and fields plundered, the soil soaked in blood.
In the thousand years since the Invoked Devastation, the Baklunish have accomplished nothing: nothing but the creation of many pathetic little states, stricken with poverty, economically in ruins, corrupt and decadent.

Not all the 'good' Gods of the Baklunish ... not even given a thousand years to rectify this situation ... have accomplished much of anything to change this wretched situation.

When the Baklunish menial is not being slaughtered by some crazed soldier, he is being whipped to death in the fields, or she is being used by the overseers.
Most of the Baklunish are such menials: fed only to be kept alive, kept alive only to work, and worked until they drop.
A few Baklunish, including their leadership, sit in ease and luxury, idleness and merriment, forsaking all responsibility and duty in the pursuit of hedonistic pleasure, induging themselves endlessly in food and wine, heedless of the world around them.

Now comes Al'Akbar, Demipower, and he says he will do - in short order - what all the 'good' Gods could not do in 1,000 years.
He will somehow change all of this, and bring peace and prosperity, justice and responsibility, to his people.
Would Al'Akbar please explain how he will do, what could not be done by the very Gods of the Baklunish?

Al'Akbar has condemned us, the drow. He has condemned all our ways, condemned Lolth, condemned how we govern ourselves, condemned everything about us.
We believe Al'Akbar should look to his own people and their behavior, before he has the audacity to condemn other peoples and societies.
And if he will not do so, then he is a hypocrite.[/sblock]

OOC:
I had sblocked Eclavdra's message, to save space and time ... that would be wasted by Iuz in self gloating and cackling.
I'm waiting for William's response over new Iuz's ambassador coming to Ekbir.

Bugbear, the cleverness of Eclavdra would make Iuz sign this pact. You know ... people with Ego problems, like him, like to be glorified. And could we agree that Iuz were the inspiration of such pact ?

IC:
Dorakaa, good quality drow tavern.
Public:
[sblock]
*One drow male, fully armed warrior, is sitting at the table with his back towards the wall and sinking fungus ale. His young face is twisted with suspicion, when he saw older drow men, speaking freely jokes about blondes and not glancing with fear or suspicion over the shoulder. Bouncer, ogre slave, kicked out drunken orc who tried to enter. And brawl erupted on the street when orc punched someone who wasn't in mood.*

I don't understand You, cousin. Assasin Guild may be influential factor within the city ... but such sheer disrespect for priestesses of god ... In our home such thing would be extremly unwise.

*Drunken drow with face crisscrossed with self inflicted scarifications and repulsive tatooes laughed upon hearing youth's question. He looked in the eyes of young warrior, and he shruddered seeing his eyes. Youth saw demons who were looking on people with more friendly eyes than this one particular one.*

Hear what Cu'Sikh will told You ... this ambitious matriarch conquered and unified all drow from Under, yes ? Do You think that she killed all who were opossing her ? Nay, some of them fled to the surface, especially here, where gender matter less than power. You fled Your home, sickened of something ... folly, if You think that surfacers are that much different from us.

*Youth became pale ashen, when he heard name of his table companion. Others assembled laughed upon seeing change in his condition. They were seemingly uncaring that infamous ... and traitorous slaughterer of his whole bloodline was sitting next to them.

Cu'Sikh smiled beningly and spoke again.*

After fifteen years I'm still that famous in Erelhei-Cinlu ... I thought that Velsharess actions had enshadowed mine ... if I'm correct she wiped out two of three other mathrons and, only in capital, about four major houses. Ach, yes ... I'm male ... and shouldn't do such thing. I have good news for You, boy. Here You would die because You are stupid or weak, newer because You are of wrong gender. And ... local deity prefers mass slaughter of battle to pathetic screams of slaves. He's as satisfied when preety chicks dance in the temple for his glory, as well as when someone scream his lungs out in agony. So ... If You will worship him, and join his army, You will be healed for free.

*With smirk drow pointed out on the poster where royally clothed, Iuz the Old were pointing at onlooker with cruel smile, behind him was marching great army. On the bottom of the picture was written in drow. Youth read it ... and left tavern in great hurry.*

JOIN ! ARMY AWAITS YOU ! BE A HERO OF THE EMPIRE AND GET GREAT WEALTH, TRAVEL THE WORLD, KILL MANY FOES ! ARE YOU STRONG ENOUGH ?

*Assembled veterans chuckled and started betting if Youth would ever reach the recruiting point ... other volunteers might kill him on sight. But one asked Cu'sikh in hushed tone.*

Cu'Sikh ... is that true that You bought drow wife for Yourself ?!

Yep, old Snakeface's daughters were maturing, so he sold them ... surface women are too weak to last long.[/sblock]

Edena, but more or less public:
*Iuz's old frame appeared in Eclavdra's magic mirror.*

We agree that discussing such pact should be started. And We invite all interested parties to Dorakaa, where in the air of mutual understanding we could discuss this freely. And this magic ... that I foresaw that Whispered One would use, we could discuss during the meeting in Ekbir, my ambassador have right to speak of such matters.

Eclavdra sends another, more congenial message:
[sblock]
We see once more the great wisdom of Iuz manifest, in the creation of the Apocalypse Pact.
We also agree with King Rhynnon of Nyronds' position on the Pact.
We will sign the Pact as soon as it is written up.
The drow will ... not ... be the ones to bring such mass destruction, ruin and death upon the Surface World.

Why, we would even be willing to sign a Treaty of Non-Aggression with Al'Akbar ... assuming he is honest and not the hypocrite he appears to be.
All we would ask in this Pact is that the Baklunish make no move against us, or Iuz, or the Wolf God, or engage in hostilities against other nations in the Flanaess ... that Al'Akbar indeed look to his own people and their restoration, and not engage in warmongering or warplanning against the innocent peoples of the Flanaess.
If the Baklunish were themselves attacked, they would - obviously - have the right to attack the aggressor. We respect that. The Pact would not void their right to defend themselves.
We wonder, if Al'Akbar will consider our offer?
Considering the danger we all face from the Whispered One, it is an offer well conceived.
[/sblock]
(OOC: If Eclavdras' ridiculous statements above don't get an IC response from someone, I've losing my touch! )

OOC:
I'm willing to sing such treaty also ... So, in Ekbir we could put up something along the line of North Atlantic Pact. But unfortunately, my ambassador is still waiting outside the gates.
We must wait what William would say of such thing.

Radiant, are You around ? Do You give me a permission for action that I wrote to You by @mail ?

Anabstercorian, You are willing to put Contagion spell under this ban too ? Chmmm ... but I must askYou to avoid knowledge that medieval people couldn't posess. We must wait some time before someone would discover bacteries.