Game 10

Oi! You're welcome to 4th place...but the holder of 3rd place is quite happy with it and ain't giving it up

Rozwi_Game10 wrote:Here's hoping for Changamire Dombo II to make the leap to 4th in the Honour table this coming turn. I'm determined to knock the Polish Steward off top spot before the end of 1702!

Not sure if its still the case but at one stage if your character was killed your honour score was reduced by 50%.

If the Royal Steward of Poland, Holy Roman Emperor, Lord President of Scotland & the Doge of Genoa drop dead before the end of 1702....well one or two can probably be put down to natural causes ie Catching a chill after his coach hit a snow drift, Surfit of Bourbons, Drank himself to death, a STD or a Surfit of Husbands.

But if all of them drop dead people are going to be muttering about Crusades against African Witchdoctors ditto if anyone finds a Black Mamba in their bed room.

Just wait till you all receive wedding invitations for a royal event later in the year! (although my chap hasn't even met the Princess yet, though she's currently living in his house at Khami)

"Oi! Big witchdocter in foreign place. You're summoned to Khami to pay respects to the Great Bull Elephant, Changamire Dombo II. Tell all your friends to also come and bring big gifts. Don't be stingy when buying wedding presents!"

Get you all in the same place, at the same time, pass around the gourds filled with mufti and beer, start up the old dancing drums and take you all on a nice stroll into the bush

"What, this? Don't worry European friend. This is the test of masculinity in Rozwi: put your head in the lion's open mouth, stay still, I go and kick the lion in the nuts, if you don't move then you're praised as being a brave man! Much singing and dancing is done in your honour at the funeral."

The Glory of Kings, April 1702. The following is the only news that matters!   (that may be a bias assumption   )

The Rozwi Indaba - The Voice of Africa

MAUNG
The stamping feet of the watching regiments
accompanied the pulsing rhythm of the drums. As
Changamire Dombo stepped out of the largest hut
his bodyguard flanked him and the praise singers
leaped and danced forward. The Snake Eagle and
Fish-Eagle regiments stood watching on. As did the
population of Maung, to witness the ceremony
recognising military achievement. The cavalrymen
stood proudly in their new finery and ornaments.
The subjugated mass of Maung anxiously wondered
what the future held.

Chief Mutapa, commander of Rozwi cavalry, received
the general's axe from the Changamire. Servants
shuffled forward and quickly placed the general's new
uniform upon him. A gourd containing beer was
presented to the Changamire, three gulps taken, then
it was delivered to Chief Mutapa to share. The drums beat
out the tempo as the men came to perform the honour
dance for the ancestors. The praise singers cried out their
duty of recording and witnessing history, as the gathered
watchers squatted down to respectfully watch.
Chief Mutapa sat, honoured before the gathered warriors,
but then stood, raised his spear and saluted his men.

KHAMI
Having been asked to go to Inhambane to teach the
White men Bantu, Pedro Lomwe said he would not
(or at least he would not yet!). Chief Hapunda
frowned at him and spoke of his displeasure at his
decision, but Pedro told him his employment was to
end next month, and nothing had been said about his
future or about whether he will be paid from May? He
had been told he was free to leave, and wants to honour
his ancestors and bring his family a new start in Khami
by settling here. They are currently at Tete. “Now, chief, if
you want me to lead a language academy here,
that I am willing to do, just assist me to do so and
arrange for my family to come here!”

(Tete is in Portuguese East Africa)

###

Added information to the position of (the) Karange Empire of the Rozwi

General's uniform;
A pompom headdress featuring a plume of black cockerel's feathers, a high quality
Amabeshu (groin apron/kilt) of Serval cat skin, an Amashoba (worn on the upper
arms and below the knees) of white cow tails, as well as a General's Axe, its short
shaft carved to produce the appearance of a stylised eagle head.

Rozwi cavalry uniform;
IsiNene front apron and iBeshu rear apron of animal skins, both cut to knee length.
Isembatho shoulder covering made from large cat fur.

Maung; (Maung now under Rozwi control)
Population 3,000 (also called Maun meaning the place of the river reeds). A village
with the River Thamalakane running through it. The villagers are livestock herders.
100,000 people have come under your rule in the Maung district.

(Rozwi's capital, Khami, has a population of 7,000 -
Inhambane, the second largest settlement, has a population of 5,000)

"There is always something new out of Africa"

[quote="Rozwi_Game10"]The Glory of Kings, April 1702. The following is the only news that matters!   (that may be a bias assumption   )

To be fair G10 also has:

1) A very interesting War in India

2) A revolt against the Shogan in Japan

3) "No peace beond on the line" in the America's.

Its only in Europe were things are so boring that at the Rome Talks the Envoy from Genoa spent most of the month writing the De Franchi Guide to Roman Whores while the Dutch Envoy had to slip out for a proper Drink and a good punch up with the local Papists. While half of the French finally woke up from their nap to follow Van Flinkenstein to the pub and watch the Dutch Navy in close quarter action (and getting knocked out).

However as a rough summary of the position's:

- The French & the Dutch/English/Scots agreed on a fair division of the Spanish Inheritence months ago and signed a treaty to this effect.
This treaty is based on the last will of Carlos II and gives Louis XIV Grandson a lesser but still fair share of the inheritence. But gives William of Orange his key demands of a) No Bourbon Control of the Spanish Fleet b) No Bourbon Monopoly of the America's trade and c) Improved security for the Southern UDP border.

- One would have thought the Emperor would have been delighted at the French agreeing that his second son being made King of Spain. But for reasons known only to himself has now repudiated the Hapsburg Claim to Spain & Flanders while still saying that Flanders has been unlawfully annexed...........by its legal Duke and only claiment to the title?????!!!!!! and demanded that the Anglo-Dutch-French treaty is torn up.

- The reply from Paris, London & the Hague to Vienna and Venice throwing a fit and remanding the repudiation of the partition treaty would seems to be NO. Along with a message from the Duc d'Aumont which when translated into Dutch Naval would basically read as "and what are you going to do about it punk?".

- If reply to having his bluff called the Imperial Army is starting to pour into Italy with the Doge of Venice acting as the Emperor's door man and the HRE is mustering his allies to fight for 2nd Prize in the Spanish Inheritence (after rejecting the 1st prize?) . Not the most logical of positions but who cares At long last the talking seems to be grinding to a halt and good honest upstanding seafarers are almost in touching distance of getting nice new letters of Marque with the King of France very own seal on them. So legally sound that they will even stand up in a Scots Prize Court!

- All we need now is for the Conference in the Sea to sort out some local bye laws and we are away.

Stuart Bailey wrote:

 So legally sound that they will even stand up in a Scots Prize Court!

Only if you translate it into Doric first

Jason wrote:

Stuart Bailey wrote:

 So legally sound that they will even stand up in a Scots Prize Court!

Only if you translate it into Doric first

What about Ionic or Corinthian?

I have to generally agree. I'm really not sure what France is playing at. Perhaps they foolishly signed binding treaties with some other nations. I think they're getting a screaming good deal and saying they don't want it.

Wars in game haven't traditionally been all that kind to France. I guess they want a chance to break that pattern.

It will be interesting to watch.

I'm sure there won't be a war now that in news from Rome His Holiness and The Papal States support Poland's proposal that the Hapsburgs gain Milan and Naples.  Will France ignore the Pope's mediation and land an army in Naples and drop even further off the Honour table?

Will the Doge of Genoa declare for Karl Hapsburg and allow a French fleet to threaten to bombard the Sedici Palace?

Spain commits an act of war against France at Santo Domingo - never expected that.  

Deacon wrote:
I have to generally agree. I'm really not sure what France is playing at. Perhaps they foolishly signed binding treaties with some other nations. I think they're getting a screaming good deal and saying they don't want it.

Wars in game haven't traditionally been all that kind to France. I guess they want a chance to break that pattern.

It will be interesting to watch.

If the deal now put forward by Poland had been proposed 2 years by the Hapsburgs/Poland.......France would probably have snapped your hand off!

But that was before two years of totally nagative and anti French diplomacy from Vienna & Venice and its agreement of the 3rd Patition treaty with the Anglo-Dutch-Scots. A treaty which was published in the Paper and hailed in Paris, London & the Hague as a diplomatic
triumph and peace in our time etc & was even mentioned in the Polish preable.

Since this treaty was plastered all over the paper the current offer looks like an invite to France to:

1) Break its word of honour and sink its honour score
2) Abandon its allies in Savoy & Genoa
3) Start a war with an outraged King William backed up by his loyal Ministers in London & Edinburgh - can you just imagine the Propanganda battering that the gang of three would dish out to France if it accepted the proposals but forward.
4) Get stabbed in the back by Vienna as soon as the two years non aggression pact expired.

My character has already told King Louis Ministers that to accept the Polish Proposal (trap) & start a war with England, UDP & Scotland in such circumstances is dishonourable & idiotic & he for one intends to resign his commission and stay in the nice inland pub for the duration.

But if a war starts because the Kiaserlicks have attacked the Viceroy of the King's Grandson's in Milan my Sword is his Majesty's to Command! Let the Lilly Banners Fly and lets sweep the sea's of Venetian & Austrian Merchant shipping. Plus my Chairman would quite like a land command?

Ok my character's may be only one step up from for God King & Country Character and I am sure King Louis has much wiser heads than mine to advise him but I like to think they do a fairly good impression of the thinking of minor French Nobles. Venice (aka the Austrian Navy) has a much higher honour score than my Captains but when the pain starts to mount any bets on who is going to crack first? French Nobles or the Merchants on the Council of 500?

All in all I think Louis XIV is damn lucky he has me "a poor overworked underpaid French Civil Servant" running so much of his Propaganda:D

Hapsburg wrote:I'm sure there won't be a war now that in news from Rome His Holiness and The Papal States support Poland's proposal that the Hapsburgs gain Milan and Naples.  Will France ignore the Pope's mediation and land an army in Naples and drop even further off the Honour table?

Will the Doge of Genoa declare for Karl Hapsburg and allow a French fleet to threaten to bombard the Sedici Palace?

Spain commits an act of war against France at Santo Domingo - never expected that.  

What No War

Think the only reason the Doge of Genoa would betray the Bourbon cause would be if his head was turned by a Blonde, Blue Eyed, Alpine Milkmaid with the big ******. Plus a really big bank balance to repair the damage an enraged House of Bourbon is likely to do to Genoa.

Find in a most wars players get on perfectly well with their foes, get "annoyed" with their allies & NPC's and start blood feuds with people who betray them.

Why bombard the Sedici Palace? Its a perfectly good building.....when dealing with annoying NPC diets I always found it a lot cheaper to shot members of the diet/council/estate general untill I got a majority. But Richard does not like this so I now have to go in for proper historic methods of council management ie bribery, sending people who annoy you to be ambassador to Napal or Scotland and appointing new members untill you get a majority........Simples

No sweat off my back either way. I have nothing in the game.

I think France has many ways to lose, and few to win. I think war is likely close to unavoidable at this point.

Deacon wrote:No sweat off my back either way. I have nothing in the game.

Yes you do. You have the high regard that those of importance hold you in. Changamire Dombo is most annoyed that he, the Big Elephant, is not at the top of such a list!

Stuart Bailey wrote:
To be fair G10 also has:

1) A very interesting War in India

2) A revolt against the Shogan in Japan

3) "No peace beond on the line" in the America's.

Its only in Europe were things are so boring

The Rozwi Indaba notes these things happening in far off lands.

News of war in India reaches our ears through the gossip of coastal traders. It has not effected trade, so we listen while bargaining.

Conflict in Japan concerns the hungry in Rozwi. This far away place, called Nihon-Nippon, sounds mystical and magical, but also is rumoured to have vast quantities of food that could be delivered to help us. Rozwi is interested in what happens in Japan.

America's we have not heard of before. What is it?

Europe is the home of our White friends. We thank them for the gifts they send us!

But the only news worth reporting is, truly, that given in The Rozwi Indaba. And that is official, according to the Royal Kraal at Khami!

Rozwi_Game10 wrote:

Deacon wrote:No sweat off my back either way. I have nothing in the game.

Yes you do. You have the high regard that those of importance hold you in. Changamire Dombo is most annoyed that he, the Big Elephant, is not at the top of such a list!

The honour is in the attempt (which always seemed unlikely, but hey, gotta try).

I suggest you build the cathedral of elephants, decorated with the heads of your enemies? That would be a real statement piece.

You can explain how the great elephant has named you his avatar on earth to crush his many enemies beneath his thundering large feet.

Nothing like being a living god to wow folks. Plus bonus, you can make up any theological demands you want as you go along. Much better than established religions where there are all the inconvenient rules already in place.

Dombo doesn't have anything to crow about, yet

He invades Ovambo and they either don't want to fight, can't fight, or their military is over on the west coast and too far away. Capturing one village and district, possibly another in the near future, isn't much to shout about, unfortunately.

Tonga is too small to bother invading, so I'm hoping to marry into the family.

Portuguese East Africa I'd rather not, and just work with the player - Africa is big enough and has enough npc's to attack.

Herrero is just desert and bushmen.

The jewel in south Africa is the Nguni lands, but Rozwi isn't ready to go against them, yet, should we do.

Unless Dombo employs a spin-doctor, as well as the witch doctor, it might be some time before he can trumpet his own greatness around the place. 'I've built some tracks from here to there. Subjugated 100,000 mouths to feed, when we struggle to feed ourselves. Got one wife pregnant and the other not. Aren't I da man!'

Deacon wrote:
No sweat off my back either way. I have nothing in the game.

I think France has many ways to lose, and few to win. I think war is likely close to unavoidable at this point.

As I was saying starting a war with England, UDP & Scotland by breaking a treaty with them and abondoning its allies seems like a really good way for France to lose a war.

As for winning a war I always find burning your foe's territory down to the bed rock is a good start. Battering their Army with artillery & skirmishers and than hitting it with Heavy Cavalry has its moments but for an example of how the Louis XIV French won wars I would draw your attention to the "Rape of the Palantine" & the Invasion of the UDP lead by the Great Conde & Turrane.

Nothing like a bit of the old "burn,rape, loot & pillage" to spread terror amongst German Electors & the Council of 500.

If they signed a treaty in game with these nations, then they deserve the grief they'll get for it. None of these countries are traditional allies of France, and I'd personally be pretty dubious about the value of cutting deals with them that gave them a say. But hey, players often do things I think are stupid. Sometimes they actually are.

If the treaty pre-exists January 1700, it isn't binding as a matter of the rules. Players are certainly free to assert whatever they want, but my understanding is that Richard won't punish you for breaking pre-game treaties.

Rozwi_Game10 wrote:
Unless Dombo employs a spin-doctor, as well as the witch doctor, it might be some time before he can trumpet his own greatness around the place. 'I've built some tracks from here to there. Subjugated 100,000 mouths to feed, when we struggle to feed ourselves. Got one wife pregnant and the other not. Aren't I da man!' :D

Well as a professional spin-doctor in real life, I think it is a big error to let facts get in the way of a good story!

(Ok, I can't actually get away with that in real life, but it is still an absolutely true statement as a recent view of certain elections will make very clear.)

I agree with Deacon that in Glory the facts should never be allowed to get in the way of a good story.

However, the problem for the French in G10 is that:

- James II has not passed away allowing Louis XIV to be overcome with emotion at his friends death bad and start backing the Jacobites in violation of earlier treaties.

- A friendly messenger has not come from Spain saying the whole inheritence to the Duc of Anjou......or I ride onto Vienna.

- In absence of above historic events and because he wanted to explore what could have happened if Louis XIV had stuck with his original agreement with William of Orange, France has re-signed the Partition Treaty in game (with a few amendments). So if its broken France will get battered by Richard as well as an outraged England, Scotland & UDP.

A re-agreed partition treaty may be stupid from a French point of view in the long run and it may lack the high drama of the original run up to the War of the Spanish Succession, but it is an interesting historic "what if ?".

The treaty, whatever it is, hasn't been shared, or confirmed in the paper as far as I know. I just went back and looked again and found nothing. If I've missed it, please point me towards it.

So while all of this may be true, until somebody actually says something to the effect to the rest of us in game where it can be confirmed, it isn't known.

And lacking Spain and Austria's support, it will likely not be that easy to enforce.

But, if so, it will likely be ugly before the end. I'm not sure I have enough popcorn for the events to come! France may get it from the Pope for playing him at his peace conference, and the UDP may live to regret letting France to its border in Flanders. It it is relatively recently history (in game) when France was at war with the UDP. And I think without a balancing power in Spain, there is little to stop France conquering it. I think any deal that gives England and Scotland a seat at the table is a huge win for them though. Not sure what they could give France to make it worth their while to make a deal though. Since in-game treaties are limited to 3 years, can't really ensure any long-term promises are kept.

But the great thing about the game is everybody has their own perspective on risks and rewards and we get to see how they all play out in game.

Maybe this turn France will finally own up to what's going on and the fallout can begin.

"Not sure what they could give France to make it worth their while to make a deal though"

Easy, Scotland won't import 10,000 haggis to France

Jason wrote:"Not sure what they could give France to make it worth their while to make a deal though"

Easy, Scotland won't import 10,000 haggis to France

Wow. In so much as you have to kill the sheep to make haggis, did you really get 10,000 scotsmen to sacrifice their girlfriends to win a treaty with France?

Is that in the Scots Bible? "No greater love has a man, than to lay down his sweet, sweet sheep's life for his friends (and country)"

:D

If I were france, I'd sign! That kind of thing could start the Haggis plague. Pretty soon all Frenchies would be getting drunk, having punch ups, and passing out in the bushes. Never mind the bills for the deep fat fryers. And can you imagine what a Scottish burr would do to French? They're already mostly unintelligible with all they "Feh!" this and "Feh!" that.

Good to know how cold blooded the Scots are in this game so I can steer well clear!

Deacon wrote:

If I were france, I'd sign! That kind of thing could start the Haggis plague. Pretty soon all Frenchies would be getting drunk, having punch ups, and passing out in the bushes. Never mind the bills for the deep fat fryers. And can you imagine what a Scottish burr would do to French? They're already mostly unintelligible with all they "Feh!" this and "Feh!" that.

Good to know how cold blooded the Scots are in this game so I can steer well clear!

Clearly "Keep out of Scotland......or die of the Haggis plague" is good advice for the French & all others in G10.

Pity the same advise was not given to many others in G7. Too date the attempted conquest of Scotland by the English Jacobites has created a killing zone which has inflicted huge losses on Russian & English forces and has left the Spanish Guards back Spain drowning their sorrows and crying "it was horrible" to any fetching barmaid who will listen. And now jumping in were Angels fear to tread we have the French !!

In G7 I would really like to moan that six months after a treaty of withdraw was signed the French Army is still cluttering up the taverns and brothels of the Spanish Caribbean and riding their horses all over the beach at Acapulco. But protesting that French troops seem to prefer to sit around drinking local coffee and red wine with Latin Beauties rather than shipping out to drink warm beer, face starvation or Haggis & fight the rageing fanatic's of the Orange Order in the sleet seems a bit ......"and your point is?".

Wonder if a case can be made for saying units can pick up Sickness levels due to being too comfortable? Read that out of 16,000 Hessain Mercenaries who were hired by the Crown to fight in the American War of Independence roughly 1,000 were killed in action or by illness, 10,000 went home and 5,000 stayed in North America after the War.

Surely exporting so many Haggis will have an effect on the Wild Haggis herds roaming the Highlands of Scotland!

They may also need protection from Poachers if the taste really takes off in France, with Smuggling of Wild Haggis possibly becoming a major problem in Game ten.

J Flower wrote:Surely exporting so many Haggis will have an effect on the Wild Haggis herds roaming the Highlands of Scotland!

They may also need protection from Poachers if the taste really takes off in France, with Smuggling of Wild Haggis possibly becoming a major problem in Game ten.

It's ok, we will only export the Common, or Vulgar, Haggi. They are the ground dwelling ones and frankly breed so fast they make rabbits look celibate. The Haggi Royale, the winged breed, are protected and can only be eaten by those who can trace their roots back to William Wallace