[This thread is only open to EEF Field Marshall Strykker, and one special delegate from all factions interested in achieving trade relations and border deals. Each of the following current factions may vote internally which player will represent them
New factions will be listed here as they form and gain access to this thread. Current factions who must decide on a representative are: GUTS, UtR ]
Urog arrived to the proceedings. He came with fresh fruits, some seasoned dried meats (the kind you find in Brez “naturally”), and some home brewed alcohol.
“Well met, Earthers from the North. I am the Goblin King Urog of the Gang of the Uf Mag’og, Steward of the Great Northern Army, and am here to speak for the Council of the United Tribes of Der’al.” He presents the food and beverage, “Let us share this bounty I have brought, and speak of your frustration with our council.”
Urog was conducted past the boarder check point set up by the earthers. Along the boarder he could see that a large wall had been grown out of The ground and warded to prevent leyas from further changing it. Troops maned guns on top of the wall as tanks and striders rumbled along its base. The striders in particular seemed far more dangerous the ones he had faced from the church. In the skies squadrons of gunpods and AAV buzzed about patrolling the area. The most striking thing however was the massive machine towering over the wall on the colonies side. It stood a hundred feet tall on four legs the body was long tube with a mostly flat top. Weapons bristled from it and the broad flat area on top was launching and recovering the earther aircraft.
Eventually Urog was taken to a small prefabricated building sitting in the shadow of that monstrous machine. Inside the noise of all the troops and machines was surprisingly muffled. Sitting at a table waiting for him were people in EEF uniforms. Two males, an earther an olgog and a female K’iorn. The earther male stood up and nodded to him.
“I’m Field Marshal Jeremiah Strykker,” he indicated the olgog “This is captain Shrio and this is General Ma’pel. Welcome King Urog, please have a seat.” He said waved to two empty chairs on the other side of the table. “I thought GUTs was supposed to be sending a representative as well?”
Urog nodded respectfully to the Field Marshall, General, and Captain. He then smiled and said, “It is good to be reminded that the Earthers of the North aren’t all Earthers.”
When Jeremiah pointed to the other empty chair, Urog shrugged. “Last I heard, they were on their way. GUTS, heh, sounds funny in Earther… While they are part of our council, their choice may have taken longer. I expect them to join us shortly. Do you wish to wait for them? I have plenty of drink to fill the time. Or we can start without them. You are the host, you choose.”
Jeremiah looked annoyed for a moment. “Well if they can’t be bothered to send someone in time I don’t see why we should wait on them.” He said glancing at this subordinates. General Ma’pel nodded and Shiro spoke up, “They’re merchants anyway they’ll be more worried about trade than security.”
“Agreed, we can discuss new trading terms when they decide to show up.” Jeremiah said taking his seat and looking back at Urog. “So, what do your people propose to do regrading the Mag Der’al?”
Urog went from being jovial to expressionless. He had hoped to change the tone of this conversation.
Urog looked at all three and said, “I’m here because we want to help. We want to trust… And be trusted. Work together. Without fear. Stop arguing. And misunderstanding. Be… Equals. And respect each other.”
Urog knew he didn’t directly answer the question. He knew the answer was “whatever it takes.”. But he was here for more than a simple agreement. He wanted something… More. Long-lasting.
Jeremiah looked at Urog for a moment before replying.
"We tried that already. We came to you first and asked that we work together in this. Now I know the Gang of the Uf Mag’og worked with us and I appreciate that. But most of your people either out right refused or demanded payment. You want trust, fine but that means you have to extend some to.
As a people you didn’t before now you have an unknown number of terrorists operating in lands claimed by the Untied Tribes of Refuge. Terrorists who dearly wish to destroy the colonies who my job it is to protect. That left me with only one option. Locking down the boarder. A situation that many people are not happy with. Obviously you’re not. Hell I’m not! Do you have any idea how pissed off the trading houses are with me right now?
But it was this or forcibly enter the lands they’re working in and hunt them down and that is not something I want to see because its pretty much guaranteed to get out of control and end in unnecessary bloodshed. But as I said I don’t have many options right now. So I’m asking you to give me some. I ask again what do your people propose to fix this?"
Urog’s anger flared, but not at Jeremiah. "Your anger is my anger. I want to beat the heads of my fellow council members for not finding a better solution. How can you build trust if you show none?
I want to come up with a broad solution, then do specific things for this case. Let’s solve this problem once, not each time it happens."
Urog calmed himself. He wondered if he should share urya with those gathered. It wasn’t his place, he thought. And instead continued, “There will be many times when your council, the EEF, will have some need in our lands. You will need to contact us in a manner faster than a messenger. I don’t know if you use crystals like we do, but to have a special communication between you and us is a start, like we have at the council. We should also have a special place where we meet. Starting off in Simonsburg, and eventually in each of the major Olgog regions. We should have one in Chooru too. Talking is easier that way. When you need our help, it’s easy.”
Urog took a sharp breath before continuing. “So when you need to come through our lands, like now, it will be so we can work together. If it matters to you, it has to matter to us. Kul Gul Rapi tribal should be there, as well as any local tribals. For example, what we did Brez together. One is to help, two is to make sure our gog know we’re working together. If you need more for something specific, we can work it out. How does that sound, to start?”
“We’re well aware of communications crystals. We can use them for this. Now an Ambassy in Chooru? I think that can be arranged.” Jeremiah replied, he turned his head to Shrio, “Captain have we done anything with that estate we seized from the church of enlightens in the upper valley?”
“Yes,” Shrio answered with a nod. “It’s a bit run down now but we haven’t done anything else with it.”
General Ma’pel leaned forward. “I have a concern. Is Simonsburg really the best place for an ambassy? Is it not rather out of the way? The hover train station there not withstanding. Would a more populous area not be preferable?” Perhaps Brez or the merchant camp outside of Tal’lo’cal?"
“The General makes a fair point. Is there some reason you think Simonsburg would be better?” Jeremiah asked turning back to Urog.
Urog grinned. “Simonsburg is on the way, so to speak. Easiest to transport your kind back and forth. No need to travel over many lands that are not part of our council. Easy by train. It’s a town full of Olgog and Earthers… Earthers may feel easier to be there than in Tla’loc’al. And then other races, like K’iorn can be comfortable there. More variety than in Brez or Tla’loc’al. Simonsburg is safer than Brez. I would love to have you in Brez, but Brez is dangerous. I’d hate for my enemies to attack you just to get at me and the council. Tla’loc’al is… far. But if you want, or if easier, one in Simonsburg, easy to get up and down. And the other in Tla’loc’al? Maybe two is easier than choosing just one? You tell me.”
Jeremiah shook his head.
“I’d say at least to begin with its best if we just pick one location for now we can assume it’ll be Simonsburg. I expect you’ll want to discuss that with your people anyway. If any of them have strong objections we can adjust. We’ll need a building set aside we can offer certain infrastructure upgrades but we are not agreeing to rebuild the town. We will handle security around the ambassy and help defend Simonsburg from attack but keep in mind it won’t be a very large force Agreed?”
Urog grinned. “Funny thing, I had no desire for your council to ever rebuild the town. I blame my messenger. Gave the wrong message the first time around. When this whole mess started I wanted it to appear that you were rebuilding the town. Sorry it came out wrong. But in this case, that appearance isn’t needed anymore. Wherever you build it, the accommodations will be made. We don’t expect an army to hang around. That would be…a bad idea.”
Urog nodded, continuing. “If that is agreed upon, next is how we act. Do you agree that standard action will be you, or us, communicate and then our gog meet with your…” Urog wanted to say ‘Earthers’, but realized that only one in three people in the room was Earther. He chuckled. “I was about to say Earther. I like that not all members of your council are Earther. It gives me hope. So I’ll say a member of your council, instead.”
“So, once we meet, we’ll talk about the problem and what is needed. Information shared, and if one’s lands need to be entered, it will be accompanied by local tribesmen, or whatever you call citizens of your towns. If it requires justice, a member of the Kul Gul Rapi clan will be present as well on behalf of the United Tribes of Der’al and your EEF for you. It must always look like cooperation. In some places…well, it might have to be discreet. For everyone’s safety…”. He let it hang in the air, obviously talking about Brez.
“Anything to add on this?”
"I think that’s fair."agreed Jeremiah, “I do think we should add an extradition clause. In other words if we’re holding a criminal and you can show that they’re guilty of crimes against the UTR we turn them over for you to try and if you are holding someone we’re looking for and we can make a case against them you do the same. Now I can only agree to this for the EEF. Each colony will have to agree separately. And I’ll be honest some of the probably won’t.”
“Ex-tra-di-tion.”. Urog sounded out the words. “That word doesn’t exist in Olgog. Interesting. It sounds like a good idea. But I am concerned that the Gang of the Rehsed Cross will use it to convict our Mightiest Cheiftain Gul’al of a crime and execute her. Plus what happens if they are criminal here too? When needed, Kul Gul Rapi family will take your evidence and decide how to approach it… Crime by crime. You pick the same in your council. Just like with colonies, some tribes may not accept either. I do promise that we will be fair, listen, and talk about the “problem,” which is what brought me here to begin with.”
Urog wet his lips with water from a water skin he had brought. He offered it to the others, as a gesture of sharing. He continued, “what is considered a crime is important point here. Our view of law is … different. I do not want to get caught up in details right now, but let us have future talks about what we each consider the ‘law.’. I fear we know too little of what is important to each other to make a good decision.”
Shiro took the offer water with a nod.
“If you’d like I’m sure we can provide copies for our laws to you. They might help the UTR set up some of its own laws and maybe they’ll help you understand us a bit better. Extradition doesn’t work that way either. For that to happen your Mightiest Chieftain would have to be in EEF custody and the Rehsed would have to ask us to turn her over and prove what crime she committed against them.” Shiro glanced at Jeremiah for a moment before continuing.
“Really I don’t think we need to concern ourself with every little crime that someone could commit anyway. After all I think all the Field Marshal really wants is assurance that if more Mag Der’al attacks come the UTR will help.” Jeremiah nodded to this. “So what if we limit it to say terrorist activities, murder, kidnapping and high value theft. Like say if another hover train went missing or someone stole a tribes livestock?”
Urog looked at Shiro with confusion. “Read?? Reading is so… Earther.”. Urog grimaced, looked around, wide opened, obviously forgetting where he was for a moment. He then laughed loudly.
“Sorry. To explain myself, I wish for cooperation, just not at the expense of maintaining and recreating Olgog culture. The written word is alien to us.”. He looked to Shiro. " We will accept your words as they are given as a gift. We will have one of our Auf Olgog, keepers of United Tribal histories, explain our customs too. May it help us both learn."
He looked at Jeremiah, “I understand, I think. I confirm that extradilition, extradacation … Extra… Sorry, whatever it is. Is important to discuss and formalize. Kul Gul Rapi and perhaps another tribal who is better at … Laws and tradition. We will define those better and when we have more time. Right now, I agree that for things like the Mag Der’al we need to act and agree that in this case, extradission is good idea. But, as I mentioned before, let us work together to gather, to prove guilt of those we find, and ensure that our Olgog do not think we’re merely giving our gog away to Earthers. Same true for us.”
“That’s fine cooperation isn’t a problem. In fact its all we’ve been looking for to begin with.” Jeremiah replied. “We have no problem working together to catch and try terrorists or really any criminal. Maybe you could send a message to the Kul Gul Rapi I understand they are your law enforcers it sounds like they should be here maybe they can find that GUTs representative to.”
“Great. I’ll call them shortly to finalize those details. But while I still have your attention, what else would you want in order to open the train system again?”
“Once we finalize the details about dealing with the Mag Der’al and have final agreements on the embassies we’d be willing to reopen the train for trade. You’ll probably need it to transport staff and such anyway. Travel will have to wait until things are more stable I’m afraid.” Jeremiah answered. “I think the train would make a very tempting target for them so until we can reasonably sure it’ll be safe I don’t want it carrying civilians.”
Urog nodded. This was going better than expected. He was pleasantly surprised. It’s amazing how much easier things are when each side shows mutual respect. It was a piece of information he stored in his memory, as unBrezan as it was.
“OK, so as we just said, in each territory we’ll have a tactical team, made of locals, Kul Gul Rapi, and your … representatives. We’ll assist with scouring for the Mag Der’al and preventing their ideas from spreading. But the question is: what are we dealing with? I sent you several and I have heard no word of them.”
(Ooc - the message was received, just not relayed to Urog … Yet).