[Forum Game] Colonization

[Stargate525]

[ic]
It would forever be known as the Great Landfall. The discovery of the new world was seen as a miracle, especially to the war-torn lands of the Great Kingdoms.

Bold, intrepid explorers, settlers, thrill-seekers and criminals were sent to the new world. Little did the Great Kingdoms expect that they would be opening the doors to a new age, a new world. The world of Colonization.[/ic]

Okay, this is a game in the vein of TWaD. Questions are answered on the first post there, and I'm too lazy to copy them all over and clutter this thing up.

This is the extent of the surveys that were made with the first exploration;
[spoiler][/spoiler]
It is all rather temperate grasslands and woods, similar to the mainland of the Great Kingdoms.

NOTES:

The Great Kingdoms
There are four major powers in the Old World, and are at a testy peace with each other after the Great War; nearly a century of fighting where not much was accomplished. The Kingdoms are as follows;

The Nine Flags Empire: This confederacy is the one who got out the most unscathed in the war, which still means devastation. In any case, they are a recovering economic powerhouse, and wish to extend this economic domination to the New World, which they discovered. The Empire is ruled by a council, and there is no true figurehead for the Empire.

Braehan: This Nation is a monarchy, the oldest continuous kingdom in existence. Militaristic, they are universally the ones blamed for the start of the Great War. The kingdom's military has been demolished and, lacking the resources to rebuild it in their land, they head West in search of a fertile ground to wealth and power. King Gehereg IV is the reigning monarch, and is most concerned with rebuilding his shattered military.

Chamolak: A second monarchy, this Kingdom owns a small territory in the Old World, but is the wealthiest and most robust of the powers vying for the new world. King Learyan and Queen Sophie are the reigning monarchs, and wish to obtain as much land as possible, before the other nations have a chance to claim any.

Jutean Empire: the Jutean Empire is the most injured of the nations, their centrally-located territories the battle ground for everyone else. They look to the new world for prestige and for escape. They are the only ones who aren't placing immediate profit at the forefront of exploration. Their aged Emperor, Islefrith, is a kind and generous person who wants the best for his citizens, and trusts those actually going to the new world to figure out what that is.  

Joining this Thing
To join up, I want a couple of things from you;

Name: The name of your territory, as well as the name of your first colony in that territory.
Government: How your colony is to be run. Keep in mind the sponsoring nation, as this government probably should not deviate too far from the parent.
Size: Small, Medium, Large, or Huge. This will determine your starting population. The different sizes have different drawbacks, so it may not be best to go large. Jutean colonies cannot choose small, and Chamolak cannot choose huge.
Sponsorship: Here you've got some options. You're either funded by a Nation, a Guild, or Individually. National sponsorship ties you to the mother nation, but gives the promise of aid and further benefits from their end of the deal. Guild sponsorship means that it's a colony of a large company in the Old World. your duty is to the coffers of the guild first, your mother nation second. Individual sponsorship gives you no ties except loose cultural ones to your mother country, but you're essentially on your own if things get hairy.
Mother nation: The nation from which your colony hails.
Religion: What they worship. Keep in mind previous applicants and their entry on this, as one nation probably would not have radically different religions unless one is being persecuted.
History: Why your colony is going to be set up. Here you should also describe the leader of your colony, and your parent guild, should you choose that route.
Claim:Where your first colony is going to be.

Period
This game takes place in what would be the 1000s in earth's history. Swords, shields, and the beginnings of real sailing ships. Gunpower does not exist, and there are no fantasy elements in the game (although that may or may not change!).

I'll give the first update after some people apply, and feel free to ask questions.

[Elemental_Elf]

[ooc]This game sounds like ALOT of fun... I am, however, very much a newbie at it, so if I made any mistakes in my entry post, please tell me and I shall correct the error(s).

Hmm... Do we get to claim our land based on your map, or do you choose? If I am given the choice then I would prefer the 3rd island from the right on the eastern most chain of islands that extend far out into the sea. [/ooc]

 

The Flag of Sartsland Colony

Name: Sartsland Colony, Olgasport

Government: Sartsland Colony is run by a Governor who receives the right to rule via a contract the Monlume Company signed with the King and Queen of Chamolak. The current Governor is Olga Sarts and though she possess the powers of an autocrat, she chooses to rule in a manner more becoming of a person who is accountable to the citizens of Sartsland. To aid in administration, the Governor has established an Executive Advisory Council, or EAC, which is composed of 3 popularly elected representatives. The EAC serves not only as an advisory council to the Governor but also as the highest court on the island. The Monlume Company must approve any replacement Governor, though they often take a lassie-faire attitude towards the island and let things flow as they will... So long as the taxes and tariffs continue to turn a profit...

Size: Small. Sartsland is a small island colony.

Sponsorship: Sartsland Colony's contract is owned by the Monlume Company. The Company is small but growing, chiefly in the Old World. They sought the rights to rule the island so as to have a base of operations for future ventures. In the mean time, Monlume has given virtual autonomy to the Colony, so long as the monies generated continue to satisfy the Company.

Religion: The Sartsland Colony has no official religion, though the cult of Zaksash, whose worshipers venerate Zaksasha, Goddess of  fine wine, rotgut & gambling, is quite popular. The Goddess is a symbol of the Colony, both its good fortune and of its people. It is said every tavern, pub and gambling den in the Colony is a shrine dedicated to the worship of Zakshasha. Of course few are solely devoted to Zaksasha, as it is said she is quite fickle (especially to those in gambling dens), thus worship of other Gods and belief in other faiths is quite common.

History: Sartsland Colony was established by contract with the King and Queen of Chamolak and the Monlume Company. Chamolak saw the small Company's request as a perfect opportunity to expand their realms, if in name only. The Monlume Company saw Sartsland as a fresh opportunity to establish and grow the Company for the future. As of right now the Monlume Company is concentrating more on the business side of things in the Old World and generally lets the Governor do as she pleases. The Governor of Sartsland Colony is one Olga Sarts, whom discovered the island while on a scouting expedition for the Monlume Company some years back. She is a busty red-haired, pale-skinned, brown-eyed beauty with a natural inclination to explore. She's not a violent person but, if provoked she will respond with as much ferocity as the situation calls for. She's well known for her luck, especially when it comes to gambling and drinking competitions. Originally she did not wish to name the island after herself but the Monlume Company thought different citing her new found importance both in the region and in the Company's future plans.

 Ms. Sarts initially intended to continue her duties as a Scout for Monlume but, with the sudden and unexpected death of the first Governor, Olga felt an obligation to take command of the Colony. Monlume approved her appointment as the second Governor with little or no fuss. Governor Olga has established a set of 5 overarching long term goals for the Sartsland Colony:

*Fortify the Colony to protect it from any aggressors
*Promote the Colony as a fair and safe port for all merchants
*Scout out new lands for which the Monlume Company and/or the Chamolak Kingdom may choose to colonize and/or claim.
*If at all possible, establish good relations with all mercantile colonies and countries in the New World
*Spread the worship of Zaksasha across the New World

Olga Sarts wishes that all of these goals were possible but knows the real world is far from a fanciful fairy tale. She has prioritized the goals in order of importance. Currently the Governor's main objective is to fortify and protect the Colony for none of the latter 4 goals would be achievable if the Colony were to be conquered or worse destroyed. The last goal is more of a personal one. As a devote worshiper of Zaksaha, Olga sees the importance of having luck on her side; real or not, Zakasha is a representation of that Luck.

[Wensleydale]

Red Hammer Colony

Name: Red Hammer Colony, Landfall

Government: The Colony is ruled by the West Empire Company, sponsored by the Nine Flags Empire, via an autocratic Governorship under the head of the infamous Imperial privateer, explorer, and all around daredevil - Red Rut Ratezzo. Red Rut himself is a member of the Bjotir people - who, until pacified twenty years ago, raided the Empire and surrounding territories constantly.

Size: Large. The colony is secure in the Bay of Red Gold, on the middle island of the island chain to the east.

Sponsorship: The West Empire Company. This is a large but relatively new organisation obsessed with profit - for themselves, evidently. They wish to take the wealth of the New World back to the Old. They are not above hiring privateers and assassins, however, and many of their governors have followed these traditions in the past.

Mother Nation: The Nine Flags Empire. However, the West Empire company will hire people from anywhere - and, indeed, seems to prefer ethnic minorities with no love for their rulers for the more violent jobs. Thus, the colony is a mix of several different ethnicities.

Religion: Technically, the Bright Faith of the star-worshippers, the official religion of the Nine Flags Empire and by extension the West Empire Company. However, both after and before the war, other religions have slipped into worship in the Empire, and many practitioners of these faiths have fled overseas to continue without harassment. There are temples to multiple gods of the Hundredfold, an exotic mix of foreign gods, scattered across the Colony. A particularly popular Hundredfold god is Zaksasha, although those of the Empire call her Zaksh, the goddess of drink and gambling. Most people give lip service to both pantheons.

History: The Colony began on the (disputed) first landfall of the explorers from the Nine Flags Empire. They named this apparently small island 'Landfall', and the large natural harbour in which they eventually set up camp 'Red Gold Bay', due to the large amounts of (apparent) gold found in the rocks around. It was only when they returned and when, shortly afterwards, the West Empire Company was founded, that pirates and explorers and persecuted peoples began making their way west to find a new home for themselves. The West Empire Company was not to be outdone by small fisherboats with drunk captains, however - their newly acquisitioned fleet of twenty large ships offered safe transport to the colonists, and they soon flocked to this new method of travel. They landed, luckily, at Landfall - and soon set up there under the loose rule of the already infamous war veteran, Governor Sutul Grenn. His rule was a harsh one, and upon his death, a mob broke into his house and threw his body into the sea. The company appointed Red Rut in his place, a much-beloved privateer, pirate, explorer, and duellist - and since then, the colony has become a hive of immorality. Provided the Company gets its profits, they're happy for this to continue.

Red Rut himself is a tall, blonde-haired psychopath who people claim can punch through bricks and who wears black-painted bells in his hair to commemorate all his great victories, in the old style of the Bjotir, his people. He is fluent in three languages - Bjotir, the tongue of his home, the common speech of the Nine Flags Empire, and Jutean. He can read, and write, and is an excellent duelist and public speaker (although he prefers to do the latter in Bjotir). In short, he seems the perfect example of a governor. However, he is incapable of doing anything more than simple sums (which he has learnt only recently), and has little interest in economics. For this, he has his secretaries, who live in fear of him. He bears a single blue streak in his hair that indicates his Bjotan origin - a streak that is similar to baptism, and is renewed every month. He rules somewhat in the Bjotan style as well - he refuses to marry, instead having a 'Sjora' or 'Woman', in the old way. He grants authority mostly to other privateers, preferably Bjotir ones, although he does not ignore competence in others. He has three main objectives:

*To further establish the Bjotir faith of the Sea God and Air Goddess, who spend their time fighting and reproducing to make land and sea and people.
*To explore further into the island.
*To make some attempt towards giving profit to the Company.

[Stargate525]

I'm going to wait until A, two more people get on, or B, it's Wednesday, before I get the game truly started.

[amikaligula]

Name:Learyania Territory, Sophie's Heart(Or Sophie's Heart-Port, as it is sometimes called)

Government:The territory is run in a feudal manner like it is in Chamolak, except that the unique position of Lord-Governor exists.  The exact place of this position within the feudal hierarchy and specific powers inherent in this position have not been formalized, yet.  The current Lord-Governor is Viscount Seeilus Dovan, son of Count Eevilus Dovan of Ryscarver County, and a distant cousin of Queen Sophie's.  Viscount Seeilus Dovan's heir is his oldest brother's son, Reevinus Dovan.

Size:Large.  There are many who wish to please their king and queen, so there are many who risk this endeavor.

Sponsorship:The Kingdom of Chamolak.

Mother Nation:Chamolak

Religion:As a part of the Kingdom of Chamolak, the pantheon of the kingdom is the most common.  Following the practice regarding the kings and queens of Chamolak as Saints (that is, those mortals who are divine in nature), there is a temple in Sophie's Heart called Temple of the High Saints for those notable kings and queens who got the nation through tough times, with a special focus on the Living Saints, King Learyan and Queen Sophie.  There are smaller shrines to Chamolak's other deities throughout the town.  The Temple of the High Saints is not a common temple within Chamolak, so the High-preist was appointed by the Viscount and is actually located in Sophie's Heart.  The other priests have not even seen it fitting to declare the colony a separate parish, yet.  Tolerance of other religions mimic policies in the Chamolak.

History:Viscount Seeilus Dovan is the black sheep of the noble Dovans.  He earned a humiliating fame in the Great War with the infamous "Dovan's Charge", where he turned the troops under his command around and fled the battlefeild.  As he was just a boy at the time, he was spared the executioner's ax.  Still, the only reason he was not disinherited was because his four other brothers, in attempts to erase Seeilus' disgrace, met their ends in four other heroic but ill-fated charges.  As the sole heir to the family name, and as a disgrace to it, his father forced his nose to the grindstone relentlessly.  The only break from this he got was from his cousin, Sophie.  Which is why he is completely enamored with her.

To everyone, including the Viscount, her regard for him is obviously merely compassionate pity.  For this reason alone is he tolerated.  But when the opportunity arose, the king jumped on the chance to have him "regain his family honor" by establishing a successful colony in the New World and, more importantly, have him live in the New World.

He was rather successful, mainly with the help of the royals, in gaining investors amongst the nobility.  As a romantic himself, he has also managed to attract the more romantic and adventurous lordlings with the publication of his renowned Chronicles of a New World Explorer, as well as generate excitement amongst the more cautious investors with his...creative use of facts in his reporting on the status of the colony.  He is also, as stated earlier, a famed explorer of the New World and reputed to be a fine dueler.  Still, his reputation as a coward in leading men into battle often conflicts with his claimed exploits in the eyes of many.  There is also that he often dresses in the actual wig, part of the dress and replicated makeup that Queen Sophie wore in her famous portrait "Sophie the Divine" when out in public.  This has been mimicked by the lordlings who admire him, resulting in the unusual fashion of wealthy people dressing in women's wigs, makeup, and coats that resemble dresses when completely fastened.  This does not please many of the lordlings' fathers back in the Old World.

*The lordlings are primarily concerned with establishing profitable plantations along the bay...
*So that they can go exploring into the exciting western fronteir!
*Though they  also bend to the wills (or, more likely, the pocket purses) of their fathers and see to it that mercenaries and strongmen are hired to defend the actual plantations.

The common folk are attracted to the colony for several reasons:
*The position of faithfully administering to the affairs of running a plantation everyday pays well...
*And taking a year's profits from a naive lordling and running away as a free man to a nearby colony where no one cares about where you got your wealth is tempting.
*Skilled tradesmen are needed and the new colony presents an oppurtunity for a nobody to make a name for their self.
*The way to nobility is through the church and the church really has not been established yet.
*Heart's Bay (so named because of the proximity to Sophie's Heart and because it is sort of shaped like a heart) is in need of sailors and laborers.

And the Viscount's single, overarching goal:
*Find a way to regain his family's honor by establishing Learynia as a prosperous and powerful territory of the kingdom so that the Lord-Governor only bows down to the king and queen and keep the position of Lord-Governor in his family...

...Which is harder than even ensuring the success of the colony, for treachery lurks within the family, willing it to fall apart entirely.
 
Claim:As much of the area around the bay in the far south-western corner of the map as possible.

[limetom]

The Flag of Khorvasang Colony

Name: Khorvasang Colony, Balya Nua

Government:  The government of the Khorvasang Colony is ruled by a Council, which is comprised of six Councilors and one Governor.  The Governor is elected by the laity every six years.  The four Municipal Councilors are elected by the laity of the colony according to their parish every six years as well.  The two Ecclesial Councilors are appointed for life by their respective monasteries, which they also head.  The two Ecclesial Councilors also serve as the highest judicial body in the colony.  The Council meets at the town of Balya Nua when it is in session.

The government of the colony is independent of its home nation, Braehan.

Size: Medium.  What was originally a small religious site has quickly grown into a center of faith.

Sponsorship: The colony was initially established as a religious commune.  As it grew, however, it became funded through tithes, almost entirely from within the colony.

Mother Nation:  Braehan.

Religion:  Virtually every person in the Khorvasang Colony follows the Pravash faith, which is also the colony's official religion.  The faith is unusual in that it venerates only one deity, known as the Word.  Further separating themselves, they make the bold claim that their deity is not only a transcendent being, but also an immanent being, meaning that they consider their deity to be both the Mortal Coil, as well as something infinitely beyond it.  The Word is considered the creator of the world and represents the highest state of being, which Pravashians strive to achieve through a variety of means.  

In addition, the colonists give devotion to, as opposed to worship, the Plethora, a so-called countless number of lesser incarnations of the Word.  Two of the most popular include Cebrail, the Messenger, and Mihal, the Warrior.  Cebrail is a female figure associated with wisdom, time, and the Moon and Mihal is a male figure associated with the Sun.

History:  The Khorvasang Colony was originally founded as a site for the small religion of to have a center, and more importantly as a place for them to start anew.  With much of the blame for the Great War placed on Braehan, as well as King Gehereg IV's insistence on rebuilding the military, the minority religion simply decided to pack up and leave, so that they would no longer get caught up in the strife that had surrounded them.

The original settlers were a small group of ordinary people simply fed up with life in the Old World.  Other followers of the Pravash faith quickly joined them, and their community grew quickly.  Two monasteries, one for men and another for women were founded shortly after the colony.

The current Governor is Soquili Wohali, one of the more popular figures from the founding group of colonists.  He is relatively young, but considered a capable and driven leader, as well as an eloquent speaker.  He has four long term goals for the Colony:

*Establish a foothold for the Pravash faith in the New World.
*Explore the surrounding environment of the Northern Peninsula.
*Establish the Colony as a base for shipbuilding in the New World.
*Expand the Colony to support further population growth.

Claim:  The northern peninsula, especially the bay and the surrounding area on its south side.

[Elemental_Elf]

[ooc]

I'm going to wait until A, two more people get on, or B, it's Wednesday, before I get the game truly started.

Just for clarification, which Wednesday were we going to begin? I assumed yesterday but, sadly, it came and went. The reason I ask is because this whole game sounds like a lot of fun and I'm really eager to get started ^_^
[/ooc]

[Stargate525]

Just for clarification, which Wednesday were we going to begin? I assumed yesterday but, sadly, it came and went. The reason I ask is because this whole game sounds like a lot of fun and I'm really eager to get started ^_^

Yesterday was the deadline for new submissions; as long as I'd wait for two more. I'm writing the first update, and am nearly done.

[Stargate525]

[spoiler]
[/spoiler]

1238-1245: Landfall
The year 1245 marked the first true colonies in the new land. Many settlements were started, many failed, until only four remained. Surprisingly, the monarchies have placed little into the colonies. Whether they are awaiting the fall of the first, or simply late in coming, remains to be seen.


Sartsland Colony, almost directly from the beginning, was a prosperous trading town. Being the furthest East, it was the resupply hub for many ships from the other colonies on their way back and forth across the ocean.

Since the fall of the other colonies, Sartsland has seen a small decline in its once bustling port, but still makes heavy profit off the food and water entering ships. The abundant pearl beds located along the islands didn't hurt, either.

The Monlume Company has changed policy very little since the colony's beginnings. It's Lord executive has done little in the colony, and seems to be content with the arrangement.

Name: Sartsland Colony
Player: Elemental_Elf
Government: Appointed Governor with Autocratic Powers
Sponsorship: Monlume Co.

Popularity: 5
Dread: 1

Religion:  70% Cult of Zaksash, 20% Royal Saints, 9% Bright Faith, <1% Other
Fervor: 2

Population: 500
Nationality: 70% Chamolak, 25% Nine Flags Empire, 5% Braehan
Cities: Olgasport (S,C)

Prosperity: 2
Trade: 4
Resources: Pearls, Fish
Infrastructure: 0
Espionage: 0

Military Technology: Mil, Sol, Arc, Kng, Gal, Frg
Forces:  1/1 (1/0)
Army: 1 Militia
Navy: None


The Red Hammer Colony faired well, despite the failings of smaller colonies around it. After discovering good deposits of construction-grade stone and Iron in the surrounding hills, the colony began to turn a steady profit, which has not changed.

The West Empire Company, led by its Board of Investors, is beginning to look to the colony as the beginnings of a vast Empire. The Nine Flags Empire, as well, seems to be watching the colony closely. For now, the attitude of these two powers is hands-off, but this seems a temporary situation at best.

Name: Red Hammer Colony
Player: Wensleydale
Government: Governor with Autocratic Powers
Sponsorship: West Empire Co.

Popularity: 4
Dread: 3

Religion:  70% Bright Faith, 15% Hundredfold, 10% Bjotir Sea and Air, 5% Cult of Zaksash
Fervor: 1

Population: 1,500
Nationality: 62% Nine Flags, 14% Braehan, 12% Chamolak , 10% Jutean
Cities: Landfall (L,C)

Prosperity: 3
Trade: 2
Resources: Stone, Iron
Infrastructure: 0
Espionage: 0

Military Technology: Mil, Sol, Arc, Kng, Gal, Frg
Forces:  2/1 (1/0)
Army: 1 Militia
Navy: None


Learyania Territory was a troubled colony from the start. Led by an unpopular leader, and beset with a series of dissapearances, the colony had a slow start. However, as the ranks of competitors began to thin, the Blackweed crops began to take hold, and the dense forests to the south beagn to be fully appreciated, the trade and by extension the life of the colony was revitalized.

King Learyan and Queen Sophie are currently staying out of the affairs of the colony, waiting to see if intervention is needed. However, the long spars of the forest is bolstering the navy of the Chamolak; interruption of these spars will certianly attract attention.

Name: Learyania Territory
Player: Amikaligula
Government: Feudalistic Governance
Sponsorship: The Kingdom of Chamolak

Popularity: 3
Dread: 5

Religion:  90% Royal Saints, 10% Cult of Zaksash
Fervor: 4

Population: 1,500
Nationality: 100% Chamolak
Cities: Sophie's Heart (L,C)

Prosperity: 5
Trade: 2
Resources: Lumber, Blackweed
Infrastructure: 0
Espionage: 0

Military Technology: Mil, Sol, Arc, Kng, Gal, Frg
Forces:  2/3 (1/0)
Army: 1 Militia
Navy: None


Khorvasang Colony is an enigma, the only independant colony to survive this long. Survival was difficult for this band of religious dissidents, and the early years were tough.

Currently, however, they do good business with the other colonies in food and furs, most of which is taken to the old world by the trade fleets. The colony is popular with dissidents and criminals from the old land, as the colony's neutral status acts as a safe haven for them at the small price of conversion. This criminal element is beginning to show, and underneath the religious order of the colony, the faintest stirrings of unrest and dissent are evident to those who look.

Name: Khorvasang Colony
Player: Limetom
Government: Ecclesial Ogligarchy
Sponsorship: None

Popularity: 4
Dread: 0

Religion:  100% Pravash
Fervor: 6

Population: 1,000
Nationality: 100% Braehan
Cities: Balya Nua (M,C)

Prosperity: 4
Trade: 1
Resources: Furs, Foodstuffs
Infrastructure: 1
Espionage: 0

Military Technology: Mil, Sol, Arc, Kng, Gal, Frg
Forces:  1/0 (1/0)
Army: 1 Militia
Navy: None

 [ooc]As a general note, if you find something glaringly odd, feel free to ask about it; I probably screwed up.[/ooc]

[Wensleydale]

[ic=Orders]The Governor orders his colonists to continue to expand across the island, increasing the reach of the colony and the West Empire Company. He also begins to fund the construction of several frigates to prey on surrounding, weaker colonies.[/ic]

[ooc]Aren't there, y'know, other colonies apart from ours? That's all I was thinking.[/ooc]

[Stargate525]

[ooc]nope. All the ones there were didn't last more than five years.[/ooc]

[Higgs Boson]

[ooc]You got room for one more? Although, I won't be able to start for another day or two, when I finish my massive workload.[/ooc]

[Elemental_Elf]

[ic=Official Gubernatorial Orders]
The Governor has seen fit to endorse the construction of a Colonial Defense Fleet, whose purpose, as the name implies, is a defensive force that will be used to protect Saretsland Colonial Territory from would be vultures, privateers, pirates and the like. The Governor has also seen fit to push for further development and expansion of the profitable Pearl Industry. [/ic]

[amikaligula]

[ic=Colonial politics]Viscount Seeilus Dovan stood before his mirror adjusting a sun-hat to his favorite wig, which he was wearing.  He was dressed entirely in black and the room was draped here and there in black, in mourning of his father's recent passing.  Despite this (certainly not because of this!), he was in a rather cheerful mood (His wig going well with his hat, surely).

He posed his head at different angles to admire his handiwork.  He sighed and crossed his hands to his chest, murmuring, "Oh my majestic Sophie, you look good even in mourning," to the mirror and gazed adoringly at one of the many portraits of her adorning the room.

He was interrupted by a knock on the door.  "Come in, interrupt my mourning" he groaned.

A clerk in a wig bowed before him, murmuring a "Milord" and an apology or eight.  At the Viscount's insistent and impatient waving of his hand, the clerk went on, "Oh, milord, I am so sorry, milord, but the news is urgent and...and...well, another tax collector was waylaid between Orsan and Drewan plantations and you told me to tell you at once if such an occurrence happened again...and this is at once."  He ducked another nervous bow.

The Viscount had seated himself to hear his clerk's report.  He now wore a smirk on his face and had his fingers intertwined over his knee.  He said most jollily, "All right then, you did well, Lortnos."

The clerk looked up in shock, for he had been with the Viscount for less than a month.  The Viscount smiled at the look of amazement and continued, "You shall do as I instruct:  Go down to the militia's headquarters and request for Captain Rowloy.  Tell him 'fair and just conversation must be guarded'.  Have him accompany you--yes, you--in summoning Planter Orsan and Planter Drewan to me.  Immediately.  Good day."

About eight hours of silence passed, during which the Viscount wrote a letter and had it sent out, among other things.

Suddenly, two muddy and irate men burst into the Viscount's chambers.  They were followed by numerous clerks and militia-men, among them Captain Rowloy, a hard, young, blond haired man.  The Viscount frowned at the muddy bootprints on his carpet but then, upon seeing some of the more inexperienced militia-men getting nervous and ready to draw their swords on the two irate land-owners, dismissed everyone but the planters.

Planter Orsan was not about to have that, though, and roughly grabbed Captain Rowloy by the arm and dragged him back in the room with a "No you don't you scoundrel!  You traitorous coward!  Treason, treason is what this mad fellow is guilty of.  Why, he should be hung immediately!"

The Viscount put on an affronted air and hastily cried, "Now, now, sit, sit.  What is this talk of treason and, more importantly,  what is this mud on my carpet?"

Planter Orsan and Planter Drewan both started talking at once, but planter Orsan easily overwhelmed the other man in sheer outrage.  "Why I'll telly you what, Dovan!  Both me and Drewan where on our way to meet you, at your urgent insistence and figured, 'Well, we're in the company of your very own militia guard, so we need not take the time to round up our own mercenaries.'  But lo and behold..."  He turns a menacing look to Captain Rowloy, who was standing at attention before the fireplace.

The planter starts up again but the Viscount interrupts him with, "Rowloy, man, get away from the front og the fire.  You're blocking the heat.  Ah, Orsan, go on."

Glaring refreshed over the interruption, he continues, "But lo and behold, we come across some brazen bandits who come up to us , as we have not any armor a donned, and knock us off of our horses and make off wit 'em!  ALL THE WHILE, THIS TREACHEROUS CAPTAIN BE STANDING ASIDE AND WATCHING THIS BEFORE HIS VERY NOSE!  WHY, I SMELL CORRUPTION AND BRIBERY!  but he insists it be urgent!  So he all but drags the two of us into town, as muddy and bruised as commoners!"

"Now, now, have a seat and a deep breath.  Now, why would my captain have defended you when he was not within his current jurisdiction, Sophie's Heart?"  The two planters look at one another as they recognize those words.  "Is that not what you have told my militia guards when they were out at your neck of the woods, complaining about waylaid tax collectors?  'Why he was in Orsan's neck of the woods', or, 'He was near me, but he still wasn't on my plantation.' Yet a recent victim said your mercenaries saw this happen, a tale confirmed by your drunken mercenary's own bragging at a brothel, here, in my jurisdiction.  Now, now.  Why should I protect you of you will not protect my men?"

Planter Drewan crossed his arms and replied in an educated accent, "You are to protect us--"

The Viscount interrupts him.  "And that requires funds, funds which are not reaching me as my tax collectors are being waylaid.  Again and again, at your doorsteps, practically, though, not, as you point out, actually on your doorsteps.  At the doorstops brimming with mercenaries!  Why in the hell do you have them if you do not mean to protect beyond your doorsteps, then?  Captain!  Leave us and close the door.  I know you have other lands beyond the plantation, hell, I know about your stupid, terrible moonshine grog.  You protect that, don't you?  Damn it men, I need to set an example, and that's what I'm going to do!  I obviously don't think you are guilty of hurting a king's tax collector, and therefore treason, else I'd have you strung up by the neck, but you have got to take some responsibility.  Those mercenaries are allowed to supplement the king's power, and by having them not protect the tax collector, they are not doing their part.  Now, I know you don't particularly want to pay taxes, but I'll cut you a deal, you serve as the example for why you pay the taxes by going through town filthy ad humiliated, and I'll let you avoid the humiliation of being publicly flogged and stripped of your lands for having an illegal distillery and not tax you on the profits of the said distilleries."

As the two men sullenly agree, the Viscount looks out his window into his villa's courtyard.  "Ah!  They have recovered your horses." he exclaims.

The two men look suspiciously at the Viscount as they leave.  After the door closes behind them, he allows himself a triumphant grin.  This fades as he overhears from the courtyard, "...He can't actually strip us of our titles or lands, really, I think.  He certainly can't disband our mercenaries while we still have our lands.  He does'nt have that much power, he is but a viscount.  Damnable lord-governor of the territory, too, whatever the hell the means.  but it be a territory, not a, aha, 'viscounty', or what have ya..."

Nodding here and there at the truths contained within the gossip, the viscount composed a second and third letter and had them sent out before supping and settling in for the night.[/ic]

[ic=To Governor Olga Sarts of the prosperous port of Olgasport]My gracious lady, I must commend you on a job well done.  I bequeath to you this fine wig, fashioned in the style that our very own Queen most favors.  It is so good to see my fellow countrymen prospering.  If there is anything within my means that i can do to aid you, do not hesitate to ask.  In fact, I would be most pleased to come to some sort of arrangement granting the ships of our beloved homeland favored pricing in your port.  I do not wish to undercut your profit margins in anyway, of course, understanding such things as a businessman myself.  However, I strongly feel that this arrangement would be beneficial to you for he following reason:  Favored pricing, while lessening, but not defeating, the profit per individual ship will draw favorable investors within our glorious kingdom to Sophie's Heart, thereby increasing the total volume of ships passing through you ports, and therefore your profits.  Of course, rising the price of the other colonies but keeping our prices the same will favor us as well, but I am not sure how well that will attract more traffic in your waters.
_________________Your aspiring friend,
_________________The Viscount Seeilus Dovan, Lord-Governor of Sophie's Heart and the Royal Territory of Learyania.[/ic]

[amikaligula]

[ic=To His Royal Majesty, King Learyan, and Her Royal Majesty, Queen Sophie]It has come to my attention that I shall not inherit the County from my recently deceased father as he so wisely decided I was not worthy of his glorious lands and that his infantile son, my half-brother, would be, someday.  His logic is no doubt faultless and I do not speak or think ill of the beloved dead.  Yet this situation does complicate a few things in my role of Lord-Governor.  Namely, no one, myself included, is sure of what exactly the role entitles other than a vague notion of it being an emissary to the king, which, after all, all of gentle descent are in the end.  As such, I had been relying on the fact that I would one day have the power of a Count as the Count of Dovanshire and the vague Lord-Governor of Learyania.  Now, I truthfully feel that I am overstepping my bounds in asking this and fully expect a slap on the wrists, but I still feel I must do so, for my nephew and heir, Treevas, will also loose the County now.  I have been struggling on the knife's edge with my allowances as viscount, but envisioned Treevas as having the ease of being a Count when he was finally Lord-Governor, but this is no longer a possibility.  So, I ask of you, for Treevas, and the good of the colony, to pin on the title of Count of Learyania to the position of Lord-Governor.  I am willing to prove myself in anyway necessary to grant this honor to my heir.
_______Your Royal Servant and Fervent Worshiper,
_______Seeilus Dovan[/ic]

[ic=To Lady Setheada Sherick Dovan, Countess-regentus of Dovanshire]Greetings daughter, I mean sister, I mean young step-mother.  How goes your health?  How goes the health of my half-brother, the next Count of Dovanshire?  If he is anything like you, he will be a most...interesting Count.  Now then, to business.  If you do not need him to help you manage the County, I request Denitrev's son --er, wait, you where still sucking at your mother's tit when Denitrev died, weren't you?  You had not yet begun to suck at my father's very soul.  Well, Treevas is who I want.  If he is anything like his brave and cunning father your schemes will go along much easier without him underfoot.  Anyway, he is my heir and I would like to begin training him to take my place as Lord-Governor.
_________Your step-son, old enough to be your father almost,
_________The true-blooded Seeilus Dovan, Viscount and Lord-Governor of Learyania.[/ic]
[ooc]The last message to Serheada is primarily ic to explain the relationships of the Lord-Governor and I'm going to post next time as though Treevas has arrived unless I hear otherwise.  Of course, Serheada is a Countess for the moment, so she could make trouble.[/ooc]