+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | The Olympia Times issue g2-48 | | January 13, 1998 | | | | turn 48 258 players http://www.pbm.com/ | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+Questions, comments, to play: info@pbm.com
Olympia PBEM
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Player-contributed press
While the New Empire attempted to negotiate in good faith for an end to the Yellowleaf conflict, PLATO hid prepartions for war behind their words of peace. Other groups are cautioned to think hard before trusting PLATO in the future.
PLATO has assembled a large force to attempt to take the Crimson Citadel, and may well be successful. Regardless, the New Empire will continue to oppose them.
-- Banquo's Ghost [ah7]
It's been a while since we posted our "standard" greeting, so here we are again.
Good citizens of Provinia, and expecially those of you in the Drassa region, you are invited to visit our website at: http:/members.aol.com/seehawk42/tibs.htm for information on the TIBs alliance.
The web site contains information vital to the continued peaceful existance we all enjoy in Drassa. It is expected that all players in the Drassa region have read the charter and understand the guidelines about living and working in the Drassa region. If you have any questions or are interested in joining the TIBs, please contact me at: Seehawk42@aol.com
Thanks for your attention, and peace be with you all. Eric Nelson Minister of Foreign Affairs TIBS Alliance
-- Lords of Hammerhill [gz2]
I have the map of Provinia updated through turn 45. More to come in the near future. Check it out at:
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Cavern/4545/
Thanks to the many people who contribute and make all this possible.
-- Stahl & Stein [rm4]
As Lord of the Crown, Bruennor Battlehammer announces his full support for his friend and fellow Lord Sir Codric. Any aggression against the territory of any of the Lords will be dealt with in a straightforward and just manner.
The dwarves of Delzoun are a peaceful and honorable community, but any aggresion against us or our friends will be dealt with accordingly.
May Clangeddin Silverbeard give you strength in battle.
-- Bruennor Battlehammer [2592]
I am the owner of a newbie faction, and have been paid to do the following. From now on, when the shadow alliance wants to make a posting, they will do it through me. I will copy their message and post it from my own character. I am not, however, a member of the SA. After this time, I will make no further comments before their press. So from now on, if you see a press from me, it is from the Shadow Allaince. To confirm that this is genuine, and I am not just a newbie with a death wish, please send mail to shadowalliance@hotmail.com
Shadow Alliance Report Follows.
As you can see, we know have a spokesperson working for us. He is not a member of our organisation, and he has been paid for his service. We have not threatened or otherwise forced him into this position - unless you count the payment/bribe that is. If you want us to prove this report is genuine please send a message to shadowalliance@hotmail.com with the word 'confirm' as the subject. No more rumors will be posted by the shadow alliance, and any that appear are hoaxs.
The spokesperson has been granted a form of 'diplomatic immunity'. Any noble that attacks him without probable cause will be assumed to be attacking us, and they will be destroyed.
This new system has been in effect for the last couple of turns. Until now, we have had nothing that needed to be said. Now, we do.
We publically clim responsibility for the attack that occured last turn in the south-east of ****** (you know who you are). We now control that entire area, across the borders of the two castles. By the time this comes to press, your prisoners will have been executed and your castles and other structures razed to the ground. We will leave the area next turn. Any combat units in the area who attempt to bar our departure will be destroyed. You may then take back your land with what is left of your nobles, and re-build. This time try and do it a bit more peacefully.
The New Empire/Plato situation continues to annoy us. They are so close to peace they could almost reach out and touch it, but neither party is willing to try. Our 'intefering' may just have to go one step further.
As ever, our soon to be updated web site is at
http://www.geocities.com/area51/rampart/7123/
And our e-mail address is
shadowalliance@hotmail.com
Arthur, Leader of The Shadow Alliance
-- Dark One [5404]
SCROLL FOR SALE!!! The Illustrated Man's newest acquisition is a fine Jump Through Gates scroll [v020] available to the first person willing to plunk down 450 gold on our scarred countertop. With the scroll, at no extra charge, we will give information on local gates that the newcomer may explore. The Illustrated Man is also interested in buying scrolls of any description. Note that we are now offering up to 85 gold for blank scrolls and 80 for lana bark. While we are waiting for a response to our letter to the New Empire, basic war materials (wood, weapons, and men) will temporarily no longer be sold. They will still be bought. We will inform you when this restriction is lifted. THE TRADING POST - basic commodities bought and sold buy sell ID qty. Peasants 3 6 10 varies... Wood 6 8 77 Crossbows 12 15 85 Pikes 12 15 75 Iron 15 25 79 Longswords 25 30 74
ITEMS FOR SALE Mithril 100 82 10 Healing Potions 150 5 Winged Horses 800 54 0 Jump Gate Scroll 450 v020 1
ITEMS WE WILL BUY Wild Horses 25 51 20 Riding Horses 55 52 29 Lana Bark 80 64 10 Blank Scrolls 85 84 10 Giant Lizards 500 282 2
Finally, there is one item which you'll see listed on the Yellowleaf market report that we don't expect to sell. That's the Orb we have -- we don't really think anyone will spend 20 K for it! But we were so pleased to have it in the shop, we thought we'd put it in the window for folks to look at. It's a sign of a new service we're putting in place: we will do location scries for you for 200 gold -- anywhere in Provinia, with no questions asked. Discretion is guaranteed. We also have the ability to locate characters, if you are so inclined, for 500 gold. If there are any goods or services that you don't see listed, let us know and we'll try to fullfill your needs. We're the Illustrated Man!
-- The Illustrated Man [1010]
Let it be known that from now on the rulers of Silverymoon (formerly Prytani) officially declare their support for Sir Codric and the Lords of the Crown, by joining their alliance. We also want to say that our vote in the council will always be used to benefit trade, civilization and prosperity, and we hope some trade routes can be worked out soon between us and the Rimmon Musketeers.
The Lady Ruler of Silverymoon,
-- Alustriel [9627]
The Grand Council of Ambassadors is proud to announce improvements to the Council Library at
http://www.lpr.com.au/carnelian/gcoa/
Recents additions include the beginnings of a Geographia and Historie of Olympia.
The Council courier service is experiencing teething problems and all correspondence should be sent to myself, the Chamberlain at apenney@lpr.com.au
May there be peace in your provinces. (There isn't in mine)
-- Jhermai the Scarlet [8984]
Rumors
Who has the throne? Want to save yourself some trouble and hand it over now? We'll be a heck of a lot easier on you if you do................
- The Throne Confederation
## _-/ \-_ _-- / \ --_ _-- / \ --_ _-- / \ --_ _-- / \ --_ ##------------------------------## \---_ / \ __---/ \ -- /__ 9 __\-- / \ / ---__ __--- \ / \ / ___---___ \ / \/__--- ---__\/ 5 ---------------11/11
Spells known: 25/79 5th
Yvengi is a louse!
On to the brave ship strides the Hearty Sea Faring Man with his loyal crew. Up the gangplank follows the 100 handpicked men of the Blessed Legion, in their gleaming armour and pure white surcoats, fanatic soldiers off to war and a group of raw recruits. But wait what is this?
A sinister looking wizard driving a herd of oxen also comes up the gangplank. While the captain screams and shouts about ballast and weights the Wizard seems to ignore him and beckons to his reluctant looking companion a tall dark skinned warrior in strange armour with a black stone axe.
The Blessed Legion's perfect formation lines are starting to get a bit ragged under the pressure for space. The sailors have taken to the rigging. The oxen nervous on the rolling deck are starting to loosen their bowels. The Captain goes a slightly brighter shade of red and yells even louder but confusion is now endemic. With the now obviously deaf wizard trying to understand the captain, he advances to the wheel leaving the warrior trying to maintain his dignity and control the panicy oxen. The Blessed Legion are not looking happy about being covered in oxen excreta. All the while the ship slowly settles lower and lower in the water with the sailors looking more and more nervous and only the language emenating from the Captain (how can he know swear words in so many tongues?) keeping the crew from jumping overboard to escape the mayhem.
The ship is now in danger of swamping and the dock is towering above the ship instead of vicea versa.
Finally the Captain screams loud enough to get everyone's attention.
"Is this a miltary expedition or a cattle drive?" he yells.
The wizard looks around as if seeing the mayhem for the first time.
"Oh dear did I bring too much luggage"
The captain thinks thoughts of anchor chain and wizards necks and stone weights sliding into the briny depths and sighs. "Never have anything to do with magicians" he thinks, "My mother always said so, why didn't I listen to her"
Hell Sir Codric.
After holding a formal vote, we have decided to disregard you offer. We know that you tried to bluff us, but we can also understand why you did it. However, the area you offered us does not suit our position and is unscouted (besides, we find it un-Provinian to backtrack on ancient claims) therefore our ongoing campaign to garrison the 59 line border continues.
We also like to make it known to all and everyone, including the Codrickers, that our lands are open to traders, magical and religious charlatans and others who wish to perform their arts on our turf. Until Sir Codric suggests a reasonable solution, we kindly ask visitors to contact us first, to avoid being eliminated by our superior forces.
Be well
Noire Immortalis Lord Protector Eastern Harn Region Commanding the Black Flag Batallion
Always remember:
"A lady loves a bold, and stupid, man."
The Swordsmen
Fellow Olympians,
I ask for but a moment of your time. Read my story. Believe it or not, that is up to you, but read it and take heed.
I have been a member of The Shadow Alliance for over three months of real time now, and was only recently granted access to their members web site. Since this time, I have been thrown out of the SA, and have a bounty on my head.
They are not as secretive as they want you all to believe. Their member's site has a full members list, but it is not a geocities page like their last one, and the pages are password protected. However I was granted access and a password, although I hadn't paid much active participation in their goings on. They also have a web page discussion thingy, a lot like the one that the GM has recently set up. I had tempory access to all this, aswell as their REAL plans and activites.
Naturally, as I had no real feeling of connection to the alliance, I abused it. I was approached by someone who wanted to buy a copy of the member list off me. I should have suspected from the outset - no one would pay 10,000 gold just to see who was in the SA. They offered payment in advance which I accepted, and it was only after I had sent the file (I took the liberty of copying the member list to disk) I recieved a mail from the leader saying it was a set up and I had sold the list back to a member. He also said that would leave me with the gold, as it was now the bounty on my head.
So here I am. Running from my alliance members. Unable to contact the members of my other alliance as I couldn't explain my problem. It appears that I am about to depart the land of Olympia, and therefore there appears to be only two things that I can do.
1) Go on a spending spree 2) Reveal some of the information that I have found out (I will not be releasing the members list as I hope it will be sufficient blackmail material to keep me alive)
Here is some of the information I have found out. And Arthur, Leader of The Shadow Alliance, when my nobles start to die, your member list will go public.
Despite their recent silence, their is something big going on about Yellowleaf. I don't know wether it will be PLATO or the New Empire that suffers an attack, maybe both. I do know for a fact that they have several hundered troops at their disposal, mostly off the coast in roundships but judging my the members list I'd say they had a few stacks closer to home if you take my meaning.
They aren't as peacefull and friendly as they want everyone to believe. They want what most other alliances want - power. I would say that if this fabled 'age of light' ever comes then it will be the SA and only the SA that profits.
They are powerful. Believe me, they weren't lying about their spies network - it exists and it is extremely large. One thing they neglected to mention is that it is not restricted to alliances they believe are 'evil'. Almost every alliance that I have heard of either has or has had someone giving them information. The member list contains the player name, faction and alliance to which they belong other than the SA. Also, some of these have another word in brackets. AOO. They have many more members than any other alliance that I know of.
They aren't new. The web based discussion group has all it's messages dated. The oldest are from several weeks before the start of game 2. They have been sitting in their own shadow all this time, growing.
They don't have a home. There is only one castle that is devoted to them, and this is the leader's. And no one knows who he is so it will seem like any ordinary castle. They are scattered all over the world, not just on Provinia, and this is their weakness. I emplore anyone who tries to combat the SA to use this to defeat them.
This last one os only a rumor. It was told to me by another member, and I think it is most probably false. If it is true however, there are serious immediate problems that must be dealt with. It came to my attention that the SA were responsible for the creation of, and run, the Grand Couincil Of Ambassodors.
Thats it. Expect the members list to go public as soon as the bounty hunters catch up with me. At that time I will write a signed press to go with it. Until then, all I can ask is for you to believe me.
Thank you.
The Grand Council Of Ambassadors continue to stress that they are not a military power, or a 'Super Alliance', and are only a forum for alliances to air their views. Fair enough.
The Super Alliance however, doesn't stress these things.
Potentially the most powerful peace-keeping force Olympia has ever seen. An alliance of alliances, who settle their petty differences and join to stop the true evil of the world.
superalliance@hotmail.com
The Super Alliance, otherwise known as The AOO Prevention Society,
Don't leave home without it.
So there I was. Found a relativly sparsley populated corner of the globe, and set up my home. No real problems, not many other factions within many miles, I was in quite a good situation.
For the last ten turns the largest military unit I have seen has been the 40 pikemen that guard my main castle. Last turn, I was attacked without provocation or cause in all my strongholds (two castles two towers and even an inn). The attacking force (I don't know if they are part of an alliance, and while they are in my castle I wont try and infuriate them further by giving the character names) attacked my main castle with 100 troops, and each of the other buildings with 50 troops. Mostly archers, pikemen, swordsmen and some crossbowmen.
I would like to say the following to the attackers:
I have been building up that location since the early days. If you are working with or for the Lundi, then I may be willing to compensate for my previous actions. Basically, I want my land and castle back. You have killed most of my troops and captured two of my nobles. Please release them as I am in no position to counter attack. I hope that we may be able to reach some kind of aggreement.
Manfred Von Bek
I don't know what the world's coming to. PLATO and the New Empie must be going for a 'drawn-out battle of the year award'. It's all politics and threats and diplomacy and cease-fires.
Now the AOO, there's a fascist dictatorship. A lot of bad has been said about them, but at least they were fair. It was simple - death to all. That was the kind of situation we could all understand. We didn't have to like it but that wasn't the point - at least we knew what was happening. I shouldn't think even PLATO knows what is happening around Yellowleaf now.
Personally I welcome any attempt for world-domination that lays it's cards on the table so to speak. I mean, the AOO *were* the epitome of evil, but there wasn't any of this formal diplomacy surrounding it. When your faction was destroyed by the AOO you felt it *meant* something. Like it was personal. Now if you get killed on the battlefield, you become just a number to be used by some such militant-statistician to prove what ever they want: this faction was good, this faction was bad, this faction was neutral, this faction was innocent etc. Does it matter? They're still dead.
I say that the AOO had there bad points sure, what dictatorship doesn't? But at least they got to the point of the matter, without all this fannying about with cease-fires and ghosts.
Nothing says it simpler than 30,000 dragons.
Say it with Dragons Ladies and gentlemen, say it with Dragons.
This attempt to ammuse you was brought to you by
The Thinker
Errrrrr. Can I have my castle back please? And maybe my noble aswell, if you're not to busy that is. Oh yeah, and if you want to justify your sudden attack on me then feel free. Otherwise I would be grateful if you could get the hell off my land before my reinforcements get here to spare any more bloodshed.