R P G: Stríð Karla

[Lara White]

IC: The Ambassador smiled. "Thank you for your aid, friend. If you would be so kind as to keep this deal buried in your bureaucracy...it's for legitimate use, I assure you, but we want to keep our military capabilities reasonably secret from those who would wish us harm. I wouldn't want this deal reaching their ears." He explained.OOC: In summation, all I need is one batch of tanks and five batches of APCs.

[Xomeron]

OOC: Well get another few frames of reference. The Cold War was a tiny fraction of the world's history, I've given shallow studies to pretty much every war between 1812 and 2012. Have you studied anything besides the cold war?As for being under the influence of alcohol, how often have you been under said influence? I have on a few separate occasions(I'm Russian, what can I say?) and I can tell you it's not a freaking memory-erasing liquid. Depending on how much you drink(and not all of my scientists are heavy drinkers, despite the fact you seem to think you can declare otherwise) you can still have a very good grasp of the night's events.Also; you designed a nation SPECIFICALLY FOR ESPIONAGE? What the heck, man? You're not just giving them specialties, you're outright designing them for just one thing. That's downright unreasonable, because no nation will be good at just one thing. Since you insist on the Cold War as a frame of reference, the Soviets had a good intelligence service. They also had a good army, good production, and were excellent at managing their puppet states. That's four things for a specialty, not just one. Let me guess, when you were designing these guys, you said "I want a nation that's good at espionage" and came up with something to match that?Bluh. Forget it. I'll have your spy's heads some other way, since you insist on them being wizards.IC:Calisi grinned and blushed-the hand kissing had surprised her, but she was enough of a diplomat to not be caught entirely off guard. She paused for a moment, then began. "Well, as you've almost certainly deduced, we're a Socialist nation, with a strong central government, of course located near the world's equator. We don't have the hard winters the Varangans" she gestured with a glass that had manifested in her hand at some point, towards the goat, "or our Stannish friends" she gestured to the Stannish second minister "have to deal with, so on a cultural level, we're more of a spur-of-the-moment people than laying down long plans." Calasi went on at some length, describing Astaria's history and climate, along with the genetics that produced their eye differences.IC:One of the Aquilonian infiltrators who had been blackmailing Astarian scientists made windfall; his target had finally agreed to relent and provide a key detail on Project Reverene's design. The meeting was to meet on one condition; the Aquilonian come alone, to a back alley near the Astarian's office.

Edited March 20, 2012 by cardworkMagician

[Lara White]

OOC: Strawman, Xom. I've given some study to many wars, it's just that the Cold War was the most spy-intensive time in history. Most others say "he used spies to do X" but the Cold War tells me how the spies did X.I suppose the Russian stereotype of being impervious to most alcohol is true. *shrug* Some people are lightweights. If the agents suspect that alcohol might not work, they can always slip in a retrograde amnesiac. I didn't say they were heavy drinkers--I said that my agents talked them into drinking heavily that night. They would not likely use alcohol on heavy drinkers--they'd have built up a tolerance.And why yes, my first consideration was being good at espionage. Then I said "well, not all of their government is geared toward espionage, so I might as well munchkin a bit and have a good military. " So yes, they are cutting edge with their espionage techniques, but they also have a good military and a very strong private sector economy. The standard of living is relatively high.

Edited March 20, 2012 by Lloyd: the White Wolf

[Xomeron]

OOC: Adoreable. In any case, you might have missed my edit in the post above in all your wizarding-espionage glory.Note: "Spy" and "Wizard" are taken up by the same word in the Astarian language.

Edited March 20, 2012 by cardworkMagician

[Lara White]

OOC: Thanks. As for your language note, I'm pleased.IC: The Aquileon officer could smell a trap when he saw one. He agreed to the deal, then made some arrangements with his network of street artists.When the time came, the Astarian scientist was met in the back alley by a man wearing a relatively innocuous outfit, although his stylish trilby was worn low on his brow, casting a shadow over his face. In his hand he toyed with a pair of twenty-sided dice, the signal to make contact."Excuse me, sir. I'm late to get home--could you provide me directions to the Capitol?" He asked. "I can find my way home from there." This was the code phrase, used to authenticate his contact and ensure that not just any man carrying twenty-sided dice would pick up his valuable intelligence.

Edited March 20, 2012 by Lloyd: the White Wolf

[Xomeron]

IC:The scientist did not respond with anything resembling the proper code phrase. He was a large man, a little over two meters tall, his eyes were blazing red stars over an orange background. What he did respond with was saying "I've had enough of your disenguous assertations" followed by a right hook to the spy's jaw. The microphone on his collar picked that up, the code phrase he'd decided upon. From buildings at either end of the alley, men carrying assault rifles stepped into either end of the alley even as the scientist rushed towards one line of soldiers. From the rooftops, more soldiers popped out, aiming their rifles down at the spy below. Thirty soldiers, from the Astarian Eighth Rifle Brigade, against a lone spy.

Edited March 20, 2012 by cardworkMagician

[Lara White]

IC: The trilby was knocked straight off the spy's head as he was knocked to the ground, and he began babbing in terror. The first thing anyone noticed was that he was speaking in fluent Astarian, in a native accent."Please don't shoot!" he cried. "I was just doing what i was told! If I don't do this, my family, they'll--!"

[Xomeron]

IC:One of the soldiers from the group stepped forward, keeping his rifle trained on the man, and kicked him in the top of the head. "We don't give a ###### about your family. Now shut up or I can guarantee they'll be killed." Several of the soldiers followed the first, leaving at least three at either end of the alley. One produced a set of handcuffs, while two others grabbed the man's arms, preparing to cuff him.OOC: I would have been nice about him, but he had to go and wear a trilby.Also, I'm offline for the night. Won't be back until late tomorrow.

Edited March 20, 2012 by cardworkMagician

[Lara White]

IC: The man panicked. "Please!" He cried. "All I have are my wife and daughter! If they're killed because..." He broke down sobbing.

[Toast of Awesomeness]

IC: Quite intriguing, those eyes, thought the Sultan."Well, in Anitalia we are more of a mix. We provide many services to the people, but we let the merchants run their businesses as they wish, within regulations. As you can see, we have a fairly warm climate. It's excellent for growing grapes. Have you tried the wine? It's one of Italoa's most famous products."

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

IC: The five Waalrusaan at the Sultan's feast were clustered together, gnawing at legs of meat or alternately sipping from and staring confusedly at the tiny cocktail drinks. Honestly, what was the point of providing alcohol if there wasn't going to be a lot of it in your glass.They had refused to take off the leather greatcoats of their office, and were visibly sweating in Anitalia's warmer climate. One of them was using the end of his moustache to dab his forehead

[Toast of Awesomeness]

IC: One attendant noticed the Waalrusaans' discomfort, and motioned an attendant over."Excuse me," he asked in their language. "Would you like me to take your coats? I can also have a fan brought in, if the night is too warm for you."

[Alex Humva]

OOCHmm. I wonder if any Stan diplomats or visiting bodies would be in a position to notice the scene being created over in socialist-spaceland. Of course, it's also a secret drop box, but go figure.IC [standast]The planned Stan spy mobilization was going... less than well, to say the least. The spec-ops missions, however, were quickly getting off the ground. Training of four units of these special operations teams were underway, all while the People's Information Agency began silent implanting of it's men and women at the foreign emissaries. Unlike their unknown Aquileonese counterparts though, they weren't after national secrets; rather, they simply wanted to know what other nations were up to socially. Cultural exchange programs only got you so far; knowing what your potential enemy thinks was, in their minds, far more important than what weapons he's holding.[Feast]The Minister raised an eyebrow as the Sultan and the Astarian, somewhat disappointed that their talk had been interrupted before she got a chance to explain snowboarding. All the same she simply waited there, waiting to see if the Sultan would notice her as well. Then again, foreigners were strange like that, and she had noticed that their decencies and customs rarely matched the Stan way of doing things.Elsewhere in the feast, one of the businessmen was standing at the drinks table, taking one small cocktail after another. He cared less for the sweet tastes than he did the fact that he didn't seem to be able to even get the least bit light headed by it. Of course, he had trouble getting drunk with the hard beverages of his homeland; doctors said it had to do with how he metabolized drinks. One of the numerous reasons he was here.A woman walked up to him, ordering a cocktail with what foreigners called 'pineapple' as one of it's many flavors. She took a sip of it, then looked at him, speaking in Stanish. "Lovely night.""Not if you can't enjoy it with someone else.""Too much alcohol?""No, just enough."To anyone else their conversation would of been harmless, and they both knew that many here could understand their native tongue; hence the conversation. She finished off her cocktail and left with him, anyone watching believing it was harmless... and possibly should stay out of the hallway for a while. But as soon as they found a space away from all the partying, he began talking."I didn't expect a high ranking member such as yourself to be here," the man said, raising an eyebrow. "I wasn't informed of your coming.""A last minute change; this is a social gathering of practically all the known peoples of the world. The command wanted someone with more seniority on the location." She looked around, making sure they weren't being listened or watched. "We also have an interest in the Aquileon ambassador here.""Why?""The specifics will be explained later; what you need to do is get him to talk about the Aquileonese embassy in Standast. Similar attempts are being held elsewhere."He didn't understand the sudden paranoia, as the Aquileonese were effectively allies in all but name to the Stans. Then again, the Agency was beginning it's own deployment of spies in others' embassies; it was rather likely they wanted to make sure the embassies on Stan soil weren't similarly bugged. "And if he knows nothing?""Then it's a shame, and this party does nothing but create a truckload of gossip for the common folk to speak of."They continued for a bit more, him briefing her on what he'd seen so far and what he suspected. Ultimately it wasn't that much, but he knew the Agency wanted every scrap of data possible. When they were done and they parted, he immediately went back into the party, heading directly for the Aquileon ambassador. He found him next to a drunk representative, a few different possibilities going through his mind but ultimately settling on the fact foreigners couldn't hold their drink well. Which spurred his next course of action."Ah, friend." He raised his hand; while he was aware most foreigners shook hands, he still wasn't fond of the idea, with the implications it had in Standast and all. So he just used the traditional Stan greeting and hoped it wouldn't be too offensive. "Jack Wilcox, PR man of the Stan company Hardline. We specialize in metal manufacturing and the like; might I offer you a drink?"OOCIf Lloyd has the wizard spies, then I'm the... Siberian spies.Division Name: Special Forces of the Army. (Also known as Spec-ops)Division Description: These guys are recruited out of the best military officers they can find. They combine the natural talents only found in one out of a thousand soldiers with little over a year of hard and grueling training, combining survival and combat skills with teaching the basics of foreign languages and interacting with foreigners. Their main purpose is long term infiltration and a discrete profile; they are not to be confused with spies, however. While observation can be a goal their main purpose tends to be long term infiltration followed by an assassination. A team is meant to be placed and left alone for several years, then contacted when it's time to pull out or when some chaos is needed in the country.Weaponry: Being a twelve man team, all with their personal tastes in weaponry, it varies quite a bit from team to team, but you'll find a compact assault rifle, flashbangs, and a silenced .45 pistol on everyone.Upkeep/Build time/Build Cost: 15 IP for two weeks.Four of the above are being made, ETA April 3rd.

Edited March 20, 2012 by Gaius Alex Humvus Augustus

[Lara White]

IC: "No, thank you, I'm quite good." The Ambassador nodded as he spoke, rising to greet the Stan businessman. He lifted his hand in the traditional Stan manner. "I am Ambassador Khrushchev. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Wilcox." He nodded to the Anitalian general, who wasn't drunk, merely slightly inebriated. "We were just discussing some military matters. You have some military contracts, I'm sure?"

[Alex Humva]

IC [Feast]"Quite a few; while other companies may actually build the tanks for the military, we make their armor. Though our label of being metal dealers is somewhat misleading nowadays, as we recently completed astounding research into composite materials. I suspect our civilian airliner companies will be buying into it rather soon." So getting him drunk wouldn't work; time to try a new strategy. "And of course the military wants it, but I can't really discuss the specifics of that, for obvious reasons. I was hoping that I could strike up a deal with your government however."

Edited March 20, 2012 by Gaius Alex Humvus Augustus

[Lara White]

IC: "Certainly." The Ambassador nodded. "Might I ask the capabilities of this armor? I'm sure you understand my concerns."

[Alex Humva]

IC [Feast]"We'll be demonstrating it in a future meeting; I imagine the invitations will be sent after tonight." He took a sip out of his glass. "So I'd like to keep most of it hushed until then, so I don't spoil anything, but I can say that it's qualities are rather impressive. Two inches of it is the equivalent of five inches of steel, at a mere fraction of the weight."

Edited March 20, 2012 by Gaius Alex Humvus Augustus

[Lara White]

IC: The ambassador nodded carefully. "I see...With all due respect, Aquileon armor hasn't been steel for many decades now. Our armor is similarly capable. You haven't sold me on its capabilities."~+~Meanwhile, invitations were sent to all of the nations for their emissaries to discuss a treaty banning biological warfare, to be convened at the Forum of Nations.

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

OOC: It should be noted that socialism as the term is used here is indeed different from communism. Communism, as it is commonly defined, ranges from Leninism to Maoism in politics, though on a small scale it can be more like a group of 200 hippies in a small commune, sharing all resources.Socialism, on the other hand, is generally sort of a middle ground between laissez-faire capitalism and communism. The government has a hand in business, regulating business practices and often controlling key resources (water being a common example), but does not control everything completely.IC(Diplomacy): The convention to ban biological warfare concerned the Varangians somewhat, largely because it wasn't something they'd actually thought of using, and the implication that others had thought of it as a viable option for military action was more than a little bit frightening.Nonetheless, a representative was sent to the proposed meeting.---Meanwhile, invitations were sent to the Waalrusaans, Kiserrans, and Stans for a celebration to be held in honor of the formal opening of diplomatic relations. No mention of this was made to the other nations by the Varangian government.

[Alex Humva]

IC [Feast]"Perhaps; I suppose we'll have to see about the weight and cost ratios. Keep in mind, however, that there's only a few specific varieties being used for military purposes; composites are as vast as metals, and many on display will be for civilian applications as well." He shrugged. "Regardless, I hope that there'll be deal to be made after witnessing what many of these composites can do."

[Lara White]

OOC: @ Rover: So, a command economy.IC: "As do I." The Ambassador replied. "Commerce cannot but help our nations."

[Silvan Haven]

IC:Another long range helicopter was sent to check out the large landmass that had been sighted when the rocket had gone into space.Meanwhile the three other helicopters had sighted land on their different routes. The one sent to Stan sighted a city as they got closer. The other two at first could see only bare shore.Back in Fillion the military leaders met to discus something. They knew that other people were out there, the rocket had seen other space craft. As such they figured it would be a good idea to make sure they were ready to deal with them in the case that they were not friendly. A sizable chunk of funding was set aside for research of new technology and refinement of old technology.OOC: 50 IP set aside for overall refinement of weaponized lasers. Two weeks25 IP set aside for the research of electromagnetic generators. Three weeks.

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

OOC: Somewhat, though not precisely. Socialism that is not communism generally does not feature that degree of control.

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

IC: Appearance was important to the Waalrusaan people. In a culture where wealth and land was largely controlled by the state, appearance was one of the few ways to show you were better than someone else. The seal-leather coats were a sign of status so the diplomats were unwilling to remove them. And anyway, if they removed their belted coats, what were they supposed to tuck their moustaches into? They would concede to the fans though. Back on Arctungaad the Fleishkarls decided to ignore the invitation to the biological weapons conference. They didn't think it was really anyone else's place to be telling them what they could and couldn't do. They'd never considered using biological weapons, but if they did why should it be up to someone else to tell them 'no'?The Varangian celebration though, now that they'd go to. Everyone loved a good party

[Lara White]

IC: The Aquileon Embassy to Stan contacted the Stan government, offering them a membership in the Northwest Alliance.

[Alex Humva]

IC [standast]With high flying weather planes the island's storms parting had been spotted, so the unidentified helicopter that was approaching one of the coastal cities was assumed to be one from the new island. Civilian helicopters outfitted with machine guns came to escort it, two on it's flanks and one ahead of it, escorting it to a landing area where linguists were gathered, as well as the various diplomats.Meanwhile, the invitations to the biological warfare meeting and the Varagian celebrations were accepted, representatives being assigned to go to both.[Feast]"Indeed, indeed." He was about to get more to his objective when a person caught his eye; turning around to get a better look at the person, his eyes suddenly widened. His thoughts began racing as he looked over the possibilities. Scream an alert and, while he'd likely save many here, he'd reveal the man and create a diplomatic incident. Do nothing, and they'd all be dead before the night was out. "Excuse me ambassador, I need to get another drink."He quickly walked towards the man, but he was spotted; the man, dressed loose cargo pants and a normal t-shirt, quite unusual for a party of this formality, grinned at him and darted towards a door. Jack broke into a sprint, not raising a yell though. The man darted through an exit, the guards certainly looking confused but unsure as to whether or not to restrain a visiting diplomat, giving the escaping man the time he needed to get through the door and out into the complex. Jack followed in pursuit, signalling the other PIA plants to follow. They had to work quickly; if all went well, nothing would come of it and they'd of caught a rogue. If all went to ****... the Sultan's birthday party was about to be crashed.[standast]The invitation was given to the Congress and Senate, both of whom debated over it quite a bit but an uncertain amount of time later agreed to it. Stan neutrality would not protect them forever; with allies, they'd be safe.

Edited March 20, 2012 by Gaius Alex Humvus Augustus

[Lara White]

IC: The Aquileonese were pleased to hear of Standast's acceptance, and they promptly drew up to appropriate documents. They were signed by both sides in an appropriate ceremony.Meanwhile, orders were given to the Stan embassy to cease espionage activities against an ally.

[Kothra]

IC(@Standast): The Stan request to speak about equipment purchase was acknowledged. The same that was offered before to everyone else is what there was to choose from.IC(Anitalia): The Kiserran consul general, Shinobu Shimizu, had been chosen to attend the Anitalian Sultan's party in place of the Premier who was occupied with other matters. As per Kiserran custom, a gift was brought for the host. Because this host was such an important person, a very extravagant gift was brought: an Itachi armoured car, an F1 rifle, a case of what was generally accepted as the national alcohol* (because, who doesn't like alcohol?).Shinobu, after presenting the gifts, hung around along the wall, sipping a glass of wine, simply watching the people from the other nations.IC(@Varangia): The invitation for the celebration was accepted.IC(@Aquilonia): The invitation to the Forum meeting on biological weapons was accepted.OOC:* sake, because i can.

Edited March 20, 2012 by Kothra: Sweetroll Thief

[Toast of Awesomeness]

IC: The Sultan also turned to the Stan minister, greeting her, though refraining from physical contact. He'd heard something about that being offensive in Standast.IC: The fans were brought and set up, cooling the air around the Waalrusaaans and drying their sweat.IC: Construction started on a group of M4 Aslan in East Thrace. Construction begun on two S1 Kılıçbalığı, one in G23 and one in Italoa.OOC: How would I go about joining this Northwest Alliance? :POh, and my industry report.Provinces:Graeca and Northern Coast(G23): 80 IP, Super Province, largest city Konstantiniyye, Atena. (Started 2.9)Northwest Islands(G22): 40 IP, large state, largest city Milano. (Started 2.9, Upgrades 4.5)Italoa and Central Anitalia(H22): 30 IP, medium state, largest city Roma (Started 2.9, Upgrades 4.5)Upper Turkiye(H23): 30 IP, medium state, largest city Ankara (Started 2.9, Upgrades 4.5)Lower Turkiye(I22): 30 IP, medium state, largest city Bursa (Started 2.9, Upgrades 4.5)East Thrace(G17): Medium territory, 5 IP, largest city Izmir. (Started 2.23, upgrades 4.5)215 IP totalMilitary Bases:Islands- G20(Crete), L23(Rhodos), O16(Karpathos), Q18(Kasos)Claimed- H16R&D25 IP into genetic engineering.25 IP into powered armor.50 IP into space shuttle(ETA two months, 4.12)Vehicles:1 groups(3) M4 Aslans. (total 5 IP)1 groups(3) M3 Ejderha, (total 10 IP)1 groups(4) M1 Aygir, (total 1 IP)1 groups(3) A5 Taşıyıcı(total 5 IP)1 groups(3) A3 Serçe (total 5 IP)Under Construction:1 group(3) M4 Aslan(started 3.20, finish 3.27)(Total 5 IP)2 Kılıçbalığı, (started 3.20, finish 3.28)(Total 30 IP)Total: 215 IP – 161 = 54 IPInfantry:G23, 100 battalionsG22, 10 battalionsH22, 5 battalionsH23, 5 battalionsI22, 5 battalions.G17, 1 battalionTotal: 126 battalions.Janissaries:600.

Edited March 20, 2012 by Toast of Awesomeness

[Lara White]

OOC: According to my records, you're already part of the NEA. I mistakenly said NWA just a moment ago, but it is the NEA.

Edited March 20, 2012 by Lloyd: the White Wolf

[Toast of Awesomeness]

OOC: Ah, alright. Who all is in it?Also, will the map ever be updated?

[Silvan Haven]

OOC: I forgot to ask the mods about how long the research should take. Should I change it?And while reading through the first ten pages I noticed something about bonuses for late comers so they can come in at an equal level. Was anything about that ever decided?

[Toast of Awesomeness]

OOC: You should really just ask about the lasers. We're still in the 1980s, those won't exist yet.Like, I want genetic engineering. And that won't pay off till we hit the 2000s. Weaponised lasers are gonna take even longer.

[Silvan Haven]

I already have permission for the lasers. I'm asking about how long it would take to upgrade them with that much IP.

[Lara White]

OOC: @ ToA: The current members are Aquileon, Seasgate, Anitalia, Saaristo, and Standast.

[Alex Humva]

OOCTo make it clear, Silvan's lasers are like flintlocks, or at least, that's how I'll be moderating it. No where near as effective or fast as modern day lasers, but still lethal.IC [Feast]Contrary to popular belief Stans weren't offended by contact; it was the handshake that bugged them, and even then it wasn't true offense, simply... awkwardness. A handshake had similar implication to what an affectionate hug would; it simply wasn't proper. "Sultan; my congratulations on your survival for another year."

[Toast of Awesomeness]

IC: He chuckled."Thank you, my friend. If you don't mind, I didn't hear your name. What are you called?"He had switched to a rough approximation of Stan for the conversation, and while it was far from perfect, it was passable, and showed he had out effort into learning.

[Alex Humva]

IC [standast]"Amanda Vack." She glanced down at her mechanical watch, then around the room. "I was just talking to the Astarian ambassador regarding a potential business deal; perhaps you wish to hear it as well?"

[Toast of Awesomeness]

IC: "I might as well, sounds fairly interesting. Any actual decisions, however, I'll need to consult my advisors about, of course."

[Alex Humva]

IC [standast]"A business proposition from one of Standast's leading companies, who produce our national drink. They wish to open sells overseas; I have a sample if you want one."