Absolution 4: Tabula Rasa

He paces again
Waiting for a good response
From King of Sudan

Ask and ye shall receive.

Hey,

To: King Li V of the Great Kingdom of Shang
From: King Shirong of the Kingdom of the Heavenly Dragon

I offer you a group of Master Potters to teach your people Pottery in exchange for one payment of 3 EP.


1HDSc

From King Li V of the Great Kingdom of Shang
To: King Shirong of the Kingdom of the Heavenly Dragon

Acceptable.

Hey,

General Yongrui and King Shirong's Garden Kingdom (Military+)

King Shirong and General Yongrui stood on a raised wooden platform overlooking a large map of the Heavenly Kingdom. The map was in fact a section of garden that had its terrain sculpted to show the kingdom in miniature. Here and there were bronze buildings to show cities and towns. Ceramic soldiers guarded the crossings along the flowing waters of the Xi River to the south against ceramic barbarians. Others were postioned at different points along white river stone trade roads.

"The key is the town of Nan Lu." General Yongrui motioned for a officer to plant a flag at the location. "Our forces with Panaraa chariots will cross the Xi River and drive to the sea." He pointed out the route with a long stick. A officer moved the ceramic soldier & chariot to the edge of a fish pond. "With the mountians to the west, we will turn east and drive along the coast." He motioned a officer forward to place three flags along the eastern border of the kingdom. "These towns could be used as flanking positions for our army pushing north to the Shang border." The officer at the pond moved the soldiers along its bank to a small bronze wall that represented the Kingdom of Shang's southern border.

"Your plan all depends on the acceptance of it by the barbarians." King Shirong pointed to the bronze wall. "Then the Shang have to accept our expansion to its border." He pointed at the Panaraa chariot. "We can not keep our ally in the field forever."

"Look. Its like pieces to a puzzle, my King." Said the General as he motioned the King to look at a huge scroll opened and layed out beside the platform. "The barbarian Warlords are not united." He pointed out the names of different Warlords and thier territories painted in the new standardized alphabet. "My plan is to collect these pieces one at a time until we reach the sea." He turned to the King. "I will use spearmen to draw out the barbarians to terrian of my choice and then our Panaraa ally will circle around thier sides to smash them." The General rudded a "dragons tooth" that hung around his neck on a leather cord. "With luck from the Heavenly Dragon a few Warlords might even see that the Kingdom is worth joining."

"Don't wait on luck or Panaraa religion, General." King Shirong said frowning. "I will allow you to conduct the war to the south and possibly east along the coast." He motioned a retainer forward that handed General Yongrui a book made of blank animal skins. "I noticed that the Warlords names are in the new alphabet." He pointed down at the large scroll.

"Yes my King." He smiled proudly. "My young children have been teaching me. Master scholar Gin Je says they are very eager learners."

"That is wonderful to hear." King Shirong put his hand on the thick book. "This book of blank pages is for you to write of your commands and campaigns in detail." The King smiled. "The knowledge you write might someday lead another with its wisdom and not Dragon's luck." The King winked at him and laughed. "You have my leave, General Yongrui, to lead the Dragon of Junjan in reaching the sea. I will think about moving east when the time comes."



GYKSm02

Hey,

The Furs of a Fish Girl (commerical +1)

He laid naked on his stomach on the most comfortable feather filled mat in all the kingdom he thought. He had his eyes closed trying to concentrate on the finger movements on his back. A beautiful naked woman leaned against his side at his hip.

"I have happiness..." He smiled. "... I have furs from the southern mountians?" A look of confused amusement came to his face.

"Very good my King." Mistress Huifang kissed his naked shoulder and leaned back. "Now this one." She gracefully trace words across his muscular back.

Once again he followed the finger as it slide across his flesh. "Beautiful furs will make the King happy." He opened his eyes and turned on his side leaning on his elbow. "Just how are furs going to make me happy?"

"Well." She traced the symbols for wealth on his chest. "As we planned the limited wealth from the bronze trade is over." She traced furs on his chest. "I have set up a market for the red & black furs here in the north and with our merchant friends." Mistress Huifang sat up combing her long black hair from her face.

"The furs will replace the bronze trade in the south for limited profit." King Shirong sat up with a knowing look. "How many of these furs are there?"

She stood, her naked body glowing in the light of a thousand candles. She crossed the room to kneel beside a wooden chest. She opened the chest and took out a large mass of red and black fur.

King Shirong watched intently at her graceful movements.

"Enough." She stood putting her arms through the thick, bright red fur coat sleeves. Long red and black ringed tails hung from her shoulders, chest and waist. She turned toward him spreading the coats skirt wide across the matted floor. Hundreds of candles went out softing the glow.

"Enough to make a King happy." Mistress Huifang whispered moving toward her King.



KSMH02

Hey,

Gen's Way and the New Dragon's World (scientific)

Gen looked up at the new sign above the doorway and was happy. After the years of barbarian raids the had no more fears. Even with the Kings orders of no bronze trading in the south he had made due. He had enough money to pay locals for the red and black furs of the beast known as a Red Panda. The fur was now all the fashion in the north of the Heavenly Kingdom. It was even rumored that King Shirong was so taken by its beauty that he fell in love with the first woman he saw. Selling it would not be a problem.

"Excuse me." Gen said moving from the path of a soldier wearing a large penchent. Then there was the holy dragon teeths from the fine craftsmen of Panaraa that he traded for with the merchants from Junjan. Seeing such trinkets, the local poeples began to see them as good luck charms and a sign of loyality to Kingdom of the Heavenly Dragon. Who was he to tell them different.

"Yes. I have a good life." He walked around the front of the Inn's porch through a gate into a large garden. He smiled at seeing his children and wife sitting around the old man, Bolin. Each had a clay tablet and stick learning how to write. They would copy the symbols for each word that the old man showed them. He told wonderful stories of famous people and strange places. Most importantly he knew the new alphabet.

"Yes, a good life." Gen had made enough money to hire this old merchant scholar to teach his family the wisdom of writing. He believed in the old ways of his grandfather. He believed in the Dragon Puzzles. That writing was a piece of the puzzle which could only lead to a easier life. He smiled proudly with the thought of his children's bright future. "A good life."



GBw01

Nice stories guys. Story list updated.

-

This is your 48 hour warning.

I understand that it is midterms and stuff right around now, don't worry, I'll be reasonable.

But, hey, let's just update on Saturday. So, get your orders in by Friday.

That Mason was Awesome [Cultural]

The Chiselmason stood, admiring her masterpiece.

The Shaman stood from his throne, and slowly clapped.

The statue was beautiful. It perfectly captured all the spirit, the

wonder, the magic of the Stones. It was a giant ... magnificent ... rock!

The Undershaman cleared his throat. "I don't get it."

Needless to say, that Undershaman was immediately beheaded for treason.

An unlikely series of circumstances coincide. [Commercial]

The poor fool's cart had overturned. A hoard of Saturan children (which had been visiting the Zulappi border to see the weird zoo creatures that worked the fields across the border) had gathered round the Caravaneer's upturned wagon, knabbing what they could with their greedy, pathetic, wriggling worm-like fingers. They flung small stones and pebbles at the man as they fled, jeering that they had acquired such an amazing array of items, for free, and that he was a pathetic excuse for a person.

Five Zulappi children had also been nearby, and they ran over and started picking up items left and right as well. As a group, they all handed the items to the Caravaneer, who was very surprised at the difference between the children of the Zulappi and the children of the Satura. He decided that Saturans were, as a rule, very greedy, and that he would not be trading in their cities again. He invited the kids to play on his cart as he picked upthe rest of his items.

While all this happened, a lump of mud had stuck to the spokes of the Caravaneer's cart. One child immediately saw it, being of superior Zulappi stock and ever curious and intelligent, and started playing with the mud, forming it into a crude bowl, and then a tall water jug. The trader sent the item home with the boy, after letting all the children have a go. The boy's name was Potter.

EDIT: Nevermind, I understand.

Hey,

Jingfei and the Points of Physical Persuasion (scientific NT:Acupuncture)

Donghai had finally made it. Laozai. The Jeweled City of the Shang Kingdom. Home of the famous Artisan's Plaza were merchants from all over came to deal in the precious gems trade. He was amazed at the many shops and their store front barkers yelling why his gem cutter was the finest in the lands. The gem cutters sat in the open at small tables working their delicate cuts. For some reason all the shapes, sizes and so many colors reflecting with sun light made him happy. Such sights and sounds.

"Get a hold of yourself." The young girl grab his red fur sleeve and pulled the Black Tea merchant along the crowded street. "We have a importent meeting to get to."

"I know Jingfei." He stopped to look at a large long gem on display between two large knife armed ruffians. "But we have some time before then."

"Master. Please?" Jingfei stopped pulling and circled behind his fat back in a attempt to push him down the street. "We have no time for sightseeing.

"Would not my wife look splendid draped in such beautiful trinkets." Donghai said loudly over his broad shoulder at his little struggling accountant. "Would not I look good draped in gems."

Jingfei stopped pushing and stepped back. "Master stop joking and lets go." She took the Holy Dragons tooth pendent from around her neck. "Sorry for this master." She skillfully hit different points all across Donghai's fur coat covered back and arms with the point of the long tooth.

"All right! We are off!" Donghai said as he felt different body parts go to sleep or become warm and even hot. He only felt one point of pain and that made his eyes tear up. "Thats enough Jingfei." He quickly begin to walk up the street ignoring the sights, sounds and actions around him. "One day you'll have to write that style of persuasion down for the betterment of business."

"No master for the betterment of the Heavenly Dragon." She kissed the tooth and put her necklace back on. "And his people." Jingfei smiled and ran to catch up with her boss.



DJfS01

It started slowly, but Pharon noticed it soon enough with pride.

It must be said, that in other lands people have the primitive idea that nothing belongs to them. It belongs to the Mother Earth, or the Tribe, or just the Family, they said. Oh, I might use this tool, but it has always belonged to the blacksmith! Why, my labor always belonged to you, and your food always belong to me, since labor and food belonged to the community.

It was only for the upper class that personal property begun to appear. King Gideon owned the Mines; that's why they are called Mines, afterall. Because he owned the mine, he owned the kingdom, and because he owned the kingdom, everything was just "loaned" from his will.

Yet, it was still all too primitive. If a caravaneer's wagon fell during that ancient time, all would say that it was the Satura's will that the wagon not leave, and that they should take opportunity of those too weak to accept such a will.

But now, with coins, the belief in property spread. Everyone knows how much wealth he has, and how much wealth the other has. And everyone accepts that stealing, for any cause, is very very bad.

And so the power of the government grows as the people demanded policemen to fight thieves, detectives to catch burglers, and armies to fight rebels and barbarians in the countryside.

And yet, he has heard two strange tales from the countryside.

One, was told by a boy who met Jocasta last week, who told about a raid of three Nubians on a Caravaneer and who downturned his cart. The seven or so boys were traveling to the Mines for a week of prospect lessons with their teacher, and defended the Caravaneers property. The nubians took what they will and fled, while the boys solemnly returned what they saved to the ruffled Caravaneer, knowing that they must respect his wealth is his, and theirs is theirs.

Another was told by an undershaman embassador. He told a tale of greedy Saturan children and stalwart Zulappi boys, all in good fun, of course, using all the lastest stereotypes.

Then he called one Zulappi boy playful.

Zulappi boys are NOT playful. They are docile, like cows. Unless they are destined to be shamans. Then they are airheaded and self-important.

The boy's name, who showed Jocasta how to turn the simple bowls into complex clay crafts, is Potter.

And so the elegent skill of making intricately molded and painted pots became to be known as Potterscraft.

And so the elegent skill of making intricately layered and certainly interesting tales came to be known as Shamanism.

At least, they are sure that THIS is where the correct attributions of royalties would lie, because a giant cart of gold was sent to the Embassy a couple hours ago, to pay for the jesters making ever more correct characticures of the self-righteous underShaman's story, which he certainly put much work in to be believable, to be overturned by the bare mention of a playful zulappan boy named Potter.

OOC: PSyCHE!

w u t

You tried to hijack my culture, I counter jacked.

Who knows, maybe all our stories about each other is merely propaganda.

Hey,

Mistress Miyan, Fishing Clan Builder of Soo. (construction)

"As you can see." Mistress Miyan said pointing out the new nailed joints of the wooden walkway that lead to the newly constructed wooden docks. "Construction has doubled since the bronze was directed to the north of the kingdom."

The woodworkers took to using the bronze nails quickly?" Asked Scholar Ushi wishing there was a way to figure out how much bronze was used for each plank to be secured.

"Very quickly." Mistress Miyan stopped and pointed out across the river at a group of workers. "Construction has been so far ahead that I have those men working on homes." She turned toward the scholar. "Once the Soo River Harbor is done." Her lips curled into a wicked grin. "I plan on making Soo bigger then Junjan."

"And richer." Said Scholar Ushi greedily.


MMp01

Twas the Propagandist. Saturans are always portrayed really badly in Zulappi stories, and we treat you terribly in diplomacy as well. I didn't mean to hijack.

I know, which is why I placed it exactly where it belongs.

In the mouth of a Propagandist.

. Iz ah gawd.

Hey,

OOC
Kingdom of the Heavenly Dragon orders sent.


Blaze Injun

2/4 orders. If your name starts with a T, send em in.