Capto Iugulum: Empires and Nations

[Eltain]

King Charles Frederick of Brandenburg.

[EQandcivfanatic]

All right, out of fairness to all, I'm going to set a deadline for claiming nations. Everyone who put down a reservation has received a PM. So, without any sort of claim here, I'll be opening up all unclaimed nations for any takers as of this coming Saturday.

[Shadowbound]

Yo, Mamluk Egypt here.

[Nailix]

Portugal has arrived!

[Nailix]

From: Portugal
To: Papal States

Portugal would like to become friends with the Papal States as the people of Portugal follow the Popes beliefs. We hope this could strengthen our citizens belief and trust in the church and be more allowing of religion within our government. With this we believe that it may help to bring other nations to follow the Pope better and strengthen the Papal States as well as this religion.

[TheLastJacobite]

The Swiss are here. We brought chocolates....

[Circuit]

Originally Posted by Nailix

From: Portugal
To: Papal States

Portugal would like to become friends with the Papal States as the people of Portugal follow the Popes beliefs. We hope this could strengthen our citizens belief and trust in the church and be more allowing of religion within our government. With this we believe that it may help to bring other nations to follow the Pope better and strengthen the Papal States as well as this religion.

To: Portugal
From: The Papal States

Portugal's allegiance to the Pope and the Catholic faith has not gone unnoticed. The Pope hopes to work with the Portuguese monarchy to bring the heretics and the pagans back into the fold. We will gladly work with the Portuguese, and we appreciate Portugal's desire to strengthen the Holy authority of the Pope.

Originally Posted by TheLastJacobite

The Swiss are here. We brought chocolates....

You better have. Damnit, now you've started a craving.

[Nailix]

Originally Posted by Circuit

To: Portugal
From: The Papal States
Portugal's allegiance to the Pope and the Catholic faith has not gone unnoticed. The Pope hopes to work with the Portuguese monarchy to bring the heretics and the pagans back into the fold. We will gladly work with the Portuguese, and we appreciate Portugal's desire to strengthen the Holy authority of the Pope.

To: The Papal States
From: Portugal
It brings joy to our hearts to hear such support from the Pope himself and Portugal looks forward to spreading the Catholic faith and strengthening it further. We pray that our alliance can last a long time and eventually spread the Catholic faith to all nations of the world!

[Shadowbound]

OOC: The Mamluks are getting tired of dealing with goddamned crusaders.

[Circuit]

OOC: Whoever said we were talking about you?

[Ceoladir]

To: Bavaria
From: Prussia

Would you care for an German alliance? We must stand together, against those that might come against us.

[bestshot9]

Sadly, I am home early from my summer training. Luckily, I did not miss the deadline to claim my nation. So, here I am, claiming Moscowy.

[Quisani]

Abyssinia if it is not too much trouble.

[Warman17]

To Bavaria
From Austria:

We believe that any maneuver to align yourselves with the Prussians would be foolish indeed as it would likely embroil Bavaria in Swedish affairs which should be of no concern to His Majesty King Ludwig. We offer instead a defensive pact between our two nations to rid ourselves of the potential encroachment upon our joint sovereignty by any of our bordering states while at the same time seeking friendly relations with said states.

[NedimNapoleon]

To: Austria
From: Hungary
Lasting friendship?

[Circuit]

To: Spain
From: The Papal States

Peace be to our brethren of the Faith. As fellow believers, the Papal States was hoping that an alliance could come about between us.

[The_Tyrant]

Claiming Brittany, if no one else has reserved it.

[Milarqui]

To: The Papal States
From: The Holy Empire of Spain

Given that you are the spiritual leader of our people, and the representative of Jesus Our Lord in Earth, we feel that not allying with you would be tantamount to disobey God himself. Consider the Holy Empire to be with you in these moments.

[Luckymoose]

Originally Posted by Luckymoose

TO: Carlos V, Emperor of Holy Spain
FROM: Pedro II, Emperor of Brazil

As my father always told me, it is best to make decisions from the heart and with the spirit. So from within my heart and through my spirit I send to you a message of friendship and equal admiration on the South American continent. Securing our borders and stabilizing the lands we hold, agreeing to respect one another's sovereignty and continuing to educate the deep tribes of the continent in the ways of Christianity, and of the Church. What say you emperor?

OOC: Ahem

[Crezth]

"...and one year later, in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted, officially beginning the revolution of the British colonies in America against the British crown."

"Very good, Prince Yiwei. That was quite accurate. Can you recall which American writer's pamphlets were widely considered as a major destabilizing factor for British influence in the region?"

"Was that not... Thomas Paine?"

"That was." The elderly man smiled, stroking his long white beard and chuckling lightly. "I must say you are the first pupil I have had to take such an interest in the history of the west."

"It is only because of what you say, Master," responded Prince Yiwei, sitting opposite his mentor across a Japanese-style tea-set.

"Ah, that it is important to draw wisdom from all over the world?" the master chuckled again, "I think this tea set speaks testament to that."

The Prince remained silent as he began the tea-pouring ceremony, treating the ladle and the cups with infinite care as he poured tea for his master. Tea was considered an art in the country of Japan - something to be honored and respected, an ancient ceremony used in times of peace and war for diplomacy and understanding. Many a time did warlords of a bygone age come together for tea served by a revered tea master, whose knowledge and wisdom was respected unilaterally. For the Japanese, tea was the antithesis of all barbarism - a divine expression of the Japanese culture and its careful resilience. As beautiful and tender as a cherry blossom, yet as strong as the tree that bears them.

Master had many times been outside the palatial estates usually reserved for nobility such as himself, yet he was close to the old Jiaqing Emperor, once a harsh man who became mellowed by age. As a new emperor, Jiaqing believed strongly in China’s immutability, and led a crusade against the smuggling of opium into China. But as he grew fat and old, he began to listen more and more to what Master had to say. When he died, however, so too did his ideals, and the successor, the Daoguang Emperor, was no fan of Master’s words.

“It is almost absurd to believe that China could ever suffer such pain from without,” Daoguang had said venomously, ten years prior, “All times in the past, invaders have succumbed ultimately to our undying culture. Even the Mongols could not resist us, in the end. We are like a rock, and the rest of the world a river, forced ever around us and unable to ever move us.”

“But the river yet moves down the stream of life and finds more fertile grounds to sow,” said a tight-lipped Master.

“And what ground is more fertile than that which sustains us today? A moving body will not be satisfied for long - China has, since time immemorial, gorged itself on a spiritual feast afforded us by our supremacy,” Daoguang retorted smugly.

“And yet even the mightiest rock is ultimately worn down by a trickle of water.”

“China is no mere boulder!” Daoguang shouted furiously, “And, if you do not agree, maybe you do not have a place in this court. I do not care that you were Jiaqing’s favorite, if you think yourself so wise, maybe you should tutor my son, and allow us to handle the affairs of running this country.”

And now Master observed the young Prince Yiwei, only 19, pouring tea like a Japanese. The future, Master thought with some consolation, lies with the young.

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