(no subject)

[sythyry]

Negotiations [20 Hispis 4385]

Me:"Well ... which profession do you need particularly? Healing? Sewing? Smithwork?"

Aiziju:"Enchantment, of course."

Me:"Oh, that profession."

Aiziju:"Have you abandoned the teachings of your master so quickly?"

(Aiziju is under the misconception that I was ever Glikkonen's student. Reasonable enough, since we met at a celebration of Glikkonen's 4300'd birthday and nearly everyone there was a former student of Glikkonen. (I would have studied with zir, but zie never wanted to live in Vheshrame for very long, and I couldn't leave the city for very long.) Aiziju was slightly out of place, having been Glikkonen's wizard's assistant for most of a century herself. The terms of their parting were not excellent, though I do not know the details.)

Me:"No; I've just been doing a great deal of craft enchanting lately."

Aiziju:"Well, we can discuss the techniques later, if you think it advisable."

Me:"With all due respect, Phaniet -- the Cani holding hands with the Rassimel over there -- is a perfectly fine wizard's assistant to me."

Aiziju:"I don't mean to criticize your assistant in the slightest ... actually, a warning: she might not want to be quite so affectionate with another species in public here ... but if we might have a bit of privacy?"

Me:"Well, of course. Private from Phaniet?"

Aiziju:"Not at all, if she is your assistant! This is a matter of enchantment, after all."

So, rather later, in the parlor with the suicidal couch:

Aiziju:"Would you like to know the circumstances behind our request, or simply the request itself?"

Me:"My dear Aiziju, we are here as tourists!"

Aiziju:"Forgive me -- for all my time working for Glikkonen, I did not quite master the Zi Ri idiom."

Me:"We are here to experience the branch. Knowing the circumstances is part of the joy of travelling."

Aiziju:"Well, perhaps you may think that Srineia is recently colonized. By some measures, such as the history of Vheshrame or the life of a Zi Ri, it is." (I wonder if she has me partially confused with Sazandigraa.) "But in its own terms, it is not. The firstborn children here are dead of old age. The cities are mature and starting to get powerful. The monsters are being beaten back to the Verticals. In all ways, Srineia is civilized."

Me:"So we had heard! Indeed, this was part of its interest and appeal."

Aiziju:"In particular, some fine points that the first settlers left unsettled are becoming more relevant. The precise boundary between Eigrach Mene and Heleshario Mene -- is it still partially demarcated by the line from the town of Jungus to the top of the Zonsmi Oak?"

Me:"A topic that is surely a matter of great concern for people living near Jungus, to say nothing of the family of sparrows nesting atop the Zonsmi Oak. And, at a guess, even more so to any number of lawyers and nobles in Eigrach and Heleshario?"

Aiziju:"Well, I doubt that a single bird comes close to the Zonsmi Oak. You should go see it, from a safe distance. But you are right about the lawyers and nobles. The discussion employed a great number of them for, oh, twenty or thirty years."

Phaniet:"But no more?"

Aiziju:"But no more. The Zonsmi Oak has taken upon itself to wander another mile and a half, generally towards Heleshario."

Me:"Oh, inconstant oak!"

Phaniet:"What sort of an oak tree is it?"

Aiziju:"I should not describe it as an oak tree at all, though the resemblance is clear enough. In any case, what is the border now? The line from the town of Jungus to the Zonsmi Oak? Or to the Zonsmi Oak's previous position? And, if so, which one -- the one of last year, before its current fit of wanderlust, or the one of seven years ago? Or perhaps the original one from the first days of colonization, when the agreement was made -- if we can figure out where that was?"

Me:"Lenhirrik, the goddess of plants, must love the lawyers of Srineia, so well does she prosper them."

Aiziju:"When the Zonsmi Oak wanders a few hundred feet at a time, I agree with you. The current change is too drastic for lawyers; it is several square miles of territory. Our noble and subtle mayor Mmixamk wishes to declare war over the matter, following the customs of civilized lands."

Me:"Forgive me, but are you quite sure that Eigrach is in the right in this matter? An impartial observer might observe that the boundary has moved considerably in Eigrach's favor, without particular compensation to Heleshario."

Aiziju:"Oh, the justice of the situation is clear enough. We are trying to grab a chunk of wild and debatable lands, no question. If the Oak had wandered the other way, we'd be just as vehement about the prior boundary. Nobody but that idiot Harulse thinks we're in the right."

Phaniet:"Harulse is the idiot?"

Aiziju:"Don't let the mayor's speech problem fool you. He's quite smart, and you can tell that if he's got pen and paper. Harulse is a complete and utter idiot."

Phaniet:"Ah. So, about the war? What sort of war did you have in mind?"

Aiziju:"Just a simple little duel-war: a few heroes from one side, a few from the other."

(We've had more vicious wars than that in Ketheria over a few square miles of land. Bear in mind that few countries are bigger than fifty miles by fifty miles, so five square miles, say, is a significant slice of land indeed.)

Me:"I do hope you're not inviting me to be one of your champions. I am not much of a brawny mercenary warrior!"

Aiziju:"We do not lack for suitable and enthusiastic heroes! But we are a bit low on armaments. Our greatest warrior uses a one-charge Shattering Sword, and another uses a Mountain Mace, can you believe it? And the warriors of Heleshario know the command word for the Shattering Sword, so it wouldn't be much good."

(Shattering Swords try to, um, shatter things that they hit, when a command word is spoken. If your foe knows the word, she can make you waste the sword's single charge for the day on something useless. Mountain Maces are nice clubs: they are light most of the time, but become quite heavy when swung downwards. In skilled hands -- or tentacles, more likely -- they are somewhat deadlier than a metal mace. Neither of these is a particularly imposing magical weapon.)

Phaniet:"Those are both recipe enchantments. Is Srineia lacking in Great Enchanters?"

Aiziju:"Not completely lacking -- I do some -- but our specialists are few and not quite up to Glikkonen's standards."

Me:"I, too, am not up to Glikkonen's standards. Ask me again in four thousand years, and I may be up to zir standards of to-day." My voice had a harsh edge to it, which Aiziju understood immediately.

Aiziju:"Oh, heavens, we're not asking you to make Holocaust War weapons! We'd rather give up the whole Zonsmi Triangle than have anything more serious than a duel-war here. We don't want to burn the branch off, great staring gods!"

Me:"So you wish to have some more conventional weapons? Simply of higher quality than the quotidian efforts of the local recipe enchanters?"

Aiziju:"Exactly."

Me:"May I ask an impertinent question?"

Aiziju:"Well, of course..."

Me:"What is the relationship of Eigrach and Dossimar?"

Aiziju:"Not very good, I'm afraid. We have had rather less contact with the upper branches since Dossimar raised their tolls, then raised them again. Actually, there have been some rather extreme rumors about Dossimar in the last month or two." She hesitated, so Phaniet and I stared at her. "Well, an accusation that their navy took two skyboats passing through."

Me:"I should believe that. They had raised our toll to thirty thousand lozens plus a rape, and they didn't seem done with raising it."

Aiziju:"Oh, my. What happened then?"

Me: «A somewhat carefully edited and phrased version of the history from previous entries. »

Aiziju:"That is not utterly out of keeping with the wilder rumors."

Me:"So: I would be glad to exchange some enchanted weapons for the labor of carpenters and shipwrights. But I should not be so glad if the weapons were to be used in the style of Dossimar."

Aiziju:"I am certain that some such exchange can be made. And we scorn piracy, murder, and rape, as do all decent people. I, who was born in Ketheria, would hardly be living here if it were a violent or vicious place!"

Me:"Excellent. Phaniet, and Zascalle my accountant, perhaps would be better than I for discussing the detailed arrangements for payment and repairs?"

Aiziju:"And I'm sure that their counterparts in the city would be delighted to discuss matters with them. You and I should discuss the specifics of the weapons, of course."

The Doom

No doom this time! That's allowed, isn't it?

[Poll #1428816]

Comments

[rowyn]

So what kind of weapon does she want you to make?

Oh, and if I was going to make a non-evil-horrible-Mentador weapon, I think I'd go for paralyzing my enemies.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

I first need to chat with the heroes who will get the weapons, actually, and then try to figure out with various Eigrach city officials what they are willing to pay for, and then I go explain to the heroes why they can't have what they want but how about this inferior option, and everyone gets arguey for a long time. At each other if I'm lucky.

[terrana.livejournal.com]

Since when are you ever lucky in such things?

[zeeth_kyrah]

Actually, a moment of hesitance upon being struck would be ideal. You could then choose to strike again (with the same weapon or some other attack, such as pushing your opponent off their feet), run safely to another position, switch to another weapon, spont a quick spell (a flash of light, perhaps, to blind them for another moment)... and you could do it with Ruloc Corpador (lock the body) or Ruloc Mentador (lock the mind).

[stormydragon.livejournal.com]

Sythyry, don't forget you're not in Eigarch as a private citizen, but as an ambasador of Veshrame, and as such your actions carry the weight of the State behind them.

Should you really be getting Veshrame involved on one side of a war without so much as consulting the Ducal court?

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

What, I'm to ask the Duke if I can ply my trade in a land far, far beyond his realm? I'm mostly here as a private citizen, I think! Except for a few formalities with the mayor and such. They're not asking for weapons from Vheshrame, just from me.

[stormydragon.livejournal.com]

But as an ambassador, you (for all intents and purposes) ARE Vheshrame for the present circumstances. That's what being an ambassador means.

[shurhaian.livejournal.com]

Half true. Sythyry is not Vheshrame's ambassador to Eigrach, but that will not necessarily keep people from viewing zir actions as though zie is(and without considering the fact that zie is being well paid in labour, not doing it all as a favour; see my reply to the parent post).

[rowyn]

Well, that's what ambassador means in English on Earth. The translation from Sythyry's language may not be exact.

[shurhaian.livejournal.com]

What we know of the World Tree's history and politics suggests that your famous grandparent's mere presence has been used or abused to imply that the city in question had zir support. Stormy has a point; even if you are a private citizen, plying your own trade, you are also a citizen and specifically an ambassador of Vheshrame, and many of the things you do will be seen in light of that. Your presence alone might say something you don't intend; going so far as to craft enchanted weapons for one side of a duel-war may be seen as more explicit support, by you and by Vheshrame, no matter what your actual intent is.

People in legal and diplomatic dealings are not always very reasonable - recall that 'trial' with Duke Conturge and Legeriator Darsues, and also that you weren't even permitted to speak your side of the matter there. Granted the old Duke had a much better idea of what was going on than Darsues did, and better than he let on at the time, but... even someone who doesn't, might be inclined to stick with one person's interpretation and not bother getting yours, hmm?

[calamitous-cani.livejournal.com]

Considering that the target of the weapons in question had initiated a vicious attack on the ambassador in question, I am sure that the repercussions will be far from horrible.

[stormydragon.livejournal.com]

Eh? We have no reason to believe Heleshario is somehow allied with Dossimar...

[calamitous-cani.livejournal.com]

Ah. I have misunderstood the geography of the branch you are on, then. A simple enough mistake, never having been anywhere near there.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Dossimar is three branches above Srineia. Hence the need for excessive teleportation to get from one to the other.

[stormydragon.livejournal.com]

As for the weapon to make, how about one whose enchantments are defensive in nature and thus less prone to later abuse? Maybe something like a sword that completely absorbs the momentum of any blow it parries?

Another possiblity: why not just destroy the oak? It can't be part of the boundary if it no longer exists.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Hmm.... That's not a bad idea at all.

[sianmink.livejournal.com]

I'm reminded suddenly of a story of an ancient king here who when asked to decide on the custody of a child offered to split the child so both parties could have half custody. They were suitably horrified and the king was suitably praised as wise and mighty.

I'm not saying you should split the branch in half, but if you wish for reputation as a mysterious, wise and powerful wizard, well..

Perhaps the smoking crater where the oak used to be would be a much finer landmark.

[tracerj.livejournal.com]

Well, in the original story, only one was horrified, so the king knew who truly cared for the child. I always wondered about the other one. Seriously, if you're not going to eat it, what use have you for half a baby? (And if you are going to eat it, then suddenly we are in an entirely different level of moral discussion!)

I do like the idea of an item for defence. A glove which teleports the target thirty paces backward? Nobody has to get hurt, except perhaps the poor enchanter who has to mess with more Locador magic so soon....

[rowyn]

Seriously, if you're not going to eat it, what use have you for half a baby?

Making sure that the other party only gets half a baby? I understand vindictiveness often plays a part in child custody cases, though usually not to that degree. :/

[stormydragon.livejournal.com]

They had no use for half a baby, they were just being spiteful. If they couldn't have the baby, then no one else was going to have it either.

[bloofox.livejournal.com]

Every time I hear that story the more ridiculous it sounds.

Even if the other lady wasn't the child's real mother, what good is half an infant going to do? You can't even do typical horrible things like sell it into slavery. The only way she would be okay with that is if she were going to make roast infant or infant soup or something like that.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

I suppose the point is, it'll make the presuambly-real-mother miserable to have the baby cut in half, and that's her real goal?

[stormydragon.livejournal.com]

It wasn't that they wanted half a baby; it was about spiting the other party. If they couldn't have the baby, they were at least going to make sure no one else got it either.

[yotogi.livejournal.com]

Given that Aiziju thinks of you as a wizard of power considerable enough to mark your work more valuable than what's available to her, and despite that, you ought to observe it "from a safe distance;" given that it is prone to locomotion; given that it "should not be called an oak," perhaps a spot of reconnaissance is warranted. Just in case the Oak objects.

[redbird]

Would there be any boundary at that point, or would they be more likely to fight a war, to delineate the boundary in the absence of the oak?

[shurhaian.livejournal.com]

Set up a large marker before destroying it, based on a position they had found agreeable? Unfortunately it seems rather too late for that right NOW, but once this war is settled, such a marker to establish a (semi)permanent border might be wise.

[goodluckfox.livejournal.com]

Monster law says you'd use the last recognized boundary. Our rivers shift course here, albeit slowly. The boundary remains the same as it was before the river shifted.

Except when it follows the shifting river instead. :(

I do not have time to tell you the RIGHT answer here, I'm studying for my license to practice law, and it would be based on our multiplex and contradictory monster law anyway. I'm guessing that what the two city states SHOULD do is agree to the loose Oak boundary as long as the Oak doesn't wander more than a certain distance in a certain period of time (the theory being that what one side loses this decade, they're likely to get back next decade). If the Oak wanders an unreasonable distance, the boundary should stay where it was until such time as the Oak re-enters its usual territory.

But this is obviously beyond treaties and lawyers. A duel war must be fought? How about something that doesn't hurt, or at least doesn't wind up with anyone permanently DEAD.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

I imagine that an impartial or sane arbiter could come up with something like that. Fortunately I don't need to solve the legal dispute, just supply weapons.

Duel-wars rarely leave people dead for long! Usually once a participant has died once, they are considered out of the war, and only in strange circumstances would someone waste a further attack on them. (Example strange circumstance: C. hates Sh.; C. decides to punish Sh. by repeated deaths in the duel-war, even at the cost of losing the duel-war. I have seen it happen; it was rather a scandal, and C. came off much the worse for it in the end.)

But a properly-run duel-war shouldn't leave anyone much hurt.

[It should be considered as a ridiculously violent sporting event, really. -bb]

[goodluckfox.livejournal.com]

Suggest this;

A chain or rope as long as the average wandering of the Oak. A heavy marker engraved with an image of the Oak. The winner of the duel war gets to move the marker one "chain" in whatever direction they please, plus they get a nice trophy they can display in town until the next scheduled contest (every 4 years or so?). Both cities could prosper as it becomes something of a tourist attraction.

[shurhaian.livejournal.com]

To elaborate on Sythyry's remark on duel wars: In the reference material I have available[World Tree p. 81], Duke Dursus (I can't recall of what he was the Duke, but he was well enough off that his natural lifespan was a QUARTER of his life...) presided over a duel-war between Caury and Hankandrum. One of the heroes of Hankandrum died beyond the means anyone had to resurrect. Duke Preeshk of Hankandrum was already enraged, but when Duke Dursus declared that Caury had won in spite of this death, Duke Preeshk declared war - and though it doesn't say here, I suspect it may have been a hate-war - on Dursus and his sons.

True death in a duel-war is not only not the norm, it's apparently considered in some circles to be worthy of retribution itself.

[shurhaian.livejournal.com]

I do hope that oak isn't, what are they... a mara eleni(-us?)?

That said, erecting a permanent marker somewhere the "Oak" was known to be might be sensible.

However, it seems they've decided on a not-very-sensible course, haven't they...

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

I don't think people outside of Ketheria are really known for being sensible in general, are they?

[shurhaian.livejournal.com]

...I'm sure I tried to wedge this in here, not on the top tier. But.

Goodness, not even all people IN Ketheria deserve the title. Consider the letters you yourself received in reply to your quite sensible missives about the stowaways, right?

[xolo.livejournal.com]

They could hardly be foreigners if they were sane and sensible.

[solanth.livejournal.com]

They did mention a distinct lack of willingness to actually get close to the oak, though. Fairly hard to place a marker without approaching it.

[shurhaian.livejournal.com]

But the oak has wandered far from where it was, which is why it's gone to the point of war in the first place!

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

Actually, now that I think about it, "barely" hand held repeating ballista (ie, is best used from a prone position, but doesn't need a two person crew), able to accurately send at least fifteen bolts a minute downrange, with very long range, easy to point where you want it, can be fired and aimed by one person after a few seconds setup, with some enchantments so that you don't easily run out of bolts or have it jam or quit firing on you... the sort of thing made so that one person can defend a hill from a single entrenched position. Maybe some other enchantments to prevent movement/teleportation toward the emplacement to prevent being outflanked.

...But what do I know? I just come from a world with a vastly different evolution of weaponry, which figured out that a strong focus on ranged weaponry seems to work better than up close and personal.

[gavinfox.livejournal.com]

Also, I don't know if the interface for this thing works... but I am going to TRY and send you some images and plans of two types of repeating crossbows that this world came up with...





http://www.vintageprojects.com/archery/crossbowfull.pdf

[shurhaian.livejournal.com]

The problem with crossbows is that to make really effective ones, they usually rely on metal. Metal's not common enough on the World Tree for such to have been used, and expecting Sythyry to come up with the principles for a metal reinforcing band for this sort of weapon might be a bit much.

Also, there's a reason ranged weapons don't predominate on the World Tree: point injuries aren't nearly as effective there. The spirit can hold onto the body, especially that of a hardened warrior, even in case of the brain or heart being stabbed(so long as the brain isn't destroyed outright); they'll be solid hits, but they won't be instantly incapacitating as they would for beings whose bodies have to hold themselves together without help. About the only way I could think of for a ranged weapon to be terribly effective would be to have it bind something like The Infinite Grenade on its projectiles, turning them into a manifold frag bomb - or even just using Destroc and perhaps a bit of Ruloc, plus Herbador, to make a much simpler spell that just makes the projectile shred itself in a nasty burst of flechettes, the Ruloc being responsible for ensuring a vigorous separation of the pieces. (Simpler so that the weapon can use it more often.)

Come to think of it, this could make a bow scarily effective against anything without armor - or even something with, if the archer is good enough to hit through the chinks.

[xolo.livejournal.com]

I'm guessing that a mentador weapon that caused the enemy to lose their will to fight would be considered outside the bounds of acceptability. Since the Heleshario and Eigrach heroes are both apparently familiar with one another's weapons and abilities, why not add some new spells to the existing weapons? E.g., if the shattersword were capable of being used even two times instead of once, that might prove a crucial surprise in a duel. Enhancing the various existing weapons, then adding one or two flashy new weapons to hold the enemy's attention (you could sell that dagger and shield that you got from the pirates) would presumably be less expensive than making new stuff, and would probably be pretty effective.

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

... wouldn't armor be more prudent to enchant? I mean, Weapons are weapons, but if you want to stress that you are non-partial to winning, wouldn't things that save lives instead of take them be more appropriate to enchant?

.. while I realize that this means that it's still helping one side win, it might be less offensive to create enchanted armor that bends fire flowers back to casters, then it would be to create bows that throw fire flowers, for instance.

[cowboy-r.livejournal.com]

There was a weapon which enjoyed brief popularity here in Atenveldt a few years back, called something like "Modu," (at least, that's what it sounded like; I have no idea how to actually spell it; it may be Moedeux, for all I can tell you) which was a sort of small buckler with a stabbing blade out the top and bottom. I always found it interesting, but I can't say how practical the thing is.

Highland Scots used to fight with a basket-hilt sword in one hand and a targe and dirk in the other.

For myself, I prefer to stick with a basket hilted sword in each hand. It does require speed and a certain amount of accuracy, but it gives you twice the hitting options.

[shurhaian.livejournal.com]

Belatedly: This analysis of the mayor is doubly reassuring. First, that he's not incompetent and ineffectual; second, that he got put in the position despite a speech difficulty which might make him SEEM that way.

[mmsword.livejournal.com]

I'm all about the user-centered design, so certainly seeing what your champions prefer in terms of form. Still, an idea that occurred to me pondering and seems atleast some what up your alley: A weapon that steals time from foes struck by it, storing it for use later by the wielder. Rather like an Accountant's Pillow, only completely different.

[terrana.livejournal.com]

A thought occurs. Aiziju is never going to catch on to the fact that you weren't Glikkonen's student if you don't actually tell her this. Or are you just deliberately letting her think that because it's good marketing?

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

My works speak for themselves!

...

Actually, you're probably right.

[stormydragon.livejournal.com]

What if she thinks you're Sazandigraa? Is being mistaken for a known mentador mage a good idea?