A New Era for Ironhull

It was amazing. An entire city built into the side of a mountain. So many people trying to get in. A majority of them were the size of a child, yet they had facial hair and deep booming voices. The cart of Pylonus Dempsy, first diplomat of Ironhull, slowly lurched forward in the crowd of people trying to get in. At least the weather is nice.

It was Mid-Afternoon when Pylonus reached the gates and the guards asked him his business in New Capua rather rashly. He presented his documents from Ironhull and the letters from Capua discussing possible trade relations. The guards demeanor changed instantly and asked Pylonus to wait one moment. The Guard ran off and returned with an obvious looking politician

Listen to this for culture porn.
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Florentin Clavet, a Presidential aide, had been waiting at the South Gatehouse for hours in advance. He was tall, for a Dwarf, but that didn't mean much, given that the person he was to meet was a human. He stroked his beard, reviewing what he knew of the Ironhulls. Far as he knew, their cultures were similar and, unlike the Toskhat, he didn't have to worry about having his head bitten off. Which was reassuring. Suddenly, one of the guards from the gatehouse walked in.

"The representative from Ironhull has arrived, sir," he said, saluting as he did so. Ever a loyal soldier, he was.

Florentin saluted back and then nodded, prompting the soldier to return to his post. The diplomat followed, and upon sighting the cart of the Ironhull representative changed his walk into an orderly march. It was vital to project an air of authority; the pomp and circumstance associated with first contact were of the utmost importance. Such was Capuan society.

"Greetings, Representative of the Ironhull Empire," he said jovially. "I am Florentin Clavet, aide to President Antony Lassale. My purpose, and that of my guard, is to escort your delegation to the Presidential Palace. May I board for these purposes?"

As he received his response in the affirmative, the Hull diplomat's assistant moved to the back, allowing Florentin to take a seat. As Pylonus motioned for the driver to get the horses moving, six soldiers, each carrying a blunderbuss and donning white armour with gold trim, surrounded the cart--diplomatic guards. Hardly a necessity in Capua, but a formality expected nonetheless.

"Now then, I suppose we've some time to confer," Florentin said, smiling a bit. "What brings you to our city?"

And they were off. The southern portions of the city were predominantly industrial; though for obvious reasons they'd avoid any factory roads, this trip had been specifically designed to expose the representative to as much Dwarven culture as possible--"bombardment", the MFA had called it--and industry was doubtless a part of that.

They'd entered a cave. An ornate cave, lined with colonies of luminescent fungus to serve as lamps. The tunnel system extended for miles down here, and this long, straight boulevard was only part of it. Even this exposure, however, was enough. The ring of hammers on metal was audible throughout the structure; workmen could be heard going about their daily business down the side roads. The traffic around them, save the trade carts going directly to the warehouse district further up, consisted mostly of supplies being ferried one way or another.

As they proceeded, the upward slope of the boulevard became clear. It came in flights, so as to allow further branches, but these areas seemed to house lighter industries. Suddenly, the sun was visible, and they'd broken through into the commerical districts. Surrounding them were banks, investment firms, massive stores, and finally, after a we bit more travel time, the Market Square itself. It was an incredible structure; surrounded by small stores and stalls it formed the core of the Capuan business world. And it wasn't a single set of buildings, either--it stretched into the sky for three floors and, judging by the ramps downward, into the mountain for even more. The amount of people was mind-boggling.

After a small detour through an apartment section--which seemed to be the most common housing scheme in the city--they came across Foundations. Before them was a statue of a Dwarven soldier holding his rifle in the air in triumph; below him the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen was displayed proudly. Behind the sentry was the Presidential Palace.

The Palace appeared to be under renovations which, frankly, it was. As the former Palace of Marsailles, it had served as the seat of the Capuan Crown. With the end of that institution, however, the building had found itself re-purposed. The old architectural style was gone, replaced by brutalist methods; the intention of the new stone and masonry construction was to broadcast far and wide the building's purpose. It was now the seat of popular sovereignty, intended to last forever as a reminder of the common person's political power.

The politician had an air of grace around him. his name was Florentin and claimed to be a presidential aid. He asked to be seated next to Pylonus, and he nodded for his assistant to move to the back. He hopped in and asked where they were headed, even though they both knew the answer to that question. The ride was silent as Florentin told the driver the path they would take. Pylonus saw what looked like the Industrial sector and was excited, but when they turned away from the "less desirable" part of town, he was let down.

Pylonus knew what was going on. The dwarves were showing off their culture. He expected that much, but never to the pompous extent that they were doing.Pylonus was educated, with a special interest from Durn Grushna himself. He knew what was really happening. Sure he was impressed, but showboating left a bad taste in mind. Finally they reached the palace and both parties got out.

"When will i be able to speak with your leader?" His accent was heavy, but still understandable.

The insolent fool! Florentin thought. What kind of diplomat was this human? What kind of representative scoffed at a tour? Had he no manners or respect? But it wasn't his job to make these kinds of judgment; no, that job was Antony's. He couldn't help wishing him a great deal of piracy on the way back to whatever third-world hellhole he represented.

"Immediately," the aide said, still keeping a joyous tone. Somehow. "Follow me."

They entered the Palace. Neither Florentin nor the foreigners were armed, so Palace Security simply let them pass. Notably, Florentin saluted the guards after they had completed their duty--it was not a military gesture, at least not exclusively. It was more of a greeting.

They ascended a stairwell, moving through what seemed to be a maze of desks, paperwork, aides, guards, boardrooms, maps and bureaucrats--but the path was always clear and, within a few minutes, they found themselves at an oak door, emblazoned with the Republican warhammer. Florentin knocked. Leon responded; with a salute from the general, the two were allowed to enter.

"Pylonus," Antony began, getting up from his chair and approaching the diplomat, smile on his face and ever in good cheer. "Representative of the Empire of Ironhull, if I'm not mistaken. Welcome to our country."

Recognizing that he wasn't part of their citizenry, the President moved past the salute and moved to shake hands. He was replied to--the diplomat had a firm handshake, a good sign--and Pylonus was quickly ushered into a (human-sized) chair by Florentin, who, judging by the expression on his face, would rather have seen the cushy chair replaced with a ducking stool. Antony reminded himself in private to ask his aide what had happened earlier.

"Now that we've dispensed with the formalities, my friend, would you care for some scotch? I warn you, it's rather rough." He poured Pylonus a small glass, chuckling a bit. "Now, on to serious matters. If you've proposals to deliver to this Republic, this office is prepared to hear them."

Pylonus took the glass and downed most of it in one swig. Alcohol is more of a "hobby" to the higher ups in Ironhull. He placed the glass down and moved forward.

"Let us be frank, Mr. President. His Lordship, Durn Grushna III is interested in a trade deal. We offer coal, food and metal. In return, we would expect payments of Lumber and gold." Pylonus leaned in closer to Antony to avoid curious ears. "And, as a side note, His lordship is willing to part with some kegs of Ironhull's best explosives, for a price of course....one can never be to weary in these troubled days." He leaned back again. Pylonus could tell the dwarf who escorted him to the palace was furious with him. More so now then before for not sharing that little secret. "We also throw out our arms in friendship. But note, if war springs up. We dont want to get involved."

Pylonus sat and downed the rest of his whiskey. He was right, it was rough, but Pylonus wanted to show no sign of weakness. He was, after all, representing Ironhull. He sat and watched Antony's face, studying it for any sign of acceptance of the deal.

OOC: Lumber. Not Lumbar. Sorry. For lulz, couldn't help myself. XD

OOC: But i LIKE spinal coloums

Antony was, to tell the truth, slightly impressed by the diplomat's demeanour. He was, even if abrasive, tough, and had studied up before coming here. As Antony downed his scotch in one quick motion, he listened to the diplomat's offer. It was almost wholly unsatisfactory.

He'd offered them coal, which they produced, and metal, which they produced in abundance. Food was useful in the short term, since the National Farming Strategy would take a year to implement. That he'd have to bring up. The explosives, however, were somewhat laughable--what he knew of the Ironhulls placed them far behind the Republic in terms of ability. The look on Leon's face, however, screamed "free explosives are never a bad choice". The warmonger in him was inclined to agree.

"I am sorry, but you have offered the Republic goods which it produces in copious amounts already. Metal is the strongest industry we possess. Food, however, is of interest to this Republic. Lumber would be an acceptable trade for this." He looked to Leon for a moment. "I'd like a demonstration of those explosives, if you don't mind, before we deal in them."

Of course, the explosives wouldn't be present at the meeting or in a diplomatic cart, or he'd expel them from the Republic without a second thought. But if they could be sent a sample, he'd feel more confident.

Pylonus sat. The deal for lumber was a good one, Ironhull had little forest and was in need of a larger navy. That much was given to him by Durn. He stood up, brushed off his clothes and then extended his hand.

"The Emperor will be satisfied. We will start sending over our provisions as soon as i return home. As for the explosives, a small package of our finest explosive on the market will be sent to you by my assistant. I would like, before i leave and with your permission of course, to view your industrial sector before i leave, since i hadnt the chance to view it on our arrival."

The anger toward Pylonus from Antony's aid was palpable. Pylonus chuckled in his head. It was all up to Antony to approve.

Antony knew what this guy was up to. Of course, he could do minimal harm--vague stories of the Dwarven factories would hardly place the Republic's industrial supremacy in peril. He was impressed with Pylonus' intelligence, if not his brashness.

"Excellent," Antony said. "We will arrange to receive your products and send our replies. Now, as for that industrial sector--Constantin Ferrand, another of my aides, may escort you there if you wish."

Florentin looked visibly relieved. As the diplomat left his seat, many thanks were exchanged. As Pylonus left, Antony and Leon returned to their planning. As the door closed, a map of Alba could be seen.

"Now then," Constantin said. "The industrial sector, you asked?"

The President excused Pylonus as he was led to the industrial sector by a new dwarf. What a shame. I was having fun with the other one. Constantin, at least he thought that was his name, asked if Pylonus wanted to see the industrial sector. Wanting to avoid anymore hostilities with presidential aids and possibly harming future relations let this one slip.

"Yes, the industrial sector it is." The two hopped onto the Wagon they rode in on and made way for the industrial sector. Pylonus' assistant was still in the back, twirling his thumbs. The ride was silent, except for the noises outside. To break the silence, Pylonus spoke.

"So, tell me Constantin, it seems things arnt what they once were. What happened here before President Antony took charge?' He leaned forward in interest.

Constantin chuckled a bit, but it was obviously a dark sort of humour.

"'Tis a sordid tale," he remarked. "The Revolution, in other words. Before the Republic existed, there was Revolutionary Capua, a Communist state; before that, there was the Kingdom of Capua, which had lasted for a great deal of time--at least four or five centuries. It just so happened that the Royals couldn't keep people in the dark any more. It's easy to blindfold a man when he's content, has his warm house, a wife, a job, all the trinkets and trimmings. But when a man can't get bread on his table--that's when people get angry, and that's what caused the Revolution. Now, if you study it, there's a lot of other reasons--employment rates, productivity, the problems with trade to the south--but what it amounts to is that the common man did not recieve what he and his family needed to survive."

They turned a corner, heading through the market again. The industrial sectors were a boulevard away.

"Angry people take out their frustrations on what is perceived to have caused them. In this case, that was the Crown. And when frustrations grow loud enough--well, an angry man is easy to manipulate. And that's exactly what the Communists did. Raised some mobs, smashed some windows, put forth a grand ruckus. Then they broke into the Palace--same building you saw back there before renovations--and killed everyone inside. All of 'em. Beheaded the King, the Queen, both royal children. Then they took it to the streets. Setting up a New Order is messy, you know."

He could see the somewhat horrified look on Pylonus' face. Well-adjusted man, he was. Clearly.

"The Republic is really born of the military. Antony was a professor before this whole storm started, you know--at least he's a good speaker because of it. Leon and the President gathered as many troops as possible and, what would you know, reasonable people would rather see the violence stop. Soldiers are loyal to their masters, and the Crown had made enough of a mess of this whole country that the generals were ready for something else. So they took the Capital; not much resistance, since people'd finally had enough of it all. A speech from the Great Forum and the common man had some hope. Some good reason to believe that his culture hadn't lost its head entirely. So they started the Republic; Antony got put up as President. Provisionally, of course. We've not held elections just yet. But that will happen; once that goes off without a hitch, we'll have a stable democracy here in Capua. At least that's the hope, you know?"

"Which side do you believe in?" Pylonus asked, matter-of factly.

"I am a Republican," Constantin replied without hesitation. "A proud one."

Pylonus nodded. He understood what had happened quite well. It seemed like yesterday that he and the Inner Circle overthrew the past king. He couldnt imagine what a large scale version would have been like.

It wasnt long before he reached their destination. It was beautiful. Factories and work houses. He would have asked to see inside, but he could tell he had snooped long enough. He was pleased, for now.

"I would like to head back to my ship. His Excellency likes to hear good news as soon as possible." He instructed the driver to go to the docks.

The rest of te ride was quiet. They reached the gates, and Pylonus let the dwarf out. "It has been nice speaking to a good dwarf. Perhaps, you should run against Antony during the elections.....as some friendly competition of course." Before the dwarf could speak,he closed the door and the Wagon sped off. By nightfall he had reached the docks and ordered his vessel to return home. In two days, Ironhull was in sight, and by that afternoon, he was debriefed by Durn

The visit had been disastrous. For Ironhull's part, it had offended the Presidency; its poor attempt to scout out Capuan abilities had been noted. Its offers had been insulting and were accepted only on the basis of convenience; particularly, though Leon's initial reaction to free explosives had influenced the President's response, there was no real need for them. Put simply, the Republic felt that the Ironhulls had little to offer and little skill in offering it.

There were, however, saving graces to the exchange. On the Republic's part, it learned of a potential threat and a new player to take into account when it made its relentless strategic calculations. For the time being, lumber could be sent to the Ironhulls. They'd build ships with it, but they would be inferior ships. It wouldn't even last long. Under the National Farming Strategy, Capuan food supplies would become self-sufficient enough within a few months to drop the deal entirely--and, hopefully, stop any sort of naval buildup in its tracks, starved of resources.

And in case things didn't work out as planned, the Marine Nationale was getting ready--slowly, but surely--to best Ironhull, or anyone else for that matter, on the oceans. If ever the hostility of Capua's southern neighbour moved from thoughts to actions, there would be a serious, unstoppable, and unmistakable response. Suddenly it was apparent that Ironhull influence would have to be contained. The Republican war machine made its plans; there was no need for aggression on the part of the Mythril City. They would bide their time.

OOC: How did i offend the presidency?

OOC: Antony listens to his aides. You did a good job speaking with him directly.

OOC: Red, I hope that you're not going to use Erynnen ships to kill things. Although that would be too much to ask of you. :p

OOC: Wait, what? How could I use Erynnen ships to kill things? They're... not mine. xD

in the dead of night, a small ship from Ironhull makes port. Stefan Grasel, Pylonus' assistant steps out and goes ashore. He hands a letter to a guard telling him that it is urgent and for the President's eyes only. The dwarf guard takes the letter and rushes off to the capitol.

Dear President Antony,
I would like to apologize for my Diplomat's rough behavior during your meeting two weeks ago. I have sent his assistant to your ports with a sample of our finest explosives. He will also be demonstrating our newest rifle. He will handle any other trade negotiations you might have.

Lord Durn

Sent Per Will of President Antony Lassale of the Capuan Republic;
To Be Recieved by Grand Leader Lord Durn of Ironhull.
Dated 25 June 1571.
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Greetings, Your Excellency.

Your diplomat's behaviour, though rough, is entirely explainable by your country's relative isolation; this office is not in the habit of allowing personal vendettas to mar our relationships with other countries. As honourable men, let us forgive this minor slight.

I regret to inform you, however, that the Republican Army has explained to my satisfaction that despite the admirable quality of the weapons and explosive presented, the Army is not in need of Ironhull products at this time. This situation may change in the future.

Please have a nice day.

SIGNED,
Antony Lassale
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CAPUA