Heen (Realm)/Heenite Highlights/October '07/Mediations with Mesh

Mediations With Mesh

There has pretty much always been animosities between the realms of Heen and Mesh on the continent of Beluaterra. With a new Chancellor of Mesh (Pablo) taking command in Mesh, Queen Martana of Heen opened negotiations to attempt to sort out some of the differences and incidences that have caused the huge rift between the two realms. The following are the full letters between the rulers as they are too long to put directly into the newspaper:

The First Mediation

The First Mediation
05 October 1007		Thrydwulf
Chancellor Pablo, I have to admit that I was actively wondering who would be the next chancellor of Mesh. For instance, you, Roland and some others are noblemen who I know to be men of their word and honour. Regrettably, I can also name a few noblemen of Mesh who I know not to be such at all. Therefore, it is good to see that you take Chancellor Danny's place, and not another. I must start by saying that I am pleasantly surprised by your first letter to all rulers. As I had hoped for, you immediately and without hesitation urged Heen to reconsider our stance and you proposed to solve the problems between our realms before any serious conflict erupts. Why does this come as a pleasant surprise? You must realize, this is the exact opposite of your predecessor's policy. Chancellor Danny namely restricted all his letters to a content, which was all closely related to provocations and further insults and ridicules that deteriorated the situation even more. For example, as I will try to stick to solid facts, I refer to you from a letter of Chancellor Danny, dating from 17 September: "I just wish some people would lighten up. Conflict isn't half as bad as some people make it out to be, I'm just trying to lighten the mood. I hope Queen Martana doesn't leave Mesh waiting too long though. I love how I make her blue heart boil with anger!" During this entire ‘Cold War’ –if you allow me to refer to this as such, as I do consider it such- not once did Heen receive an attempt from Chancellor Danny to rectify the situation. I received no ambassador to incite a mediation to solve the problem. Not one single private letter was ever exchanged to discus the situation and to seek for solutions. No attempts of negotiations were made when Heen clearly stated that we were serious. All this time, he never made any effort to fix the clearly broken situation. Luckily, now as you are chancellor, already in your first letter you addressed me with the intent of mending the damage that is the cause of this conflict. Signed, Martana Curs, Queen of Heen

The Existing Situation

The Existing Situation
05 October 1007		Thrydwulf
Dear Pablo, What is the existing situation according to you? What has Chancellor Danny told his council so far? I will tell you what the situation appears to me so far, during this Cold War. First of all, Heen made it very clear to all rulers that it would never engage into any hostile actions before the invasion had ended. From what I read from your message, as you speak of war during the invasion, I assume you were not aware of this. If you were aware of this, then I am happy to assure you that it was correct. Heen will not wage war on Mesh during the invasion. Second, you spoke of the ‘Mesh-Heen non-aggression pact’, found at and also formally called Heen/Soil Non-Transgression Pact with Mesh. I must clarify that this pact by no means prohibits a war to be waged between Mesh and Heen. There is only word of a mandatory neutrality between Heen and Mesh concerning wars of mutual interest in defence and/or aid of our allies. In other words, this pact acknowledges each other’s presence in a war of their allies, but it does not affect any possible war between the signatories themselves, unrelated to their allies. Which is an entirely different matter. Third, Heen recognizes Mesh during this invasion as a human ally, and we have offered multiple time to help you liberate your capital and other regions. However, instead of issuing a simple refusal, your general utterly deprecated Heen using various insults and swears, as he denigrated our sign of this good will to humanity as well. Therefore, let it be clear, Heen offered a helping hand, which was refused thrice.' No more. We had enough. To illustrate my point, with factual proof, I present to you a few excerpts of letters of General Tarajist of Mesh: “The fact is yer Dog on the throne has been eggin' on a war with Mesh since before she took the throne.” “You work for a devil an' a dog, Thrydwulf. Your realm is lead by villians.” Fourth, overly important, the feeling between Heen and Mesh so far, as it was shown in the ruler channel and perhaps not in the council. Harsh words about a possible war have been exchanged, as well as discussions that only lead to irritation and anger. Definitely, Heen had it is fair share in this. After all, there are always two sides to a conflict. However, due to lack of personal insight and many subjective factors, I can only describe the way Chancellor Danny come over to Heen, and not the other way around. I have experienced Chancellor Danny as a man who intended war with Heen to happen as soon as possible. At first, he tried to make Heen look like the bad side of this war, by innocently ignoring any of my accusations. When Heen said not to attack during the invasion, numerous times did he try to provoke me into starting the war sooner than the end of the invasion. Numerous times did he start or prolong discussions with insults and scorn that only worsened the situation. Numerous times did he ridicule with how weak Heen was and how he couldn’t wait for us to get squashed by Mesh’s great army and income. For instance, he mentioned his spies in Heen frequently, which is hardly improving the situation and only suggesting he is ready for war at any time. His lack of diplomatic sense such as performing the contrary of mediations and plain disdain towards Heen, during such a dangerous and fragile situation, is plainly offensive to Heen and immoral. This is the situation as it is now, on a diplomatic point of view. Signed, Martana Curs, Queen of Heen

The Motives of Heen

The Motives of Heen
05 October 1007		Thrydwulf
Dear Pablo, Indeed, the motives of Heen to wage a war upon Mesh. Despite Chancellor Danny’s disguise in which he repeatedly said that he wanted to know finally what Heen’s motives were for a war, he knew them already. Surely, with several spies in Heen, he couldn’t possibly have not known them, as all motives were publicly announced in entire Heen. Even more, he had read the Royal Pamphlet, which was in essence a very good summary of our motives. We were discontent with the fact that Mesh allowed convicted criminals of Heen, namely Tarajist and Kagurati, join their realm. Even more, you make one of them your general. You cannot blame us for feeling some breathing down our neck. We were appalled to hear that a plan to invade Heen had been executed by a group of determined noblemen under the leadership of Tarajist to invade Heen. Indeed, beyond the knowledge of you, Chancellor Pablo. At least I hope. The only reason that this plan wasn’t successful was because Heen coincidentally destroyed this invading force in Naraka and Mokut before they could enter our lands. We were disgruntled to hear that several spies were operative in our realm, passing through information to certain nobles in Mesh. I could give you their names, but these spies that are now back on our side wish to remain anonymous. We were dismayed to hear from Chancellor Danny, when Heen was invaded and ravaged by the undead, the words: “Rogue lands are for grabbing!” We were aggravated to hear Chancellor Danny continuously ridicule and laugh with the efforts of Heen to defend itself against the undead. His behaviour was much comparable to Hannibal when he spoke of Heen’s weak forces and incompetence. We were also shocked to learn that Chancellor Danny prohibited Heen to pursue the undead who had killed nearly a third of our population. Not that we were going to pursue them in the end, as we had agreed to let them leave peacefully, but the idea of Mesh harbouring yet another mortal enemy of Heen, but then even such a great and outrageously malicious one, was plainly shocking beyond normality. We were insulted when Chancellor Danny threatened to invade Heen at several occasions when he felt like it. For example, when he believed that Heen was withholding information from other rulers. For example, when an innocent priest entered his lands. For example, when the monsters invaded Mesh and he blindly blamed Heen. We were plainly insulted by his lack of abstention to the idea of a war. He seemed to enjoy toying with the idea and provoking us. We were disgusted by his lack of apt to negotiate and rebuild the broken situation. Instead of any of this, he and his general (recently) continued to insult us and ridicule us. I must surely be forgetting many things, but the main line through our motives is clear. Heen has been effectively bullied by threats, negligence, ridicules and insults for too long. But Heen is a realm with noblemen, not a child of any sort. We will fight back, even to a superior enemy like Mesh clearly is. Signed, Martana Curs, Queen of Heen

A Possible Negotiation

A Possible Negotiation
05 October 1007		Thrydwulf
Dear Pablo, Now that Heen is finally contacted with some good will and hope to restore the broken relations, we can finally work towards something other than war. Heen declares itself officially open to negotiations, which Chancellor Danny never attempted to start. To the opposite even. Of course, our terms will include mostly moral issues, none territorial or financial. Others will perhaps be juridical terms. If you are interested, you can contact me in private to discuss them, taking one big step away from a future war and for you, Pablo, a big step away from Chancellor Danny’s policy. Signed, Martana Curs, Queen of Heen

Pablo's First Reply

Pablo's First Reply
02 October 1007		Thrydwulf
The government of Mesh recognizes that the nobles Tarajist, Kagurati, and Larkin were charged and tried under Heenian law, and will not seek to act out of its juristriction in such matters. However, Mesh believes that all people, noble or common, male or female, rich or poor, famous, infamous or of no fame whatsoever should be treated with grace, and allowed a chance to demonstrate that they have reformed of crimes they have committed. As such, they shall not be prosecuted in Mesh for the crimes they committed in Heen, but their Heenite criminal record can and will be used when determining judgment and punishment in Meshian courts.

The Spy Issue

The Spy Issue
05 October 1007		Thrydwulf
Chancellor Pablo, Although the spy-issue is regarded by Heen as a minor one, I will nonetheless consecrate a letter concerning this to work it through. I have to say that it upset Heen that Mesh was actively channelling information from Heen’s most inner circles to use for diplomatic reasons and –as Chancellor Danny insinuated clearly- to use for military reasons if a war was to erupt between our realms. The very fact that Mesh tolerated the use of a spy to obtain information from Heen, and at the same time speaking very openly and directly about it, means to Heen as much as a military asset that Mesh had consciously arranged so to have an absolute military and diplomatic advantage when a possible war would start. This appeared to Heen as the exact opposite of what Mesh claimed all along: Not being responsible for, nor being aggressor in, a war. However, using and staying in contact with a spy –either planted there by Mesh or volunteering information out of his own initiative- can be called no more than a secret manoeuvre to gain a military and diplomatic advantage. Therefore, as Heen sees it, contacting or being contacted by a spy and then resulting in using this ill-obtained information, is an aggressive manoeuvre. In any case, you must realize that being constantly reminded by Mesh that they know all that is said in your own realm, is not very easing to the fragile situation. Even more, repeating this fact creates an uncomfortable feeling of a threat, wherein is to be understood that Mesh is more than ready for a war and more specifically, that Mesh has already taken its first preparations towards a swift and easy victory. Without doubt, no matter which arguments can be used to explain the presence of a spy, a spy is always a serious infraction of the relations between two realms, at peace or at war. The use of them is hostile and aggressive and I cannot remember one incident throughout entire history where someone was able to consider the use of a spy as something peaceful and friendly. On a side note, the leak in Heen has been located and removed. He indeed shared information voluntarily, but we are sure that –if he was not approached first by certain of his friends who as nobles represent Mesh, such as Kagurati- he was at least encouraged by Mesh to continue sending information and even urged to reveal more than he initially had given. You see, while he might have volunteered the information, Mesh interacted with and used the spy such that he could be considered working for Mesh. This is how the spy-issue is regarded in Heen, I await the formal stance of Mesh. Signed, Martana Curs, Queen of Heen

On Spies...

On Spies...
02 October 1007		Thrydwulf
On the subject of spies: I do not condone the seeking out of nobles in opposing realms for the purposes of obtaining information otherwise not available. I recognize that there is always potential for disenfranchised nobles to volunteer information to other realms in an act of sabotage to a realm they believe has failed them, and whilst as the Chancellor of Mesh I must use this information for the protection and betterment of my people, I will not encourage it, instead encouraging other forms of protest or, if they feel such methods will not work, emigration, so as to no longer provide a hole in a realms security. Pablo Del Canato Chancellor of Mesh

Spies Aside

Spies Aside
06 October 1007		Thrydwulf
Very well, Chancellor Pablo, Leaving the spy issue to the side for now, I shall then proceed to the next issue you addressed, which is -to my surprise somewhat- the Heenite nobleman named Medium. As I am very aware that Tarajist and Kagurati were not in the least on friendly terms with Medium, so it is very logical that you could not have heard anything more than slander and mockery. However, yet again, this is just one side to the story. To begin, I must say that Medium holds few anti-Mesh beliefs. From what I am told by him, and so would his behaviour and words also suggest from my point of view, that Medium is merely anti-Tarajist –forgive me for the odd wording. However, indeed, he holds some sort of a complaint against Mesh, but only for harbouring Tarajist and later on Kagurati, two convicted criminals to Heen. Wouldn’t any judge do so if he sees a criminal escape his justice and being welcomed without questions to a neighbouring realm? He only at the most dislikes Mesh, and I must emphasize at the most, for the fact that they are harbouring criminals. He is definitely not pushing or influencing me in any way to wage war on Mesh. He simply wants Tarajist to be punished. Addressing your claims that he had great influence on my predecessor’s decision-making process, I have to say that such would be no more influence than that of any normal council member. Yes, he did give advice, but isn’t that the job of a government member? He barely spoke about any other affairs than juridical and financial, as the military or diplomacy wasn’t his field of work and he never pretended it to be so. It is ridiculous to say that he would be corrupt and a political plotter; only someone who was banned by him would claim this, like Tarajist. I think you are being caught up, as well as the relations between our realms are being caught up, in a personal conflict between Tarajist and Medium where there are almost no more worse things left uninvented to slander one another or make him look bad. Tarajist would never say he was banned by an upright, noble person, now would he? That would only make him look bad. Without any second of doubt or reflection, I can positively ease your mind concerning an abusive, corrupt, or anti-Mesh influence that Medium is claimed to have or have had on my predecessor or myself. Medium speaks very few and if he does, then he speaks of few more than the things that concern juridical affairs, and we never exchange any private letters. He might be vocal about Tarajist, that I will not deny, but that is a mutual thing I am sure. As for positions of political power, he holds none but a council seat that every former government member earns and deserves. He fulfils his duties of mandatory vote correctly and his advice or suggestions were never considered as uncomfortable. Signed, Martana Curs, Queen of Heen