Thoughts of a Transylvanian

[Iroquois Confederacy]

20 minutes ago, DesMoines said:

 

Indeed, it was really me. As you confirmed in your writing, you sank me. You were under the Polish flag, and you decided to attack two french players who had defended Saint Louis against the English to help your faction. Your fate is now sealed and we will pass the order to any French ship and ally to fire on sight on any of your boats. We had come to St. Louis only to defend and intercept every English ship. You made your choice. I'm doing mine.

 

Libelous lies!  Our vessels did not attack you, we merely defended a Midshipman on his first cruise out!  While true, it was indeed a British Mid, we find it reprehensible that such Captains as yourself would set about someone so new to the ocean before they were able to learn the error of their ways!

[Iroquois Confederacy]

2 hours ago, DesMoines said:

He was an Englishman who was far from home. We all know that in this game many use ALT accounts for spy ..... In addition, the hostility went up on Les Cayes ... hence our presence. I thought that for someone like you it was a sensible action we were doing ... Apparently no

 

and as you see...I don t write a Letter for say to all players... Guys!!! I have sink a Basic cutter who struts a foot too tall for his body  

We know not these strange words and how you use them, "ALT accounts" and "hostility."  The Free Tribes see only Captains, and care not for the antics of the European invaders.  Recall that before you arrived with your plague, pestilence, and war, these lands were a relatively idyllic place so long as one was not a Huron.

As for these simple writings, they are merely an amalgam of logs and thoughts - a more introspective version of the dry Captain's Log every European seems to keep.

[Iroquois Confederacy]

Thoughts of a Transylvanian
14.  Karma Bled By Ketch

    These past days have been marked by long patrols that have often netted very little in the line of scalps, but a fair bit in the line of intelligence.  This makes them of value, even if my braves would prefer a more tangible note of their successes.

    With that in mind, the tally of those scalps that were collected:

In Company with Captain @Davos Seasworth:
One British Constitution

Independently:
Of the British:
One Surprise class frigate
Two La Grosse Venture class merchants
One Heavy Rattlesnake class brig
One mercantile brig

Of the French:
One Endymion class frigate
One mercantile brig
One mercantile Lynx

Of the Russians:
One Endymion class frigate

Of the Pirates:
One Prince de Neufchatel class brig
   Of the Swedes:
One mercantile brig

    My activities have earned a bounty of one million pieces of eight, an outrageous sum for doing what the Free Tribes have always done.  However, in light of this bounty, a notice was posted to Captains of all stripes reminding them that though the Free Tribes sail in affiliation with the Commonwealth of Poland and Lithuania, we are a free and independent nation, not bound by their laws or treaties.

    In an effort to collect said bounty, one French Captain “King of Crowns” (these Europeans do love their feigned nobility) laid in chase, and perhaps with some hidden semaphore signalled to La Navasse, from whence poured a steady stream of sailors from the “WO” and “BLANC” squadrons.  Their chase ultimately prooved fruitless, regardless of their initial certainty of success.

    Speaking of the French, while returning to port from this last patrol, while writing my log in my cabin, I did hear from the masthead that fabled cry that sets one's heart to the rhythm of the drums.  A merchant brig ran into our path, and his own lookouts must have been drunk below, as even with carronades, we were able to do much damage, and ultimately sink her, as her cargo was paltry.  Three scalps to assuage my braves.

    Merchants are an odd beast, and the laws governing them the same.  No one seems to care that their officers are scalped and their hulls sent to the bottom, so long as the Free Tribes are denied their cargo.  This is all one to us, as their cargo would likely go to the bottom anyways, being unable to take it with us.  Take for example, the British.  While departing Les Cayes, I saw a La Grosse Venture with a merchant brig in company, flying the Union Jack.  Captain Davos Seasworth, of the HOST squadron stood idly by, his sailors bound by diplomatic overtures made between fat men in smokey rooms.

    No such diplomacy could hold back my braves, however.  Though the brig escaped, the La Grosse Venture quickly struck her colors.  Her hold – emptied.  Her hull – sunk.  Her officers – scalped.  Yet, as near as I could tell, her Captain was perfectly content, as the Free Tribes were denied her cargo.  My braves were content, as more scalps were added to their collection.  And so, the very same Captain was spotted departing Saint-Louis in the very same brig that escaped earlier.  It amazed me so, and yet, the story repeated itself once again.  All the while, everyone seemed perfectly content about the whole situation (save, of course, those officers that will wear straw hats for some time).

    In the end, I once again find myself scratching my head at those strange Europeans.

    Karma Bled By Ketch

[Iroquois Confederacy]

Thoughts of a Transylvanian

 

15. Benign Gin News

 

 

It has been some time since my last writing, yet the time is appropriate to write again. The Free Tribes have not sat idle – yet too much must be accounted for which precludes much in the way of rote history.

 

A Great Conflagration has occurred. The powers of Europe have found themselves scrambling to bring new ships to old ports in order to bring them back to heel. There is a great race afoot to claim as much and as quickly as possible. With the new ships, many a new Captain has been spotted, and squadrons never heard of before have appeared; or ones long in other theaters have returned.

 

The Free Tribes themselves have built their longhouses and wigwams with a squadron whose flags signal “ROVERS.” The very name is met with much approval by the braves. Even rarer still, the name matches with the breed of Captain that sails under the banner.

 

Since the Great Conflagration occurred, the first long hunt of the Free Tribes have netted a number of British vessels. They are accounted for as follows:

 

One Trincomalee Class Frigate

Two L'Hermoine Class Frigates

Three La Grosse Venture Merchants

Two Mercantile Snows

Two Mercantile Brigs

 

A great chase did occur in the area of Belize after the Trincomalee was sunk by our own L'Hermoine. Halfway to Ruatan, they did break off, which is a significant departure from chases by Spanish Captains, who typically would chase some fifteen nautical miles.

 

This has had me pondering over the thoughts laid out in #6, referencing Ibn Khaldun. Many squadrons, in their mercenary ways, float from one flag to another as easily as a Lady of Negotiable Virtue moves from one lad to another. They do this for a number of reasons, but it so often appears to be a chase for power. The Russian Nation, one often seen as a powerhouse, now has so many Captains sailing for her that the typical ability of one must certainly fall further than it has in the past. This has interesting implications – where before many a vessel might fight against this nation with but temerity, now more will joyously bring their guns to bear, as the sheer quantity must dilute the quality. Prussia too must suffer this fate, as it has, we are informed, doubled in size.

 

These are the typical movements through the stages of nations. I suspect only Poland, at this point, can be seen as being truly in the Nomadic stage. Prussia, Russia, even the United Provinces are now all settled. And Britain. Alas, poor Britain! Ever in the Cowardly stage. This is shown time and time again when their vessels would rather flee than fight, even if the vessels are built on the same lines. Some have moved even beyond that. Destroyed in their Cowardly stage, not yet reborn into the Nomadic, the Spanish and the United States must find new ways to make themselves felt upon the world stage.

 

Benign News Gin

[Iroquois Confederacy]

 

Thoughts of a Transylvanian

16. Ay Cold Imp

 

A series of short hunts have occupied the Free Tribes in the Gulf of Mexico and down Latin America. First, an account of the oak and iron lost:

 

Of the British:

Two Mercantile Brigs

One La Grosse Venture class Frigate

 

Of the Russians:

Five Mercantile Brigs

One La Grosse Venture class Frigate

Two Hercules class Frigates

 

Subsequent to these short patrols, it was requested that the Free Tribes embark upon a fact-finding mission and diplomatic envoy to South America and the Antilles. It is upon that leg of the journey which I find myself writing.

 

The nature of this journey has me contemplating the idea of “Diplomacy.” It is not a foreign concept, but the way it is practiced here leads to no protracted greater good. It is lying where all parties involved are aware of the lie, yet it is relentlessly pursued regardless. It is the trading of time for space, both sides attempting to sharpen their knives faster to see who can stab quickest and surest. It is souch convoluted double-speak that ones tongue surely twists in the making of it.

 

Why do nations engage in diplomacy? The obvious answer is that each side believes itself to be smarter than the other. Nobody but fools believe that. Instead, I believe the whole paradigm comes down to fear. The desperate fear to hold on just a little bit longer, and see if some Deus ex Machina should make itself apparant.

 

The irony, of course, is that both sides engaging in this “Diplomacy” are equally fearful. The strong either conquer the weak or ignore the weak. If they cannot do either of those two things, then the weak are merely strong in a different aspect.

 

And so, diplomacy is an effort to mask fear for intelligence, and feign strategy when there are only ever two paths: Attack, or Withdraw.

 

Perhaps it is these views which made the Free Tribes so uniquely qualified as to be requested to embark upon this ambassadorial mission.

 

Ay Cold Imp

[Lytse Pier]

Quote

 

I believe the whole paradigm comes down to fear. The deperate fear to hold on just a little bit longer, and see if some "Deus ex Machina" should make itself apparent.

 

An absolute gem, my compliments!

[Iroquois Confederacy]

Thoughts of a Transylvanian

17. Fi That Term

 

The Free Tribes have been recalled from their diplomatic mission. An accounting of the fruits of the journey follows:

 

Of the Dutch:

Two La Gross Venture Merchants

 

Of the Russians:

One La Hermoine class Frigate

One Indiaman

One Mercantile Brig

One Rattlesnake class Brig

 

Russians sunk in Company with the ROVER Squadron:

Five Mercantile Brigs

One “Pirate” Frigate

One Pandora class Frigate

One Surprise class Frigate

One Prince de Neufchatel class Schooner

 

Did Allow One Spanish Merchant Brig to Escape, on account of the vigorous requesting of its Captain.

 

Two of these encounters in particular bear explanation. The Indiaman was sailing in company with one other Captain, and two subalterns did command thinly crewed auxillery Indiamen. The British Captain Wick with the CREDS squadron did join in, and though we were heavily outgunned in a La Hermoine class frigate and a Prince de Neufchatel class Schooner, one Indiaman commanded by a subaltern did break off close-hauled, which we set about vigorously. One of the Russians with his junior escaped, leaving the other to our tender affections. Both were scuttled.

 

Earlier, a patrol did occur through the Gulf, taking us to the docks of Vera Cruz. Staging upon them was a fleet of Merchant Brigs, six Captains with one tender each, for twelve total. The wolves were in the henhouse – no Captain survived, though a few of their tenders did escape. The bells of the city could be heard for miles, which did summon a fleet to engage the ROVER Squadron. Said fleet did become part of the debris littering the Gulf of Mexico.

 

This, to some extent, puts the cart before the horse, however. When last I wrote, I was embarked upon a diplomatic mission to South America. Things were rather heated in the Gulf, and the Diplomacy of the Free Tribes was needed elsewhere. This arrangement did not last long, as after one night of patrols, we were recalled to the Gulf to bring the Woods War back to Russian waters. It has been a productive excursion, though they are building their vessels ever-better. Some must be captured in order to outfit the Free Tribes, as investments in Prussian Ports seem to have stopped. Alternatively, we might seek supplied vessels from other nations who wish to see them similarly employed against the Russians.

 

I have not much missed the mark with ibn Khaldun. Those large factions seem weaker, on average, than smaller ones. They have mere weight of numbers to make up for it. This, however, is an issue Prussia seems to be shedding, as its squadrons are seeking safe harbor elsewhere. It is anticipated that the Prussian holdings in the Gulf will collapse, but they could never have been held in the first place. Prussia must return to its Nomadic roots.

 

Fi That Term.