Author Topic: Potential cooperation (Izhitsa and Tamora)  (Read 2933 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Markus

  • Roleplay Manager
  • Global Superpower
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,337
    • View Profile
  • Your Nation: Samantra
Potential cooperation (Izhitsa and Tamora)
« on: July 12, 2020, 05:36:00 PM »
Izhitsa was considered by Tamora a potential security risk. It was bordering MidAranye and Tamora feared that Izhitsa could potently become an ally Soviet Kaitaine. It was mainly for this reason that Tamora did not recognize the provisional government of Izhitsa. However, not having recognized the provisional government didn’t really affect Izhitsa and the Tamoran government was well aware of that. It knew that if they wanted to have any impact whatsoever let alone some influence in the country they would need some sort of allies on the ground.

This is why the Tamoran Intelligence Service decided to approach the Izhitsan Monarchists, a party at the “very fringe of Izhitsan politics” as many would describe them. The process proved very complicated, Tamora not only lacked an embassy in Izhitsa but also an intelligence network. They had to rely on various third parties like a Seleucid businessmen traveling to Izhitsa, some elements of the organized crime that had links in various Aranye countries etc. The whole processes went back and forth without much progress without either side committing to even attending a meeting. That was until a pretender to the Izhitsan throne appeared in the person of Kamil Yanoshek. For Tamora that changed things. A long shot as Kamil was he still had some shred of legitimate claim to the throne and all of a sudden that made the Izhitsan Monarchists, while still a minuscule and fringe faction, a potential valuable ally in Izhitsa. Because of that Tamora spent more time and resources trying to convince them to agree to a meeting as well as publicly state they would be willing to recognize Kamil as sovereign of Izhitsa. What eventually convinced them to agree to a meeting wasn’t clear exactly for Tamora but they did and they were set to meet in Safraen.   

This is how Karim Najafi, a Tamoran operative working at Tamora Imperial Bank of Safraen, was scheduled to meet an Izhitsan Monarchists representative at the Polua memorial park in Safraen. He initially wanted to have the meeting at one of the Tamora Imperial Bank branches in the city but he figured the Izhitsans might find that risky for them so he settled for the memorial park where in the open they could talk without worry.


Karim Najafi with his wife just before saying goodbye to his work colleagues at the Tamora Imperial Bank and leaving for the scheduled meeting

He had plenty of issues to address at the meeting as Tamora wasn’t sure exactly what Kamil intentions were regarding Izhitsa. He looked around and saw another person fitting the description and looking around. He approached the person:

“Peace be upon you! I am Karim, I believe you’re waiting for me” he said as he approached the Izhitsan.

Offline Izhitsa

  • Basically New Zealand
  • **
  • Posts: 162
    • View Profile
  • Your Nation: Izhitsa
Re: Potential cooperation (Izhitsa and Tamora)
« Reply #1 on: July 14, 2020, 10:45:20 PM »
"Ah! Mr. Najafi, yes?" said Dobroslav. After all these years stuck in the southern Izhitsan mountains, he felt uncomfortable in a large city like Polua. He hadn't stopped looking over his shoulder since he got off the plane, though perhaps that was because of the purpose that brought him here.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Dobroslav Pavlovich," he said, rolling the unfamiliar Latin around his tongue. "Leader of the Izhitsan Monarchists and representative of his majesty Kamil I Zhemislovtsy. We believe that collaboration with our cause would be mutual beneficial to both our nations. But, of course, I'm sure that our mutual friend has well informed you of that already."

Offline Markus

  • Roleplay Manager
  • Global Superpower
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,337
    • View Profile
  • Your Nation: Samantra
Re: Potential cooperation (Izhitsa and Tamora)
« Reply #2 on: July 15, 2020, 09:18:26 PM »
“Pleased to meet you Mr. Pavlovich!” replied  Karim Najafi in Latin with a heavy Parthian accent.

“Indeed he has. I believe that we share common ground when I was that we both value tradition and I hope I will not offend when I say that Izhitsa is a nation in dire need to return to its roots.
It is why we are here today, the Tamoran government, to which I am a humble servant of, is interested to know more about His Majesty Kamil I and his plans for the future. The Tamoran government does not recognize the provisional government of Izhitsa and is exploring the possibility of recognizing His Majesty Kamil I as the rightful ruler of Izhitsa but it also wants to know what his plans and vision are for Izhitsa. I hope you can shed some light on this, Mr. Pavlovich. ”

Offline Izhitsa

  • Basically New Zealand
  • **
  • Posts: 162
    • View Profile
  • Your Nation: Izhitsa
Re: Potential cooperation (Izhitsa and Tamora)
« Reply #3 on: July 16, 2020, 09:17:29 PM »
Dobroslav drew in a breath. He'd rehearsed this speech many times. "The most important thing is to restore order. Right now, most of Izhitsa is under one of two military juntas. While both say they believe in one ideology or the other, the truth is that both are kleptocratic warlord states with little support from the majority of the people. His Majesty believes that the power of the soviets in the east and the bureaucrats in the west must be cut down and any remaining nationalist militants must be rooted out.

"The next thing is to restore the Izhitsan economy. This will require many reforms, but we hope to end with an Izhitsa amenable to business and competitive on the world market. His Majesty has already been planning an intense monetary reform, as well as incentives for foreign investors. To allow this to happen, Izhitsa's institutions will also need to be centralised, with the nobility answering to none but the king himself.

"Izhitsa's monarchs have always tried to lift up Izhitsa's decaying institutions, but none except Stanimir I has had the chance that we have today. Our little war has put us at a crossroads. In one direction, we have warlordism, belligerence, and chaos. In the other, we have centralisation, tradition, and peace."

Offline Markus

  • Roleplay Manager
  • Global Superpower
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,337
    • View Profile
  • Your Nation: Samantra
Re: Potential cooperation (Izhitsa and Tamora)
« Reply #4 on: July 17, 2020, 06:49:29 PM »
Karim liked the fact that Dobroslav didn’t see the current situation of Izhitsa as hopeless but rather an opportunity to rebuild its institutions on a solid foundation. He also realized that the Monarchists opposition to the nationalists would mean Tamora would have to no longer offer refuge to the nationalists were they to make a deal. That didn’t personally bother him and he doubted Djerb would mind. He figured there couldn’t be many if any nationalists that fled to Tamora.

“I like how you said that Izhitsa is at a crossroads. I think in many ways that is true. I would like to ask you a couple of more questions if I many. How does His Majesty view Abydos and religious freedom in particular? I think I will not surprise you when I mention that the Tamoran government is looking for partners that do not pose a threat to its current friends and allies and the Kingdom of Abydos is a not just a friend but a nation deeply respected in Tamora. As far as we know the Manist and Muslim communities are small in numbers of Izhitsa. What the Tamoran government is interested to know is that their rights will be respected when the new monarchs become the ruler of Izhitsa.”

Offline Izhitsa

  • Basically New Zealand
  • **
  • Posts: 162
    • View Profile
  • Your Nation: Izhitsa
Re: Potential cooperation (Izhitsa and Tamora)
« Reply #5 on: July 21, 2020, 05:10:00 AM »
"Ah." Dobroslav knew that this was coming eventually. He viewed Tamora as more of a religion with an army than regular state. Not that he was going to let that stop him from trying to get their money. "Well, Mr. Najafi, I hope you will understand when I say that Izhitsa is somewhat... paranoid about its neighbouring states. That's something that comes of fighting them for so long. I'm sure you've heard it said that the Izhitsan Crusade was supposed to go to Abydos, but missed. No? Oh, well. In any case, it's only partly true. But our crusader past has led to problems in our east before. That said, our feuds with Abydos are in the past now. His Majesty hasn't expressed a particular policy toward Abydos, but I expect he will continue the peaceful coexistence we have had since the Great War.

"As for religious freedom, you have to understand the state of religion in Izhitsa. To be an Izhitsan is to be a member of the Izhitsan Orthodox Church. Very few would publicly admit to atheism, even if most people don't attend services regularly. Most followers of other religions are foreigners, and the rest are viewed as foreigners. In a way, they experience a kind of religious freedom. As long as they don't upset the status quo, they are allowed to practice their religion. Of course, a king could guarantee the safety of a minority. A republic is subject to the whims of the majority."

Offline Markus

  • Roleplay Manager
  • Global Superpower
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,337
    • View Profile
  • Your Nation: Samantra
Re: Potential cooperation (Izhitsa and Tamora)
« Reply #6 on: July 26, 2020, 12:57:11 PM »
Karim wasn’t very convinced of the assurances Dobroslav provided but just like he leaders in Djerb he didn’t expect Kamil to ever become in charge of the country not to mention that any assurances the Monarchists provided were better than what Djerb had at present in Izhitsa which was nothing.

“I thank you for the frank answer” said Karim.

“I think your position allows plenty of room for cooperation. Djerb supports the idea of a monarchy for Izhitsa as a factor of stability and predictability so our interests align in this regard. Djerb wants to see Izhitsa prosper and we have confidence that under a strong monarchy that will be the case. Tamora is ready to provide financial assistance to your cause as well as diplomatic support if deemed helpful for your cause.
Other type of support can also be provided but would need to be discussed on a case by case basis. “

“In exchange we hope His Majesty, after he is made king, will remember the help he has been provided.” Not wanting to leave room for interpretation or leaving it to sound like blackmail he added:

“ Despite what some foreign governments say about Djerb we believe in pragmatism when it comes to foreign relations. Izhitsa is far away, our values do not align in many respects yet there is no need to have antagonistic relations. We would like to have Izhitsa as a partner with which we can trade, invest and have friendly relations. “

“Now aside from financial and diplomatic support, how can Tamora help your cause? “

Offline Izhitsa

  • Basically New Zealand
  • **
  • Posts: 162
    • View Profile
  • Your Nation: Izhitsa
Re: Potential cooperation (Izhitsa and Tamora)
« Reply #7 on: July 28, 2020, 10:34:45 PM »
"Well---" Dobroslav caught himself. He hadn't really expected to get this far. He got the impression that the Tamorans were already set on supporting his little group before the meeting. Still, he didn't want to push his luck. Military equipment would be far too much. What about...
"Well, there is one thing. History shows that the one thing that really guarantees the support of the people is a secure stomach. Er, let me rephrase that. If we could demonstrate that His Majesty has the ability to feed the people, I think there would be little doubt that he is Izhitsa's legitimate ruler. And if that ability comes from his clout abroad, so much the better. If Tamora really wishes to show that it is committed to our cause, then give us food aid to distribute to our fellow people. Even just enough for a couple cities would be an incredible help."

Offline Markus

  • Roleplay Manager
  • Global Superpower
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,337
    • View Profile
  • Your Nation: Samantra
Re: Potential cooperation (Izhitsa and Tamora)
« Reply #8 on: July 30, 2020, 07:28:19 PM »
Karim expected Dobroslav to ask for help with propaganda so he was a bit surprised at the request. As Dobroslav explained it made perfect sense and he wished he would have come up with such an idea himself.

“ That can be arranged. The kingdom of Clysperis is a friend of Tamora and we can supply you with food from them, it would get there faster than shipping it from Tamora which will also do of course.

But I need to ask you about the logistics. We can supply you with the food to feed your people but what about getting the food to the people? I worry that those who claim to be the rulers of Izhitsa will just seize the food, using Tamora’s poor relations with them as an excuse, only to then distribute it themselves and claim all the credit. I hope you do not take offense but I need to consider all options.”

Karim had already thought that should such a scenario be likely then they could try and smuggle food across the border via Abydos which was a friend of Tamora. Djerb would need to negotiate with Abydos but he believed something could be arranged.  However, even if the food was in Izhitsa it would still need to be taken to the people needing it.   

Offline Izhitsa

  • Basically New Zealand
  • **
  • Posts: 162
    • View Profile
  • Your Nation: Izhitsa
Re: Potential cooperation (Izhitsa and Tamora)
« Reply #9 on: August 04, 2020, 09:49:57 PM »
Dobroslav hadn't planned to have to develop a stealth food aid plan out of thin air, but all he had to do was follow Izhistan nature.
"Oh, no, I take no offense. I, for one, have little doubt that there will be some official resistance, especially considering the embargo. But, I don't think it will be a problem. Let me explain my thinking. We will need to bypass the border guards, so we have two ways to get the food in. One way is to ship it through the mountains which separate Abydos and Shta. This is not an easy journey, but the area near the border has many of our supporters and is difficult for the police to control. Our other option is to smuggle it in through a Yachese port. Izhitsa has no effective navy, which means the only resistance you'll have is from border guards. The communists, from what I gather, are still too dedicated to their cause to be bribed, but a few dozen dinars should be enough for a Yachese officer to move on without questions. This is probably the easier option, but the provisional government could find out what was happening and put a stop to it.

"Now, as for securing and distributing the food, one of the advantages of our group is that much of our support comes from former Izhitsan noble families. That is, people with connections. It will be a simple task to secure our food in the Izhitsan countryside, especially when we can buy local support with food and foreign currency. The only dangerous part is distribution. It will be difficult for the provisional government to arrest people who are giving out food, so the trick is to avoid the authorities when arriving at cities. Our agents could arrive in a city in the morning, when people are just leaving for work, and so keep a steady crowd of people around them until they run out of food. Then, with public support behind them, our agents leave town with their trucks empty and the police unable to publicly arrest them."

Offline Markus

  • Roleplay Manager
  • Global Superpower
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,337
    • View Profile
  • Your Nation: Samantra
Re: Potential cooperation (Izhitsa and Tamora)
« Reply #10 on: August 10, 2020, 07:57:09 PM »

Karim liked the options Dobroslav had presented. It also showed that his group had some level of support and influence in the country, that was assuming Dobroslav was not overestimating their capabilities which was certainly a possibility. Still for now Karim could only assume those were true.

“Naturally, we would have to analyze both options in detail in order to see which is better for the both of us. If I were to guess I think the latter would be chosen. But the plans seem sound and I will relay this to Djerb.”

Karim thought the Monarchists would need something extra help during the food crisis than just food provided by Tamora so he figured that using Tamora’s very close connections with Royal Seleucid could be very useful in this case.

“I would also like to make the following suggestion. The food crisis in Izhitsa may not be something the so called government will be able to solve in the near future. While I have no doubt they will receive foreign assistance which will help that won’t stop the problem. This is why I would like to suggest a way that would allow your organization to grow its own food allowing you to use that food to buy influence and show that you have the means to solve issues and govern the country.

Not long ago, Royal Seleucid launched a project called HARP (Haniyah Agricultural Reserve Project) which seeks to use cargo crates as farms. It’s a very successful project and you can adapt that to your needs so that you can grow vegetables in basements rather than cargo containers or anywhere you have some space in fact. We can provide you with the equipment via the same routs we provide the food and you can use them to start growing your food. Now this will obviously not solve Izhitsa’s food problems and we would still be providing you with food but they will give you more options. Also, should the authorities ever find out about our route through the mountains, your organization will still have a limited ability to supply food until we can find new ways to send food to you.

What do you think Mr. Pavlovich? Does it interest you?”

Offline Izhitsa

  • Basically New Zealand
  • **
  • Posts: 162
    • View Profile
  • Your Nation: Izhitsa
Re: Potential cooperation (Izhitsa and Tamora)
« Reply #11 on: August 14, 2020, 09:05:38 PM »
"That's... That's quite an excellent idea. I will have to consult His Majesty, but I'm sure we can find a way to use it. Consider it agreed."
Dobroslav was beginning to lose his misgivings about the Tamorans. They might be ruled by their religion, but they're generous to their friends.
"When I return to Izhitsa, I'll contact some specialists in the party. Farmers, smugglers, you know the type. Our mutual friend should be able to carry our communications back and forth while we work out the exact details of the plan."

Offline Markus

  • Roleplay Manager
  • Global Superpower
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,337
    • View Profile
  • Your Nation: Samantra
Re: Potential cooperation (Izhitsa and Tamora)
« Reply #12 on: September 01, 2020, 04:59:00 PM »
“Excellent” said Karim “ We will keep in touch then”.
Karim waited to see of Dobroslav  had anything else to say and if not he was ready to conclude the meeting. He was satisfied with what had been agreed and he was fairly certain that Djerb would be too. 

Offline Izhitsa

  • Basically New Zealand
  • **
  • Posts: 162
    • View Profile
  • Your Nation: Izhitsa
Re: Potential cooperation (Izhitsa and Tamora)
« Reply #13 on: September 05, 2020, 04:41:33 AM »
"Indeed, we shall," said Dobroslav. "In the meantime," he said, checking his watch, "Peace be with you. We've got some exciting times ahead, I think."



OOC: I'm okay to conclude at this point.