The mind of Mentis, and the foundation of Ceres

[TMA_1]

Okay, I wont be here the rest of the day so dont expect this to start immediately, it seems that I have held this off long enough as nobody wanted to play before. vanny said that he would play an important part in this and help, which will be a great benefit.

We will start as soon as all of the people are chosen and gathered, as well as after we have had discussions with all of eachother via instant messangers or IM. This all may seem to be overdone but thsi game is unconventional. You arent fighting a battle to kill, you arent building up forces and then dispensing them at will. This is grand stratagy and maybe some of you wouldnt like it, that is understandable. I would really like your guys' help though and hope that some of you accept the challange to play this game. I tried this before but it was fruitless, I didnt delve into how the game would work, and was just too darn unorganized. I think I have fixed most of those problems. If you want to join the game then post here, then IM me with any sort of details that you want to explain.

This game will require that you have chats with your House envoys and liege lords. You need to keep a line of communication constantly, as you will only have an actual five standards days. When we are all ready I will wait for the day after everything is set and start at 12:00 oclock eastern standard time when we are prepared. This is extremely complicated and you guys will have to use a lot of creativity. This is an undertaking, and is kinda daring. I really dont know if this idea is innovative or will turn to be a bunch of crap. Many people have commented that it seems really cool though. Well we will have to wait and see. You will need to talk outside of the forums with your teams. One team will set out their deal, then the other team will accept or deny it, and if denying it they will ask for their changes to the plan. ALl of this discussion between teammates is outside of the thread, but when ready to give a unified answer or proposal, you post here. It is done one at a time over and over until things are settled. While all of this is happening, the lord of each house can help and guide team mates in a decission. Once it seems to all be settled, the two lord will decide if it is mutually beneficial, and will say yes or no to it. If it is a yes, then it goes to the tribunal of three judges. These judges will see if it follows the general guidelines of law that are roughly and generally seen in the Dune universe (almost like a supreme court checking if something is constitutional or not.) This is the only part where it will be impartial. The three judges will have to have a good handle on the dune universe, and will have to stay in communication with me. if there is any sort of trechery or bribery, or any sort of foul play between a judge and either party, they will be summarily dismissed from the board and will never be able to post again. you just dont do that in this game.

As you can see this is an undertaking like I have said. please help me with this and help me make it come to fruit. I want to see this work because it seems like it would be really fun. Like I said, if you want to join then post here, then IM me if you need any details or want to explain something. Also, as soon as 15 people post here to join, then there cna be no more people to join the game. (unless somebody drops out of it at the beginning, then we will look for others). because vanguard is busy at this time, he cannot help, but when he is back I will ask him to either be a judge, or a helper with me along this game. if any of you guys have any suggestions, then again IM me. I wont be here like I said so I think I will lock this thread for today, but please post if you wish to join and you will be counted as player in the game. I will choose who is apart of which team and what position they are in it, but you guys can make suggestions and they will be listened to. Tomorrow I will unlock this thread and then you who havent IMed can post here to ask to join, and those of you who have already IMed can post here as well and I will give a full page of this thread for hashing over what all of you would like to do with this game. I want input and think it would help a lot. It will take a bit to fully start up, but if it does I will be really excited. I can change my decision about anything posted here, but I promise I wont be an ass about it and wont do it so quickly as to confuse or bother you guys.

Remember, IM me if you wish to join, and tomorrow this thread will be opened. All of you who love Dune, and wish to help me in this venture for a really unique game, please join. I would really love it. once 15 are up then we will talk about the game and what we want, then we will play and the timer will be set. I hope I have explained everything somewhat decently, dont spam anybody, and tell me if something confuses you because I want you guys to play. Thanks again. :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mentis and Ceres, the background.

In the year 8076 B.G. The Imperial House Ceres began to

grow deeply into debt. Through the years covertly

created taxations were placed upon various major and

minor houses of the landsraad. illegal trade and

manufacture of weapons of mass destruction, narcotics,

space faring vessels and other items of great cost were

sent through the black market anonymously by the

Imperial House. House Mentis, a longtime enemy of House

Ceres began to make private investigations into the

matter, bringing the findings to the landsraad councel.

House Ceres claimed that the findings were made out of

spite, and that they were unfounded. Secretly Ceres was

planning on revenge for the dirt that Mentis was digging

up.

Finally Ceres declared a new taxation upon space travel,

using a clause found in one of the primary CHOAM legal

contracts concerning the use of spice as a viable source

for taxing by an imperial house. Throughout the

landsraad's history, it had never been inacted because

of the great inpopularity that would stir up towards the

beneficiary, which was House Ceres. A small majority of

the great and minor Houses in the landsraad supported

this junction out of fear, because House Ceres

controlled the largest operating interstellar fleet, two

times larger than all of the other houses naval fleet to

be exact.

Still though because of the tremendus bitterness towards

this taxation, and the detrimental effects it would have

on the economies of the many houses made it so unpopular

as to create stirrings of revolution, even if House

Ceres had a leg up in warfare.

It was all too much for the large minority, honorarily

controlled by House Mentis. They began to discuss the

formal declarations of sucession from the landsraad

councel. Ceres moved half of it's naval fleet towards

the homeworld of House Mentis, this brash act not only

made House Mentis and it's allies even more bitter, but

it also stirred a retaliation. dozens of Satillites

containing planet-liquidating nuclear weapons were sent

towards the various worlds controlled by Ceres. The

latest in stealth technologies enabled the satillites to

go largely unseen, and were so seperated from one

another, that it would be impossible for House Ceres to

find all of them.

This act took House Ceres to the breaking point and

ordered that the satillites be moved away from their

possitions within five standard days, or else their

presence would be considered an act of war and House

Mentis would be bombarded.

In shock, House Mentis began to rally envoys to the

Homeworld of House Ceres. House Ceres accepted a formal

meeting of peace between House Mentis and it's new

confederacy, and the Empire. The Arch Duke Mentis

himself attended along with his envoys, who spoke not

only for their own house but for their allies as well.

House Ceres did have an upper hand, but only slightly.

Emperor Ceres knew that there would be retaliation if he

attacked, and knew most certainly that most of the

nuclear weapons could not be taken out. He was just

hoping that the daring of his actions would flush out

any sort of revolution.

He finally gave the five day deadline for a mutual

advantage for peace. The envoys representing House

Mentis and the other confederated houses, as well as the

envoys of House Ceres began their talks within the hour

of the starting of the deadline. The nobles of Ceres and

Mentis came to the summit as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some basic info about how the game works.

(again IM me if you have any more questions or suggestions.)

It is up to you now who wish to play in this game of

grand stratagy. There will be 5 envoys for Mentis and

the confederates, and 5 for the imperial Ceres. two will

need to be the grand nobles of each house and a tribunal

of 3 judges will be needed to settle out the final

delegations and see to it that all of the talks follow

along the guidlines of the Imperial Articles of

Statescraft.

The envoys will delegate for a mutual agreement on what

each party needs. (i.e. a complete abolishing of the

space farring taxes, finding another easier way to lower

the debt that House Ceres suffers. A lowering of the

space farring tax. A interplanetary venture for valuable

crops and ores. a selling and buying of territory

between each house, and so on. The ideas are limitless,

just keep it realistic and "dunish")

The two Nobles will then decide finally if the idea is

to their liking, if not then the envoys need to come up

with a totally different plan again, and keep doing so

until the two nobles are satisfied.

after this is done, the three judges of the tribunal

will decide if the plans between the two parties fall

legally within the lines of the articles of statescraft.

(It is a matter of being creative, and using modern and

ancient ideals of legality, just like a judicial

committy, use your creativity as I said before). If and

when the tribunal agrees to the reasonability and

legality of the plan made by the two parties, then the 5

day deadline will be abolished and peace will then

slowly grow again between the houses, giving plenty to

each of them.

If the 5 day deadline is not met though, millions will

potentially die.

[TMA_1]

well I am back and earlier than I thought I would be. people can post here now, and hopefully a few do unlike last time.lol ;)

[Vanguard3000]

Okay, the last few days have been rough for me, with moving and stuff. I'd be out like a light if I didn't have to contact some lazy beotch from Ebay. Anyway, it looks like I'll be available again in a few days (Tuesday, perhaps. That might be a bit late, though). Anyway, TMA, you know I'll help you with this once I'm back.

And others: TMA has worked quite hard on this, so I hope some of you will be interested in trying this out. My only recommendation is to grow attached to your character and predicament. It's hard to negotiate something when you are only pretending, so you'll really have to get into character for this.

Cheers, good luck, and may the outcome be the best for all!

[Dunenewt]

OK, I'm in on the side of the Mentis and Confederates...am I getting this right?

If I am right I will post info on my house later

[Scrinlord]

I sent you an IM

[TMA_1]

thanks for the words and your help vanguard. :)

yup you can be an envoy for house Mentis.

so far we have two mentis envoys.

ALso I hope that this picks up. It really did take a lot of time to think of. Not as much for the basic story idea, but how it would work.lol hope more people join.

I will keep this post up as long as possible till we have a full group, want to see this succeed.