Goodness, it would appear that DSy4 has managed to breathe life into this forum with...a...song declaration? It is something, and we appreciate DSy4 giving we, the humble, an opportunity to dance.
DSy4, you came to me and asked if we minded whether you lashed out at DT with my own and I told you I would not stop you. You were welcome in the northwest and I never - not once - made any comment, at any time, to suggest otherwise. We even discussed splitting targets to avoid cross-nobles, since neither approved of wasted time or resources.
You smiled and I gave an inch.
My first mistake.
When you took a mile, you did so by "apologizing" for not informing me sooner that you would be harboring refugees. You insisted that it was not a choice made lightly, and had you any other option you wouldn't have done anything so garish.
You also said that you did not take anyone who we were opping, which means I am confident that you will shortly realize your mistake of recruiting Pec, given his ODD from us, and Motor, who had incomings for a few days before he was recruited. Since DSy4 has insisted that they are a tribe of upstanding morals I've no doubt that very soon they will realize the little error and will be dropping both players.
After all, you are playing this game with loyalty, honesty, and integrity.
You dismissed us as nothing, DSy4. You felt that if you smiled sweetly that I would brood and fume and, ultimately, smile back and agree that this wasn't a problem. You felt that even if I did not, that we are too far away for it to matter. You felt - you feel - Ronin is a non-issue. Something you can handwave away because of our location and because you, the great DSy4, have fought on many fronts before and can fight again while you alternate between trying to recruit and eat NWO simultaneously.
I gave. When I gave it was not enough and you took. When you took, we bit the hand outstretched in false comraderie. From that hand we will, eventually, find your throat. Because that is what we have been asked to do.
You took from my tribe what is ours. We would have opped with you and perhaps you would have finally done away with a tribe that you have not been able to take down after all of these months of fighting. It is well known that Latchky and I have snarled many times at one another. It would not have been hard to set us upon each other and perhaps finally finish off a blemish that stubbornly remains on your map.
But now? Op us. Make us bleed, make us suffer for our insolence. Make us understand how foolish and reckless and ridiculous we are. Roll your eyes and launch your troops. Cripple us and imagine Infect as the carrion crows that finish us off once and for all. Whisper sweet nothings to our neighbors on all fronts and smile your silvered smiles.
Destroy us. Noble us.
You can, can you not? I trust your little north and south agreement allows you to noble us down south and remove us once and for all? Or shall you simply open the door and have TR take the villages? A perfect symbiotic relationship that allows you access to areas of which you, personally, may not be privy because it would interrupt a delicate balance.
Or are you going to ask Infect to declare on us, as well? A perfect scenario with you, your not-allied-except-as-of-today-and-deeply-respected TR, and Infect, all striking out at us so you can eat faster in the north, merge TR into you (we already saw your newest recruit - one by one as you need fresh bodies), and smile serenely as you "watch" Infect bogged down in a war in the south. Which, I have no doubt, you will, with your honorable ways and habit of never telling a falsehood, patiently wait out so you can have your much desired one-on-one.
You are not the tribe that you were, DSy4. You are dangerous and I wholly respect the abilities of your players: you have that advantage. But my guys have bite, too. They are reckless and foolish and wicked and lovely and I'll go down in fire for every last one of them.
So make me prove it.
You asked for this. You pushed for this. You declared. Not me. You provoked Ronin and then, when we didn't get on our knees and agree that you smell of roses, you declared in a rather disappointing manner. I was thoroughly enchanted with the declaration on Smoke (it is by far one of the best declarations I've ever seen). But Ronin is tragically deserving only of a song parody.
I suppose, given the respect shown our tribe, I should be thankful that you put that much thought into it.
As a small aside, I was going to thank you for the declaration given that we are hitting Dubiously right now and love freebie war caps. But then I noticed that one of the players you, because of your deeply instilled sense of loyalty and duty to your tribe, would *never* get rid of and, in fact, started a war over, has now been kicked from your tribe.
One down, five to go, eh?
J.