Lezrahi

[quote name='Hetman Vladislav' timestamp='1296410970' post='2611254'] ARTICLE VI This treaty shall take full effect when both parties sign this protectorate and it is announced on the Cybernations Forums. [/quote] All right, so how does this work? This basically means that this treaty is not in effect until it is posted here. However, if it wasn't ratified until then, that means that Article VI would also not be in effect. Does that, or does that not, mean that you two would defend each other in the event of an attack by a third party before the treaty is posted?

Why not simply attack them both? I am sure that they would understand.

[i]Lezrahi let his head fall in to his hand, the fingers of which began to rub his temples.[/i] Sardonic, you are one hell of a leader and I feel that GOONS, thus, are one hell of an alliance, but to be honest, there is a difference between gaining your bearings and just plain being ridiculous: if you were truly interested in, or grateful for, something as frivolous as a 'challenge,' then Paradoxia would have nothing to do with your vision of a good time. The fact that Duckroll are in our pocket is a strategic advantage, not something to brag about. Just fight the damned war, mate. Godspeed. \m/

Whether you are someone who cares about the presence (or lack thereof) of [i]casus belli[/i] or not, I must say that there really is no disagreeing with this. I suppose that the Pacifikorean War was inevitable.

That is more like it. Good show.

REPORT: DAY 4 1314 Been too busy to enter a log for a while. We have been experiencing a lot of electronic interference from both the blizzards and the jamming signals from our enemies. The sun is out, but the cold just bites, and bites, and bites. We're getting hit hard now. Our mission to destroy the Pomic Garrison was a success, and opposition from them has become sparse, but, just as we predicted, we came under assault from a fleet of warships and carriers off the Pomic coastline. We don't know how they managed to get down here so quickly, but the fleet seems to be affiliated with the Ragnarok clan, one of the prominent Nordic tribes. They came with a highly-trained army, an airforce, plenty of ordinance, and a small nuclear arsenal. Attacks by them, combined with counterattacks by what remains of the Pomic garrison, have stretched our forces dangerously thin: we've lost some ground. Efforts are underway by the Dutch to take some of the weight off, but the Nordic fleet is too large, and they cannot counter the whole of it. Right now, our primary concern is punching an escape route and regrouping, but our choices are discouraging: overrun the last Pomic line and face the debilitating frost of inner Antarctica (as well as possible assaults from other Polarian strongholds), or force our way out through the enemy fleet at the cost of many men. We don't have a lot of time to ponder, either. We have to move quickly, while morale is still up. For now, we'll await counsel from the Venomous Army. Signing off.

I, for one, respect \m/'s ability to check themselves before they wreck themselves. Some might argue that they are already wrecked, but I laugh at such sentiments. Merrie Melodies, I am certain, will serve \m/ well in his new position and undo any wrecking that may have occurred as a result of this and other mistakes. Godspeed, \m/y brothers.

[i]Lezrahi closed his weary eyes and shook his head.[/i] Mmm, dear oh dear... I am afraid that I must echo the sentiments expressed already by others here. You talk much of valour, honour, and dedication, and there is nothing wrong with what you have said. However, you also stated that you ruled in favour of a meaningful defence by your former alliance to the benefit of TCU, and therefore, it could still be said that you have a personal obligation to defend them on your own where THL would not. In that sense, you have more in common with them than you would prefer to admit: you are still running away. Do not excuse yourself from this battlefield over a technicality. It is a thin veil that you are laying here, and though some are moved by words of that kind, there are more than a few others, such as myself, who will not be convinced. You want the world to witness a better example than what has been provided. Prove to us the authenticity of that image. Uphold the responsibilities that THL refuse to--your responsibilities. I (and several others, I'm sure) will be watching for it.

That clause does not prevent other alliances from coming to the defence of Pandora's Box should they see fit. Such alliances are not bound by the Animal House Accords due to their status as non-signatories. It is more or less an assertion on our part that we do not hold other alliances accountable for any instances in which they refrain from coming to our aid on account of treaty chaining. If you have a problem with what decisions the SuperFriends make, then I suggest that you speak to the SuperFriends. They are a sovereign, independent bloc with minds of their own and we are not responsible for their actions.* [size="1"]*Not that we don't appreciate their help, of course.[/size]

Regarding coalition names... Pandora's Box: "The Unjust Legions" OR "The Unjust Superstructure" OR "The Unjust Supermachine" Polaris: "~Antarctica~" OR "The~Antarctic~Resistance"

[quote name='Charles Stuart' timestamp='1295438648' post='2583702'] So the revolution was hijacked by morons. I think we all figured that out months ago. [/quote] Every alliance does, indeed, contain its weaker links, but no, that is not what I was suggesting. There was a point in Vox's early existence, after it had reached its peak statistical potential (and after its acquisition of the Senate seats on Red and Green), but before its governing body was established, during which, the initial momentum began to fade and many revolutionaries (including some among the eleven founders) either succumbed to the forces amassed against them, or surrendered to them. Those that stayed behind all expressed differing opinions on what goals and methods to follow, and some of them become rather elitist in mindset, looking down on those who chose not to continue fighting, and going so far as to claim, arrogantly, that the motivating revolutionary fire did not exist in their hearts, and perhaps never had. Needless to say, we were not conducting ourselves as well as we should have been, and that is something all too important in a movement that persevered not on military might, but on the idea that words could influence, and even change, the political landscape. It was arguably Vox's darkest hour, and there was even talk that it was time to lay the Voxian affiliation to rest. It was widely-publicised; I am sure that, were you interested, you could easily find traces of it by looking at some old threads. Despite that, we eventually got our !@#$ together, managed to survive, gained some crucial members (famous and obscure, old and new), and ended up establishing and running what was arguably the greatest espionage network Digiterra ever witnessed before and since (with the possible exception of FAN's, in operation around the same time). Our elected leadership varied slightly through it all, but we retained many of the same big names that were there from start to finish (Doitzel, Starfox, Schattenman, etc.), as well as some that came later (Electron Sponge). There was hardly any hijacking.

[i]Lezrahi stood alone in the icy wasteland that lay before him, the frozen air piercing his nostrils, burning his throat, and bludgeoning his skin. With dull, indiscriminate eyes, he gazed in to the black void ahead of him, from where screamed the wind, carrying a voice as empty as the the invisible sky, and as monotonous as the flat expanse, that instilled in him both a sense of claustrophobia and agoraphobia. It was all so endless. Even the path behind him was unclear; the memories remained, but the clarity of what it all meant in the context of the present was lost to him. And in the calm of this tumult, he spoke with a strange, unmoving passion.[/i] I do please ask that you all pardon my diction and mood: I don't intend for it to be depressive for the sake of it. I have always exhibited a penchant for speaking in a manner that, depending upon the listener, can draw a variety of conflicting responses. It is something that I used to use prolifically, in days before I lost my ideology. In the days of Vox Populi--bless its heart--I came in front of you magnificent people to offer my input during a time of struggle. Even those who were, for all intents and purposes, my enemies, gave me their ears. I remember those times. I am thankful for those times. I do not deny longing again for those times. I am thankful for the people on all sides. I have come to offer it perhaps for the last time...or for the last in a very, very long time, at least. [b]An ideology once lay here...[/b] When Vox Populi formed, it was nothing to speak of: eleven old men who perceived a disease and decided to fight it and succumb to it for nothing else but to send a message. But, almost immediately, their performance attracted other performers, and then, an audience. A fire was lit--illuminated the dead and dusty corridors of this madhouse--and something grew from it that had not been seen before, and which has not been seen since. I was among the last to join, and among the last to leave. Previously, in past lives, I had borne hatred within me for the hegemonic forces. They destroyed my first home almost as quickly as I had become a part of it. I spent the next two years watching other homes burned by torches wielded by the same hands. But that hatred did not last forever: there came a day when my feelings on the matter became less of a motivating force to change things, and more of a philosophical view. I knew what was wrong. I didn't care anymore. It was what it was. Eventually, chaos was the only thing that drove me. I desired war. I desired to burn, and to be burned, for the hell of it. But when I joined the resistance, something was injected back in to my heart: something that meant more. Something that I knew then and there that I could not let go of. Such is why I stayed, even when the movement faltered: when its members' eyes shifted to all the cardinal directions, all looking at a different future. I was there to see us rise, fall, and then rise again. And we won. The true influence of Vox Populi is still something that is under debate: some say that we were the root cause of what would eventually destroy the Pacifican sphere of influence as it was known. Others argue that it was never anything more than pretty words, and that the fall of Pax Pacifica was a clear inevitability that we had no bearing on. Nevertheless, it is clear that we left our mark on history, as well as the minds of the people from those times (and beforehand) who still stand among us today. I had ideology then. I never stopped enjoying war--never ceased to smile at the dramatic and chaotic downturns that this world would often take. But in those days, I had something else in my heart that drove me to fight for something different. I wanted to see a new world--a freer one. And lo, it is here, and terms and phrases from those glorious days passed are now nebulous. There are no longer such things as 'PZI,' 'EZI,' and 'Francoism.' There is no such thing as imperialism. There are no longer squabbles over senate seats. [b]...But what have we left?[/b] So why is it that we are somehow even more asphyxiated than we were then? One day, in the past, I told Vox that it needed to step back and look at itself. I told my fellow revolutionaries that we had fallen in to a despotism of our own. We recovered from it, in time, before it made us in to what we were fighting against. And now, I look at myself, and I no longer see a Voxian. I am still as proud to have been one as I ever was. But I know that this world has changed, and that I have changed with it. I am not a revolutionary anymore. I am not part of a collective of alliances and nations that could come close to being considered a force of liberty. I am a raider. A pirate. I take from the helpless few. I destroy them. I feed off of them. It is the culture that I have immersed myself in to and become a part of. I am Unjust. It is violent. It is soothing. It is tactless. It is considerate. It is ugly. It is beautiful. It is unadulterated. It is controlled. It is free in its own enslaving way. And yet, not since Vox have I felt so at home. Complete. And from that, as well as from seeing and considering the opposing view, I have come to a disturbing realisation: politically, our world is as multi-polar as we in Vox Populi intended for it to be. But, ideologically, it is more uni-polar than it ever has been. There is but one ideology that exists: a sense of freedom. Freedom is the blood that runs through the veins of every follower that stands at the bases of the mountains. Freedom is the pulse that beats in the necks of every leader standing on the peaks above them. Freedom is the fundamental mindset that sustains all of the peoples that exist here today. For us, it is the freedom to raid and destroy as we see fit. For others, it is the freedom to be free of that very practice. Freedom, freedom, freedom. Freedom is the new totalitarian regime, the concept of which serves as the basis for how all alliances conduct themselves, internally and internationally. It is the epidemic the sucks out the lifeblood of this world: a falsehood. A mockery of true freedom. We have forgotten what freedom truly is. We have forgotten that freedom is only freedom when one decides to fight for it. That is the only true feeling of freedom that I ever knew. [b]What, then, do I fight for?[/b] Nothing. I no longer know what to fight for, nor do I know if there really is anything left that I [i]should[/i] fight for. I feel nothing toward the debate over the morality of raiding. Thus, I have become part of a new hegemony. It is...different, in many ways, from the Pax Pacifican state of affairs of days passed. Nevertheless, it possesses an iron fist of its own, and presently, it threatens to bring itself down upon the Antarctic. I will not attempt to deny or even cast doubt upon the true reasoning for such: it is not a far fetched idea that this campaign is entirely opportunistic. This was a situation that could easily have been resolved diplomatically. We all exhibit awareness of that. Nevertheless, I march forward anyway because, as stated before, I no longer carry an ideology that burns in my heart. I am neutral. Ideologically speaking, I could just as easily be marching in the opposite direction. That said, my message to my opponents is simple: you must fight me, for I must be stopped. I must be destroyed, for otherwise, I will mow down your armed forces. I will set fire to your homes and dance in the ashes. I will slaughter your polar bears wherever they are found. I will melt the polar ice caps so that your home is not really your home anymore. I will turn a deaf ear to any cries for mercy that you might or might not express, not out of spite or hatred, but simply because the conditions allow me to. I am the modern hegemony. I represent everything that you stand against. And if you wish to survive, you will stop the advance of the machine that I am a part of. You will accept no peace, no matter how tempting it is once you are broken and feel as if you can no longer stand up. You will fight in perpetuity for your right to exist. If you do not have that mindset, then you have already lost. I am the villain. I am the past. And I dare you to lay me to rest. I look forward to a great battle. Do not disappoint me. That is all.

[center][img]http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad63/Lezrahi/Flags/FlagofOO.png[/img][/center] REPORT: DAY 1 2200 The operation has begun, and the men are all on edge. Anxious. Not out of fear, but out of malpractice: the ((O)) Division hasn't seen any real action apart from the occasional raid--or the suppressing of one--since before it became a part of the \m/urderers, and later, the Venomous Army. Before then, our division voluntarily lent what little it had to spare at the time to the defence of the former against the Polarians. It seems that we've come full-circle to fight them again, and we have no doubts that it won't be an easy campaign. We are uneasy: the Antarctic is nothing to be trifled with, much less at this hour. We are bring dropped on a narrow peninsula located at the northwestern edge of the continent, known as the [url=http://www.cybernations.net/nation_drill_display.asp?Nation_ID=404479]Pomic Region[/url], where exists a Polarian garrison. We are to eliminate the enemy presence from the area and secure it so that the main expeditionary force can be deployed to press further in to the continent. Initial reports suggested the presence of a single nuclear warhead within the Pomic silos. A special ops team was sent ahead of us approximately six hours ago to neutralise it, and then gather intel on the garrison's defences. Our dropships are en route, and we should arrive at our outpost at the edge of the hot zone within the next four hours. DAY 2 0000 ([url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf3LfSaP4Ks]Suggested Music[/url]) Intel looks promising: our special ops team accomplished their missions without error. The nuke has been sabotaged, and we have received a detailed report on their defences. The cold bites in to us, and the men are understandably reluctant to leave the dropships. If nothing else, we admire the tenacity of the Polarians in choosing to make a home out of a place with such extreme conditions. We are about to cut in to what is technically the world's largest desert. The sky is pitch black and the blizzard occasionally interferes with our communications. An eerie wind moves toward us from the dark abyss ahead of us. The men call it an ill omen, but are nonetheless eager. The same cannot be said about the combat readiness of these Pomic Polarians. The gun emplacements are not manned, their patrols are lax, and they have little in the way of fighters to scramble in the event of an attack. Intercepted radio traffic is sparse, and what we have doesn't yield any indication of any knowledge of our presence. It's quiet over there. It almost seems [i]too[/i] quiet. The men are instructed to remain vigilant in case of a ploy. It seems very likely. The bombers and portable silos are finished being loaded with their payloads. Twenty minutes to launch. 0021 Frantic transmissions. It looks like our bombing runs caused quite a ruckus: they are in disarray. We followed up with some cruise missiles, destroying one of their bunkers. The initial ground operation further set fire to the ice plain. Losses were incurred, but are minimal compared to theirs, and easily replaced by the gradual insertion of reinforcements. We are already pushing them back. A small battalion was sent in to pick off any stragglers, but none were found. We can only assume that they retreated further in to the night. We have fortified our position in preparation for a possible counterattack. Nothing but the howling of the wind so far. 0034 Our fears were correct: several explosions throughout camp, as we are hit in turn by cruise missiles. Our air forces also repelled several wings of advanced fighters. As expected of the Polarians. The damage thus far is minimal, and we are holding. There has been no ground counterattack. We speculate that they have taken note of our manpower and thought better of it. Reinforcements continue to arrive, but we are told that we may be at a disadvantage in the air soon due to an unsightly shortage in aircraft in the Venomous Army. We'll need to make due with what we have. Nonetheless, the opposition seems light: it appears that, despite their hidden stockpiles, we still did catch them off guard. We don't expect it to remain as it is forever, though: the men are wary, talking of possible and probable assaults from elsewhere, especially from the sea. We can only pray that this blizzard clears up beforehand.

If \m/ enters the war declaring on Polaris, I suggest "The Just War" as a name. It won't win, but oh well. Other than that, I, too, must admit that I like "Bye-Polar."

[quote name='Dochartaigh' timestamp='1292721593' post='2543351'] well if the victor would cease the stupid reps, we may see more wars. but it appears that whoever the victor is wants to impose harsh reps so that the next war would be a long way coming or simply be a curbstomp with the victor winning until those on the victor's side decide they want to switch sides. until that happens, rebuilding will take a long time and diplomacy would be strived for. so if you want more wars, end the reps. [/quote] ...On the other hand, it could simply be that the reps are getting too [i]light[/i]. Honestly, what's the point of fighting a war without potential consequence? It's boring.

WELP There goes any chance of an even global conflict any time soon. This is terrible.

[i]Lezrahi raised his eyebrow.[/i] This could have been awesome, if not just a bit derivative if you had named it, "Cult of Luna" instead. Oh well. Godspeed. \m/

[i]Lezrahi smiled.[/i] It is likely because most of the passionate, and, if you'll excuse the terminology, most conniving, voices and personalities have departed, or have either relegated themselves, or been relegated, to quieter places. You, yourself, have been gone for quite a while, Starfox, and it is a pity. Where are the likes of Doitzel and Electron Sponge? Where are the dangerous and ballsy individualists, such as fransjosef and Monkey Theory? Where is the Federation of Armed Nations that once had that hard, unrelenting, and somewhat bloodthirsty voice? In fact, where is FAN at all these days? Where are the \m/en of old? The Neutral Shoving Goons? Those collectives of pure controversy and hate that would attempt to lynch not only their neighbor, but the Word of admin Himself? Where is the old LUEnited Nations? Where is /b/? Where is the IngSoc-like order that once was? I must admit that, while the efforts before and during Karma were just, it seems that we killed this planet. How ironic. The only people that seem willing to 'do something about it' these days are either insignificant or incompetent, and throw what little weight that they have at the Goon Order of Oppression, Negligence, and Sadism. As mildly amusing as that is, it is not exactly original, nor exciting, though Walford would indeed be very proud (if he would not, in actuality, be laughing at all the pretenders, who hardly live up to his passion). GOONS doesn't seem to be hurting all that much, by the look of things. Just a bunch of suicides, with notes left behind that say, "I did it for the lulz." Not really all that lulzy. That is not to say that I cry out for all of them to return. My point is merely that they are gone, and have not been replaced.

[quote name='Shurukian' timestamp='1288381199' post='2496556'] [center][img]http://i416.photobucket.com/albums/pp241/FireAtWill013/vacation.jpg[/img][/center] [/quote] [OOC]That is a beautiful shot, and I just wanted to say that its appeal made me smile and wish that I had been there that day. My regards to the photographer.[/OOC]

[quote name='Kalasin' timestamp='1288337007' post='2496173'] Quite frankly NPO's arrogance and persistent tendency to underestimate your enemies has already been your undoing once, and if I were you, I'd learn from my mistakes. [/quote] Not to bandwagon, but these words deserve heed, if only that it may lead to a more challenging fight from Pacifica in the future.

[quote name='Kalasin' timestamp='1287047107' post='2484357'] Kalasin turned and her gaze met Lezrahi's. Slowly, her lips twitched into a smile. Raising her hand, she lightly brought him to his feet and twirled him. Then, fumbling slightly, for she was not the most experienced dancer, she moved him round in a circle, starting a few little skips as she grew in confidence. Leaning forward, she whispered into Lezrahi's ear. "How appropriate that your birthday falls on this landmark day in the history of our world." [/quote] [i]Lezrahi stumbled a bit in turn, but did his best to keep his footing. His confidence grew with hers. Smiling warmly, he whispered back.[/i] And how appropriate--lucky, rather--that I have someone of such class and beauty to share this dance with on such a day. [i]And with that, he continued to dance with her in to the night and the dawn afterward, ignoring the confused, and, in some cases, disgusted expressions of the onlookers.[/i]

[i]Lezrahi strolled in casually, ignoring the incessant bickering at hand regarding some former hegemony, and feasting his eyes upon the images that represented the Pandora's Box. He saw the Poison Clan there, as well as Umbrella, the Goon Order of Oppression, Negligence, and Sadism, and a few others that he was, truth be told, less acquainted with. Nevertheless, he smiled.[/i] What a splendid turnout this is! I must say that I am by all means looking forward to what this could spell for this planet. [i]He averted his eyes from the images and gazed about the crowd of gatherers, some mingling, some fighting, as was expected. After a moment, he spied Kalasin, trading verbal blows with Ivan Moldavi of all people, and he raised his eyebrows. She certainly looked ravishing tonight. He swallowed, and, with a nervous first step, he walked toward her. When he got close enough to meet her eyes, he tenderly took her hand, knelt, and softly kissed the back of it.[/i] Care to dance?

[quote name='Kalasin' timestamp='1286183168' post='2474099'] Ironically, it's kinda hard for them to do so, cause the creator of it is vlad. heh. Francoism is technically what vlad says. [/quote] [i]Lezrahi sighed.[/i] Heh...sometimes, I feel as if I am the only one who gets that.

[quote name='Kalasin' timestamp='1286182924' post='2474094'] I heard Mussolandia thinks NPO have fallen from the path of true Francoism. [/quote] Everyone accuses everyone of doing that. It's like the NPO's version of the [OOC]IC/OOC line[/OOC].

[table] [tr] [th]Alliance[/th] [th]Total Nations[/th] [th]Number of Weapons Research Complexes[/th] [th]Technology[/th] [th]Average Nation Strength[/th] [/tr] [tr] [td]Umbrella[/td] [td]77[/td] [td]54 (70%)[/td] [td]607,613 (7891.08 average)[/td] [td]82,008 (#2)[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]The Order of the Black Rose[/td] [td]21[/td] [td]11 (52%)[/td] [td]121,932 (5542.36 average)[/td] [td]82,097 (#1)[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Mushroom Kingdom[/td] [td]213[/td] [td]100 (47%)[/td] [td]707,190 (3320.14 average)[/td] [td]46,228 (#17)[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Poison Clan[/td] [td]78[/td] [td]35 (45%)[/td] [td]256,217 (3284.83 average)[/td] [td]52,444 (#9)[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]The Order of the Paradox[/td] [td]204[/td] [td]204 (56%)[/td] [td]493,102 (2417.17 average)[/td] [td]37,509 (#36)[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Ordinary Men Fighting Giants[/td] [td]21[/td] [td]8 (38%)[/td] [td]83,028 (3953.71 average)[/td] [td]59,902 (#3)[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Fear None, Kill All[/td] [td]21[/td] [td]9 (43%)[/td] [td]72,335 (3444.52 average)[/td] [td]53,246 (#7)[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]World Task Force[/td] [td]174[/td] [td]56 (32%)[/td] [td]569,753 (3312.52 average)[/td] [td]56,669 (#4)[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Old Guard[/td] [td]25[/td] [td]10 40%)[/td] [td]79,324 (3172.96 average)[/td] [td]51,635 (#8)[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Argent[/td] [td]64[/td] [td]24 (38%)[/td] [td]234,965 (3671.33 average)[/td] [td]50,222 (#10)[/td] [/tr] [/table] Note: This list is tentative. I'm sure it's not entirely accurate, and some alliances not listed should probably be in there. The Prolific Empire, for example. However, I got lazy, and my aforementioned horniness expired. Also, I am aware that it's not appearing correctly, but you know what, I really don't give a $%&@. Obviously, this forum's BBCode sucks in some way, because it should work the way that it is. Whatever.