A word of caution about the Marauders

[drachle]

Based on what little second hand knowledge I have of the Ragus of War and the Marauders (our history records are very limited when one hasn't had first-hand experiences), I'd like to say this and feel free to discuss this further if you wish or correct my limited knowledge of internal affairs if need be.

Marauders are homins of the old lands:

1. They hold advanced technology we do not.
2. They have better knowledge about goo and how to irradicate it since they can use it in their armour and weapons (at leazxt they are one step ahead of us).
3. They are homins such as we therefore hold as much right to certain areas of Atys.
4. They don't seem to be bothered by the kamis and karavan and feel above them and independent (nice thought for neutrals).

Advantages to cooperating and negociating with them:

1. Age old technology and knowledge we have lost (could it be they have found more cubes?).
2. New technology in warfare and cunning tactics in spying that even trykers would envy.
3. A new form of teleporting or however they manage to get around which seems to be either independent of kamis and karavan (hence their independency to both factions) or some way to profit of both while still staying independent.

Feeding the blood-thirst of homins:

Now I realize homins' faith in their might is unequivocal and must be quenched. This is how I propose we could quench that thirst while still being friends with marauders as a "race without race".

1. There are always sub-community groups who do not like status quo and dream of overcoming their own rulers. Marauders, I'm sure, do not make the exception. We could help in irradicating those traitors who would systematically raid outposts, cities, guilds, etc. in search of creating discomfort among allies and reap suspicious minds ready for combat in all groups. (Who knows if that is not the case right now with the marauders who have maimed our scientists. Trying to wreck havoc and prevent such mutually beneficial exchange).
2. Good negociators would appease us homins of all races, both factions and turn our swords against the real ennemies: the Traitors.
3. We could periodically raid the traitors' hideouts, scattered all across the lands before they strike gaining the marauders' confidence and encouraging them to be more open for exchanges of knowledge.
4. Think how your weapons thirst could be quenched in exquisite fashion if we all pulled together with the marauders against the next Atysian-wide kitin invasion. We could probably push them back to their deepest hideouts and kill their queens in an epic battle of all battles.
5. To keep us up to par with those great goals, we could organize combats of epic proportions with the marauders on a regular basis while keeping astray those homins who would chose to profit of this killing frenzy to forment divisions.

There is no limit to what homins could do once pulled together with such power.

I say give us time to think this out and give negociation a chance before we come in and kill kill kill all openness if any is there now.

[katriell]

Additional note: They want something called Matoxia which is supposedly present in our lands.

[drachle]

Thank you for adding this piece of important information, Katriell. What a terrible oversight on my part!

...and wouldn't putting our collective minds together to find what and where Matoxia is give us a great bargaining value!?

[drachle]

Sorry for double post but this came to me today and I couldn't keep it for myself. *grins*

Taken from the INTERVIEW with Stabre Sicco, the Marauder Prisoner.
Extract from the Chronicles
Added with tidbits of my own to recollect and ponder. I may be off (I have often been taken for the village idiot like my father) but I cannot hold my tongue. Nothing new, I don't think but just a recollection.


Matoxia? What's Matoxia?
------------------------
What do you know about Matoxia?… I'm such an idiot… Nothing, of course. How could you know? You have neither the allies nor the necessary technology. And to think that you call yourselves the future of Atys…

1. Needs another technology to extract or to refine it.
2. Needs allies we either know and kill or live amung without noticing their technological prowess.
Unless they come from another planet like the karavan or kamis which is a slight possibility (see below).



But what does this "Matoxia" do?
--------------------------------
Tut tut, don't you know that it's very rude to press a subject which your interlocutor clearly doesn't want to go into? I've already revealed its nature to you, you know it's a material. You don't want me to tell you how it's made, what it's used for and its different properties as well, do you? And I certainly wouldn't want to spoil the surprise for you. You know, we learnt another lesson from the kitins: "Only by outlasting your enemy can you have time to get to know him"…

1. A material who can therefore be extracted or refined which tends to confirm the above.
2. "It's made" therefore most probably refined, bio-engineered or fabricated somehow using this technology.
Maybe using materials we already know, maybe not.
3. Is the "enemy" us above ground or those who must be "liberated"? (see below).



Don't you believe in anything?
------------------------------
Oh yes! We believe in the only law which is always borne out, the law of nature, the survival of the fittest. The Kami and the Karavan have no rights over us. We, on the other hand, we know how useful they may be to us once they've been… liberated.

1. "Kami and Karavan have no rights over us" but they need be liberated from what... from whom?
2. How useful is one if they are considered enemies to start with? Wouldn't "liberating" them (from us?...from Atys?...from their obligations?...from their conflict between themselves?) be more useful to us as homins? A partnership with kamis and karavan rather than our superiors... hmmm.. I like that.
3. One more possibility would be a third force greater or equal to the kamis and karavans which would gain acceptance amung the neutrals who are independent from kamis and karavans. Hmm... but would the price be to lose immortality and become equal to the marauders? hmm harsh price!


*Glassy eyed*
Matoxia, Matoxia how fleeting you are
we had you in arms but who knew it
Matoxia, Matoxia your matter convetted
so elusive your charm we threw it

also, sorry for not remembering who deduced that and unable to find it in forums, but someone said it must be toxic because of the name and goo-related possibly... I think they are right. That would confirm my initial thought that goo isn't really a plague more than a scab healing Atys if we and the creatures stop infecting it.