The Zuma

[De-Legro]

One of the most fun times I've had on Dwilight was the initial colonization of the Divides in the creation of Swordfell. The hopelessness of oppressive starvation, horrible roads, and near constant monster-sprouts was !FUN!. The pressure of a real challenge is engaging, and the more engaged people are the more they interact with one another.

Playing almost anywhere in Dwilight used to feel like that. Now that frontier challenge is slowly disappearing as the map fills up with realms.

[Vellos]

As an ardent critic of the way the Zuma are played in game, I have resigned myself to accepting them. I will build my sandcastles and try to ignore the tsunami.

[Chenier]

Can anyone tell me more on the conflict that arose between the Zuma and Avernus? What was its nature, why it occured, what were the consequences?

[Ketchum]

Can anyone tell me more on the conflict that arose between the Zuma and Avernus? What was its nature, why it occured, what were the consequences?

Ever notice the War Relations between Zuma and Morek gone to Neutral as soon as Gary become Morek Ruler?
Ever want to know how Gary increases the Relations with Zuma?

The conflict between Zuma and Avernus is as old as the story above.

Long long time ago Zuma requested previous Morek Ruler to give some Unique Items to them. However stuffs happened(Avernus seceding under Mayhem, a rebellion to overthrow previous Morek Ruler due to she not replying to Mayhem requests). When Gary was first elected as Morek Ruler, he had his back against the wall. Morek lost its only city, Aegir city to rogue. Mayhem threaten to absorb Morek as one of its duchies. That time Avernus did not hold much of the north lands yet. It was a case of 1 city(Aegir which we retook with Arnor help), 1 townland(Aegir Deep), 1 rural region(Nimh) battling against 1 city(Muspel), 1 townland(Muspelheim), 1 rural region(Mark). Then Gary managed to rebuild previous and new Relations with many realms in order to survive against all odds. This many realms here include Zuma who decided to increase from War to Neutral with Morek, and War with Avernus instead.

And Zuma left a troubling message, or Prophecy with Gary. To be continued...

There is but one consequence. Avernus is probably the only realm that still at War with Zuma while all other realms are not.

[Chenier]

I was told that it was linked to Avernus trying to do stuff in the West, around Golden Farrow?

[NeGaZe]

The version that Mayhem told us in Avernus was that he tried to ally with the Zuma's in order to fight our common enemy rouge monsters. When finally he tried to draft alliance with them, he said that Zuma should be lesser member of the alliance (they should answer to us aka puppet). That insult worked well enough to get another realm to declare war on already diplomatically isolated Avernus.

There might been also some other factors, like Mayhem not listening Zuma ramble about monsters 1 million CS strong roaming the wild west.

After peace with Morek, Arnor, D'Hara and Astrum Avernus dropped it's idea to migrate to west and took Nifelheim as "loan" from Arnor (you can see the terms of the "loan" as it's written down as a treaty). Newer Storm/Sun Kings haven't seen reason to really fix the thing, as the distance between Avernus and Zuma homeland is too big and not even sure if you can contact their leader right now.

This is the version that I remember at least you can ask original people from Avernus to confirm this, as there should be few left.

While great way to make story into a fairy tale Ketchum, I believe that 1 long is too much as it happened over 1 year ago( or about 10 in game, as my char is 31 and when it started he was in early 20ties) to get prestigious second long one story must be at least be 100 years old in game ofc.
Avernus during the time of Mayhem did not have any plans move to north, but when the small war started, Mayhem promised like us duchies from which to make new realms. Current Avernus position happened after successful peace talks between Avernus and Morek's allies.

[Vita`]

Well, I was the GM of the Zuma at the time. Alas, this memory is a bit fuzzy. What Ketchum and NeGaZe wrote should be largely accurate. I'll add, or rephrase, a summary of what I recall.

Morek Empire had been stuck in war with Zuma for many OOC years from the previous Zuma GM during the Kabrinskia conflict (I think). When I was playing the Zuma, Mayhem ruled Morek Empire. I think he was trying to negotiate the end of the war status and colonize the western roguelands, specifically Golden Farrow. There may have possibly been a battle in Golden Farrow between Zuma and Morek Empire, at some point. Then internal shenanigans happened amongst Morek Empire, Gary Ketchum, Mayhem, and Avernus. While ruling Avernus (though it may have possibly been while ruling Morek and just carried over to Avernus with Mayhem as a person), Mayhem insulted and angered Zuma by some indication of Zuma serving Avernus, provoking a war declaration. I think Gary Ketchum and Zuma arranged peace between Morek Empire after Morek fulfilled some Zuma demand (I think, something anti-Mayhem), and then a prophecy.

And that's roughly how Avernus replaced Morek Empire in being stuck at war with Zuma for years on end, with little military action. Indeed, Zuma leader cannot be contacted these days. It's just Avernus' turn to be stuck in war, like Morek Empire was for several OOC years. Consider it roleplay flavor.

[Ketchum]

Thank you Vita for clarification.

I thought I remember wrongly but that at least what those Morek nobles who stuck with Gary remember along the same line. It is strange that Morek who once at War with Zuma is now not while Avernus takes its place to be at War due to reason points out here by Negaze, which I do not have any idea IC. Gary even asked a few other realm nobles for ideas on how to handle/communicate Zuma, and believe me, it was not easy when you do not know anyone from other realms much, Gary who has a clean slate to begin with. There was even a call put out at one time, that anyone who has Zuma/Daimon Unique Items names must be hunted down and killed. After an adventurer tried to sell such item to noble.

[Chenier]

Haha, thanks y'all.