NK - Mead Bee Wars (long)

Kevinkeary at aol.com Kevinkeary at aol.com
Tue Feb 22 21:35:05 PST 2000


Catrin cautions:

<< "Politics" is nothing more than people trying to reach their goals, which 
may be in opposition to other people's goals.  "Dirty Politics" is when 
people use underhanded or dishonest methods to reach their goals. >>

   I'd place the emphasis slightly differently.  "Politics" is the art of 
getting enough people to work together to accomplish something.  Usually 
goals that, if not the same, are not mutually exclusive.  "Dirty Politics" is 
not being careful how many get hurt in the process, or how badly.  Other than 
that slight difference, I agree with my Anda Catrin.
    I agree with my Anda Ian that there was a strong implication that the 
person(s) accused were of Northkeep, or that Northkeep needed to be warned 
about them.  And that such a warning, with no detail, will either cause 
divisive bickering within Northkeep or cause Northkeep to unite against the 
messenger.  There is no other possible outcome.  I also agree with him that 
our Khan was less than pleased with the theme.  (I found it somewhat 
insulting--endanger bees indeed!  Reassignment of resourses is one thing, but 
I assure you as a Mongol that NO Mongol would ever harm ANYTHING that 
produces something fermentable OTHER than mare's milk! <#;-)  I was one of 
those kept away by other factors--between being out of work and taking care 
of things while Keigan was at Estrella.  I had only marginally wanted to go 
until I heard about the bardic theme--it seemed like a perfect chance to 
inflict my 'Ode to Yeast' on the locals.  Oh, well, another time.
    Years ago, when I was seneschal of Northkeep, the seneschal of 
Mooneschadowe (a cute, sprightly girl called Jinx) came to me with an idea.  
I wished it had been mine, and agreed to it.  It sounded like loads of fun.  
We would hold a 'border skirmish' between the two shires, over the town of 
Mannford (which had one member in it).  Ala the Pennsic War, the loser got 
him.  We wrote a couple of very tongue-in-cheek 'threatening' letters back 
and forth, read them to our populaces, and expected everyone to have a good 
laugh.  To my utter surprise, elements in Northkeep simply could not take it 
as a joke, and were outraged.  What was supposed to be an excuse to play 
together ended as a disaster and actually caused, or worsened, bad feelings 
between the two groups.  The only good thing that came of it was that I could 
brag that Kendra, of beloved memory, turned a profit running a tavern at an 
event boycotted by both sponsoring groups and rained out as well.  (She 
did--don't ask me how.)  So, having been stung, I'm always careful about such 
things, and had been only recently thinking that Northkeep and Mooneschadowe 
today are getting along so well together that we might be able to do such a 
thing again and have it taken as merely good fun on all sides.  Now I don't 
think I'd take the risk.
    I tried to drum up interest back then in holding a 'border skirmish' with 
Vatavia or Bois D'arc or Crossroads or Grimfells, recreating in spirit the 
raids perpetrated by the bordermen of England and Scotland in mid-period.  
The idea that I and others had was that the groups would skirmish, and that 
others from deeper in the kingdoms would come and squelch it in the name of 
the Eternal Alliance, Brother Kingdoms Back to Back.  I was told by wiser 
heads that the borderers of both kingdoms were fighting to keep the annual 
Interkingdom Peace event alive, and that there were powerful elements in the 
hearts of both kingdoms that would love an excuse to replace it with another 
war.  Given the experience with the Mooneschadowe border skirmish, I 
desisted.  Probably for the best, but the Interkingdom Peace died eventually 
anyway.
    So I'm resolved to NOT take this Meade Bee War as in any sense a 'real' 
conflict, even in the context of the Game we're playing.  And I'd rather 
believe it was neither taken as such or DESIGNED to be taken as such by 
anyone.  But I'm easily made suspicious, and many others are as well.  You 
have to remember the context we'll place it in when you say things like have 
been said.  Until I hear concrete reason to believe differently, I for one 
will consider this a case of miscommunication and/or misunderstanding of 
intent by various parties.  I choose NOT to see evil where it may not exist.

But I'll watch.

Kevin



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