Transcript: Either A Diplomatic Letter, Propaganda, or Both.

[nyarlathotep]

Oh god, that’s it for paperwork. I can’t believe I’m actually feeling happy to see dusty old manuscripts again. As long as it’s not in a modern language.

Okay, let’s see: Parchment scroll, in fairly good condition. Tests indicate that it’s at least 40 years old, made of buffalo skin. Ink is a carbon soot-adhesive compound of still indeterminate substance. Ink disposition via micro-droplets, tightly spaced to around 180 drops per inch.

Script is modern Javanese, written in Dentawiyanjana:

Transcript as follows:

STOP THE FOLLY OF THE SON OF HEAVEN

It is almost a [axiom, truism?] that in the beginning of the reign of each and every Son of Heaven, the Son of Heaven [begins, embarks?] in a grand and massive [endeavor, project?], in the most fervent of belief that it is for the benefit of His People and as a great [piety, sacrifice?] to his ancestors.

We cannot deny that many of these [endeavors, projects] have Greatly Benefited the Welfare of the People under the August protections of the Son of Heaven — [Great, superlative] and Noble projects as the re-fortification of the [Heavenly] Great Wall, the creation of the Lotus of [variant of the word: “Kayangan”?], the resumption of the Great Admiral’s Voyages.

However, we cannot also deny that a small number of these projects have brought pain and suffering to the People, and also the the Peoples beyond the Borders of the Middle Kingdom. Such follies seem to follow the same [pattern, events]: The Son of Heaven, who perhaps falls into the ill-advice of [unscrupulous, villainous] members of the court, decides to, once again, “Pacify the Great Southern Barbarians” to fortify the Middle Kingdom’s hold amongst its foes.

Time and time again has the Son of Heaven fallen into this [lamentable] state of affairs: first the Emperor [Hongxi] and his disastrous eight-month campaign against the Kingdom of Champa and Siam, which then ended when the Steppe-people invaded and sacked Guangzhou. This was then followed by [Zhengtong]‘s Folly, in which the same campaign was waged against the Kingdom of Khmer, which ended once again with the [Black, Death] Lord’s uprising. Once again this [grievous, tragic] error occurred during the time of the [Jiajing] Emperor, and ended again when the People of the Rus, under our glorious protection, rose against the [lamentable, regrettable] taxes that were raised against them. And so on this [lamentable] progression has [continued, endured], as if a [madness, malaise] infects the Royal Court, and calls once again for the Southern Barbarians to be [pacified, silenced].

This lamentable situation has occurred so often, that the most loyal of the Son of Heaven’s [attendants, advisers] wonder if there is a curse to the throne, and if Heaven sees fit to remind the People of the Middle Kingdom of the sin of [hubris, arrogance]. Is it not enough that the Middle Kingdom exerts tremendous influence via the flow of trade and knowledge, governed by the Seventeen Principles and the Twelve Standards? Must we be reminded by Heaven, in generation after generation, of the sin of [over-reaching, extending] one’s grasp?

We must strongly urge that the current Son of Heaven, the [Xuangtong] Emperor, to reconsider his admirable but misguided plan to pacify the Kingdom of Melaka-Johor and its brother, The Kingdom of Majapahit. While we do not doubt that the [might, power] of the Middle Kingdoms will no doubt crush the barbarians in due time, we must not forget that every campaign we have brought to bear, with very few exceptions, have succeeded to do nothing but deplete the [reserves, wealth] of the Middle Kingdoms, and cause more hatred by the barbarians who, under the [natural, normal] course of [business, trade], would not hesitate to [deal, trade] with the Middle Kingdoms.

In no way do we feel that the actions of the Son of Heaven during this [regrettable, ruinous] period reflects badly in their reign thereafter. We note that many begin these undertakings in the most noble of intentions, and that their efforts after this foolish enterprise [acquit, absolve] them greatly. But we strongly urge the Son of Heaven: stop this madness, and come home.

The scroll is unsigned.

Comments

[nyarlathotep]

You know what bugs me about this letter?

That I don't exactly know who it's addressed to. The nobles of the invaded states? That's what the language choice and medium tell me. The Emperor? The way the letter is phrased, and that last plea almost sounds like it's addressed to the Emperor himself.

That and the fact that it looks like it's printed in inkjet. WTF.

[jolantru]

It's print, man, I tell you.

[frangipani]

Huh. But for the fact that this was printed on buffalo skin, it reminds me an awful lot of the petitions those tree-huggers and bleeding hearts ambush me with when the assistants are nowhere to be found and I have to STEP OUTSIDE and I buy coffee.

[nyarlathotep]

I dunno, I like bleeding hearts.

They go well with fried onions.

[frangipani]

Satay is best, and none shall convince me otherwise. Though apparently braised hearts are quite delicious.

[nyarlathotep]

Meh, satay.

[frangipani]

Plebe. >:(

[nyarlathotep]

Damn straight. Descended from plebes, some more! :D

[yiduiqie]

My preference is knowing who wrote it, rather than to whom it is addressed. There's some very suggestive language in this and I want to knooooooow.

[nyarlathotep]

Well, the fact that the author keeps fawning over the Emperor of China suggests that the writer was possibly heavily-influenced by the Middle Kingdoms.

And yet at the same time the language use was, according to the slave linguists I spoke to, "really fine", almost aristocratic Javanese.

Chinese diplomatic corps, attached to Javanese court? Exiled Chinese eunuchs, serving the Majapahit Kraton? Someone who knew the Emperor personally (I can't get over the fact that the last paragraph was plaintive, as if it was a parent calling a wayward child home)?

[jhameia]

Really? All I get out of that last paragraph is E.T. CALL HOME!


Yes I'm a horrible person why do you ask.

[nyarlathotep]

I don't any more.

Ask, that is.

[horusporus]

i had a very literal case of teal deer.

i think thts why u lot chucked me at the part of the warehouse with the pretty pickchers innit.

[alyknight]

Just realized previous comment would probably make sense only to me

Pretty pictures?? They got a spanking/paddling machine, what are the odds they have pr0ns educational but erotic manual? *flees

[nyarlathotep]

I SEE WHAT U DID THAR.

UR TROCKERY SHALL NOT GO UNNOTICED.

But not unappreciated.

[horusporus]

ssshhhhhhhhh dun give the secret away!!

*im enjoying the peace and quiet*