Context: The following was a historical event that occurred in 240 BP
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Gold was found in the irrelevant mountain town of Anangrahm. Enough gold to sail it into prominence as the wealthiest settlement on the north-eastern corner of the Great Ocean.
But ownership is a fluid contract to the cirathans. Anangrahm may have owned the mines, and the workers, and the territory, but a well-negotiated contract could see any foreigner as the true beneficiaries of that gold.
While many trade leagues made passes at Anangrahm to court the town into joining, ultimately it was a competition between two men.
Adar of Uupithen, undisputed King of the Adar Trade Empire. He marched an army of 22,000 north to Anangrahm.
His opposite was Wulu of Zhonguida, the elected general of the Three Rivers Goods Exchange. He came to Anangrahm from the west, bringing 19,000 men.
Despite long military careers, neither of these legendary technicians had ever lost a single soldier in battle.
For 16 days, both generals arranged their armies in the fertile cirice fields to the west of Anangrahm. They could only be arranged in these fields, as the town’s direct east was dominated by rocky mountains. Every day, row upon row of gleaming spearmen were set in a variety of configurations, standing tall and awaiting their general’s order to charge. One day, an army might be arranged with more men on the wings. The next, they could be set in a checkerboard pattern. The day after that, told to line up with more men in the center. The cirice farms were marked by small divots, troughs, a small creek, and fences that dotted the landscape.
For 16 days, both armies stood in formation. Their commanders weren’t going to commit to a fight until victory was assured, until there was some weakness the enemy hadn’t considered. The defender always has the advantage, and neither general was willing to give theirs up without good reason.
The armies could have continued this game for months, up until winter set in and everyone had to return home. But on the dawn of the 17th day, the mayor of Anangrahm, Yuta, sent messengers to both generals, calling for a meeting. They were instructed to bring five of their most loyal and trustworthy guards.
“I think it’s time we end this,” Yuta said, sitting at the head of the large circular table with no guards behind him. “My people should be working the fields, but they’re a week behind schedule thanks to your armies.
“Never mind that,” King Adar replied, pacing back and forth in front of his men, never averting his eyes from the opposing general. “Once your people belong to my empire, we’ll be more than happy to subsidize your food consumption.”
“I concur, in part,” General Wulu said as he sat perfectly still in his chair, hands together and eyes following his rival general. “In reality, I don’t anticipate this war will last long enough for it to affect your harvest.”
King Ader sneered, “oh yeah? And why’s that, boy?”
“The implication is that I shall beat you before long. I already have various plans in motion.”
“Haha! What a coincidence, so do I. I’d be amazed if you even leave this room alive.”
Yuta raised his hands in peace, “gentlemen, gentlemen. Come now, we’re civilized men. I’m sure we can come to an arrangement which benefits us all. The gold vein was discovered in our mines. You both represent organizations which have an interest in that gold, and each of your military and economic power completely eclipses ours. Therefore, I propose a modest 3/3/3 split. Anangrahm retains independence, but you both receive a 30% share of the profits. I’ve also drafted several points of economic integration so we can all get rich together!”
“I can propose a counteroffer,” General Wulu starts, “which is that you join us outright, and we split the gold 50/50. That’s 20% more gold for your people. Further economic integration can be discussed afterwards.”
“Or,” King Ader takes his eyes off his rival and looks to mayor Yuta, “we receive 100% of the gold, and in exchange, you get to keep your head.” His body language indicated that that was simply the starting point for the negotiations, and he quickly turned his gaze back to Wulu.
“Ah, alright.” Yuta pushed his shoulders back, “what if I was to offer a new deal? Anangrahm will join one of your organizations, and in exchange, we keep 90% of the gold, while you’ll receive a respectable 10%.”
King Ader’s fierce façade crumbled into a howl of laughter, and even the usually stone-faced General Wulu struggled to suppress his smile.
“That… won’t be possible,” General Wulu said, clearing his throat to hide his amusement.
“You’ll get points for audacity, but not much else,” King Ader added.
Mayor Yuta frowned. “Both of you want our gold vein, and you’re not interested in sharing. We also want to keep the gold produced in our territory. Somebody here has to be the loser, it’s just a question of who. Therefore, I have a new offer. To the ten guards present: Kill your generals and I’ll guarantee a bucket of gold for each of you.”
General Wulu and King Ader perked up, but they were dead before they had the opportunity to protest.
After news of their leader’s deaths reached the two massive armies loitering in the fields outside Anangrahm, they lost heart and went home, terrified of what tactical blunder could befall them when an untested commander took the place of their general. The ten traitors promptly received their blood money, and coordinated a clever lie to avoid persecution, saying Anangrahm possessed a team of master assassins that took out their generals. Anangrahm utilized the fear of their supposed assassins to continue as an independent town in the northeast, growing thanks to the wealth of the gold mine, and eventually becoming a strong regional power.