Æsir's Crusade vs. TLR

From what I understand, Aesir decided that Aesir is the final judge of peace terms for all disputes in Illy.  So Aesir declared war on TLR.  Aesir has done great harm to its reputation.

Move over H? [<<< a joke], Illy has a new Master!

I don't know! 

I thought that was Ryelle ...

/me notes that Ryelle doesn't have a forum account and can't deny this.

I have followed this situation very closely since the start of the TLR/TRO war. Aesir has tacitly admitted here that their attack on TLR is retribution for TLR having won their war (resoundingly, I might add). I knew from the start of this TLT/Aesir war that it was a result of how the TLR/TRO turned out.

But Hereward The Wake's explanation of the motivation is nothing but spin; this isn't about supporting the smaller, weaker, pathetic TRO, who was unfairly humiliated by TLR's ToS. This is about sour grapes: many in Elgea were rooting for TRO to win that war, based solely on the fact that Thordor is well-liked in the gc community, and EF is a controversial figure at best. 

In my opinion, I think people were shocked -- galled -- that TLR drubbed TRO in the way that they did.

But Thordor -- at least publicly -- very graciously and happily accepted those ToS, no matter how draconian some people felt they were. (Personally, I think that he gave up too quickly.) So, it cannot be that Thordor felt wronged in this situation. He went out of his way to assuage people and tell them that he had no problem with the ToS. 

TD said in an earlier post that he thinks EF is a "terrible leader." I'll argue that I think Thordor is a terrible leader; his effort in a stupid war that he started was a true embarrassment. If there is an alliance that Aesir should be attacking, it's TRO, just on general principle!

But I digress.

I believe that this attack doesn't start and end with Aesir. I am fully convinced that there is a conspiracy behind the attack. Aesir has no official diplomatic ties with TRO -- therefore, they have plausible deniability in saying that they are conducting this war altruistically and not in concert with TRO. But I think they are more like "hired guns" than the "heroes of the game" that they make themselves out to be: I think they are sympathetic to those who loathe EF and resent TLR for winning a war, but I think that the real ringleaders of this attack are in other alliances. I think they are working very hard to keep their role in this conspiracy hidden.

But there is more to this attack than Aesir's vapid explanation of why they're doing it.

If TLR continues to gain allies in this war, and the war turns against Aesir, they will have to bring in allies of their own to help win the war -- or at the very least bow out of it without being just as humiliated as TRO was. I think that the other conspirators will be revealed if this happens, as anyone who aligns in war with Aesir at this point is part of the cabal, as far as I'm concerned.   

...Sorry, it was Ryelle -- not Rill -- and a player from Hugcr.