DKs CSFR series 08 -- Praha [Final Results]

[morleyjoe]

At first, I thought that Tycho Brahe did stand out as the one who would be my favourite member. But after more research, I found someone who really stands out, mostly because of the all cool things he did or is attributed to. Not that having a story about an elk that got drunk at a house party and died (now that would have been a party to have been at!) is pretty cool, here is what I can share with you about John Dee:

John Dee had the largest and greatest library in all of England, with over 4,000 books. That was until one of his trips to Europe, that a mob of people destroyed the collection, based on the rumors that he was a wizard. Bummer...

He is often credited with coming up with the idea of the British Empire and the word Britannia. But to be honest, he claimed this is what angels told him would happen...hmmm...first a wizard, now hearing things from angels...

John was thought to have been a spy for the British Empire. He would sign his letters in secret by using the signature "007". It is said that this was the inspiration for Ian Fleming's James Bond. How cool....an entire movie series in his honor!

He also has a number of Society groups in his name seeking to continue his work 400 years after he started. One of those groups goal is to recreate his library...good luck with that!

But lastly, and I think is the coolest, Iron Maiden wrote a song about him!!! Now that is really making a mark in the world you are sung about in a heavy metal song! "The Alchemist" on the 2010 release "The Final Frontier" is all about John Dee!

"The Alchemist"

Stranger than the comet as it streaks across the sky
Stranger than the truth I know before my open eyes
I have dealt in mysteries and trickery, of light to entertain
Looked into the abyss, called it by its name

I have plundered time itself, put the world inside it
And the mysteries, day and night, divide it
A plague of wonders, on your knees beside me
Know the secrets, you shall not deride us

My dreams of empire for my frozen queen
Will come to pass
Know me, the Magus
I am Dr. Dee
And this is my house

I am the master of the tides
I shame the mirror in my sight
What random music of the spheres across the years

Know this I will return to this land
Rebuild where the ruins did stand
Chain of the demons set free
Strange alchemy

Gather round the aimless and the feckless and the lame
Hear the master summon up the spirits by their names
I curse you Edward Kelly your betrayal for eternity is damned
Know you speak with demons you cannot command

Even as I looked into the glass then I was blinded
Burning by the Mortlake shore my house my books inside it
You have taken up my wife and lain beside her
Now the black rain on my house, the timbers burning

My dreams of empire for my frozen queen
Will come to pass
Know me, the Magus
I am Dr. Dee
And this was my house

I was the keeper of the books
I had the knowledge of the scrolls
But now through ignorance and fear
I cast a shadow through the years

Know this I will return to this land
Rebuild where the ruins did stand
Chain of the demons set free
Strange alchemy

Know this
I will return to this land
Rebuild where the ruins did stand
Chain of the demons set free
Strange alchemy

Know this
I will return to this land
Rebuild where the ruins did stand
Restore the knowledge memory
Strange alchemy

[Dukasaur]

Well, the time has come. Nucker has not accepted 3 consecutive invites and there are no reserves left, so we go to conscription.

The following have been drafted to fill the 5 games left empty by Nucker:
Kevi
wombat4
mageplunka69
Vale_abel
rizky_biznezz

[Peteee]

Of all the characters at Rudolf's court many were of interest, but only one gave me the inspiration to write this....


The Golem of Prague

I am the Golem of Prague,
I am but a tool.

Rabbi Loew my creator talks of philosophy and mysticism,
but what need of thought is needed by the hammer that hits the nail.
I am the Golem of Prague, I am but a tool.

Rudolf the 2nd is my king, a patron of arts and science,
but where is the beauty in the saw cutting the wood.
I am the Golem of Prague, I am but a tool.

Tycho Brahe studies the heavens and seeks to find order,
but where is the need for wonder for the bucket that carries the water.
I am the Golem of Prague, I am but a tool.

John Dee is an alchemist, a thinker, a scientist, a heretic?
But my shem is unchanging, my orders the same.
I am the Golem of Prague, I am but a tool.

Charles de l'Ecluse is a botanist and professor of medicine,
but what need have I for healing , I will never die.
I am the Golem of Prague, I am but a tool.

I am the Golem of Prague.


(With special thanks to Sir Terry Pratchett and the Golems of the Discworld, especially Mr Pump)

[Captn B]

Creative Component:

It is said that behind every great man is an even greater woman, but Shlomo didn’t believe that. He would make himself the man that he chose to be!

Before Shlomo Smiegal was promoted to King Rudolph II’s Court, Shlomo was already an ambitious man, always striving to better himself, to get more done, to achieve higher levels than he had previously risen to, to gain even greater riches. He was a successful banker, garnering usury by loaning monies at excessive rates. And though he was shrewd in his dealings, his acquisitions had begun with legitimate business practices.

Although he was short, very lean and had a condition which caused him to lose most of his body hair, Solomon yet fancied himself a very handsome man. And because of his personal achievements and advancements, his services became more and more needed and therefor he grew in power. As power is an aphrodisiac to many women, he gained quite some notoriety with the eligible gentlewomen around the court, as well.

This boosted his already substantial self-esteem and he quite enjoyed gazing into the mirror at his reflected glory.

It seems that one of the eligible maidens, Rebecca Leow, the eldest unmarried daughter of the Rabbi, shared in his appreciation of his appearance—or at least in his wealth. As she began to make herself more known and available to Shlomo, Miss Leow began to have more appeal to Shlomo and, with her obvious connections to the magisterial powers that be, he began to seriously pursue Rebecca.

Rebecca was nay a slacker, nor was she without ambition herself. She deigned to allow advancements from Solomon, but only as he could bestow bounteous wealth upon her, which would give her the status which she believed she deserved. Becca demanded fine silken vestiture, silver, gold, jewels, and an unusual item, which was in vogue in the Court at the time, elkhorn rings, covered in gold. But that was quite an extravagantly priced particular, even by Shlomo’s standards.

Solomon became almost obsessed by his desire to possess Rebecca and her infectious greed. Her desires and his will to please her, drove him like a madman to earn more and more, to cut corners to gain an advantage, to pen devious contracts which paid him handsomely, and to connive and cheat in his business dealings with those who had trusted him in the past.

Yet as his wealth swelled, his self-worth in his own eyes swelled in kind. His obsession of Rebecca was quickly reverting back to the suave reflection that he loved to ogle. He began to spend more and more time proudly gazing into the many mirrors that he had installed throughout his dwelling and office.

And through his accumulation of wealth and power, Shlomo caught the eye of King Rudy, who needed a Golem on his staff, but required his cabinet to have standing, which included wealth, power, breeding and marriage.

Solomon was all of that with one exception: he still lacked being wed. And though he was able to provide almost all that Rebecca demanded of him, he was missing that one tolkien necessary for his nuptials and therefor his success in achieving his coveted position of Golem in the King’s Court. All he lacked was the elusive gold-encased elkhorn ring. This one missing component of his fortune stood between he and Becca’s marital union and his imperial appointment. Furtively, he accumulated, stacked, stored, and hoarded his precious wealth, until at last, he was able to acquire the last essential element to his success.

But before sharing the news with his intended—“the woman can wait!” he thought— he rushed home to praise himself for the illustrious success which HE, Solomon Smiegal, had achieved, while others had not. He gathered a laurel wreath and pompously conferred it onto his nearly hairless crest. Shlomo peered deeply into the reflection of his own eyes, delicately he stroked his own cheek, he smiled broadly at his comeliness—at the amazing man that he himself had created—and with a self-absorbed shudder, Solomon slid the golden elkhorn ring onto his own finger that he rested gingerly upon his meager chest.

Unable to help himself at such a time as this, Smiegal uttered a phrase of self-praise, which he would use repeatedly in the future:

“It’s ours; it’s ours. The ring is ours, My Precious. I got My Precious for us, my love.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ07JyztEIU

[Dukasaur]

Captn B has resigned from the tournament.

[Dukasaur]

show: 1

show: 2

show: 3

show: 4

What a great set of submissions for the Creative Component!

Aspalm made me guffaw out loud! Morleyjoe gave me food for thought with his argument for becoming fascinated with John Dee. Peteee gave me a differnt type of food for thought with his introspective golem. Captn B made me smile with his carefully constructed story and surprise ending.

What a tough decision. Four really, really excellent submissions.

Wow, tough job for a judge.

I'm going to go with my first instinct and give the top spot to aspalm. Even though his submission probably took the least work of the four, it went straight to the point, and it also made me genuinely laugh out loud. While the others had humour as well, it was a bit forced. And, although joe made good points for John Dee, I just can't agree that JD is intrinsically more interesting than Tycho. 5 points for aspalm.

Any of the other three could deserve 2nd place, but morleyjoe was within the deadline, and the other two were not. Therefore, 3 points for morleyjoe.

Two points each for Peteee and Captn B. Really, really well-crafted creative efforts both, so I will use my discretion and score two points each instead of the one point that 3rd place normally gets.

Good work, all of you! Excellent, actually!

[Dukasaur]

Well, invites have been sent for Phase 6, a.k.a. the 4th Assassination, a.k.a. the 2nd Defenestration

(For those who are confused:

1. There are a total of 8 Phases in this tournament. We are entering 6 of 8
2. Six of the eight phases are Assassination phases, with Assassin games. We are entering the 4th of the 6 assassination. There were also 2 non-Assassin "interludes" which are both behind us now.
3. Three of the six Assassinations are Defenestrations, with the victims thrown from windows. We are entering the 2nd of the 3 Defenestrations. The other three Assassinations were not defenestrations.

Hope that's all clear as butter now...

The invites are a little different this time. I used Ch0rn's new Invite Utility, and it worked beautifully! It did, however, require equal-size groups, so I invited myself and ch0rn in as placeholders. Conscripts will be added later. Also, the game numbers are not listed in the thread. I might do that when I get back from my road trip.

Oh yes, road trip. I'm taking a long-overdue breather. Leaving tomorrow early in the afternoon, and coming back late Thursday. McShanester29 should be watching my account, so if there are any serious issues, take them up with him, but routine things can wait until I return. I do hope that everyone will join their games promptly today. I'll be gone in about 20 hours, so unfortunately I won't be able to see if any of the invites I just sent have expired. So please, just join your games and don't let the invites expire!



Feel free to start posting your Creative entries now. Deadline one week from today. See you then!

4th Assassination 2nd Defenestration 1618]Rudolf II, while Catholic, had been largely agnostic and increased religious freedom, especially for Protestants. Upon Rudolf's death, his younger brother Matthias inherited Bohemia. Matthias also had a tendency towards religious tolerance, and he was prepared to give even more freedom and self-government to Protestant communities. However, being elderly and childless, Matthias named his cousin Ferdinand as his heir. Ferdinand was cast of a different substance. A conservative Catholic and an outspoken champion of counter-reformation, Ferdinand insisted that Matthias repeal certain concessions that had been made to the Protestants. Among these was the construction of Protestant chapels on royal land, construction which had already begun and was now outlawed.

On May 23rd, 1618, the Protestant Lords arrived at Prague Castle to confront the four Catholic Lords Regent. After a brief debate, they proclaimed two of the Lords Regent innocent and the other two guilty. Despite a plea for negotiation, they threw the two "guilty" Lords and their secretary out of the window. This is known as the Second Defenestration. All three men survived the plunge from the 3rd-story window. The Catholic version states that angels appeared and assisted them to land safely. The Protestant version is that they were lucky enough to fall into a wagonload of dung which was being hauled out of the Imperial stable. (The Protestant version has inspired about a thousand copycat scenes in Hollywood movies.)

This act of rebellion ended the interlude of religious tolerance and led to the Thirty Years War, one of the most destructive wars in Europe's history.

Games: To mark the Second Defenestration, you will play five 6-player Assassin games, 2 on CSFR and 3 on Holy Roman Empire. All will be Sunny, Flat Rate, Parachute, Trench. (For those with a sense of humour, Parachute is for the "angels helped me land" version and Trench is for the "horse dung" story.)

Creative Component: Post an alternative scenario. If it was NOT angels, and NOT horse dung, what might have saved the lives of the Lords Regnant?. Post your thoughts NO SOONER than the day I send the first invite in this phase, and no more than 7 days after that.

This should be one of the more "fun" Creative Components. (I've tried to have a balance of fun and serious.) I hope a lot of people participate. There's no serious work needed for this one, just a bit of an imagination and a sense of humour.

[Dukasaur]

PersianEmpire has not renewed his premium and is dropping out of the tournament. Ch0rn has agreed to step in as a reserve. That leaves us at the same place, 46 players remaining. Two groups of five conscriptions have to be made to balance the numbers:


br4nd0n2002
MyTurnToWin
Charle
adam666
CatchersMitt14
added in 2nd defenestration to balance numbers
shoop76
bdb
aalii
BluU
b00060
added in 2nd defenestration to replace PersianEmpire

[aspalm]

What do Erasmus, David Livingstone (I presume), Henry V, King John, and Sir Francis Drake have in common? They all died of severe diarrhea. After all, Pepto Bismol wasn't invented until the early 20th century. Sometimes, a little tummy trouble can save a life though.

Now every good Protestant knows that May 23rd is International Bean Dip Day- a day filled with good humor, much laughter, and pervasive odor. Thank goodness our good Lords were not immune to such revelries on their way to the Prague Castle. (After all, everybody knows that on the road to Prague is Český Krumlov, which translates to "Tasty Bean Dip". Please stop if you're in the area.)

So what happens when one gets thrown out of a window? Of course, one unceremoniously shits themselves. Unless one has been eating copious amounts of bean dip all day. Yes, in one of the few instances when gastric distress has saved instead of killed, the two Lords left the castle window, promptly lost their bowels full of gas and filled their bloomers with a blast of hot flatulent salvation. The two lords floated down to earth, none the worse for wear.

Of course, our two lords now smell like complete shit, so to save their pride, they invented the whole "fell in some dung" story. But now you know the truth. The world has not bean the same since.

[Dukasaur]

Another player has fllown the coop. Adam666 has not been online since June 1st and needs to be replaced. The following 6 are conscripted to take his place:

mackadoo
therhino3
CC888
chidone
lucbra
bernooch
added in 2nd defenestration to replace adam666

[Dukasaur]

PersianEmpire has not renewed his premium and is dropping out of the tournament. Ch0rn has agreed to step in as a reserve. That leaves us at the same place, 46 players remaining. Two groups of five conscriptions have to be made to balance the numbers:


br4nd0n2002
MyTurnToWin
Charle
adam666
CatchersMitt14
added in 2nd defenestration to balance numbers
shoop76
bdb
aalii
BluU
b00060
added in 2nd defenestration to replace PersianEmpire

Another player has fllown the coop. Adam666 has not been online since June 1st and needs to be replaced. The following 6 are conscripted to take his place:

mackadoo
therhino3
CC888
chidone
lucbra
bernooch
added in 2nd defenestration to replace adam666

Also, Vale_abel and Leehar missed a round of invites. These have been re-sent.

With a bit of luck, everyone will accept their new invites. I'm gone until Thursday, if any more changes are required now they will have to wait.

[Dukasaur]

Also, Vale_abel and Leehar missed a round of invites. These have been re-sent.

With a bit of luck, everyone will accept their new invites. I'm gone until Thursday, if any more changes are required now they will have to wait.

Okay, I'm back. Most games started successfully. However, Vale_abel missed another round of invites. Re-sent again. Since we have no reserves waiting, may as well have three attempts instead of just two.

[morleyjoe]

I must say that the remarkable story of aspalm and his flatulence fantasy, while it has some remote chance of being probable, I think that it really stinks.

The real story here is about a somewhat lost piece of European history that reminds us that the noble court displays of the European Middle Ages would often include acrobatic performances. To go along with the rather short building heights of the day, Count Vilem (Flip) Slavata of Chlum, Count Jaroslav (Lord Gainer) Borzita of Martinice, and Philip (The Baron of the Highwire) Fabricius all used their athletic training and prowess to make the best of what could certainly have been a terrible fate. While history does note that they would not have really expected such a perilous situation, the fact that Prague was the site of the First Defenestration must certainly have been already playing out in their minds. Of course performing these acts without any safety preparations always has it's shortcomings. While Gainer and the Baron did walk away unharmed, Flip was not so lucky, as his injuries prevented his get away. Not to outdone by his nimble partners, he did manage his final great act in escaping his captors one year later.

The Protestants will protest that this story is a pile of crap and the Catholics of course will talk about how their heavenly savior saved the day. Asplam, well he's just blowing hot air on the subject, and for Hollywood, they would really flip out if they heard this true story!

[Peteee]

Whilst my learned colleagues, Aspalm and MorelyJoe pander to the more populist view of the escape of the Lords Regent, It is of Angels that I wish to speak of. Angels with towels.

Now some of you may be aware that May the 25th is International Towel Day in honour of the works of Douglas Adams and as everyone know (or so they should) no hitchhiker goes without his towel. Well on this occasion, a pair of itinerant time travelling hitchhikers were touring Eastern Europe to view famous cities Glorious 25th of May. However, they had failed to take full notice of the recent instigation of the Gregorian calendar which had shifted all the dates around. So in fact they had arrived to early and had observed the "celebrations" of the 25th May on the Julian calendar and were now awaiting a passing space craft to hitch hike onto.

Now, it just so happened that a Vogon survey ship was in the vicinity in preparation for the construction of a new Hyperspace bypass, as the hitchhikers thumbed their way onto the ship the Lords Regent crashed out of the windows. They landed on the hikers as they dematerialised and all 5 ended up on the Vogon ship. To the Lords Regent these were truly angels - to the hitchhikers this was hell in a space ship.

How the Lords Regent returned is a story for another time and space - lets just say for now they were more enlightened on their return......


With apologies for the inspiration to Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett.

[Dukasaur]

Vale_abel missed his invites for the third time and is removed from the tournament.

I've jumped into his games to prevent further delay. I'm not entering the tournament.

[Mad777]

This tournament is still active with NO ongoing game(s) as of yet.

[Dukasaur]

What do Erasmus, David Livingstone (I presume), Henry V, King John, and Sir Francis Drake have in common? They all died of severe diarrhea. After all, Pepto Bismol wasn't invented until the early 20th century. Sometimes, a little tummy trouble can save a life though.

Now every good Protestant knows that May 23rd is International Bean Dip Day- a day filled with good humor, much laughter, and pervasive odor. Thank goodness our good Lords were not immune to such revelries on their way to the Prague Castle. (After all, everybody knows that on the road to Prague is Český Krumlov, which translates to "Tasty Bean Dip". Please stop if you're in the area.)

So what happens when one gets thrown out of a window? Of course, one unceremoniously shits themselves. Unless one has been eating copious amounts of bean dip all day. Yes, in one of the few instances when gastric distress has saved instead of killed, the two Lords left the castle window, promptly lost their bowels full of gas and filled their bloomers with a blast of hot flatulent salvation. The two lords floated down to earth, none the worse for wear.

Of course, our two lords now smell like complete shit, so to save their pride, they invented the whole "fell in some dung" story. But now you know the truth. The world has not bean the same since.

I must say that the remarkable story of aspalm and his flatulence fantasy, while it has some remote chance of being probable, I think that it really stinks.

The real story here is about a somewhat lost piece of European history that reminds us that the noble court displays of the European Middle Ages would often include acrobatic performances. To go along with the rather short building heights of the day, Count Vilem (Flip) Slavata of Chlum, Count Jaroslav (Lord Gainer) Borzita of Martinice, and Philip (The Baron of the Highwire) Fabricius all used their athletic training and prowess to make the best of what could certainly have been a terrible fate. While history does note that they would not have really expected such a perilous situation, the fact that Prague was the site of the First Defenestration must certainly have been already playing out in their minds. Of course performing these acts without any safety preparations always has it's shortcomings. While Gainer and the Baron did walk away unharmed, Flip was not so lucky, as his injuries prevented his get away. Not to outdone by his nimble partners, he did manage his final great act in escaping his captors one year later.

The Protestants will protest that this story is a pile of crap and the Catholics of course will talk about how their heavenly savior saved the day. Asplam, well he's just blowing hot air on the subject, and for Hollywood, they would really flip out if they heard this true story!

Whilst my learned colleagues, Aspalm and MorelyJoe pander to the more populist view of the escape of the Lords Regent, It is of Angels that I wish to speak of. Angels with towels.

Now some of you may be aware that May the 25th is International Towel Day in honour of the works of Douglas Adams and as everyone know (or so they should) no hitchhiker goes without his towel. Well on this occasion, a pair of itinerant time travelling hitchhikers were touring Eastern Europe to view famous cities Glorious 25th of May. However, they had failed to take full notice of the recent instigation of the Gregorian calendar which had shifted all the dates around. So in fact they had arrived to early and had observed the "celebrations" of the 25th May on the Julian calendar and were now awaiting a passing space craft to hitch hike onto.

Now, it just so happened that a Vogon survey ship was in the vicinity in preparation for the construction of a new Hyperspace bypass, as the hitchhikers thumbed their way onto the ship the Lords Regent crashed out of the windows. They landed on the hikers as they dematerialised and all 5 ended up on the Vogon ship. To the Lords Regent these were truly angels - to the hitchhikers this was hell in a space ship.

How the Lords Regent returned is a story for another time and space - lets just say for now they were more enlightened on their return......


With apologies for the inspiration to Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett.

Once again, aspalm made me guffaw. 1st place.

Morleyjoe made me think, 2nd place.

Peteee, great effort but just didn't have that "wow" factor, 3rd place.

[Dukasaur]

After the long delay, I figured I'd better check to see if everyone is still around.

Surprisingly, every single player remaining in this tournament is still premium and can continue the game load, and most have current active games. However, Lufsen75 hasn't been on the site for over a month, so I dropped him.

That left 43 players, and with 7-player games coming, 42 would work perfectly. So, I sent out a PM asking if anyone wanted to drop out. Very few people want to drop out. I got a lot of emphatic "yes, I'm still in!" responses, which makes me glad!

Ch0rn, who was the last reserve to enter volunteered to drop, and I have temporarily left him out of the list. However, while digging deeper, I found that goldenwarrior has been deadbeating games all over the place, and although he still has active games I consider him a high risk to vanish. Ch0rn, therefore, might be back in after all.

[Dukasaur]

5th Assassination Heydrich 1942 -- Operation Anthropoid]
In 1938 Czechoslovakia was forced to surrender the Sudetenland to Germany, and in 1939 the rest of the country fell under German occupation. Slovakia was split off as an “independent” puppet state, while Bohemia and Moravia were put under direct German “protection.”

The official Reichsprotector was Konstantin von Neurath, but the Czechs demonstrated against German occupation, and Hitler decided that von Neurath was too gentle for the job. Reinhard Heydrich, a high-ranking SS official and a much more fanatical Nazi than von Neurath was put in as “deputy” Reichsprotector. All real power was transferred to Heydrich and von Neurath became purely a figurehead.

While Poland, Yugoslavia, and Greece had active and vigorous partisan movements, in the occupied Czech lands people were relatively acquiescent, and the Czech government-in-exile in London was embarrassed by the lack of resistance. In concert with British Intelligence, Czech and Slovak partisans were trained in Britain and parachuted back to Czechoslovakia on a variety of missions, the most ambitious of which was the assassination of Heydrich.

Codenamed Operation Anthropoid, the operation almost failed. On May 27th, 1942, Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš attacked Heydrich's car on his daily commute to Prague Castle. Gabčík's Sten gun jammed, whereupon Kubiš threw a grenade which fatally injured Heydrich. Initially it was thought that the attack had failed, and Gabčík and Kubiš were depressed, but eight days later Heydrich finally died, most likely of septicemia caused by the grenade blast, although the evidence is sketchy.

Some 13,000 Czechs were arrested in the reprisals that followed, and 5,000 of those died, but the primary objectives of the assassination were achieved. The Czech resistance became steadily more animated. Gabčík, Kubiš, and five other operatives were cornered by the SS and fought heroically. The battle of the seven men who held off over a hundred Waffen SS for most of a day has become the stuff of legend. The church where the seven died is a shrine. When I last visited there, I saw many cards and flowers left by English soldiers -- Gabčík, Kubiš, the other five are remembered in Britain as well as at home.

Heydrich's Mercedes after the attack:

"Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1972-039-44, Heydrich-Attentat" by Unknown - This image was provided to Wikimedia Commons by the German Federal Archive (Deutsches Bundesarchiv) as part of a cooperation project. The German Federal Archive guarantees an authentic representation only using the originals (negative and/or positive), resp. the digitalization of the originals as provided by the Digital Image Archive.. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File ... tentat.jpg

Games: To mark Operation Anthropod, you will play five Assassin games, 2 on CSFR map and 3 on the WW II Europe map. To honour the Seven operatives, these will be 7-player games. They will be Sunny, Escalating, Trench, Parachute. (Escalating for the rapidly escalating violence in the wake of the assassination, Parachute for the operatives' arrival in Czechoslovakia by parachute, and Trench for their heroic defense at the church.)

Creative Component: Was it worth it? Resistance activity in Czechoslovakia increased after the assassination, but still had a relatively small impact on the war. Were all the sacrifices worth it, or should the Government-in-Exile have let sleeping dogs lie? Post your thoughts NO SOONER than the day I send the first invite in this phase, and no more than 7 days after that.

Games have been created and invites sent using Ch0rn's new invite tool.

[Dukasaur]

Three players -- Leehar, lucbra, and SuperWang -- have missed their invites. All have been re-sent.

[Dukasaur]

Scoreboard has been updated to reflect the fifth phase (2nd Interlude) and the sixth phase (2nd Defenestration). The winner of the former was CatchersMitt14 and the winner of the latter was Shoop76. Their prizes have now been paid out.


Congratulations CM14 and Shoop!!!

[Dukasaur]

Three players -- Leehar, lucbra, and SuperWang -- have missed their invites. All have been re-sent.

Leehar and lucbra joined their games on the second invite.

SuperWang did not, and he seems to also have gone freemium in the meantime and is down to two active games, so I suspect hemay be leaving CC. SW is out; ch0rn is back in. New invites sent to ch0rn.

[Peteee]

Creative Component: Was it worth it? Resistance activity in Czechoslovakia increased after the assassination, but still had a relatively small impact on the war. Were all the sacrifices worth it, or should the Government-in-Exile have let sleeping dogs lie?

I anything in the futility of war truly "worth it" ? There are many examples through out history of battles/incidents/raids that at the time did not seem to have much effect but with hindsight and review take on greater significance. The Spartan sacrifice at Thermopylae paved the way for the eventual Greek victory. The Dambusters raid though costly in lives and limited impact distracted the German war effort for a number of months. Oskar Schindler's rescue of Polish Jews although comparatively small is significant in the number of their descendants and his memory.

To me what comes through in this assassination and the examples that I have given is that they crucially gave people Hope. In their darkest hours they were able to believe that someone was thinking about them when all else seemed forlorn. Yes, the sacrifices and the prices paid were high for such a small action but the pebbles were put into motion for the avalanche that became the increased resistance movement.

Who knows what further atrocities Heydrich may have committed, who knows what more the Nazi regime may have done if it hadn't been distracted by it's Czech "problem", for all its "small" impact it may well have helped shorten the war.

Ultimately you ask was it worth it - I respond by quoting you Dukasaur "The church where the seven died is a shrine. When I last visited there, I saw many cards and flowers left by English soldiers -- Gabčík, Kubiš, the other five are remembered in Britain as well as at home."

I say any action that is remembered and the memory respected was worth it.

[morleyjoe]

Wow Peteee - how do I top that? Very impressive, so I'm not sure how I can. But you are the only one to provide a creative component at every stage, so I better make a showing of this...

A key word from Peteee in all of this could simply be hindsight. As defined, it is the recognition of the realities, possibilities, or requirements of a situation, event, decision etc., after its occurrence. Hindsight has taught us many things, especially when it comes to war. For example, many believe that World War I was really a pointless bloodbath, while World War II saw nations trying to survive and fight against an evil tyrannt.

But even with this knowledge, how can we really judge if sacrifices were worth it, in seeing things from only our personal perspective? We can read all about it in history books, many of which would have been written by those on one side or the other, as well as those who have no up close and personal experiences regarding the subject of which they write. Having read these accounts, we can often decide what our own opinions would be, but they really don't have true meaning or context.

I honestly believe there is no way one can determine the worthiness of a sacrifice of any kind unless they have had a direct personal connection with the chain of events as they unfolded. And even then, you would likely get so many different answers depending upon from where and by who the events are witnessed. From the boy who's father never comes home, the mother who has lost her family, or the community who has lost their leader, they are the ones who could provide an answer, as they would have personal experiences from the chain of events that unfolded. Even then, I'm sure you would get differing opinions on both sides of any event or action. There is no doubt that there are those who will believe with all of their hearts and souls that the sacrifices made in the noted situation were worth it.

Can we make judgement, even with hindsight, history books, and personal accounts of others? Unless there is a dramatically obvious answer, where the outcome is so incredibly one sided, I feel that there is no way one can truly make a decision, without being one of those who made the sacrifices themselves. And with the event in question, I cannot say that even those personal perspectives would get us any closer to an answer.

So was it worth it? I cannot honestly say one way or the other.

[Peteee]

Morleyjoe don't sell yourself short, what you have written is truly impressive.

Dukasaur, I must commend you on this section of the tournament. The fun bits are ...well fun. However, the serious bits have very much got me thinking and questioning things and also getting other opinions and points of view.