Diplomacy

Noble Houses can use diplomacy to further their aims and protect their assets. Diplomacy is achieved by careful placement of Emissaries who can also act as spies and assassins if needed.

Noble House Relations
Each Noble House may have relations to other Noble Houses achieved through diplomacy or less subtle means.

For more see War and Peace.

Marriages
See Marriage.

Alliances
A Baron may declare an alliance with another Baron (who may be an Lord, Earl, Duke etc.). An alliance is a softer version of an oath and does not prevent either side from trying to capture the other's ships, although this has the cost of 50% of their honour.

An ally may freely attack houses with whom their ally is officially at war with and he gains a cassus belli on houses who attack his ally.

An alliance may be broken at any time without cost except when it automatically follows an attempted effort to capture their ship where 50% of the house's honour is forfeit.

Oaths of Allegiance
A Baron may swear fealty to another Baron (who may be an Lord, Earl, Duke etc.) in return for protection, from his new liege and other enemies. This may be given as part of a peace treaty or freely through diplomacy.

If accepted, both sides agree to a code of conduct that prevents either from attacking positions of the other.

Breaking an oath can be done through a emissary but costs the oath-breaking all their honour and puts the houses at war..

Oaths may be offered as part of a diplomatic treaty or by Imperial order.

Trade Lands
A Baron may only trade land via truces, peace treaties, alliance offers or oaths of allegiance.

Ransoms
A Baron may arrange to ransom a prisoner back to his house.

Messages
Barons are free to send messages to other noble houses even without having an emissary at one of their estates. This can be used to arrange future dealings or resolve conflicts.

Messages can be flagged as abusive and referred to games master for judgement. Abusive players may have their accounts suspended. Generally, in-character insults, taunts and jibes are allowed but threats out-of-game, pornographic images and obviously illegal behaviour will not be tolerated.