Report Dated 4A 155

From: Simon Vermon, Captain, 43rd Diplomatic Unit, 3rd Corp
TO: His Excellency Duke Fornand XXXIV, Colonel, 43rd Diplomatic Unit, 3rd Corp
Date Sent: 2-7-155-4A
Sent By: Hand Courier, Elrec Sinval (confirmed clearance level 5, personal)
Code Key: Ulcer, Handbag, River
Kathreftis Color at Time of Authorship: Orange
Subject: Tribal Barbarian Trade Mission “Level Poison” Status Report
Priority: High (4)
Text:

Excellency,

I received the following correspondence from the target chieftain and given its contents am referring it to you. Attached are both the original text and the standard translation, along with my analysis:

Verniktas’Vomal!

Drakel-Verniktas’sae’se uk. Dorak! Drakel’las et ank Verniktas’abe ja-gun. Jerak! Drakel’las et Verniktas’las’silva’abe ja-gun. Silva’abe jerak kalu ke dorak! emak Silva’sae ja.

(: Finish translating to Drakontal: I hope you realize how foolish you make me look when you bring bags full of cursed metal and then bow down to them like they’re gods. I’m the one who has allowed you in to my land, the people see you as my friends, and if you continue the dirty practice of trading silver good like their El’abe then I might not see the need to let you trade anything! I’m sorry to sound harsh, but this has worried my people, and therefore worries me.)

Vernick Chief!

The Great I and Vernick connected spears are large. But! The Great I’s sons together become disliking at recent Vernick trades. Precisely! The Great I’s sons together become disliking at Vernick’s sons together “silva” [translator note: silva is not a word?] trades. “silva” [translator note: still not a word] trades precisely not bad but! Only “silva” [translator note: he must be mispronouncing “silver”] trades become.

As you might probably have seen the chieftain has issues he feels he must have addressed before trade resumes. The main contention seems to be the silver items which we brought some months ago. I suggest we reduce their shipment, but not stop it all together. They seem to have little demand of them, and this letter, however badly written, seems to reinforce the idea.

On another subject, some of the more junior officers have lodged official complaint reports on the translator recently arrived from Molus. While I can empathize with their need for accurate information, upon speaking with said translator he has assured me the translations are very precise, and has followed the technique taught to him in the academy. Rather he attributed the seemingly garbled words to the inadequacies of the local dialect. He has suggested that we instill in our new neighbors a more developed language to speed dialogue between us. I need not remind you that we do have an amount left in the allocated tariff budget. Thus to not renege it to other units I suggest that a detail of Vernick language teachers be hired to the salary of that exact amount. It may also further developments in the Ministry of Culture, which may benefit us globally.

As for other reports, the official account-books are enclosed in the usual manner, with attention given to the low-demand items mentioned before. I await your favorable reply.

Strength! Honor! Power!
- Simon Vermon, Captain