Appeals Committee. Disputed situations in tournaments.

Well, let me describe the situation from my perspective. I captured one road leading to the second-tier town; a Guardian of Order was found on the dirt road – bears. There’s no path to my ore mine, so it must be around the castle. I confidently head there, especially since the Guardian of Order is to the right. And then I run into Dark. I write to him, saying I don’t want any unnecessary tech-related arguments and attack his scout, proposing a replay to resolve the situation. I receive a stream of consciousness in response, claiming that I initiated the conflict and entered his territory. Since I am absolutely certain that I didn’t enter anyone’s territory, I write back, stating that he entered my territory. Ed says that he knows better, and I remain confident that I didn’t violate any rules. To avoid further argument, I save the game and submit it to the judges. That’s the whole story. Yes, after the exchange in ICQ, any desire to compromise disappeared, so I clearly stated that whoever violated the rules should receive the tech penalty.