Conseil du Royaume

[Vladimir]

[OOC: Destroying all buildings is a cheezy, gamey way to cripple the AI. It may also encourage the GM to "restore the ballance."]

Duke Alain: Could his highness kindly refrain from chewing on his codpiece while attempting to speak?

[AussieGiant]

Looking amused and confused at the same time.

"Are you talking to me de Linars?

[Vladimir]

Yes, highness.

It appears you are much more pious than I because you always speak in tongues!

[AussieGiant]

Glancing with some concern at the King the young Duke painfully continues.

"ahhhh, I 'ave to tell you somezing, eeeerh, 'ighness is reserved for members of ze Royal familly.

I, am not one. Zat is why I am slightly confused de Linars.

And what is wrong wiz ze way I speak?!

It is perfectly normal, no?"

[Vladimir]

[OOC: Hamburger. Just say it once. Try it on for size. Ham-bur-ger]

*de Linars winces slightly and averts his eyes*

Yes, highness.

[Andres]

I zink he'zz zalking zo 'our dog, zeigneur.

[AussieGiant]

Looking around clearly confused, the young Duke clearly has no idea what is happening.

On the other hand, Medoc, the incredibly large hunting poodle has stood up and is staring directly at de Linars, the growl is so low it can be felt through the floor of the chamber.

[KnightnDay]

Thomas stands.

"I myself suggested the recruitment of mercenaries during deliberations within the House of Lorraine. Their need is vital if we wish to capture Metz without delay. There are two reasons.

First, our spy in the area can infiltrate the garrison at once and knows which guards can be bought. However, the rebels are nothing if not unpredictable. If we delay into another season, the guards will likely change and we will not have the same guarantee that our spy will be able to pay off the others. Then it may become a siege where we must delay further while the rams are collected and so forth.

Second, the garrison of Rheims cannot move quickly enough on foot to reach Metz immediately. The mercenaries which can be hired enroute to Metz can. So our choice is this, the immediate seizure of Metz with mercenaries, or a delayed seizure without them. Consider too that the Holy Roman Empire will have troops on the move towards Metz. I am concerned that delay would be a needless risk. His Majesty's offer of providing these soldiers for this effort rather than through edict is one I highly favor."

[AussieGiant]

"Clearly, in ze case you mention Ser Thomas, any delay risks failure of ze objective.

Mercenaries would certainly be considered if I was to obtain ze position of Seneschal."

[_Tristan_]

Philippe salutes with a slight bow of the head the speech given by the Duc de Bretagne and smiles briefly on hearing the covert flattery in Saint-Amand's words.

Surely if the elected Seneschal would see fit to provide the funds for the hiring of mercenaries from les Coffres Royaux, I would gladly negociate with les chefs de compagnie to have join our cause and put down the rebels in Metz.

Being hired by a King should carry some weight in insuring their "loyalty", how ill-suited that word may be...

[_Tristan_]

Mes seigneurs, I have heard not a few concerns raised by the good people of Bretagne as to their isolation and the fact that the English are like a legendary Damocles' sword above their heads.

I can understand this concern as I do not trust my cousin William one bit. However, I know him to be a greedy bastard, if you will allow me, and I may have a solution that would satisfy both parties.

What I suggest is for our elected Seneschal to enter into negociations with my cousin over the price he would deem reasonable to deliver Angers into French hands. Cela ferait d'une pierre deux coups (OOC : kill two birds with one stone).

One, it would clear the way between Bretagne and the rest of the Kingdom, preventing the English from cutting our supply routes. I agree that right now, Bretagne is almost in a state of siege and what I propose may be the solutiion to this dilemma.

Second, it would cut the English own supply routes, forcing them to use the sea lanes to bring reinformement to Bordeaux, a much more expensive and time-consuming way than simply have them cross the Channel and walk our countryside to Aquitaine. Thus, Bordeaux would be easier pickings in a few years time.

I do not yet know if the greed of my cousin will exceed our meager resources but I think this plan is worth a try, the more so if we manage to claim Metz quickly and benefit from our barons' offer to contribute to the war effort (OOC : Coucil mission reward of 2500 florins). The offer could even be sweetened with an offer of alliance and be presented by Constance, my daughter before she makes her way to Rome.

What say you, mes vassaux ?

Also, while I do not want to bind the hands of our Seneschal, I wish that our soil be sanctified. I wish it to be the guiding light of Europe in showing the victory of the Vrai Foi. So, to make this dream real, I want priests to roam our lands far and wide, denouncing heretics whenever and wherever they find them, bringing the word of God to the smallest of villages in the remotest of valleys or mountains.

Hence, I propose the following legislation which is intended to go one step further than the Edict proposed by le Sieur de Montpierre, which showed true and pure intent but was rather limited in scope.

Amendment 1.1 : The maximum number of priests available at any time will have to be recruited by the appointed Seneschal at the time, provided enough funds are available. That recruitment shall be done prior to any other recruitment. This amendment can be temporarily suspended if all French settlements (home territory or conquests) are above 90% Catholic.


Furthermore, I wish our Royaume to create strong bonds with some of our neighbours and find allies and opportunities in all the known world. Our diplomats need be sent to the courts of all Kings, to create those bonds of friendship that will allow us to find help should we ever require it.

I intend notably to have our diplomat enter in negociations with the Spanish and Portuguese Kings and see if they would require our help in getting rid of the Moorish threat (OOC : military access and alliance), preparing for the Crusade that many among you have been requesting.

Hence I propose the following legislation :

Edict 1.7 : At least one diplomat will be recruited and sent to Spain and Portugal to negociate an alliance and military access.

[woad&fangs]

Bertin is about to issue a retort to Prince Louis when he hears the Duc de Rohan and King Philip discuss hiring the mercenaries. Bertin sits down and shuffles some papers.

[ULC]

Gaetan stands up and bows in the direction of King Philippe.

"My King, if you would hear me. I, and one other, can take Metz in full force, with no loss to the coffers of the Royaume, and once captured, part of Riems garrison can then occupy Metz for it's protection. The Mercenaries are not required, nor are siege engines of any kind. I can force the hand of the defenders of Metz, and then crush them upon an open field."

[GeneralHankerchief]

Raynaud de Xaintrailles:

I must again stress the timeline of my proposed Edict. Under no circumstances will such an important mission as this be rushed. Should the Edict pass, then all that the Seneschal is to do for the great majority of his term is build up his forces. This can be accomplished easily, and allows plenty of time for the conquest of territories closer to home. I am quite confident that Duc Alain or whomever takes the position is competent enough to both consolidate our home regions while at the same time preparing for the Holy mission.

Indeed, should all go well, at the next Conseil session I will propose a follow-up Edict detailing an exact plan of attack. But for now, this is only a time of preparation.

[Cecil XIX]

Finally, Duc Raymond enters the Conseil.

My King, my Prince and the Lords of France: I apologize for my late arrival. That said, allow me to make up for lost time.

I hereby announce my candidacy for Seneschal. It is honor to face Duc de Rohan in any contest, and this is know exception.

My goal for this term would be to achieve modest gains by bringing the Counts of Flanders and Champagne(OOC: I think that's what Metz's province is called), while setting in motion the infastructure developments that shall allow us to stand against the English. As it is my belief that such a war against a fellow Catholic nation is best waged with the support of his Holiness, I would make a point to build churches and recruit priests.

That being the case, I second both Amemdment 1.1 and Edict 1.7.

[Ituralde]

I second Edit 1.7.

Charter Amendment 1.1 is a noble endeavour, but I think in our current situation it would hinder us too much. We know that we need to do several things at once to be successful, this Amendment would severly limit the liberty of the Seneshal. I think it would be better introduced at a later stage where our resources are not so thinly spread.

[Vladimir]

Seigneours, Highness **

As a matter of protocol I propose the following edict:

Edict 1.8: The Kingdom of France shall immediately secure an alliance with the Kingdom of Scotland. A diplomat shall be hired immediately to secure this alliance. The diplomat shall remained in [adjacent] the Scottish capital for perpetuity.

[GeneralHankerchief]

Raynaud de Xaintrailles:

I second Edict 1.8.

[TinCow]

I second Edict 1.8.

[econ21]

The idea of a crusade speaks greatly to my heart and I would in principle support any such venture. However, I believe it should be a properly constituted crusade - sanctioned by Rome, not some profiteering venture dressed up in pious words. Still less should it be dread trail of extermination and mass executions. A man of God should seek to save souls, not damn heathens to oblivion or worse. Whether a crusade be directed at Iberia or the Holy Land will depend on events we cannot yet forsee - the course of the reconquista in Spain and the intentions of the Holy Father.

Our aim to secure Papal endorsement gives added importance to the King’s Amendment 1.1 about recruiting priests. I second Amendment 1.1 and would encourage the Seneschal to deploy those priests, once they have secured the homeland, to heathen areas where they may bring many more to God. I believe the Papacy will give special weight to such endeavours when filling the College of Cardinals.

[OverKnight]

Hugues stands to speak, he bows to the King.

I did not mean to displease your Majesty by not running for the position of Seneschal. I just felt Duc Alain was the right man for the job. And I don't like paper cuts. It's good to see Duc Raymond throwing his hat in the ring as well.

My man Reeves has updated the list of legislation. I will also second Amendment 1.1. There seems to be a strange man following me speaking in tongues and making cryptic remarks concerning someone called Mithras. I'm sure a Priest could sort that out right quick.

I would also like to make it clear that I will be using the forces in Reims to lead an attack on Metz. Capture of the castle will bring much needed funds into the Kingdom. It will take me two seasons to get there and start the siege, a bit slower than some of the other plans proposed here. However, the money saved by not hiring mercenaries can be used in other places, particularly if we plan to purchase Angers, which I support.

Also, getting an alliance with the Scots is important. They may dress funny, but they'll serve as a counterweight to the English.

[Andres]

Thierry bursts out in laughter as he hears Hermant Mauvoisin's words. Finally, he manages to take a deep breath and speaks, his voice barely under control:

A PROPERLY constituted crusade?

Thierry bursts out in laughter again, tears in his eyes. He slams his fists a few times on his table while laughing and finally seems to calm down.

Not a profiteering venture?

Thierry laughs again and almost falls of his chair. He reaches for his stomache.

"Woohooohooo, really now, really. This is too much."

Thierry almost suffocates when he laughs again. He slams his fist on the table in front of him again and again but can't seem to stop laughing. Finally, after several minutes passed, he gets control over himself again.

"You guys of the flowery Order should all exchange your armour for Jester uniforms and go out to entertain Kings and Emperors! This is just too much.

Thierry starts slamming his fist on the table again, tears in his eyes while he continues to laugh for what seems an eternity.

[econ21]

Hermant rises:

"I confess, Chevalier de Rochefort, that I would make a poor jester, lacking your rare wit. The art of repeating a man's words is too subtle form of humour for me to grasp. But doubtless everyone else is as amused by your comic rhetoric as you yourself are."

[Andres]

As soon as Hermant raises, Thierry bursts out in laughter again, hardly understanding what the man says. The scribe next to him starts to feel embarassed, but doesn't dare to say a word, knowing the rumours about the temper of Chevalier de Rochefort.

[GeneralHankerchief]

Raynaud de Xaintrailles:

Again, I point to the timeline of the Crusade. We have plenty of time to endear ourselves to the Pope and get his approval before we set out. It's not as if we need to set out now.

[AussieGiant]

Alain bows to Duc Raymond.

"My lord, it is good to have someone else challenge for the position. I wish you good luck."

Casting a disapproving glance at Rochefort, the young Duke pulls a handkerchief from his sleeve and places it on the bench before Thierry.

"Good god man, get a grip will you. Wipe away zose tears and try and maintain some composure."

Shaking his head he sits down, which puts him eye to eye with his poodle. Medoc looks at the duke then at Thierry and then back at the duke, the dog is clearly unimpressed.

"Do not look at me like zat!! You convinced me to take 'im in, you silly 'ound."

[Ignoramus]

Gaspard de Neufville rises to speak.

"Bons messieurs, I would humbly ask that edict 1.6 - mon edict - be withdrawn, and replaced with the following edict.

Edict 1.9: No land may be purchased off the English for the duration of this Seneschal's term.

Will we stoop to purchasing land off our foes? Bretagne is currently cut off from the rest of the Regnum, however, I believe that men and supplies could be sent by sea to supply the Duchie's needs.

For if we purchased Anjou off the Normans, where would the Norman garrison go? It may well decide to wander off and begin pillaging the countryside, causing a war with disastrous consequences.

I believe that every amount of gold we can save will be necessary in order to rebuild our land after the centuries of strife and turmoil. Our roi has decreed that war shall not be declared with the Normans, and therefore I say that we do not line their coffers any further, lest they use it to strengthen their arm even more.

Gaspard resumes his seat.

[Ituralde]

Mon Roi, Nobles of the Realm!

It is with great regret that I have to inform you that my father, the Count of Montpierre has passed away unexpectedly. As his eldest son it is my duty to handle the succession. It's not that simple of a matter though. I will have to be there personally and will have to withdraw from Paris immediatelly. Once things are settled I shall return to serve my King once more.

I have left my voting choices with one of the clerks. I hope they can be considered.

I bid you farewell!

With a bow Simon leaves the Council Chambers.

[_Tristan_]

So Sieur de Neufville, you pretend to know what is best for the Kingdom better than your King ?

The Normans, true to their ancestry of pillagers, are greedy bastards, my cousin the first among them. I think it would be a shame not to exploit that weakness to break the siege situation which Bretagne is suffering right now.

I will concede that it is not the best of solutions but we cannot go to war with the English and we need to bring relief to Bretagne.

Can you find another solution ?

At least, I will ask you to rescind your Edict as it is too binding on the Seneschal. As you may have noticed, I have not proposed any legislation towards buying Angers as I intended my proposal to be a guideline for the Seneschal rather than an order.

As to Edict 1.8, I will support it but will ask Sieur de Linars to rewrite it notably the part about having our diplomat remain near the Scottish capital à perpetuité. I would very much prefer a statement that this diplomat shall remain on the British Isle, thus enabling him to conduct business both with Scotland and England rather than limit his scope.

[Ignoramus]

Gaspard turns to Philippe.

Mon roi, you asked for your nobles advice - I merely gave mine.

I believe in relieving the state of Bretagne, but not by bargaining with the Normans. And indeed, if the Normans be as greedy as you say - for I would not know, being born and bred in Bourgogne - such a beneficial deal to the Regnum could hardly be concluded.

I fear, mon Roi, I cannot rescind the edict. Otherwise, I may as well pack mon bags, saddle mon horses, and return to mon estates right now. If such an edict passed, it would have the support of the majority of your nobles; if it failed, it would not have such support.

If you were to rule the Regnum without a Seneschal, I would most certainly refrain from binding mon roi.

Gaspard respectfully resumes his seat.