View Full Version : LotR - The Magnaura
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Markos rises to reply, ever since the battle of Apulia he seems to have lost some weight. His now gaunt face still carried the jawline scar from that battle and while his eyes seemed for the most part weary, they still had an edge to them.
That is perhaps true Senator Andronikos, but your arguments reeks of partisanship. Of course you would prefer Senator Arintheos to lead these troops, for he his your vassal. No matter that he is largely unproven, having only fought bandits. This is not say that Arintheos should not lead the troops, but I find you are ready quick to call me incompetent. I did lose at Apulia, in conditions that were reported as "favorable" to me, on the other hand I also had a victory at Ragusa, while outnumbered three to one. Funny that you did not mention that in your condemnation of my person. But enough of that, if this body would rather never see me fight another battle then I will stay in Ragusa and administer the province to the best of my abilities.
As for the candidacies, I do not think much of Strator Erotikos' candidacy. For one, because it is invalid according to our laws. To be Megas Logothetes one must be at least of the rank of Comes and thus at least control a province. Even if my information on Senator Erotikos' rank proves to be wrong, I distrust a man who takes a large amount troops in a vendetta for "justice", while refusing to give any form of accountability to this body. Not only that, but the man is still under suspicion for the murder of Senator Armotos. He has weaved a fanciful tale of Muslim assassins, but are we to take him to his word? His sole proof is a dagger that could have conceivably been used by anyone. Furthermore, I have received a cryptic threat, which bears a striking resemblance to the diverse proclamations this man has spoken about his "quest". Granted, the letter might not be related to him, only an attempt to discredit him. Yet, that element, taken with whole of his attitudes makes me doubt Senator Erotikos' motives, if not his dedication to the Empire. Why should this chamber invest the most powerful title that can be granted to man who not only accuses us of being possibly traitors, but who has seemingly very little regard for us.
Senator Arintheos, on the other, is, in my opinion, on the right track. The Empire obviously needs a massive reorganization. Not only to relieve our treasury of supporting the cost of troops who do nothing, but also we need a better account of who hold which province. After pouring through out records I find many of them outdated and it is up to us to rectify the solution, as we are the holders of these provinces. It will be a daunting task for Senator Arintheos to win the war against Venice and against the Turks all the while reorganizing the Empire. While I admire his vigor and enthusiasm, I can only note again a certain lack of experience. While this is less of an issue for military command, I feel that the qualities of young men like Arintheos should be tempered with wisdom and experience. I have both, before joining your ranks I have spent most of my life as a bureaucrat. As such, I might not be the best choice for military command, as it has been noted, but I am well able to administer the Empire into the next century. I therefore announce, that, I, Markos ek Sinopis, am running for the position of Megas Logothetes.
I must note that if either Senator Arintheos or I are to be successful, we will need the help of new legislation permitting us the thinning of garrisons across the Empire, even from are most inactive members.
Demetrios comes into the Magnuara, and when the guards move to take his sword, it takes only a stare and they back down. Brushing past them, Demetrios walks into the center of the Magnuara. He pulls out a letter from inside his cloak and begins reading.
"Dear Senators of the Roman Empire,
I send word from the Adriatic, with hopes that All senators are in good health - condolences to Aleksios ek Pigis family, I am certain he died bravely defending the ideals of the Imperium to the last breath.
I understand the nature with which I am treated currently among you - as a lesser man, an outlaw. So in this state of mind, I can accomplish what you cannot, since I am no longer bound our law.
I intend to lay siege, and sack, Rome. I will exile the pretender, the "Pope", and I will then send Rome's treasury, minus enough to support me in pacifying Rome and replenishing my troops, to you good Senators. I am sure our Basileus and our Patriarch will be pleased.
I wish you well in your own endeavors
Respectfully, Comes Helarionas Anargiros"
Demetrios then turns and calmly takes his seat.
Ignoramus
01-30-2009, 10:58
A Komnenoi page rises to address the assembled body.
His excellency, Ioannis Komnenos, Basileus of Rome, wishes to appoint Vartholomaios Ksiros to position of Dean of Constantinople's University. Lord Vringos, due to his semi-retirement, is no longer considered able to effectively perform this office.
The page bows and leaves the chamber.
Vartholomaios stands up and bows towards the departing Basileus
I am most honored in accepting this nomination.
_Tristan_
01-30-2009, 16:56
I wish to send my congratulations to Grand Master Ksiros for his appointment as Dean of the University.
I also extend my best wishes to our two young Senators willing to take the burden of the Empire on their shoulders. Both appear to be able to show common sense and will certainly be assets in the years to come.
In the spirit of Senator Voutoumitis' speech, I'd like to propose the following Edict :
Edict 8.1 : Before considering the building of Prioritized Buildings, The Megas Logothetes will have to provide the necessary funds to the improvement of settlements (OOC : wall upgrades). The Megas Logothetes will be free to choose the order in which the settlements will be improved.
Too many of our citizens are forced to live in slums beyond the walls of our cities large and small and many of our castles are not vast enough to provide adequate lodging for our military and enough space to provide protection for those living under their protection.
Such neglect is cause for unrest and is not worthy or the might of our Empire. This legislation is intended to correct the grave neglect of these past years.
Demetrios nods at Methodios.
I second Edict 8.1
Welcome to the race Senators Erotikos and ek Sinopis.I look forward to any debates we have on the issues at hand.
One of Arintheos' aides, poring through a huge stack of papers, whispers to the Senator
Caesar, that edict addresses a major problem in the Empire, especially in regions that have not had a lot of resources sent their way. It's shameful that we have not been able to keep up our infrastructure in some of our rapidly growing settlements. I fear one of my aides has advised me that it may require a Codex Amendment, however. Perhaps the esteemed Protosecrates can clarify.
In the meantime I don't think it would be too much to ask the candidates to make a pledge that such vital settlement improvements will be a priority if they are elected. I will start.
If I am elected, larger walls for those settlements in which they're needed will be the my very first building priority, and funds devoted to them as soon as allowable by law.
Markos ek Sinopis returns with a bundle of scrolls, behind him are many aides also carrying a great deal of scrolls. As Markos starts speaking, they hand a small bundle of scrolls to each senator.
Esteemed colleagues, I have spoken before, as my counterpart, Senator Arintheos, also did, about the need to implement certain reforms if we are to see our Empire prosper once more. What you have before you is a report encompassing the whole of the Empire, province by province. Listed in this report, you will find the positioning of all our forces and the cost of their upkeep. Also noted are a series of recommendations or comments, made by my person, in order maximize the efficiency of each florin spent.
My overall strategy is to affect an increase in taxes where ever it is possible, accompanied by the disbanding of all troops who are not useful to the Empire. I must also emphasize the need to disband all mercenary units as soon as possible, to be replaced if necessary by regular troops.
For your convenience, I have color coded each settlements and armies to indicated at a glance if they are problematic or not. Settlements and armies named in red ink means they are highly problematic and need to be addressed as soon as possible. Those in orange ink are less problematic and can be addressed once more important matters have been tended to. Those is black ink show neither major problems nor a very good position. Finally, those in green ink are settlements and armies which are in a very good position.
And now with the report, which has been divided according to five geographical locations.
The Balkans
- Fleet off the coast of Venice: 177 men (356 florins) and 6 ships (893 florins)
These forces have been sitting there for more than one term, draining more than 1000 florins from the treasury each turn while serving little purpose.
- Helarionas Anargiros (In the Adriatic): 743 men (2057 florins) and 5 ships (750 florins)
See Iakob ek Trebizond's report.
- Andreas Dermokaitis (Heading to Ragusa, near Zagreb): 404 men (800 florins)
Much needed reinforcements to the Venetian Front.
- Ragusa (Ioannis Kalameteros): 90 men (Free)
Part of the Venetian front and should be reinforced. Troops are already on their way.
- Belgrade (Andreas Dermokaitis): 404 men (380 florins)
Part of the Venetian front and should be reinforced.
- Fleet between Ragusa and Bari: 2 ships (300 florins)
Transports heading for Arintheos Voutoumitis.
- Emperor Ioannis: 870 men (2325 florins) and 6 ships (900 florins)
If this fleet makes better progress than last term it should be able to take one of the Venetian cities soon and place us back on the offensive.
- Durazzo (Helarionas Anargiros): 180 men (free)
Taxes could be increased from Low to Normal.
- Fleet at the mouth of the Adriatic: 90 men (600 florins) and 1 ship (525 florins)
Reinforcements for the Venetian front. Once they arrive at destination the mercenary galley should be disbanded.
- Scopia (Emperor Ioannis): 112 men (70 florins) and 90 men (free)
Bandits are operating in the region and should be eliminated as they are hampering trade. Taxes could be increased from Normal to High.
- Arintheos Voutoumitis: 264 men (354 florins)
Reinforcements for the Venetian front.
Greater Greece
- Arta (Emperor Ioannis): 270 men (300 florins)
Part of the garrison could be demobilized or the taxes could be increased from Normal to High.
- Corinth (Alexios ek Ikoniou): 292 men (350 florins) and 90 men (free)
All the troops without a free upkeep could either be moved to the front or disbanded.
- Athens (Ioannis Kalameteros): 382 men (400 florins) and 360 men (free)
Even with its large garrison, Athens has its taxes set to Low. The rampant squalor in the city has made keeping civil order tenuous at best and if the walls of the city are not expanded to Large Stone Walls, the city will revolt or become a sinkhole for money as we pour in more troops to maintain order.
- Nevoulion (Isaakios the Lazy): 473 men (918 florins) and 51 men (free)
The garrison here could be reduced and replaced by militia, thus easily cutting the troop upkeep by more than half if we count the units that will support themselves. Furthermore, the taxes could be raised from Low to Normal, but only if there remains enought troops to maintain order. Most of the public disorder here finds its roots in the rampant squalor of the city which could be remedied by building a Large Stone Wall.
- Thessalonike (Ammonathas Kalameteros): 494 men (600 florins) and 400 men (free)
Thessalonike suffers from the exact symptoms as its sister cities previously mentioned. As it was the case for Nevoulion, the professional troops in its garrison should be exchanged for militia to reduce costs. Also, because of the squalor causing a large drop in public order, taxes are at Normal and so there is more leeway in the number of troops needing to be kept in garrison. Here also, Large Stone Walls should be built to accomodate the growing population.
- Ballistas heading to Belgrade: 60 men (300 florins)
Reinforcements for the Venetian front.
- Ammonathas Kalameteros and Zigavinos Vasilakios: 644 men (1849 florins)
Heading to the Venetian front.
- Constantinople (Emperor Ioannis): 90 men (100 florins) and 584 men (free)
I am glad to report that the jewel of our Empire is probably the settlement in best posture. Not only does the city bring us a large amount of revenu through taxes (Which could be increased from High to Very High if we choose to forgo Growth.) but its garrison is nearly cost free.
- Sofia (Apionnas Vringas): 868 men (1480 florins) and 90 men (free)
This settlement is easily the best example of wasted florins. This castle's troops should either be move to the Venetian front or be disbanded as only a small garrison is needed to maintain order.
- Bucharest (Apionnas Vringas): 270 men (free)
This settlement needs its walls upgrated to Stone Walls to accomodate the growing population.
Asia Minor
- Nicaea (Emperor Ioannis): 30 men (150 florins) and 396 men (free)
Another city in good shape, even though a group of bandits prey on its lands. They should be removed when possible. Also, why are ballistas stationed in the city? They serve little purpose and should be disbanded promply.
- Dardanellia (Emperos Ioannis): 224 men (200 florins) and 112 men (free)
The men not supported by the Castle should be disbanded.
- Sophronios Komnenos (South of Nicaea, East of Dardanellia): 90 men (100 florins)
What is this man doing there? And for how long has he camped in those hills with a unit? He serves no purpose and the troops accompanying him should be disbanded.
- Smyrna (Sophronios Komnenos): 112 men (70 florins) and 90 men (free)
Taxes could be increased from Normal to Very High.
- Rhodes (Hypatios Machonios): 224 men (140 florins)
Half of these men could be disbanded with little consequence. Also, Rhodes is ready to be upgraded into a Castle, but this should be far from a priority.
- Iconion (Zigavinos Vasilakios): 204 men (127 florins) and 90 men (free)
Iconion is need of being upgraded with Stone Walls as its rampant squalor has greatly affected public order and thus, its taxes need to be maintain at Low.
- Sinop (Nikitas Moshos): 90 men (100 florins) and 270 men (free)
Taxes could be increased from Normal to High or the unit not supported by the city could be disbanded. Also, there are reports of bandits in the area. They should be dealt with.
- Markianople (Alexios ek Iconiou): 224 men (140 florins) and 112 men (free)
The men not supported by this castle should be disbanded.
- Diyarbakir (Emperor Ioannis): 330 men (460 florins) and 90 men (free)
The men not supported by the castle should either be sent to the Order as reinforcements or be disbanded.
- Army south of Trebizond (Seemingly heading west): 382 men (550 florins)
This small force should either head south to reinforce the Order or be be disbanded.
- Fort near Trebizond: 90 men (80 florin)
This fort seems to serve no stratigical purpose and the troops it contains should be disbanded.
- Trebizond (Arintheos Voutoumitis): 90 men (80 florins) and 90 men (free)
This settlement's taxes could be increased from Low to Normal. It is also ready to receive Stone Walls.
- Yerevan (Andronikos Komnenos): 202 men (200 florins) and 270 men (free)
Public order is low even with taxes at Low and a more than fair garrison.
- Tbilisi (Andronikos Komnenos): 90 men (100 florins) and 112 men (free)
The bandits and Turks in the area should be taken care of.
- Baku (Andronikos Komnenos): 112 men (187 florins)
There is no growth in this castle.
- Andronikos Komnenos (Between Tbilisi, Yerevan and Baku): 446 men (831 florins)
+ Two small forces nearby: 51 men (85 florins) and 80 men (350 florins)
It is presumed that all of these forces will join together to destroy the turkish remnant in the area, likewise for the bandits.
Levant
- Adana (Vartholomaios Ksiros): 91 men (61 florins)
- Kousinos Sophianos: 1788 men (2326 florins) and
- Ioannis Erotikos: 996 men (2333 florins)
Both men are perfectly placed to destroy the crusaders turned rebel near Antioch, relieve Theopolis and then push on to Edessa and other Seljuk Turk lands. With their large armies and some reinforcements, they could secure the eastern front from further immediate threats.
- Antiokheia (Theophylaktos Petzeas): 127 men (363 florins) and 404 men (free)
Taxes could be raised from Low to Normal or some of the units not supported by the city could be disbanded.
- Theophylaktos Petzeas (Between Antiokheia and Theopolis): 689 men (1548 florins)
Senator Theophylaktos is in position to relieve the siege of either Theopolis or Damascus, the wisest choice would probably be Damascus, as the threat to Theopolis is relatively minor. Once the siege is broken, this force could be used to strike back at the Seljuk Turks, provided it receives reinforcements or help from the other large armies in the area.
- Theopolis (Theophylaktos Petzeas): 276 men (174 florins)
The city is besieged by Salih Bey and his bodyguards. However, since he is 65 years old and cannot assault the city, the odds are good he might die before the city runs out of supplies. Of course, since the city is on the verge of revolt, it would be preferable if the siege ended sooner rather than later, but with three large armies in range, there is little doubt of that. On the matter of Theopolis' low public order, once it is no longer under siege, this should be remedied by an increase in garrison and buildings which increase public order.
- Tortosa (Kousinos Sophianos): 180 men (free) and 7 ships (1050 florins)
This city houses the eastern fleet and is ready to be upgraded with Stone Walls. Even with taxes at Low, the public order is precarious. It will need either more troops in its garrison or buildings to improve public order.
- Damascus (Vartholomaios Ksiros): 404 men (356 florins) and 314 men (free)
While the garrison is unusually large, the city is under siege by a large force of Seljuk Turks and all its troops will be needed. The city is also ready to be upgraded with Stone Walls.
- Nicosia (Vartholomaios Ksiros): 112 men (free)
+ Fort: 112 men (70 florins)
The fort on this island seems to serve no purpose and should be disbanded.
- Acre (Vartholomaios Ksiros): 112 men (70 florins) and 112 men (free)
The men not supported by the castle could be disbanded.
Africa
- Benghazi (Emperos Ioannis): 964 men (650 florins)
Not only is this wooden castle strategically irrelevant, but its huge garrison of poor troops is a drain on the treasury. A tenth of these men would suffice to guard the place.
- Alexandria (Efthymios ek Herakliou): 714 men (762 florins) and 494 men (free)
Alexandria is in a sorry state, so much that it seems some of its infrastructure has not been repaired. Squalor is the primary factor of public disorder, combined with the distance from the capital, even with taxes at Low and a huge garrison, maintaining public order is tenuous at best. A massive amount of florin will need to be invested if we are to give the city the Huge Stone Walls it needs to accomodate its dense population. It is an investment our treasury could not afford at the moment, without some serious cutbacks throughout the Empire.
- Prince Methodios the Conqueror: 1276 men (2300 florins)
Heading west to take back his daughter from Helarionas Anargiros?
- Gaza (Prince Methodios the Conqueror): 596 men (941 florins) and 90 men (free)
Unless the troops unsupported by the castle are used by the Ceasar in his expedition, they should be disbanded. The castle has no growth.
- Cairo (Prince Methodios the Conqueror): 344 men (314 florins), 494 men (free) and 5 ships (533 florins)
Cairo is in a similar state as Alexandria, needing the same upgrade due to an even bigger squalor problem. The most noticeable drain on the treasury are the 5 ships sationed there that serve little purpose as the Red Sea leads only to one of our settlements. The city has no growth, although considering its problem, that is not such a bad thing at the moment.
- Thebes (Vartholomaios Ksiros): 224 men (170 florins)
Half the men there could be disbanded. There are bandits nearby who while technically in the Cairo province, are very close to Thebes.
- Dongola (Vartholomaios Ksiros): 109 men (free)
Has a damaged building.
- Solomeia (Efthymios ek Herakliou): 611 men (545 florins) and 112 men (free)
Most of the men here should be disbanded, but not before crushing the remnants of a Fatamid army which has lingered there unmolested for far too long.
- Leon Symmachos and Vakchos Tzetzis: 21 men (74 florins) and 258 men (288 florins)
Both of these men are camping near the now rebel Kosmopolis. They have not enough forces to retake it and are in position to do absolutely nothing to help the Empire. These forces are so far away, it would be better to disband them than to send them somewhere else. Perhaps they could assist the forces of Solomeia against the Fatamid remnants before being disbanded.
Of course, due to the scope of this report, some errors may have been made and some informations could not be found. Corrections, suggestions and clarification about the ownership of certain settlements will be appreciated.
A nervous looking middle-aged man picks up a couple large scrolls from Senator Arintheos' table and stands to address the Senate. After several deep breaths he speaks.
"I am Iakob ek Trebizond, one of Senator Arintheos' aides. I wrote the report referenced in Senator Markos' own section on the Balkans. I've been asked by my employer to read it, as both he and Senator Markos feel it brings up some important concerns that should be discussed."
Iakob shifts through the scrolls in his hands for a moment before finding the right one and continuing.
"Early in 1184 I was commissioned by my employer Arintheos Voutoumatis to help draft an economic policy for his candidacy. Specifically I was given access to such public records as exist on the monies that reach Imperial coffers and how they are spent.
Early on my focus was on military expenditure and its effect on the pace of economic and infrastructure development in Imperial cities. Senator Voutoumatis wished to know if the funds would be available to both continue our wars against the Turks and Venetians and provide our settlements with much needed infrastructure such as larger walls and economic structures. The fact that both wars faced difficulties made him concerned that perhaps our economic woes and troubles prosecuting the two wars were related. That is, that the wars were hampering economic development, with such development being necessary to hire the troops needed to complete the wars, a circle challenging to break out of.
Early calculations were positive. I found that the Empire does indeed have the military force needed to win on both fronts. In fact, we suffer an abundance of soldiers. They are merely in the wrong positions to affect the outcomes of the wars. We have large armies in the east that have not lately been used in conflict against the Turks, despite their being positioned to do so. We also have garrisons larger than needed in the west, especially in settlements such as Sofia, which could form such armies needed to push back the recent Venetian advance and defeat them once and for all. I understand Senator ek Sinopis is preparing an exhaustive report on these issues, so I will not bore you with numbers. Suffice it to say we have the military strength for the tasks at hand, and that completion of those tasks would bring in the money needed to work on our infrastructure, especially as some armies could be disbanded.
More worrisome is some discrepancies I discovered regarding Imperial income and expenditures. I noted a very large shortfall between the amount of tax income that should have been produced by our cities, and the amount that reaches the treasury. Although outside the scope of my original task, Senator Voutoumatis was as alarmed as I at this discovery, and gave me leave to follow it up. I carefully went through economic records for the major cities of the empire and believe I discovered the two main sources of the shortfall.
The larger source is general corruption, especially in cities furthest from the capital. Not so much on the level of the highest administrators in those regions, but on the lowest. Officials pocket bribes from businessmen in return for break on taxes, or even take some of the taxes paid for themselves. We lose nearly 9,000 florin a year to these traitors, and whenever one is discovered and imprisoned or executed, two pop up to take his place. More efficient bureaucracy in the form of larger town halls with better trained personnel will help this problem, but may not eliminate it.
There is another large source of lost income. I found almost 3,000 florins missing for each 1 1/2 year economic report, enough to fuel needed infrastructure improvements. Completely vanished, with no sign of ending up in corrupt officials' pockets. I spent the bulk of last year trying to find out how this money managed to vanish so completely. Luckily some of the missing money could be traced to Smyrna, which recently started using a special symbol in the stamps they use for their coins. I was able to trace large amounts of these coins to the west coast of the Balkans, and further beyond to southern Italy.
It turns out that large numbers of both Greek soldiers and Latin mercenary troops were spending these coins, as well as other Imperial tender, in small villages on the coast of southern Italy. They have also turned up in other coastal villages in the reason, where locals I interviewed claimed mixed Greek and Latin mercenary forces took boats ashore to purchase supplies supposedly meant for a larger fleet in the Aegean Sea. The money spent was in amounts far too large to have come from anywhere but the Imperial treasury.
There are only two mixed Greek and Latin forces in the Aegean Sea, that of the Emperor and that of the rebel Senator Helarionas. I was able to eliminate the former as he has resupplied his fleet and paid wages through normal Imperial channels. Thus I am led to believe that elements within the Empire have been diverting funds meant for the treasury to Helarionas.
I do not mean this theory as an indictment of Helarionas or even his possible benefactors. The Senator is in a position to take any money he can, and his plan to sack Rome is likely an attempt to gain his own funds. Those supplying him the money, assuming my theory correct, may be acting out of some perceived duty or belief in Helarionas' cause. What I am more concerned with is that we have had armies paid by the Imperial treasury chasing another army paid by the treasury, while we have been engaged in two wars. Likely Emperor Ioannis realized this and that is why he turned away from chasing Helarionas this last year.
This unfortunate state of affairs underscores our need to unite in the common cause of the Empire. Resolving the issue of Helarionas and the Caesar's daughter is of utmost importance not only as a moral obligation, but of economic necessity".
Just having a bit of fun with the fact that Helarionas' army and fleet still costs the faction money. ~;)
"I am extending the period for proposing legislation and campaigning for election until Monday, February 2nd at 23:00 GMT."
(OOC: I am very busy until Monday morning, and don't even have time to check PMs or read all the posts. I am thus extending the debate period until I can do so. There will be no further delays for OOC reasons, as all of my time constraints disappear on Monday.)
Vartholomaios addresses the Magnaura
In my capacity as a dean I would like to remind all Strators that the University is accepting new students at the moment. The deadline for applications is 2nd February 12:00 GMT.
Please include a description of the field you would like to study.
Priority will be given to applicants of honorable character. Thank you.
Northnovas
02-02-2009, 00:28
I proposed the following edict:
Edict 8.2 The settlements of Theopolis and Damascus are freed from their current sieges, The settlements of Zagreb, Kosomopolis and Edessa are brought back into Byzantine control.
_Tristan_
02-02-2009, 09:55
I second Edict 8.2
Ituralde
02-02-2009, 10:29
Nikitas strolls into the Magnaura.
I hope I'm not too late for the discussion, am I?
He walks over where the recordings of the recent discussions are kept and glances over them.
Well, well I see there's a lot of men vying for the post of Megas. I wish all of them good luck, may the best politician win!
"The time for proposing legislation has now expired. Voting will begin soon and will continue until Wednesday, February 4th at 24:00 GMT."
University clerk comes in and makes the following announcement
The scholars accepted into the University for the next term are Markos ek Sinopsis (TheFlax) and Theo Petzeas (Ibn-Khaldun).
KnightnDay
02-05-2009, 03:38
Fellow senators,
Having had the opportunity to carefully consider the recent actions of Helarionas Anargiros, I must say that the lack of a substantive response outside of the recent actions of Senator Markos, is most concerning. If this action had not involved the loss of life, I might well have looked, as some still do, towards a peaceful solution. Regretfully, Senator Helarionas chose to betray the confidence that the empire placed in him. He chose to expend the lives of many Byzantine soldiers, not in the protection of our lands or citizens as was his sacred duty, but in defense of himself and a woman that by law is not rightfully his.
If it is the will of the Basileus, I shall abstain from taking up arms against Senator Helarionas. Until such time as the desire of our sovereign is made clear however, I announce my intention to move against Durazzo which is still under the control of this rebellious senator, whose murderous act of betrayal deserves but a single and unambiguous reply.
Now by law I make the follow declaration. I hereby declare war on Helarionas Anargiros.
Ignoramus
02-05-2009, 07:12
The Komnenoi page returns and rises to address the Magnaura.
"Noble Senators, His Excellency, Ioannis Komnenos, Basileus of the Romans, is reported to have just conquered Durazzo. The garrison apparently fled before his army and the town is now under the personal control of the Basileus."
As a result, the Basileus sees no need for the conflict with Helanorios to continue, but will await for the latter to crave for pardon. Hence, he proposes peace with Helanorios.
The page bows respectfully and exits the chamber.
Ignoramus
02-05-2009, 07:58
The page reenters.
"His Excellency also wishes that those involved in the civil war with the rebel to make peace with him at once. Having discussed with the rebel, the Basileus has decided that he will officially sanction the marriage between the former rebel and the princess. This is not out of resignation, or intimidation, but out of the kindness of his heart.
The rebel has lost his only lands, and His Excellency considers that to be an appropriate punishment."
The page bows and leaves.
Ituralde
02-05-2009, 08:47
My Congratulatons to Arintheos Voutomitis for winning the close fought...
A secretary leans over to him to whisper in his ear.
Well? Really? Excluded from the Election?
Ahem. Congratulations to Arintheos Voutomitis for being elected to the post of Megas Logothetes. May he bring peace and justice to the Empire.
He looks over to the Basileus
It seems he has already begun.
_Tristan_
02-05-2009, 14:41
A letter is handed to one of the Protoasecretes' aides. Unsealing it and quickly perusing it, the man visibly flinches and turns pale as chalk. with a shaky hand, he hands the letter to the Protoasecretes who grabs it absent-mindedly. Slowly scanning it, the Protoasecretes' eyes become larger and larger the further he reads. Then, hanging his head, he slowly and apprently unwillingly rises from his seat and starts reading :
"Senators of the Empire,
The most Holy City of Jerusalem has been freed by Byzantine arms. Too long had it been at the mercy of the Muslims who reigned over it. It was ample time that we showed them the might of our Empire.
However, I am sad to announce that this great city will not be a jewel to be added to the Basileus' crown.
Most my life, me and my family have suffered the scorn and the whims of our Basileus. The recent events have led me to believe that I'll be forever an enemy in the eyes of Ioannis Komnenos.
His grant of a pardon to the man who absconded with my daughter is only the last of the many insults done to me and mine.
I have often spoken out against Ioannis, rarely did I do anything to stand up to him. Even during the war that was declared between us, I chose not to take up arms against fellow Greeks.
But now, this must come to an end. I will not see the rest of my family suffer as I did. I must preserve my son and my daughters from the neglect of Basileus.
Having long considered the options available to me, I have decided that it was time for me the cut the bonds that tied me to this Empire, to free myself and mine from the yoke of an nepotic and unjust ruler.
I declare myself and my lands in secession from the Empire.
I invite any and all Senators who wish to live and fight for freedom and justice to come and join me. To those who prefer to stand by Ioannis, I warn them that should they decide to wage war on the lands of Egypt and Jerusalem, they'll soon discover what our enemies felt facing me.
Lastly, Ioannis, our agreement upon the marriage of my daughter Theodora is now broken. I will not lose another daughter because you cannot bring one of your vassals to heel.
Methodios Tagaris
Caesar of the Basileion ton Romaion no longer.
King of Jerusalem, Palestine and Northern Egypt.
Demetrios enters the Magnuara, a forlorn yet proud look upon his face.
"I have come bearing word to the Senators of the Roman Empire from my master Helarionas Anargiros. He wishes it to be known that he willingly surrendered Durazzo to the Basileus, and intentionally did so to avoid bloodshed."
"However - Helarionas Anargiros cannot except the Basileus's pardon with good conscience. He understands he has broken Imperial Law, and must face punishment for it, and does not think the loss of Durazzo is "just punishment". Inaccordance with this, and by request of Lady Aleksandra herself, Helarionas Anargiros himself surrenders his army and his life to Caesar Methodios Tagaris, for him to judge. He will leave his army in the care of his Captain Gerasimos and Mistress Chara and head to Egypt with Aleksandra, and will present himself before Caesar Methodios, unarmed and unguarded, and to be dealt with as the Caesar see fit."
After Demetrios finished, he looks around at the Magnuara, and sees stunned faces. Demetrios's look quickly turns quizzical as a page scurries up to him and whispers into his ear. Demetrios's face turns pallid as he he staggers backward to his seat, a look of horror and shock upon him as he stares at the page.
KnightnDay
02-05-2009, 16:11
In accordance with the wishes of the Basileus, I withdraw my declaration of war against Helarionas Anargiros and express my distinct relief that no more lives need be sacrificed as a result of this decision.
Ituralde
02-05-2009, 16:22
Nikitas Moschos can be heard laughing loudly.
This is just perfect! So the one outlawed Senator thinks that the punishment inflicted upon him by our Basileus is not enough and instead wishes to be sentenced by the former Caesar, now self-declared Despot of Egypt, handing him an army in the process! Am I the only one who finds this funny?
Well maybe this will mean the Caesar will actually mean what he says and wage war and not just sit around in his country home entertaining his daughters, who seem to be at the source of every problem we had recently.
Ibn-Khaldun
02-05-2009, 19:25
A message from Theo Petzeas...
Senators,
I would like to announce my neutrality in this Methodios Tagaris' 'rebellion'!
Also, I would like to call Kousinos Sophianos to serve Order and, instead marching together with this Erotikos, march south to aid me against those vile Turks!
Theo Petzeas
In a corner Arintheos can be seen whispering to one of his aides. Arintheos seems agitated, and the aide fearful. After a few moments, the aide walks to the center of the room.
The Megas is distraught at this turn of events. He had hoped that his term would see an era of unity within the Empire, especially as it is threatened by outside forces. Instead it seems it is to be split asunder.
Megas Arintheos is committed to resolving this peacefully and will continue to focus on his duties of protecting the Empire and ending its current wars. However, he understands if the main participants are unable to come to an agreement and instead seek a resolution through battle. His only demand is that Imperial settlements captured in this war not be sacked or exterminated.
This isn't to be interpreted as the Megas declaring his neutrality, merely that in addition to his personal loyalties he recognizes a general duty to the Empire that comes with his position. He strongly backs the rightful Basileus Ioannis Komnenos, and will support him in whatever decision he makes to resolve the secession issue.
KnightnDay
02-06-2009, 03:45
Will Senator Markos ek Sinopis who swore an oath to the Caesar, please acknowledge where he stands on this grave matter?
My fellow senators,
Although my lord's plan to secede from the Empire was not known to me when I swore an oath to him, I will nevertheless stand by that oath. When one does not come from the many great families of the Empire, he has only his honor and his word. I choose to keep both intact, even though it might cost me everything in the end. You may ask me if I agree with my lord's decision or not, but I will choose not to answer for it is not relevant. I will only say that I have some understanding of my lords motives. I wish I could have served in this illustrious body for a great many more years, but my time with you is at an end.
Now that I am not only no longer a Senator but also a traitor, I would ask of our Basileus if he could have me arrested.
Markos waits passively in the center of the Magnaura for the guards to seize him.
*The Protoasecretes eyes Markos suspiciously.*
In the Magnaura, I command the guards, not the Basileus. This is a place for debate and diplomacy, not violence, and I will not allow the armed men of any faction to violate this sacred place. Not even the Basileus can call these guards to action if I do not permit it.
Still, it is not every day that a Senator declares himself a traitor in the midst of the Magnaura and then waits passively to be arrested. Treason itself isn't much of a crime; why all the greatest of our Roman ancestors committed a treason at some point in their lives. However, in my day traitors had enough of a spine to actually rant about injustice and how they had been slighted, before either getting themselves killed or taking their own lives. Usually some spectacular battle or melodramatic speech came first, but it was always entertaining. This new-found passivity in treason is very un-Roman. So, for this violation of the traditional Roman laws on the proper way in which a traitor is to comport himself, I hereby order that you be arrested!
Guards...
*The Protoasecretes gestures to the armed men standing at the various doorways.*
...take this man into custody and... do whatever it is he wants done with himself.
*The guards hesitate and look a bit confused, until one shrugs and moves forward to grab Markos ek Sinopis.*
Demetrios quickly gets out of his seat and pushes his way to the guards, where he stands before them, hand on the hilt of his sword. "As proxy for my Lord Anargiros, I am allowed to declare our neutrality in this "secession". As such, Markos ek Sinopis is no longer at war with my Lord, and as per my Lords wishes, Markos now has sanctuary in my Lord's army. If a single one of you take one step further towards Lord Markos, I will severe that offending part."
KnightnDay
02-07-2009, 01:56
Ammonathas is visibly perturbed at this pitiful spectacle of Markos being led out of the Magnaura and the intervention of Demetrios.
Senators, perhaps Markos ek Sinopis is still suffering lingering effects from his recent combat with the renegade Helarionas. I had hoped that he would see things more clearly, but there seems little doubt that he is not of his right mind. I would leave it to men more wise than I to determine his fate.
And as for you Demetrios, you may tell your lord and master that I care not a whit of his wishes. :furious3: It was only through an act of compassion of our emperor that both of your lives were spared.
To the matter of Methodios, now a traitor to his people, I see this as a most despicable act. To him I say, do not fool yourself into thinking that our Basileus stands alone and without allies in this open rebellion. If it has now become necessary to abandon my campaign against Venice before it starts, so it shall be. As long as I live, I will fight any foe who threatens to tear apart these lands through their blatant usurpation. Each of us serves the empire. If some have other designs, I tell you that their intentions will ultimately be revealed and it must surely lead to their just reward.
Ituralde
02-07-2009, 12:52
I hereby offer my full support to the Empire against the usurper "kingdom" led by Methodios Tagaris. I can only offfer little, but my personal estates, my personal wealth, and my own health I will bring forward to put an end to this rebellion. If the forces that are were to equip me with an army mighty enough I vow I'll go forward to crush these ambitious fools to the South. It's not the first time Romans have tried to rip the Empire apart and it will not be last time they fail!
A pale looking young man enters the Magnaura, wearing expensive silk clothes of the latest Byzantine fashion. His red and blurry eyes make it clear that he's suffering from a major hang-over.
He looks around him, seemingly intimidated by the older and more inexperienced Senators.
Evmathios Komnenos nods to nobody in particular and murmures an apology and something about not feeling too well and then sits down, asking one of the servants for a glas of water.
Arintheos' aide rises. The Megas had noted that Senator Kousinos Sophianos has continued to march westward, in the exact opposite direction from his beleagured House. With thousands of Imperial lives lost at Damascus and more likely to follow could the Megas at least some some hint as to your intent in abandoning the Holy Lands when your presence would easily turn the tables against the Turks?
An envoy enters the Magnaura and takes the center of the floor. Pulling out a scroll, the scribe begins speaking without the slightest bit of hesitation.
"His Lord Anargiros wishes it to be known, that he has gained the blessing of Caesar Tagaris, King of Jerusalem and Aegyptus, Lord of Arabia, Captain-General of Ilios Korakas, and successor and heir to the lands, powers, and righteousness of the Ptolemaic Kings of the successor kingdom of Megas Alexandros, to marry the most beautiful, fair, gentle, and wise Aleksandra Tagaris. As such, he does not require the Basileus's forgiveness, his reconciliation, his blessing, or his 'mercy'."
"By the powers specifically vested in me by my Lord Anargiros, who has just recently returned from Jerusalem both to seek Caesar Tagaris's blessing and from pilgrimage, I am to let it be known that Lord Helarionas Anargiros swears fealty to Caesar Methodios Tagaris, and by proxy and intention, declares not only neutrality with Markos ek Sinopis, but considers him an ally."
The Envoy rolls up the scroll with a huaghty twist of his hands, and with his chin held high, walks gracefully over to House Ilios Korakas and takes the seat reserved for him.
Ituralde
02-11-2009, 08:11
Bah! Helarionas Anargiros apparently spits upont the very ground we walk! He will ask for mercy and forgiveness soon enough. How can the rest of this body stand aside while the Empire falls apart around them. The largest armies we command are now of the hand of open rebels and those marching on Constantinople itself without voicing their motives. It is time to take action, for those who are true Romans to stand together united in arms!
Somebody gives a note to the pale Evmathios Komnenos. He sips from his goblet of water and stands up. After clearing his throat by making some rather distasteful sounds, he starts to speak.
At the request of our honourable and beloved Basileus, I hereby swear an oath of fealty to Senator Arintheos Voutoumitis.
May our Emperor and my Lord life long and prosper!
The young Senator sits down again.
I accept Evmathios Komnenos' oath of fealty.
KnightnDay
02-12-2009, 03:33
Ammonathas moves to the center of the Magnaura to address the assembly.
My lords, as you have now all witnessed, the envoy from Helarionas Anargiros has sworn an oath of loyalty to his new master, Caesar Methodios. I trust that you all find this as amusing as I do. Imagine, one man swears an oath to another who has demonstrated to the entire world that he holds no value in such a thing. A supreme irony indeed.
And now, what do we hear? This same Helarionas Anargiros, who publicly proclaimed that he would abandon his army and set sail for Egypt to join his master, has instead landed his forces in our lands and set upon the army of Senator Andreas Dermokaitis. I trust now that any man here, regardless of where his loyalties lie, see this loathsome criminal as nothing more than a rank opportunist. His words shall always ring hollow, and any fool that would heed them will in time pay the price for their idiocy.
Ammonathas moves to approach the seats of the House of Ilios Korakas and now addresses the envoy for Helarionas.
And as for you good sir, if you would be so kind as to inform your lord, when he has finished his business with Senator Dermokaitis, and attempts to return to his haven of ships waiting to carry him off to safety....he will not find them. You may tell him that rather than look to the waters for safety, he should look below them. For his means of escape now lie at the bottom of the Adriatic.
The Envoy gives Ammonathas a curios look.
"When has my liege ever lied? Maybe your ears are so thick with propaganda, your eyes clouded by ignorance, you do not understand or perceive it at all? My Lord Anargiros said he would surrender his army, to Caesar Methodios, no one else, and travel to Aegyptus to be judged before him, as is Methodios's right as father of Aleksandra the Fair."
The envoy takes a moment to lean forward and tent his fingers, his tone changing to a more condescending note.
"Fact. Methodios has given his judgment - He has accepted my Lord Anargiros. Fact. My Lord Anargiros surrendered his army to Methodios, hence his declaration of an oath and the binding of Helarionas's army to Methodios's cause. Fact. My Lord has never lied about his intentions. Fact. Helarionas Anargiros is demanding the surrender of Andreas Dermokaitis, not his destruction - if Andreas refuses, Helarionas will be forced to act, to insure the safety of Markos ek Sinopis. Fact. You are distorting the facts in an effort to slander my Lord."
The Envoy finally comes to his full height, his eyes gleaming with smugness.
"If you had one ounce of the same bravery, humility, and moral fiber as my Lord Anargiros, you'd have realized what kind of person he is. What has he fought for so far? Love - he has made off with Lady Aleksandra, yet repented and came to the father when she asked him so. Honesty - He has been nothing but truthful in his actions. Fellowship - he released Markos, and bears the man no ill will, and even now looks to his welfare. Justice - he has committed several violations of Imperial Law, and has refused at every turn to be pardoned, and instead wishes to be tried."
"What on the other hand have you fought for? Land...Power...Prestige...all in the name of a sick Empire, a bloated Empire. You know little of the terrible crimes your own Basileus has committed against the people of the Empire, do you? 4500 florins and more for 3 years, for a backwater castle from the Normans. Yet people in Alexandria, Athens, Iconion, Antiokhiea, Kosmopolis, Cairo, Sinop, all suffer from lack of food, clean water, even shelter. Our roads are made out of dirt, our trade centers suffer from inflation, our military, both inefficient and expensive, soaks up money year after year!"
Anger seeps into the envoy's voice, cold as ice and deadly as acid.
"And yet you will stand there and flaunt your "loyalty". You are loyal to power, nothing more! Loyalty to the Empire is what comes first, and as Basileus Ioannis Komnenos has proven, they are two separate entities with incongruous goals! To serve the Empire is to serve the people, and to not be a slave to power! To serve the Basileus is to serve only to power, and damn the people!"
The envoy finally sits down violently, finished.
Helarionas Anargiros is demanding the surrender of Andreas Dermokaitis
Can I ask exactly why is your lord demanding my vassal surrender to you? He is enroute to Ragusa to bolster the western defences, a journey he has been on for many a year. Indeed, his journey began long before you made off with the princess. What is the point of attacking him, save to get some more Imperial blood on yor hands?
Can I ask exactly why is your lord demanding my vassal surrender to you? He is enroute to Ragusa to bolster the western defences, a journey he has been on for many a year. Indeed, his journey began long before you made off with the princess. What is the point of attacking him, save to get some more Imperial blood on yor hands?
The envoy shrugs. "My Lord wishes to procure men for Markos ek Sinopis for his safe travel to Aegyptus - Andreas has the men for that. Think of it, as an exchange of arms. Consdiering your willingness to look down ona man such as Markos, my Lord Anargiros has decided not to leave him to your "good graces".
Considering your willingness to look down on a man such as Markos
And how would the envoy of a lowly Senator know what I think of the noblemen of the realm?
Your excuse is rather thin. Loyal Greekmen on the way to fight Venetians for the Empire are in no mind to join a rebel's cause.
KnightnDay
02-12-2009, 05:54
Ammonathas stands to reply to the envoy of Helarionas.
Yes, your tone and manners now betray your thoughts and what you know to be inevitable. Your masters plot will fail. You may shout, you may scream and flail, you may howl at the moon this evening for all the good that it will do. I shall not waste my time answering these empty rantings. History will judge how this trail of lies, deceit and treachery met their end in due course, and your protestations will count for naught and be forgotten. What will be remembered is this: men who respected the laws of their lands did not hesitate to act once the naked hand of aggression was raised. Byzantium will overcome the lawlessness that these traitors and would-be kings seek to breed.
"And how would a man blindly loyal to the Emperor know of what cause Markos serves? In any case, the men will be returned to the Empire once Markos reaches safety - this is the word of my Lord Anargiros."
Arintheos looks up bemusedly at the men debating.
I don't believe Helarionas' chances of gaining Andreas' army are much of a concern at this moment. Andreas has confiscated the rebel's ships and set sail into the Adriatic.
Bravo Andreas! Convey that to your master, envoy.
Yawning, and seemingly engrossed in checking the tip of a small dagger in his hands, Arintheos continues.
I begin to think that Helarionas' lackey invokes Markos' name far too frequently. I know the man. He was a worthy opponent in the election who never resorted to dishonesty. A man of great honor as well.
So far we have seen one of Helarionas' lackeys "rescue" him when he did not seem to want to be rescued and had chosen to do the right thing by neither fighting against the empire nor ignoring his oath to Methodios, and now another lackey uses his name to justify Helarionas' aggressive actions against a general that only wanted to reach the Venetian front. Never mind that Markos was placed in more danger by not being picked up in Ragusa by his "ally" right away, nor that he never seems to have asked for such aid, or an attack on Andreas.
It seems to me that a traitor seeks to hide his ambitions and less than savory intentions by using the name of a man far more honorable than he.
Ituralde
02-12-2009, 08:46
I don't even know why we're listening to this man.
He turns to the envoy of Helarionas Anargiros.
If your master truly wanted to be tried by the Magnaura he would be standing here in front of us. Instead he threatens Roman Senators with violence, has allied himself with a rebel, and sent you here to fill our ears with unimportant drivel. I won't listen to you until your master shows up and has the courage to face us in the flesh and not through his puppet!
Nikitas shakes his head disgustedly.
Ignoramus
02-12-2009, 10:35
A Komnenoi page enters the Magnaura with a cheerful expression on his face.
Salutations, honoured senators! My lord, Ioannis Komnenos, Basileus of the Romans, is pleased to announce the impending marriage of his nephew, Ioannis Komnenos, to Theodora Tagaris, daughter of Caesar Methodios Tagaris, and one of the fairest ladies of the court. It is hoped that this marriage will bind the empire closer together in these strained times.
I understand young Ioannis is on his way from Crete as I speak, and the marriage should be conducted in the next few days. My lord Basileus apologises for his absence, but he is currently laid low with a particularly nasty bout of scurvy, and is confined to Dyracchium.
The page bows, and leaves the building.
_Tristan_
02-12-2009, 10:52
The Protoasecretes stands hadn harumphs loudly, visibly ill at ease.
My Lord Basileus, I do not think this marriage is still in the order of the day...
May I remind you of the words of our "Caesar" ?
A letter is handed to one of the Protoasecretes' aides. Unsealing it and quickly perusing it, the man visibly flinches and turns pale as chalk. with a shaky hand, he hands the letter to the Protoasecretes who grabs it absent-mindedly. Slowly scanning it, the Protoasecretes' eyes become larger and larger the further he reads. Then, hanging his head, he slowly and apprently unwillingly rises from his seat and starts reading :
"Senators of the Empire,
The most Holy City of Jerusalem has been freed by Byzantine arms. Too long had it been at the mercy of the Muslims who reigned over it. It was ample time that we showed them the might of our Empire.
However, I am sad to announce that this great city will not be a jewel to be added to the Basileus' crown.
Most my life, me and my family have suffered the scorn and the whims of our Basileus. The recent events have led me to believe that I'll be forever an enemy in the eyes of Ioannis Komnenos.
His grant of a pardon to the man who absconded with my daughter is only the last of the many insults done to me and mine.
I have often spoken out against Ioannis, rarely did I do anything to stand up to him. Even during the war that was declared between us, I chose not to take up arms against fellow Greeks.
But now, this must come to an end. I will not see the rest of my family suffer as I did. I must preserve my son and my daughters from the neglect of Basileus.
Having long considered the options available to me, I have decided that it was time for me the cut the bonds that tied me to this Empire, to free myself and mine from the yoke of an nepotic and unjust ruler.
I declare myself and my lands in secession from the Empire.
I invite any and all Senators who wish to live and fight for freedom and justice to come and join me. To those who prefer to stand by Ioannis, I warn them that should they decide to wage war on the lands of Egypt and Jerusalem, they'll soon discover what our enemies felt facing me.
Lastly, Ioannis, our agreement upon the marriage of my daughter Theodora is now broken. I will not lose another daughter because you cannot bring one of your vassals to heel.
Methodios Tagaris
Caesar of the Basileion ton Romaion no longer.
King of Jerusalem, Palestine and Northern Egypt.
As the envoy moves to retort to Nikitas, a cold presence pervades the Magnaura. A tender hand lays itself upon that of the envoy, who looks up startled to see Chara staring back, her eyes cold and pitiless. "You speak no more for my Lord, and if you do not leave now, you will speak no more for anyone. Is this clear?"
The envoy nods meekly as Chara firmly pushes him from his seat and towards the Magnuara's exit. After the envoy leaves, Chara turns her attention to the Magnuara.
"Senators of the Roman Empire, forgive the fool who spoke before. He was neither empowered to speak for my lord, nor was he given permission to do anything beyond relay a message even by the man who sent him."
"His speeches, not only presumptuous of my lord, carry only few grains of salt. From here on in, no one speaks for my liege, except himself. Anything you here of his intentions hereafter, will be considered falsity."
"My liege owes you all an apology, for more then breaking Imperial Law. It has been alleged my Lord has lied about his identity - this is true, but not of his character. There was a man named Helarionas Anargiros, who lived in Durazzo. When he was but 20 years of age, he died from a terrible sickness. Then there was a man named Sergios Echter, who was from Bran. He was but 16 and almost nothing but a servant, a child conceived through adultery, his mother a married noblewoman, his father a pariah. One day, a man from Durazzo of the name Nikolaos Aristenos came to see this boy, and handed him a new identity, so as to fulfill the request of him by that boys father."
"And so it came to pass that Sergios Echter ek Kallipoleos, son of Aleksander Echter ek Kallipoleos, took the name Helarionas Anargiros, took the senatorial papers given to him, and he came to Constantinople. It was here that he reunited with the one person whom he cared for - Aleksandra Tagaris."
"In 1161, Sergios, along with his mother, were given sanctuary in Alexandria. It was there, for a year, that Aleksandra and Sergios first met, grew to know each other, and fell in love. That love never disappeared, carrying on even when the two were separated by oceans and borders. It was so strong, that Sergios was willing to defy Imperial Law to marry Aleksandra."
Chara takes a moment to gather her thoughts before continuing.
"Few men have I met, that compare to Sergios. Few men have I met, that would fight for what eh has, let alone die for it. Sergios's youth and innocence maybe the very reason he has not lost his heart, or his compassion. Few men do I know that would risk their lives for the love and affection of one woman, yet he would do it for any stranger, any commoner, for nothing in return."
"But he is also a stubborn man, an idealist. He believes in an Empire that was told to him by the fire when he was a child, one filled with Heroes that worked selflessly, tirelessly to preserve the Empire, stories told of men that served not themselves, but the people of the Imperium. That is what Sergios fights for, and why he still holds an army, and why he is not here before you, waiting to be shackled in chains."
"He will fight for his beliefs, to the last gasp. And he will continue to fight, until he sees that the Empire is what he heard in those stories when he was a child."
Chara bows respectfully, if coldly, to the Senators from each House, and then turns and walks calmly out of the Magnuara.
Ituralde
02-12-2009, 13:26
Nikitas pretends to wipe a tear from his eye as he watches the woman leave.
Oh what a moving story. All falsities and hearsay as the good lady told us herself. Helarionas Anargiros had now twice betrayed the Empire. I am finished with him whatever he may call himself now.
_Tristan_
02-13-2009, 00:48
A man in Ilios Korakas livery steps into the Magnaura, a downcast look upon his face.
Lords of the Empire, Senators,
I am the bearer of news that some will consider sad while others will rejoice...
Caesar Methodios has died and his son Ioannis with him. Ioannis had learned that the German Crusader Athalwolf that roamed our territories for countless years had in his possession the Holy Chalice.
Hoping that taking it from the German hands might save the soul of his father who had long despised the teachings of our mother Church, Ioannis rode alone and tried to rob this most holy of containers from his owner. Only he was caught by Athalwolf and put to death most gruesomely.
Upon learning the news, blinded by grief and rage, Caesar Methodios has ridden himself to confront the killer of his son, only to be met with the same fate.
All of his men were freed before he rode out, knowing he was doomed and didn't want his men to lose their blood trying to avenge him or keep the dream of his kingdom alive.
Now, some of you will rejoice, knowing that the man that tore the Empire apart is no longer of this world.
But I hope that some of you will be sad for the loss of one of the greatest, if not the greatest general of the Empire, a man who cared enough for the people of these lands that saw him brought into the world that he stood against those that threatened the very fabric of the Empire by forver grabbing fro more power...
So rejoice or cry but please remember Methodios Tagaris, General, Crusader, Chivalrous leader, Champion of the People, Conqueror of Egypt and Arabia, King of the Free Kingdom of Jerusalem, Palestine and Northern Egypt.
The man slowly walks out, discarding his liveried tabard on the floor of the Magnaura.
Arintheos looks momentarily startled at the news. After a few moments he regains his composure, sheaths the dagger he had been playing with earlier, and stands.
Well, I can't say that I'll mourn the passing a man who betrayed the Empire Alexios Komnenos worked so hard to build, nor any son of his that would resort to petty robbery. However, it is not the business of any Latin barbarian to execute Roman nobles. Were they concerned about justice they could have released them to the Empire to deal with.
I consider this an act of war by the crusaders and support any who would face the army of this Athalwolf and kill him in battle or capture him.
At least one good thing may come out of this. With Methodios and his most likely heir gone I see little need for the rebellion to continue. I encourage all remaining rebels to consider opening negotiations to rejoin the Empire.
One of them, Markos ek Sinopis, has contacted me. I believe his actions to this point to have been made from his sense of honor. He kept to his oath despite being left in an impossible situation by his Lord, surrounded by enemies and one ally who abandoned him to fulfill personal ambitions. He has never attacked loyalist forces and instead sought to surrender to them.
He is now free from his oath with the death of Methodios and I believe we would be remiss in not giving him a chance to rejoin the Empire. He has agreed to come to the Magnaura today to place himself before the judgment of the Senate. A few of my men should be escorting him in shortly.
OOC: As noted in the Megas thread, Tristan's most recent action was illegal and I have invalidated it. For this reason, the events that the above two posts refer to have not occurred for IC purposes. I have spoilered them to remove any confusion.
We have a fairly new issue that is troubling. Despite my requests that they help out in the Levant where a single Senator fights the Turkish hordes alone Senator Erotikos and his Kousinos continue to march in the direction of the capital. With the lack of communications from them I can only assume they are following their scamming of two armies from the Order of Saint John by marching on Constantinople.
I dearly wish to be proven wrong in this assumption. Perhaps either they or one of their representatives would care to explain what their intent is?
Ramses II CP
02-13-2009, 15:05
Io returns to the Magnaura in something of a rush, with a very obvious look of alarm on his face,
Good noblemen of the Empire, I believe I have just been painted with a most unpleasant brush by my former competitor for the position of Megas, Senator Voutoumitis. Did you seriously intend to imply that I am a rebel just because I happen to be making use of the largest road in the Empire?
I would have you know that I hold no grudges over the technicality by which you invalidated my campaign for Megas. We need not be enemies, you and I, if you will but restrain yourself from slander. Our nation has enough true enemies not to need a leader casting about for more!
I will repeat myself here for all, new and old, to hear; I am pursuing the killer of Grandmaster Armatos, whose death directly precipitated the extermination of Damascus. I wish to praise the good men of the Order, even the one with whom I may technically still be at war, for working to pay back the Turks for their crimes, but there are other crimes, greater crimes, which too must have a price taken in their name. I move to make that a reality, and the right thinking man at my side, also of the Order of St. John, moves with me.
If there are further questions about my intent please put them to me directly without the need of these petty insults!
Io looks about the chamber expectantly, remaining on his feet.
:egypt:
KnightnDay
02-14-2009, 17:10
Good Senators, please forgive me but I must now depart to rejoin my army.
Ammonathas then bows in the direction of Io. Senator Erotikos, I shall fervently ask God in my evening prayers that he deliver what you ask. That the murderer of Grandmaster Armatos, now awash with the blood of countless citizens of Damascus, be stuck down with a furious vengance. May he rot in Hell an eternity for the heinous crimes that have been committed.
Ammonathas without betraying any emotion, then turns about and departs.
*The Protoasecretes rises slowly from his chair. The seemingly endless list of deaths seems to be having an impact on him.*
It is with great sadness that I announce the deaths of Basileus Ioannis Komnenos and Caesar Methodios Tagaris. The former is reputed to have died of scurvy, while the latter has expired from old age. Basileus Ioannis Komnenos died first, thus making Caesar Methodios Tagaris the Basileus for the last few days of his long life. In that time, I have been told that he made his own son, Ioannis Tagaris (TheFlax), the new Caesar. With Methodios' death a few days later, Ioannis Komnenos has now become the new Basileus by law. The Basileus Ioannis Komnenos' younger brother, Andronikos Komnenos (woad&fangs) has claimed the title of Caesar, though I do not know how or why.
When Basileus Ioannis Komnenos died, he left the following will:
All the provinces I own on my death, excepting Constantinople, will pass to Arintheos Voutoumitis. Constantinople itself shall pass to my nephew and successor, Ioannis Komnenos. I will also pass my Veteran Warrior on to him, while the rest of my retinue shall enter the service of Arintheos Voutoumitis.
As such, Constantinople is now the property of Ioannis Komnenos III (Ignoramus). Megas Arintheos Voutoumitis (Zim) has in turn inherited Nicaea, Dardanellia, Arta, Scopia, Benghazi, Amida, and Dyracchium.
At the time of his death, Methodios Tagaris wished all of his lands to pass to his son, Ioannis. Accordingly, Basileus Ioannis Tagaris (TheFlax) has inherited Cairo, Gaza, Jerusalem, Solomeia, and Alexandria, though I do believe that Alexandria and Cairo have fallen into the hands of rebels during the recent rioting.
Though these deaths have been most unexpected and inconvenient for the governance of the Empire, with Basileus Ioannis Tagaris' ascention to the throne, the Tagarian Rebellion is now a thing of the past. The Egyptian lands are once again an integral part of the Empire and all hostilities due to that secession have ended. It is my great hope that this new peace will be used as a building block for further cooperation in the Empire. As a new Basileus now reigns, I would like to take this opportunity to remind all Senators of their duties of loyalty to him. Basileus Ioannis Komnenos himself created Codex Amendment E3.2 a great many years ago:
CA E3.2: Upon their elevation to the position of leader of a house, the senator must swear an oath of fealty to the Basileus.
By all rights of Byzantine law, all House leaders must now swear an oath of fealty to Basileus Ioannis Tagaris.
Arintheos casts a wary look at the Protosecrates before addressing the Senate.
The deaths of our beloved Emperor Ioannis Komnenos and the lowly traitor Methodios Tagaris seems to have left us in some confusion regarding the succession. I can only hope that it is resolved and a proper claimant ascends the throne.
As for you, Erotikos, the blood of Damascus lies on your hands. Your and your lackey's abandonment of the Levant left the Order too weak to defend the city from the Turks. The blood of thousands of good Romans was lost because of your greed and ambition.
There is no good reason to steal two armies from the Order and then march on a beeline for the Empire's capital. Were you to trace the man or men who killed Armatos, there should be no issue having those responsible arrested and brought to justice. Even if an army were required, abandonment of the Levant to the Turks would not be. I could easily have recruited an army, or used my own or asked another to use theirs.
There is every reason to regard your actions as suspicious, and not a single reason not to. They have already resulted in the deaths of many Romans, and I fear will result in even more if your intent is what I fear it is.
I ask again what you mean by taking two Order armies and marching into the Empire's until recently weakly defended heartland.
I am deeply saddened by the loss of my brother. We were not close and I opposed him much more often than supported, but I am willing to admit, though it be at this too-late of a stage, that I had done it unjustly. He did not turn out to be the tyrant some among us feared he would be. History may judge him a controversial figure, but he was no more polarizing than some of his opponents. Despite much posturing, the bloody civil war never came, and the Empire remains united, more or less. If I could, I would also thank him for leaving Constantinople to my son Ioannis, who may turn out more like his uncle than his father, and when I say that I do not mean it as a bad thing, possibly for the first time in my life.
I also mourn, as we all should, Methodios Tagaris. Over the years, his conquests have benefited the Empire greatly. There is no need to judge a man by his last act, ignoring his entire body of work. I would say that he has brought more to the Empire than he has taken away, and for that he should be commended. I commend him, and offer condolences to his son and the rest of the family.
As for the son, Ioannis Tagaris, I hope he can be a force for unity at this critical time. I look forward to hearing what he has to say.
Now to move on to other matters, and if you will indulge me, I will take an indirect path there. The ancient Romans had a old custom that no armed soldiers were allowed within the city of Rome. Once the Roman Republic expanded outward, no standing army was allowed in Italy. While some of the justification for these rules had their basis in tradition and their pagan religion, there was also a real security benefit: the Senate and the magistrates in Rome could operate without the threat of violence. The Romans of old did not believe that coercion and violence should be a part of politics.
When Caesar entered Italy, the war was on. Everyone knew it. He did not try to claim, nor would anybody have believed him, that he was merely trying to take the fastest route to Sicily. Marching an army on the capital is a clear act of aggression. And acts count for a lot: if a dog growls and barks at you, do you assume that he means you no harm, because he has not articulated that fact and provided his reasons? Do you assume that Caesar is in Italy under arms because he wants to see the sights?
No satisfactory explanation has been provided for why Ioannis Erotikas and Kousinos Sophianos have brought armies to the interior of the Empire. Anyone wishing to switch theaters from the east to the west would announce such innocent intentions, and if he were really polite, he would go around. All we have gotten out of these two is empty rhetoric. They have not even stated who the killer of Armatos is; if they do this for the element of surprise, they have done well, because now nobody knows who the killer is, except them, and the killer. I'm sure he remembers doing it. The rest of us may be aiding the killer unknowingly, but that's a small price to pay for the great suspense. Maybe we should start a guessing game? We have also gotten pointless ranting about 'greater crimes', which is just $#@%. Really.
I agree with Megas Voutoumitis' assessment that these men are responsible for abandoning the Turkish front, which is in dire need of troops, and complicit in the extermination of the good people of Damascus. I further charge that they have crossed the Rubicon, so to speak, and that they threaten the peace and prosperity of the Empire. Whomever they wish to attack, it is not acceptable. Finally, I hold that we do not accept their self-nomination as judges, and that the matter of Armatos' murder can only be settled in the open, and that no one can be convicted without any evidence.
It is the duty of every Senator who believes in peace and justice to oppose these brigands. War has already been declared in effect, and I do not wish to wait for them to make the formal overture of declaration when it is most strategically convenient for them. Therefore,
I declare war on Ioannis Erotikas and Kousinos Sophianos.
I hope the Empire will have peace soon.
Isaakios Komnenos, son of Alexios Komnenos.
Ibn-Khaldun
02-16-2009, 09:01
A message from Theo Petzeas...
Isaakios Komnenos,
I welcome your Declaration of War against Erotikos although Kousinos Sophianoscould just follow him because he knows not Erotikos' real plans. But perhaps that's just me as his Liege talking here.
I also hope that perhaps we can leave our differences we had decades ago and join together against Erotikos!
So, I propose peace to Isaakios Komnenos!
Theo Petzeas
Senator Petzeas,
It does indeed seem that a time has come to end our "war." The ship incident was a long time ago, and I do admire your vigilant stand against the Turks. You are also now the enemy of my enemy.
Unfortunately, you are also the lord of my other enemy, which makes the legal situation a little complicated. I will tell you that if you are right about Senator Sophianos, and if he follows Erotikas in error, and if he drops his support once the true plans are revealed, I will not attack him. But for as long as he follows Erotikas, he is subject to an attack, and any man who follows a leader whose intentions he does not know is a fool.
So it is for the moment that I wish to remain at war with Sophianos, while accepting your proposal of peace. That requires a look at the rules. Apparently, I was already at war with Sophianos, since he is your vassal. Although he made his oath after my declaration of war, he still entered that war upon taking his oath (Rule 5.1). If I accept your peace, it will also end the state of war between him and me, since he is your vassal (5.3). But that is fine, since what I wish can be accomplished simply as follows.
I accept Senator Petzeas' offer of peace.
I declare war (really, this time) on Senator Sophianos
Now I am at war with Sophianos but not with Petzeas.
Interestingly, by the same rules, Sophianos, being the vassal of Petzeas, is also at war with Erotikas. I do not see a statement of neutrality entered in the official Civil War records. I do hope that, due to this new revelation, Sophianos and Erotikas decide to attack each other.
Arintheos stands.
Isaakios Komnenos is right. For years now we have given Erotikos and Kousinos the chance to explain their actions. Their march on Constantinople has forced me to beef up it's defenses, worsening our debt. They have offered no reason for their insistence on bringing an army to our capital, except the feeble one of looking for Armatos' killer. Erotikos himself has shown no evidence that he is actually looking for the killer, nor any reason that an army is required to do so. If he really had cause to need troops tp subdue the murderer I could have recruited them for him and the Levant would retain the forces needed to be defended from the Turks. In this way the slaughter of Damascus might have been avoided, and the blood of the Romans that died there remain on the hands of Erotikos.
As their forces are far greater than those of Isaakios, I find myself compelled to take action. I declare war on Ioannis Erotikas and Kousinos Sophianos. I have no intention of engaging them in battle unless they refuse to turn from their apparent course of action, but I will act to defend Constantinople, and Imperial city, or the brave Isaakios Komnenos from them.
Should they provide a believable explanation for their actions, and proof of their good intentions I may withdraw my declaration. Until then I am forced to consider them rebels and enemies of the Empire.
Cecil XIX
02-17-2009, 08:59
A letter arrives in the Magnaura from Kousinos Sophianos. It is read aloud by the pages in the Magnaura, and later copies of the letter are distributed to those senators who were not present for the reading.
Senators of the Magnuara,
As has been noticed by members of your august body, both myself and Senator Erotikas are marching towards Constantinople. My subordinate has told you that we are doing so in pursuit of the killer of Armatos ek Naksou. This was the truth.
We came to the conclusion that no less a man than the late Basileus Ioannis II was the one responsible. Naturally we wanted to wait as long as possible to announce our findings, as we did not want to provoke more fighting than would be necessary to attain justice.
How ever, none of that is important now. Indeed, the pursuit of Armatos’ murderer was of secondary concern to us.
You see Senators, the truth is my name is not really Kousinos Sophianos. Though I did not know it until recently, my true name is Constantine Ksanthopoulos.
I am the son of Anna Komnenos and Makedonios Ksanthopoulos, and I have come to claim the title of Roman Emperor that has been bestowed upon me by the Lord.
In order to seize what is mine, namely the Imperial Throne and the city in which it resides, I hereby declare war on Basileus Ioannis Tagaris, Caesar Andronikos Komnenos, and Ioannis III Komnenos.
I urge all Senators to recognize my sovereignty forthwith and submit to me. Though it is divine mandate that I become Emperor, it is up to each of us to choose how that is to be so.
Good day to you all.
-Constantine XI Ksanthopoulos
Basileus Romaion
Before the message bearer can depart, Zigavinos asks
I at the least would like a letter sent to your lord, this Constantine Ksanthopoulos, in which he clarifies this statement: "I have come to claim the title of Roman Emperor that has been bestowed upon me by the Lord."
Does he say that God Almighty has annointed himself (Constantine) as the true Basileus?
Arintheos sighs. All of the tenseness and uncertainty that accompanied his last announcement seems to have disappeared, replaced by mild irritation.
So that's what this is all about? A weak excuse to allow a pretender to the throne make his claim? Not even a believable excuse. I knew the Basileus quite well and would not believe him to stoop to having anyone killed by assassins, not even his worst enemies. Now we are expected to believe he would have Armatos, a man he did not have cause to hate, killed? I would ask how Erotikos and Kousinos came to that "conclusion" but I suspect that in their years of planning to betray the Empire they have invented a number of lies that would confuse the issue long enough to allow Kousinos to finish making his move.
Indeed, although I would willingly kill the man where he stands for making such an accusation about the recently departed Basileus there is an even more important danger than to Ioannis Komnenos' reputation, that being the danger this pretender causes the Empire. Anna Komnenos was an honorable woman and I doubt this boy's story, but even accepting it at face value he still has no real claim to the throne. The Basileus had chosen as his heir Methodios Tagaris. While I think Methodios' betrayal invalidated that decision and suspect the emperor eventually had another in mind it is clear that this child was never named the Imperial heir. Even the Tagaris boy has a better claim, being named so by the man man who was still formally Caesar.
The throne rightfully goes to the heir chosen by the Basileus , and not to anyone who happens to have a large army and the slightest claim to royal blood.
Isaakios was also present, his fleet being anchored nearby. He was rather enjoying relaxing in the cool chamber of the Magnaura, while sipping on a delightful wine, but this announcement seems to have stirred him a little.
Never mind the throne! By claiming this heritage, this peasant bastard pretender has implied that my sister is an adulteress. If you're taking messages, messenger, tell my "nephew" that I will kill him, and tell his men to expect no quarter.
Ignoramus
02-17-2009, 10:44
Ioannis Komnenos III, rises up hastily after his father, just as indignant.
I will not have my aunt, an imperial princess of the blood, be slurred by these slanderous accusations. How convenient, for this loathsome fellow to somehow claim imperial blood runs through his veins.
My father and I will see to it that these two usurpers are put to the sword in an honest battle. I, too, will give no quarter, and indeed call on all who follow him to desert or face the wrath of our family.
As for the ruling Basileus, the son of the traitor Tagaris, the question of his legitimacy may be left until after this matter is disposed of.
The young Komnenoi resumes his seat.
Ramses II CP
02-17-2009, 16:58
Io rises with a wide grin and bows to the assembled senators,
So you see gentlemen, it is precisely as I have said all along! The man who was responsible for the death of the Grandmaster was too highly placed for me to give him any warning, and even after his death he has raised massive armies to defend his reputation. The very heart of the Empire is corrupt, and the evidence lay there for all to see all along. Remember the humiliating false war against the Order? It's sole purpose was to avenge the imaginary insult done to Princess Anna, which our former Emperor knew all too well. When Grandmaster Ksanthopoulos retired from public life the Emperor still never forgave the Order, and finally conspired to take his revenge.
I will remind you all, I was there when the assassins struck. They struck again, immediately afterward, at a company of men under our true Emperor, Constantine XI Ksanthopoulos. What are the odds that two opponents would be hit by such methods back to back and not by the same opponent?
Would any man here truly say that the son of Basileus Aleksios has in any way, shape, or form been his legitimate heir? Are any of you truly loyal to the rebel's son who has now claimed the throne? This is the day to remake the Empire in Aleksios' image! Have you all forgotten how nobly Grandmaster Ksanthopoulos behaved in victory and defeat? His heir unites the good blood of Emperor Aleksios with the noble, pious blood of the founder of the Order of St. John.
Look at the state of the Empire today! Our Megas has driven us to financial ruin, our former Emperor drove us to lose many of our richest provinces in his greed and anger! The succession is already unclear, but one of the men with a claim is near Constantinople. Is of a known and good legacy. Is prepared to lead us into a new age of prosperity in Aleksios the Bold's name! Is it not time for new blood, new leadership, with the heart of the old?
It saddens me that the armies of the Empire will march to defend the honor of a family that kills it's own, but I accept that in this day and age we have truly fallen so far. I call upon all men of honor to stand with our true Emperor, Constantine XI Ksanthopoulos, and avenge the red handed rule of the unworthy Komnenos family lest you be the next to taste an assassin's blade at their command!
I hereby declare war on Basileus Ioannis Tagaris, Caesar Andronikos Komnenos, and Ioannis III Komnenos.
Come if you will, come and remake the mistakes that have begun to tear apart our good Empire, but know that if you are defeated you will be given another chance. I am not vidictive, merely sworn to revenge. When God gives our true Emperor victory you need only swear allegiance and you will go free.
Good fortune and peace on all here assembled. I will be available for any question anyone might have.
:egypt:
_Tristan_
02-17-2009, 18:16
A young man stands from his bench, a bit flustered.
My Lords,
I am Georgios Angelos, recently appointed to this most noble asssembly.
Pardon me for interrupting but I an still young enough to remember the teachings of my elders in the matters of religion.
Kousinos Sophianos claims a divine mandate for his accession to the throne but he claims at the same time to be the fruit of the alleged adulterous union between the Princess Anna Komnenos and Grandmaster Ksanthopoulos.
How could God give such a mandate when adultery is considered a sin by our Mother Church ?
Please enlighten me.
Ituralde
02-17-2009, 20:56
There's nothing to be enlightened about. He is a bastard and a usurper. The rest is just fancy talk. I wish the defenders of the Empire the best of luck in the upcoming battle against Ioannis Erotikos and Kousinos Sophianos. May they meet their deserved fate.
Two men enter the Magnaura and head for the the throne. The first man wears an elaborate apparel, consisting of a dark cloak worn over a white, long-sleeved camisia, a golden lorica, a short purple tunica with embroidered trim, and cloth stockings. His leather boots are ostentatiously studded with jewels and his hands bear almost as many golden gem encrusted rings as they have fingers. His boyish features give him a somewhat innocent and harmless appearance, but they cannot hide that he seems unnerved and that his confident pace is merely for show. Upon his brow lies the crown of the Romans which marks him as the Emperor. Next to him walks a taller man, with long graying hair and hard features, the man seems the Basileus' elder by many winters. Dressed simply in nondescript clothing, his clean shaven face gives little away save for his intense and sparky eyes which seem out of character with the rest of the man's attributes.
The young Basileus stops next to the throne and sits down wearily, the other man moving to stand next to him. In takes Ioannis a moment to gain some composure before addressing the Magnaura in a clear, but amicable voice.
My fellow Romans. There are a number of issues I wish to address, but foremost I hope I have not kept you waiting for too long, as you no doubt know Jerusalem is considerably far from our beloved capital.
Now, first and foremost there is the matter of Constantine Ksanthopoulos and his supporter, who are marching here at this very moment. I hope none of you will be dazzled by these pretentious claims and unite against the threat they pose to the precarious stability of the Empire. We can ill afford to be divided in this moment and...
The older man interrupts him, whispering something in his ear. The Basileus nods slightly before continuing.
And I thus urge every Senator of this body to break any oath they may share with these men and then declare war upon them. I realize many of you are too far away or too busy fighting against our outside enemies to defend the capital, but we must show them that we are ready to stand together when an little known opportunist has delusions of grandeur. Consider your declaration of war upon these men as not only a pledge of loyalty to my person, but to our great Empire itself!
As for you Senator Erotikos, you may deliver the following message to your master:
He has a tenuous claim to the throne at best and I can think easily of several candidates who are more worthy than him by blood. Neither can he claim the throne by deeds, for what good he has done for the Empire? Abandoning the Order in its darkest hour and leaving the population of the Levant to die in order fulfill his selfish ambition. That is not a man any here will follow. Tell him that even if he does manage to vanquish the valiant defenders of Constantinople, it will not make him Basileus. He will have to do more than conquer one city to claim this title, he will have to kill Ceasar Andronikos and my person, for we will not rest until you are eradicated. Of course, there is an alternative. Your master can surrender now and spare the needless death of your men.
Until I have received their surrender, Constantine Ksanthopoulos (Cecil XIX ) and Ioannis Erotikos (Ramses II CP) are both barred from this chamber, any communication they send here will be destroyed. We have heard enough of their nonsense.
The young Basileus turn to the older man and they exchange a short conversation of whispers. Ioannis nods again lightly before turning back to the assembled Senators.
The other issue I wish to discuss is the different reactions some of you have expressed upon my becoming Basileus. I understand some of you have concerns and this body is the perfect place to express them. Remember well though to act civilized and refrain from using slander as your sole point of argumentation. On that note, I will not tolerate anymore insults on my father's character. Whatever might be my personal feelings, he was a positive influence on the Empire, more so than many of you will ever be. You may question some of his later actions all you want, he earned the position of Ceasar and then Basileus by his great deeds for the Empire.
Invalidating my legitimacy by calling him a traitor is not only a very despicably easy slander, but it bears little truth. Only God can decide if I should rule or not and if I was the villain some of you have depicted, surely God would not have condoned my father's later action by allowing my coronation. Furthermore, I find it ironic that man who bandy around such slanders is himself an easy of target of similar words.
Yes, Arintheos Voutoumatis, I could respond to your words by calling you an incompetent buffoon for your recent years as Megas Logothetes. Perhaps some would find it an apt description. After all you did run for the position on the promise of some reforms to cut costs. Yet the Empire face the worst deficit ever incurred in recent history, something not even achieved by those considered the worst Megas Logothetes. Would that be fair? No. Would that take into account the extraordinary events of the recent years coupled with a lengthy war on two fronts? No. Thus I will refrain from characterizing you as such. Even though the situation is dire, I still have faith in your ability to perform your duties as best you are able. Perhaps if a man so unworthy as I in your eyes can elevate himself above petty insults, you also can do it.
I will state again, I have no wish to censure your words of concern. On the contrary they are welcomed, as long as they are expressed with respect and substance.
And now I leave to floor to you, my fellows Romans.
Andreas listens silently through the last speech, chuckling slightly towards the end.
I think you may have forgotten one other way in which such an accusation against me may be unfair, that being the fact that what precipitated the beginning of the deficit was the loss of two of our best cities under the watch of a man who had secede against the Empire... At any rate I am greatly shamed we have fallen into debt in my term, whatever the extenuating circumstances. My only feeble defense is that the threat of Erotikos required increased military spending. While I have recently cut costs enough that only the capture of Damascus is needed to balance the budget, it will still be long before Imperial funding is back in the black. I applaud Ammonathas Kalameteros for moving on Zagreb, the recapture of which will put us on the right track again financially.
I am not sure what to call a man who committed treason but a traitor. However, given the seriousness of the matter at hand, the rebellion by those crazed fools Erotikos and Kousinos, I will refrain from doing so for the time being. Instead I join Tagaris in calling for all loyal Romans to declare war against the traitors marching on our capital. The fate of the Empire is at stake, and we cannot let a madman and usurper steal the throne.
Ramses II CP
02-18-2009, 00:11
Io shrugs without saying a word and departs the chamber while making a rather flippant 'write me' gesture at the general assembly.
:egypt:
woad&fangs
02-18-2009, 00:20
Kousinos Sophianos, your claim to the throne is a farce. But it is no matter. Your army will soon be crushed and your limbs scattered to the four corners of the Empire to serve as a warning for all those who dare to slander royal blood.
Ibn-Khaldun
02-18-2009, 22:36
After many years Theo enters Magnaura. He is brought here on a chair by some of his servants...
I don't have much to say. For a crippled man like me it's hard to fight against our enemies, the Turks, and it's even harder to come here, Constantinople, from Levant. But what hurts me the most is how some of you act.
At the moment I'm willing to sign peace even with Erotikos! And the reason would be our foreign enemies - Venetians and Turks. Once all of you have decided who becomes the Basileus you may not have an Empire to rule! The Turks will over run our, the Orders, last defences in Levant if they keep sending those armies against us and Venetians might soon attack our holdings in Greece. We have already lost 3 provinces because of Methodios Tagaris' actions. He was a good man in his heart I think but it can not be ignored that his small 'rebellion' is the cause of our current financial situation!
I don't know what kind of man you are, Ioannis Tagaris, but if the lives of Byzantine people are important to You then You will help me getting back Damascus and if you return it to the Order then you will earn not just my gratitude but also my loyalty.
Loyalty... it's a word that have lost it's meaning to many of you! Kousinos, or Constantine, what you did was nothing but simple theft. You, and your partner, stole from the Order like those lowly thieves that you can see here in Constantinople! Why should anyone follow you even if you might become a Basileus? A thief, bastard and a rebel?
Theo spits to the ground...
I go back to the Levant now and just hopes that it's not too late to save the Empire!!! At least 'real' Romans would do it!!
His servants take the chair and take Theo, who mumbles about stupid Senators, out...
Ignoramus
02-19-2009, 02:47
Ioannis Komnenos III, after glancing at his father, motions to a Komnenoi man at arms. Immediately a company of Komnenoi soldiers enter the building.
"Good senators of the Roman Empire, I wish to inform you that I will not serve the son of the traitor, Tagaris. As my late uncle wished, I declare myself to be the true heir of the late Basileus Ioannis Komnenos, and do call upon all loyal Romans to swear loyalty to me as rightful ruler of the Roman Empire in the west. My uncle, Anronikos Komnenos, is also rightful ruler in the east, as per his brother's instructions.
I hereby secede from the rule of Ioannis Tagaris, with the provinces of Thrace(Constantinople, Bithynia(Nicaea), and Mysia(Dardanellia), and do designate the fair city of Constantinople as my current capital.
I offer a free pardon to Ioannis Tagaris, if he will relinquish his non-existent claim to the throne and swear loyalty to me, the rightful ruler of the Romans in the west."
Ioannis approaches the Basileus' dais and sits down.
A cold wind blows through as Sergios, covered in a woolen cloak enters, mutter more to himself then to anyone else. "So long have I been parted from these halls, yet soon I maybe forced form them again. The Empire is so quick to fall apart when it needs to hang together, so many of you vying for power that does not belong to you. In your greed and selfishness, you will lose everything."
Sergios takes his seat under the House Ilios Korakas banners with a determined gaze.
"I hereby declare my loyalty to Emperor Ioannis Tagaris, and assume control of House Ilios Korakas - all men still loyal to the Empire are welcome within the House."
I find that capturing the two nutcases marching around a lot in the interior of the Empire to be of the highest priority. It is no time for an armed resolution to the matter of succession, and I would prefer a peaceful one anyway. I declare neutrality.
Ioannis rises with an odd gleam in his eyes, a somewhat twisted smile appearing on his face.
You too, brother in-law?
He chuckles
If I am the son of a traitor and you married my sister, the daughter of a traitor, what does that make you? Another "traitor" by association? What of your children? If you have any, will they be branded likewise as myself?
The Basileus seems to laugh at some private joke before stopping abruptly and becoming more somber.
I had hoped with could settle this without bloodshed. I even offered Andronikos to share power with me, like some of the emperors of old, in an attempt of compromise. I had hope that his reply saying he was considering it was genuine. Apparently not.
My time here may be limited, before Ioannis' lackeys try to arrest me, but I will leave you with a few words. I will not bring this war to my people, I will not tear down their cities in a quest for power and I will not waste my men fighting my fellow Romans, unless my hand is forced. While you bicker and gloat, destroying the Empire in the process, I will follow Senator Petzeas' example and move my army to fight the Turks. At least it will be a fight that makes sense.
Also, I will be moving the capital to Jerusalem, temporarily, as I am surely no longer welcomed here. The Magnaura and all other establishments will henceforth be held there until further notice.
He turns to leave, but stops for a moment and faces Ioannis.
I almost forgot, I will not surrender to you or swear any oath, for to do so would be accepting your cause as just. That I cannot do.
With those words the Basileus leaves the Magnaura in haste, heading for what is left of his empire.
(Edit: Forgot I could move the Capital for real, so I thought I would lose Jerusalem when I left with my army. Thus I have chosen Jerusalem over Gaza.)
A solemn looking Arintheos steps into the Magnaura, in full armor with sword by his side. He steps to the center of the room to address the Senate.
I understand my lord has chosen to claim the throne, seceding from an Empire run by one he sees as an usurper. I fully support his efforts and see him as the rightful heir to the throne. However I have an oath, older than my oath of fealty to Andronikos. I promised the previous Basileus that I would watch over his nephew. At this time I do not feel I can do this in rebellion, even against a questionable Basileus.
Arintheos' voice breaks at the next line, and he pauses before spitting the rest out as if hoping that the faster it came out the less it would hurt.
I break my oath to Andronikos Komnenos and declare neutrality.
The settlements of Trebizond and Amida I give to Andronikos Komnenos. I also strongly encourage Nikitas Moschos to end his oath to this dishonorable man and follow Andronikos, his true lord.
woad&fangs
02-19-2009, 05:13
Friend, I accept the breaking of your oath with deep regret. But, your loyalty is your greatest virtue and I understand your decision. There is no ill will between us.
Ituralde
02-19-2009, 08:49
I break my oath of fealty with the permission of my Lord then and swear an oath of fealty to Andronikos Komnenos.
KnightnDay
02-19-2009, 17:28
Ammonathas Kalameteros deplores the actions which have resulted in Constantinople no longer being the Byzantine capital. As a result, subsequent rioting in Thessalonike has forced him to abandon his campaign against the Venetians. He is now compelled to return to Thessalonike with his army and restore order as is his first duty as governor.
Ammonathas Kalameteros declares his neutrality in these shameful proceedings and will focus his energies on preserving order among the Greek provinces.
Ibn-Khaldun
02-19-2009, 23:58
Theo enters this new hall for Senate and this time on his own feet..
Something is different in here.. Oh yes.. This place is rebel free!
Taking his seat he sighs...
First of all, it's good to have Magnaura here in Jerusalem since I can visit this place more often!
But let's talk about serious things now..
I've heard that Helarionas' man Sergios is calling everyone to fight against 'traitors and rebels'. Although this might be a good thing to do Helarionas should remember that he himself have been a traitor and a rebel! So I would suggest him to shut up and perhaps prove himself trustworthy again!
My second suggestion goes to Ioannis Komnenos III, go to school before trying to create your own.. what ever it is you have created. Such a little boy should play with toy soldiers and not pretend to be greater than he is. You are not the next Julius Caesar!
Third suggestion goes.. I should get payed for doing this actually... to Andronikos Komnenos. I have always thought that you are a honorable man who cares about the Empire! But looks like you are nothing more than a simple robber who waits his time in the shadows and then stabs us in the back!
And about Kousinos Sophianos, my vassal and member of the Order. I'm not sure whether I should cut your throat for stealing an army that was vital for the protection of Levant or just spit towards you and hope that someone kills you!
I know that our current Basileus, Ioannis Tagaris, is not a perfect man but I am willing to give him a chance to prove himself! I've heard that Andronikos Komnenos mentioned in his speech in Hippodrome that Tagaris only 'sat and polished his fathers armor'! At least he followed his father and saw some fight and perhaps learned something valuable but our former Basileus, Ioannis Komnenos I, didn't even do that! But I don't remember people rebelling against his rule when he became Basileus!
Theo almost wanted to end his long speech when suddenly remembers something..
Oh, one more thing.. Sergios, Helarionas' servant, you said in your speech in Hippodrome that 'The Venetians and Turks can wait'. Could you please tell them too! I doubt they will wait until some fools have figured out who should get the throne! I know that they will not wait since I have been fighting against them for several years!! And what have your 'Master' done? Fought against other Romans!!
Everyone around Theo could see the anger in his eyes when he suddenly jumps up..
You punch of immature teenagers!!
I will warn all of those .. pretenders.. if you enter the lands of the Order I will hunt you down!! These lands will not become your battlegrounds!!
Theo takes his seat again and tries to calm down..
woad&fangs
02-20-2009, 00:37
Midway through Theo's speech, a wizened old monk with a long flowing beard enters the new Magnaura
Young sir, I implore you to speak in a more civilized tone. O' What a pack of howling wolves this is. Things were always so quiet up in the Monastery. Now I remember why I haven't journeyed from it since old Alexios died. The silence is so sublime and... Right, I'm sure you scalawags are all impatient to hear who I am.
I am Basil. For many years now I have been a monk at the Monastery of St. Jude. Basileus Andronikos has asked me to be an ambassador between us, though I must say that if being an ambassador entails listening to such ruckous I believe I may just resign in protest over my cruel treatment.
Now then, I have been instructed to deliver his demands to 'that wretched little, throne stealing, man-child" As Basileus Andronikos so vulgarly put it.
Ioannis Tagaris must relinquish all claims to the throne of the Byzantine Empire. Secondly, Tagaris must surrender all his holdings to Basileus Andronikos, aside from Jerusalem and Gaza which were rightfully conquered by his father and passed down to him. Furthermore, Tagaris must demobilize all forces in his possesion which are not necessary to maintain order. And then...
Basil looks around and realizes that the demands are met with mixed reactions of shock, anger, and contempt.
Well, I've lived long enough to know when I'm not being listened to. If you wish to discuss the political situation, I will remain here in the Magnaura, though I doubt we will find any common ground between us.
Basil sits down and goes about his business
ooc: If anyone wishes to drag Basil outside the Magnaura and kill him in dramatic fashion they have my permission to do so. Just remember that Andronikos will be less than happy with whomever does that.:whip:
The Asteri choose no sides in this dispute. We will fight the Venetians in the west, so that there will be an Empire for the Basileus to rule when the war is over.
Redemption
02-20-2009, 01:44
A courrier enters the new Magnauria. By his looks he has traveled far. As most of the senators ignore the lowly man, he simply leaves his letter in the care of the Protoasecretes who leaves it on a nearby table for any who wish to read it.
I, Avgoustinos Cavasilis, hereby inform all parties that I have no intention of fighting in your senseless power struggles and declare neutrality in all conflicts.
My sole devotion is to the Empire and the wellbeing of its citizen.
Avgoustinos Cavasilis,
Roman Senator
Ibn-Khaldun
02-20-2009, 09:43
Theo turns towards Avgoustinos...
If you are interested of the wellbeing of our citizens then your help against the Turks is most welcomed!
Theo smiles his rare smiles...
As for you, Basil, as far as I can remember.. Rebels, and their representatives, can not speak in Magnaura!
Well.. they can but I doubt they will live long enough after that..
Iosif ek Artos rose.
"All this sqibbling for power. What has become of us?"
He peered around, well aware of his junior status among this most august collection of important senators.
"We prate ourselfs on being Romans. We call ourselfs the heirs of the great Roman empire, once ruling from east to west. Yet over 500 years ago, that magnicient empire collapsed.
You may point to the barbarians who overran our borders as cause."
He sneered, expressing his opinion about those whom believed this.
"Yet we all know what really brought down the western half of this great empire, don't we?"
Again he peered around, as if looking for answers
"GREED" He shouted. "CORRUPTION" he thundered.
"Our empire was not overrun by barbarians! It was rotten to its core! Left to decay by centuries of senators and other power hungry opportunists who prised themselves before the empire.
The empire was weak, rudderless. It's borders no longer the solid defenses they once were.
Its resources depleted for no other meanings than to advance oneselves, or to prevent another from rising even.
JEALOUSY! SPITE!"
He pauzed, catching a breath.
"Yet, you think we would have learned our lesson. Here we are, 500 years later. And we are no hair better than those we look down upon in history as responsible for lettign the empire go to waiste.
Again, I admit I'm everyone's junior here. A mere Strator, unbound, no lands of his own.
Yet I do not need to be a wealthy man or a powerful man, to be a righteous man. Maybe I am the latter, because I am not the former.
I leave all of you to your games, and I will travel east to fight the Turks. As with the former Western Empire, our borders are threatened by enemies. If I die, I die a righteous man.
That will be more than many of you can say, and god will know.
I will pray that one day, when the threat is gone, I can return and stand again in awe of majesty of these vast halls, instead of wheeping about what was amidst its ruins. Vale!"
He marched straight out, not even waiting for reactions.
Ibn-Khaldun
02-20-2009, 13:59
Theo stands..
I would like to announce that I will propose safe haven to all those Senators without an army and the chance to protect themselves. You are all welcomed in Antiokheia! You also have the chance to fight against the Turks who threaten our holdings in Levant and Syria. At least that fight would be much more honorable than the fight against our own countrymen!
Theo takes his seat...
I don't need no civil war to keep drinking. I will be neutral in whatever conflict between Roman Senators.
More wine please!
The Celtic Viking
02-20-2009, 17:55
A young man stops at the entrance to the Magnaura, looking around a little before finally stepping fully inside. His political inexperience was shining out through his nervous face; reluctant to speak at first, but finally gathered courage and cleared his throat.
"Senators! I am Appollonas Komnenos, and I, uh..." He cleared his throat again, and blushed. "I am just going to declare myself neutral in this conflict. Thank you."
He quickly bows a little clumsily, and then finds a seat, cursing breathlessly to himself.
KnightnDay
02-20-2009, 18:09
A messenger from Ammonathas Kalameteros enters
Senators, I have received disturbing reports that the city of Bucharest is in a state of civil unrest. This most likely is the result of its considerable distance from the capital. Whatever the reason, it is most apparent that our territories of Sophia and Bucharest cannot be managed properly by the present governor who betrays our people by showing no interest in affairs now reaching dire proportions. Order must be restored to preserve our northeast territories.
I assure my fellow senators that what I do, I do for the good of all. My quarrel is with this man only, and I trust others will remain neutral in this affair. I hereby declare war on Apionnas Vringas.
Arintheos trembles with rage. After taking several moments to calm himself, he addresses the Senate.
Appionas Vringas was a great many with many years of service to Alexios Komnenos and his son. He has earned the right to retire peacefully in Sofia and not be slain by an opportunist who smells weakness, especially a hypocritical one that was not long ago extolling the virtues of avoiding civil wars and taking the fight to our external enemies. I feel your concern for Bucharest is a sham. If you were so worried about the cities public Order you might have spoken to me to see what I could do as Megas to quell the populace, or have sent men to help garrison it.
I declare war on Ammonathas Kalameteros. If at any time he desists from this war of greed and goes back to his Houses lands, or maybe even to the Venetian front as he so often bravely vowed to do, I will sign a peace treaty.
Basileus Ioannis Tagaris rises from his throne, and with a nod from the older man next to him, signals the senators to calm down.
Senators, I admire the passion with which some of you have expressed themselves, but this is no time for rash actions. I do not condone the shedding of blood of fellow Romans, save in self defense. Thus, I ask each of you who have violent intentions to restrain themselves. Any senator who goes on the offensive against a fellow Roman, without my express consent, will find themselves in a state of war with myself and any loyal to me. I hope I have made myself clear.
Of course, Constantine Ksanthopoulos and Ioannis Erotikos are exceptions to this. I will applaud any actions taken against these two outlaws.
Ioannis then calmly sits back in his throne.
Ibn-Khaldun
02-20-2009, 21:16
Theo receives a note and after reading it he stands..
I have received a message that Andronikos Komnenos have said in Hippodrome "I challenge him, Kousinos Sophianos, and his lackey to battle outside of Adana".
Reading this makes me wonder whether I made myself clear last time..
If I see any of those pretenders near the settlements that belong to the Order I will strike you down with the fury of the God! I will not, I repeat again, I will not allow these lands become your battlegrounds! If you want to fight against each other then do it on your soil but on the lands that belong to the faithful and loyal Romans!
Theo sits and says quietly to one of his servants..
It was a bad time to stop drinking!
KnightnDay
02-21-2009, 02:33
Ammonathas Kalameteros enters the Magnaura with a shamed look, lacking the youthful confidence seen in the past.
Noble Romans, I had not expected to return to this hall so soon… but recent events have made it a grave and utter necessity. Through a sordid act, a message was delivered in my name that a state of war existed between myself and Senator Vringas of Sofia. I do not know the good senator, other than he has served honorably and with virtue and has not chosen to speak in the Magnaura recently as certainly is his right. I am aware of some difficulty with order within his city of Bucharest which the good Megas Arintheos Voutomitis saw fit to repair.
As a state of war exists between myself and he, by virtue of the announcement read here previously, I wish to personally announce that I hereby make peace with Apionnas Vringas. I further wish to advise this august body that the messenger who had made the previous announcement in my name has been found dead by an assassin’s blade not one days journey from here. The individual who was assigned to travel with him has been taken into custody, and we are making progress in ascertaining what the true story is. In time I have no doubt that will be accomplished. As an immediate remedy to the situation, I have significantly increased the security by which my messages are to be conveyed.
I must further report the disbanding of over 450 of my soldiers that might have been used in a Venetian campaign by the Megas Logothetes. I wish it made perfectly clear that I harbor no ill will by his actions. In fact, I commend him for it. Were our positions reversed, I might well have chosen the same course. And it was the same Megas Logothetes that provided me those soldiers in the first place. Understanding that a state of war also exists between us, I offer my hand in peace.
Next, Senator Sergios has extended his hand in friendship, and I have accepted this with gratitude. The now-deceased Basileus granted him clemency with regards to the recent marriage situation, and I intend to honor that wish.
Finally, as to my immediate plans, I do find it necessary to provide some reinforcement to Thessalonike. It is a city vital to the economic well-being of the empire, and suffered significant damage to several key municipal buildings in recent rioting. Once I have insured the garrison is sufficient to promote peace on the streets, I will turn my attention once more to the Venetians with the aid of Senator Sergios. I suspect that I may now have a far greater debt to repay them with respect to the damage they have wreaked.
I will remain in these halls until I have answered all questions you have for me, before returning to the business at hand.
Ammonathas walks slowly to his place and takes a seat.
I accept Ammonathas' offer of peace. There seems to be no end to the devilry these Venetians are capable of.
Ibn-Khaldun
02-23-2009, 10:01
Theo stands..
Looks like Andonikos Komnenos is threatening me and my army. If he wants the fight he shall have it. I told before that none of those pretenders will enter the Orders lands and I meant it! I Just want to remind Andronikos that by killing me and destroying my army the east is open to the Turks and once you all find yourself a new Basileus, recognized by all, there will be no Empire left!
So, Andronikos, come and get me!!!
Theo takes his seat and says quietly to one of his servants..
All those Komnenoi after Alexios are punch of bastards and backstabbers. Never have they cared about the lives of the commoners. It would be nice to kill them all!
Servant nods...
A messenger entered the Magnaura
"Dear August and fellow Senators. I have tried to stay neutral in this useless bickering between factions and their struggle for power for their own sake.
Yet this sorrowfull bussiness is threatening the very core of our Empire, and standing aside will not prevent the damage being done.
I truely wish neutrality could be preserved, but if one is willing to jeopardize all that I love and hold dear, my honour dictates me I CANNOT and SHALL not stand aside.
Therefore I pledge liegance to emperor Ioannis Tagaris, and as a consequence I must declare war on Andronikos the usurper.
Should he desist, and realigne himself to defend the Empire, all will be forgotten.
Until the borders are safe, until the people are safe, until the Empire is safe.
This is my pledge.
Signed,
Iosif ek Artas
A magistrate enters the Magnaura and with a nod of the Basileus begins to speak.
Hear! Hear! The Byzantine Empire under Basileus Ioannis Tagaris has declared a state of peace with the IMPERIVM·ROMANVM·PARS·OCCIDENTALIS as stipulate in the following Treaty of Niceae.
The Byzantine Empire hereby recognize Ioannis Komnenos III as Augustus of the West and ruler of the IMPERIVM·ROMANVM·PARS·OCCIDENTALIS which will henceforth be considered a separate and distinct entity able to create and enact its own constitution and laws.
The Byzantine Empire also recognize that the IMPERIVM·ROMANVM·PARS·OCCIDENTALIS has unilateral sovereignty over all lands west of the Bosphorus while also noting it has no power to outright cede control of these lands to the Augustus of the West. In effect, the Byzantine Empire relinquishes its right to intervene in the lands west of the Bosphorus.
While the IMPERIVM·ROMANVM·PARS·OCCIDENTALIS will henceforth be a sovereign state, the Byzantine Empire will maintain a favorable relationship with the independant state in consideration for the common roots both states share. In effect, both states will work in concert to align foreign policy.
For its part, the IMPERIVM·ROMANVM·PARS·OCCIDENTALIS will cede control of Niceae to the Byzantine Empire and later on Dardanellia will be transfered into the hands of the Byzantine Empire once the IMPERIVM·ROMANVM·PARS·OCCIDENTALIS has acquired another recruitment center for its armies. The IMPERIVM·ROMANVM·PARS·OCCIDENTALIS also pledge to sent an army of at least 10 regiments to support the war effort against the Turks in the East.
Further more, IMPERIVM·ROMANVM·PARS·OCCIDENTALIS will act as mediator in the conflict opposing Basileus Ioannis Tagaris and Basileus Andronikos Komnenos as a neutral and uninterested party.
All senators are hereby required to declare peace with Augustus Ioannis Komnenos III of the IMPERIVM·ROMANVM·PARS·OCCIDENTALIS.
AussieGiant
02-25-2009, 19:22
The fluid and still erect figure of Apionnas enters the chamber. He bows to the Basileus, the Caesar and finally the Megas.
Turning a raise eyebrow he says:
"It seems the moment of madness has come and gone Senator Ammonathas. I applaud your foresight and the measures you have introduced to ensure such a moment does not repeat itself in the future."
The Protoasecretes glances around the Magnaura. He frowns a bit when he notices that there are signficantly fewer Senators around than in previous years. He mutters something about rebels with a cause before standing.
"I hereby declare the Senate Session of 1200 AD open! It will remain open for proposing legislation and campaigning of candidates for Megas Logothetes until Thursday, March 12th at 11:30 GMT."
"As I feel I am to junior to propose anything, I shall only contribute one thing:
That all present here today show God and men they have honour still, let everyone take their responsability so that the new Megas may govern a whole empire once more.
If we cannot set aside our internal differences, none of us will have anything left worth argueing over. May god bring down his wrath on those who hold ones own greed before the need of the empire, God WILL come down on thee with furious anger."
(ooc: gotta love pulp fiction)
The Basileus rises.
My fellow Romans, Senators, I had dared hope it would not come to this, but Andronikos Komnenos has struck first blood by attacking and killing the brave Senator Petzeas. I will mourn this man who gave his life fighting in service of the Empire, not for politics, but for its people, fighting to defeat the wretched Turks. Not only do I condemn Andronikos' action, but I have decided to put an end to this costly war.
When the Magnaura session ends, I intend to move the capital to Niceae, closer to its original place, and then take whatever men I have and confront Andronikos. Then it shall be decided who rules the Eastern part of the Empire, between him and I. I entreat any senator who do not wish to see Andronikos on the throne to join me, whatever his opinion of my person. We must put an end to this swiftly, before the Turks make sure there is no Roman Empire left to fight over.
Furthermore, Andronikos Komnenos (woads&fangs) and Nikitas Moshos (Itulrade), including any of their followers are now banned from the Magnaura.
Now unto more administrative concerns. While I know the Empire has been left in a dire a state, a dare hope there will be a Senator brave enough to tackle our many problems and announce his candidacy for the position of Megas Logothetes. If none of you are willing, then I will assume the position. As my fate is uncertain in the coming years, I would rather someone else take the position. The Empire does not need more instability at this point.
"Hear, hear! I shall ride with you, my Basileus. For the Empire!"
miniwally
03-10-2009, 22:17
An 18 year old man approaches the magnuara with black hair and a slight beard growing although he is 18 he is rather small and so seems to look one year younger than his actual age.
The man steps inside and as soon as he does you can see the disappointment spread across his face about the emptiness of the room. However after he gets over his first shock of such a disapointment he quickly masks it and quickly moves to an empty seat quietly so as not to disturb the discussion currently going on.
A scribe hands a parchment to the Protoasecretes.
"What? Another one? Is there anyone still alive in this so-called Empire?!"
The old man coughs and reads what is written.
The Will of Theophylaktos Petzeas
I, Theo Petzeas, will leave Antiokheia to the Grandmaster of the order of St. John.
Aleksios ek Kerkiras will receive Theopolis and my priest ancillary.
A white-haired man enters the chambers. The lines on his face show the years and cares he carries on his shoulders, but his stature is erect and there is even a hint of spring in his step. He stops before the Basileus, bowing awkwardly, as if he hadn't practiced the gesture for some decades.
My Lord! I shall join you in your crusade and make it mine! What few years I have left I will dedicate to hunting down the that wretched spawn of Komneni! I do not pretend to do this out of any great idea of imperial unity or some such noble cause, but out of revenge! YES, REVENGE! Theo was my vassal and they butchered him like a pig after trapping him between the Turks and the river.
My Lord, give me an army and I will hunt Andronikos back to the dirty mountain cave he chooses to call his home and castle nowadays!
Vartholomaios Ksiros bows again, looks around the mostly empty benches of the Magnaura, finds the Order's customary seats and proceeds to sit at the Grandmasters place that so great men have previously occupied.
Arintheos looked around the empty room a moment. It was amazing that the Senate's chamber that was so alive and full of debate last session could be so quiet and grim this one. The seats of the banned senators even seemed to be collecting dust. Perhaps many were afraid to say anything in case they seemed to back the wrong choice of the contenders for the Imperial title.
After sighing Arintheos stands to address the Senate.
I know that my term as Megas was not the qualified success I had hoped it to be, especially as regards the Imperial treasury. However, I have made moves to fix things as best as I was able. In fact, I can guarantee a profit again by the time this latest season ends.
I can't promise that the Empire will recover in a day. We will likely not see truly bright days until after these current troubles are over. However, if you wish to grant me the chance to finish what I started and fulfill the promises I made when I first ran for Megas, I will do my utmost to complete that task. If not, then I wish the next Megas the best of luck.
I, Arintheos Voutoumatis, am running for Megas.
Ibn-Khaldun
03-11-2009, 17:15
Aleksios ek Kerkiras enters Senate's chambers. After bowing towards Basileus Ioannis Tagaris he walks center of the room and speaks...
I am Aleksios ek Kerkiras. Friend and loyal servant of late Theophylaktos Petzeas. May he rest in peace.
Aleksios sighs..
Enough of me, there are more important things than me introducing myself..
I want to propose the following Edict:
Edicy 9.1: Andronikos Komnenos must be killed and his followers must be defeated before the next Senate Session.
I think I have made it clear who I support and who I don't now!
Aleksios takes his seat..
First off I second Edict 9.1.
Secondly, I welcome Arintheos Voutoumatis' candidacy for the position of Megas Logothetes. I had hoped he would present himself for a second term as he knows best the current state of affairs. I wish him well and I vow to help him alliviate the financial deficit as best I can.
Now, unto the case of Andronikos Komnenos. I am glad to see such spirited replies to my call, no matter your motivations I will take whatever help you can offer.
Grandmaster Ksiros, sadly I cannot give you any troops to strike on your own, but I propose you join me with whatever forces you can muster. Likewise for Senator Aleksios ek Kerkiras and Senator Iosif ek Artas. Only together can we stand against this threat. The matter of command can be decided on the field, for now I will all contact you personally when my duties permit.
A note is delivered to the Magnaura:
Enrollment list for the University
Scholars:
Aleksios ek Kerkiras (Ibn-Khaldun)
Iosef Ek Artas (mini)
Basileus Ioannis Tagaris (TheFlax)
Signed, Vartholomaios Ksiros, Dean
A message from Iosef Ek Artas:
"I've heard about edict 9.1 and I wish it to be know this edict has my full support"
(OOC, come on Tincow, I posted same time as you did, please count my seconding)
The Protoasecretes looks around the Magnaura skeptically.
"At least the rebellions have resulted in some unexpected efficiency in the Senate. The only candidate for Megas Logothetes is Arintheos Voutoumitis (Zim). While I have heard some rumors that Constantine Ksanthopoulos (Cecil XIX) has also offered himself up for that position, he remains a rebel and thus cannot hold office. Accordingly, no election is needed and Arintheos Voutoumitis (Zim) will serve a second term as Megas Logothetes."
"Voting will now commence on Edict 9.1 and will continue until Saturday, March 14th at 12:30pm GMT."
It has come to my attention that Constantine Ksanthopoulos (Cecil XIX) is not in fact a rebel. He is simply subverting Imperial authority and proclaiming himself to be the ruler of all of us in the traditional, legal, fashion. As such, a proper vote is in order to determine whether the Empire wishes to be governed by a man who led us into bankruptcy, or whether it wants to be governed by a false Basileus who had nothing to do with the current financial crisis.
*The Protoasecretes mutters quietly to himself about foolish youngsters.*
Arintheos glances back and forth across the room, pausing to glare at the empty seats.
That's it? The only other person willing to run is a man who used wild stories besmirching the honor of Princess Anna as an excuse to march on our capital?
Even if noone is interested in trying to fix the mess that the Empire has fell into in these divisive days, is nobody concerned enough about where it's heading to make their opinion heard? We have a debt to fix, foreign armies marching towards our border, multiple men claiming to be Basileus, including one whose plan apparently involves marching around in different directions every other season. Nobody is concerned?
Gah! I need a drink.
With that Arintheos marches out of the Magnaura.
A Magnaura clerk presents a paper to Vartholomaios Ksiros. After some reading and harrumphing, he takes a pen, clearly striking something through and then scribbling something under it. Clerk then takes the paper back
There has been some confusion on the enrollment lists this year. Those responsible have been sacked.
The corrected list reads
Enrollment list for the University
Scholars:
Aleksios ek Kerkiras (Ibn-Khaldun)
Iosef Ek Artas (mini)
Basileus Ioannis Tagaris (TheFlax)
Arintheos Voutoumitis (Zim)
Signed, Vartholomaios Ksiros, Dean
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