Imperial Diet VII

[Cecil XIX]

I second Edict E4.1.

[AussieGiant]

A travel stained and grim looking Duke marches into the Diet Chamber. Drawing his sword the Duke slams a thunderous blow on the vacant Chancellors seat.

I don't mean to be £$"ing rude my lords but the games within the games seem to be falling nicely in favour of the Kaiser and his brother Chancellor!!

Franconia beset by sloth and inactivity continues to be a £$"%ing disgrace and now it directly jeopardises the Austrian northern command.

Lord Becker, with his young son, have now been placed in a precarious position because of the decade long incompetence of the Kaiser's previous Duchy and a clear policy shift towards Swabia by his brother!!

In a bold and daring attempt at ending the never ending round of siege and sally by the Poles in Magdeburg its seems now that Austria will have to pay a price for it!!

These games of politics and retrospective vengeance are pathetic and transparent attempts at trying to pin the murder of a Kaiser that ripped this Reich asunder decades ago, on a man that has done just the opposite!!

As a result I see the imminent fall of both Prague and perhaps Vienna due to the clear and overt move away from what was once one of the Reich's strongest fronts!!

If I find any evidence of complicity in this ridiculously obvious move I will come after those responsible for placing my Duchy and my nobles in mortal danger!!

[gibsonsg91921]

Arnold, I left Franconia many, many, years ago, before the trial of Lothar Steffen. It is not my fault that it has fallen into disrepair. With too many inactive nobles, my brother Fritz is nobly defending what he can.

You would flout the law? I suppose all of us agree that the death of Siegfried could have improved the conditions of the Reich, even if Constantinople was going to be sacked and unification ended anyways. That is why I bregrudgingly will not take the head of Lothar when and if he is incriminated.

However, he still was responsible for the death of the Kaiser, a Kaiser he swore an oath of loyalty to. You frequently run your mouth against threats to the natural order of things. If Becker's secession from what he deems to be a cruel Duchy is unfair, then how is murder of the one you swore loyalty to fair? Answer me this, Arnold. Your disloyalty has been noted.

[AussieGiant]

The physical departure from your Duchy does nothing to remove the bonds of blood and the fact that you left those men in charge of the place all those years ago!

Fritz has done an admirable job and that was seen by me when I was Chancellor.

What I find quite ridiculous is the change he has decided to make regarding Swabia!! It was at best a stale mate when I was governing and it's taken a substantial amount of resources to simply get back on even footing as we see it now. The problem of course is that it is now at the expense of the eastern front.

When I was at the Imperial War Colleague, the last thing we were told to do was reinforce failure and that's exactly what I see since his ascension to the position of Chancellor regarding Swabia. Of course now we see the consequences on the opposite front to where Swabia is located. My only morbid thought is that because failure is happening on the eastern front, Fritz will now reinforce that!!

As for me flaunting the law, then you're out of your collective £$%^"ing skull standing there saying this to me after you accused Lothar of treason, attempted to pass legislation allowing YOU to strip the title from anyone found guilty of treason!!

Then you went on to outline how you would replace these military commands with people of your own choosing!!

Finally you then decided to make an attempt at leading a house army, and place the Duke of that House army as your second in command!!

The look of disbelief on Arnold's face is very clear. With a shake of his head he finally continues...

And don't £$£$ing talk to me about loyalty.

It was Austria that intercepted your attempt at blowing up your own £$£$%ing brothers mad scheme.

Pull your head out of your arse before you continue Kaiser, because it must be getting crowded in there with BOTH Fritz's and YOURS in there at the same time!!

The Duke gazed briefly around the chamber at those attending nobles or their respective representatives.

I'm loyal Peter, but even I have limits and they are great that yours it seems!!

[gibsonsg91921]

The Reich as a collective must survive. Those who sap its strength should be punished eternally. The weak links in the web will be taken out of power.

If peaceful force fails, violent force must succeed. In the noble words of the late Jan von Hamburg, a Reich run by the Order of the All Seeing Eye is not a Reich worth saving.

[AussieGiant]

At the last remark Arnold and his attending retinue let out a peel of laughter.

Yes, that's the spirit Kaiser, lets quote Jan von Hamburg and his view on an Order of the All Seeing Eye!!

The sarcasm drips word by word from Arnold's mouth.

As a counter point would you like me to outline some of the Temple Orders acts to date?! They're an order bent on total power and domination and will do anything to get it, PLUS they actually exist and you can even talk to them!!

Religious fanaticism my Lords!!

Arnold strides to the Diet floor sweeping his arms wide to encompass all in attendance into the debate.

It brought this Reich to it's knee's my Kaiser!! So please don't quote deceased nobles of this Reich that left their post without a word to return home in order to consciously flame the fans of religious war for his own myopic view on life!!

That's not a good place to start my Kaiser...it really isn't.

Again the Duke pauses

So I guess what you ARE suggesting is what we should do is save a Reich that is decaying before our eyes for the benefit of men who can't lead their subjects with dignity and honour and seem like they are better suited to drinking in a tavern all day??!!

Yes I believe you have it Kaiser, that's what we should be doing...excellent, I guess I'm off to trying and hold Austria around long enough so another Kaiser has the chance to piss it all away on some wild £%^£ing concept or be bamboozled by the skills of some Byzantine princesses in his bedroom!!

[gibsonsg91921]

Well, the Order has certainly obstructed a lot of justice to date.

Byzantine princesses? I would sooner bed with Schwarz, my horse!

[Ramses II CP]

(OOC: Disclaimer! All the nasty things Fritz says are IC. Cecil, NN, EF don't take it personally. :juggle2: )

Fritz von Kastilien enters the Diet chamber, well dressed and rested with a look of faint amusement on his face.

Duke Arnold as Chancellor the troubles of Austria are my troubles, let me assure you. Meaning no disrespect now, let me clarify some of the issues at hand.

Lord Becker was asked to make an offensive sally at Breslau for the good of the Reich first, and the good of Franconia and Austria second. It was my opinion that the incessant sieges at Madgeburg and Prague would be reduced by changing the shape of the front. This supposition of mine has not yet been proven out, however the situation has certainly changed since I first put this plan in motion.

For one thing, Lord Becker has gone through more reinforcements than any other field army in the Reich. He ignored my very specific advice with regards to lifting the siege of Prague, and the consequences may be terrible, but they must be borne equally by himself and his planners.

Furthermore Lord Becker and Duke Dieter have both instituted a policy of releasing freely any prisoners they take in battle. Does it take a genius to see what the results of that policy are? More enemy armies in the field, more enemy soldiers at the walls, and ultimately more cities of the Reich threatened. The moral virtues of those men are in direct opposition to the dictates of strategy, and it contributes directly to the fact that success on that front has been slight.

As to Vienna, your reign as Chancellor provided Johann Zirn with sufficient men to conduct an offensive campaign... and he lost them, in his first battle under my Chancellorship. My overconfidence in sending him forth meant that the Reich lacked the funds to pay ransom on them, a mistake I have not made again. I have spent the time since that battle attempting to reconstitute his army at the highest pace the regional facilities will allow.

If Vienna falls it will not be because Swabia was my focus, it will be because Swabia's generals have found greater success in the field!

You and I have had a relationship of courtesy from afar Duke Arnold. I have great respect for the victories you have brought home against the Venetians. I must warn you though, you and Lord Becker both, that your actions and words are making your loyalties suspect. This 'trial' of the vile murderer Lothar Steffen has progressed about as well as I'd expect if his supposed judge were in truth his ally. And now, just as conveniently as the loss of Lothar's files at Florence, we face the possible loss of the Bohemian mercenary who has evidence against him at Prague, where the commander on the ground, your subject, ignored the good advice of his Chancellor.

Why, it almost looks like a conspiracy.

I say again, the time of rats chittering in the shadows and shifting the Reich's policy has come to an end. If Austria suffers, perhaps she suffers for her sins. Perhaps the time has come for you to pray that God have mercy on your souls. Certainly I have none.

Fritz von Kastilien

:egypt:

[Cecil XIX]

(OOC: Likewise, Ramses. As long as everyone knows it's only IC, I prefer it when people walk into the Diet with gloves off.)

I underestimated you, Chancellor. I thought were laboring under only one misapprehension.

How many battles have I fought in Bohemia and Silesia since the Cataclysm first began so many years ago? Exact numebers escape me, but what matters is that it's been somewhere between a half and full dozen. You'd think that my policy of 'releasing freely any prisoners' would have given me quite a reputation for mercy, wouldn't you? But it hasn't. You know why?

Because I have no such policy. It's true that in three of my earlier engagements I did release the prisoners I took unconditionally. That was back when we were facing soldiers of qualiy equal to our own. Now that the Poles can call forth crossbow militia who can go toe-to-toe with my spearmen in close combat, I've decided that ransoming makes more sense.

Secondly, you are completely mistaken about the Polish strength in Bohemia this season. Your advice, such as it was, was nothing new to me. I had already deduced those points which were useful. Let me spell it out for you.

There are two strong armies blocking two routes between Breslau and Prague. By all normal estimates of strength, it is the weaker one that is currently besieging my city.

It was impossible to reach the walls of Prague without defeating one. That small army was dealt with exacltly as you said. It just didn't matter.

[Ramses II CP]

Smiling grimly Fritz von Kastilien stood.

I suppose blame must lie with me after all, for speaking unclearly, though repeatedly, my advice. If you would care to review the situation with me Lord Becker, you were facing three Polish armies. One of them, the smallest, was a tiny blocking force to pin your Teutons in place. If, as I recommended, you had taken your army, not the Teutons, and attacked that small army, not the one in siege of Prague, those men would have retreated from you.

This would have allowed you to consolidate your army with the Teutons, the cannons from near Breslau, and your son's guardsmen all one very small step from the walls of Prague. You had, at that point, only to attack and destroy that lonely smallest third Polish army, and you would have been at the very walls of the city. Exactly as I said.

At which point my recommendation would have been to attempt to organize a sally from within the city, but that position would also have been sufficient to allow you to command the defense of the city if you had preferred. Most certainly you did not act as I indicated (It's a bit complicated, which is why I tried to explain it in detail, but it's a done deal now. I can provide a series of screenshots if you're still curious. Feel free to give me a poke any time what I'm saying doesn't seem to work or make sense.)

I apologize about my presumption on the releasing of men, your prior reputation overwhelmed my awareness of your current conduct. I appreciate any funds derived from such endeavors.

If you would care to elucidate on the other misapprehension you speak of now? Or the whereabouts of the Bohemian mercenary? Or the progress of the investigation?

Fritz returns to his seat, impassively waiting.

:egypt:

[TinCow]

Chancellor, I greatly protest this attack on Count Becker's integrity. Though he has made mistakes in the past, which of us has not? Count Becker has consistently shown himself to be a wise, brave, and honorable man. His rebellion against his Duke was short-lived and settled in a peaceful manner. His personal actions during the Cataclysm made Prague the safest city in the entire Reich. He inspired his people to the defense of their lands and his stand against the Poles was a key part of the Franconian defenses.

Indeed, even during this period, Count Becker went out of his way to aid others in need. He made a valiant attempt to defend Breslau from assault and he led the pacification of Nuremburg at a time when there were no Bavarian forces available for the task. I would like to emphasize this last action above all others. At a time when I was nearly universally reviled for my involvement in the Swabian Civil War, Count Becker looked beyond personal opinions and reputations and acted for the good of the people, regardless of the qualities of their leaders.

It is for this reason that I agreed to allow the trial to be held in Count Becker's jurisdiction. He has displayed nothing but honor and wisdom in his long service to the Reich. It is disgraceful for a man such as yourself to disparage his action.

[AussieGiant]

Arnold:

I will never be oblivious to the loss of my nobles, no matter how many fall in battle. The fact Johann was my nephew and was therefore the first of my fathers blood to lose his life for this Duchy and for the Reich as a whole should prove just how much the House of Austria is prepared to sacrifice for our Empire.

The next generation have begun to pay the ultimate price for being born into nobility.

The fact I still live seems a miracle. It is especially poignant when I look at the Imperial heritage documents and see that I am the only one of my lineage left alive.

I ask you all to add Johann to your evening prayers for the next few months. Maybe our thoughts will help him in the after life for which I’m sure he was unprepared for due to his age.

[gibsonsg91921]

May Johann rest in peace! He died magnificently, a true soldier's death. May his soul make Hungarians fear to tread this land!

[gibsonsg91921]

*from Orders and Reports thread... c'mon people let's Diet it up!*


There is truth to what you say, Duke Bresch, but only if the verdict is the result of a fair and honorable trial. Chancellor von Kastilien clearly seeks nothing of the sort. He clearly wants me dead and will do whatever he sees fit to achieve that end, even if it requires attacking and imprisoning the man we have both previously agreed upon as an impartial judge. I do not doubt that if Count Becker finds me innocent, that he will declare the trial a fraud and seek to have me executed anyway. When faced with such a situation, I have no choice but to prepare myself for a proper defense, both in and out of the court of law.

Lothar, why would we have a quarrel with you other than for the murder of our brother? You have done honorable things for the defense of Bavaria. Surely we would not seek to find a scapegoat for public death, but rather the true mastermind of the assassination. Your logic is flawed.

If Becker, should he ever conduct the trial, finds you guilty, you would not come quietly either and you know this.

Becker's loyalty is held in question - he has fought honorably for Bohemia, yet there is something I do not trust in his submission to Duke Arnold after his secession from Austria. If disloyalty is an issue, I will not hesitate to suspend the Charter and exercise the extent of my power to save the Reich.

[Ramses II CP]

God willing, with me at your side as Chancellor my Kaiser.

Fritz von Kastilien

:egypt:

[GeneralHankerchief]

Herrmann Steffen:

Correct me if I'm wrong gentlemen, but by your two previous statements it seems as if you're almost anxious to start another civil war.

It heartens me so that the Reich's two leaders - its Kaiser and Chancellor - are so willing to go down this path of continued toil and destruction.

[Ramses II CP]

I am eager to see the men who killed a Kaiser of the Reich brought to justice! If it requires meeting them in battle, then I will surely relish that, but that does not mean I seek to do the Reich harm! It would be unwise to impugn the von Kastilien name just now Hermann Steffen. Has the Reich not advanced under my hands, with the guidance of my Kaiser? Has Bavaria not grown and driven off her enemies?

Peace can exist only where the land is just and well ruled!

Fritz von Kastilien

:egypt:

[GeneralHankerchief]

Herrmann Steffen:

Chancellor, make no mistake, I respect you for what you have done. The Reich has truly grown and prospered under your guidance.

However, I believe it all comes down to one thing you said:


It would be unwise to impugn the von Kastilien name just now Hermann Steffen.

That's all it's about with you people, isn't it? Honor and vengeance, anyone who stands in the way of your eternal quest for it be damned. Well, I've got news for you:

I'm sick of honor!!!

Honor has been used as a crutch to further one's own interests over those of the nation for far too long, and look where it's gotten us! It was because of honor that Kaiser Heinrich launched the entire Reich into war with the Papacy and prolonged excommunication! It was because of honor that Ulrich Hummel exterminated the population of Metz when he retook it for the Reich! It was because of honor that Duke Arnold abandoned his post during a critical time just to travel to Outremer and try to kill Jan von Hamburg just because some insults were thrown in the Diet! It was because of honor that Elberhard continued to follow through with your brother's horrible plan for reunification, just to spite the Diet! It was because of honor that Dietrich von Dassel and Hans couldn't put aside their differences and destroy the French overrunning Swabia instead of killing each other!

You take your pathetic honor, gentlemen. I'll take a stable Reich.

[Zim]

A letter arrives from Outremer.
Fellow Electors,

I have tried not to get involved, as the issues involved took place long before my joining this assembly, but I am beginning to become worried over the progress of this investigation. When I first heard of it, I thought it was a folly that could possibly plunge our nation into another civil war, but I understood the motive behind it. Whether the accusation is true or false, it is best to determine it now, and not let old wounds fester. However, the investigation is going on a decade now with no results one way or another.

I do not presume to question the loyalty of Edmund Becker, a man who has sacrificed much for the Reich and his city of Prague. However, I fear recent events have been depriving him of the time neccessary to carry on the investigation in a timely way. Therefore I offer my services to aid in the investigation. Between campaign seasons I can return to Germany to help with the investigation, and even during the season when I'm in Outremer I can review documents for the case.

If it please the Diet, I would help with this task,

Andreas von Salzgitter

[Ramses II CP]

A stable Reich must stand atop a stable base, one composed of just men and good rulers, ready to sacrifice their own blood to advance the cause of the nation. If there are snakes in the base, men who would press their own interests over those of the nation, they must be struck from that place before the nation on which they rest can be stable. It has never been a secret that I found Siegfried's policies badly mistaken, but what other course was there than to argue with him, debate with him, and try to sway him to see righteousness?

A stable Reich will require that this issue before us be settled, and quickly, so that the nobles of this great land can complete the dominance of Europe which we have begun to recover under myself and my brother.

I will concede that honor is not the Reich's first concern, but if we become a nation without honor, a people without justice, we will surely lose God's favor and be destined to fall.

Count von Salzgitter I would find your presence at the trial a comfort. You appear, to my eyes, insulated well enough to render a capable verdict. Just be wary of undue influence from some members of this body, and do not let Becker drag this on too long.

Fritz von Kastilien

:egypt:

[TinCow]

Count von Salzgitter,

I thank you for your offer, but I see no need to proclaim a substitute at the moment. Count Becker has vowed to move this trial forwards, and both sides in this... dispute... have previously agreed that he was a good candidate for the position. It would be unjust to remove him from his role at this point in time. I am certain that he will come to the proper decision eventually and he need not be pushed on the matter.

[OverKnight]

Matthias Steffen enters the Diet Chamber. After reviewing the minutes he stands to speak.


Becker's loyalty is held in question - he has fought honorably for Bohemia, yet there is something I do not trust in his submission to Duke Arnold after his secession from Austria. If disloyalty is an issue, I will not hesitate to suspend the Charter and exercise the extent of my power to save the Reich.

Kaiser Peter, did I hear you say "Suspend the Charter"?

By suspending the Charter, you would be dooming the Reich to Tyranny, not saving it. You may be Kaiser, but you are not some eastern God-King, the Charter binds us all, Electors and Emperor.

I understand that a strict adherence to the Charter has never been your Majesty's strong suit, but you have no right to suspend it. Such a gross seizure of power would be unprecedented and far more of a danger than the decades old accusations against a Duke.

Matthias turns to the rest of the chamber.

This is only one of many claims of Imperial power that have been made by Kaiser Peter, he has implied that he has the power to detain Electors without a trial, strip Electors of their titles and appoint their replacements all without the consultation or permission of the Diet. No such executive powers have ever existed in the Holy Roman Empire. Yet, he claims them, even though no such measures have been passed.

Is the Diet willing to cede all its power to the Kaiser? Abandon it's traditonal rights as a body to one man? Fortunately, such claims are still only words, alarming as they may be. But if the Charter is breached by the Kaiser, I shudder to think what might happen.

[AussieGiant]

Arnold:

von Salzgitter,

Your request is noble but I don't feel it is necessary. Lord Becker simply needs to get his arse into gear before satisfaction is achieved through more "traditional" means.

I'm certainly in favour of a trial by arms and let God decide who's right or wrong.

And young Steffen,

making comments about my actions towards Jan von Hamburg shows just how "removed" you are from how certain things must be accomplished in life. If I had of "removed" him from proceedings can you imagine the impact it would have had on the civil war!?

There is no place for religious fanaticism in this Reich and history has proven that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

As for the Kaiser and his brother the Chancellor…it does seem to be a rather convenient double act that the von Kastilien’s are now rattling their sabres about disregarding the Charter while that "family" controls the two most important positions in the Reich.

Think on that my fellow nobles…

[AussieGiant]

Travel stained and covered in mud, Arnold makes his way into an essentially deserted Diet Chamber. He moves quickly to the Speaker chair and they talk quietly for a moment. With a nod the Diet Speaker motions for the Duke to approach the Imperial scribe.

"Make a note will you my good man...Max Zirn is now Count of Vienna and he is taking command of the 1st Austrian Household Army."

[TinCow]

*A nervous looking Bavarian messenger enters the Diet. He opens a sealed document and begins to read.*

Electors of the Riech,

News has reached me that the summary court set up by the Kaiser and the Chancellor has reached a verdict and declared me guilty. I am sure that you are all as disturbed by this news as I am. I would ask that you remain patient for a short while longer. A full response to these charges and the verdict will be distributed across the Reich later this evening. For the good of us all, please wait until my defense has been heard before taking up arms against me. I assure you, all will be explained shortly.

Lothar Steffen
Duke of Bavaria

[GeneralHankerchief]

Herrmann Steffen:

I was afraid it would come to this.

For the time being, it seems as if I am the Duke of Bavaria. This ascension has previously been confirmed by both sides of the conflict, with my father Lothar stating that I was to be his heir and Kaiser Peter expressing me as his preferential head of Bavaria if my father was to be detained.

My first act as Duke is to command all current Bavarian commanders in the theatre - including my three brothers Wenzel, Bernhard, and Harold - to advance to the Sicilian front. My force of militia for the moment will be the new BHA.

If my guess is correct, my father will not go quietly, meaning that Kaiser Peter will chase him. This leaves a vaccuum of both commanders and troops in that theatre, a vaccuum that needs to be filled.

Kaiser, if you want to apprehend Lothar, you will receive help from neither me nor my brothers, nor any other Bavarian commander. This is to be your fight if you wish to pursue it. Bavaria's fight is against the Sicilians.

[TinCow]

*A piece of parchment has been nailed to the door of the Diet.*

Electors and Citizens of the Reich,

The Holy Roman Empire was born from the ashes of the Caesars. We are the heirs of Augustus, Trajan, Hadrian, and Constantine. In the mold of these great Emperors was our society built, yet we strove for more. We looked to the past and saw that we were also the heirs of Caligula, Nero, Domitian, and Commodus. For every beneficent Emperor, there were two cruel and ignorant counterparts. The Caesars created the Old Roman Empire, but they also destroyed it.

So it was that our wise and noble ancestors determined that they would create a New Empire, a Holy Empire, in a manner that would harness the good of the Caesars, while preventing the harm from that same source. They chose to prevent evil and negligent men from becoming King of the Romans, by requiring an election by the prominent nobleman of the various lands of the Empire. Thus were the Electors born.

For many years this system was used, and the Empire was ruled magnanimously. Our peoples prospered, justice was upheld, Christ's word was preached, and governance was fair and reasonable. Yet, as with the Old Empire, the Reich lost its way. No man alive today can remember the last time a Kaiser was elected in the proper manner. This law, designed to protect the people, has been taken from us. Whether by coup or bureaucracy, we have returned to the chaotic days of the ancient Romans.

This is seen in our very history and cannot be disputed. For every good Kaiser, we have seen an evil counterpart. Kaiser Heinrich exploited the law for the sake of a personal vendetta against Pope Gregory. With near unanimous opposition to his actions, Heinrich forced the Reich into excommunication and a period of immense hardship for nobility and commoner alike. The Diet was so outraged by his actions, that they immediately passed new laws to prevent such an act from occurring. Even then, it took a mighty Crusade to remove the stain of Heinrich's actions. The great bulwark of Christian Outremer was created to redeem the Reich for the sins of Heinrich.

Fortunately for us all, Kaiser Henry did not follow in his father's footsteps. He was a good and wise ruler, and the Reich benefited from his leadership. It is possible that Kaiser Jobst would have been such a man as well, but he was cut down on the field of battle before he could prove himself.

From that field of battle, a new Kaiser rose. Siegfried. Even today, that name brings bile into the throats of women and children across the Reich. Many still believe that it was Siegfried himself who killed Kaiser Jobst, and then used bribery and forgery to gain the throne. Still, even if true, that would be the least of Siegfried's crimes. We all know of the horrors that the Unification brought upon us. It was un-asked for and un-wanted. When proposed before the Diet, it was violently protested by nearly every Elector in the Reich. Yet he proceeded anyway, handing away countless territories bought with German blood to the corrupt Byzantines. Most outrageous of all, he attempted to systematically dismantle Christendom itself. His unification of the Church with the Eastern Blasphemers was nothing of the sort. It was a full-scale absorption of Christendom by Orthodox devils. Holy Outremer itself, the beacon of light in a world of darkness, was dismantled and given over to blasphemers without so much as a mourning prayer to mark its passing. Even today, over sixty years after Siegfried's death, we have yet to restore what his actions took from us. We will never be able to restore the lives of the hundreds of thousands of Germans who perished in the resulting Cataclysm. Nero may have fiddled while Rome burned, but Siegfried put a torch to the entire Empire.

Would that Siegfried's successors had compensated for his wickedness. Kaiser Elberhard was not an evil man, but he was a feeble ruler. When the Reich needed strength, he brought weakness. In such a time of need, that was the worst possible result. And so to Kaiser Péter the Hypocrite. Imprisoned for rebellion against his own brother, Péter passes judgment on those of us who also risked all to save the Reich. Péter was content to prevent the Unification with the slaughter of thousands and a war that cost many times that number, and continues to this day. Yet he proclaims as traitors those who sought to stop such tragedies with the death of a single traitor. With the cataclysmic period behind us, the situation in Swabia settled, he once again forces us into Civil War for the sake of a personal vendetta.

So, it is, good citizens of the Reich, that we look back on our history and see rot and decay where there should be glory and prosperity. The cause of this is obvious to all who care to look. Of the last six Kaisers, only two have benefited the Reich, and one of those reigned for only the briefest of moments. The fickle whims of the Emperors brought down the Old Empire. The fickle whims of the Kaisers are bringing down the Holy Empire.

Yet, not all is darkness. In the Reich there stands a beacon of light that shines the way. The Order of the Illuminati has aided the Reich for many years. We have brought stability where there was disorder, help to those in need, and religion to the blasphemers. All of this was done without regard for our own safety. Indeed, we consider it our duty to sacrifice for others. The Order of the Illuminati will fight for what is right and just, no matter the price we must pay.

The Brotherhood represents true egalitarianism in our very existence. Members are admitted on the basis of merit alone. Blood and hereditary title mean nothing to us. Every man who is a member of the Order has achieved that position through demonstrations of personal value. Such is the true measure of the worth of a leader. Yet, even with that monumental achievement in governance, we have gone further. The Order has titles and positions, but they are merely roles to help divide duties in an efficient manner. The Illuminati consider all members equal, to a man. The vote of the newest member carries as much weight as the vote of the Grand Master himself. A new member must receive unanimous approval before being admitted. When all members are wise, skilled, and worthy of esteem, there is no need for inequality and Lordship.

And so the Order stands today to make a public Proclamation. A new age is upon us. The ways of the Kaisers have failed. We summon all able-bodied men of the Reich to join us in the fight for a new Reich. We declare that we stand, not only for the toppling of Kaiser Péter von Kastilien, but for the toppling of ALL Kaisers. We unsheathe our swords in the name of equality and justice. We fight for a new Reich. We fight for a new Republic.

We declare that it be the Will of the Diet that the position of Kaiser be abolished for all time. We declare that henceforth, the Reich will be ruled by the Electors alone, free from the encumbrances of hereditary title. We declare that from this day forth, the Holy Roman Empire is no more. We declare that the birth of the Holy Roman Republic has begun.


Long Live Germany!
Long Live Rome!
Long Live the Electors!
Long Live the Holy Roman Republic!


ArnoldLothar SteffenMatthias SteffenHerrmann SteffenElector of Austria Elector of BavariaElector of BavariaElector of BavariaDuke of AustriaDuke of BavariaViceroy of OutremerCount of BolognaGrand Master of the IlluminatiVoice of the IlluminatiBrother of the IlluminatiBrother of the IlluminatiSon of RomeSon of RomeSon of RomeSon of Rome

[GeneralHankerchief]

Herrmann Steffen:

Peter von Kastilien, if you desire my father, come and claim him.

The longtime posturing of the Kaisers is over. Follow me, young electors. What is holding you back is simple: The sinners of the past have come once again to wreak their havoc on the Reich.

Time and time again, authority has been abused, arbitrary rule has been imposed, and the Will of the Diet ignored. This will no longer be the case. If freedom is to be victorious, then everybody will have an equal voice. Policy decisions will be made collectively and based on merit, not whim. And, because we will no longer have tyranny and randomness holding us back, the Reich will prosper in ways that very few of us could ever dream.

Side with the Illuminati, my friends. Be a part of the glorious revolution for freedom!!!

[Ramses II CP]

The von Kastiliens will being coming little Hermann. Don't be in the way when we march through, boy, and maybe there will be some kind of life for you in an Imperial prison!

If having the will to impose order on the fractious nobles of the Reich must be labelled tyranny, then so be it! Kaiser Peter is the Reich, this fool Republic you're puttering about is nothing more than a fantasy. Revenge is the reality, vengeance and blood are the truth!

I take it back Hermann, don't stand aside. Call your brothers to your side! Nothing would give me more pleasure than to come seeking one head and find five.

Fritz von Kastilien

:egypt:

[GeneralHankerchief]

Herrmann Steffen:

Kaiser Peter is a farce, the latest in a long line of arbitrarily-named nobles that have imposed their unjust will on the Reich.

I have seen his prowess, or lack thereof, on the battlefield firsthand. I have seen his utter lack of skill in command up close. Why else did he delegate me, a squire at the time, to lead the assault against the French those years ago? If Kaiser Peter is coming, I shan't be too worried about what will happen.

[Ignoramus]

Maximllian von Hapsburg

As the Duke of Austria seeks a republic, he must surely no longer believe in hereditry nobility. Therefore, I do proclaim myself Duke of Austria, and cast my sword for Peter, Kaiser of the Reich!

[gibsonsg91921]

HAIL! After the cataclysmic period, my brother and I have rebuilt the Reich to its former prowess. The cataclysm was brought upon by this Illuminati, the Swabian Civil War, and the election of Ulrich Hummel, I suspect as well. It has done nothing but wreak havoc for the Reich.

LONG LIVE THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE! CAST YOUR SWORDS IN MY NAME! DEATH TO ALL WHO OPPOSE ME!

[Ramses II CP]

Death to the Enemies of the von Kastiliens! Long Live the Empire!

You know, von Hapsburg, trying to declare yourself Duke is a bit unseemly at a time when rebellion threatens the Reich. Perhaps you should discuss the matter with the Kaiser after these Republicans have been put down, eh?

:egypt:

[gibsonsg91921]

Maximillian von Hapsburg may be Duke, as he is the eldest of the Austrians and the most experienced.

I strip the Illuminati members and all of their allies, past, present, and future, of their titles and condemn them to the Pillory. Dietrich von Dassel, when the living are destroyed, shall be exhumed, posthumously hanged, and condemned to the Pillory and hell as well.

In this time of crisis, certain emergency powers are necessary. I declare Bavaria an Imperial fief under the rule of Viceroy Prinz Dieter von Kassel. Austria shall be ruled by Duke Maximillian von Hapsburg, the remnants of a proud line. The Zirns, shall they declare their loyalty, will become Counts of that land.

Each and every fool that aligns themselves with the Illuminati shall be drawn and quartered. After that ordeal, be they living or dead, I shall personally behead each and every one of them.

If you declare neutrality, stay out of my way. Make yourself useful - we have external enemies yet.

LONG LIVE THE REICH! DEATH TO HER ENEMIES!

[GeneralHankerchief]

Herrmann Steffen:

This latest speech by the Kaiser is yet another example of his madness and tyranny. Random declarations when edicts are usually necessary? Emergency powers? Declaring people Duke when he has no power to do so?

Do you think that, after this "crisis" has expired and he wins, the Kaiser will give up those powers? I think not. He is just manipulating our declaration to grant himself even more power. This is exactly the thing we in the Illuminati have dedicated our lives to stop.

[OverKnight]

Matthias Steffen:

The words of the Tyrant are more damning of him than any I could muster.

Electors of the Reich! Listen to what this man has said. The rights he claims. The traditions he tramples upon in his blind quest for absolute power.

Do you think this madness will end with his pogrom against the Republicans? His every whim will be law, and nothing will be left to protect you if you displease him.

Now is the time to take up arms to protect the ancient rights of the Electors, to stand against Tyranny, to restore the Republic!

Now is the time to fight for FREEDOM!

Join us, and together we will make history!

Sic Semper Tyrannis!

[_Tristan_]

Hughes de Cervole :

Mes Seigneurs,

The choice you have put before us Electors of the Reich is tearing me apart...

Years ago, I chose to betray my country to avenge my comrades killed on the whims of a tyrant...

I made that choice knowing full well that there would be no turning back so I cast my lot with the Reich and put all my efforts in bringing down France while furthering the Reich's aims...

So doing, I have come to respect Fritz von Kastilien as a man of action and decision who saw exactly what was needed and provided the means to an end... And I also respect his lust for vengeance on his brother's murderers...

However, Kaiser Peter, his own brother, reminds me too much of late King Emery to gain my support... I would have brought down a tyrant only to support another...

On the other side, we have supporters of a Republic where all men shall be equal... While that sounds like Utopia, I feel in the deepest reaches of my heart that this dream should be given a chance... While I may have fallen from grace with members of the Orders, I have the deepest respect for others :

Matthias Steffen, for having been able to keep Outremer into the Reich's bosom almost single-handedly,

Lothar Steffen, for his commitment to a cause he deemed just and forced him to commit shameful acts, a cause that I can only identify with...

Herrmann Steffen, for his valour in combat and his stance in the escalating conflict between the Von Kastilien and his own family.

I can only hope that the insults directed at me by Duke Arnold were a kind of probe to know the kind of stuff I was made of, and if that was the case I hope I proved worthy in his eyes...

Now you see how torn I am in choosing a side in the civil strife that will erupt and threaten to rip the Reich...

Nevertheless, I have faced with hard choices before and I will not stand aside while the fate of my new home is decided...

I will stand for the Republic rather than for Tyranny...


Vive l'Allemagne !!!

Vive Rome !!!

Vive les Electeurs !!!

Vive la Sainte Republique Romaine Germanique !!!

[Zim]

Jan glares at Hapsburg, then at the Kaiser.

"Hapsburg, Kaiser?" the title is spit out as if a pejorative, "A man who has done almost nothing these past ten years, and who jumps at a chance to take power from his rightful Duke? At least my relative lack of experience leading battles can be put down to my youth, but this man is well into his prime and has done nothing for the Reich or his Duchy."

"The a fact that a Kaiser would dare to attempt to depose not one, but two rightful Dukes, one without even the pretence of a trial, is another symptom of the extent to which a once honorable position has been corrupted by its increasing power."

"Once long ago the Reich was a free association of the Duchies, and no Kaiser would presume that a Duke was a mere feudal vassal whose title could be taken away on a whim. You yourself once saw the madness of Kaiser Siegfried's push for Unification against the wishes of the Diet, but apparently your ascension to the emperorship has gone to your head as it did to Siegfried's."

"I know I do not have a reputation for bravery. Quite the opposite, actually. However, even I have my limits. I will not watch you turn the Reich into a nation of slaves like the Greeks, willing to bow down to an authoritarian leader. I stand alongside my Duke and his allies, and will fight your tyranny until my dying breath. And if I see the traitor von Hapsburg, I will make him choke on his thirty pieces of silver and then separate his head from his shoulders."

[Ignoramus]

As Jan Zirn leaves the Diet to escape the clutches of the Imperial guards, von Hapsburg rises to speak.

"So, our French friend was never really loyal to the Kaiser? I suspected as much. Let this serve as a warning to never trust those French dogs! Let them be declared traitors of the Reich and so free as from any risk of treachery!"

Von Hapsburg rips down de Cervole's coat of arms and stamps on it.

[_Tristan_]

A grizzled man enters the chamber, he is wearing a red-crossed white tabard. A dark threatening look crosses his face, going from the stamped on coat of arms to von Hapsburg.

My master Hughes de Cervole was first and foremost loyal to the Reich and Kaiser Elberhard who greeted him when he had nowhere to go...

As for Kaiser Peter, my master felt no bond to the man but remained loyal to the function he represented... A function that has now been desecrated by the Kaiser's claims of power...

Call my master a traitor if you will, for traitor he is already... to France...

But he is loyal to his vows as a Templar and as a knight...

For the oath he swore when he was knighted demanded that he protect the Church and obey its commands, he defend the weak, he do not run before the enemy, that he always be the champion of Good and Right against the forces of Evil and Injustice.

So who is the traitor now ?

With a last glare at von Hapsburg, the old Templar leaves the chamber unopposed.

[deguerra]

YOU accuse others of treachery? Of all people, YOU?

YOU came to this chamber, still wet behind the ears, and every bit as ignorant and arrogant as you prove yourself to be now, and YOU essentially claimed to have hopes of taking Austria for yourself.

And now, now that the Empire is in trouble, who should emerge from the shrouds of mystery, from never having been heard of since that outrageous claim, never having done A SINGLE DAMN THING for this Empire, but YOU, to use and manipulate the situation to give your damnable claim a preposterous inch of credibility.

Of all people YOU should not speak of treachery, especially not to such a noble defender Swabia as Hughes de Cervole.

[TinCow]

*A heavily guarded Bavarian messenger enters the Diet and begins to read from a sealed paper.*

Electors of the Republic,

There will undoubtedly be those who reject freedom, as it will cost them the power to inflict their fickle whims on others. There will also undoubtedly be those who instantly recognize justice and righteousness when they see it. However, under the circumstances, I expect a large number of you fall into a third category: those who are uncertain of which path to take. It is to this third group that I address this message.

By the nature of our methods of operation, the Divine Order of the Illuminati is a secretive and shadowy organization. This understandably creates a sense of wariness and distrust in those outside our numbers. However, I ask you now to give a fair appraisal of our actions before you determine the path you will take. You will note that amongst our members number two former Chancellors: Brother Matthias and Brother Arnold.

Brother Matthias is the only Elector ever to win successive terms as Chancellor. This was for good reason. His terms are widely considered the most prosperous and successful period in the Reich's entire history. Outremer was heavily strengthened, and all Houses benefited greatly. Never have we seen such a period of happiness for our women and children. Brother Arnold took up the difficult reigns of Chancellorship after the Cataclysm caused by Kaiser Siegfried's insanities. Despite plague and invasion, the Reich was stabilized, our borders consolidated, and much damage was repaired. These actions were not confined to Bavaria and Austria, they were manifested a thousandfold across all corners of the Reich.

These were the periods when the Illuminati held the highest powers in the land, yet we used them to aid all peoples, even those who were vassals to our enemies. We could have used our positions for personal benefit and selfish rule. There was no one to stop us and no limits on what we could have achieved. Yet we worked for the benefit of the entire Reich, regardless of House, rank, and personal animosity. Were these the actions of villains?

Even during the Cataclysm, the Order did what it could to aid the Reich. Of particular note were the actions of Brother Matthias, who remained in Outremer, despite the fear of the rest of the Order that he would surely perish. Brother Matthias refused to leave, because he valued the preservation of Christendom over his own life. The fact that he was successful and single-handedly saved Outremer is but a shadow compared to the honor of his decision. The 'honorable' King of Outremer, Jan von Hamburg, and Kaiser Elberhard, life-long Crusaders, both of them, abandoned Christendom at its moment of need. When all other men failed Outremer, a Brother of the Illuminati remained to fight to the death.

As for myself, I have won no friends nor office with my actions. I have constantly been vilified and pilloried in the Diet for my beliefs and my statements. Yet all of this I have done intentionally and proudly in the service of the Order. I have voluntarily sacrificed my personal reputation, my aspirations to Chancellorship, and even my life so that the Order could continue serving the people. My life is dedicated to the Order, so that the Order can be dedicated to people.

Look about you, Electors of the Republic. Cast your gaze on your Kaiser, the men that preceded him in that office, and the men that stand beside him now. Are these men who risk all they have for the betterment of their people? Are these men who put the lives of others above their own? Are these men who are worthy of leadership of the greatest nation the world has ever seen?

Join those who have proven their worth with their actions time and time again. Join the Illuminati. Join the Republic.

Lothar Steffen
Voice of the Illuminati

[Ramses II CP]

Fritz von Kastilien, with rage clearly boiling under his impassive features, stands to respond to the latest round of defections and Illuminati speeches.

Cowards! Traitors! Filth!

I see that betrayal has become a habit for you Hugo de Cervole. It was not so long ago that I was given a letter in your hand assuring me of your personal loyalty to my cause. Yet there you go, fluttering away to serve my enemies under the pathetic excuse of my brother's nickname as a Tyrant.

Fritz's face twists in disgust, and he turns to spit on the Diet floor.

Faugh, even trading words with such vile, disloyal ilk turns my stomach!

And Jan Zirn! How proud your father would be of your chivalrous decision to side my brother's murderers! I suppose running you down as you flee will give my retainers a bit of sport after I've put the rest of your allies to the sword.

Count von Bohmen I will warn you to guard your words most carefully if you mean to keep your position! It is a black day to threaten the Kaiser, or shout insults at a von Kastilien. Do you think we would shrink from stacking your corpse with the rest should you prove disloyal? I strongly advise you to take your recent defeat at the hands of the French and sit quietly at Antwerp until your Kaiser has orders for you.

Well, so be it. I don't care if every noble in the Reich sides with the Illuminati, it will just make my pile of heads all the more beautiful in the end. Then a new crop of nobles, men who will clearly see the consequences of opposing the Kaiser, will be selected. As we have done with the Pope, so it shall be with the electors.

Go on then! Flee to your fantasy and forget that your cities may end up like Stockholm.

I will be coming. Nothing will stop me. And when I arrive, all those ideals will not shelter you from the purifying fire!

Fritz departs the Diet chamber leaving some men from his retinue to monitor the proceedings.

:egypt:

[AussieGiant]

The sound of marching boots can be heard by all in the Diet chamber. The steady and rhythmic throb indicates the troop level is very large and the infantry is made up of predominately shock troops. There is a loud and clear command to halt followed by a moment of silence. Immediately after this there is an audible crashing sound followed by Arnold’s voice.

“Stand aside you Imperial pigs. I come under a flag of truce and you will honour it, or I will take the life from your body!!”

Again silence.

Finally the chamber doors open. In a practised and brutally efficient movement a ring of Austrian shock troops create a semi circle into which the familiar figures of Arnold’s retinue fan out into. Following them on his war horse the Duke of Austria leans over his horses head and rides into the chamber entrance. His sword is drawn and his senses are keenly alert.

Lets be clear my lords!!

The Order seems to have been labelled evil, a view that could not be further from the truth. We are an organisation that was created to bring like minded and talented people together based on skill and merit. As talented and motivated people we then organised ourselves to influence and in many instances control issues affecting the Reich. This became especially true as we attained positions of influence and responsibility.

Glancing at the Kaiser the fire in the Duke's eyes flash before he speaks.

No one will ever be able to deal with the Royal family because they are by definition NOT selected on their skill or performance…hence our logical call for a Republic. My lords, I want you to keep in mind that if you look around this world as it is today you will see a Holy Roman Empire that is more decentralised and “Republic like” than any other Kingdom that exists today. What we are standing for is for the final step to be taken. A return to Roman times as we knew a thousand years ago.

As a logical goal of the Order, and as the place we want the Holy Roman Republic to attain, this can not be denied by any EXCEPT the Emperor and his family.

There is another pause as the Duke's horse circles with nervous energy as it reacts to the force and power of the words being spoken by it's master.

This stance for a Republic is inherently NOT evil, and in fact is something that would stand us above all those Empire’s around us. My Lords, can you imagine for a second a Republic? Think of it...a Senate, citizens, voting…

We are not evil and we are in fact working for utopian aims that are for the good of far more than the Royal lineage!!

For those of you with religion in your vein's I would like to state the following:

I believe our beliefs in merit and equality are in line with that of the teachings of the Pope and Christs church. You can see from our stance on previous religious issues that we have been the one's to try and stop excommunication and that we have always believed in the Holy Church and not other denominations that various Kaiser's have tried, and failed, to force on us. The Church is a separate entity and will continue to be so in the structure of a Holy Roman Republic. Any man wishing to commit himself to the cross will always have the support of the Order AND any Republic.

I ask all those electors and nobles to think hard on what to do next!! To back a family that is hell bent on securing as much power for itself. Or, for a Order that is asking all to be represented!!

Sheathing his sword the Duke points an obsidian encased hand at Hapsburg.

Hapsburg is a classic example of what would be intolerable in the new age. He has done nothing but lay low while trying to make a power grab for the Duchy. His service has been non existent, his input poor. Yet now when an opportunity presents itself he jumps at the chance to ride the tails of a Tyrant Kaiser and take a Duchy he has no knowledge about and has made no sacrifice for!!! He is a mirror of his master, a man who does not and can not handle responsibilty and the inherent power that comes with it!!

Join us now my fellow nobles, support the future you can all see before you!! The idle threats and attempts at grabbing power are there for all to see. Use your wits and make a decision that will lift this Republic to unimagined heights of properity.

With that the Duke swings his mount sharply around and departs into the safety of his personal regiment. His retinue back out scanning the crowd while the shock troops expertly file out. A moment later the door booms shut casting the chamber into silence.

[GeneralHankerchief]

Herrmann Steffen:

I am going to make things easier for the Chancellor when he decides whom to kill in the name of power and whom to leave alive so they can serve him. Anybody who signs the following will no doubt be placed on Fritz and Peter von Kastilien's "blacklist", nobles who apparently stand in the way of the von Kastiliens' desire for ultimate power and who desire such terrible things like liberty, brotherhood, and power based on merit.

We the following do hereby profess these beliefs:

- That no one man should have complete control over a group of people unless those people allow him to.

- That following a man based off of ancient policy rather than public opinion or merit is inherently wrong.

- That everyone deserves an equal voice.

- That laws are designed for everybody to follow, not just the unfortunate majority that happen to not be in power.

- That countries should be kept strong, both from external threats and internal tyrants who seek to usurp power from the people.

- That we will happily label ourselves as "traitors" if it means defending our lands from those who seek it harm and professing our beliefs for what is right.

- That accountability to the people is of the utmost importance when ruling.

- That we will no longer stand for the repeated abuses of power by someone who was appointed on a whim.

- That we will no longer stand for the repeated abuses of power by someone who believes is above the Charter and the law.

- That the age of feudalism is forever over.

- That the position of Kaiser is inherently corrupt and should be forever abolished.

- That a Republic, where all Electors are equal, should be implemented immediately.

- That we are prepared to die to make the Reich free.

Signed,
Herrmann Steffen
Jan Zirn

I understand some people will undoubtedly sign this who have expressed their support for the cause of freedom, but in the name of clarity I ask that they reaffirm their opinions here...

...just to make things easier for the von Kastiliens when they come, ready to kill all those who stand in their way.

[Zim]

I will gladly sign that statement, Herr Steffen.

[Cecil XIX]

Villains, the whole lot of you! Is this what the Reich is to be? Are these the two options we must choose from?

On the one hand we have a secret society, which was content to rule the Empire without anyone’s knowledge. Now they spout pretty–sounding words about republics and freedom. How convenient. Tell me, how long has this cabal existed? Certainly at least since the Cataclysm. And after all that time this is the first you’ve said of it? Half of what you proposed could be implemented via Charter Amendment, but you didn’t even try. After all, why bother with a real legislative body when you can just create your own?

And then you have the temerity to insist you admit members only on the basis of merit. Might I ask whose definition of merit you are using? Forgive me, but I can hardly consider a group who approved the escalation of Swabia’s insurrections to be a reliable source on merit. What’s worse is how you then describe that all members are admitted only by unanimous vote.

This may come as a shock to some of you, but all these arguments we’ve had over the years are the signs of a [i]healthy/[i] system. What in Damnation do you call a republic made up entirely of like-minded people? I should think “Holy Roman Oligarchy” would be a better name for your little project, but that doesn’t sound quite as noble does it?

A secret organization which has never shown respect for the Reich’s laws and has even fermented Civil War between Electors is not fit to rule the Rich.

The von Kastilien brothers are no better. If I say fewer words about them then forgive me, for unlike the Illuminati they have never felt the need to hide their nefariousness and as a result much has already been said about them. Indeed, the four of them have never had any use for laws, morals, or anything that could give them pause. They have always believed that their actions are justified simply by virtue of being theirs.

The von Kastiliens have the law on their side for now, but that will change. Peter and Fritz will use their positions for whatever suits them to win this crisis, but it will not stop there. Any extralegal power they seize will not be given up, for they lack the good Roman qualities to even consider voluntarily g giving up power.

Electors, I refuse to make a choice between dictatorship & oligarchy. I urge those who care about the Reich to ignore this petty squabble and concentrate on matters that are important, such as ensuring the safety & prosperity of our people, for that is how we are able to justify the Reich’s existence.

No one else should risk their life & property, or those of their men, to help either side. They have proven themselves to be unworthy of their positions.

[Warluster]

I shall not stand for this blasphemy!

I hereby shall support the Kaiser in his campaign to rid the Reich of disloyal blood. I will kill if every scum; as I have been trying to uncover those $%^ing Illumanti for a bloody 2o years.

Kaiser; I will aid you in any battle against these traitors.

I also announce any man helping the Illumanti will be banished from the House of Swabia forever. We shall not stand to have those who go against tradition.

[GeneralHankerchief]

Herrmann Steffen:

Count Becker:

The consistent arguing may be a sign of a healthy system, but it is the supression of argument that we are against. It is the supression of argument that has occurred all too often.

How many times has the Kaiser ignored the Will of the Diet to do his own thing, no matter the cost to the rest of the Reich? After Peter's latest "speech" essentially dissolving all form of deliberation, I've lost count, but I can think of one other instance:

Re-unification.

Ring a bell?

Kaiser Siegfried IGNORED the will of the Diet, ignored the calls to stop the nonsense, ignored the pleas for reason. He instead kept charging his horse right into the spearwall, mainly because he had already begun the charge and he thought it would be foolish to break off course. Had Siegfried von Kastilien listened to the Diet, the entire Cataclysm and all of its effects would have been averted.

That is what we are aiming to prevent. That is what we stand for.

[GeneralHankerchief]

Herrmann Steffen:

Tradition, Duke von Salza? Is that why you fight?

The only tradition here is the abuse of power by men who earned none of it in the first place. This tradition is so corrupt and evil that I suppose many of us simply take the fact that the Kaiser is repressing his subjects for granted.

If that's what you mean by tradition, I fail to see why it's worth fighting for.

[AussieGiant]

Arnold:

Nice middle ground Becker. Petty squabble you say. Why DON'T you actually look outside the walls of Prague for once.

THIS IS NOT a petty squabble. The entire Empire is involved Becker...if you can't see that then you truly are isolated from reality.

You've conveniently boxed things to suit your agenda and describing a Republic as an Oligarchy is ridiculous. My first point would be to ask why the words Republic and Oligarchy exist if in fact that are the same thing as you suggest.

As for the mechanisms the Order has used to reach this point, then again we have remained behind the scene's because our ideals would NEVER have been attainable if we had simply stated them in the beginning. The Order was secret and now it is not. It was secret for a number of obvious reasons and I'm sure you can work those out.

You said to me all those years ago that you lost faith in the system...I tried to tell you that is was the Kaiser's you should lose faith in not me. That seemed to strike a cord with you...now I'm asking you what your alternative is then!!??

Simply denouncing both sides without proposing your own idea smacks of weakness and certainly is not going to help the people you apparently represent. Standing on the side lines while the greatest event of this Reich's recent history unfolds around you does reflect well in my view.

It's also good to see the slumbering von Salza stagger in this chamber, pull his pants down and try and rodger the nearest Royalist in the room.

Well done sir!!

[FactionHeir]

I shall stand where my Duke and Emperor stand. Those who oppose them shall be my enemies and die honorably upon my blade.

[deguerra]

I am shocked

[Cecil XIX]

It is petty, such is the small deference between the two sides. To say I am taking the middle ground would be to imply that the Illuminati and the von Kastiliens are on opposite sides ideologically. I see no reason for that to be true, nor do I believe that the future of the Reich will be differ depending on the victor. The only difference that this war will make is on the means and rhetoric used.

Nor do I believe your claims of impotence up until now. Just this previous Diet Session your numbers included two Dukes and the Viceroy, all of you former Chancellors. You could have easily forced a vote on the abolition of Charter Clauses 3.9 and 3.10. You could have attempted to mold Section 5 to your liking. But you didn't even try, dispite the fact that you were a part of the most politically powerful group of Electors in existence.

Oh, I can work out the reasons just fine. None of you actually believe in this republic you're attempting to create, you're just using it as an after-the-fact rationalization to try and paint yourselves as a legitimate alternative to the von Kastiliens when in the reality is you finally been forced to step outside the shadows and defend your treason out in the open. To claim that you can't possible implement your agenda any other way is as rediculous as claiming that a society which has existed invisible to the public eye for decades while issuing secret orders to the Kaiser believes that accountability the people is of the outmost importance when ruling.

Edmund pauses to reread Diet transcripts.

My apologies. It seems I inadvertantly quoted young Hermann, who is indeed claiming such a thing.

Finally, you chide my for not offering my own alternative. Very well.

I believe that the Reich can exist as it is and as it was. We do not need the authoritarianism of the von Kastiliens nor the secrecy of the Illuminati to make it work. What we need are men who wish to honor the titles they have been given. Men who believe that the Reich must exist for an idea, without which we have no right to conqueor our foes. Men who believed that the Reich exists to unite the world as a free people in the body of Christ.

Jan von Hamburg. Elberhard Salier. Hans Salier. These were men who believed as I do. Though I did not know them well enough, I fell confident saying that Kaiser Henry, Conrad Salier, Sigismun der Stoltze, Sigismund von Mahren, Fredericus von Hamburg, and Otto von Kassel were men of the same mold. Of course, until recently I counted Matthias Steffen and Arnold Salier among their ranks as well, so perhaps I am not the best judge of character.

[Ramses II CP]

Just as Becker reaches the phrase '...not the best judge...' somewhere in the distance a bark of laughter can be heard, and perhaps even identified as coming from Fritz von Kastilien.

:clown:

:egypt:

[Warluster]

Arnold; I am a stone wall to your petty insults. Perhaps you should be as a man on the battlefield; with your house high blocks of Veneatians...

Ludwig; if you choose the Illumanti; the ones who aided the vile traitors in the Swabian Civil War, the one who caused the death of your close friend, and the ones who've killed innocent Swabians because of power hungry Bavarians, and a single Austrian. You may NOT, consider yourself a Swabian. In fact, if you do I hope to never see you think yourself a Swabian!

Count Steffen; I fight for the age long tradition of our Empire, not some ^&*ing order of Bavarians and Austrians who think they're the ^&*&ing King's of the world because they're loud as hell and kill every &*^*ing thing which moves.

May I remind, just becuase there were several Kaiser's which were bloody ^&%*'s, it does not mean every other Kaiser is! need I remind you of my father; the late Kaiser Jobst? he died defending the Reich! Or Kaiser Henry, a true Swabian who led the Crusade! Or Kaiser Peter; putting up with quite afew loud, angry and always complaining people! Instead we have a collection of people who deonounce such victories because one, or even two, Kaiser's behave badly.

I always knew the %^&*ing Illumanti were going to be traitors and ^&*& the Reich up. I've been killing you ^&*&ers for 20 year's and when Kaiser Peter is sitting on his throne in Frankfurt, London, Paris or Madrid, we will personally spit on your graves.

[GeneralHankerchief]

Herrmann Steffen:

Pardon me for my insolence, Duke von Salza, but I was unaware that you had done anything even remotely productive the past twenty years.

Your allegations are without basis. Please try to get the facts straight before supporting those who would seek more power for themselves at any costs.

We are trying the opposite. We are trying to spread it out.

[AussieGiant]

A slow clap greats the end of Duke von Salza's words

Well done von Salza, well done indeed.

Another man that seems to find it necessary to call into question my military achievements even in the face of overwhelming and public records. Might I, like my colleague Count Steffen, draw everyone's attention to your sterling military achievements over the past 20 or so years...

Pausing for effect the Duke gives everyone time to absorb the statement.

Ah yes...the silence...it's deafening, well done, well done indeed my good man. I’d certainly describe what I’ve seen as excellent service to the Duchy...I assume you an Hapsburg went to the same military colleague.

Actually I can see the parallel's now...marvellous simply marvellous work, the “Military colleague of small dogs and women’s clothing” seems a fabulous location for future generals of this noble Reich.

So, enough of your exploits on the field.

I do have an issue for your attention though. It seems that addition and basic facts do allude you.

Let me break it down for the graduates of the “Military colleague of small dogs and women’s clothing.”

There have been six Kaisers as far as I know of...

feel free to correct me if I'm wrong there.

The Duke pasues waiting for any response.

Excellent, we'll take that as a "given" shall we...

Heinrich…lets get personal with the Pope and plunge the Empire into excommunication…his general performance…poor.

Henry…extremely well thought of, an excellent man and someone who benefited the Reich greatly…his general performance….outstanding

Jobst…probably would have done well but somehow took a one in a million shot to the head and low and behold the guy he chose as the next Kaiser happened to be there…his general performance…did relatively well given the short amount of time he had to work with…did not take his responsibilities of succession very seriously.

Seigfried…the first of the von Kastilien’s…happened to be on hand to self proclaim the title of Kaiser…his general performance…as hard as it may seem to some, it would be best described as poor.

Dear Elby…nice chap…swore a lot and did drink alcohol…wrong man at the wrong time in the wrong place…followed through with Seigfried’s “grand plan” without consulting his brain or more importantly his very astute wife…general performance…as a top bloke…outstanding…as Kaiser…poor.

Finally…Peter…another von Kastilien…makes no effort to hide his overt and bludgeoning attempt to take complete control of “everything”. Works well with other family members on this topic…general performance as Kaiser…well below average.

So that gives you one out of six…at best that did more good that bad in recent recorded history!!

If I was a #$%ing regimental cavalry Captain in say…the 2nd AHA and that was my success rate…I’d just go and commit #$%ing suicide right there and then…because I’d be damn well #$%#ing certain that the first time that blood thirsty aggressive, performance oriented Duke of mine sent me into the thick of the action…I’d find myself with more #$%$ing arms and legs cut off me than I could count!!

Denounce victories you say von Salza. I’ll give you Henry for sure…but if you cold PLEASE, PLEASE change your third last sentence from

“because one, or even two, Kaiser's behave badly” to

"because four, or even five, Kaiser's behave badly”, then you have got something to say that isn’t just total horse shiet!!

And keep in mind my lords...UNLIKE just about every single person here...I knew all of them, except Heinrich, PERSONALLY.

I'm the last of my generation and I will simply not stand for such a piss poor #$%#ing situtation continuing

I've given this current system a fair chance...I think it is time for something a little more certain than what I have seen with my own two eyes.

[_Tristan_]

A young man wearing the de Cervole livery enters the Diet, appearing unsure of himself. He carries a luth under his arms. Stepping down in the middle of the hall, he begins strumming the cords of his instrument and sings with a melodious and powerful voice.


Arise you children of our Vaterland !
Oh now is here our glorious day !
Over us the bloodstained banner,
Of tyranny holds sway !
Of tyranny holds sway !
Oh do you hear there in our fields
The roar of those fierce fighting men?
Who came right here into our midst
To slaughter sons, wifes and kin.

To arms, oh citizens!
Form up in serried ranks!
March on, march on!
And drench our fields
With their tainted blood!


What do they want this horde of slaves,
Of traitors and conspiratorial kings ?
For whom these vile chains,
These long-prepared irons?
These long-prepared irons?
Germans, for us, ah! What outrage !
What methods must be taken ;
It is we they dare plan
To return to the old slavery !

To arms, oh citizens!
Form up in serried ranks!
March on, march on!
And drench our fields
With their tainted blood!


What! These foreign cohorts
They would make laws in our courts !
What! These mercenary phalanxes
Would cut down our warrior sons !
Would cut down our warrior sons !
Good Lord! By chained hands !
Our brow would yield under the yoke !
The vile despots would have themselves be
The masters of destiny !

To arms, oh citizens!
Form up in serried ranks!
March on, march on!
And drench our fields
With their tainted blood!


Tremble, tyrants and traitors,
The shame of all good men !
Tremble! Your parricidal schemes
Will receive their just reward.
Will receive their just reward.
Against you we are all soldiers.
If they fall, our young heros,
Germany will bear new ones
Ready to join the fight against you.

To arms, oh citizens!
Form up in serried ranks!
March on, march on!
And drench our fields
With their tainted blood!


Germans, as magnanimous warriors
Bear or hold back your wounds !
Spare these sad victims,
That they regret taking up arms against us !
That they regret taking up arms against us !
But not these bloody despots !
These accomplices of von Kastiliens !
All these tigers who pitilessly
Ripped out their mothers' wombs !

To arms, oh citizens!
Form up in serried ranks!
March on, march on!
And drench our fields
With their tainted blood!


Supreme devotion to our Vaterland,
Guides and sustains avenging hands.
Liberty, oh dearest Liberty,
Come fight with your shieldings bands.
Come fight with your shieldings bands.
Beneath our banner come, oh Victory,
Run at your soul-stirring cry.
Oh come, come see your foes now die,
Witness your pride and our glory.

To arms, oh citizens!
Form up in serried ranks!
March on, march on!
And drench our fields
With their tainted von Kastilien blood!


With these last words, the Imperial guards until then totally dumb-struck pounce on the young bard, breaking his luth and carry him away to cries of "Liberty" and "Republic", quickly silenced.

OOC : The idea was taken from OK's post (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showpost.php?p=1858616&postcount=630) in the OOC thread and I thought it too good to pass up...

I made a few changes to the original...with in game references...

[Ferret]

Dieter spits towards Arnold and leaves.

[gibsonsg91921]

Haha! The more the merrier! Make yourselves known, you poodles! I find that after watching a mouse like a starving cat unable to reach its prey, I fancy a bit of sport! Anyone else want to oppose me? Does anyone else oppose the office of Kaiser, that has led us through toil and trouble, through civil war?

I feel the need for a good long battle, but first, a good long draught of absinthe. Noble men, loyal to the Reich! I invite you to the Tavern! No Republicans allowed! In fact, I decree that all the alcohol should be saved for the stalwart men who earn it and don't let others do their work for them! No Republicans are allowed to drink! Arnold, I'm looking in your direction!

Scratch that! Drink as much as you want, Republicans! It will enhance the maudlin fervor as I drink your blood on the flotsam of victory!

[GeneralHankerchief]

Herrmann Steffen:

Duke von Salza, let me put it another way.

You fight for tradition, that has already been established.

Does tradition also include siding with your family, no matter what?

Let me explain. My mother, Duke Lothar Steffen's wife, Viceroy Matthias's sister-in-law is Lyse Steffen, formerly known as Lyse von Salza. Your sister and the daughter of the late Kaiser Jobst.

If you fight us, you not only endorse the man who uses his reputation as a Tyrant to get what he wants, but you also go up against family... Uncle. Surely this goes against both decency as well as tradition. Duke von Salza, you have no reason to fight the fight you are fighting, and I once again beg of you to reconsider your decision. If the von Kastiliens win, the line that your proud father started so long ago will be wiped out forever.

[AussieGiant]

Arnold:

Raising an eyebrow at the departing figure of Duke Dieter.

Good god Dieter, what crawled up your ass!? Did I miss something?

Could you at least explain the animosity on your way out? One or two words should be enough for me to figure it out.

Turning to Peter.

Drink, don't drink...bloody hell Peter sort yourself out man, if you vacillate like that on the battlefield it will be over before it begins.

Looking with exaggerated disgust at the big green blob of spit left by Dieter the Duke looks back at Peter.

…and can you ask your staff to try and avoid leaving things like that on the floor.

It really is rather appalling behaviour.

[Warluster]

That's no worse then what you leave, Arnold.

Perhaps a man's greatness is not in the way he kills people mindlessly, but in the way he handles his Duchy... properly. Maybe you should learn that lesson? Maybe you have been twisted too much to realise... Accusing every %^&*ing person you see is not going to help your Order. In fact it can %^& it up completely. Already, I do not support the Illumanti, because they seem to be on the road of previous people.

Herrmann; you speak the truth. I can not go against my own family... but can not give up so easily. At least you can resort to calm word's rather then throwing them like dagger's...

[Ramses II CP]

Fritz von Kastilien strolls back into the Diet chamber, looking well fed and rested. He reviews a couple of documents presented to him an aid, and looks about with a raised eyebrow.

Yes, so, as expected we have Lord Becker taking the coward's way out! Neutral my eye, a neutral party would've rendered us a verdict without the passage of a decade. You are an owned man, Becker, and all can see it, you just fear to proclaim it openly. Mark my words, no Illuminati will survive this battle, and their allies will be outed and destroyed. When I drag down Lothar if I find the slightest evidence of your involvement with him, Becker, I will come for you next, neutral or not.

None of the rats will remain to hide! None! I suspect your neutrality is just the typical hedging of bets that this secret order attempts to ensure it's survival. You have made no attempt to explain your actions, you have not addressed in any way my demands for the mercenary, and your rant against our noble Kaiser strongly suggests extreme disloyalty.

What else have I missed?

Oh, yes, Duke Dieter, am I to take the mess as a declaration of position in favor of the Kaiser? I would urge you to be more explicit, my Duke, those who would stick their heads into the sand and claim neutrality will be suspect after the inevitable Imperial victory. No one would like to think that the general who has sat comfortably behind the impregnable walls of Madgeburg with only the bare aid of the most powerful army in Franconia while I conquered the Danes with militia is a coward.

Fritz smiles nastily, clearly intent on settling all his old accounts.

Mein Kaiser, I feel called to thank Gott for this uprising. At long last we can clean house and clear away the vile cowards and shirkers of duty that have prevented the advance of the Reich! I vow, after these fools are put down, there will be a new Golden Age in Germany, and soon, in all of europe!

Fritz sprawls out in his chair with an uncharacteristicly wide grin.

:egypt:

[Ferret]

Fritz I have enough spit for two you know, I am with Becker you will not fight him. Fritz is clearly becoming mad in his old age, he should not be given an army. becekr is not a coward he is a noble man, what he is doing is best for his people not himself. You should respect him for that.

he turns to Arnold

I never forget Arnold, never

except OOC ;)

[AussieGiant]

Shaking his head in slight bewilderment Arnold raises his eyebrows.

Forget what Dieter!!??

Spell it out for me man?

I've clearly been hit on the head once too many times to remember why you find it necessary to spit in my general direction and wish to do me bodily harm.

And yes I'm starting to get the impression that Fritz has gone a little crazy.

[Ramses II CP]

Fritz scoffs, Spit? a cold, angry laugh erupts from him, Spit and insults. Yes, from my observation of your tactics against the Poles those are your most effective weapons. Stick to them and you may survive this yet, my Duke.

I will respect whom I choose, and it is not the fools who think they can stand aside and see who wins before declaring their loyalty. That is the way of a coward, pure and simple. Jan would be so proud of you Dieter, just remember how deftly he stood aside and never challenged the men he called rebels.

Wait... actually, if I remember the Papal decree I just used in the jakes, he actually died attacking them. You know, fighting in the field, capturing walls held against him, all those valiant, chivalrous actions you would expect from a man of 'honor.'

Know this, if you spit at me, I will kill you. The Kaiser himself wouldn't deny me that right for so disgusting an insult. Nothing I have spoken of you or Becker is untrue, Becker himself doesn't even bother to deny it. While you cowered at Madgeburg with your knights and cavalry I spitted half a dozen Danish nobles on militia spears and crossbow bolts. I even defended you doing so in these very chambers, though it sickened me, but now is the time to put it all to rest.

If you don't care to serve the Kaiser then stay there at Madgeburg and wait for me. I have more important business to attend to first, but even your little name shall find a place on the list. Denying the Kaiser the resources of the very Duchy he deeded to you is incredibly deceitful and disloyal; I will be astonished if my brother Peter tolerates it.

Fritz returns to his seat, clearly enjoying letting go of his normally tight control of himself.

:egypt:

[AussieGiant]

Glancing at Fritz as the tirade finishes Arnold can only smile to himself.

It's refreshing to see everythings coming out into the open now the gloves are off.

Sooo, that's just about summed up the Imperialist side of things I would say Dieter.

I feel some what conservative in my approach to things in my old age. It does seem as if Fritz has a great deal of pent up frustration for some unknown reason.

Dieter, by all means stay on the side lines. It does seem you have issues with me, while Fritz here is clearly upset with you.

[Ferret]

Bah! Go for it Fritz just try and kill me. You may be a great general but that doesn't matter. My tactics are for the good of my people. By staying in Magdeburg less of our soldiers die, you need to learn to look at the bigger picture. In any case I have nothing to prove to you. You are a tyrant just like your brother. We have never got along and probably never will. I will wait for you in comfort, I know you will do nothing, that I have learned from previous disputes. But if you say anything else to insult me then there will be no waiting, you will not leave Scandinavia, and then the Imperials will lose this war. You need to have some tact Fritz, the Imperials are dangerously outnumbered and you feel fine to insult a Duke who would be on your side had you thought before you spoke. Peter may rescue you yet though, we'll have to see.

[Ramses II CP]

Fritz affects shock and surprise with his visage, but it is clearly a game to him.

Is it for the good of the Germans in Breslau? The ones in Thorn? There may be none left further east, it's been so long since a Franconian saw them. Half of Franconia stands under foreign occupation and you have done exactly nothing as Duke to aid them! Nothing! Why the very Austrian you're defending has done more for Franconia than her Duke, at least he tried to retake Breslau.

Who will stop me leaving Scandanavia? I own these lands, and the remaining peasants have been taught their place here. Are you actually suggesting that you would make your way out of sight of Madgeburg to threaten me somehow? The whole point of what I've said is that none of it is an insult, it's the pure, simple, uncomplicated truth.

Duke Ansehelm died defending a part of his Duchy you have never even ridden far enough to see. Judge for yourself what that makes you.

As for whose side you are on, it does not appear to me that you are on anyone's side and I am sick of exactly that. Declare yourself now and we need never speak again.

With another grim little smile Fritz leans back in his seat.

:egypt:

[Ferret]

I requested to march on Breslau but your recommendation was to stay put, seeing as you call yourself so great I thought I should follow that out of respect for you, now you use it against me. As I said I do not need to prove myself to you, doesn't Peter's choice of heir to Franconia suggest anything? You just wait and see, I shall listen to Peter, mein Kaiser, you are an insignificant whelp, your words mean nothing to me.

And we will never speak again, and soon you will not be able to speak to anyone.

[GeneralHankerchief]

Herrmann Steffen:

I move for an Emergency Session of the Diet.

Clearly, Fritz von Kastilien has lost his mind. If the idea of his ravings in the Diet was to attract more people to his side and make people see his version of the truth, he has failed. Miserably. He seems to be taking pleasure in the fact that he thinks that he can kill every single one of us, bar his brother.

I implore three of the Dukes, or the Prinz, to call this session so that we may begin impeachment proceedings against the Chancellor and start the reworkings of the Charter to make it worthy of a Republic.

[GeneralHankerchief]

Herrmann Steffen:

...or, at the very least, discuss the removal of the Chancellor from power. Once that is accomplished we can go from there.

[Ferret]

I would be willing to have this Chancellor impeached, he is clearly not good for our nation.

[AussieGiant]

Looking around with a slight amount of surprise, Arnold pretends to raise his hand hesitantly over the suggestion of an impeachment.

Aye...I'll also be willing to have him removed...for arguments sake.

[Ramses II CP]

Ahhh, the mighty defender of Madgeburg believes I am not good for his nation, I who have coordinated the reclaiming of a dozen counties lost during the Cataclysm. I who oversaw the complete eradication of the plague within the Reich. I who expanded his own Duchy when he himself refused to do so.

If you will recall, Duke Dieter, I actually recommended that you attack the Poles in the field before they lay siege to Madgeburg. It was only when you declined to do so and slunk back towards Madgeburg that I, reluctantly and disgustedly, sent you back into your citadel yet again to prevent your army being completely destroyed.

I also find it very interesting that one of these rebel Republicans discovers the gumption to suggest that I be impeached according the laws of the Reich. You can't have it both ways boy, either you're an Imperial subject with the rights and responsibilities thereof, or you're a filthy rebel with only what scraps and dregs of power you can drag down into the mud with you.

Tell the truth now too, I have threatened only those who decline to support the Kaiser of the Reich! If you don't respect Imperial power it's absurd to appeal to that same authority to depose me.

Fritz's grin only gets wider the more vigorously he's opposed.

:egypt:

[AussieGiant]

After Fritz's final comment Arnold can be seen snapping his fingers together in disgust.

Damn, that nearly worked.

Turning to Bane, the Duke continues in a whispered tone.

He does seem to be on form at the moment Bane. Do you think we stand a chance?

The Dread Knights dark helm turns towards his master. With an exaggerated tilt of his head the indication is that the Dread Knight is not so sure there is much of a chance.

[Ramses II CP]

Fritz inclines his head in Arnold's direction.

You know Duke, I respect your insouciance. I won't make the mistake of presuming on Imperial authority, but if I have any say in the matter you won't be executed like an honorless dog alongside your fellows. For you I'll try to find a clean death.

Grinning a touch wider, Fritz winks ostentatiously at Bane.

Bloody well freeing, isn't it? Not to be tied down to respecting the system, placating the feelings of empty hats, and trying to keep everyone on an even keel. God's teeth, we should've done this earlier! What were you chaps hiding for anyway, seems like every two bit noble in Germany's on your side already?

:egypt:

[GeneralHankerchief]

Herrmann Steffen:

I suppose that would be your fault then, would it not?

Despite being elected Chancellor by a wide margin and being widely known as one of the most effective leaders and greatest generals in the history of the Reich, your speeches over the past few days have managed to bring out your true self and galvanize a good majority of the Reich against you. Congratulations.

[gibsonsg91921]

Haha, Arnold and Lothar are not Dukes! Try and have an Emergency Diet Session! Not in a city I abide in, no sir! Not even in the capital of Bavaria will Lothar wield power as long as I can help it!

Dieter Bresch, you shall fight for the Imperials or you shall be locked inside Magdeburg for eternity.

[AussieGiant]

Grinning widely even though the under current of words hold deadly meaning, Arnold nods his head at Bane while looking directly at Fritz.

That's very sporting of you Chancellor. A clean death is all I would really ask of you at this stage...

I don't want you bleeding all over Bane here, while I remove your head from that spindly little neck of yours. If you could ensure that you are wearing a very thick tunic I'm sure Bane would greatly appreciate it.

As for your vocabulary, well then it's really coming on now you've become comfortable in your new public speaking role. The Kaiser will be so proud to see his brother at least providing 'some' leadership here in the Diet.

And young Hermann does have a point. It seems you are hell bent on kicking every man here squarely in the balls...figuratively speaking of course.

I'm rather glad I have a regiment of shock troops, plus Bane and Grom between me and that boot of yours.

With that both Bane and Grom bow their heads briefly at the Chancellor.

[GeneralHankerchief]

Herrmann Steffen:

I don't think I even need to speak here anymore. The von Kastiliens are so good at polarizing themselves; I should just let them keep talking. With every word spoken you alienate more and more people.

You can't punish the entire Reich alone, gentlemen.

[Ferret]

Dieter enters the Diet looking weary and unwilling

I officially declare my support to the Imperials. be suer to undertand that this is not because of anything the von Kastiliens have done but because of my undying loyalty and the true words of my friend Tancred.


OOC: a reply to Tancred: (full inbox)

yes I see the wisdom behind these words. I have also realised just how old Peter and Fritz are now and they have no children, soon after the war is over the von Kastilien name will be forgotten whether they win or lose. My family however has two male heirs and so will be able to carry on bringing glory to Franconia. Thank you for your advice friend, I shall travel to the Diet immediately to declare my support for the Emperor.

[Ramses II CP]

Smiling broadly Fritz now winks in Duke Dieter's direction.

Well chosen! I had a feeling you'd come around under a firm hand. Well, well, the sides have shaped up nicely! There's a great deal to do in the field, so if you'll excuse me, I believe every noble of consequence has declared his loyalty so my words are no longer needed.

Good day gentlemen! If I'm needed send a messenger.

Fritz stands and departs, rubbing his hands together and muttering to the members of his retinue. Before leaving he tosses a final cheery wave in Arnold's direction.

Here's to a good death for us both old man!

:clown:

:egypt:

[Ferret]

Dieter shakes his head in disbleief, Fritz truly had lost his mind in his old age...

[AussieGiant]

Arnold laughs and gives Fritz the famous two fingered English salute.

Old!?

Speak for yourself Fritz, I don't look a day over 25 and my mistress said she saw God twice last night!!

Turning to his retinue the Duke's voice cracks over them.

Right you whoreson's there's work to be done!!

Assemble the "Wolves" and lets get this "show on the road"!!

[Ignoramus]

Von Hapsburg rises and hurls his dagger into the floor.

"Mein Gott! Why is this upstart traitor still here?! Herr Arnold, leave at once, or you will be in know state to rebel."

Men at arms wearing the Hapsburg livery are seen entering the Diet building.

[AussieGiant]

Glancing with distain at Hapsburg, Arnold can only sneer in his direction as he leaves.

It's all a matter of perspective Hapsburg. I'm no less a traitor than any man in this room!!

Looking at the entering soldiers, Arnold raises an amused eyebrow.

Your show of force is why I arrived with more than enough regiments to ensure my safety AND, ability to exercise my duty as Duke of Austria.

See you on the battlefield Hapsburg, and don't forget to read that manual from the Military Colleague of Women's Cloths and small Dogs.

You'll need it before I'm through with you.

[Ignoramus]

Satisfied that the rogue Austrian has left, Hapsburg rises and faces the electors who remain in the chmaber, all of whom are either neutral or loyal to the Kaiser.

I call for the Kaiser to call an Emergency Session of the Diet so that we can officially outlaw these republican fiends.

Hapsburg glances at the Kaiser, waiting for his reaction.

[deguerra]

I am informed I have not made my intentions clear enough. Our tyrant of a Kaiser, my use- and faithless Duke, his self-important lackeys, and the lesser Austrian upstart can go get stuffed. I declare for the Illuminati.
I do this for three reasons:

1. Principles: Men like Hapsburg are tolerated among the loyalists.

2. Loyalty: I was loyal to the empire when it was deserving. I was loyal to Swabia when it was deserving. I remain loyal to those who have shown most loyalty to me, and those are the people of Flanders. They do not wish to live under Imperial tyranny.

3. God: Most importantly, God has clearly abandoned this empire. Were it not for Imperial lackeys sitting on the papal throne in Rome, the world would have no illusion about the crimes against the one true church that this Empire has commited. As it is, we fool the world. But we do not fool our creator.

The only man I go against here with a heavy heart is Chancellor von Kastilien, who was both a good chancellor and a good man. Sadly, he is related to the tyrant, and honour bound to die by his side. May his death be quick, and God welcome him to his Kingdom.

Ludwig von Böhmen

(OOC: should anyone feel offended, rest assured this is very much IC)

[Privateerkev]

Through the door comes a small group of travelers in robes. A middle aged and grizzled Teutonic Knight is at the forefront. His steps are measured and proud. He leads 3 people through the Diet chambers to the middle of the large hall where people give speeches. The other three people lift their hoods and reveal an elderly woman with a regal presence and 2 teenagers. The elderly woman addresses the Diet:

I am hereby invoking section 8c, sub-paragraph 14t, of clause 8 of the Imperial Charter. It's something my husband slipped into a piece of legislation years ago that allows a former Queen of Outremer the status to address the Diet in a time of Emergency.

Now that bit of bureaucratic unpleasantness is behind us, I can get to the point. I am Alfgarda von Hamburg, wife of Jan von Hamburg, and retired Queen of Outremer with all the rights, duties, and responsibilities that position entails.

The Reich is in a time of great peril... And it is the Order that brought us here. My husband fought against the Order, and their wicked evil ways, for 30 years. He fought against their members, without knowing of a larger organization, for far longer. The murder of Kaiser Siegfried was but one of the many crimes this group perpetrated.

Do not be fooled by their talk of advanced political theories like "democracy" and "egalitarianism". They are an oligarchy. An evil cabal of cruel and evil men. Wicked. Twisted. Deformed.

They must be stopped. I have sat by in retirement while this group continues to use and exert political influence among the nobles of the Reich. No longer...

Alfgarda draws a sword from under her robe.

This belonged to my husband! A man who fought in not one, but two great Crusades! Who single handedly rescued the Crown of Thorns from a sea of horse-lords! Who stabbed the wicked Duke Arnold after the Dread Duke tried to murder my husband, not once, but twice! Who fought to save the Reich from violent Lutheranism! Who fought to keep Bern, and by extension Swabia, out of the hands of the Order!

The old woman walks over to the Franconian great table. With strength hidden under her robes, she swings the mighty sword and lodges it in the table edge.

Like the sword buried in this table, I am proposing that the hatchet be buried between myself and Chancellor Fritz. We don't agree on anything but one item. And that is the desire to avenge Kaiser Siegfried and bring his killers to justice. While Duke Dieter is the rightful head and patriarch of the greater von Hamburg family, it is I who speak for my husband. For when we were married under the eyes of the Lord, my soul became intertwined with Jan's.

My husband worked for years to fight the machinations of this group behind the scenes. And he made the ultimate sacrifice. Now, their evil is finally in the open for ALL TO SEE!

Ironic that the group with an "all seeing eye" for a logo was hidden for so long. But now they are exposed. And they are afraid. As they should be...

I am hereby announcing my allegiance to the Imperialist cause. And that of my immediate family. I will pledge EVERYTHING I have. My money. My time. My husband's sword. And my children...

With that, Alfgarda waves her hand towards Clare and Andreas who stand silently and proud.

Though young, they are their father's children and have taken up weapon's training. Together, we will finish my husband's work and bring these evil men to justice.

May Saint Jan the Merciful watch over every Imperialist soldier.

[GeneralHankerchief]

*An Imperial soldier guarding the Diet watches as Alfgarda gives her speech. She is the only one in the Diet, aside from him. After she finishes, he speaks.*

A pretty speech madam, but alas, no one is around to record or hear it. As you can probably see, everyone of consequence is over at Trent fighting the battle.

[Privateerkev]

The old widow turns to the guard.

But the scribes are here. The aids to the nobles are here. What I said had to be said.

It's never too late to do the right thing...

With that, her eyes well up. She buries her face in her hankerchief and moves towards her chambers. Her children accompany their mother, comforting her. Max stands guard outside the door.

[TinCow]

*Two Bavarian clerks, idle in dice without the Diet in session, watched the encounter in silence. After the old woman left, they looked at each other.*

"The lady pledges herself to the Kaiser. How noble."

"Perhaps she has forgotten that Rome is deep inside Bavaria. I doubt if there is an Imperial soldier within 500 miles of this building."

"Indeed. Perhaps she will find that sword more useful for her own protection than her Kaiser's."

*The men laughed heartily, and then returned to their game of dice.*

[Cecil XIX]

Upon hearing the Bavarian's thinly-veiled threats, a cloaked figure is seen quickly exiting the Diet in the direction of Queen Alfgarda.

[Privateerkev]

Max stiffens when he hears the Bavarian clerks. He loses his composer and walks over to the two men.

Gentlemen...

The next time you threaten Lady Alfgarda, it would be good to remember, that if it wasn't for her husband,

LOTHAR'S BROTHER WOULD BE ROTTING IN A !@#$'ING CELL!!!!!!!!!

Max stands there glaring at the clerks. Finally, he returns to his spot at the chamber door.

[OverKnight]

A minor Outremer functionary speaks up in them mostly empty chamber.

The Lady Alfgarda speaks the truth solely when she says that her husband aided in the rescue of Viceroy Matthias.

As for her other assertions, well, if the Brotherhood was as evil as she said I doubt it would have drawn so many nobles to the Republican cause. The removal of a mad tyrant bent on the destruction of our nation hardly seems diabolical.

Still, my lord does not forget Jan von Hamburg's assistance, and will not have his wife threatened or put in danger if she wishes to speak here. The matter in question is already being decided far from this Chamber.

The same guarantee cannot be made for her sons if they take up arms in battle against the Republic.

Of course our words here are written in sand until we have word from Trent.

[Privateerkev]

Lady Alfgarda emerges from the chamber. Her eyes are streaked with dried tears and makeup.

I apologize for the outburst of my Teuton friend. Jan's first Teuton made an outburst in the Diet decades ago and Duke Arnold had him murdered. I'm afraid if Max is not more civil, the same end might befall him.

With these next words, Alfgarda eyes Max with a hard stare.

If he wishes to honor my husband, he had best do so with honor...

Her features softening slightly, she turns to the Outremer functionary.

I appreciate your lord's generous sentiment. But I am already in good hands. My bodyguard is quite capable... if slightly outspoken...

As a finer point of detail, I don't have two sons. I have a son and a daughter. 14 and 15 respectively. Unfortunately it seems that they were too late for this fight. But fight they will if they get the chance.

To call Kaiser Siegfried a "mad tyrant" is giving him far too much credit. Misguided, yes. Too trusting in those who swore fealty to him, obviously. But a tyrant? Bah... That's just an excuse to remove him. He wanted to take the Reich in a direction the Order did not want it to go and they removed him. Like cowards...

Couldn't even do it to his face. Swore fealty and then arranged for his murder in the dark and shadows. And these are the men who want to lead us?

My husband was right all along about the Order. He knew... No one believed him but he knew. And finally... finally he has been vindicated. Now it is time to repay the debt of honor. Kaiser Siegfried's murderers must be brought to justice.

Furthermore, Siegfried was probably not the Order's only murder attempt. There was evidence that they tried for Hans when he left Outremer. I bet this Order has ties to Dusan. Which means they have ties to Salier's murder. For that matter, possibly even Hummel's. I remembered when I was little, he died under strange circumstances after his impeachment.

No... the Reich will be better off after this Republic falls...

[Privateerkev]

Lady Alfgarda and Max walk back into the Diet. Alfgarda is carrying the piece of parchment that was tacked onto the main door of the Diet. She sits down and noisily blows her nose into the paper.

[AussieGiant]

Arnold walks with measured steps into the Diet Chamber.

The Reich's administrators, dignitaries, ambassadors of Rome and many other nations plus the entire administration of the War Office and the Office of the Exchequer have been called together by the Duke.

He stops in the centre of the Chamber and spends more than a few moments gazing around at the assembled mass of people.

The feeling of expectation hangs in the air, growing with each passing moment.

Gentlemen of the Reich!!

The Death of Kaiser Peter and all but one of the Imperial General's has provided nothing less than an overwhelming result for the New Holy Roman Republic!!

The Duke's words die slowly in the massive chamber, there is not a sound to be heard in response. The Duke smiles to himself at such a muted response to the proclamation.

Raising an eyebrow he continues.

Therefore the following statements are required.

Firstly Maximilian von Hapsburg managed to flee the battle. He is herby banished for eternity from the Holy Roman Republic. Any person found aiding or abetting this man will also be banished from these lands.

Secondly, the Illuminati and our fellow Republican General's and Nobles will convene one month from today, here, in the Diet chamber, to determine the exact structure of the new Republic.

While this is ongoing you are all mandated to carry out the daily business of the Republic as you would have done had the slaughter in Trent never occurred.

Sweeping his arm across everyone in the chamber his voice hardens.

One month from today my lords...prepare yourselves, for THERE WILL be changes, and you might not like them. The reorganisation of the government will be precise and detailed make no mistake about it.

A new age us upon us gentlemen, the old system has gone and it will be replaced with a shining example of what can be achieved when merit and skill are the determining factors towards governing and leadership!!!

Arnold takes one more look around the gathered men then turns and departs the Chamber.

As soon as the door closes behind him, the entire chamber explodes into mayhem.