Imperial Diet

Conrad von Schüsselen was already disgruntled about his last Edict not being seconded in time. Now with every Elector not from the House of Austria arrayed against his Edict 1.17 he can't hold back any longer and jumps off his seat:

This is an Outrage!!

I'm disgusted by the decision of this Diet concerning those treacherous Dogs! If you're so greedy for their shiny gold why don't you just crawl up their arses and get it!? It seems like you're already too far up to listen to reasonable arguments anyways!!

Conrad von Schüsselen throws up his arms in exasperation, casting scornful looks through the assembly.

I can't stand to be in the same room with such money-loving hypocrites!

Bristling with indignation he storms out of the Assembly.
His clerks forward his votes from Edict 1.17 onwards.

Fifth elector of Swabia stands up after a period of silence caused by the thundering of second elector of Austria and says:

"I have been fallowing the votes and want to express my disappointment over the votes for edict 1.23. What is the reasoning that many of you are against sieging Metz? Now is the time to surround it and put it back under the rule of Kaiser! Is it not better to siege it now and take it from the rebel slaves that oppose the fair rule of Kaiser rather then to wait for French to take it and then wage war against them with our current limited resources?

Fifth elector pauses for a second and then slowly raises his head revealing a beast like grin as he stares down on the second and third Elector of Swabia.

" You of all people should understand the importance of Metz for protecting the capital of our Dutchy Swabia, Staufen. Do you want to sit on your hands when the French come and take the towns right under our own nose? Maybe you are better on amusing Whenches then taking your sword and following your Prince in to the battle for the Glory of the Reich? I think that our Suebi ancestors will turn in their graves when they see that the protectors of our people are too afraid to take the cities that are rightfully part of the Empire!"

Electors speach has turned in to bull like groaning and he has to stop yelling becouse he is out of breath.With his still red face twisted by anger he stares around the room and says:

"In the face of the God and Kaiser. I hereby pledge an oath that once i leave for my quarters i shall put on my armor and will not take it off before German forces have sieged Metz in order to bring it back in the Reich.As God is my witness i shall eat,sleep and and do everything else in my armour from now on untill we have renewed our courage and sieged Metz!"

Fifth Elector of Swabia turns around and leaves the room to put on his armour.

People stand and look for the sounds of hysterical laughter. It turns out to be Lothar Van Austria.

Im sorry, It's just that, I would like to propose, hahaha that we never take Metz! Ever! Falls over laughing

I cant stop holding my sides!

The Fifth Elector of Swabia shows noble purpose in his words. Let it not be said that the House of Bavaria does not support those with great moral fibre. As it will surely be 2 to 4 years at least before Metz is besieged, it seems likely that the Swabian Elector will have some difficulties with his metal lederhosen. Accordingly, the House of Bavaria hereby donates, free of charge, a full cartload of oil to help lubricate his nether regions, and another cartload of orange slices, to aid his... bouquet... while in the Diet.

OOC: This was supposed to go up before TinCow's post.

The Third Elector, hunched over paper work, looks wearily up from his desk at the commotion, parchment is scattered across it and a few stray pages have fallen to the floor of the Diet chamber. The Elector runs ink stained fingers through his hair, stands and speaks:

My Lords, could we wait for the voting to close before we begin yelling at each other again? If you are disappointed to have the voting go against you, channel that rage against our true enemies. The Reich, in the coming years, will need all of us. Pray remember that.

The Elector sits down heavily at his desk and returns to his scribbling.

Letter to the Imperial Diet from Cardinal Peter Scherer

Kaiser Heinrich, Emperor of Romans by the Grace of God, annointed and approved by the True Church, his beloved son Henry, Prinz of the Empire and noble members of the Diet,

It is with great sorrow that I am unable to attend the present session of this righteous body. As true Christians, I pray you will find it in your hearts to forgive my absense.

I have been held up in a meeting with an agent of the Office of the Holy Father himself. This man, one Rudolfo Orsini of Genoa, has spoken to me regarding the current state of affairs in the Vatican. A more detailed account will be made to the Kaiser and Prinz Henry in person, but let it be said that what I have heard saddens and angers me.

In brief, it is my duty as an elector to advise the diet of the following: although our Holy Father is a man greatest faith and piety who holds no hatred for our people, there are men among his court that do not feel the same way. Gregory, so full of purity and goodness himself, sometimes fails to see the evil in men and takes their lies for truth. These serpents, mostly Italians from the north, seek to cause strife between our Reich and the Holy See. <<scribbled in the margin>>The arrogance and impiety of men to speak untruths to the Pontiff as he sits upon the very Throne of Peter himself fills me with the most uncharitible rage. Vengence, in the end, is our Lords, but justice, that is the duty of our temporal rulers!<<end margin>>. I believe they hope to gain favor for their cities at the expense of our Empire.

To men of action such as yourselves, these whispers may seem little more than the gossip of cloistered old men. However, I must strong disagree. Should this trend continue, the Italians and even the French, who allow heresy to thrive within their very borders, will gain the protection of the Vatican while we gain it's scorn. Attacks by the favored may be overlooked while retailiation by our forces will be met with admonshments and grave spiritual consequences for our leaders. I know there was talk of establishing an embassy within the Holy City so that the Holy Father may hear our love for him from our own lips and not through the poisoned tongues of Italian vipers. Now, more than ever, I strongly support such a venture.

Finally, the matter of the young French noblewoman who spoke so many slanders to the character and habits of the good Prinz has been reconcilled. With the help of our friends in Palermo, young Maribelle DuPot Guillbert has agreed to enter the cloister of Santa Maria Carmel di Palermo. <<scribbled in the margin>> King Roger is a righteous man and strong in both faith and arms. He is of Norman, not Italian, blood. <<end margin>> This is an order of silent sisters and it is fitting that one who spoke such cruel untruths should, in seeking to achieve absolution and Grace through our Savior, chose a vow of silence. I am pleased to see her on the path to redemption.

I expect this letter to arrive well after the voting has concluded, and therefore must abstain from casting votes this session. If by the Grace of God and divine Providence, my rider has arrived before the ceasation of voting, I whole heartedly support any action to dispatch an ambassador to the Vatican. Should there be enough time, I would ask that other pressing matters be addressed to Father Willem of Bruges, my Latin Secretary. He knows my mind and knows when descisions should be left to me. You may find him at my apartments north of the grain markets.

In eternal service to Church and Empire,

Peter Johann Philodolphus Scherer, Cardinal.

Dietrich leans back in his chair, placing his hands behind his head with a smile. The recent outbursts have certainly struck a chord of amusement with him. He has no long winded speech in regards to the acts, but while he quietly thinks to himself that he's glad his House is a bit more, reserved, he thinks it might be a necessity to clear up some issues with the fifth elector of Swabia. Calling one of his court aids to him he sends a letter to the man assuring him that he's overlooked a tiny detail. Metz in fact will be taken, it's been provided for by an earlier edict.

Fifth Elector of Swabia returns in the council room in his Hauberg and his helmet on his armpit.Talks to his scribe shortly and adresses the humoured crowd:

"First i would like to thank the House of Bavaria and Maximilian Mandorf for their generous offer of oil and other lointments and when considering how the votes are progressing i will gladly accept their gifts."

Elector bows his head towards the Bavarians and then adresses Dietrich Von Saxony from the Franconian side:

" I see you as a good man and great amongst the Lords of the Reich. But what the edict you talk about says is that we would raise an army capable of conquering Metz, this is good and fine,but the edict doesnt say that we would be sieging Metz.
While we build up our army its possible that the French will conquer the town meanwhile and i suspect that this Council will not support war with the French becouse of the Metz in that case during the next diet. This is the exact reason i proposed edict 1.23. So if i have to rot inside my Hauberk like the fourth Austrian Elector suggested to the council,then God´s will it is. And i should stay in my armour for the remainder of my days"

Fifth Elector of Swabia sits on his place rather heavily.

There is, I believe, sufficient understanding between the Kaiser and myself, due to his initial favor of my proposal rather than a similar one which cuts the time to take Metz into half of what I have provided, and due to the continual talk amongst the diet during the proceedings of Metz most certainly being a clear target for immediate expansion, that the edict requires Metz be taken.

In the future it may be beneficial to us all to be a bit more clear in the wording of our edicts, so as to avoid potential confusion like this. The implication of the edict however is that an army must be formed and must have conquered Metz by the end of the Kaiser's term as chancellor.

If I understand correctly, the reason your own proposal was turned down was due to the fact that it would have forced a prolonged, many year siege that would have denied the Empire much florins from trade, tax and farmland yields that could otherwise be more swiftly taken with an assault on the tiny castle.

I apologize for the confusion, but I had assumed the diet was in full understanding of the edict. Perhaps you walked in after the first couple of speeches had already been given, and missed out on our initial banterings in regards to Metz.

I am in agreement with the Steward of Franconia. I personally voted against Edict 1.23 because as I read it, it prevented the besieging army from assaulting Metz to bring about its conquest even faster. If the Field Marshal in command of the army assigned to this task chooses to starve them out, I will support that move. However, I did not wish to limit his strategic options by pre-determining the nature of the military actions.

First elector count Leopold of Austria enters holds he hand up to be recognised.

Fellow electors,

I apologise for my absence of late, I have been busy with certain...investigations of our neigbours and there potential intentions towards us.

I will like to support a call to secure Florence under our control. The income from the city for the Diet will be great and also I would also like to formally state that when I am absent it is the second elector count Conrad who speaks for Austria and his words and proposals have the same weight as those put forward by myself.

Leopold sits.

A messenger enters the Diet chamber and hands the Third Elector of Bavaria a sealed scroll. The elector opens the letter and begins reading the contents. His eyes widen at one point before he finishes. The elector stands and addresses the Diet:

My Lords, I have just received a letter from our long absent 2nd Elector, Otto von Kassel. He has asked me to read a portion of it to the Diet.

The elector clears his throat and reads from the scroll:

"Kaiser Heinrich, Prinz Henry and the Electors of the Reich, greetings from Innsbruck. I apologize that I was unable to attend the Diet this year, but my many duties as Castellan have kept me here. There is always something to repair, patrols to be made or some dispute between peasants to sort out. If I have to rule on another case about disputed pig ownership I fear I shall go mad. My patrols in the Brenner pass have been more fruitful. Our border with Venice seems quiet for now, but I have scouted several excellent locations for ambushes if they dare to march against us.

I have heard from the Kaiser that I am to go on Campaign! This is good news, I would much rather be on horseback than sitting behind walls. Innsbruck will need to be looked after however. I have asked Elector Gunther to keep things in order in my absence. I've already invited his wife Bertha and their children to the castle, so that they may be reunited when he returns. She says it has been too long since she has seen her husband and that there are several matters they must discuss. She is a formidable woman. Some wars are waged on the battlefield and others in the bedroom, good luck elector!"

The elector looks extremely uncomfortable reading that last part, but it seems he was instructed to. He continues reading:

"Preparations for the upcoming campaign continue in earnest. I hope the next time I write it will be from the field. I also hope you keep myself, and the elector, particularly the elector, in your prayers. Glory to the Kaiser! Glory to the Reich!

Otto von Kassel"

The elector furls up the scroll and speaks:

Well, ah. . .it appears I must leave immediately for Innsbruck. It has been an honor to serve Bavaria in the Diet, but it seems I must return to Innsbruck and my. . .beloved. . .wife.

The elector gathers up his belongings and exits the chamber.

Prinz Henry: I wish to congratulate Army Commander Dietrich von Saxony for his stunning victory at Hamburg. It was imperative that we take that settlement to preempt the Norsemen, but the manner in which our conquest was achieved shows the makings of a great general!

Like any older brother, I confess I have looked critically at any would-be suitor of my sister, Agnes. However, after his accomplishments at Hamburg, I am delighted to toast her intended, Dietrich. I heartily endorse my father's choice of husband for Agnes. And I look forward to Dietrich steering the House of Franconia in a new capacity as its Duke.

Fifth Elector of Swabia sends his Congratulations on the Duke Of Franconia!

"The word has reached me of the brave victory in Hamburg! I will send my best regards to man in charge of the succesfull assault and would also like to congratulate becouse of your marriage to our dear and beutifull Princess.

Hail Dietrich the Duke Of Franconia!"

Fifth Elector of Swabia

Well done Dietrich, I commend you on your assault. Now, I ask, what was your personal body count? I hope it was high, because I plan to get a few.
Whos up for a challange? Most personal kills by us and our bodyguard!

I thank everybody for their congratulations and good wishes. Especially Prinz Henry for his blessings. It has always been an honor to serve.

Otto von Kassel enters the Diet chamber and addresses the assembly:

Hamburg is ours! Glory to the Reich on our victory, may it be the first of many!

Congratulations to Steward von Saxony, not only has he taken a castle but a wife as well. Most efficient my lord! I hope you remember my words to the Third Elector.

I also wish the Kaiser luck in his siege of Florence and congratulations on the growth of his family. Reinforcements are ready at Innsbruck if he needs them. I'm sure our new allies would not mind if we used their roads, particularly if they didn't see us do it.

God has smiled upon us and our endeavors my lords!

Conrad von Schüsselen looked his usual composed self, which nearly made one forget his outburst on the Diet's floor during the last Voting. With news of conquest from the north and Siege from the south he seems content enough to rise and speak to the Assembly:

Dear Electors,

First I want to apologize for my recent ouburst. It seems that my temper got the better of me. Although I regret my harsh words their implicatons still mirror my convictions.

A slight look of Challenge appears on his face

I would also like to add my congratulations to our Duke Dietrich von Saxony. His brave attack on Hamburg castle has surely earned him this title along with the hand of the Imperial princess.
I'm also glad to hear of the new addition to the Imperial familiy, may young Elsebeth become at least as beautiful as Agnes and find a husband whose bravery and wisdom matches that of Dietrich von Saxony.

Although it pains me to be here, while our dear Kaiser finally brings Florence to his heels, I wish him swift progress in his ongoing siege. May he not forget the suggestions offered on this floor and continues his reign as Chancellor as successfully as he has begun it.

May I too, albeit somewhat late, congratulate Dietrich on his well deserved, and fought, victory.

:balloon2:

Kaiser Heinrich: Yes, congratulations to Dietrich on his splendid accomplishments at Hamburg. He is now the proud husband of Agnes, as well as Duke of Franconia.

I will not say too much until an official report is put out, but Florence is now ours and Metz will soon fall.

Elector Mandorf, I request that you set the tax level in Nuremberg to very high instead of its previous level of high. Currently money is rather tight and public order is at a very healthy 165%. I do not believe the peasants will mind giving a little extra to help out the Empire.

I await your response.

Electors,

Certain misunderstandings followed by uncharacteristic behaviour by the other Electors of Austria have come to light.

I formally insist that all the Electors of Austria contact me as soon as is possible, this is a formal meeting. We will resolve and unify our interests so that there will be no further public issues between Austria and the other Diets without first direction from either myself or the second elector.

I do not address you in dishonour though, but we must realise that we need to convein to establish a long term view and a code of practice for the Diet.

I am aware that many of the issues have occurred due to my absence...this will not happen again without sufficient contingency.

Leopold

Mein Kaiser, it is certainly possible for the citizens of Nuremburg to contribute more of their income to taxes than they currently do. However, the people must be compensated for such an onerous levy. I will agree to the increase if you will agree to give Nuremburg and Innsbruck construction priority in the event that a lack of Imperial funds prevents investment in some settlements.

Kaiser Heinrich: Yes, Elector Mandorf, I suppose that is not too much of a problem. Hopefully due to your agreement this problem shall not have to arise in the first place.

The second elector of Swabia stands up
I only just got news of this great victory Dietrich the Duke Of Franconia won us, I wish to congratulate you on this great victory
The elector raises his hand in congratulations

Duke Dietrich stands and nods to the Swabian elector before rubbing his chin in thought, something clearly on his mind.

Much thanks, again.

News has reached Hamburg that things are going well in other parts of the Empire also. What can be said of our progress in Florence and Metz, as well as our potential prospects in Prague?

What has Venice been up to as well? Allies they may be, but I'm sure they realise it is only by strategic necessity. Once we gain a level of power their twisted little Doge decides he's uncomfortable with he'll scrounge up his militia and try to make a move. I'm sure many of our southern lords are counting on this, that they may put him in his place and take Venice for our own. But it is important to not let such 'friends by necessity' feel like they're not being watched, or they may make their move before we're fully prepared to put them down, otherwise they might set our plans back for a short time with their inconveniences.

Sigismund der Stolze stands up before the diet, his face full of admiration.

I will not let it be said of me that I did not congratulate the Duke of Franconia on his marvelous victory over the Saxons in Hamburg. He showed good insight and wisdom in the way that he conducted a dangerous assault. Our Reich is blessed indeed to possess such men of bravery, valour, and loyalty.

Otto can be seen nodding in agreement to Dietrich's speech, he stands and speaks to the Diet:

The Duke of Franconia is correct my lords. While we are indeed allied with these merchants, I'm sure they would turn on us for much less than 30 pieces of silver. With one army in Venezia they can move to threaten Bologna, Vienna, or Innsbruck. They control the Adriatic and could blockade Bologna at will, cutting off trade in our only developed port.

By mentioning this I am supporting the Duke's call for keeping a close eye on our "allies", but I am not calling for renouncing this treaty or advocating a preemptive strike. The Diet passed edict 1.4, which I voted against, and we have an alliance. Being the first to betray our word would damage our future negotiations with other powers.

This should not stop us from watching them for the first sign of their inevitable betrayal! Once they strike at us we, having been vigilant, can rain down destruction upon them, secure in our knowledge that our fellow Christians will see us as the aggrieved party!

The Kaiser, in his wisdom, has kept our frontiers with Venice strong. Perhaps another watchtower or two on our borders would assist us in monitoring them, but that is merely a suggestion.

Glory to the Reich and the Kaiser! May his enemies die quickly and in great numbers!

Edit: Otto notices the new face in the chamber and speaks on the way back to his seat:

Welcome to the Diet, Elector Sigismund!

Dietrich, following Otto's speech, stands and raises a finger in the air, as if making a point.

Just to elaborate on my concerns, it must be said that the alliance with Venice was always intended as a simple measure of securing our Italian situation while Florence was besieged.

It has always been expected, and I have always anticipated that this alliance would not be beneficial to us only in its initial existance, but moreso in its disintigration. When Venice does decide to break the treaty, we will have every right and reason to exact the just punishment they deserve.

In essence, the alliance was intended as a weapon against our ally.

I am simply raising the issue now to make sure that none among us here become too comfortable, or too leniant in our watch of the Italian dogs. I am just assuring that we keep our eyes open, and our soldiers ready.

It appears that there has been some misinformation given. Whereas it was stated that an instruction for building was required for Austria, there was already one given by my Second Elector.

However, I would like it noted that the instruction that has been forwarded by myself and NOT the Second Elector holds at this time.

The Electors of Austria are currently in conference to decide the final outcome of our requirements for Vienna and Austria but they will NOT be to convert my fair city into a Castle!

However, that brings us to a point where The House of Austria are clearly without a military establishment and to this point I will petition the Keizer to allow Austria to have control of the next suitable Castle that is absorbed into the Reith.

On the subject of Venice, I am clearly in agreement with Dietrich, we will use them as we see fit but allow them a short leash.

It appears that the valiant efforts of our Prinz have gone unnoticed. I will not allow this to happen. I fully commend and congratulate our Prinz and my Duke, Henry, on his marvelous victory over the rebellious Burgundians at MEtz.

Otto, who had been dozing in his seat in the Diet, snaps awake as Sigismund speaks:

What? Oh, yes. Yes! How rude of me, of course the Prinz is due our congratulations! As are you Elector, even if you were too modest to speak of your own exploits in the battle. I see the Kaiser chose well in his addition to the royal family.

Not only was it an brilliant assault with few losses, but we beat our "cousins" to the west to the prize! Well done!

Victories to the north, south and west! The Reich is on the march.

the second elector of Swabia stands up, a look of guilt upon his face
I congratulate you Prinz Henry, Metz is finnaly ours, I also have anothewr thing to say, i feel I have not been contrbuting to the Diet, I shall put more effort in from now.
He sits down

The clerk of fifth elector of Swabia asks for permission to speak and once cleared starts to read a letter:

"The fifth elector of Swabia sends his congratulations to our dear Prinz and to the Swabian forces that took Metz with perfectly launched assault.Unfortunately im still not able to join the diet,becouse my health is not the best it could be after wearing full armour for few years.Once i recover i will travel to the meeting right away.Now i have some skin problems to attend".

Fifth Elector of Swabia

Kaiser Heinrich: Good Electors! We meet again! It has been many long years since this Diet was last opened, and much has occured since then! I suggest you familiarize yourself with the latest situation (kotr1100) as well as my midterm report (see last post of Chancellor Reports thread), so we may have educated Electors when the time comes to propose and vote on Edicts.

And now, I declare this session of the Diet... open. *bangs gavel*

Count Sigismund der Stolze stands up and quietly clears his throat.

Noble electors, we cannot allow the arrogant city-state of Milan to to expand her borders. News has reached me that the city of Dijon has fallen into her greedy hands. I tell you this plainly and simply; Milan must be destroyed! As of yet, she has no castles with which to train soldiers, and as such her armies consist of a rabble of peasants and milita - no match for the Reich's soldiers.

I humbly offer myself for the task of reducing Dijon. I cannot allow these Italians to openly defy the Kaiser any longer.

I therefore propose the following:

Edict 2.1: The Milanese city of Dijon is to be captured during the second half of the Chancellor's reign. Milan and Genoa must be captured before the end of the next Chancellor's reign.

Conrad von Schüsselen had not been seen a lot in the Diet during the recent years. Rumours had it that his illness has weakened him further and fits of coughing accompanied by seizures have troubled the Elector of late.
As he stands before the Diet now he has to support himself on an elaboratly carved waling stick. His voice has grown thinner, but his gaze is as austere as ever. He has to clear his throat noisily before he speaks:

Dear Kaiser, Dukes, Electors!

He bows deeply.

Let me congratulate our beloved Emperor for his successful reign as Chancellor so far. With the help of our valued Nobles we were able to secure many a settlement that had been lost during our recent struggles. I firmly beleive that this man will bring the Reich back to its former glory giving his antecessors a huge powerbase to work with. Once more the Holy Roman Empire will extend its influence over all Christians!

It may not come as a surprise to you that I can agree with the intentions of the Swabian elector, as I share his hatred against the Milanese. Alas, I don't beleive his strategy to be the wisest choice though. As he rightfully mentions Milan can boast no strong fortifications, yet! Already their troops are marching through Swiss passing the castle of Bern on their way to Dijon. By all means we must not allow them to get control of this castle. Leave Dijon to worry our French neighbours, I say, but let's concentrate on splitting the Milanese in half by capturing Bern castle. This will make all further moves against the Milanes much easier for us.

I propose Edict 2.2: Send Sigismund to capture Bern castle. His attack on Metz has proven his valour and strategic skill, surely Bern will pose no obstacle for him.

Now, to come to our Emperors midterm report I noticed some issues that should be adressed by this Assembly.

I have to agree with Heinrich that we should follow our Council of Nobles suggestion and take Breslau as soon as possible. This will bolster our borders against the Polish and the florins will be much needed for our treasury.

I propose Edict 2.3: Besiege and Take Breslau within the time frame set by our Council of Nobles.

There are also some things I have to disagree though. We should under no circumstances break our word against the Venetians. I have said before that we should not give our word away lighty. We have agreed to ally with Venice and should stand by that word and not take the first opportunity to break it to statisfy our need for Italien riches. The greed of this Assembly appals me sometimes.
Let us wait instead, those treacherour dogs will sheme against us soon enough giving us reaon enough to strike at their lands.

Thereby I propose Edict 2.4: The Alliance with Venice is not to be broken, unless a dire reason is supplied by the Venetians.

Another matter I would like to bring to the attention of this Assembly is the allocation of settlements done by our wise Emperor. It seems though that he has overlooked the services the House of Austria has done for the Empire in not granting us a single fiefdom. Duke Leopold is besieging Prague as we speak and still our Emperor grants Italian lands to the Bavarians. Have they not already two fiefdoms under their control? Even were the House of Austria to combine with the House of Swabia we still would only control as much land as Bavaria controls now.
I see that other Diet suggestions have been followed by our Emperor and Metz and Hamburg have been assigned to Swabia and Franconia respectively. Why has Florence not been given to Austria too?
It may seem that our House is willingly held back from the glory it could achieve. I'm saddened by these events and can only hope that Heinrich will reconsider.

Conrad von Schüsselen looks around the Assembly, his look a mix of sadness and defiance, before settling down.

You, my dear cousin, would believe this Diet is greedy? Shame on thou!

We have-eth trouble in these troubled times in providing buildings to keep our people alive, and yet you complain of greed! I am doing my part for the community, visiting far out towns, and paying for pleasure girls. I enjoy those community trips!

I formally Second Edict 2.1, 2,2 and 2.3

Ah, 'tis good to be back!
Lothar steps down and wanders around greeting friends.

I agree with the Second Elector of Austria's sentiments on the strategic importance of capturing Bern prior to any actions against the Milanese. The castle is an important choke-point in the Alps and it will prevent any counter-strokes against the Reich, as well as provide an additional recruitment base for our armies.

However, I cannot second this motion as it is worded. It has not gone unnoticed in the House of Bavaria that all other houses have been granted military commands. Yet to this day, no Bavarian elector has been given the honor of such a distinction. This is not an insult as it stands, as the use of Franconian electors in the north, Swabian electors in the west, and Austrian electors in the east is certainly of the best strategic sense. However, with Bern so close to Bavarian territory and military commands having been denied to Bavarian electors, any march on Bern without a Bavarian in command cannot be seen as anything but a direct insult to our House.

As I am sure this is not the intention of the Kaiser nor the Diet, I propose a more properly worded edict:

Edict 2.5: Bern is to be taken before the end of the current Chancellorship. A Bavarian elector will be given command of the army assaulting Bern.

Regarding the disposition of territories, it seems clear to me from the Kaiser's former statements and the current strategic situation that the lack of a provincial assignment to Austria is entirely due to the delay in taking Prague. Given the previously expressed geographic preferences of the Kaiser, Prague could surely not go to any other House than Austria. It is thus worth noting that it is due to the Duke of Austria's own caution in assaulting the city, that it is not yet available for distribution to your most noble House.

Furthermore, while the province of Bolognia is welcomed by the House of Bavaria, it is a largely empty gesture. It is not currently contiguous with our lands, we have no way to support it, and we have no elector available to govern it. Thus, Bolognia provides absolutely nothing to the House of Bavaria at this time.

However, given our lack of commands, the House of Bavaria understand the concerns of the House of Austria and is sympathetic to them. We will support all reasonable efforts that the House of Austria puts forward to ensure that they receive an equitable distribution of lands. Let us not let the independant actions of the Kaiser create a wall between us. Bavaria and Austria have always been friends and it is our desire to strength this bond, not weaken it. We will need the combined strength of both our Houses to deal with the Italians and the Papal Usurper.

Mein Kaiser, Prinz Henry, and my fellow Electors.

I will second edict 2.5. I am grateful and honored that the Kaiser has placed Bologna under the rule of Bavaria, but we must prove ourselves worthy of this gift on the field of battle! The other houses have shown their valor in crushing rebels for the Reich and I am most eager for Bavaria to join them!

I assume my good friend Conrad von Schusslen proposed edict 2.2 to keep the newest member of the royal family occupied so that he would not march on Dijon, as Sigismund sought in edict 2.1. South rather than west, eh Conrad? Still, I will second edict 2.4. I would like not to be known as an oath-breaker. But I have already spoken about my views on our alliance with Venice in the Diet and will not bore you repeating them.

Now, if we are to talk of war with Milan, wouldn't we need an edict for a declaration of war? The Kaiser has also proposed that we cancel our treaty with Venice and seize their lagoon city for our own. War with them would also require an edict. I do not believe the time is ripe for war against either of the merchant states, much less both of them. They shall be ours, but the remaining rebel settlements on our borders should come first! If we do not take them, someone else will! I second edict 2.3 and I propose:

edict 2.6: Besiege Stettin as soon as possible, and assault it within 20 years (10 turns).

We should pluck the lowest fruit left on the tree before climbing to the higher branches.

Thank you my lords.

Edit: [OOC] I proposed a duplicate edict for Breslau.

"It is good to see our electors so eager to engage themselves once again in the Diet proceedings." Dietrich, making his way to the center of the Diet floor from his seat and rubbing his chin in contemplation, took a deep breathe as he looked around the room. It was strange being back in the Diet not just as an elector, but as a member of the royal house. His marriage to Agnes had elevated his station, but he stood among these men as equals, and as he looked about the room full of familiar faces, he smiled. "And it is good to see so much enthusiasm in guiding the Reich towards the greatter glory of the future, but I must urge caution in our pursuits from this point onward. We are now bordered on all sides by Kingdoms who, for all intents and purposes, have the same goals in mind for their people as we do for ours. So, I feel I should put forth my strategic review of the situation as we stand now, before making any comment or suggestion of edicts.

Firstly, in the south. I believe that while we have secured the necessary settlements in northern Italy to make our claim to the peninsula a valid one. We do not yet have a significantly favorable enough standing in the eyes of the Pope to blatantly declare war on Milan without incurring gruelling trials that accompany an excommunication. Milan is Christian and Italian, therefore, the Pope has every reason to be dually sympathetic to their cause, and not ours.

While we're on the topic of Italy, it has also come to my attention that a band of brigands are causing unrest south of Florence. Before any options can be considered to expand our position in Italy, we must make sure our position there is secure. Doing this means quashing rebellion before it spreads, and making sure that our rule is recognized as law, not suggestions.

In regards to Venice, and essentially edict 2.4, I must express both praise and reservations in with this proposal. It would wholy irresponsible to place the Reich in such a position as to be the betrayers of this treaty. We would see excommunication faster this way than by waging open war on Milan. I must agree that our word should not be given lightly. We are the leaders of the Christian world are we not? Then let us set an example. We must maintain our alliance with Venice until they break it. Let them take the fall for a move we have long anticipated. However, I cannot support this edict in it's current form because it advocates ourselves breaking the treaty in a "dire" circumstance. Proper maneouvering and use of the careful eye we've established to watch Venice will negate the potential existance of any such circumstance. If this edict is alterred to advocate only retaliatory action against Venice once they have broken the treaty, it will have my full unmitigated support.

Further west, we come to the question of Bern. Well, I feel there is actually little question here. There are many here who want Milan back under the Reich's authority, and antagonizing them by taking Bern before them may well be the way to starting that war without sullying our own good name. I have advocated the conquest of Bern anyway for simple strategic reasons. As for Bavaria leading the charge, I see no reason why brother Otto or Steward Mandorf should not be given the chance to prove their mettle. Therefore, I second edict 2.5.

To our most noble House of Austria and the situations in Prague and Breslau, I think Leopold's err on the side of caution may have been for the best. It will give us more time to bring reinforcements to Prague to keep the peace while the good Duke himself moves on after Prague's fall to extend the Reich's reach to Breslau.

As far as the north goes, I must continue to urge calm in regards to the Poles. There are many here that would try to paint these people in the same light as the Italian fetchers to our south, but there is no man here who knows more about these people than I. It is, after all, Franconia who bears the border with these people, and my f... Dietrich's voice trails off, as if he were going to say something then stopped. He shakes his head and continues.

I must propose an alliance with these people to maintain that we are not beset on all sides by war because of simple misinterpretations that could otherwise have been avoided. Therefore, I set out edict 2.7, an alliance should be offered to Poland as soon as possible.

Securing an alliance with these people will secure our position in the east against the Magyars and these Russians we're hearing stories of in the north, as well as giving us a friend in our ever growing sea of potential enemies.

I must draw attention to the Danes though. Those slimy sea snakes have used their longboats to circumvent the land block taking Hamburg provided against their expansion and they've landed in the low countries. Word has it that Antwerp has fallen to their raiders. A close eye must be kept on them, and work must be done to take Stettin before they can surround Hamburg on both sides. While this does deal with edict 2.6, I feel this edict does not push the urgency of the situation enough to truly represent our needs in the north. If the wording were changed to conquer Stettin as soon as possible with my proposed force, it would have my full support. By my calculations, Stettin could be secured with little effort, and our information reports that the Danes have no significant force of any kind within many years march of Hamburg, leaving the castle in no potential danger during this expedition.

I would require the following forces to accompany me and my retinue to take Stettin within the next 10 years (5 turns). Two regiments of mailed knights, these already available at Hamburg, four regiments of peasants, two of which are already available at Hamburg, and three regiments of mounted sargeants. This is an easy take gentlemen, do not overlook this oppertunity to stifle Denmark's growth and gain ourself the most lucrative potential trading hub in the Baltic. Converting Stettin to a city would net us huge profits in the Baltic sea trade.

There may be some question as to my request for large amounts of cavalry. The answer is simple. Swift deployment. Franconia is considerably isolated from the other houses and surrounded by potential enemies. We must have a force capable of rapid deployment from Hamburg that could reach Stettin or Frankfurt in swift time should the need arise. A rapidly deployable cavalry army would give us exactly the kind of force we would need to relieve any potential siege to Stettin, Frankfurt, or Hamburg. And you all know my affinity for cavalry command. I do not disappoint.

This action would, to show that I am not naive and overly trustworthy of the Poles, also allow us to surround Magdeburg in all aspects of the word pending the fall of Prague and Stettin, while Breslau would be a boon too, it is not mandatory to the encirclement of Magdeburg. I must reiterate the trust I have for the Poles, but I am not foolish enough to not have a strategy in case worse comes to worse.

May I also remind this Diet that any edict passed to conquer a rebel settlement becomes null and void if that settlement is taken by another power first. A direct declaration of war must be passed in the diet session to instigate a war on any of our neighbors with one exception. Our noble houses may declare war on any foreign forces they deem to be entering our territory on a mission of conquest without the approval of the diet. This, of course, being for emergency measures.

Dietrich nods to the Diet as he finishes his speach but stops halfway back to his chair.

"Oh, and one more thing. Could somebody be so kind as to send a learned physician to Frankfurt? There's a priest there by the name of Eusebius von der Pfalz who seems to be afflicted with a rather peculiar deformation. Quite frankly I'm not too fond of going anywhere near the man, who knows if it's catchy." Dietrich returns to his seat, patting his chest on the way with a rather disturbed look. He shudders as he sits.

Conrad raises quickly after Dietrich von Saxony has spoken and raises a finger.

I may have voiced some of my Edicts not as clear as I had intended.
Edict 2.4 was meant to entail that any aggression against Venice should be started by them. I'm sorry if my description of 'dire reasons' has led to confusion. I think we are of one mind here Dietrich.

Also the army command for Sigismund should not be mandatory and I can fully understand the House of Bavaria's desire to prove their worth on the battlefield. I will second Edict 2.5. Still Edict 2.2 will remain to be seconded, I would not want to curtail the House of Swabia on this matter.

I trust the House of Franconia in judging the North and the Danes and will therefor second any Edict Dietrich proposes for a swift taking of Stettin.
Concerning the Poles I will have to discuss this with my advisors, as Austria seems to be entangled in the East now where my own knowledge is scarce ,rather than Italy.

Count Sigismund again rises to his feet.

I am pleased that our Bavarian friends are eager for battle, but surely if we intended to strike at Milan we would send them to conquer that city itself, rather than sit at the walls of Bern. For, if we leave the Milanese to themselves they will wax stronger, and that we cannot allow. Therefore, I humbly urge this Diet to attack Milan with all haste.

As of my opinion on the edicts that have been proposed so far:

Edict 2.1: I have decided to withdraw this edict, bowing to the superior wisdom of others. I realise that though a threat, Dijon is not as important as some other towns and castles.

Edict 2.2: I will only second this edict if the Diet thinks that I am the right noble to conquer Bern.

Edict 2.3: This is a sensible edict, and as such I second it.

Edict 2.4: For shame, noble electors! Would we treat our own word so lightly? Where is our honour? I cannot support such a shameful deed, and I am apalled that anyone honourable should support it.

Edict 2.5: Again, I must refrain from seconding my edict until later in this session.

Edict 2.6: Another sensible edict; Stettin is a valuable Baltic port and yet again thrawts the attempts of the Danes.

Edict 2.7: Perhaps we ought to wait a while, lest the Poles try to prevent us taking Breslau and Stettin.

My lords,

The intent behind edict 2.6 was indeed to take Stettin quickly. By besieging as soon as possible we could lay a claim on those rebellious pagans that the Danes or the Poles could not contest without attacking us. Once besieged the intent was to give the army commander the flexibility, to a degree, to determine when to assault the settlement. I did not wish to dictate tactics from the Diet chamber, only strategy.

Still, the Duke of Franconia will most likely be that army commander, and if he wishes to have more of a challenge and to free his army earlier so he can move onto Breslau, than I shall rephrase the edict. The Duke and I are also of a similar mind when it comes to seeing the potential of turning this small castle into a trading port.

Otto clears his throat and speaks again:

Edict 2.6: Stettin shall be taken in 10 years (5 turns), the Diet recommends that Dietrich von Saxony lead this attack and be assigned the required troops.

I am not comfortable dictating what troops we should recruit. If Governors have sole authority over what they build, shouldn't the Chancellor have sole authority over which soldiers he recruits?

As for an alliance with the Poles, I will second edict 2.7. On our other borders we have some natural barriers, the Rhine, the Alps and the sea, but not in the east. A friendly, or at least a nonbelligerent, power would be welcome there. I have my doubts about whether they will accept, particularly if we beat them to Stettin and Breslau. Still, it is worth the effort.

Dietrich is slow to respond to Otto's final comment, turning his words over in his mind before determining the prudent responce.

I have a fair degree of confidence in how the Polish mind works. Extend the alliance to them, I see no reason why they would decline. They sit at a tenuous position between us, the Magyars, and the Russians further north. Their conquest of Magdeburg was probably a nervous reaction as an attempt by some of their nobility to secure an early defensive position because of our swift expansion and slowness in extending an early hand of friendship. Just as our nobility have offered rewards for the conquest of lands, so do theirs.

Were we in their position, I'm sure we'd do the same. Let us, instead, offer these people our good graces.

As far as edict 2.6, I can second it in its current form. I'm sure father and I can work out a fair agreement on the composition of the soldiery.

Leopold had entered the chambers during the last two speeches, muddy and clearly tired from the road. He now sits nodding to himself before rising to address the Diet.

Electors,

I see no reason why we should not at least reach out with an olive branch of Alliance and trade to the Poles. I am a cautious man and slow to trust, as yet the Polish have done nought to suggest they will not be valued allies and if we envisage a conflict in the near future with Hungary it would be very prudent to attempt to secure the North East if we are to fight a war in the South East of Europe.

A few choice alliances now, are vital as I foresee trouble from the Norsemen as well as Hungary and Milan ahead of us. Both the Danes and Milaniese are great traders and have access to funds the like of which we will not see for a few years yet, hence we are at a disadvantage on the battlefield.

I do not doubt the skill of our generals, only the ability of our peasant armies to repel a professional enemy force. Even now my army besieging Prague face a militia of greater training than our own, better paid, better armed and better trained. I have no doubt that I will prevail and take the city soon but it is a wake-up call to me to see a REBELLIOUS state have sufficient income to field troops so far more professional than our own.

The fifth Elector of Swabia enters the Diet,asks for permission to speaks and starts:

"First we would like to say that the last few years have been good for the Reich.Many lands that were rightfully ours have been returned to the Empire.About the new edicts":

Edict 2.2: Send Sigismund to capture Bern castle. His attack on Metz has proven his valour and strategic skill, surely Bern will pose no obstacle for him.

"I second this edict and think that the Rebellious Swiss should be returned as part of the Reich.I dont see no reason to drag Generals from all the way from Bavaria to lead the effort when we have good Swabians nearby ready to handle the effort"


Edict 2.3: Besiege and Take Breslau within the time frame set by our Council of Nobles.]

"I agree that Breslau should also be taken and our Eastern Border secured.Altough if Polish will get there first.I dont think we should go to war with them for Breslau so hereby i would like to make:".

1st amendment to Edict 2.3: If captured by Polish before we should leave Breslau be.

Edict 2.4: The Alliance with Venice is not to be broken, unless a dire reason is supplied by the Venetians.

"I second this amendment.We are the Kings of Romans and should be men of honour. We should not go to war with excuses.No the Empire is no lesser kingdom that attacks others based on opportunism.When we go to war,we go to war becouse of the right reasons".

Edict 2.5

"I wont second this like i stated my opinion before.No need to bring Generals far when there are able men already close"

edict 2.6: Besiege Stettin as soon as possible, and assault it within 20 years (10 turns).

"We will second this edit also,but with same reservations as 2.3.Taking of Stettin should not cause war between the Reich and Poland"

edict 2.7, an alliance should be offered to Poland as soon as possible.

"We will second this edict.In my mind we should have good relations with our neighbours unless they themselves cause war with us."


The Fifth Elector of Swabia bows to all parties and sits down on his place.Others can see that his health is not what it was still few years a go.

Cardinal Peter Scherer stands from his tall wooden seat. He gently raps on the floor 3 times with staff of office and waits to be recognized...

First off my brothers, I wish to say that it brings me great joy and fulfillment to sit among you again. Once more I feel compelled to apologize for my absense during the last meeting of this distinguished body.

Now beforeI speak to the wise proposals at hand, I wish to address the issue of our Holy Father, Pope Gregory. We all know that his Holiness and our Reich have had diffrences of opinion in the past. Gregory, regardless of what may think of him as a man, is the rightful Pope and the instrument through which Our Lord speaks to us during our short time here on Earth. One would be well advised to put wrath and pride aside for the moments we spend in this world so that one would hasten his soul's reception into the Kingdom of Our Lord in the next.

As to the proposed edicts, I have this to say:

2.2 I support this proposal in it's desire to capture the fortifications at Bern. The Swiss have strayed and must be brought back into the fold. If blood must be shed, so be it. Their children will thank us for it in a generation. However, I withhold my support for this proposal in lieue of proposal 2.5.

2.3 Again I support the use of our forces to bring these people under the protective and benevolent rule of our Kaiser, may God bless him with long life. Currently, these folk have no lord above them. They have no stability. If these people are left to fester in such a state, they will surely engage in all sorts of unspeakable depravities too foul to mention in these hallowed halls. It is the duty and privlege of the Empire to bring order and security to these wayward souls before they succumb to the heresies that seem to flourish in the east.

The cardinal glances toward the Austrian electors

2.4 I am no friend to the Venetians. They love money more than brother, babe or Church. However, I agree with what so many here have said far more eloquently than I. We should not be the one's to play Brutus here. Instead we should let the Venician's greed for silver cast them in the role of Iscariot. Doing so will make our action appear just when we, in retaliation, drive the Doge into the sea.

2.5 Steward Mandorf's proposal seems fair. I know the valor of the Bavarian people and fires that smolder in their hearts. As a son of Bavaria, I share it, though I have chosen a different field of battle. It seems almost cruel to deny these men the chance to serve the Reich and to put their lives on the line for a chance to bring glory to the empire and the Kaiser! I support this proposal.

Additionally, the position of the Holy Father remains nuetral in the cause of Swiss independance. An attack on this settlement now will bring no reprecussions from Rome. Should we wait until Milan has seized it, we would risk Gregory's scorn. As I explained in my letter to this body at it's last meeting, our reputation is already poor in the Vatican and we should do what is possible to avoid throwing more tinder on the flames.

2.6 Of all the settlement in need of our protection and tutelage, none cry out so loudly as Stettin. How a nation of unbaptised pagans has survived in the Heart of Europe for so long long is beyond my comprehension.

The cardinal's voice grows louder and his face begins to redden with suppressed anger

Even the Norsemen are Christians, yet these Stettinvolk still revel in carnal orgies and make blood sacrafices under the moon! It is an affront to the Church! ((Loudly taps his staff on the floor)) It is an affront to the Reich! ((Taps his staff even more loudly)) It is our duty to put an end to the evil of that place and bring the people to the Glory of accepting Christ, Our Savior.

The blush of firey red that had flushed the Cardinal's face begins to fade and his voice returns to it's normal volume. He seems completely calm and ingarciating again.

Securing this Baltic Sodom will give us access to the sea and the rich trade that flows there. As we enrich the local's souls, they will enrich our treasury.

2.7 The Poles are good sons of the Church. They are like a pavis provided by the Lord to guard the heart of Europe from the hordes of the East. It is wise and noble of us to provide them our hand in friendship.

Now I would like to make a proposition of my own...

2.8 "Eusebius von der Pfalz and I, Peter Scherer, Cardinal, should travel to the region of Stettin to begin readying the populace for acceptance into the Church of Rome."

Such a missionary undertaking will no doubt bring glory to the Reich, especially in the eyes of the Holy Father. For this reason I ask that the move be made as an official Edict of this Diet.

Lastly, I would like to address the fact that while many new churches have been built by the order of this most pious and reverant Diet, we must consider that we do not have a great church building anywhere in the Empire. While the French build massive abbeys and the Italians bring greek architects in from the east to plan magnificent Basillica, the Reich has no true seat of Christianity as it exists in our Empire.

I understand that times such as these may call for a build up of financial and military structures, but please do not forget that the soul also needs a fortress of faith which inspires it and strengthens its resolve.

Prinz Henry: I would like to inform your noble lords that all the edicts currently proposed have been listed at the front of the Diet building (post #1). Where edicts already have two seconders, additional seconders have not been listed.

I would like to support Cardinal Scherer and second motion 2.8. In fact, I would like to go further. I believe more priests should be recruited to accompany the Cardinal and Eusebius von der Pfalz. Unlike Count Dietrich, I do not wish to cast aspersions on the ability of these two men of the cloth. The Cardinal is an inspirational figure and having met Eusebius, I can testify that the young man has a quite remarkable air of purity and goodness. But to convert a whole province of pagans is a mammoth task and I believe it requires more than a couple of men of the cloth to achieve in a reasonable time frame. When Stettin has seen the light, I am sure we could find employment elsewhere for our missionaries. My own attention has been drawn to the Holy Land and believe the day may soon come when men of the cloth can no longer abide the occupation of our most sacred sites to infidels.

I would suggest to Cardinal Scherer that he ammend his edict to include an instruction that at least two more priests should be trained and sent to accompany him and Eusebius.

[OOC: Priests get good traits if they convert non-Catholics quickly; more priests in a province means a faster rate of conversion and more chance of picking up good traits.]

More generally, I wish to support my father's proposed course of action for the second half of his term as Chancellor. I do not wish to see us embroiled in major wars without just cause. Given our central and dominant role in Europe, I fear war will find us soon enough anyway. When it does, if we are not entangled in an existing conflict with a major faction, we will be much more able to respond vigorously. While a move east does not favour my own House, Swabia, I see the logic in it - the road west is currently blocked by Milan at Dijon and the Danes at Antwerp.

I must study the other proposed edicts more carefully, but on first glance none causes me great displeasure.

Cardinal Scherer, there is no doubt that you are a good and pious man. Your concerns for all of God's children are admirable and are worthy of high praise. Furthermore, your statements about Bern and Stettin are insightful beyond measure.

However, I am exceedingly disturbed by your statements regarding the Papal Usurper! *Mandorf spits on the ground and crosses himself.* The rightful Pope?! Since before the time of Constantine, the Pope was elected by pious and honorable men such as those who sit here in this very room. This was as God willed it and it cannot be otherwise.

Antipope Gregory, in an attempt to seize earthy power beyond that decreed to him by God, refuted this most sacred and holy of traditions and removed the entire body of Christianity from their divinely given right of choosing the Pope! In the place of this most just electorate, he gave the power to his own sycophants in Rome, ensuring that future tyrants like him would be placed on the Highest Throne. In his wisdom, Kaiser Heinrich initially opposed this injustice with all of his most righteous power. It was only due to the rebellion of many, now deceased, traitors to the Reich, that his attempts to restore the rightful order was thwarted.

We stand now, faced with this continued Satanic Tyranny... *Mandorf crosses himself again* ...that grows in Rome. Antipope Gregory has aligned himself against God and the Reich, for we are His chosen defenders on Earth! Your own statements show the Usurper's evil intents.

You say that if we attack Milan first, Gregory will support them instead of us. How true this is! *Mandorf begins to sweat profusely, his arms flailing around in wild gestures* Have you not forgotten that the Milanese have rebelled and thrown off the rightful rule of Kaiser Heinrich? The Antipope supports them because he wishes to gain dominion over all Italy as a step towards tyrannical control over all Christendom! The Milanese dogs are but a tool of Satan to be wielded against our most righteous Lord. If we bow our heads and submit to this unholy order, we too shall be doomed to burn for all eternity! It is our divinely ordained mission to destroy the Usurper and return the Papal throne to God!

*Mandorf sits down and wipes his brow with a handkerchief. For several minutes he continues to mutter quietly to himself.*

Brother Henry, I don't mean to cast an aspersion on any good man of the cloth, I'm just looking to his good health and the health of those he preaches to. I have no doubts about his purity or good intentions, I'm just concerned for his well being.

Prinz Henry: On a procedural point, no closing date has yet been set for this Diet. In keeping with our practice of allowing three days for deliberation, we will close tonight at midnight (UK time). There will then be a 24 hour period of voting.

Electors who govern settlements should make sure they have posted build queues for the next Diet (10 turns) by midnight tomorrow.

Otto von Kassel again rises to speak:

My fellow Electors, the good Cardinal has spoken sensibly, I second edict 2.8. If Peter wishes to change the edict in light of the Prinz's comments, I will still support it.

Otto pauses and rubs his temples with one hand:

As for the legitimacy of the current Pope. . .I try to stay away from the internal workings of the church. Yet our empire has had a special relationship with Rome since Pope Leo crowned Charlemagne Emperor. Without the Pope we would not be a Holy or Roman empire, but without us the Pope would still be under the Lombard or Saracen yoke.

The investiture controversy has made relations with the Papacy worse, but are they irreparable? Pope Gregory is one man, he, like all men, shall die. Should we endanger our centuries old relationship with the Church for one man? I am just a soldier, I do not have the answers to these questions.

But the Pope, legitimate or not, has power. If we are excommunicated, the other Catholic nations of Europe will fall upon us, eager for any excuse for open war. Other nations will look upon us as we look upon Stettin, heathens and heretics who must be brought into the Lord's light. And if they loot, or burn, or pillage or set themselves up as rulers over us then it is God's will, or so they shall see it. For now, at least, we must be cautious in our dealings with Pope Gregory. We must continue the work of edict 1.1.

Otto pauses, speaking on religious matters has made him uncomfortable, he continues on a different topic:

This Diet session has only has a day left by my reckoning. I have reviewed the edicts proposed so far and my guess is, if passed, implementing them will only require about half of the Kaiser's next term! What is to be done then? Inactivity is a folly! Sleep is for the dead!

The Kaiser spoke of his plans in his report, but the Diet awaits his direction in this session. Please mein Kaiser, what are your thoughts? And if anyone else has edicts in mind you should speak now!

Otto takes his seat, glances over at his fellow Bavarian Electors, and again rubs his temples.

OOC: Edited to add more exclamation points.

Fifth Elector of Swabia stands up and speaks:

"Mighty Kaiser, When i travelled here from Swabia i noticed the lack of watchtowers and patrols inside the Reich. Shouldnt we keep the Reich safe from bandits and know who are travelling inside the Empire?Therefore i propose:

Edict 2.9. Building of Watchtowers on strategig locations inside the reich.

Swabian Elector nods and sits down.

I find myself in agreement with the fifth Swabian elector. Keeping the reich from rebellion and heresy means keeping an eye on our lands. I second edicts 2.9, and, in the same spirit, propose edict 2.10 - The construction of watchtowers at strategic points on all our foreign borders should be accomplished whenever the extra funds and nobility are available to carry out these endeavours.

Kaiser Heinrich: I beg your sincere pardon, dear Electors, for my absence of late. I was tending to matters of the state.

As a general observer, it is clear to me that the Diet does not share my ambitions about expanding east. While this disappoints me, I will nevertheless go along with its decisions.

Gentlemen, the question is no longer whether we anger the Pope by going after another Christian nation. Our successes in the first half of my term combined with the agressive expansion programs of the factions surrounding us have prevented that. The question is now which nation we attack, and how much do we incur the Pope's wrath?

It seems as if the Diet is pushing for an attack on Milan more than any other nation. Fine. But must we limit ourselves? Poland currently blocks our path eastward and Venice south. You know that eventually we will come into conflict with them if we seek to regain the Empire's glory. In the previous session we all agreed that this alliance with Venice was temporary at best. Yet now you seek to make that alliance more solid? You seek to align with Poland yet at the same time push for eastward expansion? Make up your minds, dear Electors!

I second Edicts 2.8, 2.9, and 2.10.

I yield the floor.

Cardinal Peter stands and clears his throat. He seems ready to speak then stops and picks a piece of lint from his vestment and drops it to the floor, watching as it slowly descends to earth...

My good lords...

Let me first address the matter of the Conversion of Stettin. I will happily ammend my proposition! I thank the Lord that men such as our Prince sit in this hall. His gracious ammendment is more than I could have hoped for.

Let 2.8 read: "At least two priest shall be recruited from our dioceses and accompany Eusebius von der Pfalz and Peter Scherer, Cardinal, to the region of Stettin to begin readying the populace for acceptance into the Church of Rome."

As to the outburst of Herr Mandorf, he knows not what he speaks... perhaps a fever. I shall take his blasphemous words as an emotional outburst of a man not well... and not as the type of heretical speech that might cause a man to be put to the question.

I understand that the ability to speak freely here is of the utmost importance... the ability of this ruling body depends on frank and truthful oration. However, I will not sit here and listen to Our Holy Father be abused and debased by men who speak with rage in their eyes and wrath in their hearts. Before Hildebrand began reforming the Church, vice and immorality were rampant... why the "Bishop" of Nuremburg was not only married, but he was married to TWO women at the same time! Sodomites, freebooters and half-wit court fops could be Bishops if they had enough gold! Bishops actively warred on one another at the whim of their Princes because it was the Princes who apointed them. His Holiness has re-established order and righteousness among the clergy.

And know that when you speak to election as illegitimate you insult my office directly. Do you feel the College to be invalid? Am I and my fellow Cardinals conspirators in this vast criminal enterpise that is Pope Gregory's reign? Are you, Maximillian Mandorf, saying that you are more fit to elect the pontiff than a college of men who have embraced the Word throughout their lives? Men who have not done murder, who have spurned the pleasures of the flesh fro the ecstacy of the soul, who have who have given up their familial rights to join into the family of the Church?

Cardinal Peter, if you proceed with this amendment to Edict 2.8, then I will withdraw my support. Religion is important, yes, but I do not want to spend an unnecessary amount of money on the conversion of Stettin. Do you consider yourself not up to the task of preaching the Word of God alone?

Otto rises to speak again:

I will be brief as I have already taken enough of this assembly's time. I second edict 2.9 and 2.10. These are sensible precautions that can be accomplished when more pressing matters are not present.

Mein Kaiser, I apologize if the direction that this Diet has taken displeases you. However, you have not proposed any edicts yourself, and I'm not aware of any rules that would prohibit you from doing so. If you have a specific plan in mind, let us know. Your voice would carry great influence in this council!

Thank you my Lords.

Otto takes his seat.

Prinz Henry: Voting on edicts is now open:

https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?t=78296

In view of my father's intervention, I do wish to discuss whether we need to recruit more priests. Be in no doubt, fellow Electors, this issue is not about Stettin. It is much wider than that. A group of missionaries, tempered by experience in Stettin, will be a powerful asset to the Republic. I envisage sending them on, further east, to achieve more successes converting heathens. And ultimately, I see sending them to the Holy Land to prepare for our arrival there.

The issue relates to Maximillan's outburts and Cardinal Scherer's responses. The Pope acts as a restraint on the action of all god-fearing nations. The question is how do we respond to this? Do we ignore it and risk the wrath of all our fellow Catholics? I see no benefits to ignoring the Papacy, only risks and costs. That is one reason why I do not support any unprovoked war on our Catholic neighbours. And certainly not in this Diet, where the argument for a specific war has not been made.

The alternative is that we use the institution of the Papacy, by gaining influence with the Pope. This would be done directly by regular contributions as I proposed in the last Diet. And indirectly, by promoting our own Cardinals to positions of influence, as I have advocated may happen through sending many missionaires to Stettin and other godless places. If Cardinal Scherer achieves quick dramatic results in Stettin, his reputation for piety will rise and this may ultimately propell him into the Preferati or even beyond. Moreover, the young priests we recruit will also gain in stature and may join him as Cardinals, immune to heresy and capable of influencing the election of the future Pontiffs.

My own view is that we should use the Papacy, not ignore it. The rewards to working with Rome are substantial - for example, we gain the ability to launch crusades on our enemies and on infidels. With the Pope on our side, any would be invaders will be stalled or ostracised.

But if we are to use the Papacy it will cost us some coin. Regular gifts of around 100 florin every two years; the upkeep of a few priests. Electors, these are not large sums and it would be penny pinching if you vote for ostracisation for fear of spending a few hundred florin per annum. Religion has become a powerful force in the world of men - we ignore it at our peril.

Fifth Elector of Swabia stands up after Prinz Henry and says:

"Truly i agree with our honourable Prinz and my Duke. We should have good relations with the Holy father. And as i see the speech of the Bavarian Duke.I think it is down right Heretic. We suggest that the Bavarian Duke to spend more time in Church of our Lord and search his heart to find the righteous path once again."

Swabian Elector sits down.

Count Sigismund der Stolze stands up once again.

Noble electors, I will never let it be said that I am not pious or a true Christian, but I cannot in all good conscience support the Pope. The Roman Church, which is the mother of all churches, behaves more like a stepmother than a mother. The scribes and Pharisees place burdens on men's shoulders too heavy to be borne. They load themselves with fine clothes and their tables with precious plates; a poor man can seldom gain admittance.

Why then should we waste good Imperial gold on appeasing this pontiff who defies the Kaiser himself?

Fifth Elector stands up and asks again permission to speak:

"Who are we to judge Gods plan?God see`s into men´s heart and works in mysterious ways. St.Peter was left in to the world to be the bedrock of Christians and who sits on his thrown is the father of the church and representative of God on earth. If we deny that we are not true sons of the Church. Where is the proof that Papacy is in turmoil? All i hear is hear say.Where is the proof. About the gold. Dont we leave gold to the church after the mes so our churches can look astonishing proof of our faith? As men leave gold to their parishes. Kingdoms and Empires leave gold to the Papacy as sign of their faith."

The fifth Elector sits down looking rather upset.

[Prinz Henry:] My good friend Count der Stolze, I did not say "support" the Pope. I said "use" the Pope.

We must distinguish between the office and its current occupant. I would certainly prefer to see Cardinal Scherer or another good German man of the cloth in the office, and indeed, my proposals are partly designed to that end.

But given that the office exists, I believe we should respect it so that we can use it to our advantage, rather than provide our enemies with another weapon against us.

As I have said, I do not believe we should attack our Catholic nations unprovoked, so I do not see the Papacy as a hindrance to us. If, as I fear, we are eventually subject to an unprovoked attack by our Catholic neighbours, good relations with the Papacy will provide us with several advantages. It may induce our assailants to cease their attacks; or it might expose them to excommunication and our crusades if they refuse to desist.

This is an age in which men are fired up by religious passion - we should use that zeal to our advantage, not get burned by it.

It is indeed wise to exploit a weakness when it is revealed. Though I believe fervently that the rightful order should be restored in Rome, I am not such a fool as to think we can march our armies into the Eternal City without causing much strife to our homelands. I fully support the form of policy Prinz Henry advocates, but only after Pope Gregory is burning in the fires of hell! He has already excommunicated our Kaiser and has proved himself a fervent enemy of the Reich. We cannot pander to him nor grovel to him without losing a part of our soul!

Let him waste away and die, then let us use politics, trade, and any other resources at our disposal to gain influence in the Vatican. With influence comes power, and eventually the ability to restore the rightful order to Christianity.

Dietrich smiles, bemused at the current exchange, and leans forward in his seat. He fixes his gaze on the Steward of Bavaria.

Most surely our good Mandorf understands that at the moment the Reich is not excommunicated at all, we're simply not in the Pope's best of graces. As such, it would not be prudent to intentionally incur Papal condemnation by invading one of our Catholic neighbors without a cassus belli, without a reasonable, internationally recognizable cause for war. This would be wholy unwise.

My father used to recite a little saying. "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me." My point is that the Pope has excommunicated us in the past, and I feel we've all had our moment of ire for the man because of it, but let's not give him a reason to do it again. Instead, let us use his weapon to our advantage. Let it be said that the House of Franconia stands firmly beside the wisdom of the prince. You are wise beyond your years brother Henry.

With the votings concluded I'd like to take the floor once again to adress matters I consider dire for the House of Austria and the good of the Empire.

Conrad von Schüsselen bows respectfully to the assembled Nobles:

With the previous heated discussion concerning the representative of god in this world I have to align myself with our wise Prince Henry, he speaks true and his feelings mirror mine. We should not anger the Pope, not as Christians and not as Holy Roman Empire. We had our differences but honour prevailed and we were able to settle the conflict honouring timeheld traditions. Dear Elector Mandorfs outbursts do indeed worry me a little. He surely is a man as pious as any of us, but I fear he has not forgiven the Papacy for their recent actions. In the light of his statements, having him and the House of Bavaria in control of Bologna within striking distance to Rome, makes me worry indeed.

Which brings me to the next matter of the general allocation of fiefdoms in Italy. I still beg to hear a reason for the land distribution as decreed by our dear Kaiser. Those who know me, can testify that my interests have lain in Italy for decades no. I have fought along your Grace against the Italians many times and taken time to study them. To be honest I had hoped for at least a little fief on the peninsular to put my studies to use and enjoy the remaining years of my waining life. Alas, my wish has not been granted yet.
Furthermore I have to disagree that Edict 2.4 tries to establish firmer ties with Venice. It merely announces once again, that once the Empire gives his word it is not broken. We are all men of honour that surely stand to their word.

As mentioned before, Edicts have been passed once again, but a clear strategy for the further years has not been established. Maybe we should try to push our discussion in that direction. Maybe men of more widsom want to take the lead in this. I have taken up enough time of the Diet already.

Conrad sits back down again. He looks a little weaker than usual and his speech seemed to have drained many of his limited reserves.

Cardinal Scherer, having whispering in Latin to his attendants, again turns his attention to the Diet...

I beg your pardon friends and brothers, may I belatedly respond to our Kaiser's question?

Frankly, my Emperor, no I am not up to the task by myself. Even Our Savior used the apostles to spread the Word, and I am just a lowly sinner unworthy of the redemption He granted me through his death. The assistance of other men of the cloth will not only aid us in converting the pagans of Stettin, but will ensure there are well respected and pious men in the Imperial clergy who will, in time, perhaps, ascend to the College of Cardinals. I am getting old, and when I pass on the Reich MUST have a presence in the College.

However, I understand and applaud the Kaiser for his reluctanence to put any additional financial burdens upon his subjects. Regardless of whether 2.8 passes or not, I hope I may go to Stettin with his Highness's blessing.

Holding his mitre in place, Cardinal Scherer bows to the Emperor.

Elector Conrad, the reason that Austria was not allocated any settlements was because Prague was not taken in time for the midterm session. This is not me pushing the House in any way, it would just be rather ridiculous. I believe Steward Mandorf touched on the point earlier. Rest assured, you will have Prague and hopefully Breslau by the time of the next session.

Cardinal Scherer, I do understand your perspective, but please understand mine. I, unlike you, have not devoted my life to religion, which requires little thought towards any other subject. I have devoted it to leading, and when leading, several factors must be taken into account. Religion is a priority, yes, but it is not the number one priority. Successful management and expansion of a large Empire is, so I do not wish to needlessly spend money in one specific field unless it is of high importance. I wish you and von der Pfalz well on your mission, Cardinal.

Dietrich shakes his head, quietly disagreeing with some of the Emperor's recent statements, but making no vocalisation about them. Instead, he prefers to add this event to his own private insights. He wastes no time though in offering up his services to the cardinal, leaning forward against the table in front of him as he speaks.

"Cardinal Scherer, let it be known that, while Emperor Heinrich can spare little time himself in the pursuit of the Holy Roman Empire's spiritual necessities, there are many amongst this court whose time is much less taxed and abated by the ever growing list of tasks that leading our great empire requires. After all, is that not the purpose of the Dukes, the Stewards, and all others who serve the Emperor? To mitigate the stress of maintaining the Reich by offering up the task of governance in all its forms where the Emperor himself cannot personally be present. The servants of the Reich are not here simply to banter back and forth in the diet and deliberate on edicts and laws, but also to impress on the people the rule of our great leader in his absence. We are here to govern our cities, our castles and our people. We are here to lead our people to war in defence, in conquest, and in practice. We are here to oversee the growth of people's culture, their heritage, and their pockets! But not only that, are we also not here to ensure that every man in the Reich's lands has heard the word of the Lord, has pledged his spirit to God, and holds within himself a heart of true, spiritual health? Good Cardinal, worry not the Emperor with the matters of the local Dukes. You have my word that your passage through Franconia, and, once Stettin has fallen, your continued presence there, will be allowed every liberty and moment of my time that is required of me in order to spread the word of God to those pagan lands. Such good German men should not be deprived of the true faith, left by their neighbors to worship in the dirt the false icons of old, pagan gods and be deprived of the enlightened path that we walk.

If there is anything that you may need, just let me know."

Finished with his speech, he sits back up against his chair and crosses his arms. He feels content, believing that, if anything, the Cardinal will not leave the diet with too much of a sour taste in his mouth, and he may have salvaged them from Scherer returning to Rome with a completely poor opinion of the Reich.

It saddens me that you have misunderstood my desires once again mein Kaiser. I do not cherish the Eastern lands with their religious quabbles and uprisings. With their heretic and pagan ways. I'm not saying the House of Austria is not up to the task of appeasing those provinces and bring them fully into the Reich once again, but close to our borders and already within our grasp lie the rich, civilized and prosperous lands of Italy, yet you deny us any fiefdoms within those lands. Regional preference you say. Why is it that other Houses get to reap the fruits cultivated over centuries while we have to plow the barren fields that lie to the East?

My interest lies in Italy and I will not rest until the House of Austria gets its rightful share of rich Italian soil. I think I've heard from the House of Bavaria sentiments regarding Bologna. And you seemed eager to have Prague stormed immediatelly, rather sacrificing German soldiers instead of letting hunger, thirst and disease takt its toll. If Bologna is not to your liking and you'd rather prefer fiefs to the East maybe a mutual agreement can be reached? Surely this should be discussed by Duke Leopold and Duke Mandorf, I'm just showing avenues of opportunity here.

Conrad von Schüsselen casts a rather exasparated look around the Assembly before settling down. Ever since he had to leave the army in Italy due to his bad health his claims on Italy have taken a turn to the wors. If only he had been younger and able to lead a regiment of men for himself, capturing one of those rebellious cities personally, would he have been rewarded with the view across the rolling hills of Tuscany already.

Elector Conrad, I believe you yourself proposed the edicts which was a mandate for me not to conquer the parts of Italy and the east of the Adriatic that were to go to Austria.

Please do not go proposing edicts which deny your House territory and then complain that the Kaiser is not allocating that same House territory in the lands that he is forbidden to conquer.

Conrad von Schüsselen is shaking slightly and take several deep breaths. With control regained he rises and faces Emperor Heinrich:

I beleive you are referring to Edict 2.4, which merely states that we should not break agreements sealed by our word. Once the Venetians greed grows too strong and they attack us, I'd be last to oppose their complete annihilation and you should know that.

His frustration seems to have risen once more and he opens the mouth as though to speak further before closing it again.

I have nothing more to say on these matters.

He casts glances to his own Liege and the Dukes of Bavaria and surprisingly also Franconia, before returning to his seat.

Otto looks up at the mention of Bologna, he appears to have been studying a map. Rolling it up he stands and addresses the Diet:

My lords. Let me first reiterate that Bavaria is grateful for the gift of Bologna. I will not have others imply that we are not!

Otto turns his head to stare briefly at Conrad von Schusslen.

Perhaps we were surprised by the gift, but we were not ungrateful.

Otto pauses, tapping the rolled up map against his hand.

The question of "where do we go from here?" has been asked in this Assembly. The Diet wisely chose to subjugate rebel holdings before moving on to our more powerful neighbors. Soon, however, that work will be complete. What then? Before I answer let me show you this map:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...870_Europe.jpg

This, fellow Electors, was the division of the Empire by the sons of Louis the Pious. After the death of their father they fell upon each other and the great empire of Charlemagne, father of Louis, which stretched from the Pyrenees to the Oder, was divided and lost. Eventually most of the Italian holdings were reunified with the Kingdom of Germany, and that is the Holy Roman Empire today.

What I propose is that we return the Empire to its former Glory! That we return to the golden age of Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor! That we take our rightful place as the leaders of Europe!

Otto pauses to draw a breath, and his voice returns to a calmer tone.

It is a very noble goal, but how do we do it? First, we must finish our consolidation of the rebel lands. Second, we must improve our standing with the Pope so that we may move unhindered against our fellow Catholics. Third, we must increase the size and quality of our military. Then, and only then, can we begin to take back our greater Reich!

The first move should be against Milan. As many of us have said, they have defied our authority for too long! We would be able to pin them between our forces in Italy and, I hope, our forces in Bern. We would take Dijon last so that the forces gathered there could continue on the next step, the conquest of France!

This will prove more difficult. I am under no illusions that what I propose will be easy. But with Dijon and Metz as bridgeheads we could launch a two pronged attack against them. Perhaps an alliance could be sought with England? Though that would leave Caen to them. Either way, with the men in this room I have no doubt we will be successful!

Ah, but I can hear our good Duke of Franconia ask, what of Antwerp? That will be our third step, war with Denmark. The taking of Antwerp will be the primary goal, with Jutland a target of opportunity. Granted it was not a historical part of the Reich but we must, at the minimum, mortally wound the Danes.

Otto rolls up the map.

What say you mein Kaiser and Lords of the Reich? This endeavor will be a hard, long struggle. I am not sure if I will be alive to see its completion. I realize no plan lasts beyond contact with the enemy, but it is a good frame to build upon. Shall we take our destiny? Shall we return the Reich to glory and dominion? I say yes!

Otto sits and awaits the reaction of the Diet.

OOC: Edited to substitute Oder for Danube.

Leopold, enters the chambers. As last time, clearly tired and dirty from the road.

I apologise for my appearance, but I feel I must do my utmost to attend as much of the Diet proceedings that I can whilst my forces besiege Prague.

Otto, I am indeed heartened by your proposal. I feel it is a pious and righteous goal for us in this room to work towards regardless of status. Perhaps we should all leave tonight and consider how best to achieve this goal, what armies we will need and how we must build our infrastructure to finance this worthy aim.

For my part, I have not been made to believe I have “failed” my father in not taking Prague immediately! On that point though I will have to say that the time when we will storm it is close, re-enforcements are nearly with my men and I grow confident that we will be victorious soon.

Conrad, please make note that certain “negotiations” are underway between Austria and other noble houses as to the outcome of our inevitable victories in the East but I strongly feel that the House of Austria will rise soon. We are without a Castle of our own, that is true but, as I have told you before, Vienna will be the “coin of the Reich” and we must work to further that aim for now.

With me I have the requirements for Vienna’s next building requirements and will hand them to my father shortly.

Dietrich sits, a wild smirk on his face. He's amused by something, but before he starts dully clapping his hands together it isn't quite clear what.

"A gracious attempt at peering into my head brother Otto, but a failed one." He says, standing. "It is firmly in my belief that, as a newly resurgent power, we are at this point our most vulnerable. While the ideas proposed by Bavaria are ambitious, and not without merit, I believe they are perhaps too ambitious, to the point where they put the Reich in more danger than good. No amount of florins could cast the Pope's eyes away from our engagement in a three front war against three fellow Christian kingdoms. And even if it could, it could not do so and still leave us with a single florin for our armies."

Dietrich stands upright pointing a finger towards the sky. "While God sits upon the golden throne in Heaven, we have charged ourselves with the task of taking up the mantle of his representatives on Earth! Some would charge us with rebuilding old dreams, rebuilding old empires, trying to ressurect the history of Charles the Hammer and make it our own. I would disagree. With the world we live in today, that is not possible."

Stepping down from the Franconian side of the diet he begins to walk, slowly, full circle around the diet floor, staring into the eyes of each and every diet member he passes as he speaks. "This plan would charge us with rebuilding an empire that disintegrated of its own volition, because of its own petty bickering and squabbles. You can point to the goodness and the grandeur of Charlse's Empire until you're blue in the face, but that does not change the fact that it was an empire that fell! Do you really want to model our resurgant strength after a kingdom that is historied to have fallen to petty infighting and domestic squabbles? I for one do not."

He stops, planting his hands on the desk in front of Prinz Henry and staring him in the face. "Brother, it is your father that begins our reconstruction, you who will carry it on, and your seed who will see us into the future! Shall you have us follow the course of fallen kingdoms and try to replicate the past, or will you help push us to a better future? A future where the world knows the Reich as the undeniable voice of God and the seat of Heaven on Earth, or will you let an attachment to nostalgia and falsely named "good old days" guide us to yet another loop in history's vicious cycle?"

Quickly stepping back and stopping in the center of the room, looking all around, he casts an open palm towards Bavaria. "This noble house has good intentions, and ambitious thoughts, but opening a book whose end has already been written to try and rewrite a few pages does not, in my eyes, deem itself to be the right path for the Reich, for us, for our posterity, for our history, or for our God!"

Falling silent for a moment, he looks around the room, taking note of the expressions on people's faces and the murmurs between electors. "I make my case now!" Dietrich, lowering his arms back down to his sides, begins to take on a much more somber tone. "First things first. The investiture crisis has left the Reich alone in it's feelings of being the rightful voice of the Lord. This new Papal authority holds absolute reign over the morale and religious values of the Christian world. No man here in his right mind can deny we have lost that power.

Secondly, we are an empire surrounded by Christians, who, should we take to offence too greatly for the Pope's comfort, will bear no qualms or pities for us in the event of an excommunication. We are all familiar with what happened during the last one. We are only now recovering the territory we lost to the rebellions, are only now beginning to make attempts at stabilising our Papal relations, and are only now beginning to come to grips with what to do in regards to our former territories that have declared themselves their own sovereign states altogether.

We cannot afford another excommunication, lest all of Christendom look to the center of the world, look to us, and raise their sword with vengeful hate for the atrocities they will claim we have committed against the followers of God.

Furthermore, we are the namesake of Rome, not Rome itself. Rome, and later Charles's empires had one great benefit in common. Their greatest enemies were far from powerful, unified states of equal size and power, and far more along the lines of disorganised, petty, infighting tribes, clans and fiefdoms. We have already seen this point in our history. We have conquered the neighboring rebels, the fractured people whose inclusion into the Reich makes for us the foundation of this new empire. Now we must discuss how to deal with the actual challenges that threaten us in this world. The world is a very, very different place than it used to be, than it was in our ancestors times. Our neighbors are strong, they are unified, they are rich, and they are every bit as cunning and courageous as we are.

I propose instead not to lay out overly grandiose visions for a future reminiscent of the past, and instead make our own future. I suggest we pave the way for a new Reich in the manner of a wise empire. Be patient, make plans, but do not overestimate ourselves, and take our oppertunities when they present themselves. Already there is talk of conquering all of Italy and all of France, and turning on the Danes in the meantime. But the fact stands that the vast majority of our men have barely a shield and the shirts on their backs to call armor. How are men such as this supposed to stand up the thundrous charge of mailed knights or repel an arrow with mere flesh and bone? How do we fund such campaigns when already our economy looks bleak due to underdevelopment of our infrastructure and trade?"

There is a stern look on Dietrich's face as he walks slowly back to his seat. "I must urge this diet to do one thing, as it considers what direction to take in regards to the future of the Reich.

Let wisdom guide you, and let your passion push you onward. Do not sail blindly into the sea with the most glorious looking ship at dock only to discover once you've set sail that the hull is incomplete, and you're taking on water before you've even left the port.

The next many, many years will be years of actions and reactions, by both our neighbors and by us. So think hard, and think clearly about what place you will hold in the Reich's history ten years from now, and what tragedy you can avoid by making wisdom the order of the day where brazen and thoughtless impulse would bring us shame.

I want to see this Reich begin its journey from the start with strong men, and strong council. To let blind ambition tear it apart in its infancy would be to deny our people their rightful heritage, their rightful place in the world. We have been denied this twice already when Charles's empire splintered and again with the Investiture crisis. I will not see us denied our place in the world a third time.

This is our heritage.

This is our birthright!"

With that, Dietrich ends his speach, empassioned and pleased with the points of patience, wisdom and oppertunity that he advocated throughout the rather lengthy oration.

Otto's expression becomes increasingly stern during Dietrich's speech. He makes a notation or two on a piece of parchment and then stands. Otto speaks in a voice void of its usual enthusiasm:

I would hear from the rest of the Diet on the plan I proposed, if they wish to speak, so I may respond to all comments at one time. Thank you my lords.

Otto sits.

Fifth Elector of Swabia stands up and speaks:

"We welcome the words of Dietrich as true and just.If we are to stand above other Nations,the visions of the past and ambitions of Glory should have no place in our minds. As if we were building a castle.First we have to lay down strong foundation,then we can start building walls and towers that touch the sky. The Reich should not be a terrible Empire that sweeps over the land and puts all nations under its boot. Rather it should be the glorious beacon of light among christian nations,which all others look in awe and amazement.Let us leave the ambitions and agressive politics to lesser Nations and let them also be struck down becouse of those errors in their ways. "

Swabian Elector sits down on his place.

The words of the Swabian elector are welcome. The Reich will be leader of the Christian faith, and will be the most powerful empire in the world, but it will not be so by playing the role a blatant aggressor. We must take our time and act prudently. The glory of this Reich will surpass anything we have seen in the past, but not by modeling ourselves on the past. Why take to blatant aggression and be hated by our people and deplored by our foes? We can choose our battles wisely, pick our enemies cautiously, and instead be respected by our people and feared by those who would wish us harm. Do not forget, when dealing with an enemy, hatred will embolden him, but fear will make him cower.

Dietrich looks to the Bavarian electors. You are as much a part of this diet as I or any other man here, and for that I respect you. So speak your mind good electors, do you agree?

Maximillian Mandorf nods to the Duke and rises. He stands in contemplation for several seconds before beginning.

I see wisdom in the words of both Elector von Kassel and Duke von Saxony. It does not seem to me that either of their plans is wrong nor in fact that they are even opposed to each other. Perhaps my perception of the situation would aid in a more agreeable view on the matter.

First, it is undeniable that the lands of which Elector von Kassel speaks rightfully belong to the Reich. We are the rightful heirs of Charles the Hammer, who was himself the rightful heir of the Roman Empire. Those Byzantine fops proclaim their own rights to the title, but they have inherited nothing both togas and decadence. The greatness of Caesar’s Empire lay in Rome and the western territories. We are the western territories. Though we have lost control over many of the provinces, our ordained rights to them have never ceased.

Some territories, like Milan, have recently rebelled against us and our right to them cannot be questioned. Others, such of England, have been lost to the Roman people for many ages. Indeed, the only lands to the west or south which we cannot lay valid claim to are those held by the Scots! All others are splinters of the Roman Empire. Do not forget that the title held by the noble Heinrich is that of the Roman Emperor himself. He is Kaiser because he is the rightful heir of Caesar. It is because of this very reason that he enjoys the divine right of Papal confirmation! That right was given to the Roman people, of which he is the supreme embodiment. We have lost Rome, we have lost many of the territories, but we remain Romans by right to this day! We have every right to reclaim our lands.

That said, it is also undeniable that there would great opposition to the Kaiser’s authority amongst our neighbors. Simply having hereditary rights does not endow the ability to enforce them. Accordingly, Duke von Saxony’s caution is prudent and should be respected. The great Augustus was not afraid to recognize the limitations of his power, nor should we be. War on three fronts would bring devastation to our lands.

Milan is rightfully ours and this cannot be disputed. I do not doubt that the Usurper in Rome will agitate against such a move, but those lands belonged to us not long before our last meeting in this very room! The only people who do not remember our rule in Genoa and Milan are babes, not yet able to take up arms. No just reason can be given to oppose our authority on these lands. The Milanese will certainly fight, but our liberation of those lands from the blasphemous bankers is assured once it begins.

Once these lands are consolidated and are again loyal to the Kaiser, we can turn our attention to our other lost provinces. We all know the Usurper will force all of Christendom to oppose us if we go against those who bend knee to him. So, Rome itself must be the first of the provinces we reclaim! This would also surely result in opposition or perhaps even war with some of our neighbors, but Gregory would soon lie dead and with him the Papal authority to oppose us. If we were then to assert our rights, put an approved man on the throne, and relocate the Papacy to an area deep in our homelands, we would surely have the proper Papal blessings for our future plans.

If the Diet is worried about war on multiple fronts, let us make good friends with the Dutch and the French! Let us send money to them to ensure the security of our borders, rather than funding the Antipope. Surely they would not attack close friends, even if they were encouraged by Rome. Besides, any monies sent to these areas would be used for improvements that would be ours eventually anyway! I do not believe such a course of action is necessary, but it is an option that should at least be considered. Indeed, we could even attempt to cause discord amongst the ‘Kings’ who control our provinces. If Denmark and France were pre-occupied with England, they would be of little threat to us.

We are Romans by all the rights of man and God, my lords. We should not forget this. It would be a noble and virtuous thing to reclaim the provinces lost to us for so long. Yet, such an endeavor will require much planning, more time, even more money, and vast amounts of blood. We should proceed slowly and with caution, striking when we are strong and using diplomacy when we are weak.

Loud clapping can be heard at the end of Mandorfs speech emenating from the ranks of the House of Austria.

"Wise words, Duke Mandorf, wise words. I have to agree with them completely!"