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Jens grins as the Duke de Bartige unleashes his tirade. Wtih him having now left the coutr, he turns to Friedrich von Eisel
It appears I touched a nerve, does it not?
I don't see why such defensiveness would be necessary if he were truly so loyal to the Reich.
Ernst turns to Jens.
Sir, the issue is settled - let us not stir it up further lest the Prinz be embarassed.
Ernst of Melk rises once more to address the chamber.
Ahem...Good Electors of the Reich, appointed representatives.
I have, for your convenience, reproduced here in parchment a section of the Imperial Charter:
The Prinz is concerned that the advance into Poland and into Milan, once the territories of Frankfurt and Innsbruck have been retaken, should be appropriately planned and discussed by this body in order that the overall strategy may be centrally controlled.Quote:
3.4 The acquisition and allocation of new settlements is determined by a multi-step process involving the Kaiser and the Diet. First, a settlement cannot legally be captured unless an edict was passed in the previous session authorizing it’s conquest. An edict can only authorize taking one settlement, each settlement requires it’s own edict. The session after a province is conquered, the Diet will automatically vote on granting the conqueror, which is defined as the General leading the army which first entered the settlement, the province as a fief to be held by him and his successors in perpetuity. This vote requires a two-thirds majority to pass, and should it not pass than the province passes to the King who may grant it as a fief to any avatar as soon as he sees fit. A noble who holds one or provinces in violation of this rule should be considered an outlaw, and have his property seized.
Clearly the next formal Diet session is too far away for us to delay our invasions to pass Edicts authorising particular targets at this stage, but perhaps we can simulate such debate here in the short term and revert to the formal process when the next session is upon us?
The Prinz suggests that the Duke of Brandenburg-Bohemia outline his proposed strategy for invading Poland that it might be discussed here.
And likewise, the Prinz will do so regarding his move into Milanese territory, once Innsbruck is secured.
I intend my invasion of Hungary to be rather strait-forward. IO shall scout near their settlement, draw their army into battle, destroy it, besiege their city, then capture it. Of course, if more details need to be worked out, I shall be glad to discuss them. I will also aid anyone who needs help with military planning, I understand it can be difficult for some...
A man enters the Diet and heads up to Friedrich von Eisel. They salute each other, and the man hands Friedrich a paper. After a short exchange of words, they once again salutes each other, and the man turns and leaves as quickly as he came. Friedrich turns his attention to the paper, reads it quietly for himself before he stands up and addresses the Diet.
"Mein Kaiser, electors of the Reich, and representatives, I have now in my hand Margrave Theodericus der Bartige's answer."
He holds up the paper as if he subconsciously wished to prove to everyone the truth of his statement.
"I will now read it out loud for you to hear." He clears his throat.
Friedrich puts the paper away and turns to Ernst of Melk.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Letter
"You are absolutely entitled to ask for a briefing of my lord's plans, and I shall give it to you, and to the rest of this Diet, such as I am able. Margrave Theodericus der Bartige believes that a strategically important point on the northern front is and has always been the castle of Stettin. Whoever controls it has access to the Baltic sea, and it can serve the enemy as a place from which to launch an attack on Magdeburg. For as long as it is in enemy hands it will always be a threat to our northern border, and therefore Theodericus deems it critical that we take it. If we do, we will not only have made our positions much more secure, but we will also put much more pressure on the Poles, who will undoubtedly recognize this as a big threat to the town of Breslau. With Stettin in our hands, we can exercise our control over the whole of Pomerania, and with coordination with Prague a pincer attack can then be made at Breslau.
I don't suspect such an attack to be viable immediately, but just the threat of such an attack should put us in a more diplomatically favourable position towards the Poles.
Lastly, I would like to ask you, Ernst of Melk, as the representative of the Prinz, holding the office of Spymaster, how much hope could my lord have of gaining some assistance from the intelligence department in this offensive?"
I do not wish to speak for my lord, but I think it would be quite fair to let you make the use of a spy, provided you pay the required fees of course.
I must also question a certain phrase from the letter. "you have no purchase on the use of those facilities!"
As a loyal follower of the Kaizer, did you not swear the oath, "I will not question his supremacy."
And yet here you have denied his right to command you. You have instead given "permission" for the Kaiser to use your facilities provided he follows what you demand.
This is blatant insolence and disloyalty!
Friedrich, visibly unimpressed, waves Jens Herden off.
"If you do not understand what a margravate is, or even the revolutionary concept of personal belongings, then you should leave such matters to us grown-ups who do."
You do not seem to understand the concept of loyalty to the Reich as a whole, rather than simply to your own personal vanity.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Celtic Viking
The Prinz himself enters the Diet, black cape swirling behind him as he strides down the aisle to the front. With a menacing scowl he commands Herden to sit and be silent. He then turns to the Margrave's representative.
You sir, would you be so kind as to convey this message to your master?
Good der Bartige, I trust you are well.
Let me first apologise for your rough treatment at the hands of my representatives and vassals. They have been disrespectful to your status and personal authority and for that they will be chastised. However, I beg that you understand that the perils we currently face have served to somewhat erode the usual constraints of hierarchy. I believe this to be a good thing overall as it allows a man to speak his mind and share opinions which may be valuable, nay even vital, to the very life of the Reich.
Secondly, let me thank you for your support of my father the Kaiser in the recapture of Frankfurt. With your assistance I am assured that our great capital will be returned to us forthwith. This will greatly improve our chances of a successful sally to the east against the Poles. I agree with your strategic assessment and support your plan to concentrate on capturing the castle of Stettin in the first instance.
Thirdly, to the matter of the cavalry, again I thank you for your offer. Would it be possible for you to outline exactly how many units you shall be able to offer? Three would be well received, but we can suffice with the services of two if necessary.
But I beg you to reconsider your restriction. My strategic plan relies entirely on my ability to leave Sir Herden in command of a small force of cavalry which shall sweep the Austrian border for Magyar incursions. Whatever you may think of his manners, he is a skilled cavalry commander and I have no doubt that your men will find him an able and inspirational leader in battle.
Should you be willing to relax this constraint I will make every effort to provide you with a spy for the purpose of scouting out the Polish invasion. Indeed, I have one such a man in training whom I had earmarked for a mission to Hungary in order to provide us forewarning of any Magyar attacks, but I will divert him to your service instead, provided that is that you are willing to take over his upkeep in the same way as I shall do with your cavalry. Do not also forget that I am to recompense you for the recruitment costs of the horse - I will not ask the same of you for the spy.
I trust this message shall be received in the spirit that it is offered - that of peace and friendship among the great houses of the Reich.
Looking somewhat ashamed
You are right my Lord, I am sorry, I spoke out of turn and without respect for my superiors.
Please convey my apologies to the Margrave, while I disagree with his words, his actions speaker louder, and they speak of a true loyalty to the Reich. His actions to recapture Frankfurt make that clear.
I hope this affair shall not forever spoil my relations with the Margrave, I am young yet, and though I may know well how to acquit myself on the battlefield, and in the camp with my men, I still have much to learn about the court.
Friedrich von Eisler:
"On the note that you ended, mein Prinz, you can rest assured that it did. I never doubted, nor did my honoured Margrave, that you would have more sense than this Ernst of Melk you left here to represent you. If you were to ask me my opinion, you should find yourself someone more suitable for the task. Someone more fit to represent such an esteemed man as yourself." Friedrich slightly bows his head.
"Unfortunately, the Margrave is very specific and firm on this restriction. He feels that Jens Herden has no honour, so what would his men think of him if he told that they should go and fight for such a person? No, it won't do. His apology here is a start, but when one considers the situation and the timing of it, one is left to wonder how much of it is sincere, and how much of it is simply calculated tactics.
As for how this affects your strategy, you have our sympathy, but I don't think the Margrave is the one to be blamed for this.
Moving on to the matter of the intelligence, this is an entirely different matter than with the cavalry. The office of Spymaster is there because it was recognized that we needed a central entity which took care of and shared all the intelligence from all parts of the Reich, and its immediate surroundings. It is there to make the use of spies more effective, and is there for the Reich as a whole. It is therefore not unreasonable or unfair for a general of the Reich who sets out on an offensive to expect some backup from the intelligence department if there is any available, as he is not allowed by law to have his own. It is not quite the same as requesting to use someone else's men and facilities.
Now, Margrave der Bartige is willing to front the costs for both the training and for the upkeep of the spy if this is indeed what is necessary. Under such circumstances, however, we - meaning the margrave and I - should expect this spy to answer only to the margrave, and be under his sole command.
If you still view his stance on the cavalry question as a block to this, then there is little I can do. Perhaps exercising some discipline on your subject to truly show both Margrave Theodericus but moreso Jens that such behaviour won't be tolerateed, it could help. If that is out of the question... well, I doubt Margrave der Bartige could offer you more than two cavalry regiments initially even if he wanted to give you a thousand, but talks about a later third one is not off the table."
I am sorry I have so offended the Duke, but these cavalry regiments are of vital importance to me in defending the Eastern empire against the Hungarians.
My loyalty is to this Reich, and I shall do whatever I can to appease the anger I have stirred in the Margrave if it will allow me to better protect our borders.
If he thinks this is guile, I am sad to hear it, but I fear there is little I could say at this point to persuade him otherwise.
Friedrich von Eisler:
"Indeed there isn't. You kept insulting and attacking the Margrave's honour for as long as you thought you could get the cavalry anyway and the Prinz wasn't here to stop you. Not until then did you start acting as if you were regretful of your behaviour. In short, your actions speak louder than you could ever scream."
Then i wish you luck in your war, and hope we shall not have reason for conflict again. I shall find another way to defend the Reich.
The Prinz is preparing to depart.
I am not sure what the Margrave wishes me to do - I have publicly reprimanded my vassal and demanded that he apologise. It is no small matter for a Prinz to make such an accomodation. Sir Herden is to bite his tongue in future and show him the proper respect.
So, the position of the Margrave is that Osterreich may have the use of two cavalry companies? May I ask when they shall arrive?
As to the matter of the spy, we shall make the next recruited spy available for the sole use of the Margrave provided he pays for its recruitment and upkeep.
Are we agreed?
Pray let me have your master's response forthwith that I might depart for the march on Innsbruck.
Several hundred copies of the following note are plastered around the temporary Diet building, as well as various taverns and churches around Nuremburg:
Due to the liberation of Frankfurt (all glory to the Kaiser) the capital and all of its administrative functions, including Diet proceedings, have been moved back north.
Kaiser Heinrich:
Ah, it's good to be back in my second-favorite city in Europe, isn't it, Good Electors? Please, make yourselves comfortable. I trust that you have all begun the process of reacquainting yourselves with your favorite churches, taverns, and whorehouses.
I must once again thank Duke der Bartige for allowing me the use of his army, for without it chances are good that I would be speaking to you in Nuremburg - if at all. Several Electors may find it pleasing to note that the Duke's light horse regiments have remained unspoiled from the battle.
Ernst of Melk arrives, soggy from the inclement weather.
I rejoice to be back in Frankfurt! Heil Kaiser Heinrich the re-conqueror of the Reich's capital!
We must all hope that similar success greets the Prinz as he rides against the Milanese.
The Prinz would remind the Diet that the embargo on offensive action against the Magyar has expired. Still, Osterreich will proceed with caution lest we enrage the pontiff once more before we seize that capital of theirs.
We shall wait until the arrival of the Brandenburg cavalry before mounting our assault on Budapest. What word of their arrival at Wien, good Margrave?
Kaiser Heinrich:
I believe that, due to the muddy conditions of the roads plus the army's general exhaustion after the battle, the Brandenburg cavalry's arrival will be delayed for a turn.
(OOC: TCV never got a chance to take the save after I finished the battle and I didn't move his guys afterwards.)
Ernst shakes himself dry.
Indeed, I know from my own rather damp experience that journeys in these conditions must take longer than expected.
Still, once we hear they have departed and get a sense of how long their journey may take we can perhaps take a small risk and proceed with our plans, confident that they are on their way.
In fact the Prinz specifically instructed me to gain this Diet's backing for our invasion of Hungary. We intend to strike foremost at Budapest. Herden, who is even now encamped at the Danube crossing deep in Magyar territory, will defeat the depleted army of Petri of Nagyszombat, driving it back into the city walls. He will then lay siege, trapping the Magyar inside. Whether to assault or nay will be determined by the likelihood of Magyar reinforcements arriving to break the siege. Our agent in Hungary should give us advance warning of that. The Prinz prefers that we starve them for as long as possible before taking the city, the better to conserve our limited troops for the next stage of the invasion which will either be Bran or Ragusa depending on intelligence gathered by our agent.
All the while Harold Merode, commanding the Brandenburg cavalry, will patrol the Hungarian countryside in an attempt to intercept and drive off any relieving armies.
Do we hear any objection to this plan?
Kaiser Heinrich:
I trust the Austrians' appraisal of the situation on the ground in the East too much to object. So long as Duke der Bartige is not at issue with who exactly is to take control over his horsemen, I suggest that the plan be implemented posthaste.
Sounds excellent to me. I look forward to finally putting them in their place after these years of attacks upon us.
An emissary from the Turkish Sultanate arrives unannounced, flanked by a Hungarian prisoner, who reads a prepared statement.
"Hear my words, infidels!
You have entered lands claimed by Sultan Jalāl al-Dawlah Malik-shāh. The Sword of Allah will cut through these lands and remove the heads of all who stand before Jalal al-Dawlah's unstoppable armies. You are warned not to interfere, or you will face the wrath of the Almighty. You must embrace Islam if there is to be any hope of redemption for you.
Remove your armies from the territory surrounding Budapest, immediately! The lands formerly known as 'Hungary' belong now to the Sultan.
All true men kneel before Allah. Make your choice wisely."
The Hungarian prisoner looks to the ground, as the Turkish emissary waits for a reply, stern-faced.
Right, I'll get right on that.
Jens Herden turns his back to the emissary, and faces the Kaizer.
My Lord, Our forces should secure control of th city in question next season, as such, I would like to ask where ownership of it shall fall. While I would of course rejoice in claiming it myself, it is ultimately your decision.
Ernst frowns.
Herr Herden, as I'm sure you have not forgotten you are not part of the landed gentry yet and unless the Kaiser (or indeed the Prinz) wishes to make you so you are not eligible to claim conquered land. As it is your liege's army you are leading, unless the Kaiser wishes to create a new Duchy or keep the city for his own demesne, by rights it should form part of the Duchy of Osterreich.
I assume by this request you are simply displaying ignorance and not outright treachery to your liege the Prinz.
Still, you would be advised to keep your ambitions to yourself lest you enrage your lord.
To the intruder.
Sir, I know not how you slipped past the guard but only the Kaiser is empowered to conduct diplomacy on behalf of the Reich. I suggest you make your approach to him through the proper channels and refrain from shouting your threats here.
The Hungarian prisoner translates the response for the Turkish ambassador, who replies to the Hungarian. The prisoner speaks.
"What guards? I've been to a dozen settlements in this land looking for whoever is in command. I finally make it to the heart of your empire..."
The Turk notes the obvious signs of recent carnage
"....such as it is, and I can find no one worth speaking to. Is there no one left with any authority who speaks on your behalf? The Sultan's messenger will not be ignored this way! Sultan Jalal will be most displeased to hear of this disrespect! You have been warned!"
In a huff, the Turk exits the assembly, dragging the Hungarian prisoner behind him.
Oh, I apologize, it was out of ignorance. I was merely displaying my desire to one day have a city to call my own, I assumed that doing so would still be fully within my role in the Osterreich, and that the city would simply be my home base of operations.
Please rest assured my Lord, I have no desire to leave the Osterreich.
Jens smiles as he watches the Hungarian being dragged off by the Turk
As annoying as these Turks seem to be, at least they know how to treat a Magyar.
Kaiser Heinrich:
Pages! I have an assignment for you. Scour the city for that Seljuk representative who has just... graced... us with his presence. Tell him that if he wishes to conduct diplomatic business of any sort with us, he may return here and wait to be received by the Kaiser, who is unilaterally in charge of the empire and who will not be suffered to see his Electors treated in a such a manner as what just happened.
Prinz Leopold arrives to a fanfare.
Mein Kaiser and good Electors,
I bring the joyous news that Innsbruck has been returned to the bosom of the Reich and good Duke Becker avenged. I have commissioned a statue in his honour which will stand at the gates of the fortress in memorial.
I have withdrawn my forces to the plain south of Nuremburg lest I be caught in a trap like the Bavarian before me. Also I should like to be closer to Osterreich in case things turn awry, with several Magyar armies of varying sizes threatening Budapest and Wien.
Our spies in the east indicate that the Magyar have built a sizeable force at Bran which no doubt they will send our way, unless it is to be used to defend against the Turkish threat...there are further forces at Sofia and just west of the city.
I should like to formally petition the mighty and noble Kaiser that Budapest, Innsbruck and Nuremburg should be granted to the Duchy of Osterreich. In the first two cases by right of conquest and in the case of Nuremburg to formalise the arrangement which is currently in place.
I await the Kaisers judgement in such matters.
He inclines his head respectfully.
Theodericus stands up and claps his hands.
"Well done, Prinz Leopold! Very well done, indeed. I congratulate you on this success of yours!"
"Now, I have a brief question and a request from my side. Firstly, what's the status of that spy you promised me? Secondly, to raise that cavalry for you, I need to liberate Magdeburg first. I have come into contact with a band of mercenary spearmen who can help me do this job. I ask for your permission as the Marshal to hire these men for this purpose, out of my own pocket."