Order of St. John

[Privateerkev]

Makedonios hears his sergeant's report and sits back in contemplation.

I would prefer if Antioch was the first settlement we take. My only worry is that we won't be able to assault the city without massive losses. We will most likely have to siege the city and wait for them to sally.

Your right that I want to bring as many sergeants as possible. After we see how many mercenaries we can get, we can bring as many generals as possible to meet the 10 regiment limit. Just keep in mind that we can only shuttle 4 regiments at a time. We only have 2 ships and each one can only move 2 regiments.

So it would take 2 trips to bring 8 regiments over. Then we could ask to recruit two mercenary units over in the Levant. That group could siege the city while we keep shuttling over sergeants, and any mercenaries we're allowed to hire in Nicosia, to form a reserve force.

[Cecil XIX]

Very good, my lord. In fact, if we're careful there will be enough time for Admiral Dionysios to transport twelve units across the sea before the enemy can react.

[Privateerkev]

Makedonios walks into the Order's chambers and addresses the assembled sergeants.

Events in the Senate have reminded me that I should warn all of you from getting caught up in some of the "theater" that goes on. While you have every right to speak up and make yourself heard, you can also leave some of the trickier bits of parliamentary maneuvering to me. That way I get to insulate you from some of the ire of the others.

What some of you just witnessed was someone attempting to play a little power game. Which is a regrettable waste of time. And a couple of you played right into it. No one has any right to question your loyalty to the Emperor other than the Emperor himself. And since all of you have sworn to me, that makes it my responsibility to then swear our Order to the Emperor. And swear I shall. But it will be on his terms! Not any third party, no matter who they may be.

[Ramses II CP]

Vissarionas nods his head, and remarks,

'Is it not ever thus, that it isn't enough for highly placed men to hold us on strings, but they must tug on them often to ensure they remain stuck on? I suppose it's only my youth, but my father always told me; "When cheap ceremony is called for follow it to the letter, else the price may rise."'

'Assuredly, however, I will resolve myself to follow your lead in the future regarding such silly demands.'

Vissarionas trails off muttering, '....not even the most foolish traitor would declare himself in so obvious a manner. The Prince is clearly just a manipulative...'

[Privateerkev]

Makedonios nods in understanding at Vissarionas's words.

I guess I would amend that saying to; "Avoid cheap ceremony that goes against your principles or the price will rise to a point where you shouldn't pay."

Simply allow it to be a life lesson. That one was pretty painless as far as life lessons go.

[Cecil XIX]

My lords, we must discuss Edict 1.2. Obviously if it passes in it's current form our entry into the Holy Land will be delayed considerably. Let us discuss now, so that when the Basileus arrives we will be ready for the ensuing discussion.

Certainly we should try to get Antioch in there, though I must say the mention of Rhodes got me thinking. I believe we should attempt to take that island as well, lest other houses demand naval transports as well. We need to minimize the usefulness of ships to other houses and maximize their use to us, so that some will always be at our service.

[Ramses II CP]

Rhodes is certainly an important province, but it is sure to be a sink for funds in the immediate future, and uncertainly profitable even in the long run. My hope for the capture of Antioch is that it will so enrich the empire as to win acclaim and leeway for our Order's larger aims in the Levant.

[Cecil XIX]

Quite true Vassarionas, but if the Edict passes as is we will have to take what we can get.

Gentlemen, I propose we ask that Antioch replace Trebizond on Edict 1.2. Trebizond is march to far aways in any case, and if such a thing were done than the edict would surely pass unanimously. Let act once we have reached a consensus.

[Privateerkev]

Rhodes is unacceptable to me.

a.) It is in House of Asteri's sphere of influence.

b.) It is in the exact opposite direction of where we need to go.

c.) Others are far closer to it than us so they should take it.

If we do not get Antioch on the list, then we will wait for ten years. At the start of the next term, we will be much closer to the Holy Land than if we were stuck out in Rhodes. With only two ships, there is no way we can transport a large force that far within a term.

I will lobby to get Antioch on the list. If that fails, I will present an Edict that will put Antioch on the list if Edict 1.2 passes. If that still fails, I will appeal to the Emperor himself. But mark my words, not a single regiment will leave this island to head west.

What we are asking for is very small.

[Privateerkev]

The Comes enters the chambers for a quick break from all of the politics. He grabs a water pitcher and downs it in big gulps.

Alright, I think the amended Edict 1.4 is the best were going to get. From what I can surmise, Edict 1.2 is most likely going to pass. With that in mind, Edict 1.4 is our best hope at getting to Antioch this term.

With voting coming up, I wish to talk a bit first. Many of you are new to this process. This is not a monolithic House. I expect you to vote your consciences. But I will make political deals in order to make sure legislation passes that will allow us to do our work. And for those deals to work, I will need your help.

Before voting, I will send you all letters letting you know what deals are in the works. If you have any questions about voting or reservations regarding deals that are made, please let me know as soon as possible.

[Privateerkev]

After his presentation in the Senate, the Grandmaster returns to the chambers to confer with his Sergeants.

Alright, in preparing for the presentation I just gave, I also made up a possible timetable for us to present to the Emperor.

Turn 1: Move ships to NE corner of Cyprus. Move me and 3 regiments to ships. Move ships to Antioch fishing village where I will land. Move ships back to NE corner. (OOC: this is possible if the Alt-A trick is used.) Move 2 Sergeants and 2 regiments on to the ships. Move last 4 sergeants to NE corner of Cyprus.

Turn 2: Move ships to Antioch fishing village. Unload new 4 units into old 4 units. Move all 8 to Antioch and siege it. Move ships back to NE corner and load 4 Sergeants. Move ships back to fishing village.

Turn 3: Move 2 sergeants into army. Move other 2 next to city and army but do not let them siege it.

Turn 4 to Turn 7: Keep on siegin...

Turn 8: Before turn 8, garrison will sally. Form a wall with regiments and move RBG's to pinch the sally. Try not to lose any avatars.

I also want to say that today you guys did well in the Senate. I'm proud just to be among you. We really fought the good fight and your tenacity inspired me to stand strong.

[Ramses II CP]

'Grandmaster you shall, of course, have my full support and service in any matter you desire. I must apologize a bit, I have been speaking more from my heart than my head, but I simply cannot comprehend the noisy opposition to what seems so obvious a matter as the capture of Antioch. And the excuses given! They are such obvious falsehoods!

More over what is the obsession with passing legislation to limit our armies and deny them options?

If I were a suspicious man I might begin to believe someone is opposing the Order out of hand. More likely, I suppose, this is some larger power struggle that I cannot see the reason of and we are merely caught up in it.

It was especially vexing to have such foolish points repeated over and over again, and by men who must surely have a better grasp of the situation than they display in public.'

Vissarionas gives a deep sigh, and takes a seat in one of the more comfortable looking chairs in the room. With slumping shoulders and a beaten posture he rests his head in his hands and appears deep in thought, or as deep as a sixteen year old soldier can delve anyway.

[Cecil XIX]

It's not surprising that we find ourselves opposed. After all, with seven senators the Knights of St. John have the potential to become the strongest force in the Empire. And as the Patriach would be quick to point out, power can be a horrible thing... We must be cautious, gentlemen.

In anycase, we shall follow your plan Grandmaster.

[Privateerkev]

Power can be a horrible thing. I've written the Charter with that in mind. The Order is designed to become more democratic, the larger it gets. As more of you get land, more of you will become knights. Then you will be able to vote on various internal matters.

Together we will build something lasting that will serve the Empire and do some good in the world.

And today we took our first step.

[Rowan]

Vartholomaios enters during a recess of the Senate

I have stayed silent for I believe that more voices do not add anything of value and we need to keep cooler heads and fresh voices in reserve and not succumb to the shouting match that happened before the Basileos arrived.

Speaking of Basileos, I fear all our reasoning - and I call it our even though I did not speak - falls on deaf ears. The senators seem not to listen to religious arguments and neither do they listen to economic or even military arguments!

And what is this speak of Cyprus not being an integral part of the empire and that our noble Order has abandoned the defense of empire in retreating to the island!

Vartholomaios shakes his head in disgust as he slumps to the chair, staring broodingly to empty air

[Ramses II CP]

Reading over the latest notes from the Senate Vissarionas notes the entrance of the Emperor, and grimaces at his comments.

It is clear now brothers, our political opponents are seeking some base political compromise over the matter of Antioch, and they have won the Basileus to their cause. Grandmaster I submit that further public debate would be fruitless, it is now time to contact the Basileus privately and offer him whatever it is he would ask in exchange for our capture of Antioch.

Else I fear the Order shall spend the first years of it's existence twiddling our thumbs and discovering which of us suffers most from sea sickness.

If a way forward can be discovered we must then begin to seek out which house opposes us out of hand, and what hold they have over the Basileus. If a way towards the Levant cannot be discovered, we must not allow ourselves to be used as a pawn in the political gambits of other houses, not even if that means serving out the current Megas' turn patiently 'preparing' for our battles in the Levant, as our opponents have suggested.

The young man looks a little ill at the thought of returning to the Senate, and retires to his comfortable chair to hang his head in his hands.

[Privateerkev]

Men, do not lose heart. The Senate is still in session and much can happen.

Have faith. You were strong for me yesterday, now I will be strong for you.

[BananaBob]

I must confess, my knowledge of the processes of bureaucracy is very limited, and I am a bit disheartened to see the happenings of the senate. The capture of Antioch will give net gain to all of the empire...

Nathanail pauses

Who is the former ghulam who is participating in the senate? Is he a follower of Islam or does he recognize our true Orthodox faith?

[Privateerkev]

If you have any questions about the process, feel free to ask. If you have specific questions about legislation, feel free to write me a letter.

As for the dark skinned man, I don't know. I believe he is an Orthodox who was captured and forced to work for the Saracens as a slave. It's obvious that he escaped. I don't think we have anything to worry about from him. It is a guess but that is my hunch.

[ULC]

All I can say is I can feel only pity towards Strator Apionnas Vringas, no man should ever have his freedom simply taken away from him without true just cause. I found him to be well spoken and observant as well as quiet compared to the other Senators, somewhat of a relief, even if he is not for us or truly against us as of yet.

Iakovos smiles as he finds an open chair and sits down to open a book, and begins intently reading.

[Privateerkev]

Alright men, Edict 1.4 is going to pass. I want to discuss how we're going to issue our movement orders for this "turn". Keep in mind that we can only move 4 units at a time on the ships.

First, I am going to take the 2 professional spears and an archer, and get on the ships. The ships will take me to the fishing village of Antioch and drop me off to make a beachhead.

The ships will return to Cyprus. Then, I want Armatos and Vissarionas to take the other 2 regiments, and get on the ships.

Finally, Iakovos, Nathanial, Koulianos, and Vartholomaios will move to the NE corner of the island and form a "stack" so they are ready to be transported next "turn".

Now, there are a couple of ways to do this. Either;

a.) All of you change your avatar restrictions in the SoT to read something to the effect of "Avatar is not to be moved without my or Makedonios's permission." Then I will issue movement orders for all of us.

b.) Or anyone who does not do option A will have to issue very specific orders to the Emperor that conform exactly to the plan laid out above.

If you do not do this, you risk being left behind on Cyprus because the Emperor might not be able to legally move you.

Let me know if you have any questions.

[Ramses II CP]

Excellent Grandmaster, I greatly look forward to serving under your command at last!

OOC: I tried to draw up order so that you or any other member of the Order could move my as necessary, but if we're relying on the Megas to do it I'll alter my conditions to make that possible.

edit: I altered it to read thus:

My avatar can be moved by the Megas as necessary to complete any orders from the Grandmaster of the Order of St. John, can be moved by any member of the Order of St. John who starts in the same stack with him, or by the Grandmaster himself no matter what his position.

[Privateerkev]

OOC:

Since our movements involve ships, we need the Megas to do it. But we have a few ways to do it.

a.) we can all turn off our avatar restrictions and just trust the Megas to move us.

b.) we can turn on restrictions that are very strict. This would mean that each of us would have to send a seperate order to the Megas.

c.) we can turn on restrictions that are not as strict. This would mean that a single player could submit the order to the Megas for all the avatar movements and then he would have to follow it.

I say we go with c. But if people don't want me submitting orders for them, then maybe a combination of b and c. I will submit an order for anyone who allows it in their restriction. And then those who want to maintain total control over their avatar movement will have to submit seperate orders.

We ran into some problems in the test game and the above procedures are the best ways of gettin through it. With the new rules, it is very easy to see plans get snagged. So coordination among the players is even more important now.

[Privateerkev]

Here is a draft of the orders I will submit to the Emperor. Coordinates are in parentheses. Anyone is welcome to consult the maps and let me know if there is a more efficient way of doing this.

1st.) Move ships to the area just north of Nicosia. (297,82)

2nd.) Move Makedonios, 2 Byzantine Spearmen, and 1 Treb Archer to boats.

3rd.) Move ships to spot just west of Antioch fishing village. (307,87) Disembark Makedonios and men into the fishing village.

4th.) Move ships to NorthEast corner of the island. (303,85)

5th.) Move Armatos, Vissarionas, Treb Archer, and Spear Militia to ships.

6th.) Move remaining Iakovos, Nathanial, Koulianos, and Vartholomaios together in a stack to NorthEast corner of the island. (302,84)

Now, 4 of you have amended the SOT in such a way that allows me to submit these orders for you to the Emperor. Iakovos and Nathanail still have not done so. So I need you two to do one of two things. Either;

a.) amend your SOT to allow me to issue orders for you or,

b.) issue a movement order directly to the Emperor to have him do the 6th step for you.

[BananaBob]

OOC: done.

[ULC]

OOC: done as well

[Privateerkev]

OOC: cool. I'll wait a little bit before sending orders so we can tweak the plan if we find improvements. We'll have to wait for OK to take the save back after everyone has made their own moves. So we still have a little time.

[Privateerkev]

Alright, I have submitted our plan to the Emperor.

There is something else I would like to discuss. It is time for me to pick a second in command. I have been watching all of you in the Senate. And while all of you have done a fine job, one man has stood out from the rest. And that is Armatos ek Naksou. He has helped me draft our Charter and he fought hard in the Senate for our Antioch campaign. I have put him in my will to receive Nicosia in the event of my death.

Congratulations Sergeant Armatos ek Naksou!

[Cecil XIX]

I thank you for this immense honor, Grandmaster. I shall work my utmost to bring the Order of St. John honor and prestige.

[Privateerkev]

A letter arrives from the Grandmaster,

Greetings Sergeants,

I have landed in the fishing village of Antioch and am holding a beachhead. My plan is to land the troops that are currently embarked on ships and then take that combined force and siege Antioch. I then will send the ships back and will move the other 4 Sergeants from Cyprus to Antioch. If they can reach, I will move 2 of the Sergeants into the combined army and move the other 2 next to the army to provide reinforcements.

God go with you,
Comes Makedonios

OOC: Since OK has still given me permission to move the ships, I'll assume I can do all of the moves for the Order this turn. I'm at work now but I'll either go home during my lunch break or wait till after work. If anyone has a problem with this, or has other ideas, please let me know.