House of Komnenodoukai

House of Komnenodoukai

As you walk through the streets of Nicaea, you cannot but notice the Komnenodoukai banner. This is the seat of power of the powerful Komnenodoukai family, who has recently risen to power in Constantinople.

The tightly-knit house is naturally staunch to the current Basileus, Aleksios Komnenos. Led by his son and heir, Ioannis Komnenos, Caesar of the Romans, it has friends in high places.

As you enter the imperial palace of Nicaea, you are escorted into a chamber and a parchment is given to you to read. It reads as follows:

If you desire to join the Komnenodoukai, you must note the following statutes of this house:

I. You must swear an oath to protect the interests of the Komnenodoukai, which includes loyalty to the Basileus, if he is either a Komneni or a Doukai.
II. If you break your oath of vassalage at any time, without being absolved by the leader of the Komnenodoukai, you shall not be permitted to rejoin the house, and you shall bear the emnity of the house.
III. Succession falls first to the Komneni, then the Doukai. If there are no other Komneni or Doukai in the house, then the leader may choose his successor.
IV. Those who do not bear the Komneni or Doukai name are equal in all aspects to them, save the succession falls to them last, unless they have been members of the house for 25 years.
V. We will strive to increase the true faith throughout our holdings.

After you have read the statues, you give your consent. You are then marched to the main banquet room of the palace. There sits the leader of the Komnenodoukai, Ioannis Komnenos, Caesar of the Romans. You tremble as you approach, but his kind face dispels your fears.

After you have sworn you oath of fealty, you are seated at the Caesar's table and begin to partake of the banquet.

Public information concerning the Komnenodoukai:

Provinces:
Bithynia(Nicaea) - Large Town(Capital), Ioannis Komnenos
Mysia(Dardanellia) - Wooden Castle, Ioannis Komnenos
Paphlagonia(Sinop) - Large Town, Pavlos Chrysovergos
Pontus(Trebizond) - Wooden Castle, Lisas Attaleiatas
Georgia(Tblisi) - Castle, Pavlos Chrysovergos
Armenia(Yerevan) - Small Town, Ioannis Kantakouzinos
Rhodes(Rhodes) - Wooden Castle, Hypatios Machonios
Epirus(Dyracchion) - Small Town, Michail Arianitis

Family:
Ioannis Komnenos, Caesar of the Romans, Antypatos
Andronikos Komnenos, Strator
Ioannis Kantakouzinos, Hypatos

Generals:
Pavlos Chrysovergos, Antypatos
Lisas Attaleiatas, Comes
Hypatios Machonios, Comes
Tarasios Sarantinos, Strator
Michail Arianitis, Comes

"I, Pavlos Chrysovergos swear an Oath of Fealty to Ioannis Komnenos lord of the House of Komnenodoukai."

Pavlos raises and claps a fist to his heart.

"I swear to protect the interests of the Komnenodoukai. To serve the Basileus Aleksios Komnenos and his appointed Ceasar Ioannis Komnenos!"

After a curt nod he seats himself at the table.

I Ioannis Kantakouzinos pledge also my loyalty to the Imperial house of Komnenodoukai. As descendant of the Vlasto family, Kantakouzinos family as a branch of same mother family then Komnenos and Dukai families, will remain as solid supporters of our relatives.

I, young Sarantinos pledge my service to you o'great Caesar. I may not have matured as of yet but after 25 years I will be in my prime.

I would be delighted to undertake any missions for the greater good of the House of Komnenodoukai as is my duty. My main worry though would have to be travelling away from home. I like living with my mother as paterfamilias and I am not too sure what she would say to me going on dangerous missions.

Pavlos chuckles lightly

"Well lad, 'tis up to you!

You can either gain glory for yourself and the Empire by marching to war against that rebel scum or you can stay put in cozy Constantinople and cry on your mother's bosom all day!"

Now he roars loudly

"I can't promise you anything yet, since it's all in the making, but should the Basileus grant my request I'll make a man out of you sooner than you know and your mother shan't worry about a thing!"

Ioannis smiles while listening the old scarred warhorse.

"Young Sarantinos, it might be that sooner then you think your new "mother" could be good Chrysovergos here."

I, Lisas Attaliedas, swear my sword, my mind, and my loyalty to the house of kommendoukai and its leader, caesar Ioannis komnenos.


My lord, it will take 2 or 3 years to move everything by land from Greece to Antollia, is there any ships we command that could make this faster?
I dont like the idea that if the turks attack I wont be able to fully prove myself

Congratulations to the leader of our House Comes Ioannis Komnenos, Caesar of the Romans!
His conquest of Cana.. Dardanellia will be remembered for a long time as the first stepping stone in the reconquest of Anatolia!!

I hearby grant Pavlos Chrysovergos the province of Pontus(Sinop). May he serve the Komnenodoukai well!

I live to serve Caeasar! Sinop will make a formidable base for expansion to the East!

As the city is now rightfully once again under Roman rule, I hereby reaffirm Pavlos Chrysovergos as ruler the province of Paphlagonia(Sinop). May he serve the Komnenodoukai well!

I hereby grant the province of Pontus(Trebizond), to Strator Lisas Attaleiatas. May he serve the Komnenodoukai well!

Under my tenure my lord, I swear to make Pontus a mighty guardian fortress against any advance from the east.


As a small matter of house orginisation, I have broken my oath of vassalship to Caesar Ioannis in order to make a new oath to Pavlos Chrysovergos

I hereby accept the Oath sworn by Comes Lisas Attaleiatas!

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

OOC: You mind to reword this so that it explicitly states an Oath toward Pavlos, not just a pledge. I'm afraid the rules require it.

Gentlemen. Please reply to your messages.

I hearby grant the province of Georgia to Pavlos Chrysovergos and I also grant the province of Armenia to Ioannis Kantakouzinos.

I,Ioannis Kantakouzinos, brake my Oath of Fealty in good spirit and mutual understanding to Caesar Ioannis Komnenos and swear an Oath of Fealty to Pavlos Chrysovergos, of the House of Komnenodoukai."

I accept the Oath sworn to me by Ioannis Kontakouzinos!

I, Andronikos Komnenos, pledge my loyalty to my brother, the Caesar Ioannis Komnenos, and swear an oath to uphold the honour of the empire!

I accept the oath of my brother, Andronikos Komnenos!

I swear an oath of fealty to Ioannis Kantakouzinos.

I accept the Oath of Hypatios Machonios. Wellcome to the Komnenodoukai.

Michail ventures into the Kommeneodouki. It being the one House he has not visited upon, he is lost. Finally finding his way to the main room Michail states:

"I Michail Arianitis, the Silver Hawk, swear an oath to Ioannis Kantakouzinos. To live and die by his will. To serve and protect. For the Empire."

I hereby accept the pledge of loyalty of Michail Arianitis. I hope that after entering this house, you will not have to enter another one anymore. Wellcome to the Komnenodoukai Michail Arianitis.

Greetings, Comes Arianitis.

May you find a comfortable career in the Komnendoukai and service to the Basileus.

I break my oath to Ioannis Kantakouzinos and swear a new one to Michail Arianitis.

I accept the change of oath of Hypatios Machonios.

I am willing to stay with this house, through whatever is to come, under two conditions:

1. Rhodes is to be left alone, under my control, and not taken from me and given to the Asteri.

2.I would like to know what is going on, who we are working with, what our targets are etc. So far only one man in this house has contacted me and all I have been told is to meet with another man, whom I have never spoken to, at a place called Dyabakir. Following those vague orders has already cause me to lose over half of my bodyguards in a skirmish against 1000 Turks, luckily we killed over 100 of them before escaping but it would have been nice to know where exactly I am travelling to and which is the safest route here.

If either of these conditions remained unfulfilled before the next megas report comes out I shall leave this house and serve whoever will have me, bar the traitorous Asteri. There would be no need for me to break an oath as Michail never accepted mine, so you would have no reason to come after me.

I renounce my oath to the ceasar.