The Magnaura

[Ignoramus]

Ioannis Komnenos III, rises up hastily after his father, just as indignant.

I will not have my aunt, an imperial princess of the blood, be slurred by these slanderous accusations. How convenient, for this loathsome fellow to somehow claim imperial blood runs through his veins.

My father and I will see to it that these two usurpers are put to the sword in an honest battle. I, too, will give no quarter, and indeed call on all who follow him to desert or face the wrath of our family.

As for the ruling Basileus, the son of the traitor Tagaris, the question of his legitimacy may be left until after this matter is disposed of.

The young Komnenoi resumes his seat.

[Ramses II CP]

Io rises with a wide grin and bows to the assembled senators,

So you see gentlemen, it is precisely as I have said all along! The man who was responsible for the death of the Grandmaster was too highly placed for me to give him any warning, and even after his death he has raised massive armies to defend his reputation. The very heart of the Empire is corrupt, and the evidence lay there for all to see all along. Remember the humiliating false war against the Order? It's sole purpose was to avenge the imaginary insult done to Princess Anna, which our former Emperor knew all too well. When Grandmaster Ksanthopoulos retired from public life the Emperor still never forgave the Order, and finally conspired to take his revenge.

I will remind you all, I was there when the assassins struck. They struck again, immediately afterward, at a company of men under our true Emperor, Constantine XI Ksanthopoulos. What are the odds that two opponents would be hit by such methods back to back and not by the same opponent?

Would any man here truly say that the son of Basileus Aleksios has in any way, shape, or form been his legitimate heir? Are any of you truly loyal to the rebel's son who has now claimed the throne? This is the day to remake the Empire in Aleksios' image! Have you all forgotten how nobly Grandmaster Ksanthopoulos behaved in victory and defeat? His heir unites the good blood of Emperor Aleksios with the noble, pious blood of the founder of the Order of St. John.

Look at the state of the Empire today! Our Megas has driven us to financial ruin, our former Emperor drove us to lose many of our richest provinces in his greed and anger! The succession is already unclear, but one of the men with a claim is near Constantinople. Is of a known and good legacy. Is prepared to lead us into a new age of prosperity in Aleksios the Bold's name! Is it not time for new blood, new leadership, with the heart of the old?

It saddens me that the armies of the Empire will march to defend the honor of a family that kills it's own, but I accept that in this day and age we have truly fallen so far. I call upon all men of honor to stand with our true Emperor, Constantine XI Ksanthopoulos, and avenge the red handed rule of the unworthy Komnenos family lest you be the next to taste an assassin's blade at their command!

I hereby declare war on Basileus Ioannis Tagaris, Caesar Andronikos Komnenos, and Ioannis III Komnenos.

Come if you will, come and remake the mistakes that have begun to tear apart our good Empire, but know that if you are defeated you will be given another chance. I am not vidictive, merely sworn to revenge. When God gives our true Emperor victory you need only swear allegiance and you will go free.

Good fortune and peace on all here assembled. I will be available for any question anyone might have.

[_Tristan_]

A young man stands from his bench, a bit flustered.

My Lords,

I am Georgios Angelos, recently appointed to this most noble asssembly.

Pardon me for interrupting but I an still young enough to remember the teachings of my elders in the matters of religion.

Kousinos Sophianos claims a divine mandate for his accession to the throne but he claims at the same time to be the fruit of the alleged adulterous union between the Princess Anna Komnenos and Grandmaster Ksanthopoulos.

How could God give such a mandate when adultery is considered a sin by our Mother Church ?

Please enlighten me.

[Ituralde]

There's nothing to be enlightened about. He is a bastard and a usurper. The rest is just fancy talk. I wish the defenders of the Empire the best of luck in the upcoming battle against Ioannis Erotikos and Kousinos Sophianos. May they meet their deserved fate.

[TheFlax]

Two men enter the Magnaura and head for the the throne. The first man wears an elaborate apparel, consisting of a dark cloak worn over a white, long-sleeved camisia, a golden lorica, a short purple tunica with embroidered trim, and cloth stockings. His leather boots are ostentatiously studded with jewels and his hands bear almost as many golden gem encrusted rings as they have fingers. His boyish features give him a somewhat innocent and harmless appearance, but they cannot hide that he seems unnerved and that his confident pace is merely for show. Upon his brow lies the crown of the Romans which marks him as the Emperor. Next to him walks a taller man, with long graying hair and hard features, the man seems the Basileus' elder by many winters. Dressed simply in nondescript clothing, his clean shaven face gives little away save for his intense and sparky eyes which seem out of character with the rest of the man's attributes.

The young Basileus stops next to the throne and sits down wearily, the other man moving to stand next to him. In takes Ioannis a moment to gain some composure before addressing the Magnaura in a clear, but amicable voice.

My fellow Romans. There are a number of issues I wish to address, but foremost I hope I have not kept you waiting for too long, as you no doubt know Jerusalem is considerably far from our beloved capital.

Now, first and foremost there is the matter of Constantine Ksanthopoulos and his supporter, who are marching here at this very moment. I hope none of you will be dazzled by these pretentious claims and unite against the threat they pose to the precarious stability of the Empire. We can ill afford to be divided in this moment and...

The older man interrupts him, whispering something in his ear. The Basileus nods slightly before continuing.

And I thus urge every Senator of this body to break any oath they may share with these men and then declare war upon them. I realize many of you are too far away or too busy fighting against our outside enemies to defend the capital, but we must show them that we are ready to stand together when an little known opportunist has delusions of grandeur. Consider your declaration of war upon these men as not only a pledge of loyalty to my person, but to our great Empire itself!

As for you Senator Erotikos, you may deliver the following message to your master:

He has a tenuous claim to the throne at best and I can think easily of several candidates who are more worthy than him by blood. Neither can he claim the throne by deeds, for what good he has done for the Empire? Abandoning the Order in its darkest hour and leaving the population of the Levant to die in order fulfill his selfish ambition. That is not a man any here will follow. Tell him that even if he does manage to vanquish the valiant defenders of Constantinople, it will not make him Basileus. He will have to do more than conquer one city to claim this title, he will have to kill Ceasar Andronikos and my person, for we will not rest until you are eradicated. Of course, there is an alternative. Your master can surrender now and spare the needless death of your men.

Until I have received their surrender, Constantine Ksanthopoulos (Cecil XIX ) and Ioannis Erotikos (Ramses II CP) are both barred from this chamber, any communication they send here will be destroyed. We have heard enough of their nonsense.

The young Basileus turn to the older man and they exchange a short conversation of whispers. Ioannis nods again lightly before turning back to the assembled Senators.

The other issue I wish to discuss is the different reactions some of you have expressed upon my becoming Basileus. I understand some of you have concerns and this body is the perfect place to express them. Remember well though to act civilized and refrain from using slander as your sole point of argumentation. On that note, I will not tolerate anymore insults on my father's character. Whatever might be my personal feelings, he was a positive influence on the Empire, more so than many of you will ever be. You may question some of his later actions all you want, he earned the position of Ceasar and then Basileus by his great deeds for the Empire.

Invalidating my legitimacy by calling him a traitor is not only a very despicably easy slander, but it bears little truth. Only God can decide if I should rule or not and if I was the villain some of you have depicted, surely God would not have condoned my father's later action by allowing my coronation. Furthermore, I find it ironic that man who bandy around such slanders is himself an easy of target of similar words.

Yes, Arintheos Voutoumatis, I could respond to your words by calling you an incompetent buffoon for your recent years as Megas Logothetes. Perhaps some would find it an apt description. After all you did run for the position on the promise of some reforms to cut costs. Yet the Empire face the worst deficit ever incurred in recent history, something not even achieved by those considered the worst Megas Logothetes. Would that be fair? No. Would that take into account the extraordinary events of the recent years coupled with a lengthy war on two fronts? No. Thus I will refrain from characterizing you as such. Even though the situation is dire, I still have faith in your ability to perform your duties as best you are able. Perhaps if a man so unworthy as I in your eyes can elevate himself above petty insults, you also can do it.

I will state again, I have no wish to censure your words of concern. On the contrary they are welcomed, as long as they are expressed with respect and substance.

And now I leave to floor to you, my fellows Romans.

[Zim]

Andreas listens silently through the last speech, chuckling slightly towards the end.

I think you may have forgotten one other way in which such an accusation against me may be unfair, that being the fact that what precipitated the beginning of the deficit was the loss of two of our best cities under the watch of a man who had secede against the Empire... At any rate I am greatly shamed we have fallen into debt in my term, whatever the extenuating circumstances. My only feeble defense is that the threat of Erotikos required increased military spending. While I have recently cut costs enough that only the capture of Damascus is needed to balance the budget, it will still be long before Imperial funding is back in the black. I applaud Ammonathas Kalameteros for moving on Zagreb, the recapture of which will put us on the right track again financially.

I am not sure what to call a man who committed treason but a traitor. However, given the seriousness of the matter at hand, the rebellion by those crazed fools Erotikos and Kousinos, I will refrain from doing so for the time being. Instead I join Tagaris in calling for all loyal Romans to declare war against the traitors marching on our capital. The fate of the Empire is at stake, and we cannot let a madman and usurper steal the throne.

[Ramses II CP]

Io shrugs without saying a word and departs the chamber while making a rather flippant 'write me' gesture at the general assembly.

[woad&fangs]

Kousinos Sophianos, your claim to the throne is a farce. But it is no matter. Your army will soon be crushed and your limbs scattered to the four corners of the Empire to serve as a warning for all those who dare to slander royal blood.

[Ibn-Khaldun]

After many years Theo enters Magnaura. He is brought here on a chair by some of his servants...

I don't have much to say. For a crippled man like me it's hard to fight against our enemies, the Turks, and it's even harder to come here, Constantinople, from Levant. But what hurts me the most is how some of you act.

At the moment I'm willing to sign peace even with Erotikos! And the reason would be our foreign enemies - Venetians and Turks. Once all of you have decided who becomes the Basileus you may not have an Empire to rule! The Turks will over run our, the Orders, last defences in Levant if they keep sending those armies against us and Venetians might soon attack our holdings in Greece. We have already lost 3 provinces because of Methodios Tagaris' actions. He was a good man in his heart I think but it can not be ignored that his small 'rebellion' is the cause of our current financial situation!
I don't know what kind of man you are, Ioannis Tagaris, but if the lives of Byzantine people are important to You then You will help me getting back Damascus and if you return it to the Order then you will earn not just my gratitude but also my loyalty.

Loyalty... it's a word that have lost it's meaning to many of you! Kousinos, or Constantine, what you did was nothing but simple theft. You, and your partner, stole from the Order like those lowly thieves that you can see here in Constantinople! Why should anyone follow you even if you might become a Basileus? A thief, bastard and a rebel?

Theo spits to the ground...

I go back to the Levant now and just hopes that it's not too late to save the Empire!!! At least 'real' Romans would do it!!

His servants take the chair and take Theo, who mumbles about stupid Senators, out...

[Ignoramus]

Ioannis Komnenos III, after glancing at his father, motions to a Komnenoi man at arms. Immediately a company of Komnenoi soldiers enter the building.

"Good senators of the Roman Empire, I wish to inform you that I will not serve the son of the traitor, Tagaris. As my late uncle wished, I declare myself to be the true heir of the late Basileus Ioannis Komnenos, and do call upon all loyal Romans to swear loyalty to me as rightful ruler of the Roman Empire in the west. My uncle, Anronikos Komnenos, is also rightful ruler in the east, as per his brother's instructions.

I hereby secede from the rule of Ioannis Tagaris, with the provinces of Thrace(Constantinople, Bithynia(Nicaea), and Mysia(Dardanellia), and do designate the fair city of Constantinople as my current capital.

I offer a free pardon to Ioannis Tagaris, if he will relinquish his non-existent claim to the throne and swear loyalty to me, the rightful ruler of the Romans in the west."

Ioannis approaches the Basileus' dais and sits down.

[ULC]

A cold wind blows through as Sergios, covered in a woolen cloak enters, mutter more to himself then to anyone else. "So long have I been parted from these halls, yet soon I maybe forced form them again. The Empire is so quick to fall apart when it needs to hang together, so many of you vying for power that does not belong to you. In your greed and selfishness, you will lose everything."

Sergios takes his seat under the House Ilios Korakas banners with a determined gaze.

"I hereby declare my loyalty to Emperor Ioannis Tagaris, and assume control of House Ilios Korakas - all men still loyal to the Empire are welcome within the House."

[flyd]

I find that capturing the two nutcases marching around a lot in the interior of the Empire to be of the highest priority. It is no time for an armed resolution to the matter of succession, and I would prefer a peaceful one anyway. I declare neutrality.

[TheFlax]

Ioannis rises with an odd gleam in his eyes, a somewhat twisted smile appearing on his face.

You too, brother in-law?

He chuckles

If I am the son of a traitor and you married my sister, the daughter of a traitor, what does that make you? Another "traitor" by association? What of your children? If you have any, will they be branded likewise as myself?

The Basileus seems to laugh at some private joke before stopping abruptly and becoming more somber.

I had hoped with could settle this without bloodshed. I even offered Andronikos to share power with me, like some of the emperors of old, in an attempt of compromise. I had hope that his reply saying he was considering it was genuine. Apparently not.

My time here may be limited, before Ioannis' lackeys try to arrest me, but I will leave you with a few words. I will not bring this war to my people, I will not tear down their cities in a quest for power and I will not waste my men fighting my fellow Romans, unless my hand is forced. While you bicker and gloat, destroying the Empire in the process, I will follow Senator Petzeas' example and move my army to fight the Turks. At least it will be a fight that makes sense.

Also, I will be moving the capital to Jerusalem, temporarily, as I am surely no longer welcomed here. The Magnaura and all other establishments will henceforth be held there until further notice.

He turns to leave, but stops for a moment and faces Ioannis.

I almost forgot, I will not surrender to you or swear any oath, for to do so would be accepting your cause as just. That I cannot do.

With those words the Basileus leaves the Magnaura in haste, heading for what is left of his empire.

(Edit: Forgot I could move the Capital for real, so I thought I would lose Jerusalem when I left with my army. Thus I have chosen Jerusalem over Gaza.)

[Zim]

A solemn looking Arintheos steps into the Magnaura, in full armor with sword by his side. He steps to the center of the room to address the Senate.

I understand my lord has chosen to claim the throne, seceding from an Empire run by one he sees as an usurper. I fully support his efforts and see him as the rightful heir to the throne. However I have an oath, older than my oath of fealty to Andronikos. I promised the previous Basileus that I would watch over his nephew. At this time I do not feel I can do this in rebellion, even against a questionable Basileus.

Arintheos' voice breaks at the next line, and he pauses before spitting the rest out as if hoping that the faster it came out the less it would hurt.

I break my oath to Andronikos Komnenos and declare neutrality.

The settlements of Trebizond and Amida I give to Andronikos Komnenos. I also strongly encourage Nikitas Moschos to end his oath to this dishonorable man and follow Andronikos, his true lord.

[woad&fangs]

Friend, I accept the breaking of your oath with deep regret. But, your loyalty is your greatest virtue and I understand your decision. There is no ill will between us.

[Ituralde]

I break my oath of fealty with the permission of my Lord then and swear an oath of fealty to Andronikos Komnenos.

[KnightnDay]

Ammonathas Kalameteros deplores the actions which have resulted in Constantinople no longer being the Byzantine capital. As a result, subsequent rioting in Thessalonike has forced him to abandon his campaign against the Venetians. He is now compelled to return to Thessalonike with his army and restore order as is his first duty as governor.

Ammonathas Kalameteros declares his neutrality in these shameful proceedings and will focus his energies on preserving order among the Greek provinces.

[Ibn-Khaldun]

Theo enters this new hall for Senate and this time on his own feet..

Something is different in here.. Oh yes.. This place is rebel free!

Taking his seat he sighs...

First of all, it's good to have Magnaura here in Jerusalem since I can visit this place more often!

But let's talk about serious things now..

I've heard that Helarionas' man Sergios is calling everyone to fight against 'traitors and rebels'. Although this might be a good thing to do Helarionas should remember that he himself have been a traitor and a rebel! So I would suggest him to shut up and perhaps prove himself trustworthy again!

My second suggestion goes to Ioannis Komnenos III, go to school before trying to create your own.. what ever it is you have created. Such a little boy should play with toy soldiers and not pretend to be greater than he is. You are not the next Julius Caesar!

Third suggestion goes.. I should get payed for doing this actually... to Andronikos Komnenos. I have always thought that you are a honorable man who cares about the Empire! But looks like you are nothing more than a simple robber who waits his time in the shadows and then stabs us in the back!

And about Kousinos Sophianos, my vassal and member of the Order. I'm not sure whether I should cut your throat for stealing an army that was vital for the protection of Levant or just spit towards you and hope that someone kills you!

I know that our current Basileus, Ioannis Tagaris, is not a perfect man but I am willing to give him a chance to prove himself! I've heard that Andronikos Komnenos mentioned in his speech in Hippodrome that Tagaris only 'sat and polished his fathers armor'! At least he followed his father and saw some fight and perhaps learned something valuable but our former Basileus, Ioannis Komnenos I, didn't even do that! But I don't remember people rebelling against his rule when he became Basileus!

Theo almost wanted to end his long speech when suddenly remembers something..

Oh, one more thing.. Sergios, Helarionas' servant, you said in your speech in Hippodrome that 'The Venetians and Turks can wait'. Could you please tell them too! I doubt they will wait until some fools have figured out who should get the throne! I know that they will not wait since I have been fighting against them for several years!! And what have your 'Master' done? Fought against other Romans!!

Everyone around Theo could see the anger in his eyes when he suddenly jumps up..

You punch of immature teenagers!!

I will warn all of those .. pretenders.. if you enter the lands of the Order I will hunt you down!! These lands will not become your battlegrounds!!

Theo takes his seat again and tries to calm down..

[woad&fangs]

Midway through Theo's speech, a wizened old monk with a long flowing beard enters the new Magnaura

Young sir, I implore you to speak in a more civilized tone. O' What a pack of howling wolves this is. Things were always so quiet up in the Monastery. Now I remember why I haven't journeyed from it since old Alexios died. The silence is so sublime and... Right, I'm sure you scalawags are all impatient to hear who I am.

I am Basil. For many years now I have been a monk at the Monastery of St. Jude. Basileus Andronikos has asked me to be an ambassador between us, though I must say that if being an ambassador entails listening to such ruckous I believe I may just resign in protest over my cruel treatment.

Now then, I have been instructed to deliver his demands to 'that wretched little, throne stealing, man-child" As Basileus Andronikos so vulgarly put it.

Ioannis Tagaris must relinquish all claims to the throne of the Byzantine Empire. Secondly, Tagaris must surrender all his holdings to Basileus Andronikos, aside from Jerusalem and Gaza which were rightfully conquered by his father and passed down to him. Furthermore, Tagaris must demobilize all forces in his possesion which are not necessary to maintain order. And then...

Basil looks around and realizes that the demands are met with mixed reactions of shock, anger, and contempt.

Well, I've lived long enough to know when I'm not being listened to. If you wish to discuss the political situation, I will remain here in the Magnaura, though I doubt we will find any common ground between us.

Basil sits down and goes about his business

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

ooc: If anyone wishes to drag Basil outside the Magnaura and kill him in dramatic fashion they have my permission to do so. Just remember that Andronikos will be less than happy with whomever does that.

[rossahh]

The Asteri choose no sides in this dispute. We will fight the Venetians in the west, so that there will be an Empire for the Basileus to rule when the war is over.

[Redemption]

A courrier enters the new Magnauria. By his looks he has traveled far. As most of the senators ignore the lowly man, he simply leaves his letter in the care of the Protoasecretes who leaves it on a nearby table for any who wish to read it.

I, Avgoustinos Cavasilis, hereby inform all parties that I have no intention of fighting in your senseless power struggles and declare neutrality in all conflicts.

My sole devotion is to the Empire and the wellbeing of its citizen.


Avgoustinos Cavasilis,
Roman Senator

[Ibn-Khaldun]

Theo turns towards Avgoustinos...

If you are interested of the wellbeing of our citizens then your help against the Turks is most welcomed!

Theo smiles his rare smiles...

As for you, Basil, as far as I can remember.. Rebels, and their representatives, can not speak in Magnaura!

Well.. they can but I doubt they will live long enough after that..

[mini]

Iosif ek Artos rose.

"All this sqibbling for power. What has become of us?"

He peered around, well aware of his junior status among this most august collection of important senators.

"We prate ourselfs on being Romans. We call ourselfs the heirs of the great Roman empire, once ruling from east to west. Yet over 500 years ago, that magnicient empire collapsed.
You may point to the barbarians who overran our borders as cause."

He sneered, expressing his opinion about those whom believed this.

"Yet we all know what really brought down the western half of this great empire, don't we?"

Again he peered around, as if looking for answers

"GREED" He shouted. "CORRUPTION" he thundered.

"Our empire was not overrun by barbarians! It was rotten to its core! Left to decay by centuries of senators and other power hungry opportunists who prised themselves before the empire.
The empire was weak, rudderless. It's borders no longer the solid defenses they once were.
Its resources depleted for no other meanings than to advance oneselves, or to prevent another from rising even.
JEALOUSY! SPITE!"

He pauzed, catching a breath.

"Yet, you think we would have learned our lesson. Here we are, 500 years later. And we are no hair better than those we look down upon in history as responsible for lettign the empire go to waiste.
Again, I admit I'm everyone's junior here. A mere Strator, unbound, no lands of his own.

Yet I do not need to be a wealthy man or a powerful man, to be a righteous man. Maybe I am the latter, because I am not the former.

I leave all of you to your games, and I will travel east to fight the Turks. As with the former Western Empire, our borders are threatened by enemies. If I die, I die a righteous man.
That will be more than many of you can say, and god will know.

I will pray that one day, when the threat is gone, I can return and stand again in awe of majesty of these vast halls, instead of wheeping about what was amidst its ruins. Vale!"


He marched straight out, not even waiting for reactions.

[Ibn-Khaldun]

Theo stands..

I would like to announce that I will propose safe haven to all those Senators without an army and the chance to protect themselves. You are all welcomed in Antiokheia! You also have the chance to fight against the Turks who threaten our holdings in Levant and Syria. At least that fight would be much more honorable than the fight against our own countrymen!

Theo takes his seat...

[Andres]

I don't need no civil war to keep drinking. I will be neutral in whatever conflict between Roman Senators.

More wine please!

[The Celtic Viking]

A young man stops at the entrance to the Magnaura, looking around a little before finally stepping fully inside. His political inexperience was shining out through his nervous face; reluctant to speak at first, but finally gathered courage and cleared his throat.

"Senators! I am Appollonas Komnenos, and I, uh..." He cleared his throat again, and blushed. "I am just going to declare myself neutral in this conflict. Thank you."

He quickly bows a little clumsily, and then finds a seat, cursing breathlessly to himself.

[KnightnDay]

A messenger from Ammonathas Kalameteros enters

Senators, I have received disturbing reports that the city of Bucharest is in a state of civil unrest. This most likely is the result of its considerable distance from the capital. Whatever the reason, it is most apparent that our territories of Sophia and Bucharest cannot be managed properly by the present governor who betrays our people by showing no interest in affairs now reaching dire proportions. Order must be restored to preserve our northeast territories.

I assure my fellow senators that what I do, I do for the good of all. My quarrel is with this man only, and I trust others will remain neutral in this affair. I hereby declare war on Apionnas Vringas.

[Zim]

Arintheos trembles with rage. After taking several moments to calm himself, he addresses the Senate.

Appionas Vringas was a great many with many years of service to Alexios Komnenos and his son. He has earned the right to retire peacefully in Sofia and not be slain by an opportunist who smells weakness, especially a hypocritical one that was not long ago extolling the virtues of avoiding civil wars and taking the fight to our external enemies. I feel your concern for Bucharest is a sham. If you were so worried about the cities public Order you might have spoken to me to see what I could do as Megas to quell the populace, or have sent men to help garrison it.

I declare war on Ammonathas Kalameteros. If at any time he desists from this war of greed and goes back to his Houses lands, or maybe even to the Venetian front as he so often bravely vowed to do, I will sign a peace treaty.

[TheFlax]

Basileus Ioannis Tagaris rises from his throne, and with a nod from the older man next to him, signals the senators to calm down.

Senators, I admire the passion with which some of you have expressed themselves, but this is no time for rash actions. I do not condone the shedding of blood of fellow Romans, save in self defense. Thus, I ask each of you who have violent intentions to restrain themselves. Any senator who goes on the offensive against a fellow Roman, without my express consent, will find themselves in a state of war with myself and any loyal to me. I hope I have made myself clear.

Of course, Constantine Ksanthopoulos and Ioannis Erotikos are exceptions to this. I will applaud any actions taken against these two outlaws.

Ioannis then calmly sits back in his throne.

[Ibn-Khaldun]

Theo receives a note and after reading it he stands..

I have received a message that Andronikos Komnenos have said in Hippodrome "I challenge him, Kousinos Sophianos, and his lackey to battle outside of Adana".
Reading this makes me wonder whether I made myself clear last time..
If I see any of those pretenders near the settlements that belong to the Order I will strike you down with the fury of the God! I will not, I repeat again, I will not allow these lands become your battlegrounds! If you want to fight against each other then do it on your soil but on the lands that belong to the faithful and loyal Romans!

Theo sits and says quietly to one of his servants..

It was a bad time to stop drinking!