The Magnaura

[ULC]

The Envoy gives Ammonathas a curios look.

"When has my liege ever lied? Maybe your ears are so thick with propaganda, your eyes clouded by ignorance, you do not understand or perceive it at all? My Lord Anargiros said he would surrender his army, to Caesar Methodios, no one else, and travel to Aegyptus to be judged before him, as is Methodios's right as father of Aleksandra the Fair."

The envoy takes a moment to lean forward and tent his fingers, his tone changing to a more condescending note.

"Fact. Methodios has given his judgment - He has accepted my Lord Anargiros. Fact. My Lord Anargiros surrendered his army to Methodios, hence his declaration of an oath and the binding of Helarionas's army to Methodios's cause. Fact. My Lord has never lied about his intentions. Fact. Helarionas Anargiros is demanding the surrender of Andreas Dermokaitis, not his destruction - if Andreas refuses, Helarionas will be forced to act, to insure the safety of Markos ek Sinopis. Fact. You are distorting the facts in an effort to slander my Lord."

The Envoy finally comes to his full height, his eyes gleaming with smugness.

"If you had one ounce of the same bravery, humility, and moral fiber as my Lord Anargiros, you'd have realized what kind of person he is. What has he fought for so far? Love - he has made off with Lady Aleksandra, yet repented and came to the father when she asked him so. Honesty - He has been nothing but truthful in his actions. Fellowship - he released Markos, and bears the man no ill will, and even now looks to his welfare. Justice - he has committed several violations of Imperial Law, and has refused at every turn to be pardoned, and instead wishes to be tried."

"What on the other hand have you fought for? Land...Power...Prestige...all in the name of a sick Empire, a bloated Empire. You know little of the terrible crimes your own Basileus has committed against the people of the Empire, do you? 4500 florins and more for 3 years, for a backwater castle from the Normans. Yet people in Alexandria, Athens, Iconion, Antiokhiea, Kosmopolis, Cairo, Sinop, all suffer from lack of food, clean water, even shelter. Our roads are made out of dirt, our trade centers suffer from inflation, our military, both inefficient and expensive, soaks up money year after year!"

Anger seeps into the envoy's voice, cold as ice and deadly as acid.

"And yet you will stand there and flaunt your "loyalty". You are loyal to power, nothing more! Loyalty to the Empire is what comes first, and as Basileus Ioannis Komnenos has proven, they are two separate entities with incongruous goals! To serve the Empire is to serve the people, and to not be a slave to power! To serve the Basileus is to serve only to power, and damn the people!"

The envoy finally sits down violently, finished.

[rossahh]

Helarionas Anargiros is demanding the surrender of Andreas Dermokaitis

Can I ask exactly why is your lord demanding my vassal surrender to you? He is enroute to Ragusa to bolster the western defences, a journey he has been on for many a year. Indeed, his journey began long before you made off with the princess. What is the point of attacking him, save to get some more Imperial blood on yor hands?

[ULC]

Can I ask exactly why is your lord demanding my vassal surrender to you? He is enroute to Ragusa to bolster the western defences, a journey he has been on for many a year. Indeed, his journey began long before you made off with the princess. What is the point of attacking him, save to get some more Imperial blood on yor hands?

The envoy shrugs. "My Lord wishes to procure men for Markos ek Sinopis for his safe travel to Aegyptus - Andreas has the men for that. Think of it, as an exchange of arms. Consdiering your willingness to look down ona man such as Markos, my Lord Anargiros has decided not to leave him to your "good graces".

[rossahh]

Considering your willingness to look down on a man such as Markos

And how would the envoy of a lowly Senator know what I think of the noblemen of the realm?

Your excuse is rather thin. Loyal Greekmen on the way to fight Venetians for the Empire are in no mind to join a rebel's cause.

[KnightnDay]

Ammonathas stands to reply to the envoy of Helarionas.

Yes, your tone and manners now betray your thoughts and what you know to be inevitable. Your masters plot will fail. You may shout, you may scream and flail, you may howl at the moon this evening for all the good that it will do. I shall not waste my time answering these empty rantings. History will judge how this trail of lies, deceit and treachery met their end in due course, and your protestations will count for naught and be forgotten. What will be remembered is this: men who respected the laws of their lands did not hesitate to act once the naked hand of aggression was raised. Byzantium will overcome the lawlessness that these traitors and would-be kings seek to breed.

[ULC]

"And how would a man blindly loyal to the Emperor know of what cause Markos serves? In any case, the men will be returned to the Empire once Markos reaches safety - this is the word of my Lord Anargiros."

[Zim]

Arintheos looks up bemusedly at the men debating.

I don't believe Helarionas' chances of gaining Andreas' army are much of a concern at this moment. Andreas has confiscated the rebel's ships and set sail into the Adriatic.

[rossahh]

Bravo Andreas! Convey that to your master, envoy.

[Zim]

Yawning, and seemingly engrossed in checking the tip of a small dagger in his hands, Arintheos continues.

I begin to think that Helarionas' lackey invokes Markos' name far too frequently. I know the man. He was a worthy opponent in the election who never resorted to dishonesty. A man of great honor as well.

So far we have seen one of Helarionas' lackeys "rescue" him when he did not seem to want to be rescued and had chosen to do the right thing by neither fighting against the empire nor ignoring his oath to Methodios, and now another lackey uses his name to justify Helarionas' aggressive actions against a general that only wanted to reach the Venetian front. Never mind that Markos was placed in more danger by not being picked up in Ragusa by his "ally" right away, nor that he never seems to have asked for such aid, or an attack on Andreas.

It seems to me that a traitor seeks to hide his ambitions and less than savory intentions by using the name of a man far more honorable than he.

[Ituralde]

I don't even know why we're listening to this man.

He turns to the envoy of Helarionas Anargiros.

If your master truly wanted to be tried by the Magnaura he would be standing here in front of us. Instead he threatens Roman Senators with violence, has allied himself with a rebel, and sent you here to fill our ears with unimportant drivel. I won't listen to you until your master shows up and has the courage to face us in the flesh and not through his puppet!

Nikitas shakes his head disgustedly.

[Ignoramus]

A Komnenoi page enters the Magnaura with a cheerful expression on his face.

Salutations, honoured senators! My lord, Ioannis Komnenos, Basileus of the Romans, is pleased to announce the impending marriage of his nephew, Ioannis Komnenos, to Theodora Tagaris, daughter of Caesar Methodios Tagaris, and one of the fairest ladies of the court. It is hoped that this marriage will bind the empire closer together in these strained times.

I understand young Ioannis is on his way from Crete as I speak, and the marriage should be conducted in the next few days. My lord Basileus apologises for his absence, but he is currently laid low with a particularly nasty bout of scurvy, and is confined to Dyracchium.

The page bows, and leaves the building.

[_Tristan_]

The Protoasecretes stands hadn harumphs loudly, visibly ill at ease.

My Lord Basileus, I do not think this marriage is still in the order of the day...

May I remind you of the words of our "Caesar" ?

A letter is handed to one of the Protoasecretes' aides. Unsealing it and quickly perusing it, the man visibly flinches and turns pale as chalk. with a shaky hand, he hands the letter to the Protoasecretes who grabs it absent-mindedly. Slowly scanning it, the Protoasecretes' eyes become larger and larger the further he reads. Then, hanging his head, he slowly and apprently unwillingly rises from his seat and starts reading :

"Senators of the Empire,

The most Holy City of Jerusalem has been freed by Byzantine arms. Too long had it been at the mercy of the Muslims who reigned over it. It was ample time that we showed them the might of our Empire.

However, I am sad to announce that this great city will not be a jewel to be added to the Basileus' crown.

Most my life, me and my family have suffered the scorn and the whims of our Basileus. The recent events have led me to believe that I'll be forever an enemy in the eyes of Ioannis Komnenos.

His grant of a pardon to the man who absconded with my daughter is only the last of the many insults done to me and mine.

I have often spoken out against Ioannis, rarely did I do anything to stand up to him. Even during the war that was declared between us, I chose not to take up arms against fellow Greeks.

But now, this must come to an end. I will not see the rest of my family suffer as I did. I must preserve my son and my daughters from the neglect of Basileus.

Having long considered the options available to me, I have decided that it was time for me the cut the bonds that tied me to this Empire, to free myself and mine from the yoke of an nepotic and unjust ruler.

I declare myself and my lands in secession from the Empire.

I invite any and all Senators who wish to live and fight for freedom and justice to come and join me. To those who prefer to stand by Ioannis, I warn them that should they decide to wage war on the lands of Egypt and Jerusalem, they'll soon discover what our enemies felt facing me.

Lastly, Ioannis, our agreement upon the marriage of my daughter Theodora is now broken. I will not lose another daughter because you cannot bring one of your vassals to heel.

Methodios Tagaris
Caesar of the Basileion ton Romaion no longer.
King of Jerusalem, Palestine and Northern Egypt.

[ULC]

As the envoy moves to retort to Nikitas, a cold presence pervades the Magnaura. A tender hand lays itself upon that of the envoy, who looks up startled to see Chara staring back, her eyes cold and pitiless. "You speak no more for my Lord, and if you do not leave now, you will speak no more for anyone. Is this clear?"

The envoy nods meekly as Chara firmly pushes him from his seat and towards the Magnuara's exit. After the envoy leaves, Chara turns her attention to the Magnuara.

"Senators of the Roman Empire, forgive the fool who spoke before. He was neither empowered to speak for my lord, nor was he given permission to do anything beyond relay a message even by the man who sent him."

"His speeches, not only presumptuous of my lord, carry only few grains of salt. From here on in, no one speaks for my liege, except himself. Anything you here of his intentions hereafter, will be considered falsity."

"My liege owes you all an apology, for more then breaking Imperial Law. It has been alleged my Lord has lied about his identity - this is true, but not of his character. There was a man named Helarionas Anargiros, who lived in Durazzo. When he was but 20 years of age, he died from a terrible sickness. Then there was a man named Sergios Echter, who was from Bran. He was but 16 and almost nothing but a servant, a child conceived through adultery, his mother a married noblewoman, his father a pariah. One day, a man from Durazzo of the name Nikolaos Aristenos came to see this boy, and handed him a new identity, so as to fulfill the request of him by that boys father."

"And so it came to pass that Sergios Echter ek Kallipoleos, son of Aleksander Echter ek Kallipoleos, took the name Helarionas Anargiros, took the senatorial papers given to him, and he came to Constantinople. It was here that he reunited with the one person whom he cared for - Aleksandra Tagaris."

"In 1161, Sergios, along with his mother, were given sanctuary in Alexandria. It was there, for a year, that Aleksandra and Sergios first met, grew to know each other, and fell in love. That love never disappeared, carrying on even when the two were separated by oceans and borders. It was so strong, that Sergios was willing to defy Imperial Law to marry Aleksandra."

Chara takes a moment to gather her thoughts before continuing.

"Few men have I met, that compare to Sergios. Few men have I met, that would fight for what eh has, let alone die for it. Sergios's youth and innocence maybe the very reason he has not lost his heart, or his compassion. Few men do I know that would risk their lives for the love and affection of one woman, yet he would do it for any stranger, any commoner, for nothing in return."

"But he is also a stubborn man, an idealist. He believes in an Empire that was told to him by the fire when he was a child, one filled with Heroes that worked selflessly, tirelessly to preserve the Empire, stories told of men that served not themselves, but the people of the Imperium. That is what Sergios fights for, and why he still holds an army, and why he is not here before you, waiting to be shackled in chains."

"He will fight for his beliefs, to the last gasp. And he will continue to fight, until he sees that the Empire is what he heard in those stories when he was a child."

Chara bows respectfully, if coldly, to the Senators from each House, and then turns and walks calmly out of the Magnuara.

[Ituralde]

Nikitas pretends to wipe a tear from his eye as he watches the woman leave.

Oh what a moving story. All falsities and hearsay as the good lady told us herself. Helarionas Anargiros had now twice betrayed the Empire. I am finished with him whatever he may call himself now.

[_Tristan_]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

A man in Ilios Korakas livery steps into the Magnaura, a downcast look upon his face.

Lords of the Empire, Senators,

I am the bearer of news that some will consider sad while others will rejoice...

Caesar Methodios has died and his son Ioannis with him. Ioannis had learned that the German Crusader Athalwolf that roamed our territories for countless years had in his possession the Holy Chalice.

Hoping that taking it from the German hands might save the soul of his father who had long despised the teachings of our mother Church, Ioannis rode alone and tried to rob this most holy of containers from his owner. Only he was caught by Athalwolf and put to death most gruesomely.

Upon learning the news, blinded by grief and rage, Caesar Methodios has ridden himself to confront the killer of his son, only to be met with the same fate.

All of his men were freed before he rode out, knowing he was doomed and didn't want his men to lose their blood trying to avenge him or keep the dream of his kingdom alive.

Now, some of you will rejoice, knowing that the man that tore the Empire apart is no longer of this world.

But I hope that some of you will be sad for the loss of one of the greatest, if not the greatest general of the Empire, a man who cared enough for the people of these lands that saw him brought into the world that he stood against those that threatened the very fabric of the Empire by forver grabbing fro more power...

So rejoice or cry but please remember Methodios Tagaris, General, Crusader, Chivalrous leader, Champion of the People, Conqueror of Egypt and Arabia, King of the Free Kingdom of Jerusalem, Palestine and Northern Egypt.

The man slowly walks out, discarding his liveried tabard on the floor of the Magnaura.

[Zim]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Arintheos looks momentarily startled at the news. After a few moments he regains his composure, sheaths the dagger he had been playing with earlier, and stands.

Well, I can't say that I'll mourn the passing a man who betrayed the Empire Alexios Komnenos worked so hard to build, nor any son of his that would resort to petty robbery. However, it is not the business of any Latin barbarian to execute Roman nobles. Were they concerned about justice they could have released them to the Empire to deal with.

I consider this an act of war by the crusaders and support any who would face the army of this Athalwolf and kill him in battle or capture him.

At least one good thing may come out of this. With Methodios and his most likely heir gone I see little need for the rebellion to continue. I encourage all remaining rebels to consider opening negotiations to rejoin the Empire.

One of them, Markos ek Sinopis, has contacted me. I believe his actions to this point to have been made from his sense of honor. He kept to his oath despite being left in an impossible situation by his Lord, surrounded by enemies and one ally who abandoned him to fulfill personal ambitions. He has never attacked loyalist forces and instead sought to surrender to them.

He is now free from his oath with the death of Methodios and I believe we would be remiss in not giving him a chance to rejoin the Empire. He has agreed to come to the Magnaura today to place himself before the judgment of the Senate. A few of my men should be escorting him in shortly.

[TinCow]

OOC: As noted in the Megas thread, Tristan's most recent action was illegal and I have invalidated it. For this reason, the events that the above two posts refer to have not occurred for IC purposes. I have spoilered them to remove any confusion.

[Zim]

We have a fairly new issue that is troubling. Despite my requests that they help out in the Levant where a single Senator fights the Turkish hordes alone Senator Erotikos and his Kousinos continue to march in the direction of the capital. With the lack of communications from them I can only assume they are following their scamming of two armies from the Order of Saint John by marching on Constantinople.

I dearly wish to be proven wrong in this assumption. Perhaps either they or one of their representatives would care to explain what their intent is?

[Ramses II CP]

Io returns to the Magnaura in something of a rush, with a very obvious look of alarm on his face,

Good noblemen of the Empire, I believe I have just been painted with a most unpleasant brush by my former competitor for the position of Megas, Senator Voutoumitis. Did you seriously intend to imply that I am a rebel just because I happen to be making use of the largest road in the Empire?

I would have you know that I hold no grudges over the technicality by which you invalidated my campaign for Megas. We need not be enemies, you and I, if you will but restrain yourself from slander. Our nation has enough true enemies not to need a leader casting about for more!

I will repeat myself here for all, new and old, to hear; I am pursuing the killer of Grandmaster Armatos, whose death directly precipitated the extermination of Damascus. I wish to praise the good men of the Order, even the one with whom I may technically still be at war, for working to pay back the Turks for their crimes, but there are other crimes, greater crimes, which too must have a price taken in their name. I move to make that a reality, and the right thinking man at my side, also of the Order of St. John, moves with me.

If there are further questions about my intent please put them to me directly without the need of these petty insults!

Io looks about the chamber expectantly, remaining on his feet.

[KnightnDay]

Good Senators, please forgive me but I must now depart to rejoin my army.

Ammonathas then bows in the direction of Io. Senator Erotikos, I shall fervently ask God in my evening prayers that he deliver what you ask. That the murderer of Grandmaster Armatos, now awash with the blood of countless citizens of Damascus, be stuck down with a furious vengance. May he rot in Hell an eternity for the heinous crimes that have been committed.

Ammonathas without betraying any emotion, then turns about and departs.

[TinCow]

*The Protoasecretes rises slowly from his chair. The seemingly endless list of deaths seems to be having an impact on him.*

It is with great sadness that I announce the deaths of Basileus Ioannis Komnenos and Caesar Methodios Tagaris. The former is reputed to have died of scurvy, while the latter has expired from old age. Basileus Ioannis Komnenos died first, thus making Caesar Methodios Tagaris the Basileus for the last few days of his long life. In that time, I have been told that he made his own son, Ioannis Tagaris (TheFlax), the new Caesar. With Methodios' death a few days later, Ioannis Komnenos has now become the new Basileus by law. The Basileus Ioannis Komnenos' younger brother, Andronikos Komnenos (woad&fangs) has claimed the title of Caesar, though I do not know how or why.

When Basileus Ioannis Komnenos died, he left the following will:

All the provinces I own on my death, excepting Constantinople, will pass to Arintheos Voutoumitis. Constantinople itself shall pass to my nephew and successor, Ioannis Komnenos. I will also pass my Veteran Warrior on to him, while the rest of my retinue shall enter the service of Arintheos Voutoumitis.

As such, Constantinople is now the property of Ioannis Komnenos III (Ignoramus). Megas Arintheos Voutoumitis (Zim) has in turn inherited Nicaea, Dardanellia, Arta, Scopia, Benghazi, Amida, and Dyracchium.

At the time of his death, Methodios Tagaris wished all of his lands to pass to his son, Ioannis. Accordingly, Basileus Ioannis Tagaris (TheFlax) has inherited Cairo, Gaza, Jerusalem, Solomeia, and Alexandria, though I do believe that Alexandria and Cairo have fallen into the hands of rebels during the recent rioting.

Though these deaths have been most unexpected and inconvenient for the governance of the Empire, with Basileus Ioannis Tagaris' ascention to the throne, the Tagarian Rebellion is now a thing of the past. The Egyptian lands are once again an integral part of the Empire and all hostilities due to that secession have ended. It is my great hope that this new peace will be used as a building block for further cooperation in the Empire. As a new Basileus now reigns, I would like to take this opportunity to remind all Senators of their duties of loyalty to him. Basileus Ioannis Komnenos himself created Codex Amendment E3.2 a great many years ago:

CA E3.2: Upon their elevation to the position of leader of a house, the senator must swear an oath of fealty to the Basileus.

By all rights of Byzantine law, all House leaders must now swear an oath of fealty to Basileus Ioannis Tagaris.

[Zim]

Arintheos casts a wary look at the Protosecrates before addressing the Senate.

The deaths of our beloved Emperor Ioannis Komnenos and the lowly traitor Methodios Tagaris seems to have left us in some confusion regarding the succession. I can only hope that it is resolved and a proper claimant ascends the throne.

As for you, Erotikos, the blood of Damascus lies on your hands. Your and your lackey's abandonment of the Levant left the Order too weak to defend the city from the Turks. The blood of thousands of good Romans was lost because of your greed and ambition.

There is no good reason to steal two armies from the Order and then march on a beeline for the Empire's capital. Were you to trace the man or men who killed Armatos, there should be no issue having those responsible arrested and brought to justice. Even if an army were required, abandonment of the Levant to the Turks would not be. I could easily have recruited an army, or used my own or asked another to use theirs.

There is every reason to regard your actions as suspicious, and not a single reason not to. They have already resulted in the deaths of many Romans, and I fear will result in even more if your intent is what I fear it is.

I ask again what you mean by taking two Order armies and marching into the Empire's until recently weakly defended heartland.

[flyd]

I am deeply saddened by the loss of my brother. We were not close and I opposed him much more often than supported, but I am willing to admit, though it be at this too-late of a stage, that I had done it unjustly. He did not turn out to be the tyrant some among us feared he would be. History may judge him a controversial figure, but he was no more polarizing than some of his opponents. Despite much posturing, the bloody civil war never came, and the Empire remains united, more or less. If I could, I would also thank him for leaving Constantinople to my son Ioannis, who may turn out more like his uncle than his father, and when I say that I do not mean it as a bad thing, possibly for the first time in my life.

I also mourn, as we all should, Methodios Tagaris. Over the years, his conquests have benefited the Empire greatly. There is no need to judge a man by his last act, ignoring his entire body of work. I would say that he has brought more to the Empire than he has taken away, and for that he should be commended. I commend him, and offer condolences to his son and the rest of the family.

As for the son, Ioannis Tagaris, I hope he can be a force for unity at this critical time. I look forward to hearing what he has to say.

Now to move on to other matters, and if you will indulge me, I will take an indirect path there. The ancient Romans had a old custom that no armed soldiers were allowed within the city of Rome. Once the Roman Republic expanded outward, no standing army was allowed in Italy. While some of the justification for these rules had their basis in tradition and their pagan religion, there was also a real security benefit: the Senate and the magistrates in Rome could operate without the threat of violence. The Romans of old did not believe that coercion and violence should be a part of politics.

When Caesar entered Italy, the war was on. Everyone knew it. He did not try to claim, nor would anybody have believed him, that he was merely trying to take the fastest route to Sicily. Marching an army on the capital is a clear act of aggression. And acts count for a lot: if a dog growls and barks at you, do you assume that he means you no harm, because he has not articulated that fact and provided his reasons? Do you assume that Caesar is in Italy under arms because he wants to see the sights?

No satisfactory explanation has been provided for why Ioannis Erotikas and Kousinos Sophianos have brought armies to the interior of the Empire. Anyone wishing to switch theaters from the east to the west would announce such innocent intentions, and if he were really polite, he would go around. All we have gotten out of these two is empty rhetoric. They have not even stated who the killer of Armatos is; if they do this for the element of surprise, they have done well, because now nobody knows who the killer is, except them, and the killer. I'm sure he remembers doing it. The rest of us may be aiding the killer unknowingly, but that's a small price to pay for the great suspense. Maybe we should start a guessing game? We have also gotten pointless ranting about 'greater crimes', which is just $#@%. Really.

I agree with Megas Voutoumitis' assessment that these men are responsible for abandoning the Turkish front, which is in dire need of troops, and complicit in the extermination of the good people of Damascus. I further charge that they have crossed the Rubicon, so to speak, and that they threaten the peace and prosperity of the Empire. Whomever they wish to attack, it is not acceptable. Finally, I hold that we do not accept their self-nomination as judges, and that the matter of Armatos' murder can only be settled in the open, and that no one can be convicted without any evidence.

It is the duty of every Senator who believes in peace and justice to oppose these brigands. War has already been declared in effect, and I do not wish to wait for them to make the formal overture of declaration when it is most strategically convenient for them. Therefore,

I declare war on Ioannis Erotikas and Kousinos Sophianos.

I hope the Empire will have peace soon.

Isaakios Komnenos, son of Alexios Komnenos.

[Ibn-Khaldun]

A message from Theo Petzeas...

Isaakios Komnenos,

I welcome your Declaration of War against Erotikos although Kousinos Sophianoscould just follow him because he knows not Erotikos' real plans. But perhaps that's just me as his Liege talking here.
I also hope that perhaps we can leave our differences we had decades ago and join together against Erotikos!
So, I propose peace to Isaakios Komnenos!

Theo Petzeas

[flyd]

Senator Petzeas,

It does indeed seem that a time has come to end our "war." The ship incident was a long time ago, and I do admire your vigilant stand against the Turks. You are also now the enemy of my enemy.

Unfortunately, you are also the lord of my other enemy, which makes the legal situation a little complicated. I will tell you that if you are right about Senator Sophianos, and if he follows Erotikas in error, and if he drops his support once the true plans are revealed, I will not attack him. But for as long as he follows Erotikas, he is subject to an attack, and any man who follows a leader whose intentions he does not know is a fool.

So it is for the moment that I wish to remain at war with Sophianos, while accepting your proposal of peace. That requires a look at the rules. Apparently, I was already at war with Sophianos, since he is your vassal. Although he made his oath after my declaration of war, he still entered that war upon taking his oath (Rule 5.1). If I accept your peace, it will also end the state of war between him and me, since he is your vassal (5.3). But that is fine, since what I wish can be accomplished simply as follows.

I accept Senator Petzeas' offer of peace.
I declare war (really, this time) on Senator Sophianos

Now I am at war with Sophianos but not with Petzeas.

Interestingly, by the same rules, Sophianos, being the vassal of Petzeas, is also at war with Erotikas. I do not see a statement of neutrality entered in the official Civil War records. I do hope that, due to this new revelation, Sophianos and Erotikas decide to attack each other.

[Zim]

Arintheos stands.

Isaakios Komnenos is right. For years now we have given Erotikos and Kousinos the chance to explain their actions. Their march on Constantinople has forced me to beef up it's defenses, worsening our debt. They have offered no reason for their insistence on bringing an army to our capital, except the feeble one of looking for Armatos' killer. Erotikos himself has shown no evidence that he is actually looking for the killer, nor any reason that an army is required to do so. If he really had cause to need troops tp subdue the murderer I could have recruited them for him and the Levant would retain the forces needed to be defended from the Turks. In this way the slaughter of Damascus might have been avoided, and the blood of the Romans that died there remain on the hands of Erotikos.

As their forces are far greater than those of Isaakios, I find myself compelled to take action. I declare war on Ioannis Erotikas and Kousinos Sophianos. I have no intention of engaging them in battle unless they refuse to turn from their apparent course of action, but I will act to defend Constantinople, and Imperial city, or the brave Isaakios Komnenos from them.

Should they provide a believable explanation for their actions, and proof of their good intentions I may withdraw my declaration. Until then I am forced to consider them rebels and enemies of the Empire.

[Cecil XIX]

A letter arrives in the Magnaura from Kousinos Sophianos. It is read aloud by the pages in the Magnaura, and later copies of the letter are distributed to those senators who were not present for the reading.

Senators of the Magnuara,

As has been noticed by members of your august body, both myself and Senator Erotikas are marching towards Constantinople. My subordinate has told you that we are doing so in pursuit of the killer of Armatos ek Naksou. This was the truth.

We came to the conclusion that no less a man than the late Basileus Ioannis II was the one responsible. Naturally we wanted to wait as long as possible to announce our findings, as we did not want to provoke more fighting than would be necessary to attain justice.

How ever, none of that is important now. Indeed, the pursuit of Armatos’ murderer was of secondary concern to us.

You see Senators, the truth is my name is not really Kousinos Sophianos. Though I did not know it until recently, my true name is Constantine Ksanthopoulos.

I am the son of Anna Komnenos and Makedonios Ksanthopoulos, and I have come to claim the title of Roman Emperor that has been bestowed upon me by the Lord.

In order to seize what is mine, namely the Imperial Throne and the city in which it resides, I hereby declare war on Basileus Ioannis Tagaris, Caesar Andronikos Komnenos, and Ioannis III Komnenos.

I urge all Senators to recognize my sovereignty forthwith and submit to me. Though it is divine mandate that I become Emperor, it is up to each of us to choose how that is to be so.

Good day to you all.

-Constantine XI Ksanthopoulos
Basileus Romaion

[rossahh]

Before the message bearer can depart, Zigavinos asks


I at the least would like a letter sent to your lord, this Constantine Ksanthopoulos, in which he clarifies this statement: "I have come to claim the title of Roman Emperor that has been bestowed upon me by the Lord."

Does he say that God Almighty has annointed himself (Constantine) as the true Basileus?

[Zim]

Arintheos sighs. All of the tenseness and uncertainty that accompanied his last announcement seems to have disappeared, replaced by mild irritation.

So that's what this is all about? A weak excuse to allow a pretender to the throne make his claim? Not even a believable excuse. I knew the Basileus quite well and would not believe him to stoop to having anyone killed by assassins, not even his worst enemies. Now we are expected to believe he would have Armatos, a man he did not have cause to hate, killed? I would ask how Erotikos and Kousinos came to that "conclusion" but I suspect that in their years of planning to betray the Empire they have invented a number of lies that would confuse the issue long enough to allow Kousinos to finish making his move.

Indeed, although I would willingly kill the man where he stands for making such an accusation about the recently departed Basileus there is an even more important danger than to Ioannis Komnenos' reputation, that being the danger this pretender causes the Empire. Anna Komnenos was an honorable woman and I doubt this boy's story, but even accepting it at face value he still has no real claim to the throne. The Basileus had chosen as his heir Methodios Tagaris. While I think Methodios' betrayal invalidated that decision and suspect the emperor eventually had another in mind it is clear that this child was never named the Imperial heir. Even the Tagaris boy has a better claim, being named so by the man man who was still formally Caesar.

The throne rightfully goes to the heir chosen by the Basileus , and not to anyone who happens to have a large army and the slightest claim to royal blood.

[flyd]

Isaakios was also present, his fleet being anchored nearby. He was rather enjoying relaxing in the cool chamber of the Magnaura, while sipping on a delightful wine, but this announcement seems to have stirred him a little.

Never mind the throne! By claiming this heritage, this peasant bastard pretender has implied that my sister is an adulteress. If you're taking messages, messenger, tell my "nephew" that I will kill him, and tell his men to expect no quarter.