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.