Conseil du Royaume

[AussieGiant]

Leaning forward Alain mouths.

on a shovel, 'ow about zat!!"

[Cecil XIX]

Having been sitting passively observing up to this point, Duc Raymond suddenly grabs parchment and quill and starts scribbling furiously.

[GeneralHankerchief]

The Aquitanian clerk is handed a piece of paper. After skimming over it, he rises again to speak.

I have been informed that the Dauphin's army is currently intact, unless the Seneschal has decided to do so without providing the updated maps to us all. In light of new developments, as well as the very originator of the Edict that the Duc of Lorraine seems so determined to uphold no matter what openly discussing possible outcomes of a war with England, I believe that this is one of the times in which we can set aside an Edict in the name of common sense.

However, since the Seneschal is clearly not one of these people and will not wait for the will of the Conseil and its opinion on war with England, we are faced with one of our most potent armies disappearing overnight. Luckily, however, we do have the very same Seneschal to thank for allowing us to rectify this situation by calling for an Emergency Session. Therefore, in the name of Raynaud de Xaintrailles, I propose the following:

Edict E1.6: Should war be declared with England in this session, Edict 2.8 is hereby considered null and void and Prince Louis's army near Bordeaux is not to be disbanded in violation of the aforementioned Edict.

[ULC]

I second Edict E1.6!

[Cultured Drizzt fan]

A messanger from Marseilles Rises,

And I on the behalf of my lord, second Edict E1.6

[Marcus Agrippa]

I feel I should be the voice of chivalry for this counsel.
I believe we can wage a war with consience if we do it with the right objectives.

1. We only fight to weaken England and make France whole.
2. We create a stable alliance with Scotland by liberating Edinburgh so the Engilsh won't conquest against us as they have two rivals.
3. No unarmed civilians are killed only soldiers.
4. We Take london to have a prise worth selling for peace as they won't accept anything else.

I propose the following Edict E1.7: Upon hostilities with England turning to war this session the following cities become our objective: Bordaeux, Angers, London for negotiation for peace will England and Edinburgh to form an alliance with Scotland and weaken England. All should be occupied with out sacking or harm to the locals towns people.

If the senechal were to provid some forces to the coast Myself and de Rochfort could take london if no-one else was better able or willing as we are returning south of london.
I have no wish for glory my lords, but I believe a war would otherwise be abused, long and drain France. As the German campaign continues to.

[Ramses II CP]

Louis laughs,

Truly this is what we have come to, this band of brothers, this nobility of France. Bickering foolishly over legalities and lands not yet captured while we should be united in reclaiming our nation, making whole our people once more. It disgusts me.

Seneschal de Champagne you gave me your solemn word that you would support me in exchange for giving you my support in your campaign for Seneschal. That support has been absent, as Mon Roi warned me it likely would. This is certainly not support. If you attempt to disband my army in the face of our enemies, and I ask again if any doubt that we will be at war with England, then I cannot help but take that as a declaration of war against my House for it would leave us utterly defenseless and surrounded by English territory.

You cannot reasonably declare that you do this on account of the King's edict when the King himself does not wish it enforced. You are afraid of something. Afraid of your future King's own House? Afraid of war with England? I know not which, but if you act rashly to weaken France in the face of her enemies there will be a reckoning.

So stop cowering. Declare your true intent now and have done with it. We can settle it personally without placing France herself at risk by destroying one of her armies. If you so despise me, or so fear England, then let us duel until you are satisfied and relent.

What say you? I insist that you answer before the Emergency session ends or matters will grow worse.



(OOC: A couple of things to consider/discuss in the OOC thread perhaps:

1. What happens if the Seneschal is killed during the emergency session?

2. What happens if a civil war begins during the emergency session, in particular with respect to the disbandment edict?

3. Can the King declare himself Seneschal during an emergency session?)

[KnightnDay]

Thomas rises and looks to Hugues and then to Louis. He then speaks.

"I wish to propose a compromise if possible. It hardly benefits our people if prince or seneschal are slain at these critical times."

Thomas then faces Louis.

"Dauphin, you have violated edict 2.8. Whether the king wants it enforced or not, the fact is his truce with Guillaume is not yet suspended, and by the edict the Seneschal has every right to carry out the prescribed actions. But your point is well taken, Aquitaine should not be endangered and any forces we might be on the verge of using against the English should not be diminished.

This is two times now you have placed your army in an unwise position. First at Bern where you were compelled to withdraw by the empire, and now in a position which violates a standing edict reflecting the will of the king and conseil. I suggest that action is called for against you and you alone.

My proposal for a compromise is this. First, the Seneschal will hold in abeyance the actions required of him under the terms of the edict 2.8 due to the unusual nature of present circumstances. He will take no action to disband your forces.

For your part, highness, you will agree to the following. You acknowledge you are in violation of the edict and agree to submit to disciplinary action. Specifically, you will agree to withdraw your bodyguard immediately to the province of Toulouse for the duration of any immediate conflict with England. Of course from there you are free to direct your house as you see fit."

Thomas then looks back at Hugues.

"I urge you two gentlemen to agree to my proposal. If this degenerates into an internal conflict, it may not be a question of who shall storm the gates of London, but rather who will defend the walls of Paris."

[econ21]

My Prince, in the spirit of ending bickering - let me respond to an earlier intervention that you made regarding my Edict 1.3 that I confess I did not hear. [ooc: I missed that post] You are quite right that it is pointless to include a clause regarding conflicting edicts within ones own edict. [OOC: that clause was an ill remembered hangover from earlier games.] Our Charter clearly states that where edicts are passed but are in conflict, the one with the larger number of votes takes precedence. Consequently, I hurriedly delete clause 6 from my edict.

It has also become clear to me that there is no reason why our Edicts - your Edict 1.1 for an immediate declaration of war on England, my Edict 1.3 on a crusade on London - should be in conflict. I still believe that the Seneschal should determine the timing of the declaration of war, but that issue can be resolved independently of the issue of a crusade. If Edict 1.1 passes, war will be immediate. If Edict 1.1 fails, the Seneschal - or the King - will determine the timing. Consequently, I have amended clause 3 of Edict 1.3 to refer only to the timing of the crusade, not the declaration of war. Now nobles may quite consistently vote for both Edict 1.1 and Edict 1.3.

Revised Emergency Edict 1.3

1. The Conseil authorises the Seneschal to declare war on England and petition Rome for a crusade to be called on London.

2. All nobles wishing to go on crusade must declare that intention and march to Paris, where the Seneschal will organise them into crusading armies under the overall command of the King. [OOC: only the Seneschal puts armies into crusade mode; crusaders have to modify their standing orders to reflect the armies they are assigned to.]

3. The timing of the crusade will be decided by the Seneschal.

4. When the time comes to storm London, all crusading nobles will join the King in storming the settlement. [OOC: we create a stack that includes all crusading avatars so they all share the traits gained.]

5. All troops who rally to the crusade will be regarded as soldiers of France and after the crusade is successful will be either disbanded or gifted to specific army commands as the Seneschal sees fit.

I understand that there are some in this chamber who have no appetite for a crusade on England. That is a matter for them - even if Edict 1.3 passes, no one will not be compelled to join the crusade. We each have our own path to God. However, those same nobles also desire to declare war on England. To those men, I urge them not to vote against Edict 1.3 - not to obstruct other brothers in arms who would ride with them against a common enemy.

We are entering a new age, Counsellors. The Papacy is no longer a tool of the Germans. It has broken away and is an emerging source of political as well as moral authority in a new world order. We remember the Lord, recognising the earthly power of the Romans and the powerlessness of his followers, he was obliged to advise - "render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's". But now the Church is finally emerging from the shadow of the smothering state, Roman or Holy Roman. No longer will Christians be compelled to follow the wishes of the German Kaiser. Through the Church, Christians will begin to have a say in what is done by their worldly rulers. No longer will Christian rulers wantonly be able to spill the blood of their brothers in Christ. The Church will command them to stop. And they will stop - as we have stopped our attacks on the Germans. And why did we stop? Was it is a sudden rash of conscience or compassion? No, it was the threat of excommunication. For the Godly, excommunication is a terrible thing. But now, for the unGodly, it also is to be feared. Because now is a new age. An age when men of war may rise, motivated by zeal, to crusade on those excommunicated. An age when the authority of the Pope may sway warriors of many nations to fight against those who so defy the teachings of the Church that they are expelled from its embrace.

The English - they were commanded by the Church to stop their attacks on Scotland. They did not stop and now are excommunicated. By bringing down the wrath of God in a crusade against the English, we would be acting to uphold the new authority of the Church over tyrants and warlords. We would be acting to bring discipline, restraint and respect for the church. To call a crusade against the English would not be opportunism nor cant, still less a land grab (surely my Captain's edict at least makes the latter clear!). It would be the first demonstration of the power of the Church over the realm of worldly rulers. It would, quite frankly, be revolutionary.

Cynics may sneer at those who call for a crusade, but I urge them to be cautious - they are not looking in a mirror. The men they judge are not motivated as they are. The men they see as hypocrites or deluded fools are walking a new path. That journey may start on the road to London or it may not. You may choose to walk that path or not. But do not block the way merely because you do not understand the motives of those who would take it. Do not turn away comrades who would join you in a battle. Do not let your cynicism turn away aid in this new age of zeal.

[Ramses II CP]

Louis nods his head companionably towards Hermant before speaking,

I rescind my amendment to Edict 1.1 and let it stand as originally worded and seconded.

I also wish to state that I respect your comments and clarifications on the justification for a Crusade. It is, indeed, a new age for the Church and I pray that the Holy Father's commandments be respected and upheld.

All the same I and my House will continue to decline to take part in the Crusade. Clearly many in this chamber doubt my good will and would abuse any power to oppose me. As such I make my intentions beyond all doubt; I intend to reunite France and drive William's armies off the continent entirely. What the King does with the lands I conquer I leave to his behest, as I did at Valencia, without protest or complaint. Have any others sacrificed their men and their own blood in battle only to be denied ownership of the province they took? I do not count Caernarvon as the King made clear his trouble with Duke de Rohan.

House Aquitaine does not deserve this persecution.

I will refrain from comment on the suggested compromise until the Seneschal has had the opportunity to respond to my challenge. Perhaps the man will see sense, yes?