The Tournament of Frankfurt

[Zim]

Elberhard stalks into the tournament tavern, irritation marring his features. Sparing barely a dismissive glances towards Guy and his entourage, he finds a seat on the opposite side of the room and proceeds to lay into the first of what he expects will be quite a few beers.

[GeneralHankerchief]

*Those present at the Tournament have noticed a striking increase in official Imperial activity over the past few days. It has become clear that Heinrich's personal guards are gearing up for something, though what that particular something might be is still unknown.*

[The Celtic Viking]

The Margrave together with five other men rushes into the bar again. Obviously furious, he barks out his orders to the servant. As she hurries off, the Margrave turns to his companions, still yelling.

"Blast that old fool! How dare he threaten us with excommunication now?! I should cross the alps and bash his skull in, 'Vicar of Christ' or not!"

The other men at the table looked nervously around, trying to calm Theodericus down to no avail until the servant returns with his drink. Chugging his mug, he calms down, but a while later he, slightly affected by the alcohol this time, returns to his screaming tirade.

"What has that man ever done for us, anyway? What has he done for me, his most loyal servant? I sided with him in the civil war, and look what that got me! Dishonoured. Defeated. Betrayed and BELIED TO!!! And now he tells me that if I try to avenge the MURDER of my people by those wretched poles" - Theodericus spits on the ground - "he'll EXCOMMUNICATE ME?!" He goes on without noticing all the attention he's attracting, smashing his fist into the table when he wants to underscore a point, and at other times throwing his arms around, often coming close to knocking down his own drink in the process.

"To HELL with him!! TO HELL with the Pope!, you hear me?! God will have No Mercy for false claimants of the Holy Throne, nor will He spare those who tolerates such blasphemies!"

He finally calms down for good, and gets back to his drinking. Relieved to see this, one of the other men suddenly takes off and disappears into the streets of Frankfurt.

[phonicsmonkey]

The Austrians in the tavern are sympathetic to the Margrave's plight. After all, they say, did not the Holy Father thumb his nose at the Prinz in the same way in forbidding the invasion of Hungary?

[Zim]

Elberhard steps into the tavern and takes a spot at his usual table. A minor Austrian knight, who has been in the tavern for some time judging by his difficulty in standing, sits down next to him and whispers something, of which the only words that can be heard include "Prinz" and "the rebel Zirn". Elberhard shoots him such a look of disdain in response that he staggers off, muttering under his breath about immigrant upstarts from the west of the Empire.

[phonicsmonkey]

Rumours have reached the jousting lists and the tavern as to the capture by Prinz Leopold of Lothar Zirn, rebel Count of Provence. The Austrians at the Tournament are rejoicing and there is a swagger in their step. In the tavern, two Austrian knights propose a general toast to Reich, Kaiser and Prinz.