Re: Imperial Diet
Maximillian Mandorf jerks to his feet with a gleem in his eye, his arm snapping into a stern military salute.
Mein Kaiser! I can walk!
Mandorf pauses and shakes his head from side to side, as if he had walked into a spiderweb.
...my...apologies... gentlemen. I do not know what came over me.
Mandorf regains his composure and continues.
Kaiser Heinrich shows the courage of a true Emperor! We must seize the opportunity presented to us and strike deeply into the hearts of our enemies. We must, of course, despose of the rebellious Milanese, but if we do so and leave the Usurper intact, he will send another one of his subjugated Kings against us. If the Reich is ever to be truly secure, we must ensure that the Papal throne is fully within Imperial control.
Some of you propose restraining our assault, fearing the Usurper's power. Some of you want immediate action. I believe there may yet be a way to assail Rome without provoking severe retaliation from those Catholics who have bent knee to the false Pope. I have heard rumors that the Pope is considering calling a great Crusade to return the eastern lands to Catholic control. I feel as if this event is over-due and may well be called soon. Once the Pope calls for this mass campaign, he will be unable to assemble sufficient resources to ask for a second one against us!
We should move against the Milanese now, restraining our wrath only on the threat of immediate excommunication. Yet, once Gregory's Crusade is launched, we should strike at all remaining Milanese forces and then take on Rome itself. We will certainly be excommunicated by the false Pope, but with all of his followers responding to his first call to arms, no friendly nation will raise arms against us. Perhaps some may take advantage of our disfavor to attack, but any who would do so would likely strike soon anyway.
Let us destroy the Milanese and return Rome to the Empire! As a final measure, it would be my dying wish to see the Kaiser himself cross the floor of the holy basilica in Rome. Let us send a message to all Christendom that the laws of God cannot be violated!
Edict 3.10: If Rome is assaulted and Kaiser Heinrich is alive, he must lead the attack.
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