Imperial Diet III

[OverKnight]

Otto von Kassel enters the Diet. He looks around the chamber as if to get his bearings after an absence of so many years. Crossing the Bavarian section on his way to speak with Gunther, he passes a hand over Maximillian's old seat. His expression grows grim for a moment, but Otto brightens up when he greets his old proxy. They exchange a few words and Gunther makes his way to the back benches. Turning to the main floor, Otto addresses the Diet:

My lords, it is good to be back in Europe and my homeland. Since the Egyptians have been quiet around Acre and Jerusalem and our sea lanes to and from Outremer secure, I decided to return to Rome on one of our fastest merchant ships. I want to be here for the upcoming session, and it has been a long time since I have seen the Alps or Innsbruck.

The set back at Thorn is unfortunate, the swiftness and ferocity of the Russian attack took both the Chancellor and the Franconians by surprise. Still, it is just that, a temporary set back. While Krakow was not captured, Duke von Kastilien has bled the Poles, and it will take them years to recover. While his own forces are depleted, he gave much better than he got, and he has enough men to put paid to the Russians. Thorn and Corsica have shown, however, that there needs to be better coordination between the Household Armies and the Chancellor. I hope we will take this lesson to heart.

In regards to Sir Zirn's comments concerning Outremer, I find his assertions unfounded and not constructive. Thorn is thousands of miles from the Levant, even if we were not engaged in the east, we would most likely have the same result. We are doing God's work in Outremer, and this has not detracted from our efforts at home, in fact it has aided them. By gifting Jerusalem to the Papacy and our our missionary work there, we have gained much influence in the College of Cardinals. Even now we have an Imperial Pope and several successors in line. If anyone doubts the efficacy of this on the home front, the excommunication of the French should assuage those concerns.

I agree with Count Hans that we need to keep a better eye on our borders, and watchtowers are a good way to do this. I myself have built a system of them bordering Acre, and they have served me well in keeping an eye on Saracen incursions to the south and east. We would be wise to finish such a system for all of the Reich's borders.

Perhaps we should use the Baltic fleet and a small landing force to seize one of the Russian's less defended coastal cities. Once we have Thorn back, we could offer this city's return for peace and possibly tribute. I have no desire for the Reich to make any permanent inroads into the vast lands to the east.

In regards to these Mongols, they do concern me. What they lack in initiative so far, they make up for in numbers. We will deal with them if need be. A possible idea is that once we can convince the Pope to call a Crusade again, we should target any city they might have seized. The horse lords threaten all of Europe, it is only right that all of Christendom should respond to this threat. We would only have to join the Crusade in the later stages, giving time for the other Catholic armies to assemble and travel to the east. Still, this is a ways off. It is merely a suggestion.

Edit: The idea of a Crusade to convert the schismatic Russians and Baltic pagans is also intriguing, but I still would not want to keep any territories in that vast emptiness they call a Duchy.

It is good to be back, if only for a little while.

Otto makes his way to his old place in the Bavarian delegation and sits.