Imperial Diet VII

[TinCow]

Chancellor, I greatly protest this attack on Count Becker's integrity. Though he has made mistakes in the past, which of us has not? Count Becker has consistently shown himself to be a wise, brave, and honorable man. His rebellion against his Duke was short-lived and settled in a peaceful manner. His personal actions during the Cataclysm made Prague the safest city in the entire Reich. He inspired his people to the defense of their lands and his stand against the Poles was a key part of the Franconian defenses.

Indeed, even during this period, Count Becker went out of his way to aid others in need. He made a valiant attempt to defend Breslau from assault and he led the pacification of Nuremburg at a time when there were no Bavarian forces available for the task. I would like to emphasize this last action above all others. At a time when I was nearly universally reviled for my involvement in the Swabian Civil War, Count Becker looked beyond personal opinions and reputations and acted for the good of the people, regardless of the qualities of their leaders.

It is for this reason that I agreed to allow the trial to be held in Count Becker's jurisdiction. He has displayed nothing but honor and wisdom in his long service to the Reich. It is disgraceful for a man such as yourself to disparage his action.

[AussieGiant]

Arnold:

I will never be oblivious to the loss of my nobles, no matter how many fall in battle. The fact Johann was my nephew and was therefore the first of my fathers blood to lose his life for this Duchy and for the Reich as a whole should prove just how much the House of Austria is prepared to sacrifice for our Empire.

The next generation have begun to pay the ultimate price for being born into nobility.

The fact I still live seems a miracle. It is especially poignant when I look at the Imperial heritage documents and see that I am the only one of my lineage left alive.

I ask you all to add Johann to your evening prayers for the next few months. Maybe our thoughts will help him in the after life for which I’m sure he was unprepared for due to his age.

[gibsonsg91921]

May Johann rest in peace! He died magnificently, a true soldier's death. May his soul make Hungarians fear to tread this land!

[gibsonsg91921]

*from Orders and Reports thread... c'mon people let's Diet it up!*

There is truth to what you say, Duke Bresch, but only if the verdict is the result of a fair and honorable trial. Chancellor von Kastilien clearly seeks nothing of the sort. He clearly wants me dead and will do whatever he sees fit to achieve that end, even if it requires attacking and imprisoning the man we have both previously agreed upon as an impartial judge. I do not doubt that if Count Becker finds me innocent, that he will declare the trial a fraud and seek to have me executed anyway. When faced with such a situation, I have no choice but to prepare myself for a proper defense, both in and out of the court of law.

Lothar, why would we have a quarrel with you other than for the murder of our brother? You have done honorable things for the defense of Bavaria. Surely we would not seek to find a scapegoat for public death, but rather the true mastermind of the assassination. Your logic is flawed.

If Becker, should he ever conduct the trial, finds you guilty, you would not come quietly either and you know this.

Becker's loyalty is held in question - he has fought honorably for Bohemia, yet there is something I do not trust in his submission to Duke Arnold after his secession from Austria. If disloyalty is an issue, I will not hesitate to suspend the Charter and exercise the extent of my power to save the Reich.

[Ramses II CP]

God willing, with me at your side as Chancellor my Kaiser.

Fritz von Kastilien

[GeneralHankerchief]

Herrmann Steffen:

Correct me if I'm wrong gentlemen, but by your two previous statements it seems as if you're almost anxious to start another civil war.

It heartens me so that the Reich's two leaders - its Kaiser and Chancellor - are so willing to go down this path of continued toil and destruction.

[Ramses II CP]

I am eager to see the men who killed a Kaiser of the Reich brought to justice! If it requires meeting them in battle, then I will surely relish that, but that does not mean I seek to do the Reich harm! It would be unwise to impugn the von Kastilien name just now Hermann Steffen. Has the Reich not advanced under my hands, with the guidance of my Kaiser? Has Bavaria not grown and driven off her enemies?

Peace can exist only where the land is just and well ruled!

Fritz von Kastilien

[GeneralHankerchief]

Herrmann Steffen:

Chancellor, make no mistake, I respect you for what you have done. The Reich has truly grown and prospered under your guidance.

However, I believe it all comes down to one thing you said:

It would be unwise to impugn the von Kastilien name just now Hermann Steffen.

That's all it's about with you people, isn't it? Honor and vengeance, anyone who stands in the way of your eternal quest for it be damned. Well, I've got news for you:

I'm sick of honor!!!

Honor has been used as a crutch to further one's own interests over those of the nation for far too long, and look where it's gotten us! It was because of honor that Kaiser Heinrich launched the entire Reich into war with the Papacy and prolonged excommunication! It was because of honor that Ulrich Hummel exterminated the population of Metz when he retook it for the Reich! It was because of honor that Duke Arnold abandoned his post during a critical time just to travel to Outremer and try to kill Jan von Hamburg just because some insults were thrown in the Diet! It was because of honor that Elberhard continued to follow through with your brother's horrible plan for reunification, just to spite the Diet! It was because of honor that Dietrich von Dassel and Hans couldn't put aside their differences and destroy the French overrunning Swabia instead of killing each other!

You take your pathetic honor, gentlemen. I'll take a stable Reich.

[Zim]

A letter arrives from Outremer.
Fellow Electors,

I have tried not to get involved, as the issues involved took place long before my joining this assembly, but I am beginning to become worried over the progress of this investigation. When I first heard of it, I thought it was a folly that could possibly plunge our nation into another civil war, but I understood the motive behind it. Whether the accusation is true or false, it is best to determine it now, and not let old wounds fester. However, the investigation is going on a decade now with no results one way or another.

I do not presume to question the loyalty of Edmund Becker, a man who has sacrificed much for the Reich and his city of Prague. However, I fear recent events have been depriving him of the time neccessary to carry on the investigation in a timely way. Therefore I offer my services to aid in the investigation. Between campaign seasons I can return to Germany to help with the investigation, and even during the season when I'm in Outremer I can review documents for the case.

If it please the Diet, I would help with this task,

Andreas von Salzgitter

[Ramses II CP]

A stable Reich must stand atop a stable base, one composed of just men and good rulers, ready to sacrifice their own blood to advance the cause of the nation. If there are snakes in the base, men who would press their own interests over those of the nation, they must be struck from that place before the nation on which they rest can be stable. It has never been a secret that I found Siegfried's policies badly mistaken, but what other course was there than to argue with him, debate with him, and try to sway him to see righteousness?

A stable Reich will require that this issue before us be settled, and quickly, so that the nobles of this great land can complete the dominance of Europe which we have begun to recover under myself and my brother.

I will concede that honor is not the Reich's first concern, but if we become a nation without honor, a people without justice, we will surely lose God's favor and be destined to fall.

Count von Salzgitter I would find your presence at the trial a comfort. You appear, to my eyes, insulated well enough to render a capable verdict. Just be wary of undue influence from some members of this body, and do not let Becker drag this on too long.

Fritz von Kastilien

[TinCow]

Count von Salzgitter,

I thank you for your offer, but I see no need to proclaim a substitute at the moment. Count Becker has vowed to move this trial forwards, and both sides in this... dispute... have previously agreed that he was a good candidate for the position. It would be unjust to remove him from his role at this point in time. I am certain that he will come to the proper decision eventually and he need not be pushed on the matter.

[OverKnight]

Matthias Steffen enters the Diet Chamber. After reviewing the minutes he stands to speak.

Becker's loyalty is held in question - he has fought honorably for Bohemia, yet there is something I do not trust in his submission to Duke Arnold after his secession from Austria. If disloyalty is an issue, I will not hesitate to suspend the Charter and exercise the extent of my power to save the Reich.

Kaiser Peter, did I hear you say "Suspend the Charter"?

By suspending the Charter, you would be dooming the Reich to Tyranny, not saving it. You may be Kaiser, but you are not some eastern God-King, the Charter binds us all, Electors and Emperor.

I understand that a strict adherence to the Charter has never been your Majesty's strong suit, but you have no right to suspend it. Such a gross seizure of power would be unprecedented and far more of a danger than the decades old accusations against a Duke.

Matthias turns to the rest of the chamber.

This is only one of many claims of Imperial power that have been made by Kaiser Peter, he has implied that he has the power to detain Electors without a trial, strip Electors of their titles and appoint their replacements all without the consultation or permission of the Diet. No such executive powers have ever existed in the Holy Roman Empire. Yet, he claims them, even though no such measures have been passed.

Is the Diet willing to cede all its power to the Kaiser? Abandon it's traditonal rights as a body to one man? Fortunately, such claims are still only words, alarming as they may be. But if the Charter is breached by the Kaiser, I shudder to think what might happen.

[AussieGiant]

Arnold:

von Salzgitter,

Your request is noble but I don't feel it is necessary. Lord Becker simply needs to get his arse into gear before satisfaction is achieved through more "traditional" means.

I'm certainly in favour of a trial by arms and let God decide who's right or wrong.

And young Steffen,

making comments about my actions towards Jan von Hamburg shows just how "removed" you are from how certain things must be accomplished in life. If I had of "removed" him from proceedings can you imagine the impact it would have had on the civil war!?

There is no place for religious fanaticism in this Reich and history has proven that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

As for the Kaiser and his brother the Chancellor…it does seem to be a rather convenient double act that the von Kastilien’s are now rattling their sabres about disregarding the Charter while that "family" controls the two most important positions in the Reich.

Think on that my fellow nobles…

[AussieGiant]

Travel stained and covered in mud, Arnold makes his way into an essentially deserted Diet Chamber. He moves quickly to the Speaker chair and they talk quietly for a moment. With a nod the Diet Speaker motions for the Duke to approach the Imperial scribe.

"Make a note will you my good man...Max Zirn is now Count of Vienna and he is taking command of the 1st Austrian Household Army."

[TinCow]

*A nervous looking Bavarian messenger enters the Diet. He opens a sealed document and begins to read.*

Electors of the Riech,

News has reached me that the summary court set up by the Kaiser and the Chancellor has reached a verdict and declared me guilty. I am sure that you are all as disturbed by this news as I am. I would ask that you remain patient for a short while longer. A full response to these charges and the verdict will be distributed across the Reich later this evening. For the good of us all, please wait until my defense has been heard before taking up arms against me. I assure you, all will be explained shortly.

Lothar Steffen
Duke of Bavaria

[GeneralHankerchief]

Herrmann Steffen:

I was afraid it would come to this.

For the time being, it seems as if I am the Duke of Bavaria. This ascension has previously been confirmed by both sides of the conflict, with my father Lothar stating that I was to be his heir and Kaiser Peter expressing me as his preferential head of Bavaria if my father was to be detained.

My first act as Duke is to command all current Bavarian commanders in the theatre - including my three brothers Wenzel, Bernhard, and Harold - to advance to the Sicilian front. My force of militia for the moment will be the new BHA.

If my guess is correct, my father will not go quietly, meaning that Kaiser Peter will chase him. This leaves a vaccuum of both commanders and troops in that theatre, a vaccuum that needs to be filled.

Kaiser, if you want to apprehend Lothar, you will receive help from neither me nor my brothers, nor any other Bavarian commander. This is to be your fight if you wish to pursue it. Bavaria's fight is against the Sicilians.

[TinCow]

*A piece of parchment has been nailed to the door of the Diet.*

Electors and Citizens of the Reich,

The Holy Roman Empire was born from the ashes of the Caesars. We are the heirs of Augustus, Trajan, Hadrian, and Constantine. In the mold of these great Emperors was our society built, yet we strove for more. We looked to the past and saw that we were also the heirs of Caligula, Nero, Domitian, and Commodus. For every beneficent Emperor, there were two cruel and ignorant counterparts. The Caesars created the Old Roman Empire, but they also destroyed it.

So it was that our wise and noble ancestors determined that they would create a New Empire, a Holy Empire, in a manner that would harness the good of the Caesars, while preventing the harm from that same source. They chose to prevent evil and negligent men from becoming King of the Romans, by requiring an election by the prominent nobleman of the various lands of the Empire. Thus were the Electors born.

For many years this system was used, and the Empire was ruled magnanimously. Our peoples prospered, justice was upheld, Christ's word was preached, and governance was fair and reasonable. Yet, as with the Old Empire, the Reich lost its way. No man alive today can remember the last time a Kaiser was elected in the proper manner. This law, designed to protect the people, has been taken from us. Whether by coup or bureaucracy, we have returned to the chaotic days of the ancient Romans.

This is seen in our very history and cannot be disputed. For every good Kaiser, we have seen an evil counterpart. Kaiser Heinrich exploited the law for the sake of a personal vendetta against Pope Gregory. With near unanimous opposition to his actions, Heinrich forced the Reich into excommunication and a period of immense hardship for nobility and commoner alike. The Diet was so outraged by his actions, that they immediately passed new laws to prevent such an act from occurring. Even then, it took a mighty Crusade to remove the stain of Heinrich's actions. The great bulwark of Christian Outremer was created to redeem the Reich for the sins of Heinrich.

Fortunately for us all, Kaiser Henry did not follow in his father's footsteps. He was a good and wise ruler, and the Reich benefited from his leadership. It is possible that Kaiser Jobst would have been such a man as well, but he was cut down on the field of battle before he could prove himself.

From that field of battle, a new Kaiser rose. Siegfried. Even today, that name brings bile into the throats of women and children across the Reich. Many still believe that it was Siegfried himself who killed Kaiser Jobst, and then used bribery and forgery to gain the throne. Still, even if true, that would be the least of Siegfried's crimes. We all know of the horrors that the Unification brought upon us. It was un-asked for and un-wanted. When proposed before the Diet, it was violently protested by nearly every Elector in the Reich. Yet he proceeded anyway, handing away countless territories bought with German blood to the corrupt Byzantines. Most outrageous of all, he attempted to systematically dismantle Christendom itself. His unification of the Church with the Eastern Blasphemers was nothing of the sort. It was a full-scale absorption of Christendom by Orthodox devils. Holy Outremer itself, the beacon of light in a world of darkness, was dismantled and given over to blasphemers without so much as a mourning prayer to mark its passing. Even today, over sixty years after Siegfried's death, we have yet to restore what his actions took from us. We will never be able to restore the lives of the hundreds of thousands of Germans who perished in the resulting Cataclysm. Nero may have fiddled while Rome burned, but Siegfried put a torch to the entire Empire.

Would that Siegfried's successors had compensated for his wickedness. Kaiser Elberhard was not an evil man, but he was a feeble ruler. When the Reich needed strength, he brought weakness. In such a time of need, that was the worst possible result. And so to Kaiser Péter the Hypocrite. Imprisoned for rebellion against his own brother, Péter passes judgment on those of us who also risked all to save the Reich. Péter was content to prevent the Unification with the slaughter of thousands and a war that cost many times that number, and continues to this day. Yet he proclaims as traitors those who sought to stop such tragedies with the death of a single traitor. With the cataclysmic period behind us, the situation in Swabia settled, he once again forces us into Civil War for the sake of a personal vendetta.

So, it is, good citizens of the Reich, that we look back on our history and see rot and decay where there should be glory and prosperity. The cause of this is obvious to all who care to look. Of the last six Kaisers, only two have benefited the Reich, and one of those reigned for only the briefest of moments. The fickle whims of the Emperors brought down the Old Empire. The fickle whims of the Kaisers are bringing down the Holy Empire.

Yet, not all is darkness. In the Reich there stands a beacon of light that shines the way. The Order of the Illuminati has aided the Reich for many years. We have brought stability where there was disorder, help to those in need, and religion to the blasphemers. All of this was done without regard for our own safety. Indeed, we consider it our duty to sacrifice for others. The Order of the Illuminati will fight for what is right and just, no matter the price we must pay.

The Brotherhood represents true egalitarianism in our very existence. Members are admitted on the basis of merit alone. Blood and hereditary title mean nothing to us. Every man who is a member of the Order has achieved that position through demonstrations of personal value. Such is the true measure of the worth of a leader. Yet, even with that monumental achievement in governance, we have gone further. The Order has titles and positions, but they are merely roles to help divide duties in an efficient manner. The Illuminati consider all members equal, to a man. The vote of the newest member carries as much weight as the vote of the Grand Master himself. A new member must receive unanimous approval before being admitted. When all members are wise, skilled, and worthy of esteem, there is no need for inequality and Lordship.

And so the Order stands today to make a public Proclamation. A new age is upon us. The ways of the Kaisers have failed. We summon all able-bodied men of the Reich to join us in the fight for a new Reich. We declare that we stand, not only for the toppling of Kaiser Péter von Kastilien, but for the toppling of ALL Kaisers. We unsheathe our swords in the name of equality and justice. We fight for a new Reich. We fight for a new Republic.

We declare that it be the Will of the Diet that the position of Kaiser be abolished for all time. We declare that henceforth, the Reich will be ruled by the Electors alone, free from the encumbrances of hereditary title. We declare that from this day forth, the Holy Roman Empire is no more. We declare that the birth of the Holy Roman Republic has begun.

Long Live Germany!
Long Live Rome!
Long Live the Electors!
Long Live the Holy Roman Republic!

Arnold	Lothar Steffen	Matthias Steffen	Herrmann Steffen
Elector of Austria	Elector of Bavaria	Elector of Bavaria	Elector of Bavaria
Duke of Austria	Duke of Bavaria	Viceroy of Outremer	Count of Bologna
Grand Master of the Illuminati	Voice of the Illuminati	Brother of the Illuminati	Brother of the Illuminati
Son of Rome	Son of Rome	Son of Rome	Son of Rome

[GeneralHankerchief]

Herrmann Steffen:

Peter von Kastilien, if you desire my father, come and claim him.

The longtime posturing of the Kaisers is over. Follow me, young electors. What is holding you back is simple: The sinners of the past have come once again to wreak their havoc on the Reich.

Time and time again, authority has been abused, arbitrary rule has been imposed, and the Will of the Diet ignored. This will no longer be the case. If freedom is to be victorious, then everybody will have an equal voice. Policy decisions will be made collectively and based on merit, not whim. And, because we will no longer have tyranny and randomness holding us back, the Reich will prosper in ways that very few of us could ever dream.

Side with the Illuminati, my friends. Be a part of the glorious revolution for freedom!!!

[Ramses II CP]

The von Kastiliens will being coming little Hermann. Don't be in the way when we march through, boy, and maybe there will be some kind of life for you in an Imperial prison!

If having the will to impose order on the fractious nobles of the Reich must be labelled tyranny, then so be it! Kaiser Peter is the Reich, this fool Republic you're puttering about is nothing more than a fantasy. Revenge is the reality, vengeance and blood are the truth!

I take it back Hermann, don't stand aside. Call your brothers to your side! Nothing would give me more pleasure than to come seeking one head and find five.

Fritz von Kastilien

[GeneralHankerchief]

Herrmann Steffen:

Kaiser Peter is a farce, the latest in a long line of arbitrarily-named nobles that have imposed their unjust will on the Reich.

I have seen his prowess, or lack thereof, on the battlefield firsthand. I have seen his utter lack of skill in command up close. Why else did he delegate me, a squire at the time, to lead the assault against the French those years ago? If Kaiser Peter is coming, I shan't be too worried about what will happen.

[Ignoramus]

Maximllian von Hapsburg

As the Duke of Austria seeks a republic, he must surely no longer believe in hereditry nobility. Therefore, I do proclaim myself Duke of Austria, and cast my sword for Peter, Kaiser of the Reich!

[gibsonsg91921]

HAIL! After the cataclysmic period, my brother and I have rebuilt the Reich to its former prowess. The cataclysm was brought upon by this Illuminati, the Swabian Civil War, and the election of Ulrich Hummel, I suspect as well. It has done nothing but wreak havoc for the Reich.

LONG LIVE THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE! CAST YOUR SWORDS IN MY NAME! DEATH TO ALL WHO OPPOSE ME!

[Ramses II CP]

Death to the Enemies of the von Kastiliens! Long Live the Empire!

You know, von Hapsburg, trying to declare yourself Duke is a bit unseemly at a time when rebellion threatens the Reich. Perhaps you should discuss the matter with the Kaiser after these Republicans have been put down, eh?

[gibsonsg91921]

Maximillian von Hapsburg may be Duke, as he is the eldest of the Austrians and the most experienced.

I strip the Illuminati members and all of their allies, past, present, and future, of their titles and condemn them to the Pillory. Dietrich von Dassel, when the living are destroyed, shall be exhumed, posthumously hanged, and condemned to the Pillory and hell as well.

In this time of crisis, certain emergency powers are necessary. I declare Bavaria an Imperial fief under the rule of Viceroy Prinz Dieter von Kassel. Austria shall be ruled by Duke Maximillian von Hapsburg, the remnants of a proud line. The Zirns, shall they declare their loyalty, will become Counts of that land.

Each and every fool that aligns themselves with the Illuminati shall be drawn and quartered. After that ordeal, be they living or dead, I shall personally behead each and every one of them.

If you declare neutrality, stay out of my way. Make yourself useful - we have external enemies yet.

LONG LIVE THE REICH! DEATH TO HER ENEMIES!

[GeneralHankerchief]

Herrmann Steffen:

This latest speech by the Kaiser is yet another example of his madness and tyranny. Random declarations when edicts are usually necessary? Emergency powers? Declaring people Duke when he has no power to do so?

Do you think that, after this "crisis" has expired and he wins, the Kaiser will give up those powers? I think not. He is just manipulating our declaration to grant himself even more power. This is exactly the thing we in the Illuminati have dedicated our lives to stop.

[OverKnight]

Matthias Steffen:

The words of the Tyrant are more damning of him than any I could muster.

Electors of the Reich! Listen to what this man has said. The rights he claims. The traditions he tramples upon in his blind quest for absolute power.

Do you think this madness will end with his pogrom against the Republicans? His every whim will be law, and nothing will be left to protect you if you displease him.

Now is the time to take up arms to protect the ancient rights of the Electors, to stand against Tyranny, to restore the Republic!

Now is the time to fight for FREEDOM!

Join us, and together we will make history!

Sic Semper Tyrannis!

[_Tristan_]

Hughes de Cervole :

Mes Seigneurs,

The choice you have put before us Electors of the Reich is tearing me apart...

Years ago, I chose to betray my country to avenge my comrades killed on the whims of a tyrant...

I made that choice knowing full well that there would be no turning back so I cast my lot with the Reich and put all my efforts in bringing down France while furthering the Reich's aims...

So doing, I have come to respect Fritz von Kastilien as a man of action and decision who saw exactly what was needed and provided the means to an end... And I also respect his lust for vengeance on his brother's murderers...

However, Kaiser Peter, his own brother, reminds me too much of late King Emery to gain my support... I would have brought down a tyrant only to support another...

On the other side, we have supporters of a Republic where all men shall be equal... While that sounds like Utopia, I feel in the deepest reaches of my heart that this dream should be given a chance... While I may have fallen from grace with members of the Orders, I have the deepest respect for others :

Matthias Steffen, for having been able to keep Outremer into the Reich's bosom almost single-handedly,

Lothar Steffen, for his commitment to a cause he deemed just and forced him to commit shameful acts, a cause that I can only identify with...

Herrmann Steffen, for his valour in combat and his stance in the escalating conflict between the Von Kastilien and his own family.

I can only hope that the insults directed at me by Duke Arnold were a kind of probe to know the kind of stuff I was made of, and if that was the case I hope I proved worthy in his eyes...

Now you see how torn I am in choosing a side in the civil strife that will erupt and threaten to rip the Reich...

Nevertheless, I have faced with hard choices before and I will not stand aside while the fate of my new home is decided...

I will stand for the Republic rather than for Tyranny...

Vive l'Allemagne !!!

Vive Rome !!!

Vive les Electeurs !!!

Vive la Sainte Republique Romaine Germanique !!!

[Zim]

Jan glares at Hapsburg, then at the Kaiser.

"Hapsburg, Kaiser?" the title is spit out as if a pejorative, "A man who has done almost nothing these past ten years, and who jumps at a chance to take power from his rightful Duke? At least my relative lack of experience leading battles can be put down to my youth, but this man is well into his prime and has done nothing for the Reich or his Duchy."

"The a fact that a Kaiser would dare to attempt to depose not one, but two rightful Dukes, one without even the pretence of a trial, is another symptom of the extent to which a once honorable position has been corrupted by its increasing power."

"Once long ago the Reich was a free association of the Duchies, and no Kaiser would presume that a Duke was a mere feudal vassal whose title could be taken away on a whim. You yourself once saw the madness of Kaiser Siegfried's push for Unification against the wishes of the Diet, but apparently your ascension to the emperorship has gone to your head as it did to Siegfried's."

"I know I do not have a reputation for bravery. Quite the opposite, actually. However, even I have my limits. I will not watch you turn the Reich into a nation of slaves like the Greeks, willing to bow down to an authoritarian leader. I stand alongside my Duke and his allies, and will fight your tyranny until my dying breath. And if I see the traitor von Hapsburg, I will make him choke on his thirty pieces of silver and then separate his head from his shoulders."

[Ignoramus]

As Jan Zirn leaves the Diet to escape the clutches of the Imperial guards, von Hapsburg rises to speak.

"So, our French friend was never really loyal to the Kaiser? I suspected as much. Let this serve as a warning to never trust those French dogs! Let them be declared traitors of the Reich and so free as from any risk of treachery!"

Von Hapsburg rips down de Cervole's coat of arms and stamps on it.

[_Tristan_]

A grizzled man enters the chamber, he is wearing a red-crossed white tabard. A dark threatening look crosses his face, going from the stamped on coat of arms to von Hapsburg.

My master Hughes de Cervole was first and foremost loyal to the Reich and Kaiser Elberhard who greeted him when he had nowhere to go...

As for Kaiser Peter, my master felt no bond to the man but remained loyal to the function he represented... A function that has now been desecrated by the Kaiser's claims of power...

Call my master a traitor if you will, for traitor he is already... to France...

But he is loyal to his vows as a Templar and as a knight...

For the oath he swore when he was knighted demanded that he protect the Church and obey its commands, he defend the weak, he do not run before the enemy, that he always be the champion of Good and Right against the forces of Evil and Injustice.

So who is the traitor now ?

With a last glare at von Hapsburg, the old Templar leaves the chamber unopposed.