The Magnaura

[Warmaster Horus]

Petzeas, I will say this once. If you do not have anything useful to add to our conversation, do not say anything at all.
Tagaris, maybe we should wait until Arianitis speaks to see what he's got to say for his actions.
Of course, the only authority I recognize here is the Basileus. When he speaks of this problem, his word will be final. If I lose the province, so be it.

[_Tristan_]

Methodios scowls at Manouelitis.

Yes... Sure... Let's wait on your "accomplice" to admit his wrongdoings... Let's hear him tell us that you had nothing to do with that... Let's hear him put the blame on me... And let us all believe every single word that comes out of his mouth...

Yes... Let's do that...

[Warmaster Horus]

Or let's wait for the Basileus to decide. The facts I believe he knows. If we must say them again, I'll do it.

[Ibn-Khaldun]

Oh well.. You want me to add something to the conversation.. very well..

Basileus.. I am new person in this crazy Magnaura but looks like those two are ready to cut each other throaths open.. not that I have any problem with that..
But what I wanted to say is, I ask Scopia for myself.. This way we can end this stupid and.. umm.. stupid thing over it..

Theo takes a little sip from his bottle..

Good wine.. Very good wine indeed..

He says quietly to himself..

[ULC]

Nikolaos shakes his head at Theo.

"I am sorry, come again senator? May I ask by what right, divine or secular, that entitles you to Scopia? If the Emperor truly wanted to end this, he would simply take the province for himself. But no, he has decided that it should be between these two, who claim the most right to it. You sit in Markianople, far from any near the very walls of Scopia, and yet you would say you have a right to it?"

Nikolaos grunts as he shifts his position in his to small chair. "I think, instead of trying to base a sound judgment on an unsound race, we should try a different path."

[Ferret]

Petzeas, I will say this once. If you do not have anything useful to add to our conversation, do not say anything at all.

Who are you to command other senators to silence? If you really want to talk to each other in private then I understand there is a bar for human specimens such as yourself, interested in that kind of man to man interaction, just down the road from here.

[Privateerkev]

*sighs*

I'm not sure how any of this conversation is doing honor to the actual citizens of Scopia. Has everyone forgotten about them? Let the Emperor rule and lets be done with this.

[ULC]

Nikolaos nods his head at Makedonios.

"I wholeheartedly agree. I'd also like to mention that Isaakios had the forethought to actually suggest we at least let it be between Nikiphoros and Methodios to curb any outside influences. He was shouted down by none other the Michial himself..."

[Ibn-Khaldun]

Now.. Grandmaster have said it.. Let's think about the people of Scopia.
Those two don't care about them.. They just want to hurt the other side.. both verbally and physically.. I'm sure that once they get Scopia they will forget it and the people will rot in that place and their lives will go worse and worse every day..

But I do care about them..
Yes I am currently in Markianople.. But I am here only because I defend the Empire... It's a shame that we have to be in the same army once we siege Adana, Nikiphoros..

[ULC]

Nikolaos gives Theo a look

"You speak for Methodios and Nikiphoros and claim to know their motives? Do not think so much of yourself."

[Privateerkev]

To Theo:

I don't doubt the motives of the other two men.

As for Adana, as I have told the others, your assistance will no longer be needed. I will siege the castle this year. That will free you guys up to go after the Jihad army to your west.

Two Jihad armies are heading towards Constantinople right now. The city will have difficulty if it tries to defend both sides. Since there is no force that can intercept the Moors, that will fall to the city's defenders. But the Fatimids can be stopped ahead of time.

[Ibn-Khaldun]

Conspiracy..

This is the only word that comes from Theo's mouth and then taking another sip from the bottle..

[OverKnight]

Aleksios enters the Magnaura.

I am displeased that matters in the Hippodrome failed to resolve the issue of Scopia. However, I will not let a tainted race decide the matter. I had hoped a bit of sport would have saved us from a interminable amount of legal squabbling but I guess nothing on Earth can get between a Lawyer and his pound of flesh.

Aleksios seems a bit resigned to his fate.

Therefore, I want a summation in the Magnaura from both Senator Manouelitis and Senator Tagaris on why each of them is entitled to Scopia. I invite them to peruse the records and reference them to aid their claim. A cursory review of the minutes shows that Scopia has been exchanged more often than a whore at the docks.

Each Senator is allowed one speech to stake their claim and then one rebuttal to the other's originial case. I will then decide who has the better claim.