TroG Parliament

[Innocentius]

Solely for in-character political discussions (and votings) for the MTW PBM The Republic of Genoa.

[Kavhan Isbul]

Dear Members of Parliament,

Consul Gregorio II has not yet returned from his last trading expedition in the Levant, and his son, Prince Gregorio, is still not mature yet to fully substitute his father. While we wait for the return of our chosen leader, our enemies, the treacherous Venetians, are mobilizing their forces and the famous general, Bohemond de Tankerville, has been moved in Milano, close to our border. At the same time the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor are also looking upon our city and our possessions with envy and greed, and it is apparent that we are surrounded by enemies. It is imperative therefore that we attend to all pressing matters in the absence of our Consul Gregorio II. Here is the agenda for this session of the Parliament:

1. Province distribution

2. Gold distribution

3. Troop distribution

4. Foreign Policy

Every member of Parliament can submit proposals on the above points, which we will then take a vote on, with each member counting for one vote with the exception of our Chancellor, Innocentius, whose vote will count for two doe to the importance of his office.

[Kavhan Isbul]

I have been unable to meet with my cousin Rythmic of Pisa, also a representative of the house of Doria, but here is what my house proposes on the 4 points.

1. Wasp of Ajaccio to receive Corsica in exchange for the promise to maintain a unit of Urban militia for the Republic by 1095. It is a poor island and we cannot ask for more.
Gunslinger of Cagliari to receive Sardinia in exchange for the promise to build the necessary structures for the production of galleys and other war vessels, which are so important in our attempt to protect our trading fleets and our ports from Norman, Venetian, Greek and Muslim corsairs. In return for Sardinia Gunslinger will agree to build a dock by 1110 and then provide one galley to the Republic every 10 years, but the Republic shall be responsible for the repair of the ships and the wages of the ships' captains and sailors.
Rythmic and Isbulino Doria to receive Tuscany in exchange for the promise to train and support two units of Urban militia by 1095, and a unit of spearmen by 1100.
Finally, in the absence of Gregorio II, Genoa shall be governed by the Chancellor Innocentius, until Prince Gregorio matures and can substitute his father.

2. Each house to get 1,000 florints, or 1/4 of the Republic's Coffers.

3. For simplicity, each house to take control over the units, currently in its province.

4. Not to engage in any hostilities until Prince Gregorio matures or Consul Gregorio II returns, as we do not have any distinguished military commanders. In the meantime to accept all alliance proposals from fellow Catholics, especially our neighbors, avoiding agreements with the Infidels and the Schismatics. We know that the Venetians are not trustworthy, but an alliance with them will secure one of our land borders, so I suggest that we send our emissary to the Doge to ask for alliance. The Emperor appears to be under the wrong impression that our City and all of Liguria and Tuscany belong to him, and therefore an agreement with him will be hard to reach.

I kindly ask all members to vote on the above proposals (my vote is of course yes to all).

[Innocentius]

Chancellor Innocentius of Firenze remains seated but speaks aloud.

I agree with Isbulino Doria on the three first suggestions. However, I must remind you all that the lands of Napoli lay open to us. These lands are held by the Greeks of Constantinople and are well-known for supporting corsairs. Also, should we not take these lands quickly enough, I assure you that the Normans of Sicily will claim them instead and the Normans are even less trustworthy than the Greeks. Leaving a potentional naval base open to our enemies might be risky. However I will not give any final answer to this matter as I have yet to hear of the Consul's wish.

[Warmaster Horus]

A boy, still in his teenage years and sitting in a chair next to the Consul's seat, confers with his mentor and his Father's advisor. After a few minutes, the Prince Gregorio speaks, hesitantly at first, using an old introductory phrase.

Members of the Genoese Parliament, Great Men of the Republic, I Prince Gregorio salute you all humbly. I do not speak officialy, but just wish to convey my thoughts upon these matters.
I agree with Isbulino Doria's first three proposals. However I suggest we also attempt to forge an alliance with the Papacy. I feel that since we are a catholic republic, we should have the best possible relation to the Holy See.
These are in NO way my Father's wishes however. I have had no contact with him for many months now. If one of you has knowledge of his situation, I bid you to speak.

[Kavhan Isbul]

Isbulino Doria raises and prepers to hold a long speech, later to be known as Isbulino Doria's Speach on Naples

Chancellor Innocentius, Your Highness Prince Gregorio, well respected members of the Parliament, if Consul Gregorio II is to return, then I shall respect any of his decisions regarding the Republic's foreign policy. In his absence though, we still need to decide on certain pressign matters.
As Chancellor Innocentius has pointed out, Naples holds huge importance. It controls the southern part of our peninsula - fertile farmlands and rich trading cities. It will give us an opportunity to prevent the Normans, the Venetians or the Pope to expand in that direction, slowing down these potential enemies' progress. And last but not least, it is easy to take and will give us a great base where troops can be trained.
However, I need to point out that simply because the Greeks are weak and the province easy to take, it does not mean that it will be easy to defend. Our fleet cannot protect all the seas surrounding the southern part of the peninsula, and even if it were, the Pope can still attack us by land. Some of you will be quick to point out that such an attack from the Holy Father is unlikely, but while this is true, we cannot entirely dismiss a conflict with the Vatican and if such a conflict is to ever brak out, we will find ourselves in war with the rest of the Christian World, as all Christian Kings will take the Pope's side. Furhtermore, the treacherous Normans and Venetians might decide to start a war over Naples with us, causing great damage to our trade. The Pope, who as I already pointed out himself has ambitions to extend his rule south of Rome, is likely to take the side of our enemies and threaten us with excommunication. This is why my house believes that Naples will require a large investment for a small immediate return, and is best left to the Greeks as it is, at least until we are able to muster a larger force and fleet and secure a few key alliances.
If in the meantime one of our enemies is to take Naples, this is likely to lead to a war between the power that gains control of the province and the other two of our neighbors. As long as the Papacy is involved in the war, it is almost certain that either the Normans or the Venetians will get excommunicated, leading to an opportunity for us to attack them from behind, getting easy victories as their main forces are engaged with one another or the forces of the Pope, and gain provinces more valuable than Naples, such as Milan, Venice and Sicily. Who knows, in a war between the Normans and the Pope, the former may even conquer Rome, and we may gain Naples from the Holy Father in return from liberating his lands from his enemies, and other provinces on top of that.
It might be more opportunistic for our Republic to grow richer from trade, in the meantime increasing our navy and our armies, and wait for the Naples Question to evolve into a war between our enemies, and get involved in the hostilities once our enemies' armies are depleted.

At the same time, my house is in full support of a punitive expedition against the Schismatics. We just think that Crete or other islands in the Eastern Mediterranean are a better target, as it can be protected by our fllet with only small dejma garrison in Khandia and it will give our Republic a great base on our way to the Black Sea and the Holy Land, where great opportunites for trading and gaining wealth exist.

[Warmaster Horus]

Honorable Isbulino, I agree with your House's idea about the Naples Question. Waiting seems the best option.
I must however disagree with a 'punitive expedition' as you suggest. It would require financial support; which may be given somewhere else. But if Venice, the Papacy or Sicily decide to attack the Byzantine Empire, we should then and only then strike at one of the Isles. For now we must grow, economically.

[naut]

I have little more to add than I support the views put forward by my cousin Isbulino.

[Wasp]

Wasp of Ajaccio waits for a few seconds, then stands up.

First of all, Corsica agrees on Isbulino Doria's plans for the distribution. Also, we support the notion Prince Gregorio put. We should aim for a secure and stable economy. Rash attacks might gain us some land, but without a proper infrastructure to back it up, we might lose more than we gain eventually.

However, if certain.. opportunities present themselves to us, we would be fools not to seize them after a careful consideration. But, a decent general would be necessary.

[gunslinger]

After spending an uncomfortably long time in conference with the advisors seated behind him, Gunslinger of Cagliari assembles his notes, stands, and addresses the assembly:

Let me begin by thanking those present, as well as our Consul, Gregario II, for supporting my requests pertaining to my position in Sardinia. Sardinia is a humble province in terms of economy. However, I believe that with proper governance it can contribute to the strategic well being of the Geonese Republic. Isbulino Doria has taken upon himself the task of deciding what commitments I should offer our Consul in exchange for his faith in my ability to govern Sardinia. While I agree with my esteemed colleague that Sardinia is well-suited as a place to manufacture ships to benefit of all of Genoa, I must admit some puzzlement concerning his accounting. Perhaps Isbulino has not taken into account the fact that I cannot hope to attract skilled men to work as shipwrights unless I can offer them something more secure than the simple, wooden palisade which now serves as Sardinia's only defense. No, before I can even begin work on a shipwright, I fear I will need to invest in a stone keep. Once I have accomplished these building tasks, I would then have ten years to build a galley. My advisors tell me that it would be possible for me to accomplish these three goals, although it would require the commitment of nearly every florin produced in Sardinia during the ensuing years as well as the 1,000 florins which is my share of the republic's current treasury. In fact, when yearly support costs are factored in, I would not even be able to supplement the paltry 60 man garrison which currently protects Sardinia. It is my understanding that this number isn't even sufficient to prevent the banditry so often undertaken by our Catholic brethren in the peasant classes, let alone the threat posed by the Sicilians to the South.

Perhaps one can understand Isbulino's motivations when one considers that his comparatively rich province, which he suggests should be responsible for the production of three units of infantry, will have much to gain from its trade of wool once an entire generation of Sardinian blood, sweat, and treasure has gone into producing that first galley.

Ah, I fear that I have let my emotions get the best of me, and I may have spoken too harshly. I can only pray that God will grant me such steadfast loyalty and patience as we have seen exhibited by Wasp of Corsica, who gamely agreed to Isbulino's demand for troop production even though he must know that the yearly support costs of his current small garrison already outstrips the yearly income of his entire island. Wasp, I salute you, sir.

Perhaps my esteemed colleague, Isbulino, would be interested in showing his appreciation for the rich province he has been granted by helping to offset the costs imposed on Sardinia for a keep and a shipwright. This would make it possible for me to invest in the natural deposits of silver and salt which are present in my province. My advisors assure me that investments in mines would pay for themselves within ten years of the mine's completion, thus allowing Sardinia to be of somewhat more economic use to our republic. Isbulino may consider this an investment in the fleet which will be protecting his wool shipments, and increasing his accounts receivable, in the years to come.

As to Isbulino Doria's suggestions concerning Naples, I agree wholeheartedly. In my opinion, any uneccesary borders with the papacy are to be avoided whenever possible. As for fears that the Sicilians will invade Naples if we do not, I can only say that I hope they choose to do so, as a conflict with the Byzantine Empire can only weaken them, especially where their navy is concerned. I am of the opinion that once our current borders are relatively secure, we should begin the building of an army with the goal of taking the island of Sicily itself, if the Sicilians should be so foolish as to spread their forces thin. Sicily is a very rich island, with revenues almost equal to all four of our current provinces, and it could be easily defended for the price of upkeep on a few ships.

Gunslinger of Cagliari takes his seat and looks over the assembly with confidence. One of his advisors leans forward to whisper something in his ear while glancing nervously at the rich, powerful and popular ruler of Tuscany

[Wasp]

Wasp flashes some angry glances to one of his advisors during Gunslinger's speech, and stands up before Isbulino Doria can reply.

My dear Gunslinger, I thank you for your.. kind words. Surely you have the same confidence in our Consul as I?

It is true that we will have to cope with a yearly loss for some time, but me and my advisors are confident that the economy of our island will quickly catch up. If not, I do think our Consul will understand that we have tried everything in our might to balance these costs and profits.

Wasp turns to Isbulino, while taking his seat again.

My excuses, Isbulino, for I am sure you have something to say, as well.

[Innocentius]

Chancellor Innocentius of Firenze suddenly stands up, unlike his usual ways of calmly speaking while seated.

My gentlemen! I hate to interrupt your discussions, but at the moment we have more urgent matters to deal with. Our beloved Consul is absent!

He has been ill for quite some time now, and none but God knows when he might recover. Therefore a co-Consul must be elected, immediately. So without further ado, I nominate the following for this honourable task:

Isbulino Doria. He has shown great wisdom when it comes to politics and understanding of financial matters.

Prince Gregorio. The boy is young, but able-minded and knows his father better than any of us.

Me, Chancellor Innocentius. I guarantee you that I shall rule properly untill Consul Gregorio II returns. And *he adds in a different voice*, I assure you that I will distribute provinces and titles with justice and all reasonable fairness.

The Chancellor returns to his seat.

[Warmaster Horus]

The Prince exchanges a few words with his advisors, stands and ,without preamble, begins to speak. His voice has changed however since his last words in the Parliament. His expression, pained when he heard of his Father's illness, has become more determined.

I would vote for the Chancellor Innocentius. His official position is already close to Co-consulship.
I urge you all NOT to vote for Isbulino Doria, in the spirit of equality. Isbulino governs Tuscany and as such might decide to favor his province, on the grounds of proximity of foreign lands.
I must remind you of the motion he set forth:

Finally, in the absence of Gregorio II, Genoa shall be governed by the Chancellor Innocentius, until Prince Gregorio matures and can substitute his father.

Modesty forbids me of putting myself forward. It is your decision alone.

Gregorio looks at the Chancellor, then at an angered Isbulino, and adds hastily:

Sir, I do not mean to insult you, but I think of Genoa first. All other things, beside the Lord, come after. Including personal feelings. Yours, and mine, fall into that category.

He opens his mouth, to speak more but stops himself and sits down.

[gunslinger]

Chancellor Innocentius, you raise a very valid point. As you have no doubt already discerned, the absence of our beloved Consul at this juncture has led to some. . .unpleasantness. . . which would not have been necessary had someone with the proper authority been present to set the agenda for this meeting and to delegate the responsibilities of the noble men in our republic.

I would respectfully suggest to this assembly that we should take steps to prevent such a crisis of authority in the future. It is the recommendation of my house that we ammend the duties of Chancellor in our republic to allow for the Chancellor to take over the duties of the Consul during any period in which the elected Consul finds himself incapacitated or unable to attend parliament. The Chancellor should have the full authority and responsibilities of the Consul until such a time as the Consul becomes available. The Chancellor should also be tasked with the command of the Consul's bodyguard during such times, and should take the Consul's place among their number when they are committed to battle. Further more, upon the death of any Consul, the Chancellor should be granted temporary authority for the express purpose of organizing the election of a new Consul. Of course, during any period in which our Chancellor is forced to take on the responsibilities of the Consul, he would forfeit his two votes on this council. The founders of our republic very wisely limited the power of the Consul by allowing for his decisions to be overturned by a 2/3 majority of the other members of parliament, and allowing the Chancellor acting as Consul two votes in favor of his own proclamations would undermine the purpose of a parliament.

With your permission, Chancellor Innocentius, I move to table discussion on the election of a Co-Consul, and proceed with a vote on my proposal.

[Martok]

Lord Martok leans over and whispers into Lord Gunslinger's ear

"Well said, Cousin! Until the Consul is fit to return to duty, Chancellor Innocentius should serve as regent in his stead. If Sardinia is to become the naval power we wish it to be, we will need strong allies -- and Innocentius as regent could well prove....useful in this regard."

Standing up, aloud : "I second the motion made by Lord Gunslinger. Let us elect Chancellor Innocent as regent and co-Consul!"

Martok sits back down, an oddly serene smile upon his face.

[Kavhan Isbul]

The ruler of Tuscany patiently waits for the rest of the members of the Parliament to voice their opinions. From time to time he whispers something in the year of his cousin, Rythmic Doria, who gravely nods in approval, keeping silent. Then Isbulino rises to speak.

Dear members of Parliamen, first let me start by stating, that neither I, nor any other member of the Doria family has ever expressed a desire to become Consul. I join those who accept Chancellor Innocentius as a co-Consul, and I trust that he will be able to fulfill Gregorio II's duties during our leader's absence. He shall now have the important task of defending the Republic from its enemies, choosing the right allies and leading our troops to glory. Whatever course he chooses for the Republic of Genoa, we shall be obliged to follow.

With the problem of leadership solved, I need to address some other concerns, expressed by members of Parliament.

Honorable Wasp of Ajaccio, as a head of the Doria family let me express my gratitude for your support. You have shown that in these troublesome times there are still decisive men, who see reason. My family has a proposal to make to yours, which would greatly benefit both our duchies. As Corsica has no borders with any foreign kingdoms, and its best defence lies in Genoa's navy, it will require only a small force to maintain order in your province. Therefore, you might find the 100 spearmen station on your lands as not needed and at the same time quite cumbersome on your finances. Instead of disbanding them and losing an already trained force, here is what I and my cousin can offer - we can purchase the above mentioned 100 spearmen from you for 50 florints, as soon as there is a ship linking Corsica to Tuscany. Not only will you gain 50 florints, but you will also save another 50 florints which the upkeep of those troops costs every year, which will be 50 florints added to your income for perpetuity - and unlike any mines or other expensive improvements, this will cost you nothing. So what do you say?

And now, let me address the concerns of our most respected friends form the House of Sardinia. While it is true that the lands of Tuscany are potentially wealthier than those of Sardinia, this duchy will bring serious responsibilities and duties to its Margrave, as unlike an island surrounded by the sea, this duchy currently borders three foreign provinces. If the Pope shall ally with the Venetians, and those two powers attack us together, they will outnumber us 10 to 1. To secure the borders of the Republic, my family will need to maintain a significant force, added to our military obligations to the Consul, and the raising and maintenance of such a force will greatly offset any gains from the land. I am explaining this to show that our family will get just as difficult a task as any other house of nobles within Genoa.
I was glad to hear Lord Gunslinger's invitation for cooperation with our house. The Dorias believe that there is great potential for wealth in the undeveloped resources of salt and silver in Sardinia. We would gladly pool our resources together with those of the house of Sardinia, and for our help in the construction of mines and other facilities as to allow the extraction of salt and silver, we only expect a share of any future income proportionate to our investment. Meaning that if we give 250 florints, then we shall be collecting 25 florints per year for as long as the mines remain operational. Alternatively, we can afford to help our Sardinian friends with 500 florints which shall be theirs for 10 years, with no interest during this time as usury is a deadly sin and we are good Catholics. However, gold is a resource just as any other, be it ships, buildings or weapons, and we shall expect a small rent for our gold in amount of one fifth, or 100 florints, on the 10th year together with the rest of the gold, or 600 florints altogether.
As you can see, the house of Doria welcomes any future cooperation, for in cooperation lies the path to wealth and prosperity. We understand that the stone walls needed for housing a dock are expensive, as are the galleys themselves, and ones a dock is in place in Cagliari, if the Lord has blessed our crops and our enemies keep silent along our borders, we might be able to help with some of the costs for the construction of the vessels. Of coure, the main burden will fall on the Lords of Sardinia, but such effort and expenses deserve an appropriate compensation, and as Gunslinger of Cagliari has pointed out, Sicily is close to Sardinia and if it can be conquered, my house will support the house of Sardinia in its valid claims on this island, currently in the hands of the Normans.
I will be waiting for your answer on my mutually beneficial suggestions.

[naut]

Rising swiftly and speaking in a courteous manner Rythmic Doria addresses the assembly.

I hope Chancellor Innocentius will rule wisely as regent and steward to the throne, and I have great faith in his abilities.

I digress, our Republic has two initial galleys if I am not mistaken. What will the course of action in regard to these ships be? Should we send one to the Golfo del Leone and possibly trade with Aragon and Toulouse? Such a move could potentially increase the income of Regione Genova by some 64 gold florins per annum. And in Regione Toscana some 18 florins per annum once we gather the resources to undertake the construction of a proper port in Livorno. Conversely movement into the Mare Di Tyrrhenian would only bring 32 florins and 9 florins for Genova and Toscana and our ships may come in contact with those of Venice. I also understand that time and money will have to be spent on trading posts as well in our cities.

I eagerly anticipate your opinions.

[Wasp]

My dear Isbulino, I thank you for your kind words. However, they will not force me into a hasty decision regarding our garrison. I will dispatch a messenger to your lands as soon as I have made my decision about your offer. I am sure you will respect this, since we all know the bandits who dare to defy God's will by raiding and pillaging our lands. Perhaps we could even have a private talk about this offer, once we have dealt with the current issues?

Wasp turns to the other members of the parliament.

If I am not mistaken, it seems that our dearest Chancellor already has a strong support behind him. Therefore, I'll simply add my vote. We need to develop, and I have confidence that any of the candidates sees this and acts upon it.

Regarding the galleys, we will have to balance protection and trade. I therefore propose to use one galley as a trade ship, and the other as protection.

[Innocentius]

My friends of the Parliament, I thank you all for the support you have given me and I assure you that I shall not fail you as ruler untill our beloved Gregorio II recovers.

The reign of the four provinces of our lands shall be divided as follows:

The Doria family, Isbulino and Rythmic being the most outstanding members, shall rule Tuscany.

Wasp of Ajaccio shall rule his homelands of Corsica. And unless he objects to it, may I suggest that Ignoramus - who has yet not spoken much here in the Parliament - join him?

Lord Gunslinger and his cousin Martok of Cagliari shall rule over their homelands in Sardinia.

While I shall rule in Genoa itself untill the return of our beloved Consul.

But, as I am not the Consul and will never wield his authority, I leave it up to each and one of you to recruit such troops as you see fit for the defense of our republic while it still allows us to prosper. I urge you all to report to me, individually, as soon as possible, declaring what you are about to construct and what troops you are about to recruit over the following 5 years.

Thank you, my fine gentlemen of the Parliament.

Chancellor Innocentius rises his wineglass and toasts vaguely in the general direction of the other members of the Parliament.

[Wasp]

Wasp takes a glass and raises it.

Dear Chancellor, I do not know Lord Ignoramus well, but I am sure he would make an excellent Corsican, if I can call him that already. I'll await his decision.

[Kavhan Isbul]

Honorable Lord Wasp, I respect your decision and agree with you that the matter of these 100 spearmen can be solved outside of parliament. Send me a messenger when you are ready to accept my suggestion, or for any other reason concerning cooperation between our two glorious families.

Co-Consul Innocentius, here is the schedule for next 5 years in Toscana:

Turn 1: keep taxes normal, build watch towers
Turn 2: increase taxes to high, start building town watch
Turn 3: finish Town Watch
Turn 4: increase taxes to very high, start building 20% improved farmland, train one unit of Urban Militia
Turn 5: finish 20% improved farmalnd, train a third unit of Urban Militia

If there shall be a calamity such as flood or famine, decrease taxes as much as necessary to keep population happy.

[gunslinger]

I thank you, Chancellor Innocetius, for formally legitimizing my claim to the Island of Sardinia. I have been in communication with my cousin, Martok, and we are anxious to begin working together.

Honorable Isbulino, I gratefully accept your offer to share in the cost of building the necessary naval vessels to secure your trade network. We each must provide as we can for the future of The Republic of Genoa.

I will take your offer of investment in the natural resources of Sardinia into consideration. I can not, however, consider your offer for the "rent" of gold. I say this out of my genuine concern for your immortal soul, dear brother. I would respectfully suggest to this assembly that Isbulino's statements on this matter were . . .an aberation; perhaps just a slip of the tongue from a man whose honor and righteousness is normally beyond reproach. I should hope that all gathered here would agree that no word of this unfortunate incident need ever be mentioned outside this room. Isublino, you have my assurances that, should the authorities representing your neighbor to the East ever make inquiries into this matter, you will have my full support.

Finally, it is not my intention to be troublesome on this issue, but I ask Chancellor Innocentius to call for a formal vote on my proposal concerning the duties of the Chancellor in this republic. Happily, the outcome of the vote will have no bearing on Innocentius' current position, since all present have endorsed his leadership. However, the inclusion of my proposal alongside the other laws on display in our library may prevent confusion for future generations.

[naut]

In my youthful exuberance I completely missed your previous proposal. What you put forward is nonetheless sound and fair, I firmly accept.

[Innocentius]

Chancellor Innocentius stands up and adresses the Parliament.

Honourable members of the Parliament! Terrible news have just reached us!

Our beloved Consul, Gregorio II, is dead. The diseace ultimately claimed his life. May his glorious memory last forever!
And as I believe most of you know, I was a very good friend of our Consul, and with his death in mind, I have decided to step down from my office as Chancellor . I shall be succeeded by the very competent Isbulino Doria of Tuscany, who will rule the Republic untill Prince Gregorio comes of age. May his reign be both wise and fair!

Innocentius returns to his seat, but soon shakes his head and leaves the Parliament.

[Kavhan Isbul]

Chancellor Isbulino Doria holds a brief inauguration speech.

First let me express my deepest condolences to Prince Gregorio - Consul Gregorio was a great leader, who shall be deeply missed by all of us.

As a Chancellor I promise to hold the Republic's interests above my own, and to keep all of the Houses well informed of the situation in the Republic's lands. My cousin Rythmic will be Margrave of Tuscany until my duty is finished. Until Prince Gregorio matures, I shall do my best to maintain peace on our borders, and I shall only accept alliance proposals from fellow Christians, which of course excludes all schismatics and heretics. I have much work to do, so I will close this session of Parliament as I need to attend to my duties immediately. May the Lord bless you with good health and prosperity, until our next session.

With this the first session of Parliament in Genoa ends, and Isbulino's is greated with applause (except for Gunslinger of Cagliari and his cousin Martok, who remain in their seats with a grim look on their faces). He waits for the Hall to get empty as all Genoese nobles leave for their lands, and then makes for his large quarters in the Parliament Building. "Genoa needs a Chancellor's Palace," he thinks,"but I will cause a riot if I start building one now. Perhaps it could be built here later, or perhaps ... a beatiful large palace would befit Florence more one day."

[Kavhan Isbul]

Let me open a new session of Parliament. I hope you have had a chance to read my report of the last 5 years, during which I was at the helm of the Republic. We now finally have a Consul to make the strategic decisions, but this does not mean that there is no need for debate.

The first decision to be amde concerns the Republic's fleet, as we have 2 fleets and a third will be ready next year. I suggest extending our naval reach to the Straits of Sicily. There is rich trade to be had with Palermo, and our presence in these waters will deter any Norman pirates. Alternatively, we can move our fleets West, to establish a connection with the port of Barcelona.

The second matter in need of discussion is the current war between two of our neighbors - the Holy Roman Empire and the Venetians. The Pope has sided with the Venetians. My personal suggestion is that we should wait to see how this conflict develops and if the Emperor is excommunicated and civil war breaks out in his lands, we might consider snatching Provence from him. If the Empire holds fast, and the Germans successfully invade Venice or Milan, we can either finish off whatever is left of the Venetians, or help our allies to prevent the Empire from becoming too strong.

Last time we discussed Naples. My opinion has not changed. The Pope has trained a number of soldiers he now keeps in Rope and Peruggia and is likely to use them to drive the Eastern Romans out of Naples and the Southern part of our peninsula. The Normans keep a princess and an emissary as spies in Naples, and most likely have their own ambitions. We should wait until a war between the Pope and the Normans breaks out and take full advanatge of any advantageous situation that may arise. As for the Eastern Romans, I am of the opinion that attacking them in the Levant is a better option, because the islands there are easier to defend as long as we have a sieable fleet.

There are other, less obvious options for expansion. The Almohads in North Africa are a threat to our fellow Christians on the Iberian peninsula. If we can side with the Castille-Leonese, the Aragonese and the Portugese, an attack on Valencia or Murcia is likely to meet the Pope's approval. We can also attack them in Tunisia, to prevent the Normans from getting to North Africa before us. Keep in mind however, that we will nto be able to recruit soldiers in North Africa, and in Iberia we will be limited to local jinettes.

Our Hungarian allies have been telling me that they are having problems with the Serbs, heretics similar to the Greeks, who refuse to accept the teachings of Rome. They are also worried about a Pagan horde of Cumans on their Eastern borders. The Hungarians are good allies, who we can use against the Germans and the Venetians, and perhaps also against the Eastern Romans. We might consider sending fleets in the Adriatic and helping them against the Serbs. A foothold in the Balkans will allow us to recruit Slavs, who make excellent garrison troops and javelinmen. When our fleets are strong enough, we may even establish a presence in the Black Sea, where a colony in Crimea will boost our traders' valid interests in the area.

Many options to consider, and I would love to hear the opinions of all nobles. The final decision will belong to our Consul Gregorio. I will also need all the houses' schedules for the next five years, as we need to plan ahead and continue the development of our lands. Feel free to share your plans here, or to send me a messenger if you would prefer to keep them secret.

[Warmaster Horus]

So many possibilities... yet by choosing one we abandon the rest. I urge you all to think a great deal on this matter, for it shall influence our future options.

On the situation in Northern Italy, I believe we should side with the Venetians and the Pope, "snatching Provence", as the Chancellor puts it. We should also prepare troops for northern "expeditions", during which we can reduce the Roman Empire to nothing. Or at least weaken them as much as possible. The provinces we'd acquire, I propose to let them be. Devastate them, and then abandon them.
In other words, noble men, I propose a raid.

Attacking the Byzantine Empire, for that is what they are now, in the Levant requires a fleet. A war fleet. I'm sorry to say that we do not have such for now. But we should not forget that idea yet. Should the Emperor Alexius (OOC: he's the Byzantine Emperor, right?) decide to attack an ally of ours, we should then retaliate in such a manner.

About the Almohad Caliphat, we should first acquire an alliance with their potential enemies. Remember, conquering Valencia is alright, only if the Aragonese don't want it.

To have a foothold in the Balkans would, indeed, allow us to recruit Slav Warriors for our glorious armies. But it would also be a relatively far colony, open to attacks. And we would not necessarily be able to defend it correctly.

I remain to be convinced that we should move against any other than the Holy Roman Empire. But I can still be persuaded.

After this, Consul Gregorio sits, and prepares to listen with care to the others proposals.

[Kavhan Isbul]

The Genoese nobles remain seated, keeping their opinions to themselves. Isbulino Doria finally breaks the silence in the hall.

Your Majesty's idea is quite interesting, and if it is a raid into the Empire that you wish, then I shall organize an army and Your Majesty will lead it against the enemies. However, here are a few things to consider. Currently, the German provinces are mostly undevelopped, with few farms and buildings, and what we can get from pillaging will only be enough to cover the expenses of raising and keeping an army. Currently, we do not have any spies deep into the Empire, and therefore we would amrch against an enemy of unknown strength. If there is a large Imperial army in Burgundy, it might stop us before we have gotten any far, and then we will have to deal with a strong retaliation. Finally, even if the campaign is successful and Your Majesty manages to devastate a few enemy provinces and get deep into enemy territory, Your Majesty may find himself trapped with little hope to make it safely back to Genoa, if the French or some other Kingdom takes over the devastated German lands and cuts our army off.

We, the Genoese, have been making our fortune from trade, not from from war - we are merchants, not warlords. Our strength lies in our navy and in good relations with out trading partners. If an advantegous situation develops - the Emperor is excommunicated and attacked on multiple fronts, then we may consider taking Provence in the name of the Republic, similar to the way we acquired Corsica and Sardinia, and then develop it for trade. We will be also able to recruit soldiers there - after all most of the people in cities such as Nice speak the same language as we do.

I would love to hear the opinions of our nobles. What does my cousin Rythmic have to say? What does Wasp of Ajaccio think? The resigned Innocentius of Florence surely also has an advice to offer? And of course, strong minded nobles such as Martok and Gunslinger of Cagliary will have an opinion of their own, which they are welcome to express.

[Warmaster Horus]

The Consul hurriedly rises, before others can speak, and says:
Indeed, it is a rather "risky" method of war, this raid I propose, but remember that it was only a proposal. A raid is to be thought of, and considered with care in a future. But not yet. In the years to come, that may seem to be the correct strategic decision, but for now, we do not know. Provence is obviously what we are wishing to gain from such a confrontation. But only if said confrontation actually occurs.
In my previous speech, I was only pointing out what ... endings the various courses of action may lead to.

[Martok]

Lord Martok glances at Lord Gunslinger and then slowly stands up, unable to completely hide an expression of distaste as he opens his mouth to speak.

I will say what my cousin is understandably reluctant to say himself, which is that the Lords of Sardinia agree with our noble Chancellor. We would discourage any expeditions against Imperial lands, at least until such time as the Germans begin to fragment under their own weight. As they are currently under the threat of interdiction by the Holy See, I say we need only wait -- the matter will doubtless be solved for us before very long.

For the time being, I recommend that we continue on with extending our trade networks. I second dispatching the (soon to be completed) third fleet towards the Straits of Sicily -- such a move should increase our income quite nicely.