Empire of the Mediterranean: An Interactive Aragon AAR

[Mach Twelve]

The Speaker of the Assembly Francesco Torres would like to remind the Baron that Los Campos and their Phoenix allies are not the only factions in the Assembly. In fact, he would like to remind the Assembly that the choice of whether to recommend a reprimand is in fact the choice of the Speaker, and he does not support such an action.

Also, he would like to remind Los Campos and their allies the Phoenix that they do not speak for all the Assembly or the people who elected them and demand that they stop acting like they do.

 

[zenphoenix]

Alejandro de Leon, reserved in his old age, finally lost his temper at this latest round of insults.

"That's enough!" shouted Alejandro. "We will not continue tolerating attacks on fellow members of the Parliament! This Parliament was made for cooperation, not petty bickering! Your seat in Parliament is a privilege, not a right, and can be revoked at any time by the people or the Emperor! I suggest you use your privileges towards actually debating the merits of pieces of legislation, not launching personal attacks against others!"

 

[texasjoshua]

"That frame of thought is only possible through a naivete which is completely unbecoming of a member of His Majesty's Cabinet. Austria has no tangible capacity to wage a successful force against our empire, and if the record of the Empress Dowager's entire career in Hispanian politics is worth consideration, perhaps the truth shall be made evident... That is, that the only reason why the Empress Dowager would desire a 'strong military' is so that she could embark upon a new set of foreign conquests, wasting the lives of the countless Cremonans who are now taxed, violated, cajoled, and drafted - all of which serve not to aid in their safety within our borders, but rather to sacrifice their well-being for the 'good' of a Hispanian elite which has continually rejected the notion of even so much as listening to its citizenry.

"Furthermore, I believe we can all gather from the Empress Dowager's insistence upon refusing the perspectives of the people who are most impacted by the exorbitant taxes that she believes necessary to the furtherance of her warmonger-state that she would sooner render all control over this nation's affairs to a Valencian elite! Yes, what a 'beautiful' world she believes in! My, I am glad that His Majesty made the decision to eject her from the Prime Ministry based upon her lack of a capacity for well-reasoned judgment and genuine care for those outside of her close circle of elitist sycophants!

"With this in mind, I motion that the Empress Dowager be delivered a non-binding reprimand by the Assembly."


Juan de Salcedo,
Barón del Balcón de las Marcas,
MA for the Southern Marches

"Members of the Cortes, I like you am very concerned about the recent objections coming from certain members of the Assembly. The people of Cremona themselves have been brought into the discussion, from what I have heard, again by certain members of the assembly, as being "taxed, violated, cajoled, and drafted" all of which apparently do not serve to aid their safety.

I would politely request that those certain members of the assembly not speak for the people of Cremona, who I have long known and served. I take it as a grave insult that this certain member deems to speak for all of the people of North Italy despite the many injuries Austria has committed to us. I trust that the Speaker of the Assembly will take actions to insure that such speech out of turn does not occur again.

I trust and hope several of the MP's from Northern Italy will speak up to voice their thoughts on the war against Austria."

Altair Spoleto
Heir to the count of Cremona

 

[Firehound15]

"Members of the Cortes, I like you am very concerned about the recent objections coming from certain members of the Assembly. The people of Cremona themselves have been brought into the discussion, from what I have heard, again by certain members of the assembly, as being "taxed, violated, cajoled, and drafted" all of which apparently do not serve to aid their safety.

I would politely request that those certain members of the assembly not speak for the people of Cremona, who I have long known and served. I take it as a grave insult that this certain member deems to speak for all of the people of North Italy despite the many injuries Austria has committed to us. I trust that the Speaker of the Assembly will take actions to insure that such speech out of turn does not occur again.

I trust and hope several of the MP's from Northern Italy will speak up to voice their thoughts on the war against Austria."

Altair Spoleto
Heir to the count of Cremona

"Perhaps one to recognize who he is speaking to, for I am a deputy from Northern Italy.

"Regardless, I stand by my positions, and for them I shall bear any and all burden, as all true loyalists ought to. In fact, I would not be surprised in the least if the highly respected Senyor Arceo had been killed on the orders of this untouchable elite, although I would not levy such accusation without base, as the Empress Dowager and her cowardly compatriotas did against those who came before me.

"As for those who insist that I have levied personal accusations, perhaps their repeated political incompetence is a symptom of poor listening - or a lack of capacity for making decisions - and for this I believe we should all forgive them. All statements I have made have been arrived at through basic observation, not through arcane backroom dealings with political cronies, including the dishonest De Leon, who, may I remind my fellow deputies, has been a supporter of liberalism in name alone, refusing on numerous occasions to so much as entertain the notion of considering cooperation over remaining a servant to the Empress Dowager and her faction.

"As for the matter of the Speaker's rejection of a vote on the motion, a power which he does not have by the rules of this chamber, I call for a new speakership election. Evidently, what is needed is a non-partisan speaker, who might be elected to advance the interests of this Chamber, rather than to strangle us while remaining in the depths of the silence which has formed the entirety of his political career."


Juan de Salcedo,
Barón del Balcón de las Marcas,
MA for the Southern Marches

 

[texasjoshua]

(( Whoops, I knew I should have done more looking before I made a claim like that. Bah, totally in character, my guy doesn't know all the people.))

"I give my apologies to Juan de Salcedo of my confusion of him with a baron in Greece. I give my apology for any insult done for this mistaken identity, but I stand by my claim that while he may speak for his membership, to my knowledge many of the people of Cremona support any war against Austria. I am, however, outraged and quite upset by the call for a new speaker. MA Salcedo has given insult to every member of both houses with his recent actions.

I call for all members of the Cortes to block any such election and I ask our emperor to reconsider his offer of providing the ministry of the interior position to MA Salcedo and instead make such an offer to another viable candidate. Diversity of opinion is one thing, but many of the words of our friend in the assembly begin to border on treasonous."

Altair Spoleto
Heir to the County of Cremona

 

[hirahammad]

Answer France's Call-to-arms: Yes
Elementary Education Act of 1783: Yes
Amendment to Elementary Education Act: Yes

Mission: Overextension
National Focus: Abstain

((Velazquez/Pope Xystus II, Clergy, Independent, Assembly))
((Working on IC to be placed in))

 

[Michaelangelo]

((Time to bring that vote to an end and start another one, I see.

Answer France's Call-to-arms:

Assembly: 207 Yes - 93 No
Cortz: 75 Yes - 15 No​

Elementary Education Act of 1783:

Assembly: 300 Yes - 0 No
Cortz: 90 Yes - 0 No​

Amendment to Elementary Education Act:

Assembly: 143 Yes - 157 No
Cortz: 61 Yes - 29 No​

Mission: Overextension
National Focus: Diplo

Seeing as an vote for a new Speaker has been called, I'm delaying the update until that is dealt with. This also gives us time to select a new Minister of Education, since they have to be nominated and voted in. Players in the Assembly may now nominate someone for Speaker or Minister of Education. They can be players, including yourself, or NPCs. If you are part of a party with no players in the Assembly, feel free to nominate an NPC from your party if you wish. I will give roughly 24 hours for nominations before we move on to the official voting. Also, a heads up. While the Minister of Education position requires a vote on who serves in it every election cycle, that would be quite unwieldy and lead to far too many votes, so I'll be treating it similar to the Speaker in that as long as no one contests the position, it remains filled by someone. Due to the 3 term limit, I'll just replace the Minister of Education with a neutral NPC every 12 years, unless a player decides to contest it.))

 

[Mach Twelve]

Francesco Torres announces his intention to run for the position of Speaker again.

 

[05060403]

Juan Esteban Maria Zubizarreta wishes to run for the position of the Minister of Education.

 

[alscon]

Your Imperial Majesty, I am glad that we do not have to doubt your intentions, and honoured that you consider me as Minister of the Interior. I shall not disappoint your trust, and prove to be a true voice of the Assembly in the Cabinet, unlike our likely soon deposed Speaker.
For this office, I have some ideas, while I would encourage the Minister of Finance not to levy any war taxes, for these aren't necessary.

And let me immediately alleviate the concerns of the Dowager Empress. Not always are lower taxes demanded, sometimes it is enough not to raise them. And make some other completely different concessions. But even if taxes are lowered - what Hispania's economy can easily afford and what I would therefore support - then the Army will still be paid. Perhaps it will take longer to finance a fancy new palace, but there is hardly a priority for that. And while the Assembly as voice of the people represents their interests, it is also in our interest to see a functioning state. If the people have utopic demands, then all we will advocate for are what is reasonable - better than nothing at all, and certainly not destructive, for we aren't suicidal fools, even if you may believe that! In your world, the people might be an ignorant nothing that needs to be told everything, but in that place, it's normal as you know everything. Reality is different, and the people has to be heard!

And when I say we, I certainly speak of the Assembly. Those who disagree are free to say so. I know that I at least speak for the faction I adhere to, and to your regrets we are more than one person. A faction that at least knows what it wants and adheres to its ideals. Unlike the one of Duke Leon - that a wordbreaker doesn't react kindly when uncomfortable truths are told is to be expected. As for Senor Spoleto, the inner workings of the Assembly are as much his concern as the Cortz' are mine.

____________________________________________________________

The Facció del Fénix doesn't present a candidate for the Ministry of Education, for the Marina seem to be capable and willing to fill that office. But they vigorously want to prevent Torres from staying Speaker, so Alonzo Cadiral is nominated as a candidate.

((As for the Ministry of Interior:
- build manufactories all over Europe
- improve production in provinces with manufactories when affordable))

 

[Michaelangelo]

An elected Independent in the Assembly named Miquel Sanchez put his name forward as speaker.

((Firehound15 requested that a non-partisan independent be an option for speaker, so I'm doing this on his behalf so you know the candidate is actually non-partisan.))

 

[hirahammad]

((Private))
It was a beautiful day, 2 May 1784, and Velazquez had gone for a ride throughout Grenada to survey the conditions of those who were still in need, though that number had been greatly reduced. As he was too old and weak to ride, he traveled in a cabriolet, though one he drove himself. As he turned out of the lands of the Archbishopric, he suddenly could felt a pain in his chest. Mere seconds later, he saw himself flying out of the vehicle.

Some minutes later, he was found, bleeding and barely breathing, and brought back to the Archbishopric, and placed on a bed, Justinian at his side, a doctor having been called for.

Velazquez, through great effort managed to speak,

"Justinian, Justinian, my time is over. Call not a doctor, I go towards the Lord. Ay, me! A petty man dying, I have only one friend in this world. Stay near me, friend," and he became quiet, until resumption.

"Arceo, I see you. I see you! Oh, Arceo, I never could understand you. Why did you do it? No, no, no, now I see. You thought you were right. So did I, so did I… But how can we know, we mortal men? Perhaps ‘tis best for us to stay home and read the Bible, than go abroad seeking monsters to slay. For there will be always monsters, Montsegur, Faixon, their ilk travel through the ages, and it is us mortal men who deign to grapple with an everlasting Phoenix. Burn, burn, why not let it burn? All for naught, oh did you understand it Arceo, on your deathbed, did you see? Did you see? Or, am I delusional, from bloodloss?”.

A pause, and then, “Empress, Dowager, Sophia. Where are you? Riding in a carriage, floating from one speech to another, what for? I know of your past, when you were a young Empress, kidnapped, and escapee. Where did she go, innocent, strong woman? Burnt, burnt, all in the Phoenix War, just like the rest. Yea, Leon, you have been dying since 1755. Slowly succumbing to your wounds, to the burns. Oh, oh, I see. I see you. Great tragedy of the War, I see you. Alfons, beautiful boy, naive, beautiful boy. So beautiful, where did you go? I tried to protect, I tried, but I couldn’t. And, you too, beautiful boy, burnt, singed by the hellfire of Hispania set ablaze.”

“Justinian, I failed. I failed to protect them from the fires. And my greatest failures surround me. You know Justinian, all too well the horrors of the flame. Mother and father gone, I didn’t save you Justinian. I saved no one, saved no one. But why? Won’t we all die, burn? Why not burn together? Ah, I see the fire. I feel its heat. Flames, flames! Oh Divine fire…”

Minister of Religious Affairs, Cardinal Velazquez, Archbishop of Grenada, Pope Xystus II, has passed into the arms of the Lord, the Second of May, in the Year of Our Lord 1784, at the age of four and seventy years. As designated, Justinian Lagos is now Archbishop of Grenada.

((I assume no one else want the Archbishopric of Grenada. ))

Name: Justinian Lagos
Date of birth: 1750
Class: Clergy
House: Assembly
Faction: Independent
Religion: Catholic
Bio: Parents killed by the Phoenix, Velazquez cared for him. Justinian, having great ability, found himself soon to be something of a prodigy. He is now Archbishop of Grenada.

((The history is still going, I will publish in one post. ))

 

[Michaelangelo]

((Now that the 24 hours is up, we can move on to the voting for the Speaker of the Assembly. Seeing as there was only one candidate presented for Minister of Education, he gets in automatically. Keep in mind that only members of the Assembly can vote. If you're in the Cortz and your party has no players in the Assembly, you may choose to vote for your NPC party members.

Speaker (Assembly Only): Francesco Torres (Imperial)/Alonzo Cadiral (Phoenix)/Miquel Sanchez (Independent)/Abstain

Players will have until Wednesday at 12PM PST to vote. I may end the vote early if the majority of players vote before then. Please remember to bold your votes and include your character's name, class, party, and house.))

 

[Mach Twelve]

The Imperial Party backs Francesco Torres.

 

[05060403]

Speaker (Assembly Only): Francesco Torres (Imperial)


[ Courtier, TATC, admiral | Parta Marina ]

 

[zenphoenix]

The Reconquista Party announces its support for Francisco Torres's candidacy.

 

[Firehound15]

Speaker (Assembly Only): Miquel Sanchez (Independent)

"Quite Frankly, I can not believe how petty the interest in renominating Torres, a man who has obstructed hearing motions called by members of this Assembly, is. Certainly, what is the harm in electing an independent who will allow a fair and even-handed administration of this Chamber, particularly at no party, whether it is my own, the Empress Dowager's, or any other, will be favored over the interests of the people of this nation.

"Additionally, it must be noted that the vast majority of this Assembly is comprised of independents, and thusly, an independent should be this body's leader, allowing for the majority of our membership to be recognized, rather than a select few insiders - particularly as the so-called Imperials are not even this body's largest faction."

 

[DragonOfAtlantis]

Speaker (Assembly Only): Francesco Torres (Imperial)

Joaquin Villanova

((Courtier, Colonist, Minister of Trade, Appointed Assemblyman))

 

[Mach Twelve]

Sophia sat in her study, considering a rather important event that would start in a few more months, the election of 1784.

In preparation, she renewed her actions with the criers in every city and town, and most of the countryside villages as well. In addition, she had the most skilled writers who had sided with her to publish pamphlets to the distributed to the literate, unfortunately only around one in ten could read them, but they were aimed to such educated men. Surely they could see the need to ensure Hispania maintain ties with France and the folly on voting for an isolationist as Los Campos!

In addition, Sophia decided to take a new approach as well. In addition to the Imperial message, the criers in Middle and Northern Italy would carry a different message. One telling Italy of Los Campos's refusal to engage Austria as something more. The message included claims of Los Campos being an Iberian focused group, deaf to their desires, and willing to ignore the obvious threat of Austria who was willing to occupy land of an ally and put her people into bondage. They were too easy to forget the Austrian attacks in the Phoenix War, and how the French were among those who fought for their freedom, in fact they were allied with the Phoenix themselves, just look at the recent votes in Parliament! Phoenix and Los Campos standing together. Were it up to Los Campos, they would all be Austrian slaves surely! Truly, it would be better if the Italians did not vote for such men who are no better than the slavers whose trade was recently outlawed! Hopefully the people will act in their own self-interest and vote accordingly...

 

[Firehound15]

Sophia sat in her study, considering a rather important event that would start in a few more months, the election of 1784.

In preparation, she renewed her actions with the criers in every city and town, and most of the countryside villages as well. In addition, she had the most skilled writers who had sided with her to publish pamphlets to the distributed to the literate, unfortunately only around one in ten could read them, but they were aimed to such educated men. Surely they could see the need to ensure Hispania maintain ties with France and the folly on voting for an isolationist as Los Campos!

In addition, Sophia decided to take a new approach as well. In addition to the Imperial message, the criers in Middle and Northern Italy would carry a different message. One telling Italy of Los Campos's refusal to engage Austria as something more. The message included claims of Los Campos being an Iberian focused group, deaf to their desires, and willing to ignore the obvious threat of Austria who was willing to occupy land of an ally and put her people into bondage. They were too easy to forget the Austrian attacks in the Phoenix War, and how the French were among those who fought for their freedom, in fact they were allied with the Phoenix themselves, just look at the recent votes in Parliament! Phoenix and Los Campos standing together. Were it up to Los Campos, they would all be Austrian slaves surely! Truly, it would be better if the Italians did not vote for such men who are no better than the slavers whose trade was recently outlawed! Hopefully the people will act in their own self-interest and vote accordingly...

*De Salcedo, during a trip to his home constituency in Ancona, runs a campaign across Italy in which he speaks for the betterment of Italians, support for greater autonomy, and a rejection of unnecessary brutality*

"The Empress Dowager and her faction would make the claim that, somehow, a party which has never been led by a Valencian, has its interests solely in Iberia! Perhaps, rather than lying to the people who she supposedly 'cares for,' she ought to learn about the realities of life beyond the walls of Valencia!

"I was born in this land, miei amici, and let me assure you that the Camponistas will never forget about the Italian lives which have long gone neglected by the Empress Dowager and her ilk. I do not need to lie to you in saying that your interests are my interests, and I shall stand by that matter until the day I die.

"The Chancellor believes that the people of this country can be led around on a leash, tormented, and ridiculed. She believes that they lack the capacity to reject her and her ineffectual ways! Do we wish to support a woman of that stature?"

*Claps in the crowd shout "No!"

"There is only one party in the Assembly which has dedicated itself against the power of Valencia, and that is our faction of the countryside. A vote for a Camponista is a vote against the authority of a Valencian government which cares only for its own - not for the people of Italy."