• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
[size=+2]FACTION MEETING - OPENING[/size]

bXfsLO5.jpg


Illustrious protospatharios Michael Komnenos, President of the Imperial Senate and vestarches of the Sacred Palace, hereby annouces that

[size=+2]THE SECOND MEETING OF THE RED DEMES HAS BEGUN[/size]

[size=+1]Remember to begin every post written in-character using the following template:
- [ b ][ size=+1 ]Senator <name>:[ /b ][ /size ][/size]

While writing in-character, use italics.
While writing out-of-character during the Senate Session or Faction Meeting, use brackets.

[size=+1]EXCERPT FROM THE RULES[/size]
Article 11-4 – Faction Meeting
1. Faction Meeting is a meeting of members of a Senate Faction hold in the Sacred Palace during which noble Senators gather to discuss (in-character) state of affairs of the Imperium Romanum.
2. Faction Meeting is called, opened and closed by the President of the Senate at the request of a Faction Leader. The request has to be approved by the President of the Senate.
3. Faction Leader notifies members of the Faction he leads about the Faction Meeting after his request is approved.
4. Faction Leader ensures order and decorum during Faction Meeting and is responsible for every violation of the Rules of Procedure which occurs during the Faction Meeting.
5. Faction Meeting lasts for 48 hours and may only be called after at least 24 hours has passed since the previous Faction Meeting. Each Faction can request one Faction Meeting to be hold between every two chapters.
6. Faction Meeting takes place in:
- Atrium of Church of the Virgin of the Pharos (White Demes)
- Hall of Augusteus in Palace of Daphne (Red Demes)
- Neptune's Balcony in Boukelon Palace (Blue Demes)
7. During Faction Meeting members of the Imperial Senate Guard ensure safety of the noble Senators.
8. During Faction Meeting noble Senators may read or write letters to NPCs (non-playable characters) from their House.

(...)

Article 19 – Debate
1. During the debate, Senators may:
- present their statements in regard to the subjects of the Senate Session;
- debate with other Senators;
- ask questions to the guests invited for the hearing, if they are any.
2. Senators have to begin every post written in-character using the following template:
- [ b ][ size=+1 ]Senator <name>:[ /b ][ /size ]
with spaces between the brackets and code removed.
3. During the debate, Senators may not:
- carry any weapon with themselves;
- be accompanied by any servants or slaves;
- bring any items without the permission of the President of the Senate.
4. Non-Senators (regular readers) may post normally during the debate.

May the blessing of Saint Markos be upon all of us.

Signed,
Michael Komnenos
President of the Imperial Senate
[size=+1]***[/size]
1_constantinople_vue_aerienne_2_copie_4.jpg
[size=+1]1st January 1465
Daphne, Sacred Palace, Konstantinoupolis
[/size]

The Palace of Daphne, called so because of an ancient statue of the nymph Daphne brought from Rome by emperor Konstantinos I the Great himself, have fallen into ruin after centuries of negliegance. The complex includes bedchamber of Daphne, hall of Octagon, chapels of Theotokos and Holy Trinity, as well as one of the oldest parts of the Sacred Palace – the Hall of Augusteus. The Hall was built over a thousand years ago and for centuries being used for receptions of foreign ambassadors and important ceremonial events. Most importantly, it was a place in which - until the reign of emperor Nikephoros II Phokas – every coronation of every basilissa took place, a function the Hall of Augusteuslost in 10th century. But today the Hall looks different. In the center of the ancient room eight pillowed couches surrounding huge table are placed, surrounded by four statues depicting Mars, Hercules, Apollo and Konstantinos the Great standing on a marble pedestals. Against the walls covered in frescos depicting empressess of old stand several smaller tables, bending under the weight of exquisite dishes on a silver tableware. The Hall is decorated with red draperies and golden torch stands, illuminating the whole room with warm reddish light. Although Daphne complex is far away from Mese, the main street of Konstantinoupolis, distant and muted shouts of athletes and charioteers training on the Hippodrome can be heard, although barely. As the leader of the Red Demes enters the Hall, he's greeted by an eunuch accompanied by eight members of the Imperial Senate Guard, all of them armed.

EUNUCH EUSEBIUS: My lord. *bows* The Hall of Augusteus has been prepared for your arrival. The slaves are at your disposal and they will make sure that you have enough food and bevarages during the meeting. The guardsmen shall stay in the corridor for the safety of all noble Senators who are gathering here. I hope you will find the arrangements made by me satisfying. *bows deeply* My lord. *eunuch turns around and leaves*

[size=+1]***[/size]​

During this meeting the Red Demes has to decide which permanent modifiers this Faction will be providing the Imperium with.

Right now the Red Demes gives the following modifiers when its dominant in the Imperial Senate:
Code:
[color=green]+0.5 yearly army tradition
+5% land morale[/color]
[color=red]+0.05 local autonomy
-1 diplomatic relations[/color]
[color=yellow]+10% regiment cost[/color]

The Red Demes has to choose 1 (one) new modifier among the following ones:
Code:
[color=green]+1 land leader shock[/color]
OR
Code:
[color=green]+5% reinforce speed[/color]
OR
Code:
[color=green]+1 leader without upkeep[/color]

You have to reach consensus as Demes to chose a new modifier. If you fail to do so, I'll choose for you.

When all Factions choose their new bonuses, I'll assign new maluses to each Faction to keep the balance between them.
 
Senator Michael Scipion:

Michael arrives soon to the meeting. No one is there yet. The last years have not been good for the red demes. Corruption and jailing of their old leader has been a hard hit for the demes and Michael feels that it is the duty of new generations to recover the position of the reds and lead again the Empire against the heathens.

He is convinced that his son will do a good job. He is young, brave, smart and loyal to the Empire. He is so convinced of his skill that this will be the last time that he will participate in politics in such a direct way. After this meeting, he will give up his position in the family Scipion and let his son to take the decisions.

Michael has thought a lot, in small groups and private dinners with other senators and important members of the army on what kind of politic could suggest the red demes to recover its position on the Emperor´s right and it seems that there are agreement that it should be one of three:

1. There are many people who suggest that those leaders more inclined to direct confrontation against the enemies of the Empire should be promoted. Fortuna fortes adiuvat (Luck favors the brave) ((+1 land leader shocks))

2. Others considers that we should improve the logistic in the Army. It has no sense to have more and better soldiers than the enemy if you cannot have them where they are required. ((+5% reinforce speed))

3. Finally, a third group consider that we must simply increase the number of candidates in our military academies to assure that any army is lead by a competent leader ((+1 leader without upkeep))

Michael has more or less clear what the Empire needs but all of them has valid points and he has learn during this years that it is better to let others talk first before taking a final decision...


((PS: CzocletMuss, I am not sure if this is the moment and place to ask this but...should I send you my new character now or once the meeting has finished?))
 
((PS: CzocletMuss, I am not sure if this is the moment and place to ask this but...should I send you my new character now or once the meeting has finished?))
In either case I won't have time to read your new character submission before Sunday, so it's up to you :)
 
{{Difficult choice, but in my opinion the best would be +1 leader without upkeep. One more leader without any cost, wouldn't be great.:)}}

{{I agree, though all three are tempting... the reinforce speed sounds good, except if it were a bit bigger... Leader shock isn't as useful late game though it's vital early game, so I think we can discard it especially as the Reds aren't going to be in power for a while most like:p.}}

[size=+1]Senator Nicholaus II:[/size]
The aging senator walks like a man defeated. His once exuberant and swaggering stride is now reduced to a meager hobbling, a fate which hurts all the worse for the rumors of wars with the hated Pisans, something he would give his right arm to fight and die in... alas, Iesus Christos had a different plan for him. He looks over to his nephew, the Giacomo Este-Ravenna. He has proven clever, perhaps too clever. Though he is old and half mad with the accursed Xenoi Disease his instincts still tell him that the man beside him is ambitious.
That could be very good or very bad.

"Greetings Senator Scipion. I apologize for the slowness of these old bones...

What are your thoughts on the army reforms? I myself favor either expanding the officer's academy +1 army upkeep or increasing recruitment and logistics +5% reinforce speed, leaning towards the former."

He strokes his beard, deep in thought.
"On the matter of leaders for our Red Demes... though Colombo's heresy makes me wary of trusting another with mercantile connections, I suspect a plot by the Pisan sympathizers to discredit our faction. For him to speak such blasphemy is surely the curse of old age and a soul worn by enemies.... I put forward my cousin and successor, Giacomo Este-Ravenna, as a candidate for the Leader of the Red Demes, in hopes that he may work to restore our fortunes.
 
Senator Michael Scipion:

Dear Nicholaus, no worries. We all have become old and oldness has these things. Hehehehe In fact, I was thinking on my decision of let my son to take the command of the family once we finish the subjects why we are here today.

I think that I can talk on behalf of him when I say that your son will be a good leader for our demes and that I hope he can recover the influence we once had.

Now, on the subject we are talking about, I must say that I am not sure yet on what to vote.

Years ago I served in the army, as you well know, and I am one of this crazy people who thinks that strategy and nuts decide wars ((+1 leader shock)) but I also know that we have many enemies and we are forcing too much our population. We must also consider, as you well say, the change on technology that can become a reality once we take the leadership on the senate again ((I agree that shock will be less and less important each day)); this new fire sticks of the Xenoi should be studied and maybe incorporated to the Legions, changing the battlefield in ways that an old man as me cannot even imagine...or at least that is what my son tells me when we dinner together :p

Any way, I am sure that the key of victory will be in the men who lead our army and not in the logistic, so I won´t vote for an improvement of logistic if it means to delay improvements in our leader selection process ((or in other words, I am will to support thhe +1 leader shock and the +1 free upkeep leader, but not the 5% reinforce speed))

((I would also like to know the opinion of more members of the red deme, and not just two of us))
 
Seeing how many Reds participate in the discussion at the moment (ahem) I'm extending the Faction Meeting for addditional 24 hours.
 
{{I suppose I can't join the session since I didn't declare for them can I}}
 
{{I suppose I can't join the session since I didn't declare for them can I}}

((I guess it is Czoklet decision but, given the success of our ¿debate?, I would allow it))
 
((The disembodied ghost voice of Domenico whispers that he wants extra shock for the generals))

((Spoooky))

((I will haunt the Senate forever!!!))
 
{{I suppose I can't join the session since I didn't declare for them can I}}
As a general rule, when you submit your character you may declare whether you want to join any Demes or remain unaffiliated. Since you didn't declare that you want to join Red Demes when submitting new character and neither during the Senate Session (AFAIK), you are not a member of any Faction and as such you may not participate in any Faction Meeting. Sorry but these are the rules.

Also: Reds, you have still c. 24hours to reach some kind of consensus on your bonus and elect new Faction Leader. If you won't do this I'll choose for you. Plus the next Senate Session is going to be pretty funny if all three Factions will be without Faction Leader (since only Faction Leaders may propose amendments to bills). Oh well - it's your call guys :eek:o

Either way, this weekend I'm FINALLY playing the game, so if everything goes well next weekend I should release new chapter. :) And BTW have you seen the changes introduced by "El Dorado" in the last dev diary? This DLC turns out to be really useful for my modding purposes!
 
{{It does sound like the next senate session will be weird without faction leaders...
I suggest making a "forced" 24 hours faction meeting for each faction which will happen in This is Madness time a day before the senate session. That way we can choose a faction leader from the new senators (hopefuly my Senator will die- if he doesn't, can you kill him?)}}
 
{{I almost want to see the senate without faction leaders, just to see the chaos...}}

[size=+1]Senator Nicholaus II:[/size]
**For a brief moment, the Senator almost hears the voice of his accursed colleague. He does not flinch or react; this madness is nothing new to his failing mind.** "It would seem our faction has been more adversely affected than we feared. Nonetheless we have been tasked by the Sacred Emperor to declare our faction's leader and direction and so I shall obey.
I, of the House of Ravenna-"
**a wild string of coughing interrupts his declaration. He wheezes and coughs phlegm, before collecting himself and continuing breathlessly.**
Of the house.. of Este-Ravenna, nominate my nephew, Giacomo of Este-Ravenna, as leader of the Red Demes. I also support expanding the officer corps +1 leaders without upkeepas our faction's bonus.
Glory to the Emperor!
 
[size=+1]Senator Michael Scipion:[/size]
I, of the House Scipion, nominate Giacomo of Este-Ravenna, as leader of the Red Demes. I also support expanding the officer corps +1 leaders without upkeepas our faction's interest within the Empire.
Glory to the Emperor!
 
{{ Can I send my next character application ? Hadrianos will be dead by next Senate Session.
And although I like the rules that maintain the AAR on the good path, I think the rules are too static for Senate Sessions. We can't elect a future character, okay with that but at least we should be able to kill our characters more freely instead of waiting until 85. I know it may be too much work for you but I think that it could allow to avoid the case in which all "great" members of the Blue were too old to be elected ;) }}
 
{{I understand and its good that we have the rules to keep order, I'll look forward to the next session.}}
 
And BTW have you seen the changes introduced by "El Dorado" in the last dev diary? This DLC turns out to be really useful for my modding purposes!

{{I hope by that you mean the vassal liberty desire, and not that you mean to add mayan or inti reforms to orthodox}}
 
{{ Can I send my next character application ? Hadrianos will be dead by next Senate Session.
And although I like the rules that maintain the AAR on the good path, I think the rules are too static for Senate Sessions. We can't elect a future character, okay with that but at least we should be able to kill our characters more freely instead of waiting until 85. I know it may be too much work for you but I think that it could allow to avoid the case in which all "great" members of the Blue were too old to be elected ;) }}

{{Actually I don't find a rule that we have to keep our senators alive for the full time. They have to be 25-75, but thats all If I'm not mistaken.}}