Tlacotle nimitznotlatolchialia. Cehualli Contopiltle Tezcatlipoca Itlamochque
(I await your command, my lord. Anything and Everything for the Shadow Prince, Tezcatlipoca)
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Tlacotle nimitznotlatolchialia. Cehualli Contopiltle Tezcatlipoca Itlamochque
(I await your command, my lord. Anything and Everything for the Shadow Prince, Tezcatlipoca)
[size=+2]FACTION MEETING - OPENING[/size]
Illustrious doux Maximos Komnenos, President of the Imperial Senate and Prefect of Konstantinoupolis, hereby annouces that
[size=+2]THE FIRST MEETING OF THE RED DEMES HAS BEGUN[/size]
Illustrious doux Maximos Komnenos, President of the Imperial Senate and Prefect of Konstantinoupolis, hereby annouces that
[size=+2]THE FIRST MEETING OF THE RED DEMES HAS BEGUN[/size]
[size=+1]EXCERPT FROM THE RULES[/size]
May the blessing of Saint Markos be upon all of us.
Signed,
Maximos Komnenos
President of the Imperial Senate
Signed,
Maximos Komnenos
President of the Imperial Senate
[size=+1]***[/size]
Illustration by Antoine Helbert : http://www.antoine-helbert.com/fr/portfolio/annexe-work/byzance-architecture.html
[size=+1]1st January 1465Daphne, 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. Ten muscular slaves of Mongol origin, each of them dressed as a hoplite from the times of Homeros, stand next to them, ready to serve their masters wine and food. 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 KONSTANTINOS: 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. *he hands over a sealed letter to the leader of the Red Demes and bows again* A message from my master, the illustrious Maximos Komnenos, President of the Imperial Senate and Praefectus of the City.
EUNUCH KONSTANTINOS: My lord. *bows* Would you like me to give a response to my master or do you want me to leave?
{{Somehow, Maximos Komnenos is incredibly awesome. And he has the potential to unite all the factions... in some Ides of March kind of way.}}
Domenico Colombo rises. He sighs, as it appears that Maximos is committed to spelling everyone's name wrong.
He wondered what it would take to garner some respect in this city. No other person in the Imperium, save the Emperor's wife, Maximos, and a few select coutiers and Varangians, had as close of a relationship with the Emperor as he did. Domenico was surprised to hear that the Emperor had scheduled a meeting for the Blues; often times it seemed like the Emperor didn't even know there were other Demes besides the Reds. It was his policies that had gone forward, his advice that was listened to, his faction that had held an iron grip on the Senate for decades. But times change. The Blues were getting uppity, demanding voyages to places that don't even exist, and officers to be devoted to the Navy.
At this point, Domenico would have spat, but he knew where he was. Once upon a time, he was like the Blues too. Idealistic, foolhardy, dreamy. But now, now Domenico saw much more in common with the Whites. Unlike a certain son of his...
There had already been one schism in the Colombo family, between brothers when Domenico was a young man. Now there was one between father and son, but of a different kind.
As Domenico developed his political empire, he gradually lost control over his trading Empire to his son. Some of this was voluntary; as Domenico lost interest in trade and exploration, he let his son take the reins. But some was taken in secret; loyalties were switched in various ways, finance reports stopped coming in, and more or less all control went to Christoforo, although Domenico's reaction was more or less amusement. He was glad his son was as sharp as he was.
The question of what he was doing with this massive fortune puzzled Domenico, but he took his son's word for it that he was collecting a massive library of books and scrolls for intellectual and religious purposes.
And that was true. Mostly.
He took his son's work for it when Christoforo told him that he had married his Socotran wife for her intelligence, piety, and their common interests.
And that was true. Mostly.
And he took his son's word for it when he told Domenico that he had wizened up and discarded some of his earlier passions.
And that was patently false.
Senator Domenico Colombo:
Welcome, noble Senators!
We are gathered here today to discuss the past, present, and future of the Red Demes. I hear from my sources that we will soon be debating what path the Empire will go down for the next few decades, just as we did in our first session. From the same source, I also hear that the Emperor would prefer if the only focus the military had was on quantity; it would be inefficient to try and push for more direct army reforms. Due to how the Senate works, I am afraid we may lose some influence this session.
*Domenico grins*
But we most certainly can choose how we lose it. But let's not be too dour, we should also discuss where our next target militarily should be. And if anyone wants to confess to the Xocolatl addiction, go ahead. I will not judge you.
{{Fixed the chocolate issue}}
He wondered what it would take to garner some respect in this city. No other person in the Imperium, save the Emperor's wife, Maximos, and a few select coutiers and Varangians, had as close of a relationship with the Emperor as he did. Domenico was surprised to hear that the Emperor had scheduled a meeting for the Blues; often times it seemed like the Emperor didn't even know there were other Demes besides the Reds. It was his policies that had gone forward, his advice that was listened to, his faction that had held an iron grip on the Senate for decades. But times change. The Blues were getting uppity, demanding voyages to places that don't even exist, and officers to be devoted to the Navy.
At this point, Domenico would have spat, but he knew where he was. Once upon a time, he was like the Blues too. Idealistic, foolhardy, dreamy. But now, now Domenico saw much more in common with the Whites. Unlike a certain son of his...
There had already been one schism in the Colombo family, between brothers when Domenico was a young man. Now there was one between father and son, but of a different kind.
As Domenico developed his political empire, he gradually lost control over his trading Empire to his son. Some of this was voluntary; as Domenico lost interest in trade and exploration, he let his son take the reins. But some was taken in secret; loyalties were switched in various ways, finance reports stopped coming in, and more or less all control went to Christoforo, although Domenico's reaction was more or less amusement. He was glad his son was as sharp as he was.
The question of what he was doing with this massive fortune puzzled Domenico, but he took his son's word for it that he was collecting a massive library of books and scrolls for intellectual and religious purposes.
And that was true. Mostly.
He took his son's work for it when Christoforo told him that he had married his Socotran wife for her intelligence, piety, and their common interests.
And that was true. Mostly.
And he took his son's word for it when he told Domenico that he had wizened up and discarded some of his earlier passions.
And that was patently false.
Senator Domenico Colombo:
Welcome, noble Senators!
We are gathered here today to discuss the past, present, and future of the Red Demes. I hear from my sources that we will soon be debating what path the Empire will go down for the next few decades, just as we did in our first session. From the same source, I also hear that the Emperor would prefer if the only focus the military had was on quantity; it would be inefficient to try and push for more direct army reforms. Due to how the Senate works, I am afraid we may lose some influence this session.
*Domenico grins*
But we most certainly can choose how we lose it. But let's not be too dour, we should also discuss where our next target militarily should be. And if anyone wants to confess to the Xocolatl addiction, go ahead. I will not judge you.
{{Fixed the chocolate issue}}
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Xocolatl is a proper term actually.
Just sayin'
{{ One day, I'll have a French refugee prepare a "mousse au xocolatl". I bet the emperor would like it
}}
{{I wonder how he'll badmouth the whites.}}
[size=+1]Senator Nicholaus II:[/size]
*Not at all amused by the disdain of the Komnenoi, Nicholaus is nonetheless practiced enough not to react as... dramatically... as he once might to a slight on his family's honor. Though one of the youngest senators, time and a wound from Egypt have nonetheless thoroughly robbed him of his vitality, and his eldest son and heir, Cosimo, accompanies him everywhere, silently watching. Both men take their seats.*
[size=+1]Senator Nicholaus II:[/size]
*Not at all amused by the disdain of the Komnenoi, Nicholaus is nonetheless practiced enough not to react as... dramatically... as he once might to a slight on his family's honor. Though one of the youngest senators, time and a wound from Egypt have nonetheless thoroughly robbed him of his vitality, and his eldest son and heir, Cosimo, accompanies him everywhere, silently watching. Both men take their seats.*
Senator Decius Taurinus
*The years weigh heavily on the Exarch of Taurica. The leg wound that he received in the war with the Mongols continues to pain him, as does the pain of the loss of his son in the same conflict. He has spent the last few years throwing himself into the role of Exarch, trying to salvage the remains of his Exarchy in the decades after the Horde's Invasion and trying to ensure that he leaves his two sons some legacy to inherit from him.
Of the two sons, the middle child and heir apparent to the Taurinus family is Aeneas Taurinus, a tall young man who stands to attention behind his frail and crippled father, dressed smartly in the uniform of the Imperial Navy. *
Decius, after greeting some of his fellow Reds rises with the support of his son and addresses his fellow senators:
"My friends, fellow noble senators.
It has been many years since our last gathering, and we have many glorious achievements to celebrate this day. Thanks to the Reds, the military has recovered its strength and weathered the recent wars and invasions by the Empire. We have shed our blood and strength in the service of the Empire in the reconquest of Egypt and the defense against the Xenoli, and we have ensured that the Emperor is protected against the madness and potential treachery of those who do not have the Empire's best interests in mind.
But now is not the time to sit on our laurels, now is not the time to resign ourselves to history while we allow the Blues and their mad dreams of exploration and trade over the interests of the Empire, now is the time to ensure that the Reds are ready to fight for the Empire against those who continue to place their interests above the Empire.
I continue to support the support of the military, I believe that we should at least push for Defensive or Aristocratic ideals, but if this is truly untenable as our faction leader believes, then it is obvious we should at least support Administrative reforms to ensure that the Empire is able to better support and control the mercenaries that serve the Empire and ensure that we can fund our wars.
As for our next course of action, I think it is obvious that we must reclaim the lands we have lost to the Horde. If we strike them now we can cripple their ability to invade the Empire so that we might focus on the Xenoli and Pisans in the future. We must not be content to sit and wait for the Xenoli to attack us again, but instead we must prepare for the future by removing a potential threat.
This is the wisdom I would seek the Empire to pursue in the future, to ensure that the Reds hold true to their role as guardians of the Empire.
Gentlemen, this is not the twilight of the Reds but the new dawn of our age!
*He sits down again, overcome by a coughing fit*
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[size=+1]Senator Konstantinos Moustakas[/size]
I see the forecast: war, war, never-ending war. Our enemies will never let good Christians live in peace and we will never bend the knee to heretics. That is a good recipe for non-stop war.
We should attempt to annihilate the Hordes and clear our right-flank. The Xenoi are too distant and too big of a target to destroy for now. We should build up our navy to stop an invasion on our homelands, however. Merchant fleets are a sin but the imperial navy has performed brilliantly. Maybe the Blues shall learn a lesson, but I doubt it.
I suggest I should be appointed as leader of the Imperium's forces because of my military and political experience. The tagmata needs steel, and I shall provide it for them.
I see the forecast: war, war, never-ending war. Our enemies will never let good Christians live in peace and we will never bend the knee to heretics. That is a good recipe for non-stop war.
We should attempt to annihilate the Hordes and clear our right-flank. The Xenoi are too distant and too big of a target to destroy for now. We should build up our navy to stop an invasion on our homelands, however. Merchant fleets are a sin but the imperial navy has performed brilliantly. Maybe the Blues shall learn a lesson, but I doubt it.
I suggest I should be appointed as leader of the Imperium's forces because of my military and political experience. The tagmata needs steel, and I shall provide it for them.
Senator Domenico Colombo
{{Remember to use 'Senator' before your name!}}
Whilst it would be for the best for our faction if we pushed for Defensive or Aristocratic (I think Offensive would be best for the forcelimits increase that would stack with Quantity), there are a few problems.
One is that I cannot guarantee any Imperial support, unlike prior sessions. My influence only goes so far. Secondly, the Blues, who, to their credit, have held their Pisan base instincts off enough to support us in the past, are arming for political war. They plan to force through an Exploration agenda, and will blackmail the Emperor by threatening to divert trade to the Pisans! I am sure of it!
And lastly, our White brethren are surely also itching for some degree of political influence. I worry about a situation where the Whites support their measures, us ours, and the Blues, as a result of their numbers, will force their measures through. Therefore, I propose that we form a political coalition with the Whites. I agree with Decius that Administrative reforms will be the best for the Reds. While there are a few annoying heretics and heathens within our borders, they are not troublesome enough to justify Religious reforms in my mind.
If enough Reds agree that we should ally with the Whites in the upcoming session, I will propose a deal to the White Demes at the start of the next session.
*Domenico turns to Moustakas*
Moustakas, you are quite old, are you sure you are prepared for such rigorous work? You are certainly qualified, my old rival! I agree that we must focus on galley production, and if that means reducing our trade ship numbers, so be it.
*Domenico looks up at his son, who is barely concealing great anger under his smile. Domenico does not notice, but remembers something he had forgotten.*
My son, who has extensive contacts, has told me rumors that the Timurids may be wanting to centralize their power. I think so as well. The Horde rules over vast, unpopulated steppes, and does not have the willpower to undertake serious reforms. But the Timurids rule on the ashes of great Empires, with the infrastructure and population to match. All it will take is competent leadership and a will to reform, and they could potentially become a greater enemy that the Xenoi. We must make sure this never happens, by weakening them at every possible opportunity.
{{Remember, the Timmies can form the Mughals, who in this mod have Ottoman tech. Scary. The Horde can only reform their government, and even then, they would only get Muslim tech.}}
{{I just edited this upon seeing Moustakas' post, note the change when writing a response}}
{{Remember to use 'Senator' before your name!}}
Whilst it would be for the best for our faction if we pushed for Defensive or Aristocratic (I think Offensive would be best for the forcelimits increase that would stack with Quantity), there are a few problems.
One is that I cannot guarantee any Imperial support, unlike prior sessions. My influence only goes so far. Secondly, the Blues, who, to their credit, have held their Pisan base instincts off enough to support us in the past, are arming for political war. They plan to force through an Exploration agenda, and will blackmail the Emperor by threatening to divert trade to the Pisans! I am sure of it!
And lastly, our White brethren are surely also itching for some degree of political influence. I worry about a situation where the Whites support their measures, us ours, and the Blues, as a result of their numbers, will force their measures through. Therefore, I propose that we form a political coalition with the Whites. I agree with Decius that Administrative reforms will be the best for the Reds. While there are a few annoying heretics and heathens within our borders, they are not troublesome enough to justify Religious reforms in my mind.
If enough Reds agree that we should ally with the Whites in the upcoming session, I will propose a deal to the White Demes at the start of the next session.
*Domenico turns to Moustakas*
Moustakas, you are quite old, are you sure you are prepared for such rigorous work? You are certainly qualified, my old rival! I agree that we must focus on galley production, and if that means reducing our trade ship numbers, so be it.
*Domenico looks up at his son, who is barely concealing great anger under his smile. Domenico does not notice, but remembers something he had forgotten.*
My son, who has extensive contacts, has told me rumors that the Timurids may be wanting to centralize their power. I think so as well. The Horde rules over vast, unpopulated steppes, and does not have the willpower to undertake serious reforms. But the Timurids rule on the ashes of great Empires, with the infrastructure and population to match. All it will take is competent leadership and a will to reform, and they could potentially become a greater enemy that the Xenoi. We must make sure this never happens, by weakening them at every possible opportunity.
{{Remember, the Timmies can form the Mughals, who in this mod have Ottoman tech. Scary. The Horde can only reform their government, and even then, they would only get Muslim tech.}}
{{I just edited this upon seeing Moustakas' post, note the change when writing a response}}
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Senator Decius Taurinus
*At the mention of Italy Aeneas Taurinus looks around and Decius fixes his son with a stern look.
Aeneas had spent the last few years overseeing the transport of many of their family's treasures and relics to his estate in Italy to the chagrin of his father.*
I am pleased to see that the wisdom of the Reds only continues to grow with time, unlike the Blues who I fear are going to act as Senator Colombo believes, falling further into their mad dreams of exploration and self interest that would weaken the Empire as a whole.
As for the importance of the navy, to be blunt, I see such focus on the navy of the Empire as a risky prospect at best and likely a waste of Imperial resources. The Xenoli have spent hundreds of years building up a vast fleet, and to try to match their fleet in numbers would be a waste of time. The navy should continue to do what it has always done, provide support for the Imperial military and limit the Xenoli ability to land troops in the Empire, but to do more than that would draw far too many resources and far too much attention away from the true needs of the Empire.
As much as I desire to see the lands lost to the Horde reclaimed out of principal, to show our enemies that Imperial land will never be allowed to remain under barbarian rule and avenge all those brave Romans killed in the war. The greatest reason why we must strike the Horde is as part of our preparations for war against the Pisans.
Only when the Horde has been beaten and dissuaded from attacking the Empire can we launch our assault on the Pisans with the full might of the Empire's armies to crush them.
*Decius falls silent again as Aeneas sits awkwardly behind Decius, uncomfortable in his Imperial naval officer's uniform.*
*At the mention of Italy Aeneas Taurinus looks around and Decius fixes his son with a stern look.
Aeneas had spent the last few years overseeing the transport of many of their family's treasures and relics to his estate in Italy to the chagrin of his father.*
I am pleased to see that the wisdom of the Reds only continues to grow with time, unlike the Blues who I fear are going to act as Senator Colombo believes, falling further into their mad dreams of exploration and self interest that would weaken the Empire as a whole.
As for the importance of the navy, to be blunt, I see such focus on the navy of the Empire as a risky prospect at best and likely a waste of Imperial resources. The Xenoli have spent hundreds of years building up a vast fleet, and to try to match their fleet in numbers would be a waste of time. The navy should continue to do what it has always done, provide support for the Imperial military and limit the Xenoli ability to land troops in the Empire, but to do more than that would draw far too many resources and far too much attention away from the true needs of the Empire.
As much as I desire to see the lands lost to the Horde reclaimed out of principal, to show our enemies that Imperial land will never be allowed to remain under barbarian rule and avenge all those brave Romans killed in the war. The greatest reason why we must strike the Horde is as part of our preparations for war against the Pisans.
Only when the Horde has been beaten and dissuaded from attacking the Empire can we launch our assault on the Pisans with the full might of the Empire's armies to crush them.
*Decius falls silent again as Aeneas sits awkwardly behind Decius, uncomfortable in his Imperial naval officer's uniform.*
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*Konstantinos curses the egoist under his breath*
[size=+1]Senator Konstantinos Moustakas[/size]
Do not worry about my age, for I have seen much older men fight and die in the sands of Aegyptus.
Of course I would prefer the Imperium to focus on military reforms, but we cannot ignore the will of our good Whites. Thus, Administrative reform is a positive step for the Imperium. We must stop the Blues for getting uppity and building more ruinous trade fleets.
{{Czolket, can you post before the Senate session a table with which ideas are bad, useless or good like last time we chose an idea? That gives us, at least, the Emperor's opinion.
Also, are the Xenoi and the horde considered Pagans? I don't know much about EU4, but from the wiki I see that Exploration ideas give a bonus of "Permanent Casus Belli against pagans".}}
Also, are the Xenoi and the horde considered Pagans? I don't know much about EU4, but from the wiki I see that Exploration ideas give a bonus of "Permanent Casus Belli against pagans".}}
{{Unfortunately that Casus Belli is against less advanced pagans and tribes not westernized ones. To think that after all this time Colombo is now doing what Wedrovander wanted to do in the first place and some very nice conflict is opening up in the ranks. Yet he is probably now a sworn enemy for life against him. Also for the unaffiliated if the hippodrome isn't the best place we still need something or else we end up not being available for voting for the session after we die. Although I really wish that I was there then I could simply say that the Timmies are at best horse riders in tents in this tech situation. Because at the end of the day the only real reason that the ottomans can keep up with the western powers in game is due to their almost inherit MP boost in military points for their rulers.}}
Senator Juan Cortez
The finely aged castillan hobbles in on a cane, a tired look is in his eyes, but he certainly appears content with his circumstances. He is trailed by a young man who looks similar to how he once did. Since the reclamation of Aegyptus, he and his family have had their hands, feet, mouths, and noses full with organizing all the supply lines to and from cairo, seeing to it that roads from his territories to the main ports are kept in good repair and safe, organizing recruitment, and keeping down the unrest of his peasants and burghers now that imperial administration can manage to collect taxes every month. He was far from unhappy with the state of affairs, though, for his workload is the result of a healthy empire, and a healthy empire means his descendants can live up to his own ambitions when he was young, the ambitions he had to abandon and join the reds to preserve, but it all worked out in the end, the reds were more nobility like him than merchants anyway, so he preferred their company.
The senator motions for the young man to stand off to the side as he makes his way to the center of the room.
"It is good to see you all, whose genius and savvy led to the reconquest of Aegyptus that has burdened me such. I intended to bring my eldest son here, but due to the administrative burdens that go along with re-establishing land routes to Cairo, and the fact that he is already wed, I could only bring my youngest, and only unwed son. Younger than him still is my daughter of twelve years, who is not present as a senate faction meeting is no place for her, but for whom I would be glad to arrange a betrothal as well.
Following the conquest of Aegyptus, which was performed primarily by mercenaries while the themata and tagmata were busy expanding, It's come to my attention that the coffers of the imperium are dwindling, and if we lose the ability to finance our army, we will lose our support in the senate. This is why I believe that we should back a reform that would allow us to make full use of our expanding army in the coming session, for our greatest military thinkers are already busy trying to expand our numbers and improve our tactics and weaponry and armor, it would be too much of a strain to also focus on the offensive or defensive, as well as the aristocracy from which those military thinkers come. How we finance our forces is up to our esteemed leader Domenico, of course, but be warned that the blues will have a strong argument for trade if the imperium's financial burdens are not eased by the time of the next session. If, however, I am wrong about our financial woes and they are just a minor hiccup while we restore administration in Abyssinia and Aegyptus to pay for the war, I recommend using our recent gains against the shia mongols as common grounds with the white for a religious reform, so that we can strike against them again while they're still reeling from the loss of Aegyptus in the name of god, and wrest more land from them, perhaps even their 'holy city' of Mecca can be brought under imperial rule, and have a cathedral built upon it to declare to the heavens that christendom is dominant. The Iron Khan took much from the Imperium, but it is clear Meneggi is just coasting on his father's success; Aegyptus only fell because Meneggi was backed up by all of the shia faithful, and now his work has been undone, and so has some of his father's under his rule, and with our continued dominance in the senate, we can undo the Timurids entirely."
His speech finished, Senator Cortez makes his way to one of the couches and slumps down onto it, his young son fetches him a goblet of wine without even being told or motioned to do so. "And his sister is just as respectful." Juan says, pointing to his son after taking his wine.
{{If that war happened in CK2, the Timurids may very well start imploding upon meneggi's death. Then again, we'd have also lost an entire kingdom to the aztecs rather than just a few naval bases.}}
The finely aged castillan hobbles in on a cane, a tired look is in his eyes, but he certainly appears content with his circumstances. He is trailed by a young man who looks similar to how he once did. Since the reclamation of Aegyptus, he and his family have had their hands, feet, mouths, and noses full with organizing all the supply lines to and from cairo, seeing to it that roads from his territories to the main ports are kept in good repair and safe, organizing recruitment, and keeping down the unrest of his peasants and burghers now that imperial administration can manage to collect taxes every month. He was far from unhappy with the state of affairs, though, for his workload is the result of a healthy empire, and a healthy empire means his descendants can live up to his own ambitions when he was young, the ambitions he had to abandon and join the reds to preserve, but it all worked out in the end, the reds were more nobility like him than merchants anyway, so he preferred their company.
The senator motions for the young man to stand off to the side as he makes his way to the center of the room.
"It is good to see you all, whose genius and savvy led to the reconquest of Aegyptus that has burdened me such. I intended to bring my eldest son here, but due to the administrative burdens that go along with re-establishing land routes to Cairo, and the fact that he is already wed, I could only bring my youngest, and only unwed son. Younger than him still is my daughter of twelve years, who is not present as a senate faction meeting is no place for her, but for whom I would be glad to arrange a betrothal as well.
Following the conquest of Aegyptus, which was performed primarily by mercenaries while the themata and tagmata were busy expanding, It's come to my attention that the coffers of the imperium are dwindling, and if we lose the ability to finance our army, we will lose our support in the senate. This is why I believe that we should back a reform that would allow us to make full use of our expanding army in the coming session, for our greatest military thinkers are already busy trying to expand our numbers and improve our tactics and weaponry and armor, it would be too much of a strain to also focus on the offensive or defensive, as well as the aristocracy from which those military thinkers come. How we finance our forces is up to our esteemed leader Domenico, of course, but be warned that the blues will have a strong argument for trade if the imperium's financial burdens are not eased by the time of the next session. If, however, I am wrong about our financial woes and they are just a minor hiccup while we restore administration in Abyssinia and Aegyptus to pay for the war, I recommend using our recent gains against the shia mongols as common grounds with the white for a religious reform, so that we can strike against them again while they're still reeling from the loss of Aegyptus in the name of god, and wrest more land from them, perhaps even their 'holy city' of Mecca can be brought under imperial rule, and have a cathedral built upon it to declare to the heavens that christendom is dominant. The Iron Khan took much from the Imperium, but it is clear Meneggi is just coasting on his father's success; Aegyptus only fell because Meneggi was backed up by all of the shia faithful, and now his work has been undone, and so has some of his father's under his rule, and with our continued dominance in the senate, we can undo the Timurids entirely."
His speech finished, Senator Cortez makes his way to one of the couches and slumps down onto it, his young son fetches him a goblet of wine without even being told or motioned to do so. "And his sister is just as respectful." Juan says, pointing to his son after taking his wine.
{{If that war happened in CK2, the Timurids may very well start imploding upon meneggi's death. Then again, we'd have also lost an entire kingdom to the aztecs rather than just a few naval bases.}}
Senator Michael Scipion:
My dear senator, before entering in the matters that have gathered us today, I would like to introduce you my seed.
I would like to start with my little girl, my right eye, Sofia. She is 14, a very bright lady with wide hips that will born strong sons to the Imperial Army. Senator Cortez, may your son will be interested on talking with my daughter once we finished the matters of the state?
The next one is my younger son, Arcadius. He is 13 yet but his mind is already impressive. He will probably join the ranks of theSPY AGENCY.
And finally, my older son and heir, Honorius. He is one of the heroes of the battle of the Gulf of Almeria. He was in the leading party of the marines who sunk one of the huge Xenoi vessels in those waters and brought our only victory from such disastrous war. He is single yet so I would be interested on knowing about your single daughters.
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Once finished the introductions, let start with the subjects why we are here. I have been listening you during these hours and many smart suggestions have been pointed. I share the general opinion that the Army won´t be reformed in the next session while we have not finished yet the previous changes, specially with the opposition of the Emperor himself. And I also would like, as someone suggested, to know the Emperor opinion about the required changes but I think that we are missing the main point of this decision: what do we want to obtain from such reforms? More power for our faction? for the Imperial Army? NO, my friends!! What we want is a stronger Empire so we must see our current weakness first:
1. Expensive cost of mercenaries. The Emperor, blessed be his name, seems to like the use of world scum to fight for the Imperium. Although I, in my own ignorance, dislike such ways, must accept the will and the Emperor and bring him the tools for performing his will. And Administrative reform could reduce the expenses of these...people. ((I am not for it without strong arguments on its favor))
2. Too much debt. Defend the Christendom is not cheap and our Treasury is feeling the weight of as much war. It is my opinion that if we are going to reform our administration we should start by the productive system ((Economic Ideas))
3. Ignorance about external world. We know that we are surrounded by enemies in all directions but we do not know if our enemies are also surrounded. I agree with the Blues, even if it embarrassed me, that we should explore beyond our borders to discover new resources, land partners and may even allies in our efforts against pagans ((Exploration Ideas))
4. Internal arguments. We cannot keep fighting between factions while we are surrounded by enemies in all directions. We must join our forces with other demes, even the merchants, for the good of the Empire. ((Same than before))
5. Enemies in all our borders. WE are engaging almost all the know world. Our Army is in a continuous fight for the survival of the Sons of God against the Dark Forces of the Xenoi, the Muslims and the Tengris. We must assure our Army the means to fulfill their tasks. Many suggestion have been made in this field and all of them are worthy of consideration but I think that one is even more important: to assure the quality of the equipment for our men ((Quality Ideas)) It does not mind how many swords you have in the battlefield if they broke as soon as you start the fight. By other way, it is important to keep our superiority on land with our powerful cataphractoi ((Aristocratic Ideas)) and to keep pushing against the infidels ((Offensive Ideas))
Summarizing, I think that our leader, Senator Colombo, is wrong this time. We should not ally with the Whites but with the Blues so we can engage together the next reform of the Army, that I am sure our sons or grandsons will have to take not too far away. Let them have their vessels for exploring the world so they can come back to Earth and accept that it is the Imperial Army who protect them while they rest.
And about the last point, where to attack, it is my opinion that we must keep pushing against the Timurids and not against the Horde. Our borders with them are enough small to easy its defense and the day of revenge will come, I am sure of it. But our main purpose should be to recover Europe from the hands of the Dark Gods and, given that our fleet is not prepared yet, it should be in Italy where our forces must march.
Xenoi delenda est!
My dear senator, before entering in the matters that have gathered us today, I would like to introduce you my seed.
I would like to start with my little girl, my right eye, Sofia. She is 14, a very bright lady with wide hips that will born strong sons to the Imperial Army. Senator Cortez, may your son will be interested on talking with my daughter once we finished the matters of the state?
The next one is my younger son, Arcadius. He is 13 yet but his mind is already impressive. He will probably join the ranks of the
And finally, my older son and heir, Honorius. He is one of the heroes of the battle of the Gulf of Almeria. He was in the leading party of the marines who sunk one of the huge Xenoi vessels in those waters and brought our only victory from such disastrous war. He is single yet so I would be interested on knowing about your single daughters.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Once finished the introductions, let start with the subjects why we are here. I have been listening you during these hours and many smart suggestions have been pointed. I share the general opinion that the Army won´t be reformed in the next session while we have not finished yet the previous changes, specially with the opposition of the Emperor himself. And I also would like, as someone suggested, to know the Emperor opinion about the required changes but I think that we are missing the main point of this decision: what do we want to obtain from such reforms? More power for our faction? for the Imperial Army? NO, my friends!! What we want is a stronger Empire so we must see our current weakness first:
1. Expensive cost of mercenaries. The Emperor, blessed be his name, seems to like the use of world scum to fight for the Imperium. Although I, in my own ignorance, dislike such ways, must accept the will and the Emperor and bring him the tools for performing his will. And Administrative reform could reduce the expenses of these...people. ((I am not for it without strong arguments on its favor))
2. Too much debt. Defend the Christendom is not cheap and our Treasury is feeling the weight of as much war. It is my opinion that if we are going to reform our administration we should start by the productive system ((Economic Ideas))
3. Ignorance about external world. We know that we are surrounded by enemies in all directions but we do not know if our enemies are also surrounded. I agree with the Blues, even if it embarrassed me, that we should explore beyond our borders to discover new resources, land partners and may even allies in our efforts against pagans ((Exploration Ideas))
4. Internal arguments. We cannot keep fighting between factions while we are surrounded by enemies in all directions. We must join our forces with other demes, even the merchants, for the good of the Empire. ((Same than before))
5. Enemies in all our borders. WE are engaging almost all the know world. Our Army is in a continuous fight for the survival of the Sons of God against the Dark Forces of the Xenoi, the Muslims and the Tengris. We must assure our Army the means to fulfill their tasks. Many suggestion have been made in this field and all of them are worthy of consideration but I think that one is even more important: to assure the quality of the equipment for our men ((Quality Ideas)) It does not mind how many swords you have in the battlefield if they broke as soon as you start the fight. By other way, it is important to keep our superiority on land with our powerful cataphractoi ((Aristocratic Ideas)) and to keep pushing against the infidels ((Offensive Ideas))
Summarizing, I think that our leader, Senator Colombo, is wrong this time. We should not ally with the Whites but with the Blues so we can engage together the next reform of the Army, that I am sure our sons or grandsons will have to take not too far away. Let them have their vessels for exploring the world so they can come back to Earth and accept that it is the Imperial Army who protect them while they rest.
And about the last point, where to attack, it is my opinion that we must keep pushing against the Timurids and not against the Horde. Our borders with them are enough small to easy its defense and the day of revenge will come, I am sure of it. But our main purpose should be to recover Europe from the hands of the Dark Gods and, given that our fleet is not prepared yet, it should be in Italy where our forces must march.
Xenoi delenda est!
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Senator Domenico Colombo
Well, it certainly would appear that our faction is not united in regard to war targets, so I will not make a recommendation.
Let us now move on to picking which reforms ought to be implemented.
I believe Senator Scipion has found a kernel of truth. Of all the potential reforms that the Blues could choose to put through, Exploration is of the most benefit. My son was talking to me about how we could better time offensives if we knew when our enemies were fighting foreign powers. There is also the possibility, he tells me, that we may be able to find allies of some shape or form, even "brothers of m- our, faith". But all is uncertain.
It is my opinion that we cannot waste tremendous resources on reforms that we are not even sure will provide great benefits. Obviously, if it turns out that there is a massive Christian kingdom somewhere, it would be of benefit. But we cannot place the Imperium at risk in order to gamble like this. If all we find is powerful Infidel Empires, it could even be negative!
You bring up an interesting point with Economic reforms. They would be a good choice, and would be a counter to the Blues if they want to focus on Trade. However, they are currently... rabid about Exploration. So I doubt such a foil is necessary.
I have made my views clear about Religious reform, but let me put an argument out for Administrative reform.
1. It will make using mercenaries less painful on the Imperial pocket.
While nobody likes mercenaries, we cannot pull enough manpower, even with our Quantity reforms, to truly smash our enemies. We WILL have to se them, and it will be for the best if it is not so expensive to do so.
2. We will be able to establish administration in newly conquered provinces more easily
Newly conquered lands are difficult to exert control over. Reducing the administrative burden of doing this will benefit the Imperium immensely over time.
3. Other benefits
Other good side effects of choosing Administrative reform will be a burgeoning bureaucracy. Having the extra officials on hand will result in us having more advisors available, reduced interest rates on our loans, and most importantly, better research into how to improve our technology.
Other reforms may bring benefit, but in terms of what benefits the Reds and the Imperium the most, Administrative reform is superior. The Blues offer nothing but empty promises that they have no clue if they can keep. The Whites are reliable and trustworthy, in my opinion, far more so than the Blues.
Well, it certainly would appear that our faction is not united in regard to war targets, so I will not make a recommendation.
Let us now move on to picking which reforms ought to be implemented.
I believe Senator Scipion has found a kernel of truth. Of all the potential reforms that the Blues could choose to put through, Exploration is of the most benefit. My son was talking to me about how we could better time offensives if we knew when our enemies were fighting foreign powers. There is also the possibility, he tells me, that we may be able to find allies of some shape or form, even "brothers of m- our, faith". But all is uncertain.
It is my opinion that we cannot waste tremendous resources on reforms that we are not even sure will provide great benefits. Obviously, if it turns out that there is a massive Christian kingdom somewhere, it would be of benefit. But we cannot place the Imperium at risk in order to gamble like this. If all we find is powerful Infidel Empires, it could even be negative!
You bring up an interesting point with Economic reforms. They would be a good choice, and would be a counter to the Blues if they want to focus on Trade. However, they are currently... rabid about Exploration. So I doubt such a foil is necessary.
I have made my views clear about Religious reform, but let me put an argument out for Administrative reform.
1. It will make using mercenaries less painful on the Imperial pocket.
While nobody likes mercenaries, we cannot pull enough manpower, even with our Quantity reforms, to truly smash our enemies. We WILL have to se them, and it will be for the best if it is not so expensive to do so.
2. We will be able to establish administration in newly conquered provinces more easily
Newly conquered lands are difficult to exert control over. Reducing the administrative burden of doing this will benefit the Imperium immensely over time.
3. Other benefits
Other good side effects of choosing Administrative reform will be a burgeoning bureaucracy. Having the extra officials on hand will result in us having more advisors available, reduced interest rates on our loans, and most importantly, better research into how to improve our technology.
Other reforms may bring benefit, but in terms of what benefits the Reds and the Imperium the most, Administrative reform is superior. The Blues offer nothing but empty promises that they have no clue if they can keep. The Whites are reliable and trustworthy, in my opinion, far more so than the Blues.