Tolerate not the Blues, and Purge the Whites! Only the Reds can protect the Imperium.
- 2
-
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.
Say, Czoklet, this "Disband the Senate"-decision, what exactly are the requirements for taking it? 
Come on, you really expected to get that answer now. :trollface:Hey, you left us with no clue about who planed the whole purge of our demes! Killed by poison, our greatest allied died during a speech, and the rest were "interrogated" by the Athanatoi (and then everyone but Cortez died thanks to the black death). I demand answers, the name of the devil who did this to us! Or at least a nice letter of the emperor saying "I'm sorry for your loss"
FACTION MEETING - OPENING
Illustrious President of the Imperial Senate magistros Nikephoros Dalassenos hereby annouces
THE MEETING OF THE RED DEMES HAS BEGUN
Illustrious President of the Imperial Senate magistros Nikephoros Dalassenos hereby annouces
THE MEETING OF THE RED DEMES HAS BEGUN
RUMORS AND GOSSIP
Here are the pieces of information your Faction have gathered recently. Remember that most of them are not entirely trustworthy and some of them may simply be not true:
- Despite direct order from imperial domestikoi, the Bavaian auxilia didn't help the Roman forces quell the rebellions in northern Italia
- Unrest in Aragon is so massive that allegedly the decision has been already made to recall all tagmata from the realm back to the Imperium
- There are more and more cases of disobedience or even lynch on imperial officers who try to conscript peasants or requistion supplies.
- Many fear that due to the truce with the Horde already expired the barbarians will soon launch invasion on the province of Taurica.
- A huge number of imperial tagmata is stuck in Exarchate Africanus, with no fleet capable of transporting them and barbarian lands between them and Exarchate of Abyssinia.
- It is said that House Komnenos, House Skleros, House Taronites and House Dalassenos are competing for the position of megas domestikos.
- A strange new kind of xenoi regiments has been allegedly spotted by imperial agentes in rebus nearby Aragonese border.
- The economic crises causes shortages and among the most affected are the pyrotagmata and many extremely expensive canna or cannons as some call them are left without black powder and ammunition.
- There are rumors that some of the tagmata from lands owned by the most powerful dynatoi have were assigned additional numbers of Athanatoi to ensure their loyalty.
FACTION INTELLIGENCE
Due to the position of the White Demes in the imperial administration the following information has been obtained:
May the blessing of Saint Markos be upon all of us.
Signed,
Nikephoros Dalessenos
President of the Imperial Senate
Signed,
Nikephoros Dalessenos
President of the Imperial Senate
***
29 December 1559
Tower of the Golden Gate, Theodesian Walls, Konstantinoupolis
The chamber at the top of the tower is small and dark. Once used as a storage room for weapons and ammunition of the garrison of the Golden Gate, it was recently refurbished and changed into command room. Its naked marble walls are dirty and unadorned – the chamber is completely empty save for the huge wooden table surrounded by simple chairs in the middle. The table itself is scratched after long service in the Army, a silent witness to many sleepless nights spent with maps and miniatures by the Roman officers when the imperial tagmata were preparing to reclaim the City from the revolters. There is no food or beverages prepared for the Senators, nor slaves to serve them. The light from embrasures in the western and eastern walls of the chamber light enters the dim room.
From the embrasures in the western wall of the chamber the outer fortifications and moat can be seen and beyond them an enormous war camp – over 21,000 Roman soldiers amassed before the Walls of Konstantinoupolis. Besieged by countless enemies of the Imperium during the centuries, for over a thousands years the Walls stand impregnable, defending the City from any harm. But even the mighty Walls can't protect Romaioi from themselves – from the embrasures in the eastern wall the black ruins of Exokionion, Xerolophos and Vlanga districts can be seen clearly. The Sacred Palace itself is visible in the distance beyond the columns of thick smoke and ash towering above the Queen of Cities. Sunbeams dance on the massive dome of Hagia Sophia and gilded roofs of the Sacred Palace, high above the ruins. Along the road connecting the Golden Gate with the City proper there are dozens of pyres on which the dead are burned and later buried in mass graves by the slaves, whipped by the imperial soldiers.
As the first member of the Red Demes to arrive enters the chamber, he is greeted by dekarchos of the Imperial Senate Guard accompanied by ten guardsmen, all of them wearing their armors and heavily armed.
Dekarchos Timotheos Kyzos
Salve, noble Senator. My name is dekarchos Timotheos Kyzos and I was assigned by the President of the Senate to protect you during your meeting. The President sends his apologies for the... conditions in which the meeting is taking place, however the situation in Konstantinoupolis is still not completely under control. I was assured that the Magnaura shall be repaired in time before the Session.
dekarchos points toward the table
The chamber has been prepared for your arrival. The slaves shall be sent to serve you as soon as possible, noble Senator – I apologize for the delay and beg your forgiveness.
dekarchos turns around and shakes his head at the guardsmen
Me and my men shall secure the entrance to the Tower. There are over 20 tagmata of the Imperial Army on the other side of the Walls, so rest assured noble Senator – you are safe here.
dekarchos stretches his right arm in a Roman salute
The Angeloi protect!
dekarchos turns around and leaves the room, closing heavy door behind him
***
GOALS OF THE MEETING
During this meeting the Red Demes has to elect Faction Speaker.
- Election is unanimous (no voting).
- Every member of the Faction has a right of veto.
- To elect a Faction Speaker a consensus has to be reached by the Faction.
- To reach a consensus not a single veto has to be used against the candidate.
- Every Senator at least 35 years old is elligible to run for position of the Faction Speaker.
- If all candidates were vetoed, the Faction carries on without a Faction Speaker.
Code:
#Good
army_tradition = 0.5
land_morale = 0.05
free_leader_pool = 1
land_attrition = -0.05
#Bad
global_autonomy = 0.05
diplomatic_upkeep = -1
navy_tradition = -1
diplomatic_reputation = -2
#Cost
global_regiment_cost = 0.30Other rules:
- Your „budget” you can use to „buy” bonuses is equal to 25 points.
- You have to have at least 2 and up to 4 bonuses (so you can't use all points to buy one superbonus)
- I'll be changing maluses accordingly so expect for instance Blue Demes to give malus to coring cost if White Demes gives bonus in this area.
- The cost modifiers will be eliminated entirely.
REMEMBER THE FOLLOWING
- Begin every post written in-character using the following template:
Code:[b][size=4]Senator <name>:[/b][/size] - While writing in-character, you have to use italics.
- While writing out-of-character during the Senate Session or Faction Meeting, you have to use brackets.
- You may type „@<ForumNickname>” in your post to tag forum users (they get a notification they were mentioned in your post)
EXCERPT FROM THE RULES
Article 12 – Faction Speakers
1. Each Faction has a Speaker who represents it before the Senate and other Factions.
2. Speaker is elected among the members of his Faction by acclamation.
3. Speaker:
- proposes Senatorial Policies in the name of his Faction;
- requests a Meeting for his Faction;
- notifies members of his Faction via PM of the Meeting;
Article 13 – Faction Meeting
1. Each Faction may hold a Meeting for its members to discuss public affairs of the state between Sessions.
2. Meeting lasts for 72 hours and is requested by the Speaker
(...)
4. Speaker ensures order and decorum during the Meeting, while members of the Imperial Senate Guard ensure safety of the Senators.
1. Each Faction has a Speaker who represents it before the Senate and other Factions.
2. Speaker is elected among the members of his Faction by acclamation.
3. Speaker:
- proposes Senatorial Policies in the name of his Faction;
- requests a Meeting for his Faction;
- notifies members of his Faction via PM of the Meeting;
Article 13 – Faction Meeting
1. Each Faction may hold a Meeting for its members to discuss public affairs of the state between Sessions.
2. Meeting lasts for 72 hours and is requested by the Speaker
(...)
4. Speaker ensures order and decorum during the Meeting, while members of the Imperial Senate Guard ensure safety of the Senators.
{{And so it begins, can't wait to see what kind of Senators there will be in the Reds}}
{{ If someone doesn't know where the Golden Gate is exactly -> look at the bottom left part of this map.
You should check out where the Magnaura is BTW}}
You should check out where the Magnaura is BTW
}}- 1
Leon Taurinus
*It has been many years since a Taurinus arrived in the capital, they have attempted to endure the plague from the relative isolation of their home in Taurica and only returned to the city because of the gravity of the Imperium's state.
Leon and his party are all dressed in black robes that cover them from head to toe, they wear leather gloves and masks to cover and protect them from the plague, only Leon's eyes are visible beneath his mask.
Leaving his entourage at the door, he walks in, carrying his father's cane and looking like some ghostly phantom come to haunt the senate.
He listens to the Dekarchos and then goes to stand in the hall waiting for others to appear and instructs a servant to burn incense to ward off the bad fumes from the pyres.*
*It has been many years since a Taurinus arrived in the capital, they have attempted to endure the plague from the relative isolation of their home in Taurica and only returned to the city because of the gravity of the Imperium's state.
Leon and his party are all dressed in black robes that cover them from head to toe, they wear leather gloves and masks to cover and protect them from the plague, only Leon's eyes are visible beneath his mask.
Leaving his entourage at the door, he walks in, carrying his father's cane and looking like some ghostly phantom come to haunt the senate.
He listens to the Dekarchos and then goes to stand in the hall waiting for others to appear and instructs a servant to burn incense to ward off the bad fumes from the pyres.*
Last edited:
{{Before I post, are there any rules about swearing? I won't go overboard, but my character is basically an up jumped commoner: not the most polite company}}
Senator Alexios of the Este-Ravenna:
Rome was burning.
A large, burly man with a tanned, leathery face and iron-and-oaken hair entered the magnanura, posture and bearing somehow both formal and feral as only an old soldier could be. The man gives off an air of stoic silence and poise, but beneath his granite visage masks a raging tempest; he has seen much of the world, of the Imperium, and he has been angered by it. Italy- the homeland- bleeds, betrayed by the fell Pisans and the merchant classes. But no longer- those who thought themselves clever, who thought to armor themselves from steel through sweet lies and golden promises would be burned out and purged by the sword.
The voyage from Italy had been thankfully uneventful, though part of him had wished for a violent encounter, if only for something to kill, some enemy upon which to vent his frustration and rage and grief. Forty men had accompanied him to the Capital- forty handpicked men, men of stout hearts and iron wills, who had smashed the Pisan's walls and entered the heart of their den. twenty men who shared his anger at being kept from putting the rats to the torch.
He sees that he is not the first to arrive. Alexios approaches the Senator in the hall.
"Well met, friend. The city is not so foul as Pisa after the siege, but it is close. To think, the very heart of Rome brought so low...! The times are dire, indeed, and we must trust in our unity of strength, will, and faith to survive."
Rome was burning.
A large, burly man with a tanned, leathery face and iron-and-oaken hair entered the magnanura, posture and bearing somehow both formal and feral as only an old soldier could be. The man gives off an air of stoic silence and poise, but beneath his granite visage masks a raging tempest; he has seen much of the world, of the Imperium, and he has been angered by it. Italy- the homeland- bleeds, betrayed by the fell Pisans and the merchant classes. But no longer- those who thought themselves clever, who thought to armor themselves from steel through sweet lies and golden promises would be burned out and purged by the sword.
The voyage from Italy had been thankfully uneventful, though part of him had wished for a violent encounter, if only for something to kill, some enemy upon which to vent his frustration and rage and grief. Forty men had accompanied him to the Capital- forty handpicked men, men of stout hearts and iron wills, who had smashed the Pisan's walls and entered the heart of their den. twenty men who shared his anger at being kept from putting the rats to the torch.
He sees that he is not the first to arrive. Alexios approaches the Senator in the hall.
"Well met, friend. The city is not so foul as Pisa after the siege, but it is close. To think, the very heart of Rome brought so low...! The times are dire, indeed, and we must trust in our unity of strength, will, and faith to survive."
{{Alexandros seems to be quite tame in his display of military might compared to the Este-Ravenna}}
{{Rules of this AAR apply on top of the forum rules, so if you use profanities there will be consequences as per the forum rules - and I'm pretty sure moderators watch this gigantic thread closely.}}
- 1
{{Whoops, didn't realize that was a forum rule. Thanks for the heads up}}
Leon Taurinus:
*Despite being somewhat muffled by his mask his reply to Este-Ravenna is still audible*
"I have heard the tales of the wars in Italy and the destruction wrought there.
That the capital of the Imperium is reduced to such a sorry state makes me fear what the rest of the Imperium must look like.
But it is good to see that some sane men do still live who are ready to help the Imperium in this hour of need, let us hope the rest of our faction is ready to unite for the good of the Imperium.
*he thinks for a moment*
"I assume you've heard the rumors about the unrest in the provinces, Aragon and Bavaria especially. With everything else that has happened the possibility of further revolts are...alarming."
*Despite being somewhat muffled by his mask his reply to Este-Ravenna is still audible*
"I have heard the tales of the wars in Italy and the destruction wrought there.
That the capital of the Imperium is reduced to such a sorry state makes me fear what the rest of the Imperium must look like.
But it is good to see that some sane men do still live who are ready to help the Imperium in this hour of need, let us hope the rest of our faction is ready to unite for the good of the Imperium.
*he thinks for a moment*
"I assume you've heard the rumors about the unrest in the provinces, Aragon and Bavaria especially. With everything else that has happened the possibility of further revolts are...alarming."
Last edited:
Alexios Este-Ravenna:
"Some parts are better than others. The Bavarians are threatening from the Alps, and there are tales of open treason in Rome, but it is not so bad as this in the Romagna, at least not yet, nor so bad as Aegyptus or Hispania, thank the Lord God.... The destruction due to Italy is far less than it could have been. The destruction done to Pisa far less than I would have liked. Has not our family always warned not to trust the money-grubbers? They are as evil as the Xenoi and as craven as the Christ-killers..." His words drip with contempt and malice. "We must stand firm against the Blue Demes. I trust them not, despite the purges. The other factions will want to cut the army but it is the sword that will save or destroy the Imperium. Any cuts must be met with promises that the overall quality of the army remains, and bought with concessions from our rivals. If rumors of the White's collapse are true, then our faction may be poised to take control of the Senate, so long as we stand firm and refuse to sell ourselves."
{{Quality over quantity, my friend. These are his closest retainers, men he can trust with his life on and off the battlefield, and walls of pikemen aren't really worth bringing to a city. Better to have a few dozen armored veterans. Also, Italy is nearly FUBAR so I figure the family would want to keep its power close to home....}}
Leon Taurinus:
I can promise you when the Imperium is once more in a position of power, I will fully support the final destruction of the Pisan traitors, the Imperium underestimated those vultures and have paid a price. But in the meantime you are correct that the Imperium is beset by a host of problems. I share your distrust of the Blues, who in my opinion, had a hand in many of the ills that plague the Imperium, and as for the Whites, with all the rumors swirling about them I wouldn't trust them to lead the senate in this dark hour.
Only the Reds have the strength to stem the tide of destruction.
Senator Harun Al-Askari
When Harun Al-Askari arrives at the tower, he is almost turned away at first, An enormous man, over six feet tall and nearly three hundred pounds, he has the look of an old soldier who has been living soft for too long. Although outwardly fat, it's clear that underneath it lies hard muscle, built up over a lifetime of hard living and campaigning. He is dressed in simple but well maintained armor, and is accompanied by four men, similarly attired. The five men chat and joke as they march down the street, conversing in Arabic flavored by Turkish, Greek, and with even a few Xenoi curses thrown in for good measure. All are well armed, two men carrying pistols of a Xenoi make, a third an arquebus, and the last a mongol bow. Harun himeslf carries a brace of Xenoi pistols, taken from dead Xenoi officers, and a wickedly sharp scimitar. All are scarred and seasoned soldiers, veterans of a hundred battles or more. They look every bit the part of a group of unruly mercenaries, hired to help retake the city from the rabble and who strut around it still, starting fights and looting abandoned houses. However a sharp-eyed observer would realize that these men are not common mercenaries. While they outwardly joke and swear, their eyes scan their surroundings, ready to project their charge, and the man leading them is clearly a man of stature.
Still, Harun's plain appearance--his only concession to the formality of the meeting was a richly embroidered robe over his armor, which was mud-spattered and tattered from the journey through the city-- and the dangerous appearance of his party led to the tower guards initially mistaking him for a common thug who had the fortune to loot a nobleman's mansion. After angrily clearing up the matter with their commander, he stomps into the tower room. The senators inside can see on his face and body the evidence of a lifetime of war. His left ear was sliced off by an obsidian blade in Aragon, he walks with a limp from a mongol arrow in Tauricia, a huge scar runs from his forehead to his jaw, leaving his right eye milky and barely functional, his nose is flattened and misshapen after being broken too many times to count, and two fingers on his left hand were blown off by a Xenoi musket in Africa. Unlike other men, he did not hide his wounds from sight like a woman, nor did he draw attention to them like a peacock. He was a soldiers, and wounds and scars were simply part of the job.
Surveying the room, he is slightly relieved at the plain furnishings. Although he would never admit it, he was slightly nervous about the prospect of such a high society meeting: although he was a noble, and fairly wealthy, his house was not a prestigious one. An up-jumped commoner and mercenary married to the disgraced daughter of a merchant was hardly the best foundation for his house's social status, and Harun's personal proclivities did not help. But Harun knew this sort of room, a functional one where work was done. He eyed the larger of the two senators with approval. Clearly a soldier, though a noble officer rather than a common fighting man. Harun preferred the commoners, but he had no problem dealing with their officers. He eyed the other man with disapproval. He veiled himself like a woman, and did not un-veil himself even in the presence of his equals. Even arab women took their veils off when indoors and in the company of other women.
"Greetings. I am Harun, of the house of Al-Askari."
When Harun Al-Askari arrives at the tower, he is almost turned away at first, An enormous man, over six feet tall and nearly three hundred pounds, he has the look of an old soldier who has been living soft for too long. Although outwardly fat, it's clear that underneath it lies hard muscle, built up over a lifetime of hard living and campaigning. He is dressed in simple but well maintained armor, and is accompanied by four men, similarly attired. The five men chat and joke as they march down the street, conversing in Arabic flavored by Turkish, Greek, and with even a few Xenoi curses thrown in for good measure. All are well armed, two men carrying pistols of a Xenoi make, a third an arquebus, and the last a mongol bow. Harun himeslf carries a brace of Xenoi pistols, taken from dead Xenoi officers, and a wickedly sharp scimitar. All are scarred and seasoned soldiers, veterans of a hundred battles or more. They look every bit the part of a group of unruly mercenaries, hired to help retake the city from the rabble and who strut around it still, starting fights and looting abandoned houses. However a sharp-eyed observer would realize that these men are not common mercenaries. While they outwardly joke and swear, their eyes scan their surroundings, ready to project their charge, and the man leading them is clearly a man of stature.
Still, Harun's plain appearance--his only concession to the formality of the meeting was a richly embroidered robe over his armor, which was mud-spattered and tattered from the journey through the city-- and the dangerous appearance of his party led to the tower guards initially mistaking him for a common thug who had the fortune to loot a nobleman's mansion. After angrily clearing up the matter with their commander, he stomps into the tower room. The senators inside can see on his face and body the evidence of a lifetime of war. His left ear was sliced off by an obsidian blade in Aragon, he walks with a limp from a mongol arrow in Tauricia, a huge scar runs from his forehead to his jaw, leaving his right eye milky and barely functional, his nose is flattened and misshapen after being broken too many times to count, and two fingers on his left hand were blown off by a Xenoi musket in Africa. Unlike other men, he did not hide his wounds from sight like a woman, nor did he draw attention to them like a peacock. He was a soldiers, and wounds and scars were simply part of the job.
Surveying the room, he is slightly relieved at the plain furnishings. Although he would never admit it, he was slightly nervous about the prospect of such a high society meeting: although he was a noble, and fairly wealthy, his house was not a prestigious one. An up-jumped commoner and mercenary married to the disgraced daughter of a merchant was hardly the best foundation for his house's social status, and Harun's personal proclivities did not help. But Harun knew this sort of room, a functional one where work was done. He eyed the larger of the two senators with approval. Clearly a soldier, though a noble officer rather than a common fighting man. Harun preferred the commoners, but he had no problem dealing with their officers. He eyed the other man with disapproval. He veiled himself like a woman, and did not un-veil himself even in the presence of his equals. Even arab women took their veils off when indoors and in the company of other women.
"Greetings. I am Harun, of the house of Al-Askari."
{{MWAHAHAHAHA!!! MY MADNESS HAS SPREAD!! You are right to doubt the Whites, they are fit only to be purged}}
Last edited:
- 1
Senator Alexios Este-Ravenna:
Many in his family looked down upon the non-Romans. Many of his peers were fools. A man was a man, and he bled the same no matter what blood flowed through his veins. Alexios eyes the new arrival warily, like two mutts meeting in a dark alleyway, taking his measure even as he knows the stranger is doing to him. He finds that he likes what he sees; foreign dog or not, this man is a soldier, albeit one given over to fat, and Alexios knew much of soldiers.
"It is not often I find myself the shorter man, still less the smaller. I am Alexios of the ancient and noble House of Este-Ravenna" He offers his hand in a firm and manly grip.
{{I truly love that the Blues are still the least trusted faction despite being purged by what was basically the Imperium's best spies and torturers (presumably) and has been the most cooperative throughout the sessions. It's hilarious to see how the cliche versions we assigned each faction in the beginning have stuck around.}}
- 4