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The Reverend Senator Dooley Azizid, Bishop of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and the Roman Far East:

Ah, so this was a tagnuul, a spy for the Imperium. No wonder he was so good at this.

In the halls of the Church of the Roman Far East, everyone knew everyone.
The monks, the monasts, the deacons and assistants called each other by name and prayed together. Bishop Dooley was accustomed to hardship and rough living, but never betrayal.

The Mongol recounted these things to the other Seantors and to the mysterious bearded man. Pausing after explaining it, he shook his head.

"The head of an Azizid is worth half its weight in gold in Mongolyn Ezent Güren. The wicked Lords of the Sky assassin band has tried to kill my family for centuries, and many times, they succeeded. I surround myself and my family with loyalists and guards I grew up with and with whose children I have seen play with mine. The doors to the church I reside and preach from are guarded by order of the Ecumenical Patriarch himself. There is no one who stays near me for long periods of time that I have not vetted. God willing, I will live to see a natural death."

He frowned.

"My brother was very trusting, and I must admit, so am I. Had my brother not died of the plague immediately after his blinding, the act of betrayal by corrupt elements working against the Imperium would have broken him completely."


The bishop sighed again and turned to the mysterious man.

"Tagnuul, what exactly are you trying to accomplish by scaring us? I trust the men in this room entirely. Why? -because the holy Khagan Angeloi, God's Regent on the earth, vetted and approved each of these men from longstanding loyal houses. I'd trust my life with any of these men. Are you attempting to trick us into cannabalizing ourselves to weaken the Blue Khural? I've lived seventy years and I know what an Imperium state galley looks like. Unless you've hijacked this ship despite all the armed men that escourted us to this ship being there to stop you, I can't buy a word out of your mouth."

He shook his head.

"Your fearmongering has no place in this cabin. God willing, we'll make it to Constantinople alive. I trust in Him and do not fear death."

Bishop Dooley paused for one moment, turning his gaze from the bearded man.

* "...-but the notion of a traitor," he thought, "terrifies me." *

He made the Sign of the Cross and leaned back in his seat. Mongols were good at keeping a poker face, and he hoped that no one could see his inner nervousness.
 
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{{

Daggum it. I always write at a time when everyone else is gone. I was at therapy all day. Fortunately, I got my say in most everything and the Blues elected a Speaker. I just hope no one ousts his alleged cannabalism...

}}
 
{{

Daggum it. I always write at a time when everyone else is gone. I was at therapy all day. Fortunately, I got my say in most everything and the Blues elected a Speaker. I just hope no one ousts his alleged cannabalism...

}}

{{ I know! We're in the same boat! }}
 
Senator Alexius Colombo:

"Ah, a man after my own heart... Perhaps one day I shall eat his..", Alexius thinks.

"Do not take us all for fools, 'Friend'. If you were planning to kill us, we would be dead. If you planned to fool us with our destination or your goals, you would have said nothing at all and kept us ignorant. And if you were planning to toy with us.. you will have forgotten a very important thing indeed."

Alexius smiles back at his new 'Friend'

"Hope."

"As of now, we are hopeless and helpless. Even if we rushed you, your firearms and superior experience would overcome us. Even if we killed you, the crew would doubtless come running to your assistance. And even if we did that, we cannot swim the Aegean, nor can we manage this vessel.

In order to elicit true fear, anger, and terror, there must be hope. Hope for a way out, a way to save others, a way to be spared further abuse. Without hope, a man is nothing. He is crushed. You have given us no hope, therefore you make, in my opinion, a very poor sadist.

Of course, this is with my assumption that you are on one hand competent enough to have thought this through, and on the other that you are willing to cause us harm one way or another. Ironically, if you are less competent than I assume you are, then you will have given us a way out. Funny how that works, eh?"

Alexius then turns to the assembled senators.

"I cannot speak for the rest of you, but I can say that I fear nothing that Constantinopolis holds for us. I am the only name of my House, I have not wealth for traveling servants, and I butcher, cook, and bring my own food to almost all occasions, including this one. Below decks are my extensive dried meat reserves, if anyone here does not trust the food served in the Senate, I will try to accommodate. Of course, if there is too much demand, I may have to find time to cook more food before the session. Any takers?"

{{ Czoklet thinks he can out sadist me. How cute. I'm literally trying to get my Deme members to eat humans and this rotten toothed bastard thinks he can steal the spotlight. Pah! }}
 
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The Reverend Senator Dooley Azizid, Bishop of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and the Roman Far East:

As the conversation got darker, Bishop Dooley began becoming increasingly uneasy at these two unbelievers trying to out-scare their audience. He was constantly twisting and stroking his long Mongol hair braid as he waited for a chance to speak.
He desperately attempted to change the conversation.

"Colombo, you didn't tell me your clan was on the verge of extinction. I can remedy that! I have a niece, about twenty one years old, a beautiful woman, who has been begging me to help her find someone to raise a family with. Always the ambitious woman, and quite out of character for an Azizid, she's looking for a great Roman house."

He smiled.

"If you don't mind your kids looking, well, you know-" he placed his fingers on the outer corners of his eyelids and pushed them away from his nose "-I can land you a fantastic, intelligent young woman for you to raise posterity. You may be older, but I am sure you're still enough of a stud to sure some kids. Her name is Peggy Xiu Azizid." {{ I hope Xiu is pronounced "zoo". }}​

The Mongol clasped his hands together and smiled.

"Might I add, she's a good cook and can do wonders with even the toughest of meats! I take you are a huge gourmet fan, based on your passion for raising livestock and butchering them yourself. Your love of cooking would be equalled by Peggy. Think of the food!"

That sort of made Bishop Dooley hungry.

"I'd be honored to dine with you one night,
nöker. Perhaps during a recess of the Khuraltai, I can try some of your recipes? I'll even bring my own cupbearers and security for you! Maybe I can arrange a date between you and Peggy!"

{{ By the way, I remember an interview about a college student who was dared by her class to taste human flesh from a cadaver. They "cooked" it over a flame and she tried it. I'll never forget what she said next: "We taste like bacon!". }}
 
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Senator Alexios von Hohenzollern:

While the older senators attempted to out-spook each other and everybody with almost-heresy "talk," Alexios sighed and decided that his seat was somewhat uncomfortable. He got up, poured some more water in his cup from the nearest pitcher, drank some, and walked around, observing the painting on the wall.
"Traitors within the government...who would do such a horrible thing? Do they not know that if they destabilize or cause mayhem in the Imperium they would only be benefiting the Xenoi and our other enemies? Something has to be motivating them. Money? Not enough to risk destroying the Imperium. They can't be a heathen, at least not publicly, obviously. Maybe they're a heretic? With all this talk about the Angeloduli... Something must be driving them."

{{Please tell me there's something hidden somewhere:)}}
 
Senator Nikephoros II Salamis:
*Nikephoros looks at Senator Colombo suspiciously when he speaks so... knowingly and professionally about torture and sadism*
If... If we are already discussing the matter of marriage, and alliances between our noble houses, I will mention that I'm currently looking for a suitable bride, for I am young and still not married.
Senator Raoul, Senator Arrius- you're the natual allies of house Salamis, perhaps one of you has a suitable bride in your close family? I will of course be honored if any of the others has a good bride.
I will also mention that I have two cousins, a 14 years old boy and a 15 years old girl. They are the remaining members of my house, the only ones who remain of the main line {{there are some very minor cadet branches I guess}} and I will be glad to betroth them to members of families of esteemed Senators like you. Remember, the boy is the heir to the house in case I die childless.
 
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{{ Okay guys, the meeting is slowly coming to an end - you must choose your Faction bonuses and your Speaker before 3:00 PM (CEST).
I checked the character submission and Alexios Colombo is 30 years old, so he doesn't qualify @luciusmalfoy012 - sorry!
Remmeber: if you don't elect your Speaker your Demes won't be able to propose Senate Policy. }}
 
{{ Okay guys, the meeting is slowly coming to an end - you must choose your Faction bonuses and your Speaker before 3:00 PM (CEST).
I checked the character submission and Alexios Colombo is 30 years old, so he doesn't qualify @luciusmalfoy012 - sorry!
Remmeber: if you don't elect your Speaker your Demes won't be able to propose Senate Policy. }}
{{Can you give us a rp reason that Alexius isn't qualified? Like an eunuch running in and notifying us of it? I mean, a Senator could suddenly remember the age limit and that Alexius isn't qualified but that would be a bit odd :p}}
 
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{{ Sure. }}
 
Absalon Hvide
Absalon glances at the man at the door with a bored expression on his face. "Is there a point to this theater? Since you refuse to say anything of actual substance your claims are as vapid as that one time i heard a drunk soldier say that Jesus lives in Mecca. So unless you actually have something to show for your claims, we are going to gleefully ignore you and actually vote on who can lead our demes. And if you intend to kill us please kill me last and Salamis second last, i have always found it intteresting to see how people react when they know they are about to die."

Absalon raises his hand: "i vote in favor of Colombo as leader of the blue demes."
 
{{ Okay guys, the meeting is slowly coming to an end - you must choose your Faction bonuses and your Speaker before 3:00 PM (CEST).
I checked the character submission and Alexios Colombo is 30 years old, so he doesn't qualify @luciusmalfoy012 - sorry!
Remmeber: if you don't elect your Speaker your Demes won't be able to propose Senate Policy. }}

{{ Hm. I created my character such that he would be 35/eligible for speaker the first time around... I'm not sure what went wrong, whether I counted incorrectly, emailed the wrong date, or something else, but it was never my intention to be below the limit.

If you would be willing to fix my mistake, I'd be really grateful, as would the general populace of murderous cannibals.

But if you can't/won't, that's ok too, but it'll just mean the Senate session will be less fun (murderous). }}
 
{{ I checked e-mail and you said 1530, which makes Alexios 30 year old in 1560. I could alllow you to become Speaker regardless but that would be unfair seeing that some people didn't even think about becoming a Speaker due to the age limit.

Nevertheless, if all Blues support you I will allow that.}}
 
{{ I checked e-mail and you said 1530, which makes Alexios 30 year old in 1560. I could alllow you to become Speaker regardless but that would be unfair seeing that some people didn't even think about becoming a Speaker due to the age limit.

Nevertheless, if all Blues support you I will allow that.}}
{{It seems like all the Blues present accept him as a speaker, even though Nikephoros is reluctant :p}}
 
Mandator:

The man listens with a weird expression on his face.
Senator Alexius Colombo:
"Do not take us all for fools, 'Friend'. If you were planning to kill us, we would be dead. If you planned to fool us with our destination or your goals, you would have said nothing at all and kept us ignorant. And if you were planning to toy with us.. you will have forgotten a very important thing indeed."

Alexius smiles back at his new 'Friend'

"Hope."

"As of now, we are hopeless and helpless. Even if we rushed you, your firearms and superior experience would overcome us. Even if we killed you, the crew would doubtless come running to your assistance. And even if we did that, we cannot swim the Aegean, nor can we manage this vessel.

In order to elicit true fear, anger, and terror, there must be hope. Hope for a way out, a way to save others, a way to be spared further abuse. Without hope, a man is nothing. He is crushed. You have given us no hope, therefore you make, in my opinion, a very poor sadist.

Of course, this is with my assumption that you are on one hand competent enough to have thought this through, and on the other that you are willing to cause us harm one way or another. Ironically, if you are less competent than I assume you are, then you will have given us a way out. Funny how that works, eh?"
- Bad, bad. I expected more of you out of all senators but if this is what you need I will put it bluntly: I don't intent to scare you - I want to warn you. Be vigilant. Be suspicious. Never let your guard down. Soon I will leave the Imperium behind me but when I'll be walking in the mountains of Persia you will be still here, in the eye of the storm. Of the forces that are at play I can't speak but know this: they wish you no good.
Absalon Hvide
"Is there a point to this theater? Since you refuse to say anything of actual substance your claims are as vapid as that one time i heard a drunk soldier say that Jesus lives in Mecca. So unless you actually have something to show for your claims, we are going to gleefully ignore you and actually vote on who can lead our demes. And if you intend to kill us please kill me last and Salamis second last, i have always found it intteresting to see how people react when they know they are about to die."
Mandator sighs and shakes his head.

- I have gave you my warning. Do with it what your judgement tells you is the best.

The man points at the window.

- We are passing the holy mountain of Athos. Pray for wisdom and guidance for you will need it soon.

The man takes off his hat and bows mockingly.

- My work here is done. Stay among the living, my friends.

Having said that, the mandator leaves the great cabin.

{{Also @drucchi - you have to use italics. You get a warning; next time you speak in-character while breaking the rules you won't be allowed to vote during session. }}
 
{{It seems like all the Blues present accept him as a speaker, even though Nikephoros is reluctant :p}}
{{ Well you don't have to have a Speaker you know.
In any case I still need someone to give me Blue Demes' bonuses in a separate post.}}
 
Senator Nikephoros II Salamis:
*Nikephoros prays. Weakly prays- he no longer believes that god answers prayers.*
Well, esteemed Seators, it seems like we are in agreement to everything. Senator Colombos shall be our speaker, we shall support mothballing the fleet, expect of the light ships deployed for transporting soldiers and raiding enemy ships, we shall oppose harming the Jews, support confisticating wealth from the Holy Church, raising the tariffs on the Exarchates and enlisting privateers.
We have to last matters to decide- will we support the administrative reform, and will our demes focus on ship durability? In my opinion, an interesting idea could be increasing the efficiency of privateers {{privateer efficiency +15% for 3 points}}, as the Imperium is currently in short supply of men to colonize lands and of naval battles in which we'll need our ships to be durable.
I am also still waiting to see if any of the noble houses here has a suitable bride for me.
 
FACTION MEETING - CLOSING

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Illustrious President of the Imperial Senate magistros Nikephoros Dalassenos hereby annouces that

THE MEETING OF THE BLUE DEMES HAS ENDED

Honorable senator Alexios of the noble House COLOMBO (played by: luciusmalfoy012) was elected as Speaker of the Blue Demes.

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

Signed,
Nikephoros Dalassenos
President of the Imperial Senate
 
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