The Republic Reborn II: Reborn Again [Orders Due Jan 31]

[Magnus Pym]

[ic=Letter to Signore Anguillara]Signore,

Maybe it is then that I shouldn't be so formal. Instead, let us be friends to one another. It is agreed among the most powerful and relevant men of the Senate that we will not sit idly by should you suffer harm, and that we should be able to call upon you to assist us should we also suffer harm.

Hugo De Vinti
Consul of the Exterior of the Commune of Rome[/ic]

[ic=Letter to the consuls of Nepi]Consuls,

The council agrees to your proposed pact. We approach this with a seriousness you might not be used attributing us and we only hope for the same seriousness and involvment in return. It is my personal hope that the agreement will one day, sooner rather than later, become less discreet. It is also that as Consul of the Exterior, elected by the Roman Senate for a specific mandate, I have a duty to keep pressing your government on this matter. Know that I mean no disrespect and shall not apply unnecessary pressure on you neither.

At your request, we have kept the agreement discreet. It's also why I haven't sent a copy herein. As previously discussed, it was a reciprocal deal.

From the senatores consiliarii of the Roman Senate
Hugo de Vinti, Consul of the Exterior of the Commune of Rome[/ic]

[ic=Letter to His Holiness, Victor IV]To His Holiness, Victor IV

I've heard that Pietro di Vico keeps following your court; continually making requests to regain the title of Prefect of Rome. The Romans have not forgotten his excesses and abuses, and thus will refuse his elevation to such a position. It's not our intent to defy the pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, but it surely is in our interest to protect our liberty and wealth from rapacious tyrants such as he. Should you deem it necessary to obtain his support in order to foil the plans of the schismatics, then do what you must. But the Romans are now making themselves clear to you, Your Holiness. I don't mean to offend. Rather, to inform you of the deep distrust of your people for Lord di Vico.

The Senate works still to acquire new allies and solidify existing ones. Our efforts are already starting to bear fruit, but I must keep further information outside of written correspondance for now. I hope this, at least, is pleasing sound to your ear.

Hugo de Vinti
Consul of the Exterior of the Commune of Rome[/ic]

[ic=Letter to Raynald von Dassel, Archbishop of Cologne, Imperial Chancellor, Archchancellor of Italy]To Raynald von Dassel, Imperial Chancellor,

The Imperial cause in Rome is strong. The Romans understand more than anyone the relation between the city and its Emperor, and they're proud to perpetuate the customs of their ancestors. The Emperor's duty is to bring peace and balance to this chaotic and violent world, and it's the Romans duty to help the Emperor achieve this vision.

The Rome of three years ago was surrounded by doubters and enemies, but the new government has made it its priority to align its neighbours more closely with its interests, and thus the interests of the Emperor. The Senate of the Commune of Rome is already starting to see its efforts bear fruit. Such was made apparent in the smooth but sudden conversion of Viterbo to the Imperialist cause. That was not sorcery of some kind, or only chance. It was diplomacy and negociation, then followed by opportunity and a show of force.

But for the Senate to be able to help the Emperor in any meaningful way, it must not be under threat from its own people. We have come a long way since our becoming a Commune; we've rebuilt critical infrastructure and continue to do so; we've preserved the monuments of old and found even more; we've cracked down on gangs and set up a system of laws that is just and equitable. The Emperor supports Pope Victor IV, and the Senate bows to his wisdom. The Romans, however, have been told not to accept the appointment of a praefectus orbi from the Curia. It has come to my attention last season that the vile tyrant and abuser, Lord Pietro di Vico, has been following His Holiness all around Latium to request the reinvestiture of his lost title of Prefect. A title he has so violently defaced and dishonored. The Senate of Rome will have too many problems to deal with inside its walls to provide help outside them if the man is allowed even close to the city-gates.

As Imperial Chancellor, I thought you should know of this meaningful unfolding event. Failure to recognize the lord's elevation to Prefect of Rome as a serious threat to Roman interests will weaken the Emperor's position to the south, even if the Imperial Marshal makes advances. Rome has considerable resources that can help the Imperialist cause. It appears ill advised to trade Rome for Lord Pietro di Vico.

Hugo de Vinti,
Consul of the Exterior of the Commune of Rome[/ic]

[ic=Before the Senate]Excellent idea, Senator Basile. We should indeed put quick assembly to the test. In fact, I wonder if the Senate shouldn't legiferate on this issue, that the Consuls must hold such excercises a given number of times per year. Lest the last example of a muster must become the norm.

As to the reinforcement of the tabularium, indeed it's been made plain to everyone that it must be made more secure. It's unfortunate that my family's wealth already serves other purposes, but should coin remain unspent while the project still requires funding, then I shall eagerly spare some. I too appeal to the generosity of the great men of this body so that the tabularium's fortifications may swiftly be erected.[/ic]

[ic=Before the Lesser Council]Does Lord Anguillara seek the title of Prefect of Rome, I wonder? It does not matter, anyways, for we have sworn to support Annibaldo's candidacy. In the best circumstances, the Pope would justly recognize the capacity of the Romans to govern themselves and there would be no need to name a Prefect at all.[/ic]

[ooc=Orders for the Winter of 1160]Pay palatinii [1 WP]

Transfer [1 WP] in the "de Vinti fund"

Have four masnadas remain at Acilia on the Via Ostisensis and keep a careful and constant watch on Draco. If the cellar is being used for illicit activities, I must know about it. Their mission is only to acquire information; especially the when and who of any happenings. In the meantime, they can pose as residents of the village and help with some of the reconstruction.

Marco Octavio, with five other palatinii, will remain on watch at the Milvian bridge. The mission here would look like the one of the previous season, just without any formal decree. He will, however, have in his possession a letter signed by myself giving him the authority to search and question any passerby he might deem suspicious. Should I hear of any abuse on his part, I shall evaluate the situation and if indeed he seems to have abused his position as "gatekeeper", he shall be replaced with another palatini and brought into the city for normal patrols.

The tabularium remains important to watch over, so my remaining palatinii will patrol this area as well as the Market of Trajan. They will also patrol the area around the Theater of Marcellus and the Senate itself. The mission is to keep these areas as free of crime as possible. Concerning the Theater area, it is more to help keep some semblance of order with all the "foreigners" who've been making this district their new residence, thus clashing with the locals.

I will remain in my palace and attend Senate meetings, as well as be on hand to welcome any foreign delegations. The de Vinti fund will remain in my palace for the time being, which explains why I must remain there with my masnadas as much as possible. Not about to become paranoid, but with strange men lurking about in Nepi, I feel I must make myself discreet and stay alert in Rome as well, especially when I want my well-armed forces to do their duties.

Store the manuals and forms for letter writing from Orléans in the University, where they might be of better use than in my estate.

Since lodging and accommodations can be made for Romans interested in going to Orléans to learn the trade of letter writing, probe the university, but also other possible institutions and places in Rome where candidates could be picked and given the opportunity to go. Laymen are preferred.

Coordinate with Consul Viviani and Senator Basile for a sudden muster exercise the second week of January. Word of the event will be spread over the two first weeks so that the muster can be optimized, in terms of readiness and swift assembly, but also in terms of the quantity and quality of men and weapons. The equites and nobles of the Commune I will encourage a strong and disciplined showing, that the more common soldier be inspired and confident. The word that will spread will also include an encouragement to all men-at-arms to shine their arms.
As the soldiers are assembled, I will deliver a speech that the Commune finds itself in a difficult position. Being at once the seat of the papacy and the cultural jewel of the Empire, it might be forced to use arms in order to protect its rights and liberties, considering the proportions and proximity of the current conflict. I will follow with a request that all there present should remain alert throughout the season for other musters, which might be to the effect of a real campaign. Then, the soldiers will remain in formation while I, Consul Viviani and Senator Basile, as well as our trusted officers, make a head count. How many footies? How many warhorses? How are the weapons? What about the armours? How many banners are there left from previous campaigns and should we make more? Are disciplinary measures required to even form the ranks, or just to maintain them, or not at all?
This is a serious attempt to investigate the precise nature of our armed forces and its capabilities, and record it.
After the head count and the inscription on records, perform various military formations and drills as to better understand our strengths and weaknesses. Since Senator Basile has experience in this regard, I will require his support.
The records of the head count will be copied in a formal letter to the Imperial Marshall, as well as on another record to be kept in the Tabularium. The original one can stay in my possession, as should be the right of the Consul of the Exterior to keep up to date records of his Commune's armed forces.
In the days prior to the muster, I will spend some time with Senator Basile to go over battle formations and drills he has already practiced, in order that we practice these even further and that I may be able to comprehend them prior to doing them.
While the event takes place, my four masnadas at Acilia will remain in position. Five of my remaining masnadas that follow me around this season will stay at the palace with my brother to make sure the funds are not left alone in my estate for anyone to grab. My remaining masnadas and all palatinii will participate in the muster.[/ooc]

[Steerpike]

[ic=Before the Senate]I thank Senators Basile and de Vinti for their words of support. In the matter of Oddone Frangipani, I wish to say a few words of further explanation. I should begin be saying that I understand why my actions have come under scrutiny. Were every choice a stark one between good and ill, our lives would all be the easier, but very often one is forced to choose not between the good and the bad but between two suboptimal outcomes. I was forced – in the absence of the Consul of the Exterior – to make a decision swiftly, a decision I still believe to be the right one: I chose not to risk Rome's fields and to preserve its citizens and its militia against wanton slaughter. Were the city's crops now well-watered with the blood of its defenders and its orchards aflame, the criticism against me would be all the fiercer.

I also concur with my Senatorial colleagues that the muster of militia needs to become more efficient, so that in future we need not risk devastation in order to enforce our interests[/ic]

[ooc=Orders for the Winter of 1160]-Assist Senator de Vinti in organizing the drills.

- Devote 2 WP to helping fortify the armory and the tabularium.

- It is clearly time to become serious about the perniciousness of Arnoldism. Indeed, dealing with this upstart preacher is enormously overdue. Simply killing him may only make a martyr of him, however, though prosecuting him for rebellion or heresy may yet be an option. For the time being, Sanguineous will dispatch a few of his trusted household men to begin worming their way into Arnoldist circles, posing as Arnoldist sympathizers. Their goal is to seek anything that could be used to discredit or embarrass Arnold of Brescia, to present him as a hypocrite or otherwise acquire leverage against him. For all his claims against worldliness, does the man have no vices, no weaknesses? He is but a man, and men are weak no matter their words. Investigations into his past, his personal habits, his acquaintances, his predilections – all of these must be made. If there is a way to tempt him, to lure him into some unsavoury activity, Sanguineus would know of it. Up to 2 WP can be used to further these investigations. The agents should take their time and be discrete: immediate results are neither demanded nor expected, but any useful information will be rewarded. If Arnold is truly as spotless a soul as his preaching would claim, then at least we will have eliminated a few options.

These agents should also try to discover how vulnerable Arnold is. How is his health? His security? Is he ever alone?[/ooc]

[Polycarp]

We've now reached our stated deadline for orders, but for now you're free to continue letters/communications if you have any more.  It'll be a few more days before I can start working on inquests, and until then you're free to make order edits without telling me.

[ic=A Messenger to the Senate from Otto von Wittelsbach]
Hail in the name of the August Emperor!

Count Otto requires that all loyal subjects of the emperor are prepared to serve him with their full strength of arms.  It is necessary that the consuls of Rome be prepared to muster their militia and knights within ten days upon receiving the command of the marshal to do so.  Knights shall be required to yield him 40 days service upon his command, while commoners shall serve at his pleasure.  Rome shall provide such officers as to necessary to lead their forces, ensuring that they are of appropriate station and experience.

The consuls of Rome are required to present to Count Otto a correct and forthright account of the number of their knights and the strength of their common soldiery, and to submit this to him within thirty days.[/ic]

[ic=A letter to Senator Basile from Otto von Wittelsbach]
It is sufficient that you perform your duty to your emperor and ensure the instructions that have been given your consuls are faithfully executed.

I have heard of the failure of a consul of Rome, Herr Viviani, to face manfully the soldiers of our enemy.  I am interested to know if he is a coward or a traitor.

OTTO, Pfalzgraf und Reichsmarschall[/ic]

[ic=Signore Anguillara to Senator Manzinni]I am pleased to hear it, and God willing there will be a satisfying conclusion.[/ic]

[ic=To Consul de Vinti from the Consuls of Nepi]Consul,

We hereby affirm the agreement to be in full effect as written as of the day we received your latest letter.  At this point we must regrettably decline your proposal to make the agreement known.  This is a matter we will of course reconsider in the future should the situation change.

The Consuls of Nepi[/ic]

I admit, I am curious about the answer to TMG's question above, as well.

Sorry, didn't follow up on this in thread because I gave TMG my answer in chat.  I believe the discounted figure to bring it up to Sec 2 was 4 WP.

Re: your in-character interactions with NPC equites, I'll happily cover that in inquests for the next update if that's alright with you.

"The Romans, however, have been told not to accept the appointment of a praefectus orbi from the Curia..."

It's actually praefectus urbi; praefectus orbi would mean "Prefect of the World," probably a grander title than di Vico is after.  :P

[TheMeanestGuest]

[ic=A Letter to Otto von Wittelsbach]Signore,

I will attest that Consul Viviani is a man of great patriotism, and neither coward nor traitor. Oddone Frangipani arrived quite suddenly in the contado with his army, and the Roman militia was mustered with haste to confront him. The Consul's decision was motivated by consideration for the greater welfare of Rome. The Frangipanist knights outnumbered the knights of the City more than two to one, and their force was far the fresher. Likewise we had not yet heard of your own successes in the north, Signore, and so after much deliberation the Consul yielded passage of the bridge. The Consul and many milites believed this discretion warranted in order to preserve the fighting capacity of the City's militia for a battle whose circumstance could be dictated by the Romans and not by the enemy. The Romans are courageous, and I have fought among them many times on the field. They will fight bravely and well should they be called upon to do so.

Senator Roberto Basile[/ic]

[Magnus Pym]

[ic=Letter to Senator Basile]Senator Basile,
I will require your assistance with the muster, as you must've expected already. My experience with military affairs is limited in some respects and thus I must have recourse to a military expert to fulfil part of my duties accordingly. You have mustered the men before, you've led them into battle, you've set up sieges and have kept armies together under pressure. Because of this I wish you to act as my primary advisor in all military matters. I will not force you and understand that this request might, in a way, insult your dignity, but know that it is not my intention. Rather, I also wish to build some confidence in my abilities from the men who must obey my commands in circumstances of war. Do you think you can help me in this matter?

Furthermore, I wonder if we have a count on the siege engines, and if you knew how long it takes to pack them for transport, as well as set them up when they arrive at destination?

Hugo de Vinti[/ic]

[ic=Letter to Niccolo Cappoci]Signore Cappoci,
The Senate of Rome has elected to muster the entirety of its forces on the second week of January. We have no intention to leave on campaign. Rather, our intent is to get a proper head count, to increase and maintain an appropriate level of readiness, and most importantly to make a show of force. We expect of our greatest knights, certainly one such as yourself, a level of discipline and seriousness that would be required in campaign circumstances in order to inspire and project confidence.

On a personal note, know that I value your participation in this exercise. This is why I'm inviting you to ride alongside the commanding party as we arrange the ranks, count our forces and execute drills. This is an opportunity to show the Romans the power of House Cappoci. I can only hope you will seize it.

Hugo de Vinti
Consul of the Exterior of the Commune of Rome[/ic]


[ic=Letter to Signore Annibaldo]Signore Annibaldo,
The Senate of Rome has elected to muster the entirety of its forces on the second week of January. We have no intention to leave on campaign. Rather, our intent is to get a proper head count, to increase and maintain an appropriate level of readiness, and most importantly to make a show of force. We expect of our greatest knights, certainly one such as yourself, a level of discipline and seriousness that would be required in campaign circumstances in order to inspire and project confidence.

Your popularity among the Romans is soaring, so I thought it adequate to invite you personally to ride along the commanding party as we form the ranks and record our current military power. Your presence within the commanding party surely is an opportunity to show the power of your House and I hope you will seize it.

Hugo de Vinti
Consul of the Exterior of the Commune of Rome[/ic]

[ic=Letter to Cencio Pierleoni]Signore Pierleoni,
The Senate of Rome has elected to muster the entirety of its forces on the second week of January. We are not launching a campaign at this moment. Rather, our intent is to get a proper head count, to increase and maintain an appropriate level of readiness, and most importantly to make a show of force. We expect of our greatest knights, certainly a patrician, a level of discipline and seriousness that would be required in campaign circumstances in order to inspire and project confidence.

A Patrician should be a respected man in Rome, and so should be his counsel. This is why I invite you to ride alongside the commanding party as the forces muster, as we count the heads and arms and as we perform various military exercises. I suppose this could also serve as a platform for you to make a good showing and remind the Romans and their enemies how powerful the House of Pierleoni is.

Hugo de Vinti
Consul of the Exterior of the Commune of Rome[/ic]

"The Romans, however, have been told not to accept the appointment of a praefectus orbi from the Curia..."

It's actually praefectus urbi; praefectus orbi would mean "Prefect of the World," probably a grander title than di Vico is after.  :P

Ah, yes. Hehe :)

[TheMeanestGuest]

[ic=A Letter to Hugo de Vinti]It is my duty to serve the Commune of Rome as best as I am able. If you require my military experience, then you shall have it. My advice on such matters is likewise at your service, Consul. As for our siege engines, I will tell you that we have none. Instead we have the knowledge required to build them. Such things are cumbersome to move about, and so we have none assembled and at the ready - rather, they are built at the site of the siege in which they are to be used. I had heard, however, that Fortis Calafatus had at some point prepared a store of ammunition for these catapults. As to whether this stockpile exists or its location, I could not say. But certainly it would not be difficult to prepare additional stones - merely tedious.

Senator Roberto Basile[/ic]

[Magnus Pym]

[ic=Letter to Senator Basile]I appreciate your help. Let's meet the day before the muster so I can get up to speed with the battle formations and other tactics you've already showed the men. A new consul does not have to mean new tactics if those of the previous ones worked, don't you agree?[/ic]

You don't actually have to reply to this, TMG. I already wrote orders reflecting a positive answer on your side. However if it doesn't work for you I can scratch that (in my orders).

[Elven Doritos]

[ooc=Out of character]
Is this game still going on?

I'm far too busy to rejoin but I had an idea I wanted to throw at everyone (PC included) - I'd have to see where you guys are at in the game, but I've toyed with the idea that Borsarius, in his semi-retirement, has been working on a written civic constitution and wants to present his work to the Council, probably in a separate thread.  Let me know!)[/ooc]

[Magnus Pym]

It looks like life has taken Polycarp away from us. Hehe.

I'm still down to play this, as always. And I like your idea.

By the way, hi everybody :)

[Polycarp]

Life has indeed taken me away from you - I moved around the time of the last update, for instance, and it's been a hectic and difficult year.

Additionally, however, I think the game was also struggling (at least from my perspective) because of being pared down to only four players.  I realize there's a contradiction there - "Polycarp is too busy, but he wants more players, which would make running the game more work" - and so be it, but in essence this is intended to be a political game and there's limited room for that with only four players.  Consular elections, for instance, essentially became a lock, with one person usually declining to run and the two consulships floating between the remaining three players.

With the hindsight of several years of running this game, I certainly could think of ways that system could have been improved.  Most importantly, I expected the players to define the consulship, but that never really happened; if the nominal leadership roles had more actual, "game-defined" power, or if there were NPCs pushing for a well-defined consulship, that might have improved things.

Although I've been away for a while, I'm not gone, and I'd consider playing in or running a game like this one (or even RR itself) again.  Although I wish there were more of you, all of you guys were great people to play and chat with and I'm thankful for you sticking with my little exercise in alt-history.

[Steerpike]

At various times my own schedule interfered with consular duties and generally playing the game as fully as I'd have liked, and I agree that more players would help. That said if at any point you want to pick the game up yet again I'd absolutely continue. I really want to assassinate or do away with that damn Arnold, that pinko troublemaker.

[Llum]

Nooooooooo, Arnold must be saved!

[Magnus Pym]

Both Arnold and Wetzel are bothersome. It seemed politically correct to shelter Arnold, but not anymore, really.

Arnold must perish :)

[Elven Doritos]

Oh damn, I killed RR!

(Of course, I always suspected Borsarius would, indirectly, cause the death of the Republic.)

[Magnus Pym]

I'm bumping this for nostalgia's sake.

...

And of course with much hope. I mean, this looks dead to me, but a man can dream!