The Republic Reborn

[Polycarp]

LD, considering the situation, I'll allow you to hire out his guards this turn.  After this turn they'll go with him into retirement.

Also I must insist that all WP be spent in integer values - that is, no fractions.  My sanity is fragile and if you make me keep track of fractions of WP, you will break it :(

[LD]

Thanks. Fixed.

[Magnus Pym]

[ic=At the Lesser Council]Now now Manzinni, I sense a sort of anger in your words. No decision has been made concerning the use, lease or sale of the Theatre of Marcellus. No need to rush to conclusions.

Indeed it is often good to have a debate, especially on so serious a matter. I do not disagree with the fact that the Theatre's location is pretty much... central, and would no doubt benefit from hosting military personnel. But it is too soon to appear aggressive. What Rome needs right now is to straighten up and loosen the huge amount of pressure that's being exercised on it.

Once that is done we can move on to a more expansionist agenda. I invite you to submit a lease offer for the Theater of Marcellus to my office if you wish to use the building anytime soon, but I can't guarantee anything.[/ic]

[ic=Letter to Vittorio Manzinni]Vittorio,
I write to you because I feel it is important that you know that I stand with you on this question of hosting military personnel somewhere. I'm sure many others, Calafatus among them, would support such a move.
The Theatre indeed is a good prospectus, location-wise and size-wise.
But should we make such a bold move right now, Frederick might think, and the Pope too, that we are preparing for an invasion of sorts. It is simply not in the best interest of Rome to appear so aggressive at such a critical time.

That being said, and I hope it will relieve you at least a bit, I wonder; have you acquired any forces?

And on the side, it has been a long time since I inquired about this, but do you still have those crossbows, at least fifty?

Your friend,
Hugo De Vinti[/ic]

[LD]

[ic=Letter to DaVinti]
Indeed I still do possess the crossbows; are you still interested in acquiring them?

Regarding personal forces; I have recently started training my masnada in the use of armor and spears. I do not intend to keep a standing army but given the sadly constant tensions in Rome and the lack of a neutral force to keep the peace, I have provided payment for training 60-70 men during the Winter. Unless unrest occurs in the Spring, they will likely be de-mobilized. I dislike the idea of holding arms except when necessary. It is a sad day when disagreements are settled by force rather than by debate.

I had not thought that the Pope or Frederick may see the utilization of the Theatre for those purposes to be such an intimidating gesture, but it is as you mention- very plausible they could react in that fashion and if they were to react in that fashion, then the consequences could be most dire. Still, the militia is training somewhere currently, no? Would it not be more efficient if they were to train in a centralized location?

On a side related note- it seems that Frederick is restoring the old rights and titles and powers. This indicates that the people dispossessed by the Senate will have their rights restored... Farfa, the Lateran Palace, and more along with recompense. The Senate should have a clear plan for how to react to such an attempt to assail the status quo. It may be worthwhile to plan with Fortis how to deal with this situation, seeing as he acquired many locations that may otherwise be ordered returned when Frederick wills.
[/ic]

Note; will respond to Da Vinti's other statement later. *Edit. No apparent need to respond to his statement.

[Túrin]

[ic=Private to Manzinni]Dear Senator Manzinni,

Thank you for this proposal. May it be the start of a long and profitable business relationship!

I will be happy to guarantee the exclusiveness of this relationship: I hereby promise not to take on smithing contracts from anyone related to the hospitality business other than Senator Manzinni, Senator DeRosa, and their agents. This promise will be reneged only if:
- Senator Manzinni and Senator DeRosa no longer require my services;
- Senator Manzinni explicitly revokes it; or
- I no longer deem it expedient, and give Senators Manzinni and DeRosa six month's notice of this.

I already wrote to DeRosa to offer him my services but he has not (yet) replied to me. Since you asked, I will write him again, but if you deem his involvement to be important perhaps you will have better luck writing him yourself.

Sincerely,
Romolo Vannetti[/ic]

Since the above is a reply to a post that is already a few pages back, I have included the letter I am replying to here for reference:
[spoiler=Manzinni's letter]

[ic=Private to Romolo]
Dear Romolo,

If my private ventures succeed in Rome and in the Senate and if taxation remains low, then I believe I can continue making investments into gold utilization from your offers. What I would like to construct are some goldsmithed icons-religious in nature- and some decorations for some of my hospitality houses to house pilgrims.

It goes without saying that it is appreciated if you keep the details of our arrangement private at least for several seasons until a sufficient number of these gold-items are developed--I guarantee that I alone can give you more business than could anyone else as I am the chief holder of hospitality in Rome. I do, however, also recommend that you make a similar offer to DeRosa, who is likewise interested in the hospitality business. Together, we could prosper in a stable and safe Rome.

Sincerely, Vittorio Manzinni.[/ic]

[/spoiler]

[ic=Private to DeRosa]Dear Senator DeRosa,

A while back I wrote to you offering my services as a goldsmith to your restoration projects. At Senator Manzinni's suggestion, I now add to that an offer to construct golden decorations for your hospitality houses. At Senator Manzinni's request, this offer comes with a promise of exclusiveness: I will not do similar work for anyone other than Senator Manzinni or yourself unless we agree otherwise.

Please let me know if you are interested.

Sincerely,
Senator Romolo Vannetti[/ic]

[ooc=Orders for Winter 1155]- Now that I have made a long-term deal with Manzinni, perhaps I can actually make some of it into an investment this time? I certainly seem to have claimed one of the biggest contracts that is likely to be around in the near future, thus improving the long-term prospects for my business as well. Anyway, my approach is as usual: if I can make any part of this deal into an investment, I will (i.e., spend any money up to 12 WP on investments related to this deal). Otherwise, I'll take the short-term profits in cash (at least this will hopefully generate some extra cashflow the next few turns).
- Given the drought of investment opportunities in either smithing or lending, it is time to try to branch out. Let's investigate the possibilities for investing in the silver trade (I imagine spending 1WP should be enough to do any investigations needed). How exactly does silver get to Rome from Pisa? Are there silver traders going between Pisa and Rome or are Pisan traders or even mine-owners in charge of this? If the former, would they be interested in working for me (for a regular income) instead of living off the profits of their trade directly?
- I'd also like to learn more about Basile's work, the possibility of the Pope coming back to Rome, and any restoration work he might have done if this happens. I keep two ears out for news on this as often as I can spare them. I'll write to Basile once I learn a little more about the intentions of everyone involved.[/ooc]

[Polycarp]

Túrin (and anyone else who doesn't know yet), Elemental_Elf has informed me that he will not be able to participate in RR for the time being because of IRL issues.  Hopefully he will return to us when he's less busy, but until then I will be retiring Senator DeRosa (more specifics on this in the coming update).

[Llum]

[ooc=Orders for this turn]
-Send two agents, one  in the open and one secretly, to Aredea to see what the weaknesses/needs/strengths/political climate/any other relevant info of the city
-Send two agents, one  in the open and one secretly, to Nettuno to see what the weaknesses/needs/strengths/political climate/any other relevant info of the city
-Agree to the land deal with the Tusculani, renting their land for a period of 2 years for 10 WP.
-Send an agent to keep tabs on Senator Manzinni to see what he is up too.
-Invest as many WP as possible in blacksmiths and carpenters.
[/ooc]

[Polycarp]

Anno Domini MCLV
Winter has passed into spring...
Spring in Rome is awaited with great eagerness, for it is Holy Week leading up to Easter in which the great annual flood of pilgrims pours into the city.  While some are barefoot and penniless penitents, others are wealthy knights and burghers from all over Europe coming to marvel at the churches and relics of Rome and pay through the nose for accommodations, guides, and souvenirs.  In the fields, peasants are clearing ditches, fixing roofs damaged in winter, and planting summer crops like millet in fallow fields.  In the pasturelands, the sheep are shorn before the flocks return to the hills.  After Easter comes the traditional "campaign season," lasting until late summer when the peasants are needed back on their fields for the harvest.

Our Consuls: Hugo Da Vinti and Fortis Calafatus
Our Pope: Adrian IV
Our Rage: Fuming!

[ooc=This Season's Top 5 Popular Issues]
1. "The Emperor is coming!  Who will defend us?"
2. "The Senate must act to save us from anarchy."
3. "Arnold of Brescia is a great man.  We should protect him."
4. "Down with the English Pope!  Death to the foreigners! "
5. "Manzinni is a puppet of the Papal Curia!"[/ooc]

News from Abroad

Frederick von Hohenstaufen, King of Germany, has spent the winter in Lombardy campaigning against the intransigent commune of Milan and its allies.  The Imperial army seized and destroyed several Milanese castles but declined to attack the city itself, approaching no closer than the city of Monza a few miles away.  There, at the Basilica of St. John, Frederick was crowned with the Iron Crown of Lombardy, formally assuming the title rex Italiae, King of Italy.  From Monza the King proceeded to Turin, where he was welcomed by William V, Marquess of Montferrat.  Together with William's troops, the Germans then marched on the rebellious cities of Asti and Chieri, whose residents fled before the Imperial advance.  Both cities were burned to the ground.  The King marched next to Tortona and demanded that the city renounce its alliance with the Milanese.  The Tortonesi refused the King's ultimatum, and King Frederick and Marquess William besieged the city on February 15th.

News arrives from abroad that Stephen, King of England, is dead, and the throne has passed to his great rival Henry of Anjou, now Henry II of England.  Henry already owns more of France than the French king himself, making him undoubtedly the richest monarch in western Europe!

War has broken out between the Provençal House of Baux and the Catalan House of Barcelona, with both houses claiming the County of Provence as their own.  Though Lord Hugh of Baux has been recognized as the rightful Count by his nominal liege, King Frederick of Germany, the Catalans currently control most of the territory.

News of Latium

In January, the newly elected Pope Adrian IV relocated the Papal Curia from Tivoli to the Faliscan city of Viterbo.  Some claim it is a sign that the Pope is conspiring with the Faliscans, while others argue that the Curia is merely relocating to a more secure position, or perhaps positioning itself to intercept Frederick's army before it reaches Rome.

Pietro Tusculani, the elderly abbot of Subiaco, has died.  He has been succeeded by a member of the Papal Curia, Cardinal Simone Borelli, who is expected to be more friendly to the interests of the Pope than the intransigent Pietro.

News of Rome

A delegation from the Papal Curia arrived in Rome in mid-December for the burial of Pope Anastasius.  Though several cardinals were present, Pope Adrian IV was conspicuously absent.  The Curial party entered the city from the east with a armed guard of knights provided and led by Oddone Frangipane, who had not set foot in the city since the founding of the Commune a decade ago.  They were joined at the Lateran by many distinguished Senators and Equites, as well as Patrician Pierleone and Signore Colonna.  Anastasius was buried in the crypt below the Basilica of St. John Lateran in a marvelous red porphyry sarcophagus.  The funeral procession avoided the populated areas of Rome for fear of provoking a riot, and the Papal delegation departed the city that same evening.  Consul Hugo de Vinti was commended for his very proper handling of the ceremony and Roman escort, but the entire occasion was overshadowed by the tense state of affairs between the city, the Pope, and the coming King that still hovers over Rome like a black cloud.

Although Anastasius was buried peacefully, the anger of the Romans would not be denied for long.  On Christmas Eve, perhaps inspired by history – Charlemagne was crowned Emperor on Christmas Day – a rumor spread like wildfire through the city that Frederick had stolen a march on Rome and even now drew close to the city.  The rumor was taken seriously enough that a group of militiamen decided to grab their arms and rush to the Capitoline, and the sight of apparently mustering militia induced a general panic.  The events that have been dubbed the "Christmas Eve Riots" are more completely covered below.

Expeditions

[spoiler=The Christmas Eve Riots]With the city in a state of panic on Christmas Eve, Consul de Vinti and his personal armsmen proceeded to the Curia Julia to ascertain what exactly was going on.  He was met there by the 150 or so militiamen who had "mustered" without any commands to do so; while they had probably contributed to the state of chaos by doing so, they were at least present, which was more than could be said of the vigili who were nowhere to be found.  Rumors were flying in from everywhere – the Germans were at the gates; no, the Germans had entered the Leonine city; no, the Faliscans were attacking; riots were here, there, everywhere, districts were on fire, churches were under attack.  With no way to discern the truth of any of them in a timely fashion, the Consul decided to move to address the most serious threats first, and pray to God he chose wisely.

The Consul decided the rumors of a German attack were probably untrue; according to the most recent foreign reports, the Germans were still in Lombardy.  As the Forum itself did not seem to be in any danger, the Consul and his men marched quickly to Parionis et S. Laurentii in Damaso, where it was rumored that a massive riot had broken out.  What was actually happening was not quite a riot, but disorder all the same.  Residents were looting shops and churches, either convinced that the end was nigh or simply taking advantage of the situation.  The looters fled in the face of the Consul's troops, but quickly returned when they had moved on, and the winding and narrow streets of the district made controlling the situation impossible.  After clearing the main east-west avenue of the district, the Consul's troops moved on to Arenule et Caccabariorum, as a plume of smoke was easily visible from their location.

A fire was raging in the coastal district, ripping through the crowded and poorly-made wooden hovels erected since the flood cleared much of the district last year.  The Consul had no choice but to try and organize a response, grabbing barrels and buckets from anywhere they could be found and struggling to control the flames.  The effort seemed doomed to failure, but the sight of these few hundred men struggling to stop the firestorm caused many of the fleeing residents to turn around and try and help.  Within a few minutes, they were also joined by around a hundred Pierleonist armsmen who had seen the smoke from the Leonine City and crossed over to assist.

Consul de Vinti had sent a messenger to Consul Calafatus when he departed from the Forum, and within an hour Calafatus had arrived at the Curia Julia with his guard.  Finding only a few distraught militiamen with no answers for him, he marched from there to Parionis, where he found the district in much the same state of looting and disorder as de Vinti had left it.  Parading down the street on horseback with his guard behind him, Calafatus called to the residents that he was going to go stop the Germans; certainly this erased any lingering doubts the residents had as to whether the rumors of a German attack were true.  Some simply fled the district entirely; others, apparently having more faith in the Consul, began following his "army" down the avenue.  The Consul's remarks that the looters were only "helping the Germans" were apparently interpreted by some as referring to saboteurs.  Indirectly, this led to the cessation of the looting, for as the Consul moved on from the district upon seeing the great plume of smoke from the riverside, the more law-abiding residents of Parionis armed themselves and waged war upon the "traitors" looting the district.  More than forty people were lynched or beaten to death by these vigilante bands that night.

Just as the effort to control the firestorm looked hopeless, a miracle occurred – the wind abruptly changed and blew westward, stopping the fire in its tracks.  Minutes later, Consul Calafatus arrived with his guard and several hundred citizen-volunteers trailing behind, who were quickly put to work.  With renewed vigor, the Romans attacked the fire with their bucket lines until it was reduced to a patchy bunch of localized fires that continued to smolder on until morning.

While all this was going on, Ripe et Marmorate was seized by rioting, and the more immediate danger of the fire prevented the Consuls from addressing the situation.  A large mob advanced on the Basilica of Santa Prisca on the hill above the district, the home of a group of French monks who had suffered intermittent attacks since the election of the "barbarian" Pope.  It was fortunate that Senator Manzinni, aware of their plight, had stationed some of his men and the hired guards of Senator DeRosa there.  These guardsmen sent for the Senator immediately when the mob approached.  He arrived to find DeRosa's guardsmen having retreated into the Basilica itself after being pelted with stones, and the mob attempting to burn down the structure with the guards and monks still inside.  Seeing no other alternative, Senator Manzinni's masnada and newly-raised armsmen charged the mob, which was caught entirely by surprise.  After a brief and bloody skirmish, the mob was routed and streamed back towards the port in disarray; at least a dozen were killed and more were seriously injured.  This defeat seemed to take the worst out of the rioters, and by midnight a semblance of order had returned to the district.

The rumors of attack that had set the whole city off turned out to be no more than rumors; the Germans were evidently still in Lombardy and no army of any kind was nearing Rome.  And what of the vigili, who were nowhere to be found when the crisis erupted?  Apparently they had heard the rumors as well, and – perhaps fearing that they would be punished as traitors if an Imperial-Papal army took the city – fled Rome entirely, together with their arms, and were last seen in the neighborhood of Tre Fontane (the likely origin of rumors that Tre Fontane had come under attack by Romans).  A mounted patrol dispatched to look for them on Christmas day caught a few stragglers who had taken refuge with local villagers, but the majority seem to have marched straight out of the Roman contado altogether.

Consuls Calafatus and de Vinti have each gained 1 Popularity.  Senator Manzinni has been noted for his heroic defense of a Roman basilica and has gained 1 Orthodoxy.[/spoiler]

Finances

Treasury: 13 WP

Income: 2 WP

• Duty, Patrician Pierleone: 1 WP
• Tribute, Tre Fontane: 1 WP

Expenditures: 0 WP

[spoiler=Personal Finances]
Arrigus Sismondii
Wealth Level 4 [12/16]
Savings: 0 WP
IP: 22 Wine, 2 Olives, 12 Wool
Projects: Rocca [10/15]
Assets: Estate

Fortis Calafatus
Wealth Level 4 [7/16] +2 WP (Rented Land)
Savings: 2 WP
IP: 26 Farmland, 5 Colosseum Rent
Projects: None
Assets: Estate, De Re Militari, 150 Heavy Infantry (3WP)

Vittorio Manzinni
Wealth Level 4 [7/16]
Savings: 12 WP
IP: 24 Egyptian Trade (Glassware, Linens), 7 Hospitality
Projects: None
Assets: Estate, Crossbows [1/2], Grain [3], Land in Ripe et Marmorate, 50 Heavy Infantry (1WP)

Roberto Basile
Wealth Level 4 [2/16]
Savings: 4 WP
IP: 14 Sicilian Privateers, 10 Oranges, 2 Fishing
Projects: Tower House [15/15]
Assets: Estate, 100 Masnada (1WP)

Hugo de Vinti
Wealth Level 4 [13/16]
Savings: 14 WP
IP: 14 Marble Trade, 10 Sculpture, 13 Flax Production
Projects: None
Assets: Palazzo [10], 50 Heavy Infantry (1WP)

Romolo Vannetti
Wealth Level 4 [9/16]
Savings: 11 WP
IP: 25 Goldsmithing, 8 Moneylending
Projects: None
Assets: Estate[/spoiler]

Senatorial Inquests

Senators that requested information or launched endeavors have the results of their efforts listed here.  This information is private, but you may certainly choose to share it with the Senate.

[spoiler=Fortis Calafatus]Ardea
Ardea is ruled by Signore Crescentius Caetani.  The Caetani family is one with a long and notable past – they were once Dukes of Gaeta, from which their name derives, as well as Counts of Fondi.  Pope Gelasius II, who died in 1119, was a member of the family.  The Norman conquest, however, deprived them of Gaeta and Fondi, and all that is left to them is Ardea and some estates in the surrounding region.

In 1130, the Papacy was disputed between Anacletus II (the brother of Patrician Pierleone) and Innocent II (a supporter of the Frangipani).  Anacletus, who ruled in Rome, assigned Ardea to the Benedictine monks of the Basilica of St. Paul outside Rome; the young Crescentius disputed this and took up arms in support of Innocent II, who eventually prevailed and was recognized as the true Pope after the death of Anacletus.  Since then Crescentius has been a reliable ally of the Frangipani and an opponent of the Pierleoni.

Crescentius is known to be holding discussions with several noble families over the hand of his daughter Caetana, who was betrothed to a nobleman of the Latina valley who died of the ague last year.  Despite the family's prestigious history, their fortune is not great, which is perhaps why Crescentius has been having trouble finding a suitable match for her.  The word in your noble social circles is that he may end up having to marry her to one of the local barons who have been aggressively encroaching on his fiefs in recent years.

Ardea itself is a walled city, well-fortified by the Caetani Pope Gelasius, who often resided at its castle in the summers.  While the small city could not muster much of a force on its own, its defenses are strong and in good repair.  The town relies on local agriculture and is not known for any particular trade or industry.

Nettuno
Nettuno, like Gregoriopolis, was built in the 9th century as a fortified refuge for coastal inhabitants who were constantly terrorized by Saracen pirates.  It is larger than Gregoriopolis because the climate is better, but it is not a proper city, just a walled village.  There is no Signore of Nettuno; the village and its surroundings are contested by a number of local barons, whose nominal overlord is the Pope.  Like the Gregoriopolitans, the Nettunesi have a sindaco (mayor), but he is merely the leader of the peasants and commands little power.

The people of Nettuno are farmers and fishermen of little means; while they don't have as much malaria as Gregoriopolis, they have no salt or Roman marble to supplement their income.  The ruins of the ancient port city of Antium are a few miles away, but they are nothing compared to the Ostian marbles and can't really be the basis for an economy.

Land Deal
A Tusculani agent has accepted your payment and given you a detailed description of the boundaries of the leased land.  Though there are already peasants living on most of it, some fields have gone untilled in recent years and could benefit from new workers.

Investment
As a member of the noble class, the ownership of land is the only "respectable" trade for you – unfortunately, purchasing land in Rome has come up against two major obstacles.  Firstly, as a city that once held a million with only 30,000 people living in it now, Rome has plenty of land for anyone who wants it; secondly, the best land is owned by Rome's wealthy merchants and old noble families who comprise the class of equites that is politically opposed to you.  Your efforts to try to make a profitable investment in land for workshops would have been completely fruitless were it not for a fortuitous discovery.

The arena of the great Colosseum is now used as a simple cemetery, but the building itself is mostly divided up into workshop space and apartments for various artisans, particularly masons, smiths, and brewers.  Your inquiries into the ownership of the structure found that, in fact, virtually all of the landholders were nobles and wealthy clergymen that were expelled from the city when the Commune was established; most of the people who live or have their workplaces in the structure have not been paying rent to anyone in years.  Finding exactly who the owners are is a very complex and time consuming process; many of the records were destroyed or lost during the flight of the Pope from Rome and Basile's sack of the Lateran.  Gradually, however, you have made contact with various absentee landowners, and have found that most of them are quite willing to sell rights that they cannot exercise for very reasonable prices.  You have managed to make yourself the legal owner to more than half of the Colosseum.  The rest may take more time and money to obtain, and a few shares may simply have to be seized, as the owners are either untraceable or church magnates who are unwilling to sell anything to the Romans.

You have spent 13 WP and invested 5 WP this turn.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Vittorio Manzinni]Santa Prisca
Unfortunately, the kind of "grievances" the people have against the monks of Santa Prisca are not the kind that can be settled legally, even if Rome had a functioning legal system.  The situation was resolved through arms on Christmas Eve; DeRosa's guards were invaluable in keeping the mob back long enough for you and your men to arrive and relieve the besieged basilica.  The episode has not done much your reputation in the district, but to the Roman clergy you're a hero.  Though relations between the people and the foreign monks remain frigid, the attacks against them have stopped.

Grain
[Note: I'm not quite clear on what your order meant regarding ships/grain – did you want to purchase more grain, or the ships themselves?  At any rate, since this is winter, no sailing is possible, so it is a moot point.  Feel free to re-issue this order next turn, perhaps clarifying what you mean.]

Crossbows
Enough equites were interested in acquiring your weapons that you were able to make [1 WP] in this way.  With the recent trouble and the looming arrival of the Germans, a weapon that is supposedly well-designed for defending fortifications and tower houses evidently seems like a good investment.

Guards
You have recruited 50 men as guards and begun trying to train them for some useful purpose [So far I've done this in increments of 50 and that seemed the closest to the 60 you asked for].  It takes time to forge armor and it may be a few seasons before they are completely equipped in the fashion you desire.  Maintaining armor and equipment takes money, and it will cost [1 WP] per season to maintain 50 armed infantrymen in this fashion.  Though only newly recruited, your men performed well enough at the engagement with the mob at the Basilica of Santa Prisca, and hopefully they will continue to be worthy of your expenditure.

You are training your masnada along with these new guards; though they are already proficient enough in arms, you suppose training can never do any harm.

Gold
You have commissioned [1 WP] in religious icons of precious metal from Senator Vannetti.  Hopefully they will live up to his reputation!

You have spent 4 WP and saved 1 WP this turn.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Hugo Da Vinti]Funeral
The funeral of Pope Anastasius IV went off without a hitch; the Papal party stayed well clear of the inhabited areas of Rome and was never in any danger.  Anastasius was laid to rest in his chosen sarcophagus in the presence of the leaders of Rome as well as Colonna, Pierleone, and Oddone Frangipani, who arrived as part of the Papal party – apparently, this is the first time he has set foot in Rome since the establishment of the Commune.  Pierleone and Frangipani obviously still hated each other as much as ever, and their snide remarks about one another throughout the proceedings were the only real threat to decorum.

Naples
There is no news from Naples this season, for mariners stay off the seas in winter.  Only in Spring will you learn the success of your latest mission there.

Labarum
Your malevolent activities in Labarum have, fortunately, not been traced back to you.  So far, however, the impact of your actions there has not been overwhelming – you are aware that the local priest was called out to expel "evil spirits" from the fields, but these activities have not yet caused the villagers to leave or prompted any action from higher in the Church.  It is hard to say whether this approach will work in the long run – while the people clearly fear the devil and his malign influences, they are also poor and have very few prospects if they were to leave their land.  The barons don't seem to care about what is happening one bit as long as they receive their taxes on time.

You have spent 2 WP and saved 2 WP this turn.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Romolo Vannetti]Goldsmithing
Senator Manzinni has paid you [1 WP] for the making of religious icons and accoutrements, and you and your apprentices have begun work.  Hopefully this will be but the first installment of a long and profitable relationship.  You have been able to invest an additional [2 WP] in your smithy and equipment in anticipation of further work, though the maintenance of this investment may depend on maintaining some form of long-term demand.

Silver
Though there is no sailing done in winter, you were able to gain some useful information from the Pisans in Civitavecchia with a few well-placed bribes and social visits; as a goldsmith, you do have some contacts there already that you were able to exploit.

The political situation in Sardinia is quite complicated, too complicated for the Pisans you talked with to fully comprehend themselves.  The island is divided roughly into four provinces, or giudicati – literally, "judgeships" – which were originally native Sardinian petty kingdoms but now are nebulous pseudo-states with constantly shifting allegiances that are as often ruled by Italian merchant families as native monarchs (and because of intermarriage, sometimes the two are one and the same).  At the moment, all four of the guidicati are allies of Pisa, and Pisa's power on the isle has never been stronger.  The largest proven silver veins are in the giudicato of Logudoro, covering the northwestern corner of the island.  The current giudice is a native Sardinian named Barisone whose forefathers have ruled Logudoro since the days of Charlemagne, but his mother is Pisan and that is where his loyalty lies.

The silver of Logudoro is mined by native Sardinian workers who are apparently reasonably well paid for their work.  The silver is then moved on muleback to the small town of Porto Torres, a Pisan-held harbor where their state-owned ships convey it directly back to Pisa.  These convoys are heavily armed and escorted by warships.  The silver that arrives at Civitavecchia comes not from Porto Torres directly, but from Pisa, carried by private Pisan merchants with government contracts; this arrangement apparently exists to minimize corruption and maintain strict control by the Commune and the Archbishop of Pisa over the silver supply of Logudoro.

While Pisa would surely like to run the whole island as one great state enterprise, the giudicati are petty kings and act like it, often exasperating the Pisans by making war against each other for territory or prestige.  From what you gather from the Pisans, the politics of Sardinia are as much personal as they are commercial, with loyalties changing based on marriage and kinship.  Pisa seems supreme right now, but the sudden betrayal of a giudice has happened before and may well happen again, perhaps to Genoa's benefit.

Basile
Senator Basile's stay at the Papal Curia in Tivoli is well known to all, but the actual details of what he did there are hard to come by.  The Tiburtini (people of Tivoli) are extremely hostile to the Romans and getting any information from them has proven to be difficult for you and your men.  Basile did return from Tivoli with a splendid silk and gold-embroidered cloak as well as four "barbarians" of indeterminate national origin.  One of your men managed to track down a prostitute who had evidently been "employed" by these barbarians at Basile's estate, and according to her they are "Turks" who only speak Greek and are in the service of a man named "Cosimo," apparently some kind of official or ambassador of the Greek Empire.  As no such man appears to be in Rome, you can only assume that this was a man Basile met at the Papal Court in Tivoli.

It is plausible that the recent burial of Anastasius was discussed at Tivoli, but the Pope himself was notably absent from the ceremonies and the Church delegation left the city immediately afterwards, which would seem to imply that Basile's negotiations have not come to an immediate success.  You took the opportunity of the funeral to speak with some members of the Church delegation, one of whom said he heard the negotiations failed over the matter of Arnold of Brescia.

You have spent 1 WP, invested 2 WP, and saved 2 WP this turn.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Roberto Basile]The Normans
You returned from Tivoli, though not before a very interesting event – on the day you were preparing to leave with your retinue, several Norman knights arrived at the Curia.  Evidently, they were a delegation sent by King William of Sicily to meet with Pope Anastasius.  Though their audience with the new Pope was private, a few inquiries and minor "donations" to Papal courtiers managed to expose the story – they were sent by William to negotiate for Papal recognition of his crown, for William had assumed the crown of Sicily after his father's death without asking the Pope, his nominal sovereign.  Pope Adrian refused to grant this recognition and berated the knights for their presumption and the conduct of their lord; one courtier said the Normans were "humiliated before the whole Curia."  They have left Tivoli in an obvious fury and will likely have nothing good to say to their master upon their return to the Sicilian court.

Greeks and Barbarians
The Pechenegs had no problem with loaning you their armor for your purposes; they don't wear it all the time anyway.  They are a curious bunch who passed the winter riding around your estate at tremendous speed, drinking copious quantities of your wine, practicing archery in your garden, and bringing prostitutes back to your estate.  They claim to be "baptized Christians" in their broken Greek, though you have yet to witness them attending church.  Despite their rough pastimes, they have treated you and your men with respect and have not actually caused any problems aside from some minor accidental property damage.  Still, it seemed wise to leave them at home during the funeral of Pope Anastasius.

The funeral has been your only real opportunity to wear your paludamentum; it was not discussed, though Oddone Frangipane, a surprise guest, did ask you about where you'd managed to obtain Greek silk.  Perhaps in more peaceful times there will be more occasions to wear it in high company.

In the realm of more practical garments, you have hired some Roman smiths to try and duplicate the armor.  They are unfamiliar with the design and it may take them some time to make good copies.  They have requested an additional [1 WP] in total for the extra work and material they are putting in on this.

Gregoriopolis
The land around Gregoriopolis is, as far as you can tell, a direct ecclesiastical holding by the Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia, Hugo of Beauvais.  This being the same Hugo of Beauvais who was once Abbott of Tre Fontane when the Romans "annexed" it, he may not be terribly interested in cooperating with you, but you have decided that for now what the Cardinal doesn't know about can't hurt him.

The Gregoriopolitans gratefully received your gifts, still rather astonished that the Romans lavish so much attention on their village.  They are happy to share their techniques – from their perspective, there is far more salt marsh than they can possibly work, and they are not concerned about other people taking up the trade as well.  The salt gathering process is not complicated, just dirty, hot, and frequently malarial.  

Evidently, there is not much to be done in winter – this is the season when the brackish river floods the salt flats, replenishing the salt.  The actual collection work is done around summer, when the hot sun dries out the salt pans dug out by the workers in the spring.  As such, it seems wise to delay your gathering of laborers until next season, though you have begun the construction of some wooden piers and storage buildings for fishing vessels and equipment.  The banks of the lower Tiber are shallow and muddy, and this construction work is difficult and not very rewarding – certainly you can see what folly it would be to try and make a proper merchant port here.  Right now you are putting a considerable amount of funds in with little return, but you can only hope that the spring will bring laborers and fishermen to make something of your investment idea.

Construction
The master mason working on your new tower house informs you that the structure will be complete this spring.

You have spent 5 WP and invested 2 WP this turn.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Arrigus Sismondii]Rocca
The master mason has informed you that his men are just finishing up the curtain wall of your rocca and that it will be complete by early Spring.  While your men have set up a makeshift barracks and stables in the courtyard, most of the courtyard space is strewn with stone and tools for the construction of the keep and will not be of much use to you until then.  The curtain wall alone will be able to ward off riff-raff like bandits and looters, but without food storage, an armory, a cistern, more protected living space, and so on – which will come only when the keep is complete – the chances of it withstanding any kind of siege are negligible.

Weaving
You have spent some money buying new equipment for your weavers.  The horizontal loom makes work much faster, not because it is horizontal, but because new horizontal looms are "treadle looms" which use two foot pedals to lift the warp threads – in other words, you can just pass the shuttle through the warp threads instead of weaving it between them.  You are vaguely aware that this style of loom was introduced by the Saracens, whose fabrics are legendary.

For the time being, you have settled the weavers on Calafatus's land; it's not in the city, but at least it's land.  The weavers are resistant to the idea of any kind of "mass housing" – weaving is very much a family business, with the wife spinning the thread and the husband weaving it.  Interfering with this "natural" way of life seems strange and threatening to them.

Your efforts to break into the alum trade have been unsuccessful.  The Jewish dyers of Rome get their supplies from Jewish merchants in Palermo and Tunis who in turn buy from Jewish communities in Egypt, Africa, and the Greek Empire.  These communities are simply not interested in opening trade relations with outsiders such as yourself.  There are other sources of alum, but it is usually poor quality and often a state monopoly – Sicily, for instance, has some natural alum of mediocre quality, but its export is forbidden by the decree of the King.

Without contacts in Egypt or Africa that might be able to help you, there doesn't seem to be much opportunity for progress on this front.  Dying is certainly not impossible without alum; all kinds of substances are used as mordants.  As long as Rome's Jews control the alum supply and monopolize the secrets of their trade, however, their dyed cloth will probably always be preferred.  One wishes it was in your power to solve this dilemma the way King Roger did – he simply invaded Greece, abducted all the textile workers and dyers, and took them back to Palermo to work for him!

You have spent 5 WP and invested 2 WP this turn.[/spoiler]

[ooc=Updated!]Remember to check your finances as usual and let me know if there are any long-standing missions or reports you haven't heard anything on yet.  I know some of you have foreign missions you're waiting to hear back from; I'll be checking over those in the coming days but it might be good to poke me about them on chat or PM just to make sure I remember them.

I still need to do a number of things, such as posting the new year's population figures and correspondence.  Important correspondence![/ooc]

[Magnus Pym]

Argh, Rome is a mess.

[Polycarp]

[ic=To Senator Basile]Senator Basile,

Despite our intractable disagreements on matters of the authority of the Holy Church, it is my belief that while misguided, you have a sincere interest in protecting the peace of Rome and the lives of its citizens.  Therefore I have decided to send you this advance copy of a bull which was been penned by His Holiness and is even now being circulated through the College of Cardinals to be formally subscribed.  Though it is always possible that His Holiness will withhold its release, I see no indication that he plans to do so, and I believe that its general publication is imminent.

It is with profound dismay and alarm that We have heard of the disorder in Rome which led to an attack on a Basilica of the Holy Church and the intolerable looting of other houses of prayer and worship within the City of Saint Peter.  The defiant and unrepentant rebelliousness of the Romans against the One and Apostolic Church is long-standing and well known, for they have countenanced attacks upon the persons and sovereign property of the Holy Church and continue to harbor a notorious heretic and rebel despite all commands to the contrary; this behavior can no longer be tolerated by faithful men.

Therefore, effective upon the publication of this bull, We do solemnly place the city of Rome under perpetual interdict.

HADRIANUS, Episcopus, Servus Servorium Dei
Subscribed this day in Viberbo by the College of Cardinals

Needless to say, I am not technically authorized to leak this document to you before its publication, and I hope you will return my courtesy by not revealing your source.

Enrico da Pisa[/ic]

[ooc=What is an Interdict?]An interdict is a Papal sanction that prohibits certain activities of the Church from taking place.  It is considered less severe than an excommunication, for it does not actually expel those it targets from the Church, but unlike an excommunication an interdict can be targeted at a region or city rather than one particular individual.  Rome has never before been placed under interdict in the history of the Church.

While under interdict, the celebration of sacred rites is forbidden.  The churches are ordered to be closed.  No mass is to be read, no religious ceremonies are to take place, and no sacraments are to be performed save for baptism and communion given to the dying.  People cannot even be properly married, and the dead cannot be buried in consecrated ground.  Aside from the dire religious implications of an interdict, it should be noted that if Rome's churches are still closed by the arrival of Holy Week it will have a truly disastrous effect on the pilgrimage and thus the economy of Rome.[/ooc]

[TheMeanestGuest]

[ic=Letter to Fortis Calafatis]Consul Calafatus,

Dire tidings! I have just received word from a source inside the Curia that it is highly likely that our Great City will imminently be placed under a Papal Interdiction! This could be catastrophic, should it interfere with Holy Week. Not to mention the rage of the people when they should hear of it. I pray that a path will open so that we might be delivered. I have transcribed the text for you here, and leave this matter to your wisdom.  

Senator Roberto Basile

It is with profound dismay and alarm that We have heard of the disorder in Rome which led to an attack on a Basilica of the Holy Church and the intolerable looting of other houses of prayer and worship within the City of Saint Peter.  The defiant and unrepentant rebelliousness of the Romans against the One and Apostolic Church is long-standing and well known, for they have countenanced attacks upon the persons and sovereign property of the Holy Church and continue to harbor a notorious heretic and rebel despite all commands to the contrary; this behavior can no longer be tolerated by faithful men.

Therefore, effective upon the publication of this bull, We do solemnly place the city of Rome under perpetual interdict.

HADRIANUS, Episcopus, Servus Servorium Dei
Subscribed this day in Viberbo by the College of Cardinals

[/ic]

[LD]

Polycarp-

Indeed, the grain message was notice to acquire ships so that I'd be ready in the event that you would require me  to acquire ships. If I didn't need to spend anything to acquire the ships now (because I had them easily enough in the older wealth system), then I think my wealth calculation should be as follows, which reflects your calculations. And I'll plan to set sail this turn.
-1 WP spent on EEs guards.
-1 WP on my own guards.
-1 WP for religious icons.
-1 WP to funeral of the pope.
+1 WP from the sale to Equites.

So your calculation seems correct.

question though; regarding the taking a few seasons to equip... then what was the benefit of buying the spears from Sicily a few turns ago? Wouldn't my equipment be a bit faster than otherwise? Say 1 season v. 2 seasons usually?

[Polycarp]

Sent you a PM, LD.

[LD]

What does a green dot on the Italy map indicate?

[Polycarp]

If you mean the Latium map, then it means a city belonging to the Abbey of Farfa.

If you mean the Italy map, I'm not sure... you may be referring to Genoa, which has its own color because it is pseudo-independent (like Pisa, Ancona, Venice, and so on).