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| Under the Syrian Sun; (Post-Dominion) | |
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| Topic Started: Jul 20 2009, 09:12 PM (186 Views) | |
| Rhadamanthus | Jul 20 2009, 09:12 PM Post #1 |
Legitimist
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With the long war finally wrapping up, the Emperor Constantine XIII rode into the city of Edessa, accompanied by his counsellers and men-at-arms, and a cadre of Irish knights. The emperor was in his 40s, but he had been but a teenager when the war began. He had married his wife Sebestina and been crowned Emperor and Autocrat of the Romans, and then almost immediately been thrust into one of the most viscious periods in history - the Dominion War. Now it was over, and he had children who were older than he had been before the war started. The emperor looked older than his years, aged as he had been by the continual warfare and the horrors that had accompanied it. But with the Dominion subdued, he now had to look to the task of rewarding those who had aided him. The Irish had been loyal friends and the knights had fought valiently in defense of the empire in Syria. And so, now they entered Edessa. |
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| Sedulius | Jul 22 2009, 05:14 PM Post #2 |
Field Marshal
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Justinian Vallinius and Wilhelm Fleischmann had been in the Middle East for over a decade serving the Grandmaster Stiofan's will. Vallinius had governed and kept Syria in order, while Fleischmann had defended it, and led the Order of Saint Patrick's campaign against the Dominion when Stiofan had to depart for Ireland. The two Knight Masters, along with the Grandmaster, were the original founders of the Hibernian Order and had fought long in its name, but soon the two hoped to retire. They had orders to lead the Hibernian escort to the Roman Emperor into Edessa and follow his orders, having no idea what was about to be bestowed upon them. |
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| Rhadamanthus | Jul 22 2009, 05:58 PM Post #3 |
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Legitimist
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As they entered Edessa, the Emperor and his retinue were greeted by an assembly of the town's leading men including the remaining lesser nobility and clergy. Before the Great Catastrophe, Edessa has been the possession of the great Cyril Romanides, but the once mighty Prince of Edessa had been disgraced by the fall of his protege, the Emperor Michael X, and besides that, Cyril's line had lost the city in the calamity to follow. During the Great Catastrophe was taken over by a revolutionary heretical sect called the Solarans. That heresy was particularly diaboloical, rejecting the tradition of the Church, but its roots were shallow and it did not last. And of course Edessa, like all the lands around it, had been occupied by the Dominion and Catholic Europe. The last few decades had been hard, but a new time was at hand. The imperial retinue proceeded to tour the city. The inspected the conditions of various buildings and observed the marks left on the ancient city by the war. They had been making this sort of inspection in each of the towns they had come across, and in Edessa as in the prior locations, the townsfolk would slowly emerge from their homes as the Emperor rode past, eager to see what strange entourage had entered their city. But Edessa was no ordinary city--it was the metropolis of the ancient region of Osrhoene. It was necessary that someone hold Edessa if the empire's borders were to be secure. They stopped in the city center, near where the city's old seat of government had been. Here, the Emperor stopped. His companions all stood behind him, except for the two Hibernian Knight Masters, who were required to kneel before him. "Knight-Masters Justinian Vallinius and Wilhelm Fleischmann," he began, "We would reward you for your long service in our cause, particularly the war against the Dominion in Syria. For this reason, we wish that you would have from our hand this city and its hinterlands." The two men recognized the importance of this moment despite its impromptu nature. They tried to avoid giving away too much of their surprise as the Emperor continued to speak. "We hereby create the County of Edessa and hand it to you to govern as you wish, according to the customs of your military order. This County will belong to your order in perpetuity and is granted as fee tail. You are both to be recognized in the nobility of the Roman Empire and this entitled to be addressed by the honorific of lord. Additionally, your order is allowed to bestow the title Count of Edessa on one of its own as it sees fit according to your own customs. "We would have in return only the following things. Govern well and justly. Provide us with military levies when necessary. Defend the borders and keep up the defenses. And finally, you are free to import clergy from the Hibernian Church to attend to the needs of the Hibernians, as long as the orthodox Church is properly maintained as well. "We also will grant a number of seats in the imperial senate, whose function it is to advise us, to your order in Edessa, to the minor nobility of the County, and to the orthodox hierarchy within the County. "All of the above is our wish. Will you accept it?" Having spoken all that was on his mind, the Emperor paused to see if the two Knight Masters would accept it. Edited by Rhadamanthus, Aug 10 2009, 02:37 AM.
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| Sedulius | Jul 22 2009, 11:19 PM Post #4 |
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Field Marshal
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Vallinius kept his head bowed, and spoke softly, yet with conviction. "How can I not accept such a grand offer, dear Emperor? Of course I accept." The Emperor turned his gaze to Fleischmann. Fleischmann thought a moment before he spoke his words in a dutiful tone. "I do my duty as the Order commands." He looked up to the Emperor. "Were it up to me, good Emperor, I would be retiring. I would return to my home and family and live out the rest of my days in peace." He paused. "I accept, for I know I am needed. I thank you for your generosity." |
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| Rhadamanthus | Jul 23 2009, 09:44 AM Post #5 |
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Legitimist
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The offer accepted, one of the Emperor's standard-bearers handed him a sword, which he laid in turn on each of the Knight-Masters' shoulders, investing they and the Syrian branch of their Order with governorship of the County of Edessa. After the small ceremony had been undertaken and a little celebration was made, the imperial entourage continued their tour of the Syrian border cities. |
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11:42 AM Jul 13