Tide1

First through the gates when the trumpets roared; "CHAAAAAAAAAARGE, FOR THE EMPIRE," had Sir Arnault Honeywine frothed, and the humble Reiksguard soldier did as duty bid, and without care for his life stormed the gates of mighty Urguan. The ensuing brawl can only be described as a red haze, and by time the victor was declared, the whites of Volker's garb were all but gone. Such was the life of an Imperial Guardsman, the life of a champion. Long live the Emperor!

Tiberias would shed a single, solemn tear for the beauty that was the old kinship between the Oyashi and the Empire. From an orphan of Winburgh, to Humanity's Emperor - a people that stood beside him then, stood beside Hadrian now. "It is a thing of beauty, Oijin. Thank you."

"There is not a force, in all of human history, more capable of bringing an Empire together than war. I would have thought they knew," spoke the auld Emperor from his home, and made the arrangements to have his Mace brought into battle once more. - Now, at last, came the day that Volker would stand shoulder to shoulder with the Knights of The Red Dragon.

A young Count of Totenpfalz regards the missive with mixed expressions. Sir Redgard the Flamefed, and Sir Khaleed the Sunspear - these were the heroes of his youth. And yet, the Emperor was as close to God as any mortal man could be; His word was divine law. The Imperial Order of The Red Dragon now held two vacant spots at its table, of which Volker knew he had to claim a seat. However bittersweet, "I will bring my former idols before His Imperial Majesty, if I must," vowed the Burgundian.

"He is the King of Renatus." said the King's father, and laughed something fierce. "That is a very important part of being the Emperor of Man."

Descendent. So pondered an Imperial. Curious, perhaps the only thing dented here was the cranium of the author. Should you so feel wronged, then you ought to fight for your cause. That is the Imperial creed. You are, however, nothing short of pathetic in begging that those who have wronged you deliver the first blow. We do not even think about you. If you have something to prove, then do so. But you never will. So led the words of the Imperial guardsman, increasingly frustrated at the lack of spine shown among the would-be "architects of the Imperium's fall."

Tiberias, first of his name, would loose an arrow into his target. Then another, and once again. He practiced, though not for war nor any of its ventures - he shot because he enjoyed the pastime, nor was he skilled at it. The once Emperor looked then to the unblinking Sun; "And so the hasty actions of a few shall doom many, once again. I fear I could still prevent it all. But this cycle is not for an Emperor to break," he would conclude, and levied his one-eyed gaze upon the target once more. He found solace in that he would have no hand in it, and let loose another arrow.

Somewhere out in the Caurosian woods, Tiberias was hunting wild game. "Thank you, my son." he said aloud as the missive was brought to him.

Dearest Joan. You have lived a life I never knew. From grey mountains to verdant fields, have your skies remained ever blue. And that is all I have ever wanted. You were a blessing borne late into this life, and perhaps unbeknownst to you, the one I have cherished most. To provide for you the life I was robbed, has been a source of pride and joy, a life in which I now set my first foot. I pray I am still here when you return; that I shall provide for you once more a home. You have painted me as seen by few; loving and caring. And I know by the stroke of your brush that I have succeeded in my aspirations for you, my dearest daughter. I shall miss you. - - - That Hadrian sees in me a proud father, not an expecting sire, I can only hope. For his unfortunate birth, I have not dared to love him as a father should. For fear of losing again that which is closest to me, I buried him in tasks that would have killed an ordinary boy of his vitality. Yet my son has prevailed, and I fear that I have raised a man eerily competent at what he does. When I place upon his brow the crown, I pray that he accepts the love that I have owed him, and the divine blessing that I have long withheld. Be there for him when I am not. A reminder that there is more to life than the throne. With Love, Tiberias I Horen. Such was the letter that the Emperor sent back to his daughter. Split in twain, it bore both promise and forboding, satisfaction and regret.

“From Winburgh’s ashes to man’s great throne, the dragon of Burgundy, an Emperor grown.” ✠ HEED, LEAL SONS OF HOREN I, Tiberias I of the House Horen, write these words not as conqueror, nor sovereign, nor judge - but as a man nearing the twilight of his labours. The time has come for my reign to end, and for my firstborn son, Hadrian, to inherit the mantle I bore through war, exile, and providence. Before I place the Crown of Godfrey upon his brow, I set quill to parchment to speak plainly of the road that carried us from diaspora to home, from orphan to Emperor, - not for vainglory, but that none may forget the price paid by a few for the many. I. I was but seven summers when Winburgh burned. The Covenant’s banners surrounded my city, the air choked with soot, and the shouts of dying men filled the streets. My father, Gaspard, disappeared in a cloud of smoke; my brother fled with what siblings he could gather. I remember the forest more clearly than the city - the cold, the hunger, the silence. No mercy was shown to us. No clemency. No offerings of peace. And from the ashes of Winburgh, I learned: there would be no clemency - ever, only purpose. II. At twelve, I watched as my kin were slaughtered at Portoregne during what was meant to be a duel of honour. Like ghosts, they had drifted into that city, with some forlorn hope that perhaps in the hearts of men did honour yet exist. But on the orders of the King and Queen were such hopes snuffed out. My brother fell that day, and my preconceived notions of honour fell with him. I fled again, now alone, seeking refuge. III. In Aaun, I lived as a guest in name, and a prisoner in truth. My cousin Amelya sheltered me as best she could, but even her benevolence could not outshine the shroud of malice that had long been draped over the Aaunic courts. Plots grew around me like thorns. And when they could not strike me, they struck one beside me - James Marcel Whitespire, my closest friend, was murdered for no crime but kindness. His death taught me a second lesson: should wickedness be allowed to rule, innocence will always be its first victim. IV. I disappeared from the Heartlands. I had journeyed to Koyo-Kuni. There, for the first time, I found peace. I prostrated myself before the Shugo and his clan, who housed me, and treated me as if I were one of their own. They forged me in a fire different from war - the fire of discipline and patience. I was taught to master myself, not only my weapon. It was in this time, too, that I served as the strong arm of High Pontiff Caius II, and partook in the war on a would-be Demon Lord Gashadokuro, and conducted for Caius II whichever holy mission he would set me upon. I earned with the Church, favour and currency, of which I brought much with me when the time had come to depart the southlands. V. I returned to the Heartlands, resolved and untested. The realms of men brewed with conflict, and as was my family tradition, I reinvigorated the Blackvale Vrijkorps in search of fame and fortune. It was here I found penance, and humbled myself before His Holiness, High Pontiff Deunoro I. He professed before me that the world needed an Emperor, and that no regnant Canonist Prince proved worthy of such a mantle. His determined nature rattled me, and in a moment of clarity, I embraced this plea for destiny. I proclaimed the King of Aaun a pretender. For the murder of James Marcel Whitespire, I would have my deluded cousin’s throne. The Princes of Ravenmire would back my claim, and with the aid of personal ties, I had amassed a frightening host. In response, the King had sent assassins and saboteurs my way. I lost an eye in the defence of Illation. I gained purpose in its place. Through diplomacy, battle, and toil, I helped deliver the Kingdom of Aaun into a Church regency and carved a foothold for order in a land long choked by scheming kings. It was the beginning of my service to the Pontifical Host, and the beginning of a faith the Church had placed in me. VI. I was honoured with the town of Grense, and lauded as Captain-General of the Church, a position I did not take lightly. It was here, atop the Lemon-Hill, that St. Raguel came to me. Not in vision - in presence. He charged me to restore balance to the realms of Man, to end corruption where it festered, to raise again what had fallen. Once more, I was reminded of Deunoro’s mission. As Captain-General, I marched beside nations united under the banner of the Robertine Crusade. Together we broke the Trade States, freed captives, and purged practices the Canon could not abide. Wherever I raised my blade, realms were set ablaze with Holy Fire. When my task was done, I vanished for the best years of my life - a pilgrimage I shall not chronicle here. Let it suffice that I returned a wiser man, my patience tested, my resolve unbroken. VII. When I returned to Aevos, all stood ready for my arrival. I was welcomed, as though my coming had been promised. My ancestral enemies, each and all, had stewed in complacency, and after all these years, my time - our time - had come. The Horenic Covenant quickly took shape - the descendants of those who had burned my home, slain my kin, and sought my death in all these years. And in reply, we formed the Holy League, a gathering of all who had suffered a Covenant before. It was the culmination of over two hundred years of warfare. But hear these words clearly: I offered each of them mercy. I offered clemency, titles preserved, and peace without bloodshed. I chose to be better than the world into which I was born. Some accepted. Others refused. And those who rejected mercy were slain, while those who accepted it are seen today as loyal subjects of the Empire. From Haense to Balian, from Reinmar to Petra, I upheld the same principle: If a ruler lays down his sword, I shall not raise mine. VIII. I was entrusted with the temporal authority of the church as King of Burgundy. At my coronation, I drank from the Holy Grail, and the Grail restored what time had taken - not to glorify me, but to prepare me for the final labour: The restoration of the Empire of Man. The Covenant fell. The Kingdom of Numendil pledged eternal loyalty to the ideal of a united Humanity. And I took up the Blessed Crown of Exalted Godfrey as the rightful heir to the stewardship of mankind. Thus, the house of Horen, and the Empire was reborn - not through terror, but through unity. IX. I have carried the Empire to stability. I have restored what was shattered. I have created the peace I was denied as a boy. But no empire should be built on the shoulders of one man alone. And no realm should wait to see its sovereign falter with age. My son, Hadrian, inherits a world unbroken. He inherits peace where I inherited ashes. He inherits trust where I inherited lies. I give him the Crown not because I am weary, but because my work is complete. X. If history remembers me, let it be truthfully: Not as a tyrant, though I have conquered. Not as a saint, though I have been guided by the divine. Not as a butcher, though I have fought in a hundred battles. Let it be remembered that: I was a child shown no mercy who chose to give mercy. I was a man shaped by ruin who chose to build rather than burn. I was an orphan of shattered realms who chose to unite them. May Hadrian rule with clearer skies than I ever knew. H V M A N I T A S I N V I C T A IN NOMINE DEI, HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY, Tiberias I of the House Horen, by the Grace of GOD, Emperor of Man, Holy Imperator, King of Burgundy, Seventis, Salvus, Renatus & Oren, Duke of Middelan, Helena, Lorraine, Sunholdt and Reutov, Protector of Grense, Protector of the Heartlanders, Patriarch of House Horen & the Tiberian Dynasty, Captain-General of the Church, Defender of the Faith. BVRGVNDIA IMPERIVM A letter is also privately addressed to Hadrian I. @Werew0lf [OOC]; To those who have been with me on this journey, from the very beginning or thereafter, I thank each and every one of you for having provided me the means to embark on such a narrative. There are obviously details missing from this story, and may the individuals be immortalised in some other chronicle, for they were hardly named. But I have not forgotten a single instance of RP with any of you. I thank my foes for making it so difficult, and I thank all of my friends for having made it that much easier. To the ones I have betrayed, I am really sorry. To the ones I have uplifted, you are welcome. This is not my departure from human roleplay, nor the Empire, but it is the last time Tiberias reigns. Long may it last.

"Serves the corpse-fuckers right," says the Emperor of man, and leans back into his chair with a tankard of Goldhand "Longbeard" Red Ale™.

Looks like most of the goodies from Veletz-era have been posted, so I'll drop the only two battles to have taken place since (God help us).

The undead will starve to death. I find this somewhat amusing. Nexus had some interesting workarounds. I do get somewhat tired of these half-measures. Either go the whole way and merge the mechanical and roleplay side of things, or strive to do so, or don't do it at all. I do, however, understand that regarding such a decision, the tech team is the last one to be asked.

I made a similar, quite well-received post, not too long ago. It didn't include a poll, I wanted people to interact with the post itself, but this one has been quite helpful for that. I think, interestingly, between the two posts, you can identify what exactly people want. The majority wants to keep 1.8, and seemingly quite enjoys the "complexity" inherent to the PvP-plugin, or wants even more complexity added to it, which genuinely surprised me with my post. What people actually want changed is the huge gear costs and overall rules surrounding wars and PvP in general. You can leave it to some PvP-heads to fine-tune the plugin in any eventual re-hash of the thing, which should still happen in my opinion, but any of the large sweeping changes have already been voiced as desired by the community. Seems to me people enjoy a Nexus-style plugin with a wide variety of gear at their disposal, and I can't lie and say that I wouldn't want to see it embellished upon myself, though I have no faith in the tech team's ability to do so (no offense meant). Had to point this out because it made me laugh. The lack of windows comes from being a European, medieval-looking building, where windows are relegated to buildings of importance. I am sorry that this inhibits your ability to troll and break windows while ppl are logged off, though. I am also not an enjoyer of systems like these, which have relegated people like me to never participating in ST-events before, because we have not been in the "In-group" of RP CA/MA-stackers, or folks toting 500 ST-items - this isn't a phenomenon unique to PvP or nation-building, but instead a common facet of MCRP. As it stands right now, a bunch of people are, by rule, forced to interact with the aforementioned group of those favored by the ST whenever they so please, and an imperial city seems to be the only sanctuary from such a thing that the common man can seem to enjoy. This is a two-way street, and deserves a two-way solution. I can't fathom what there is to complain about on a server that has CRP-default.

A host of letters are sent out to their respective addresses. The first among them, a public missive, is pinned to boards and notices, and is by all accounts public. All are marked by the same name, and appear to bear the Emperor’s dragon-seal, as well as his signature. ✠ HEED, MEN OF THE EMPIRE For many years, we, the sons and daughters of Horen, have nurtured this land with our blood, drawn from brother to brother as friend and foe alike. We have achieved a united humanity, not seen in hundreds of years, on our blessed land of Aevos. It is our home, and shall forever be remembered as such, though truth cannot be ignored, and it reads as follows; the founding home of our Empire will not last. Our triumphs over the daemonic origins that shaped this stretch of land have left it in a state of decay. It has never been in the hearts of men to accept such hopeless fates. As Emperor, it is my duty to shepherd humanity into a new age; and so it shall be done - as one people, as one Empire. Thus I bid the good folk of the Empire make their preparations, as shall I, to ensure the prosperity of the Imperium. Unto new horizons, a new age, and new lands to annex beneath the Burgundy banner and a united Humanity. Ave Imperium. ✠ TO THE IMPERIAL PRIVY Make ready the preparations for the rapid establishment of structure and coordination to be employed upon landfall. You were each hand-picked for your expertise, and I have no doubt you will know what to do. We have, after all, gone over this many times before. The day draws near. ✠ TO REIKSMARSHAL MANFRED VON BERKHOVEN Consolidate the Imperial fleet within the port-city of Earosgrad, and have reserves of the Imperial Army aid in the construction of additional galleys. It is from here we shall depart Aevos, through the Lamar Strait, and launch our conquest of the new world. Marshal the men. ✠ TO KNIGHT-CAPTAIN SIR HONEYWINE Ensure, most of all, the sanctity of our preparations, and make assured the safety of our departure. No doubt the enemies of mankind shall seek to sabotage our voyage before it begins, and I task you above all others with the responsibility of maintaining Imperial Order, fist of the Emperor, champion of the Empire. ✠ TO CHAPTERMASTER SIR CAROLUS Depart the Imperial City of Grense, and track down my missing children who have warded in faraway courts - I recall them now, to mourn the loss of their mother, and to be here well before we depart. The Imperial Prince of Absence - Johannes, though it has been a while, you shall recognize him by his semblance to me, I am sure. I pray he has built upon him muscle since last we spoke, some ten years ago. You will find Joan as well. With her painterly tools and shades of blue beneath her fingernails, she deigned to visit the capital once every other name-day and should be more familiar to you. Again shall my family be united, and eagerly shall I await your return, Carolus. ✠ TO THE ASSORTED LORDS AND LADIES OF THE EMPIRE Raise your levies at the Reiksmarshal’s behest, and prepare your granaries and food stocks for the journey to come. The lands of the Empire are not without their bounties; you shall spare as much as you can for the journey ahead. The exodus will be a time for you to affirm that your loyalties lie with the Crown, and not just the land you have inhabited. ✠ TO MY FAMILY Before we depart the birthplace of our dynasty, we shall gather as one, and we shall dine as a family does. A rare occasion where I am absent from Imperial politics, we shall treasure this moment - it is of importance. Sincerely, Tiberias. H V M A N I T A S I N V I C T A IN NOMINE DEI HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY, Tiberias I of the House Horen, by the Grace of GOD, Emperor of Man, Holy Imperator, King of Burgundy, Seventis, Salvus, Renatus & Oren, Duke of Middelan, Helena, Lorraine, Sunholdt and Reutov, Protector of Grense, Protector of the Heartlanders, Patriarch of House Horen & the Tiberian Dynasty, Captain-General of the Church, Defender of the Faith. BVRGVNDIA IMPERIVM

"Good." bid the Emperor to himself with a subtle smirk, and no doubt enjoyed the idea of merit claiming its place among his knights.

You are not familiar with the lore, and that is okay.

Won't reply to a lot of comments, but I am also of this opinion. Yet I find it easier to make arguments for simplifying the PVP rather than making it more complex (which is what it would need to feel less half-baked). In either case, I prefer a system where more people feel less and less like they are getting styled on, and have a better overall experience, so that they do not decide to never touch the subject again. Any direction the Tech team could go in would be better than what we have right now.

@Halt @Josh3738 P V P - Mechanical Roleplay The way in which conflicts are resolved, and the state of it. Hello Lotc, hello Moderation team. There is a growing sentiment on LotC regarding a very real issue, that being Player versus Player (PVP) combat, also known as Mechanical Roleplay to some. As the Leader of the largest nation on Lotc, accomplished by no small amount of PVP and conflict, having belonged to a lodge of conflict roleplayers for the past four years, and currently moderating our own internal war roughly the size of the average Oren vs Haense conflict - I feel uniquely capable and even responsible for voicing these issues before a larger, more influential audience. The Plugin On Complexity The way in which the PVP plugin allows for skill expression, the way in which inexperienced players easily pick it up, and how it does or doesn’t achieve either, despite its perceived depth. The Aevos iteration of the LotC Surge PVP plugin is heavily derived from its last iteration featured upon Almaris, and seeks also to imitate some additional features found in more elaborate PVP plugins, such as the old Nexus plugin or once-LotC competitor FRP’s profession-and-PVP plugin. While by no stretch nearly as feature-complete as any of the previously made comparisons, the plugin does offer a degree of complexity that is deeper than the once iron-kit of LotC. But is this a good thing for the server? Not in its current state. The degree of depth offered is not high enough to reward those who truly wish to master it (nor do the rules of LotC cater to these individuals), though it is leagues above enough to confuse and misdirect those who do not. I will give a few examples; All that to say that the added complexity of Aevos PVP takes more than it gives. Should the powers that be in control of this stuff wish to continue on this path, then I would strongly advise looking back at systems like Nexus and FRP, and drawing more heavily upon those. However, if that is not the desire of the Tech team, then I would be first among many to lobby for a return to a more civilized age - a return to a simpler kit. On Philosophy and Balancing The design philosophy behind the current PVP kit and its effect on how the game plays. Items like the Longbow, Daemonsteel armour, and, to a lesser degree, shields. Coupled with the ever-punishing gate and door mechanics of the main server, fights have become even more stalled and drawn out than before. Never before has a PVP kit favoured sitting on your ass as much as this one. We have items that are significantly stronger than others, justified by the idea that these items come with offensive drawbacks. These drawbacks do not matter at all if you are within either your own enclosed space or otherwise have some measure of safe fortification between you and your foe. It is, simply put, unhealthy for the game to have items that slow you down in exchange for disproportionate amounts of power. Doubly so when the drawbacks tied to the items are inherently unfun to deal with. It should also be worth noting that in melee, the Longbow still out-damages any other kind of melee weapon and will win an active trade between the two. On the Barrier to Entry The ease with which any player can attain the necessary items to participate in PVP combat. I have not once had a problem with gearing myself, and I probably never will. I have played in many groups, all dedicated to conflict roleplay, all with the ability to either grind out their own gear or take it from someone else. In spite of this, voicing this issue is important to me. To farm enough Netherite for your own armour set, provided you even have access to Netherite mines uninterrupted, will take you at least an hour. To actually craft the set, you will also need roughly a stack of leather. To craft any armament or armour, you will need leather. The lone player cannot obtain leather on their own. Whatever socio-economic situation caused by this, that the Administration may or may not think is beneficial to the server, does not hold a candle to the disappointment of seeing a knight, a darkstalker, or any foe d20 on the spot, or run in vain, because they couldn’t afford to carry pvp-gear. Why is it that it is free to don a Minecraft skin featuring heavy plate-mail, but it’ll cost your perpetual loyalty or your mother’s house to get yourself a set of functional arms and armour? At least I know that I, as a nation-leader, would not be gearing people whose loyalty I was uncertain of. I cannot stress how silly it is that every item in the game, barring arrows, requires a heavy investment of leather, and that there is both a cap on how many times a player can breed an animal, and how many times an animal can be bred (once), and that these systems are both somehow tied to server-Restarts which at best happen frequently and randomly, and at worst once per day. Everyone deserves at least some capacity to defend themselves in PVP, and believe me, Imperial Guards will call it on you. The Rules While I understand that the crowds and people that I intend to reach by making this post may not have the ability, nor the desire to enact change upon or even call into question the rules surrounding PVP, I believe it is valid for me to touch upon them anyway. That being said, this post is predominantly a critique of the mechanical side of PVP, and should you seek to write it off for this chapter alone, then disregard it. The Good It is worth recognising the good that has come of this iteration. The keen eye may have noticed that I have hardly touched on cavalry combat at all, and that is because it is in a fairly good spot right now. The place that horseback pvp holds relative to footsoldiering is good, and it should stay that way. Lances and pikes have finally been fine-tuned and are in a good spot as well. The changes that I would like to see in LotC PVP I do not believe that I alone could come up with an entirely perfect, let alone passable system, so I shall preface this by saying that I sincerely believe the Moderation Team should gather the most knowledgeable people on the topic together as a group, as well as a few outsiders, and get to work on designing a new kit/plugin. While these are not the full extent of my opinions, nor shall I explain them in detail here, these are the potential types of changes that I would like to see made. Were we to truly return to the old days and lower the amount of player-health as well, a more in-depth discussion would have to be had regarding the position of cavalrymen as a whole. But that is for when and if such a gathering of players is made. Closing words Like I have mentioned earlier, I am no stranger to clicking people. I have experienced the incredible highs that this plugin can offer, and I have witnessed the absolute lows. Pretty much every day, I hear some form of lamenting that the current way in which PVP combat is played out is very lame, and I agree. I feel as though a change is needed, and that such a change could only stand to benefit the community as a whole. Whether you enjoy PVP combat or you can’t stand it, whenever it does happen, it ought to be less of an abysmal experience. To the hopefully many readers of this post, I urge you to state your own opinion on the matter and to make yourselves heard. I pray the Moderation team takes this message to heart and takes action. Sincerely, Tide1, some Emperor.

CASUS BELLI On the matter of Drusco and Myrine The Principality of Myrine seeks to level punishment upon the Archduchy of Drusco for various claimed grievances against them and their allies. The primary grievances involve harboring schismatics, and various threats and harassments upon Myrine and their allies. Drusco wishes to rebuke the aggression of Myrine and their allies and levy appropriate punishment. The war shall take place between Drusco and its subjects, and Myrine and their allies. O God, I am nothing before Thee. Why have I desired, why have I ever wanted, why have I searched in vain for all but Thee? O God, my God, I am but a drop in the ocean, a leaf on a tree, yet, knowing that even a drop and a leaf falling is known to Thee, reduce me in pride. Let me hate myself, and love Thee. Amen. •• ━━━━━ •• ✠ •• ━━━━━ •• T E R M S O F W A R By the authority of His Imperial Majesty, the conflict and war between the Archduchy of Drusco and the Principality of Myrine has been sanctioned and authorised, held within the confines of either territory as listed below. ✠ All battles shall be constricted to the imperial plains and forests west of the capital city of Grense, consisting of both lands currently owned by: the Archduchy of Drusco, the Apostolic Kingdom of Numendil, and the Principality of Myrine. There is leeway for battles to occur in outside plains further from the drawn borders, but this must not impede on the territory of other landed vassals. If any battle slips into the imperial city, this will be considered impudence against the Emperor himself. ✠ Non-militants and civilians should not be attacked unless if they personally raise arms against either vassal states in the battle. A non-militant is considered any descendant that is not a soldier of the realm. However, this rule does not apply to: governing bodies of either vassal, and their reigning families. ✠ All prisoners-of-war must be treated with care and respect during their time in detention; they must be fed, provided the proper facilities, and no use of torture or otherwise should be employed. The execution of war-prisoners is not sanctioned unless the prisoner-of-war makes an attempt on another person's life to escape captivity. Prisoners may be ransomed at a reasonable price or fair exchange. ✠ The use of magic is strictly forbidden even with a license, and will result in action from the imperial crownlands. The blessings of St.Michael are, for all intents and purposes, not magic. ✠ Assistance or aid from external forces and bannermen is strictly forbidden. The war is only sanctioned between either parties, and should: any other bannermen, nobility, vassals, or mercenaries interfere with the cause and matter-of-water between Drusco and Myrine, this will be actioned by the imperial crownlands. ✠ Priests and children are not permitted to join the battle on either side. Priests can only support in humanitarian aid and mediation if necessary, but if neither party wishes to engage, this is solely a secular affair. The conflict shall remain inherently temporal in nature and shall not feature the ongoing plights of clergymen. ✠ Any anti-Imperial, or anti-Church rhetoric and or sentiment fostered or otherwise permeated by any Lord, peer, or their assorted subjects as regards the conflict, will see the direct and immediate intervention by Imperial Authority, to be enforced as His Imperial Majesty pleases on a case by case basis. Failure to adhere to the above will be actioned on behalf of both the Imperial Guard & the Imperial Order of the Red Dragon. T H E F I E L D O F B A T T L E W A R G O A L S DRUSCO | At the conclusion of the war, the following terms will apply: ✠ The next heir of the Principality of Blackvale will be sent to ward in Drusco, until they are of age to inherit. ✠ Calias II Mareno will become a monk of the Church, stripped of his right to inherit the Principality of Myrine. ✠ The Kingdom of Numendil will make punitive payments to the Archduchy of Drusco of two thousand mina each month at the end of the next three saint’s months following the conclusion of the war. Should circumstances render the amount unamenable, this can be negotiated with the Crown at a later date. ✠ The Imperial Province of Norland will make punitive payments to the Archduchy of Drusco of five hundred mina each month at the end of the next three saint’s months following the conclusion of the war. Additionally, the heir of the late King Haakon of Norland will undertake a holy baptism in Drusco. MYRINE | At the conclusion of the war, the following terms will apply: ✠ Archduke Roger Lezarde will write a letter of apology to Yasu-Tori Danzen, Father Anselm, and Calias II Mareno for the threats made against them. ✠ The heir of Drusco, Geoffrey Robertis Ashford de Rouen, will be surrendered to Blackvale as a ward until he comes of age. ✠ By the sole identification of the Crown, the harassers of Princess Madelief of Myrine, Lady Lecelina de Bruges, and Countess Helaine of Dover will be delivered to Myrine for punishment. ✠ Those involved in the incident titled ‘The Prisoner of Gold & Coin’ will be extradited to face the appropriate criminal charges in the Imperial Province of Norland. ✠ The Archduchy of Drusco will make punitive payments to the Principality of Myrine of two thousand mina each month at the end of the next three saint’s month following the conclusion of the war. Should circumstances render the amount unamenable, this can be negotiated with the Crown at a later date. T E R M S O F V I C T O R Y The victor of the war is considered if: either side is to surrender at any point by means of writ, or if either vassal leader is captured and the opposing side fails a rescue attempt, or if any one side wins two pitched battles (one of which being a siege upon the keep of each war-leader) thus concluding the war. The vassal leaders are considered to be: ARCHDUKE OF DRUSCO | Lord Roger de Rouen @Vikenz HEIR TO MYRINE | Lord Calias II Mareno @olpx A V E I M P E R I V M H V M A N I T A S I N V I C T A “Für Gott und Kaiser,” HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY, Tiberias I of the House Horen, by the Grace of GOD, Emperor of Man, Holy Imperator, King of Burgundy, Seventis, Salvus, Renatus & Oren, Duke of Middelan, Helena, Lorraine, Sunholdt and Reutov, Baron of Pestilles, Protector of Grense, Protector of the Heartlanders, Patriarch of House Horen & the Tiberian Dynasty, Captain-General of the Church, Defender of the Faith. BVRGVNDIA IMPVRIVM HIS IMPERIAL HIGHNESS, Maximilian Caius of the House Horen, Prince of the Empire, Prince of Burgundy, and Duke of Avar, Colonel of the Reiksguard. FORTITUDO SUPER OMNIA HIS IMPERIAL HIGHNESS, Hadrian Tiberias of the House Horen, Crown Prince of the Empire, Prince of Burgundy, Lord Justiciar of the Imperial Privy, Duke of Grense. ALEA IACTA EST

Issued and averred by the office of the IMPERIAL CROWN ✠ HEED, MEN OF THE EMPIRE Well-versed is the Imperial Crown in the ways of war and mortal strife. Verily does the crown recognize the need for GOD’s judgment, levied upon the field of battle, as is wished by both the aggrieved and the accused. Then let it be so, and let it be known that His Imperial Excellency the Lord Praetor, and His Imperial Highness the Lord Justiciar, shall meet with the aggrieved and the accused and commence the ordaining of an Imperial War-Charter. Heed then, my subjects, that no blade shall be drawn nor a single drop of blood be spilled during the interlude. Failure to obey such an order will see immediate, direct Imperial intervention. May he who has accrued God’s favor prevail. AVE IMPERIUM! H V M A N I T A S I N V I C T A “Für Gott und Kaiser,” HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY, Tiberias I of the House Horen, by the Grace of GOD, Emperor of Man, Holy Imperator, King of Burgundy, Seventis, Salvus, Renatus & Oren, Duke of Middelan, Helena, Lorraine, Sunholdt and Reutov, Protector of Grense, Protector of the Heartlanders, Patriarch of House Horen & the Tiberian Dynasty, Captain-General of the Church, Defender of the Faith. BVRGVNDIA IMPERIVM HIS IMPERIAL HIGHNESS, Hadrian Tiberias of the House Horen, Crown Prince of the Empire, Prince of Burgundy, Lord Justiciar of the Imperial Privy, Duke of Grense. ALEA IACTA EST

"To involve the church in this matter, at all, has been folly." mentioned the Emperor then and cast a weary gaze upon his Carbarum weapon.

Issued and averred by the office of the IMPERIAL CROWN ✠ PRELUDE At my coronation, I sanctioned religious freedom in the interpretations of our Lord’s teachings for all subjects of the Empire, for I was compelled by my duty as Holy Imperator of the Lord GOD’s Empire of all Man to advocate for those faithful in error. I had called for an ecumenical council and placed imperial pressure upon the Church to reach a peaceful resolution, for I well understood the importance of the Spirit. I had, before the ecumenical council, a Saint's week ago by now, been deliberately heavy-handed in my criticism of long-time peers and companions within the Church, who had supported my claims and efforts to a united Humanity for decades, yet whom I believed did not live up to their duties as proclaimed shepherds of the faith. ✠ AS PERTAINS TO THE REFORMATIONISTS Yet to my dismay, I see now the failings of my ways - how my acts of mercy have given way to greed and ambition. I had curtailed and muzzled the Curia, and I forced them to give clemency to the reformationists, for I believe, and have always believed in the inevitable unity of all man in both temporal and spiritual oath. Yet when I convinced them to invite you into their home, rather than accept this invitation to rebuild the Church from within, you chose to tear it down instead. You did not step into the Holy See with the intent to settle these disputes; you came to usurp the Curia, and with it you have usurped the hospitality of your Emperor. There are those among you, like myself, who view the failings and misguidance of the temple and its weaknesses with pity and shame and seek only to better the institution through earnest criticism. And there are those among you who seek to undermine the Empire through this weakness, and supplant the institution with your own. The High Priest was Pontiff elect, by a college of Cardinals steeped in prayer; he was legitimized before our Lord God. Beside that very same Pontiff, by our very same GOD, did I unify the divided realms of men. You were never called upon to question his Spiritual Authority, nor his faith; you were called upon to question his institution of the two. ✠ THE EMPEROR’S MERCY I levy upon you a second chance, ever forgiving, to reclaim what you have spurned, my favor. To resume the ecumenical council. The High Priesthood does not recognize your vote, nor does the Imperial Crown recognize a vote made by barbars by virtue. The ecumenical council shall be directly overseen by the Emperor to ensure order. There shall be no topics of Sigismund or Pontifical legitimacy. We shall not debate about the past, for we are gathered to secure a future, one with established Holy Laws and new blood within the temple. For as long as a trueborn dragon sits upon the throne of all man, there is no, and shall never be an Exalted Sigismund. The legacy of a wiseman twisted and fetishized by Carrion idolatry well beyond his grave, he shall at last rest as a Saint - free of the god-worship of Raevir, free of your cardinal sin which has caused naught but self-righteous harm to the unity of man for five-hundred years. You shall look to the Exalted as paragons of virtue, never worship them as you would worship GOD, and in this task, your people have failed. ✠ THE LEX TIBERI Thus it shall be writ into the LEX TIBERI that any such gatherings devoid of Curial presence, held in secret or otherwise, with the express intent of defaming, illegitimizing, or otherwise fostering seditious sentiment regarding the sitting Curia or the Pontiff without express permission from the Emperor, be considered grounds for a schism, and that to partake in such an activity equates to SEDITION, and that to declare your support for a schism openly equates to REBELLION, as outlined within the LEX. ✠ Cardinal Alaric ✞ May GOD rest his soul, for he acted willingly the part of a bridge upon the river that divides humanity. Yet some, in their devilish nature, would not see this bridge exist at all, should the alternative that is their way, be denied. Though I know not yet the names of the killers of benevolent Alaric, GOD rest his soul, the people of the Empire can rest assured that the Order of Quaestors and the Inquisition have been and shall continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death. ✠ CLOSURE Thus, I remind the good folk of the Empire that those who refuse the authority of the High Priesthood as pertains to matters surrounding the ecumenical council also refuse Imperial authority, and that by doing so, you deem yourself successors to the same blood with which I wet the blade of our Empire. And the Empire shall be predicated upon doing so again, and again for all time, for as long as the Dragon’s blood runs pure through not just an Emperor, but the beating hearts of its people, too. AVE IMPERIUM! H V M A N I T A S I N V I C T A “Für Gott und Kaiser,” HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY, Tiberias I of the House Horen, by the Grace of GOD, Emperor of Man, Holy Imperator, King of Burgundy, Seventis, Salvus, Renatus & Oren, Duke of Middelan, Helena, Lorraine, Sunholdt and Reutov, Protector of Grense, Protector of the Heartlanders, Patriarch of House Horen & the Tiberian Dynasty, Captain-General of the Church, Defender of the Faith. BVRGVNDIA IMPERIVM

"The Dragonsblood prevails," spoke the Emperor proudly of his son and daughter in lawe. And now, a third Tiberias would tread the known world.