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[Ghazkull]

Imperium Romanum

Ah the Imperium of Rome...or whatever is left of it after Scythoii, Serboii and all other manner of Babaroi, Pagans, Heretics or other beasts have harried the corpse of our nation.

His Holiness, the Basileus has intentions of reforming the entirety of the overloaded and corrupt bureaucracy. In a first Act lower offices have recently been opened up to Bearded Ones, and that means that the ancient dynastoi once more have a chance of getting positions of power and wealth beyond the drudge of life in administrating the Themas under orders of Beardless Logothetes.

In his recent Co- i mean Cleansing of the Imperial Palace, his Highness has found a disgusting lack of Information on our surrounding realms, the state of our coffers, the state of the army and many similiar things.

In short those that may now never be named again have failed miserably in their duties as protectors of the people of Konstantinople.

Thus his Highness Basileus Andnikroos I. has determined that he will grant special favor to those who would rectify this current dearth of information on everything. Such a bold proclamation shows the clear dissatisfaction of the emperor with the Beardless Ones and their machinations.

He also intends to reduce the sheer amount of redundance in the Empire which will begin with the removal of some superfluuous organizations. The Scrinium Barbaorum and their agentes in rebus, the Frumentarii and of course the Black Tagmata of the Athanatoi are quite aware of their precarious situation...

______________________________________

The Hippodrome

The loud screaming of the masses drowns out the announcer with ease as he read this months alliances and deployments:

Whites and Blues deploying four charioteers versus the one of the Green Team and one of the Red. As the race begins, the people go almost mad with screaming.

Most pronounced from the Blue and White quarters are very odd cheers "Those Active in Matters always win!", the greens, this month curiously few chant for "The Elders know better!", finally the Red Ones seem to "Bet on Black!", a reference which could be interpreted as them betting on the black horses and black chariot the red driver had this month.

___________________________

The Dynastoi

Spoiler:  Fretum (click to show/hide)

Alignments and Connections:
Fretum Family Estates: 1 Hyperpyron/year
Friends in the Imperial Navy


Verenious Fretum Adult
Gambler, Greedy, Brave
Position: None

Borinus Fretum Adult
Strong
Position: none

Spoiler:  Grafeas (click to show/hide)

Alignments and Connections:
Grafeas Family Holdings: 1 Hyperpyron/year
Grafeas Marrakesh Trade: 1-5 Hyperpyron/year


Zachary "the Syrian" Adult
Zaelot, Tall
Position: None

Spoiler:  Ophidopheros (click to show/hide)

Alignments and Connections:
Ophidopheros Family Holdings: 1 Hyperpyron/year
Well Connected with all other Dynasties.

Ioannes Ophidopheros Adult
Charitable, Gluttonous, Coward
Position: None

____________________________

Explanations

Scythoii - Refers to the Horse Tribes of the East and South.

Serboii - Refers to the Serbian Empire

Basileus - Emperor of the Byzantine Empire, sometimes also called Autokrator

Bearded Ones - Non-Eunuchs

Beardless Ones - Eunuchs

dynastoi - contrary to aritocratoi (which live in the countryside and the themas and thus live a feudal life-style), the dynastoi are dynasties which serve the empire in various official positions and conduct most of the trade.

Logothetes - Bureaucratic Title. Logothetes fill a myriad of important positions and are the defacto managers of day-to-day affairs.

Scrinium Barbaorum - "Office for Babaric Affairs". Basically your Foreign Ministry coupled with an Intelligence Service

Agentes in Rebus - "Those who are active in matters". Agents of the Scrinium Barbaorum and spies for the Empire.

Frumentarii - Originally Grain Collectors they became the Secret Service of the Old Roman Empire next to the Speculatores.

Tágma tōn Suébon - This timelines Imperial Guard of the Emperor. In the early 800s the Kingdom of Suebia was formed by the last Princess of the Cantabrian Kings, it survived for a good 40 years before it fell apart under Umayyad invasion and marked the end of the last Spanish Dynasty. Several Decades later the Same Kingdom was reestablished by the Jarl of Akershus, Sigbjörn Skjöldung, also known as the Victorious. Then in an effort to reestablish trade beyond the mediterranean the Byzantine Emperor entered a Dynastic Alliance, leading to the creation of the Suebian Guard. The Kingdom of Suebia would later christianize under Nibelunging Rule, before finally becoming dysfunct in 893. Nonetheless the Vikings left an impact on the Suebian population in Northern Spain and ensured its continued survival. To this day young suebians travel to Constantinople to join the guard, the umayyad overlords let them do that to prevent localized christian revolts which plague the rest of spain these days.

The Black Tagmata or the "Athanatoi" - The Athanatoi or Immortals are an elite unit of military police used by the Imperial Army. There is not much known about them, except that they silence critics and enemies of the Emperor.

Chariot Racing - In the Byzantine Empire chariot racing is far more than a pasttime. The Four Teams (Blue, White, Red and Green) represent political factions within the Empire with major influence in many stages of the Byzantine Life. Joining a Team is a must and quite often there are bloody riots when teams become dissatisfied with the current ruling style. Traditionally, the Blues contain many supporters and members of the Imperial Navy and from Trade Families. The Whites contain bureaucrats and religious officials. The Reds are usually staunchly supported by the Army, while the Greens have no clearly discernible followerbase.

Hyperpyron - Imperial Currency. The Gold Hyperpyron consists to 9/10s of Gold and is the standard currency of the rich and powerful.

[Ghazkull]

Ioannes Ophidopherus

Sitting above the common Hoi Pollo you watch the ongoing chariot race with more or less interest, sitting among the other nobility and high functionaries of the empire you have a perfect opportunity to get yourself a better position, especially since you are well known among the important people of Constantinople.

Zachary the "Syrian"

You watch the race quite disinterested from the seats of the unaligned groups...you never understood what these Greeks found so fascinating about horses racing in a circle...

Verenious Fretum

Deep within the Blue Faction you have found yourself and your brother some seats. Although you don't wear the marks of being in the blue faction your family is known well enough and around you are a few former comrades of the Navy.

[Iituem]

"Iason, dear fellow," says the thick, trembling voice of Ioannes, "what would you give the chances of the Greens, hm?  I might bet a drachma or two, but I can't say I fancy their odds."

The Orthodox Saint Nicholas was not depicted as jolly or fat, nor was he especially known for his charity, so in fact if one were to think of a fat, trembling gift giver, you might imagine the enormous, wobbling pudding that is Ioannes Ophidopheros.  Bloated and corpulent, the man can barely run, and in the few situations he has even been in danger, he has waddled to safety like an obese duck.

"Now then, my dear fellow.  I've been looking into a way to learn a little bit more about these Scythoii chaps.   Any tips, hm?"

[Spiderking50]

The two brothers were quite the socialites in the blue section. Friends, Romans, and countrymen surrounded the brothers as they talked and watched the race. While their connection to the blue faction hasn't been sanctified, it is no less real than any other mans. Many friends and neighbors lined the stands, and the brothers Verinious and Bornius spoke to each and every one they could. They lingered especially on those friends with whom Verinious had served with in the Navy before the Cleanse. Verinious had always been well liked by his fellow. They knew he was a bit on the greedy side, and many of them had won money from him in gambling. But they all knew gambling was the mark of a tried and true sailor. A real man of the water. And more than that, they knew and respected his bravery. Verinious would face down storms that would send weaker men cowering and give them another taste of their last meal. And of course there was his younger brother Borinus who had great plans of following in his brother's footsteps. Borinus was also gaining a small reputation for strength. These two brothers had a thirst for achievement and accomplishment. As such when, as they talked to friends, neighbors, and officers, they attempted to gather information about positions in the bureaucracy and in the Navy.


Gather information about the state of the State and any positions they may be able to acquire.

[Ghazkull]

Ophidopherus

[31+20 well connected] Iason was himself a wealthy trader, not one of the dynastoi but on the best way to becoming one, especially since he had a very beautiful young daughter...and more hyperpyrons than any hoi pollo should have by rights.

Hmm...well my dear Ioannes, i actually wouldn't play the Greens down so easy. They might be the team of the common man, but they are also the team of those underdogs fallen out of favor with the emperor. I've lost the one or other hyperpyron underestimating them..hum.


He intently watches the race for a while harumphing and mumbling to himself...it's a habit you can't really condone but so far you have been too polite to point it out to him.

[41+10 Trader] Scythoii? baseborn Babaroii filfth. Thank Kristos that the Saracens and those Idolators in the East are keeping them occupied. As far as i know they occupy most of the Black Sea Coast, trade has been down in those areas since we lost the Thema in Cherson. Luckily for us the Varangians are still somehow managing to bring their ships down the Danapris.

I'm afraid you have to meet either with the Logothetes tou dromou, the Strategos tōu Athanatoii or the Logothetes tōu Stratiotikou , but good luck getting an audience with the first two unless you have a cousin in heaven. Why do you ask anyway?

________________

Fretum

You meet [37+20 Old Hand] Kentarchos Decius. A captain of a war galley he is currently on leave. Stationwise he is below you, but he is the highest ranked blue around you...a commentary on how far in the graces of the Imperial Hierarchy you have sunken.

What an odd question. The state of the State? It's all gone to the Demiurg i tell you! You remember that Decius belongs to some obscure Heresy called Bogimilism...a strange group of folks with a rather morbid worldview.

Those fools have turned everything upside down. Day and night have the Sueboi and the Black Tagma spent on dragging people off causing a mighty panic. Nobody knows anything anymore...most of these useless hairless pigs are lucky if they can find their own ass if you ask me. Then again, you know how it is, you were sacked too. Hmpf, but anyway, someone as disgraced as you should check in with the Scrinium Barbaorum, they are panicked since the Autokrators ultimatum. Careful though, the Scrinium is not what it once was.

Otherwise you might find something directly at the palace the logothetes ton oikeiakon is desperately searching for aristoii desperate enough taking over administrative positions after the pu- cleansing. The Sueboii did a number on everyone in the Palace.

_________________

Explanations

Poi Hollo - The base masses...normal people.

Danapris - Dnjepr/Dnieper, a russian river running into the Ladoga Lake and further connected to the Baltic. Goes the entire way down to the Black Sea. Vikings used it to trade with the Byzantines.

Thema Cherson - Themas are a civilian/military province. They are usually run by a Doux who is supported/advised/overseen by a Logothetes. Each Thema must be able to raise a Themata, a local militia. The Thema Cherson refers to the Area of the Crimean Peninsula where the Byzantine Empire once possessed Holdings.

Logothetes tou Dromou - Logothetes in charge of the Scrinium Barbaorum

Strategos tou Athanatoii - General in Charge of the Athanatoii, the Black Tagma

Logothetes tou Stratiotikou - Logothetes in charge of Provisioning and Paying the Byzantine Army.

Kentarchos - Captain of a Ship

Demiurg - Name for the Devil in the Bogomilist Heresy

Bogomilism - a Heresy of the Orthodox Christendom. Bogomilists believe that not God but the Devil created the World. They are usually relatively tolerated...if thought of as misguided cynics

Hairless Pigs - here referring to the Eunuchs (thought i would clarify that here...)

Logothetes ton oikeiakon - Logothetes in charge of all People employed within the palace.

[micelus]

Did the Greeks really find this all that entertaining? Oh yes, these horses were majestic enough creatures - Zachary could recognise a horse of Levantine stock - but surely attaching those wagons to them spoils the show, yes? Truly, it was God's will that the Moslems had removed the oppressive Greeks from Syria and their dull races with them.

Of course, Zachary had not come to simply ruminate on the foolishness of the Greeks. By God, he had far better plans. As he knew, the Greeks had made the various factions of the races into not just sports teams but political groups and as this was likely the only way Zachary wold be able to preach the Truth without intervention, he would have to suffer the horrid sport.

See if there are any of the influential people in my crowd. If not, search for any clergy and or businessmen.
Try to remember if there are any miaphysite populations in the empire.

[Ghazkull]

Zachary

[88] You are indeed lucky, you find yourself next to the Metropolitan of Constantinople himself. While officially the see of Constantinople is headed by the Ecunemical Patriarch, it is indeed the Metropolitan who exercises the most power in the Holy Synod.

As it stands the Empire no longer has Miaphysite Populations within its borders. The Thema Mesopotamia had a major Miaphysite population but has now become the Kingdom of Armenia - or rather a petty kingdom.

Otherwise you are aware of the Wahid Emirate which somehow managed to survive in the Holy Wars and Jihads waging between the Pagans from the East and the Saracens. While officially Miaphysite it is accepting of dozens of other minorities and as such has become a haven for refugees. You presume it has something to do with it being situated in and around Alexandria.

[Ardas]

Sidonius found himself sitting in the middle of a Red crowd. The races were a ritual for him, a sport he had to abide by to see and be seen - although he was not a man who was very keen on being seen. What God gave to him in his talent and his sword arm, he took away in earthly appearances, but Sidonius managed by keeping a large, although neatly trimmed beard and a head full of dark, slightly curly hair. Both had the effect of making him look somewhat burly, but disguised his less than blessed look to a degree. If there was a way to look at it, he was unmistakable in a crowd.

His latest visit in Italy, by the way of Illyria did not fill him with enthusiasm. Barbarians and heathens, all swarming way past what was the imperial limes all those years ago. Many attempts were made, but alas, not much was achieved. for all the splendor and the might of the imperial Tagmata and the guards that paraded in the capital, it all was a far cry from the legios of old.

Find out state of the army. Who is the chief Strategos, who is advising the emperor on military matters and are they in the crowd? What is the state of the northern and Eastern borders?

[Ghazkull]

Sidonius
[71+20 Veteran -10 Ugly [3 = not drunk]] You are suprised as a man who bumps into you turns out to be none other than the Captain of the Suebic Guard, who seems to be off duty. You can't quite recall the man's name and don't want to anger him by asking since he is himself quite forthcoming with information.

The Chief Strategos? Please don't tell me thats another new title. If you mean the Megas Domestikos, that would be Nicodemus Phocas, he was the Chief of the Athanatoii before the Cleansing and i tell you he is one nasty customer.

As for the Army, there are only three Tagmata currently: the Black Tagma, the Tagmata ton Suebon led by me and the Tagmata ton Scholai currently led by Strategos Caius Obtus.

But even those three won't be nearly enough to take on the fucking Serbs coming down to tear us a new one. Once they are done going at each others throats, they will send the Bulgarians to soften us up before they descend screaming upon us and while i would relish a proper fight, there are simply too many of those bastards.

At least the east is somewhat calm. The Basileus had the poor bastard who was responsible for building a new limes around Adrianopolis castrated and blinded before sending him off to the mines. Apparently he's not thinking much of staying defensive. Plus the noble has been buying rotten old logs and wrote them down in his books as sturdy oak. The difference he put into his own pocket.

[Ardas]

Huh, the capital is changing every season....

"Thank you for the information. It seems that a new recruitment drive will be needed... but that all depends on the state of the coffers and the plans of our almighty basileus.... Tell me, none of the tagmata have taken to the field recently, have they? Is there anything we field that isn't in the capital? Can we really rely on the border captains?"

[Ghazkull]

You can rely on their corruption, their cowardice and that those puny thematas will run faster than you can turn around. No one is in the field because the soldiers haven't been paid yet and for all theri vaunted skill the Athanatoii won't move for money either.

But that's nothing new. Been this way for decades now. And now we don't have anything else in the field because there is nothing else. A few sad Thematas, whatever calls itself The Scholai these days, the Athanatoii, my Suebi and whatever we could possibly muster from the agentes in rebus and those Frumentarii. Well at least the navy is still a thing...or i hope so.

[Ardas]

"I know it is not my place or position to say so... but don't you long to take to the field sometimes? Do you think that the men here would be good enough to train the peasants out there, pump some blood into the army?"

[Ghazkull]

My Job is keeping the Emperor safe and fight when he says so, when he decides i don't fight i don't, Period. There is no reason to long for anything else, makes you just unhappy.

Well the Scholai are certainly better trained than the Thematas, but that doesn't count for anything really. What the Empire needs is not better soldiers but less corruption and better leaders. Half of those beardless ones are more corrupt and inept than anything you can imagine. Hel take them all.

[Ardas]

"Everything is in the hand of God, as they say..."

Sidonius observes the races dispassionately, thinking about the words of the captain. More leaders...

Try to find out more about Nicodemus Phocas. Try approaching him if he's here, after the race if not.

[Iituem]

"Well, Iason, old chap, if we're to show those barbaroii what for, isn't it important that we know where to cut them, eh?  Besides, businessman like yourself, I'm sure you can think of a way to wring a little money out of their wretched palms for the Empire, eh?"

Investigate the Stratiotikou regarding learning a bit more about these barbarians.