SKNES: Architecture of Aggression

[Lokki242]

What would the first nation to officially declare itself Christian be without Orthodoxy?
Kingdom of Armenia
Government: Divine Monarchy (They believe their rulers are chosen by God)
State Religion: Orthodox Christianity

[Lokki242]

To: The Roman Empire
From: Ashot III of the Kingdom of Armenia
As brothers in faith, my people believe that a union between our people would be kind. I request an alliance with you as the primary member, who makes war decisions, who in exchange protects my people. This is not a vassalage, for you will not receive tribute in anything but soldiers. We also request a Royal Marriage to solidify our alliance.

[Lord of Elves]

From: Abbasid Caliphate
To: Armenian Infidels
Loath as we are to treat with those who reject the teachings of the Prophet, we request that you guarantee non-aggression towards the Caliphate, which will of course return this favor.

[Lokki242]

To: Abbasid Caliphate
From: Kingdom of Armenia
We will appreciate a truce between our peoples, but it would be kind of you to remember the rebellion in your lands that I, Ashot III, put down for you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashot_III_Bagratuni
OOC:Note that little tidbit about raising 90,000 men, Southern King.

[erez87]

MESSAGE FROM THE HOLY SEE TO ALL CATHOLIC RULERS

Let it be known, that a war among Catholics is most unwelcome. Any Catholic ruler who wages war on another Catholic ruler will be punished. God loves you, but will send you to hell if you do not follow his bidding!

[Amon Savag]

Originally Posted by Lokki242

To: The Roman Empire
From: Ashot III of the Kingdom of Armenia
As brothers in faith, my people believe that a union between our people would be kind. I request an alliance with you as the primary member, who makes war decisions, who in exchange protects my people. This is not a vassalage, for you will not receive tribute in anything but soldiers. We also request a Royal Marriage to solidify our alliance.

Agreed. My second son is eligible for such a marriage.

[Lokki242]

Agreed. My second son is eligible for such a marriage.

I shall begin the arrangements for the ceremony between him and my daughter immediately.

OOC:I'm confused, what are orders?

[Lokki242]

The Mosaic of the King

Prince Ashot IV stared at the mosaic installed at the palace at Yeremen. The place was still under construction, and would take many years, but even just this mosaic was glorious. It portrayed his father, King Ashot III the Blind (his pupils removed from the image to signify his lack of sight) standing upright in the center, with a blade in one hand, and a wine glass in the other.
The blade signified Ashot's military strength, the glass signified his diplomatic skills and refinement. On the side of the hand holding the blade was a kneeling Moslim man, as well as a burning coat of arms. The Moslim signified the defeat of a Moslim State rebelling from the Abbasid Caliphate, which later suffered defeat at King Ashot's hand, improving his relations with the different minded neighbors. The burning coat of arms was that of a rival family, which several of the members of had attacked and blinded the King shortly after his ascent to the throne. In response Ashot wiped them out, and used them as examples to other families he disagreed with his rule.
On the other side was a cross, which simply signified the King's devotion to the one true faith, and an exquisitely designed crown, representing his hereditary power and interest in culture. For the Armenian people were not warriors, they were artists and faithfullists. They would fight where it was necessary, but that was not their people's goal.
The Prince looked around the slowly constructed Palace. It would be a marvel to behold when completed, a wonder, if you will. And one day it would be his. The Armenians would not dominate through violence. They would dominate through creating a culture others would copy, buildings that foreigners would pay to see and visit, technology the rest of the world would beg for. In the Prince's eyes, that was his destiny.

[Terrance888]

"Sir Sir!" cried the young boy as he ran across the living room. The Duke watched, amused, as a young playmate followed with a pair of coconut shells, making sounds of hooves for the unmounted heir. "The orders are sent! We are to march to war!"

[Lokki242]

Originally Posted by Terrance888

"Sir Sir!" cried the young boy as he ran across the living room. The Duke watched, amused, as a young playmate followed with a pair of coconut shells, making sounds of hooves for the unmounted heir. "The orders are sent! We are to march to war!"

Monty Python much?

[Mickzter97]

To: All Muslims who joined the Pact
From: Sultan Mikaeel al-Rashied, Sultanate of Castile
We are glad that you have seen the light and have chosen the right path. Together we shall reign supreme as the Islamic Empire.

To All Nations who did not join
May Allah make you come to your senses.
In-shaa'Allah (If God Wills)

[Optical]

Originally Posted by Mickzter97

Sultanate of Castile is here!!!
To: All Muslim Nations - Sunni or Shia
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh!!
May peace reign between our countries and may Allah defend our holy lands.
We offer Muslim countries a Pact of Defense, so if the Christian threat, or any other country, declare war on you, we, along with all our brothers who have joined, will help you defend your country.
Please join this Pact, and we as Muslim brothers and sisters will live together without any threats.
From: Sultanate of Castile

To: Sultanate of Castile
From: Emirate of Hormuz
Your offer seems reasonable. We would be happy to join such a pact.

[SouthernKing]

Originally Posted by Lokki242

I shall begin the arrangements for the ceremony between him and my daughter immediately.

OOC:I'm confused, what are orders?

Orders are basically your spending details, policies, plans, etc.
Here are some good examples (yours don't necessarily have to be that long though)
As you don't have stats until the update, you don't need to send orders this turn.

[SouthernKing]

Orders in:
erez87 (Pope)
Grandkhan (Vandals)
Mickzter97 (Castile)
momo1000 (Cordoba)
mythmonster2 (Sicily)
SamSniped (Venice)
spaceman98 (Poland)
Terrence888 (Aquitaine)
thomas.berubeg (Jutland)

Need orders from: (bold means you have yet to even post in this thread)
Amon Savag (Roman Empire)
Boundless (Catavalu)
General Olaf (Hormuz)
lopaz (Eborica)
Lord of Elves (Abbasids)
Mosher (Savoy)
<nuke> (Nuclear kid) (Franks)
Omega124 (Slavs)
Popcornlord (Novgorod)
TheLizardKing (Zengids)
west india man (Epir)

Deadline is in ~48 hours (4 PM EDT/8 PM GMT on Wednesday)

[Popcornlord]

That's because I'm so hilariously irrelevant to world events right now.
Orders will be sent soon. But could you double check the stats for Novgorod? I think you forgot to give me an army.

[SouthernKing]

Originally Posted by Popcornlord

That's because I'm so hilariously irrelevant to world events right now.
Orders will be sent soon. But could you double check the stats for Novgorod? I think you forgot to give me an army.

Stupid me. Yeah, I'll fix that.
It should be fixed now.

[Optical]

Orders coming tomorrow.

[Mickzter97]

The Following Nations have agreed to the Pact:
Sultanate of Morocco
Vandalic Sultanate
Emirate of Badajoz
Sultante of Castille
Emirate of Cordoba
Emirate of Barcelona
Abbasid Caliphate
Tahirid Sultanate
Emirate of Hormuz
Correct me if I am Wrong

[Amon Savag]

Byzantium

The Emperor saty gloriously upon the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as the patriarch of Constantinople made his case to Constantine V of reuniting the western and eastern churches.

"Lord Emperor, we must send our armies to Italy, conquer Rome, and force the barbarian pope to our will. We can then use the church of the west to reconquer all of the old Roman Empire." said the Patriarch

General Tiberias thus far had been the right hand of Emperor Constantine V and through talks with him over the past year wasn't surprised when the Emperor had told him to position his men in positions to enforce a quick martial law on Byzantium. An entire 2 divisions of Skutatoi were marching through the streets as this court session was taking place, unknown to the Patriarch.

"I have heard enough" said Constantine V, raising his arm. "I am no longer ready to heed the churches advice on matters of policy. Long hours of research has led me to the conclusion that the Roman Empire has fallen to decadence due to religion. We have gotten soft, and your Jesus is to blame for this." The whole of the court gasped, and the room filled with armed men. "Send the clergy to the chopping block and await my presence to execute them" he told them.

Rounding them up kicking and screaming and shouting curses against the Emperor, 2 priests were beat to a pulp before they gave up trying at the Emperor. When the crowd gathered round the chopping block, troops surrounded them. The streets were crawling with Byzantine infantry now.

"Look at these fat priests, bishops, and patriarchs" declared the Emperor. "Living a life as Christ would have, I'm sure. I am not here to speak of the hypocracies, but to explain that under our gods, we triumphed. We had conquered the world under those gods and then our gods were thrown out and we have paid the price. We are down to a quarter of the size of our glorious Roman Empire! I am giving our country back to the gods, and with their help we will rise again. As your Emperor, I command that you give up the 1 false god, and redeem yourself to the old gods.

The crowd, most too shocked to move made very little noise. A scattered "No way" or "Anything for the Emperor" was shouted though. The troops were poised to strike the crowd down if they tried to overrun the chop block though.

Moving to the Patriarch, the Emperor told him "As your Emperor, you are commanded as well. You must give up Jesus and embrace the old gods. Do you obey?"

"No" replied the patriarch, and the Emperor slid his dagger across the throat of the Patriarch with red trails of blood following. He moved to a bishop next, who obeyed and shouted that he was turning his back on the god of Christianity. Some in the crowd weeped for the patriarch, and some applauded.

Soon, however, after a few more clergy were slain and a few more swore allegiance to the old gods, the general call of "The Old Gods" swelled the streets. Rather out of fear or from joy, none could tell. Probably a bit of both. The old gods were still widely worshipped by many at this point in the Empire, and the hope that the Emperor might go back to them had never vanished from some circles.

Soon after Constantinople was purged of all Christian clergy, he demanded the churches be remodelled to worship the old gods, and the tithes were abolished and the endulgences were gone, and people started to see some wisdom in what the Emperor had done.

The armies had been poised to strike in other major Byzantine cities, too, to purge their clergy. Mixed results there, too, but all in all the land was turning back to the old gods, as it had turned christian 300 some years ago.

[Eltain]