DEL: Recent goings on in Aguilla

From: wish@ibmPCUG.CO.UK (Bill Hay)

Date: Fri, 06 Dec 1996 00:00:00 +0000

The GM informs me that there are a few vacancies in Delenda Est Carthago.
so I thought I'd post this here to give people something of the flavour
of the game.  My web site devoted to the game is at http://www.median.pcug.com

Rumors are spreading around the land of Aguila that certain nobles of the
Holy Empire are plotting to replace the ineffectual Holy Emperor Louis
d'Artois.

Although he has had his successes in recent years such as negotiating
the absorption of the former Papal states (Igu, Curril, Penpodr,
Thwistle, Itchin and others) into the Holy Empire his current failings
are causing even these to be criticised.  The former Papal states are
nearly independent yet enjoy the full protection of the Emperor in
exchange for the military service of, in a few cases, only a handful
of Knights.

However the main focus of discontent is the Emperors failures in
his dealings with the Khan of Selyas and laterly his regents.  It is
rumored that the current Selyan Royal family (the du Barrys) came to
the throne by murdering the obvious heir to the throne Prince Peter
Chevalier.  Prince Peter's mother Christobel appealed to her nephew
(Louis) to help revenge her on the du Barrys.  Louis' attempt ended in
a fiasco and the capture by the du Barrys of the Princess Christobel
whose ransom still has not been paid after many months.

Subsequently some Selyan Nomads, calling themselves the Border Horse,
have been raiding the Empire's western marches.  The Emperor's only
noticeable reaction to this so far has been to order the nobles who
have been attacked to defend their lands (as if that was necessary)
but forbade them to cross the border into Selyas to put a stop to
attack the nomads because the Selyan regent objected.  Since the
nomads cross the border into the Empire only to attack towns this has
resulted in a complete failure to engage the nomads in battle.

The Regent of Selyas has announced his official disapproval of the
nomad actions but so far has done nothing to stop them and suspicions
are growing that if he is not actually behind the raids he
nevertheless supports them.  And if he really does disapprove why will
he not at least allow Imperial nobles to cross the border in hot
pursuit?

It is rumored that Roger de Flor has is carrying out negotiations with
the nomads on behalf of the Emperor.  Or is that the other way round?
Might this have something to do with the fact that he himself was once
the leader of a group of horsemen calling themselves the Border Horse
who raided Imperial lands?  Is it entirely a coincidence that Upper
Varn of which Roger is the steward has been left untouched by the
nomads while the fiefs around it have been the most heavily hit. Is
Roger really working to promote the cause of Prince Veltayn, the
fiefholder of Upper Varn who but for his illegitimate birth, would
have inherited the throne instead of the current Emperor's father.

Is a desire to attend his half brother Slaine ap Owen's wedding the
only reason that Veltayn and his Selyan wife Sarah Hanson are visiting
Cwmrw?  Or could it be that since the Pope removed the stigma of
illegitimacy from him we wants to keep a lot of distance and several
hundred veterans of the Arfordir wars between himself and the Emperor
Louis?

The Pope's cousin Thomas Monterray the Grand Duke of Igu has announced
his intention of stopping the raids even though his own lands aren't
threatened and if necessary crossing the border in direct defiance of
Imperial policy.  Will the Emperor's nobles remain loyal if he
attempts to stop the Grand Duke?  If he doesn't will this mean open
war with Selyas?

Why was the Pope so eager to part with his lands in exchange for a
right he always claimed to possess in any case (the right to appoint
Bishops within the Empire)?

Stephen du Main, head of the Median order and a well known fanatical
selyan nationalist, recently sent a monk to Cuthpawl to meet with the
ruler of that fief Prince Veltayn's mother: Catrine ap Owen.  Why?  Is
there any deeper significance to the deal he made with John Green, the
mysterious merchant from Infidel lands who married Queen Catrine to
sell the merchant his entire stock of Median Liquer? Does he perhaps
hope to open the gates of Aagar to the Selyan Nomads or just promote
an Imperial civil war that will allow the Selyans to grab the west and
re-establish their cruel and ancient Empire?