Tideland Empire Campaign - Reichstag Session 1
Politics is war by talking or something like that.
The first session of the Reichstag has come and went. This one was relatively quick as the group is still easing into things. Being as this is their first session of court, and the first play report, the procedure will need to be outline. It is pretty simple, following the rough outline of Robert's Rules of Order. The steps are as following:
Emperor calling the session to order (players settling down)
Reports (results of empire wide information gathering, player input for the Court to consider)
Emperor's Business (the emperor announces any decrees he wishes to issue, duties he wishes to demand, and favors he wishes to bestow)
Old Business (matters brought by electors that were postponed are reconsidered)
New Business (matters are brought up by the electors to be considered and voted on)
Open forum on all business
Voting on business
Filibustering is allowed as one takes a vote
Session is closed and recorded (I make session notes)
As we are using a slightly modified version of the Senatorial domain rules, players vote first, then NPC Electors, with all voting done in influence order. If a majority is reached, the vote is carried. Independent minor senators votes are considered to be spread evenly and are thus ignored (this may be changed as the game develops, but right now the minor senators are an unruly mob). The Emperor carries the tie breaking vote if needed. The players are not yet group into one political faction or another, however I took RP into account for determining bonuses and penalties for NPC votes. With that out of the way, onto the actual session
Session called to order
Attending Player Characters: Archduke Obsidius Falx of Lockland. High Lord Wallac of Roderhim, John L. Angularus of Ultimast, and Captain Barca of Akropotamia
Attending NPCs: The Emperor Under the Mountain, Alchan the IV, Archcupbearer Revig of the Dwarven Reach, Giles Slenderwillow of Lidari, Lady Lyra of the Hollow Weald, Lord Halfin of Halfin's Push, LeMarque de Cruso of Hidari and the Ecclesiarch.
Reports
An Imperial scout reports that the beastmen are gathering a huge horde of all tribes deep in their territory. This horde is gathered under the banner of Sameal, prophet of He Who Walks With Us.
No player reports at this session
Emperor's Business
The Emperor wishes to imposes an empire-wide three month tax of 2 GP to fund a legion of Imperial Soldiers to march on the beastlands with the purpose of killing Sameal and disbursing his horde
Old Business
No old business for this session
New Business
High Lord Wallac of Roderhim wishes an Imperial Writ to bargain with the Lizard Folk instead of engaging in total way. He wishes this as the official position of the Church is that Lizard Folk are capable of being redeemed and turned from Chaos, unlike the other beastmen.
Captain Barca of Akropotamia wishes to annex the Lead Isle nation as a vassal. This is for mutal aid, and to allow Barca to increase his trade range with a friendly re-supply port. Count Drad, the Lower Elector who rules the Lead Isle agrees with the annexation.
Lady Lyra wishes the tax owed from her nation to be reduced by 50%, as her population has fallen significantly since the last census and she will not be able to pay the standard imperial tax owed. She also says that this tax break will be passed on to people currently living in her nation, so that people may start returning and bring her population under control
Lord Halfin wishes to declare war on a minor state to his north. He claims their ruler, Lord-Marshal Cray, has been grant letters of Marque to allow raiding on Halfin's supply lines to this army in the beastlands. Lord Halfin produces such a letter, which indeed bears a seal matching Lord-Marshal Cray's signet.
Open Forum
Upon the forum opening up, the first topic discussed was the matter of Lord Halfin's war. Questions were raised on the validity of the seal, and the Lord-Marshal was brought up from the lower bench to be questions. Accusations and vitriol flew both ways, but Archduke Obsidius Falx proved to be the voice of reason, and suggested the empire utilize a sage to inspect the ring and document and prove it's veracity, thus postponing the matter until the next session of the Reichstag. Lord Halfin accepted this resolution after an informal vote was held, though he was somewhat sullen about the matter. The Lord-Marshal for his part, heavily resented the accusation of wrong doing, as well as the suggestion that his realm was poor and incapable of providing for its people. This suggestion Halfin provided when pressed for a reason as to why a the Lord-Marshal would conduct the raids while being on the edge of the Beastlands.
After that, Captain Barca's annexation of the Lead Isle was scrutinized, with High Lord Wallac and Archduke Obsidius inquired whether there was any benefit to the empire as a whole. Barca contended that as he had the most capable trade fleet, and this annexation would drastically increase the fleet's range, it would allow for an eventual full trade circuit to be made around the coast instead of cross country. High Lord Wallac added a stipulation that lines to the nation of Roderhim be prioritized to secure his vote.
High Lord Wallac's wish to parlay with the lizardmen was next analyzed. The justification was that if the official position of the Church was that lizardmen could be raised from beasthood into personage, then the lizardmen should be allowed to prove this themselves. He stated that his eventual goal was a strong operating base in beastlands, by way of alliance against the other tribes with the lizardmen. Although he did clarify that now was a simple peace envoy.
Finally, Lady Lyra's desire for a tax break was hotly debated. With Obsidius Falx coming out in her defense, and Barca and Wallac heatedly denying that she deserved such a break. Wallac and Barca claimed that such a population dearth could only be caused by a severe failure in leadership, which should not be rewarded by lower taxes. Obsidius countered by pointing out that Lady Lyra rules over a landlocked domain with very few resources to export, and that a general trend of emigration to coastal regions has been going on for years. Eventually a consensus was reached that Lady Lyra would receive a 25% tax break, and an Imperial Overseer would be sent to ensure that was passed on the to the populace, instead of being pocketed by the Lady. Captain Barca begrudgingly agreed to these stipulations.
Voting
Item One: New Imperial Tax
Voted in favor: Lord John L. Angularus, Archcupbearer Revig, High Lord Wallac
Voted against: Archduke Obsidius Falx, Captain Barca, Lord Halfin, Gile Slenderwillow, LeMarque de Cruso, Lady Lyra
Abstained: The Ecclesiarch
Result: Vetoed by majorityItem Two: High Lord Wallac's Lizardman Envoy
Voted in favor: Lord John L. Angularus, High Lord Wallac, Captain Barca, Lord Halfin, Gile Slenderwillow, LeMarque de Cruso
Voted against: The Ecclesiarch, Revig, Lady Lyra
Abstained: Archducke Obsidius Falx
Result: Sustained by majorityItem Three: Captain Barca's Annexation of the Lead Isle
Voted in favor: High Lord Wallac, Lord John L. Angularus, Captain Barca, Archduke Obsidius Falx, The Ecclesiarch, Gile Slenderwillow
Voted against: Lord Halfin, Revig, Lady Lyra, LeMarque de Cruso
Abstained: none
Result: Sustained by majorityItem Four: Lady Lyra's Tax Benefits
Voted in favor and endorsed: Archduke Obsidius Falx
Voted in Favor: Captain Barca, LeMarque de Cruso, Lady Lyra
Voted against: High Lord Wallace, The Ecclesiarch, Lord Halfin, Gile Slenderwillow, Revig
Abstained: John L. Angularis
Result: Vetoed by majority.
Session Adjourned
Once the session was over, players reached out to be privately with how they wish to proceed with their domains after. I am in the process of planning several adventures for their wishes to be born out or not. Those will be in the secret reports, which will have to be embargoed for the time being. I am hoping three months is long enough. But fear not, I will write the reports for them and save them as needed.
We also played another more traditional setting afterwards, as the Reichstag stuff does not take very long, especially with so little on the docket. That game is the breeding ground for new adventurers to rise through the ranks and join the elite members of the court. Currently the group playing that is enjoying some Keep on the Borderlands action in Lord Halfin's domain. Perhaps they will be tasked with recovering more substantial evidence of these supposed raids.
With the first session down, I am feeling good about this game. Player interest is high, and there have been a few plots and goals hatched already in the background that I am excited to share. Keep an eye out for the Elector and Realm primer to help clarify all the characters and their relationships. That's all for this post.
Vote On!
-ShockTohp