Viking Invasion Signup (Closed)

[Flitchaye Warrior]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LsMSNQJbdk Skip ahead to 1:17.

[stormsight]

Historical facts are historical facts. Shall I point out a few? If you happen to notice any inaccuracies, point them out with references and I'll accept them.

Frederick undertook six expeditions into Italy. In the first, beginning in October 1154 his plan was to launch a campaign against the Normans under King William I of Sicily. He marched down and almost immediately began encountering resistance to his authority. Obtaining the submission of Milan, he successfully besieged Tortona in early 1155, razing it to the ground before moving to Pavia where he received the Iron Crown, and with it, the title of King of Italy. Moving through Bologna and Tuscany, he was soon approaching the city of Rome. There, Pope Adrian IV was struggling with the forces of the republican city commune led by Arnold of Brescia, a student of Abelard. As a sign of good faith, Frederick dismissed the ambassadors from the revived Roman Senate, and Imperial forces suppressed the republicans. Arnold was captured and hanged for treason and rebellion....
...Rome was still in an uproar over the fate of Arnold of Brescia, so rather than marching through the streets of Rome, Frederick and Adrian retired to the Vatican.

The next day, 18 June 1155, Adrian IV crowned Frederick I Holy Roman Emperor at St Peter's Basilica, amidst the acclamations of the German army. The Romans began to riot, and Frederick spent his coronation day putting down the revolt, resulting in the deaths of over 1,000 Romans, and many more thousands injured.

There's that.
Another one that stood out:

With the refusal of Henry the Lion (his cousin) to bring help to Italy, the campaign was a complete failure. Frederick suffered a heavy defeat at the Battle of Legnano near Milan, on 29 May 1176, where he was wounded and for some time was believed to be dead.
....Frederick did not forgive Henry the Lion for refusing to come to his aid in 1174. By 1180, Henry had successfully established a powerful and contiguous state comprising Saxony, Bavaria and substantial territories in the north and east of Germany. Taking advantage of the hostility of other German princes to Henry, Frederick had Henry tried in absentia by a court of bishops and princes in 1180, declared that Imperial law overruled traditional German law, and had Henry stripped of his lands and declared an outlaw. He then invaded Saxony with an Imperial army to bring his cousin to his knees. Henry's allies deserted him, and he finally had to submit in November 1181. Henry spent three years in exile at the court of his father-in-law Henry II of England in Normandy, before being allowed back into Germany.

There are other points, but it's late and I'm not in the mood to go through battles, etc, for specifics.
My point is that he was certainly a tyrant. Maybe he wasn't a bad leader. Definitely he wasn't Caligula. That doesn't make a difference as to whether or not he fits the definition.

[stormsight]

I don't think video game cutscenes are any more or less accurate (or unbiased) than Wikipedia.
Especially since this provides no specifics or references of any kind and expects the viewer to more or less take on faith that what they are saying is true.

[Flitchaye Warrior]

Emperor Charlamagne I was not a tyrant.

[Camaclue]

Guys, this is a REDWALL RP. 99% of the main villans were tyrants.

[Flitchaye Warrior]

My character listens to the advice of his commanders unlike other villains.

[stormsight]

A tyrant is defined as "an absolute ruler", as previously mentioned.

In the summer of 779, he again invaded Saxony and reconquered Eastphalia, Engria, and Westphalia. At a diet near Lippe, he divided the land into missionary districts and himself assisted in several mass baptisms (780). He then returned to Italy and, for the first time, there was no immediate Saxon revolt. Saxony was peaceful from 780 to 782.
Charlemagne (742–814) receiving the submission of Widukind at Paderborn in 785, by Ary Scheffer (1795–1858). Versailles

He returned to Saxony in 782 and instituted a code of law and appointed counts, both Saxon and Frank. The laws were draconian on religious issues; for example, the Capitulatio de partibus Saxoniae prescribed death to Saxon pagans who refused to convert to Christianity. This revived a renewal of the old conflict. That year, in autumn, Widukind returned and led a new revolt. In response, at Verden in Lower Saxony, Charlemagne is recorded as having ordered the execution of 4,500 Saxon prisoners, known as the Massacre of Verden ("Verdener Blutgericht").

This is a running theme for Charlemagne: take over pagan countries, kill anyone who doesn't convert to Christianity.

[stormsight]

Bro that doesn't mean he isn't a tyrant. That means he's smarter than the average bear. This is the point I've been trying to make without being too too obvious about it.
Next time I'll just come right out and be as blunt as possible.

[Flitchaye Warrior]

Oh let us just shut up about the topic and get back to the role-play.

[Camaclue]

yes. Whenever you guys are ready

[Flitchaye Warrior]

We have to wait for Krowdon.

[Krowdon]

Wow. You nerds actually used my character sheets. Go ahead and start, I'm busy today but I'll try to have my characters done tonight or in the morning and just hop in.

[Camaclue]

well, you are the RP mod.
So, yeah. Have fun being busy.

[stormsight]

Fine. Next time I'll make up my own. And it will be 2 pages long. Like this one.

[Camaclue]

there's ANOTHER redwall Forum? We're getting off track here, let's just start.