BonaDea Imperial Republic Telegraph. (B.I.R.T) [News Thread]

[The Roman Imperial Republic]

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ISIL's Roman Branch Surrenders after Atomic Attack

Hatra, Mesopotamia- Large portions of the ancient city of Hatra, formerly known as Mosul, are in ruins after an atomic attack on Thursday. In turn, the terrorist group known as ISIS, ISIL, and The Islamic State has surrendered its Roman branch to the legions. Some three thousand are dead and the city is being evacuated due to the radiation emitted during the blast. Clashes between the group and the Roman legions have steadily increased as each side commits atrocities against the others. Some twenty Roman soldiers were murdered in a car bomb last week, and it was responded with summary executions of ISIS members in Seleucia.

The explosion occurred at three in the morning standard time. Witnesses are few, as those who saw the blasts directly were blinded. This along with the relatively small destructive are leads us to believe that the atomics used were the handheld devices used by the Imperial Assassins. These devices, which can be set for intensity, can be used in assassinations of multiple targets or the destruction of entire cities. This is the first time in fifty years in which the assassins have been utilized against any target, foreign or domestic. It is a symbol to Rome's enemies that shell will use all force necessary to end a threat to the government or its citizens.

Emperor Basileus had this to say:

Our enemies have been defeated once again, and will be defeated in the future. Islamic extremism harkens back to the seventh century, and that is where it will stay. It is in the best interest of nations who seek to eliminate this threat to do so quickly and systemically. There is no such thing as degrading an enemy that thinks it self morally superior to the entire world. You can't degrade it. So destroy it.

The last remnants of The Islamic State, some five hundred fighters have been sentenced to death by a legionary tribunal. They will be crucified along the road from Seleucia to Hatra. They have been denied the mercy killing.


Annoucement: We will now be allowing limited comments on our articles! The first five nations to post a comment/discussion will be kept. Anything more will be asked to be stricken out.



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Written By S. Vorenus, Trademark BIRT, 2014

[Il Borgia Vaticano]

BIRT NEWS: International Edition

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Pedro Luis de Borja crowned King of Spain by Pope Julius IV

Valencia, Spain- In a small ceremony in the St. Mary's Cathedral of Valencia, Pedro Luis de Borja was released of his Cardinal vows and crowned King of Spain by the new Pope Julius IV. He will be known as 'El Rey Pedro II Luis de la Casa Borja'. This event was incredible in the fact that the Spanish monarchy will be independent of the Papacy for the first time in fifty years. The crown was relinquished to the Pope Dionysius III after the eurozone crisis threatened pull down Spain into perpetual violence and corruption. This title was deemed to be held until 'The people of Spain were quiet and god-loving again.' Julius IV must have believed this to be so and crowned his cousin Pedro, a relative unknown Cardinal, king. He will not be the first Borja on the Spanish Throne, as the family have been ruling the country since Giovanni Borgia married Juana de Castilla in 1502. Although there is a new Spanish king, Spain shall still be subservient to the Papal throne. It will be a dual monarchy much like Andorra, with an ecclesiastical monarch and a secular one.

King Pedro II

The ceremony itself was small, with a few nobles from across Spain and some foreign diplomats attending. The first part was a mass dedicated to St. James officiated by His Holiness Julius IV, with a minor intercession of Mary to give blessing to the new king. The pontifical guards paraded through the streets, giving candy and gold coins to locals bearing the good news. When communion was finished the king came into the cathedral, bearing what few Crown Jewels the Papacy could muster. He wore his ceremonial armor as Captain of the Spanish armed forces, and the ermine cloak of monarchs. Around his neck was the medallion of the Golden Fleece. At his side was the sword of Cesare Borgia, and in his hands were the scepter Philip II and a single crowned Papal Tiara. He was flanked on both sides by Pontifical Guards. When he reached the altar he kneeled and kissed the pope's ring. The pope resonded with 'VIVAT REX HISPANORUM!' and placed the Spanish crown upon Pedro's head.

Pedro was the archbishop of Seville before his new tenure as monarch and was known for liberal approach with church dogma. While still only a bishop, Pedro was nearly stripped of all his clerical offices by Pope Felix VI for ordaining two women as priests when he was sixteen. He is known to be anxious around many people and incredibly shy in person, while his humility and diligence outclass many in his own family. There is no queen as of yet, but one can be sure that suitors will b vying for the king's affections.

His Titles:

His Catholic Majesty, Pedro II Luis de Borja, the King of the Spanish, King of Castile, of León, of Aragon, of the Two Sicilies, of Jerusalem, of Navarre, of Granada, of Seville, of Toledo, of Valencia, of Galicia, of Sardinia, of Córdoba, of Corsica, of Murcia, of Jaén, of the Algarves, of Algeciras, of Gibraltar, of the Canary Islands, of the East and West Indies, of the Islands and Mainland of the Ocean Sea; Grand Duke of Tuscany; Duke of Parma, of Brabant, of Milan, of Gandia and Modena; Count of Flanders, of Roussillon, and of Barcelona; Lord of Biscay and of Molina de Aragón; Captain General & Supreme Commander of the Royal Armed Forces; Sovereign Grand Master of the Order of the Golden Fleece and of the orders awarded by the Spanish state.

His Eminence, Francesco Borgia, President of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, BIRT International, 2014

[The Roman Imperial Republic]

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Roman Legions Face Off With Zombies in Third Plague

Rome, Italia- The Roman legions are getting excellent practice as a third zombie plague manifests itself in the northern provinces. Several people became infected from an unknown source in the border town of Lenoia two days ago and it has since spread wildly throughout Gaul. Following the creation of Military Order XXXVIII, Roman legions have been trained in undead response for over a hundred years since the reign of Emperor Hadrian II. They have thus far been effective in this venture, killing more of the ghouls than are currently spreading. Lenoia itself is now abandoned, or it could be said, depopulated.

Emperor Basileus has expressed that the Roman people must not panic in the face of this threat. He has not gone into hiding and has thrown daily parties in the Imperial Palace. Propaganda has been in overdrive and television network commercials are now videos showing the combat prowess of the legions. The truth is somewhat lets hopeful. Currently in Gaul, casualties are almost twenty percent. Those soldiers infected are being killed by the superiors at the first symptoms. With Rome having dealing with this before, it is expected that this plague will be wiped out over time. A few cases may have appeared in Britannia, but information on them has been sparse, especially if they had been killed for the survival of others.

In other Z-news, rumors are abound that enterprising Domini are capturing ghouls alive for use in the arenas after the plague has passed. Cases are also being reported from the German Tribes, who are not prepared for this sort of plague. It is expected that they will be devastated by the plague, much to the enjoyment of military commanders. As no one knows where this plague originated, like the first two times, many are already laying blame to the same scapegoats as usual, the Christians. Already retribution has been taken on clerics in Hispania and Graecia, with two priests being beaten to death by mobs blaming them for creating the plague.


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Written By S. Vorenus, Trademark BIRT, 2014

[The Roman Imperial Republic]

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Three Roman Senators Executed

An Imperial Lictor

Rome, Italia-Scandal woke the roman people this morning as news that the emperor has opened his reign by executing three senators on charges of conspiracy against the emperor. Senators M. Licinius Murena (above left), Appius Claudius Marcellus (above center), and Porcius Latero (above right) were beaten to death by the senatorial lictors after an altercation at the conclusion of the interregnum. Since the senate was sealed within the Curia Amercania, accounts are sketchy as to exactly what occurred that led to their deaths. The account given by Emperor Valerius is thus:

When our noble senate was formed, its main duty was to aid the emperor in providing stable and good government for its people. These three men conspired today to violate both the people's trust and their much vaunted tradition in an attempt on my life. Their leader, Porcius Latero, screamed that apt phrase 'Sic Semper Tyrannis' before attempting to stab me. His co-conspirators made their own attempts as well, but were brought down by the loyal among the senate. In my position as emperor, it is my duty to protect the empire from threats foriegn and domestic. I ordered the lictors to do their solemn duty and put these men to death for treason.

Reactions to this action have been varied. The emperor's supporters within the senate have applauded his actions, with Sextus Julius Caesar giving a speech in his praise. The Tribune of The Plebs Lucius Mummius held a contio and passed a vote carrying the plebeian support of the emperor's decision. Detractors are many. Conservative members of the senate have given accounts that the emperor ordered their deaths without provocation or that he was going to strip them of their office of senator. These accounts are highly in doubt, but know one really knows what happened in the locked senate. 'Such a rocky start gives bad omens' an anonymous augur replied to reporters 'Emperor Leto may have killed millions during his reign, but he is and was God. Valerius is a mere mortal. They deserved a trial.'


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Written By Gn. Sempronius, Trademark BIRT, 2014

[The Roman Imperial Republic]

BREAKING NEWS

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Valerius Assassinated, Chaos in Rome

Rome, Italia- We come to you now with this special report from Rome. In an apparent coup, Emperor Valerius was assassinated this morning by the Praetorian Guards. We would've brought this news sooner (as other stations have) but the state of panic has not abated and things have moved to quickly too release snippets. The city is in chaos as people flee to their homes as others are rioting from the death of the emperor. Gunfights have erupted between members of the praetorian guards and average soldiers, leading already to fourteen deaths. BIRT has already sealed its doors in case of attack from partisans on either side. The Aventine Hill and Caelian Hills are reporting numerous fires and looting, but the Palatine where we are is the center of much gunfire. The Senate is under siege by the guards, and the lictor collegia assigned to protect the consul has been slaughtered. We can't confirm this, but sources are reporting that the Vatican hill is sealed and that the Christian Pope may have fled to Spain.

The timeline of these horrendous events are these (many are unconfirmed):

1. Emperor Valerius leaves the palace and is met by the Praetorian guards.
   
2. He meets with leading senators to discuss the expansion of welfare
   
3. He then travels to the temple of Leto for augury of the ludii romanae
   
4. The Senate is called into session by Tribune Sextus Julius Caesar, and the Consul Flavius Cornelius Sulla agrees.
   
5. The lictors meet him at the temple's portico and he relieves the Praetorians of their duty for the day.
   
6. The Praetorians draw their weapons and fire upon the emperor and the lictors, killing them instantly.
   
7. They procede to attack the lictor collegia and slaughter its members. Chaos begins.
   
8. Gunfire between common soldiers and Praetorians is first heard. Fires are lit on the Caelian Hill.
   
9. Praetorians surround the senate, and the consul orders the doors sealed.

Demands have not been made, nor has an instigator been named. BIRT will continue to cover the news as it happens.


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Written By S. Vorenus, Trademark BIRT, 2014

[The Roman Imperial Republic]

The War Ends

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Rome, Italia- After years of utterly destructive war, peace has been restored to Rome, at least for now. Lucius Otacilius Crassus Pius Scorpius has been approved as emperor by the newly reformed senate and by the plebs' assembly. These bloody years saw the rise of eight different men to claim the throne, and one by one die before the peace was declared. The first of them was the murder 'Julius Caesar' who took power after seizing Rome from the late emperor Valerius. The Persian legions proclaimed their general Aquilia as imperator a few weeks later. Fighting broke out and the Julian's purges began as senators and plebs alike were killed in the streets. Three months later, the legions of the Rhine declared for Gnaeus Postumus Albinus who invaded Gaul with them. Death tolls at this point already reached two million between civilians and soldiers. Julius' reign ended violently as The Assassins killed him for his crime of regicide and treason. Calling what remained of the senate together, their Grandmaster was initiated as Emperor Paulinius. Paulinus demanded the surrenders of both Albinus and Aquilia, but both refused. Aquilia's control extended throughout Persia and into Mesopotamia, but as he entered Anatolia his troops mutinied, killing him and his attendants. Gaius Claudius Ptolmaeus became his replacement and the fourth emperor in this terrible year.

Ptolmaeus' support withered away after the assassination of Aquilia and his territories quickly collapsed into infighting. As the eastern legions rebelled, Ptolemaeus turned his forces east again to quell them. Much of Tehran was destroyed by an atomic strike so that the local garrison would learn to fear Ptolmaeus and return to the fold. Meanwhile battles were being waged in Gaul between Paulinus and Albinus. The front was constantly shifting back and forth with Lugdunum being a major point of contention. The city was battled from street to street for weeks before Paulinus withdrew his forces. Albinus, seeing this as a surrender, entered the city with a small contingent of men and declared victory. Paulinus clamped down his trap and surrounded the city on all sides and began to shell it without haste or mercy for where the bombs fell. Albinus was killed any his troops willingly surrendered to Paulinus. It was marching back to Rome were Paulinus suffered a stroke. He was in bed for three days before he died.

As the second year of war ended its third month, the losses were almost six million soldiers and eight million civilians. Lugdunum as in ruins along with much of Gaul and the Near East. The senate came together approved the Imperium of Gnaeus Cassius Longinus. Emperor Longinus set out to bring down Ptolmaeus, but was halted when yet another rebellion began in Gaul. This rebellion, led by a Augur of Leto simply known as Gaius, wished to make the poor man Pontifex Maximus alone so that morality may be restored in the empire through this trying time. Launching north yet again, Longinus fought valiantly against the rebellion and crushed them within two and a half weeks. Ptolmaeus had nuked a border town in India and ended his rebellions around this time as well, but for both men their legions had been reduced by more than half and sometimes left with only a tenth of which they started.

The victor of this war had been biding his time. While the ambitious men of Rome killed each other off, Lucius Otacilius Crassus Pius, a commander in Arabia Felix, held meeting after meeting to gain the loyalties of the unaffiliated and unengaged legions of Arabia, North Africa, and Spain. A year passed and four emperors were dead, but he did nothing. Two more died. Still nothing. When called upon by Ptolmaeus for the first time, the legions in Arabia refused, and Lucius vanished. Having no time to put the legions down, Ptolmaeus went west to seize Syria before Longinus could arrive. Desert storms slowed his march, and Longinus arrived in Laodicea on the Kalends of Martius. A new front opened as both sides fought to control the territory between the Euphrates and Antioch. Ships arrived from Egypt bearing foodstuffs for Longinus and were quickly accepted. This is when Otacilius made his move. Late into the night on the sixteenth of Martius, the Egyptian ships returned with new foodstuffs, but as they were unloaded a large explosion tore through the harbor of Laodicea. A handheld atomic weapon had been stored in one these boxes, and the harbor and all of Longinus' supplies were destroyed. The Legions of Egypt, North Africa, and Spain then made the announcement that Lucius Otacilius Pius, an unknown Tribune from Arabia was the new and permanent emperor of Rome. He was already in Italy because he had taken ship from Carthage to the city itself, and that his legions had already landed in Sicily and Tarentum, and another was marching south from Gaul. Airstrikes, relatively unused during this civil war were carried out on both Longinus and Ptolmaeus. Otacilius had sent them one letter requiring their unconditional surrender before the emperor or they would be humbled and destroyed. Air raids would continue, more atomics utilized, and food from the breadbasket would be withdrawn. Longinus surrendered in Antioch in the month of Julius, but Ptolmaeus refused until his own soldiers forced him to do so in October.

Both men were crucified during the new emperor's entrance into Rome. Unlike other wars there was no cheering, nor any excited crowds, no parade and cleaned streets. Rome was a mess, still littered by the dead from Julius' purges and starving plebs begged for food because of the war's drain on supplies. It has been a year since this, but the empire is still recovering. Lugdunum is a ruin, Seleuceia is still radioactive, and sixty-five million people are dead and others still dying in some places. Emperor Scorpius, as he is now called due to his scorpion like attack on Italy (also for his tendency to be quick and sharp like the Scorpion weapon of the Old Empire) , has slowly been rebuilding the city and the country. Taxes have been cut and a free grain dole has been established for survivors in the affected areas. Only three months ago did he finally call the Senate back into session. The great houses still have a few members by which to assert themselves, but no longer will the emperor tolerate attempted assassinations of anyone in the government. Scorpius has declared through his emergency tenure that anyone who breaks constitutional ethics will be tortured and fed to wild animals alive. The Interregnum will be the only viable solution to a dynastic crisis, anything else is treason. Free speech is still held dear, but treasonous acts will be followed with death.

Not much was known about Scorpius before he took the throne. He never entered politics, and was a mere Military Tribune from a faraway place. He is ethically Bedouin and a former Muslim, but converted during Basileus' purges against the Islamic State. He is reserved and calculating, waiting until he around six steps ahead before he strikes. He is traditional but still liberal in politics, leaning towards the peoples' support rather than the aristocracy. His promises of expanded healthcare and welfare for the commoners has earned him some respect to begin his reign. His freeing of the press for the first time in years has earned him points in our book as well, obviously. At forty he already has two sons, Harun ibn Lucas al-Mu'tamin (Age 16), and Philipus Otacilius Crassus (Age 10). He also has a daughter named Aemilia (Age 20). It has only been a year of peace, but we will see if Rome can hold herself together for the future.

"Divine Leto saw over larger destruction, and we Romans became stronger from it. We can beat this. We will beat this. Rome always survives even if her people don't. At her best she sings, and at her worst she endures. She never surrenders. Stay strong my fellow people. I will always be proud to say Civis Romanus Sum, even if it means I would die for it. It is the greatest thing in the world to have. Cherish it. Signing out one more time. Stay safe."

IN MEMORIAM DE JVLIVS POSCA, DEAD ON THE FIELD OF LVGDVNVM SHORTLY AFTER THIS BROADCAST

~RIP~

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Written By, Marcus Atius, Trademark BIRT, 2015