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Looks like the church will soon have
anotther leader, Coming up next, China and Japan.
Leo's in an impossible
Leo's in an impossible position, to be fair. He couldn't realistically have ignored Clan Corvo while trying to subjugate everybody else - he was going to be called out on it. I guess he didn't expect the reaction he got.
True...
But Raben seems to be using this as an excuse to undermine not only the Roman Catholic church but both Roman Empires, the Vandals and probably just about any other tribe with holdings in Southern Europe, even those that have been following his dictates.
Eric
I've certainly had my
I've certainly had my concerns about Operation Harmony, and they haven't been assuaged. For all that Raben did to ease the famine, the Clan certainly was a part of why it happened (by blockading the Vandal and WRE ports). How much this undermines the Eastern Roman Empire, currently, is hard to say. The ERE never had much of a presence out west, except during Justinian I's reconquest. Justinian won't ascend to the throne for most of another century. Raben thinks he is doing this for the better of the masses, but "knowing" what is best for others is a trap that so many conquerors find themselves in.
The Church will live on, and the eastern Bishops will have much more of an influence on the religion if Rome's standing as a singular authority is wrecked. That singular authority not being there should mean that the Church is more decentralized, which is probably not a bad thing.
A Shame...
...or so it seems to me, that Raben can no longer accept the concept that not all leaders are despots, and some operate with respect for their subjects, which is reciprocated by the latter for them. Even Ollie willingly giving up his executive power to Corvo's three-man rule in the past wasn't enough for Raben; he wants to make sure no one in his family will be venerated after Ollie's death.
Granted, that's good for his empire; nobody's going to revolt to re-establish their former well-loved leaders if the latter have been exiled to parts unknown; they're liable even to have a hard time finding a trusted leader for their revolt. It just doesn't strike me as fair to people and leaders who are behaving ethically, to be treated the same as the despots and their virtual slaves. Ollie's rule (and that of his predecessor) seemed to be what Raben would want elsewhere in the Clan's holdings, where leaders were exemplary and appreciated. Instead, he's considering it a threat to his subjugation of them.
On another note, I'm wondering whether Raben's continued youth will be treated by Leo as an indication that his "heretical" teachings are those of the Devil rather than Christ. As I've said before, as difficult as it may be, it's easier for a leader to give up temporal power (or at least to try to negotiate something that he can literally live with) than to feel his immortal soul is in danger if he and his subjects don't resist to the death.
Eric
I wouldn't fully buy into the "shame" of it.
As far as Ollie is concerned, I think you're being a tad harsh on Raben. Ollie made the request himself, and saw the reality and strategic necessity of it. I would not be surprised at all to see the family line become a recurring presence in the local triumvirates throughout the coming years (or even be consulted by them), regardless of this decision. This just means any official weight and status associated with it will be gone. Having consistency throughout the Clan isn't so much about the subjugation of the Norse, as it is about optics and the future expansion of the Empire in general. So as rough as it feels, Ollie had plenty of reason to have seen it coming (as he did). I suspect he warned his descendants.
As far as Leo, I suspect that this may be more of a "come to Jesus" talk. Raben has a point to make. I doubt that Raben wants Leo dead, though that may change depending on how this conversation goes. Leo will figure out Raben's secret, though, if he hasn't already.