Tyranny of Steel

Enough time had passed since the Proclamation of the German Reformation, to the point where the authorities of the Catholic Church, or at least those who were still loyal to it, had gathered in Cordoba at its famous Cathedral. There they began to squabble about the ongoing events that were of pressing concern. Berengar's Reformation was far more popular than they had initially estimated, especially after the revelation of the Church's infinite corruption and crimes by Ludolf. As such, this was the most important concern in which they discussed at the gathering.

Simeon, as always, had started the meeting by shouting at anyone who opposed him. Though he called this meeting ahead of schedule to address the German Reformation and the Schism between the Papacy in Avignon and the Vatican, he was not a diplomatic man. He was currently engaged in a debate with the Pope of Avignon, Avilius III, over what should be done about the matter.

"If we do not mend our differences, this heresy being called the German Reformation will sweep across Christendom like a plague!"

However, Avilius was in disagreement after all Berengar had labeled it the German reformation. After the last meeting, the French Pope had gathered quite a bit of information on Berengar. As far as he could tell, Berengar's ambitions solely lay within the German-speaking regions. Thus he did not accept the notion that this Reformation was designed for anything more than Germany. Thus he was certain to voice his opinion on the matter..

"Berengar and his pet priest Ludolf have labeled this the German Reformation. Why should I care what those savages to the East believe? The Holy Roman Empire is your puppet, not mine!"

Avilius, as always, was drinking from an entire flagon of wine while making his opinion well heard. Though he was not as abrasive as Simeon, he was equally short-sighted, not realizing that allowing the German Reformation to fester could allow newer branches of Christianity to pop up and further challenge Papal Authority. These two men were both proclaiming themselves to be the central figure of authority for all of Christendom, and as such, were constantly at one another's throats.

Simeon, as always, was flushed with rage; his face was practically the color of a tomato as he shouted at Avilius once more.

"Not your problem! The souls of every German are at risk to this heresy. Do you not care about their salvation?"

Avilius merely smirked smugly in response to Simeon's accusations. He could not very well admit his utter contempt for the German people; after all, such a declaration would be unbefitting of a man who proclaimed himself Pope. However, he could not reject the claim in good conscience, as doing so would compromise his beliefs. This action, of course, further enraged Simeon, who struggled to contain his growing wrath.

Seeing the direction in which the meeting was heading toward one of the Cardinals present immediately raised a major concern. After all, the voice of reason who normally convinced these two to behave themselves was no longer present, for he had switched sides and joined the German Reformation.

"Cardinal Engelbert is no longer with us, and as such, we should take time to consider the consequences of having a Cardinal join this heresy known as the German Reformation."

Seeing that the discussion was switched in another direction, the two Popes decided to put aside their differences for the time being and address this concern. Avilius' reaction was quite extraordinary.

"We should capture all of the German Cardinals and interrogate them to find out whether or not they have sympathies for this Heresy! It is the only way to ensure that more of them do not flock to this so-called Reformation."

Simeon, on the other hand, was once more outraged over Avilius's ideas. Though the Italian Monarch led the Holy Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Germany had always been an important factor in the Empire's stability; for many centuries, the German monarchs ruled the Empire. With the ongoing civil and religious crisis in Germany, the power and authority of the Holy Roman Emperor had diminished. In Simeon's view, if they were to discriminate against the German Cardinals who have shown no sign of heresy, then they would be driving more people into the German Reformation, thus weakening the authority of not only the Vatican but also the Holy Roman Empire.

Of course, the only person who would benefit from such an outcome would be Avilius, the Pope of Avignon, whose influence greatly stretched to the Kingdom of France, which had a long-standing rivalry with Germany for many centuries. As such, Simeon quickly responded to this idea with contempt.

"You would like that wouldn't you, Avilius? The only person who could benefit from the resulting chaos that would ensue would be you!"

Avilius, of course, was drinking from his flagon of wine when he denied the accusations against him.

"I am sure I have no idea what you are talking about, Simeon."

The result of this brief exchange caused the entire council to result in chaos as the cardinals and bishops who gathered all began to scream at each other and hurl insults. Eventually, a loud whistling noise appeared across the room, instantly silencing all of the banter. When the cardinals and bishops searched for who was responsible for the noise, they noticed a Cardinal scowling at all of them as if they were a bunch of bratty children. After staring down the crowd of clergymen for some time, the Cardinal finally voiced his opinion on the matter.

"It has become increasingly clear to me that neither Avilius nor Simeon are fit to be Pope; thus, what I propose is simple. Both of you, two imbeciles, step down from your positions and allow us all to elect a single new Pope, one who is actually capable of combatting the crisis in which we find ourselves!"

Avilius and Simeon immediately protested this option. However, they found little support in the room.

"Absolutely not!"

"Who are you calling an imbecile?"

Yet, not a single voice defended them among the crowd; the two men finally realized that their support had dwindled. Last year this council was split into two sides that supported either of the two potential Popes. However, now, after the debacle that had occurred during this timeframe and their petty squabbling, not a single clergyman within the room was in support of either of these prospective Popes. The Cardinal who voiced this option stared menacingly at the two self-proclaimed Popes and chastised them like children.

"Engelbert joined the Reformist movement because he was sick and tired of dealing with you idiots and felt that the Reformist movement provided a better alternative. If neither of you is willing to abdicate, then you leave us with no choice. We will elect a new Pope and declare both of your positions invalid, which will only further increase the volatility of the situation we find ourselves in. For once in your lives, you two should do what is best for the Church and not your own selfish ambitions!"

After such a verbal thrashing, both Simeon and Avillius looked at each other with helpless expressions; ultimately, Avillius was the first to speak.

"I voluntarily abdicate my position as head of the Papacy of Avignon and hereby declare my support to the election of a new unified Pope!"

With Avillius abdication, all that remained was Simeon. As such, the entire Council of Cordoba stared at him with intimidating eyes before finally the man broke from the pressure and bent to their will.

"I, too, abdicate my position."

With that, the two former Popes sat down in their seats and admitted defeat. They may be a pair of incompetent fools. Still, even they could realize when they lacked support if they refused to abdicate, they would be forced by the Ecclesiarchy out of their positions and wander the world as Self-Proclaimed Popes with no real power or authority. It was best to remove themselves and still maintain some degree of authority within a unified Catholic Church.

Thus, the College of Cardinals would hold an election in the upcoming month, where a single Pope would be elected and placed in command of the Catholic Church for years to come. Whether or not this Pope would be more competent than Simeon and Avilius were yet to be known, but it was a good start on the path to recovery. Though they solved one of the major issues of contention, Two major issues presented themselves, which needed to be thoroughly discussed. The ongoing German Reformation and the Teutonic State's war with the Golden Horde. As such, the Council had only begun to solve the current crisis the Catholic Church was going through.

While the Council of Cordoba was ongoing, Berengar and his allies in the German Reformation had made great plans to secure the regions in which their movement had taken a foothold. Tyrol, of course, was as secure as a region could become in this chaotic age, yet Berengar's neighbors would need some assistance, and the young Count was more than happy to capitalize on such a venture.