Senators,

The census is now ready.

Let us start in the north, in Britannia. When Brazil was traded to England for them to cede their claims on Britain, most of the staunchly English peoples emigrated to England’s New World territories. Those that remained took up Greek customs over the years, and now the only significant population of English-speakers are centered around London and Canterbury, which they dominate. In the north of England, there are populations of Norwegians dating from their domination of the island, and a sizable population of Scots in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Southern and western Wales hold to their roots, whereas northern Wales has assimilated to Greek culture. The island of Britannia is considered two provinces: Britannia and Wales. In all, 6.85 Million people live on Britain.

Next, Gallia. In the low countries to the northeast, the Flemish dominate in the Eindhoven region and Vlaanderen. To their south, in the western half of Wallonie and the inland portions of Picardie, are the Walloon peoples. In the rest of Picardie, nearly all of Champagne, all of Ile de France, most of Normandy, and a little of Loire, are the Franks. The northern part of Brittany is filled with Bretons. In the south, particularly Aquitaine, Poitou, Le Midi, and Provence, are the Aquitaine peoples. They also are the main population of Lyon. And much of the eastern Gaulish lands are ruled by a Germanic people who consider themselves Burgundian. Much of Gaul is predominately Greek-speaking, and the regions that are not have significant Greek populations. Gallia is considered to be five provinces: Aquitaine, Belgium, Brittany, Burgundy, and France. In all, 15.51 million people live in Gaul.

Iberia is primarily Castilian, with significant Andalusian populations along the southern and eastern coasts and inland. North along the Pyrenees many of the people have taken to Green customs. On the coast of Catalonia is another significant population of Aquitaine people, and in the northeast there are Basque people still holding to their ancient ways. The Iberian peninsula is considered two provinces: Catalonia and Spain. In all, 6.00 million people live in Iberia.

Almost all of the Italian peninsula adopted Greek long ago. But in the northern half there are significant populations of Italians, with some German communities as well. The Italian peninsula is considered to be three provinces: Italy, Naples, and Sicily. In all, 8.99 million people live on the Italian peninsula.

Raetia is a smallish province between Italy and Bavaria. As can be expected from a border province, it has significant populations of Germans, mostly in the east. Also in the east is a large community of Hungarians. In the west, it is primarily Greek. There are no major subdivisions of Raetia. In all, 1.66 million people live in Raetia.

The rest of the Empire to the Hellespont is almost entirely Greek, but for a Hungarian population in northern and western Pannonia. This vast region consists of five provinces: Dalmatia, Macedonia, Moesia, Pannonia, Thracia. In all, 10.81 million people live in this region.

East of the Hellespont is also almost entirely Greek, with Tartars and Russians north of the Caucasus Mountains on the border with Russia, and major Sephardi population in Judea. This also vast region consists of seven provinces: Asia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Judea, Syria, and Trans-Caucusia. In all, 4.98 million people live in this region.

The northern part of the continent of Africa is again mostly Greek, with scattered Berber populations, and a significant English population in the far west. This region consists of three provinces: Africa, Egypt, and Mauretania. In all, 4.43 million people live in this region.

Most of the rest of Africa does not have the bureaucracy in place to take a census. Except for the province of South Africa. In the west, South Africa is Somali, and in the east a Tartar population brackets an Oromo one. In all, 0.92 million people live in this province.

Across the Atlantic, Guyana is Greek, and the nearby islands are Caribeno and Afro-Caribeno. There are two provinces in this region: Guyana and the Caribbean Islands. In all 0.58 million people live in this region.

Oceania is a mish-mash of colonies and provinces, and did not get data back to Constantinople in time for this census. The map has been painted in the Greek colors for convenience.

If any Senators have recommendations for redrawing the provinces, or wish to govern a different province than they have been assigned, please let Us know.

Thank you, Your Higness. The taxes shall flow from Dalmatia as long as I am governor! -Mikael Moustakas

I thank the Empress greatly for this appointment, I do hope that the governance of other regions can be transferred to their cultural kin reasonably soon however. I shall govern Hispania to the absolute best of my ability; I shall also seek to end the worrying faction that is seeking a return of a Castilian kingdom that we saw in the rebel census. I would offer my services as Chief of Staff, if the Empress sees it fit. I would see the worrying trend of corruption amongst government officials ended. I offer myself because I am as of yet, uncorrupted by the various factions that seek to buy influence rather than earn it. Unlike most senators, who live lives of leisure in this wonderful city, I live in a modest townhome I share with my wife and son, and all income that is not needed to take care of them or myself I donate to the soup kitchens here in the City of Cities. You have my solemn vow, that if I am granted the position, I will use it to forward your will. Regardless of my political beliefs, the corruption and excess shown by many bureaucrats needs to end, and I would seek to end it. I may prefer the working bureaucrat to the aristocrat who inherits their position, but corruption among either is unacceptable. The citizens of this Empire should work for the glory of the Empire and all its people, rather than their own personal greed. As for military matters, while I served in the legion in my youth, it was not out of choice, rather it was to provide for my family. I am your loyal sword should you need it, and will advise to the best of my ability, but I do not know about the wisdom of any territorial expansion given the internal problems we face. Nevertheless, I am committed to serve you, and will provide any council you wish of me. ~Nicodemo Theodosio

I thank you, My Empress, for allowing me to continue to serve as Governor of Italy as my father did before me. I will ensure that the region remains quiet and prosperous. – Senator Leonardo Favero

Thank You Empress for such glorious title that is Governor. You won’t be disappointed, I’ll make sure of that. – Senator Alexios Damaskinos

“You have my great thanks, Megali Basilissa. The Angeloi will not disappoint the Crown.” To Theodosio, he says, “perhaps you should retire to a monastery and sing the praises of God each day. It might suit your delicate temperament better than this place of worry and stress.” ~ Ioannes Angelos

I assure the Senator that I am quite happy with my work here, I may not have accomplished everything I set out to do yet, but I am causing change. I would remind the Senator of a certain quote of our Lord: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” ~Nicodemo Theodosio

“We are all the product of wealth, senator, and some of us of good breeding. Let’s not pretend that you are truly representative of the working classes you profess to love so much.”

Thank you, Your Imperial Highness, for appointing me as Governor of Syria. I have served there in my youth, and I shall maintain the peace there efficiently. ~Senator Alexios Doukas, Doux of Greece and Governor of Syria

to his excellency

I would like to become the chief of the navy as well as continue to be governor of Sicily my experience as governor of this province has given me the knowledge necessary to lead our navy to victory and rule the sea. Alexander Smithereens

I will make sure to honor my role as Governor of Naples fiercely. I thank you, my Empress. -Nestorius Septiadis

Ioannes, Thedosio give it a rest you to you are beginning to make my brain hurt the way you to go at each other. There are times when I find myself wondering “Is it those two eminent senators at it again? Or have the Blues and Greens started yet another civil war? have you ever asked yourselves why half of us bring earmuffs to the senate even in July? Well now you know. Augusta Magna.

I accept my appointment as the Governor of the province of Reatia it is my sincerest hope that I shall serve your Imperial Majesty and the Empire well.

Before I leave I would like to inquire on behalf of my fellow Governors precisely what territories we will be expected to govern as areas within our respective provinces. So as to avoid any confusion or unfortunate misunderstanding in the coming years. -Columba Comminus

Thank you, Empress! Your benevolence and generosity has been shown with this gracious assignment. I will immediately take up my assignment as governor of Britannia! -Ambrosio Palaiologo

((Private – In Alexios Doukas’s mind))

While the senators were busy discussing what would be the better names for the provincial governors, Alexios thought back to those dark days, when the Jacobin menace stormed into the city, thirty-six thousand of them. Angry peasants, unpaid soldiers, the homeless and the unemployed, all angry at the state and Church for abandoning them, outraged that they had to suffer while to them the Patriarch and Empress “swam in lakes of gold,” as one Jacobin newspaper claimed before it was shut down by the government.

Luckily Alexios was on vacation in Thessaloniki when the rebels laid siege to the Queen of Cities, but his son Konstantinos wasn’t so lucky. The Athenian Lancers were on the front lines when the rebellion began, and the three thousand lancers were swarmed by over ten thousand angry peasants, led by a Slavic-looking man with an eyepatch, who shouted that the “tyranny of the madwoman shall be crushed” to his followers.

By the time the Scholai Palatinae was forced to retreat, only a handful of Lancers had managed to fight their way out of the mob. The rest were torn to pieces, their bodies desecrated and some even offered up to the Black God by zealous converts to Ignatieff’s paganism.

Konstantinos barely made it out alive, his right leg severely injured, leaving him with a permanent limp, and his right hand (his gun hand) barely able to hold things and write, much less swing a sword or shoot a pistol. There was a burn scar over his right eye and a nasty scar running down his back from where a Jacobin used a scythe to torture him.

His son was alive, but scarred. Alexios sensed that something was wrong with his thinking after the rebellion, even ten years later. Konstantinos didn’t want to help out with his younger brother Michael’s University projects, despite promising to before the rebellion. Where he showed respect for the cultures of others he now showed hatred of all things Slavic and Jacobin. He refused to interact with anyone of the “lower classes,” the “plebeians,” not even his own servants.

Konstantinos wanted to be treated like royalty, like he was above the citizens of Rome, like he was the Emperor. But that would be treason, wouldn’t it? Alexios thought.

For the last few years, he and his men had been keeping an eye on Konstantinos and had included amendments to his will leaving his property and titles and Senatorship to Michael should Konstantinos snap, which was inevitable.

What worried Alexios was when that would occur.