The Hagia Sophia

[Lucius Malfoy]

The Hagia Sophia


The Hagia Sophia, Sancta Sophia in Latin, is a grand basilica, built by the Emperor Justinian I, after the destruction of the second church which was built by Theodosius II. This religious center has served as the residence for many Ecumenical Patriarchs of the Eastern Orthodox Faith and as a center of the Eastern Church. This immense structure rivals the Vatican in both size and prestige. Presently, it serves as the main center of the newly arrived Roman Church and the residence of the Latin Patriarch of Constantinople.

Reigning Latin Patriarch: Jacopo Orsini​

[Ganbarenippon]

Jacopo Orsini entered the Church of St. Sophia for the umpteenth time since he had been in Constantinople. The difference was this time he did not come as a pillager, or a raider, or a captor but as the master of the Church within the Empire. He had left his men guarding the doors of the immense structure so that he might have the entire space to himself. 'My Church.' He thought looking around with immense satisfaction. 'And won't that bastard in Rome have apoplexy when he hears they have chosen me!' He chuckles aloud then. All of his plans had so far come to fruition but now he had reached this seat he intended to use it for as much gain and personal power as he could. To do that however he would need to strengthen the church in these lands, and cast down his rivals. He breathed in deep once more, enjoying the scent of victory...then exhaled and opened his eyes.

Detemined, he strode to his offices at the back of the complex. He had work to be about.

[Ganbarenippon]

Jacopo Orsini sat at his desk turning the seal over in his deft hands. The seal had belonged to the last Greek Patriarch of Constantinople before he had impaled himself on Captain Girolamo's blade rather than face capture. That death had been carefully hidden by Orsini and a few trusted men and the story put out that the man had escaped. Jacopo had the man's seal and that was enough.

The Patriarch had hundreds of scribes at his command, as had his Greek predecessor and so very few men knew what the handwriting of the Patriarch actually looked like. This meant that, for a short while at least, Jacopo had the power of the Orthodox Church held in his hands. 'A power I could use to help or hurt the Empire.' He thinks in satisfaction. 'But what to do with it?' Jacopo had been so focused upon his personal struggle to be named Patriarch he had neglected to pay attention to the affairs of the Greeks or surrounding nations. If he could speak with the Patriarch's voice, at least enough to create confusion amongst the Greeks then he would need to ask men more versed in regional affairs than he. Fortunately he was about to attend a meeting with several such men present. The Haute Cour would meet for the first time in an two hours and Jacopo was sure he could learn something of the Greeks from the men their. And afterwards...'Well, I need to speak with Philip.'

Jacopo put the seal back into his pocket, he seldom took it off his person, and stood up . 'But for now, I shall enjoy my reward.' He smiled and, whistling, made his way back to his private residence at St. Sergius and Bacchus where Pietro had put the expensive courtesan he had located. 'It is good to be Patriarch!'

[Hengest]

One rainy evening a small band of veterans in mixed Northern European, Greek and Saracen clothes came in from the rain. Some knelt to pray, others walked drippng wet and shimmering in the profuse candlelight. The men had longbows bound over their backs and their leader, hooded, carried a horseskin bag with something heavy inside.

[Ganbarenippon]

A gentle looking under-priest enters the knave. "Good evening my sons. Peace be with you."

[Hengest]

The veteran nodded in reply, the light glancing off the rain upon him. "Wa alaykumu s-salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh" he sniffed as he ran the back of his hand across his dropping nose. He then spoke in heavily accented Italian, with French and Vernacular words thrown in. "We've come to speak with the archbishop, it's urgent." The bowmen further back could be heard chanting to themselves in Latin with their eyes closed.

[Alexandrine]

Philippa makes a cross when she sees the beautiful Hagia Sophia from the inside. This is church is truly a monument to God! You don't have to be a genius to see why God has chosen this church to be his house. Instead of the false heresy of Orthodox-ism, it was now liberated to the true latin case. As god intended it. Philippa came in walking, together with one of her ladies (who might be Serena, but I leave that to lord dread). She wanted to know more about this Italian, who was the first of the Latin Patriarchs. She walked over the aisle towards the altar and kneeled before its golden splendor. There she prayed with her rosary.

[Lord Dread]

Serena, dressed in a simple grey dress with only few ornaments embrodded, lowered her head after entering the church and did as the Princess did. Being a pious girl, she prayed silently for her lady's future, the future of her brother and even for her father. The look on her face was very serious, telling the watcher's eye, that religion played a very important role in her life.

[Ganbarenippon]

The veteran nodded in reply, the light glancing off the rain upon him. "Wa alaykumu s-salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh" he sniffed as he ran the back of his hand across his dropping nose. He then spoke in heavily accented Italian, with French and Vernacular words thrown in. "We've come to speak with the archbishop, it's urgent." The bowmen further back could be heard chanting to themselves in Latin with their eyes closed.

"I see, my son. Might I ask what this is regarding. His Eminence is at rest right now." The priest said eyeing the weapons these men carried.

Philippa makes a cross when she sees the beautiful Hagia Sophia from the inside. This is church is truly a monument to God! You don't have to be a genius to see why God has chosen this church to be his house. Instead of the false heresy of Orthodox-ism, it was now liberated to the true latin case. As god intended it. Philippa came in walking, together with one of her ladies (who might be Serena, but I leave that to lord dread). She wanted to know more about this Italian, who was the first of the Latin Patriarchs. She walked over the aisle towards the altar and kneeled before its golden splendor. There she prayed with her rosary.

Serena, dressed in a simple grey dress with only few ornaments embrodded, lowered her head after entering the church and did as the Princess did. Being a pious girl, she prayed silently for her lady's future, the future of her brother and even for her father. The look on her face was very serious, telling the watcher's eye, that religion played a very important role in her life.

The Patriarch himself, Archbishop Jacopo Orsini swept up the aisle to greet the Princess and her handmaiden. The d'Alencon girl was still as pretty as he remembered her from the camps. 'No best push that thought aside for now.' "My children, welcome to this House of God." He says grandly. "How might this humble servant of our Lord aid you today."

[Hengest]

"Then I suggest you wake him! Tell him the City Watch is here." Spat Willyame of Eskedale. "It is regarding the Crown of Heraclius, we've found it." Opening the horse skin bag open and thrusting a a huge ornate diadem of gem and pearl encrusted gold before him.

[Ganbarenippon]

"The Crown of..." The priests eyes widened. "Come with me my son." He said bustling away to the chambers at the back of the Cathedral. "Captain Girolamo, you must wake His Eminence at once. It is a matter of grave import." A squat, broad man nodded and hurriedly moved out of a rear exit, bound for the Patriarch's private residence no doubt. "Over here." The priest gestures to a small sitting room off the Patriarch's office. And bustles off himself.

Half an hour later a rather sleepy looking Jacopo Orsini enters the sitting room. "My son, Captain Girolamo mentioned a matter of grave import? I should hope it is at this hour."

[Alexandrine]

Philippa looked to the Italian. "I would like you to hear my confessions, father."

[Hengest]

The Thegn of Eskedake, that title rather a distant irrelevance now genuflected before the patriarch. "I am Captain of the Guard sent by the Constable to show you this," the fair haired men barged past the priest and laid a Byzantine crown upon the altar. "Six centuries old, the Emperor that brought the Greek tongue into the Empire." He stood back to gain Orsini's reaction.

[Ganbarenippon]

Philippa looked to the Italian. "I would like you to hear my confessions, father."

"Of course Your Highness. Though I do hope the Imperial Confessor is doing his task properly. Father Johann seemed like a diligent man when I appointed him to your family's service. Nonetheless that is by-the-by. Would my Lady of Alencon also wish to make a confession?"

The Thegn of Eskedake, that title rather a distant irrelevance now genuflected before the patriarch. "I am Captain of the Guard sent by the Constable to show you this," the fair haired men barged past the priest and laid a Byzantine crown upon the altar. "Six centuries old, the Emperor that brought the Greek tongue into the Empire." He stood back to gain Orsini's reaction.

The Patriarch caught the gleam of gold as the Englishman placed an object on the table. It was a magnificent Golden Crown and the sight of it took Jacopo's breath away. Bearing three tiers and studded with rubys, emeralds, jet and onyx, even incredibly rare jade it made all others that born the name crown a travesty in comparison. "Magnificent." He breathed. "It must way twenty or thirty pounds at least and that just the gold." He chuckles. "Heraclius must have been a bull necked man indeed to bear such weight! My son, may I ask why you have brought this...marvel to me instead of the Imperial Palace?" The Patriarch asks not taking his eyes from the crown.

[Alexandrine]

"Very well suited to the task, indeed." Philippa said and looked to her lady. "Yes, I presume she would like to make a confession too, but she can wait here until i'm done. Shall we?" she walked over to the confessional and took place in it.

[Ganbarenippon]

Jacopo smiled at the quieter Lady. "If you will excuse me child, I must attend to my duty to God and the Church." He walks over to the confessional and enters the booth.
"Do you have something to confess my child?" He asks solemnly.

[Lord Dread]

Serena blushed a little bit, when realizing that the priest of the church was the young priest, she already met at the camp for a short moment. During the whole talk she only stood silent and only nodded a few times, granting her lady the possibility to do as she wanted. Surely she would also confess her sins later, but of course the confession of Lady Philippa was more important than her own one at the moment. Also, she wasn't sure what to think about the Italian. He seemed to be a nice man, but apart from her brother, her father and the old, friendly priest in Alencon there weren't much men with whom Serena had talked before. She only hoped that God would give her the power to confess bravely without stuttering or doing stupid things.

[Alexandrine]

"Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. I have been impatient with my servants. Also, I feel distrust and anger to the Greeks, for they refuse to submit to the catholic faith. But then again; I must confess that I have not prayed as much as I could have done myself." She looked to the Latticework to hear what the priest had to say about it.

[Ganbarenippon]

"Prayer need not be a verbal thing my child." Jacopo responds. "An act, any act done well, using your talents might be a prayer. You might pray internally, in your deeds and your thoughts. God will hear you. That being said, you are to be an example to any and all Greeks tht you might encounter, you are to pray the rosary at least once before you sleep each night." Jacopo replied. Truth be told he had no time for other peoples confessions, he hated performing them but he could not very well refuse the Princess. At least not until he was more secure in his position. "As for the Greeks, they have had millennia to languish under the yolk of heresy. We have only been here for scant months, give them time and love." Jacopo almost gagged on his own words. "Be a shining beacon for all that is good and attend Mass here every Sunday, let them see how virtuous and upright you are and that will be penance enough."

[Alexandrine]

"Prayer need not be a verbal thing my child." Jacopo responds. "An act, any act done well, using your talents might be a prayer. You might pray internally, in your deeds and your thoughts. God will hear you. That being said, you are to be an example to any and all Greeks tht you might encounter, you are to pray the rosary at least once before you sleep each night." Jacopo replied. Truth be told he had no time for other peoples confessions, he hated performing them but he could not very well refuse the Princess. At least not until he was more secure in his position. "As for the Greeks, they have had millennia to languish under the yolk of heresy. We have only been here for scant months, give them time and love." Jacopo almost gagged on his own words. "Be a shining beacon for all that is good and attend Mass here every Sunday, let them see how virtuous and upright you are and that will be penance enough."

She nodded. "Yes father, that is very good advice. Thank you, father." she lingered a bit. "Father, I have another question for you. What do you know about the Venetians?"