The first Frenchman mentioned at Nikomedia was Robert, count of Perche, who went there to avoid the terms of the treaty with Manuel I. When Odo of Deuil arrived, he saw evidence in the ruins of the city of the former glory of Byzantium and the inertia of current Byzantines. When the French reached the Lake of Nicaea they heard from messengers that Conrad III had reached Nicaea in retreat, the remnants of his army starving and in despair. Many died before they reached Constantinople, since the Byzantines exploited their weakness. The kings of the Poles and Czechs were also present. Frederick, duke of Swabia was the first to bring the news to Louis and organise a meeting. Conrad himself heard that Louis was near Nicaea, and hastened to meet him, gaining sympathy, encouragement and some material aid. It was decided that Conrad was to regroup and buy food, then rejoin Louis, who waited at Lopadion for their journey to continue. But the exhausted German army could not defend itself from exploitation and even violence from local people, and so Conrad had to ask for a French force to bury his dead and preserve his men to Lopadion. Ivo of Nesle, constable and count of Soissons, was able to perform this task; without him, the Germans might have been wiped out. When Conrad reached Lopadion, he camped near Louis and made him a speech with Stephanos, bishop of Metz, as interpreter. Conrad frankly acknowledged his exhaustion and military helplessness, blaming his own former lack of humility, not the Byzantines, and asking for Louis' aid, which he arranged to give. He chose French counts and bishops to associate with the Germans to stiffen their strength and morale, among them Amadeus of Maurienne, William of Montferrat, Stephanos, bishop of Metz and Renaud of Moncon. He also arranged for Conrad to be lodged together with himself