if Venice blockades the strait this will be a walk in the park - although it might be hard to get anything for you from a war like that before Venice peaces out.
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The Byzzies started their own war on the Turks soon after that screenshot and kept the Bosporus locked down till the Venetian fleet came to help. It's just me, Venice, its vassals, and the provinces of Rumelia now...
Also, who wants to start a betting pool on how long my nice heir lasts?
Also, who wants to start a betting pool on how long my nice heir lasts?
Given the nice stats, I would say aged 21 hunting accident. New heir almost immediately available with stats 4, 3, 2 or something like that.
Nice AAR btw, subscribed
Thanks for the support! And you're wrong about the heir, by the way. I've played up to the 1570s by now and boy, things will eventually heat up! 
Thanks for the support! And you're wrong about the heir, by the way. I've played up to the 1570s by now and boy, things will eventually heat up!
Good to hear it, unusual for an heir to survive if they are any good - LOL. Look forward to seeing the AAR later
It really is great to see this AAR, and your writing style is very compelling. I really like it, keep it up!
XIV. - Lunch Outside Thessalonica
Lunch Outside Thessalonica
Thessaloniki, 20 October 1407
Apostolos Asan fired off a parting snarl at the Venetian commander, steering his horse off at a canter to the Achaean camp. Pompous ass.Thessaloniki, 20 October 1407
For the sake of maintaining his comparatively high position in Latin society, Asan observed the Catholic rites, bowed for the Franks who ruled the Principality, even spoke French or Italian with varying levels of success. But, as with all Greeks, there was a special little spark of hatred in him for the Venetians who had orchestrated Constantinople's fall two centuries before. Alas, the huge Greek knew his sovereign would throw a fit if he decapitated the annoying siege commander, and so he rode back to meet with the Prince and his guests.
The princely tent rose somewhat above the others in the south side of the camp, cast in gold and purple. Asan nodded to the guards at the entrance, who saluted briskly and allowed him entry. Inside, Asan found Centurione II Zaccaria, Antonio Acciaioli of Athens, and a young cavalry captain whom he did not recognize. "Ah, Apostolos! Come, sit and dine with us!"
He looked at the Prince askance at the unusual familiarity, but did as commanded, sitting at a place with a plate of bread and pork waiting for him. "Your highness?"
"I felt that you could use a bit of a break from the siegework to relax. I trust everything is well with your efforts to coordinate with Signore Gallati and his troops?"
"After a manner of speaking," Asan answered, deadpan.
"Apostolos Asan, yes? His highness' chief marshall?" Duke Antonio regarded him.
"Your grace," he answered, nodding.
"Don't let those bastards get too much on your nerves," Acciaioli continued, grinning encouragingly. "Given equal numbers, you'd thrash them from here to Hell and back, if what I've heard of you is true."
The Prince interrupted with a clearing of his throat as Asan preened proudly. "Of course, the troop contribution here is not equal, and they outnumber us 3 to 1. So we'd do well not to insult the Venetians while they command the siege, yes?"
The other three nodded grudgingly, dropping the matter. "So, who are you?" Apostolos asked, leveling a searching gaze at the younger cavalryman.
"Andrea Paleologus, sir, at your service."
Apostolos eyed him fishily. The lad went by a completely Italianized version of what could only have been his real name, Andreas Palaiologos. "Surely not related to the Greek emperor?"
"Only very distantly. Their dynasty has left a lot of bastards around in the last century and a half." The younger soldier chuckled. "I was at Adrianople, and rode back here posthaste to return some news to his highness."
"That being?" Asan asked, eyes drifting to the silent Prince.
"Constantinople has reclaimed Adrianople and is routing the Turks in Thrace. The Ottoman armies are totally blocked from crossing the Sea of Marmara."
Or opportunism, Asan thought, frowning. He was a self-respecting Greek, but he knew that his future employment was in danger if Constantinople overran and reconquered the Principality.
The group conversed amongst themselves a while longer until after the sun set, then went about their business.
The next morning, the Venetians broke off the siege, leaving the Achaeans in disarray and forcing them to carry out the rest of the siege alone.
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XV. - Camp Talk
Hi.
Hushed voices in Greek broke the early morning silence in the Achaean camp.
"... trying to finish what they started two-hundred years ago," one, a stout, bearded man in rusting mail, was mumbling.
The other was an almost comical contrast, tall and gaunt with a hooked nose he might proudly describe as 'Roman'. He drew a sniff. "It's the Turks right now, sure; next time it'll be Constantinople again—backstabbers by nature, the lot of them."
The two eyed down the hill at the empty space where the Venetian camp had stood in October, silent. Nothing there remained but a few stakes and fire pits. The soldiers stood where they were, propped boredly against a tent in the first hour of dawn as the last of the night watch. They thought of Neapolitans and Venetians and their own sovereign, both quiet but unified in their scorn, for several moments. The shorter one was about to speak again when a Lombard captain emerged from his tent nearby, fastening his armor with an infuriatingly sunny disposition.
"Ah, look at this," he began in French to the sufficient understanding of the soldiers. He gestured out across the hill, at the camp and the city below. Thessaloniki's outskirts smoldered from the ongoing siege, blotting the lightening sky with smudges of black. "We are like Agamemnon's Achaeans, arrayed outside of the city, and this is our Troy."
The pair of Greeks stared at him dolefully.
Camp Talk
Thessaloniki, 15 February 1408
Thessaloniki, 15 February 1408
Hushed voices in Greek broke the early morning silence in the Achaean camp.
"... trying to finish what they started two-hundred years ago," one, a stout, bearded man in rusting mail, was mumbling.
The other was an almost comical contrast, tall and gaunt with a hooked nose he might proudly describe as 'Roman'. He drew a sniff. "It's the Turks right now, sure; next time it'll be Constantinople again—backstabbers by nature, the lot of them."
The two eyed down the hill at the empty space where the Venetian camp had stood in October, silent. Nothing there remained but a few stakes and fire pits. The soldiers stood where they were, propped boredly against a tent in the first hour of dawn as the last of the night watch. They thought of Neapolitans and Venetians and their own sovereign, both quiet but unified in their scorn, for several moments. The shorter one was about to speak again when a Lombard captain emerged from his tent nearby, fastening his armor with an infuriatingly sunny disposition.
"Ah, look at this," he began in French to the sufficient understanding of the soldiers. He gestured out across the hill, at the camp and the city below. Thessaloniki's outskirts smoldered from the ongoing siege, blotting the lightening sky with smudges of black. "We are like Agamemnon's Achaeans, arrayed outside of the city, and this is our Troy."
The pair of Greeks stared at him dolefully.
Does this mean it's back? Good news if so
Yup! I was going to give up, but I've hit 1600 in-game and it'd really be a shame for you all not to see how Achaea grows.
Yay!
Oy vey, trust me bud, it gets worse.
This is the first AAR I read completely on the forum so maybe my opinion isn't worth as much, but, I must say, you did a very good job. The thing that caught my eye the most is the research you did, and for that I must congratulate you. I find it rare for people to use the correct terms (such as the titles of rulers, and the names of places in a particular point of time - especially in the right language) when talking or writing something about history, so this was a very positive surprise.
I see that you haven't been writing much lately, but, if you can, keep up the good work
I see that you haven't been writing much lately, but, if you can, keep up the good work
This is the first AAR I read completely on the forum so maybe my opinion isn't worth as much, but, I must say, you did a very good job. The thing that caught my eye the most is the research you did, and for that I must congratulate you. I find it rare for people to use the correct terms (such as the titles of rulers, and the names of places in a particular point of time - especially in the right language) when talking or writing something about history, so this was a very positive surprise.
I see that you haven't been writing much lately, but, if you can, keep up the good work
Thank you for the praise, it really is much appreciated.
It's the early part of the school year and I've been busy, so mostly I've been concentrating my energies on accumulating my notes for the story—that is to say, working on it but not exactly putting the updates out. The next ones should come before the month is out. The very same.
Well, I regret to report that my switch in November to a new, more powerful machine left the Achaea save and most of its screenshots behind. Luckily, the new machine does mean that I can now safely run EU4, so many new and more exciting stories remain to be told in the future.
XVI. - Closure
I don't believe I ever posted it--so for a sense of closure, dear friends, here is the extent of the Achaean or Latin Empire in 1490 at the end of my campaign. Byzantium was eventually absorbed and a ruler of the Centurione line crowned 'Emperor of the Romans'. Constantinople is the capital; Moldavia, Bosnia, Albania, Ragusa, Aq Qoyunlu, and Crete are all subjects.
