Imperium Sine Fine: Within A World of Madness

[Crimson Lionheart]

Prologue: State of the Duchy (1444)​

Time would not be kind to the lands of Italy, divided between the various powers and realms scattered across the peninsular. Among the struggle for power across the fractured lands and upon the open sea of the Mediterranean, the chaotic period of the 9th and 10th centuries would be turned towards the island of Sicily. Stuck in conflict over wrestling control of the island between the Byzantine Empire and innumerable Islamic hosts that sought to conquer it, the situation had proven dire enough to necessitate the recruitment of mercenaries from across Europe. Chief among the brave few were the Normans, hailing from Francia and the far north, and renowned as cunning yet cruel opportunists.

Despite its best efforts to reclaim the lost island of Sicily, infighting among local landholders would see the Byzantine control in Southern Italy disintegrate by the 11th century. The Normans would leap at the opportunity and would strike, barring their fangs for friend and foe alike to see, as the once-loyal mercenaries turned their spears and calvary against the Greeks. In 1050 AD, Robert ‘Guiscard’ de Hauteville would overwhelm and expel the last bastions of Byzantine resistance in Apulia, declaring himself King of Trinacria with both Imperial and Papal assent despite never holding titular lands beyond Messina. Serving as a strong bulwark against both the Byzantine Greeks and Sicilian Sultanate for a time, its position was still precarious and fragile despite its strong foundation.

Brought on by its own intense dynastic and feudal conflicts among the de Hautevilles and their feudal lords, a period of slow but eroding decline in the following centuries culminated in the Sicilian invasion of Naples in 1352 that would sweep away the Normans with relative ease. Though a coalition was formed to starve and detur against the Saracens in the south, the Normans were abandoned following further infighting on the eve of the fateful Battle of Amalfi in 1353. Most of the remaining Italian forces were decisively destroyed in a crushing defeat, followed with the Fall of Naples in the same year. The Normans would withdraw to the stronghold of Capua along with the royal treasury as Southern Italy would continue to fall to the Sicilian advance.

Only in 1355, at its darkest moment, was a miracle achieved for the beleaguered Normans. From what had been deemed to be an irreversible situation that brought the Normans to the brink of collapse, a daring night attack and a miraculous victory at the Battle of Capua would be achieved. The Emir of Sicily would succumb to camp fever shortly after the battle and the already demoralised Saracens were thrown into disarray. Seizing the chance to call for peace, in exchange for respite and the release of valuable hostages, King Hubert of Trinacria controversially surrendered his crown for recognition as Duke in Capua.

The following century would prove troublesome. Effectively forced into servitude by the Pope, the Normans would bide their time for almost a hundred years for another chance to reclaim what was once theirs. In the early 15th century, the ambitious Duke Rufus III and his eccentric son Robert reformed the rump state. Rufus’s death at the Battle of Valencia in 1443 would see the unstable Robert XI ascend to his crown.

Robert XI de Hauteville "The Mad Duke of Capua". A Tyrant upon whom insanity is matched only by his ambition, the Norman duke envisioned himself as the true heir of Romulus as Rex of the Romans.​

Standing alone against a harsh and unforgiving world, the Mad Duke of Capua suffered from an increasingly erratic and unstable mind. Despite these shortcomings, the Duke was a capable yet unpredictable leader. Robert XI de Hauteville was the last of his line with direct succession to the dukedom, yet Robert XI was young and more than eager to fight against the unforgiving world that had wronged him.

Ruling the city of Capua and little more than a small collection of towns surrounding the area, Capua was directly on the periphery between the Latin and Islamic realms within Italy, being within a day's walk from the wealthy coastal harbour of Naples. Little would exist in the form of governance for whatever remaining populace remained within the area, with local authority largely being held together by the Duke himself.

The Duchy of Capua was poor and suffering from a struggling economy, based largely around agriculture that barely covered the bare necessities to maintain its armies. Among the Papal subjects, Capua was the poorest among a collection of vassals that was constantly under the direct threat of conquest by a resurgent Sicilian Sultanate to their south that was several times their size. Trapped on all sides, unless the situation were to change favourably, Capua would remain a backwater on the edge of Latin Italy.

The only saving grace that the Duchy would hold was not through its pitiful economy, but as an Italian statelet, it was within reach of the two powerful and wealthy markets of the Venetian and Genoese trade. Along with this access, the subservience to the Papacy came with an extra layer of security to protect Capuan merchants at the cost of what little independence already existed

Catholicism was an important part of the identity of the Duchy, something which had increased in importance since its submission towards the Papacy and the uneasy border with the Sicilians nearby. Even while Capua was another Catholic realm, centuries of internal division and external setbacks among the realms of Christendom, and towards the Catholic Church in particular, was seeing something grow underneath the surface. Faith was what helped unify the Duchy and align itself with the Pope, yet the Church’s apathy to take action had led some in Capua to develop doubts.

The Capuan army was less of an organised fighting force and had far more similarities to a civilian militia, with any professional units within its ranks being comprised of volunteers or retired condottiero. At its very, Capua could organise a small army of around 3,000 men without having to sacrifice precious manpower or risk collapsing its tiny economy. If Capua was to survive in the changing world, it would need the resources and men willing to fight for its dream.

Remaining under servitude and protection for almost a century, Capua’s continued existence was solely due to the Papacy acting out of its interest. The Sicilians, not wanting to risk a destructive war against the heart of Catholicism itself that it couldn’t win, had consolidated their gains for the past few generations. But while relative peace had remained within Central Italy, many of the Papal subjects had desired their independence from an increasingly overbearing overlord. Combined with Papal corruption that was perceived among rebellious nobles and even clergymen, the Church was starting to lose public opinion outside of Rome as internal struggles started to occur.

Within society, the nobility had ruled a majority of the land within the small duchy and remained a powerful ally to the Duke. The Church and Merchantile groups of the small realm, while influential in their own right, held little land and were primarily focused outside of the surrounding land outside of Capua itself. Robert XI would reign within Capua itself with an iron fist, striking terror into his subjects and foreign Saracen traders in bouts of insanity.

The Duchy was primarily agricultural and noteworthy solely for Grain production, while also being made up of a Catholic Neapolitan population as the last remaining realm within Southern Italy that hadn’t been conquered by the encroaching threat of the Sicilian Saracens. While appearing simple and underwhelming on the side, this simplicity would play towards an unexpected strength of Capua that had not been realised.

Its location, on the very edge of between Christian and Islamic Italy, was quiet and inconspicuous. A perfect location to formulate a conspiracy that was determined to change history.

 

[Crimson Lionheart]

Chapter 1: The Unconquered Sun (1444-1446)​

Laying dormant within the confines of Capua, the world had largely passed the Duchy from its weakness and perceived insignificance in the eyes of those within the upper halls of hallowed power. Serving as nothing more than a backwater on the razor's edge between Christian and Islamic Italy alongside the Via Appia, it had long fallen from grace of the antiquated era of its distant past. Under Norman rule, Capua was a source of pride and incredible shame where the Dukes in Capua had languished in irrelevance and survival, mourning the loss of a Kingdom that had once been theirs. It would be within the confines of Capua that the ascendency of Robert XI to the throne of the duchy would change everything.

Robert XI was an eccentric yet terrifying leader who inspired brilliance and fear into the hearts of his enemies and even his subjects, earning a reputation that spread beyond the borders of his Duchy as a tyrannical lunatic with an innate cruelty and bloodlust to match his ambition. The Norman aristocrat hadn’t always been known or remembered as the monster that now struck fear into those around him, having once been a youthful if not delinquent noble that was posed to govern and rule Capua with benevolence. While on an expedition to the Greek-held splinter state of Epirus under his father's orders, Robert was intercepted and overpowered by a Sicilian flotilla and taken captive. Whatever remaining innocence within Robert would die that day, alongside the rest of the sailors and men under his command, leaving him as the sole survivor.

Enslaved and broken both physically and mentally, unspeakable horrors and tortures would be endured by the youthful Norman aristocrat within the confines of the dungeons of Naples. His fragile mental state would be warped and twisted, and from the pain inside of his heart and the experiences from the torture, he would endure and survive, a deep-seated hatred of all things Saracen would develop with a murderous intent to match.

During the last few days of his imprisonment, Robert would receive a divine ‘vision’ in which he was the true heir to Romulus as the Rex of the Romans. Little would be known for how Robert would regain his freedom, but upon returning back to Capua, the broken young Norman was never the same.

Inheriting the Duchy following the death of his father, Robert would transform the fighting pits his father would construct into a sizeable amphitheatre in pale imitation of the Roman style, offering his subjects bloodsports and vast displays of war trophies in support for future endeavours. The Mad Duke would be driven further into his aspiring ambitions of grandeur, or delusions, proclaiming himself as a living reincarnation of the legendary founder of Rome. His life purpose was to revive the ancient culture and language of the Romans and resurrect the Empire in both spirit and heart, against the winds of change that had overtaken the world since its collapse almost a thousand years earlier.

Every day and night since his return to Capua, Robert would look towards the direction of the Eternal City. Once before sunrise, and once before sunset, Robert would gaze longingly in the direction of Rome with silent sadness once the magnificent centre of the ancient world, time and fate would be harsh towards the Eternal City as it lay within the hands of his suzerain, the decrepit Pontifex Maximus. The Rex-to-be looked and dreamed to bring about the return of Rome towards the return of its rightful sovereign. Many would see his claim as nothing more than the delusional ravings of a madman and denounced him and his ideals, yet this would play further into Robert’s hand, gathering sympathy among his own zealous supporters and even beyond the borders of Capua. Robert and his supporters believed that the Seven Hills were rightfully theirs, yet none were stronger in his conviction for the self-proclaimed reincarnation of Romulus himself, for there was none who could truly lay claim to them.

For the last century, Europe would to see stronger and stronger influences as intellectual and cultural life would blossom from rediscovered knowledge from ancient times. The principles and interests of his developing era, as varied as they had become, thrived within the Italian Peninsular. Within the myriad of republics and monarchies scattered across the region, the Renaissance would lead to a rejuvenation of both humanist and philosophical teachings but also set the stage for a cultural rejuvenation.

Within Capua, the Renaissance would be taken a step further as the Mad Duke delved further and deeper into the blossoming movement than other movements. Seeing it as an opportunity to aid in the rebirth of the culture and identity of their forefathers, the Renaissance would take a far more antiquated form as Roman architecture and cultural practices were invested heavily into the city. Ancient lesions of art and architecture, law and warfare, and the wisdom of the past would leave a deep impact on Robert XI as Capua was slowly transformed into a larger and profoundly more Romanised town, existing as a smaller model of the Eternal City.

Long after regaining his freedom from Saracen captivity, Roberts's divine ‘vision’ as the reincarnation of Romulus would leave the Duke in deep thought and questioning the meaning of such wisdom. Remembering where he was within the confines of his imprisonment, the warmth of the sun would wash over his face as a divine light would blind him temporarily, believing that it was imparting its knowledge to him in a godly truth. Robert would never experience such a revelation or vision again, and while the message had remained clear, its purpose had also remained puzzling and muddled behind a deeper truth. Was it the will of the lord who had granted him such a vision of his own divinity, or was it the work of other sacred powers beyond his understanding.

Within the early months of 1445, a remarkable group of scholars would arrive in Capua after fleeing turmoil in the Far East, where these wise and learned men followed the faith of Zunism, preaching the ancient teachings of the Sun God, who had once mirrored the revered beliefs of the Romans before the advent of Christianity. Accepting the scholars and conversing with them, Robert’s fascination would grow as he explored and delved into the forbidden knowledge of the Eastern scholars, seeing in it the potential and realisation of the nature of his vision. His divine vision did not come from the Lord, but rather from Sol itself.

Ancient Roman disc dedicated to Sol Invictus, c.3rd Century AD. As a syncretic faith between Christianity and Zunism, the Imperial Faith would diverge over the centuries with more Eastern influences over its Abrahamic core.​

Everything began to make sense to him, delving deeper and further into the knowledge of the scholars to revive a powerful and unified faith. With the incorporation of the core tenets of Zunism with the sacred values of Christianity, Robert envisioned the creation of a syncretic faith, renouncing God and embracing the divine guidance of Sol Invictus. Although viewing it as a resurrection of ancient faith and combining both past and modernity, it would also grant the Duke and his immediate followers a unique chance to solidify his claim as the legitimate successor of Rome.

Championing the worship of the Unconquered Sun and embracing the legacy of Emperor Aurelian and the esteemed Emperors who had come before, while blending it with ancient traditions and Christian values. While the rest of Christendom would despise Robert XI for the crime of apostasy for his pagan cult, it was a sacrifice that Robert XI would make to realise his ambitions. Surrounded by his most zealous followers, Robert XI de Hauteville would renounce God and embrace Sol during a sunrise ceremony on January 18th 1445.

Dedicating themselves both body and soul to the task at hand, drastic reforms would begin immediately within the Capuan court. Roberts's ambition and insanity would attract several like-minded individuals who shared the Dukes ambition of restoring the grandeur of the ancient empire, with recent converts to the Cult of Sol Invictus that started to grow and attract others with an unnatural ease. Rome couldn’t be rebuilt by one man alone, leading Robert to reform and expand his court to enlist men who shared the Duchy’s goals and aspirations. Together, with a united and capable council of talented and dedicated men, the glory of Rome would begin to take shape.

With the reformation of the court, a reorganisation of Capuan bureaucracy would commence simultaneously to prepare for the grand reconquest of the Eternal City and beyond. The bureaucracy of Old Rome was to be restored, renowned for its efficiency and order, to aid in the governance of the vast empire that Robert had dreamed about. Combining this structured administration with the divine guidance of Sol Invictus, the very nature of Capuan bureaucracy would be reforged to serve as the cornerstone of their ambitions, ensuring dominion over the lands of their ancestors.

Looking outward to the direction of the Eternal City, Robert XI would be joined by his most fanatical and devoted followers every evening. Rome was to be theirs. The Catholics were to be overthrown and cast aside from the ancient city that he had allowed to languish under their control. Only through rebellion could this be achieved, for as long as the Papacy would hold Capua in its chains, both the newfound faith and dreams of the dream of Rome would forever come an end.

To guarantee their success, Robert XI would persuade and convince the Serene Doge of Venice to aid and support the Capuan Duchy’s bid for independence. Aligning themselves to undermine the control and influence of the Pope, was secretly done through dishonest means. Venice was only to serve as a means to an end and the alliance of convenience was to be discarded upon the moment of victory.

Roberts's influence and plans would begin to attract followers from across Italy and beyond, as resources flooded into Capua. With the final preparations being made to fight for independence and to liberate Rome in the process, Robert XI prepared to fight til the very end.

One month later, amassing an incredible army of zealous followers and armed to the teeth with both weapons and provisions, Robert XI launched his rebellion to establish an independent Sol Invictus realm and reclaim the Eternal City. For over a century, the grievances and angst against the Christian frauds that had kept Capua from realising their destiny would be unleashed. Anger against the corruption of the Church would explode as thousands of men marched north, united under the banner of Sol Invictus and guided by the warmth of Sol in their journey.

United with purpose and fanatical devotion to their mission, Capua would rise up to reclaim the Eternal City for themselves and fight to restore the glory and power of their ancient heritage. Its many warriors recently baptised under the light of Sol Invictus, were among its first Legionaries for something greater.

Catching the Papal armies completely by surprise during their advance and numbering many times their number, Capuan forces under Roberto Thevenardi would rout and completely obliterate the Papist armies of Giambattista Adria at the Battle of Terracina. Completely shattering through Papist weakness in their exposed left flank, the crushing victory would only further motivate the zealous Capuan soldiers as they began their march towards the Eternal City almost completely unopposed.

Once word had reached the Papists about their crushing defeat, the situation upon the streets of Rome erupted into borderline anarchy as the Pope and his cardinals scrambled to mount a desperate defence of the vulnerable city. Efforts would begin to be made for an evacuation of his holiness away from the city. Yet, the Pope refused to budge, preparing to make a last stand against the zealous Capuans. Only the Church’s vassals, who themselves questioned their independence following the resounding defeat inflicted upon them, and the Aurelian Walls stood in the way against Sol’s chosen.

Arriving on the outskirts of the Eternal City, Robert XI would personally lead the siege to capture the future capital of the Empire he sought to restore to its former glory. Robert XI would seek to prevent unnecessary damage towards Rome itself, seeking to retain as much of its infrastructure intact as possible as the city entered into a lengthy siege. While having lost their main army, the Papacy would organise an armed resistance and drew among the faithful to muster a defence against what the Christians would describe as the ‘Solists’.

Thousands of militiamen and Papal Guards would defend Rome, aided by the immense Aurelian Walls and artillery that the Solists themselves lacked. With the city under siege, Robert XI grew increasingly impatient with every passing day that the besieged city refused to fall to his forces. Days turned into weeks, passing into months, further frustrating the Mad Duke and his zealous forces. Every passing week would only further expose Capua itself to Saracen incursion, and now that the Duchy was rebelling for its independence, there was more time that the soft underbelly of the Solists was exposed.

On the eighty-first day of the siege, with progress being slow and methodical, the Solists would finally storm the Aurelian Walls. The common soldiers within the Capuan forces would lose any restraint in their advance, turning the streets red with the blood of enemy papists as Robert XI advanced straight towards St Peters Basilica. Within the same afternoon, the Pope would finally issue an order to retreat and regroup at the Castel Sant’Angelo, only to be captured and surrounded by the Capuans. Realising that they were too late in their retreat, the Pope’s guard and entourage would fight to the death to protect his Holiness. Hopelessly outnumbered and fighting bitterly, over eighty men would be massacred on the steps of St.Peters Basilica.

Only the Pope himself would be left alive, shaken and quivering in fear yet remaining steadfast in his resolve. Robert XI would keep the Pope as a prisoner of war for the remainder of the conflict, holding him and whatever surviving cardinals who had surrendered to the Capuans as a bargaining chip within negotiations. For the remainder of the conflict, his Holiness would be kept as a prisoner as both Catholicism recoiled in horror at the success of the Solist Legions.

Multiple victories would follow at both Urbino and Ravenna, where Capuan forces would decisively defeat the forces of the Papist subjects in the weeks to follow after the Capture of Rome. Thevenardi would achieve a crushing victory at Urbino where an exhausted group of three thousand would be defeated with minimal losses due to a defection of enemy forces to the Solist banner, while combat outside of Ravenna would degenerate into a slogging match between attrition and will that the Solists would inevitably claim victory.

Without any further reinforcements and with a crushing victory during the initial stages of the conflict, the Solists would achieve a total victory as allied forces within just over a year. Capua would achieve its independence and go much further, fighting not just for their freedom and securing victory, but the damned papacy would be defeated outright in Italia. In a rare act of mercy, Robert XI would allow His Holiness and the College of Cardinals safety to abide by his demands, lest they risk the threat of being thrown under a gladiatorial debut. With their backs against the wall, they would accept, leaving Robert XI content knowing that the oppressive papists that he had previously served would never challenge him again.

For the first time in millennia, Rome would once more have a sovereign worthy of itself. A King would reign in Rome once more, and Robert XI and his loyalists would return in triumph for what they had accomplished. The Mad Duke would achieve the impossible as all of Capua's bureaucracy would be relocated to Rome, where work immediately began to rebuild the Eternal City from the damages inflicted upon the siege and the wider region.

In addition to expelling the Papists from Central Italy, all of the vassals that had once served the whims and desires of Rome would find themselves bound into servitude to their new overlords. While no longer under the clutches of His Holiness, the wealthy lands of Central Italy and Capua’s new subjects would provide a wealth of valuable manpower and wealth to replenish and fuel the grander ambitions that still lay ahead of the Duchy.

What had begun as a fringe cult would rapidly begin to evolve into a revolutionary faith. It was within this region, where the heart of the Catholic world had once resided, that the first steps with the syncretic nature of Sol Invictus would begin to capture and attract new converts with almost revolutionary fervour. In time, Central Italy was to become a new bastion for Sol Invictus. In addition to both wealth and resources, the new faith would find new converts to the faith from the Catholics.

With its freedom successfully attained and fought for, Robert XI immediately began the herculean task of beginning the restoration of the Eternal City to its former splendour and prestige. Between bouts of madness and pragmatism, the erratic new sovereign would not cease upon his ambition nor remain content with what he had achieved. Along the Apennines, the Saracens still loomed as an ominous and omnipresent threat along the Southern Border. As long as they would remain, his new realm would never be safe.

Robert XI and his army would look towards the south, preparing for another campaign and training for an inevitable conflict. With a deep hatred in his heart that still burned with ferocity from the inhumane torture that he was subjected to, Robert XI was far more eager to reclaim his ancestral kingdom from the Saracen yoke than ever before. Yet it would not be enough to sate his ambition or bloodlust.

With the Eternal City under his control, the campaign was far from over. With a fractured and devastated Italia lying before him, sullied by the Italians who had left these ancient lands beyond recognition, training drums would beat as the Solist Legions worked tirelessly to restore what had once been lost so many centuries ago. The overarching dream of a resurgent Empire, proud and powerful, would further motivate Robert XI and his growing followers. This was not to be the end of his story. It was to be the start of something greater. Through conquest and determination, the Empire was to be restored in both heart and soul, rejuvenated and vibrant. Rome was not forgotten, nor did the dream ever truly perish during its collapse.

Under the guidance of the Unconquered Sun, the transformation and resurgence were to begin within Italia.

The Unification Wars had begun. And Europe would be forever changed.

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Good luck with this! I will be following.

Thank you! This will be a little different from my other AARs, but this will be quite an experience. Expect the unexpected

This looks really interesting. I'll follow, and I should probably check out Ante Bellum.

How is Byzantium doing in the mod, by the way? Will you have to fight them over who the true Romans are?

How long do you plan to remain a papal vassal?

As a Papal Vassal? Not long at all!

Byzantium is doing poor by the time of 1444 in Ante Bellum's timeline, although they are significantly better than they were IOTL. They can recover if they are lucky, but they are in bad shape. Centuries of corruption and infighting, along with mismanagement and poor choices, had left Byzantium a husk of its former self. If they survive the end of the century, it will be likely that I will need to fight them.

 

[Crimson Lionheart]

Chapter 2: A Dagger to the Heart (1446-1448)​

What had once been considered the realm of impossibility had manifested itself into reality, defying the expectations of possibility from what had been imagined only more than a year earlier. Through rebellion and defiance in the face of destruction and eternal servitude, the Legions of the New Rome would succeed in their audacious task of bringing the Papacy and Central Italy to its knees. The Mad Duke would succeed in overthrowing his Papist masters, banishing them from the Eternal City that had been languishing under their corruption following the collapse of the Old Empire. Christendom would be left reeling in shock at the sudden unexpected loss of Rome, never believing that it wouldn’t have fallen to the Saracen yoke, but from an entirely new and different enemy.

The Solist Legions and their zealous followers would recuperate their losses following their victory against the Papists, celebrating their victory in Triumph. Despite this, the Capuans had alienated themselves as both a political and religious pariah within Europe. Much work was needed to forge the new Capuan territories and faith into a proper institution and framework, yet the realm was still precariously teetering onto the edge of madness and collapse, bound to the whims and dreams of the Mad Duke.

With the Solist movement gaining traction and legitimacy, converted cardinals and loyalist clergy would work tirelessly through reforming the syncretic dogma between Christian and Eastern traditions and creeds into a unified faith. The esoteric nature of the early faith would argue about the nature of God and the trinity, the position of Christ as a Prophet within the faith and simply how much of Christendom was left inside of what was largely a Pagan faith in the eyes of Europe.

Now reigning as the undisputed sovereign of the Eternal City as the Rex Romanorum, Rober XI had accomplished his long-desired dream of ruling Rome himself. His claims to the city had caused little concern to his former Papist masters, seeing him as nothing more than a delusional madman until the Norman warlord abandoned his oath and secured a crushing and total victory against the Papal State.

With the abandonment of Italy by the Papacy and his inner circle of Cardinals, the remainder of the Papist government within Central Italy was now at the mercy of the Mad Duke. Holding the remainder of the Cardinals who refused to convert to Solism or join his cause under imprisonment under the threat of a gladiatorial debut, the Mad Duke would convince them of their loyalty to their new sovereign to recognise him as the King of Rome in exchange for their freedom and servitude. All but a few of them would refuse to accept, spending the remainder of their time within the confined cells of their imprisonment, while those that accepted quickly became a part of the emerging Solist religious hierarchy out of a sense of opportunism or genuine belief in the new Solist movement.
Upon his hasty ‘coronation’ as the Rex Romanorum, Robert XI would be presented with an ancient signet ring that had once belonged to a Roman statesman of old, something which would delight the erratic monarch. With the Mad Duke accomplishing what was considered to be an impossible feat, many of the rulers of Europe looked with concern, believing that perhaps Roberts's lunacy wasn’t as erratic as once thought.

For all of his madness and ambition, Robert XI was labelled as the Antichrist and an enemy of all Christendom by vengeful Papists for the bloodshed brought about under his reign and for his lunacy. In addition, the betrayal and invasion of the Papal States and renunciation of Christ for the worship of a Pagan Solar deity had played into the reputation that the Mad Duke was a demon in the shape of the man. Excommunicated and condemned across Christian Europe, the Rex Romanorum did not care about their outrage, instead taking into the delight that this would inspire fear against his rivals.

Despite this, the Mad Duke had evolved into a far more imposing figure, labelled as the Crimson King of Rome. From inside the Aurelian Walls, hedonism and cruelty reigned supreme in his kingdom of vices. Madness and eccentricity would run from the sovereign unchecked by his trusted advisors and followers, no longer bound to the fringes of Capua, as Rome experienced the madness of Robert XI. Beloved by his Solist followers yet hated by the Papists that once controlled him, Robert XI was a vulnerable soul, where his house of cards was imbalanced in such a matter that his downfall could bring down the infantile Solist dominion.

It would be in this position that Robert XI’s council and ruling advisors, along with governing the fledgling state, made sure to isolate and control Robert’s most excessive and violent impulses. Robert would spend much of his time within the halls of power within the Eternal City, with unmatched authority and influence, yet unaware that he was becoming a puppet for his safety. If the Dream of Rome was to outlive him, control was needed behind the scenes.

Just beyond the edge between Christian Italy, the Saracens of Sicily would launch an invasion of Sardinia against the Republic of Genoa over disputed territories and political tension between the two competing powers. With the Sicilians distracted against the Genoese, the Mad Duke and his Solist Legions quickly made preparations to prepare for a campaign of their own towards the South.

Should the Muslims suffer a decisive defeat, the Saracen's ability to exert any further influence to endanger the remainder of the peninsular would possibly never recover. Aided by their new vassals and already proving themselves in battle before, the Solist Legions would prepare for their first serious war.

Long having suffered and being endangered by Saracen raids, many Capuans held a bitter and personal reason to direct their anger towards the Sicilians for their injustices over the centuries. For some, it was the loss of their relatives into slavery or the death of loved ones. For others, it was the promise of glory and wealth in the service of an ideal greater than themselves. For Robert XI, it was also a chance to recover his birthright and the Kingdom of his ancestors.

Preparing their weapons and marching towards where destiny had favoured them, the Solists would march towards Capua and beyond. With nothing else to lose and everything to gain, the war would begin in July of 1446.

The decision to catch the Sicilans unprepared would prove advantageous, starting organised raids on the outskirts of Napoli before drawing a Sicilian army into open conflict at Capua itself. With knowledge of the terrain and making use of tactical movement, the Capuans would achieve victory in a bloody battle that would see considerable losses on both sides. Retreating in disgrace, the Capuans would make careful tactical movements along the Apennines to maintain the defensive advantage, allowing their subject states to occupy territories before making the push towards Napoli.

Once more led by Thevenardi, a quick skirmish on the outskirts of Naples would see the Solist army engage with the Sultan of Sicily himself. The Battle for Naples would be characterised by skirmishes between Saracen and Solist groups on the streets of Naples itself, where blades and bodies would clash in excessively brutal fighting.

After only a short period of fighting, with his forces still fatigued from defending against the Capuan and Genoese threats on almost all sides, the Sultan made the order to withdraw his forces from the peninsular itself. With their naval capabilities able to match against the Genoese, and with the Capuans unable to even field a worthy navy, the Sicilian withdrawal beyond the Strait of Messina to regroup was considered a worthwhile tactical move. The Hasfids would march towards the south, abandoning Naples while preserving their manpower to focus on the defensive. Unbeknownst to them, this would become a fatal mistake.

Rapidly advancing across Southern Italy almost entirely unopposed, the Capuan Army and their subjects would sweep across the region capturing city after city. By the November of 1446 after delaying the Capuan advance by whatever means necessary, the Solists would reach the Strait of Messina, only to find it impassable due to the extensive fortifications and defences along the island. Along with a very meagre fleet unable to make a dent in the Sicilian navy and wasn’t worth sacrificing, the advance stopped dead in its tracks.

Recuperating their depleted numbers as reinforcements arrived from Central Italy, the Solist armies would see the emergence of one of its most important leaders. Pietro Aicardi, a retired condottiere captain from Tuscany, became a leading Capuan military and political figure during the initial conflict against the Papacy. Converting from Catholicism and becoming a dedicated Solist who believed in the Roman ideals of his masters, Aicardi would take command of the Capuan army before the Invasion of Sicily. It would be through his merits and battlefield success that would earn him infamy as a masterful military tactician.

Pietro Aicardi (1406-1470). Unorthodox and innovative in tactics, Aicardi was to play a pivotal role in the Unification Wars in Italy. ​

It would come as a surprise to both him and the wider court that Aicardi would unexpectedly find himself as the Legate of the Capuan Army before the end of 1446. While reinforcing his soldiers, Aicardi would employ several new tactics, taking inspiration from the Hussite Wars and adopting the Hussite method of using wagons for military purposes. With his newfound responsibility, Aicardi was tasked to secure victory for the Solist cause.

The Genoese would achieve a successful naval victory off the coast of Sardinia, leaving the Sicilians spread thin across the Mediterranean. Crossing the Straits of Messina at a pivotal moment, the Capuans made a daring effort to attempt to cross onto the island while the Sicilians were caught off-guard. Aicardi would achieve a decisive victory against the Sicilians despite heavy losses, successfully crossing onto the island right as the Sicilian fleet was spotted, leading to the meagre Capuan fleet remaining docked for the remainder of the conflict.
With the Strait of Messina at their back and with no way off the island, Aicardi and his men were prepared to fight to the end should the worst come to pass.

Successfully capturing Messina and using it as a base of operations, the Capuans would achieve a decisive battle against a desperate Saracen army. Recognising that neither side would rest until only one army remained victorious on the island, each battle was treated like a final stand against one another. The ‘Second Battle of Messina’ would see heavy losses on both sides, where Sicilian forces under Roberto Sanserverino would lose to Pietro Aicardi. The Sicilian loss of the battle would become pivotal as morale collapsed, and with the momentum of his men behind him, Aicardi pressed onto the advantage.

In rapid succession, the Sultanate would be occupied and methodically defeated in multiple different battles. Balarm, the centre of Arab rule upon the island, would be overwhelmed and sacked by the Capuans within a matter of weeks. With their authority diminishing at the Solist advance, the Sicilians were left in a state of panic after multiple crushing defeats left the Sultanate on the verge of collapse.

Being perused across the width of Sicily and left driven to the point of physical and spiritual exhaustion, Aicardi would finish off Sanseverino’s forces at the Battle of Kirgent. In this final conflict, the Sicilian commander and his entire force would be destroyed to the last man, with his body later being found in the aftermath of the battle. Aicardi would lose none of his own, having exhausted the Sicilians to the point of such exhaustion that they could not fight back. This would be the final death blow to the Hasfid Sultanate, where seeing the writing on the wall, finally entered into terms of peace.

With nothing short of complete victory, the Capuans would achieve utter dominance in the peace that would follow. The Hasfids would lose almost everything minus the stronghold of Malta, mirroring the Norman exodus to Capua almost a century earlier. The House of Hauteville would recover their birthright and reclaim their lost kingdom, regaining the lost lands of Sicily and Southern Italy. Yet even in this peace, the Siclians were still actively at war with the Genoese, with such diminished power, it was unlikely whatever remnants of their Sultanate that survived would continue to see the next decade.

Trinacria’s original lands would be restored to their rightful owners. Once stolen by the crooked Sicilians, Southern Italy was reclaimed by the Hautevilles for the first time in over a century. Apulia, Napoli and Calabria would once again be restored as a new age of Trinacria was upon the realm. The Sicilian Crusade had turned into a decisive victory and only further validated the Solist cause to the outside world.

Through the hard work of blood, sweat and tears that would be spent trying to resurrect the Roman dream, the Capuan realm had earned itself validation among the Great Powers of the world. None had ever expected the tiny duchy on the edge of Christian Italy to dominate the peninsular in the way that it had in such a short amount of time. Punching far above its weight for its size, Europe looked with a sense of astonishment and dread at the Solist powerhouse

The reclamation of lands from the Sicilian menace would end a centuries-long reign of Terror in Southern Italy. Robert XI would stand proud, knowing that he had avenged himself and his family name from the Saracen yoke that once caused so much conflict, yet it would do nothing to satisfy his bloodlust and penchant for vengeance. Now ruling over a sizable Muslim population, the Rex Romanorum was more than eager to take out his frustrations upon them and any of his enemies within the realm with a harsh iron fist. Yet it was hoped that his council, upon whom much of the real power of the realm lay, could prevent further bloodshed.

With his Legions tasked with putting down rebellions as the Capuan bureaucracy focused on integrating such a vast amount of new territory into the fold, Robert XI decided that the time was right for Capua to adopt the identity of its ancestral kingdom. Under the Greco-Latin triskeles, the Kingdom of Trinacria was reborn both proud and victorious, this time under the warmth of Sol Invictus rather than the Cross of Christ.

A sense of optimism was felt for the first time in years, alongside a growing sense of dread. Even in their victory, none of the inhabitants or servants of the restored Trinacrian realm knew that this was the end of their worries and the beginning of their new peace. Tension would remain high across the rest of the Italian peninsular, all of which had been united in the past in adversity against the looming Sicilian threat. Now that the Sicilains were no longer the boogeyman that had once threatened all of Italia, along with the Roman Ambitions of their sovereign, it was only a matter of time before the start of a new war was to begin.

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Well, well. Rome rises again. I wonder how damaged the damaged king's heirs will turn out.

Hopefully, cooler heads prevail in the future. But at least there is a growing level of resistance in the government now to make sure the realm actually stays running despite Robert's madness

Ooh, very interesting premise, and promising start! Looking forward to the next update for sure.

I'll check this out. Subbed!

Thank you for following!

The first steps are taken.

The Saracens are the next target. Will Robert throw them into gladiatorial matches? He does hate them...

How did Zunists survive this long anyway? Is Zunism a state religion anywhere?

The cult of Sol Invictus was always interesting. Still, is there an option to adopt other variants of traditional Roman religion in this mod (Hellenism, the Imperial Cult, Mithraism, etc)? I'm curious now.

Robert really doesn't like the Saracens. Cruelty and misery await them.

The Zunists exist in a tiny realm right on the edge of Afghanistan, surrounded by enemies and rivals of different faiths. The wider Persian region is in chaos during this period, so the Zunists are exceptionally rare among them.

There is, but none can be formed by Capua. Sol Invictus in the submod is exclusively for Capua. Meanwhile, as Nicaea, you can actually become Hellenic or even Shia with the task to restore Alexander's lost Empire. You could even reform the Roman Empire as Zoroastrian Persia if desired.

For this AAR, Sol Invictus is a syncretic faith between Christianity with heavy Zunist elements. I will explore more of this in future chapters as Solism becomes more of an organised faith

 

[Crimson Lionheart]

Chapter 3: The Unification Wars (1448-1452)​

Long confined to the ages of history, the rebirth of the Kingdom of Trinacria would send shockwaves across the entire Mediterranean world. The Normans would miraculously seize victory and claim their destiny against an apathetic world that would decry their luck as nothing more than a fluke. Christendom was still left reeling in shock at the sudden loss of Central Italy to the emerging Solist menace, accommodating the Papists within the confines of Germany as they struggled to comprehend or imagine the alluring appeal of the Solar Cult that had crawled out from Capua. Meanwhile, the Islamic world was left equally bewildered at the sudden collapse of the Sultanate of Sicily, leaving only the Andalusian to carry the mantle as the only prominent Islamic nation at the Westernmost reaches of the Dar al-Islam.

Unified within both spirit and politics, the Solist movement would gain further favour and revolutionary zealotry for its accomplishments to legitimise itself. Years of warfare had left the reborn kingdom depleted in both spirit and tact and for the time being, Trinacria would consolidate its gains for the next few years as it prepared for its next wave of conquests. All of its shortcomings were to be corrected. Its Legions were to be disciplined and drilled to perfection. A formidable navy was to be constructed to protect the waves and to compete against the formidable Venetian and Genoese threats. And the Sun was to replace the Cross and Moon in these reclaimed lands, where the full might of the Solist faith was to evangelise its new territories.

Further falling from grace, the Hasfids would lose the remainder of Sardinia to the Genoese, no longer able to compete against the mercantile republic after being left with a crippling blow to their capabilities. Faced with almost nonexistent naval and military capabilities and crushed under the weight of war reparations from the Genosese that sent whatever remained of their economy into free fall, the Sicilians were completely defenceless.

When the end finally came, the Hasfids would fall to the weight of the Tunisians, led by their cousins. Malta was far too important to be allowed to fall under the control of the enemy, so instead of a foreign army conquering the valuable island, the final death blow to the Sicilians came from their Islamic brethren. The Sultanate, an entity that had once lingered as the boogeyman for Christian Italy, had died with nothing more than a whimper on its lips in only a few years.

The Norman origins would date back far, with their greatest influences coming from the Norse Vikings in the regions. The Vikings of the past were skilled with shipbuilding and creating grand fleets to raid and settle new lands, something that the Normans had long embraced as their destiny had led them to Trinacria. With the abundance of resources and the new infrastructure at their disposal, Robert XI and his government would embrace this legacy and expand the minuscule fleet, starting a wave of construction to create a grand navy powerful enough to rival their Viking forefathers around Scandinavia.

The Mediterranean Sea both a rich opportune sea that allowed the emerging Trinacrian navy to sail upon, but importantly, its constricted waters required special naval strategies for guaranteed success within its waters. Rather than focusing on slow yet imposing heavy ships, all effort was instead focused on creating a fleet of small and nimble galleys that could outmaneuver and outfight any of their Mediterranean rivals with ease. In addition, the creation of such a maneuverable and formidable fleet would allow for the Norman fleet to conduct raids like their Viking forefathers so long ago, striking terror into the Mediterreanean.

The fruits of its success would immediately begin to bear fruit within the first year, as the Trinacrian fleet rapidly swelled in size. Led by an expert collection of sailors and admirals, Robert XI took pride in the growth of the fleet, watching its transformation become akin to playing a vital role in the wars to come. Much like the First Punic War, this fleet was to play a pivotal role in the Roman ambitions of the Kingdom.

16th-century portrait of Gaston de Hauteville, heir apparent to the Trinacrian throne. ​

While unable to sire an heir of his own, succession to the throne would be secured as Robert XI would select his nephew, Prince Gaston de Hauteville, as the heir to the Trinacrian throne. This choice was popular among the aristocracy as Gaston was greatly admired for both his physical and mental prowess. Gaston de Hauteville himself was an intimidating figure who was larger than life. Extremely manly and a physical powerhouse of a man, Gaston’s true strength would lay within an extraordinarily clever and bright mind, embodying the developing image of the ‘Renaissance Man’ as Gaston strived towards the inner perfection of body and mind. Within the eyes of Robert XI, he would see his nephew as an embodiment of Herculean ideals and as one of the most stalwart idealists towards the Roman idealism and dreams that he shared.

Importantly, Gaston was one of the few people in the world that Robert XI could trust completely and served as perhaps the Mad Duke’s voice of reason. The young Prince would therefore be placed as the head of Roberts's inner council, which was governing the Trinacrian realm in the name of the Rex Romanorum.

While now under the governance of the Tunisian Hasfids, Malta remained a crucially important battleground between the Trinacrian and Tunisians for control of the island. Serving as a haven of piracy and as an almost impenetrable fortress within the Mediterranean, battles would not be fought between armies through subterfuge and espionage amidst a chaotic backdrop of piracy and smugglers.

Feeling emboldened by its victory, along with slowly creating a formidable military following its conquest over several years, Trinacria would make its demand to the Hasfids. Malta was to be surrendered to the kingdom, or war would be declared. It was a diplomatic bluff, as the Norman fleet was still under construction and lacked the capacity to threaten the Tunisians, however, the Trinacrian Legions were eared as stories of their ferocity and discipline made its way across the shores into the halls of power in Tunis.

After an uncomfortable silence, the Hasfids would blink first and relent to the demands. Not wishing to start a war against the Kingdom that had utterly vanquished the Sicilian Sultanate, and suffering from the fallout of the conflict through dealing with the exiled refugees from that conflict, the island would be surrendered. Islamic authority would leave Sicily before the end of the month and Malta would become a part of Trinacria. With its priorities elsewhere, autonomy would be raised on the island as the Kingdom prepared its armies, leaving the pirate haven to rule itself to its own devices for the time being.

Until recently, the Duchy of Capua was only able to claim the title of Trinacria in name. Once reduced to a pitiful existence and bound to servitude to its former master, the successors of the once great kingdom would be favoured by fortune as it reclaimed everything that had once been lost. Trinacria was re-established, but to truly recover the lost greatness of the kingdom, its lands must be recovered and the Sicilians that had defiled it were to be driven out permanently. Within Italia, and towards the rest of the world, Robert XI proclaimed that that Trinacria was not a dying nation. It was a kingdom once more, proud and virtuous, and a powerful name that was to be feared.

A century of shame and humiliation would come to an end, as the true Kings of Trinacria would reclaim their lost kingdom. No longer bound into servitude or risking destruction, the Normans would carry the light of Sol Invictus towards every part of their realm. In its triumph, neither the Cross nor the Crescent would reign upon Southern Italy. Instead, it would be the Sun that would achieve its glorious victory over its defeated foes in its fight against destiny. In a stunning reversal of their situation in a world that fought desperately against them, the de Hauteviles would reign supreme in their kingdom. Now guided by a formidable bureaucracy and aided by its new legions, Southern Italy was to be baptised under the light of Sol.

Following the conquest, the Muslim population of Sicily would live under harsh oppression following the destruction of their Sultanate. Efforts to undermine and remove the previous governmental structures would begin immediately as Solists began to reorganise Sicily itself. Seeing their livelihoods destroyed overnight and with the Solist Legions remaining on alert to destroy the faintest trace of rebellion, the Muslims of the island would be joined by the small Jewish population on the island in their uncertainty. Backed against the Mediterranean and bracing for the worst, some of the few Muftis would begin to beg for mercy.

Within a month following the end of the war, the Solists would make an official response. In an act of clarity, aided by his inner council, Robert XI declared the Calabria Decree, an edict that ordered the expulsion of practising Muslims and Jews from the Kingdom of Trinacria outright. Primarily issued to eliminate the influence of the conquered population outright, the edict would give only three months for the Muslim population to leave the island. The edict would promise royal protection and security for the three-month window, along with being permitted to take their belongings. In practice, both Muslims and Jews would have to sell everything they could not carry with them, leaving behind their land and homes. The punishment for those who did not convert or leave by the deadline was summary execution

Following the Calabria Decree, half of the Sicilian Muslim population would be expelled from the island, primarily resettling across the Tunisian Hasfid Sultanate and the wider Maghreb. Some would choose to convert to Solism, while the remainder would suffer under pogroms and persecution. Some of those, succumbing to the pressures of life in exile away from their relatives, would convert to Solism to be allowed to return to Sicily in the generations following their expulsion. The majority of the exiled would never return.

This would create a sharp demographic shift, as the island would be largely Latinised by Norman and Italian settlers. The abandoned homes and lands would be granted to loyal Solist aristocracy and officers, earning their eternal gratitude and loyalty. Mosques, Libraries and Synagogues would be given to the Solist ecclesiarchy where much effort would be made to repurpose and translate an abundance of works. Businesses within the major cities of Sicily that once belonged to Muslim and Jewish families would be rapidly seized and reappropriated by the hungry mercantile class, forming the backbone of a formidable trade and economic power within the Mediterranean as the Trincrian merchants used these new networks to build their economic hegemony within the region.

Beyond the Alps, the Carolingians and the rest of the Holy Roman Empire looked uncertain as if a diet would be summoned in Paris. The loyalties of the Italians within the Empire had once been secured through the universal threat of the Sicilans encroaching upon their lands and the heart of Catholicism itself. It was this threat that kept the Italians within the line, and now that the danger of the Sicilian had been removed, the dubious loyalties that once kept Northern and Central Italy within the Imperial Sphere were put into serious question.

For years, Imperial authority over the Italian peninsular had been waning. As many of the Italian princes and republics had begun to act with total disregard for imperial laws and customs, Italy was slowly slipping away from Imperial control.

All of the Empire would come together to discuss the fate of the peninsular. Electors, Archbishops and Princes would divide into factional politics about reigning in the peninsular. Some sought to leave the peninsular to its fate and abandon Italy, leaving it towards the powerful Northern realms and the Solists that fought for dominance. Others wished to bring the Italians back into the fold out of a sense of duty and pragmatism, along with retaining the legitimacy of the Empire’s claims as the successor of the Western Empire.

The Diet would last for months yet the results were almost unanimous. With the dual exceptions of the Republic of Lucca and the Republic of Siena remaining within the Holy Roman Empire, the remainder of the Peninsular would see Imperial influence vanish beyond the Alps. Lucca and Siena would be granted the privileges of becoming Free Cities of the Empire for their continued loyalty, while all territories outside of the peninsular had gained complete independence. The Holy Roman Empire would abandon Italy to its fate.

The Solists of Trinacria would respond with this with exceptional glee, long having anticipated the lack of imperial authority in seeing the Carolingian pretenders retreat beyond the Mountains. No longer having Imperial protection, Northern Italy was left exposed and had never felt more vulnerable. On February 1st 1451, after three years of preparation, the Legions of Trinacria would leave through Aurelian Gates and begin their march towards Tuscany. This date would mark the beginning of the Unification Wars. The beginning of the Risorgimento

Crossing into the southernmost lands around the Tuscan hills, Trinacria would declare war against the Florentine Republic and the Republic of Genoa. Making use of the interconnected web of alliances and networks that the Italian states would make use upon, the Solist Legions and its vassals had the numbers and experience to strike hard and at multiple places at once. Not being content with anything less than the full reconquest of Italia, the peninsular was to be thrown into a flurry of violence and bloodshed. T

The Arno was to become Trinacrias rubicon. It was the point of no return for the Kingdom that would either succeed in its reconquest of the peninsular or perish from its own efforts.

The Triacrian Legions would move rapidly into Tuscany, making quick use of their enemies being distracted over petty feuds and conflict between neighbouring states. The Solists would make it towards the outskirts of Florence within weeks, while slowly and methodically declaring war against the other Italian states. Under the command of Aicardi, the Solists would declare war against the lords of Romanga, who were laying siege to Florence.

On a field on the outskirts of Florence, Aicardi’s men would combat the Romangan army and utterly destroy them. Outnumbering them by several magnitudes, Aicardi’s tactical brilliance would see the meagre forces of the enemy disintegrate before crumbling into dust. Through their removal, Florence would be left almost unopposed for a Trinacrian siege.

Significant progress would be made early into the siege as Trinacrian artillery and siege weaponry would devastate the fortifications and morale of the Florentine defenders. Encamped on the hills around Florence, Aicardi would focus on overwhelming the enemy from a distance through artillery duels and brief skirmishes. With none of their professional soldiers able to defend their city and being preoccupied with their siege of Pisa. Florence was forced to rely on several thousand militia to defend the city. It would become on which city would break first before relief could be provided. Florence or Pisa.

After several months of continuing the siege, Trinacria would strangle the supply line of the city and would bide its time whittling down the remaining morale and defences of the city. Florentine expectations of being saved by their own relief army would never arrive as hope slowly vanished with every passing day. Despite valiant attempts to continue the resistance, infighting from the city government and crumbling morale and resources would force the inevitable to happen.

After a hundred and sixty-seven days, representatives would surrender the city to Trinacrian forces. Solist forces would arrive in the city to replenish their own fading supplies while parading in the streets of Florence in spectacle, consolidating power behind the scenes. Many of the Republic’s leaders, especially those who had led the Florentine defence, would be executed or banished over the next few months.

Marching towards the West following a period of recuperation, Aicardi and his forces would crush the Florentine forces upon their march along the Arno. Florentine forces under the command of Carlo Marescotti would anticipate the Solist's threat after receiving information about the Fall of Florence, yet the commander would not anticipate the level of ferocity or numerical scale of the Trinacrian forces.

Suffering a defeat along the Arno, the repercussions would be immense for the Florentines as they retreated to lick their wounds. With nowhere else to go and with much of Tuscany under enemy occupation, the remainder of the Florentine forces would be picked off and further destoryed.

With no further resistance, the Florentine Republic would be annexed directly into Trinacria. Much of the Tuscan countryside and the dilapidated yet recovering city of Florence would see its authority answer towards the Solists of Rome. The atmosphere over such an event would be one of bewilderment and concern across Northern Italy as the Trinacrians continued to launch their northern campaign.

With the agricultural bounty of Tuscany aiding the Trinacrian armies, the Kingdom would make the ambitious move to strike directly at one of its most formidable foes. Flushed with confidence and with a fleet that was capable of striking directly at La Serensisima itself, Trinacria would declare war against Venice and all of its allies and vassals. Aicardi would cross the Arno and beyond the point of no return, marching to strike decisive victories lest the Venetians overwhelm the Trinacrians with numerical superiority.

Ravenna would see a quick battle on its outskirts, where its small army would be obliterated by the Solists with minimal losses. Ravenna would be captured shortly following the battle, where city officials opened the city to the Solists to prevent a sack. This would preserve the wealth and architectural beauty of the city, something which would please both the Solists and the local inhabitants of the city. The city had once thrived under Imperial rule during the Ancient Empire, and it was hoped that once Italia was reunified once more, the city would once more see its prosperity rejuvenated.

Sailing into the Adriatic Sea, the combined fleet of Trinacria would sail for the first time to combat against a combined enemy fleet. Designed for mobility and offensive capabilities, the Trinacrian galleys would take formation and directly strike at the Venetians. The wind would work against the Trinacrians at first, slowing down their movement and allowing time for the Venetians to prepare their lines. Shortly before the battle commenced, the wind would shift and favoured the Trinacrians. Leopoldo Corleone, Grand Admiral of the Trinacrian Fleet, would aggressively close the gap and outmaneuver the Venetian ships and envelop them

With the wind in their sails, the Battle of the Adriatic would last for several hours. Corleone’s fleet would close the distance and clash in a vicious melee, with some ships being squeezed together to allow Trinacrian sailors to board the enemy ships. Venetian morale would rapidly crack as Corleone swept through the enemy formations, capturing ships and sinking many more. Soundly defeated at sea, the Venetians and their allies would retreat to recover their losses while the Trinacrians would retreat towards the south and blockade the Strait of Otranto to sever Venetian trade beyond their home waters within the Adriatic.

The battle would send shockwaves beyond the Adriatic. Long having been the naval and economic hegemon of Northern Italy, the Serene Republic would be decisively defeated upon the seas against an enemy that many had considered to be nothing more than an upstart. Only having assembled their naval presence in little more than a few years, centuries of naval dominance would be suddenly and shockingly crushed by the Solists.

In a desperate attempt to break the blockade, Venice would send a rejuvenated fleet towards the south with the aid of the Knights Hospitalliar. Anticipating this, Leopoldo Corleone would lay a trap along the Gulf of Taranto that the Venetians would fall for. Only realising their mistake at the last moment, the Solist fleet would strike at the Venetian's throat in a dozen different places.

As panic spread across the Venetian fleet, Norman ferocity would tear the light ships of the Venetian fleet to shreds. Much of the Venetian navy would sink to the bottom of the Gulf of Taranto within a few hours along with much of its sailors. What had once been thought to have been impossible little more than a few years ago would become a reality. Venice would no longer rule the waves.

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I am surprised he did not revive the Roman Empire there and then, but I assume this Trinacria is but a stepping stone.

A very important stepping stone for something much greater than itself.

If Robert XI ever finds out he's been sidelined, heads will roll.

It's not like his reign is violent enough already! Things are bound to get worse before they get better...

 

[Crimson Lionheart]

Chapter 4: Alea iacta est (1452-1455)​

Having been considered as nothing more than a nuisance little more than a decade earlier, the Normans would exceed all expectations and boundaries against a hostile and unforgiving world that held bitterness towards its victories and shortcomings. As the encroaching avalanche of the Solist advance threatened Tuscany and beyond, the eyes and worries of Christendom were starting to worry at the enthusiasm and eagerness of the Solist advance into the rest of Italia. His Holiness, once the master of the Capuans and much of the peninsular, had surrendered much of his authority for safety and submission to the Holy Roman Empire, further weakening the legitimacy and influence of the Western Church. What had once been the centre of Catholicism was being replaced with an Imperial Cult, dedicated to the Unconquered Sun and the Prophet of Christ. Given time to develop and grow, the syncretism between Christendom and Zunist teachings was truly starting to take shape.

Launching itself into victory on both the land and sea, Trinacria and its vassals would take the offensive beyond the confines of the Arno. Venturing beyond the point of no return, the boundless zealotry of the Solist Legions and the terrifyingly efficiency of its new navy would take the fight directly to its enemies. And in the centre of it all, surrounded by his courtiers within his throne, was the Mad King of Rome with a wide grin on his face.

With the near destruction of the Venetian navy, the Trinacrian Navy would reign almost uncontested across the Adriatic Sea. Smaller and less capable naval threats were eradicated to the last ship, frequently sending them to the bottom of the Mediterranean or successfully capturing enemy ships to further augment the Solist arsenal. Corleone’s fleet would sail northward to strike against the heart of the Venetians themselves, blockading their territories along the way and sailing directly straight for Venice itself.

Ferrara would have its defences crumble against the Solist invaders, overwhelming the local garrison of the city and sweeping through the broad streets of the city. Ferrara would be looted by the Solists following its capture, seeing much of its wealth being stripped away to enrich the marauding Solist soldiers. Much of the architecture within the inner city would be left intact by Aicardi, who focused much of his efforts on undermining the leadership to eliminate rebellion rather than laying destruction to enemy cities themselves to preserve their structure. This would unofficially become a part of Solist military doctrine for generations, where annexed cities would see new leadership being appointed among dedicated Solists rather than leaving the traditional nobility of the region entrenched in the region.

The House of Este, following the fall of the Castello Estense, would be deposed as the leaders of Ferrara under Trinacria’s occupation of the city. The remainder of Romanga would be left wide open to the Solists as leadership among panicking lords allowed the remainder of the region to be picked apart with ease.

The Trinacrian Fleet would cross into the Venetian lagoon, tasked with blocking the city from the outside world while the mainland territories of La Serenissima would be occupied by Aicardi and his legions. Facing little in the form of naval resistance, terror tactics would be employed by Corleone and his command as Venice was bombarded and laid siege from the open waves indiscriminately. Holding back their forces to protect the home islands would prove to be an advantageous maneuver among the Venetians at the coast of strained food and ammunition supplies. The Doge and Council of Ten would retreat to the Palazzo Ducale and the Piazza San Marco, leading the war effort against the Solists while fortifying and entrenching their position with the aid of the local inhabitants.

Even despite naval superiority, Aicardi would make the difficult situation to initiate a naval landing against the entrenched Venetians on the other side of the island. Fighting would be viciously brutal, leading to high casualties on both sides for control of the many bridges. Urban warfare would necessitate the Solists to sweep and fight within the many buildings of the city, leading to horrific civilian casualties as fighting descended into barbarism. Regardless, with the tactical advantage of the Trinacrian blockade, the Solists held the advantage as they slowly squeezed the Venetians against a corner and the waters of the lagoon themselves. Losing ground and numbers, along with a collapsing supply line, the Venetians couldn’t resupply their losses.

Now occupying entire portions of Venice along its advance, the pacification of the city itself would take multiple weeks to complete at the Solists own pace. Weeks of slow advancement would be interrupted by hours, or even days, of ceaseless fighting over control of the bridges and narrow canals. After the first month, the siege would begin to show results as the remaining defenders would push further and further back to the Piazza San Marco.

Within its final days, a political shift would occur among the defenders. Doge Francesco Foscari would die from natural causes caused by the stress of the Battle and later Siege of Venice, having stood as the main roadblock to making peace with the Solists. Already over eighty at the time of his passing, his death would open discussions with Trinacria about the necessity of making peace. After losing morale to continue fighting to the last man, the Council of Ten would surrender to the Solists and be placed under captivity. The Election of the next Doge would be suspended for the remainder of the war, while the Solists would bring relief to the beleaguered citizens of Venice in the form of food, medicine and water.

Peace would be made to spare the remainder of the city, yet its political structures were to be closely observed by the Solists for the remainder of their occupation of the city. With the Council of Ten unable to decide upon a candidate, the Solists would appoint their own Doge to succeed Foscari who acted as a legitimised puppet of the Solists. Diplomacy would begin inside the Palazzo Ducale once the most fervent violence in the city had ceased. In an act of mercy, Venice would be spared from a devastating sack, preserving much of the ancient city’s historical and cultural significance for the benefit of their new Solist masters.

Once news had broken out about the collapse of Venice into the wider conflict around Northern Italy, some of the states decisively crushed under the heel of the Solist menace would be annexed into the Kingdom. Romagna and Parma would be conquered by Trinacria and her legions, with much of its existing old order being swept aside as the towns and provinces were slowly integrated into the efficient yet colossal Roman bureaucracy system. Trinacrian integration within Italia would work upon the Romanisation efforts of their ancient forefathers, starting with acculturation proceeding from the top down and easing relationships with the upper class, before working downward towards the common masses.

Lords who stood against Solist ideals or were themselves recognised as enemies to the Kingdom were discarded and replaced, often with the conquered nobility losing their lands and titles and seeing their rights handed towards a more sympathetic noble class, often being Solists themselves or belonging to a loyal noble house dedicated to the Kingdom. Many enemies among the nobility, clergy and mercantile communities would be killed during this period of warfare and calamity for posing a threat to the Mad King and his reign as potential rebels, or through their replacement of new men.

Facing crucial defeats on all fronts and threatened with its very existence, the Serene Republic would see centuries of strength and prestige washed away in the peace that would follow their crippling defeat to Trinacria. All of the mainland territories within Italia, including the beating heart and soul of La Serenissima itself, were conquered by the Solists. For Trinacria, this victory would mark a major turning point in its Italian campaign as offensive efforts could be concentrated firmly upon the Northwest. All of the wealth and resources of the Adriatic, from auxiliaries to reinforce its lost Legions to riches to bolster its coffers, could now flow into Trinacria.

But for the remnants of what had once been the mightiest maritime power in the Mediterranean, it was nothing short of their worst nightmares coming to life. Holding onto a narrow strip of territories along the Adriatic Sea and barely holding onto their endangered Greek territories, the Serene Republic was caught between its death throes as outsider opportunists and a collapsing internal authority would wait patiently. The Serene Republic was fated to perish into the annals of history, a forgotten era of a bygone age, and a miserable death to what had been one of the mightiest realms of the sea.

Surging forward with unrelenting zeal, only further energised and reinforced through the rapid decisive victories that had seen some of Italia’s greatest cities fall within the banner and warmth of Sol, Trinacria would begin its offensive towards the Kingdom of Lombardy. Once an Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, the loss of Imperial influence would strike Lombardy particularly hard, no longer having the benefits and added protection from the Empire against the encroaching Solists.

Of particular note, the Free Cities were aligned firmly with Lombardy for their protection rather than an alliance of convenience which benefitted both sides. Jumping onto the chance to seize the Free Cities without the Carolingian interference, for which there was only one possible chance to achieve this without drawing the ire from beyond the Alps, Trinacria made its next moves particularly open for all to see. Italia was to belong to Sol or it would belong to nobody at all.

Simultaneously launching an advancement into the Republic of Genoa, the Kingdom would secure an important victory at the Battle of Albenga. Aicardi would find his near counterpart in the form of Antonia Buonaparte, sharing similar tactics and military brilliance, though only narrowly achieving victory through command experience alone. Genoa itself would be open to the Trinacrians, through not retaining a high priority due to the multiple fronts that the army was conducting its wars upon.

Outside of Italia, the realms were reduced to a matter of little importance in the mind of Trinacria. Even towards Robert XI himself, the intrusion and thoughts of outsiders were considered an afterthought rather than an opinion. These wars were to be fought among the Italians themselves and settled among them, regardless of the web of alliances and intrusive scheming of the European realms.

Lower Burgundy, straddling the Alps and making up a portion of what had once been the mighty Kingdom of Arles, was only given peace with little terms or repercussions. Only light reparations were sought after, along with any involvement to rid of foreign influence across Italia during the campaign whenever such opportunities arose. The only true losses for Lower Burgundy, along with all foreign realms that had aided the Italians, were the loss of crucial manpower and the economic pitfalls that came with it.

This would become common with Trinacrian diplomacy, which focused all its efforts solely upon Italia itself. The rest of the world beyond the peninsular did not matter for the time-being.

Allowing the enemy to come towards them, Trinacria would achieve a crucial victory at the Battle of Treviso that would see the entire enemy force completely wiped out. The Veronan forces would be squeezed and crushed against the Venetian walls of the city, encircled and then slaughtered to the very last man after a catastrophic misjudgement on behalf of Francesco Scaligeri.

Aicardi would lose minimal losses in the massacre, where the only visible signs of suffering were simply the fatigue of his exhausted soldiers from cutting down almost twenty thousand of the enemy within the span of a few hours. News of the battle would spread beyond Northern Italy, where it had been frequently compared to the Battle of Cannae. Left completely defenceless, Aicardi marched upon a helpless Verona and its surrounding territories across the Po Valley, easily capturing it.

Aicardi would allow his Legions to briefly rest and recuperate their losses, recovering from their fatigue as reinforcements and auxiliaries arrived from Central and Southern Italy. Aicardi would begin to march upon Genoa, waiting until the Trinacrian armada had crossed beyond the Strait of Messina to begin an assault. Arriving within a few days from one another and having already inflicted a great defeat against the Genoese, the wealthy city would be locked under siege from both the land and the sea.

With mastery over the waves, Trinacrias vassals would cross the Ligurian Sea and the Tuscan Archipelago to rapidly assault and capture both Corsica and Sardinia for the Kingdom. With no possible way to resupply their manpower and with all of its territories being captured by the Solists, only Genoa itself remained the last vestige of the Republic until it too would be captured. Within three months, the Republic of Genoa would cease to exist within Europe. Only a tiny Genoese colony, far outside of the reach of the Kingdom and with little importance, remained the last bastion of the Republic. Genoa would be spared from a sacking, although solely due to the heavily tarnished damages that would leave Genoa unable to recover for generations.

Far away from the struggles and violence of the Northern campaign, Robert XI’s madness would further deteriorate as his sanity started to slip away with every passing year. Having been the source of countless diplomatic incidents and making negotiations almost impossible to negotiate and deal with, it would only be through his tactical genius and raw charisma that had carried the Norman-ruled rump state of Capua into the domestic behemoth that which Trinacria was founded upon. It was for this reason that Robert hadn’t been deposed and replaced by one of his own, although recent actions would only exacerbate the madness that lived within the Eternal City.

All of the Mad King’s advisors and Council would witness a marked decline in the cruelty and erratic madness. Bouts of paranoia and eccentricities would wash over the sovereign, leading to periods of isolation for days at a time within his Palace. Increased surveillance would be placed upon Robert XI by his council, along with the number of guards to protect him in the case that he did something irreversibly damaging. With the further loss of his sanity, his inner council would gain further influence and control over the Trinacrian government, slowly sidelining the Mad King and ensuring that the mechanisms for governance kept on moving.

With much of Italia already under military occupation or already engaged in bitter conflict, Trinacria would launch another declaration of war against the Duchy of Iverna and its subjects around Northwest Italy. Highly mountainous with elevated hills and plains, the natural terrain favoured Iverna for fighting defensively. Trinacria would however come prepared for this campaign, holding the supply lines along the Ligurian Sea and having soldiers with significantly more combat experience.

Simultaneously, war would be declared against the Republic of Pisa. Once being spared the same fate of being conquered by the Florentines, Trinacria would instead turn its attention towards the maritime city in its unyielding quest to unify all of Italia underneath its banner. Alongside with aligning itself with the remainder of the Free Cities of Tuscany, all of the independent realms of Italy were now fighting an uphill battle against Trinacria and its subjects. The Cross would be locked into conflict against The Sun, where slowly the Solists would gain the advantage due to their military and logistical might that slowly started to overwhelm the Christians of the peninsular. Locked in its bitter crusade,

Trinacria would begin to work upon the Romanisation of its new territories, incorporating the new regions through different processes such as acculturation, integration and assimilation of the newly incorporated populations similar to the matter of their Roman forefathers. It would be through working alongside the elite of Italian society that the merits of the Aristocratic ideals became a part of Trinacria's identity, where local elites could make their position more secure by aligning themselves with the Kingdom, and from where the Monarchy itself could shape the aristocratic classes into a strong class of patricians to pool both leadership and support from.

The most important battle in the Northern Campaign would occur among the hills of Monterfatto, where Aicardi and his Legions would lead another devastating victory that would see the entirety of Ivernas armies completely wiped out within a single afternoon. Carrying the weight of the Kingdom’s military success upon his back, Aicardi would appear to be blessed by Sol for his victories against the Catholics. Now with a nonexistent army to defend itself, the hills and mountains of Piedmont were open for Trinacria and its vassal armies to occupy to their leisure. Only a small force being raised around Turin, making up whatever remained of their manpower, would cross the Alps for their safety.

Two weeks later, another monumental victory would be achieved at the Battle of Novara where the remnant forces of the Lombards and their allies would be obliterated, once more leaving Lombardy virtually uncontested to the Solist advance towards the Alps. During the heat of the battle, soldiers would report of Aicardi leading the Solist Legions along the frontline during the favour of the battle. Popular stories would circulate following the bloodshed that would follow that Massimiliano Franchi, commander of the Lombard forces and once an acquaintance of Aicardi in the past, was personally beaten to death by the famous Solist commander.

Wherever these were simply stories to boost morale, or wherever if it was the truth, would matter little. Aicardi would simply keep quiet on the matter, reflecting on another victory in quiet stoic contemplation.

With such decisive victories within a short span from each other, almost all of Italia would be under occupation or threat from the encroaching Solists. What had been nothing more than delusions of a madman were coming under a bitter and shocking reality as the Mad Duke and his followers were achieving what had once been deemed an impossible task. Only the outside powers beyond Italia remained active in crushing the Kingdom, but the willingness to continue the fight was appearing more daunting with every passing month as the first among them started to consider peace.

Italia was on the cusp of unification under the Mad King. Many were now starting to doubt the madness that had inflicted his mind, while some of the more pious were beginning to believe that it was perhaps a spark of divinity that had driven Robert XI towards madness. Was it truly a sign of madness or had Robert truly been blessed by the lord in the form of Sol Invictus to lead Italia to its destiny. Time could only tell if this was truly the unification of Italia, or merely just the precursor towards a true restoration of ancient glory that was once dead.

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This is a great concept for an AAR. Can't wait to see more.

This is one of the delights I discovered after returning from my recent sabbatical from much of the forum. Looking forward to seeing how you reconstitute Rome using an EU IV mod. I must say the Norman culture and Solist religion make an intriguing combination. Looks like they will be the scourge of the Med.

By the way, I have nominated you @Crimson Lionheart as the Character Writer of the Week for your portrayal of Robert XI. Congrats!

Wow, that is incredible. Thank you so very much, I hope that my future chapters will not disappoint, especially once the Unification Wars come to a rather climatic end. Hopefully, things will become easier for Robert XI and the Norman-Sicilian Kingdom as it realises its Roman ambitions.

 

[Crimson Lionheart]

Chapter 5: Rebirth (1455-1456)​

Achieving triumph after triumph across any battlefield that it found itself upon, Trinacrian advancement into Northern Italy would appear unstoppable as Solist Legions overwhelmed any of the few remaining independent realms within Italia. Crushed between the unmatched discipline and ferocity of the Trinacrian Solists, along with the magnitude of numbers that none of the realms were able to evenly match in sheer volume. Those who would dare resist the Trinacrian legions were only made up of the brave and the foolish, fighting for lost ideals that had no place in the world around them anymore. It would only be a matter of time before the beginning of a new era would commence.

Long having languished within the mountains of Piedmont and having grown increasingly infuriated with the progress of the siege, discipline among the Solist ranks would deteriorate as Trinacrian soldiers at the resilience of the Iverean defenders defending in Torino. Suffering from poor morale due to a lack of resources and payment, environmental conditions such as an unnecessarily harsh winter would see morale and an already dwindling supply chain collapse on both sides. Aicardi, long having held the reputation of the experienced genius behind the Solist military, would lose his patience for the stubborn resilience. Once the walls of Torino would finally break, all hell would break loose.

As the city fell, it was expected that the Solists would be allowed to loot the city to enrich themselves. What would instead follow was the total and utter destruction of the city, resulting in the massacre of almost all of its inhabitants and the brutal sacking that would devastate the city and the local countryside for years to come. Aicardi would allow this to take place as a means to set an example, organising the massacre as his men targeted the helpless merchants. News of the Fall of Torino would make shockwaves around the Alps, leaving much of Northern Italy stunned into compliance out of fear of reprisal.

With the Sack of Torino, all of Northern Italy was left under the occupation of the Solists, allowing them to turn their attention back towards the Free Cities of Tuscany as the only resistance against the Kingdom. Solist diplomats and administrators began to make the long journey from Rome to discuss terms of peace and favourable conditions to integrate the new territories under the Kingdoms growing bureaucracy, all while the military waged war to complete its conquest of the remaining Free Cities before the years end.

Underneath the leadership of a new and promising commander, Goffredo Gandi, the Kingdom would soundly crush the enemy army close to the outskirts of Firenze to the last man. Outmaneuvering and soundly defeating the smaller enemy, the Kingdom would take the remainder of its forces under a ransom that the Free Cities couldn’t financially risk to afford, resulting in Gandi ordering a mass execution of thousands of captives.

From enemy lords to common peasantry would be slaughtered before being thrown into a mass grave, divided by class yet sharing a fate in death as Trinacrian methods towards achieving victory became far more aggressive in their brutality and efficiency. With the local armies of Pisa and Siena left entirely defenceless, there was no remaining Italian opposition towards the unification of the peninsular. Only foreign armies would come together to stop the Kingdom of Trinacria, yet the odds would be stacked against them as their own willingness to fight against the Italians would diminish with every passing week.

Within under a month, both Pisa and Elba would be brought underneath the subjugation as the full weight of the Solist military came crashing down upon its walls and shores in a singular unforgiving push. Left entirely undefended and with no hope of salvation coming to save them, the garrison of the city and its leadership would surrender to Trinacria out of a hope to spare themselves. The Solists would be particularly merciful to Pisa and its leadership, allowing them to return to their city in-exchange for obedience and submisssion.

Only Sienna would continue to resist as the rest of Tuscany fell to the Kingdom, yet it would only be a matter of time before they too would fall underneath the weight of the Kingdom’s unforgiving advance as Siena and the surrounding area would be occupied within just over three months. The city would be spared from the worst excesses of Trinacrian occupation and prevented from being looted by Aicardi and his soldiers. However, much like many of the Italian city-states across the peninsular, Sienna was dominated by powerful noble families who competed for influence and control, governed by a complex system of councils and magistrates and fueled by internal rivalries.

Seeking to undo this factionalism before it led to unrest, Siena would install its own governor while undermining and replacing much of the rebellious noble houses with loyalists or those willing to collaborate with the new order within the city. The noble houses that refused to submit would be destroyed by Aicardis forces or banished from the city, culminating in a violent low-level resistance from the nobility that would last for multiple years.

Venturing into Northern Italy to sweep aside the last remaining vestiges of local rebellion, the last remaining foreign intervention to liberate the conquered realms would come from both a Swabian and Croatian army. Choosing his battles and fighting on favourable terrain, Gandi would achieve multiple decisive victories that would force the foreign forces out of Italia outright. The Swabian army would be crushed outright, with whatever remaining survivors making the long and difficult journey back home through hostile territory through the unforgiving Alps. These battles would be the last fought during the Unification Wars, where it would conclude in Trinacrian fighting against foreign enemies rather than vanquishing the last remnants of the Italian status quo that had existed for centuries.

One by one, the fallen republics and duchies across Northern and Central Italy began to submit to the Kingdom. Political structures that had been characterised by their trials and tribulations across the peninsular, would be swept aside as nationalistic fervour swept through Italia. Republics that had lasted for centuries would come to an end alongside much of the feuding nobility that often characterised its leadership. As the Trinacrian identity began to encompass a growing Italian identity, the loss of these independent states and cities would be gradually overwhelmed by what had once been considered impossible.

Northern Italy would remain a battleground between the Solists and the Catholics, yet the choice of weaponry would instead change from the blade to subterfuge as the Solists brought the wealthy lands of the region directly into their administration. Slowly being brought into the fold, it would take generations for Northern Italy to be integrated in both body and spirit into the Roman dream.

The impossible would be achieved within twelve years. The Eternal City would belong to its rightful owners, where the ancient city would serve as the seat of power as Capua restored its Trinacrian heritage before turning towards the North. Establishing itself as the dominant Italian power further solidifying its position and growing its strength through constant warfare, this long period of conflict would come to an end. The Italian lands were reunited under the authority of Rome and it was this sole authority in Italia that would be respected.

With the unification wars coming to an end, the effort was now made to consolidate its gains and to ensure that these lands were united. Separatism and rebellions were to be dealt with harshly, while local autonomy was to be gradually reduced until all of Italia would answer to the whims and desires of Rome. It would take years for the Roman bureaucracy to encompass the peninsular, but its laws and customs were to be absolute as civilization was to be brought back to these wartorn lands.

Several years of conflict around the North would result in Trinacria achieving victory over the Lombards and Venetians. For centuries, the Iron Crown would be a symbol of status of prestige within Italy, being worn by the Lombards and the Holy Roman Emperors that claimed Italy as their own. This would no longer be the case, as the crown now belonged to Triancria, and the lands of Lombardy would be of great importance if the Kingdom was to spread its influence beyond the Alps. Lombardy would become the centre of economic rejuvenation by Trinacria, where the Kingdom hoped to placate the Lombard lords into a formidable northern powerbase.

Simultaneously, wealth and riches were paramount to the survival of the Kingdom, yet Trinacria could not prosper if it was to be outcompeted by its rivals. The Venetians were among the most important rivals of the Kingdom, and within a few years, the Serene Republic would be put down and crushed underneath the iron boots of the Kingdom. Venezia and its lands were to become the naval centre of the Kingdom, and its wealth was to be taken, funding military and administrative exploits for the foreseeable future as centuries of republican rule was to be dismantled.

Lombardy and Venezia would become the centre of Trinacrian influence and control through Northern Italy, where the Kingdom sought to use its newfound abundance of resources and wealth to transform Italia into an economy powerhouse. The Unification Wars had done much to harm the economy of the regions, leaving them in a dilapidated state that would also leave its cities ripe for investment and renewal for the Trinacrian era that was to follow.

Almost twelve years since the start of its righteous crusade, Italia stands officially restored under a single banner. The impossible had been realised much to the disbelief of an apathetic and stunned world around them. Realising its right claim to the peninsular and beyond, the Kingdom of Trinacria would complete its unification and realise its birthright as the true successor of the Romans.

The struggles of a broken and disunited Italia still existed that would take time to mend, along with the low manpower and faltering economy. It would take time before a new era of Roman conquest would begin, but for now, it was to be an era of peace and order above all else.

Once called the Mad Duke of Capua, Robert XI would lead his domination to achieve what many had deemed impossible, conquering the entirety of Italia within his lifetime. A feat that had not been seen since the days of Justinian almost a thousand years earlier. The Trinacrian Legion would return to Rome for a monumental triumph unlike any that had been seen on the peninsular in centuries, organising festivities of grandeur and splendour under Robert’s watchful eye. Treasures and entertainment would placate the masses as public games were held for multiple days. Within the span of a few years, the Mad Duke had become a King in his own right. But now, with his accomplishments and ambitions laid out to bare, the veil would finally drop.

Restoration of the Roman Empire, also known as the Second Roman Empire, c.1456​

On September 13th 1456, Robert XI proclaimed himself Emperor of the Romans, officially declaring a restoration of the Roman Empire and declaring his ambition to reconquer the territories of the ancient Empire. Under his rule, the reignited dream of a restored Rome would be ignited once more under a new age of cultural and scientific rebirth across the lands of Europe. As the undisputed master of Italia, the madness ceased as Robert became further enveloped between his delusions of grandeur and ambition that often spilt onto the city streets of his Eternal City.

From now on, he had become the Mad Emperor of Rome. Despite his love and admiration of the ancient ideals of the empire of antiquity, it was Rome and only Rome that the Emperor held any sort of care for his ambitious plans. Robert XI would prove to be a highly motivated and diligent caretaker of the Eternal City, motivated with a passion to restore Rome towards the grandeur of its ancient past. These early years were to play a pivotal role in the rejuvenated and reborn Empire in both culture and faith and for the centuries that were to come ahead of them.

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Is Robert mad enough to declare on the entire world? That seems like it could be a problem.

Mad enough? Absolutely. But there is more holding him back than he realises. I don't think he would gamble his Kingdom away so quickly against enemies that are much more powerful than Rome. At least, not yet anyway

The rise of the Solists must be terrifying for so many others along the Mediterranean.

What happened to the Christians? Why were the Solists kinder to them than the Jews and Muslims?

Technically speaking it's a Christian faith, so far. It has much more in common with an early Christian heresy rather than existing as an outright pagan faith. It does not reject Christ, it recognises Jesus as the Messiah. But just like the early heresies, the nature of God/Sol in this new faith is what separates it from every other Christian faith and is bound to cause problems later on. This will be explained in future chapters about the nature of Sol Invictus, where the syncretic nature between Christianity and Zunism is bound to merge and form its own identity over the coming centuries.

Thanks for this latest chapter. Given the mod you are using, it seems remaking Italy is inevitable. I think what will be interesting once you have finished the Unification Wars is what Italy will then do on the world stage.

It also seems that the Solist Council will eventually be the power in the growing kingdom as the Mad Duke becomes more and more isolated.

Looking forward to your next chapters.

Wow, a lot of territory gained in a short time! Love to see the Venetians knocked down a peg or two as well... great AAR!

Thank you for your support! Robert might seem like he's in charge, but his privy council are the ones that really have the power, for his safety and that of the Kingdom of course!

 

[Crimson Lionheart]

Index: State of the Empire (1456)​

What had once been the distant memory of an ancient yet glorious past would become resurrected during the middle of the fifteenth century, when the Norman-Italian realm of Trinacria would inherit the dream and ideals of what the Roman dream had represented. The Mad Emperor would sit on his throne as the most powerful man of his generation, silently watching and looking through the wealthy and domineering court that was made up of his throne room. With all of Italia now belonging to him, to restore the spirit and resolve of his people to fix them into becoming True Romans once more, it was the generational task of the Emperor and his realm to lead this change. Peerless insanity and mindless ambition would plague his troubled yet brilliant mind as Robert XI became obsessed with the future of his Empire rather than the present he was trapped in.

Despite the religious nature of the Solist cult that had transformed Christianity with the Eastern mysticism and teachings of the Zunists, Italia was united under the governance and teachings of the Ancient Empire that it sought to reunite. Embracing the principles of Roman bureaucracy while modernising it for the current generation, the world outside of Italia was deeply fractured yet imposing. Former subjects and barbarians had transformed what had once been Roman territories into their fiefdoms and dominions, some with more success than others while rooting out the heritage and wisdom of what had once been lost.

It would not be enough for the Empire to reclaim its territories and govern them like it once had in antiquity. Rome, a vast nation, was far too stretched to be governed efficiently from the central government. A different approach was to be taken, one that would foster true unity among its populace for future integration into the Empire.

Within the earliest days of the new Imperial government, Emperor Robert XI would create and develop the foundation of the Roman Diocese system. A regional governance district made up of a grouping of provinces headed by an elected Vicarius, originally created in the Late Imperial era to address the problem of an overstretched Empire. Prefectures were divided up into a singular whole within the Diocese. The Vicars were to be tasked with overseeing their Dioceses, dedicated to the integration of reconquered regions into the Empire as a whole while being granted a semblance of autonomy to the point of semi-independence.

Dioceses were obligated to pay higher taxes and manpower to aid in fueling the Roman war machine, but in return, were not to join the campaigns of the Empire unless called directly. Although sharing the splendour of a reborn imperium and having all of the benefits that come with it, the Diocese's sole purpose was the long but methodical Romanisation of entire regions until future integration.

Only through focusing on the long-term solution to restoring the grandeur of the Empire would this system work, with an emphasis on stability. Robert XI would focus on administrative decentralisation for the future governance of the Empire, organising the basic framework alongside his governors for the administration of lands that still lay beyond the reach of the Aquila.

These reforms, alongside a plethora of others that would be reintroduced following the establishment of the Second Empire, were to form the framework of the modern age. Long-term stability and excellence were the prevalent dreams of the era, leaving the myriad of cultures of Italia to reintegrate into their Roman heritage on their own. The Inner Council, while Robert’s fragile yet brilliant mind led him to make erratic decisions, would slowly begin to absorb more power and influence behind the scenes.

Operating as the real leaders of the reborn Empire, their influence would slowly but gradually increase over the next few decades. With their allies within the Senate and a reestablished Imperial Army, their influence was almost as absolute as the Mad Emperor of Rome.

The Imperial Senate would be restored and divided between the Latinsphere and Hellenosphere, as loyal Solists would be granted new lands and titles within the restored Empire. From the first moments of its restoration, the Senate would become divided by cultural factionalism, divided between the Latinsphere and the Hellensophere, and split between the political direction.

The Latinsphere would be made up of the dedicated Solist elites of Italia, while the Hellenosphere would comprise a small but influential collection of Greeks that had arrived in Italia following the collapse of their Empire from the Bulgarians that had conquered Constantinople. Independent cliques and factionalism would become apart of the fledgling Senate as it worked to incorporate all of Italia within its reach, a process that would take generations for the effects to truly be seen.

The Normans of Trinacria and the wider dynasty of the de Hautevilles would gain an unparalleled amount of legitimacy within the wider world around them for the restoration of the Roman Empire within Italia, a claim that would be viciously disputed with the neighbouring Holy Roman Empire just beyond the Alps. Carrying the Mantle of the Romans with them, the Siculo-Roman heritage of this new imperium of expansionism and evangelism were driving factors for the identity of the reborn empire. Commanding terror among the seas of the Mediterranean and dominating its enemies along the land, the unification of Italia would provide the resources and wealth needed to reform Imperial might into an unstoppable weapon.

It had been many centuries after Charlemagne’s conquest of Northern Italy. The peninsular had languished in a state of disarray, trapped between various noble houses vying for dominance while the peninsular was divided into numerous fiefdoms. The dreams of unification would become nothing but a distant memory as the petty squabbles of internal infighting and reverberated across the lands, stifling progress and preventing Italy from uniting under a single banner once more. The Roman legacy, once the shining pinnacle of cultural and intellectual enlightenment, had dimmed and faded away amidst the chaos.

For centuries, no Italian noble would manage to fully restore authority over the peninsular until now. Considered nothing but a delusional madman under the service of the Pope, Robert XI would prove all of his enemies and critics wrong under his harsh yet brilliant leadership. Italia would be reunited through bloodshed and diplomacy within years, and Robert XI de Hauteville stood as the undisputed father of the fatherland.

The Unification of Italia and the restoration of the Roman Empire would not become merely a political feat, but the genesis of a cultural renaissance of unparalleled proportions. The very essence of Italian identity would be infused with a profound appreciation for Roman legacy. A symphony of artistic expression, intellectual curiosity and architectural marvels would begin to emerge as the imaginations of both its citizens and the world began to run rampant. At the head of it all, within his den of vice and grandeur, was the Mad Emperor.

With the revival of its fortunes, the intricacies of Italian culture began to find itself interwoven with their Roman ancestry. This cultural rebirth was the start of a new period in the peninsula's history as Italy once more began to embrace its Roman heritage, adopting new identities and beginning the revival of the Latin language. This revitalised Italia stood as a testament to the potential that lay dormant within these lands, embracing its past and harnessing it to forge a future brimming with promise.

Within the centre of this cultural renaissance was Rome itself, which itself was experiencing a rebirth of its own. As the caretaker of the Eternal City and long having been obsessed with restoring it to its former grandeur, Robert XI would invest heavily in architectural development that coincided with the rebirth of its Roman heritage. Latin would begin to be be spoken among the elites of the city and its Solist ecclesiarchy, while ancient ruins would be slowly rebuilt or painstakingly preserved.

Combining the modernity of the Italians alongside the heritage of their ancient forefathers, this Neo-Roman culture was thriving within the city of its namesake. Only time would tell for what the future would lay for this cultural rebirth.

Just beyond the mainland, Sardinia and Corsica remained vital islands that did not need much justification for their identity within the Empire. With both of these islands under Roman control, if not for legitimacy, would become centres for strategic importance to challenge Andalusian naval might. While dominant in the Mediterranean, Roman naval supremacy was not absolute along the seas and all efforts were made to safeguard such a vital strength to the Empire.

It was this same fleet that had crushed Venetian supremacy along the waves only a few years earlier, and with enough time, the Imperial Fleet could defeat any opponent.

Sitting upon his throne would sit the Mad Emperor of Rome himself. Once ridiculed for his insanity and serving as nothing more than a source of entertainment and mockery, Robert XI would strike at the heart of Christendom itself and crush the Papal States. Embracing the Solist principles and worshipping the Sun God, it would be under his brilliant generals and his leadership that the mad Duke had done what no other Christian dominion had done.

The Sicilians would vanquished and cast beyond the sea, while the myriad of independent republics and duchies across Italia would be swiftly conquered through the unstoppable tide of his armies. Within little more than a decade, all of Italia had been united, something which had once been thought to have been little more than a childish fantasy. Public opinion would begin to change of their new sovereign. He might have been a madman, but he had done what had been impossible and brought safety and prosperity under his guidance. Some began to see Robert as not a mere man, but a Prophet who was driven to insanity under the divine truth of Sol’s light.

And it would be in Rome that the Emperor would sit, spending his days as the caretaker of his capital. The madness within him had proven to be both his greatest strength and his most dangerous weakness, as the raging spark that had once flickered inside of him began to burn dim. Rome would begin to be all that Robert cared about, neglecting the rest of Italia whom he had spent so much blood and tears to reunite.

His nephew, the masculine yet brilliant Gaston, would quietly assume more responsibilities and powers under the stable leadership that the new Empire needed. With the Emperor seemingly content with allowing all of his duties to focus solely upon Rome itself, his inner council would begin to amass incredible power.

Making up a small minority among a diverse peninsular, the cultural revival of the Romans would make up a small percentage of the population. Surrounded by the other various cultural groups of Italia, the Latins around them almost made up an absolute majority of the population. It would be the task of future leaders to oversee the blossoming renaissance, where someday, Italia would become truly Roman once more.

While Italia itself was a land full of wealth and opportunity, the economy of the Empire had been struggling from an over encumbrance of maintaining its large military and naval might. With its numbers also depleted from the constant wars that had left vast swaths of the countryside and some villages or even cities in a war-torn dilapidated state, it would become imperative for the economy to stabilise itself and to remove the deficit. Only once the management of resources and a rebalancing of military needs would Italia thrive once more.

In its opportune location within Southern Europe, Italia would be blessed as a crossroads between the Western and Eastern Mediterranean. Along with the fabulously wealthy cities that were now being annexed into its territories, including the once mighty trade republics of Venice and Genoa, the Roman trade network was both extensive and incredibly powerful with an influence that stretched far beyond its borders.

The Unconquered Sun would reign triumphant across the Abrahamic faiths that had once divided the peninsular, and now, Sol would reign supreme much to the dismay of the entire Christian world. Once prevalent during the reign of the great Aurelian, Sol once more would begin to appear on imperial coinage wearing a sun crown and driving a horse-drawn chariot through the sky.

With peace reigning across the lands, and with Solist ecclesiarchy completing with the core beliefs of the new faith through theological debates, the syncretic merger between East and West would begin in Italia. Having emerged within a profoundly Catholic land, many of the core beliefs of Solism would come from Catholicism, although the Solist faith would look into many earlier Christian beliefs and other churches. To the horror of the Papists, the Solists also willingly looked into heretical teachings with great interest from both antiquity and over the centuries.

The Imperial Army, once nothing more than a large collection of volunteers and militia fighting for the Capuan dream of a restored Empire, had been reforged into a large disciplined standing army of its own. Pietro Aicardi, the dedicated Solist upon whom the Empire would owe its gratitude for his military genius, would become appointed as the first Magister Millitum in almost a thousand years. Leopoldo Corleone would also be appointed as Praefectus Classis.

Both of these men, who were a genius in their own right, would spend their experience and tactical might in reforging the Imperial Army into the imposing Legionaries of old.

All of the lands would be almost divided between all of the estates of the Empire, with the Emperor and his lands making up almost half of all of Italia. Planning a series of reforms for the near future, it is expected that these lands and Robert’s influence would be reduced to grant concessions and privileges to the classes.

Outside of its immediate borders, the Empire held claims and aspirations beyond Italia in its eternal dream to restore the Empire of old. Surrounded by pretenders and descendants of the Barbarians that had once caused the Empire to fall, it was the vigilant task to ensure that with its second chance, the Empire would never fall again to its enemies.

The demographics of the Empire would remain diverse in all of its aspects. The Solists would make up almost one-third of the faith while being split between a Catholic North and an Islamic South. Its early production would become predominately made up of early industries in agriculture where the Roman countryside would be primarily dominated by wine and grain production, while fisheries thrived along the small coastal towns alongside livestock.

Culturally within Italia with the Roman Renaissance starting to truly take a life of its own, the Latins of Italia still made up an absolute majority of the population. Only within Rome itself, with some smaller regions across Italia starting to feel the influence of the Imperial Capital would the cultural movement begin to spread. All of the lands within Italia itself were under Imperial control, organising provinces and territories into truly Roman lands in their own right.

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Ah, finally! Rome is restored! Soon, very soon, the Eagle will spread its wings over all of Mare Nostrum's land provinces.

Roma Invicta!

This is a legitimately stunning revival, both in historic terms and also in terms of AE? (Seriously, is everybody sharpening their knives for Rome?)

Missions helped deal with AE, but I'm sure everyone is nervous about Roman ambitions, especially since it covers such a vast area. Careful management will be needed not to bite more than the Empire can chew, especially in the early game while its most vulnerable.

In universe, you'd imagine so. The Mad Emperor has essentially declared war on the entirety of Europe, North Africa and Asia Minor.

These are just stepping stones! Soon the world will know of the Second Empire blessed under the light of Sol!

Rome is restored! But now you need to rebuild the wartorn parts of your country.

What does the Augustus trait that Robert now has give you?

Peace is certainly a must, especially with sorting out the economy and recovering manpower.

From memory, I believe the Augustus trait has a thing for AE and core management. Under the AI, I think they would like to build buildings and avoid ugly borders

Trying to catch up with the series of victories here. It seems you have met your early goals.


But is that the case now after this chapter? Does Robert actually find sanity from all of his victories? Has he wrested control back from the council? They seem to be quite invisible in this chapter.

We shall see. The hard part has been accomplished, especially since I no longer have the herculean task of reuniting Rome before Roberts death, which would have made things MUCH harder.

As for his sanity and dealing with his council, we shall see in future chapters. The Council might be quiet, but it doesn't mean they aren't important

And so Italia falls in line! Congrats!

Did the Sack of Torino create anger as well as fear in the wider world?

What will be the new Emperor of Rome's next target? The Muslims in Africa? The Balkans? The Christians in Gaul or Hispania?

The Sack of Torino/Turin was probably a bit of a wakeup call to Europe that the Solists arent playing around. Even if confined to Italy, I can't imagine they'd be popular among the more grandiose kingdoms and empires that see themselves as the next target for Roman expansion.

As for the Empire's first target, I will not reveal much. But there are plenty of options

 

[Crimson Lionheart]

Index: The Council of Florentia (1456)​

Within the early months of the Second Empire, the still undefined nature of the Solist movement would still rely heavily upon the traditions and practices of Catholicism while sharing little in common with the Zunist and other Eastern learnings that had defined the character of the faith. Solism, as a part of Sol Invictus, was still a Christian faith built heavily upon Catholicism yet renounced any form of Papal authority for the historical corruption and indecisiveness that had plagued the Catholic faith and wider Christendom across Europe. While many bishops converted to this new faith, along with a rising movement of zealous believers embracing the light of Sol, the nature of the faith from a fundamental core would still retain much of its Catholic leanings in sermons.

At the insistence of the ecclesiarchy and the will of the Emperor of Rome, Robert XI de Hauteville organised the First Ecumenical Council of Florentia (Florence). A council of Solist bishops would convene in the city, where over three months, the faith would be organised to establish unity within the Solist movement. Every Solist bishop in Italia would be invited to Rome, all standing together to debate how best to organise the Solist faith. Grand theological debates on the nature of Christ and Sol would rage for days at a time, along with the nature of almost every single possible avenue of theological discussion, debate or argument.

Council of Florentia in the Nuremberg Chronicle (1490s)​

Like the Council of Nicaea over a thousand years earlier, the Solist faith would emerge with an energised and invigorated church that became a viable alternative to the fracturing Christian faiths across the world. With the chance to forge its destiny, the Council of Florentia would look upon other interfaith dialogues given the syncretic nature of the faith and foster relations with other faiths, especially in common regards to common values such as the triumph of light, justice and divine love. This would be decried by Catholic hardliners for embracing heresy, it would take generations until the Solists were able to become a monumental force that would change the world.

The expenses of the council, including the travel of the bishops, were paid for by the imperial treasury. Attendance ranged between three hundred Solist bishops and a larger amount of foreign dignitaries, many of whom were Eastern, with some ranging from Emperor Robert XI’s contacts coming from as far as Transoxiana and Chorsasan. The council was held in Florentina’s Cathedral, the Cathedral Sanctae Mariae Floris, which had only been recently completed and consecrated. Many parallels were given to the Council of Nicaea of 325, on a much smaller yet more intimate scale.

The Emperor would open the council with a formal entrance after the bishops would arrive, and would then give an opening speech in Latin rather than any of the Italian languages that were still overwhelmingly spoken across the peninsular. It would be through the council that the first important and crucial core beliefs were codified within Solism.

Monotheism with Dualistic Influence under the Divine Sun:

The core beliefs of Solism are built largely upon Catholicism and the Nicene Creed, but what would separate Solism apart from other Christian faiths would be its Monotheism with a strong Dualistic influence from Eastern religions such as Zunism and Zoroastrianism. Over time, more Eastern influences and Christian reformation movements during the 15th and 16th centuries would influence the Solists.

Sol Invictus is understood as both a metaphorical and literal representation of the eternal light of God. Sol is seen as a manifestation of divine truth, justice and the eternal struggle against darkness and evil. Sol symbolizes God’s eternal and victorious presence, transcending both material and spiritual realms that drive away darkness and death. It also serves as a symbol of the resurrection and the renewal of life in both a physical and spiritual sense. Sol would not be worshipped as a separate god but would instead be honoured as a radiant sign of God’s power and the light that gives life.

It is here that the centre of Solism exists, where Sol serves as a cosmic symbol of the unyielding power of God and the eternal light that fills all of creation. The Holy Spirit is understood as the inner warmth and inspiration that emanates from this divine light, guiding believers to the truth and salvation.

Ancient Mosaic of Jesus Christ depicted as Sol in the Tomb of the Julii​

Jesus Christ stands at the heart of Sol Invictus, blending the divine teachings of the Messiah with the enduring strength and vitality of the Empire. He serves as the ultimate revelation of God as the “Sun of Righteousness” prophesied in the bible (Malachi 4:2) whose divine light brings redemption to humanity. The Compassion of Christ and the Light of Sol, along with the power of Rome, were to guide the Romans towards a future where faith and empire are intertwined.

Christ and his divine light bring salvation and healing in a world that had long remained fragmented and ruinous. Through his resurrection, Christ would be symbolised as the “Unconquered Sun” who defeats death and darkness, emphasizing his victory over sin and all forms of evil.

The Path of Light:

While remaining foundational within Solism, the Bible would remain with an emphasis on Christ being the ‘Light of the World (John 8:12). Early Christian writings and hymns that reference the Sun as a symbol of Christ’s divine radiance would be incorporated into Solist liturgy and other practices. Simultaneously, Solar Mysticism and Eastern Dualism would play an important role in the developing nature of the faith.

Moral teachings and spirituality would play a central ethical principle, where the role of free will and moral responsibility are needed in achieving salvation. It would be here that Catholic virtues and Eastern concepts would blend and merge the most, intertwining as a new set of Solist values that blend both Catholic and Zoroastrian ideas of judgement and spiritual growth. These core values are Truth, Love, Hope and Harmony. Christ represents the Light in the world, and Solists are called to embody this light and reflect it in their lives, overcoming the darkness and ignorance within themselves and the wider world.

Eastern concepts of Dualism would play an important role among the Solists due to its syncretic nature with Eastern faiths. The main struggle among adherents is not to suppress one side but to balance and align themselves with the divine light of Sol while navigating the darkness in the world around them. Solists are encouraged to make choices that align with goodness and truth. This involves rejecting darkness, sin and ignorance and embracing love, truth and compassion.

Hindu concepts such as Karma and Samsara, along with Chinese concepts of Yin and Yang, share some similarities with the Solist dualism emerging within Italia.

The Sacred Cycle of the Sun:

Represented in the cycle of the Sun and the seasons, Solism teaches that life, death and resurrection are reflected upon its earthly adherents. The Winter Solstice, when Sol is at its lowest point, represents Christ’s death and burial. The Spring Equinox marks the Resurrection, as the Sun begins its accent that symbolises Christ’s victory over death. The Summer Solstice represents the fullness of God’s light. It is a time of celebration, abundance and spiritual enlightenment.

The Afterlife, Judgement and Cosmic Reconciliation:

As the Sun rises with each day, Solism embraces the Catholic doctrine of resurrection, seeing Sol’s daily rising as a reminder of the hope of eternal life. Just as Christ’s resurrection brings new life, so too does Sol bring new life every morning. The afterlife among Sol Invictus is rooted in Catholic eschatology and Zoroastrian views on purification, with a focus on the final triumph of light and purification of the soul. Those who have remained aligned with the light are welcomed into eternal peace and reunited with the divine light in Heaven.

Mirroring Catholic purgatory and influenced by Spiritual teachings from the East, souls that are not entirely aligned in the light are protected from the darkness while awaiting purification and judgement. Those who have lived in darkness would undergo a process of spiritual purification before they can join the light. Souls that are damned are sent to the depths of Hell for torment and suffering, where souls that rejected the light are purified through fire or await eventual reincarnation or transformation.

Ultimately, the afterlife culminates in the victory of light over darkness. The Cosmic reconciliation of the universe is viewed as the fulfilment of God’s plan, where all of the souls that had been purified are reunited with the divine in perfect harmony, while evil and darkness are banished and cast out forever.

Summary of Core Beliefs

• God is the Source of Divine Light and the Sun (Sol) is the manifestation of this light.
• Christ is seen as the Sun of Righteousness, and his divine light brings salvation and healing to the world.
• The cosmic battle between light and darkness is central to the faith, and humans are called to align with divine light through righteous living and devotion to Sol.
• Human beings are called to participate in the cosmic struggle by embodying truth, righteousness, and justice in their daily lives, working to spread the light of God in the world.
• Afterlife and judgment revolve around the purification of the soul, with purgatory and judgment being key concepts.

The foundation of Solism emphasizes the eternal light of divine truth, the cosmic victory of good over evil, and the belief that through the Sun (Sol), humanity can find redemption, spiritual illumination, and eternal peace.

The outcome of the Council

The Council would formally establish a creed, a declaration and a summary of the Solist faith that separated it from the Catholic church as a formal act of independence and legitimacy that organised it as its faith. Promulgation of canon laws was further organised to ensure discipline among the new church and its bishops. While Catholicism was still the majority religion of the Italian peninsular, Solist Christianity would become the state religion following the Council of Florentia in 1456. In the meantime, Catholicism and Shia Islam remained legal and present in public affairs but rapidly lost favour due to the wave of conversion that would take place within Italia over the next few years.

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This was fun although difficult to write! So far, its kinda like if Catholicism and Zoroastrianism had a baby!

In the future, I hope to delve much more into this! Future chapters will hopefully be made that that delves further into Solism itself, such as saints and any sort of religious and cultural effects that this new Imperial faith has. Either way, exciting times!

Thanks for the quick update. Good to see the map of the world. Sorry to hear that mod updates have slowed your progress.


Happy holidays to you and your readers too.

As we are in the seasonal mood, everyone is invited to the bAAR where a virtual holiday party seems to be still going, although simmering a bit. Join us if you wish and if you find the time. Either way, all the best.

It's good this AAR is still early enough that you were able to quickly replay everything. Hope your Christmas went well!

Thank you! I've been replaying everything and working on gathering everything I need rather than work the AAR chapter by chapter, which is extremely time consuming. Fortunately I have passed the difficult beginning of this story, which means that there is now so much opportunities for the Empire to begin anew! As of the time of this chapter, I have played til the mid 1580s so far.

 

[Crimson Lionheart]

Chapter 6: Apotheosis (1456-1462)​

It had almost been a thousand years since the Romans had lost their Empire, followed by centuries of relative darkness where the light of civilisation had been led astray from the barbarians and opportunists that had now inhabited what had been the mightiest cities within Europe. The Romans were confined to the vestiges of history had it not been for the Mad Emperor and his Solists, fighting to reignite what had once been long forgotten, to restore the Romans to their rightful place within the world. Under an unstoppable advance that would see the Capuans and Trinacrians reunify and conquer all of Italia within little more than a decade, the madness of Robert XI was made manifest through the proclamation and successful restoration of the Roman Empire in 1456.

This was the beginning of an entirely new age, even if it had not been recognised, for gone were the days when the Latins of Italia were fragmented and broken. Ushering in the fledgling movement of the coinciding Renaissance that saw an explosion of cultural and artistic growth, so too would this coincide with the rebirth of the Romans.

Challenging the tides of destiny through their ‘liberation’ of Italia, all of its economic and political potential would lay at the fingertips of the Empire’s utmost elites that inhabited the Eternal City and many of the other major cities. What had once been an irrelevant duchy on the fringe borders between the Christian and Islamic worlds had transformed itself into one of the world's Great Powers.

It would be time to put this newfound wealth and power towards a good use as the Romans prepared to forge its new future within Italia. Having soared to become one of the wealthiest and most powerful among all of the lords of Europe, Robert XI would not waste any expense to ensure Roman prestige and strength remained unparalleled within the Mediterranean. New armies were to be raised to fuel future campaigns of reconquest, great public works and monuments were to be created or restored to their ancient glory using modern techniques and methods, and both the ingenuity and spark of culture were to sway the Italian cultures into re-embracing the Old Ways.

One of the first acts that were passed among the restored Senate was dedicated towards the empowerment of the Solist Ecclesiarchy through its evangelisation of Italia. The largest and most difficult hurdle towards its short existence was the conversion of Italy, once the centre of Catholicism and a pillar of the Christian World, into embracing the Solist faith of Sol Invictus. Tremendous funds and efforts were invested into the propagation of the new state religion into the widespread conversion efforts that had seen so much success within Southern Italia already, forming the backbone of a new united faith that rejected Catholic decadence and the heathens of the Saracen faith beyond the waves.

While the largely agricultural lands of Southern Italia had become the heartland for what had once been the Kingdom of Trinacria, the military campaign to conquer the remainder of the northern lands of Italia had left a path of destruction across the wealthy territories and cities of the North. While emerging victorious, the previously independent city-states and kingdoms were still resistant to Solist and Roman rule and still clung to their traditions and local power. While much had been done to reorganise these territories by installing Solist aristocrats and bureaucrats in some of the recently conquered lands, it was still not enough.

Despite this, the campaign for unification had proven a resounding success and had left a far bigger impact than beyond its borders. Much of Northern Italy would lay in waste due to the huge scale of the destruction that the Solists had left in their warpath. Focusing everything upon the Eternal City and now controlling the wartorn yet still exceedingly wealthy cities and towns, the Emperor would concentrate development into capital at the expense of the defeated cities. Reappropriated wealth, resources and labour would be taken from the devastated lands and provinces and focused solely upon Rome. Using methods such as looting, burning and even murder, the wealth of Northern Italy would be forcefully funnelled towards the Eternal City.

While this would see much of the wealth of the Northern provinces siphoned away, it was the hope that this lost prosperity would recover over time for the betterment of the Empire. This would effectively subdue the population and allow Robert XII to carry out a complete replacement of the old Catholic Latin leaders with Solist ones in Northern Italy. This would serve as a furnace to vastly accelerate the rejuvenation of the Romans and to punish the wayward Latins to the north but would carry on a dangerous spectre that would not haunt the Romans till the turn of the century.

Consolidating its resources and newfound wealth, the rapid rejuvenation of Rome would transform it from a city of timber and brick that would be restored in Augustan marble once more. At the expense of many other Italian cities, the Eternal City will be reborn as the centre of the world once more. Countless construction projects would begin at a rapid pace, along with painstakingly careful restoration of ancient ruins beginning with a full restoration or reconstruction of the Roman Forum using modern construction methods.

Rome’s population would also balloon within a period of five years, effectively doubling due to the enormous influx of wealth and prestige of the capital. For better or worse, the harrying would leave the Romans in a vastly superior position at the expense of dragging the Latins kicking and screaming to do so.

Through such heavy-handed measures along with the sole dedication of the Emperor to restore the Eternal City to its former glory, the Norman overlords would attract the wayward souls towards the city to ooze into the flock of the Eternal City, bringing them and the wealth of their rich benefactors to throw money and talent at the throne with the expectance of the favour being returned through political clout. Some of these souls however were genuine believers through the Roman dream, as Hellenists from the decaying Byzantines had migrated to the Capital in great numbers to flee the rampaging Bulgars or to observe the world from outside the bubble of Constantinople.

Hoping to use the resources of the city for mutual gain, at least on a cultural level, the Hautevilles and the Solist elites would act as patrons for these well-learned scholars and artisans from the Eastern Mediterranean. With their innate interests in Hellenistic teachings and art still lingering, in no small part thanks to the Emperor’s interest in Roman rejuvenation, many of the brightest minds of these Hellenists would be granted a place with the Empire in exchange for their services. The Hellenists would become a powerful intellectual class within the Empire for generations to come, carrying the torch for the Roman Renaissance with the full backing of the Empire.

Alone on the continent and having no allies, a bold decision would be made among the de Hautevilles to align the Romans with another promising ally to their North. The Hussites of Bohemia would accept an alliance built upon mutual interests but also for shared respect between their two Christian creeds, challenging Catholic dominance in Western and Central Europe.

Shortly after the alliance was signed, the pact between the Romans and Bohemians would be solidified in blood. Without a bride for his own, despite his madness and instabilities, Robert XII would be wed to Ludmila z Podebrad in an extravagant and deliberately opulent wedding to highlight Roman grandeur. Much to the delight of the Solist and Hussite aristocrats, both of their realms were protected from the encroaching threat of the Catholics.

Late 15th-century portrait of a young Ludmila z Podebrad (1436-1507). A Bohemian Hussite princess, she became a devoted Solist later in her life as a Roman Empress. She was a crucial balance and influence upon her husband, Robert XI, the Mad Emperor of Rome.​

Ludmila was born and raised as a Hussite, however, she proved to be an extraordinary influence upon Robert XII as his wife and Empress. Ludmila would be known for her kindness and having an innate ability to emphasise and calm Robert from his bouts of insanity. Both of them were devoted to each other entirely and were popular in the eyes of the masses. For the Inner Council and the Senate, Ludmila was a godsend for allowing Robert to be placated in not interfering with the governance of the Empire at large. As long as she would remain at his side, the throne would operate smoothly.

With an established doctrine and church being organised, the Solists would prioritise the evangelisation of Southern Italy before slowly turning their concentration towards the North. Missionary efforts were made to convert the remaining Islamic population that had remained to the true faith following the destruction of the Sultanate of Sicily only a decade prior. With a wave of piety washing over Italia and with Solists already in power across the rest of the peninsular, it will only be a matter of time before the rest of the peninsular becomes the centre of the Solist world.

Within four years, many Romans would come to embrace the old ways once more along a small strip of territory from Lazio to Capua. Many of the Latins would come to learn the language and customs of their ancient forefathers, reinvigorated by the aggressive cultural rejuvenation of the Roman Empire that coincided with the cultural aspects of the Renaissance. Latin had started to become more frequently spoken across the cities and towns of Italy while local dialects were still dominant.

Within the capital itself, this cultural rejuvenation was overwhelming and omnipresent, enforced by the state at the highest levels of power. Rome was almost unrecognisable from the Papal seat of power it had once been, existing as a paradox to the rest of Italian and even European society by looking backward for the betterment of the future.

Further delving into the principles of the Renaissance, the Romans would openly endorse the cultural rebirth that slowly started to spread across Italia and coincided with the unification fervour of a reunited Italia. Despite the widescale harrying that coincided with the wars to unify the peninsular, it had done little to slow down the movement as it continued to captivate the minds of European scholars and intellectuals alike.

As one of the most important centres of the Renaissance, Florentia was spared much of the sacking and destruction that had befallen many of the other cities across Northern Italy. The Florentia School as it had come to be known was a centre of cultural and artistic progress within Italy, and with the backing of the throne, the Florentia School received the patronage of the Emperor. Such support would come to play an important role through propaganda efforts to transform Italia into the centre of a new Roman homeland once more.

Despite his popularity and infamy, the Emperor had never been truly sound of mind despite any of the social and mental ails that were used to treat his bouts of insanity. His elevated position as the Rex of Rome and the Emperor of the Romans had built up an increased level of paranoia within Robert de Hauteville about a scheme of foreign agents conspiring to assassinate him. Conducting a bloody purge to eliminate all of the non-Norman nobility as a means to alleviate the land of their influences, these fears were proven true after a Saracen attempted to murder the Roman Emperor with a knife, only to stumble at the last moment and leave a deep gaping wound on his target's waist. The assassin, a survivor from the Trinacrian conquest of his Sicilian homeland that saw his entire family butchered by the Norman warriors, took his own life to prevent capture.

The shock of such an event, along with a lifetime of sharp mental instability, had finally broken Robert entirely. Ranting about having enemies on all sides for a better part of the ensuing month, along with increasingly maniacal orders upon his armies and sailors, the Emperor would fall into apoplexy at ‘treasonous’ inactions of the Empire’s defenders. With no sign of improving and posing a risk to himself and those around him, the inner privy council would finally step in.

Through the coming months, the Mad Emperor’s condition would fail to improve, as the state’s executive powers were gradually handed over to the inner council. Even with numerous remedies proposed by alchemists, to remove the lead lining of his clothing, Roberts's mental health entered into a rapid decline. Gaston de Hauteville and the rest of the council, long having served alongside the Senate in serving the bureaucracy of the Empire, would likely assume the throne outright even should Robert XI recover from his grave condition.

Following the deterioration of his mental health, a physical illness would soon strike the Emperor as madness and sickness coincided within his bedchamber. Bedridden, deathly pallid and drenched in cold sweat, the Empire’s operations continued to run smoothly despite the loss of Robert’s presence in military matters. Despite the best efforts of alchemists and physicians, what would alarm them the most would be the continued downward spiral that brought the Emperor in between the realms of consciousness. Every time he lapsed back into consciousness, the Emperor would only mutter a chant with little pause.

“Thus Saith the Lord”

Priests and the spiritual among those attending to their stricken Emperor could only recount an internal battle raging within the dreams of their sovereign as if Robert XI was being exorcised from a demonic entity through nothing but sheer will. The more sceptical, or those secretly wishing to be rid of the madness that came with their Emperor, prepared to wait the inevitable.

After six days of fighting between consciousness and the balance between the living and the dead, a miracle would occur on the seventh day. Feared to be terminally ill with a wasting disease, Robert XI de Hauteville would awaken on the seventh day full of energy and stark naked with no sign of fatigue or illness. His caretakers would find him basking in the sunlight before the Emperor burst through the door, proclaiming that he had returned to the world as an avatar of Sol Invictus itself, before running across the grounds of the palace, much to the bemused and horrified reactions of the palace. Robert would refused to acknowledge the presence of others saved for loved ones and only the most trusted of his advisors, as an official proclamation of the ‘divinity’ of the Emperor was codified into law.

For failing to acknowledge the Norman pirate king as the Bright Lord, Sactus Robertus Sol Invictus XI de Hauteville, ex Romanorum et Princeps Senatus, the Emperor ordered several innocent high-ranking clergymen, advisors and senators that had refused to view and embrace the divinity of their Emperor to be burned alive in a ‘Bonfire of Purgatory’.

Furthermore, the Mad Emperor would conduct a brutal purge against those who tried to usurp his throne through his near-fatal illness. Despite the necessity of the emergency measures undertaken to ensure succession occurred smoothly, Robert XI ordered that everyone involved in the “conspiracy” save for blood relatives was to be “purified by the Sun’s healing light”. A lack of evidence and his lack of clarification had allowed all of those compliant with the plot against the Emperor to be released early by dumbfounded guards and judges unanimously.

The madness that had once characterised him would return in full force, now with an intense and almost inhuman flavour never before seen. Only his beloved wife Ludmila was able to calm the Emperor down, yet it would not prove enough. The self-proclaimed immortal god-emperor believed himself to be unstoppable, and invincible and now began to dream about spreading his word beyond the Italian peninsular to reclaim his lost empire.

With all of Italia within his grasp, the man who had once been known as the Mad Duke of Capua had done it. Freeing himself from the corrupt hands of the Papists and reuniting all of Italia within a decade, the Romans are ready to reclaim their rightful lands and place in the world as the Empire that had once ruled the known world. With a campaign being planned to march beyond their borders on land and sea, it was time for the world to see that Robert XI was not a man that one should become enemies with.

It was time for war.

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So he's not just declared war on everyone who used to be part of the Roman Empire, but he's also a heretic out to destroy Christendom as well! Latin Christianity is going to see this as the sign of the end times.

I had similar thoughts.

He might as well be the Antichrist in the eyes of Catholics.

Glad to see this return!

Reforming the faith is an important step. But I wonder how this will affect diplomacy with the rest of Europe.

Using Latin instead of the local language isn't that unusual for the time. right? Catholicism does that too.

I very much appreciate the heavy lifting of all the theological discourse poured into this chapter.


I think you have created a Christian spin-off that basically converts Catholics into sun worshippers. Quite an interesting result.

Thank you!

Writing this chapter was plenty of fun, so I will explore more theological and other interesting stuff the more this story develops.

Personally, I think the name 'Lucianism' would be a far better suit for what the Solist faith has evolved into, but It works anyway. Praise the Sun!

As always, the Crimson Lionheart AARs are fantastic and this one totally rocks, and couldn't stop thinking for how it went so far it would be the equivalent of an ATL end of Middle Ages with a total opposite ending from OTL, because an unification of Italy + proclamation of a new Roman Empire + beginning of Renaissance + beginning of age of Reformation in the form of Solism would be indeed a historical gamechanger, added also that in the meanwhile Byzantium felt as well (but in a less impactful way because conquered by Orthodox Bulgaria but still the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire while a Western one rose again in the meanwhile)...

Well in short those ATL modern age would be indeed interesting!

Haha, thank you for the compliment! Glad to see you following this!

Ante Bellum is a world of butterfly effects. And with Italy unified almost immediately (at least by game terms), this is bound to be a literal game-changer. The world around the Romans is open to them now, and this gives them lots of choices on where to begin to reclaim and rebuild their fallen Empire.

 

[Crimson Lionheart]

Chapter 7: The Return to Illyria (1462-1466)​

Emerging from the brink of death with a reinvigorated purpose and vigour, the newly proclaimed immortal god emperor continued to ride onto his delirium and madness as his attention started to turn away from Italia. Believing himself to be unstoppable and invincible, the dream of reclamation to reclaim the lost empire would begin in earnest at the end of 1461. No longer bound to the corruption of Papists nor fearing for his life under the Mohammadians beyond the sea, the Mad Emperor that had once governed the small duchy of Capua would task his Legions and Fleets with the first of what was bound to become the first of many conquests around the Mediterranean. With the resources and zealotry of the Romans at his disposal, it had become time for Sol Invictus to guide the hand of the Empire into the reclamation of her lost territories.

Surrounded by various entities and regions surrounding Italia, the difference between the Western and Eastern Mediterranean was staggering. Towards the West would lay the colossal powers of Francia and Andalusia, the leading juggernauts of their respective worlds that battle for dominance around the Pyrenees. Even with all of her might, the Romans could not hope to challenge the West for dominance due to the sheer might of these two realms. With the Carolingians at the helm as leaders of the Holy Roman Empire, they also held the diplomatic weight to ensure that Western and Central Europe was not worth the reclamation for the time being.

Instead of looking towards reclaiming Gaul and Hispania, the Empire had looked the other way towards the East. Much more fragmented both culturally and politically between various warring kingdoms among the fractured Balkans, the powerful armies of the Empire looked towards the reclamation of the East as a priority. Rome looked towards the Duchy of Carinola, a small but important slavic duchy that served as a roadblock for its means. Starting from early months of 1462, the Empire launched its first imperial conquest beyond Italia, aiming to break the Duchy’s back with the might of the Empire and serve as a central base to reclaim the Illyrian and Adriatic territories.

Mobilising the combined might of the Legions with several small local and highly mobile auxiliaries to distract and occupy smaller territories, Carinola would fall within a matter of months without any military opposition to the siege of their capital. Bolstered by local supplies and their own success, the Romans pressed forward with their efforts.

By the time that the Empire did encounter local resistance, the ‘battle’ had turned into a complete sweep of the enemy forces. Outnumbering them and with more experienced troops, the Carinolans couldn’t put up a fight against the Romans and were slaughtered to the last man even while under the competent leadership of their general.

Peace would be made shortly after this battle, where Carniola would have its spine shattered with the loss of its Slavic territories to the Empire, leaving their ruling class as a minority in the new Germanic lands they now governed. The Legions would keep a token force to quell any immediate unrest as they prepared to move further south, preparing for a much larger campaign against the Kingdom of Croatia.

Posing much more of a numerically larger army due to its size, the Romans retained the military edge due to the immense quality of their soldiers and military leadership. The Free City of Trieste, an important centre that had been aligned with the Holy Roman Empire, would come to the defence of Croatia due to their military alliance. Looking to rid the Carolingians of one of their Free Cities and not ignoring the opportunity that was presented, war commenced as soon as the last remaining embers of the swift Carinola campaign had died out.

Caught entirely unprepared due to the ferocity and sudden mobility of the Romans, who had not even waited for the moment to finish incorporating their new territories, the Roman army would be split into two separate armies that pursued to lay siege of Trieste and Zagreb. Under the command of Enrico Felice, a Latin who had diligently climbed towards the highest levels of the Legions, the acting Legate would utterly destroy the city garrison of Trieste to the very last man with minimal losses. Left almost utterly defenseless, Trieste would be besieged from land and sea while the rest of the Roman forces lay siege to the Croatian lands.

Slavic auxiliaries would sweep across the Adriatic coastline and rapidly capture territory in the name of the Empire, leaving the small Croatian fleet to be utterly destroyed and sent to the bottom of the Adriatic except a single captured Croatian ship. Naval supremacy was achieved within the first few weeks of the war, allowing the Romans to supply their forces across both sides of the Adriatic and bypassing longer land routes

After extensive siege and surrounding the dual settlements of Kaptol and Gradec in simultaneous sieges, the area around the Croatian capital would fall before the Romans within months after finally succumbing to hunger and disease within their settlements. With their morale broken and suffering from malnourishment, the defending garrisons could barely lift up their swords to pose a threat to the victorious Romans.

With the fall of their capital, the remainder of the Croatian lands would lay open as the Legions began to turn towards the interior. Croatian and Roman forces would engage at the Battle of Hum, where the Empire would fight on a relatively even footing against their enemy. The true victory would not lay in the destruction of the enemy but in the destruction of their morale, which the Croatians would suffer a crippling blow from which they would never recover.

This would show in the Battle of Belgrade, where under the command of Enrico Felice, the Romans would utterly destroy the remaining Croatian armies on the outskirts of the city. The path towards the total conquest of the Kingdom would lay wide open as resistance would practically evaporate outside of Belgrade itself. All of Croatia’s remaining armies, scattered into the wind, would cease to exist.

The Free City of Trieste would be formally annexed directly into the Empire before the end of 1463, putting an end to the autonomy that the city had long cherished from their Frankish masters beyond the Alps. The geopolitical location of the city would secure a vital role in the importance of the Balkan campaign, enabling a reliable land route and connecting it to nearby Venetia. Roman dominance of the Upper Adriatic would be secured, a sign of promising things to come.

Within weeks, the Kingdom of Croatia would be formally annexed into the Empire as a territory. Further adding insult to injury, the Romans would push for an aggressive treaty with the subjugated and defeated Slavs, renouncing their claims upon Roman territory and surrendering their wealth to the Imperial coffers. Roman commanders and their Legions would spend time pacifying the region to deter rebellions or deliberately stoke the flames to crush them within open battle.

These methods towards pushing rebellion against the Empire would work to the advantage of the Legions, inciting violence on a large scale to perform brutal efforts upon crushing resistance. The towns and villages that complied with the Romans would be spared from punishment, while those who acted in rebellion would be crushed with unforgiving violence, a language that transcended barriers between nations.

One such rebellion would occur in the recently renamed Flumen, deliberately provoked by the Romans against their new Croatian subjects. Under command of Francesto Tanucci, what resulted was a massacre that obliterated all prospects of a Croatian rebellion, slaughtering them to the last man. Carrying the brutal efficiency of their ancient forefathers of antiquity, this new Roman Empire shared the same ruthless pragmatism that brought unbelievable results.

With the Legions preoccupied upon the pacification of their new Slavic territories, the Imperial Navy would conduct a wave of terrifying raids against the Islamic realms of the Western Mediterranean. The Romano-Norman fleet would instil fear upon the hearts of the Saracen, launching daring raids to enslave and plunder against the Barbary menace that had long terrorised the Mare Nostrum.

The Romans would legitimise their actions as a justified response to Barbary corsairs and raids that had occurred for many centuries, which had long plagued the coastal cities and towns of the Mediterranean. The Mad Emperor held a special hatred for these raiders, which he had long held as the cause of his madness due to the utterly horrific torture he suffered by their bloody hands. The Andalusians and Maghrebi realms struggled to combat the superior Roman fleet, or even mount a rapid response against the raiders, which took away many of their countrymen and families into the slavery that they had long grown accustomed too.

After two years of pacification efforts, the Romans would organise the establishment of their rule once more within the Balkans. Illyria would come under Imperial rule once more, organised as a Diocese and granted a form of semi-independence in their affairs. Their purpose served two main purposes, to provide and restore the Empire with manpower and prosperity that had been lost for countless centuries, and to homogenise the region both culturally and religiously under Roman rule once more through a process of modernised Romanisation under Sol Invictus.

Its first governor, Nero Licinus Varus, would govern from the defeated city of Belgrade to govern over the Slavic populations. Local collaborators and Roman governors would arrive in Belgrade, while the Empire provided financial and political support to restore Illyria into a model for their ambition to conduct such a grand experiment on a much wider scale. Europe could only watch as the Romans had openly made their intentions clear to the continent.

After a brief period of rest, the Legions would push their campaign into the vulnerable Serbian Kingdom. Paying close attention to the politics of their neighbours, the Romans would incentivise the Hussites to aid the Solists in their war against their Moravian enemies for lost territory. Aligned for a separate yet common cause, the Romans would launch a major offensive against the far weaker Serbian realm.

Two separate battles would come to define the momentum of the Serbian campaign, with the Legions completely crushing Moravian and Serbian armies on two different occasions under the command of Encico Felice. Felice’s reputation would only continue to climb as a formidable commander, finding success in the battlefield through expert control of his environment and maneuverability to aid him towards victory.

Bringing an overwhelming and professional force within the Serbian lands, the Kingdom could do little to stop the unstoppable tide of Roman steel into their lands. Roman calvary would trample over the enemy in devastating charges that would shatter the enemy morale by the command of Francesco Tanucci, conquering vast swaths of territory with relative ease as the Roman forces began to splinter into smaller groups to advance into isolated and vulnerable lands. The Serbians would begin their resistance admirably, but ultimately, their lands would rapidly fall to the Solists.

With the Serbians occupied, the Empire turned their attention to help aid their Hussite allies in reclaiming their lost lands. Facing an assault on all sides and with rapidly collapsing morale, the Moravnians would surrender their heavily fortified capital of Veligrad and their core territories to the Bohemians in a humiliating peace. While the Romans held little interest in pursuing beyond what was necessary, the resulting peace would humiliate the Moravians and severely cripple their capabilities to project influence beyond their borders, especially with the loss of Veilgrad.

Without their sole ally and left utterly alone in the world, the Serbian war effort would utterly collapse as the Kingdom surrendered to the Roman advance. In a heavily favoured peace, the Romans held a heavier hand over the Balkans as Serbian independence came to an end. The Illyrian territories continued to grow, while the Solists relished in the rapid series of victories that had carved out a formidable kingdom in the peninsula.

Yet despite the feeling of victory in their hearts, the Mad Emperor pushed onwards at an even more aggressive and dangerous pace. Only one obstacle would prevent the Empire from securing complete hegemony over the entire region. Two rising powers coming from two different worlds were about to collide that would determine the fate of the Balkans at the tip of a blade.

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Well...that was certainly a storied series of events. What was the choice - an immortal emperor or getting a perfect stat ruler for however long he remains alive?

Fantastic chapter, albeit the immortal twist was something I didn't expect... One wonders how things would turn in the end.

I don’t know how the mission tree is set up and whether further missions are contingent upon it, but I’d almost want to see Robert be immortal rather than an exceptional 6/6/6 ruler. Both for narrative reasons and because there are in game events that can boost a leader’s skill by a point or so every so often.

So he was immortal for a while, but instead became a 6/6/6 ruler, thus making it inevitable he dies within a month?

One wonders if his Empire will survive following his death. Fate and destiny are often fickle and funny things.

It would be too boring and easy for a ruler, for how splendid is written by Crimson, conquering the world for all the duration of the AAR through the centuries. And in all honesty I really wonder to see if the line of madness would be passed through his descendants, direct or just relative. And besides why pull an Emperor of Mankind card on Robert... I have the feeling he would be his own character till the end.

Why would you want a 6/6/6 (since Robert is pretty old by this point) over him being immortal? Is it required to complete that mission for the rest of the tree?

The Mad Emperor of Mankind.....the world shall tremble!

But for real, Robert might be an interesting character, but in the long term, it feels boring. Envisioning a world without him is more interesting, such as if the dream of a new Pax Romana is bound to survive beyond his lifetime. Are these Romano-Normans just another claimant to a long dead empire? Or are they the real deal. It remains to be seen

Of course, interested to see where this goes, but any hopes the empire would be rescued by a succession to someone sane are now dashed. And what has happened to Prince Gaston? Is he still leading the council as the power behind the throne? The new chapter only alludes to his presence. What is his reaction? Or does everyone still think that Robert's claims of immortality are just a symptom of his madness (even if they end up being true)? (Or could that twist in this chapter be an illusion for the reader? Could it truly just be the emperor's lunacy talking?)

I won't reveal too much. Gaston is still around, although I might write my own interpretation on Robert's claims of divinity for the sake of originality and fun. Let's just see where it goes