• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
Chapter XIV
The first order of the day after Egypt declared war, was to finish the war with Cappadocia & co. Soon, the perfidious Phrygia was but a speck in the Levant.

TZ7JFuQ.png


The Seleukids were invading in force, sweeping Egypt aside as if nothing.

nAmRgmM.png


Back in the West, Rome were attacked by Carthage, and Macedon was dragged into it.

tot1vLC.png


Not wanting to give the Seleukids too much land gain, if mostly arid swathes, Macedon brokered peace, gaining the Seleukids one province, Macedon two, and liberating small countries along the coast. Athens without Athens proper? Yes please!

mlDugfc.png

3uRkgc2.png


As soon as the war was over, the Isis cult wanted permission to spread into Macedon lands. Egyptian gods, however, were not welcome.

Me4P6ti.png


Having secured his position, Tauriskos were seen as a most decent man.

t5zyXpX.png


He was also, however, a sick man.

ODXdZFp.png


In the West, Rome stood triumphant against Carthage, taking the Western half of Sicily. Why they did not take the Eastern half, no one knows.

FUEylFd.png


Back home, the son and spare heir of Tauriskos, Kallisthenes, asked for help from Tauriskos to raise a host loyal to him. Tauriskos saw no problem with this, and willingly permitted it.

y0JPpXI.png


With his advancing age and sickness, Tauriskos got more and more depressed, wishing for life to be easier for a poor basileus.

LdkGziO.png


His sicknesses became only more numerous, though.

aPzxtql.png


Then fate intervened, as Tauriskos son and heir Areus died in a hunting accident. Witnesses say he fell on a spear just lying around.

yhLSmYT.png


Poor Tauriskos only got worse after this, adding gout to his other illnesses.

wYKlQls.png


He felt like he needed a distraction and attacked Cappadocia again.

AnmegpD.png


The war soon finished in his favor, and this move made Macedon recognized as truly a Great Power.

QpAROcx.png


This unfortunately ended the alliances Macedon had with lesser powers, being replaced with guarantees of independence…

X2UW23F.png
 
It is lonely at the top.
 
The old hunting ‘accident’ eh? Bet it was some nefarious plot. Hope the ‘spare’ is up to standard. Out of interest, does Imperator do the CK2 dynasty thing, or does it divert to another dynasty if the current one dies out, ie do you play the person or the country?
 
It is lonely at the top.
Now I have Randy Newman playing in my head, which, admittedly, is not the worst thing to have up there. :p
The old hunting ‘accident’ eh? Bet it was some nefarious plot. Hope the ‘spare’ is up to standard. Out of interest, does Imperator do the CK2 dynasty thing, or does it divert to another dynasty if the current one dies out, ie do you play the person or the country?
Yep, "hunting accident". :D Imperator does not follow the dynasty, you play as the leader of the country. :)
Good that the spare already has an army of 5000 loyal to him, only missing a single spear in its armament.
Haha, you got me chuckle there. ;)
 
Chapter XV
Macedon now had to go it alone. Egypt were a good target as any.

w1CvvU4.png


Ruled by a child, having way less troops than Macedon.

gtkUoY6.png

bKZhW9b.png


Although Carthage had many troops and were their allies but would have a long way to travel to utilize said troops.

qxX6YGE.png


The war went well, but not long into the fighting, Tauriskos died, leaving his heir Kallisthenes to finish his work.

AJqcKNd.png


Two and half years of fighting later, with Macedon troops laying siege to the Sinai, peace war finally made.

50e1ALI.png


With this victory, the important great city of Antigonia was Macedonian, and Kallisthenes decided to let the capital city of Antigonos be left alone, unharmed.

s2Fv0Ck.png


On the home front, Kallisthenes had been a naughty boy – and shocked the court by legitimizing his son (who had amazing stats for a newborn babe).

t8FXKOw.png


As struck by the gods, Kallisthenes then fell ill.

msn3hZ6.png


The Seleukids, Macedon’s old and trusty ally, had seemingly turned around, sending insults to the Macedonian court. This did not bode well for the future friendship of the two.

kD6s7YT.png


Back in Egypt, a crisis was brewing, as the old kid basileia was replaced with an ever younger basileus.

mMX7Zh0.png

gOfQfBM.png


The Seleukids were stepping it up, claiming Macedon’s recently conquered province of Syria as their rightfully own.

G2GzqPH.png


Kallisthenes decided if war was to come, best destabilize the most unstable of the two.

2mu4nhN.png


He had bigger problems at home though, as his dalliance with a younger woman and then legitimizing the resulting child had made his wife properly angry. Rumor had it she wanted him dead.

d6eMhoO.png


The heir, though a grown young man, was visibly torn between allegiances.

mkizioX.png


Days later, an assassin attempted to kill the basileus. Gravely wounded, all thought him dead, and his consort proclaimed his heir Mnaseas as basileus.

lGGQHlW.png


But Kallisthenes was not dead, although gravely wounded.

smhGTRa.png


The treacherous consort was imprisoned and killed, while a new and young consort were presented to the court.

H4oYAUR.png


The two soon became good friends, age differences notwithstanding.

bYYYZWe.png


The young consort was pious, and his near-death experience together with her influence made the basileus chaste.

hDqH1Cv.png


A trusted general, Aristogeiton Argead, came to court asking for change in the military laws of the kingdom. He wanted the aristocracy to have much more influence. Kallisthenes thought this a good idea and implemented the change.

RIQ2gDG.png


It was, it turned out, to be his last command before dying.

tQce1H0.png


What followed, was the tragedy and triumph of Mnaseas I Antipatrid.
 
A shame about Tauriskos, he was truly a god walking on earth (at least stat-wise). His decedents are only half the men he was (stat-wise).
 
Kallisthenes was destined to go the way he did. He looked too much like Joaquin Phoenix in Gladiator to meet a happy end. :p
 
A shame about Tauriskos, he was truly a god walking on earth (at least stat-wise). His decedents are only half the men he was (stat-wise).
His stats were not that great... Eight military, two in finesse, four oratory... if you think of the country stats in the last update, that is my tech levels. ;)
Kallisthenes was destined to go the way he did. He looked too much like Joaquin Phoenix in Gladiator to meet a happy end. :p
Haha, well then, no way that emded well.
 
He leaves the grand Antipatrid legacy to his successor. You have mentioned something of this to me before, and I think the phrase "the tragedy and triumph" is a great way to introduce it.
 
He leaves the grand Antipatrid legacy to his successor. You have mentioned something of this to me before, and I think the phrase "the tragedy and triumph" is a great way to introduce it.
It really is. What a ride you readAARs will see onwards. :D
 
Chapter XVI
As Mnaseas rose to the throne, his brother Kallisthenes felt his life might be in danger. As a pretender, he was a liability, and knew it. He fled to the Seleukids, who eagerly accepted him in their court.
TezezpP.png

Mnaseas then set in motion a trial to end the threat of the mighty pretender Philippos “The Arabian” Antipatrid, whom were distinctly disloyal, eager for the throne and had an army of some size behind him.
xTfvRtV.png

The accusation; treason.
wsUiJVr.png

The accused acted quite guilty. It seemed a conviction was soon within grasp.
jrtIfty.png

Then he tried to flee the trial, but he was caught before he could disappear.
uduAd6K.png

Yet the verdict was a complete vindication for the pretender; he was found innocent on all accounts.
goXlKFh.png

After this, Mnaseas began seeing Philippos as a rival – to be crushed at the first opportunity.
sgPqSko.png

He began a smear campaign, ruining Philippos’ popularity in the process.
4zjmOKi.png

d9ZvMeR.png

Still, more and more people questioned the basileus’ ability to rule.
LYxE7FS.png

In secret, Mnaseas began plotting for the assassination of Philippos.
WUQUFue.png

Against all advice, the basileus himself tried to do the deed, and failed miserably, having to flee deeply wounded into the night.
q3frHwz.png

He was close to death.
CeFLNej.png
 
Well, that was a particularly damaging series of botched attempts by the Basileus to silence his rival. If he dies as a result or is toppled, he will probably have deserved it.
 
I believe the phrase is "he lived in interesting times" :)
 
That#s ... an interesting amount of health ...
Don't I know it. :p
Well, that was a particularly damaging series of botched attempts by the Basileus to silence his rival. If he dies as a result or is toppled, he will probably have deserved it.
Yup. Then again, as I said, this is the story of the tragedy and triumph of Mnaseas. :)
I believe the phrase is "he lived in interesting times" :)
Very, very interesting. :) We're closing in on the end of the game now, and Macedon suddenly have only rivals and no friends. :)
 
Chapter XVII
Still alive, if barely, Mnaseas was invited by the Cult of Fortune, which he gladly accepted.
4xOnp3G.png

Feeling lucky, he then started the preparation to assassinate Philippos again. Second time’s the charm, right?
4FvcWiv.png

His lack of skill was more and more apparent though, and he was seen as utterly incapable by people around him.
rZLnwoU.png

Wanting to show he was made of sterner stuff, he imprisoned the popular governor of Pamphylia, losing most of the province’s loyalty in the process.
CCztqsl.png

He got better news when he finally managed to get Philippos killed, however people whispered about his involvement.
6SwCI25.png

Egypt was governed by a child, with less troops to his name (although a lot of manpower) than Macedon.
dzT8Ez0.png

U6vWSJi.png

Carthage hadn’t been a problem before, and the Seleukids were occupied in India and had not that many troops either.
Pa8zoal.png

So, the basileus decided to take on Egypt again.
xO1ki7J.png

Wanting to become a better ruler, Mnaseas hired a renowned philosopher from Halikarnassos.
wROCP3U.png

The war on land went well, but on the seas, Macedon was defeated.
KP5Hcbd.png

Still, the victories on land netted Macedon two new provinces from Egypt.
0CuxaHf.png

Then the slaves of the newly conquered provinces rebelled.
wx1Bdb5.png

The war weary troops were many, and close though, so the rebellion soon was defeated.
AwGjRBL.png

But Mnaseas now got a new problem. The Alketid family, led by Damokrates Alketid, wanted power and raised a huge army of 106k troops. This was a big threat to Macedon.
NiDBPBM.png

Mnaseas thus decided he would bring Damokrates to trial, and this time he would surely win.
OvSniPz.png

It soon went well, with the accused self-incriminating himself.
nW6P6PY.png

He became more and more nervous, and Mnaseas regarded the trial as practically won.
belYuhm.png

He was wrong.
MUVSiMm.png

Desperate, Mnaseas did what he could to smear the reputation of his foe.
pwxFqJU.png

Then he planned his next assassination attempt on a political rival.
b32dIYg.png

Luckily for the basileus, it went well.
hMKXHU4.png

Then, the Seleukids declared war.
jX38RdH.png

wW5E5G3.png
 
Well he certainly is not having time to get bored!