NABAAR - Not Another Byzantine After Action Report

[Leandor]

NABAAR

Not (?) Another Byzantine After Action Report
​

Hi, my fellow paradoxians! I'm Leandor, and its been years since I wanted to write my own AAR. In the past I used to read a lot of the ones that you usually posted around, but I barely had any participation -with the exception of one of my inspirations, the incredible AAR made by @CzokletMuss, the immortal story named "This is Madness"-.

Still, its time for me to step up and try, at least, to write one of my own. I hope you can forgive my written mistakes, as english is not my first language, so if you have any corrections please tell me!

Well, let's talk a bit about this story:

- Its (not?) another Byzantine AAR...! Well, it is, but I'd like to give it my own and unique approach. I'll feel free to use Console Commands if I see it fit for the story (ex. I changed the name of the Kingdom of Sicily to Naples), and you will soon notice the changes. I'm not going to cheat, but probably fix some bordergore and such. Still, this is going to be played as the Byzantine Empire, live from the City of the World's Desire under the tight hold of the Palaiologos dynasty.
This name is inspired after my favorite DnD Podcast, NADDPod!

- The Setting: This game has been played for more than 100 ingame years, so you'll see a very different map from the start. I will introduce the main characters from the beginning, which range from the Emperors to Kings, Sultans to Steppe Lords, so you know what the hell is going on here.

- Mods and DLC: I warn you, I'm going to use every DLC except Rajas of India, so expect wacky stuff like the Sunset Invasion, and some VIET events. My idea is to convert this to EU4, so I want a deeply different game for that moment.

- Rules: I'm playing this in Very Hard, and with heavy RP handicap for myself. My expansion will be slow, and mostly reactive to the world, after all, Anatolia has just been reclaimed! The Empire needs to rebuild... if it even has time for that.

- What can YOU, the reader, expect? I don't know, I haven't press Play yet. But, if you look at the date, I can assure you that something interesting is going to happen. Mongols? Aztecs? The Black Death? Who really knows? Let's dive in together!

So, that's all I have to offer you for now. The first episode it's getting written, and I'll post it tomorrow. I hope you like it, cause' its been a ton of time since the last time I shared something like this online!

See ya' soon!​

The State of the World.
Anno Domini 1208, Christmas.

*Yes, Tolousse. I guess its a mix between the spanish "Tolosa" and the french "Toulouse".

​

Spoiler: INDEX

Index

- Episode 0 - "Joy to the World" (December 25, 1208)

- Episode 1 - "Old Memories, New Fears" (January, 1209)

- Episode 2 - "A Century Old Battle" (1209-1210)

- Episode 3 - "Of Sons and Bastards" (1210-1220)

• Epilogue - The End of Helias (March, 1220)

- Episode 4 - "Family Legacy" (1220)

- Episode 5 - "A Changing World" (1220-1224)

- Episode 6 - "Prelude" (1224)

- Episode 7 - "Under Siege" (1224-1227)

- Episode 8 - "War and Loss" (1227-1233)

- Episode 9 - "Great Legends" (1233-1238)

- Episode 10 - "A Crusade's End" (1238-1245)

- Episode 11 - "Five Decades" (1245-1250)

- Episode 12 - "Death and Racing" (1250-1255)

- Episode 13 - "Beyond the Horizon" (1255-1258)

Edit: Welcome to the land of failed translations and misspellings! Mwahaha!​

 

[mike the knight]

seems like a really interesting world , consider me subbed

 

[PEnglish82]

As a long time lurkAAR and recent readAAR it's nice to be able to start an AAR on 'Day 1'. Your introduction sounds interesting and I'm excited to read what happens!!

 

[stnylan]

Welcome to AAR writing
I hope you enjoy the experience

 

[guillec87]

subbed

 

[Leandor]

Christmas - 1208 AD
Episode Zero

"JOY TO THE WORLD"​

Peace reigned at Europe in this holy day. From the freezing north of the Christian Norse, to the exhausting heat of the Holy Land deserts, Christendom enjoyed an unprecedented period of calm. This wasn't something planned, nor order of the Pope in Rome, but just a strange chain of events.


The Empire of Britannia

In the northwest, the so-called Norman "Emperor of Britannia" reigned neither over Normandy nor Britannia, but the title was something he never would want to relinquish. With the recent Toloussan conquest of Normandy, and the stubborn Norwegian hold in Scotland, Britannia is constantly embroiled in two-front wars.

The last years haven't been kind to the realm of Cador De Cornouaille, first of his name and dynasty. Having ascended to the throne almost two years ago, he is facing a very diverse realm, with enemies within and without it. While Cador is a direct descendent of the William the "Conqueror" -or "Bastard", depending in what side of the Channel you are at- linage, the previous emperor married a crazy woman called Elesbed verch Tanhoiarn, lady of Brittany, from which he took his last name.

-Losing an eye and using a piece of cloth to hide it was the latest fashion-


Not many understand why the late emperor, Beuves "the Tenacious", agreed to let his son carry the last name of his wife instead of his, thus effectively ending the rule of the House de Normandie over England and beyond. Some speculate that this was a bargain struck between the English royals and the high nobility of Brittany during the wars against France, and later Tolousse, over Normandy. The menace of a revolt against Norman rule over the Breton Peninsula, especially when the local nobles threatened to join the French cause, caused this dramatical shift over the court in Westminster. Some fear that the Breton influence in Britannia may cause the Irish to rise up and demand more rights, or even a seat alongside the Emperor, but so far the only outcome is that the Bretons became an integral part of Britannia, loyal to their Half-Breton ruler, giving to realm a permanent beach-head into the continent, but also a never-ending conflict with Tolousse; one that the newly declared continental empire has already won in the past.


The Toloussan Empire

Dominating Western Europe with an iron fist we can find the Empire of Tolousse, the newest player in continental affairs. With its power based on the Royal City of Tolousse -the old capital of the Visigoth kingdom-, the French house of De Bourgogne has come a long way from the duchy of Burgundy to control not only France, but the whole Iberian Peninsula.

Revolts are something common in Tolousse, specially to the south of the Pyrenees. There is constant strife over the old kingdoms of Galicia, Leon and Castile, with local nobles revolting every few years looking to "reclaim" Iberia for themselves, ending every time with less nobles to rise against the rule of Philippe "the Legendary".

In the north, and with strong family ties with the old house of Capet, legitimacy in the French part of the Empire is not a problem; specially when the same family has reigned over the previous known Gallia over almost 70 years... with multiple kings. Everyone knows that the house of De Bourgogne is more than familiar with intrigue, and not few think that they were instrumental in the plot that ended the life of every member of the Capet house, along with their 17 years old king.

Even so, the current branch of the family didn't come to power without fighting for it, not in the courts, but in the battlefield. In fact, the previous seat of the De Bourgogne was none other than Valencia, the legendary city of "El Cid Campeador", the Spanish hero from last century. From there, Henri "the Inquisitor" launched a series of campaigns that reduced the Muslim hold in the peninsula to little more than southern Al-Andalus. Until, one day, a kid named Valeran inherited the throne of France; something that he wasn’t going to accept.

And so, after a short march north, "the Inquisitor" ruled from Murcia to Paris, from Aragon to Burgundy. Fearing that his conquests would face the same destiny than Charlemagne's, he decided to centralize his enormous kingdom around the old city of Toulouse, and so, declare a new born empire. But such declaration wasn't without a cost: The Almoravid Sultanate had used the war for the French throne to reclaim most of Al-Andalus, this time under their Muslim rule, and even declared a Jihad against the recently unified kingdom of Castile, Galicia and Leon. The Iberian kingdom soon followed Andalucía, and a new age of Muslim domination seemed to dawn over Hispania.

Looking for legitimacy, Henri De Bourgogne reached for the Pope to ask for his coronation, and his answer didn't surprise him: He would only be crown when if he promised to recover, in the name of Christ, the Iberian Peninsula for Christendom. And so, he did. Mostly.

Taking the Occitan Cross as his Imperial Banner, he marched towards Santiago. His army, composed by French, Occitans, and Catalan peoples, launched a holy crusade against the Infidel, in a process that the native Iberians call the "Reconquista", the Muslim infidels were not only pushed from the old kingdom of Asturias. In the following years, the so called "Inquisitor" Henri managed to expel the mohammedans back to Seville and Granada, and integrating Toledo, Cordoba, and Lisbon to his new empire.

Why let dreams of expansion get in the way of a good crusade? Especially when you can manage both in a single lifetime.

Eventually, Emperor Henri felt content about his legacy, leaving his past ambition behind. While neither the Moors nor the Normans had been fully expelled from Hispania and France, his rule seemed solidified around Tolousse and the nobles.

He died peacefully in his sleep, at the age of 47. And so, the reign of Philippe "the Legendary" de Bourgogne started, more than twenty years ago.

While he quickly managed to consolidate his rule in the court, he soon wanted to prove himself in battle. In the last two decades he reclaimed Normandy for the French crown, integral kingdom of the Empire, and soon after he marched over Granada, sending back the Almoravids to the Maghreb. Even more, when the Pope declared a crusade over North Africa, Sultan Buwayh II quickly called his men, organizing the realm's defense.

-I never saw the Craven trait be so good reflected in gameplay-


Such defense would take the form of a tactical conversion to Catholicism, along with most of the Almoravid nobles. Not everyone agreed on such move, but at least the crusade was stopped before a single Christian man arrived at their shores.

With the south secured, and the old rival of the empire facing internal turmoil for such religious changes, Emperor Philippe turned his eyes to his eastern border; the so called Holy Roman Empire. He quickly mustered his forces and attempted an invasion to the territories formally known as the Kingdom of Burgundy, but the response was not the one he expected.

The Pope, recently gifted with more land thanks to the German Emperor, questioned the claims of the House de Bourgogne, threatening Philippe to excommunicate him if he didn't stop this aggression between "Christian brothers". The Emperor of Tolousse didn't back down, and eventually this invasion failed against the unified forces of the Holy Roman Empire, with the notable help of the King-Elector of Poland.

Nobody is certain about the next move of Tolousse. Philippe "the Legendary" could attempt to wrest Brittany from Britannia, try another invasion to the HRE, or maybe even snatch the Eastern Roman control of the Western Mediterranean isles. For now, all options are on the table.


The Holy Roman Empire


In an Europe full of empires, the one self-declared holy and roman hasn't seen much changes. Its western border has been stable for centuries, with some counties exchanged with France -or Tolousse, as they call themselves now- from time to time. The current emperor has limited himself to defensive wars, mostly against Philippe de Bourgogne. Once the Germanic empire aspired to stretch from Provence to the pagan lands of Estonia, but while some of the initial conquest were successful, pagan lords have been able to reorganize and take back their lands. Kaiser Viryay, the "Cleansing Flame", has been fighting more internal heretics than pagans, and sometimes helping in crusades, but never taking much prominence.

Some claim that is possible a new imperial campaign against Lithuania, or that Electors of Poland may attack the last bastion of paganism by their own, making themselves even more powerful inside the Empire. But tensions are rising with the news of bad health of the Kaiser, especially when his only son its only 2 years old. A new race for the throne has begun, one that probably will take the seat of power outside of Prague.

But in terms of international affairs, there is someone else that should me mentioned: The Kingdom of Hungary. With a love/hate relationship, Hungary is the buffer state between the Holy Roman Empire and Eastern Rome, two old rivals that have just stared at each other for centuries. While some nobles have tried to claim the Hungarian throne and integrate it to the empire, the Arpad dynasty has sent back the invaders every time.

As such, the Germanic empire usually supports Hungary with its wars against the Cumanian Khanate, a barbarian horde that keeps raiding the eastern frontier without pause. Money and men usually take part of this unofficial alliance, not knowing that the now declared "Greater Hungary" is much more powerful than a century ago.


The North

Scandinavia remains as divided as always, but at least they are Christian this time. Their kingdoms are too busy fighting each other or protecting their overseas territories to become something greater than the realms the old Vikings left.

The kingdom of Finland has recently converted to Catholicism, and with it stopped being the playground of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Still, much of the country of King Reko does not follow Christ, and without heirs its realm may fall again into the old ways. And, while not particularly powerful, its conversion means that paganism only remains in Lithuania, turning it into the next great target of everyone around it.

King Kantibutas, the last of the pagans, fears for his faith and kingdom. Not willing to be put under the treacherous politics of the Pope in Rome, he has resisted and taken back land, even when the people there embraced the ways of Christ. War has taken its toll on his body, and some say that reflects the state of Lithuania: still standing, but weaker after every battle it fights.

Old Queen Liubava is dying, that's no secret. Old age and tumors are going to take her life soon, she who incredibly has maintained Novgorod independent. Kiev and Chernigov have fallen, and many fear they are the next in the path of Cumania, but the hordes have stopped coming north to ask for tribute, leaving them for their own devices. A small kingdom, with an old heir: no one knows what’s going to happen with Novgorod, remnants of the Rus.


The Khanate of Cumania

The Horse Lords of Cumania sit comfortably from Saray, the place where tents of the Khagan lie openly and confident. With the south embroiled in countless wars, and Eastern Rome focusing on reclaiming Anatolia, they had an entire century of unopposed raids, bringing women and riches to the steppes. The Cuman Hordes even reached further into the Rus, vassalizing and forcing tribute to the Russian lords, who had no choice but to comply. Cumania even expelled the Rurikids from their castles, forcing them to leave Kiev and readopt tribal life.

But times have changed, and so their enemies. The once decadent and collapsing Seljuk Turks have come back from the Abyss, ruling over even more land than before. Constantinople has sent new armies to the steppes, seizing the Crimean Peninsula and stablishing a strong local government to face the raids. Even Hungary, once nomads as the Cumans, have expanded east and expulsed the Khan beyond the Dnieper river.

Troubles seem to approach the horde, though. The Khagan suffers from some kind of curse, with evil spirits taking over this body from time to time. Even his heir suffers from the same condition, with younger warlords beginning to question the current leadership.

The Khanate will have to prove if they can adapt to the coming times or be left behind. In the steppes, nothing seems permanent.



The Kingdom of Greater Hungary

Much has passed since the coronation of King Arpád István, Christmas of the year 1000 AD. Ever since, Hungary has played a central role in central, eastern, and byzantine politics. A strong kingdom, with fierce people, they pushed way above their weight, having fought both empires at their doors and lived to count it.

-I don't understand how is it that there is that many genius rulers except mine-

208 years later, Hungary is on its peak. With one of the greatest armies on Europe, a booming economy, and treaties settling borders with the Prague and Constantinople, there seems to be nothing that could stop them. Having integrated Croatia, Wallachia and Moldavia into Hungary, the Arpad dynasty has set their gaze to the east, towards the Cuman Khanate. The last war pushed the horse lords to the Dnieper, finally protecting the kingdom's farmlands, and gaining the favor of both emperors -without even wanting it-. A zealous catholic country, blessed by the Holy Father, the predilect son of Christian Europe.

But not everything shines on Budapest, the new name of their buzzing capital, as the seat of the Prince is empty apart from dust. Great King Arpad Szilveszter "the Wise" had to make concessions to secure his country's flanks, and so, he sent his son Arpad Kornel, prince and heir, to Constantinople.

Young Arpad Kornel has been living in the court of Constantinople since he was a child, getting educated with the wisest of teachers in the Pandidakterion, the Imperial University. There, he found another way of life, more sophisticated than the feudal traditions of Budapest, more treacherous and... passionate politics. Witness to treason, plots, tricks and amazing turns of events, soon he felt interest on what the court used to name "the Game", or courtesan intrigue for the simple people. Treated always as royalty, and as a direct link between Byzantium and Hungary, he Arpad Kornel became one of the favorites of Saint Leandros II, the "Right-Believing", Basileus of Rome.

But there he found more than a way of life and education; before ascending to heaven, Saint Leandros commended the hand of one of his daughters to the then young Arpad, who had married a Hungarian petty noble also studying in Constantinople that died because of sickness only a couple months later. Now a widower, he accepted, in a move that wasn't expected back in Budapest. And what's worse, he publicly converted to Orthodox, turning every year more zealous about it.

No one is certain about if this was all a plan of Saint Leandros II to push Hungary under the influence of Constantinople, and to counter the growing influence of Catholicism in eastern Europe. But every Basileus since Leandros has known what card they hold in their hands, and keep Prince Arpad close; so close, that right now he is the Mystikos -or Spy Master- of Eastern Rome.

With no other sons, and King Arpad Szilveszter turning 54 years old next year, every noble in the realm is concerned about succession, and what this could mean for the uninterrupted line of Arpad ruling Greater Hungary. If Hungary survived until now is because managed to stay out of imperial affairs, but now it seems its going directly to fall under Constantinople's sphere.


The Mediterranean

The waters of the Mediterranean are much more quiet than last century, when the Almoravid and Fatimid pirates plundered the coasts of Christian Europe. Since then, the Almoravid have converted to Catholicism, and the Fatimid forces wage constant wars against an expanding Christian Jerusalem. The Byzantine fleets patrol from east to west, protecting the reborn trade routes now filled with Genoese, Pisan, Venetian, Ragusan, and Chersonese trade posts with the help of the Despotic Exarchate of Sicily, governor of the western isles.

While this monopoly of the seas makes uncomfortable to every Mediterranean nation, no one is able, or wants, to contest it. Truth is that everyone is getting richer with the trade routes reopen, and now silk seems to be common in every European court.

Still, no one is more conflicted with this than King Beuves of Naples, heir of the conquests of the De Hauteville Normans. Trapped between Constantinople and Rome, forced to open his ports to Greek merchants, and no possibilities of expansion, the Kingdom of Naples has been staling for decades. Still, faithful to his heritage, he and his sons will not let pass any opportunity to take back all southern Italy: they only require the Greeks to be distracted somewhere else before they jump and bite their legs.

Directly south of Naples, the Fatimid Caliphate recently reconquered Tunis from Byzantium. The Exarchate of Sicily had launched an expedition in 1180 with resounding success, but with Constantinople focused on the total reconquest of Anatolia the Byzantine hold on the old Carthage lasted a bit more than two decades, thanks to Sicily lacking the support to maintain continental land. While this seemed to be the first of a new string of victories for Shia Islam, much worse news were coming.

Together with the Almoravid conversion to Catholicism, the Kingdom of Jerusalem was about to launch a new set of campaigns. With their north flank mostly secured with the Byzantine reconquest of Antioch, Jerusalem took over what seems to be the first step stone to Mecca and Medina. And, with Nubia and Abyssinia finally uniting their kingdoms under one banner, the Fatimids have enemies on all sides; specially when King Benoit "the Lionheart" has already crossed the Sinai Peninsula, and won.

Ten years ago, the then Boy-King Benoit launched an invasion of Damietta, which ended up in a total victory for the crusader forces. This was the first time than a Christian attack on Egypt had been successful, and even the Pope sent word to Jerusalem to congratulate him about his victory. This didn't last though, thanks to the Seljuk offensive to retake northern Arabia and push back the Outremer realm.

The Turks were repelled, but Egypt used this chance to recover most of their possessions in the Nile delta. They almost did it, but the castle of Isma'illa managed to resist the siege until relief forces arrived.

A temporal treaty settled peace between the warring realms, leaving it in an uncomfortable Status Quo. But the armies of Jerusalem are ready to rise again if Benoit call them to arms, especially now that a formal alliance with Constantinople has been reached in the form of marriage.

Rum and the Seljuk Sultanate

There was a time where the Seljuk Turks dominated from Karakum to Jerusalem. The Rumite armies were at the gates of Constantinople, and the Shia Caliphate of Egypt shrank in fear thinking they were next. But that didn't happen: Byzantium recovered, pushing Rum out of Anatolia. The Crusades expelled the Turks out of the Holy Land. Internal conflicts bought the Sultanate to its knees, forcing the Sultan to flee back to the Central Asian steppes. The ghost of Alp Arslan and Manzikert seemed to vanish... until their recovery.

While Rum had secluded in the old kingdom of Georgia, using the Caucasus mountains to defend whatever was left of the Sultanate. But, with the return of the Seljuk armies, Rum feels much more confident than before.

Countless Georgian rebellions have been put down, and with the Sultan forcing the population to convert to Islam, Karatay Seljuk wants nothing but solidify land for him and his family to rule. Old ambitions are not forgotten, which is why they still claim to be the new "Rome", remembering the multiple decades when they ruled the heart of the Eastern Roman Empire, Anatolia. Someday, they say, Constantinople will be under a Turkish banner.

Fifty years ago, the Middle East was in chaos. The Palace of the Sultanate, abandoned, and multiple factions fought over Baghdad, which looked like was going to be the new regional capital of whatever power could rise from the Seljuk ashes. Armenia enjoyed a moment of freedom, and a Monophysite Kingdom reorganized the local militias around Ani, the new capital. Also, Persia was embroiled in war, with even a Zoroaster faction claiming to be the new Persian Empire.

But alas, the Turks came back in force. In matter of 10 years, the entire Sultanate managed to restructure itself, and order was restored even in the farthest provinces. Armenia tried to fight, but there was no way that their small army could face off such invasion. Byzantium managed to convince some of the western rulers to join the empire in the face of utter annihilation under the Turks.

But from there, nothing else happened. The armies halted their advance and were sent back to their homes. Again, internal problems were threatening the unity of the realm. From one day to another, the Sultan was expelled, and later, reinstated.

Sultan Savur "the Evil" was replaced for his son, Kurboga, only a child. This only lasted some years until one of Savuur's wives, Nur, managed to kill the young Sultan. Savur rose once again to the throne, this time with Nur expecting one of her sons to be the next heir.

Sultan Savur, "the Evil", is not a smart man, nor very strong. His administration is failing due to lack of funds, and few vassals like him. Few can assure that he is going to reach alive the next decade of the 13th Century. But the Turks are ready to defend what they have conquered twice, even if the threat of a joint Byzantine-Jerusalem invasion of Armenia draws near...


___________________________________________________________________​

This is it, Episode 0! I hope you like this introduction to the world of NABAAR, and let's see how far we can go!

Byzantium will be the main focus of this campaign, so I thought that I should use this EP to show the world beyond Constantinople -or at least, the parts that matter-. Next episode will be an explanation of how the Palaiologos Dynasty rose up to the imperial throne -a surprise, even for me-, and the chain of events that made the Empire recover from Manzikert and even take the western mediterranean isles. In the end, we will know what departs for Byzantium in this world.

Thanks for reading!

 

[stnylan]

Very nice overview of the world.

 

[mike the knight]

amazing introduction

 

[alscon]

Looks like a very interesting world.

Though I doubt I'll ever get used to "Toulousse" - that just sounds wrong on so many levels...

 

[Leandor]

Hahaha, yeah, but the other option was to let this game have another gigantic France ruling Spain from Paris, lol!

At least this is somewhat similar to the the visigoths... Maybe.

Thanks for reading, all of you! Soon I'll post the next ep

 

[guillec87]

very interesting world!

 

[Leandor]

January - 1209 AD
Episode One

"OLD MEMORIES, NEW FEARS"


Dawn, and the seagulls' chirping, marked the beginning of a new day in the City of Constantine. But, even being so early, the city showed movement; the docks were full of shipments, and every hour new merchant galleys arrived to the Chrysókeras, or Golden Horn as the latins called it. With the new found security in the Mediterranean, and muslim pirate raids in historic low numbers, the maritime trade routes were booming in activity. The town of Galata was founded in the other side of the Golder Horn, a place where the latins could compete with each other without disturbing roman citizens.

Venice, Genoa and Pisa were constantly fighting each other to control the silk trade to the west, but the imposing presence of the reborn Karabisianoi, the permanent Imperial Navy, forced them to deal with each other in more discrete ways. Still, gold, silk, and spices flowed through Roman cities, and even when Jerusalem was rising as a competitor, there was only one truth: he who controlled the sea, controlled the trade. Based in Cyprus, Sicily, and Mallorca, the navies composed by new models of Dromons -mostly thanks to the Sicilian Exarch's dealings with the Italian republics- engineered by both greek and latin experts.

Relations with the West were in an all time high, too. While you could find the typical border conflicts, or one or two "misunderstandings" between the Byzantine officials and Italian merchants, everything seemed to be going smoothly between those loyal to Rome or Constantinople. Even the Pope made some concesions in Italy, allowing the greek navy to take bases in Lecce and Reggio -much to Naples' disgust-, as long as the Tagmatas of the Eastern Emperor were always available to aid the Kingdom of Jerusalem in case of Jihads, a treaty that already had proved its worth some decades ago.

-The hereditary Exarchate of Sicily, powerful seat of the Palaiologos family-

All of this was the result of more than a century's work. It all began with Nikephoros "the Just", first Strategos of Epirus, and then Exarch of the same region. While the eastern expansion under the Doukas met an inexpected halt at Manzikert, the Strategos of Epirus -in a mix of personal ambition and patriotic duty- managed to create an army strong enought to defy the Norman hold in South Italy, seizing Messina and Reggio from them. Taking Sicily back from the infidels took was easier, as they lacked the intelligence and strength of Duke Robert "the Fox".

Sure, Nikephoros Palaiologos wasn't a military genius nor similar, but he managed to be accompained by good generals, regardless of faith and culture.

But, after some years of governing in Panormos, Nikephoros decided to go back to Epirus, leaving four of his sons governing the western isles - Georgios in Sardinia, Nikolaos in Mallorca, Romanos in Corsica, and his most trusted son, the legitimized bastard Leandros in Sicily-, all united in defending the newly acquired lands. With Constantinople focused on the turkish threat and the loss of Anatolia, no one thought on contesting the authority of the Palaiologos in the Western Mediterranean.

But, as Emperors come and go, a new promise of restoration came to the imperial throne: Alexius Komnenos, an expert administrator and good commander. Talks with the Pope in Rome began, asking for western help and promising the Holy Land for the ones that prove themselves in the eyes of God against the infidel.

Sadly, his reign only lasted 7 years after having his health deteriorated because of severe stress.

-An anticlimatic end for the Alexiad-

In his stead, with no clear line of succesion and the menace of another muslim siege to the capital, the imperial bureaucracy desperaly needed someone capable, or better than that if possible, to fullfil the expectations the empire had put in Alexios Komnenos.

And so, one quiet summer day after two succesful campaigns to repel muslim pirates and invasions, the Despot and Exarch of Sicily, Leandros Palaiologos, received an exhausted messenger with probably the most important letter he would ever deliver; the throne in Constantinople was vacant, and the imperial court had decided to name him as new Basileus of the -true- Roman Empire. They urged him to come quickly, specially if some other general or Strategos decided to try its luck by entering the capital first. The Imperial Guard, folowing orders of the Protostator, had closed the city trying to avoid any bloodshed that could lead to civil war; Eastern Rome had no time, nor resources, nor men to waste in such suicidal way with the turks at its door.

And so, Leandros Palaiologos, later known as "the Wise", would make his the imperial crown without internal conflict, a miracle in those times.

Trusting than his brothers, together with the fleet they were building, would be enough to maintain the Exarchate, the now Basielus mustered his Sicilian troops, hardened after years of figthing pirates, infidels, or both most of the time, and shipped them back to Constantinople: the Anatolian Reconquest, or the Palaiologan Restoration, had begun.

Bringing back to greek hands the entirely of Western Anatolia and Pontus, Leandros the Wise would be reknown not only for his reconquest, but for enslaying in personal combat four Sultans of Rum in the middle of the battle.

Sadly, the dream of reclaiming the heartland of the empire would not be completed in his lifetime. He would not only war turks, but latins that dared to declare crusades for Anatolia and then keeping such territory, something that almost meant war with Hungary and the Holy Roman Empire. Still, he would press on, always in battle, until he got killed by an unknown mayor of eastern Persia, someone that would outlive him by forty years. With one leg and one eye left, suffering Slow Fever, his passion for combat doomed him.

His son, Markos "Ironside" Palaiologos, would continue the fight. While not so aggresive as his father, he would retake almost all of Central Anatolia, with Cilicia and Armenia still suffering under the Rumites. Finally would Trebizond be reconected to the rest of the imperial territory, and Western Anatolia protected from raids.

Being not as impressive as his father, Markos still aimed big. Its focus was to reorganize the imperial administration, as the Theme System had collapsed so quickly after Manzikert. Greater administrative entities, with larger armies at their disposition than the ones that simple Strategos could muster, and much more centralized economy and tax systems with the objective to incentivate new local infrastructure works, leaving Constantinople and its surroundings solely under imperial control would be the resut of his administrative reform. This would be explained in "De Instaurato Imperio" -inspired in the manual "De Administrando Imperio" of Konstantinos VII-, the book he wrote for his son and next Basileus, Leandros II, together with future plans of expansion and the integration of recovered regions to the new system.

-The new system would instaurate local Exarchs, like the provinces of the old empire. Eventually the Exarchates of Serbia and Antioch, together with the Imperial Republic of Cherson, would be integrated.-

Some feared that this would mean that new and ambitious individuals would interpretate these new provinces as platforms to push them to power, and maybe reclaim the throne for themselves, with strong armies and an entire tax system to support their claims. So far, none of this has happened, with rotative Exarchs elected between loyal locals. While effective in peace, this system would be problematic in the next century.

That way, and with a new flow of coins thanks to loyal Exarchs to the treasury, Saint Leandros II "the Right-Believing" would ascend to the throne. A quick individual, versed in combat, diplomacy and administration, soon mobilized the Imperial Tagmatas and march not only to Cilicia, retaking and integrating it to Eastern Anatolia, but also the holy city of Antioch.

In a campaign more similar to western crusades than imperial reconquests, Saint Leandros continued and raised the roman flag over Edessa, Tripoli, and the important city of Aleppo. With the characteristic zeal that marked his early years, Basileus Leandros II went further south, with the objective of taking Damascus and cripple the muslim power in Syria. There, he would find the inexplicable.

King Vilfred "the Tormentor" of Jerusalem had assaulted Damascus, and now the white and yellow banner of the outremer kingdom hanged from its walls.

Relinquishing his danish origins, and adopting the ways and traditions of his latin benefactors, Vilfred had attacked the chaotic realms of Syria after the Seljuk collapse, pushing north and ambitionating to take Antioch and use it as the northern gate of his holy kingdom. Neither he, or Leandros II, expected to find each other in the Levantine deserts.

What came later is still a subject of discussion, in both west and east. Its common knowledge that both sovereigns decided to share a table and discuss borders, trade treaties, pilgrimage fees, and even an alliance to partition Armenia and Iraq -cemented by marriage-. Truth is, Leandros II was ready to siege to Damascus, even if that meant war with the entire west, and Vilfred wanted to control two of the commonly used routes of the Silk Road, with Antioch as a formidable fortress in case of Greek agression.

The diplomatic talks were violent, then calm, sometimes silent, and violent again in the end. Seven plates were broken by throwing them into each other, with food still served over. Eleven bottles of wine were drank and then used as weapons, with no one injured at the end. Three muslim were executed in public, and one little girl baptized. Finally, King Vilfred would come out with a new wife, and Basileus Leandros with fixed borders, and a permanent alliance with Jerusalem. The eastern partition would never come, though.

Sunni and Shia jihads were declared one after the other, and soon hundred of thousands of young muslim warriors were flooding the holy land. The Sunni wanted to reclaim Syria, and the Shia Jerusalem. Two decades of defensive wars, sea battles, the return of the Seljuks and the fall of new Christian Armenia would turn Constantinople and Jerusalem into close allies, probably the only ones they could trust in a sea of infidels. Roman citizens came to respect the Outremer warriors as equals, even if they were Catholic, as Greek Tagmas and Jerusalemite levies fought side by site in the Battle of Antioch, the Sack of Damascus, a new invasion of Eastern Anatolia, and the notorious Charge of the Cataphracts in the Siege of Jerusalem, saving not only the latin capital but also what would have meant the fall of the entire kingdom.

After so many years of ininterrupted battle, with both Jerusalem and the empire victorious but exhausted, Leandros accepted that any eastern conquest had to wait. His armies marched north, back to home, while the new administration was implemented in Antioch and the few Armenian holdings he managed to persuade to join Constantinople. There, while always keeping an eye on the Turks, he adopted a much more calm life, using the imperial treasury to build libraries and expand the Pandidakterion, adding Medicine and Administration to the university's curricula.

But, while his relation with Jerusalem was excellent, trouble was brewing in the Danubian frontier. Serbian nobles, displaced after the creation of the Exarchate of Serbia, were convincing the Hungarian king, the then young Szilveszter Arpad, that the Basileus was planning a future campaing to conquer Croatia and take the fortress of Belgrade, a vital defensive position, and door of the Magyar kingdom. And so, Hungary declared war for Serbia, a pre-emptive attack while the empire was recovering.

-An sketch of Belgrade, between the Sava and Danube rivers-

Saint Leandros, now much older, marched north with the Varangian Guard, and a core of veterans cataphracts from the Battle of Jerusalem. In the way he received reinforcements from the Exarchs of Moesia in Adrianople, Greece in Serdica, Epirus in Naissos, and finally the local troops of Serbia. Belgrade would fall soon, and after a series of victories against Hungarian troops, he would cross the Danube. Budapest was on sight when a royal emissary reached the Basileus, asking for terms. Another victory for Eastern Rome, and one that could mean much more.

Not only Belgrade would come to imperial hands, but also King Szilveszter's only son and heir.

But whatever plans Saint Leandros had for young Arpad Kornel, those would never come to light. Basileus, Conqueror, Poet, and Saint, Leandros II died naturally at the age of 67, surrounded by his family, friends and court.

At the Year of our Lord 1195, the Roman Empire faced one of its territorial heights. While Armenia was far from being retaken, the reach of Constantinople extended from the coasts of Iberia to the Crimean peninsula. Borders were secured, a new professional army and navy were uncontested in the known world -leaving behind the unfortunate dependence on mercenaries-, and finally had a trustworthy ally against the Mohammedan hordes. "Everything is fine" was a common saying in the streets of The City, proof of the newfound optimism in every citizen.

Blessed Michael VIII, not a son or brother of Leandros II, but nephew. Son of Strategos Helias I "the Lion" of Armeniacon, and succesful commander in the defense of Antioch during the Jihads; He managed to lift the siege and make the invading army retreat back to the border while his brother, the Basileus, commanded the forces back in Jerusalem.

Such prestige was the cause than, instead of letting a son of Saint Leandros to take the throne, the court decided to offer the crown to Michael. Leandros' sons were still young, with the oldest one barely a teen.

-Markos, not a very fitting heir after his father-


Michael VIII, in contrast of previous emperors, had received a secured empire, whole, with no immediate threats and a thriving economy. An experienced diplomat, the new Basileus soon renew the recent treaties with Hungary and Jerusalem, securing old alliances and guaranteeing Arpad's heir safety. Emissaries were sent to the Pope in Rome, gifting him reliques found in the eastern wars against the Infidel, and managed to accept Constantinople's sovereignity in Lecce and Reggio, source of eternal frustration for the Napolitan King. A new embassy was open in the -now catholic- Almoravid Sultanate, opening acess to trade routes as long as the Sultan forbid piracy. The Basileus even sent congratulations to the new Emperor in Tolousse, as they had become a direct competition of the -Holy Roman- Germanic Empire, making life a bit more difficult for those false pretenders.

Besides that, Michael VIII founded the new Imperial Republic of Cherson -or Taurica-, an alternative to exarchates and themes, where joint greek, italian, and even kievan merchants could compete for the oriental trade flowing through the steppes, with the promise of them protecting the imperial holdings. Galata would be the limit of every Latin republic: the Pontic Sea belonged to Constantinople.

Sadly, his reign would last only ten years, as cancer was slowly draining his life, but a Consumption break ended up weakening even more his health. October 7th, 1205 Anno Domini, would see another Basileus ascend to heaven, and another to the throne: Helias Palaiologos.

-Yes, he who appeared in almost every image is finally presented-

It's been one year and a half since he was coronated, and not many has happened since. He promised his young daugher's hand, Ephiphania, to the current King of Jerusalem, young Benoit "the Lionheart", revitalizing the vital alliance between the two christian powers in the east.

Maybe Helias is not particularly good at commanding, nor diplomacy, or court intrigue, but surely he is ambitious. While the current state of the empire is comfortable, he constantly looks at Armenia, comparing imperial limits pre and post Manzikert. "Not everything has been reclaimed", he can be heard saying while leaves the desk of his Protostator, specially since he found the written plans of Saint Leandros II for Armenia.

The court is more than worried; the last time the empire went further east, almost all was lost. More than one century was needed to recover, and cities like Smyrna, Caesarea, Ancyra and Antioch were just returning to their previous numbers of population. Even more, while the Imperial Army was strong, there was an unconfortable shortage of talented officers.

Reports said that most of the young men were enlisted in their local militas, organized under the Exarchs, instead of joining the professional Tagmas. Local dynatoi -or nobles- were too occupied dealing with their wealth, and no richman wanted to send their sons to die in something that seemed suicidal. And of course, as more than one feared with the last administrative reform, the Exarchs wanted to lead their own forces, trying to show themselves to the empire, be it for personal glory or who knows what desires.

Still, Basileus Helias would not listen. There was something to be done, something to finish the real restoration, something that would write his name in history, next to saints and previous emperors. What else could he do, besides facing the Turks? Hungary was far to powerful now, and attacking the country of which his own spymaster was heir to its never a good idea. Naples, maybe? No, too close to the Pope, and it was hard to Catholics to tolerate his presence in the western isles. The Pillars of Hercules could be a good target, specially the African side of the strait; who really cared for some Christian Arab? But taking control of the unic trade route to the ocean would put Tolousse against him, endangering Mallorca...

No. The Turk menace needed to be dealt now. They had an incredibly unpopular leader, possibly condicionating internal support in a defensive campaign. And even yet, Rum still persisted, now in Georgia, destroying churches and forcing its populace to convert. Georgia was a good secondary objective, he thought, as long as Armenia could be regained.

And what about the lack of officers? Helias was no fool, but maybe he trusted his troops too much; they were the best army in the world, after all, no one dared to question that. Disciplined, well trained, they didn't need good commanders to excel in combat. And if the court kept insisting, he could very well lead the expedition, along with his Protostator and the Varangian's guard capitan. Did he really need more than that?

Later that day, such decision would be communicated to the Imperial Council. Even when every single one member tried to present -good or bad- arguments to change the Basileus' position, they had no power here. All authority rested over the Imperial Crown, sadly.

No message was sent to Jerusalem, even if they were instrumental in Saint Leandros' plans. This, thought Helias, was a Roman battle that they had to fight alone: no one was going to humilliate Constantinople again with another Manzikert. While honor was mostly a western used concept, there were some others close enough that the Basileus wanted to recover;
Dignity, Respect, Pride.

When the letters started to arrive to each Exarch, there was none of those on their faces.
Only Fear.


_________________________________________________________________
​

Hey! Here it is, the first episode of this story! I'm sorry if I'm taking too much time in summarizing too much, but I felt that it was necesary for you to, well, see how the game reached this point.

Just in case that you didn't notice, I used the console more than a couple times to simulate certain results. After such war with Hungary, I didn't want money -who need that at this point?- but Belgrade. And taking a son to be educated in a foreign court is something that was common, so I thought that it would fit nicely to this narrative. I admit that in that time the king of Hungary wasn't celibate, or that I didn't know that young arpad was his only son - Ups!.

Aaanyway, this sets the events that are going to be described in the next episode: The fight for Armenia! (Thats not its name, though). I've done a couple of test games, and believe me when I tell you that its not going to be easy, and well, defeat is more than possible. If the worst happens, well, Byzantium must be punished for falling in the same trap twice.

Also, do you prefer this format (everything aligned to the center), or the previous? I'll change to whatever you feel more comfortable.

See ya' soon, and thanks for reading!

 

[guillec87]

great... the council has no real power in the daily issues of the empire

 

[mike the knight]

i like this format i also hope the empire manages to win even if by the skin of its teeth

 

[stnylan]

I just had to smile at four Sultans slain by his own hand. My but he must be remembered as the Hammer of the Turks, or somesuch.

 

[Leandor]

great... the council has no real power in the daily issues of the empire

Yep. I couldn't stop thinking on that LotR scene with King Theoden and Gandalf when I was writing that. :b

I just had to smile at four Sultans slain by his own hand. My but he must be remembered as the Hammer of the Turks, or somesuch.

It was quite impressive! Maybe history will remember Leandros I not only as the Hammer of the Turks, but also the Sultan Slayer!

i like this format i also hope the empire manages to win even if by the skin of its teeth

I'm glad you seem to like the new format. Next episodes will use it, and if you have other suggestions, you just have to comment it. And let's hope everything goes right, but you can never be sure with Armenia!

 

[HMAS-Nameless]

Super interesting world! Also love the pseudo-wikipedia elements

 

[Leandor]

1209
Episode Two

"A CENTURY OLD BATTLE"


As the Palaiologoi Tagmata -the elite unit of the Empire and cataphract core of the army- were reunited at the other side of the Bosporus and started the long march east, unrest started to increase not only in the capital, but nation-wide. Expensive gifts were given to each Exarch, acknowleding their important role in the coming war and to remind them that victory would be much more rewarding; this, to motivate them to mobilize quickly and hopefully persuade them to send more men to join the Basileus.

Reports of an outbreak of Camp Fever in Thessalonika, and the spread of Slow Fever from Georgia to Trapezous were midly worrying, but shouldn't mean any problem. Sure, Slow Fever was quite close to the chosen battlefield, but as long as stayed in the coast nothing would happen.

-Imperial reports weren't very precise-

Meanwhile in the north, a relatively small cuman raid had laid waste to Korchev, and quickly getting closer to the regional capital of Cherson. This was common beign so close to the steppes, but without doubt surprising that the local republic had allow such force, easy to deal with, to sack and rape so easily.

Still, that was Cherson's problem. They had promised to supervise and protect the peninsula and, in return, they would get high levels of autonomy to buy, sell, and extorsionate each other with total freedom. The Empire was marching east, anyway. There couldn't be any distractions.

But just as the new christian missionaries were sent to the Cuman "capital" of Saray in a peaceful attempt to pacify the stepps, news of a muslim uprising lead by an Alan named Gokhar further complicated the status quo in the horse lords realm. While the muslims were considerably outnumbered, Eastern Rome had learned to never underestimate smaller but fanatical forces.

While Basileus Helias reached the city of Sinope, using the Pontic route to the east, a both dissapoiting and surprising message was delivered: Khagan Cilbu of the Cuman, after receiving the Emperor's "wife" at his court, decided to send an non-agression pact offer to Constantinople. Confused, as Helias was sure that his wife was right where he left her in the Sacred Palace, and that he sent a religious commitive -not Basilissa Aigidia- to those barbarian lands, decided to accept.

Immediatly he demanded explanations to his court ecclesiarch, Kirill, an old priest with questionable escapes in the late night, about what the hell happened. And the old slav tried to explain, a bit scared of the Basileus' reaction, that the religious mission had met an horrifying end, and that after multiple days of constant translation mistakes, the Khagan's guards had tried to have them all executed. But, desperated, a nun had "revealed" her true identity as the "Basilissa", and demand talks with their leader or face an all-out war with the empire just as when the Khanate was facing a revolt.

The improvised Basilissa would pass more than one day "talking" with the Khagan, somehow having convinced the guard and, later, old Cilbu of the Cumans. The entire mission managed to travel back to Cherson, but the nun seemed to had escape to the Rus lands, fearing any reprisal for here impersonating the empress.

Basileus had no idea if such history could be true, but if the Cumans were not going to become christian, at least a non-agression pact would do for now.

More news would reach the Autokrator, as the last bastion of infidel resistance in the Exarchate of Antioch had fallen. Exarch Markos Palaiologos, son of the late emperor and saint Leandros II, had used the general call to arms to quickly assault Masyaf from the Fedayeen, a zealous sect of Shia fanatics. Finally, they were expeled back to Egypt.

Even more good news for Helias would come. The Ecumenical Patriach of Constantinople -disturbingly called "the Black"- had announced a new saint, late Basileus Michael VIII, father of Helias. This was a clear message from the church: they fully supported the Basileus current efforts to bring Armenia back into the empire, even if the court, generals, and officers manifested doubts. This would not only show his campaign as a personal ambition, but the holy duty he felt it was. After all, he was now the son of a Saint of Christedom, what else could he do?

Almost reaching Roman Armenia, word of a peasant revolt in the Persian Sultanate were received with mixed responses. While this would be a good distraction for the Seljuks, it could mean that the Sultan's forces would be mobilized and ready before Helias'. Some tried to convince him to attack right away, but he was certain that every Exarch forces would be needed in the battlefront and that throwing himself alone to the wolves not a good idea.

But, as days passed, that revolt would continue alive. Maybe this was a good thing, a good sign. Everything seemed to be working as planned. Troops were moving, the supply lines were secured, and the Sultan's realm was proving to be more instable than previously thought.

It seemed like everything was fine. What could go wrong?

And so, Basileus Helias crossed the frontier. War was declared on June 16th, 1209.




The Armenian Reclamation
1209-1210


As siege engines got assembled and stormed the Armenian fortifications, now populated with their infidel ocupators, few to none turkish troops seemed to get close to the front. Exarch's armies started to follow the plan: Three Themas, aproximally of ten thousand men each, would invade Armenia in an orderly fashion, without distancing much from each other to be able to reinforce any army in case of battle. But, as thirty thousand men attacked the mountains, an extra thema would wait back, serving as immediate aid to any clash between romans and turks.

The peasant revolt was proving to be a good distraction after all, especially when walls started to crack and the first reclaimed fortress fell, Ani.

This campaign had to be foolproof. Trust in the imperial throne was at risk, and with it the empire's integrity. Manzikert had to be left behind, but not forgotten. Basileus Helias decided to gamble, but the game was not even close to end.

As the second fortress fell to Helias' armies, tension was rising in every camp. Where were the Turks and their hordes? Had the Sultan been informed about the invasion? Had the peasants beaten the Turkish armies? With the exception of the siege engines, silence was abound in Armenia. Every commander had trouble sleeping, not knowing if tomorrow would be the day were Constantinople's soldiers would have to relive one of the worst disasters in the history of Eastern Rome.

And then, the words everyone expected arrived: "Turkish troops coming from the south! Fourteen thousand infidels approaching Armenia!", shouted the explorer as he reached Helias' camp.

"That wasn't that many", the Basileus thought. "They wouldn't dare a direct attack without reinforcements, right?". Silence dominated the war council, as Helias asked again, "Right?".

No one doubted the bravery and fanaticism of the Turks, but it was specially surprising to see them turn when they managed to observe the numbers they were facing. This gave every man in the Themas a moment of relief, boosting their confidence. Even the Captain of the Varangian Guard, Gunnar, sighed relaxed.

But after such moments, the War Council received reports of movement in the ex-Georgian border, now Rumite: They had publicly join the Seljuk Sultanate in their struggle, maybe hoping to get a slice of the possible chaotic aftermath that a Greek defeat would let behind.

As the northernest Thema received orders to move against the small but still defying Rumite army, the reserves lead by Basileus Helias himself would retreat further into the mountains; facing the savage Turkish cavalry on the open could jeopardize the entire campaign.

Then, another messanger reached the Emperor's personal guard. Just as the Thema lead by the imperial Protostator started its marching north to face the little to no threatening Rumite forces, almost twenty thousand turks had crossed Rum's borders, seeking to join armies against Byzantium.

Knowing that there was no way to get this information in time to his Protostator, Helias' rode his horse and ordered a forced march north: Thank God he had decided to save leave a Thema as reserves, he thought, but only Christ could know if he would get there in time.

Then, a familiar event would happen: again a Turkish army would turn around, leaving enought time to Protostator Karlmann to finish the small army with out knowing he had just avoided an arrow to his neck.

Getting the good news about the minor, but still a victory from Karlmann himself, Basileus decided to take his Protostator forces, and his, to the south as there were warnings of thousands of Turkish raiders crossing into Edessa. As long as they were close to the Themas sieging Armenia, everything should be fine.

Then, the real reason of why did the Seljuk army retire before facing battle became known. Sultan Savur "the Evil" Seljuk had died on March 24 on suspicious circumstances, and now his son, Sultan Ahmad II, born from the treacherous Nur, was leading the country. Everyone knew that, in fact, Nur was behind the entire plot, but no one really cared.

And just like that, with a single death, the Seljuk forces had increased by the equivalent of two entire Themas, twenty thousand men, looking to prove themselves to an already much more charismatic ruler than the previous one.

Basileus Helias then figured than his victory was facing an ultimatum: win now, or face defeat later. Emperor and Protostator marched together to Edessa, looking for a battle that they could win before fifty thousand infidels could decide to attack them at once.

At the same time, reports of an enormous army moving into Vaspurakan alarmed the commander of the ten thousand men stationed there. Knowing that there was no way to face them alone, he had to retreat south, having a marginal advantage of hours to leave.

And then, finally, a battle. Explorers had found the first army found in the campaign, now retreating from the empire's borders to meet the Turkish main forces. This could not, should not be allowed. They had to be dealt with now, or the entire war would be decided in a single battle, where the Romans would be outnumbered 4 to 5.

No. Basileus Helias Palaiologos was going where and when to fight, no the barbarian Turk. The Battle of Savur would begin at dawn.

Sultan Ahmad, much more witted than his father, knew this aswell. His army of fanatics marched south, pursuing the latest Thema, forcing this one to join the Basileus' forces. Ahmad II wanted his battle, and on his terms; he didn't care if it was on Armenia or Savur, no christian "emperor" could dare to take a part of his territory mere months of reaching the throne.

As the sand settled in Savur, Basileus, commanders and soldiers celebrating victory, counting the death and getting war trophies, two exhausted messangers arrived.

The first, desperaly asking for support in Kerburan: The Thema lead by Exarch Markos Makrenbolites, of West Anatolia, had taken defensive positions along the river, this time retreat being impossible. Sultan Ahmad II, still a teen, accompanied his army in this pursuit, looking for his first battle and, he hoped, win.

The second, more disciplined, reported: The Thema lead by Exarch Pelagios Philokales, of Greece, was already marching to the West Anatolian positions, and asked for immediate reinforcements, seeing how the enemy's numbers were much greater than them's.

Basileus Helias Palaiologos looked at his Protostator, followed by the Varangian Captain. At the end there was no escape from such battle. They had killed of the smaller army, but would be enough to grant them not only the battle, but the entire war?

They could only pray God for that.

With Sultan Ahmad II's armies fleeing after such demostration of discipline,
mantaining defensive positions and not yielding one meter until reinforcements arrived,
the campaign was declared won on July 19, 1210 AD.

Themas, the Varangian Guard and the Palaiologan Tagmata returned home triumphant.
Basileus Helias marked the way home, proud.
Helias Palaiologos, the person, smiled.



At long last Manzikert was avenged, and the Palaiologan Restoration completed.
Byzantium, Rome, Constantinople; The name didn't matter.
The Empire was whole again. For now.

-The continental extension of the Roman Empire in the Year of Our Lord 1210-


___________________________________________________


​

Oof! That was TENSE! I was playing and writing at the same time, and uf, that was close. The big Seljuk army was about to catch one of mines at least twice, but catching the smaller one on Nisibin truly saved the war.

Now, some stuff and events happened while Basileus Helias Palaiologos was at the front, so obviously he will be, heh... susprised once he is back at Constantinople.

I hope you like this ep. It was a fairly short war, so I'm imagining how fun will it be in the future. THIS IS WORSE THAN PLAYING IRONMAN, 'cause there are real consequences! (?).

Thanks for reading!

 

[stnylan]

The aside about the negotiatons with the Cuamans. That made me smile.

And yes, one of the "fun" things about AAR writing is that it can add to the gameplay experience.

 

[guillec87]

there is so much to conquer yet...