The Diaries of Zicenian Royalty (A Random World Narrative AAR)

[Centurial]

King Raca Bar Laszio Mirza, Age 23.

Charismatic, Diligent.

Frail, Uncouth.

Stubborn, Paranoid, Wroth.​

Chapter 20: A Renewal of Power





June, 1074

It’s very sad to see my father go this early – he hadn’t been around for long enough, and things were going well. I didn’t see him often, but he left me a great Kingdom and I plan to keep it that way.

The first order of business is going to be titles – I need people on my side. Half of the council will need to be replaced, particularly Uncle Lazaro the Younger of Savoy, who will want all the power for himself.

I also need to give away my old Sardinian titles now that I’m in charge of the Kingdom – they will go to my Steward, who is young and agreeable.


In terms of how I lead the Kingdom itself, there are a lot of options. My father’s development was a sight to behold, and I’d like to keep that going. The looting of Sicily was also going well, so I’ll start that war back up once everything settles. In the long run, we will need to deal with Vogakny as well.

With a loyal council, I also hope to work on laws that will make the Crown stronger and lessen risk of revolt.



> July

The funeral is complete, and father now rests in Noli. I’ve announced my intentions to keep things moving forward as he did, which should placate everybody as they get used to their new King. The armies are assembling again to move into Sicily, and the new council is already working on changes to the Kingdom’s administration. I’ll be watching Uncle Lazaro closely too – he’s not happy about being snubbed, and it’s only a matter of time before he makes a move.

> August

With our new legal framework, I should be able to fix the bloated and oversized Duchy of Savoy myself, taking most of the power away from my uncle as well. I’ll get this done some time next year, after we’re finished with Sicily. As much as I want to get it out of the way now, such a move this early in my reign could spike a revolt, and I already promised to keep the looting in Sicily going.

January, 1075

I’ve been hearing of a great war going on between the Umarid and Dyamarian empires – so far, our Umarid friends are winning.

I don’t plan on getting involved in any way, but anything that weakens or distracts our greatest threat is welcome. It’s been a long time since the Dyamarian Empire tried to attack us, but we Zicenians have never forgotten – a simple trip through the Mausoleum of Noli during my father’s funeral was enough to remind me of that. If they were to attack our Kingdom at the same time as Vogakny to our north, it would be nearly impossible to stop them.



> March

My spies have discovered that Uncle Lazaro is already seeking out allies for a claim to the throne. So far, he hasn’t been able to get anybody on his side, but that could change very quickly. Once we’re finished with our current siege, I’m going to pull back the armies to deal with Lazaro – not an end to the Sicilian war, but a small pause.

> November

It’s a good thing I decided to assemble the armies near Ivrea – Sicily landed a whole army at Genoa, and raiders are attacking the west. We’ll deal with them quickly, and then after I’m done with Lazaro, I’m going to go give those raiders hell in their own lands.

In other news, the Umarids were pushed out of Iberia and gave up their invasion – a disappointment to be sure. The two Empires seem destined for a greater war some day, but it seems that day hasn’t come yet.




January, 1076

I’ve sent my intention to revoke Savoy, with no reply yet. The army’s ready if Lazaro tries to resist.

In other news, my discussions with Marshall Saros as part of the ongoing legal reforms ended with the idiot shouting insults at me – he’ll be replaced by tomorrow.

> Late January

Uncle Lazaro wisely decided to give in to my demands rather than revolt – now the man is left with only two counties to his name.

The funny thing about these vassals taking foreign land is that it can just as quickly be taken out of their hands – Lazaro has been trying to seize power his whole life, and with a single act I have taken it all away.

I went ahead and wrote the Duchy of Savoy out of the law after that – any future man to take the title of Duke will be based firmly in the counties Savoy actually belongs to.



Now, there are no seriously threatening vassals (on their own, at least). The strongest is the Duke of Provence, my new Marshal, who will be loyal – plus, his strength comes from his own vassal in Forcalquier, who could just as easily turn against him in a moment of weakness.

> October

I can’t believe this!

The sheer gall of that bastard! They already stole land from us during King Lazaro’s chaos, and now they try to take more. It’s not going to work this time – I’ll show them that Zicenia bows to no foreign King.

The first step is to pull the army out of Sicily – we’ve already taken enough from them, and I don’t particularly care about their land anyways.

It also gives me an opportunity to deal with my Uncle – he was caught trying to claim neighboring land and I took the opportunity to order him imprisoned, but he decided to revolt with his two puny counties this time, so we will need to mop them up on the way north.



June, 1077

We’re almost finished with my Uncle, but the army of Amaigh is quite large. I’ve been saving up the development funds for this kind of issue – we’ll hire enough mercenaries to flatten that fool’s army when we show up.

> December

We took back our land in short order, though the Amaigh army is holed up in the mountains. Our army is pushing into the King’s own territory to punish him until we’re able to engage his army.

February, 1078

That was easy! They came straight for us as soon as they released they were trapped, and we crushed ‘em. I’ll keep driving into Amaigh until the King agrees to surrender his treasury – they’ll never try to rob us again after this.



> April

I’ve managed to set up the council exactly as I like it – full of loyalists. Our spies report no major threats inside Zicenia, and now some vassals in Amaigh have taken this opportunity to revolt. Overall, it’s going quite well, I’d say.

November, 1079

The King of Amaigh finally surrendered after we captured his capital. The funds are less than expected, but I’m not surprised about his shortage of cash, given he’s probably about to be overthrown after my decimation of his army.

Now, it’s time to punish the raiders in Constantinople. In the meantime, the war funds can go back into improving Noli now that everything is well.

Historian’s Notes: Raca ascended to the throne at a young age, and his early years of rule reflect this – internally, he mirrored the policies of his father for the first several years, which likely led to the continued stability within, particularly after his Uncle was removed as a threat. Similarly, surrounding himself with loyalists helped Raca to move forward with his plans of cementing crown authority over the Kingdom, though these would continue to evolve over many years.​

​

Externally, the war in Sicily ultimately went nowhere, but the King of Amaigh was undoubtedly taken by surprise at the full-scale resistance he faced while trying to encroach further into northwestern Zicenia. Earlier Kings had avoided major conflicts in order to preserve their army for the many threats they faced, so Raca’s full commitment to the defense of a single county was a true signal that the Kingdom that had twice defeated the Dyamarian Empire was now back on its feet and unafraid of conflict.​

​

It was at this point that King Raca’s confidence and sense of security truly became some of the defining traits of his rule – the powerful and unchallenged King would push hard to get what he wanted, in a trajectory that would increasingly alienate his vassals and develop his reputation as a cruel bully of a man.​

​

 

[Centurial]

Chapter 21: Raca’s Will





September, 1080

We’ve made good work on the Crown’s legal reforms, and everything at home remains stable while the army is off looting the thieves in Constantinople.



April, 1081

The raiders are definitely going to be broke after this – we’ve taken everything we could from Constantinople and continue to ravage the nearby cities. We’ve taken plenty of prisoners as well, including the count’s own wife – most will be ransomed, but I think executing his wife sounds more fun.

> June

Using all the connections of a King, you can arrange quite a few accidents – my cousin Chuma was caught organizing a potential coup, but rather than try to arrest him and go through the pains of revolt, it’s much easier to just direct a bit of our raid money into the hands of my spymaster to arrange a quicker solution.

2

Though I have no issue putting down anybody who needs to be, I won’t tolerate interruptions. Once the raiding is concluded, we’ll need to go after Vogakny – just as the great Umarid and Dyamarian empires are in constant threat of each other, Vogakny has grown to become our great rival. They’re not exactly endeared to their neighbors either – a marriage between my young son and one of Musnia’s ruling house could go a long way towards knocking them down a peg in the future.



> Late June

Another idiot cousin, a woman named Chasina, was trying to organize a plot to kill my son. She was caught straight away, though in some ways I wish she had plotted long enough for me to catch anybody dumb enough to join her. Either way, we dragged her off into prison – I considered leaving her locked in a hole and having the child in her womb taken from her once it was born, but decided to make a painful example out of her instead. Let’s see her give birth in this state…

> November

Zicenia is truly a sight to behold – I don’t believe we’ve ever been so blessed with wealth as we are now. My father’s realm continues to generate great taxes, which I’ve been funneling into the growth of Ivrea as a whole - the raiding spoils have been a great help as well. To make matters even better, the Baron of Savona, Noli’s richest independent city, failed to produce an heir before dying, granting me the tremendous fortune he had somehow accrued. At this rate, the crown will never be challenged again, and neither will our Kingdom soon enough.

April, 1082

My plotting cousin Chuma still lives after our first assassination attempt failed, joined by another cousin and another traitorous vassal. Together, they’ve amazed quite a force, but they still stand no match against the wealth of Ivrea should they revolt before they meet their ends.


> June

Finally, Chuma is dead. We’ll get to work on the next cousin, but in the meantime, their plot is too weak to even attempt. There are now no distractions in my way.



March, 1083

The raiders are finally finished – the entire strait is ruined, which should make those raiders think twice about bothering us for a while. Either way, we’ve taken more than they ever could. The men even managed to demolish an entire castle in the final siege!

Now we can prepare to tear up those Orevi savages to the north.



> October

We managed to catch a whole band of bastards trying to organize a pathetic conspiracy to have me killed. My half-brother leads the crew, along with the next cousin we were working on having killed and the duke allied with the previous coup. This gives a great opportunity to lock them all up quickly so we can move on.

February, 1084

My cousin in Milan revolts, but we can crush him quickly. The other conspirators are already sitting in the damp hole that we refer to as a “dungeon” to anybody who asks. Of course, ask is all anybody will ever do from now on - these fools are as good as dead.



August, 1085

The plotters are all rotting in the pit – my half-brother who tried to organize the murder came begging for forgiveness, and I pretended to give it to him – but of course, he’s next on the list of accidents.



We have the justification to launch an invasion of Vogakny at any time – some of the land we would be claiming was ours to begin with. Next spring, they’re going to get what’s coming to them, and Zicenia will grow once again.

> September

Though little time has passed, I just wanted to take this moment to laugh at how weak my Milanese cousin was – he died in my dungeon not two weeks after being defeated.

July, 1086

We were delayed by an impressively massive heretic revolt, but now the invasion begins. The Orevi live in squabble – their large land matters little if they can’t even raise a proper army with it. The alliance with Musnia never materialized, but I imagine they’ll be happy to jump in for their own reasons after we’ve killed a few thousand Vogaks.

> August

It turns out the Vogakny army was already near Rome – one of my vassals was invading a nearby Italian territory held by what remains of Croatia, and the foolish Vogak King’s army came to help save their failing ally. Now they’re trapped far from home, and once we kill them there will be nobody to stop my flood of warriors charging across the border.

July, 1087

Everything is great – my enemies continue to disappear, the Orevi continue to fail as a whole, and the money rolls in. Those vassals not involved in the early plotting are now too terrified to cross me, and the same should be true for all men soon enough.



> December

Though nothing has changed in regards to the Kingdom, I’m no longer so confident of its future. A few days ago, my eldest son died of disease, putting my other idiot son in line for the throne. We’ll have to have another son fast, because I’ll be damned if I ever let that imbecile ruin all that I’m creating.

February, 1088

The coward Vogakny King surrendered today, pushing the Orevi all the way back across the mountains. We will strike again for good measure later, but for the time being we shall move elsewhere.

> July

With a few replacements, I’ve managed to secure the votes to abolish the council’s ability to vote on anything of substance – though they’ve dared not challenge me, the fact anybody could have the ability to deny me a war is absurd and will no longer be an issue. From what I’ve heard since, the vassals aren’t happy about this - but I’ve developed quite a good system of dealing with mouthy vassals.

> December

With our newfound dominance, it only makes sense to exercise it. There’s a weak little kingdom across the Adriatic practicing their own strange heresy, and I’m going to force them into permanent servitude: Not as a vassal, of course; that would be a headache… but a permanent obligation of money and men should do the trick.

October, 1089

I’ve been holding onto our recent Alpine conquests in hope of giving them to a new son, but my wife hasn’t delivered anything. Reluctantly I have to pass them on to my other son, who is now of age… but I think it’s time for a new wife.



June, 1090

The council’s conspiracy grows, as more and more vassals grow bold while the army is off in the east. The treasury is nearly empty too – there might be a fight on our hands soon. Heretics run rampant in Provence in the meantime, but we can’t deal with them at the moment.

August, 1091

The uprising in the west has gotten out of hand – I figured with how many men we had killed in the revolt a few years ago that they would’ve all been dealt with, but that was definitely not the case. Forcalquier wasn’t even supposed to be part of Zicenia in the first place, and they’re not my vassal anyways. Let’s see how long they last on their own before another vassal swallows them up again.

Historian’s Notes: This period of Raca’s reign was characterized by simple momentum: He quickly managed to dispel the only large conspiracy against his reign through a combination of arrest and assassination, securing internal politics well before any major threat could even begin to form. Externally, the dramatic sacking of Constantinople and nearby realms brought significant wealth home to Ivrea, while also causing such damage to the local rulers that their days of foreign raiding were definitively finished. The invasion of Vogakny quickly pushed the Orevi back north of the Alps before they had a chance to truly entrench their position, exposing a critical weakness in the last great Orevi stronghold that would lay bare their vulnerabilities to the entirety of Europe.​

​

From this point on though, Raca’s opponents would never be so docile again – his aggressive policy towards Zicenia’s vassals increasingly invoked fear into those that remained, drawing them together like a cornered pack of wolves. Meanwhile, the Jaenian Heresy of Forcalquier and Transjurania (among many other realms across the Siorach world), which had been nearly extinguished by his processor, would come back stronger than ever and in a much more geographically centralized form, beginning a heavy period of religious conflict and revolt in the affected regions to the detriment of all involved.​

​

 

[Centurial]

Chapter 22: A Man of Action





April, 1092

As our tributary war in the east drags on, reports have been flowing in of an Orevi invasion force heading towards Zicenia – not led by Vogakny’s king, but one of his Grand Princes.

> June

The feeble plotters on my list continue to fall– my distant family can hate me all they want, but they can’t do anything about it. I figured I had made this clear by now, but I have no qualms with teaching more lessons to those who need them.

An Orevi army is approaching from the north, but their numbers are surprisingly weak. Perhaps another is following behind, but we will catch them alone before that can happen.



> August

My hunch was correct – another smaller force follows far behind. Even combined, the two forces would be weaker than my army though – these savages are hopeless.

> September

They were repelled with complete ease. After we’re done here, I’ll punish Vogakny as a whole. By the time I’m finished with them, there will be no doubt which of us is the true power here.



May, 1093

The Orevi Prince surrendered, achieving nothing except getting his own men killed. If the regency of Musnia’s boy-King have any brains, they’ll strike now and grab what they can.

> December

The army is back in the east, mopping up what’s left of our future tributary’s resistance. The Ivrean development plan put forward by my father finally is approaching completion, and the heartland of Zicenia is truly a sight to behold now. Castles and cities dot the entire countryside, all connected by a great road system to my great cities.

Later on, when we accumulate more savings, I hope to continue work on our great monuments – the Statues of House Mirza in Piemonte and Noli’s Great Mausoleum. These structures are both impressive, but Zicenia is becoming more than merely an impressive realm. These structures were built during an era of strong Kings, and we now enter another. At least, until my son Babai takes over…

December, 1095

For nearly a year I’ve been trying to deal with getting rid of my wife wife to no avail. Unlike my actions against the plotters, discretion is necessary here - although had I known it was going to take this long, I would’ve just paid for a divorce. The woman gives no children, and time is running short if I’m to have another son who can take the throne.

April, 1096

Finally, we’ve subjugated Sangham. The stubborn bastards took years to give up, though we’ve occupied their lands with no trouble for most of the war.

Once we’ve restored order and pushed back a few of the leeches who tried to claim their land during our invasion, the army will march north once again.





April, 1098

All that work in the east was wasted – just as we were finishing, my new subject died heirless, and the damn Vogaks managed to inherit the territory. This is grounds for war, plain and simple.





> May

The spies were taking too long, so I went ahead and divorced Marthe. I’m searching for a younger, more… passionate woman in her stead.

> June

Gods, I should’ve gotten divorced ages ago! This new woman, China, is leaps and bounds greater of a woman than Marthe ever was!

> July

The invasion of Vogakny is ready – as punishment for their insolence, the entirety of the East is going to be claimed for Zicenia.

Let’s see them try to ever encroach on anything outside of their petty squalor after this.



April, 1099

The Vogak armies haven’t even shown up yet – seems like they truly are in a state of collapse. China is pregnant as well – hopefully we have a son by the end of this war so I can give all of this new land to him.



> July

They finally arrived in force, but my generals put up a great defense and sealed their fate in a single battle.

These savages don’t even come close to matching the might of Zicenian soldiers man-for-man. We could conquer the entirety of their so-called Kingdom were it not such a burden to manage.



Meanwhile, the outbreak of heresy in the west has spread across the whole region, and resurfaced in Eastern Transjurania as well. I don’t understand what draws peasants to this Jaenian nonsense, but it’s been a real thorn in our side for ages, and this is the first time they’ve truly managed to organize in one region.

> September

I don’t know what to say. China did indeed have a son, but this boy seems to be cursed with the same mind as Babai.

I can’t stop wondering if something is wrong with me. Am I unable to have a proper child? And what am I going to leave with Kingdom with if so? If only my eldest had managed to survive…

Historian’s Notes: The tides of fate had rolled in high for Raca over the last decade, but despite all of the power the crown had attained, the problem of succession only grew worse as Raca advanced in age.​

​

After the death of his heir-apparent firstborn, Raca had difficulty producing many children at all, leading to his drastic attempts on the life of his first wife and eventual divorce. However, the same disorder that affected his oldest living son was found in the new infant, making it quite likely that something was indeed wrong with him and not his wives.​

​

In the meantime, his aggressive assassinations had paved the way for a secure rule, as the Vogakny Kingdom fell into disarray as a result of its own internal and external issues. Zicenia had grown yet again, expanding aggressively to the other side of the Adriatic, home to the strange and fractured religious cult of Gorislava that had been thrown back and forth between conquering forces for ages.​

​

Ultimately, King Raca’s realization that he was unable to produce a viable child subdued the man, occasionally taming his aggression and creating an opening for all his repressed enemies to breathe again.​

 

[Centurial]

Chapter 23: To Rule is to Be Judged







May, 1100

The invasion is over, and Zicenia now rules the east.

With this taken care of, we have a simple task ahead – consolidate. Several small realms sit between us and our new territories, and they must all submit in one form or another. Additionally, the once-great kingdom of Gojia has fallen far, only occupying part of the Italian Peninsula at this point – they could easily be subjugated as well now.



> July

Today, a letter was dropped on my lap that I never thought anybody would have the gall to send my way – an ultimatum.

Somehow, a band of vassals, led by my cousin Avdimi of Milan, organized fast enough to try and demand my abdication - just a week after the treasury was emptied for an expansion of Noli’s Mausoleum.

The rotten fools waited for our army to be strained by our great victory and for the treasury to be committed towards building materials before rising up – I doubt that moron Avdimi was worthy of organizing such a feat himself, but clearly he’s being assisted by somebody sharp. I’ve ordered the spies to start investigating so that I know who to hang at the end of this.




> October

The traitors sit in Piemonte, encamped in the mountains as they seize the old capital. Between their numbers and the terrain, there’s nothing the army can do about it. I can’t believe I let this happen – if it weren’t for that damned Mausoleum, we could’ve had the funds to kill them all in a manner of weeks!

January, 1101

I’ve learned why the original castle was stationed in the mountains of Piemonte – it’s hell to fight in. Scouts report the rebels have been deserting en masse over the course of the winter, cutting their numbers by nearly a quarter. We have hope of a victory in battle once again, although the terrain still forbids a direct assault.

> March

It seems it wasn’t just Piemonte that strained the besiegers’ supplies – after one of the coldest winters I’ve ever witnessed, the snow continues to pile up even now. We lost over two thousand men on the journey back, and reports are that the rebels are less than half of their original strength.

What a waste. But at least men are wasted in my favor.



> April

Thanks to a timely death by one of my heirless mayors within Ivrea, the treasury has been bolstered enough to hire a small mercenary force and end this once and for all.


Fate is truly on my side this year.



February, 1102

The rebels continue to fall, but peasant revolts have been springing up while the army is occupied – including the Jaenians. Meanwhile, an Umarid Duke’s army has been spotted marching into the west to try and snag land of his own from the revolters.

I wish I could just storm through, kill all these fools, and be done with it.




> August

I’ve learned of yet another vassal coalition, though this one is less nefarious in nature.

Here I thought myself strong, above all of the chaos that had ruined our Kingdom the last century. We rebuilt and conquered new lands, and yet still I now am faced with the same challenges of old. I can at least take some credit for holding Zicenia together, but it never should’ve been this hard in the first place.



> September

The Jaenian revolters disbanded on their own – another harsh winter sapped their numbers enough to where the remainder lost faith and disbanded the siege earlier in the year.



March, 1103

The revolt is all but crushed, but first the army must march against the Umarid Duke of Toulouse, who has occupied nearly the entire border between Zicenia and the Empire.

He even managed to snag the county of Forcalquier for himself after their revolts from the last several years finally died down.





January, 1104

Those of Toulouse’s army that survived our attack flee back to their borders – I don’t care who attacks or when, Zicenia’s borders will not be breached by any foe.



I’ve also managed to locate and kill who I suspect was the true organizer of the coup attempt. This won’t happen again.

> March

Peace returns – my bastard cousin Avdimi is rotting in a pit, and the Duke of Toulouse has fled back to his pathetic castle.

It’s going to take some time to restore the army after all this – we’ll have to make sure anybody who dreams of revolt is found dead, and any foreign invader is met with a wave of hired men if need be.





March, 1105

I’m organizing another series of raids – not for the sake of punishment like before, since the only raids we see nowadays come from Dyamarian-held Egypt, but simply for the sake of gaining some funds. I leave my most depleted and important levies at home, while many of the men who make up the raiding party come from my vassals’ levies.



In other news, I’ve had yet another son…

This one at least seems to be of a sound mind, but that is little comfort when his body is deformed.



The last several years have been the hardest of my life, and I still cannot say I have much hope for the long term of my Kingdom. However, my wife China convinced me to take a break and travel across the countryside, and I think it did me well. As I grow older, the chances of having a truly worthy heir will fall to zero – but the best we can do in the meantime is set up a Kingdom so powerful that we can weather whatever troubles may lay ahead.

The army will grow strong again, the treasury will refill, and I’ll kill anybody who postures themselves to try and undermine my family. It is the best I can do, and that is all I can strive for.

​

Historian’s Notes: The past five years were full of hardship – a spike of religious unrest fueled by the Jaenian dispute, instability spreading from the chaotic Vogakny Kingdom and its neighbors, and a well-organized revolt all did their damage – but Raca and his Kingdom managed to pull through with no long-term damage.​

​

The problem of succession loomed, however, leading Raca to adopt a more defensive stance after the revolt was crushed in anticipation of difficulty ahead. The success Zicenia had found during its periods of maintenance as championed by the previous King had certainly left their influence on Raca as well, but a newfound insecurity certainly had an impact on his posture going forwards.​

 

[Centurial]

Chapter 24: Security






March, 1106

Stability returns. After another assassination, I now stand with no known threats to my reign. The army still must take time to recover, but our raiding parties should bring home great treasures once they are finished in the meantime. The south holds many promising opportunities for tribute, and I plan to collect it when the time comes.



December, 1107

The religious issues in our outskirts are the greatest threat to the Kingdom, though they are certainly manageable compared to vassal plots. We’ve been making headway in converting the Jaenian territories of the west, but the Orevi living in our more recent eastern conquests still present problems. The local leaders of that region have been the focal point of my spies’ efforts lately, as we ensure there is never time for any heathen vassal to gain power while the missionaries work to convert and expel all undesirables.

July, 1108

My counter-raiders have run into trouble lately in the old hub of eastern raids – it seems nearly the entirety of Anatolia and Greece have been taken over by a band of nomads led by a man known as Asko of Seppland. There are, of course, no shortage of other lands to raid, but it is worth watching to see what these strange foreigners do with their conquests – particularly given they had the strength to conquer Gojia’s entire eastern Kingdom, and even find willing servants on our own border in Italy.

May, 1110

The raiders have returned with a good bounty, and when combined with the savings we have generated over the last two years of peace, the crown is now fully secure even in the event of another conspiracy.

With a recovered army and newfound security, it’s time to expand our power. All of the land I’ve conquered during my reign is still proving difficult to manage, so rather than add to our burdens we will begin collecting tribute instead.



However, before that begins, there are two counties that have somehow maintained independence for quite a while, and I plan to bring them back into the fold before any foreigner gets the chance to.

> September


Betrayal.

China seeks divorce, after already having broken her vows to me – she refuses to speak, but the physician confirms her recent illness is one borne of infidelity.

She has been on a downward spiral lately, growing fat, lazy, and distant. The attraction I once felt has been melting away for years, and it’s lucky for her that I feel this way. Were things different, I might force her to stay by my side and never be left alone… but at this point, I have no desire to spend another day looking at that woman.

Since I have grown beyond worrying about new children, I have more freedom to make a better choice this time around. There is another woman, Sima, who I have come to know via my network of spies over the last several years. She is past childbearing age, but has served me well in keeping the plotting vassals from gaining any power over the years and should prove to be a better fit for keeping an eye on the court.

January, 1112

The two eastern Italian counties were subjugated with ease, but before we move on with the tribute, the Duchy of Hum requires our assistance – a friendly Siorach outpost on the eastern Adriatic, they are currently being invaded by one of Seppland’s tributaries in the name of their strange religion.

Normally this wouldn’t concern me, but it’s important that this upstart Khan knows his place – and it will only harm our own holdings in the east if heathens begin spreading throughout.



> September

The heathens were pushed back with very little effort. The Duke of Hum has a surprisingly large army and refuses to join Zicenia as a vassal, but he is under the protection of Gojia’s King, so I will leave him be for the time being.



Instead, I would prefer to look south into Italy. During their time in the east, the soldiers learned that Seppland itself is distracted with countless wars already, which leaves us an opening to seize their holdings in Italy before they have the chance to solidify them.

It is difficult to demand tribute of Gojia without even maintaining a hold on our border – with this conquest, Zicenia will come closer to dominating the entire peninsula.



April, 1113

Surprisingly, the heathens managed to bring a large army to meet us in Italy – we are preparing to bait them into a battle they cannot win, which should be enough to give us the clear advantage in this war – and likely give all their many opponents advantages in their own wars as well.

> May

The Khagan’s army was practically destroyed in battle before surrendering. They fight with tremendous numbers of horsemen, which may be intimidating on flat land, but have no business fighting in the mountains of Italy.



> June

My agents managed to kill another potential problem to the Crown, yet still whispers reach our spies of plots to try and kill me.

I’ve been keeping a very close watch, alongside my new wife Sima, on all who enter and reside in the court. I doubt any of the vassals would have the power to organize such a plot at this point, so I will send spies to learn what my sons are up to instead.





> September

These easterners are a strange lot.

After our great battle in Italy, they seem to have fled the peninsula, though sporadic raids have been reported in our far eastern lands. The war should be over without much fuss soon enough, though.



February, 1114

The war is over, and the lands of Ancona are ours.

There is still more land to take in the future, assuming the Khan can even hold on to it. Domestically, there is little strife – the spies dug up nothing unusual when looking at my oldest son, which doesn’t surprise me; the boy is too stupid to arrange anything of the sort, let alone in secret.



Since there aren’t any more pressing threats for my spies, I’ve sent them to see if they can have the Khagan killed – and from what I hear, it seems that should be easy to arrange.

With all other wars out of the way, the armies will continue to march south and take hold of Gojia as a tributary.

Historian’s Notes: Secure on the throne once again, Raca continued his impressive expansion of the Kingdom’s holdings in this era of his life. The sudden, rapid expansion of the nomadic Sepplanders was immediately contested by the King, killing their momentum and leaving room for the Khagan’s countless enemies to assemble. With the Vogak kingdom now too weak to even take advantage of a Zicenian distraction, the new threat was able to be given Zicenia’s full attention.​

​

In his personal life, matters continued to fall apart as his marriage fell apart, ending any small chance left for the King to have an acceptable child. Though never a very sentimental man, this incident would be the last time Raca ever bothered to write about his personal life – he instead would spend the rest of his life entirely committed to exercising and expanding the power of his Kingdom.​

 

[Centurial]

Chapter 25: A Final Idea







May, 1114


I thought affairs at home were secure, but just as I focus my attention on the Khagan, I learn that my cousin is plotting against me.

As much as I’d like to see the Khagan dead, this takes priority. The army will also need to stand by until this can be dealt with, lest we risk revolt on the back of a great battle weakening my forces.



January, 1115

A band of three vassals have been running this conspiracy, alongside a more recent one to overthrow me completely. I’m so exhausted with all of these greedy fools – surely by now anybody with a sound mind should be able to see that I am the king, I have been the king, and I will continue to be the king. They should see my pile of bodies.

> April

The plot seems to be handled for the time being. It’s truly impressive how well my spies can do their jobs after so many years of experience.

The army has begun moving into Gojia, but there has been no sign of any enemy army yet.




September, 1116

It never ends, does it?

Gojia’s war has been going fine – they’re fighting another war in the east, which is why their army hasn’t made any attempt to stop us so far. But now, we’re going to have to get our hands dirty against Vogakny once again. While the army finishes up in Italy, I’ve given the spies the go-ahead to see if they can have the Vogak prince killed and save us the trouble.



> November

Gojia surrenders – from now on, they will remain a permanent tributary of Zicenia.

The scope of this achievement is not lost on me, even if it was gained with little fuss. Zicenia now rules the entire peninsula, much of the east, and all of the land across the Alps.



With this victory, it isn’t inconceivable that Zicenia could grow into a third great empire, alongside the Umarids and Dyamarians.

The great Svato Empire of antiquity, once made up of three kingdoms, serves as both my inspiration and source of legitimacy in such pursuits. The Kingdom of Duka, however, remained independent from the Svato in the past – and were I to claim succession to such an empire, there would be great resistance given how much of Duka forms my territory.

Of course, there is also the option of elevating Zicenia itself.

This would lack the legitimacy or claims of a historical title, but would still give the crown the authority necessary to manage its subjects better. I am undecided at this point, but I will need time to prepare for such a move anyways.

December 24, 1116

King Raca died just one month after his imperial ambitions were first recorded. He was 66 years old, and had ruled for 43 years.​

​

​

​

​

​

The timing of this death was certainly an interesting one, though historical accounts lean towards his own ill health rather than any foul play. Indeed, Raca had been an extremely unpopular king – never before or since had Zicenia seen a king so brazenly willing to end the lives of his own subjects on a whim. All subjects of Raca had lived under a culture of fear and hatred, enforced by an extremely talented core of spies and assassins. King Raca was never a fan of his original moniker, “The Cruel”, and records later in his heart recorded him as “The Lionheart” instead, in reference to his many great conquests.​

​

Depending on which perspective one takes when reflecting on the man’s life, both titles are apt. Internally, he was a ruthless, murdering tyrant. Externally, he was the man who took a resurgent Zicenia and led it to greater heights than ever before, conquering great swaths of land.​

​

The issue of succession was indicative of the final major dimension of his life – some form of genetic disorder seems to have taken hold of Raca, as each one of his children suffered from clear defects – his firstborn was sickly and had died just as he entered adulthood, leaving Babai next in line despite Raca’s best efforts.​

​

Unfortunately for Raca’s legacy, his successor would have no interest in continuing the conquests of his father, nor would he be the founder of the Empire that Raca had come close to creating himself. Instead, King Babai would show very little interest in ruling altogether. A simple and womanizing man who had been rejected by his father, Babai would instead use the wealth and prestige of the crown for his own personal benefit.​

​

​

 

[Centurial]

King Babai Bar Raca Mirza, Age 43.​

​

Master Seducer, Lovers’ Pox, Court Tomcat, Adulterer, Maidservant Lover, Vicious Rumors, Lustful, Slothful, Stressed...​

Slow.​

Humble, Kind.​

Wroth.​

Chapter 26: A Crown, and Other Amenities.




December, 1116

Finally! The castle is mine!



My father, thought he hated me, never got around to finding a replacement. I’m not gonna waste my money on a big funeral for him now.

I don’t think anybody really cares either. He really was an ass.

Being a duke was great, but now I have way more money! There’s not a woman in the world that could refuse me now.



The chancellor came to me yesterday asking all these questions. I guess my dad got involved with all that, but I think that’s stupid. The military men can do military things, the vassals can do vassal things, and the councilmen will do their jobs. Father would always piss everyone off by trying to do their jobs for them, but the Kingdom’s not gonna fall apart if I leave em alone.

The old spymaster’s offered to take care of the capital for me, which is a big load off my shoulders. He was one of my dad’s scary guys that used to have all these people killed, so I’d rather make him happy anyways.

A few council spots were open, so I had my son, Sima, and Uncle Niv take care of them – both of them are good guys, and my son Sima said he was good at dealing with money.

January, 1117

With all the nice money and jewels sitting around here, I’ve given out some lovely gifts to all the women I’ve been seeing. My favorite is Tabitha, a lovely lady from Ferrara I’ve been seeing for just over a year now.

There’s also some old crap in here that I told the servants to get rid of.

I’ll be staying in Cremona, which is a lot prettier than Monferatto and closer to Tabitha.

> May

My uncle Niv came to me today asking permission for a bunch of things he wanted to do about the wars in the east. I was in a bit of a rush (the ladies were over) so I told him he’s allowed to do whatever he needs and doesn’t need to keep asking me all the time.

> September

I got into a pretty wild fight with an old rival – a noble named Lazarus who I’d been fighting over a girl with back before my dad died. Apparently he was still pretty sore over the whole thing, because when I was out at a feast last week he ran up to me and was itching for a duel, saying it was against my honor and all. Normally I’m not into that kind of thing, but Lazarus is really a pathetic guy.

He can’t even walk straight; he’s got this weird waddle. The guy just charged right at me and stumbled when I got out of the way. I was swinging my sword at him after that and ended up nailing his leg really bad.

Tabitha said it was really cool.



> December

I was out on a date with another lover of mine in Piemonte who took me to the great statue of Sabr-Ishu, the ancestor who had 11 kids and put our family in charge of the Kingdom. Apparently I’ve beaten his record for kids, so that’s pretty cool. We were talking about it for a while and she said it’d be cool if I spent all of this cash to try and make the statue even cooler with a bit at the base that showed all of the different kids.

It sounded like an awesome idea but Sima told me we didn’t have enough money yet. Once we do he’ll get right on it though.





March, 1118

One of my daughters got married to the King of Amaigh today.

They’re a bit of a lame Kingdom nowadays, but I know they used to be fighting with Zicenia back in the day, and now the King Donald says he wants to have a truce so he can focus on fighting the Vogaks like we are. He seemed like a nice guy, so I said we could help him out.

> June

I was at a meal near Tabitha’s home when I met this really interesting lady there. She was talking to me about a bunch of stuff about how annoying the religious rules are, which I totally agree with, but then she showed me this weird scar of hers and said she knew how to get rid of my pox. It’s been a real bother, so I told her it sounded great.

Apparently she’s part of some weird cult she said I have to join to get what I want, but I don’t really care about actually doing all of the work in that. They apparently have some great orgies, though.

> December

These people have been a lot of fun, especially the woman who invited me to it all. Some of the guys in the cult keep trying to get me to do things like kidnap priests for some reason, but I told them I was busy.



January, 1119

Tabitha had a son of mine today, and the boy looks quite a lot like me. She wanted me to tell everyone he was mine so that she didn’t have to lie all the time, so I went ahead and did it. It’s not really a big deal anyways.

My “wife” is just some woman my dad stuck me with a long time ago, but she still lives in Piemonte. I’m pretty sure she doesn’t even like men in the first place.

> June

I’ve been ill this week – the doctor says I’ve gotten the Plague somehow, but he thinks I’ll be okay since it’s not that bad.

> September

Uncle Niv told me we lost the big war in the east after all this time, and the army’s weak right now.

Sounds like some bad luck, but that’s life. Father won a lot of these big wars, but it seems to me like he just got really lucky.



> November

The doctor says I’m officially cured from the Plague, so that’s nice. He did a really good job of it so I gave him some extra gold as thanks.



October, 1120

Sick again, but this time it’s just the Flu. Still, I feel worse this time than I did last year.

> December

I’ve been in bed for quite a while; the flu left me really weak. Another lover of mine has been taking care of a few things for me, though most of the work is already being handled by the council anyways. All the wars have ended, which is good, and I managed to inherit some more land near Cremona after one of the Dukes died.

January, 1122

Uh oh.

> A few days later...

Uncle Niv’s getting the soldiers together, and he said he’s gonna need all the crown money to save us.

In the meantime, Lazarus wants another duel. He only has one leg now and he’s still going at it!

> A few more days later...

March 14, 1122

Babai ultimately succumbed to his illness after growing weak from his dueling injury. He was 48 years old, and had only been king for about 6 years.​

​

Babai’s inaction as a ruler led to a power grab by several vassals, eager to regain power after the death of the hated Raca. Half of Ivrea, including the capital in Monferatto, had been taken over by Raca’s former spymaster, while several other titles were given out. Upon Babai’s death, House Mirza directly held several scattered territories across northern Italy.

Fortunately for everyone in the Kingdom, Babai somehow managed to lose a duel against a one-legged man with Gout, and died before the war against the Dyamarian Empire had gotten going. Babai was succeeded by his firstborn son, Sima, who would inherit the burden of defending his disorganized realm against the great Southern Empire once again.

 

[Centurial]

King Sima Bar Babai Mirza “the Tenacious”, Age 29

Renowned Duelist.

Temperate, Patient.

Trusting, Shy.


Diligent, Stressed.​

Chapter 27: No Time to Sleep



March, 1122

My gods, what a mess I am in!

For father to die with no warning, right as a war is launched against our most dangerous foe… We’re in trouble.



My only priority for now is the war, and doing my best to keep Zicenia intact. I’m no Shahlufa, but I’m experienced with the sword and will gladly give my life on the battlefield if it inspires the men to do so as well.

Meanwhile, the Duke of Tuscuny, Abba, will be placed in charge of the army. By all accounts, he’s a fantastic general - and he’ll need to be.

> Late March


I’ve set up court in Piemonte, the old capital that Shahlufa once defended the Kingdom from. Out of all the random, disconnected lands I inherited, this is the only one truly fit for the Crown at the moment. It’s also very well-defended, which will be important when the Dyamarians inevitably come for us.

I’ve been reading over all the accounts I can find of the old Dyamarian invasion to try and learn how we can manage to survive against such a foe as well. Gods save us.





> April


Word has reached us that Prince Niv, the old Marshal, plots to take the crown for himself. I’m going to need to go to work on the other vassals – we will figure out what sort of titles or marriages are necessary to keep the realm together for this war.

The Kingdom must hold. There is no other option. If compromises must be made, that is a small cost to pay… because the alternative is to give a heathen empire land directly next to the heart of Zicenia, abandoning our people and leaving the entire realm open to attack in the future. I do not trust a man like Niv who would plot in such a tire time, which is why I shall fight to curb his influence… but if he issues demands, I would gladly give my crown if it would save the Kingdom. But I don’t believe it will.




> Mid-April


Gods be praised, we have allies!

The assistance of our tributary Gojia was expected already, but just the next day, an emissary from the regent of the Umarid Empire offered their assistance as well! We will have a long and hard fight ahead of us, but with their help I am sure we can hold back the invaders once again!




> Late April

We’ve received good news out of the Dyamarian realm: the invading army approaches through Iberia, rather than sailing overseas as they did in the past. It seems they plan to go straight into lands they claim – and now the Umarids will stand in their way as well, once they arrive.

A plague also has started in the capital – horrible timing, but it can’t be helped. The army will stay away, and hopefully it shall pass soon.





> May

The armies assemble in Noli, and should begin their march west within the month. The first major Dyamarian Army has been spotted heading our way through Umarid territory, roughly equal in size to our army at the moment.

I will wait until we have the greatest advantage we can before attacking – the mountains will be unkind to our invaders should they try to cross them.

In the meantime, I’ve spent almost every day dealing with the major vassals and managed to secure the loyalty of almost all of them. The only problem areas are those men in charge of the heretic outskirts, and Duke Tiv of Sardinia.

We will keep an eye on Tiv, but he shouldn’t be able to take action any time soon.



> July


The enemy has stopped in Provence for a siege – Umarid scouts report no reinforcements any time soon. While we wait, more Umarid armies march south. Though the men are anxious, we shall wait until an absolute advantage can be found – so long as the enemy army remains isolated.

I continue to work with the vassals in the meantime, reorganizing the realm to try and simplify matters a bit. Zicenia is a massive and bloated kingdom, with far too many dukes to properly handle – the ideal circumstance would be to have a handful of powerful dukes in charge of multiple titles, so that they may be managed easier – but of course, there is little I can do about the lesser Dukes who hold on to that land.



I will also need to personally deal with the heretic Duke of Tao, who occupies half of Ivrea, including the old capital. Once we get a moment to breathe at home without worrying about Dyamarian attackers, I will take our lands back from him.

Both Genoa and half of Ivrea were given away by my idiot father, weakening the crown of Zicenia long past his reign while leaving some of the most valuable lands in the hands of weak men who lack the funds to even maintain them as such. Having our old capital sitting in the hands of a heathen is especially egregious – a betrayal of all who live there, and a clear sign of weakness. These men will not want to give these lands up, but it is paramount that I do so for the sake of the realm.





> September


Amaigh has joined us as well. We now clearly hold the advantage strategically, so long as there is no civil war or other foreign invasion.

As I write, we prepare to march on the Dyamarian army in Provence, joined by an equal Umarid force from the north. They will be completely and totally outnumbered now, which will keep losses low so that I can deal with Tao after this battle. I myself march with the men – a commitment I made upon becoming King, and one I still plan to keep even as our odds grow.

> October


The enemy fell as expected, losing over a third of their army. The sheer scale of the battle was truly a sight to behold – as the enemy fled, a storm of arrows followed them, leaving a trail of corpses in the same manner that one would trace the path of a snail. In such a land of security such as the Dyamarian Empire, it is a wonder why anybody would wish to seek such a horror – but we know little about how the inner workings of their Empire truly are.

A small force has landed off of their boats in Genoa, but they shall fall too.

> December


The armies move to take back our capital from the Duke of Tao, which should come soon. In the absence of major naval invasions, it seems the remainder of the war’s fighting will now take place in Iberia, sparing our lands the devastation.

In other news, Tiv of Sardinia fell ill and died, and his successor was more amenable to diplomacy.

Zicenia now stands united – or at least, it will be once Tao is dealt with and Monferatto is returned.



January, 1123

Tao revolted as expected when I issued my demands, giving plenty of justification to revoke his titles in Ivrea. I will begin courting the council to try and support a new law against heretic land ownership in the Kingdom, which should serve both to help take back our land and avoid further problems in the east.



> May

Two separate Kings within the Umarid Empire approached me recently requesting marriage ties, which I happily arranged. Thanks to our mutual war, Zicenia and the Umarids have grown closer together, and now our house will have ties to two-thirds of their entire Empire.



> October

Momentum is building against the Dyamarians, who have failed to make any gains so far. The Umarids have won a few battles in Iberia, and even have an army pillaging North Africa, while my armies stay home to defend and finish taking back our lands.

March, 1124

Ivrea belongs to the crown once again, restoring the heart of Zicenia that my idiot father threw away. Genoa still remains out of my hands, but I shall wait until the end of the war to make a move there – it is more complicated to take lands from a Siorach man who hasn’t broken any laws.

From this point on, the law will change to where heretics cannot hold land in the first place. Though the odds of a situation like this happening again are low, it is a convenient excuse to help pacify and convert the unruly territories in the east.

And on a less important and rather strange note, just as the revolt was dealt with, some lunatic count within Musnia to our north has declared war on the Kingdom entirely on his own.

> May

With all of that out of the way, the vassal balance moves more towards the ideal.

The most important land in the Kingdom, outside of my own, is mainly in control of a few powerful dukes who have already declared their loyalty to me as a result of our earlier diplomacy. Our marriage ties should help to maintain the status quo as well after this war is over, and I have promised a few of the more ambitious dukes that they are welcome to expand their territories at the expense of some of the smaller vassals without worrying about intervention – I did not go so far as to condone it to their faces, but I do believe it would be best for the sake of stability if the hierarchy was simplified.




> June

The great Umarid army makes quick work of all Dyamarian forces in Iberia, and I suspect the war should be nearing its conclusion. Meanwhile, the larger of our two armies has defeated the northern Musnian count in battle and now seizes his castle in order to force reparations after he surrenders.

Internally, the vassals seem content for the moment – there are only two vassals who still plot, and they lack the strength on their own to even present a threat to the crown. The threat of Prince Niv is therefore dealt with for the time being, as he has nobody to turn to for support. I find it unlikely the vassals would get a better deal under him than myself.

Historian’s Notes:​

​

King Sima rose to the throne unexpectedly, and inherited one of the worst situations a Zicenian King could ever hope to avoid – and yet, he rose to the occasion. Sima’s philosophy of rulership was one that could be best summed up by three words: “Waste no time”. Within the first three years of his rule, he managed to form diplomatic ties with every single major vassal, retake Ivrea from the Duke of Tao, lead the Zicenian Army into the greatest battle of the entire war, and establish the legal framework to place all of Zicenia under Siorach rule, ensuring that any organization of enemy religions within the Kingdom would have to be centered around masses of peasants working against their own suzerain.​

​

Of course, Sima’s early success was only truly possible due to the contributions of the Umarid Empire, alongside others – the Umarid intervention ensured that the war would be fought mostly in Iberia, sparing Zicenia the damage of foreign invasion after the siege of Provence was ended. The Umarid Empire itself clearly saw the Dyamarians as its greatest threat, and would never sit by while their greatest enemy gained another foothold in Europe, right next to their border.​

​

Ultimately though, the first years of Sima’s rule would not be his most defining ones, despite their brilliance.​

 

[Centurial]

Chapter 28: A Greater Zicenia





July, 1124

Wonderful news – the Dyamarian Caliph has surrendered.

Thanks to the assistance of the Umarid Empire and all our Siorach brothers, Zicenia remains strong. However, my meeting with the new Umarid Emperor upon the conclusion of the war went less well than I would have hoped.

A boy of 16, he has just come of age to rule and is still unmarried; and yet, the Emperor refused my suggestions to marry him to a woman of my house. It seems, from what I have gathered, that the Emperor is far more concerned with securing alliances within his realm than without. It seems I will have to make do with my ties to the local Kings within the Empire and rely on their assistance were the Dyamarians ever to attempt another invasion.




> October

My wife has given another child today, but unfortunately it was another daughter. To make matters worse, the birth was a difficult one and the child is in poor health.

It is my hope that we may have a son soon – currently, the crown is set to be passed to my oldest half-brother Avina, borne of one of my father’s many mistresses. If this situation is to be fixed, I will need a boy that will be of age by the time I grow old.






January, 1125

After receiving reparations from the mad count of Basel, Zicenia stands at peace once again.

From here, there are many options for how I may take the Kingdom forward. For this year, we will need to remain at peace while the army recruits new men, but after that I will have to decide if I should expand the tributary network, or if we should remain at peace and give the crown lands time to prosper. The expansion continues as well for our two great structures, although a few adjustments have been made – the space for murals by the Statue of Sabr-Ishu will not be used to tell the tales of all my father’s bastards, but instead honor the great heads of House Mirza. The Mausoleum of Noli will also have plenty of room for additional murals to commemorate our second victory, although fortunately we will need far less room than planned to bury our men this time around.





> April

I am intrigued by my grandfather’s writings at the end of his life on the foundation of an Empire to match the glory of the Umarids – even with all of the work I have done, the Kingdom is still overburdened with the management of all these vassals, and the authority granted to us by claiming such a title would certainly be of use.

I believe I shall start making preparations to proclaim such a title.

> May


The alliance between Musnia and Zicenia has been renewed, with my cousin’s daughter being married off to the heir of the Kingdom.

Musnia itself has grown into quite a complicated state, with the King now also holding authority over the eastern Kingdom of Seinia, but separated by the more recently-independent Siorach Kingdom of Munur.

All three Kingdoms are of our same faith, leaving our old rivals of Vogakny almost entirely surrounded. Indeed, the amount of land that belongs to the Orevi has been reduced to what remains of their Kingdom, and could easily be exterminated completely in the coming decades.

The developments in the north in recent times have greatly helped Zicenia’s situation compared to that of my earlier ancestors – the threat of a northern invasion is laughable nowadays, and our combined unity as believers grants us great strength against any larger foreign invasion like that of the Dyamarians. The situation may not always be this secure in the future, but it gives a great opportunity now for my own Kingdom to seize the moment. I can dream of a future where we are the people threatening the Empire, launching armies across the sea to bring fear to their own people, and I don’t believe such a future would be far off if we truly took the time to secure our potential.





> June


It is time.

My official coronation as Emperor of Zicenia will take place tomorrow. Admittedly, the change will begin mainly as a change of title, as there is little precedent to base our Empire on - but the land I inhabit today is far removed from the Svano Empire of Antiquity, which was based in the East and formed purely from dynastic ties. Though the new title does not grant me any claims on land, it does give me the authority necessary to reorganize the realm further – and in time, much more could be accomplished.



A war for tribute will be a good first step to prove our Empire. The two targets I have in mind are Sicily, which would give us a hold on the entire peninsula, and Hum to the east.

Later, it might be wise to subjugate the many small realms placed between us and the Khaganate, to serve as a buffer and protect them from further foreign incursion into Europe.



> July

Another problem to be solved is that of Genoa, whose counties still belong to my Court Chaplain after my father tossed them away carelessly. Unfortunately, I have no legal justification to seize the counties. The Duchy of Genoa still belongs to me, but simply revoking the titles on that basis would prove controversial. I will have to think on the best way to handle this situation in the future.

> August

The Sicilian situation is also complicated by one matter – it is ruled by Jaenian heretics. As such, a war against the realm would be justified not to protect them as tributaries, but to seize the entirety of Sicily for Zicenia. The opportunity here is a great one, but it will take a more prepared army to do so, and will likely provoke the Dyamarians.

In the meantime, the army will be sent to assist the Duke of Hum against an ongoing heathen invasion – it is my hope that this will gain us the favor to earn tribute without bloodshed between our realms.

> October

The situation in the east is going well enough for the army to return home, though the war continues. The Mausoleum of Noli has finished its expansion, and I plan to use this as justification for the return of the land it occupies to my own authority. This will still be unpopular, but Duke Pethion is a spineless man, and I suspect he will surrender it without bloodshed if my army makes a show of force nearby.

> November

The main army will arrive soon, but I have organized my own local forces to repel raiders who have landed at Noli to rob the great city of its wealth – further justification for it being under the rule of a more powerful ruler, as well as an excuse to have my army located within the city when I issue my demands.

February, 1127

Amazingly, Pethion decided to refuse my demand and revolt.

An unexpected hurdle, but one that grants opportunity – I will be justified in seizing land from a traitor, and may be able to reclaim the county of Genoa as well. I hear stories from the local lords of Genoa that Pethion’s house is unpopular there, both for their opportunistic seizure of Genoa from my father and their inability to properly protect and fund the land in the way that my ancestors did.



> September

It pains me to besiege the great cities that I plan to make my own – it will take years to rebuild them to the prosperity they should be enjoying. Still, they will grow to much greater heights under an Emperor than some Duke who lives in a county far away in the north. I just pray that no future Emperor (I still feel odd writing that word, instead of King) will be foolish enough to throw it away as my father did.





> December

Further issues arise already – another great Jaenian peasant revolt in the west has arisen, similar to those decades ago. Several of my Dukes fight one another, and peasants in Parma have risen up against their liege. I had hoped for order, but the Empire seems to be facing chaos instead.

January, 1128

Another Jaenian mob has joined the last one, swelling the heretic numbers to massive numbers. I have read on how such revolts were dealt with in the past, and will adopt a similar strategy – let the peasants attempt to fight a war on their own and wait for them to starve or desert. Allowing the heresy to spread is not a move I make lightly, but even a mob of untrained rabble would kill more of my men than I am willing to sacrifice.

> April

Pethion has been defeated, and now the Duchy of Genoa and both of its counties are firmly in my control. The lands will need time to rebuild – indeed, most of my reign has simply been rebuilding what my father destroyed – but in time the crown will come to be the undisputed center of power in the entire region, with its great cities matching what one would expect from the heart of an Empire.

Though his revolt was a surprise, the entire ordeal has gone better than I would have hoped - I ended up gaining both counties very quickly with only minor complaints from the other nobles.



> July

The heretic army is now defeated, though I still lost one thousand men in doing so despite their numbers collapsing over the winter. Great effort will need to be made to pacify this region of this Jaenian tumor that has sucked the life out of Zicenia for so long – and perhaps all other Jaenian lands as well, such as Sicily.

Historian’s Notes:​

​

It was at this point in the history of Zicenia that it first began to be recognized as an Empire rather than a simple Kingdom. Foreign records are often lukewarm at best, with some even being outright dismissive, but the change in title represented much more of an internal shift than a diplomatic one. From now on, all of the men crowned would be known as Emperor, forced to compare themselves only against the other two great Imperial realms and expected to match their strength and splendor. Similarly, this would mark a more formal shift in vassal relations that had already been underway from the beginning of Sima’s reign – a focus on centralizing the power of Zicenia’s subordinates into just a few vassals, rather than the huge patchwork of Dukes, Counts, and recently conquered foreign fiefdoms that had made the realm’s internal politics so difficult to manage in the past.​

​

Thus, although the change from Kingdom to Empire was not reflected by a change in borders, nor a significant change in the court, it still had the important impact of setting a theme for all rulers of Zicenia from now on – the new crown was a message: “You are meant to be an Emperor – earn your place.”​

​

Of course, Sima would have to set a precedent himself first.​

​