Best Character Writer of the Week: aniuby

[Snugglie]

Congratulations General_BT, I'm only on Chapter II but as it looks now you'äve definitely deserved it!

[robou]

Congratulations General. If the thing wasn't so long, i would endeavour to catch up. I fear at the speed i read, you would be done with it before i did.

[comagoosie]

Congrats BT, I don't even know what more to say

[General_BT]

Wow... third time? First, I'd like to thank Actinguy for this honor - I've been really bad, and I haven't kept up on your AAR, I'm going to try my best after this latest round of papers and writing is over with to do so!

At the risk of sounding like an Oscar acceptance speech gone too long, I would like to thank two groups.

First, I'd like to thank everyone from AARland, for making this such a welcoming place for those of us who like writing, be it serious attempts at fiction or whimsical stories that make us laugh. Without such a welcoming place, I doubt I would've had the courage to make my first AAR post almost a year ago.

Second, I'd like to thank my readers! Very simply put, my AAR really is a living, breathing thing, in that the comments, suggestions and criticisms from the readers inform my writing and the characters within. I won't go into an individual list of people who have personally dropped ideas over the last year (as I don't want to leave someone out), but it is easy to say at least half the the brilliant (or half-witted, depending on your point of view) ideas for characters and what they would do in my AAR have come from readers responses and input. Manuel wouldn't have been nearly the bastard, nor Basil nearly as chivalrous, without reader comment and input. In short, without my readers, the story of the Komnenids would be simply an empty shell.

Um... so what is Rome AARisen? Byzantine politics and backstabbing (with th e occasional hashashin assassination) at its best, or as close to such as I can get, all spread over 114 year time span (as of now). What follows below is a little taste of some of the characters and craziness that's gone on:

Demetrios Komnenos "Megas"

Founder of the Komnenos dynasty of Byzantine Emperors. A conqueror of legendary proportions, both on the battlefield (in a 45 year reign, lost only 2 battles), and in terms of the ladies (3 sons, 4 bastards, and 6 daughters). He builds the Byzantine Empire to new levels of greatness, but through his fractious (and enormous) family lays the seeds of its possible destruction...

Nikolaios Komnenos

Son of Demetrios "Megas." Has the minor difficulty of being gay in the Middle Ages. Has no legitimate heirs, and is constantly being undermined by his siblings who feel they are more deserving of a piece of the Imperial pie. Will his secret stay safe? Or will family machinations bring him to ruin?

Manuel Komnenos "Arachni"

Second youngest son of Demetrios "Megas." Shows an unnatural interest in poisons and assassinations, and takes glee in playing rival factions and siblings off of each other. Will he succeed into the Imperial purple? Or will his schemes bring the Empire war and destruction?

Basilieos Komnenos

Even in the greatest den of thieves, there is occasionally an honorable man. Basil Komnenos is a fervent believer in chivalry, honor, and "fair play." Yet, is it possible for someone to have such a code, don the purple, and survive the deadly political game of Constantinople? Even more, what happens to such a man when his own sons are as vicious and violent as he is temperate and courtly?

So, with that taste out of the way, I'd like to thank Actinguy and everyone else once again, and rest assured, I'm going to be spending the next week scouring for the next CharacterWritAAR of the Week! If you're looking for a bigger taste of the characters, at the urging of a couple readers I'm slowly building a list of major characters from the inception of the story to our present position. Go check it out!

[Hardraade]

Congratulations, General_BT!

[Enewald]

Yaya, go Basil!

Everyone loves 24 martial!

And gratz general!

[Lord Durham]

Congratulations!

[Woody Man]

Congratulations General_BT! Very well deserved! Your characterisation in Rome AARisen is something to strive for!

[AlexanderPrimus]

Congratulations, BT!

If anyone truly deserves this award, you do!

[asd21593]

Congrats, General_BT!

Well-deserved!



asd

[crusaderknight]

Congrats, BT! Well done!

[Qorten]

Congrats BT!

[General_BT]

Well, it looks like its time to pass the CharacterWritAAR of the Week award on. So, in my scouring, I've found far too many eligible candidates to list - crusaderknight, Snugglie, frogbeastegg, the list goes on and on. So, to narrow the field down, I also made a goal to hand the award to someone deserving who has never won this award before.

So, after some long deliberation (and some 'liquid refreshment' at the local bar), I've come to a decision. This author's characters range from the drunken, often incompetent King Guy, to his scheming wife Sibylla. Personally, however, my two favorites are honest, upstanding King Godfrey II, and his onetime lover/resident vixen, Queen Frederica of Egypt. Both are drawn in a compelling, vivid manner, and in Godfrey's case, changing and growing before the reader's eyes. So, without further ado, I would like to present the next CharacterWritAAR of the Week, AlexanderPrimus, and his AAR: Chronicles of the Golden Cross!

AP, take a bow!

[canonized]

Congratulations AP ! Very well deserved !

[robou]

Congratulations AlexanderPrimus!

[Lord Durham]

Congrats!

[Snugglie]

Congratulations AlexanderPrimus!

[asd21593]

Congrats, AlexanderPrimus!



asd

[Qorten]

Congrats AP!

[AlexanderPrimus]

My goodness, this is quite an honor!

Firstly, I'd like to personally thank General_BT for his consideration in bestowing this award upon me. He is both a highly skilled writer and a good friend, not to mention my AARland mentor, if you will.

Second, I'd like to thank everyone who has contributed to my AAR in one way or another: those who offer suggestions or comments, those who encourage me in my writing, and finally my readers. You have all helped keep my story going.

So for those of you who are unfamiliar with my AAR, I had better explain Chronicles of the Golden Cross just a little bit.

The story begins in 1186, at the commencement of King Guy's reign, in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. The first generation of characters, such as Queen Sibylla and Reynald de Chatillon, are based on real historical people. I have simply tried to interpret them in a new and interesting manner. The upcoming generation, however, is a mixture of new characters and widely reinterpreted ones.

For the sake of example, I'll use BT's favorite characters. Godfrey II is a brand new character, the youngest child and only son of King Guy and Queen Sibylla. Historically, Sibylla died of an illness before she could give birth to a son, but given the counter-factual nature of the AAR, in my timeline she survived to bear a son. Godfrey has developed and grown throughout the story from an easily manipulated young prince to an upstanding, stalwart young king. The future holds many twists and turns for him.

Frederica of Egypt, on the other hand, is based very loosely on the historical Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. However, in my timeline, this character was born a female, and is thus removed from the German succession. Through a complex series of events, she becomes the Queen of a new crusader Kingdom of Egypt. She is just as sensual and religiously ambivalent as the real Frederick, but her feminine wiles make her much more deadly.

In conclusion, I would like to once again thank everyone very much for your support, and in a week's time I shall announce the next recipient of the Character WritAAR of the Week awAARd!