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Wow. I've read this story for a while now, but I don't believe I've ever wanted a character to die as I now want Andronikos to. I mean, banishing Albrecht von Franken, arguably the wisest and most experienced man in Christendom, just because he doesn't like him for his stupid and childish reasons? Such an unfitting end to the most interesting character after the days of the Gardener. Bah, even if he didn't like Albie, there were a thousand better uses for him than banishing him to Istria. Also, Gottfried probably doesn't even realize just how correct his foretelling truly is.

It was nice seeing some action from Western Europe as well, seems that the Capets are about to return to their scheming ways...not really surprised about the Scottish Komnenids, I believe BT hinted at that in one of the earlier interims.
 
Wow. I've read this story for a while now, but I don't believe I've ever wanted a character to die as I now want Andronikos to. I mean, banishing Albrecht von Franken, arguably the wisest and most experienced man in Christendom, just because he doesn't like him for his stupid and childish reasons? Such an unfitting end to the most interesting character after the days of the Gardener. Bah, even if he didn't like Albie, there were a thousand better uses for him than banishing him to Istria. Also, Gottfried probably doesn't even realize just how correct his foretelling truly is.

It was nice seeing some action from Western Europe as well, seems that the Capets are about to return to their scheming ways...not really surprised about the Scottish Komnenids, I believe BT hinted at that in one of the earlier interims.

I'd say we'll see Albrecht again. Perhaps not in a powerful position as he had, but he has something left of him in the story, I'm quite sure.
 
Well, that's a sorry end for a great man. His son is of course completely right. One generation without some genious holding it all more or less in place and it implodes. Will make for an excellent EU3 game! :cool:
 
Well I for one totally understand Albrecht's exile. Andronikos can't really trust him to allow him to rule freely. And the last thing Andronikos needs is to constantly have a second in command trying to tell him what to do all the time, honestly. He's gone and attempted to consolidate his power, That'd be for naught if he still has his stepdad telling him what to do all the time, and probably embarassing him in front of the army or other important folks by doing so. But to kill him might be a bit too bloodthirsty even for Andronikos, and he doesn't really need to die, and he doesn't have to worry about him trying to start trouble, he's on borrowed time at this point anyways, and even IF he somehow teamed up with his son and tried to rebel, it'd be ridiculous at this point to try that.
 
and he doesn't have to worry about him trying to start trouble,

Question of course is how much loyalty he still holds within the state machine?
 
Question of course is how much loyalty he still holds within the state machine?

Well, even if he DID still manage to have control over some of the state, what would be the purpose of trying to make a move? Albrecht's not going to live long enough to claim the throne, and he certainly wouldn't want Gabriel to win, after all this. And he obviously isn't going to try and give his son the throne.
 
Well, even if he DID still manage to have control over some of the state, what would be the purpose of trying to make a move? Albrecht's not going to live long enough to claim the throne, and he certainly wouldn't want Gabriel to win, after all this. And he obviously isn't going to try and give his son the throne.

True, but I can't quite see him just settling down either...
 
True, but I can't quite see him just settling down either...

Perhaps, but I think he's pragmatic enough to realize any efforts are really for naught, and he might as well spend his time just enjoying his last years, rather than wasting them on plots that will most likely be ended halfway through. I'd hope so, anyways, I'd rather him be able to die peacefully, he was a good enough sort really.
 
I fell behind for a few pages. Glad to have caught back up.

I enjoyed the updates on the Battle between Andronikis and Gabriel, it'll be interesting to see what Gabriel does now. It seems he's being forced to make the choice of either withdrawing from Western Anatolia or marching headlong into the superior loyalist army.

Meanwhile it was quite interesting to see you starting up the next story arch - a Latin coalition could well bring down the Roman Empire that has been sapped by Civil strife.

Also, Woot! Go Scotland! :D
 
Scotland is apparently working nicely to fill the power vacuum left behind by absent French kings... I wonder how long it will be until there is a Scottish king who is charismatic enough to reach out for the remaining English barons, and toss out the French for good.

Oh and VERY NICE with that battle :D My work productivity yesterday plummeted because there was so much for me to catch on in the story.
 
Nice updates per usual BT!

Say I was going to ask a request but would it be okay for a future taster update if you got an indepth map of the English counties and colour them in for which sphere they are part of? Such as which counties are under Scotland/France, etc? Just for extra flavour of course. Plus it helps us that are IRL on this Scottish/French border see if we're speaking Gaellic or French. :D

Also, any chance we could have a review of which hand each Emperor preferred to use? I know its a bit silly but I was looking at which handedness U.S Presidents were and the idea intrigued me.

I was thinking Nikolaios/Manuel/Andronikos/Basil would probably be left handers. Thomas I/Thomas II/Thomas III were probably right handed. Demetrious and Nikephoros most likely ambidexterious. :p
 
Ksim3000 - Hey again! Well, I'm not quite sure what hand each emperor would use! I haven't thought about that at all... I might do the county map of England later on either in the 14th century or the start of EU3...

Leviathan07 - Hahaha! Well, the next update won't be done for a bit, so hopefully your work productivity can go up.....:rofl: It'd require a charismatic king matched with a an uncharismatic or weak French counterpart... or a long series of campaigns.

Or France getting broken by someone else.

Tommy4ever - Latin Europe has a great deal of power. The problem is getting it mobilized and organized. Drogo Capet tried and failed, as did Pope Innocent II, to an extent. Can Pope Julius do any better?

Kirsch27 - I think that's what Andronikos was thinking--Albrecht is in his late 60s, his years are clearly creeping up on him, he's been discredited and his allies have abandoned him. He's counting that in Istria he can't rebuild his presence enough to be a threat. Some part of Andie I think can't bring himself to kill his stepfather--if only because Albrecht did teach him most of what he knows... however, we'll have to see if that's the smart decision, because...

Frozenwall - Gottfried is still there, and evidently, Gottfried has some skills of his own (he has survived being dangled in front of the Arpads with a "Come get me" sign symbolically above his head). Even if Albrecht passes peacefully, Gottfried could be a threat. And if Gottfried and Albrecht unite, and Albrecht has enough years left, things could get ugly.

Qorten - The empire is certainly more shaky and perilous than it looks. Gabriel has been pushed back (for now), but in an empire this large, rebellion and discontent is always smoldering somewhere. Years of war (Since Basil's death in 1189, the empire has been at war from 1191-1192, 1193-1197, 1201-1220, 1229-1240, 1242-1247, and 1258-present... that's roughly 25 years of peace without at least one, if not multiple campaigns, in the past 74 years..) have made a huge dent in imperial finances, and we'll shortly see the lengths Andronikos will have to go to even have a chance to raise the funds he wants for his grand projects...

Nikolai - Albrecht is old, but nothing I've described so far mentions ill health... he could reasonably be seen again, even if the hourglass is against him...

asd21593 - The West has been pacified for now, but as we've seen, Spain and Italy both have so far been cesspools of dissent and revolt against the Komnenids. Its safe to say that even if Andronikos can keep them down, it'll take a great deal of effort, and as was said, someone along the line will fail to keep them in line...

vadermath - Considering all Albrecht gave to the Empire, it is an unjust end. Andronikos wants the spotlight for himself, and no one else--he has grand designs, but he's young, and all sorts of things can and probably will go wrong. If the two of them had worked together, the Komnenid Empire likely would have survived till the end of the story, it's safe to say. The Empire's at a crossroads, where it needs another Nikolaios, prepared to sacrifice themselves to create a legacy. Andronikos is decidedly NOT a Nikolaios...

Enewald - Not much mapwise has changed since the last dynatoi map... though start of next chapter a new one will be forthcoming...

RGB - Gottfried doesn't know everything, but his prediction about things eventually falling apart isn't that sage a prediction. Neither is the prediction that a slew of stresses could strike at once. It's called being a pessimist... about like saying "someday, it's going to rain..."

Nehekara -A sense of bitterness? Yes. Perspective? Perhaps--he at least realizes he can't seize everything at once, and that something as grand as gaining at throne takes time and patience...

Zzzzz... - Not yet, and this would be the major roadblock to them taking the throne, even if they had more lands. As it stands, Antemios has gained several parcels of lands, but by land he's still not the greatest of Scottish lords...

Enewald - Yup... there's a myriad of foes at the gates, and sooner or later the gatekeeper will sleep...

4th Dimension - Not a Roman ruler, just a Regent until the majority of the young Dunkeld heir...Duncan likely picked Antemios simply because his Orthodoxy meant he was ineligible to try to steal the throne from under his grandson's nose...

FlyingDutchie - Something definitely stayed Andie's hand. We'll have to see whether it comes back to haunt him or those that follow him on the throne...

Vesimir - Gabriel is down, but definitely not out. The majority of his army escaped, and even if he goes back to Persia, he'll be able to raise a new force, barring a Mongol invasion...

The next update is coming slowly... couple pages done only. Still looks like a probably Friday posting date!
 
vadermath - Considering all Albrecht gave to the Empire, it is an unjust end. Andronikos wants the spotlight for himself, and no one else--he has grand designs, but he's young, and all sorts of things can and probably will go wrong. If the two of them had worked together, the Komnenid Empire likely would have survived till the end of the story, it's safe to say. The Empire's at a crossroads, where it needs another Nikolaios, prepared to sacrifice themselves to create a legacy. Andronikos is decidedly NOT a Nikolaios...

True, but I doubt we'll be seeing a Nikolaios any time soon, if ever. I mean, the more powerful the Komnenid royal family gets (and right now that power is at ridiculous heights, being the most powerful and numerous dynasty in Europe), the more arrogant, proud, and self-certain its members (and thus Emperors) get. Who would show more humility, caution and wisdom: A Nikolaios who has a growing, but still relatively endangered Empire on his hands, or an Andronikos who stands at the helm of the most powerful nation on Earth? The early Emperors were raised as children in a much smaller Empire, which still had mighty foes to worry about, instead of internal bickering. Thus they learned more caution and foresight, compared to the later Emperors who, as successful and talented as some of them were, had a much larger amount of arrogance and self-certainty, being raised in a (seemingly) unstoppable and wealthy behemoth of an Empire. Over the last century, the Emperors and the dynatoi have shifted their diplomatic and intrigue focus away from international, and onto internal matters, which has resulted in the numerous internal conflicts (some of which had evolved into civil wars) which have plagued Byzantium these last few decades. So, IMHO, it will require a period of major decadence and weakness for the Empire to finally be graced by another extremely wise Emperor, like the Megaloprepis or Nikolaios of old.
 
*Shivers* I'm having withdrawls...
 
Sadly the update is probably going to be delayed--I'd say its about 80% done text wise, no graphics done yet. Now that I have a new graphics card, let's just say it got waylaid by Jim Raynor...


Look for it to be up by Monday or Tuesday at the latest though...