Rome AARisen - a Byzantine AAR
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Magnificent, General_BT, absolutely magnificent.
I loved your portrayal of Serlo de Hauteville, both in and especially before the battle. You make him very much into the battle-seasoned Norman, and it has been a very nice touch to see that Alexios does actually regard him as a father. His duel with Thomas was super, and I did not believe it possible that Thomas would be able to take on Serlo, dirty tricks or not. Well, at least Thomas is a goner now, and Alexios a young conquering hero.
I wonder what Christina will do.
I loved your portrayal of Serlo de Hauteville, both in and especially before the battle. You make him very much into the battle-seasoned Norman, and it has been a very nice touch to see that Alexios does actually regard him as a father. His duel with Thomas was super, and I did not believe it possible that Thomas would be able to take on Serlo, dirty tricks or not. Well, at least Thomas is a goner now, and Alexios a young conquering hero.
I wonder what Christina will do.
What an update!!
That was better than the new Batman and James Bond movies put together.
Oh and finally the monster is dead!!! The pope-killer, the destroyer of Rome, the cruel, the bloody-minded, the insane monster that held the purple for way too long.
It's interesting that the best father-son relationship in the whole story so far was actually an adopted relationship. Serlo was a better father than any of the Roman emperors so far. Alexios is mentally probably the stablest of all the contenders for the throne so far... I'd love to see him and Thomas the Younger (Thomas Néos ?) meet up some day. Sure, Alexios killed Thomas' dad, but then again Thomas' dad killed Alexios (step-)dad. Thomas knew his father well and know how inhumanly cruel he could be. I wonder if Thomas, knowing the full story, would be able to hate Alexios at all for this.
But I fear neither of the two young men will actually have all that much control right now. Alexios has an enormously ambitious mother and his court will not take well if he befriends Thomas. Thomas on the other hand has an equally ambitious mother but also the rebellion of Leo et al to deal with. He's also too young to shape politics to any large degree, and then he also has his imaginary friend...
I must know how the story continues!! We need more!!!!!
That was better than the new Batman and James Bond movies put together.
Oh and finally the monster is dead!!! The pope-killer, the destroyer of Rome, the cruel, the bloody-minded, the insane monster that held the purple for way too long.
It's interesting that the best father-son relationship in the whole story so far was actually an adopted relationship. Serlo was a better father than any of the Roman emperors so far. Alexios is mentally probably the stablest of all the contenders for the throne so far... I'd love to see him and Thomas the Younger (Thomas Néos ?) meet up some day. Sure, Alexios killed Thomas' dad, but then again Thomas' dad killed Alexios (step-)dad. Thomas knew his father well and know how inhumanly cruel he could be. I wonder if Thomas, knowing the full story, would be able to hate Alexios at all for this.
But I fear neither of the two young men will actually have all that much control right now. Alexios has an enormously ambitious mother and his court will not take well if he befriends Thomas. Thomas on the other hand has an equally ambitious mother but also the rebellion of Leo et al to deal with. He's also too young to shape politics to any large degree, and then he also has his imaginary friend...
I must know how the story continues!! We need more!!!!!
To bad I liked Thomas I (And I think i'm the only one)
I wonder what Methar would do, now he knows his beloved Thomas died at the hands of Alexios..
Oh
Acheron = Manuel (<-- Would be ****** awesome)
I wonder what Methar would do, now he knows his beloved Thomas died at the hands of Alexios..
Oh
Acheron = Manuel (<-- Would be ****** awesome)
Serlo should be a character in Soul Calibur IV I'm sure he'd fit in with Joan of Arc, Darth Vader and Kanichi-whatever Japanese characters are trying to find the eye sword-thing I suppose the difficulty would be modding in the bowl cut..
Anyway good story so far I've been lurk-reading for awhile and meant to comment when you conquered Roma but forgot all about it, carry on!
Anyway good story so far I've been lurk-reading for awhile and meant to comment when you conquered Roma but forgot all about it, carry on!
Just caught up with this after a month away, brilliant updates! Though suspect the cliffhanger would have been better if i hadn't gone read straight on to the reveal KUTGW
KUTGW 
Back from Christmas break (well, temporarily at least)! I haven't yet started the next update, but it'll be the end of this chapter, and hopefully you all will enjoy it as much as you enjoyed Thomas finally getting knocked off! When I get back to real home on the 1st, I'll also put up Thomas' reign summary for everyone to see.
Babington-Smyth - Welcome to the AAR! Count yourself lucky, though - you didn't have to wait impatiently like everyone else. Reading right away means you get a fix, but you also have to deal with cliffhangers...
Eöl - Welcome to the AAR as well! The bowl thing might be hard. And despite all his abilities, Serlo still[i/] wouldn't be able to use a grab attack on Yoda (argh).
Servius Magnus - I liked your original reply before you edited it. That made me laugh!:rofl: So yes, Alexios killed Thomas at Messina, but taking Konstantinopolis and seizing the throne is something entirely different. Next update won't reveal what happens on that front (there's some dirt that needs cleaning up story-wise), but the update after that will reveal things to you...
4th Dimension - Oh, we haven't even begun to touch some of the stuff going on in Thomas Jrs. head! And yes, Drogo is a complication to any plans by Alexios - however, if Alexios loses Spain and gains Konstantinopolis... I'd call that a favorable trade, really.
Deamon - If Servius hadn't spoken up, I was going to say there were a couple people around here who did like Thomas... Mehtar isn't dead, he's still alive but in exile. He probably won't find out for a while, but its a safe bet if he finds out Alexios did it that he'll try to make sure the boy will have a very short lifespan...
Leviathan007 - Even though I know I was disappointed with Quantum of Solace, I'm not sure my writing beats a Bond flick! Thomas and Alexios are going to meet up in the future, trust me, and for right now, you're right, neither young man will have full control over their court. Alexios has his grandmother and all sorts of factions to contend with, while Thomas is still years away from his majority. Thoams does have a nickname - "μικρού ενδρομίς." I'll leave someone else to translate that. The name's a little revealing.
The_Guiscard - I'm glad you think I did Serlo justice. Originally I was going to do the entire update only between the viewpoints of Thomas and Alexios, but the more I typed, the more I realized that we'd need part of the battle from Serlo's view to do him justice. Despite his brief appearances, he's probably the best (step)father that has appeared in the story so far. I think if Serlo had met Thomas on the battlefield, he would've easily triumphed as the better warrior by far, but fighting mano-a-mano, Thomas is a better killer, a huge distinction. Serlo might enjoy fighting, but Thomas enjoys killing...
The_Archduke - Poor Mehtar's off in exile, his lover's dead, and you're still calling for his head! Your treating the man like the Roman's treated Hannibal. Oh wait, he is a spider off in the bushes now...
Kirsch27 - There might be meaning to it, there might not. That I won't quite reveal yet! I will say, however, that Kyriomachos' blade gets reforged, but the original hilt is kept. The new blade/old hilt have some adventures of their own too...
asd21593 - LOL!:rofl: I'm afraid I don't have the proper equipment for carrying babies. I'm glad you enjoyed the update, though!
Milites - Incoherent sentences often carrying the most emotional impact! Though hopefully you're back to making complete sentences again, so I can read your opinion of what is to come... the next update might have you slip into incoherence again (though it won't be as long).
RGB - I think its the first time things have ended in personal combat in the story... I like it, even if its not the normal Byzantine way of things. It also almost had to be the way that Thomas went - anything else wouldn't satisfy!
Enewald - East meets West, West has won the battle, but the war still goes on. Alexios has bested Thomas, but unless Christina and Heraklios roll over, Alexios will have to best the Theodosian Walls and the armies of the Eastern themes. Now that will be an imposing challenge...
Fulcrumvale - Leo is indeed a wildcard, if Christina's snippets about Basilieos ton Italikon mean anything. Mehtar is much less of a wildcard, considering he's cooling his heels on the Prince's Islands. Things did get a little murkier, but the next update should clear up some of the confusing mess...
Devin Perry - Welcome to the AAR! And yes, the pulling of Storm was intended to be a little Arthurian, as we're entering a little bit of an Arthurian age in this wider Hellenistic world, so to speak...
Irenicus - Sekigahara is a good comparison to Messina. Both were interfamilial battles will ultimate power on the line, and both turned on treachery within one side. As for alignment and stuff, I think Storm would require a chaotic alignment (Thomas was definitely chaotic evil, but Demetrios wasn't... he'd be more chaotic neutral), while yes, Kryiomachos would probably be lawful good aligned (Basil was definitely lawful good... obnoxiously lawful good).
Avalanchemike - There might be all sorts of Star Wars allusions in this story, but no fuzzy little stone-age creatures will mysteriously best laser armed Stormtroopers who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn if it was two feet in front of them... that said:
:rofl:
Qorten - Leo's long been a cad, ever since Basil put him in charge of Italy, and his hand's going to get revealed next update. I don't think you'll be surprised who's side he falls on....
When I get back to real home on the 1st, I'll also put up Thomas' reign summary for everyone to see.Babington-Smyth - Welcome to the AAR! Count yourself lucky, though - you didn't have to wait impatiently like everyone else. Reading right away means you get a fix, but you also have to deal with cliffhangers...
Eöl - Welcome to the AAR as well! The bowl thing might be hard. And despite all his abilities, Serlo still[i/] wouldn't be able to use a grab attack on Yoda (argh).
Servius Magnus - I liked your original reply before you edited it. That made me laugh!:rofl: So yes, Alexios killed Thomas at Messina, but taking Konstantinopolis and seizing the throne is something entirely different. Next update won't reveal what happens on that front (there's some dirt that needs cleaning up story-wise), but the update after that will reveal things to you...
4th Dimension - Oh, we haven't even begun to touch some of the stuff going on in Thomas Jrs. head!
And yes, Drogo is a complication to any plans by Alexios - however, if Alexios loses Spain and gains Konstantinopolis... I'd call that a favorable trade, really. Deamon - If Servius hadn't spoken up, I was going to say there were a couple people around here who did like Thomas... Mehtar isn't dead, he's still alive but in exile. He probably won't find out for a while, but its a safe bet if he finds out Alexios did it that he'll try to make sure the boy will have a very short lifespan...
Leviathan007 - Even though I know I was disappointed with Quantum of Solace, I'm not sure my writing beats a Bond flick! Thomas and Alexios are going to meet up in the future, trust me, and for right now, you're right, neither young man will have full control over their court. Alexios has his grandmother and all sorts of factions to contend with, while Thomas is still years away from his majority. Thoams does have a nickname - "μικρού ενδρομίς." I'll leave someone else to translate that. The name's a little revealing.
The_Guiscard - I'm glad you think I did Serlo justice. Originally I was going to do the entire update only between the viewpoints of Thomas and Alexios, but the more I typed, the more I realized that we'd need part of the battle from Serlo's view to do him justice. Despite his brief appearances, he's probably the best (step)father that has appeared in the story so far. I think if Serlo had met Thomas on the battlefield, he would've easily triumphed as the better warrior by far, but fighting mano-a-mano, Thomas is a better killer, a huge distinction. Serlo might enjoy fighting, but Thomas enjoys killing...
The_Archduke - Poor Mehtar's off in exile, his lover's dead, and you're still calling for his head! Your treating the man like the Roman's treated Hannibal. Oh wait, he is a spider off in the bushes now...
Kirsch27 - There might be meaning to it, there might not. That I won't quite reveal yet! I will say, however, that Kyriomachos' blade gets reforged, but the original hilt is kept. The new blade/old hilt have some adventures of their own too...
asd21593 - LOL!:rofl: I'm afraid I don't have the proper equipment for carrying babies. I'm glad you enjoyed the update, though!
Milites - Incoherent sentences often carrying the most emotional impact! Though hopefully you're back to making complete sentences again, so I can read your opinion of what is to come... the next update might have you slip into incoherence again (though it won't be as long).
RGB - I think its the first time things have ended in personal combat in the story... I like it, even if its not the normal Byzantine way of things.
It also almost had to be the way that Thomas went - anything else wouldn't satisfy!Enewald - East meets West, West has won the battle, but the war still goes on. Alexios has bested Thomas, but unless Christina and Heraklios roll over, Alexios will have to best the Theodosian Walls and the armies of the Eastern themes. Now that will be an imposing challenge...
Fulcrumvale - Leo is indeed a wildcard, if Christina's snippets about Basilieos ton Italikon mean anything. Mehtar is much less of a wildcard, considering he's cooling his heels on the Prince's Islands. Things did get a little murkier, but the next update should clear up some of the confusing mess...
Devin Perry - Welcome to the AAR! And yes, the pulling of Storm was intended to be a little Arthurian, as we're entering a little bit of an Arthurian age in this wider Hellenistic world, so to speak...
Irenicus - Sekigahara is a good comparison to Messina. Both were interfamilial battles will ultimate power on the line, and both turned on treachery within one side. As for alignment and stuff, I think Storm would require a chaotic alignment (Thomas was definitely chaotic evil, but Demetrios wasn't... he'd be more chaotic neutral), while yes, Kryiomachos would probably be lawful good aligned (Basil was definitely lawful good... obnoxiously lawful good).
Avalanchemike - There might be all sorts of Star Wars allusions in this story, but no fuzzy little stone-age creatures will mysteriously best laser armed Stormtroopers who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn if it was two feet in front of them... that said:
:rofl:
Qorten - Leo's long been a cad, ever since Basil put him in charge of Italy, and his hand's going to get revealed next update. I don't think you'll be surprised who's side he falls on....
μικρού ενδρομίς - really now? Does that mean what I think that means? Or it could allude to another thing.
Prince or pauper? Hm.
Bond? Meh. Gimme Byzantine goodness any day.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken/a flame from the shadows shall spring/reforged shall be sword-that-was-broken/the Crownless, again shall be King.
Since you're doing Star Wars might as well do that one too.
Prince or pauper? Hm.
Bond? Meh. Gimme Byzantine goodness any day.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken/a flame from the shadows shall spring/reforged shall be sword-that-was-broken/the Crownless, again shall be King.
Since you're doing Star Wars might as well do that one too.
I should also add that μικρού ενδρομίς is my really bad attempt using an online Greek translator. ενδρομίς is the best I could get in Greek for the Latin caliga...
Hah!
Well, I did get the translation right, but when you bring up the Latin it gives it a whole new meaning.
Prince, pauper or summin' else?
Well, looking forward to it.
Well, I did get the translation right, but when you bring up the Latin it gives it a whole new meaning.
Prince, pauper or summin' else?
Well, looking forward to it.
lol, i was on at like 4 in the morning and wanted to be the first to reply
and yes the first post was how i really feel.and i want to see wether leo's empire will be entireley independant or more a commonwealth kinda thing within the empire.but i fear now alexios will have to settle with just the western empire D:
and yes the first post was how i really feel.and i want to see wether leo's empire will be entireley independant or more a commonwealth kinda thing within the empire.but i fear now alexios will have to settle with just the western empire D:
Just realized I hadn't posted a comment yet.
Probably because I was too overwhelmed by the amazing epic awesomeness of that last chapter.
At last the monster is dead!
:rofl: <-- Me, rolling with laughter on Thomas I's grave.
Probably because I was too overwhelmed by the amazing epic awesomeness of that last chapter.
At last the monster is dead!
:rofl: <-- Me, rolling with laughter on Thomas I's grave.
I laugh at Mehtar's pain. I spit on Thomas's grave. I will never forgive either of them for David's death. David should have been emperor.
And furthermore, Mehtar delenda est.
And furthermore, Mehtar delenda est.
μικρού ενδρομίς / mikrou endromis Means tiny/little glory. What this means for Thomas, I cannot tell. Does this mean he gains only the hereditary glory due to a Komnenid, or does this mean he triumphs at a young age? Strange...
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Oh, wait! Thomas was probably buried at sea. All that golden armor would take him straight to the bottom, where he belongs!
:rofl: <-- Me, rolling with laughter on the deck of a ship, several thousand feet above Thomas' final resting place.
AlexanderPrimus - Thomas didn't get buried at sea, instead something more appropriate was done with his body...
Kirsch27 - I didn't know ενδρομίς translated as "glory." I thought it meant something else - nonetheless, that's a rather appropriate translation too...
The_Archduke - Mehtar definitely has some major sins to counteract if he ever wants to be in anyone's good graces... there might be one thing he could do to make up for David's death...
Servius Magnus - Hopefully some of the spoilers I drop below might help you with your deductions...
RGB - If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, the answer is yes. That's my original meaning (though like I said, Kirsch27's translation works too in a way). Oh, and the ex in ex-graduate student doesn't mean I'm getting my PhD. I'm just leaving the university - I like teaching, they want me to so research. So I'm going to go get a teaching certificate and actually go and teach.
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! Still have yet to start the next update, but Thomas’ reign summary is complete! The current plan is for me to work very hard on the next update tonight, and possibly have it up tomorrow.
For those that are interested, Thomas ended his 36 years of life with 11,413 prestige (mostly through the Italian conquest, and hammering rebels). What follows is the summary of the reign of Thomas Komnenos “Skliros” (“the Cruel”). I haven’t marked won or lost territory in this one, in favor of marking the boundaries of some of the major players that will come to the fore in the next series of updates…
Pros: Reconquered Azerbijian and Mosul from the Turk, conquered northern Italy
Cons: Barbarous at best, demonic at worst. Lost Italian conquests. Murdered Pope. Actions and death directly resulted in the Second Komnenid Civil War…
Kirsch27 - I didn't know ενδρομίς translated as "glory." I thought it meant something else - nonetheless, that's a rather appropriate translation too...
The_Archduke - Mehtar definitely has some major sins to counteract if he ever wants to be in anyone's good graces... there might be one thing he could do to make up for David's death...
Servius Magnus - Hopefully some of the spoilers I drop below might help you with your deductions...
RGB - If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, the answer is yes. That's my original meaning (though like I said, Kirsch27's translation works too in a way). Oh, and the ex in ex-graduate student doesn't mean I'm getting my PhD. I'm just leaving the university - I like teaching, they want me to so research. So I'm going to go get a teaching certificate and actually go and teach.
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! Still have yet to start the next update, but Thomas’ reign summary is complete! The current plan is for me to work very hard on the next update tonight, and possibly have it up tomorrow.
For those that are interested, Thomas ended his 36 years of life with 11,413 prestige (mostly through the Italian conquest, and hammering rebels). What follows is the summary of the reign of Thomas Komnenos “Skliros” (“the Cruel”). I haven’t marked won or lost territory in this one, in favor of marking the boundaries of some of the major players that will come to the fore in the next series of updates…
Pros: Reconquered Azerbijian and Mosul from the Turk, conquered northern Italy
Cons: Barbarous at best, demonic at worst. Lost Italian conquests. Murdered Pope. Actions and death directly resulted in the Second Komnenid Civil War…
One thing... hmm. Commit suicide maybe? No, that wouldn't go far enough. I assume from your comment that he is going to do something that might rehabilitate him in some people's eyes.
And furthermore, Mehtar delenda est.
If you meant to translate caliga into greek,
Σανδάλια may have been a better translation. However, after reading the latin you intended to translate, I realize your meaning, or I believe I do. Caligula reborn seems to be a rather bad thing for the Romans at this point in time, Because we have already had a Caracalla.
Σανδάλια may have been a better translation. However, after reading the latin you intended to translate, I realize your meaning, or I believe I do. Caligula reborn seems to be a rather bad thing for the Romans at this point in time, Because we have already had a Caracalla.