Just a little off topic question, would Crusader Kings: DV work on Vista?
Yes, just install it under /users or some other folder, not the default one.
Just a little off topic question, would Crusader Kings: DV work on Vista?
So the next chapter is titled, In The Palaces of Edessa i wonder what thats going to be about
I meant more or less, that its going to be about the edessan Komnenids getting in on the action
prepare for the civil war of the century:rofl:
“You need to be crowned immediately,” Mehtar whispered.
“But I’m…”
“You aren’t underage if you have five hundred thousand guardsmen and thematakoi saying you aren’t underage!” Mehtar cut off the young emperor. “You aren’t underage if the Church feels you are a relief from an oppressive empress, and the dynatoi are sure you will be laxer than their previous task master!”
“Are you…” Mehtar raised an eyebrow.
“No! No, no,” Albrecht raised his hands quickly. “Thomas is my friend, Kyrios Lainez! Nothing more!”
Part of the Spaniard’s soul wanted to laugh when he saw the appalled look on von Franken’s face. He could tell – there wasn’t the same thing he shared with Thomas’ father.
“Watch my lead, and learn, Albrecht,” Mehtar sighed. “For Thomas to survive, he is going to need someone sharper than Manuel Arachnos, and more trustworthy than Basil Megaloprepis. You,” Mehtar poked the young man in the chest, “will be that man.”
Mehtar hadn’t prayed to any form of the divine in years, not since fate had taken his Thomas away from him. As he watched the young son of the von Frankens disappear from view, he found himself bowing his head and muttering a few words, hoping his choice of man was right…
“I’m afraid,” Thomas muttered to the only person in whose presence he dared utter those words. Even then, the Emperor winced. He was the grandson of the Megaloprepis, the bravest of the brave, great-great grandson of the Megas! For him to admit being afraid…
…Thomas knew how his father would’ve reacted. He would’ve smacked the Emperor across the face and told him to stop sniveling, get on his feet, and kill his enemies. Acheron’s mocking voice seemed to carry those exact words across space and time, as if channeling Thomas I for his imperial son.
“I’m afraid too,” Helene whispered back calmly.
“Something’s wrong…”
“Open the lines!” Donauri screamed as the panicking cataphracts thundered closer. “Open the lines!”
For several horrific seconds, the Roman spearline hung still, slow, sluggish, as the shock held the men in place. Finally, like a giant awakening from a torturous slumber, the mailed line shuddered to life—kentarchoi began to bellow, men began to move, as the Aftokratoroi tagma broke from line into columns. Seconds later, the cream of the Imperial cavalry galloped back through the gap.
“Where’s the Emperor?” Donauri screamed. The Imperial charger, nor its rider, were anywhere in sight.
“He’s wounded!”
The smoke parted, revealing thousands of riders and men.
“Skoutatoi!” Donauri cried, sword aloft. This time, training erupted into movement, as the massive line of men closed into an impenetrable wall of spearpoints. Officers bellowed for the men to kneel, and with an enormous shake of mail and wood, thousands of men knelt in the bloody ground of Neapolis.
As the alien horsemen reined up, Donauri smiled—slowly, viciously.
“Basilikoi! Loose!”
By order Prince Andreas Kaukadenos, you, Albrecht von Franken, are hereby placed under house arrest!”
“What is this?” Albrecht shouted, “Where is the Emperor? Where is the rest of the army?!” The Megoskyriomachos started to rise, but before he could even come to his full height, the guardsman had a sword at his throat.
“Please, milord,” the man smiled mechanically, “remain seated.”
“Where are you going? Where is the army going?!”
“To Konstantinopolis, of course,” the kentarchos smiled.
Well BT, that certainly did tie me over a little bit until the next update. Its certainly interesting how many "takes" you did. It would be hilarious if you ever did a "behind the scenes" update sometime for a laugh. Maybe interview Thomas I's thoughts on his role during the Battle of Kirkuk, etc...
Anyway, update soon!
That's a great idea actually! I'd love it.
That seems slightly off to me. Basil's great innovations were all tactical. He was undoubtedly the best tactician that House Komnenos has produced: remember his campaigns against the Persians in the Levant with an ad hoc kampfgruppe of Italian Thematakoi, Latin mercenaries and bits and pieces of a few tagma when he consistently defeated much larger (and much better equipped) Persian armies through sheer strength of generalship? Or his Spanish campaigns, where he did pretty much the same thing?I also forgot to add that Basil could be an excellent strategist gamer that usually wins games of StarCraft, for example. A strategic nerd I'm thinking.
That seems slightly off to me. Basil's great innovations were all tactical. He was undoubtedly the best tactician that House Komnenos has produced: remember his campaigns against the Persians in the Levant with an ad hoc kampfgruppe of Italian Thematakoi, Latin mercenaries and bits and pieces of a few tagma when he consistently defeated much larger (and much better equipped) Persian armies through sheer strength of generalship? Or his Spanish campaigns, where he did pretty much the same thing?
But for all his brilliance as a general, he never amounted to much as a strategist. He couldn't or wouldn't face the rot at the core of Romanion, preferring to remain on extended campaigns outside the capitol. The result was a disputed succession, the secession of his Spanish conquests under Alexios, and the reigns of two mad Thomases and the civil wars they created. He didn't keep his eye on the big picture, and Romanion suffered for it.
I'm not sure where this would leave him. Maybe he'd be a brilliant starcraft player...who doesn't notice that he is going broke until the power company shuts off his electricity.