Holy wow there’s been a great deal of response! I’m glad everyone’s this interested in the coming… spectacle? I think spectacle would be a good word.
Next update is maybe a third of the way done. It’ll probably be posted Thursday or Friday most likely. About 40% of the text is done, but no graphics, and also, no music. One of the coming scenes is something I've had stuck in my head for about eight months... I hope everyone will like it!
Bagricula – Thank you for the kind words! For me (and I think many others), the deaths of Thomas III and his father Thomas II were perhaps two of the most emotionally charged moments in the whole story. They were both products of this Komnenoi system that tends to eat peoples souls, and despite madness and wearing the diadem in bloodsoaked times, deep down they kept them somehow. Thomas II inside was a little boy wanting his father’s love, and Thomas III was a mason and architect. It’s sad that politics forced the last Thomas especially to inherit—he was a third son, in another world he would’ve received lands and likely spent his days planning eccentric designs for his
theme, not becoming victim to a ravenous empire.
Laur – Alexandros would have nothing to lose and everything to gain by such an arrangement. However Komnenoi making a deal like that would be, it wouldn’t be honorable though. Is he planning on bending his honor that far?
The_Archduke – There was an Empress Cecilia blurb. There’s an equal chance Andronikos founds the university too… Cecilia was the only wife he’s loved so far…
Leviathan07 – If you like Roman-Persian wars, you’ll like the 14th century…
On the HRE subject, Andronikos isn’t thinking of taking Hesso’s crown literally, nor does he want overlordship of Germany. He wants the Germans to surrender the title
Basilieus that was granted to them grudgingly in either the 10th or 11th century (as a price for the HRE coming down on the Pope in a joint effort), and recognized again when Basil created the title Autokrator to outrank them. Andronikos doesn’t care if there’s a ‘King of the Romans’ so long as that King is a
Rigas in his own mind, someone clearly below him, the only true successor to the Roman Empire who can trace direct throne of descend back to the Caesars, as opposed to a papal usurpation. Andronikos might also symbolically force Hesso to kneel and call him “Master,” but he wouldn’t expect Hesso to be a vassal. It’d more be a simple recognition that Andronikos is the Emperor of Christendom, and Hesso is no more than King of the Germans (and ‘King of the Romans,’ whatever that means now).
And on the subject of vacation—sweet! My bf and I always wanted to go to Cambodia to see the Ankgor Wat complex. Is it that difficult to get to? Or simply it was too touristy?
Siind – Popularity is another route for Alexandros to take if he wants a foot in the door in Konstantinopolis. Right now to the average person (and many of the dynatoi in the Empire) he’s a
Persian, not a Roman, and he’s the heir of the hated Gabriel. If he smashes up the Germans, its certainly going to look impressive to the proles, and more importantly, an army that has seen their Emperor campaign exactly twice…
Morrell8 – A Polish arrival isn’t expected, but 15,000 troops could make or break a campaign easily, even one where armies are moving across a continent…
Kirsch27 – The Germans haven’t really
tried to wipe Burgundy out—Hesso has been consolidating control, letting Hugues and Burgundy bludgeon each other. If the German nobles believe the Papal threat and follow Hesso, he has a decently powerful army. Romanion’s big problem is yes, they have a FAR more massive army, but they also have many more frontiers to cover—just like the real Empire, they can’t deploy all their men to one front (or even three fronts)—the logistics aren’t there, and it’d leave too many places completely undefended (and in the case of the
themes, the nobility would not like their personal troops gone for a war in far off who-knows-where, as opposed to the nobles actually on that border who’d be more…understanding…of the need to fight).
And yes, just like in the modern world, ‘It’s Good To Be The King.’
vadermath – This is Romanion, there are
always unexpected difficulties! Alexandros I of Persia probably didn’t have that motto… but I think it’d definitely apply to both Gabriel and Alexandros II! :rofl:
HRE subject again—the Holy Roman Empire itself, from the Byzantine perspective, was nothing more than the Pope usurping power. It took place in a brief anomaly (the rule of Empress Irene) where in the ideas of the patriarchal West, there
was no Roman Emperor. Prior to this, the Byzantine Emperors had been acknowledged as Roman Emperors in their own right—the Popes move on Christmas in 800 was, bluntly put, a naked power grab to enhance his own office. Charlemagne himself was surprised and somewhat shocked by the whole affair, and none to pleased (he didn’t want to owe any crown to any man, Pope or otherwise). If the Byzantines had regained this much power, there was a good chance that either cajoling or forcing the HRE to accept their seniority and supremacy would be a nagging voice in the back of any Emperor’s head.
4th Dimension – Three (potentially up to five) huge kingdoms and empires lumbering towards war? Nah, everything’s going according to plan!
All I’ll say about your list is that several things on it are true.
Carlstadt Boy – If all goes according to Alexandros’ plan, there’ll be German-thumping for quite a ways to the north… if all goes according to Alexandros’ plan…
humancalculator – Well, technically unless you’re rooting for the fall of the Empire you’re rooting for Andronikos
in this instance.. This could turn topsy turvy really quickly though, depending on if Alex holds to his word completely, other people enter the conflict, something happens to Andronikos…
TC Pilot – Actually by the Church’s reckoning he’s been married twice—Safiya’s marriage was annulled on grounds of non-consummation and adultery. But yes, he’ll be going to the altar a fourth time, and that would be a Komnenoi record (The
Megas and Manuel went there three times).
Fulcrumvale – If there’s a close representation in Alexandros’ temperament, it’d probably be Basil between the Syrian campaign and Majorca. He’s supremely confident in himself to the point he’s taking on an unacceptable risk without much gain that we know of (apart from popularity and gaining standing with the main imperial army, perhaps). Basil was lucky—he was brought back to earth at the low cost of two close friends and thousands of his men. If things go south, Alexandros’ price could be much higher.
asd21593 – Romanion has weight and size on its side, but it also has apathy against it. Should the northern war go south, what’s to make a dynatos from Egypt throw up his arms and say “just give up such and such in the Balkans and Italy already, its not worth my scutage and tribute!” Victory can be had, but defeat could prove disastrous…
Vesimir – I wonder what pure glory tastes like…
Persia is, in many ways, like China—it’s so culturally defined that its conquerors tend to become Persified, for lack of a better term. Countless conquering empires that started in Iran or Central Asia became partly or fully influenced by Persian culture. So it’s no surprise that Roman Persia is no different—many Roman aspects will be imported into Persian culture (the army organization most obviously, but also court ranks, and Greek words and Roman ideas), but the push is even stronger from the other direction. It shouldn’t be a surprise that one of the Komnenoi was going to begin tapping into Persian legend by raising 10,000 Immortals or adopting Farsi into court language. The end result is going to be something more Persian than Roman, a new synthesis of both cultures.
RGB – From a military standpoint, Alexandros’ campaign is
sheer idiocy. He has nothing real to gain, he has a great deal to lose. Andronikos no doubt is going to do his best to toy with the logistics of the campaign as well—so the Persians only real hope is a—they find dynatoi willing to chip in logistically, and b—the Germans want a quick resolution to the war and are looking for battle. Alexandros’ smaller size could play a role here, chances are Hesso will be looking for him as an easy beating if he’s two or three times larger in numbers…
From a logical standpoint, I’d be with you and Alexandros’ advisors and screaming at him not to do it, or to take advantage of the situation. But ‘honor’ does not necessarily follow logic, and sometimes leads to disaster…
And I’m glad
someone caught the
Megas joke!
AlexanderPrimus – Well, good old Harold’s been
Pandomestikos ton Dytikos since he took Africa during its civil war. He’s probably a little long in the tooth (early 60s), but he’s a Godwinson. My bets are that he’ll be tough as nails in a fight despite a few more gray hairs!
Enewald – I think its safe to say Alex’s line of thought is:
a) Get to Balkans
b) Defeat the Germans
c) ?
d) Profit!
Nikolai – Andronikos is far past being just arrogant… he’s pompous almost. Considering what’s gone on before—he usurped power from his uncle, fought Gabriel to a standstill, secured peace at his back while he conducted a multi-continent backstab of Arghun and Gabriel… he’s met nothing but successor so far in his 22 year reign. The Empire is united, its prosperous, and has known a longer period of
overall internal peace than its had since… Basil, probably. With that background of success, even a cautious person is going to have a hard time fathoming failure as a possibility—once again, see Basil (pre-Menorca).
Tommy4ever – Concentration of force is against them. The Romans have a much larger empire and much larger army, but like I said above, they can’t concentrate it all on one point—its logistically impossible, and it’d leave too many frontiers undefended. So locally (by which I mean, France, or the Balkans), someone else can gain superiority, and quickly… one bad battle by a stratoi and a whole region could be left undefended. If the Empire was fighting one power, such as Germany, such a defeat could be counteracted by reinforcements from another front (Italy, the Basilikon). Fighting multiple enemies, even these nearby reinforcements could be jumbled and strained (Spain’s only backups are Italy, Mauretania and Africa… Italy’s gotta defend the Alps, and neither Mauretania nor Africa have many soldiers to begin with). The big threat the Romans face here is the potential for a multi-front war all along the northern border, something the Komnenoi have never faced before. The stratoi system was designed to be as flexible as possible in dealing with a threat like this, but its never been tested all out like this either…
vanin – Alexandros’ certain got his ambitions…
Zzzzz… – Spoken like a true Roman in the vein of Ioannis Vataczes…
