Panjer - How this all went down in game (this is from memory, as my image files, a.k.a. notes, prior to the 1340s/50s were lost in the computer crash): Andronikos I died in 1397, and Nikephoros inherited, and was ill most of his reign. There were a few spotty rebellions (maybe 5 or 6 between 1297 and 1304). A year and a half before he died, his wife became pregnant, and very soon after (a month? maybe less?) he developed the leprosy trait if I remember right. 1304 he died, leaving the throne to six month old David.
Once again there were some rebellions, and handsome amounts of my obsene treasury were handed out to minimize that. David in game reigned barely six months before dying in infancy, and his uncle Andronikos inherited, aged 14. Once again, there were a smattering of rebellions, but delving into the hoard of money built up over Andronikos I's reign and prior (a century of 600+ gold/month tends to do that) softened the blow again. Three reigns ending in such a short time actually made a small dent, however.
The idea of a civil war was first, more interesting than a simple inheritence, and second, gave some coherence to the slew of small annoyance rebellions, where count here and count there each decide to simultaneously commit suicide-by-liege. A civil war also worked well for story purposes... the empire needed to reveal its creaking age and enormous cracks. In game, that didn't happen-it was a rather sudden, complete rupture into a multitude of parts. The civil war's purpose is to help give these parts the identity and coherence they'd need as well to justify potentially long-term existence in EU3. Oh, and the civil war gave a chance for the brothers to show of their true Komnenid side: In game Manuel sat on as spymaster through Nikephoros' reign and died during David's short run, while Leo replaced a rebellious prince in Calabria, Alexios took Galicia, and Theodoros joined the rebellion suicides from Leptis Magna. Instead of merely being side-members shuffled off to fill vacancies, they're full rulers, acting, plotting, causing trouble and making a far more interesting story.
WelshDude - Some of their stats have already been placed in the AAR. I know for a fact Manuel's was, as well as Isaakios of Persia, as well as Isaakios of Egypt. For Leo, if they haven't been placed yet, I doubt they're going to be: I lost my CK savegames during the computer crash (I haven't even reinstalled CK yet), so I can't load them up to do stat hunting. I have a late pic of Andronikos II's stats I can extrapolate from if necessary, but that's about it. I'll try to post estimated stats when I get the chance, but they'll be conjecture.
Isaakios
is indeed King of Persia, actually Autokrator, as he was promoted by his brother when Alexandros took Konstantinopolis. He was busy--he's the one that sent Taymiyya's men to India to fulfill his alliance obligations to the Turks, and installed Taymiyya's friend as governor of Mesopotamia. This coming chapter deals extensively with Taymiyya, so we'll get a chance to see why Isaakios did these things, and more of what's going on in Persia/the Middle East.
JacktheRipper21 - If Theodoros had any sense, he'd probably try to kneel before Leo as quickly as possible. The Godwinsons have already hammered him to bits, and he's hiding out in a tiny corner of his former domain. There's not much to abandon when you're realm consists of the oasis you're currently living at. :rofl: He's still running around, the question is, for how long?
OpenBlueJoe - First of all, welcome to the forums! While you wait for the next update, take a look around, there are
tons of great AARs floating around to pass the time by. Thank you for your kind words--Part of the reason the empire became so unstoppable was that, even at this point, I was still playing vanilla CK. I didn't upgrade until the game itself was in the 1350s or so (about the same cutoff for the one directory of screenshots that got saved), and in vanilla, there was a very definite tipping point where income was so high that you could afford to bribe your way out of most trouble with the nobility. The Byzantines in my game passed that point oh, about a hundred years before where we're at. The one sticking point that made things harder was that you weren't allowed to forcibly re-vassalize a rebellious noble as a condition of peace--you could let them go or annex them, with the full penalty for annexing a Chrisitan applied. It really steered you to bribing people off to save the headache.
I hope you do like the events coming down the line--Taymiyya, Andronikos II on the throne, Leo, Alexios, Sortmark, everything that's about to happen! I look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas!
wolfcity - Manuel
was crowned... he was
Megas Komnenos as of the death of David, so one update, or a few months story time. And good catch, I'll have to edit to correct the date (the first section should've been 1303). And you're right, things
are VERY busy in the civil war, with people gutting each other left and right. I can promise that by the end of the coming chapter, there will be some clarity of sorts. It might not be the clarity everyone wants, however..
Bagricula - I've already noticed him, and by people's responses, I'm going to almost
have to do an interim on him at some point (unless there are volunteers who want to write one a la AlexanderPrimus?
. Just have to decide what it'll be about and what he'll be doing... (conquering the world of course? :rofl
Well, Andronikos I was a recapitulation of Basil in some ways, but a
very twisted one. I won't spoil anyone with whether Andronikos II will be a recapitulation of anyone, or something entirely new. I think, though, everyone will enjoy the ride that's coming.
Isabella was probably Manuel's one huge gaffe. He was too busy to actually send someone up to Sortmark to make sure she was dead, but he was right--her memory was a pull on du Roche, turning him north. The lie itself wasn't that bad... considering life in the medieval period, it wouldn't be reasonable to assume she was, if not dead, betrothed or married to someone else by that point... effectively dead, as far as Roland's romantic inclinations were concerned. Sbyslava is good, and complex--she and Roland have came to one accord right now, but we can already see she doesn't trust him, and if he has any sense, he won't trust her, and the two will be doing their careful dance of trust-distrust all around an underage emperor. Should be an interesting time.
As for Egypt...
Zzzzz... - It was high time in the story
someone talented suffered an underwhelming death. These things happen--the choice in my mind was whether disease would do it, or something else. Something else won, and one of the greatest what-ifs in Roman history takes place because of an olive...
Vesimir - Um, the Muslims are the
majority in Persia. Kind of hard to keep them out since they're
already there. :rofl: Gottfried might be a little old to accomplish such a thing, but his sons and grandsons are in the perfect position to make a strike north sould they choose to do so...
asd21593 - Chance. Fate. The minefield of life that sometimes causes the best laid plans to collapse under the weight of a feather. In other words, plot.
BraidsMAmma - Sure, you can use the story for your paper! I'm rather flattered that it's fit for referencing!
cezar87 - LOL I
completely forgot about that little Easter egg! Sufficce to say, no, that didn't inspire it though. Manuel possibly could've done something. He'd had only a few months in power himself to begin courting Bataczes or von Franken to intervene. It might have cost him a pound of flesh to get them to, but it's possible... and if either did, the Danes would've been in a bad way quickly. From there, he likely would've spent some time consolidating his position, building an army, before moving to secure Syria, as well as the Danube area, before going for Egypt. Once that took place, he'd have sheer mass on his side when he turned West. Could he have reunited the empire before he died? Considering his age and ability (he died at 32), there's a chance... certainly a better one than Alexandros.
Calipah - Try Arabic, yes? Transliteration of course.
AlexanderPrimus - Yes, a poignant lesson in why we should all chew our food properly before swallowing.
Like I said, it was high time for a meaningless death tor a major character in their prime.
RGB - All Beleoozero has done is have a memorable name and a far away location relative to Constantinople. And if mini-pretzels had been invented, well, I can think of several Komnenoi who might've choked on them...
TC Pilot - I don't think any other Komnenoi have died from choking on an olive... maybe I'm forgetting parts myself. And yes, you're thinking of Bardas, who was literally caught with his pants down.
Leviathan07 - No, the civil war becomes even muddier now, since there are tens of thousands of Danes now at the core of the Empire installing a boy that they plan to use (or many people will probably fear they plan to use) as a puppet. You've got Taymiyya going on in the Middle East, you've got the Syrians in a full scale war against each other, Spain in its own full scale civil war--only in Egypt and the middle is clarity taking place. Leo seems well on his way to consolidating a realm of his own, and Egypt is blissfully marching towards an Aionite future, barring massive outside interference.
Taymiyya I expect to be a polarizing figure--some people will like him, some won't. Either way, he should be fun to follow as he makes his grand entrance on the story's stage.
armoristan - Yes a killer olive has struck! All martinis beware!
vadermath - 'Jerusalems' was not a typo. It was intentional. Interpretations, go! And Gottfried has done
incredibly well for himself. He's now a kingmaker, and his own children are in excellent position to move northwards should the opportunity rise. Albrecht would've been proud, if probably still disapproving...
Enewald - Is he stupid? He's gone from being the second to a very capable many to the second to a foreigner (Sbsylava), with a foreign army, in the middle of Constantinople. The walk from second to first could be far shorter for him, especially if the Danes wear out their welcome in the city... committing with Sbyslava was a huge gamble on his part, one whose odds became far more reasonable once an olive struck.
Qorten - I think
everyone thought he had a violent death coming, or at least, a death worthy of a Komnenoi. So I went for the completely unexpected, and let a fruit (or are olives vegetables) do the dirty deed...
Nikolai - I don't think Manuel expected do die so quickly either!
Carlstadt Boy - Well, it's gone on for one chapter, but timeline wise, it's only been 1298-1304. Six years.
No update this week--I'm visiting friends and my parents for the Fourth of July weekend here in the United States. Next week, however, I'll be back to writing, and hopefully there'll be an update finished by midweek! Have a good weekend, everyone, and Happy Fourth of July to the American readers out there!
