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General_BT

Blasted Conniving Roman
99 Badges
Apr 20, 2007
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First, I want to congratulate Paradox on an absolutely engrossing game! I downloaded the full game a few minutes after it was released on Gamersgate, and I've been playing nonstop since. It's exciting and cutthroat and... I'm addicted! :D

Second, this ain't gonna be no Rome AARisen narrative--no time, I want to get back to playing. It's going to be a quick, dirty description of the innards of Constantinople in my game. A quick summation of each character's reign, in fact.

Alexios I Komnenos, Doux of Paphlagonia - Alexios began his reign by first growing up. On reaching adulthood, he made a betrothal to the daughter of then Konstantinos VII Doukas, Roman Emperor, and things seemed to be on a rather placid trajectory.

Oh, how I was wrong.

In 1076, Konstantinos dies, leaving the throne to the much hated Michael VII, and, of course, the realm rises in revolt. Sensing a chance to cause "mayhem and foolishness," I join in, breaking my betrothal much making many friends amongst my fellow nobles in the process. Michael is deposed, and his brother Andronikos made emperor.

Meantime, I married the daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor, not realizing she was almost 30. A year or so in, I assassinated her via plot, to clear the way for a new marriage to the young and fertile daughter of the King of Aragon.

Meanwhile, Andronikos refused to lower the crown authority of the Empire. So in 1080, I spearheaded another revolt that swept Andronikos aside, and reinstated Michael VII. For my help, I only got emnity from him. My chancellor, however, stole a claim to the County of Byzantion from him. I sensed blood, and formed a plot to take it for myself. I was found out, and had to abandon my nefarious scheme.

In the meantime, my niece Sophia, daughter of my brother Isaakios, murdered him to take over his principality of Antioch, then murdered my brother Manuel to take over Armeniacon as well. She sent assassins twice after my eldest son Andronikos, and once after me. It wasn't until my fourth try that the war of blades ended with her death, and Alexios as Prince of Paphlagonia, Armeniacon and Antioch.

With newfound power, I once again initiated a plot for Byzantion. This time I gained enough backers that I could follow through my with my scheme. Michael VII refused to hand over the Queen of Cities (he'd have been an idiot if he had), and war followed. I successfully took Constantinople with my levies and the Bulgarian and Pecheneg mercenary companies, and forced the emperor to heel. Broken, he was assassinated by parties unknown a month later.

The crown then went to his brother Konstantinos, Prince of Turnovo--the first competent Doukas. Konstantinos promptly brought the nobility into line by force, and offered to lower the crown authority level to limited... something I wanted so I could leave gavelkind behind and keep my sprawling realm together. Alas, the nobility did not approve the change in time--Alexios died of tuberculosis only two weeks before the change was approved. Byzantion and Paphlagonia went to his eldest son, while his younger sons received Armeniacon and Antioch respectively...

Darn stupid nobles dragging their feet...

(More to come!)
 
Well you know I'll read it. ;)
 
In the meantime, my niece Sophia, daughter of my brother Isaakios, murdered him to take over his principality of Antioch, then murdered my brother Manuel to take over Armeniacon as well. She sent assassins twice after my eldest son Andronikos, and once after me. It wasn't until my fourth try that the war of blades ended with her death, and Alexios as Prince of Paphlagonia, Armeniacon and Antioch.

:eek:

I'll be following this :)
 
Doux Andronikos I Komnenos

As Andronikos I began my reign in 1105 with a much reduced demense--I only held the Duchy of Paphlagonia, and personally only one county of that (another county stayed with my father's old vassal, the third was handed to my youngest brother, ugh). However, Andronikos had stats that would make any CK player cry--12 Martial, 10 Intrigue and Stewardship, 9 Learning, and 27 Diplomacy. Despite his demeanor and his beloved status amongst the nobility, in the first two years of his reign he had to deal with constant plots from his brothers Andreas in Armeniacon and Ioannikos in Antioch. I managed to assassinate Andreas and inherit Armeniacon back, but Ioannikos (I think) assassinated my lone son, leaving my daughter Anna as my heir.

Meanwhile, Emperor Konstantinos XII, secure on his throne, began looking for foreign adventures. The imperial eye settled on Sicily, and Andronikos, along with most of the nobility, were carted off to campaign. During the Battle of Palermo Andronikos was sadly maimed, but this freed him to focus on building up his demense. Both Constantinople and Ancyra built Large Castle Cities as well as numerous other improvements, and in 1113 Andronikos was honored to be named Chancellor of the Roman Empire. No sooner did he receive the appointment, than someone tried to poison him.

My spymaster, some German I brought in named Gerhard, discovered that my youngest brother was plotting to assassinate my daughter. Of course, I advised him to stop his mayhem and foolishness, but he refused and declared war. After a quick siege and a "lecture at swordpoint," I stripped him of his land and threw him into the dungeons.

I ordered my spymaster to Thessalonike to look out for plots on my life, but to no avail. In 1117, someone finally succeeded in killing me. If it was my brother Ioannikos, hoping to take my lands for his own, fate had other plans. He died by another assassins blade no less than 10 days later. Thus all the lands of House Komnenos fell into the hands of two children--Anna Komnenos in Armeniacon, Paphlagonia and Byzantion, and Kyrill Komnenos in Antioch...

Yes. My family seems hellbent on self-destruction. It's awesome! :D
 
27 Diplomacy?!

If this was CK1 you could diplovassalize the world in about 10 seconds flat.
 
Nice AAR..... what are Anna's stats?
 
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yep, definitely those are your Komnenos ... In fact they seem more aggressive than ever (and that's saying something) xD. Will we see the Second Coming of Manuel Komnenos to finally put things in order in the Empire? XD Because at this rate you will need somebody in the level of the Manuel to win the throne.
 
The inevitable CK Byzantine AAR - it has arrived. Subscribed! (love the title BTW :))
 
Second, this ain't gonna be no Rome AARisen narrative--no time, I want to get back to playing.

Well, it is difficult to beat perfection tbh, that was one of the (if not THE) best AAR's I've read. Still haven't finished it though, but I copied all chapters out in a word format, it's basically a book (thinking of adding in Chapters). Easier than browsing through all the comments.

Still, I'm a tad bit disappointed as I have the Pavlov reflex when I read Komnenos and General_BT in one post and get excited!

Subscribed btw.
 
Now. THIS I had not anticipated. Another AAR already? About the Komnenoi? However short compared to your previous gem? Wow.:D Good luck General!
 
Now this is a family, hahahahahahaha, i imagine that family ocasions must be something like gladiator fests ;)

Will be following this, your style is very good, very nice to read on the fly.
 
Very enjoyable thus far, colour me subscribed.