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WJLIII3

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Pro Senātus Populusque Rōmānus

The rolling landscape of Europe rolled before him, every castle bearing the Aquila. From the Atlantic to Egypt...Rome!

ROME!


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Emperor Manuel awoke. Lightning crashed outside his window. He rose and looked east, across the Bosphorus, to the rocky hills of Anatolia. The dreams had been coming more often, of late.

But dreams were just that, of course. Byzantium was a far cry from the Roman Empire of old. Only Morea and Constantinople herself remained to the Eastern Empire now. Grasping Italians had seized most of Greece, or pretenders to his own Imperial glory, and the Turk...

He looked East again. The Turk! The Seljuks had come like a storm, turning Anatolia into their "Sultanate of Rum" within a single decade at the end of the 11th century. Things had only gotten worse since then, and his father and his father's fathers had never seen and end to the savagery of the Turkish warlords. Now they ruled east of Constantinople as well, in the palaces of Alexander! Not that much of the east was Roman in any event, after the treacherous Catholics and their Crusade. Truly, it was only by divine intervention Greek hands held Constantinople today.

But nothing could be done. His lands could not sustain the mighty armies his grandfather had led, and the lands of Greece were fractured and under the Italian sphere. Still he could not stop hoping. Perhaps...perhaps if he were to assault the smaller Muslim kingdoms...their ties with the Ottomans were not so close these days... But with what money? What men? All night he sat and thought, and in the morning, he called his Strategos.

"Empty the treasuries, Stefanos. We need steel, timber...I'll make a list. Gather the armies and meet me at the docks...I will not sit and wait until they come knocking at my gates."

While Stefanos went to follow his orders, he left instructions with those members of the Senate whom he permitted to retain some degree of power, then girded and armed himself. It must be now, he knew.

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He sent word before him to call the levies of the Governor Diogenes of Morea.

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When he arrived at the Morean docks, the Emperor was met by a crowd of armed men, the Governor at their head.

"Philemon....you betray me too?"

"Betray? Hah! Your Empire is dust, Manuel. We must turn to the Italians, to Rome. Give up your pretense, fool. You are no Roman Emperor."

Without a word, Manuel returned to his ships. There would never be men enough to conquer Candar now. he must go to the Doge. The ships rounded Greece and moved for Venice.

But as they came north across the Ionian, they saw fishing boats making for shore with all haste. When interrogated, the fishermen said they were running from the Neapolitans. They had set sail for Epirus with war in mind. The Emperor quickly ordered his ships to guard the fishermen and launched his armies to shore. Arriving on the first ferry, he raised his standard high, the eagle shining in the sun. He commanded the Epiran army to yield, and lay down all arms.

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Which they did.... with minimal persuasion.

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King Louis de Valois II of Naples-Provence met Manuel on the field when his men disembarked.

"What are you doing here? We had guaranteed these people's freedom!"

"Oh?" The Emperor snorted. "Is that why you bring five thousand soldiers? All Europe knows you wanted them for yourself. Do not be so upset, I simply got here first, Louis."

"Bah!" Valois spat on the ground. "These lands belong to me!"

"They were mine first, King. Do not forget who you address." Manuel stood tall, his ceremonial armor glistening and regal, looking every inch an Emperor. "Greeks within the city, and Greeks without. Go home, or stay and watch the siege. Epirus is mine." He held the King's gaze until he looked away.

"Affanculo! Well this city is yet under my claim, Roman." He said the word with a sneer. Perhaps we will be having this conversation again soon." He strode away, his troops camped on the hillsides watching the siege, perhaps hoping to grasp some part of the sack. They were to be disappointed. The city was taken without a fight. But in the meantime, the fleets, and the Strategos, had already returned to the capitol and loaded up with more troops, send without delay to Candar. Word had found the Strategos that a vast horde under a man called "Timur the Lame" were raiding the Eastern reaches of Anatolia, and the Ottomans wholly occupied. The armies were spread dangerously thin now, but the Strategos knew his Emperor's plans, and could forsee no better time to act. With the fleet holding the straits, their allies from the south should be kept at bay.

The Reconquest of Byzantium had begun.
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The Anatolian Campaign

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The Candari were at war with Duldakir, deeper into Asia, and their unattended cities were quickly sieged, with minimal forces. A thousand men in each Candari province, and two thousand with the Emperor, after taking a quick stop to smash the seige at Constantinople, sailed south to Adana, the Sultanate of Ramazan. Duldakir lay past it, and it marked the southernmost extent of the Byzantine Empire. It, too, would have to fall, while the Turks were preoccupied in the Far East.

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Candar was taken while their fleet, carrying their reinforcements, was engaged with the Imperial one, carrying Manuel.

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While the Emperor was away waging war, the bureaucracy of the empire became ever more...well...Byzantine *wince* as it had to operate on its own command.

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As Ramazan conquered Duldakir, the Emperor and his Strategos were finally reunited.

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"Ah, that was so boldly done, Stefanos my friend. Now we will have them caught, north and south. We have truly been blessed with great luck. But you must return now, to Thrace. Raise new levies, as many as we can support. Karaman must fall next, and as of now, they have us outmanned."

"Yes, my Emperor. Only..."

"Yes? Only what?"

"There are...a great many Turks, my Caesar. Too many for us to face upon the field. We are divided, now, across the Aegean...I had thought your secret weapon was to secure us with Greece, but now..."

The Emperor laughed. "Do not fear, Stefanos. I have tricks yet up my sleeve. The Turks now understand the bitter taste of marauding hordes, I hope. It is men we need, and manpower. I seek as much land as I can grasp before the Ottomans turn their attention. For now, let us enjoy turning these infidels into corpses! For Rome!"

And together they rode out.



While battle raged in the far east, Naples gained control over Rhodes. It seemed they were not done infringing on Byzantine territory.

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The cowards of Najd surrendered, having never seek a Greek face yet.

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In preparation for Ottoman aggression, more ships are commissioned, and Wallachian ambassadors return home with promises of an alliance. And then, as Adana fell, another offer of Alliance, this from perhaps the richest and most powerful nation that yet retained the True Faith. It was accepted eagerly, especially as the Emperor stood in the mountains of Mus, looking at the Mamluk and Timurid lands arrayed beyond. Perhaps this had been unwise, to extend so far... and yet... the Aquila flashed in his mind again. Rome would triumph, he knew. He turned his armies back, and out to sea. The Governor of Morea awaited his retribution. His armies were ambushed by Karamani forces avenging the annexation of Candar, but the army escaped to sea, leaving Ramazan to fall behind them.

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On the bright side, Morea was soon to be liberated, and the newly grown army yet stood a chance against Karaman, especially since a few simple words of conciliation had the Timurids swear a truce. Perhaps they had heard the name of Rome, and knew to fear it. Or perhaps they had their hands full of Ottoman and Mamluk spears.

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Manuel tried to offer the Karamani Mus, without Adana, even adding gold to the bargain, but they would only accept further reduction of Imperial power, obviously out of the question.

And so he was forced to take a different tack.

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He also send spies to the Ottoman capital. It seemed that every gain at this stage has only brought the Empire more dangers. Something had to be done quickly to secure their position, and there was no use enraging Europe, as much as it galled him to let Venetians rule over Greece.

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Greece was emptied of Turks...and whats more...

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A terrible horde of Timurids still raged through the East.

And atop that, a most interesting offer from the nobility.

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An offer to avoid, hopefully. The Emperor had no interest in allowing the nobility control over his laws. But useful to have on the table, if direst need should threaten. At present, though, his greatest concern was whether to vassalize Karaman, or simply leave them be for five years... to annex them now, while they only sought to defend their comrades, would be highly disapproved of in Europe, for God only knows what reason. Ultimately, he decided to leave them be.

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And it paid off, as Castille offered their princess as a wife to young Ioannes. Of all the barbarians who ruled over the fractured empire, Manuel supposed it was Castille he liked best. No Gauls, or those foul Germans who dared who toss the title of Roman Emperor about, voted between them as if they were the Senate. Perhaps this could lead to greater things in the future.

The opportunity for attacking the Ottomans seemed ever riper, and yet he was forced to wait and wait. Though there were now two heavy warships, of the European style, in his navy, the Ottoman navy outnumbered them by too much. With the country tired from long wars, the ships would be built ever so slowly...but then, they would have to rest anyway. All provinces were set to shipbuilding. The Timurid horde seemed to be focusing nearly its entire force against the ottomans, or else it had truly terrifying reserves in the distant places unknown to Rome.

And then the navy was ready. The 25000 of the Ottoman Empire all in distant Armenia. It was time.

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The Greek Campaign

The Byzantine Navy, now with four heavy warships, blocked the straits of Marmara, and the Byzantine armies quickly swept the eastern Balkans, crushing four thousand Serbians and Bosnians with little trouble, and laying siege to Serbia and Bulgaria. In Greece proper, brave loyalists to the True Faith rose to aid in the campaign. The Emperor was ever on the front lines, chasing Ottoman loyalists in Serbia, and riding all over unoccupied hostile territory eliminating new reinforcements. Fifteen thousand Turks returned west, but were forced to sit on the shores of Bursa indefinitely while Greeks laid siege to their capital.

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While in Thrace, he went to the great libraries and found two men of great learning to work in his court, refining the economy of the Empire. He allowed those territories which had revolted on their own free reign, focusing his own army in the northern reaches.

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All over the former Empire, the glory and brilliance of the great Emperor has inspired the people. Greeks from Athens to Albania took up arms, casting out their Italian overlords and seeking unity with the Empire again, now that they saw Manuel was prepared for the Ottomans. Soon all of Greece but the kingdom of Achaea, purportedly an Imperial successor, was back in Greek hands.

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Athens returned to the Empire within months of its capture. They were the first Italian province to return to Byzantium, but not the last. In December 1414, a letter arrived from Rhodes, saying that Andreas Syropoulos had led an army there to topple the Neapolitans, and that they had raised the Aquila upon their castle. By this time, a brilliant strategem taking advantage of the Ottoman attempts to take Candar has eliminated the Ottoman army which had waited to attempt the straits, and Imperial soldiers already stood in Anatolia once again.

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With the additional four thousand Syropoulos brought to the Empire, the next Ottoman wave was repulsed, and shortly thereafter, the Turk's constant war and greed had caught up to them, their nation fell bankrupt, and the occupation was completed.

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When victory came, the nobility took the opportunity to attack the Emperor, saying he had purposely prolonged the war two years after victory had been assured, for his own personal gain.

Manuel Palaiologos addressed his people.

"Bold citizens of Rome! I have heard your whispers, your doubts. What they have said is true! The war was won when the Serbians were defeated. By the time Rhodes had rejoined the empire... the Turk was flattened. We could have seized our lands and ended the violence, and it was I, your Emperor, who refused to do so!"

Gasps and murmurs swept through the audience.

"But wait! Wait, good people! What of our brethren, I say? What of the Macedonians, the Larissans? They had risen up, taken the Aquila, killed Turkish viziers and Italian counts and HELD! Held Greek lands for the Empire! Was I to let the Ottomans have their way? Take Bulgaria and be content to let those ten thousand Turks take back the heart of Greece? I would not, and I did not. The Turkish armies were unpaid, their government bankrupt. There was no great loss of life, not Greek life at any rate, in the conquest of Anatolia. And now? Now the Ottomans are shattered. Now Greece belongs to the Empire! And so it will be forevermore. What is more, we are not yet done! Karaman is weak, surrounded by our armies. We will waste no time bringing them to heel."

And to resounding applause, he reboarded his ship and sailed south.

(I forgot to take any screens for the next ten years, sorry guys)

Karaman was quickly pinned between three armies, the Thema Thrakes and Thema Thessalonikes, six thousand, three horse, three foot, and the Freedom Fighters of Rhodes, four thousand foot and one cavalry, a gift to their leader, Andreas Syropoulos. But the Emperor had failed to consider the Mamluks. And their border, in Mus.

Fifteen thousand Mamluks came screaming into Karaman, and Imperial forces were forced to make a tactical evacuation, some retreating into Turkey, some to sea. The siege of Hamid was held as long as they dared, and Byzantine soldiers occupied the city and shut the gates just as the Mamluks arrived. The armies were fractured and weakened, and so they waited in Turkey, occasionally breaking a siege when left undermanned enough. Once the Mamluk main force was engaged victoriously, but another twelve thousand came behind them and the Byzantines suffered another grueling defeat. The dissatisfaction at home was high, as the war dragged on without gain.

Then Larissa, last of the Ottoman holdings in Greece, left isolated by the peace deal, defecting, bringing six thousand more soldiers. Though the treaurey was stretched to its limits, the tide had turned, and in a last offensive, Twenty thousand Mamluks were slaughtered on the fields of Adana, and Karaman annexed. The Mamluks sought a truce soon after, but not before the Thema Thessalonikes was crushed in Judea, overextended trying to hunt the surviving armies.

With the reconquest of Karaman complete, the Emperor sat back and took a much-needed rest. The armies were trimmed, resupplied, and reorganized, into two eight thousand man Themes of four horse and four foot regiments apiece. Constables were built, and armories in some of the smaller provinces. Culture was developed...until 1426, when it seemed the time was right to finish the Ottomans. Their economy was still bankrupt, their armies still small and weak. The great themes were sent across the straits, easily tearing Turkish lands to pieces...but when the Emperor went to Bithynia to treat with the Sultan, he found that the Sultan of Oman now ruled in Turkey.

"Oman? Where....is Oman?"

"To the south, your Imperial-ness..." The Ottoman courtier was terrified. "On the far side of Arabia, many...thousand of miles..."

The Emperor kicked over the table. "The far side of Arabia!? Well, that will not stop the Emperor of Rome." He called Andreas Syropoulos to audience. "Send the Thema Thassalonikes to Israel, immediately. Tell them...tell them to march south. You go to seek the land of 'Oman.' I fear you will have to fight your way there. The only route we can guess at would pass through Hedjaz and Yemen, the nations which declared war on us in defense of the Ottomans. Good luck, and Godspeed."

Syropoulos passed through Hedjaz without much incident, signing a truce in Mecca as he did so...but Yemen was not so hospitable. After an initial incursion resulted in the loss of half his men to their twelve thousand, he retreated into the desert of Najd to recuperate and reinforce.

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But the situation at home, as the war dragged on, was becoming dangerous for the Emperor with only half an army.

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NEXT TIME: The Adventure in Arabia: Desert Disaster?
 
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Adventure in Arabia

During the Anatolian campaign, a terrible disease had ravaged the nation, killing many of the frail and young. Prince Ioannes had died, shortly after coming of age. For a time, Helene, made Crown Princess at 6, was in line for the throne, but she took sick as well, and passed away. Many had begun to believe there was a curse on the reborn Empire. Emperor could only hope that Syropoulos could bring him victory in Arabia. By Christ, he could only hope he could hold Turkey, at this rate! Rebellion raged everywhere, and Algiers encroached on Albania. At least he had manpower and gold aplenty, now.

Hah! He smiled, even as his bodyguard smashed the front lines of the Turkish spearmen. So quickly was his growth, it seemed, that Italy had no time to react, and had never so much as landed a troop to end the revolts. As long as he could hold until his distant armies returned...the Empire would be restored in full!

MEANWHILE, Distant...

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Syropoulos led his armies through the hot desert, men and horses alike trudging slowly through the sand. He had no idea what lay to their south, only that it would belong to the Sultanate of Yemen. The people of Najd had warily allowed them to rest and rearm for months now, but the time to move on had come. However, when the scouts saw over the shimmering sands the vast host that awaited them they diverted to Asir, hoping to come upon the small garrison there unsuspecting. That garrison retreated to Sana'a, and a larger force arrived shortly after, the forces from the undiscovered land to the east, nine thousand Yemeni and four thousand Omani under Sayf Sakr. Though they fought bravely, the Byzantine army was driven back to Mecca, now peaceful territory after the truce with Hedjaz. 11 thousand Yemeni held Asir. It seemed they were deadlocked. But they hadn't the time for deadlock! The home provinces were up in arms, more every day, or so it seemed from the letters. The war must end soon, or Anatolia would be lost.

For another year they skirmished between Mecca and Asir, with Yemeni Medina falling to Byzantine siege. Finally, Oman gave them the opening they needed! Attacking Byzantine soldiers in Mecca, they allowed themselves to be hunted back to Asir and destroyed.

Of the eleven thousand Yemeni, however, two had fled before the coming Theme, six rode to attack it head-on, and three sailed to siege Medina. Even if their six thousand had the morale to throw back his seven and a half...Syropoulos laughed! He could swing north, kill their siege party, resupply and return, eight thousand to eight thousand, evenly matched - except no infidel was ever the match of a Roman! And he proved himself right, as well, crushing the six thousand and chasing them into uncharted desert.

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He arrived too late to stop their retreat into Sana'a, however, and decided to make his way toward Oman rather than chase the Muslims through the desert for months longer. He was forced to move slowly, skirting a massive and totally inhospitable desert as he traveled south and east. Sayf Sakr was never far behind, harrying them from the dunes.

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As Medina returned to Yemeni hands, and Syropoulos' troops approached the border of Oman, messengers from Sana'a arrived with an offer of truce.

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With Yemen out of the war, it was another matter. His troops rushed to the mountains of Muscat and there, cut off from reinforcement, laid siege until August of 1431, when the city fell. Drafting replacements from the populace as quickly as he dared, Doukas began to rest easy. Soon the Empire would be rightfully restored!

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Back in the Empire...

 
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While the brave expeditionaries warred across all of Arabia, Emperor Manuel was not idle at home. His Theme raced east and west across Anatolia, crushed revolt and keeped the Turks at bay, the navies holding Marmara against all comers. Of which there were many. Algiers and the Golden Horde systematically took Greece and Bulgaria, the Horde too vast by far to keep at bay with only his eight thousand. Manuel instituted a new system of military training and drill, increasing the morale and discipline of his troops.

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In April, perhaps inspired by their brave struggle against the power of Islam, or perhaps hoping to taste the glory of Rome, made overtures. Spain sent a daughter to wed young Ioannes.

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Alas, the girl came with no swords to speak of. The clashes with rebels continued until the New year, when word arrived. Oman had fallen, Syropoulos was victorious! Victorious, but dead, it seemed. His lieutenant, Philemon Doukas, would be leading the forces home, but they had much ground to cover still.

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Considering his options, the Emperor was forced to consider that he may not regain his armies in time. Many nations in Europe came to the aid of the Empire, perhaps out of scorn for the Venetians, perhaps simply to aid in the defeat of the Horde.

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The Hansa extended an invitation to their trade league, which the Emperor took, partly to insult the Venetians, but also because he felt it wise to secure friends in Germania. Soon or late, he was sure that the Two Roman Emperors would find themselves in a conflict of interest. He reeled as he thought this, reminding himself never again to refer to that... that Czech! as Roman Emperor.

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Again and again he tried to pursuade the Mamluk Sultan to allow his men to pass. They were so close, now, to the Mediterranean, just fifty miles or so of bare distance...but no way to cross. The Emperor was finally forced to tell the Theme to disband and make its way home separately, if they were able. There was to be no passage through Mamluk lands.

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When the Golden Horde brought twelve thousand to the Gates of Constantinople, though, he knew that the time had come. Calling the Senate, and with much fanfare and pomp, he granted to them the right of Veto over Imperial Decree. He also named a Senator Choumos a General. In return, he gained an army: fifteen thousand, five of them horse, gathered just north of Thrace. Petros Choumos was placed in their command, and his forces soon shattered the armies of the Horde. He commissioned an admiral in the bargain, to bring him victory over the Venetian and Algierian navies.

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Before long, New Rome was liberated, and the Algierian army, ten thousand strong, crushed by the Senate Theme on in Macedonia. Algiers sought a truce within days.

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The Senate army remained in Bulgaria only long enough to throw the Horde back into their own territory, then turned to crush the Venetian host on Rhodes. Soon, Venice, beset by foes at home, was crying for peace as well.

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By the time the armies returned north, the great Senate Theme now split in half and restructured into the Emperor's preferred four cavalry, four infantry Themes, Ukrainian and Serbian forces, with Bohemian aid, were savaging the west flank of the Golden Horde. Serbia had grown large, now constituting the entire Orthodox border not traditionally belonging to Rome. All seemed well, as diplomatic ties were extended to Serbia, but then tragedy.

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The Emperor is Dead!

 
The Empire Restored
Viva Ioannes

For the next 6 years, the Empire stagnated while young Ioannes grew. The Portugese ultimately sought a truce after years of a mostly bloodless state of war. The Timurids never sought their Mamluk-controlled territories, and for a time, peace reigned.

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Finally, in 1441...

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The early years of young Ioannes' reign were plagued by the Golden horde, but seeking to surpass his father's legacy, he bravely did battle with them, also making war upon Trebizond and annexing Corfu, whose Italian overlords had finally abandoned them.

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While the Themes made war across the Black Sea in Trebizonian territory, the Hansa extended further offers of friendship, a military alliance. Ioannes eagerly accepted, the seeds of a plan beginning to form in his mind. But one that would be long in instrumentation, and little use to consider now. The war with the Golden Horde, though fought with bravery and Roman discipline, was ultimately Ioannes' greatest failure. After Kaffa, newly reclaimed from the Terbianians, was sacked into submission, the Themes were forced to retreat across the sea.

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And soon, Timurid horde had finally made their long way around the Caspian Sea and arrived in Georgia, fighting alongside their Muslim brethren.

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However, when the Themes struck again, despite being reduced to two, they shattered the smaller divisions of raiding infidels. The Roman Themes did justice to their heritage, and crushed the swarming hordes.

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The Horde soon surrendered. Ioannes accepted, hoping that their constant pressure would further weaken the Jagiellonians and Bohemia. Shortly after the war, Lithuania broke from Poland.

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While the war with Timur's host continued, Brandenburg sought an audience with the Emperor.

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Both an alliance and a marriage were agreed upon. Ioannes was highly pleased with his new German allies. And before long, the Timurid horde was obliterated.

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More armies were raised.

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Just in time for more Timurids to ride in from the North again.

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As the 1450s came to a close, Ioannes realized he could not let the endless raids of marauders obstruct what was important.

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Despite their many allies and guarantors, none came to the aid of the Ottoman Turks in their final hour. They knew Rome was ascendant, now. Shortly after the war began, the Senate came to the Emperor, trying to restrict the lower class from serving as military leaders. The Emperor, however, cared little for the so-called 'rights' of the nobility. The Glory of the Empire is the most important matter of all.

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While the siege drew on, the province of Armenia slipped from Timurid rule to Byzantine, a glorious day, as this had once marked the outermost extent of the Roman Empire

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The Emperor established a vast network of spies, monitoring the moves of the great Northern kingdoms, and soon learned that the Golden Horde was truly ravaging their lands. As far as he was concerned, this could only be good. Until, of course, the Horde began oppressing Orthodox faithful...

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At last, after seven months, Bithynia fell, and the Bosporus was once again in Byzantine hands. The Emperor, with the Horde again chomping at the bit on his borders, soon reestablished the Theme system in Anatolia.

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The Themes were successful in the conquest of Kaffa, but shortly opted to let the Horde off without too much violence, desiring instead to reestablish Roman control over Egypt, as well as to clean up his eastern border.

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A Crusade was declared on the Mamluks, and thirty-two thousand troops in four Themes brought to war. But the Mamluks were all at war in the east, it seemed, and few remained to defend Aegyptos. A fact the Italians would not ignore, it seemed.

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Ultimately, the Emperor contented himself with the Holy Land. When Tuscany made peace, seizing Alexandria, they forced the Mamluks to release the Syrian region as a free nation. Ioannes considered conquest, but the Senate had other ideas.

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He could not help but agree, truly. The Themes were sent to their positions and awaited their orders. Castille was no longer Defender of the Faith, that title now belonged to Burgundy. That was well, because Greece was to be his, regardless.

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Burgundy, it seemed, was making a play for Holy Roman Emperor, though the likelyhood of breaking the Bohemian lock on the position was slim. Their vassalage was extensive. And so:

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Though he knew his right as Roman Emperor was unshakeable, still, Ioannes could not help but be shaken by the hundred and forty-four thousand Germans arrayed against his thirty-two thousand Greeks. Achaea and Crete fell first.

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Cyrpus was then brought into the war, as the Burgundians were little able to muster a fleet with which to match the Byzantine Navy, and Ioannes feared them not once he had crushed their ships in their first exchange. France had little of its former power remaining, and none at sea, and so Cyprus was too tempting a target to pass up. Tuscany, however, who controlled Naxos, were part of the supposed Holy Roman Empire, and would be a tougher nut to crack. but they were allied with Syria, and so he decided to make Holy War on them after all.

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But Tuscany did not come to Syria's defense. Indeed, the war brought with it a new shipment of advanced weaponry from Italy.

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Soon, the primary battles were done. Cyprus was annexed, and Syria left with mighty Damascus alone.

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With the disputed territory conquered already, the Europeans were quick to cease their offenses toward Rome.

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And with the Qara Koyunlu crushed, the Empire now stretched from Mediterranean to Caspian. The empire was reborn, and greater than ever!

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Ultimately, Ioannes did war on the Tuscans, despite enraging the entire false Empire. Naxos and Alexandria were seized and taken, and Tuscany forced to release Naples. The war continued for years after that, but Europeans made no headway against the Empire, and some small southern states were forced to accept Imperial terms.

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The Golden Horde began to fall apart in the North once the Thema Hellakadion broke its back at Astrakhan and Abkhazia. Ioannes rejoiced momentarily, but, as Austria expanded across Byzantine borders, he realized his danger. He sent his armies racing back east, to attempt the most daring task he had ever conceived. Studying the vast lands of the Horde, and consulting his knowledge of Asia and of Novgorod in particular, he knew that no further north could be reached. Additionally, he knew that the pagans to the east were all smaller and weaker than the Horde, and if possible, more backwards and primitive. He must act without delay, or Lithuania might shortly be larger than Old Rome ever reached. And so, the Themes rode east and north, laying waste to the Horde, and cutting a swatch north from Georgia.

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Their efforts were not in vain, and Ioannes soon issued the Mandat Partitio, forever claiming all lands east of the Black Sea which were not presently in Christian hands, by force of Imperial Law and the Caesar's word. Though Europe voiced some discontent, none were yet brave enough to defy Rome in this matter, it seemed. The Emperor was mostly concerned with the dangers and expense of keeping the new Partition land safe and occupied. But that was a matter for another day. For now, Rome was truly to fulfill its destiny. All of Asia was now under it's sole claim! It would be the greatest power in the known world!
 
I don't know about other people, but for me, Photobucket seems to have removed all of your screenshots because you exceeded the bandwith limit.
 
Well.

Austria attacked in 1504. Land tech 15 v. 9

Now I'm practically just Thrace again. It was a good run, thanks for reading guys. I'm gonna have to restart
it was lame anyway, Burgundy got way too strong too fast and I never got be become HRE like I wanted.
 
I was really hoping for this AAR, mostly because i wanted it too succeed cause reconquering the roman empire is always and interesting scenario, the screenshot from below was from my byzantium game, however the horde left me untouched. 2/3rd of europe is orthodox with only minimal amount of catholics left. I have about 50 vassals, many of them in the holy roman empire(also the emperor, which was one of your goals with 500 force limits :p ), which is about 50/50 orthodox/protestant. France and GB is reformed, which is funny.
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So in short, too bad, good luck on the next one!
 
Haha, this is pretty much what I was aiming for, yeah. Except I was going to force a PU on Castille while it was big and strong, and France, too, until Burgundy made it interesting. It was actually inspiring for a bit, but I missed my chance to become HRE, Burg has four electors vassalized and Austria inherited Brandenburg...and then attacked me. So that was that.
 
Oh man. This next game is so perfect I'm furious. Manuel saved the Empire, died conquering Greece. ioannes took up his sword and eradicated the mamluks, and saved the Empire form the Timurid scourge, plus vassalizing all orthodox minors. Konstantinos, who could only have been his brother, fought the Europeans with tenacity and brilliance, and regained Italian Greece, plus finishing off the ottomans, except Edirne. Then Helena, who eradicated the Turks, seized the Egyptian coast from Alexandria to Jerusalem, and then launched a war on Mainz unprovoked, vassalizing three HRE electors, in order to secure her son the power they'll never give her. But then no heirs for five years...


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