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Thank you for your patience with the replies... work took up almost all my free time this week, and then Skyrim came out, so...yeah...I have been more than a little...um... “distracted.” Needless to say, the update after the next one was totally inspired, and conceived and inspired by the main threme to Skyrim.

Darn you Bethesda! Coming up with new ways to distract me! :)

Carlstadt Boy – A Turkish defeat in soccer (football to the rest of you outisde the US) I assume? And with Guillaume, remember that in his mind, throwing away Andronikos' sinful treatment is the best thing a friend can do—to Guillaume, Andronikos' mortal soul is in danger, and a true friend would do everything he can to save him from the pain of damnation. Indeed, in Guillaume's mind if he merely sat back and let Andronikos continue to do this, he wouldn't be a true friend at all...

Vesimir – Well, in this case, nothing good—though abd-Hinnawi's “treatments” were just that, treatments of symptoms, but decidedly not cures. I'm actually surprised no one has ventured any more guesses as to what medical condition Andronikos suffers from. I will offer that those of you who said bipolar disorder were partly right... that's one condition he has. What is the other, though?

Well, keep in mind Eirene, and much of the Perso-Roman nobility, as well as the army and the politikoi, have been raised from childhood to think of the 'Mongols' as the enemy. Roman Persia was forged in the fires of Mongol invasion. I think it'd be hard for many of them to stomach another more insidious “Mongol invasion” via the bedchamber...

BraidsMAmma – D'Ockham is trying his best to “walk the walk” as well as “talk the talk.” It's why he has been so hard on church corruption, and partly why he is so respected that he was put up, in desperation, for the position of chaplain to the emperor.

Petros' sons name is Isaakios. He doesn't have any brothers as of yet. Of note, though—one of Petros' brother's names is Anastasios...

asd21593 – What parts are confusing? I'd be curious, I can further elaborate and clear up some things if it'd help.

Lord Strange – Doomed itself? The Church has gone up against non-Christian emperors before, without hundreds of years of tradition backing it up, and still won. It has edged towards the largest fight between the Church and the monarchy since Andreas Kaukadenos' rebellion in 1216, but it hasn't signed any death warrant, nor has it even thrown a gauntlet—it's pulled the gauntlet out and is waving it about currently. :)

As for Persia, Eirene has (at least temporarily) forced Yemen and Oman into being clients (the control is too loose to call them vassals, and they have a great deal of independence). These moves could be just cementing her desire for a secure Persian Gulf alternative to the Red Sea... or they could be the first steps to bottling up the Red Sea route...

cezar87 – Abd-Hinnawi will, in this timeline, go down as a great scientific mind, as well as, at least in Christian chronicles, a rabble rouser. He was only guilty of one thing really, he did encourage the Emperor to invite the Egyptian bishops to the Council, but this could be more an expression of his own inherent thirst for debate than any real attempt at manipulation. Indeed, he didn't seem like he wanted to be in any position of power or manipulation at all...

And you're dead on about Andronikos and the Church. Andronikos' power base, like all the Komnenid emperors, is the army. As we've seen, the army is not nearly what it was even in his father's day, let alone the powerhouse of Thomas II or Basil. The Church tried to challenge the army once in 1216 and lost. Now, the army might be weak enough (and the Church strong enough, with enough allies) that the tables could easily be turned... ironically it's been the sudden and stunning success of the Christian Empire in reforming lost Patriarchates (and thus clunking up Church bureaucracy) that has prevented a unified response to the...laxity...of the imperial government itself so far...

Zzzzz... – The only two things standing between Leo and taking the top tier title in Konstantinopolis itself are Andronikos' own children (the eldest of which are just coming into adulthood) and Andronikos' greater support amongst the army. A bid at this point would likley result in a return to the civil war, as neither Leo nor Andronikos have the power to forcibly remove the other from their core areas of support. However, once Alexios is removed (assuming he is), look for both of these caged wolves to start snarling at each other once more in earnest...

vadermath – If Leo were to strike a secret deal, his best bet would be with the dynatoi (especially the Angeloi, who are his in-laws as well), the Skalitoi, and the church. The von Frankens have shown themselves utterly preoccupied with Germany at this point, and would likely render ineffective aid at best (just as they were ineffective when they were called to help Andronikos too). Leo's biggest problem would be how to win over Andronikos' army. Skalites could deliver the Palatinoikoi, but Andronikos also has numerous Muslim contingents from the Levant now that are battle-hardened and not beholden to the Archeoikos, and beyond the reach of the Church...

Let's just say things could get very ugly very quickly...

And yes, that's a pretty nail-to-the-head description of how and why Aionism came about—an apocalyptic event took place (the fall of Islam), yet there was no Armageddon. Aionism was one response to this paradox, while Taymiyyism (a retrenchment, with more populist ideas almost) was another.

FrozenWall – Well, modern medicine could certainly replace the blood to get the same treatment of the underlying disease. For Andronikos' day, however, the blood in question (is it just pig's blood, or blood in general? Hmmm...) would be one of the most effective treatments. And you'll be pleased to know that the update after next deals with some things going on in the West...

Hannibal X – It's one of many, I'd imagine—the Roman medieval world has had unparalleled interaction with the heart of Persia, so I'd imagine they'd pick up and bring back ideas from there, just as Crusaders brought back ideas and concepts from their experiences in the Levant...

...and if the von Frankens ever unite with Burgundy, for all intensive purposes, Charlamagne's empire has been rebuilt. The Hohenfrankens would have the power and prestige to crush all other opposition in Germany AND France—their lands would be even greater than that of the Austrian Habsburgs...

4th Dimension – Good points. This disunity amongst the Eastern Churches—Konstantinopolis might be the preeminent Patriarchate, but it is definitely considered a first among equals, and the others would want a say—has been the main reason the Church hasn't taken as prominent a stance as one would expect from, say, the medieval Catholic Church. Even when the Church did take a stand against the monarchy in 1216, it was more the Patriarchs of Konstantinopolis and Jerusalem who took the stand—Alexandria and Antioch backed Thomas II...

And yes, the Church's biggest bone with the Aionites is that the Egyptian bishops are claiming to be Christian, and using their Christian offices to force 'heathen' ideas down on the population (ignoring the fact the population is heavily Aionite to begin with, obviously). The success of the Komnenoi in reforming the 'Lost Patriarchates' is exactly what has kept the Church from forming a formidable response to Aionism, or Islam, within the imperial borders as it did against monophysitism or during iconoclasm...

RGB – True, but the Church had an expectation that the secular lords would root out heresy on the Church's behalf, and the Church often became quite upset when they failed to do this, and would stir up much trouble as a result. In this history, the interesting situation more comes from the sudden, massive reversal of religious fortune-- the Church now suddenly has seven more Patriarchates, and hundreds more bishops, etc. than it had even two centuries before, at the same time the secular government is still, in many ways, scratching its head in how to deal with its rapid military conquests. I'd almost say there isn't a disagreement historically between the Komnenoi and the Church, more the Church itself becoming muddled and confused, while the secular response is usually, “hold on, let me think of something.” Only a few emperors have outright stood against the Church, or against something the Church was doing, and it didn't end up well for them (Gabriel comes to mind).

wolfcity – In some ways it shares some ideas with Christianity, especially with the syncretism that is quickly taking place in Egypt, but at its base Aionism is an offshoot of Islam in the same way Christianity started as an offshoot of Judaism... Aionites, for example, would say that Jesus was divinely appointed, but was not divine (which makes them heretics/heathens in Christian eyes)...

Leviathan07 – Eirene really doesn't have much of a choice... in another society, another situation, she would make a damn fine Queen. Unfortunately for her, there are male alternatives available, so she has no other recourse but to use her useless husband to advance her goals.

TC Pilot – Next update we'll see him when he's 15... still too young even in CK terms to be doing much, but believe me, he'll already be trying...

sarevok2 – Nope, its Isaakios. Though as I said above, Petros has a younger brother named Anastasios...

JacktheRipper21 – There are tons of Dukids running around by this point. Ironically enough, the Komnenoi are themselves a cadet branch of the Dukids... :p

AlexanderPrimus – Ecclesiastical foil, or voice of reason? And yes, I realized I hadn't used Jeremy Northam yet, so it was a no brainer!

Basilieus444 – If Persia and Egypt continue their trade rivalry, the Indian Ocean might get mighty interesting in the EU3 timeframe. Both, armed with ships and the desire to secure the eastern trade lanes, could make for a powerful rivalry, and perhaps creature some transoceanic empires of their own...

richvh – I wikied the synopsis of several of the novels, I think I'm going to have to take a look now!
 
Ah, so Petros either dies before Andronikos or shortly after. Thanks.
 
I find it somewhat ironic after going back and reading old chapters that Southern Italy is the stronghold of yet another Leo Komnenos (Basil's brother was Leo Komenos... who also was lord of Southern Italy & Sicily) and Spain is ruled by another Alexios Komnenos, thus proving history is cyclical.
 
I wonder if the bishops will be any good at negotiating treaties, regulating trade and taxes, raising armies, balancing religious strife, and most importantly, winning battles; because that seems to be what they want to do right now.

The Emperor is in the church position that he is in precisely because he can do all that; the house of God needs to be actively preserved. Blasphemous bishops, I say :closedeyes:

I find it somewhat ironic after going back and reading old chapters that Southern Italy is the stronghold of yet another Leo Komnenos (Basil's brother was Leo Komenos... who also was lord of Southern Italy & Sicily) and Spain is ruled by another Alexios Komnenos, thus proving history is cyclical.

Ah, well, Spain could be simply a dynastic naming tradition (Alexios is popular in Spain), but Leo is a neat coincidence.

I bet you anything the similarity will turn into confusion in future centuries, and the episodes from the two periods will be mixed by popular imagination and the less erudite and critical historians.

---

So the Psychokomnenos is actually a vampire (hepatic poprphyriac), just short of Mad King George? That's my best guess. That would NOT go well if it was known.
 
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The Church is in a unique position of power for another reason: the have the support of the Archeoikos (or is it vice versa? it's hard to tell). The two pillars of support for Andi right now are the Army and the Oikoi. If he looses any one of these then he will be in major trouble.
 
Hmm. No chronic feelings of emptiness or attempts at suicide that I can remember and his relationships are about as stable as can be expected of an Emperor in such difficult times. I say that excludes BPD. Also, BT mentioned that whoever suggested Bipolar Disorder was right, and BD is often mistaken for BPD as far as I know.

I just can't manage to place the headaches in any mental illness that I know of. It could be something purely medical that coincides with the mood swings (perhaps triggered by stress or high blood pressure?), but I admit I'm out of my league here. In the end, I'm just guessing.
 
Finally found the time to catch up onto this excellent AAR. Only on page 316, but I'm pleased to see this AAR has kept its quality. Only, an Emperor being ended by an olive??? Reminds me of Rome: Total War...

Edit: read up to the recent posts. Looks like Andi's mental health starts to mirror that of the Thomasine Emperors. Looks like mental problems run heavily into the Komnenid lines, as almost every Emperor since Basil hears voices at best or is barking mad at worst.
 
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WelshDude - Or that Anastasios could be a complete red-herring... ;)

JacktheRipper1` - It is rather ironic, that a new set of Leonids and Alexids are poised to take over those historic areas--but this batch has far better claim to the overall throne, so there'll be far more chaos...

Carlstadt Boy - I'm not sure. To be honest, I kind of forgot about them. :eek:hmy: However, my best guess is at some point, they were either reabsorbed into the Church and lost their independence, or they still exist but have been reduced to irrelevance. The latter is far more likely than the former. They might be autocephalous, but the hugely expanded Church might consider them effectively a wing of Konstantinopolis....

The new four Patriarchates were Mazadaram, Samarra, Carthage and Santiago de Compostella.

BraidsMAmma - Yes she was actually. I had the idea for her being the true power in Persia after looking at her stats versus her husband's. IIRC she had Martial of 14 or 15, Diplomacy of 9, Intrigue of 10-12, and a Stewardship of 10-12. Her husband's stats were 6s and 7s...

RGB - That was the other disease Andronikos has. Haemetic Porphyria. His body is lacking several enzymes normally found in blood, causing his headaches and exacerbating his bipolar disorder. In essence, when abd-Hinnawi had him drink pig's blood, it loaded Andronikos' body up on the enzymes his own body was not producing, and relieved the symptoms...

cezar87 - I've left it deliberately vague if the power arrangement is the Archeoikos supporting his uncle the Patriarch, or vice versa. Needless to say, the two do have a very close relationship, but as you'll see, the Archeoikos isn't an especially religious man...

Vesimir - Yes! As a mea culpa for the update taking so long (thanks to the American holiday Thanksgiving, as well as Skyrim) I posted a tidbit of what I have done below...

Redrum323 - That's part of it--bipolar disorder specifically.

Leviathan07 - It is... and it should make things very...um...'interesting' now that Andronikos has been cut off from his medicine...

FlyingDutchie - Actually, come to think of it, things have been mad since Basil!

Konstantinopolis throne:
Thomas I (mad)
Thomas II (mad)
Thomas III (really mad)
Nikephoros IV (sane, new bloodline)
Andronikos I (sane)
Nikephoros V (sane)
Manuel II (sane)
Andronikos II (um, yeah)

Persian line:
Gabriel (voices)
Alexandros II (voices)
Isaakios (sane)
Ioannis (?)

There's a definite trend in the family since Basil... completely unintentional too. Meethinks Basil and Sophie might have been a tad too closely related genetically...

vadermath - No update yet, but it's close (see below):

Sudaxe - Wow! So you're one of the old guard! I can think of you, and Nikolai, and I'm probably missing some of the other old guard too...



Well I'd like to apologize again for the delay in the new update. The American Thanksgiving holiday was last week, which ate up all my time for two reasons. One, the day after Thanksgivig is the biggest shopping day of the year in the US, which means since I work in retail I've been swamped with work. Then, for the holiday itself we traveled to visit my parents as well.

Oh, and there was this little thing called Skyrim. :D

However, I'm simultaneously working on parts of two different updates at once, so hopefully if all goes according to plan, there'll be a one-two punch sometime next week. As a mea culpa, though, I'd like to offer something from the second of the two updates... and Vesimir, this is the part that was directly inspired by the Skyrim theme. From 1:54 or so on, to be specific!

“Captain,” Alexios breathed hard, “Red banner!”

“Aye, Majesty! Red banner!” Katiokotes saluted, before a slew of orders erupted from his mouth as he stalked to the sterncastle. “Bandaphoros! Raise the red banner! Drummer, beat ramming speed! Boukinator!” he turned to the ship's trumpeter, “sound the call for ramming speed, follow the flag!”

Notes thundered from the trumpeter's horn, answered first from the Skotos, then the next ship in line, then another, and another, until the same staccato notes rolled over the waves. In the gathering gloom, hundreds of huge shadows ponderously turned, as the prows of the Spanish galleys turned to the east. Orders barked, and canvas fluttered as the Frankish cogs made sail. Individual drums joined one another, turning into a dull thunder that flooded over the wash of thousands of oars on the waves. The slight breeze became a stiff wind in Alexios' face, as the Basilieos Megas led the vanguard of the combined armada forward.

“Gauntlets?” the Megas Komnenos asked, trying to hide the uncertainty in his voice. Alexios felt his gauntlets slide into the palm of his hand, trembling slightly. He turned—poor Shams a-Din was shaking like a leaf.

“It's nothing to worry about,” the Emperor told his page, and himself. “This is the best ship afloat, boy. We'll cut through the usurper fleet like I cut through that haunch of lamb last night.” Slowly, because it was undercooked, he reminded himself. Dukas was the best we could find. The Frankish bombards will rout my brothers. All will be well.

“There!” a voice called. Alexios looked up as one of the marines pointed into the gloom. The Emperor squinted—yes, he could see them now as well. The hulking forms of distant ships, thin lips of white periodically splashing from their flanks. They're coming at us at full tilt too.