Renaissance in the East: The Empire Rises Again

I am using AGCEEP 1.39 with the Byzantine Events Addon.

I also used two minor cheats to help me get started. First, 'robespierre' to move three spaces towards land, then a slight editing of the setup to give the Empire 400 ducats insteads of 100 at game start. If y'all think it's too much, I can undo it, though.
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January 5, 1419
The Council Room, Constantinople

The aged Emperor tented his spry fingers at his chin as he considered the discussions in the room. The Council was a new idea of his, containing representatives from the clergy, burghers, and aristocracy of the Imperial City. By convening them, Manuel II hoped to create a small, trusted band of advisors to himself and any future Emperors. Of course, Imperial power still reigned supreme.

The current heated debates were over the content of the message from the Sultan. The southern Turks, known as the Ghazi, were raiding the Sultan's territory. Due to his war against the Hungarians, the Sultan had nothing to spare to fight them... so he requested his Roman friends to aid him.

Some of the council, notably the wealthy, believed the note to be a trap, to draw the Roman Army away from the City and crush her. The merchats and burghers, however, saw a way to get on the good side of the Sultans and potentially regain the Smyrnan coast for the Empire.

Having heard enough, the Emperor raised his hand. "I have not heard a good reason to mistrust the Sultan, at least any more than usual. If this is intended to be a trap, it is a poor one. Mehmed's forces are very weak in Anatolia, his capital would be vulnerable to our cavalry if he chose to betray us. No, I believe this is a genuine request for aid."

The Emperor's eyes shone as a slight grin appeared on his face. "What's more, if we do well, we can show everyone that we are still a force to be reckoned with, and perhaps forestall any change in Turk policy towards us."

There was no need or want for a vote. The Emperor had decided.

A massive reorganization of the Roman military took place over the next few months, severely shifting the concentration of resources to the Army. Although this caused havoc with the traditional setup of the Roman military, disagreements were quickly stifled or silenced. A new army of 6000 men were recruited as cavalry, in preparation for the reinvasion of Anatolia...

The Romans declared war on the Ghazi on July 1 of 1419. Eight thousand Roman cavalry charged across the straits in the first truly offensive action the Empire had taken in decades.

The Emperor himself did not lead the charge, being too old to enter the fray of battle, but he did join the Roman Army on its march. Thus, Manuel II was there, watching as the eight thousand Romans surprised, encircled, and destroyed the two thousand Ghazi raiders in Smyrna. The battle lasted two days.

The city of Smyrna, however, did not fall until eight thousand infantry arrived to support the seige. On the 22 of December, Smyrna surrendered to the Romans. Emboldened by the success, Manuel II ordered the army to march to Antalya. They arrived in January of 1420.

Antalya would prove a costly victory. No less than seven separate battles were fought in the area around the city throughout 1420. Although Ghazi was officially allied to Kamaran, no assistance came from the latter, making the Ghazi resistance all the more stunning. For seventeen months, the Ghazi returned after every loss, fighting to the last able man, aweing the Romans with their ferocity.

May of 1421 saw a powerful shift in the politics of the region. On the 14th, the Ghazi ability to fight was completely destroyed and the final seige of Antalya began. Five days later, the Sultan died and was suceeded by Murad II, who promptly refused the Romans the ability to travel through his lands.

More chilling, a message from the new Sultan reached the Emperor in early June. Though he would not interfere in the seige of Antalya, the Romans would retreat to Thrace at the conclusion of the campaign or be forced out by the Turk army. Manuel II's response upon reading the message has been lost to history, for no one there could bear to commit it to paper.

Thus, when Antalya fell, the Emperor pressed for as much as he could. The province of Smyrna was transferred to Roman hands and the remains of the Ghazi became tied to the Empire. When Kamaran asked for and received a white peace a few days later, the Roman Empire emerged victorious for the first time in far too long.

But the Emperor refused to abandon Smyrna to the Turk again. The Roman legions remained in the new territory...