Basilissas and skulls

[swilhelm73]

I was working on creating the Slavic Union as a Pagan Ilmenite when the Byzantine Empire made the mistake of taking one of the provinces I need.

In the war that followed I personally led my army against the Byzantine one which was...led by the Ballissa apparently.

I got the battlefield duel event and since my character is a whirlwind of death (thanks warrior lodge!) killed her and took her skull - my character's fifth such trophy.

Now several things here seem weird. Firstly Christian/Muslim female rulers shouldn't be engaging in personal combat (or probably any combat honestly) - especially when they are fighting pagans with concubinage.

Also, why didn't my character get the option to capture the Ballissa instead of killing her? Taking her as a concubine should have given a crazy amount of prestige and also potentially a male heir with a claim on the Empire....

 

[afrodius]

The battlefield duel and the choice to make a battlefield sacrifice or capture the commander are two separate events.

Edit: even if you did capture her, you can't take rulers as concubines

 

[SigurdStormhand]

Christian rulers can take the field and lead their own troops, even if female.

It was changed a few patches back.

 

[Foefaller]

It's also relatively accurate. Though they might not have actually donned armor and wielded weapons, women like Matilda of Tuscany and AEthelflaed of Mercia would actually lead their armies when they went off to battle.

 

[Enriador]

It's also relatively accurate. Though they might not have actually donned armor and wielded weapons, women like Matilda of Tuscany and AEthelflaed of Mercia would actually lead their armies when they went off to battle.

And some women actually wore armor and wielded weapons, although most often didn't engage in close-quarters combat (some did!). Some sources down this link: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_post-classical_warfare

 

[swilhelm73]

I know a handful of male Emperor's led armies for Byzantium though it isn't clear which if any personally fought (well before Constantine XI Palaiologos at least though he didn't have much of a choice). I don't believe Irene, Zoe or Theodora ever led armies, let alone fought personally, themselves.