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Chapter 7: ...You will conquer (1476-1482)
Chapter 7: ...You will conquer (1476-1482)
For the previous four years since ascending to the throne, Emperor John I had made some leaps and bounds into reforming the administration of the growing realm. While the Empire was indeed wealthy, there was little desire by John for direct territorial expansion like his father did. Expansion did occur under John’s reign, but it was largely seen as low priority necessity. John was more interested with the building blocks of the realm, what made the nation work, what improvements can he help for the Empire. It was a time for not just a cultural identity to emerge, but for a time of building.
By 1476, Elysia held a large amount of territory that it had only gained in a relatively short amount of time. Small gains had been made for the realm since John ascended to the throne, but the new territories were integrated much more efficiently then when his father Constantine was ruling. Conquered territories were immediately integrated and then experienced Elysiafication, which on its own was an expensive process but also extremely effective.
In the autumn of the same year, ship captains venturing out into the ocean came into contact with a familiar looking people on an island in the Atlantic. Upon venturing closer and investigating, he gathered that the people on the island used to be part of a great expedition and were stranded after a strong storm. Once the news reached the mainland, news spread like wildfire about the shipwrecked survivors. Everyone in Elysia knew about the stories of their past and a glorious day for Elysia’s people had emerged! Emperor John immediately ordered a ship to be prepared for him and several diplomats, wanting to meet these shipwrecked survivors in person
As the ships landed on the Island, the people of the Lanthanopolis - ‘The Stranded City’ eagerly gathered around the Emperor with great joy. Most of the inhabitants seemed malnourished but none are in too horrible of a state, and have established a small community established on fishing, arboriculture and some goat herding. Their leader, who became a local ruler of a small monarchy on the island, invited Emperor John and his fellow men for a great feast, with food of the island as well as a banquet of food that Emperor John brought with his own that greatly pleased the locals. Upon conversation, it was known that out of the 18,000 that participated on the Odyssey, only 15,000 arrived on the mainland. The remainder of the fleet that hadn’t been lost at sea during the great storm had gathered on this island as refuge, and the extensively damaged fleet made it impossible to continue sailing for long distances. The people of Lanthanopolis are terribly impressed with how well Elysia has managed themselves, and both noble and commoner alike shout the name of the Emperor and wish to join the Empire. Incredibly satisfied, John immediately accepted them with open arms and welcomed them to the Empire. Due to the distance between the island and the mainland, John allowed the inhabitants of the island to govern as a self-ruled exarch, named Creta Minor. It was a great diplomatic victory with almost no effort required to convince the shipwrecked survivors otherwise.
With the survivors of the odyssey formally reunified, the Emperor investigated into looking into the military. Knowing that the military was incredibly powerful against the natives, a series of progressive reforms allowed the military to flourish within their own administration. With the Empire largely safe from raids within the core of its territory, there was no need to focus on defensive matters. Instead, the Emperor prefered a strong offense against the barbaroi armies.
Before Christmas in 1476, John focused onto starting to work on a grand project that his father and many senators dreamed of constructing decades prior when John was just a young boy. At the age of thirty, work had begun on the pathways through the Appalachian Mountains with the construction of workers, barbaroi allies and integrated natives.
The following year, the Empire would enter into war against the growing Yamasee to the south, who had been expanding by conquering neighbouring tribes slowly, giving them a sizeable amount of territory. While the Yamasee were powerful in their respective region, the full might of the Imperial Military was brought down upon the tribe and their allies, and a vast majority of opposition was annihilated in one single devastating blow.
In Noricus, copper and its most useful alloy bronze started emerging from the mines in the region, where it never seemed to stop emerging. With a reliable source of the material in the region, the area was prepared for long-term copper refining.
Chaeus would become the first of the pathways to be completed, and its effects began to show immediately. Trade networks began to improve drastically within the region and it allowed much easier movement of merchants, soldiers and settlers to travel. Due to the a small military presence within the mountains to protect workers from native raids, hostile movement was slowed down considerably and it made traveling the mountains much more difficult for an invading enemy.
The native population, always a key concern to the Elysians, were protected under their care from hostile neighbours, properly civilized and practise the true faith. Colonists in the frontier were given this duty, each given a number of natives to tutor and protect in efforts to improve on Elysiafication. In return, the natives will provide a number of days of labor to the colonists in the region and the Elysians in Emgas became known for their kindness to the native inhabitants.
With a terrible defeat looming on the horizon, one of the combined native armies managed to escape from the Elysian army and flee towards the east, emerging sometime later in Coruse. Their advance was predicted however and with the Elysians managing to trap the native army and destroy them, the war was won. The smaller co-belligerents were ignored within the treaty and settled for the status quo, but the entirety of the Yamasee Chiefdom was annexed, giving the Elysians a large chunk of new territory in the south, with hopes of new methods of Elysiafication being tried out there.
Thanks to the contribution of the nobles since Foundation Day, the State has lived through their nobility for a long time. With the country now doing well, the nobility is eager to see a return for their investments into the state, receiving a sizeable amount of wealth paid to them from the Imperial treasury.
With the continuous growth of the exiled nations, the necessity of the trade route between Elysia and Markland has come to the end as neither nation needed the financial help of each other. This deal would have small consequences in a dip of revenue for that year, but its long term benefit allowed the Elysians to no longer be dependent on foreign trade.
Another pathway was completed in Olygieus in 1478 and helped give the region a financial boost. Small towns settled near the growing highway started to appear as a popular place to settle down.
April 17th 1478 seen the first ever conversion of a native tribe to Orthodox Christianity. While the Cherokee had ties to Elysia as a semi-independent vassal, the Chief and many within positions of power converted to Orthodoxy en-masse. While more conservative members of the Cherokee see this as a betrayal of the ways of their ancestors, this became a popular decision by the Cherokee who strengthened ties to the growing Elysians.
Olygieus, other than seeing a recently completed pathway built in the region, had a prominent noble family move into the region and had some strange yet beneficial ideas about how to extort the population living there and traveling along the pathway. To help implement these plans, the family requested increased autonomy, to which the Emperor granted.
Platos became the new pathway completed, further strengthening the power of Elysia throughout the mountains. The Emperor felt relieved at knowing one of the most ambitious projects in Elysia was not only being constructed but progressed seemed to have been flourishing in some places.
This positivity did not last however, as John I embarrassed himself in front of the court and a few foreign dignitaries, including a prominent northern dignitary from Markland. The repercussions of this would take years to prepare and John, out of shame, stepped out of the spotlight for a while.
The growth of Nea Konstantinopolis continued to make progress, and it came to the attention that with the capital being largely dirty and overpopulated due to lack of control over growth, the senate and other prominent citizens have approached the Emperor about seeking a reliable source of freshwater. To help facilitate the growth of the capital while removing some of its more degenerate aspects, the senate has proposed building large aqueducts in the Appalachian Mountains to bring water to the capital and the countryside. This water would be used for farming, public baths and a new sewer system and would greatly improve hygiene in the capital. The Emperor approved for the new aqueduct system to run through five provinces, Chaeus-Zaryns-Detis-Odessos and then the capital province of Elysia proper. Once plans were approved, many new jobs were created and the new workers got straight to work on construction of the Aqueducts.
1480 brought about a great development for the Elysian nation, which is well enough developed to be considered a true nation. No longer mere settlers in a new land, the Elysians have tamed it far and wide despite the natives still seeing them as newcomers yet treating them like equals. With a rapidly growing economy, population and culture, Elysia seen the first aspects of what could become a golden age on the horizon. Distant, yet still visible.
To help with the growing changes of Elysia, the nation no longer had to struggle with constrained resources and were now free to reorganise themselves. With the foundation of a new colonial institution, the extra influx of resources allowed more settlers to make a new life in the colonies.
And with the settlers of the capital and a strong core region truly established, the wealth of the nation was strengthened considerable and the home city has flourished.
During all this time, another minor war was waged to the north out of necessary expansion to curb the growth of the natives to the north. With only a region known as Nipmuc annexed into Elysia, it positioned the Empire near a very strong bay area to the north.
Despite such positive aspects of the reign, it was well known upon the workers that digging paths through the mountains is extremely dangerous. And while injuries were common, disaster struck in that year as hundreds of workers were killed when a tunnel they were digging collapsed. Quickly, the senate requested the aid of the Emperor and in response, soldiers were used to help dig the tunnel while also help recover any of the bodies lost in the disaster if they could be recovered.
To the far south, King Leonidas and his elite forces have conquered a region around a peninsula and defeating several barabori natives known as the “Maya”. With a strong foothold on this new region so quickly, it remains to be seen what else the King of the South can do.
To the northwest, a region simply known as the “Great Lakes” to both the natives and the Elysians alike had been charted, with their size and large amount of marine life coming to a surprise to the capital. Now included onto the maps, it was becoming apparent that the continent of Elysium happened to be much bigger than previously expected.
By the start of 1481, two new pathways were completed in both Knoagora and Terrae, improving trade and transportation within the region.
In July 21st 1482, many decade after establishing itself in the New World of Elysium, a council was called in Platos. It had been nearly forty years after which the Old Empire controlled the City of the World’s Desire and called themselves Romans, and only the oldest members in Elysian society could remember life before the Odyssey. In an effort to strengthen the faith, the Patriarch of Nea Konstantnopolis has called for a Ecumenical council, the first of its kind since Foundation Day, inviting every Orthodox bishop in the Empire to the grand capital. Elysians, Cretans and converted Natives all stood and debated for several days on how to best reform the Christian faith to better function in the New World. Great Theological debates rage endlessly, and the end result allowed an agreement to be reached. The Orthodox Church would be reformed, and a new form of ‘Elysian Orthodox’ would become the state-religion. No longer did the Elysians have any solid ties to the Old Faith in Eastern Europe, the Holy Trinity would reign supreme on the continental and over all creation.
After the great council, Elysia was now securing a big future for itself under the leadership of Emperor John. With a new sense of enthusiasm, the Elysians seened content for the time being to focus on building their new homeland. Only time will tell what role the Elysians will play within the next few years.
For the previous four years since ascending to the throne, Emperor John I had made some leaps and bounds into reforming the administration of the growing realm. While the Empire was indeed wealthy, there was little desire by John for direct territorial expansion like his father did. Expansion did occur under John’s reign, but it was largely seen as low priority necessity. John was more interested with the building blocks of the realm, what made the nation work, what improvements can he help for the Empire. It was a time for not just a cultural identity to emerge, but for a time of building.
By 1476, Elysia held a large amount of territory that it had only gained in a relatively short amount of time. Small gains had been made for the realm since John ascended to the throne, but the new territories were integrated much more efficiently then when his father Constantine was ruling. Conquered territories were immediately integrated and then experienced Elysiafication, which on its own was an expensive process but also extremely effective.
In the autumn of the same year, ship captains venturing out into the ocean came into contact with a familiar looking people on an island in the Atlantic. Upon venturing closer and investigating, he gathered that the people on the island used to be part of a great expedition and were stranded after a strong storm. Once the news reached the mainland, news spread like wildfire about the shipwrecked survivors. Everyone in Elysia knew about the stories of their past and a glorious day for Elysia’s people had emerged! Emperor John immediately ordered a ship to be prepared for him and several diplomats, wanting to meet these shipwrecked survivors in person
As the ships landed on the Island, the people of the Lanthanopolis - ‘The Stranded City’ eagerly gathered around the Emperor with great joy. Most of the inhabitants seemed malnourished but none are in too horrible of a state, and have established a small community established on fishing, arboriculture and some goat herding. Their leader, who became a local ruler of a small monarchy on the island, invited Emperor John and his fellow men for a great feast, with food of the island as well as a banquet of food that Emperor John brought with his own that greatly pleased the locals. Upon conversation, it was known that out of the 18,000 that participated on the Odyssey, only 15,000 arrived on the mainland. The remainder of the fleet that hadn’t been lost at sea during the great storm had gathered on this island as refuge, and the extensively damaged fleet made it impossible to continue sailing for long distances. The people of Lanthanopolis are terribly impressed with how well Elysia has managed themselves, and both noble and commoner alike shout the name of the Emperor and wish to join the Empire. Incredibly satisfied, John immediately accepted them with open arms and welcomed them to the Empire. Due to the distance between the island and the mainland, John allowed the inhabitants of the island to govern as a self-ruled exarch, named Creta Minor. It was a great diplomatic victory with almost no effort required to convince the shipwrecked survivors otherwise.
With the survivors of the odyssey formally reunified, the Emperor investigated into looking into the military. Knowing that the military was incredibly powerful against the natives, a series of progressive reforms allowed the military to flourish within their own administration. With the Empire largely safe from raids within the core of its territory, there was no need to focus on defensive matters. Instead, the Emperor prefered a strong offense against the barbaroi armies.
Before Christmas in 1476, John focused onto starting to work on a grand project that his father and many senators dreamed of constructing decades prior when John was just a young boy. At the age of thirty, work had begun on the pathways through the Appalachian Mountains with the construction of workers, barbaroi allies and integrated natives.
The following year, the Empire would enter into war against the growing Yamasee to the south, who had been expanding by conquering neighbouring tribes slowly, giving them a sizeable amount of territory. While the Yamasee were powerful in their respective region, the full might of the Imperial Military was brought down upon the tribe and their allies, and a vast majority of opposition was annihilated in one single devastating blow.
In Noricus, copper and its most useful alloy bronze started emerging from the mines in the region, where it never seemed to stop emerging. With a reliable source of the material in the region, the area was prepared for long-term copper refining.
Chaeus would become the first of the pathways to be completed, and its effects began to show immediately. Trade networks began to improve drastically within the region and it allowed much easier movement of merchants, soldiers and settlers to travel. Due to the a small military presence within the mountains to protect workers from native raids, hostile movement was slowed down considerably and it made traveling the mountains much more difficult for an invading enemy.
The native population, always a key concern to the Elysians, were protected under their care from hostile neighbours, properly civilized and practise the true faith. Colonists in the frontier were given this duty, each given a number of natives to tutor and protect in efforts to improve on Elysiafication. In return, the natives will provide a number of days of labor to the colonists in the region and the Elysians in Emgas became known for their kindness to the native inhabitants.
With a terrible defeat looming on the horizon, one of the combined native armies managed to escape from the Elysian army and flee towards the east, emerging sometime later in Coruse. Their advance was predicted however and with the Elysians managing to trap the native army and destroy them, the war was won. The smaller co-belligerents were ignored within the treaty and settled for the status quo, but the entirety of the Yamasee Chiefdom was annexed, giving the Elysians a large chunk of new territory in the south, with hopes of new methods of Elysiafication being tried out there.
Thanks to the contribution of the nobles since Foundation Day, the State has lived through their nobility for a long time. With the country now doing well, the nobility is eager to see a return for their investments into the state, receiving a sizeable amount of wealth paid to them from the Imperial treasury.
With the continuous growth of the exiled nations, the necessity of the trade route between Elysia and Markland has come to the end as neither nation needed the financial help of each other. This deal would have small consequences in a dip of revenue for that year, but its long term benefit allowed the Elysians to no longer be dependent on foreign trade.
Another pathway was completed in Olygieus in 1478 and helped give the region a financial boost. Small towns settled near the growing highway started to appear as a popular place to settle down.
April 17th 1478 seen the first ever conversion of a native tribe to Orthodox Christianity. While the Cherokee had ties to Elysia as a semi-independent vassal, the Chief and many within positions of power converted to Orthodoxy en-masse. While more conservative members of the Cherokee see this as a betrayal of the ways of their ancestors, this became a popular decision by the Cherokee who strengthened ties to the growing Elysians.
Olygieus, other than seeing a recently completed pathway built in the region, had a prominent noble family move into the region and had some strange yet beneficial ideas about how to extort the population living there and traveling along the pathway. To help implement these plans, the family requested increased autonomy, to which the Emperor granted.
Platos became the new pathway completed, further strengthening the power of Elysia throughout the mountains. The Emperor felt relieved at knowing one of the most ambitious projects in Elysia was not only being constructed but progressed seemed to have been flourishing in some places.
This positivity did not last however, as John I embarrassed himself in front of the court and a few foreign dignitaries, including a prominent northern dignitary from Markland. The repercussions of this would take years to prepare and John, out of shame, stepped out of the spotlight for a while.
The growth of Nea Konstantinopolis continued to make progress, and it came to the attention that with the capital being largely dirty and overpopulated due to lack of control over growth, the senate and other prominent citizens have approached the Emperor about seeking a reliable source of freshwater. To help facilitate the growth of the capital while removing some of its more degenerate aspects, the senate has proposed building large aqueducts in the Appalachian Mountains to bring water to the capital and the countryside. This water would be used for farming, public baths and a new sewer system and would greatly improve hygiene in the capital. The Emperor approved for the new aqueduct system to run through five provinces, Chaeus-Zaryns-Detis-Odessos and then the capital province of Elysia proper. Once plans were approved, many new jobs were created and the new workers got straight to work on construction of the Aqueducts.
1480 brought about a great development for the Elysian nation, which is well enough developed to be considered a true nation. No longer mere settlers in a new land, the Elysians have tamed it far and wide despite the natives still seeing them as newcomers yet treating them like equals. With a rapidly growing economy, population and culture, Elysia seen the first aspects of what could become a golden age on the horizon. Distant, yet still visible.
To help with the growing changes of Elysia, the nation no longer had to struggle with constrained resources and were now free to reorganise themselves. With the foundation of a new colonial institution, the extra influx of resources allowed more settlers to make a new life in the colonies.
And with the settlers of the capital and a strong core region truly established, the wealth of the nation was strengthened considerable and the home city has flourished.
During all this time, another minor war was waged to the north out of necessary expansion to curb the growth of the natives to the north. With only a region known as Nipmuc annexed into Elysia, it positioned the Empire near a very strong bay area to the north.
Despite such positive aspects of the reign, it was well known upon the workers that digging paths through the mountains is extremely dangerous. And while injuries were common, disaster struck in that year as hundreds of workers were killed when a tunnel they were digging collapsed. Quickly, the senate requested the aid of the Emperor and in response, soldiers were used to help dig the tunnel while also help recover any of the bodies lost in the disaster if they could be recovered.
To the far south, King Leonidas and his elite forces have conquered a region around a peninsula and defeating several barabori natives known as the “Maya”. With a strong foothold on this new region so quickly, it remains to be seen what else the King of the South can do.
To the northwest, a region simply known as the “Great Lakes” to both the natives and the Elysians alike had been charted, with their size and large amount of marine life coming to a surprise to the capital. Now included onto the maps, it was becoming apparent that the continent of Elysium happened to be much bigger than previously expected.
By the start of 1481, two new pathways were completed in both Knoagora and Terrae, improving trade and transportation within the region.
In July 21st 1482, many decade after establishing itself in the New World of Elysium, a council was called in Platos. It had been nearly forty years after which the Old Empire controlled the City of the World’s Desire and called themselves Romans, and only the oldest members in Elysian society could remember life before the Odyssey. In an effort to strengthen the faith, the Patriarch of Nea Konstantnopolis has called for a Ecumenical council, the first of its kind since Foundation Day, inviting every Orthodox bishop in the Empire to the grand capital. Elysians, Cretans and converted Natives all stood and debated for several days on how to best reform the Christian faith to better function in the New World. Great Theological debates rage endlessly, and the end result allowed an agreement to be reached. The Orthodox Church would be reformed, and a new form of ‘Elysian Orthodox’ would become the state-religion. No longer did the Elysians have any solid ties to the Old Faith in Eastern Europe, the Holy Trinity would reign supreme on the continental and over all creation.
After the great council, Elysia was now securing a big future for itself under the leadership of Emperor John. With a new sense of enthusiasm, the Elysians seened content for the time being to focus on building their new homeland. Only time will tell what role the Elysians will play within the next few years.
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Of all the events in this chapter I think the rediscovery of the Lost Brethern of Creta Minor must be my most favourite one, I love the creativity of the modders fur stuff like this.
A Third Odyssey AAR with an excellent narrative, and Elysian staying Orthodox to the booth... I really enjoy this so much. Especially now that the nation is thirteen colonies size, things would get more and more interesting.
For me they load as normal, but I have myself noticed that sometimes I can't see certain images for no reason. I guess it has to do with the website the image is hosted on, but I'm not sure.
Chapter 8: Almost Heaven (1482-1490)
Chapter 8: Almost Heaven (1482-1490)
In a position of dominance, Elysian prestige and glory on the continent were through the roof. John I, while ruling as Emperor, was also the most powerful and enthusiastic patron of the development of Elysian culture. He knew that with a new identity forged with both the heart and heritage of the Roman Empire and with the charm and soul of Ancient Hellas, the Elysians have a natural affinity for both. It was his father that famously stated to the exiled peoples of Constantinople and Hellas that they were no longer just ‘Romans’ but merely a new people on Foundation Day. It was only twelve years ago that the exiles embraced themselves as a new culture. It was only recently that the Elysian Orthodox Church was born into into a mysterious world, and with another strong ruler, it seemed that the Elysians were truly experiencing miracles everywhere they went...
With the north more or less secured from Barbaroi threat, the south had been the primary focus for the Empire for quite some time. Tribes within the south were generally much weaker than those in the south, and in only a handful of years, most of it had already been subjugated by the Empire. John I was mostly anti-war, with some dynatoi even spreading rumours that he was a pacifist, but he would approve military plans for southern expansion if the state desired it. The Emperor was more concerned about building the nation than expanding it.
With Elysian Orthodoxy firmly established, the first of the patriarchs started to appear with a popular local bishop being petitioned to become the patriarch for the Southern half of the Empire, with a seat in Amus. Claiming that the capital is too distant for them to receive proper religious guidance, the citizens of the region told authorities that their own bishop knows their spiritual needs better than the distant patriarch in Neo Konstantinopolis. Just several months after the Council of Platos, the first Patriarch of Amus was confirmed by the Ecumenial Patriarch in the region to the joy of many.
Even with a strong Elysian church, old teachings of heresy persisted. Due to the struggles of surviving in the earliest days of arrival of the Elysians, the state could not craft holy icons for its houses of worship. Now with the Elysians firmly established, building great cities with wealth comparable to old Europe, more conservative members of the clergy still persisted in denouncing the use of icons.
On the frontier, missionaries spoke of news that the native barbaroi worshiped demons in a nearby provinces. The priests argued that strange noises, chanting in tongues and dancing around idols convinced members of the church that the natives pray to false idols and worship foul demons. Rather than accept their advice, the Emperor was more than skeptical about it and decided that rather than immediately point the finger at a potentially innocent tribe, the Elysians should attain all facts before making judgement of heathens. If they were truly demon worshippers, the Emperor would authorise the destruction of this barbaroi tribe. This statement from the Emperor seemed to have upsetted the hardliners within the church who did not take kindly to the ‘ignorance’ displayed, but the Emperor shrugged the harsh comments off.
A surprising development occurred just before Christmas in 1482. Far away in the distant lands of the north, the isolated tribe of the Ottawa completely abandoned their old ways and converted to Elysian Orthodoxy with zeal and eagerness due to the hardwork done by Elysian missionaries. The Emperor would personally reward the missionaries for their dedication to spreading the faith across such a far distance upon their arrival back to the capital.
Aidanon Gilbertakos (1430 - 1508). While a largely unknown figure within Elysian and world history, Gilbertakos’s diligence, competency and passion conducted in his work would allow him to become the Emperor’s chief political advisor.
Although having worked in the political bureaucracy of the ever-growing capital, Aidanon Giblertakos’s competency in his long career had finally allowed him to work closely within the Imperial Court alongside the Emperor. While largely unknown in his early life and during the reign of Constantine I, Gilbertakos’s sheer competency and work ethic amazed Emperor John in 1483, and he would work with the Emperor directly on numerous occasions. After his retirement for working in the government for many decades, he would finally retire to a small property in Amalai in 1496 to help raise his family. Few would remember his name, but even fewer were as diligent and competent as Gilbertakos. He would die in 1508.
Along the Appalachians, another pathway was completed near Hyce in 1483. With the pathways close to competition, the results were already starting to show. Larger settlements in the region near the pathways benefited increased traffic going through the mountains.
In the far north of Elysia, the recently colonised coastline in the northernmost region of the nation became the settlement of a new home for the Varangians in the Empire. While having been in service for the empire for quite some time, the Orthodox Norsemen never truly had a place to call as their own. The closest major settlement to the homelands in Markland, Emperor John I declared the foundation of the Varangian Order on April 9th 1484. The Varangians, now with their own city, organised themselves as an Orthodox theocracy and pledged complete loyalty to Elysia. With the establishment of the order, the miniscule amount of christians living within Markland made the trek to live down south under the protection of the order, where they would help provide the Varangians with a stable population for them to conduct their holy mission.
Noricus became the next centre of the grand pathway project, slowly but surely improving trade within the region as well as encouraging settlers towards the area as well as the Appalachians in general.
As the church became more powerful within the state, so too did their ambitions, which caused the nobility to feel uneasy about their current advances. The recently ordained Patriarch of Amus, located in the growing city of Illion, gained enough influence to meet with the Emperor in the capital and asked that the city he administers and the surrounding lands answer directly to him. While seen as a direct violation against the crown, the city and surrounding area had already been under the control of the church for quite some time, and denying the Patriarch's request would lower the legitimacy of the monarchy in the eyes of the masses. John simply accepted and handed the city to the Patriarch, knowing that a simple city meant little against the remainder of the growing Empire.
The Empire was experiencing a boom period within its growth, primarily in agriculture, as farms appeared across the entirety of the empire. A majority of the populace were largely farmers, and to increase agricultural production, new farming techniques for plantations, irrigation and land properties allowed to bring higher crop yields and thereby bring more income to the state. With an influx of farmers going out to make their fortune, the Emperor raised taxes slightly as more settlers flocked to the farms and added a small tax to produce heading to major cities.
Two months later, the destruction of the Creek and Hitchiti came at the hands of the Elysians. Within a short amount of time, a huge portion of the south had been conquered and native resistance was annihilated.
To the north, the Huron and the Iroquois both declared war over one another over sovereignty of the lakes. What originally started as a dispute over territory quickly escalated into a large conflict. Despite having the backing of the Elysians as an ally, the Iroquois refused to call them to aid and turn the tide of the war. The Huron, while suffering greatly in the beginning of the conflict, used their allies and their own military to completely overrun and cripple the Iroquois. Elysia watched the conflict, puzzled to why the Iroquois did not request their aid. The nobility scoffed at the results, blaming barbaroi ‘pride’ as the downfall of the once mighty Iroquois.
During the storm, another mining accident led another disaster claiming hundreds of casualties. The Senate received financial aid to help hire new miners to complete the pathways, despite the cost.
Another small campaign within the south led to the complete devastation of the natives in the area, with a small insignificant campaign bringing another area under the Empire’s control. The casualties among the natives were starting to climb as every passing day seen the Elysians grow stronger. By 1486, the Elysians were on the verge of a peninsula to the south where it was within close proximity to the little-known Kyklades Archipelago.
In Ephis, the discovery of a gold deposit in the region sent a wave of euphoria among the workers. The Senate was incredibly pleased with this discovery and started work for construction of a mine for long-term gold production, while the senate generously approved of allowing some of the workers an increase in their pay for that week out of hopes that workers in other areas can work harder.
After eleven years of hard labor, with hardships along the way, the Appalachian Mountain Paths finally finished construction. The grand project first visualised by Emperor Constantine and the senate many decades ago was now in reality, and the completion of the pathways was seen as a crowning achievement of both engineering and the Emperor. With the pathways officially open, merchants and settlers cross through the mountains and into the lands beyond. If faith could move mountains, the Elysians could carve through them.
A portrait of John I Palaiologos, Emperor of Elysia, shortly after his fortieth birthday. (c.1486)
In the Empire, a chieftain within the Empire complained about being unable to train his army the way he wants to. Rather then train the powerful Elysian military in its highly efficient methods, the Chieftain requested to train his army in the ways of his ancestors. The Emperor and several prominent military officials within the Empire denied his request on the spot.
A group of the most experienced Varangian warriors requested to return to their homeland, tired of battle and feeling that they had fulfilled their pledge to the Emperor. Many of these warriors had been veterans for decades and were now becoming old men. Rather then trying to keep the Varangians a chance to compel them to stay, John allowed them to return home and bid them farewell. As they returned home, the Varangians never forgot the kindness given to them by the Emperor
In the south, the Spartans had successfully conquered a large swath of the strong barbaroi territories. With their military still being as efficient as ever, King Leonidas held a large sway of the region in his grip within twenty years. While he competed the image of the warrior king, he was quite a competent ruler in statesmanship, and built his nation in a similar method to the ways of Constantine before him.
Explorers to the south started to map the region of the Kyklades Archipelago, discovering that it was larger than previously expected. While concentrating on the mainland, the Emperor did seem interested within the region’s potential. As a means to preoccupy the loyal exarchate, John tasked the King of Creta Minor to look into the islands while the Elysians concentrated their efforts solely on the mainland.
In 1490, the landscape had become a very different place. As the Iroquois were humiliated and their enemies filled in the power vacuum. Seeing the loss of a friend replaced with a potential enemy, the north seemed nervous. While in the south, the concentrated efforts of expanding the frontier proved to be fruitful. As the new year came around, John thought to himself that in his eyes, was he becoming like his father? Was God blessed enough to allow him to lead Elysia into prosperity once more? Only time could truly tell.
In a position of dominance, Elysian prestige and glory on the continent were through the roof. John I, while ruling as Emperor, was also the most powerful and enthusiastic patron of the development of Elysian culture. He knew that with a new identity forged with both the heart and heritage of the Roman Empire and with the charm and soul of Ancient Hellas, the Elysians have a natural affinity for both. It was his father that famously stated to the exiled peoples of Constantinople and Hellas that they were no longer just ‘Romans’ but merely a new people on Foundation Day. It was only twelve years ago that the exiles embraced themselves as a new culture. It was only recently that the Elysian Orthodox Church was born into into a mysterious world, and with another strong ruler, it seemed that the Elysians were truly experiencing miracles everywhere they went...
With the north more or less secured from Barbaroi threat, the south had been the primary focus for the Empire for quite some time. Tribes within the south were generally much weaker than those in the south, and in only a handful of years, most of it had already been subjugated by the Empire. John I was mostly anti-war, with some dynatoi even spreading rumours that he was a pacifist, but he would approve military plans for southern expansion if the state desired it. The Emperor was more concerned about building the nation than expanding it.
With Elysian Orthodoxy firmly established, the first of the patriarchs started to appear with a popular local bishop being petitioned to become the patriarch for the Southern half of the Empire, with a seat in Amus. Claiming that the capital is too distant for them to receive proper religious guidance, the citizens of the region told authorities that their own bishop knows their spiritual needs better than the distant patriarch in Neo Konstantinopolis. Just several months after the Council of Platos, the first Patriarch of Amus was confirmed by the Ecumenial Patriarch in the region to the joy of many.
Even with a strong Elysian church, old teachings of heresy persisted. Due to the struggles of surviving in the earliest days of arrival of the Elysians, the state could not craft holy icons for its houses of worship. Now with the Elysians firmly established, building great cities with wealth comparable to old Europe, more conservative members of the clergy still persisted in denouncing the use of icons.
On the frontier, missionaries spoke of news that the native barbaroi worshiped demons in a nearby provinces. The priests argued that strange noises, chanting in tongues and dancing around idols convinced members of the church that the natives pray to false idols and worship foul demons. Rather than accept their advice, the Emperor was more than skeptical about it and decided that rather than immediately point the finger at a potentially innocent tribe, the Elysians should attain all facts before making judgement of heathens. If they were truly demon worshippers, the Emperor would authorise the destruction of this barbaroi tribe. This statement from the Emperor seemed to have upsetted the hardliners within the church who did not take kindly to the ‘ignorance’ displayed, but the Emperor shrugged the harsh comments off.
A surprising development occurred just before Christmas in 1482. Far away in the distant lands of the north, the isolated tribe of the Ottawa completely abandoned their old ways and converted to Elysian Orthodoxy with zeal and eagerness due to the hardwork done by Elysian missionaries. The Emperor would personally reward the missionaries for their dedication to spreading the faith across such a far distance upon their arrival back to the capital.
Aidanon Gilbertakos (1430 - 1508). While a largely unknown figure within Elysian and world history, Gilbertakos’s diligence, competency and passion conducted in his work would allow him to become the Emperor’s chief political advisor.
Although having worked in the political bureaucracy of the ever-growing capital, Aidanon Giblertakos’s competency in his long career had finally allowed him to work closely within the Imperial Court alongside the Emperor. While largely unknown in his early life and during the reign of Constantine I, Gilbertakos’s sheer competency and work ethic amazed Emperor John in 1483, and he would work with the Emperor directly on numerous occasions. After his retirement for working in the government for many decades, he would finally retire to a small property in Amalai in 1496 to help raise his family. Few would remember his name, but even fewer were as diligent and competent as Gilbertakos. He would die in 1508.
Along the Appalachians, another pathway was completed near Hyce in 1483. With the pathways close to competition, the results were already starting to show. Larger settlements in the region near the pathways benefited increased traffic going through the mountains.
In the far north of Elysia, the recently colonised coastline in the northernmost region of the nation became the settlement of a new home for the Varangians in the Empire. While having been in service for the empire for quite some time, the Orthodox Norsemen never truly had a place to call as their own. The closest major settlement to the homelands in Markland, Emperor John I declared the foundation of the Varangian Order on April 9th 1484. The Varangians, now with their own city, organised themselves as an Orthodox theocracy and pledged complete loyalty to Elysia. With the establishment of the order, the miniscule amount of christians living within Markland made the trek to live down south under the protection of the order, where they would help provide the Varangians with a stable population for them to conduct their holy mission.
Noricus became the next centre of the grand pathway project, slowly but surely improving trade within the region as well as encouraging settlers towards the area as well as the Appalachians in general.
As the church became more powerful within the state, so too did their ambitions, which caused the nobility to feel uneasy about their current advances. The recently ordained Patriarch of Amus, located in the growing city of Illion, gained enough influence to meet with the Emperor in the capital and asked that the city he administers and the surrounding lands answer directly to him. While seen as a direct violation against the crown, the city and surrounding area had already been under the control of the church for quite some time, and denying the Patriarch's request would lower the legitimacy of the monarchy in the eyes of the masses. John simply accepted and handed the city to the Patriarch, knowing that a simple city meant little against the remainder of the growing Empire.
The Empire was experiencing a boom period within its growth, primarily in agriculture, as farms appeared across the entirety of the empire. A majority of the populace were largely farmers, and to increase agricultural production, new farming techniques for plantations, irrigation and land properties allowed to bring higher crop yields and thereby bring more income to the state. With an influx of farmers going out to make their fortune, the Emperor raised taxes slightly as more settlers flocked to the farms and added a small tax to produce heading to major cities.
Two months later, the destruction of the Creek and Hitchiti came at the hands of the Elysians. Within a short amount of time, a huge portion of the south had been conquered and native resistance was annihilated.
To the north, the Huron and the Iroquois both declared war over one another over sovereignty of the lakes. What originally started as a dispute over territory quickly escalated into a large conflict. Despite having the backing of the Elysians as an ally, the Iroquois refused to call them to aid and turn the tide of the war. The Huron, while suffering greatly in the beginning of the conflict, used their allies and their own military to completely overrun and cripple the Iroquois. Elysia watched the conflict, puzzled to why the Iroquois did not request their aid. The nobility scoffed at the results, blaming barbaroi ‘pride’ as the downfall of the once mighty Iroquois.
During the storm, another mining accident led another disaster claiming hundreds of casualties. The Senate received financial aid to help hire new miners to complete the pathways, despite the cost.
Another small campaign within the south led to the complete devastation of the natives in the area, with a small insignificant campaign bringing another area under the Empire’s control. The casualties among the natives were starting to climb as every passing day seen the Elysians grow stronger. By 1486, the Elysians were on the verge of a peninsula to the south where it was within close proximity to the little-known Kyklades Archipelago.
In Ephis, the discovery of a gold deposit in the region sent a wave of euphoria among the workers. The Senate was incredibly pleased with this discovery and started work for construction of a mine for long-term gold production, while the senate generously approved of allowing some of the workers an increase in their pay for that week out of hopes that workers in other areas can work harder.
After eleven years of hard labor, with hardships along the way, the Appalachian Mountain Paths finally finished construction. The grand project first visualised by Emperor Constantine and the senate many decades ago was now in reality, and the completion of the pathways was seen as a crowning achievement of both engineering and the Emperor. With the pathways officially open, merchants and settlers cross through the mountains and into the lands beyond. If faith could move mountains, the Elysians could carve through them.
A portrait of John I Palaiologos, Emperor of Elysia, shortly after his fortieth birthday. (c.1486)
In the Empire, a chieftain within the Empire complained about being unable to train his army the way he wants to. Rather then train the powerful Elysian military in its highly efficient methods, the Chieftain requested to train his army in the ways of his ancestors. The Emperor and several prominent military officials within the Empire denied his request on the spot.
A group of the most experienced Varangian warriors requested to return to their homeland, tired of battle and feeling that they had fulfilled their pledge to the Emperor. Many of these warriors had been veterans for decades and were now becoming old men. Rather then trying to keep the Varangians a chance to compel them to stay, John allowed them to return home and bid them farewell. As they returned home, the Varangians never forgot the kindness given to them by the Emperor
In the south, the Spartans had successfully conquered a large swath of the strong barbaroi territories. With their military still being as efficient as ever, King Leonidas held a large sway of the region in his grip within twenty years. While he competed the image of the warrior king, he was quite a competent ruler in statesmanship, and built his nation in a similar method to the ways of Constantine before him.
Explorers to the south started to map the region of the Kyklades Archipelago, discovering that it was larger than previously expected. While concentrating on the mainland, the Emperor did seem interested within the region’s potential. As a means to preoccupy the loyal exarchate, John tasked the King of Creta Minor to look into the islands while the Elysians concentrated their efforts solely on the mainland.
In 1490, the landscape had become a very different place. As the Iroquois were humiliated and their enemies filled in the power vacuum. Seeing the loss of a friend replaced with a potential enemy, the north seemed nervous. While in the south, the concentrated efforts of expanding the frontier proved to be fruitful. As the new year came around, John thought to himself that in his eyes, was he becoming like his father? Was God blessed enough to allow him to lead Elysia into prosperity once more? Only time could truly tell.
Sounds like Elysia might be ready now to launch itself across the mountains and into the riverlands beyond.
Seems that Elysia almost reached a first colonial limit - well paths are still open but maybe is time to be more aggressive...
I wonder where expansion will go now: to the north, to the Varangians or more to the south, closing off the coast or maybe even further and further inland?
Tactically, closing off the coast as much as possible would be the most sensible idea.
Deny the Europeans sweet coastal provinces, let the Elysian Empire extend its tentacles across the Caribbean.
The Caribbean has some really wealthy provinces, so if you don't have Kykladian assistance, you could get stretched too thin try to Colonise Everything (TM).
Chapter 9: Miracles (1490-1495)
Chapter 9: Miracles (1490-1495)
Left in a strong position for western expansion due to the completion of the Appalachian Pathways, Elysia took the moment to consolidate their efforts and concentrate onto the matters of state itself. With the sudden defeat of the Iroquois, the balance of power in the region suddenly shifted to the Huron. While the Huron didn’t pose a threat to Elysia proper, it severely hurt the Elysian’s ally with the loss of most their territory. While the South was focused on in matters of expansion, the North would need to be tamed again soon in order to help strengthen the hold of the Empire in the area, and perhaps rekindle the good relations the Elysians had with the Iroquois.
Elysia, as of 1490, had left it as the undisputed master of the East Coast. With a vast territory now stretching well over a thousand miles. Barbaroi were effectively integrated into the Elysian state with little to no complications, and the state’s policy for peaceful integration led the number of hostile native raids to dwindle over the years. But despite the integration of barbaroi into the south, they had virtually no say within government as a whole despite the Barbaroi Councils being apart of the state. Barbaroi who had converted to Elysian Orthodox had naturally received much nicer treatment from the Elysians, and a few converted natives served in government, but in the bigger picture the Emperor had expected the new barbaroi to quietly assimilate into Elysian culture completely. While partially true in this statement, Elysification had allowed Elysian culture to spread across the entirety of the Empire with the notable exception of the Albanian exclaves. If the Barbaroi would require a better say, it would have to be until after the Emperor would pass away.
Within administration, a few local works in the administration of Platos had discovered what they claim is a more efficient way to handle the documents of the Empire. While it seemed like nonsense, the Emperor was always open to experiment with new things, and allowed them to try-out this new method with caution.
Coruse had seen the discovery of Iron in the region and as production started in the area, the miners believed that the ore would never deplete due to the huge vein of Iron being extracted. Long-term production would be established in the region, boosting the prosperity of the area as as a reliable area for Iron miners.
To the far south, catastrophe struck the barbaroi in the region. The great Triple Alliance collapsed in an spectacularly violent matter. The Aztec, who had held complete hegemony among the smaller regional tribes as subjects, were served as the only counteracting balance against the Spartans of the South, who had reorganized their nation as Spartania earlier that year. Despite the Aztecs, who were perhaps an Empire in their own right, being more powerful than the Spartanians, their power came crashing down as the Tlatoani himself was sacrificed to the gods. The catastrophe had left the formerly united Triple Alliance greatly weakened and surrounded by their hostile former subjects. With the collapse of order among the barbaroi, it had left the Spartanians as the sole major power in the region.
With colonial efforts focused among the south, the Elysians were keenly interested within the new region that they were venturing into, the Anthiros Peninsula. Immediately, explorers and settlers were met with surprise about the environment there, finding a plethora of wild fauna and a subtropical north and a tropical south of the peninsula that is surrounded by two oceans on all sides. With such diverse flora, fauna and weather, the area was seen by many of the settlers arriving from all parts of Elysia as a garden region. Geographically, it was on the doorstep of the Kykladies, and put the peninsula on an invaluable location.
Just past the Anthiros Peninsula, the nearby Kykladies were charted and discovered more. Explorers travelling to explore the region discovered large tropical islands in the region. Just like Anthiros, what had been charted of the Kykladies was seen to have amazed explorers with is extreme beauty. Crystal blue waters and a remarkable biodiversity amazed the explorers so much that a captain among the ships started to openly weep, thinking he had found paradise on earth.
The biggest change occurred to the north in 1492. While originally enemies at first, the Iroquois would later become one of Elysia’s greatest allies and friends on the continent. Despite their friendship, relations between the Iroquois and Elysians were largely kept within an arms length away. Something had happened after the Huron War, and it led to the now middle-aged Soonongjoowau to experience something close to a religious experience. The Chief then personally invited several Elysian priests to the Confederacy, giving them safe passage into the lands. It seemed mysterious to outsiders viewing the event to why the Ironquois requested the presence of Elysian missionaries.
The following weekend, something incredible had happened. Soonongjoowau, believing his spiritual awakening was a message from God, abandoned the ways of his ancestors and openly converted to the Elysian Orthodox faith and encouraged fellow leaders within the community to do the same. Emperor John was completely shocked at the news, not expecting such pleasant news from the south, and immediately ordered diplomats and ambassadors to meet with the Iroquois. Talks began on July 10th 1492.
With the conversion of the Iroquois underway, as well as having a reliable ally, both the Elysians and Iroquois worked to organise a royal marriage to strengthen ties with one another and to signify the beginning of a new era. An Elysian princess would be married to the son of a prominent Iroquois noble,.
After the marriage, the Elysians organised something special for the Iroquois. Prompted by a good harvest, Emperor John and several important nobles arrived with Soonongjoowau, who had invited his family most of his important figures in government. Together, the two of them celebrated a grand feast together and gave thanks to god. This meeting would become a national holiday known as ‘Thanksgiving’, and began as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest.
Six months after their banquet, several of the Iroquois nobles had converted to Christianity, and many natives started to slowly start converting to the faith over a period of time. With relations at an all-time high, Emperor John and Soonongjoowau would meet again in Nea Konstantinopolis, this time for politics.
In September 1 1492, the Emperor would make a deal with the Iroquois. Should the Iroquois agree to become a vassal state of the Empire, then Emperor John would immediately start preparations to retake territory that was conquered by the Huron. Also included in the deal was that, should the Iroquois agree to become a vassal, Elysia would help with the conversion of the region to Christianity, receive financial benefits and should the Huron war go well, ensure that the Huron would never threaten the Iroquois again. After some thought, Soonongjoowau and the ambassadors agreed. The North, once again, was secured and the Elysians got straight to work.
Near the Anthiros, a huge amount of wetlands in the region had been drained and revealed fertile soil for farming and relatively flat lands for homes to be constructed upon. With the Marsh being cleared, more homes started to be built in the area.
During this growing time, many areas that were forests or swamps were cleared or drained to provide new areas for Elysians to settle in. The new areas often led to a short-term population boom that improved the region in the long-run, and notably, Agrinio was one of these towns.
After agreeing for vassalship, the Elysians prepared ¾ of the armed forces to retake lands of the Iroquois. While the Huron was devastating for the Iroquois, the natives had bounced back recently thanks to Elysian assistance, while the Huron themselves had been left drained in both manpower and in their own economy. While the Huron did have some allies, they were of little concern. Military officials predicted a quick campaign.
In the early half of 1493, Emperor John made truth of the promise he made to the Chief Soonongjoowau and formally declared war for the reconquest of Iroquois territory. Completely unprepared for the war, the Huron were completely obliterated in the early half of the war in an embarrassing manner. For the rest of the war, once the Huron and their allies were crushed, the Elysians were free to walk into Huron territory. In some cases, some areas simply surrendered the moment that the Elysians were on the horizon.
Several months later, the Iroquois had gotten their revenge against the Huron and were eternally grateful, and the Huron were ensured to never threaten the Iroquois. The land concessions were enormous as the Iroquois nearly took the entirety of the Huron homeland, leaving them sad and weak. Almost immediately, the Iroquois focused on integrating the conquered areas while Elysian missionaries worked hard to spread the faith.
After the war, the Emperor and the Iroquois would work together to redefine the treaty of vassalship. For a period of ten years, the Iroquois would become a temporary March of Elysia and would not be required to pay taxes. Once this period was up, the Iroquois would become a vassal of Elysia once again.
After the Huron campaign, John would focus his efforts onto the north yet again to eliminate several troublesome tribes in the area and had fought against Elysia in the past. Importantly, the war was to secure the important Nea Theodosian bay due to its political and geographic importance.
And after war was declared, both of the Penobscott and the Abenaki would face the destruction of their militaries to the last man, with calvary once again becoming a big contributing factor to the great victory.
Manuel I Palaiologos. Seen as more of a traditionalist by his peers, Manuel’s rule would see an important period of Elysian history. He is the youngest son of Constantine I to become Emperor at 42 as the youngest child, Alexios, died as a teenager.
Mere days after the end of the war, John I suddenly died following a period of sickness. Despite dying relatively young at the age of 48 from pneumonia, John had remained celibate for his life and ensured rulership of the Empire to his only surviving brother, Manuel. With his death, his reign was celebrated for the continued rise of Elysia as a growing superpower in this new world and his powerful domestic policies. John had largely lived up to his father’s legacy, with the Appalachian Pathways seen as his crowning achievement.
A year and a half later, with the war ending, three out of the four tribes who were at war against Elysia were annexed into the Empire. Manuel ensured that the annexed tribes were integrated without incident and Elysification began immediately after the region had a majority christian population.
Now the ruler of a stronger Elysia, the new Emperor Manuel got to work on reforming the calvary of the Empire. Inspired by the Cataphracts of old, heavy cavalry was reintroduced into the powerful military. Armed and armored to the teeth in the old style, with scale and chain and equipped with maces, lances and bows, the new super-heavy riders immediately became feared far across the borders of the Empire on the battlefield. Nearly impervious to any blows the natives can strike against a calvaryman, if he can hit the rider, a well-timed Cataphract charge was virtually unstoppable to the natives.
In Odasus, the farming boom that started from his older brothers reign continued into Manuel’s first year as Emperor. With a massive food surplus in the region, farmers started to flock to the fertile fields in the region.
By the turn of the century, Manuel started to get settled into life as the third Emperor of Elysia. With his father and brother before him, many had natural high hopes for Manuel. But unlike the previous two Emperor’s, Manuel did not want to live in the shadow of his relatives. He was determined, as Emperor, to make his own mark on Elysian history.
Left in a strong position for western expansion due to the completion of the Appalachian Pathways, Elysia took the moment to consolidate their efforts and concentrate onto the matters of state itself. With the sudden defeat of the Iroquois, the balance of power in the region suddenly shifted to the Huron. While the Huron didn’t pose a threat to Elysia proper, it severely hurt the Elysian’s ally with the loss of most their territory. While the South was focused on in matters of expansion, the North would need to be tamed again soon in order to help strengthen the hold of the Empire in the area, and perhaps rekindle the good relations the Elysians had with the Iroquois.
Elysia, as of 1490, had left it as the undisputed master of the East Coast. With a vast territory now stretching well over a thousand miles. Barbaroi were effectively integrated into the Elysian state with little to no complications, and the state’s policy for peaceful integration led the number of hostile native raids to dwindle over the years. But despite the integration of barbaroi into the south, they had virtually no say within government as a whole despite the Barbaroi Councils being apart of the state. Barbaroi who had converted to Elysian Orthodox had naturally received much nicer treatment from the Elysians, and a few converted natives served in government, but in the bigger picture the Emperor had expected the new barbaroi to quietly assimilate into Elysian culture completely. While partially true in this statement, Elysification had allowed Elysian culture to spread across the entirety of the Empire with the notable exception of the Albanian exclaves. If the Barbaroi would require a better say, it would have to be until after the Emperor would pass away.
Within administration, a few local works in the administration of Platos had discovered what they claim is a more efficient way to handle the documents of the Empire. While it seemed like nonsense, the Emperor was always open to experiment with new things, and allowed them to try-out this new method with caution.
Coruse had seen the discovery of Iron in the region and as production started in the area, the miners believed that the ore would never deplete due to the huge vein of Iron being extracted. Long-term production would be established in the region, boosting the prosperity of the area as as a reliable area for Iron miners.
To the far south, catastrophe struck the barbaroi in the region. The great Triple Alliance collapsed in an spectacularly violent matter. The Aztec, who had held complete hegemony among the smaller regional tribes as subjects, were served as the only counteracting balance against the Spartans of the South, who had reorganized their nation as Spartania earlier that year. Despite the Aztecs, who were perhaps an Empire in their own right, being more powerful than the Spartanians, their power came crashing down as the Tlatoani himself was sacrificed to the gods. The catastrophe had left the formerly united Triple Alliance greatly weakened and surrounded by their hostile former subjects. With the collapse of order among the barbaroi, it had left the Spartanians as the sole major power in the region.
With colonial efforts focused among the south, the Elysians were keenly interested within the new region that they were venturing into, the Anthiros Peninsula. Immediately, explorers and settlers were met with surprise about the environment there, finding a plethora of wild fauna and a subtropical north and a tropical south of the peninsula that is surrounded by two oceans on all sides. With such diverse flora, fauna and weather, the area was seen by many of the settlers arriving from all parts of Elysia as a garden region. Geographically, it was on the doorstep of the Kykladies, and put the peninsula on an invaluable location.
Just past the Anthiros Peninsula, the nearby Kykladies were charted and discovered more. Explorers travelling to explore the region discovered large tropical islands in the region. Just like Anthiros, what had been charted of the Kykladies was seen to have amazed explorers with is extreme beauty. Crystal blue waters and a remarkable biodiversity amazed the explorers so much that a captain among the ships started to openly weep, thinking he had found paradise on earth.
The biggest change occurred to the north in 1492. While originally enemies at first, the Iroquois would later become one of Elysia’s greatest allies and friends on the continent. Despite their friendship, relations between the Iroquois and Elysians were largely kept within an arms length away. Something had happened after the Huron War, and it led to the now middle-aged Soonongjoowau to experience something close to a religious experience. The Chief then personally invited several Elysian priests to the Confederacy, giving them safe passage into the lands. It seemed mysterious to outsiders viewing the event to why the Ironquois requested the presence of Elysian missionaries.
The following weekend, something incredible had happened. Soonongjoowau, believing his spiritual awakening was a message from God, abandoned the ways of his ancestors and openly converted to the Elysian Orthodox faith and encouraged fellow leaders within the community to do the same. Emperor John was completely shocked at the news, not expecting such pleasant news from the south, and immediately ordered diplomats and ambassadors to meet with the Iroquois. Talks began on July 10th 1492.
With the conversion of the Iroquois underway, as well as having a reliable ally, both the Elysians and Iroquois worked to organise a royal marriage to strengthen ties with one another and to signify the beginning of a new era. An Elysian princess would be married to the son of a prominent Iroquois noble,.
After the marriage, the Elysians organised something special for the Iroquois. Prompted by a good harvest, Emperor John and several important nobles arrived with Soonongjoowau, who had invited his family most of his important figures in government. Together, the two of them celebrated a grand feast together and gave thanks to god. This meeting would become a national holiday known as ‘Thanksgiving’, and began as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest.
Six months after their banquet, several of the Iroquois nobles had converted to Christianity, and many natives started to slowly start converting to the faith over a period of time. With relations at an all-time high, Emperor John and Soonongjoowau would meet again in Nea Konstantinopolis, this time for politics.
In September 1 1492, the Emperor would make a deal with the Iroquois. Should the Iroquois agree to become a vassal state of the Empire, then Emperor John would immediately start preparations to retake territory that was conquered by the Huron. Also included in the deal was that, should the Iroquois agree to become a vassal, Elysia would help with the conversion of the region to Christianity, receive financial benefits and should the Huron war go well, ensure that the Huron would never threaten the Iroquois again. After some thought, Soonongjoowau and the ambassadors agreed. The North, once again, was secured and the Elysians got straight to work.
Near the Anthiros, a huge amount of wetlands in the region had been drained and revealed fertile soil for farming and relatively flat lands for homes to be constructed upon. With the Marsh being cleared, more homes started to be built in the area.
During this growing time, many areas that were forests or swamps were cleared or drained to provide new areas for Elysians to settle in. The new areas often led to a short-term population boom that improved the region in the long-run, and notably, Agrinio was one of these towns.
After agreeing for vassalship, the Elysians prepared ¾ of the armed forces to retake lands of the Iroquois. While the Huron was devastating for the Iroquois, the natives had bounced back recently thanks to Elysian assistance, while the Huron themselves had been left drained in both manpower and in their own economy. While the Huron did have some allies, they were of little concern. Military officials predicted a quick campaign.
In the early half of 1493, Emperor John made truth of the promise he made to the Chief Soonongjoowau and formally declared war for the reconquest of Iroquois territory. Completely unprepared for the war, the Huron were completely obliterated in the early half of the war in an embarrassing manner. For the rest of the war, once the Huron and their allies were crushed, the Elysians were free to walk into Huron territory. In some cases, some areas simply surrendered the moment that the Elysians were on the horizon.
Several months later, the Iroquois had gotten their revenge against the Huron and were eternally grateful, and the Huron were ensured to never threaten the Iroquois. The land concessions were enormous as the Iroquois nearly took the entirety of the Huron homeland, leaving them sad and weak. Almost immediately, the Iroquois focused on integrating the conquered areas while Elysian missionaries worked hard to spread the faith.
After the war, the Emperor and the Iroquois would work together to redefine the treaty of vassalship. For a period of ten years, the Iroquois would become a temporary March of Elysia and would not be required to pay taxes. Once this period was up, the Iroquois would become a vassal of Elysia once again.
After the Huron campaign, John would focus his efforts onto the north yet again to eliminate several troublesome tribes in the area and had fought against Elysia in the past. Importantly, the war was to secure the important Nea Theodosian bay due to its political and geographic importance.
And after war was declared, both of the Penobscott and the Abenaki would face the destruction of their militaries to the last man, with calvary once again becoming a big contributing factor to the great victory.
Manuel I Palaiologos. Seen as more of a traditionalist by his peers, Manuel’s rule would see an important period of Elysian history. He is the youngest son of Constantine I to become Emperor at 42 as the youngest child, Alexios, died as a teenager.
Mere days after the end of the war, John I suddenly died following a period of sickness. Despite dying relatively young at the age of 48 from pneumonia, John had remained celibate for his life and ensured rulership of the Empire to his only surviving brother, Manuel. With his death, his reign was celebrated for the continued rise of Elysia as a growing superpower in this new world and his powerful domestic policies. John had largely lived up to his father’s legacy, with the Appalachian Pathways seen as his crowning achievement.
A year and a half later, with the war ending, three out of the four tribes who were at war against Elysia were annexed into the Empire. Manuel ensured that the annexed tribes were integrated without incident and Elysification began immediately after the region had a majority christian population.
Now the ruler of a stronger Elysia, the new Emperor Manuel got to work on reforming the calvary of the Empire. Inspired by the Cataphracts of old, heavy cavalry was reintroduced into the powerful military. Armed and armored to the teeth in the old style, with scale and chain and equipped with maces, lances and bows, the new super-heavy riders immediately became feared far across the borders of the Empire on the battlefield. Nearly impervious to any blows the natives can strike against a calvaryman, if he can hit the rider, a well-timed Cataphract charge was virtually unstoppable to the natives.
In Odasus, the farming boom that started from his older brothers reign continued into Manuel’s first year as Emperor. With a massive food surplus in the region, farmers started to flock to the fertile fields in the region.
By the turn of the century, Manuel started to get settled into life as the third Emperor of Elysia. With his father and brother before him, many had natural high hopes for Manuel. But unlike the previous two Emperor’s, Manuel did not want to live in the shadow of his relatives. He was determined, as Emperor, to make his own mark on Elysian history.
Interesting to see the relations between the Iroquois and the Elysians to take such a shape, I wonder if anything will change about that with a new Emperor ruling the nation.
The Iroquois falling in line, the Great Lakes in part under a loyal vassal, and the narration is still the best.