I’ve decided to stop holding myself to a certain deadline, and start just letting ideas come to me. I decided to do a more story driven update this time, enjoy.
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After the losses suffered at the battle of Bulgaria, Andreas realized that the Roman Empire needed a period of rest, to regain its strength after the past few decades of constant war. The people were tired of losing their sons, their husbands and their fathers to the constant fighting that had enveloped the Empire, and Andreas knew that to attempt another war at this moment would not only be catastrophic to the Empire financially, but also socially. Great revolts would break out across the Empire, ripping the land he worked so hard to unify into shreds.
On April 9th, 1471, Andreas declared that for the next decade, the Empire would be at peace with its neighbors, and avoid another war breaking out at all reasonable costs. These ten years of peace would be instrumental in rebuilding the Empire’s economy, which had been ravaged greatly by the constant fighting. The next time they started a war, they would be ready to fight it on all fronts.
The first step to healing the Empire was some much needed adjustments in their religious policies. Long had the Empire of the Romans been an Orthodox Christian Empire. Like all of the Christian empires of its day, it had brutally oppressed the Muslim community, with lethal force. Deeming them heretics and not worthy of kindness of compassion, they brutally executed them simply for their faith.
The Patriarch was very strict on its religious policies, but it would need to be partially reigned in. If they were to win the Turks support, they would need to show tolerance for both their culture and their religion. Of course, converting them through the use of Inquisitors was always an option, but this could result in massive revolts, and would cost the Empire a great deal of funding for conversions that may simply outright fail.
Faced with such limited options, Andreas knew this was his only real choice. Tax reforms would also be in order for the Empires newer territories, tax collectors would need to be distributed to guarantee the rapid flow of gold into the Αυτοκρατορικό Υπουργείο Οικονομικών. After the situation in Anatolia was stabilized, Andreas planned to greatly reform the Roman Army. After its heavy losses at Bulgaria, fresh troops were needed badly. Should his reforms go according to plan, however, he knew the military would be stronger than ever before.
On November 5th of 1471, Emperor Andreas declared that the Turkish population in Anatolia was now under the protection of the Roman Government, and that any violence committed towards them by foreigners regardless of their religion would be considered an act of war against the Empire. Any violent act committed by a Roman Citizen would be punished according to the crime - beheading in the case of murder. The Turk’s culture and religious beliefs were to be preserved, and any action taken against them will be considered harassment.
Andreas knew this was the first step to winning the Turk’s support. With so many of them in Anatolia, attempting to relocate them or redistribute them, as had always been done before, would simply prove too costly, and the revolts that would erupt from such an effort were seen as simply not worth it by the Autocrator. By accepting the Turkish people, they would gain valuable subjects to farm the rich lands of Anatolia, and tough and resilient soldiers to use against the enemies of the Empire.
However, with this drastic and radical change, the Patriarch felt their power slipping. To them, they saw Andreas as a heretic for preaching tolerance for the hated Muslims, who had savagely conquered the holy land, and sullied the land that Jesus walked upon with their perverted “Mosques”. To accept such a people went against everything the Patriarchs version of Christianity stood for. They believed that to allow such a change to persist, would surely bring the wrath of Heaven down upon the Empire.
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To celebrate his sweeping changes to the Empire, Andreas had thrown a great banquet within the Imperial Palace, inviting many prominent Dynatoi. Though the Dynatoi had a certain mistrust for the Turks who now inhabited their estates, the thought of losing so much wealth due to an expensive relocation effort was even more unsettling to most.
As the Autocrator sat among his close friends and associates, drinking, laughing and speaking of the future of the Empire, less joyful individuals watched from the shadows, with anger, and bitterness in their hearts.
“And what, Oh Great Autocrator shall you do after your ten years of peace have expired?” One of the Dynatoi questioned, bringing a smile to Andreas’ face. “After the Empire has had time to recover, the Balkans, which have fallen to petty Rigas, and the nations of Hungary and Venice, shall be the next to return to Imperial rule. It shall be a glorious day when the Roman Empire once again rules over both Anatolia and the Balkans! But let us not speak of war now. A time of peace is upon us. A toast! To the health and prosperity of the Roman Empire!” Andreas held his glass high, as did the Dynatoi.
As they continued to gorge themselves on the various delicacies that line the elongated brown table, a pair of eyes continues to watch, hidden from the view if the Autocrator, and his Imperial Guard. The sun finally began to sink behind the great three layered walls of Constantinople, and the Dynatoi began to leave. Finally, after his celebration had ended, a drunk Emperor stumbled towards his bedroom. The Imperial Guard, as always had gone ahead of him, to ensure that the maids had finished preparing his bed for the night.
It was at this time, however, as the Emperor of the Romans stumbled down the vast hallways of the Imperial Palace, that the shadowed assailant chose to strike. Dashing towards the unaware Emperor, his dagger gleaming, he prepared to drive a knife into the man that had unified Anatolia…
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After the losses suffered at the battle of Bulgaria, Andreas realized that the Roman Empire needed a period of rest, to regain its strength after the past few decades of constant war. The people were tired of losing their sons, their husbands and their fathers to the constant fighting that had enveloped the Empire, and Andreas knew that to attempt another war at this moment would not only be catastrophic to the Empire financially, but also socially. Great revolts would break out across the Empire, ripping the land he worked so hard to unify into shreds.
On April 9th, 1471, Andreas declared that for the next decade, the Empire would be at peace with its neighbors, and avoid another war breaking out at all reasonable costs. These ten years of peace would be instrumental in rebuilding the Empire’s economy, which had been ravaged greatly by the constant fighting. The next time they started a war, they would be ready to fight it on all fronts.
The first step to healing the Empire was some much needed adjustments in their religious policies. Long had the Empire of the Romans been an Orthodox Christian Empire. Like all of the Christian empires of its day, it had brutally oppressed the Muslim community, with lethal force. Deeming them heretics and not worthy of kindness of compassion, they brutally executed them simply for their faith.
The Patriarch was very strict on its religious policies, but it would need to be partially reigned in. If they were to win the Turks support, they would need to show tolerance for both their culture and their religion. Of course, converting them through the use of Inquisitors was always an option, but this could result in massive revolts, and would cost the Empire a great deal of funding for conversions that may simply outright fail.
Faced with such limited options, Andreas knew this was his only real choice. Tax reforms would also be in order for the Empires newer territories, tax collectors would need to be distributed to guarantee the rapid flow of gold into the Αυτοκρατορικό Υπουργείο Οικονομικών. After the situation in Anatolia was stabilized, Andreas planned to greatly reform the Roman Army. After its heavy losses at Bulgaria, fresh troops were needed badly. Should his reforms go according to plan, however, he knew the military would be stronger than ever before.
On November 5th of 1471, Emperor Andreas declared that the Turkish population in Anatolia was now under the protection of the Roman Government, and that any violence committed towards them by foreigners regardless of their religion would be considered an act of war against the Empire. Any violent act committed by a Roman Citizen would be punished according to the crime - beheading in the case of murder. The Turk’s culture and religious beliefs were to be preserved, and any action taken against them will be considered harassment.
Andreas knew this was the first step to winning the Turk’s support. With so many of them in Anatolia, attempting to relocate them or redistribute them, as had always been done before, would simply prove too costly, and the revolts that would erupt from such an effort were seen as simply not worth it by the Autocrator. By accepting the Turkish people, they would gain valuable subjects to farm the rich lands of Anatolia, and tough and resilient soldiers to use against the enemies of the Empire.
However, with this drastic and radical change, the Patriarch felt their power slipping. To them, they saw Andreas as a heretic for preaching tolerance for the hated Muslims, who had savagely conquered the holy land, and sullied the land that Jesus walked upon with their perverted “Mosques”. To accept such a people went against everything the Patriarchs version of Christianity stood for. They believed that to allow such a change to persist, would surely bring the wrath of Heaven down upon the Empire.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To celebrate his sweeping changes to the Empire, Andreas had thrown a great banquet within the Imperial Palace, inviting many prominent Dynatoi. Though the Dynatoi had a certain mistrust for the Turks who now inhabited their estates, the thought of losing so much wealth due to an expensive relocation effort was even more unsettling to most.
As the Autocrator sat among his close friends and associates, drinking, laughing and speaking of the future of the Empire, less joyful individuals watched from the shadows, with anger, and bitterness in their hearts.
“And what, Oh Great Autocrator shall you do after your ten years of peace have expired?” One of the Dynatoi questioned, bringing a smile to Andreas’ face. “After the Empire has had time to recover, the Balkans, which have fallen to petty Rigas, and the nations of Hungary and Venice, shall be the next to return to Imperial rule. It shall be a glorious day when the Roman Empire once again rules over both Anatolia and the Balkans! But let us not speak of war now. A time of peace is upon us. A toast! To the health and prosperity of the Roman Empire!” Andreas held his glass high, as did the Dynatoi.
As they continued to gorge themselves on the various delicacies that line the elongated brown table, a pair of eyes continues to watch, hidden from the view if the Autocrator, and his Imperial Guard. The sun finally began to sink behind the great three layered walls of Constantinople, and the Dynatoi began to leave. Finally, after his celebration had ended, a drunk Emperor stumbled towards his bedroom. The Imperial Guard, as always had gone ahead of him, to ensure that the maids had finished preparing his bed for the night.
It was at this time, however, as the Emperor of the Romans stumbled down the vast hallways of the Imperial Palace, that the shadowed assailant chose to strike. Dashing towards the unaware Emperor, his dagger gleaming, he prepared to drive a knife into the man that had unified Anatolia…
