Didn't feel like it was important for the previous post. Especially since its bound to change very soon with a major event being planned in a chapter or two
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Nope. The main idea behind a 'State of the Empire' post is largely because its integral focus is within the workings of the Imperial government itself and not about Elysia from a geopolitical standpoint. Matters such as a political and religious map could be worked into future 'State of the Empire' posts, but overall, is not the focus of them. Those matters would personally be better addressed in future chapters instead
Chapter 32: The Elysian Lake (1600-1604)
Chapter 32: The Elysian Lake (1600-1604)
With the dawn of a new century, the Elysian Empire was presented with a unique opportunity. The Pacific Ocean, ambitiously referred to the recently deceased Emperor Alexios I as the beginning of Elysia’s ‘Mare Nostrum’, never seemed to stop amazing explorers with the isolated tropical paradises they were surrounded in. Senators and other administrative members of government would encourage Elysia to settle the bounty of islands in the region out of simple necessity to secure the ocean and its pathway towards Asia, before any other great power took the Pacific for themselves. The other opportunity that was before Elysia in this century was to strengthen Elysian influence in Europe and ensure continued dominance of the Mediterranean, establishing more exarchates and bringing the light of true civilization to the old world.
The Exarchate of Constantina, the proud Hellenic exarchate, had made a strong foothold in Anatolia following the start of the Hellenic Reclamation of Anatolia. When the territory was ceded to the exarch, Western Anatolia was primarily dominated by Turks with small Hellenic minorities within the region. In horror of the defeat and the crippling of the Ottoman state, many Turks were immediately hostile to restored Hellenic-Elysian rule. Some embraced Elysian Orthodoxy and abandoned the teachings of Muhammad, and in time, Western Anatolia became a largely Christian region once more.
With the pacification of Western Anatolia, a resettlement act was established in repopulating the once traditionally Hellenic region once again with a stable Greek majority population. Some of the Christian Turks accepted this as an inevitability and simply continued their lives. However, the largely Islamic Turks had simply refused to take this laying down. Discrimination would occur by both Hellenic and Turkish settlements as the resettlement act was underway, and some violence would occur, only being stopped from escalating due to the heavy Elysian military presence in the region.
The large Mamluk Sultanate, perceived by Elysia to be the great power of the Islamic world, had fallen onto hard times. Ten years of stagnation and unrest had allowed small portions of the realm to break away, and economic and political stress in the wealthy lands of Egypt only made the situation worse. An disastrous invasion of Yemen, to which Mamluk leadership perceived to underestimate, had sent the Sultanate into decline. To make matters worse, the Sultanate had completely lost the entirety of Southern Arabia.
With years of warfare putting a severe drain on the economy and manpower of the Mamluk Sultanate, the Turks to the north mockingly referred to the Mamluks as a ‘fragile giant’.
Immediately following the disastrous invasion of Egypt, Aq Qoyunlu launched a lightning invasion of the Mashriq as the incredibly weak Mamluk Sultanate frantically tried to recover. Within five months, the Mashriq was lost, and reports from Cairo spoke of panic among its administration.
To the south, Spartania and Elysia would receive news from the Incan lands that a volcano in the region erupted in a massive explosion. The effects of the eruption were felt across the world, and the Inca in particular was devastated in the region. Temperatures dropped and the following summer was one of the coldest within centuries. Grain and Wine production was damaged extensively and caused panic among trade.
Following successful wars for the Empire, the system for national conscripts had been proving very successful in both the Empire and the foreign exarchs. The poor, desperate and the patriotic are flocking to the ranks and many were pleased with such a high turn-out.
With tensions on the rise once in Anatolia, time had passed for another campaign in the region to target the decaying Ottoman state. Focusing on Denizli, which was already close to the border, war was declared on February 25th 1600 with the intent to conquer as much as possible.
With the Portuguese weakened beyond repair in Europe, the French were more than eager to take advantage of the political situation in Brazil. France would establish a small colony between Portugal and Spain established colonies. Unlike Columbia in the north, which remained Catholic despite the overwhelming surge of heresy back in the homeland, this new colony was completely settled by Protestants. News would soon reach Elysia that, unsurprisingly, France was preparing to declare an invasion of Portuguese Brazil.
Towards the Mamluk Sultanate, their situation had turned from dire to worse. With revolt in Egypt, the Aq Qoyunlu had took the Mashriq with ease and were now suffocating Syria and the Levant. To the north, Anatolia continued to be retaken by Imperial forces with relative ease as the Turks put up a scattered resistance, isolating their forces away from their main armies to prevent overextending their control.
Austria, having served as the most powerful and prestigious of the Holy Roman Empire’s lands, had experienced the growth of a new industry. With a demanding social code among the nobility and the upper class, a growing merchant class helped develop an increased demand for perfume. Grand palaces were expected to have a likable scent to go along with a majestic decor. The surge for products such as frankincense, myrrh, and other scented products for the making of perfume had led to the beginnings of a rich industry, adding to the prestige of the Empire.
After military victory after victory, Ottoman offensive capabilities dwindled as Elysia inflicted defeat after defeat upon them. But the Empire’s greatest achievement in the war did not happen on the land, but on the sea. After months of scattered naval conflict along the Black Sea, the Turkish fleet was methodically damaged after each and every battle. With the Turkish ports of the Black Sea being occupied by Elysia, it would leave them with no safe haven to shelter their fleet. An exhausted Turkish fleet, damaged and barely seaworthy from the constant attacks on their fleet, was completely annihilated off the coast of Sinop. With the destruction of the Ottoman Fleet, an Elysian commander boasted that “No longer shall the Turk rule the waves”.
After a year and a half long conflict, the Ottoman Empire was soundly defeated and peace talks began immediately. With such dominance over their Turkish foe, Elysia led the negotiations to dismantle their enemy piece by peace. The demands made by Elysia were simple but enormous. Southwestern Anatolia and a considerable amount of Turkish Anatolia would be ceded, including the important city of Ankara. Half a century ago, the Ottoman Empire was seemingly invincible and in a position of complete dominance. Now the Turks were a pale shadow of their former selves.
The Papacy, led by its reinvigorated yet extremist thought of saving Italy from foreign threats and protecting Catholicism, had made drastic leaps and bounds within the previous twenty years. Almost all of Italy was brought under Theocratic rule from Rome, with princes everywhere on the peninsular swearing loyalty to the church or being stripped of their birthright. Led by religious and political nationalism, the Papacy had nearly accomplished the impossible. All that was stopping them was the immensely powerful Habsburg realm of Austria, who led a personal union with the powerful Kingdom of Hungary.
Pope Hadrianus VI, leader of the Papal State and head of the Catholic Church.
While tensions between the Habsburgs and the Church were well known, the two powers did not openly enter warfare with one another out of fears of foreign intervention. Despite their bitter rivalry, the two leaders of the Catholic world both agreed that something must be done about the sensitive matter of a heretical French kingdom for the time being. Once the Papacy could deal with the matter of the heretics in France, only then could the Papacy challenge the Habsburgs in their dream to create a ‘Kingdom of God’.
Emperor Basil spoke towards the Imperial council and the senate about matters relating to the frontier. With the Pacific open for settlement, the Emperor made an interesting speech about its policies. Basil spoke about what made the settlement acts so successful in the early days of the Empire and argued to reimplement it. After some time, the Senate would agree on the Emperor’s proposal and go back to its roots. While this would constrict resources that would be used for settling more distant lands, this established a strong alternative that the colonies that were open for settlement were much more developed and organised than the ones in the far East.
With the results of the Ottoman defeat sending waves through the Islamic world, Aq Qoyunlu also made shockwaves after defeating the weakening Mamluk Sultanate. The Mamluks ceded the entirety of the Mashriq and most of Syria to the Turkomens, who now ruled almost everything from Mesopotamia to the Caucasus. It did not mean that the new realm was stable, as almost as soon as the war ended, the vastly different cultural makeup of the region threatened to completely undermine everything that had been gained.
The Empire would immediately capitalise on the situation, funding Mamlukean nobility who had been dissatisfied with their monarch. Knowing that Elysia could rely on their nobility due to their professional troops and calvary, Elysia was ready to capitalise on the declining Sultanate at any opportunity.
With the foundations of a strong network of islands in Pacific secured, the Emperor was already quite pleased with what he had made up for Elysian interests in the region. Due to a lack of presence that didn’t exist along any other major nation in the pacific, especially from European powers that deemed the region far too distant, it left the Empire completely unopposed in the great ocean..
In Europe, of particular note was the northern realms of Scandinavia. Sweden, having broken free from the Kalmar Union close to a century and a half ago, had been making a slow ascension to power within the region. Norway, which had been absorbed into Denmark within the 16th century, was lost to Sweden. A formidable power in their own right in the north, the Kings of Sweden was now spending their time intergrating their gains and preparing for their next goal, the Conquest of Denmark and the unification of Scandinavia.
With the Portuguese hold onto their crown colony of Brazil, and with French pressures in invading the colony, Portugal was in no serious shape to contest to a rising independence movement and French aggression. On March 26th 1603, Brazil became an independent nation and all former colonial measures of government was formally transferred to the new Retorian nation.
José de Marialva, the First Grand Consul of the Republic of Brazil (1571-1653)
This would come with a price as France had now completely surrounded the new colony completely with French Columbia and a recently conquered strip of Brazil. The Republic was not prepared to fight a war against the French kingdom, and immediately went to work searching for allies. Elysia, unfortunately, was not one of them.
With cartographers returning to the Empire about recently discovered regions in the Pacific, the Empire was presented with extensive knowledge on where to settle. Some of the islands were either too distant, hostile to the Empire or were outright uninhabitable. Emperor Basil eagerly pushed for further exploration and the establishment of colonies in the Pacific.
With an interest in the region about learning about the native peoples of the Pacific, the Emperor would authorise the creation of a new organisation within the Colonial administration of the Empire. Starting from 1603 onwards, the Colonial administration would employ the use a Liaison. Within the colonial sense, a Liaison’s job required communication or cooperation to develop a close working relationship between settlers and native peoples. This would usually mean that an Elysian Liaison was bilingual, and often served as an ambassador and missionary to the native peoples. Due to the peaceful approach that Elysia took within sensitive colonal measures, Liaison’s would become an invaluable part of Pacific settlement.
In France, a new dynasty had come to the throne and secured their power against all odds. Jacques I de Valois, known as the ‘Heretic King’ among French Catholics, had died young with his young son as a toddler. With France entering a regency period, the matters of the Kingdom would be transferred to Jacques’s wife, Jeanne de Montfort. Jeanne herself was popular among protestant society, largely among the clergy and nobility who seen her as a stable protestant ruler who was able to govern France in such an important era in its history.
Queen Jeanne I de Montfort of France. Originally just a regent for her son, his unexpected death suddenly allowed Jeanne to ascend to throne of the most powerful nation in Western Europe.
While only planning to rule as a regent for her son, the last legitimate de Valois heir to the throne had died while young due to a fever, leaving no legitimate heir to the throne. Jeanne de Montfort, who was already the Queen-regent for the Kingdom, quickly filled in the succession gap. In a Protestant cathedral in Paris, she would be crowned as Queen Jeanne I de Montfort. Some skeptics of the new queen questioned on how she ascended to power, going as far as wondering if the young heir to the throne had truly died a natural death.
Within the Pacific Ocean, the main fleet of the Pacific conducted two major exploration missions alongside Asia and the Pacific. One of the fleets was to perform an exploration along the coastline of China and the islands within the Asian seas. The other was set along the south, tasked with discovering the lands of the south pacific.
After many years of integration into Elysia, the northerners of Vinland that resided within Imperial borders were granted full rights and were completely integrated within Elysia’s own borders. The Vinlandic population of Elysia, all of whom were overwhelmingly Christian in part to Elysian missionary and conversion efforts, enjoyed friendly treatment. Now given full rights, the Christian Vinlandic population rejoiced and openly praised both God and Emperor for his benevolence. Given their martial and trading history, Vinlanders would eagerly serve the Empire and believed that their people were given a new chance at life. Decades ago, they were bitter enemies. Today, and for all time, they were friends.
The Althing of Vinland, now seen as a delusional maniac and deeply unpopular with the Elysian people, openly made their statement on the Imperial treatment of Christian Vinlanders. The Althing and the Konugur flew into a rage upon hearing the news from the south, and sent their hostility to the Emperor and the Senate. Believing that their own people were abandoning Norse traditions and their ancestral faith for the false religion of christ to the south, relations plummeted between Vinland. The Empire, tired of their constant and almost senile-like rambling, ignored their hostile talk.
It was that, with matters of continued growth was settled in the Mediterranean and along the Pacific, it was time to deal with an old enemy of the Empire...
With the dawn of a new century, the Elysian Empire was presented with a unique opportunity. The Pacific Ocean, ambitiously referred to the recently deceased Emperor Alexios I as the beginning of Elysia’s ‘Mare Nostrum’, never seemed to stop amazing explorers with the isolated tropical paradises they were surrounded in. Senators and other administrative members of government would encourage Elysia to settle the bounty of islands in the region out of simple necessity to secure the ocean and its pathway towards Asia, before any other great power took the Pacific for themselves. The other opportunity that was before Elysia in this century was to strengthen Elysian influence in Europe and ensure continued dominance of the Mediterranean, establishing more exarchates and bringing the light of true civilization to the old world.
The Exarchate of Constantina, the proud Hellenic exarchate, had made a strong foothold in Anatolia following the start of the Hellenic Reclamation of Anatolia. When the territory was ceded to the exarch, Western Anatolia was primarily dominated by Turks with small Hellenic minorities within the region. In horror of the defeat and the crippling of the Ottoman state, many Turks were immediately hostile to restored Hellenic-Elysian rule. Some embraced Elysian Orthodoxy and abandoned the teachings of Muhammad, and in time, Western Anatolia became a largely Christian region once more.
With the pacification of Western Anatolia, a resettlement act was established in repopulating the once traditionally Hellenic region once again with a stable Greek majority population. Some of the Christian Turks accepted this as an inevitability and simply continued their lives. However, the largely Islamic Turks had simply refused to take this laying down. Discrimination would occur by both Hellenic and Turkish settlements as the resettlement act was underway, and some violence would occur, only being stopped from escalating due to the heavy Elysian military presence in the region.
The large Mamluk Sultanate, perceived by Elysia to be the great power of the Islamic world, had fallen onto hard times. Ten years of stagnation and unrest had allowed small portions of the realm to break away, and economic and political stress in the wealthy lands of Egypt only made the situation worse. An disastrous invasion of Yemen, to which Mamluk leadership perceived to underestimate, had sent the Sultanate into decline. To make matters worse, the Sultanate had completely lost the entirety of Southern Arabia.
With years of warfare putting a severe drain on the economy and manpower of the Mamluk Sultanate, the Turks to the north mockingly referred to the Mamluks as a ‘fragile giant’.
Immediately following the disastrous invasion of Egypt, Aq Qoyunlu launched a lightning invasion of the Mashriq as the incredibly weak Mamluk Sultanate frantically tried to recover. Within five months, the Mashriq was lost, and reports from Cairo spoke of panic among its administration.
To the south, Spartania and Elysia would receive news from the Incan lands that a volcano in the region erupted in a massive explosion. The effects of the eruption were felt across the world, and the Inca in particular was devastated in the region. Temperatures dropped and the following summer was one of the coldest within centuries. Grain and Wine production was damaged extensively and caused panic among trade.
Following successful wars for the Empire, the system for national conscripts had been proving very successful in both the Empire and the foreign exarchs. The poor, desperate and the patriotic are flocking to the ranks and many were pleased with such a high turn-out.
With tensions on the rise once in Anatolia, time had passed for another campaign in the region to target the decaying Ottoman state. Focusing on Denizli, which was already close to the border, war was declared on February 25th 1600 with the intent to conquer as much as possible.
With the Portuguese weakened beyond repair in Europe, the French were more than eager to take advantage of the political situation in Brazil. France would establish a small colony between Portugal and Spain established colonies. Unlike Columbia in the north, which remained Catholic despite the overwhelming surge of heresy back in the homeland, this new colony was completely settled by Protestants. News would soon reach Elysia that, unsurprisingly, France was preparing to declare an invasion of Portuguese Brazil.
Towards the Mamluk Sultanate, their situation had turned from dire to worse. With revolt in Egypt, the Aq Qoyunlu had took the Mashriq with ease and were now suffocating Syria and the Levant. To the north, Anatolia continued to be retaken by Imperial forces with relative ease as the Turks put up a scattered resistance, isolating their forces away from their main armies to prevent overextending their control.
Austria, having served as the most powerful and prestigious of the Holy Roman Empire’s lands, had experienced the growth of a new industry. With a demanding social code among the nobility and the upper class, a growing merchant class helped develop an increased demand for perfume. Grand palaces were expected to have a likable scent to go along with a majestic decor. The surge for products such as frankincense, myrrh, and other scented products for the making of perfume had led to the beginnings of a rich industry, adding to the prestige of the Empire.
After military victory after victory, Ottoman offensive capabilities dwindled as Elysia inflicted defeat after defeat upon them. But the Empire’s greatest achievement in the war did not happen on the land, but on the sea. After months of scattered naval conflict along the Black Sea, the Turkish fleet was methodically damaged after each and every battle. With the Turkish ports of the Black Sea being occupied by Elysia, it would leave them with no safe haven to shelter their fleet. An exhausted Turkish fleet, damaged and barely seaworthy from the constant attacks on their fleet, was completely annihilated off the coast of Sinop. With the destruction of the Ottoman Fleet, an Elysian commander boasted that “No longer shall the Turk rule the waves”.
After a year and a half long conflict, the Ottoman Empire was soundly defeated and peace talks began immediately. With such dominance over their Turkish foe, Elysia led the negotiations to dismantle their enemy piece by peace. The demands made by Elysia were simple but enormous. Southwestern Anatolia and a considerable amount of Turkish Anatolia would be ceded, including the important city of Ankara. Half a century ago, the Ottoman Empire was seemingly invincible and in a position of complete dominance. Now the Turks were a pale shadow of their former selves.
The Papacy, led by its reinvigorated yet extremist thought of saving Italy from foreign threats and protecting Catholicism, had made drastic leaps and bounds within the previous twenty years. Almost all of Italy was brought under Theocratic rule from Rome, with princes everywhere on the peninsular swearing loyalty to the church or being stripped of their birthright. Led by religious and political nationalism, the Papacy had nearly accomplished the impossible. All that was stopping them was the immensely powerful Habsburg realm of Austria, who led a personal union with the powerful Kingdom of Hungary.
Pope Hadrianus VI, leader of the Papal State and head of the Catholic Church.
While tensions between the Habsburgs and the Church were well known, the two powers did not openly enter warfare with one another out of fears of foreign intervention. Despite their bitter rivalry, the two leaders of the Catholic world both agreed that something must be done about the sensitive matter of a heretical French kingdom for the time being. Once the Papacy could deal with the matter of the heretics in France, only then could the Papacy challenge the Habsburgs in their dream to create a ‘Kingdom of God’.
Emperor Basil spoke towards the Imperial council and the senate about matters relating to the frontier. With the Pacific open for settlement, the Emperor made an interesting speech about its policies. Basil spoke about what made the settlement acts so successful in the early days of the Empire and argued to reimplement it. After some time, the Senate would agree on the Emperor’s proposal and go back to its roots. While this would constrict resources that would be used for settling more distant lands, this established a strong alternative that the colonies that were open for settlement were much more developed and organised than the ones in the far East.
With the results of the Ottoman defeat sending waves through the Islamic world, Aq Qoyunlu also made shockwaves after defeating the weakening Mamluk Sultanate. The Mamluks ceded the entirety of the Mashriq and most of Syria to the Turkomens, who now ruled almost everything from Mesopotamia to the Caucasus. It did not mean that the new realm was stable, as almost as soon as the war ended, the vastly different cultural makeup of the region threatened to completely undermine everything that had been gained.
The Empire would immediately capitalise on the situation, funding Mamlukean nobility who had been dissatisfied with their monarch. Knowing that Elysia could rely on their nobility due to their professional troops and calvary, Elysia was ready to capitalise on the declining Sultanate at any opportunity.
With the foundations of a strong network of islands in Pacific secured, the Emperor was already quite pleased with what he had made up for Elysian interests in the region. Due to a lack of presence that didn’t exist along any other major nation in the pacific, especially from European powers that deemed the region far too distant, it left the Empire completely unopposed in the great ocean..
In Europe, of particular note was the northern realms of Scandinavia. Sweden, having broken free from the Kalmar Union close to a century and a half ago, had been making a slow ascension to power within the region. Norway, which had been absorbed into Denmark within the 16th century, was lost to Sweden. A formidable power in their own right in the north, the Kings of Sweden was now spending their time intergrating their gains and preparing for their next goal, the Conquest of Denmark and the unification of Scandinavia.
With the Portuguese hold onto their crown colony of Brazil, and with French pressures in invading the colony, Portugal was in no serious shape to contest to a rising independence movement and French aggression. On March 26th 1603, Brazil became an independent nation and all former colonial measures of government was formally transferred to the new Retorian nation.
José de Marialva, the First Grand Consul of the Republic of Brazil (1571-1653)
This would come with a price as France had now completely surrounded the new colony completely with French Columbia and a recently conquered strip of Brazil. The Republic was not prepared to fight a war against the French kingdom, and immediately went to work searching for allies. Elysia, unfortunately, was not one of them.
With cartographers returning to the Empire about recently discovered regions in the Pacific, the Empire was presented with extensive knowledge on where to settle. Some of the islands were either too distant, hostile to the Empire or were outright uninhabitable. Emperor Basil eagerly pushed for further exploration and the establishment of colonies in the Pacific.
With an interest in the region about learning about the native peoples of the Pacific, the Emperor would authorise the creation of a new organisation within the Colonial administration of the Empire. Starting from 1603 onwards, the Colonial administration would employ the use a Liaison. Within the colonial sense, a Liaison’s job required communication or cooperation to develop a close working relationship between settlers and native peoples. This would usually mean that an Elysian Liaison was bilingual, and often served as an ambassador and missionary to the native peoples. Due to the peaceful approach that Elysia took within sensitive colonal measures, Liaison’s would become an invaluable part of Pacific settlement.
In France, a new dynasty had come to the throne and secured their power against all odds. Jacques I de Valois, known as the ‘Heretic King’ among French Catholics, had died young with his young son as a toddler. With France entering a regency period, the matters of the Kingdom would be transferred to Jacques’s wife, Jeanne de Montfort. Jeanne herself was popular among protestant society, largely among the clergy and nobility who seen her as a stable protestant ruler who was able to govern France in such an important era in its history.
Queen Jeanne I de Montfort of France. Originally just a regent for her son, his unexpected death suddenly allowed Jeanne to ascend to throne of the most powerful nation in Western Europe.
While only planning to rule as a regent for her son, the last legitimate de Valois heir to the throne had died while young due to a fever, leaving no legitimate heir to the throne. Jeanne de Montfort, who was already the Queen-regent for the Kingdom, quickly filled in the succession gap. In a Protestant cathedral in Paris, she would be crowned as Queen Jeanne I de Montfort. Some skeptics of the new queen questioned on how she ascended to power, going as far as wondering if the young heir to the throne had truly died a natural death.
Within the Pacific Ocean, the main fleet of the Pacific conducted two major exploration missions alongside Asia and the Pacific. One of the fleets was to perform an exploration along the coastline of China and the islands within the Asian seas. The other was set along the south, tasked with discovering the lands of the south pacific.
After many years of integration into Elysia, the northerners of Vinland that resided within Imperial borders were granted full rights and were completely integrated within Elysia’s own borders. The Vinlandic population of Elysia, all of whom were overwhelmingly Christian in part to Elysian missionary and conversion efforts, enjoyed friendly treatment. Now given full rights, the Christian Vinlandic population rejoiced and openly praised both God and Emperor for his benevolence. Given their martial and trading history, Vinlanders would eagerly serve the Empire and believed that their people were given a new chance at life. Decades ago, they were bitter enemies. Today, and for all time, they were friends.
The Althing of Vinland, now seen as a delusional maniac and deeply unpopular with the Elysian people, openly made their statement on the Imperial treatment of Christian Vinlanders. The Althing and the Konugur flew into a rage upon hearing the news from the south, and sent their hostility to the Emperor and the Senate. Believing that their own people were abandoning Norse traditions and their ancestral faith for the false religion of christ to the south, relations plummeted between Vinland. The Empire, tired of their constant and almost senile-like rambling, ignored their hostile talk.
It was that, with matters of continued growth was settled in the Mediterranean and along the Pacific, it was time to deal with an old enemy of the Empire...
Here it comes. Elysia and Vinland are about to settle their accounts once and for all.
Australia appears to be in colonization range -- perhaps we'll see an Elysian "Terra Australis"?
Australia appears to be in colonization range -- perhaps we'll see an Elysian "Terra Australis"?
Really loving this AAR so far. But if Australia is going to be colonised may I suggest the name of Notosia or Nea Rhomania.
Interesting. Could I ask for the translation of Notosia if possible? I might simply still call Australia by its name simply because it means southern in Latin
The Althing is the Vinlandic Parliament, while the Konungur is the elected leader that has powers akin to a King. The Althing, despite being an elective monarchy within its government, it behaves much more like an Oligarchic Republic.
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Chapter 33: The Fall of Portugal (1604-1606)
Chapter 33: The Fall of Portugal (1604-1606)
After another victory over the Ottoman Empire, Elysia had spent the previous few years keeping their distance from the domestic affairs of Western Europe. With the East pacified to some degree, it was time for the Empire to make their presence known across the west again, and to remind Europe why the Imperial Army and its Fleets should be feared across the old world
The Papal State, styling itself as the Defender of Catholicism, launched their invasion of Protestant France in an attempt to reverse the leading protestant heresy that had potential to threaten Catholic hegemony in Italy. While it would be impossible to force the overwhelmingly Lutheran kingdom to accept Catholicism into the region, any opportunity that was taken to weaken the French was seen in a positive light by the Elysians.
While being ravaged by separatist movements in the Islamic World, a notable one within the Eastern Ottoman expanse threatened to undo everything that the Turks had done for centuries. Armenians and Kurdish provinces gained their independence, and many years of occupation was taking its toll on both the Ottomans control. The Aq Qoyunlu, what had originally been a victorious realm was not transforming into a collapsing one, and many of their neighbours were incredibly keen to exploit this.
With the loss of Brazil, the Kingdom of Portugal had lost a major area of its territories simply overnight, and the effects of losing their Retorian crown jewel were simply devastating. Unable to cope with the loss, and with their holdings incredibly distant, the Elysian Empire was prepared to silence the Portuguese for good by finishing off their homeland. After a period of fifteen years, Elysia declared war with aim to conquer Northern Portugal.
After only fifty one days of siege, Porto fell to an overwhelming assault conducted by Elysia. With the capture of the city, the remainder of Portugal was left open for occupation by tens of thousands of Elysian and Hispanic forces
The results were almost instant, and Portugal would barely last for a couple of months. After the occupation of Northern Portugal and with the capture of Porto, the Portuguese royal family would flee into exile into one of their only holdings left in the world, the small loyalist trading settlement of Cape Town in Africa, far enough away from Europe and Elysia to never threaten the Empire again.
The remainder of Portugal would be absorbed into Hispania, and nobles who were willing to enter integration with the exarch usually were allowed to keep their land and titles on the condition that they pledged allegiance to the Pan-Iberian exarch and the Emperor of Elysia. Immediate efforts to transform the former Catholic realm into an Elysian Orthodox realm, with the Empire hoping that a united Iberian state could serve as the model for what the future of Europe could look like. A model that wont just be limited to just the Mediterranean, but simply a taste of things to come should the Empire reestablish order and harmony in Europe
Infuriated at the Papacy for supporting the Iberian realms despite being preoccupied with their war against France, the Empire sent diplomats to Rome with a message for his holiness. Break the alliance with Spain, and the Empire would conduct no offensive operations in Italy in the event of a war. The Papacy immediately refused, and the diplomats were immediately sent back home to report their faliure.
Despite the Papacy threatening to aid the Spanish in the next war, the Empire made plans to invade Spain regardless of intervention. On June 12th 1604, Elysia would declare war on Spain and immediately make tremendous gains during their campaign.
The homeland provinces are among the richest and most developed provinces within the Empire, with living standards comparable to that of the Old World. Much of the original Hellenic and European population resides along the eastern coastline or along the coastline, while barbaroi dominate the interior of the Empire. The further from the capital the barbaroi were, the less ‘civilized’ they acted. Emperor Basil implemented reforms on improving infrastructure and worked on the development of more inland cities, with new settlements or the development of preexisting ones to spread Elysian influence. It was time for Elysia to create a true homeland for all who come to its shores.
With the focus of Global Trade spreading along Europe, it would become embraced in the Empire after many european merchants were already embracing such new ideas. More merchants were interested with the idea of sailing across the seas and finding fame and fortune in distant lands. It allowed the Empire to expand into new markets, something that deeply interested the Elysians considerably.
The fight to secure the riches of the world was not an easy task, but merchants had managed to secure a preferential deal with local suppliers. Although the Empire will not be able to maintain this trade deal forever, it would bring more revenue to the Empire as overseas trade started to turn towards Elysia.
As the Pacific was explored and colonised, the Senate enacted the tradition of developing charter colonies. A practise that was best utilized under the reign Emperor Alexandros, charter colonies were now instead focused on settling the many islands of the pacific rather than the homeland.
Over a year into the campaign and the Spanish kingdom was brutally beaten by the elite troops of the Empire, backing them into a corner and destroying them. Decades ago, this would have been impossible as the odds of conducting a successful invasion of Iberia was impossible with such little resources. Now, fortune smiled on the Empire and it brought about a welcome change.
At the Battle of Jaén, all hopes for a Spanish attempt to fight against the impossible were completely obliterated. Elysian Commander Thomas Mikrulakes performed an encirclement around the Spanish army and wiped them out to the last man. Mikrulakes, for such an incredible victory over the Spanish, would be rewarded with land that would be given to him by the Empire in the Anthrios Penissular upon his retirement, should he live to see that day anyway.
With Papal involvement completely non-existent within Iberia, it would be the Kingdom who would surrender to the terrifying efficient Elysian forces. Aiming to subjugate the entirety of Iberia, terms of surrender always contained details about the surrender of a considerable amount of land from the Kingdom. Elysia, once again, had won a grand victory in Iberia.
A sizeable majority of Western Iberia would be surrendered to the Empire, from Galicia and Asturias in the northwest to the fabulously wealthy cities of Madrid and Toledo. Spain would be completely humiliated, and their one great kingdom was at risk of suffering from the terrible fate that Portugal once suffered.
With this incredible victory, it was believed that the Golden Era of Elysia had truly ended. It was thought to have ended with the death of Emperor Alexios, but with a victory over Spain in this war, it was well and truly considered over. Fifty years of prosperity had allowed the Empire to flourish, but dark times were ahead of the Empire...
Growing tensions between Europe was reignited, and the hostility between the European states threatened to boil over into great violence. Instead of remaining cautious and trying to prevent chaos in the realm, the Empire no longer feared them like they used to. If all of Europe was to unite against the Empire, the Elysia and her subjects was more than united against Europe. The Emperor and Senate were proudly boastful in their approach for the coming storm.
“Let them come…”
After another victory over the Ottoman Empire, Elysia had spent the previous few years keeping their distance from the domestic affairs of Western Europe. With the East pacified to some degree, it was time for the Empire to make their presence known across the west again, and to remind Europe why the Imperial Army and its Fleets should be feared across the old world
The Papal State, styling itself as the Defender of Catholicism, launched their invasion of Protestant France in an attempt to reverse the leading protestant heresy that had potential to threaten Catholic hegemony in Italy. While it would be impossible to force the overwhelmingly Lutheran kingdom to accept Catholicism into the region, any opportunity that was taken to weaken the French was seen in a positive light by the Elysians.
While being ravaged by separatist movements in the Islamic World, a notable one within the Eastern Ottoman expanse threatened to undo everything that the Turks had done for centuries. Armenians and Kurdish provinces gained their independence, and many years of occupation was taking its toll on both the Ottomans control. The Aq Qoyunlu, what had originally been a victorious realm was not transforming into a collapsing one, and many of their neighbours were incredibly keen to exploit this.
With the loss of Brazil, the Kingdom of Portugal had lost a major area of its territories simply overnight, and the effects of losing their Retorian crown jewel were simply devastating. Unable to cope with the loss, and with their holdings incredibly distant, the Elysian Empire was prepared to silence the Portuguese for good by finishing off their homeland. After a period of fifteen years, Elysia declared war with aim to conquer Northern Portugal.
After only fifty one days of siege, Porto fell to an overwhelming assault conducted by Elysia. With the capture of the city, the remainder of Portugal was left open for occupation by tens of thousands of Elysian and Hispanic forces
The results were almost instant, and Portugal would barely last for a couple of months. After the occupation of Northern Portugal and with the capture of Porto, the Portuguese royal family would flee into exile into one of their only holdings left in the world, the small loyalist trading settlement of Cape Town in Africa, far enough away from Europe and Elysia to never threaten the Empire again.
The remainder of Portugal would be absorbed into Hispania, and nobles who were willing to enter integration with the exarch usually were allowed to keep their land and titles on the condition that they pledged allegiance to the Pan-Iberian exarch and the Emperor of Elysia. Immediate efforts to transform the former Catholic realm into an Elysian Orthodox realm, with the Empire hoping that a united Iberian state could serve as the model for what the future of Europe could look like. A model that wont just be limited to just the Mediterranean, but simply a taste of things to come should the Empire reestablish order and harmony in Europe
Infuriated at the Papacy for supporting the Iberian realms despite being preoccupied with their war against France, the Empire sent diplomats to Rome with a message for his holiness. Break the alliance with Spain, and the Empire would conduct no offensive operations in Italy in the event of a war. The Papacy immediately refused, and the diplomats were immediately sent back home to report their faliure.
Despite the Papacy threatening to aid the Spanish in the next war, the Empire made plans to invade Spain regardless of intervention. On June 12th 1604, Elysia would declare war on Spain and immediately make tremendous gains during their campaign.
The homeland provinces are among the richest and most developed provinces within the Empire, with living standards comparable to that of the Old World. Much of the original Hellenic and European population resides along the eastern coastline or along the coastline, while barbaroi dominate the interior of the Empire. The further from the capital the barbaroi were, the less ‘civilized’ they acted. Emperor Basil implemented reforms on improving infrastructure and worked on the development of more inland cities, with new settlements or the development of preexisting ones to spread Elysian influence. It was time for Elysia to create a true homeland for all who come to its shores.
With the focus of Global Trade spreading along Europe, it would become embraced in the Empire after many european merchants were already embracing such new ideas. More merchants were interested with the idea of sailing across the seas and finding fame and fortune in distant lands. It allowed the Empire to expand into new markets, something that deeply interested the Elysians considerably.
The fight to secure the riches of the world was not an easy task, but merchants had managed to secure a preferential deal with local suppliers. Although the Empire will not be able to maintain this trade deal forever, it would bring more revenue to the Empire as overseas trade started to turn towards Elysia.
As the Pacific was explored and colonised, the Senate enacted the tradition of developing charter colonies. A practise that was best utilized under the reign Emperor Alexandros, charter colonies were now instead focused on settling the many islands of the pacific rather than the homeland.
Over a year into the campaign and the Spanish kingdom was brutally beaten by the elite troops of the Empire, backing them into a corner and destroying them. Decades ago, this would have been impossible as the odds of conducting a successful invasion of Iberia was impossible with such little resources. Now, fortune smiled on the Empire and it brought about a welcome change.
At the Battle of Jaén, all hopes for a Spanish attempt to fight against the impossible were completely obliterated. Elysian Commander Thomas Mikrulakes performed an encirclement around the Spanish army and wiped them out to the last man. Mikrulakes, for such an incredible victory over the Spanish, would be rewarded with land that would be given to him by the Empire in the Anthrios Penissular upon his retirement, should he live to see that day anyway.
With Papal involvement completely non-existent within Iberia, it would be the Kingdom who would surrender to the terrifying efficient Elysian forces. Aiming to subjugate the entirety of Iberia, terms of surrender always contained details about the surrender of a considerable amount of land from the Kingdom. Elysia, once again, had won a grand victory in Iberia.
A sizeable majority of Western Iberia would be surrendered to the Empire, from Galicia and Asturias in the northwest to the fabulously wealthy cities of Madrid and Toledo. Spain would be completely humiliated, and their one great kingdom was at risk of suffering from the terrible fate that Portugal once suffered.
With this incredible victory, it was believed that the Golden Era of Elysia had truly ended. It was thought to have ended with the death of Emperor Alexios, but with a victory over Spain in this war, it was well and truly considered over. Fifty years of prosperity had allowed the Empire to flourish, but dark times were ahead of the Empire...
Growing tensions between Europe was reignited, and the hostility between the European states threatened to boil over into great violence. Instead of remaining cautious and trying to prevent chaos in the realm, the Empire no longer feared them like they used to. If all of Europe was to unite against the Empire, the Elysia and her subjects was more than united against Europe. The Emperor and Senate were proudly boastful in their approach for the coming storm.
“Let them come…”
Basically the Thirty Years war but without Leagues and with the Europeans versus the Elysians. But I am confident in who will come out of it alive.
I will decide to use Australia just for simplicity. I might however use Notosia for OTL New Zealand
For New Zealand maybe Notia Edafi which is Greek for southern most region.
Found this a few days ago while waiting in the airport, and have devoured the whole thing!
Can't wait to see what's next for Elysia!
Can't wait to see what's next for Elysia!
Chapter 34: The Europa League (1606-1610)
Chapter 34: The Europa League (1606-1610)
The political climate of Europe was starting to turn against the expansion of Elysian influence and territorial conquest in the region. Decades of Imperialist conquest had done much to upset the balance of power in the old world, and dangerous and opportunistic eyes were looking towards the Imperium across the sea. Some had envy towards Elysia. Some hated the Empire for everything they represented. Some wanted to secure their own power in a changing world.
Elysia, in the eyes of the old world, represented Roman traditions and culture with a Hellenic mindset. Europe, as majestic as they were in power, was simply occupied by barbarians. A cultural and religious sentiment fueled this resentment. Catholics were terrified of Elysia and their form of orthodoxy, as the Papacy was the theological enemy of the faith. Protestants and reformists disliked the Elysians but were relieved that the Empire was focusing predominantly on the southern Catholic and Islamic realms.
History would be made on October 23rd 1606. Pacific expansion into the distant western ocean had discovered a coastline. Explorers had originally thought that the landmass was merely just a large island, only to be completely surprised as the coastline continued for several thousand miles. Despite the harsh landscape of the land, an Elysian explorer by the name of Leontius Vatatez had charted the area believed to be a completely new continent. He would call this distant land ‘Australia’, after the Latin word ‘Australis’ meaning southern.
Once news of Leontius discovery and exploration of the new untamed continent of ‘Australia’ was made public, news travelled quickly from the western ports of Hesperedia and made its way towards the east. With the eastern coast of this land charted, Emperor Basil would claim the entirety of the new continent under the Elysian Empire and worked towards plans of settlement of the incredibly distant land. Due to its hostile environment and its vast distance from Elysia, Basil I aspired to prioritise regions of the new land as a penal colony.
Across the ocean towards the east of Australia was another distinctive land, specifically two islands. Another Elysian explorer, Pegarius Lecapenas would chart the land. While not exploring inland, he established contact with some of the natives alongside the coastal territories. Pegarius would learn from a Liaison the native name of the islands was Aotearoa. Pegarius would name the two islands as Notia Edafi, meaning southernmost region.
With a lack of allies on the continent, the Empire would offer a hand in friendship to the realm of the Netherlands. For the offer of having a strong military alliance, Elysia would offer Dutch merchants financial deals within the Elysian markets as well as monetary assistance whenever the young realm requires it. The Dutch eagerly accepted, and Elysia gained a new ally in Europe.
In Hispania, Elysian Orthodox had been gaining in popularity since the foundation of the Iberian exarch. Although originally introduced upon the rediscovery of Europe early last century, more and more Catholics in Iberia had abandoned their faith and were converting to the Elysian faith with a sense of zeal. Cathedrals across the exarch were being reconverted, new priests were being brought into the peninsular to spread the true faith, church leadership was being reorganized and an exodus of Catholic bishops and members of the church from Iberia to the Papal State only acted to speed up the conversion period of Hispania. One Catholic noble in Madrid, Garcia Sastre, was not willing to accept Elysian hegemony and called upon the faithful to reassert Catholic dominance.
It would prove fruitless. Despite raising an army equal to that of Elysia’s, Sastre’s revolt would fail largely due to the experience and leadership of the elite Elysian thema. Thousands would break rank and flee from the battle, and Sastre himself would be knocked unconscious during the fighting. By the time he would awake, his armies were scattered into the wind. The Catholic revolt in Madrid had failed, and Sastre would be sentenced to death by hanging.
Madrid would be converted to Elysian Orthodoxy, and the center of Iberian Catholicism and Christendom would embrace the light of the One True Faith. To the growing adherence to Elysian Orthodoxy, this would prove to be a monumental moment in Iberian history. To Catholicism in the region, it was seen as a death sentence.
The Papal State of Italy had successfully won its war against the Protestants in France. While it was unable to eliminate the heresy brought upon them, the Pope inflicted a serious defeat upon the realm in Southern France. Protestants in Papal France would be dealt with a fate worse than death as heresy was violently expunged from the region. The reaction among the Catholic world was celebrated, while the French Queen and other protestants were threatened by the Papacy and their celebrated “Legions”.
In Bohemia, new methods were being created by glass-makers that were able to challenge the Venetian method. The new strand of Bohemian crystal was more durable, brilliant and distinctively different in its style then the Venetian glass to the south. Crystal chandeliers, glass jewellery and engraved glass was becoming common in Europe, and the Venetian glassmakers suffered in their market. Bohemian Glass would be ordered from Europe to be sent to the Empire.
With the prestige that the Empire was seen with among the world, Elysia did not have a recognisable symbol of its dominance. In a period of peace, fragile as it might be, Emperor Basil and the Senate would begin the construction of the greatest Orthodox cathedral in the world. It would be a costly investment, but one that would show the brilliance of the faithful across the world.
In ancient times, the Hagia Sophia was the crown jewel of Christianity in the times of the Roman Empire. In times of unrest, crisis or even with the declining strength of old world, there was none who could doubt its splendor. With the children of rome in a new world, it was time for the Empire to construct to construct something equally magnificent, if not much more impressive, then the ancient jewel of Christianity. The new cathedral would be dedicated to the Theotokos, the Mother of God.
As plans were being discussed about the location of the new cathedral, it would be planned to be constructed in the centreof the capital next to the Imperial Palace, just like Old Constantinople. Due to the space allocated to build the grand cathedral, it was planned to demolish many derelict homes within the area or pay the inhabitants to resettle elsewhere. The Hagia Theotoke, nicknamed as the Temple of the Marble Emperors prior to the naming process, would serve as a shining symbol of Elysian power and prestige in this grand new world, and serve as the power of the Imperial Monarchy. While the capital would suffer briefly from revenue during the construction process of the cathedral and the relocation of stubborn homeowners, it would would easily be replaced. The Hagia Theotoke would become the ultimate jewel of Elysian Orthodoxy, if not Catholicism as a whole, once it was completed.
In Western Europe, a spiritual battle between both Protestants and Catholics greatly influenced politics in the region. Despite a Catholic victory in the War of the Religious Leagues, France had still succumbed to a protestant takeover due to the bizarre endorsement of the faith by the French monarchy. With Catholicism once again threatened in the West by the actions of growing Protestant and Reformed realms, the Catholic world nervously took interest in the Holy Roman Empire, dreading the prospect of a second league war.
In the East, the fortunes of Catholicism were completely reversed. Central and Eastern Europe were completely dominated by Catholicism, while both Elysian Orthodoxy was busy as a majority faith in the Balkans and Western Anatolia. A declining Islam in the Near East, especially in Anatolia, would see Russia launch a conquest of the region against Elysian claims and wishes in the region. Russian Orthodoxy was referenced by Elysian Orthodox adherents as “Old Believers” after Russia refused to adopt the new Patriarchate. The Centers of Orthodoxy were now in Old and New Constantinople in both Europe and Elysium respectively, while Russian Orthodoxy was now centred in Moscow.
Claims in Anatolia, having been held by Elysia for many decades, were suddenly contested by the Elysian Empire and the Russian Tsardom. The entirety of the northern coastline of Anatolia was seized by Russia, angering the Elysians for having stolen integral region of the Hellenic world. Relations between Elysia and Russia plummeted, fragmenting the possibility for the survival of the long-standing Elysio-Russian Alliance that largely kept Eastern Europe under their interests.
As soon as the Pacific Ocean was chartered by the Elysian explorers, Asia would become the next priority for the Empire. China, having been somewhat of a distant yet curious fascination by Elysia due to the prestige and power it held in ancient times, was chartered by the Empire. While neighboring Korea expanded into neighboring Manchurian lands, China was still ruled by the powerful Ming Dynasty, which held tribute states all across Asia.
In a hostile Europe, it would not be a European state that would start the war. Morocco, who had been upset due to the acquisition of the northern Moroccan coastline and the Pillars of Hercules being seized decades ago, started a punitive war that would ravage across a majority of the continent. Notable powers that were not involved were the Papal State and France, who never joined the coalition against Elysia and instead focused on their own bitter rivalry. ,
Elysian power, alongside her stalwart allies, answered her call to defend Europe and turn the tide against Europe. The largest and most dangerous of these states was the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth, who was able to field large armies. While the Habsburg monarchies of both Austria and Hungary were the two wealthiest nations in the coalition. The enemies of Elysia who have answered the call to defeat the Empire and allies united under what they called the ‘Europa League’, putting aside their cultural differences and using the pride of the European continent as their namesake mockingly against the foreign Elysian invaders. The two juggernauts of Europe would clash in the first war of its kind, and in time, would be remembered as the First Europa War on February 17th 1609
Wanting to prevent the distant lands of Australia into falling the hands of the Elysian Empire’s many enemies, the Empire promoted a new wave of establishing new frontiers on the continent. The native people of Australia, known simply as Aboriginals to the Elysian settlers, perceived the natives as extremely cautious of the towns that were being established along the bay. The penal colonies that were planned was to be established in remote or dangerous regions of the continent, interestingly looking towards an island along a strait in the south.
Settlement was settled alongside establishing free towns, built by Elysians, for settlers making a new life so far away from the Empire. Unlike the frontiers of Elysium, largely due to the distance between the homeland and the hostile lands of Australia, a census of the Empire projected that the population of Elysian settlers in the land was to be much smaller than expected. This was largely due to logistics and resources, along with Australian environment proving to be especially difficult to colonise due to its hostility.
The times of reformation, having long passed, were now all but over in Europe. A new era was beginning in Elysia as governments in the old world became interested with the concept of absolute power in their countries, committing themselves towards building an Empire of their own. As far as Emperor Basil believed, this was to be a new age of the state. Rulers and Armies played a bigger role than ever before, and it was a period where power was worth more than life or death. Basil believed in the words of his ancestor, Alexandros the Magnificent. Empire or Nothing.
The first major conflict in the First Europa War would occur in the Ragusan province of Hum. A combined European offensive against a defensive and entrenched Elysian presence in the region. While severely outnumbering the Elysians by tens of thousands of men, largely from allied forces, the Elysian lines proved to be incredibly difficult to break in the terrain. The Imperial command structure for the Elysian armies, who required only the best of commanders to lead the elite Thema, proved to outclass the European chain of command.
The Battle of Hum would be over after nearly three weeks of fighting. Alexios Diogenes, commander of the Eastern Armies, achieved a great victory over the Europeans. Despite the superiority of the Elysian armies in battle, transatlantic logistics were extremely difficult if not impossible to maintain. Reinforcing the grand armies of Elysia was even more difficult, as it was incredibly costly to reinforce the armies with a strong Elysian core. Due to the lack of direction from the mainland, the Thema largely acted independent in operations when fighting in Europe.
A 1630 painting of the Battle of Hum
After several weeks of preparation and designs, the foundation of the great church had been laid. The sheer magnitude of the structure’s frame dominated the skyline of the capital, even if the building was but a skeleton of what it truly was. Hints of greatness can already be seen even in the shell, and all was going well in the capital.
Disaster would occur in the east, as a Polish army crossed the Pyrenees and surprised an Elysian thema set as a garrison to protect Hispania while a majority of the army was fighting in North Africa. The Elysians took heavy losses, and were forced to flee to Southern Iberia as Hispania was suddenly undefended.
But none would come close to the disaster that occured in Belgrade, known in the Hungarian tongue as Nándorfehérvár. Despite attempts to relieve the siege by the armies of the East, they were forced to abandon saving their own in attempts to reinforce the defences of the East, relocating to Old Constantinople and protecting the main city from a large bulk of the European forces. Well over half the army would be simply obliterated against a Bohemian led battle, and now, it was a fight for survival in the East.
Defeat was simply unacceptable, and as the Empire and its many subjects and allies worked to reverse this defeat, reinforcement of its armies during the war would surprise the Empire with one of its greatest heroes...
The political climate of Europe was starting to turn against the expansion of Elysian influence and territorial conquest in the region. Decades of Imperialist conquest had done much to upset the balance of power in the old world, and dangerous and opportunistic eyes were looking towards the Imperium across the sea. Some had envy towards Elysia. Some hated the Empire for everything they represented. Some wanted to secure their own power in a changing world.
Elysia, in the eyes of the old world, represented Roman traditions and culture with a Hellenic mindset. Europe, as majestic as they were in power, was simply occupied by barbarians. A cultural and religious sentiment fueled this resentment. Catholics were terrified of Elysia and their form of orthodoxy, as the Papacy was the theological enemy of the faith. Protestants and reformists disliked the Elysians but were relieved that the Empire was focusing predominantly on the southern Catholic and Islamic realms.
History would be made on October 23rd 1606. Pacific expansion into the distant western ocean had discovered a coastline. Explorers had originally thought that the landmass was merely just a large island, only to be completely surprised as the coastline continued for several thousand miles. Despite the harsh landscape of the land, an Elysian explorer by the name of Leontius Vatatez had charted the area believed to be a completely new continent. He would call this distant land ‘Australia’, after the Latin word ‘Australis’ meaning southern.
Once news of Leontius discovery and exploration of the new untamed continent of ‘Australia’ was made public, news travelled quickly from the western ports of Hesperedia and made its way towards the east. With the eastern coast of this land charted, Emperor Basil would claim the entirety of the new continent under the Elysian Empire and worked towards plans of settlement of the incredibly distant land. Due to its hostile environment and its vast distance from Elysia, Basil I aspired to prioritise regions of the new land as a penal colony.
Across the ocean towards the east of Australia was another distinctive land, specifically two islands. Another Elysian explorer, Pegarius Lecapenas would chart the land. While not exploring inland, he established contact with some of the natives alongside the coastal territories. Pegarius would learn from a Liaison the native name of the islands was Aotearoa. Pegarius would name the two islands as Notia Edafi, meaning southernmost region.
With a lack of allies on the continent, the Empire would offer a hand in friendship to the realm of the Netherlands. For the offer of having a strong military alliance, Elysia would offer Dutch merchants financial deals within the Elysian markets as well as monetary assistance whenever the young realm requires it. The Dutch eagerly accepted, and Elysia gained a new ally in Europe.
In Hispania, Elysian Orthodox had been gaining in popularity since the foundation of the Iberian exarch. Although originally introduced upon the rediscovery of Europe early last century, more and more Catholics in Iberia had abandoned their faith and were converting to the Elysian faith with a sense of zeal. Cathedrals across the exarch were being reconverted, new priests were being brought into the peninsular to spread the true faith, church leadership was being reorganized and an exodus of Catholic bishops and members of the church from Iberia to the Papal State only acted to speed up the conversion period of Hispania. One Catholic noble in Madrid, Garcia Sastre, was not willing to accept Elysian hegemony and called upon the faithful to reassert Catholic dominance.
It would prove fruitless. Despite raising an army equal to that of Elysia’s, Sastre’s revolt would fail largely due to the experience and leadership of the elite Elysian thema. Thousands would break rank and flee from the battle, and Sastre himself would be knocked unconscious during the fighting. By the time he would awake, his armies were scattered into the wind. The Catholic revolt in Madrid had failed, and Sastre would be sentenced to death by hanging.
Madrid would be converted to Elysian Orthodoxy, and the center of Iberian Catholicism and Christendom would embrace the light of the One True Faith. To the growing adherence to Elysian Orthodoxy, this would prove to be a monumental moment in Iberian history. To Catholicism in the region, it was seen as a death sentence.
The Papal State of Italy had successfully won its war against the Protestants in France. While it was unable to eliminate the heresy brought upon them, the Pope inflicted a serious defeat upon the realm in Southern France. Protestants in Papal France would be dealt with a fate worse than death as heresy was violently expunged from the region. The reaction among the Catholic world was celebrated, while the French Queen and other protestants were threatened by the Papacy and their celebrated “Legions”.
In Bohemia, new methods were being created by glass-makers that were able to challenge the Venetian method. The new strand of Bohemian crystal was more durable, brilliant and distinctively different in its style then the Venetian glass to the south. Crystal chandeliers, glass jewellery and engraved glass was becoming common in Europe, and the Venetian glassmakers suffered in their market. Bohemian Glass would be ordered from Europe to be sent to the Empire.
With the prestige that the Empire was seen with among the world, Elysia did not have a recognisable symbol of its dominance. In a period of peace, fragile as it might be, Emperor Basil and the Senate would begin the construction of the greatest Orthodox cathedral in the world. It would be a costly investment, but one that would show the brilliance of the faithful across the world.
In ancient times, the Hagia Sophia was the crown jewel of Christianity in the times of the Roman Empire. In times of unrest, crisis or even with the declining strength of old world, there was none who could doubt its splendor. With the children of rome in a new world, it was time for the Empire to construct to construct something equally magnificent, if not much more impressive, then the ancient jewel of Christianity. The new cathedral would be dedicated to the Theotokos, the Mother of God.
As plans were being discussed about the location of the new cathedral, it would be planned to be constructed in the centreof the capital next to the Imperial Palace, just like Old Constantinople. Due to the space allocated to build the grand cathedral, it was planned to demolish many derelict homes within the area or pay the inhabitants to resettle elsewhere. The Hagia Theotoke, nicknamed as the Temple of the Marble Emperors prior to the naming process, would serve as a shining symbol of Elysian power and prestige in this grand new world, and serve as the power of the Imperial Monarchy. While the capital would suffer briefly from revenue during the construction process of the cathedral and the relocation of stubborn homeowners, it would would easily be replaced. The Hagia Theotoke would become the ultimate jewel of Elysian Orthodoxy, if not Catholicism as a whole, once it was completed.
In Western Europe, a spiritual battle between both Protestants and Catholics greatly influenced politics in the region. Despite a Catholic victory in the War of the Religious Leagues, France had still succumbed to a protestant takeover due to the bizarre endorsement of the faith by the French monarchy. With Catholicism once again threatened in the West by the actions of growing Protestant and Reformed realms, the Catholic world nervously took interest in the Holy Roman Empire, dreading the prospect of a second league war.
In the East, the fortunes of Catholicism were completely reversed. Central and Eastern Europe were completely dominated by Catholicism, while both Elysian Orthodoxy was busy as a majority faith in the Balkans and Western Anatolia. A declining Islam in the Near East, especially in Anatolia, would see Russia launch a conquest of the region against Elysian claims and wishes in the region. Russian Orthodoxy was referenced by Elysian Orthodox adherents as “Old Believers” after Russia refused to adopt the new Patriarchate. The Centers of Orthodoxy were now in Old and New Constantinople in both Europe and Elysium respectively, while Russian Orthodoxy was now centred in Moscow.
Claims in Anatolia, having been held by Elysia for many decades, were suddenly contested by the Elysian Empire and the Russian Tsardom. The entirety of the northern coastline of Anatolia was seized by Russia, angering the Elysians for having stolen integral region of the Hellenic world. Relations between Elysia and Russia plummeted, fragmenting the possibility for the survival of the long-standing Elysio-Russian Alliance that largely kept Eastern Europe under their interests.
As soon as the Pacific Ocean was chartered by the Elysian explorers, Asia would become the next priority for the Empire. China, having been somewhat of a distant yet curious fascination by Elysia due to the prestige and power it held in ancient times, was chartered by the Empire. While neighboring Korea expanded into neighboring Manchurian lands, China was still ruled by the powerful Ming Dynasty, which held tribute states all across Asia.
In a hostile Europe, it would not be a European state that would start the war. Morocco, who had been upset due to the acquisition of the northern Moroccan coastline and the Pillars of Hercules being seized decades ago, started a punitive war that would ravage across a majority of the continent. Notable powers that were not involved were the Papal State and France, who never joined the coalition against Elysia and instead focused on their own bitter rivalry. ,
Elysian power, alongside her stalwart allies, answered her call to defend Europe and turn the tide against Europe. The largest and most dangerous of these states was the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth, who was able to field large armies. While the Habsburg monarchies of both Austria and Hungary were the two wealthiest nations in the coalition. The enemies of Elysia who have answered the call to defeat the Empire and allies united under what they called the ‘Europa League’, putting aside their cultural differences and using the pride of the European continent as their namesake mockingly against the foreign Elysian invaders. The two juggernauts of Europe would clash in the first war of its kind, and in time, would be remembered as the First Europa War on February 17th 1609
Wanting to prevent the distant lands of Australia into falling the hands of the Elysian Empire’s many enemies, the Empire promoted a new wave of establishing new frontiers on the continent. The native people of Australia, known simply as Aboriginals to the Elysian settlers, perceived the natives as extremely cautious of the towns that were being established along the bay. The penal colonies that were planned was to be established in remote or dangerous regions of the continent, interestingly looking towards an island along a strait in the south.
Settlement was settled alongside establishing free towns, built by Elysians, for settlers making a new life so far away from the Empire. Unlike the frontiers of Elysium, largely due to the distance between the homeland and the hostile lands of Australia, a census of the Empire projected that the population of Elysian settlers in the land was to be much smaller than expected. This was largely due to logistics and resources, along with Australian environment proving to be especially difficult to colonise due to its hostility.
The times of reformation, having long passed, were now all but over in Europe. A new era was beginning in Elysia as governments in the old world became interested with the concept of absolute power in their countries, committing themselves towards building an Empire of their own. As far as Emperor Basil believed, this was to be a new age of the state. Rulers and Armies played a bigger role than ever before, and it was a period where power was worth more than life or death. Basil believed in the words of his ancestor, Alexandros the Magnificent. Empire or Nothing.
The first major conflict in the First Europa War would occur in the Ragusan province of Hum. A combined European offensive against a defensive and entrenched Elysian presence in the region. While severely outnumbering the Elysians by tens of thousands of men, largely from allied forces, the Elysian lines proved to be incredibly difficult to break in the terrain. The Imperial command structure for the Elysian armies, who required only the best of commanders to lead the elite Thema, proved to outclass the European chain of command.
The Battle of Hum would be over after nearly three weeks of fighting. Alexios Diogenes, commander of the Eastern Armies, achieved a great victory over the Europeans. Despite the superiority of the Elysian armies in battle, transatlantic logistics were extremely difficult if not impossible to maintain. Reinforcing the grand armies of Elysia was even more difficult, as it was incredibly costly to reinforce the armies with a strong Elysian core. Due to the lack of direction from the mainland, the Thema largely acted independent in operations when fighting in Europe.
A 1630 painting of the Battle of Hum
After several weeks of preparation and designs, the foundation of the great church had been laid. The sheer magnitude of the structure’s frame dominated the skyline of the capital, even if the building was but a skeleton of what it truly was. Hints of greatness can already be seen even in the shell, and all was going well in the capital.
Disaster would occur in the east, as a Polish army crossed the Pyrenees and surprised an Elysian thema set as a garrison to protect Hispania while a majority of the army was fighting in North Africa. The Elysians took heavy losses, and were forced to flee to Southern Iberia as Hispania was suddenly undefended.
But none would come close to the disaster that occured in Belgrade, known in the Hungarian tongue as Nándorfehérvár. Despite attempts to relieve the siege by the armies of the East, they were forced to abandon saving their own in attempts to reinforce the defences of the East, relocating to Old Constantinople and protecting the main city from a large bulk of the European forces. Well over half the army would be simply obliterated against a Bohemian led battle, and now, it was a fight for survival in the East.
Defeat was simply unacceptable, and as the Empire and its many subjects and allies worked to reverse this defeat, reinforcement of its armies during the war would surprise the Empire with one of its greatest heroes...
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A great and tiring war is upon Elysia,
Never fret as the forces of Elysia vanquish any forestalled!
Count your losses
Never fret as the forces of Elysia vanquish any forestalled!
Count your losses