Chapter 1: The Final Checklist (1444)
Discovered in the weeks prior up to the Flight of the Romans, the discovery of information within the Imperial Library would come to be left behind and forgotten about during the reign of the exalted former emperor, Alexios Komnenos. The cache contained detailed schematics of dromons retrofitted with the deep-sea capabilities of the Ancient Roman vessels that sailed beyond the Pillars of Hercules and trailed along the treacherous seas between the coasts of Hispania and the lands of the Celts. During the reign of Alexios I, a trading expedition to the distant territories of Vinland would be planned but would never materialize, and as such the information would be placed upon the depths of the library and subsequently forgotten for the next four centuries.
Ioannes VIII would come to look upon this information as a pivotal piece of information that would be vital for the Emperor’s grander scheme. Europe had become a lost cause, and with the ever-present threat of destruction from all sides, no help or no salvation would be planned. Ioannes VIII and his brother Constantine would together develop a scheme with a plan to hastily retrofit the remnants of the Imperial Navy to the designs, reinforced with modern construction and shipbuilding techniques, and flee west from the continent in a new Odyssey, just as Aeneas fled Troy over three millennium ago.
With all preparations being made to abandon Constantinople and Europe, a great sense of panic would begin to grip the Queen of Cities. Every effort would be made to build and modernise the last remnants of the Imperial Fleet with the designs, which led the state to exist in an uneasy period. Protests would be made over the decision, the sacrifice of the military budget would see the morale of armies virtually dwindle for nothing, and the isolationist policies would lead the empire to almost completely block itself out from the outside world. Distant subjects or those who still held fealty to Constantinople would almost cease to exist, with Athens abandoning her loyalty to the Palaioogous. No longer able to focus upon his duties as Emperor, Ioannes VIII would focus all of his time and energy upon leading a building fleet.
With preparations well under way in a matter of weeks, the emperor would be approached by those who believed in his cause. Georgios Sphrantzes, protovestiarites to Ioannes VIII and a close attendant to their father Manuel II, would argue that the Empire should have all of the information from within the Imperial Library, which had made the Eastern Empire respected in ages past. Books and scrolls, including the manuscripts detailing the construction process of the ocean-worthy vessels, were recommended to be placed into a library and put upon the fleet.
In the days to follow, a skilled German engineer would arrive within the Imperial Court and offer his services. Johannes Grandt, an Austrian engineer, would be able to recreate Greek Fire on a limited scale based upon the knowledge stored in a hidden cache from the imperial library, and also requested space on the fleet to be allotted to store the substance and the ingredients used to make it. Both men would endeavor to ensure that their respective items were to be included upon the fleet, which would cost precious space, but might be worth it.
Theophilos Palaiologos, cousin to the Emperor and second in line to the throne after Konstantinos, would request the huge silk reserves of the Roman Empire, and the resources needed to produce it, were to be collected and placed upon the fleet. Silk, long having been a luxury item, would be made as a fine luxury good that would help contribute to the imperial economy. This would also cost precious space, should the empire take it, as the fleet would need all of the people and supplies that it could get their hands upon. Theophilos requested that, should the exotic silk not be taken along, all of its production methods should be completely destroyed to prevent the Ottoman Sultanate from discovering the secrets of Roman silk.
With preparations being made for the westbound fleet, the final question was retained to the holdings outside of Constantinople. It seemed destined that Constantinople was to fall to the Turks, but the Empire’s remaining holdings in Greece could be spared such a grim fate. Three options would appear befallen to the two royal brothers. The Serene Republic of Venice and the Republic of Genoa both desired to extend their reach into the Eastern Mediterranean and build their own respective empires. Both these nations have promised to help contribute to the fleet as repayment should the Despotate of the Morea be sold to one of them, while a third option would be made that would simply grant them independence under the leadership of the emperor’s brother, Theodoros.
As weeks continued to go by, a pair of Venetian captains would venture to Constantinople while Venice would express its interest by approaching the emperor and his advisors, stating that to cross the great western ocean, the Romans would require more than just a fleet of small ships. One of these merchant-captains, Delfino Delfin, would approach Ioannes VIII in using his family connections and a portion of the dwindling Roman treasury to acquire a portion of the Arsenal of Venice for the fleet. With the economy dwindling, such a prize would drastically reduce the fleets ability to purchase food and supplies, but would give a considerable advantage in any battles to come.
Finally, the week prior to setting sail, two significant figures would appear before the Imperial Court. An Ottoman prince, born in Constantinople after his grandfather's defeat in a failed attempt at the Turkish throne, had heard of the Roman’s attempt to set sail to Vinland. This man, Orhan Celebi, never returned to the Ottoman Sultanate on the threat of execution for his grandfather's crimes. Fearing a punishment at the hands of his cousin, the ruling Mehmed, he requested a ship be allocated to him and his regiment of retainers in exchange to train the Roman army in the tactics of the feared Janissary corps, while offering his service to the Romans.
In addition, a former Ottoman officer named Gjerj Kastrioti has rebelled from Turkish service and came to Constantinople to seek support. Known as Skanderbeg, the Albanian would learn of the impending flight and requests that some of his people be allowed on board, also offering his service to the Romans.
Unfortunately, there is only enough room left on the transports for only one of the group to embark upon. Skanderbeg or Orhan would be left to stay behind in Constantinople to make a final stand, with both men promising to share their plans with the enemies of the nation.
Shortly after Christmas of 1444, the preparations would be made and the Empire would go through all of the plans and options available to the Empire. Decisions would need to be made to finalize how much of the limited space would be left to devote to non-essentials. Supply would be crucial upon the fleet, as with every non-essential that was to come with the fleet, it would reduce the amount of supplies and people the ships could carry. The Emperor was left with a difficult decision, with his choices bound to have crucial importance...
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We are here in the first half of the preparations for the Odyssey! Here is the first vote for this semi-interactive AAR, the direction for which future expansion could commence. You, the readers, get to decide! What happens next is entirely up to you! Voting will continue until Saturday July 25th 2020 at 8pm ACST (10:30am UTC). The vote with the highest amount of votes will become the canonical path for what happens next!
Vote for the fate of Rome here!
