"Into the artifice of eternity..." a Roman (Byzantine) AAR
All right, this is my first AAR. I'm using DLV 6.2, with Battlefield Balance 2.7. I'm playing Romans, Historical, VH/VH, all scripts enabled except the "character required" one, and Total War off. Hopefully the other installments won't be so long-winded. Creative writing isn't exactly my strong point. If you have any advice or anything, feel free to speak up, I won't be offended!
Basileia Rhōmaiōn, A.D. 1180 Summer
Byzantium is the shadow that remains of the old Roman Empire. It is a mere shadow because despite retaining the civilised ways of the Roman legacy, the Byzantines have done little to further it. In fact, it is their reverence of the old ways that has brought the empire to a point of stagnation, in a world that has gradually kept moving on. The differences between the thinking in Byzantium and the west were most profoundly highlighted with the Great Schism, the division of Christendom. Despite boasting the world's trade capital and home of Orthodox Christianity in Constantinople, the Byzantine Empire is well past its zenith and is now in steady decline. The outer regions of the empire have been slipping from the Emperor's grasp for decades now. To the west, the Normans have taken southern Italy, and in the east the Turks have moved into Asia Minor after their decisive and terrible victory at Manzikert. The latter of these two losses was the worst defeat the Empire had suffered in its entire history. To make matters worse, general corruption, chaos and dissent has lead to some of the other provinces closer to home to rebel.
Arguably, the greatest threat to Byzantium lies in its independence from Rome. There is significant risk that the lords of the west will consider the lands of Orthodox Christianity to be fair game unless the Pope decrees otherwise. It is a true irony that Constantinople may now have to appease Rome after becoming the new capital of the Roman Empire centuries ago.If the Byzantine Empire is to once again become the dominant power of the east, then it will first need to reclaim its heartlands wholly before encroaching upon the borders of another power. The Byzantine legacy is long and predominantly proud, but unless the Emperor can turn things around in a hurry, it is a legacy that will soon end.
1180-1181
Meet Emperor Manuel. Since taking the throne in 1143, he has fought against Italians, Egyptians, Hungarians, and Turks (to name a few). He has dealt with a massive crusade and developed diplomatic relations with Rome, Jerusalem, and (after a decisive victory) Hungary. He has witnessed massive victories and crushing defeats that most men wouldn't even dream of. Entering his 38th year of rule, he has already cemented his place in history. But his job isn't nearly over.
The capital, Constantinople is the jewel of the empire. It is a massive metropolis and the current home of Manuel. Its neighbors are Adrianople and Nicaea (containing a crucial castle). North of Adrianople is Hungary, Kiev, and Novgorod. Manuel expects this area to be relatively peaceful, given the recent beating his mighty army gave the Hungarians. Kiev and Novgorod could be valuable trading partners and allies if all goes well. To the east lies Rebel settlements, just begging to be conquered. Beyond them, the Turks.
To the west, the Peloponnesian Peninsula contains the settlements of Durazzo, Thessalonica, Corinth, and Athens. There is a significant rebel presence, and the Isle of Corfu must be taken eventually. But with the Turkish threat, and rebel forces closer to Constantinople, this area will have to take a back seat for now. Its time will come.
To the south lie the smaller settlements of Abydus, Smyrna, and Attalia. Attalia is in the midst of a revolt and Manuel has deployed troops from Smyrna, Abydus, Nicaea, and Constantinople itself to combat this threat. Time is running short, but once all the troops arrive they should have no problem, even if (god forbid) they have to re-take the settlement.
But Iraklion, located in the Mediterranean sea, is in complete chaos. The citizens have forced the garrison out. They now wait in the countryside for the next available fleet to pick them up. They will either be headed to reinforce Attalia or to the capital to bolster defenses. Through all the chaos they have remained loyal, and trust that they won't be abandoned on this hostile island.
Finally, to the northeast, lies Sinope. Manuel's son Alexios is stationed here, and will focus on his governing and leadership ability while this Attalia situation is taken care of. Manuel has insisted that he stay safe, but it is only a matter of time until he will be called to help with the capturing of rebel settlements to his immediate south. Not to mention the Turks, who will certainly capture the settlements first if Manuel is not fast enough...
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Originally Posted by Coeur de Lion
