Derc Plays Through World History

[Alwyn]

This does look like a challenging campaign! As you said, Belisarius had interesting options. I wonder if there's any chance that the Moors will pursue Belsarius into Italy, adding to the many threats he alerady has. It looks like Justinian's empire is a significant danger and I wonder what the Vandalic Kingdom are doing.

[Kilo11]

There is something extremely off-putting about the name Kingdom of Rome, it just doesn't seem right.

I was thinking the same thing!

But aside from that small point, this is, as expected, a great update! It does indeed look like it was a challenge, something that I noticed by the writing as well (there is a lot of terse language and a lack of the usual dark comedy that made me feel things were serious). One thing I really liked in this one were the wide-angle battle shots you put in there. They help put some broader readability to how each battle panned out, and provided some nice eye-candy of the settlements from Attila TW. All in all, a nice read for my Sunday evening!

[Alwyn]

I noticed Turk's reaction, too. I can relate to it, we're using to reading 'Roman Empire' not 'Kingdom of Rome' ... and there could be another reason. You might be thinking of the aversion of the Western Romans to the idea of Roman kings. I've read that they associated the idea of a Roman kingdom with tyranny (and saw the founding of the Roman republic as the establishment of liberty).

Of course, Western Rome died almost a lifetime ago, from the viewpoint of Belisarius. Perhaps the aversion to Roman kings has been forgotten, as it dates back to the founding of the Roman republic (even though it remained at the republic's end - wasn't Julius Caesar assassinated because they thought he wanted to proclaim himself king?) Maybe Belisarius believes that he's founded something new, which might become a Roman empire, but it has a long way to go?

[Cookiegod]

Well C, if you're in the middle of worst year, then it makes sense to say that the darkness is abating, because it will only get better from now on. You can see this illustrated on these sexy curves:

As you can see, the moment sine hits its low point, cosine turns positive. On the other hand, when sine is at its best, Cosine turns negative, because deep down C knows there's too much sin in the world is going to s. because of it.
Let me finish by predicting that the level of shine posts are abating. Be positive. Be Cosine.

[Derc]

Attila
The Last Roman
#3

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The land heals and for the first time Belisarius is in a position of superiority over others kings. Unfortunately Belisarius genorous offer of peaceful integration gets rejected with mean words. The Ostrogots are as good as done, but the Vandals could still prove to be a problem. It's good that they are busy with the Sardinians. Venturing back north, Belisarius reunites with the rest of his forces and invades Justinians cities. The Roman-Roman war is accelerating rapidly. The Roman Kingdom has achieved much in these four years since its foundation. It is a story of greatness, but also a story of great tragecy. Now is the time to push north! It is a sad thing that Romans have to fight Romans, but such is the will of God. It was a quick and harsh advance with Belisarius ultimately stopping at the foot of the Alpes, the city of Mediolanum in his hands. It doesn't matter if Roman or Barbarian. In this chaotic situation everyone seems to be the same. Belisarius once more takes advantage of this chaos, declaring war on the Ostrogothic Seperatists. Then the unthinkable. Justinian, facing even more problems in the East, accepts his humiliation and offers Belisarius a ceasefire. Everyone would have accepted it. Belisarius, the master of chaos, however, declines. It is best to thrive in this madness, and strike now where everything is vulnerable. In this fragile hour it is crucial to have at least a few good bonds. The ties with the Sardinians are strenghtened, resulting in a defensive alliance. Even more chaos? Why not! There have been Eastern Roman raids along the coast before. In fact they have become somewhat of a daily business. Now Justinian launches a full scale invasion. Belisarius if forced to return south in order to halt off the invasion. He succeeds and lets the defeated warriors decide. They shall either remain with the East, and die, or they shall become soldiers of the West, and live. Of course Romans do what Romans do best, and with rising influence this new Rome falls back to bad habits of old times. Justinian's remaining forces are kicked out of northern Italy and the Sardinians make advance against the Vandals. Very good! It is good to always keep an eye on the Vandals. Once Rome has grown back to strength, it will invade Carthage just as Scipio Africanus once did. History shall repeat itself. Roman dreams are halted by harsh reality. Ostrogoths manage to overwhelm Roman forces in Patavium, forcing Belisarius to retreat. Ostrogothic resistance was a surprise, and they managed to do quite some damage with hit-and-run tactics. They ran out of luck at the gates of Arretium, but the damage has been done. The story of the new Roman Kingdom has been one of success so far. These foundations begin to shake, with internal and external pressure rising, taking the fight deep within the land. To make matters worse, Justinian himself decided to go on a campaign against his former general, scouting out the area. A new Roman invasion is soon to be expected. It is of utmost urgengy to finish off the remaining Ostrogothic forces at the other side of the Alpes and establish friendly relations with whoever settles there. The Roman Kingdom just found such a friend in the Burgundians. Trade is established and there are also other occassions to celebrate. There's the invasion, this time led by Justinian himself. Times marches on and even though Italy seems secured on paper, it couldn't be farther away from reality. Every boundary is fragile, and Belisarius must ensure he remains the hunter, not become the hunted.

There is something extremely off-putting about the name Kingdom of Rome, it just doesn't seem right.

The independence option is indeed one the most difficult starts you can play, also from experience. Interested to see how you will cope with this rather difficult campaign. Should be very enjoyable.

I also found 'Kingdom of Rome' to be somewhat offputting. Thinking about it, however, it made sense. Unfortunately, the explanation why it's called that way didn't made it in, neither did some screens showing all these annoying armies that invaded this fine kingdom again and again.

There'll be an explanation of the name in the next update. I'm eager to push it out before Christmas.

This does look like a challenging campaign! As you said, Belisarius had interesting options. I wonder if there's any chance that the Moors will pursue Belsarius into Italy, adding to the many threats he alerady has. It looks like Justinian's empire is a significant danger and I wonder what the Vandalic Kingdom are doing.

Being surrounded by enemies and yet still deciding to pick on the player at the other end of the map? A classic. Absolutely hate it when the AI does that.

I was thinking the same thing!

But aside from that small point, this is, as expected, a great update! It does indeed look like it was a challenge, something that I noticed by the writing as well (there is a lot of terse language and a lack of the usual dark comedy that made me feel things were serious). One thing I really liked in this one were the wide-angle battle shots you put in there. They help put some broader readability to how each battle panned out, and provided some nice eye-candy of the settlements from Attila TW. All in all, a nice read for my Sunday evening!

It's nice to try new things out, and that also counts for new camera angles. Angles, haha. Oh my, luckily neither Angles nor good humor here. Would just not fit this campaign.

As you can see, the moment sine hits its low point, cosine turns positive. On the other hand, when sine is at its best, Cosine turns negative, because deep down C knows there's too much sin in the world is going to s. because of it.
Let me finish by predicting that the level of shine posts are abating. Be positive. Be Cosine.

This post gave me a cold. Literally.
Stop sinning already, ye heretic!

[Kilo11]

I liked this update, as I've liked all of the updates for this one so far! And there were two things I found really funny in this update as well:

1. The name of the settlement just west of Carthage sounds like a large African mammal with a digestive problem ("Nilpferd durchfall" habe ich erstmal gelesen )
2. The quote from the Ostrogothic Separatists is banter gold!!!

"Our men will take your heads... a pity you are not a handsome people."

Looking forward to seeing how things continue to develop for Belisarius!



P.s. By Eternal Jupiter, I still cannot rep you, but rest assured, I will once the gods and Fates see fit to return to me my powers of reptitude!

[Turkafinwë]

The instability that rapid conquest brings with it is starting to show. Hopefully Belisarius is able to deal with the internal threats, the birth of a son should at least safeguard succession, and then kick Justinian back to Constantinople.

@Kilo11: Dieses Nilpferd hat ein kleines Problemen

[Cookiegod]

You posted late! That being said: You were quick. Can't believe Italians would be this effective in conquering their homeland. Took them like a thousand years longer than you and me right out of the immersion. :/

That said all praise to Belisario bombastico, the new padrino of Italia.

[Derc]

Attila
The Last Roman
#4

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Seven years have passed since Belisarius gave rise to a new independent Rome in the West, restoring faded glory by reconquering Italy, but at the same time being forced to pollute this new glory by spilling the blood of his former brothers. Seven years with almost nothing but total war, and no end in sight. A Roman fleet was finally built and it dealt with Justinian's constant invasions of eastern Italy, at least temporarily. If Justinian is to be forced to stop, Belisarius must conquer the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. Belisarius has just secured one front when dire news from another direction came. The northern border is a relative fresh one. The Alpes seemed like a safe barrier. God be with us! Some of these savages can be chased away, but the Langobard horde is no small one. They will try again. A daughter of Rome! Great! Unfortunately Belisarius has no time to celebrate, with the northern border under evermore pressure from without and within, and a strange plague rising. The plague spreads and it becomes a symbol of God's wrath and the rotting corpse that is the Roman Empire. This new Rome might have risen from the ash, but it is no better than the corpse of old times. In fact it is worse. Since its foundation it has known nothing but treachery and war. There is no investment in civil arts. All money earned by this new kingdom is immediately invested in soldiers and mercenaries, continuing this madness. With war going on all over the place, it is easy for the plague to spread. It weakens the Romans, but it also weakens the Langobards. In fact, it weakens them so much that their invasion fails. Justinian comes under pressure with his land being ravaged by the plague, and the Sassanids knocking on the eastern border. The Emperor immediatily needs to return. He offers peace once more, accepting his defeat. But Belisarius had other plans. Justinian is dead - gone to the waves. The former servant has ultimately overthrown his master. What made Belisarius so angry? So disloyal? Was it an old grudge from a long time ago? Some vision? Or was it just the spirit of Rome? Spoiler Alert, click show to read:  Spoiler Alert, click show to read:  ...I'm Jonathan Frakes. Justinian's wrath remains, at least in name. The plague rages everywhere! 📕 History & Culture The plague named after Justinian was very similar to that of the Black Death. It originated in the far east and it also was a strand of Yersinia pestis bacterium. It killed roughly 25% of the people. One of the worst plagues of all times. And that just after Attila happened. Poor people . Belisarius is tested by God once more, with the plague claiming the life of his new born daughter. This man has already endured a lot, but he is an exceptional one, so he is tasked to endure this one too. With Justinian dead, the Eastern Roman Empire sinks into chaos. The perfect time to march down and claim the Adriatic for the West alone! Fire and sickness mark the way. Ultimatively arriving in Epirus, Nicopolis is the last city to be taken down in order to complete Belisarius' task. Neither the Eastern nor the Western Romans are interested in destroying the whole city, but the battles are heated. Romans have always had a high temperament. It always made them destroy what they once built. Nothing has changed. The Adriatic is lost and the East is forced to surrender, with Belisarius accepting this time. Everybody knows that the truce with the Eastern Roman will not hold. Wounds have been inflicted, a rivalry been established. One that will remain for centuries to come. No matter. What's important now is the present. For now the borders at the eastern front are safe. For now... Until now Belisarius did not have to legitimation to call himself Emperor of the West. He was forced to establish a kingdom. A Kingdom of Rome. Kingdoms do not sit well with the Romans, everyone who is aware of history knows that. In some regards it looks like history just repeated itself. Some things never change, some others do. Belisarius now has the legitimation and the power to reform the West. It will take some time, but he will do it. Soon. The Vandals seem to be weakened by plague and war too. Perhaps they might be Belisarius next target? After all there's still a score to settle. Belisarius does indeed look south. He needs all the support of his people for the reformations to come. The governor of Sicily becomes his friend. Finally this province is making some profit. Belisarius also makes friends outside his realm. The Burgundians, having come under pressure from the Franks, agree to put themselves under Roman patronage. The dreams of reformation; the dreams of reclamation and rebirth finally came true. The Western Roman Empire exists once more. Born out of darkness and despair, having bled, having endured the worst kind of trials. Countless sacrifices had to be made to reach this point. The phoenix has risen from the ashes; the beast is reborn, ready to claim its birthright with an unyielding force the world has never seen before. The West shall tremble and unite! ⚙️ Authors Note - Technical Technically speaking, the Western Roman Empire is nothing else but a stupid Confederation, lol. I don't need any characters to trigger the reformation. That was just RP. All one needs to do is to intimidate/bribe/befriend another nation to join you. If one is willing to do so, he could easily integrate the whole map through diplomacy from this point on. I even had the possibility to integrate the Franks (religious bonus ftw!). But I will limit myself here. Integrations only where it would be at least somewhat realistic.

One year ago we destroyed Persia with Alexander, securing the East. Now our eyes are set West, reclaiming what once was.

Have a blessed Christmas, y'all.

I liked this update, as I've liked all of the updates for this one so far!

Of course you did! Who wouldn't like Belisarius?

1. The name of the settlement just west of Carthage sounds like a large African mammal with a digestive problem ("Nilpferd durchfall" habe ich erstmal gelesen )
2. The quote from the Ostrogothic Separatists is banter gold!!!

1. Yeah, some these settlement names are pretty weird. Haven't done much research about them. To be precise: haven't done any research about them at all.
Keep speaking this atrocious language and diarrhea will come by itself. Trust me.
2. There are a lot of funny insults. Loved the first pic from last update so much I couldn't do anything else but do include it.
Regardless of that, I think that The Last Roman has excellent texts. These events are top notch for their descriptions alone!

P.s. By Eternal Jupiter, I still cannot rep you, but rest assured, I will once the gods and Fates see fit to return to me my powers of reptitude!

This new Rome follows the one true faith, ye heretic!

The instability that rapid conquest brings with it is starting to show. Hopefully Belisarius is able to deal with the internal threats, the birth of a son should at least safeguard succession, and then kick Justinian back to Constantinople.

@Kilo11: Dieses Nilpferd hat ein kleines Problemen

The Eastern Romans might be dealt with, but justinian was able to make a pact with the hippo in time. Darn.

You posted late! That being said: You were quick. Can't believe Italians would be this effective in conquering their homeland. Took them like a thousand years longer than you and me right out of the immersion. :/

That said all praise to Belisario bombastico, the new padrino of Italia.

Belisarius - an early Welf and forefather of Berlusconi and somehow also related to Mussolini, err, Salvini.

[Kilo11]

Loved the early Christmas present you've given us here! And as a response to it, here are some concrete remarks I had while reading...

1.The settlement in your first land-battle pic looks awesome! I love how much effort CA has put into the defensive networks in the newer TW releases. It really is a sight to see!

2. That was a brutal move to make peace with the ERE, extracting some cash in the process, and then to swiftly kill Justinian before he could retire back to his own lands outside your reach! Classic Derc move

3. Dude, you should rethink that plan about the Vandals... You just got over the plague, so do you really want your first task now to be taking Hippo Diarrhea-ville?!

4. To the author's note, that is a bit of a let-down. I would imagine you'd need to just straight up conquer everything. I mean, that's the Roman way, after all Have you any thoughts on why CA would put such lame conditions in there for that one?

This new Rome follows the one true faith, ye heretic!

Well, then, this "new Rome" can suck it! :rofl:


P.s. Mwahahahaha. I can rep thee again! I feel so powerful! Now, you can post another five updates for which I won't be able to give you your due

[Cookiegod]

All hail BeliCrius, ruler of the tribal confederation of the seven hills!

The event note of has some truth tho'. Everyone knows Caesar founded his empire by making a confederation with the Aedui.

[Alwyn]

It sounds achieving reformation through confederation was disappointing, and yet it seems somehow fitting that this energetic yet fragile new Roman empire was built on uncertain foundations. (Maybe the new Western Rome's relationship with the Burgundians will be like that of Rome with the Latin city-states after the Treaty of Cassius, which also happened around the same time that Rome was no lomger a kingdom). The details and interpretations of in-game events are nicely done, such as the connection between what happened to Belisarius's daughter and the scourge that has swept in from the east.

[Turkafinwë]

You know what they say: Misery loves company. Invasions from hordes of barbarians just isn't enough punishment in the eyes of God. No, a plague should do the trick just nicely.

Strange requirements indeed. It's strange CA chose this route. They could've just crowned Belisarius Emperor of the West immediatly after breaking with Justinian instead of first going to this "Kingdom of Rome" thing. Anyway the WRE is back baby!

[Derc]

Attila
The Last Roman
#5

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Out of the imperial ruin had risen the Phoenix. He emerged from betrayal; a willing sacrifice to take, just the way as Romans function. Some thing can never be changed, no matter how hard you try. The Western Roman Empire is reborn. Now, more than ever, Belisarius has a casus belli to retake the all territories once lost. Visigothic seperatists prove to be a little challenge. The Western Roman Empire is still nothing of what it once was. The hightest priority is to reclaim Iberia now. It would be wise to retake the rich coastal settlements first. Belisarius decides against it. He orders his men to push deep inside the centre of the land. It is because the Western Roman fleet is still weak. Vandal pirates make it hard to manoeuvre the Mediterranean, and it would almost have led to tragecy. But Belisarius was prepared. A well prepared madmen he is. Retaking Iberia should be challenging enough on its own. But Belisarius decides to take the fight straight to another front too. He lands in Africa, directly at the front between the Berbers and the Vandals. Something crazy happens: Berbers put away their differences with the Vandals, quickly forging an unholy alliance to defend against Belisarius. The combined forces meet Belisarius next to Cartenna. The enemy army was massive, but it lacked organization, and tactics. Belisarius sudden arrival was a surprise, and he was quick to spot a hole in their defense, exposing their general and allowing him to flank the lines with unmatched furiosity. A great triumph, and a disaster for the enemies of Rome. The Berbers surrender, and Belisarius has secured a foothold in Africa. 📝 Authors Note Again, RP. Berbers and Vandals were allies but the Berbers dwelled just in front of a Vandal settlement. In TW terms this usually does not mean "Hey, I'm gunna protect your settlement!" but rather "I'm gunna attack dis soon." War is just a necessity to retake the land. Rebuilding it is an entire other task, one that has been neglected for too long. Something needs to be done, or the Western Empire will collapse as fast as it had risen. Indeed Belisarius is a man ahead of his time. He conquers with such swiftness that the Empire has little time to compensate all its enormous conquests. The Ostrogoths have been conquered not even a decade ago, and many of them resent this new empire. So do the Greeks and many other ethnicities. This new Western Roman Empire is Roman in name only, it's enormous heritage being curse and blessing at the same time. The Roman Kingdom may not have the best reputation, but the Western Roman Empire has an even worse one. The downfall of the West is still fresh in the minds of the people, and its sudden resurrection leaves them even more confused. Confusion is what rules the world is this rapid changing century. The Sardinians have lost their belongings in Africa, but they have just prepared another invasion to retake them. Knowing the Vandals are distracted, Belisarius can ride west to conquer their Mauritanian and Iberian belongings, and from there take the Visigoths from two sides. It was his plan all along. A risky, but a genious one. Cirta is well defended, but only by Vandal agents. A small Roman army is dispatched to take it. ⚙️ Authors Note - Technical There's a bug with the region east of it, that southern region in Zeugitana. It is permanently shown as wasteland on the map. You can conquer it, but if you do so, it seems like the map paints the Sahara-Region in your color. Looks like the devs have mixed up an ID or something. Rome's conquests may be great, but its internal problems can't be ignored any longer. An Ostrogoth uprising happens in northern Italy. God's signal, however, is clear. The sun shines on this land, and no one can bring darkness to it again. The Western Roman Empire will stand, even if it needs to do so by force. A trade agreement with the Franks is established. Perhaps something good will come out of it. The Sardinians keep pushing against the Vandals. Roman agents help them and have a secret talk with high ranking Sardinian nobles... Western Roman Armies walked a path of destruction through Iberia. Belisarius is aware of his empire's problems. But he's also aware of the many problems Iberia is facing. He either has to abandon his Iberian campaign and return home to stabilize the empire, or he has to keep pushing, easily integrating Iberia but at the same time risking civil war. Secret negotiations with the Sardinians were a success. While others see the devil in Rome, the Sardinians see the future. They join the Western Roman Empire on their own free will. Or so they said. It was the Sardinian opposition that decided to join the Empire, disposing of their king in the process. Their plan only succeeded partially. Sardinia became a province of the empire, but King Ammatas is still alive, and an civil war became inevitable - one that quickly spread out to the rest of the empire.

Loved the early Christmas present you've given us here! And as a response to it, here are some concrete remarks I had while reading...
1., 2., 3., 4. [...]

1.) Ty. Though it would be good to show some ingame mechanics.
2.)
3.) It was a false trail, but at the same time the truth
4.) The victory conditions are even worse. I'll talk about them in the last update.

P.s. Mwahahahaha. I can rep thee again! I feel so powerful! Now, you can post another five updates for which I won't be able to give you your due

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

It sounds achieving reformation through confederation was disappointing, and yet it seems somehow fitting that this energetic yet fragile new Roman empire was built on uncertain foundations. (Maybe the new Western Rome's relationship with the Burgundians will be like that of Rome with the Latin city-states after the Treaty of Cassius, which also happened around the same time that Rome was no lomger a kingdom). The details and interpretations of in-game events are nicely done, such as the connection between what happened to Belisarius's daughter and the scourge that has swept in from the east.

Yes, that and the event chain at the beginning were great. The technical component was perhaps only "meh", but it did a great thing for immersion.

The event note of has some truth tho'. Everyone knows Caesar founded his empire by making a confederation with the Aedui.

Somehow correct. Very interesting.

You know what they say: Misery loves company. Invasions from hordes of barbarians just isn't enough punishment in the eyes of God. No, a plague should do the trick just nicely.

These poor people.

Strange requirements indeed. It's strange CA chose this route. They could've just crowned Belisarius Emperor of the West immediatly after breaking with Justinian instead of first going to this "Kingdom of Rome" thing. Anyway the WRE is back baby!

Afaik you don't even need to take out Justinian. All you need to do is to reach a certain level of Imperium/strength. Nice coincidence, thought. One I enjoy very much. It just fits so well.

Oh, and thank you for that awesome review.
Check it out, if you haven't done so already.

[Kilo11]

Awesome update Derc! Lots of stuff happens here, but for me, the event that stuck out most is that last one. Seriously, how did you do that? Are there ways to turn generals in such a fashion that they take the whole kingdom with them or something? I mean seriously, what happened there?!

But all in all, a good one, as I've come to expect from you

[Cookiegod]

A great update, and with great même & joke potential. The climate change thing (surely people will claim your kingdom never existed) and clear sky event especially had me triggered, but I shall hold back because those jokes are too obvious. I just want you to know that I am your biggest stalker.

[Alwyn]

A very enjoyable update, I particularly like the the description of Belisarius as a "well prepared madman", the dilemma which makes him consider abandoning his Iberian campaign (I enjoy those kinds of strategic choices in campaigns) and the idea that the name of Western Rome is both a "curse and a blessing".

[Derc]

Attila
The Last Roman
#6

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The civil war could not be stopped. For Belisarius it came earlier than he had hoped for, but much later than reality would have demanded. Roman and Sardinian forces join to fight both the Roman seperatists and the Vandals. Belisarius' best friend, John the Armenian leads the forces. He was with Belisarius when their expedition started. John made it his life goal to finish what he started, to destroy the Vandals, and now he would finally have the chance to do so. John's plan was to take over any Vandal camp outside the big cities and wait for the Roman fleet to arrive. As soon as Vandal movement was blocked, it would only be a question of time for their cities to fall, being encircled from land an sea. John's strategy seems to work. Belisarius hears about the fall of Carthage, and decides to continue with the Iberian campaign, despite a civil war still going on. The Franks are increasingly concerned about Rome's power and therefore demand certain assurances from Belisarius. He refuses. A wise move? Belisarius is certain that giving in to the Franks would be the wrong signal to send. Rome has paid tribute to the hordes before, and everyone has seen where it has led. With the Vandal War coming to an end, John has reached his ultimate goal, now being tasked to solve the civil war. His loyalty to Belisarius remains unbroken. A true brother in both spirit and battle. And in fate. For, just like Belisarius, he almost found a watery grave when he sailed across the Mediterranean. God was kind with Rome this time. John would live and solve the civil war while Belisarius could go on conquering. 🎭 Funfact Pretty ironic for 'The Ruin of the Seas' to be ruined by the sea. All just stories in the end. History books of another world would tell about Western Rome ultimately being defeated, John tragically having died in the Vandal War, the Phoenix being denied to rise. Italy would be a wartorn province between the Langobards and Eastern Rome. A tragecy. But, as said, all just stories. Belisarius would went on to conquer Hispania. The Basques hoped to find an ally in Belisarius, to help them against the Franks, but they lost hope. War against the Western Roman Empire would be suicide, but they had no choice. Belisarius would've attacked anyway. Indeed he would. Having put enough pressure on his enemies, he is now one step closer to his goal. The West is almost reunited. In faith it already is. Most of the West has found back into the fold of the Latin church. Arianism is dying and will soon be gone from this world. Sometimes one can learn from his enemy, even he is an barbaric heathen. Solving the civil war demands drastic methods. Such methods can be found when looking back to the Huns. One Basque city after another falls. They are simply no match for Roman perfection. After being reduced to their native lands, Belisarius offers the Basques Roman patronage. They refuse. Belisarius then hears from a rebellion in Arvernis taking place. Once again he offers Roman patronage, and these people accept. Maybe this decision was a little rash. Meddling with Frankish politics enraged the king. He swears vengeance. His vengeance comes by finishing the Basques off, denying Belisarius the honour of Iberian unification. A great offense, one that will not stand lightly. Even though the Roman civil war was suppressed, the tensions in the Western Roman Empire are far from over. For the first time since its foundations, Belisar's realm gets to know a period of peace. A lot of reformations are made, and the church gains more power. The peace is a false one. It feels toxic, just as if it would be a silent war. A war of Western Rome with itself. The resurrection of the Western Roman Empire is a story of glory unmatched. But just as unmatched as this glory is the darkness, the rot, and the stink that comes from within. This debauchery from within gains a face when Theodosius announced he would take, Armentaria, an Ex-Vestal, as his wife. A wife from a cult connected with heresy. Theodosius - this little brat does not even have the blood of Belisarius in his veins, but he has the mind of Caligula, of Nero, and of Commodus alike. This young man, famous for his countless orgies, makes it a sport to insult the pope and the people wherever possible. This man will be the future emperor of the West. His marriage with such a woman is just another insult. And Belisarius gave his blessing to it. What spirits drove him? Perhaps not his wisest move and neither was it to think that going to war with the Franks would distract the war weary people in a positive way. But there is a reason for it. Belisarius wants to finish the conquest of the West. The pro-Roman Bretons are also about to be finished off. Only a little village in the north stands against the enemy hordes. Once it has fallen, the Barbarians would attack Rome itself. 📝 Authors Note This had such a Asterix and Obelix vibe to it, lol. Roman forces invade from Hispania. The goal is to take the Franks from the south while keeping a defensive stance at the Alpes. The Western Roman Empire may have its internal problems, but its war machine is unmatched. It will be no different this time. Except that it is. The Franks are prepared, dealing a great blow to Roman forces. It was Belisarius most severe defeat, and he barely escaped with his life. Breton lands and Arvernis fall, adding insult to injury. Western Rome swore to protect these people, and it couldn't keep up with its promise. The Franks know that time is working against Belisarius, being well aware of the Western Roman Empire's fragile nature. Every defeat will be used against him, every passing day will weaken him, thanks to the virus that rampages inside the Western Roman Empire.

Awesome update Derc! Lots of stuff happens here, but for me, the event that stuck out most is that last one. Seriously, how did you do that? Are there ways to turn generals in such a fashion that they take the whole kingdom with them or something? I mean seriously, what happened there?!

But all in all, a good one, as I've come to expect from you

You get all settlements and armies when you absorb another realm. The king becomes a common general. He loses all royal bonuses by doing so. It looks like this guy was pretty unloyal from the beginning, but he couldn't defect as he was the faction leader. I think you also get some loyalty penalties when you absorb another realm. Some of these armies defected right away.

A great update, and with great meme & joke potential. The climate change thing (surely people will claim your kingdom never existed) and clear sky event especially had me triggered, but I shall hold back because those jokes are too obvious. I just want you to know that I am your biggest stalker.

Rome is not to blame for the climate change.

A very enjoyable update, I particularly like the the description of Belisarius as a "well prepared madman", the dilemma which makes him consider abandoning his Iberian campaign (I enjoy those kinds of strategic choices in campaigns) and the idea that the name of Western Rome is both a "curse and a blessing".

I think Belisarius is a tragic hero, both in reality and in this campaign. Whatever he does is a fight against all odds, and however he would decide, whatever route he would take, whatever he would do was not right. No one wanted this new Rome to resurrect. It is an unloved corpse of a fallen empire. Staying loyal to Justinian on the other hand, well... Being a powerful general was a dangerous thing in Rome.

[Cookiegod]

Critique:
1) The general of the brave companions looks so angry like there's a thousand things he'd Rathier do.
2) For once the Armenians are the ones doing the genociding. I'm so happy for them!
3) You had the enemy by the balls... and took them.
4) All Gaul is under Frankish control, except for one small village in Armorica. I'd not worry about it. They'll probably roflstomp the rest.
5) How does it feel to you that I'm better at invading Franks played by a human player than you are at invading AI Franks while holding almost the entire map? No wait... Your challenge is actually harder. lol.

EDIT: This slander in picture 7 shall not stand!

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

How am I to gain what I have always had?!

[Kilo11]

EDIT: This slander in picture 7 shall not stand!

How am I to gain what I have always had?!

I didn't even notice that at first! Thanks for bringing attention to it Cook! And well done Derc for including that!