The Comnenian Restoration: A Byzantium AAR

[gibsonsg91921]

how did u change the name of zagreb to alexium? sounds interesting... is it possible with ur mod or did u just edit some game files..

[OverKnight]

If you click on the name in the city screen, you can enter a new name.

[gibsonsg91921]

whoa unmodded??? sweet!

[OverKnight]

Note: I will begin adding money to the AI factions roughly every 5 turns.

This is to compensate for the failed implementation of the mod I was using.


1158 continued

An Explorers Guild is accepted for the newly seized city of Venice.

Basil of Loroton locates the former Venetian Crusade Army.

With the loss of their homeland, the Crusaders have descended into banditry. It seems the Egyptians will have quite the brigand problem, though Basileus John feels no pity for them.

Isaac destroys two small rebel armies in Venezia. Andronicus is dispatched back east.


1160

Constantinople receives an upgrade.

Voulgariotes Kamytzes avenges the loss of his fellow Imperial merchant near Antioch by driving the responsible Egyptian out of business.

A Sicilan Spy is expelled from Ragusa, it seems the Normans, despite the truce, are still interested in it.

The Western Imperial Army, after wiping out rebels, garrisons Venice. Reinforcements will be shuttled in from Ragusa.

The State of the Empire.

1162

Milan and Sicily are now at war.

A German Spy is expelled from Venice. They might have bigger worries, however, as the Milanese take and exterminate Bologna. The smoke rising from the city can be seen from Imperial lands.

The German Crusade Army approaches Jerusalem.

Isaac defeats some more bandidts near Venice.

Admiral Draganos defeats some pirates in the Black Sea. He proceeeds south to station the Eastern Fleet at Iraklion.


1164

The German Crusade besieges Jerusalem, however the Egyptians counterattack and the besiegers are annihilated.

Daughters are born to Isaac, Ioannousa, and Andronicus, Stania.

A Heretic is tried and execueted near Bologna by Imperial priests before he could bring his lies into the Empire.


1166

A Sicilian Agent is again expelled from Ragusa.

Foteine is born to Andronicus and Komana.

Andronicus, taking some of the garrison of Sofia with him, routs some rebels south of the Castle. He moves on alone to Thessalonica.

Basileus John, believing that the Sicilians are about to break the truce, arranges a donation of 1000 florins to his allies the Milanese. He hopes to improve relations with them and aid them in their war against Sicily. John does not want to fight a two front war in Sicily if it comes to that.


1168

The Milanese gratefully pocket the florins and then lay siege to Venice.

Enraged by Milanese treachery, and insulted they would send such a small force against him, Kaisar Isaac sallies from the city to face them. He chooses a dark and stormy night to face them as it matches his mood.

The main Imperial Army gathers in front of the west gate while the Vardariotai deploy from the north gate to emerge on the Milanese left flank.

The army charges the siege engines and creates havoc among the surprised Milanese.

In the confusion, the Vardariotai stream in and kill Captain Gilio.

The Milanese break and are pursued. Isaac notes that their Pavise Crossbowmen have the range and power to inflict casualties on his Horse Archers. He will have to change his tactics in the future.

The prisoners are execueted for their treacherous attack.

Isaac, after recieving ship bound reinforcements, leaves a small garrison behind in Venice and moves to the bridge north of Bologna.

Sicilian forces, in a somewhat expected move, land near Ragusa.

One of the priests converting the heathen in Trebizond becomes convinced he is the messiah, his former brothers put him down quickly.


1170

A German diplomat arrives in Venice with an ultimatum.

The Basileus rejects the threat out of hand, after the Milanese debacle, he will not throw good money after bad.

The Sicilians besiege Ragusa. Theotokios, waiting for them to be the first to violate the truce, sallies out. Using a night attack, he is able to isolate the besiegers from their reinforcements.

They are crushed.

Theotokios pursues the second Sicilian army. They flee, but Andronicus, dispatched from Thessalonica, blocks their line of retreat and they are trapped.

They are destroyed as well.

Isaac moves south to attack Bologna. Kyriakos is able to open the gates.

The Milanese are unable to defend two out of the three gates Isaac attacks and the city is taken.

Isaac decides to occupy the city as the Milanese have already exterminated it. Still, there is a great deal of unrest.

Pope Gregory is given a great deal of money to ignore the situation in the penninsula. Relations with the Papacy improve to so-so.


1172

Reinforcements for the west take ship in Smyrna.

A German agent is expelled from Bologna.

Malha is born to Urraca and Isaac.

Northern Italy is rife with Milanese Armies, the Kaisar decides to thin the herd by striking at Cristoforo Rossi, who has the Army closest to Bologna.

The Milanese have the advantage of height.

Isaac sends the Horse Archer to the flanks and rear of the Milanese Army, while the foot marches up the side of the hill with the gentlest slope.

The Infantry begins to suffer from missile fire and are ordered to charge.

The lines meet, which is when. . .

. . .Isaac orders his own retainers and the horse archers to attack Rossi.

The Milanese leader is brought down, and the rout is on.

Isaac then returns to Bologna.

[OverKnight]

1174

Rossana is born to Isaac and Urraca, the Comnenus Family, despite some inheritance concerns, is very secure.

A German agent is again expelled from Bologna, shortly after the city is besieged by the Milanese.

Isaac, not wanting to be trapped behind walls, sallies out to engage them. He briefly considers if he is playing into the their hands, for the Milanese could have assaulted the city with their artillery if they wished, but the Kaisar wants to maintain his freedom of movement.

As at Venice, the main Imperial line forms up across from the enemy while the Horse Archers go to the flanks and rear.

The Imperial cavalry catches the Pavise Crossbowmen too far ahead of the spearmen and puts them to flight while the Imperial infantry advances on their line.

The lines meets. The Vardariotai switch from pursuing crossbowmen to harrying the flanks of the Milanese spearmen. Threatened on multiple sides their line breaks.

The battle devolves into a pursuit and the would be besiegers flee, living most of Milanese dead or prisoners. Isaac, outnumbered in Italy, shows no mercy to his captives.

Andronicus crosses the Adriatic and lands in southern Italy. He begins to march across the peninsula towards Naples hiring some mercenaries as he goes. If the Sicilians think they can strike at the Empire with impunity because of the war with Milan, they are sadly mistaken. Andronicus, a religious man, is concerned about the lack of Orthodox priests with his army, Naples might be hard to occupy without their support. Still he is glad the Empire is returning to Italy in full strength.

Volkanos of Zara, hearing that there is a new Pope, arranges a gift of florins to Pope Bernardus. With the ongoing conflict in Italy, it will be of some importance to keep the Papal States at least nuetral.

The Orthodox faith has begun to wane in the Empire's Anatolian possesions as Turkish Imams preach Islam in the area. Basileus John considers this an aggressive act by the Turks, but not a Casus Belli. An Ikoner's Studio is ordered for Constantinople, and Orthodox priests in the area are ordered to Nicaea. As a city, it is more vulnerable to religious strife than Trebizond or Smyrna. More priests would be recruited, but with the missionary activity in Italy, the Empire has as many in service as it can.


1176

Despite Milanese losses, it is still a powerful nation. This is shown when the German "Empire" becomes their vassal after suing for peace.

This is dire news. The Germans had threatened the Empire while they were still at war with Milan, and now the two nations form a collosus that sits astride Central Europe.

Milan, perhaps with a restored sense of confidence, again besieges Bologna with a small force.

Kaisar Isaac, confused as to what the Milanes hope to accomplish, is glad to sally out again.

The small enemy force doesn't stand a chance.

Isaac, tiring of this repetition, infiltrates two spies into Florence and moves south to besiege the city. He hopes for a quick victory against the small garrison, but the spies are unable to open the gates. Isaac, cursing his luck, settles down to build siege equipment.

Andronicus, after chasing off three units of Norman Knights at the rear of his army, besieges Naples. He could have brought the Knights to battle, but the pursuit would have brought him too far away to reach the city this year.


1178

Isaac hands off the assault of Florence to his subordinates.

The city is occupied. Though priests have been active in the region in the past few years, the majority of them had been sent south to preach near Naples. The city will require the presence of the Kaisar for the next few years. His execuetion of prisoners in the current war has led him to gain the moniker, "Isaac the Merciless". Fear will keep the Florentines in line, though his reputation is in contrast to the Basileus, who is known as, "John the Honourable".

The siege of Naples continues.


1180

The Spanish Crusade Army arrives at Jerusalem. The Basileus had begun to wonder if any the Crusaders would actually make it to the Holy City, as the Crusade was called in 1134.

The three units of Norman Knights that Andronicus had run off attack him. The garrison of Naples sallies out to assist.

Andronicus decides to focus on the garrison while deploying his mercenary spearmen to protect his rear. The Horse Archers will be sent out to engage the Knights at a distance.

The Horse Archers swing in behind the advancing Knights and begin to bring some of them down. The Normans, knowing they could not catch up, ignore the losses.

The garrison is quickly put to flight before they can form a battle line.

However, the Norman Knights are able to bypass the mercenary spearmen with minimal casualties and charge in among the Imperial missile troops.

Andronicus, cursing his stupidity, has his own cavalry converge on them. The Sicilian triumph is short lived.

Most of the Knights are killed, and the garrison routs.

The defenseless city of Naples is occupied. After many centuries, the Exarchate of Ravenna has been restored, with the notable exception of Rome.

The reinforcements sent from Smyrna in 1172 arrive near Bologna. Isaac marches from Florence to meet them.

Admiral Michael sails into the Tyrrhennian Sea from the Straits of Messina. He spots a Sicilian fleet off Rome.

The fools have crammed a large army into a few ships. Weighed down and ponderous they are easy targets for Imperial Dromons. The army and fleet are sent to the bottom of the sea.

The triumphant news from the West, however, is matched by foul deeds in the East.

The Turks besiege Trebizond and blockade Iraklion. Perhaps they grew threatned by the resurgent power of the Empire. Perhaps they seek to finish the job begun at Manzikert. It does not matter, for the old foe of the Empire is again at war with them.

Basileus John, both dreading and anticipating this conflict, orders the garrison of Trebizond to sally out. He is leary of having a mere captain lead the battle, but stout walls often only provide an illusion of safety.

The Turks are driven off.

John is releived, but he would be more comfortable if a noble was in charge at Trebizond. While most of them are in the West, there is a candidate available.

Despite the youth of his son, John orders him to Nicaea and from there to take ship to Trebizond.

The fleet at Iraklion easily defeats the Turkish fleet and moves east to threaten their trade.

Recruitment in the Eastern settlements goes into high gear. The Basileus marches east with his forces from Smyrna. He now regrets sending so many troops west, but some of the losses can be made good from militias. Even now Constantinople can produce so-called "Byzantine Infantry", superior to his castle trained spearmen.

With wars in the East and West of the Empire, it is a time of crisis, but also of oppurtunity. The following years will see if the Comnenian Restoration is only a failed chimera or a triumphant fact.

The State of the Empire.

The Known World.

[kublikhan3]

AAAH, you've killed the entire Selvo family line! I shall have to redouble my drive to wipe out Byzantine in my AAR! :)

Seriously though, nice AAR. I noticed you got some rather large battles there. I'm guessing that's the mods at work.

[OverKnight]

1182

An Explorers Guild is accepted in Florence.

The Spanish Crusade is destroyed outside Jerusalem. It pains Basileus John that the Spaniards failed, if any Catholic power is to establish a presence in the Holy Land, he would prefer an ally.

John is quite happy, however, to have his son married before he boards ship in Nicaea.

John's army enters Turkish territory and unites with reinforcements coming in from the capital and Nicaea. Priests travel ahead of the Imperial forces to make this a spiritual as well as a temporal offensive.

Admiral Draganos blockades Iconium's port.

Basil of Loroton trades updated maps with the Poles. Their lands are quiet extensive.

A large Milanese army approaches Bologna. Kaisar Isaac, now flush with reinforcements, attacks them to begin a new offensive.

Isaac deploys his men on a hill with the Vardariotai on the flanks and forward of the main line. To his surprise, the Milanese advance towards him. Perhaps they are confident due to their advantage in cavalry or artillery, or the Captain that leads them is inexperienced. Either way, Isaac is content to let them come to him.

The Horse Archers sweep in on the flanks and begin to shower the marching Milanese with arrows. At the same time the enemy send their bowmen forward to soften up the imperial line.

The Imperial archers, with the height advantage, decimate their counterparts.

The Milanese, with their archer screen fleeing and their artillery engaged in a long range duel with the Vardariotai, charge the Imperial line under heavy arrow fire.

The advance withers under a missile barrage and the arrow bit men who manage to meet the Imperial line soon break.

Isaac and the cavalry ride down most of the survivors. The prisoners are execueted.

With the path cleared to Milan, Isaac advances and besieges the city.


1184

The Milanese attempt to break the siege of their capital.

The terrain favors the Empire. Isaac deploys his men on a mountainside while the Vardariotai hide in a wood on the left flank.

Imperial archers begin raining death on the first Milanese army, but their artillery begins lobbing rounds at them. The Horse Archer advance from hiding to deal with this threat.

The Milanese lack nothing for courage as they charge up the hill, but their resolve cannot defeat the advantage of height.

The first Milanese army withdraws, except for the artillery, as the garrison of Milan arrives.

The Horse Archers sow chaos among the artillery as the second army charges up the slope.

The second Milanese army is just as valiant as the first, but it meets with the same result.

The second army breaks and flees. The cavalry springs into pursuit.

The victory is complete.

The Imperial Army surges into the defenseless city of Milan. Isaac decides to send a message to their Duke, cowering in Genoa, a treaty of alliance is a sacred document, the price of violating it is high.

A Merchants Guild is accepted for the city.

Georgia Comnenus comes of age in Constantinople. She and the diplomats of the Reich will scour Europe for a suitable husband.

Isaac storms south after driving off the survivors of the last battle from Milan. His spies have managed to open the gates of the city and he takes it.

Duke Bernardo and the city are put to the sword.

The Basileus is deeply disturbed by the reports he is getting from Italy. What use is taking back Imperial lands if they are depopulated in the process?

John is faced with a more immediate problem as two small Turkish armies block his path to Iconium.

Not wanting to lose men, for his Priests have told him that the Turkish capital is full to the bursting with soldiers, John uses the cover of darkness to seperately attack each army.

They are utterly destroyed, but in pursuing them the Basilues has been pulled away from Iconium. He will not reach the city this year.

[OverKnight]

AAAH, you've killed the entire Selvo family line! I shall have to redouble my drive to wipe out Byzantine in my AAR! :)

Seriously though, nice AAR. I noticed you got some rather large battles there. I'm guessing that's the mods at work.

Not only did I kill your precious Selvos, I put the lagoon city to the sword!

The only mod I tried at the beginning is failing to work. I have instead been donating large amounts of money (50,000 to 100,000 florins) to each AI faction every 5 turns or so. I also have unit size set to large. All of which might explain the big battles.

Of course the AI is like Paris Hilton, it can have all the money in the world, but that doesn't make it any smarter.

[Stuperman]

Hey OK any chance there will be another update befor the KOTR election?
It looks like you'll have your hands full with the Chancellorship afterwords, and am really enjoying this AAR.

[OverKnight]

There will be one before the Election. It is difficult to serve two masters, so if I get elected Chancellor, the AAR will going on hiatus. However, I would resume once my term would be over.

[OverKnight]

1186

A Merchant Guild is declined for Genoa, John wishes no one Guild to monopolize his Empire.

Milan and France are now allies. The Empire's western border is ringed by an interlocked alliance now, two members of which are openly hostile. They call themselves the Western League.

While the Germans and French are not at war with the Empire, there is little doubt they soon will be.

The Council of Nobles, pleased by the blockade of Cagliari, recruit three units of Dismounted Byzantine Lancers in the capital. John wonders why they didn't throw in the horses, but they will be useful for stiffening his infantry line against the Turks. The Basileus is also happy to learn that he is a grandfather, Margarito is born to Georgios and Theofano.

The new father lands in Trebizond. Wasting no time, he sets out east with most of the garrison. This will be a two front war against the Turks.

John attacks a Turkish army outside of Iconium. Crown Prince Tutush leads the garrison out of the city to battle.

John deploys on a hill far from the Turkish forces. He hopes the Turks will act like the arrogant Milanese and advance on him so they can be decimated by arrow fire. The Crown Prince is a more cagey foe however, and the three armies unite on their own hill and await the Basileus.

John, wishing he had his son's luck, advances his forces on the Turks. He sends the Vardariotai ahead to nibble on their left flank. This causes some disruption but does not provoke a full attack. Tutush sends his own horse archers at the main Imperial line instead. One of the Turkoman units is sloppy and is routed by Imperial spearmen.

The dispersion of their screen seems to goad the Crown Prince into action. First he sends his foot archers forward for inconclusive skirmishing, followed by his footmen.

The lines meet while the Vardariotai swing around to send arrows into the Turks' rear. Each of the forces right flanks is stronger, so they twirl a bit around each other, a move as old as the Phalanx.

John charges in to relieve his left flank and face the Crown Prince.

Tutush is unhorsed and killed. The Turks break and the rout is on. The hillside is littered with the dead, but many more Turks than Romans.

It is a stunning victory. Mindful of the bloody events in the west, and a bit giddy after such a triumph, John releases the prisoners. They take shelter in Iconium, and John is content to besiege the city. It will take time anyway for the priests to do their work. The Basileus is intent to enter Iconium as a liberator, not a butcher.

1188

The Empire is again plagued by disasters.

A merchant is lost and the three units of Dismounted Lancers lose men before they even see battle.

The siege of Iconium continues as Turkish forces converge from Adana. Georgios continues east.

Isaac, reinforced, moves to attack some rebels east of Genoa. The Kaisar is certain who is behind the Western League. Pope Vivianus, leader of the schismatic Catholic faith, is surely threatened by the return of the Empire to Italy and is assembling Catholic nations against him. Spies and priests stream south as Isaac the Merciless ponders his next move.


1190

The Moors, long time foes of the Papacy, beat Isaac to the punch.

Isaac, a bit frustrated, decides not to intervene. Let the Moors and the Papists fight it out. Another development cements his decision.

It seems a third member of the Western League wishes to test the might of the Empire.

The Basileus, hearing of the worsening situation in the west, decides to strengthen his oldest alliance.

The north flank of the Empire must be kept secure to ensure success in the west and east. It pains him to send a daughter to the Barbarians, but better one woman to continue an alliance, than a thousand men to defend a hostile frontier.

Georgios encounters a Turkish force east of Trebizond and wins his first victory.

1192

Evangelos Exotrochos dies in Constantinople. The city may never have loved him, but without his expert administration happiness, revenue and population growth plummet. The overawed functionary who replaces him has to lower taxes.

Genoa accepts a Theologians Guild, it will be useful in bringing the light to the misguided Westerners.

The two French armies advance into Imperial territory, one approaches Genoa, while the other besieges Milan. The Empire is now at war with them.

The Kaisar, having already turned back north, moves in to relieve Milan. The French force might be adequate to siege a city, but it now faces the Imperial Army.

The Vardariotai swing in behind the French as they approach the Imperial line. Knowing the garrison of Milan is behind them, perhaps the Gauls are attempting a break out.

The mostly militia force is confused and several units break off to to try to deal with the horse archers. It is a futile effort, it only leaves the others who move on the Imperial infantry outnumbered.

Their Captain is slain and the French break.

None escape.

Isaac, enraged that he had to break off his plans against Rome, executes the prisoners. He ends the year ready to engage the second French army if they move on Genoa.

The Basileus, with a Turkish relief force closing in and the missionary work going well, decides to assault Iconium.

John regrets his earlier mercy outside the walls, as the defenders put up a spirited fight.

Imperial forces make slow and bloody progress at the north and west gates, but the forces from the east are able to break through to the city square.

The Turks try to take back the square and are killed to a man in the process. It is a bloody fight, but John sticks to his originial intent and only occupies the city.

Stopping only to bury his dead, the Basileus wheels north and assaults the Turkish relief force.

The ground favors the Turks as they are uphill. John redeploys his men to their right flank in an attempt to negate this. He now faces most of the Turkish footmen, while their horse archers line the valley below.

John decides to charge the foot before the horse archers can interfere.

The gamble works as the Turkish line crumbles.

While his horse and footmen finish off and pursue the remnants of the broken Turks, John redeploys his archers to a outcrop of rock overlooking the valley to deal with the horse archers. Now the Empire has the advantage of height.

After a few exchanges of arrows, the horse archers, worn down, flee as well.

The Basileus, not satisfied, drives his men east to meet two smaller Turkish armies. The Turks seem to somehow have unlimited funds to recruit a horde of men, he must destroy them piecemeal before they can coalesce.

The battle is fought up hill. John's tired men take more casualties than usual.

The second, smaller army is routed as well.

The Basileus ends the year poised on the border to Adana.

[OverKnight]

Just a note to say I will be resuming the AAR very soon now that I have completed my term as Chancellor in KotR. The Reich's loss is the Empire's gain.

I have to review the 52 printed pages of the AAR and ponder the save a bit before continuing, but I should have an update shortly.

[OverKnight]

The Story so Far. . .

The Basileus Alexius Comnenus, newly crowned in 1081, launched a restoration of the Eastern Roman Empire to reverse its fortunes after the Battle of Manzikert in 1071. At first, rebel Themes were reacquired, but soon the Empire found itself in conflict with the Venetian Republic. After a grinding war in the Balkans, the Aegean and Venice itself, the Empire was victorious. However, Milan, France and Sicily formed the Western League to combat the reentry of the Romans into Italy. Kaisar Isaac Comnenus, youngest son of Alexius and brother to the new Basileus John, launches a brutal campaign of conquest and extermination against the League. Soon all of northern Italy, except the Papal States, is in his hands, while the middle brother Andronicus launches an invasion into southern Italy from Ragusa. At the same time the Turks attack the Romans in Anatolia, and John, long awaiting this day, takes Iconium. The great war of reconquest has finally begun in the East as the West faces a French invasion and a decision over the fate of Rome.

The Major Campaigns of the Roman Empire 1081 - 1192

The Known World 1192

[uruk-hai]

Just a note to say I will be resuming the AAR very soon now that I have completed my term as Chancellor in KotR. The Reich's loss is the Empire's gain.

I have to review the 52 printed pages of the AAR and ponder the save a bit before continuing, but I should have an update shortly.

yeah!thats some great news.love reading this aar so far ,keep up the good work.long live the byzantine empire!long live the roman empire!got to love them byzantines.

[Stuperman]

Sweet.

[OverKnight]

The Comnenian Dynasty in 1192

The Imperial Family

1:Basileus John married to 2:Agnes of Poland. 4:Anna Comnena married to 3:King Kalman of Hungary.
5:Andronicus Comnenus married to 6:Komana. 7:Kaisar Isaac married to 8:Urraca of Spain.
9:Georgios Comnenus married to 10:Theofano. 12:Georgia Comnena married to 11:Prince Miklos of Hungary.

Basileus John the Honorable, currently on the Iconium-Adana border.

Strategos Andronicus Comnenus, currently in Naples

Kaisar Isaac the Merciless, currently outside Milan

Strategos Georgios Comnenus, currently near Tblisi

[OverKnight]

1194

The Moors reach a truce with the Papal States, but their armies do not leave the area of Rome.

Georgios is blessed with a son, Slavos.

Despite the fate of the first French army that briefly besieged Milan, a second French army, led by Perrin Gassou, besieges Genoa. Kaisar Isaac marches south to deal with them.

Though the Frank heavy cavalry gives Isaac problems, the French are dispatched. The cowardly French general is the only one of his retinue to survive.

Basileus John turns back west to chase down a Turkish army that is threatening Iconium.

It is difficult to chase down so many Horse Archers, but John prevails.

The Basileus then marches east to begin the drive on Caesarea. He faces another Turk army.

This force is dispatched as well.

Georgios besieges Tbilisi.


1196

A Theologians Guild in Alexium is denied.

The Moors abrogate their truce and besiege Rome.

The West of the Empire is quiet as Isaac brings his army south to monitor the siege. His plans will have to wait until it is resolved.

Georgios takes Tbilisi and then moves south to besiege Yerevan, which is garrisoned by a 61 year old General and his retinue. It seems John's offensive is receiving all of the Turk's attention. Shaykh al-Dawlah blocks his path.

John is again victorious killing ad-Dawlah, but the Turk superiority in horse archers is telling.

The Imperial Army is being ground down. Rather than retreat to rearm, a long journey to Smyrna, John reboubles his efforts to take Caesarea, there he can rebuild his army.


1198

Georgios has another son, Prousenus.

King Mallobo the Mad of Spain and his Crusader army besieges Jerusalem.

Georgios occupies Yerevan. The city is racked by religious unrest and it will take all of the Strategos's efforts to keep the city from rebelling. Until the city is stabilized, his campaign is over.

John reaches the outskirts of Caesarea. A small Turk army is outside the walls. John hopes that if he attacks this force, he will draw the garrison out. The Turk General would have it no other way, as he is Mustafa al-Dalwah, the brother of the slain Shaykh. Vengeance moves him this day.

The Basileus deploys on a hill overlooking the two armies.

The first army is routed quickly, but John has to give up the high ground to engage the second. A vicious fight develops in the valley.

The Turks have the edge in Horse Archers, but John ignores them seeking to press home his advantage in infantry. Both sides take heavy losses and Mustafa charges the Imperial line to break the stalemate.

Joh countercharges with his escort. Cowardice overcome vengeance and Mustafa runs, but the few Vardariotai left to John pursue and he is cut down in a hail of arrows.

The rest of the Turks run. A few stragglers board themselves up in Caesarea.

John, almost killed in the battle, is forced to besiege the Citadel with his worn down army. Reinforcements from Smyrna, Constantinople and Iconium are on their way, but can they reach the Basileus before a Turk relief force does?

Andronicus takes ship from Naples with most his army, lands near Palermo and besieges the Castle. In doing so he has out manuevered a Sicilian force making its way up the toe of Italy towards Naples.


1200

66 years after the Crusade was called and after many failed assaults, King Mallobo the Mad succeeds where everyone else has failed.

Reinforcements for John run into a Turk army on the road. They are defeated and driven back to Iconium. A spy in Caesarea is able to open the gates and the Basileus goads his battered army forward.

Leaving his army in Caesarea, he rallies some more reinforcements and defeats the obstinate Turks blocking his supply line.

The Moorish siege of Rome continues as Isaac seethes. The French have again besiege Genoa and he is forced to turn north. However, he does command all the Orthodox Priests in Italy to preach in the countryside surrounding Rome. They say if Rome followed the true path, it would not be under attack by the Infidels.

The finances of the Empire.

The Known World in 1200.

[OverKnight]

1202

The French, fearful of facing an enraged Kaisar Isaac, abandon their siege of Genoa and retreat down the road to Marseille. Gratified, Isaac turns south again and stops at the border to the Papal States. He will wait on the Moors before making a move.

Basileus John holds position halfway between Caesarea and Iconium to receive reinforcements.

Andronicus waits for catapults from Naples before assaulting the stout walls of Palermo.

Georgios, despite being needed to hold down Yerevan, begins building a series of watchtowers around the city.

Theotokios Olaskos passes away in Ragusa. While the Basileus is saddened to hear of the Strategos' passing, this means that all high positions in the Empire are now held by Comneni. This will ensure the Comnenian dynasty continues, and that the Empire remains strong.


1204

Basileus John's youngest children come of age. Velkonia is a haughty beauty, but has a knack for diplomacy.

Stefanos is a gifted General and ruler, if a bit fey and tongue tied.

Stefanos will rule Constantinople in the name of his father, while Velkonia will be dispatched north, to see if the Rus would be interested in strengthening the current alliance.

Genoa is again besieged by the French. Isaac is loathe to leave the the area of Rome, still besieged, and the garrison is left to run them off.

Andronicus takes Palermo in a bloody assault and then attacks the remaining Sicilian army on the Island, routing it. Sicily is returned to the Empire, but the two battles show that the Empire requires stouter footmen than they currently have in the west. Hopefully Palermo will be able to train swordsmen to fight along the spearmen and stiffen the Imperial battle line.

The Turks, in the absence of the Basileus, besiege Caesarea. John relieves the siege and resumes training men at the Citadel.


1206

Spanish Jerusalem is besieged by the Egyptians.

The Sicilian Princess Adelisa, who has already negotiated a short lived peace earlier, arrives at Bologna asking for a truce.

Terms are haggled over, but Isaac accepts the offer. Now that the Normans have been expelled from Italy and Sicily, they are no longer a priority. There are more important targets to pursue.

The Moors, despite a lengthy siege and numerical superiority, abandon the siege of Rome and move to the coast. The Kaisar is not amused. He had hoped the infidels would have done the job for him, but it seems fate has intervened. Pope Vivianus's machinations against the Empire and his claims of sovreignty over Rome and Christianity can no longer be tolerated.

The Moorish siege of Rome has broken the people's faith in Catholicism and the Pope, more than two thirds them now follow Orthodox Christianity and look to the Patriarch of Constantinople as their shepherd. Isaac's spies assure him the gates will be open and that the Senate of Rome will be compliant if he takes the city, legitimizing the conquest. It is time to finally strike. The Kaisar moves across the Tiber and surrounds the Eternal City.

The gates are indeed opened and Isaac orders the assault.

The Empire pours into the city on three sides. The Kaisar's contingent manages to catch a unit of Papal Spearmen at the north gate.

The rest of the garrison is able to retreat to the main square.

Imperial forces from the west gate reach the square first. Despite his bodyguard and guady set of armor, the Ponitff is quickly brought down.

Despite the loss, the rest of the garrison fights on. It is a bloody slog, but in the end, the Isaac takes the city.

Rome is returned to the Empire. All of Italy is now back where it belongs. In consideration of the population's conversion to the true faith, Isaac is merciful, for him, and only sacks the city. (OOC: I slipped up and momentarily forgot the only occupy or exterminate house rule, mea culpa, I deducted the extra florings gained.) The ferocity of the battle only serves to darken his reputation however.

Basileus John, marching from Caesarea, faces a Turk army that is almost entirely mounted.

Despite this, John is able to use his advantage in bowmen to crush them. He marches on Adana, but a siege will have to wait until next year.

While the Basileus is pleased to hear of the capture of Rome, rumors reach him that the Senate there is whispering in Isaac's ear, offering him the title of Augustus and leadership of a new Western Roman Empire. John hopes that his ambitious brother does not succumb to such empty blandishments.

[Northnovas]

OK, Glad to see your back on track. I enjoy the style of the storytelling. I don't know how you keep those names straight I would need the spell checker. Keep it going!

[gibsonsg91921]

haha emperor john the saint and prince isaac the merciless