I thought CK2 would be a great game for an AAR. The role-playing element is just great. I will give every ruler his own chapter. This is my first AAR, so please point at mistakes I made.
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Basileus Alexios I
Europe in late 1081
Since the battle of Manzikert in 1071, the Byzantine Empire has been losing a lot of territory. Aside from Abydos, Trebizond and Rhodes all of anatolia had been lost to the Turk. Now, in late 1081, Alexios I has been crowned emperor. He wanted revenge against the Turks, now divided into two groups: the Sultanate of Rum and the Great Seljuk Empire.
However, that would not be the first war of his reign. In little more than a month, the doux of Adrianople, a relative of the old emperor Michael Doukas, declared war on Alexios. The doux, however, couldn't stand against the might of the Byzantine army and quickly surrendered to the emperor. He was imprisoned and stripped off his title on the duchy of Adrianople. He was released pretty quickly as a sign of mercy.
Just as there was a little bit of peace in the realm, the ground began to shake. Buildings began to collapse and high amounts of manpower were needed to rebuild houses. As he was coordinating the rebuilding and reclaiming effort, a farmer approached Alexios.He said there was a giant crack in one of his fields. Curious, Alexios investigated the crack. It was full of hot flames and when he was standing above it he could hear the cries of the dead. Various men of the court gave many solutions on how to close the wound in the earth. Alexios decided to fill it in with stones. The gravel did it's job and Alexios' decision was praised far and wide.
Shortly after the crisis, Alexios' spouse gave birth to a son, whom they named Andronikos. Alexios saw an opportunity for conquest when the Turkish levies were far off in Syria, fighting independent Byzantine duchies. He declared war for Nicea and quickly occupied the north-west of Anatolia. After a few battles with Rumite armies, a peace offer quickly came rolling in. The Rumite sultan would cede all counties in the duchy of Nicea!
Within a few more years, three more sons were born, named Chrysogonos, Ioannikios and Manuel. In 1091, opportunity for non-violent expansion presented itself. Messages from Croatia suggested the old king died a little too early and now one of his child daughters was on the throne. Alexios proposed a betrothal between Andronikos and Queen Emilija I. They surprisingly accepted his proposal.
Apart from the annexation of Rashka, the following years were peaceful. Alexios finally got not only one but two daughters which were called Athanasia and Maria. He organized a grand tournament to celebrate the first ten years of his rule. Unfortunately, it would not come much further than that as Alexios died at the age of 39. Now it is for his son, Andronikos, to keep the empire together and lead the Anatolian reconquest to victory.
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