Crusader Kings
The Winds of Change
The World quickly changing in profound ways.
At the forefront of this change is Iberia, which has become almost completely dominated by the Muslims.
In 1173, Castille was weakened by the death of King Lope & the succession of the young boy-king Guillen. Exploiting this weakness, the Sultanate of Aragon invaded & with the help of Al-Andalus defeated the Castillians, turning the Kingdom into a tribute state, much like Barcelona. Al-Andalus was also able to conquer the Balearic Islands from the Zuwawiyun Sultanate & repel a Holy Roman invasion of Spain, cementing Muslim rule in the Peninsular for good.
With Navarra becoming the last remaining free bastion of Christendom, many fear a time where Christianity has been completely repulsed from Iberia.
A decade long war between the Kingdoms of Scotland & Norge over the Orkneys, has recently come to an end. The War had greatly destabilized Scotland, but despite some great defeats by the Norwegian army, the Scots where able to retain control over the Islands & fight until a point where neither side could continue and white peace was declared. This has greatly increased Scottish prestige, having held their own against a larger & more powerful Kingdom, however it has ruined the Scottish economy and has halted further expansion into Ireland. This has granted England the opportunity to begin its' own gradual invasion, taking the county of Leinster as a starting point. Lead by the promising young King Theobald de Normandie, England could be in for a Golden age.
Norge still continues to dominate Scandinavia, having subjugated the finish tribes of Kola. However the indecisive war with Scotland had significantly drained the Kingdom's resources, for now, and has allowed the upstart Kingdom of Sweden to expand at its' expense, taking the important settlements of Norrala & Selanger. A more worrying development for the Norwegians, however, in the rise of the Prussians, who have dominated the Estonians and have successfully invaded the lands of Karelia. This Pagan war-machine has quickly become a threat that all the Christen Kingdoms need to consider.
In Eastern Europe, Russia has finally stabilized itself after decades of chaos & strife, thanks to the wise rule of King Vysheslav & his son King Vladimir. King Vladimir has recently reconquered the long-lost lands of Sarkel back from the Thocomer Cumans. Polotsk still remains stubbornly independent, as the last of Russian principalities and has found a powerful rising ally in the form of Sweden to keep itself free of Rus.
Poland & Hungary continue to squabble with each other ever since the Hungarians successfully repelled a Polish attempt to reunify the two Kingdoms by force. Poland has recently achieved some territorial gains at Hungary's expense, however the constant warring between the two Christian states, has left Poland unable to defend its' borders from Pruthenia.
In the East, the Seljuk Sultanate still remains the Byzantine Empire's main rival, despite its' defeat at Tella & the death of its' Sultan at the hands of Byzantine soldeirs. Its' new leader, Sultan Alp Arslan III, has realized the need for change, if the Turks are going to be able to compete with Byzantium.
The Qorokhanilar Empire of Bukhara remains another powerful force in the East as it continues to invade the declining Cuman Khaganates of the Thocomer & Aqtobe. The Empire of Bukhara also has control over Punjab and is looking to expand further into India. The Thocomer Cumans are experience a period of decline, as they've lost Sarkel to the Russians and Turkestan to the Empire of Bukhara. However, they have recently managed to conquer Georgia which was in the grips of a crushing civil war.
Lastly Syria & Egypt have weakened themselves with numerous wars for dominance over the Holy Lands, with the Sunni Syrians attempting to reclaim Jerusalem from Isma'ili hands. Neither Kingdoms are a true threat to the balance of power, for now at least.
With the desperate situation in Iberia, the Pope sponsors another Catholic Holy Order to help fight against the moors. This new Order of Santiago promises to succeed where the Order of Calatrava failed. Right now, both Holy orders are in the service of King Munio of Navarra, preparing to defend from any Muslim who would attempt to invade the final free Christian state.
The Byzantine Empire has a number of ties with Navarra, for Alexios' sister, Kale Palaiologos, is married to King Munio. If the Muslims do try to invade the small Kingdom, then maybe it will time for Byzantium to involve itself in the west once more.
Suspiciously enough, however, King Munio is assassinated a mere few months after Castille's fall to the Muslims, most likely by Muslim hands, and his son Rodrigo II inherits the throne. Rodrigo is Alexios' nephew & invites the Byzantine Emperor to his coronation.
The Navarrese coronation is a grand affair and many European nobles arrive at Navarra to wish the young King good luck in his future struggles & to pledge their support. Most of these promises are merely hot air, however and just like Aragon & Castille, it is unlikely that Navarrra will receive any real support from its' neighbors.
Alexios also offers the young King words of supports, but goes one step further than the other petty Lords & signs an Alliance with Rodrigo, to aide his nephew in times of War.
While Alexios has every intent to help his young Nephew, he has greater concerns for now. The Al-Kesran Shahdom continues to menace Greek borders and Alexios is determined to free the Armenian population of the Shahdom, which he considers rightful members of the Empire, stolen away by the Infidels after the disastrous Seljuk invasion.
On the 20th April 1176, Alexios announces his war for Armenia, saying that he wept after hearing the cries of a great number of Armenians as they begged him to free them from their oppressors. What he makes sure to omit, is that the Armenians of the Shahdom have mostly converted to Islam over the century that they've been ruled by the Turks & Persians, and much prefer "their oppressors" to the Byzantines,
The Third Legion to arrive in Armenia is headed by Alexios himself. The Basileus makes the decision to charge the Persian position at Dwin, while they don't expect an attack, using reinforcement for Lori & Ani to make up for the initial disadvantage in numbers,
The plan works like a charm. The Persians are caught by the inital attack & then swept from the battlefield when the reinforcements arrive.
Unlike prior Byzantine campaigns, the Armenian populace do not rise up against the Persians as Alexios had hoped. Instead he is forced to aggressively assault the holdings, but nonetheless they are quickly delivered into his hands, by sword.
The war is soon over & the boy-Shah Nawid decides to sue for peace, without any further battles.
Alexios turns to a more pressing matter. Chrysogonos has been imprisoned in the Oubliette for 10 years & has stubbornly refused to die. This had lead some vassals to grumble that he has had his time and should be let free. However Alexios decides that he cannot have an Imperial claimant running around stirring up trouble, especially one that is a near lunatic in his hatred of him. Alexios decides to have to the ex-Basileus quietly killed, before the grumbles can get any louder.
With Armenia returned to the Byzantine Empire, Alexios decides to give stewardship of the province to two of his loyal servants. Diogenes Kaukadenos, a great commander who has served Alexios well, is granted the Theme of Armenia Borealis. He then grants the Theme of Armenia Australis to his eldest son, Prince Kallinikos.
Alexios begins to prepare for his next conquest...
Alexios' wars & the establishment of the Republic of Cherson have caused a great influx of wealth coming into the Empire and the Imperial treasury is near overflowing. However Despot Pyrros, who was recently appointed Sakellarios after the death of Doux Prokopios, believes that current Imperial administration is embarrassingly inefficient when collecting & spending its' coin, an issue that has become very prominent with the Empire's new found affluence. Pyrros proposes to improve this outdated system with a new method for tax collection that is based of a highly successful Italian model, though modified to be even better. Alexios agrees that Pyrros' ideas certainly have merit & the benefit to the economy would be substantial and so he give him to necessary funding to achieve his aims.
On the 3rd September 1179, a revolt in Barcelona overthrows the Duke, who was unpopular for his submission to the Sultan of Aragon. The New Duke, Ermengol III, declares himself independent from Aragon. The Aragonese begin to marshal their forces in order to crush the rebellion, while Ermengol asks his neighbors for support.
Unfortunately France is at War with Poitou & Aquiatine and trying to fend off a con-questing adventurer, while The Holy Roman Empire is attempting to crush a popular liberation rebellion in Italy and neither power has the men to spare. In Castille a number of rebellions against the Muslims have already been suppressed, as well as in the old Kingdom of Aragon.
Despite the international popularity of the rebellion, including the Pope declaring Duke Ermengol a "fine example of a true Christian Knight", only Navarra aides Barcelona with sword & steel.
In the East, Alexios' conquests against the Seljuks and Al-Kesran, have not left him a popular figure in the Muslim world. His Mohammedan neighbors despise him and fear his wroth. and some rumors even declare him as Allah's punishment for failing to destroy the Romans. Amusingly enough, the Catholics whisper similar things about Abbad IV. the punishment for them failing to repel the Moors from Spain. Nonetheless, Alexios's reputation has earned Constantinople the honor of being the most popular destination for would-be assassins. Luckily, Alexios' personal guard have kept anyone who would do the Basileus harm at bay. These Imperial guardsmen are the top warriors in the Empire & are lead by Artemios, a Eunuch who rivals his Emperor in strategic brilliance & has become one of Alexios' favorite commanders.
Prince Kyrillios reaches 12 years of Age and Alexios has done his best to instruct his son in his duty, resulting the boy becoming thoughtful & conscious of every aspect of ruling. However the boy does have a haughty streak to his nature, partially encouraged by his father's multitude of successes, though Alexios believes it is only natural, and well-deserved.
In 1181 Alexios agrees to attend the coronation of the King of Georgia. Georgia has always been one of Byzantium's allies since Bagrat IV of Georgia negotiated peace between the two nations in 1051. Georgia reached the extent of its' territory under King Ushisha "the Wise", who conquered the Derbent after defeating the Persian Satrapy that ruled there. However shortly after Ushisha's death, the Georgians lost the region to the expansionist Al-Kesran Persians of Azerbaijan. However the Kingdom remained stable & secure thanks to an alliance with Rus and became crucial to the stabilization of the country. However raids from the Thocomer Cumans were constant due to its' geopolitical position. Finally in 1171, a rebellion broke out in Georgia, giving the Thocomer an opportunity to invade. The Cumans defeated the loyalist & rebel armies within a month and assaulted the capital of Kartli. Georgia fell quickly , but was allowed to exist as a largely autonomous vassal Kingdom to the Nomads.
Alexios attends the coronation & spends much time talking to the Georgian King. Alexios proposes to liberate Georgia from the Cumans and make it a Byzantine vassal. King Iese agrees & invites Alexios to invade Georgia.
The Aragonese conquest of Barcelona ends with the inevitable result...
The Aragonese capture of Rosello means that for the first time since Charlemagne's wars in Iberia, the Muslims are past the Pyrenees.
On the 12th November 1181, Alexios makes good on his promise to liberate Georgia & declares war on the Thocomer, who are already at war with the Rus. However as Alexios prepares to muster his troops, the Cumans relinquish their ruler-ship of Kartli & hand the province over to the Al-Kesran as a sign of friendship between the two Muslim states (Prior to this Al-Kesran had won a number of victories against the Cumans)
With a peace still withstanding with the Persians, Alexios is forced to back down. The Georgians will have to wait for their liberation.
Embarrassed, Alexios decides to draw attention away this debacle by announcing the introduction of his heir, Prince Kyrillos, to the realm.
Since the creation of the Kingdom of Sicily, its' ruler have always held lands & titles in Africa. Through military conquest, this land has expanded over time to eventually stretch from Tell Atlas to Leptis Magna. However, now the Caliph has decided that with the Byzantine Empire stalwartly blocking expansion into Asia Minor, it is time to reclaim the ancient cities of Carthage & Tripoli for Allah. If this Jihad is successful, then the Muslims will be a position to reinforce further conquests in Iberia, along with raids & attacks against Italy.
Alexios is not concerned by this and any campaign that distracts the Caliph's attention from Byzantium is welcomed by him. In fact Alexios decides this is the perfect opportunity to reclaim Cyprus, a territory whose loss had been troubling the Basileus, for it was taken by the Syrians during his revolt.
Unfortunately Syria is protected by its' powerful ally in Azerbaijan, and while Alexios is able to easily defeated one of the Shahdoms on its' own, the two of them at the same times will require more careful tactical planning.
Alexios decides to wait and allow his foes to play out their hands before responding. The Persians attempt to invade through Edessa, bringing through their main force, however Alexios quickly places his army in a position to deal with them.
With Alexios' campaign against the Syrians & Al-Kesrans, the Caliph fighting against Sicily and the Seljuks & Fatamids at each other's throats, Pope Clemens III decides that it is finally time to strike against Islam while it is distracted and retake Jerusalem in a 2nd Crusade.
Alexios has a good laugh about this declaration, holding little regard for the Catholic's previous, humiliating attempt at retaking the Holy City. How can those Popery practicing fools hope to defeat the Infidels in the Holy Lands, when they cannot even remove them from their doorstep in Spain?
Returning to his own pursuits, Alexios decides that with the Muslims repelled from Edessa, the coast is clear to begin putting pressure on Syria & Cyprus. However the main Al-Kesran army is still avoiding conflict & thus remains a powerful enough force to ruin the Basileus' plans.
Kyrillos finishes his education in the fine art of stewardship, and has excelled at it under the masterful guidance of his father.
With Antioch, Alexandretta & most of Cyprus already fallen, the war is well on its' way to being won. However the main force of the Al-Kesran has yet to be beaten. Alexios attacks Aleppo, knowing that the Syrians will need contest the city if they want a hope of holding back Byzantine advances.
Sure enough the Syrians are baited into attacking. A foolish, but ultimately unavoidable move, that can only leads to their defeat once the Byzantine reinforcements arrive.
The Persian army is utterly destroyed and many prisoners are taken, including the Shah himself!
With the defeat of the Persian army, there is little to stop Alexios for achieving total victory. The fall of Aleppo & then Archa forces the Syrian Shah to the negotiation table in which Alexios agrees to return his captured lands for Cyprus, and the status of official protector of the entire Greek & Orthodox population of Syria. Despite that this status is obviously only going to be used to justify further wars, the Syrians cannot afford to part with Antioch, Aleppo & Alexandretta, as well as Cyprus, and thus agree to Alexios' terms.
With this victory under-belt, Alexios decides to change his focus away for expanding the Empire's territory. The Basileus understands that Empire cannot hope to defeat a unified Muslim attack, as seen by Basil's defeat against the Jihad, and so the best way to ensure Byzantium's continued prosperity is to prevent such a war from taking place. The best way to achieve this is to make sure the Caliph has plenty of distractions to stop his ever expansionist gaze from turning to Armenia or Anatolia.
Alexios announces his support for Sicily in their defense of Africa against the Muslim Jihad. The previous King of Sicily, King Hugh, was Alexios' brother-in-law, so their is a fine foundation for an Alliance between the two monarchies.
Alexios sends a small Byzantine army to Karbala, in order to end the Jihad in a similar manner to his previous war against the Caliph.
As Alexios' small army begins to besiege the walls of the great Mosque, he hears news from the west. The Fatamid Caliph has perished in battle against the Crusaders and his young son has succeeded the Egyptian throne. Caliph Pamin has then made peace with Christian forces, submitting to the Crusade, in order to focus on his ongoing war with the Seljuks. The Catholics have done what Alexios scoffed at & thought impossible, they have reclaimed Jerusalem!
The German Kaiser has used his influence over the Crusading factions to install his good friend, the Count of Oldenburg, as the King of the new Kingdom of Jerusalem. It is clear that the Crusade only succeeded because of the turmoil that the Muslim world was in at the time. A Great War between the Egyptians & Turks,the Byzantine invasion of Cyprus against the Syrians & Persians and the ill-fated Jihad for Africa which involved the Caliph himself. These wars had consumed all the major powers in the Middle-East and the divide it left allowed for the Christians to take the Holy City. However the divide will not last and surely, Jerusalem will fall when it ends.
If Islam was not in a crisis following the news of Jerusalem's fall, then it would not be long until true shock would echo through the Muslim world, The Jihad against Sicily would come to a startling halt with the Byzantines breaking through the walls of Karbala and seizing the Caliph, just as Sicilian, Polish & Croatian forces would recapture the last Muslim stronghold in Sicilian Africa. The Jihad for Africa has failed, just a mere month after the 2nd Crusade succeeded.
With the Winds of change now in full Gale, the Christian military orders begin to to establish bases in the Holy Lands. Alexios is unsure how he feels about this news, certainly it is not in the Byzantine Empire's best interest to have these Zealous barbarians so close to Greek borders.
With the War for Cyprus & the jihad for Africa over, Alexios orders his soldiers to return back to the Empire, hoping for a brief respite from War, at least until his peace with the Al-Kesrans expires. In the meantime, his Sicilian ally, King Berto, invites him to his coronation.
The invasion is successful, and any Persian resistance is quickly crushed. Alexios sets up one of his famous defensive rings & is confident that the Persians will not be able to expel him from Georgia now.
Alexios' prediction is correct & the Persians can only watch as Byzantine forces assault the provinces of Tao, Guria & Kartli, and their holdings. The war is won without any further battles.
In Iberia a rift has grown between the two Muslim powers. Abbad the Magnificent has grown increasingly weary of Aragonese reliance on his army to crush revolts in Castille and repel German & French invaders. A recent falling out between the two states resulted in a Andalusian invasion of Aragon's tributary, Castille, which Sultan Utman could only sit back and watch. The war left Al-Andulas at its' greatest extent yet and clearly the stronger of the two states verging on rivalry.
France is now ruled by a new Dynasty, after Queen Clotilde de Carcassonne usurped the French throne from the House of de Bourgogne with the aide of Kaiser Franz. The New Queen is a brilliant youth & aspires to deal with the Aquitaine & Poitou matters once and for all, the latter of which had just won the province of La Marche from the previous King in a War. She has made an alliance with the King of Aquitaine against the Duke of Poitou in a bid to decisively defeat the rouge provinces one-by-one. However France is still dangerously unstable ever-since the last usurpation of the throne from the Capetian Kings, and already Clotilde's rivals seek to spread rumors about their new Queen's hedonism & ungodly sexual tastes.
The balance of power in Scandinavia is still largely in Norge's favor, however a recent invasion of Sweden, to end the upstart nation once and for all, ended in a humiliating Norwegian retreat. How long will it be until Sweden can declare itself the power in the North & claim its' long desired lands of Norrland & Jemtland. Meanwhile the Prussians continue to expand their Empire into Finland, giving both the Swedish & Norwegians sleepless nights...
In the East, Poland & Rus are in a competition for dominance, and both fight for second place under the Shadow of Byzantium. Since the split of the Polish-Hungarian Union, Poland has dominated Hungary under the rule of Boleslaw IV "The Great". While his attempt to conquer Hungary by force was defeated, he was able to achieve other victories in other, slightly less ambitious wars, that resulted in much of Northern Hungary falling to Poland. Now Hungary is little more than a tribute state to Poland. However the death of Boleslaw IV has significantly weakened the Polish Kingdom, and the Hungarians have made use of this weakness to take the province of Galaz, and gain much needed access to the Black Sea.
The Winds of Change continue to blow. On the 1st of January, 1191, Alexios II Palaiologos dies peacefully in his bed. His younger son, Kyrillos inherits him as Basileus Kyrillos Palaiologos, while his older son, Kallinikos becomes Despot of Epirus.
Kyrillos is a promising young ruler, who has inherited many of his father's best traits. He has the strong, Palaiologoi sense of Justice, while also being diligent & hard-working in his administration of the Empire. He is not the Commander that his father was, though he is not unfamiliar with the martial ways, having been a student of his father's strategy. Nor is his diplomacy commensurate in comparison with the late-Emperor's, being more fond of numbers than people. However his experience as part of the Imperial bureaucracy and staunch belief in moderation & temperance, has resulted in Kyrillos becoming a master administrator, "Midas Touched" if some where to be
How will the death of one of the Greatest Emperors ever to rule the Romans effect Byzantium? Will Kyrillos continue his fathers Golden Age? Or will the Mantle of Imperium be too great to bare?
Suspiciously enough, however, King Munio is assassinated a mere few months after Castille's fall to the Muslims, most likely by Muslim hands, and his son Rodrigo II inherits the throne. Rodrigo is Alexios' nephew & invites the Byzantine Emperor to his coronation.
The Navarrese coronation is a grand affair and many European nobles arrive at Navarra to wish the young King good luck in his future struggles & to pledge their support. Most of these promises are merely hot air, however and just like Aragon & Castille, it is unlikely that Navarrra will receive any real support from its' neighbors.
Alexios also offers the young King words of supports, but goes one step further than the other petty Lords & signs an Alliance with Rodrigo, to aide his nephew in times of War.
While Alexios has every intent to help his young Nephew, he has greater concerns for now. The Al-Kesran Shahdom continues to menace Greek borders and Alexios is determined to free the Armenian population of the Shahdom, which he considers rightful members of the Empire, stolen away by the Infidels after the disastrous Seljuk invasion.
On the 20th April 1176, Alexios announces his war for Armenia, saying that he wept after hearing the cries of a great number of Armenians as they begged him to free them from their oppressors. What he makes sure to omit, is that the Armenians of the Shahdom have mostly converted to Islam over the century that they've been ruled by the Turks & Persians, and much prefer "their oppressors" to the Byzantines,
(No Idea why the Seljuk's decided to change their primary title to Mesopotamia, rather than Persia)
Alexios sends his Vanguard, lead by the Doux of Cyprus, into Armenia and they are curiously unopposed.
A second Legion arrives from Cherson and is aided by 6000 men from Navarra. Meanwhile, the Persians also enter Armenia, but they avoid engaging the larger Greek armies. It is clear they know how Alexios likes to fight his wars, forming a defensive ring around an area that can easily be reinforced from each different point.
The Third Legion to arrive in Armenia is headed by Alexios himself. The Basileus makes the decision to charge the Persian position at Dwin, while they don't expect an attack, using reinforcement for Lori & Ani to make up for the initial disadvantage in numbers,
The plan works like a charm. The Persians are caught by the inital attack & then swept from the battlefield when the reinforcements arrive.
Unlike prior Byzantine campaigns, the Armenian populace do not rise up against the Persians as Alexios had hoped. Instead he is forced to aggressively assault the holdings, but nonetheless they are quickly delivered into his hands, by sword.
The war is soon over & the boy-Shah Nawid decides to sue for peace, without any further battles.
With Armenia returned to the Byzantine Empire, Alexios decides to give stewardship of the province to two of his loyal servants. Diogenes Kaukadenos, a great commander who has served Alexios well, is granted the Theme of Armenia Borealis. He then grants the Theme of Armenia Australis to his eldest son, Prince Kallinikos.
Alexios begins to prepare for his next conquest...
Alexios' wars & the establishment of the Republic of Cherson have caused a great influx of wealth coming into the Empire and the Imperial treasury is near overflowing. However Despot Pyrros, who was recently appointed Sakellarios after the death of Doux Prokopios, believes that current Imperial administration is embarrassingly inefficient when collecting & spending its' coin, an issue that has become very prominent with the Empire's new found affluence. Pyrros proposes to improve this outdated system with a new method for tax collection that is based of a highly successful Italian model, though modified to be even better. Alexios agrees that Pyrros' ideas certainly have merit & the benefit to the economy would be substantial and so he give him to necessary funding to achieve his aims.
On the 3rd September 1179, a revolt in Barcelona overthrows the Duke, who was unpopular for his submission to the Sultan of Aragon. The New Duke, Ermengol III, declares himself independent from Aragon. The Aragonese begin to marshal their forces in order to crush the rebellion, while Ermengol asks his neighbors for support.
Unfortunately France is at War with Poitou & Aquiatine and trying to fend off a con-questing adventurer, while The Holy Roman Empire is attempting to crush a popular liberation rebellion in Italy and neither power has the men to spare. In Castille a number of rebellions against the Muslims have already been suppressed, as well as in the old Kingdom of Aragon.
Despite the international popularity of the rebellion, including the Pope declaring Duke Ermengol a "fine example of a true Christian Knight", only Navarra aides Barcelona with sword & steel.
In the East, Alexios' conquests against the Seljuks and Al-Kesran, have not left him a popular figure in the Muslim world. His Mohammedan neighbors despise him and fear his wroth. and some rumors even declare him as Allah's punishment for failing to destroy the Romans. Amusingly enough, the Catholics whisper similar things about Abbad IV. the punishment for them failing to repel the Moors from Spain. Nonetheless, Alexios's reputation has earned Constantinople the honor of being the most popular destination for would-be assassins. Luckily, Alexios' personal guard have kept anyone who would do the Basileus harm at bay. These Imperial guardsmen are the top warriors in the Empire & are lead by Artemios, a Eunuch who rivals his Emperor in strategic brilliance & has become one of Alexios' favorite commanders.
Prince Kyrillios reaches 12 years of Age and Alexios has done his best to instruct his son in his duty, resulting the boy becoming thoughtful & conscious of every aspect of ruling. However the boy does have a haughty streak to his nature, partially encouraged by his father's multitude of successes, though Alexios believes it is only natural, and well-deserved.
In 1181 Alexios agrees to attend the coronation of the King of Georgia. Georgia has always been one of Byzantium's allies since Bagrat IV of Georgia negotiated peace between the two nations in 1051. Georgia reached the extent of its' territory under King Ushisha "the Wise", who conquered the Derbent after defeating the Persian Satrapy that ruled there. However shortly after Ushisha's death, the Georgians lost the region to the expansionist Al-Kesran Persians of Azerbaijan. However the Kingdom remained stable & secure thanks to an alliance with Rus and became crucial to the stabilization of the country. However raids from the Thocomer Cumans were constant due to its' geopolitical position. Finally in 1171, a rebellion broke out in Georgia, giving the Thocomer an opportunity to invade. The Cumans defeated the loyalist & rebel armies within a month and assaulted the capital of Kartli. Georgia fell quickly , but was allowed to exist as a largely autonomous vassal Kingdom to the Nomads.
Alexios attends the coronation & spends much time talking to the Georgian King. Alexios proposes to liberate Georgia from the Cumans and make it a Byzantine vassal. King Iese agrees & invites Alexios to invade Georgia.
The Aragonese conquest of Barcelona ends with the inevitable result...
The Aragonese capture of Rosello means that for the first time since Charlemagne's wars in Iberia, the Muslims are past the Pyrenees.
On the 12th November 1181, Alexios makes good on his promise to liberate Georgia & declares war on the Thocomer, who are already at war with the Rus. However as Alexios prepares to muster his troops, the Cumans relinquish their ruler-ship of Kartli & hand the province over to the Al-Kesran as a sign of friendship between the two Muslim states (Prior to this Al-Kesran had won a number of victories against the Cumans)
With a peace still withstanding with the Persians, Alexios is forced to back down. The Georgians will have to wait for their liberation.
Embarrassed, Alexios decides to draw attention away this debacle by announcing the introduction of his heir, Prince Kyrillos, to the realm.
Since the creation of the Kingdom of Sicily, its' ruler have always held lands & titles in Africa. Through military conquest, this land has expanded over time to eventually stretch from Tell Atlas to Leptis Magna. However, now the Caliph has decided that with the Byzantine Empire stalwartly blocking expansion into Asia Minor, it is time to reclaim the ancient cities of Carthage & Tripoli for Allah. If this Jihad is successful, then the Muslims will be a position to reinforce further conquests in Iberia, along with raids & attacks against Italy.
Alexios is not concerned by this and any campaign that distracts the Caliph's attention from Byzantium is welcomed by him. In fact Alexios decides this is the perfect opportunity to reclaim Cyprus, a territory whose loss had been troubling the Basileus, for it was taken by the Syrians during his revolt.
Unfortunately Syria is protected by its' powerful ally in Azerbaijan, and while Alexios is able to easily defeated one of the Shahdoms on its' own, the two of them at the same times will require more careful tactical planning.
Alexios decides to wait and allow his foes to play out their hands before responding. The Persians attempt to invade through Edessa, bringing through their main force, however Alexios quickly places his army in a position to deal with them.
With Alexios' campaign against the Syrians & Al-Kesrans, the Caliph fighting against Sicily and the Seljuks & Fatamids at each other's throats, Pope Clemens III decides that it is finally time to strike against Islam while it is distracted and retake Jerusalem in a 2nd Crusade.
Alexios has a good laugh about this declaration, holding little regard for the Catholic's previous, humiliating attempt at retaking the Holy City. How can those Popery practicing fools hope to defeat the Infidels in the Holy Lands, when they cannot even remove them from their doorstep in Spain?
Returning to his own pursuits, Alexios decides that with the Muslims repelled from Edessa, the coast is clear to begin putting pressure on Syria & Cyprus. However the main Al-Kesran army is still avoiding conflict & thus remains a powerful enough force to ruin the Basileus' plans.
Kyrillos finishes his education in the fine art of stewardship, and has excelled at it under the masterful guidance of his father.
With Antioch, Alexandretta & most of Cyprus already fallen, the war is well on its' way to being won. However the main force of the Al-Kesran has yet to be beaten. Alexios attacks Aleppo, knowing that the Syrians will need contest the city if they want a hope of holding back Byzantine advances.
Sure enough the Syrians are baited into attacking. A foolish, but ultimately unavoidable move, that can only leads to their defeat once the Byzantine reinforcements arrive.
The Persian army is utterly destroyed and many prisoners are taken, including the Shah himself!
With the defeat of the Persian army, there is little to stop Alexios for achieving total victory. The fall of Aleppo & then Archa forces the Syrian Shah to the negotiation table in which Alexios agrees to return his captured lands for Cyprus, and the status of official protector of the entire Greek & Orthodox population of Syria. Despite that this status is obviously only going to be used to justify further wars, the Syrians cannot afford to part with Antioch, Aleppo & Alexandretta, as well as Cyprus, and thus agree to Alexios' terms.
With this victory under-belt, Alexios decides to change his focus away for expanding the Empire's territory. The Basileus understands that Empire cannot hope to defeat a unified Muslim attack, as seen by Basil's defeat against the Jihad, and so the best way to ensure Byzantium's continued prosperity is to prevent such a war from taking place. The best way to achieve this is to make sure the Caliph has plenty of distractions to stop his ever expansionist gaze from turning to Armenia or Anatolia.
Alexios announces his support for Sicily in their defense of Africa against the Muslim Jihad. The previous King of Sicily, King Hugh, was Alexios' brother-in-law, so their is a fine foundation for an Alliance between the two monarchies.
Alexios sends a small Byzantine army to Karbala, in order to end the Jihad in a similar manner to his previous war against the Caliph.
As Alexios' small army begins to besiege the walls of the great Mosque, he hears news from the west. The Fatamid Caliph has perished in battle against the Crusaders and his young son has succeeded the Egyptian throne. Caliph Pamin has then made peace with Christian forces, submitting to the Crusade, in order to focus on his ongoing war with the Seljuks. The Catholics have done what Alexios scoffed at & thought impossible, they have reclaimed Jerusalem!
The German Kaiser has used his influence over the Crusading factions to install his good friend, the Count of Oldenburg, as the King of the new Kingdom of Jerusalem. It is clear that the Crusade only succeeded because of the turmoil that the Muslim world was in at the time. A Great War between the Egyptians & Turks,the Byzantine invasion of Cyprus against the Syrians & Persians and the ill-fated Jihad for Africa which involved the Caliph himself. These wars had consumed all the major powers in the Middle-East and the divide it left allowed for the Christians to take the Holy City. However the divide will not last and surely, Jerusalem will fall when it ends.
If Islam was not in a crisis following the news of Jerusalem's fall, then it would not be long until true shock would echo through the Muslim world, The Jihad against Sicily would come to a startling halt with the Byzantines breaking through the walls of Karbala and seizing the Caliph, just as Sicilian, Polish & Croatian forces would recapture the last Muslim stronghold in Sicilian Africa. The Jihad for Africa has failed, just a mere month after the 2nd Crusade succeeded.
With the Winds of change now in full Gale, the Christian military orders begin to to establish bases in the Holy Lands. Alexios is unsure how he feels about this news, certainly it is not in the Byzantine Empire's best interest to have these Zealous barbarians so close to Greek borders.
With the War for Cyprus & the jihad for Africa over, Alexios orders his soldiers to return back to the Empire, hoping for a brief respite from War, at least until his peace with the Al-Kesrans expires. In the meantime, his Sicilian ally, King Berto, invites him to his coronation.
Doge Staurakios of Cherson request a council meeting with the Emperor about the expansion of Cherson's influence over the black sea and appeals to the Emperor to conduct a trade deal with his Persian rivals that will allow the Aprenos family to establish trade posts on the Georgian coast. Unfortunately this draws objection from Despot Antonios of Cilicia who has a number of connections with the powerful Chesonian family of Dalassenos, who do not wish to see their rivals granted an exclusive deal with the Al-Kesrans. The council meeting descends into chaos & name-calling between the two factions until Alexios dismisses it without any solution. To ease the hostile tensions of the room Alexios decides to toast to the good health of the Dalassenoi & Aprenoi. One toast becomes another until the Emperor & all his Councillors leave the council meeting drunk...
A prideful man, Alexios decides not to draw attention to himself & is able to make his way back to his chamber, however the incident is an explicit reminder of his age & the deterioration that come with it.
Despite the unresolved situation in Cherson, Alexios departs for Salerno, for the Sicilian coronation. Alexios is greeted with a lavish welcome for his part in decisively bringing the war to an end with his siege of Karbala. Even the Catholics declare him a true Christian warrior, and the Greatest Sovereign alive - much more preferable to the warmongering Germans of the North. It is clear that Alexios has secured a position of great esteem in both the East & the West.
Alexios returns to Constantinople and his greeted by a stranger in Court. The Stranger announces himself as Bosporios Bryennios, the last descendant of Zenon Bryennios, the Doux of Tripoli, who had his lands stolen away by the Syrian Shah. Bosporios has heard of Alexios' greatness and wishes the Emperor's support in recruiting a host large enough to defeat the Shah and take back his family's land. Alexios agrees & offers Bryennios his full support, presenting the ambitious young man with funding and the right to recruit in the Empire.
Alexios learns the Doux Antonios of Adrianopolis has harshly denounced the Basileus in meeting of the Prosperity faction, calling the Basileus an aggressive war-monger & a tyrant, bringing up points such as Alexios' constant wars with his neighbors, including his recent support of Bryennios and the continued imprisonment of Chrysogonos. While his do little to stir the faction into the frenzy that Antonios had hoped for, Alexios' agents report to him that it was clear that a few points struck home. Alexios decides that he cannot afford to have Adrianopolis repeating such slander, especially with his inevitable succession creeping ever closer.
As Alexios begins to draft evidence of Antonios' treason, a bundle of documents find their way into Alexios chamber, detailing how Alexios' own Spymaster, Staurakios Komnenos, plans to have him poisoned before kidnapping Prince Kyrillios & reinstating a Komnenoi on the throne, most likely himself (since Chyrsogonos' mental state took a turn for the worse). Alexios decides the only safe option is to have Mystikos Komnenos arrested.
Alexios sends Damianos of Moesia to Trapezous with a large retinue of soldiers to apprehend the Villain. However, another traitor must've alerted Staurakios, for the Doux met Damainos with an even larger retinue of soldiers and after a short battle, sent the Protostrator fleeing back to Constantinople. Realising that the Basileus had uncovered his plans to depose him, Trebizond declares rebellion against Alexios, to succeed in arms where intrigue failed. Alexios responds by raising the Imperial army to crush this rouge Doux, not even stopping to think that his only evidence of Staurakios' treason, was a secretive & unreliable bundle of documents slipped into his room...
Alexios is also informed of a development in Germany, about the construction of a trade league between a number of Imperial cities on the Northern coast. This "Hanseatic League" has the blessing of Kaiser Franz, and hopes to dominate the Baltic sea in the same way that the League of Ancona hopes to dominate the Mediterranean.
Alexios is informed of a riot in Traianopolis, where Doux Atonios was murdered as he attempted to flee back to Adrianopolis. With a smile, Alexios writes a letter to the late-traitors son, informing him that he may keep his titles in return for his undying loyalty.
Doux Damainos, somewhat humbled by his failure to arrest Trebizond, appeals to Alexios for funding to experiment with new military technology. Alexios, begrudgingly gives him the money, reminding him sternly that failing the Basileus once is forgivable, but twice is a matter of incompetence.
Unfortunately this is the last that Alexios hears of his old friend & ally. Damainos is killed in a small & unimportant clash with Trebizondian rebels in Kyzikos, despite winning the day. Alexios is heavily grieved that one of his most powerful & friends have perished, remembering that Moesia played an important role in him taking the throne. The Basileus writes to Damainos' son, Zenon II, giving his condolence, and allowing the young Doux to inherit all of his father's titles.
Alexios appoints another ally from the rebellion to be his new Protostrator, his kinsman, Doux Nikephoros of Thessalonika, who has little interest in carrying on Damainos' research.
The Trebizondians attempt to assault Constantinople, but are forced to retreat once the main Byzantine army arrives, supplemented by Swiss mercenaries, bought by Alexios to quicken the war.
The Byzantine army is able to trap the Trebizondian one as it attempts to flee back into its' territory. Soon reinforcements arrive from the South to decisively tip the battle in Alexios' favor
The Battle of Claudiopolis proves to be the only major battle of the war, for Doux Staurakios is captured by Byzantine forces as he attempts to flee the field. The war is won!
Alexios returns his focus to the stewardship of the Empire & the preparation for his succession. A feud between two of his vassals comes to his attention. The Despot of Cilicia has been waging war on the Count of Tarsos for some time now, who is his de jure vassal but refuses to hand over his titles to his Lord, despite official documents from Cilicia that cite the revocation of the title from the Count & the Despots reason to do so. Now Alexios is interested in ending the war. Tarsos has been ruled by the Arcuni for a century, and Count Traianos claims that the Despot is using illegal & fabricated reasons to revoke the title from his family, but on the other hand, the Despot is a loyal vassal. Eventually Alexios' sense of justice pulls through and he sides with Count Traianos, paying the Cilicia to drop his claim to the County.
Alexios decides to unite his Empire behind the glory his rule, so to ensure a peaceful succession. Luckily, at the same time as this decision, his truce with the Al-Kesran Shah, Newid, comes to an end & Alexios remembers his promise to the King of Georgia, to liberate his people from the Persians & Cumans. He declares war for Kartli, the heart of the old Kingdom of Georgia.
Alexios marshals his first army near the Persian boarder, but his spies report a larger Al-Kesran army near Kartli. With this information in mind, Alexios decides to hold off his invasion.
Alexios' declaration of war has succeeded in building up a large amount of support for Alexios,, especially in the Glory faction, who are captivated by Alexios' supposed goal of liberating the Georgians from their Mohammedan oppressors. As a sign of support, the faction sends Alexios a small gift of gold to fund the war effort.
Alexios tells his spies to spread rumors around the Persians that the Byzantines are holding off their attack because they lack the numbers,in order to encourage Shah Nawid into a reckless attack on his positions. The bait doesn't go quite as planned, with the Persian army attack Trapezous, instead of the Byzantine army at Theodosiopolis. The Trebizondian garrison launches a brave & suicidal attack on the Persian force, that has no hopes of succeeding. However it is just enough for Alexios to march from Theodosiopolis & trap the Al-Kesran army.
Soon the entire Byzantine army arrives in full force. The Persians are greatly outnumbered & swept from the battlefield, giving Alexios to opportunity required to launch an invasion of Kartli.
The invasion is successful, and any Persian resistance is quickly crushed. Alexios sets up one of his famous defensive rings & is confident that the Persians will not be able to expel him from Georgia now.
Alexios' prediction is correct & the Persians can only watch as Byzantine forces assault the provinces of Tao, Guria & Kartli, and their holdings. The war is won without any further battles.
Alexios appoints Kul, of the Georgian Royal family of Bagrationi, as the Doux of the newly created theme of Georgia. Of course, such a title conflicts with that of the Kingdom of Georgia, the Cuman vassal state ruled by Ises Bagrationi.
As the year 1190 comes to an end, the Winds of Change continue to blow. Alexios II Palaiologos continues to rule the Byzantine Empire, but at 60 years of age, his rule will undoubtly come to an end soon. His reign has lead the Byzantine Empire into a new age of peerless prosperity & might, unparalleled by any nation in the world.
The Al-Kesran Shahdom remains a formidable foe, despite Alexios' victories against it. The incompetent rule of Shah Nawid keeps the might of Azerbijan at bay for now, but his subjects can only tolerate his failings for so long and this most recent humiliation by Byzantium may finally bring his reign to an end.
The Seljuks under the wise rule of Alp Arslan III, called the Magnificent, are a different matter. The Sultan has successfully reformed the Turkish army and all they wait for is the opportunity to strike-out and reclaim their lost territories.
In Iberia a rift has grown between the two Muslim powers. Abbad the Magnificent has grown increasingly weary of Aragonese reliance on his army to crush revolts in Castille and repel German & French invaders. A recent falling out between the two states resulted in a Andalusian invasion of Aragon's tributary, Castille, which Sultan Utman could only sit back and watch. The war left Al-Andulas at its' greatest extent yet and clearly the stronger of the two states verging on rivalry.
France is now ruled by a new Dynasty, after Queen Clotilde de Carcassonne usurped the French throne from the House of de Bourgogne with the aide of Kaiser Franz. The New Queen is a brilliant youth & aspires to deal with the Aquitaine & Poitou matters once and for all, the latter of which had just won the province of La Marche from the previous King in a War. She has made an alliance with the King of Aquitaine against the Duke of Poitou in a bid to decisively defeat the rouge provinces one-by-one. However France is still dangerously unstable ever-since the last usurpation of the throne from the Capetian Kings, and already Clotilde's rivals seek to spread rumors about their new Queen's hedonism & ungodly sexual tastes.
The balance of power in Scandinavia is still largely in Norge's favor, however a recent invasion of Sweden, to end the upstart nation once and for all, ended in a humiliating Norwegian retreat. How long will it be until Sweden can declare itself the power in the North & claim its' long desired lands of Norrland & Jemtland. Meanwhile the Prussians continue to expand their Empire into Finland, giving both the Swedish & Norwegians sleepless nights...
In the East, Poland & Rus are in a competition for dominance, and both fight for second place under the Shadow of Byzantium. Since the split of the Polish-Hungarian Union, Poland has dominated Hungary under the rule of Boleslaw IV "The Great". While his attempt to conquer Hungary by force was defeated, he was able to achieve other victories in other, slightly less ambitious wars, that resulted in much of Northern Hungary falling to Poland. Now Hungary is little more than a tribute state to Poland. However the death of Boleslaw IV has significantly weakened the Polish Kingdom, and the Hungarians have made use of this weakness to take the province of Galaz, and gain much needed access to the Black Sea.
The Winds of Change continue to blow. On the 1st of January, 1191, Alexios II Palaiologos dies peacefully in his bed. His younger son, Kyrillos inherits him as Basileus Kyrillos Palaiologos, while his older son, Kallinikos becomes Despot of Epirus.
Kyrillos is a promising young ruler, who has inherited many of his father's best traits. He has the strong, Palaiologoi sense of Justice, while also being diligent & hard-working in his administration of the Empire. He is not the Commander that his father was, though he is not unfamiliar with the martial ways, having been a student of his father's strategy. Nor is his diplomacy commensurate in comparison with the late-Emperor's, being more fond of numbers than people. However his experience as part of the Imperial bureaucracy and staunch belief in moderation & temperance, has resulted in Kyrillos becoming a master administrator, "Midas Touched" if some where to be
How will the death of one of the Greatest Emperors ever to rule the Romans effect Byzantium? Will Kyrillos continue his fathers Golden Age? Or will the Mantle of Imperium be too great to bare?
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