Crusader Kings
Epirotian Ambitions
The last 10 years has seen a momentous change for the Byzantine Empire. Under the leadership of the brilliant Basileus, Alexios Komnenos, the Empire has rapidly expanded its' territory, including retaking the Holy city of Jerusalem. However, while the Emperor continues his conquests against the Turks, Atlaics & Slavs, his vassal, the ambitious Doux Georgios of Epirus, plays a different game of intrigue & power-plays.
Georgios' game is simple, he want to expand on the reforms of his father & turn Epirus into a more centralize state. He also wants to expand the boarders of Epirus, adding wealthier land to his realm that will increase the Palaiogoloi's power & fame. To achieve this aim, n the 30th March 1089, Georgios sends a letter to Doux Michael of Adrianopolis, asking him to recognize the Palaiogoloi's claim to Thessalia. Michael refuses & Epirus declares war on Adrianopolis, aided by Anatolia & Cilicia.
Georgios' game is simple, he want to expand on the reforms of his father & turn Epirus into a more centralize state. He also wants to expand the boarders of Epirus, adding wealthier land to his realm that will increase the Palaiogoloi's power & fame. To achieve this aim, n the 30th March 1089, Georgios sends a letter to Doux Michael of Adrianopolis, asking him to recognize the Palaiogoloi's claim to Thessalia. Michael refuses & Epirus declares war on Adrianopolis, aided by Anatolia & Cilicia.
The Theme of Adrianopolis is a powerful province, much stronger than either Anatolia, Epirus or Cilicia on its' own,. Knowing that he cannot best the Adrianopolitan army by himself, Georgios opts to wait for Anatolia & Cilicia to cross the Aegean before he begins his campaign.
Georgios soon receives word of both an Adrianopolitan army approaching Epirus & the joint armies of his allies crossing near Constantinople. Georgios orders his army to sail from Epirus & join up with Cilicia & Anatolia at the Adrianopolitan capital. The outmanoeuvre works, and the armies of Georgios' alliance converge with each other, giving him numerical superiority in the war. Knowing this, Georgios decides to pursue Michael's army.
The pursuit ends at Ioannina in Epirus, where battle is drawn between the two armies. Georgios has a clear advantage, with more numbers than the Adrianopolitans & more heavy cavalry.
The Adrianopolitans fight with bravery, but Georgios' joint army is in too much of an advantageous position to loose. The battle of Ioannina is a great victory for the Epirotians, and Andronikos Doukas, the brother of Doux Michael, is captured.
With the Adrianopolitans in retreat, Georgios begins the siege of Thessalia. Epirus also recieve news of Alexios' victory in Crimea against the Altaic Khagans.
After a few successful sieges & another minor battle, the war in Thessalia is almost won. Meanwhile, Basileus Alexios does not return to Constantinople after his victory in Crimea, but instead declares war on the duchy of Apulia. Apulia had been taken from the Empire by the Normans not half a century ago. Since then the Apulian Dukes has expanded their lands to consist of almost all of Sicily & Southern Italy.
On the 26th March 1091, Georgios accepts peace with Michael, who concedes that he cannot win the war & recognizes the Palaiogoloi's rightful claim over Thessalia. Thessalia is a wealthy province that give Epirus direct access to the western Aegean sea. However, this does little to sate Georgios' appetite & he hungrily looks for where to expand Epirus next
In Western Europe, under the competent leadership of King Hugues II, France has been able to reconquer Normandy from England, after exploiting the political turbulence caused by King William the Conquerors death. While in Scotland, their recent embarrassing defeat at the hands of England has not stop their aggression towards their neighbors, with the Scots successfully taking Ulster & currently invading the isle of Mann, the last of the Kingdom of the Isles.
Lastly in Germany (not pictured), the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry IV, has won a controversial victory against Pope Lucius II, and made the Papal States a tribute of the Holy Roman Empire.
Eastern Europe continues to resolve around the petty struggles of the Rurikovich and the wars against the Baltic Pagans in the north & the Altaic nomads in the south. Svaitoslav's Kingdom of Novgorod has broken down into a collection of warring states following his death & the unification of the Rus has been halted as a result.
Hungary, under the rule of the ambitious King Salamon, has successfully expanded at the expense of the Pecheneg Khaganate, while Poland continues its' endless struggles against the Curonians, Pruthenians The Kingdom of Pomerania was formed by the late King Krutoj, a legendary commander.Now his son, King Gryn, leads the fledgling realm, who is rumored to by sympathetic to the Christian faith.
Georgios begins to plan his next war of expansion, sending Romanos into Dyrrachion to fabricate another claim, with hopes to adding to the province to his demesne will provide him with easy access to Italy. Meanwhile, Alexios is victorious yet again in Apulia, finally giving the Byzantine Empire a foothold in Italy once more.
A few of the Lords in the Empire are, despite his constant triumphs,beginning to criticize Alexios' ebullient & nonstop wars of expansion & aggression. A number of these are in Georgios' faction, the tradition faction & so Alexios sends Georgios to treat with them as his Adviser. Despite Georgios excellent negotiating skills, the meeting does not go well, as many, even those loyal to Alexios, accuse Georgios of being his puppet & manipulating the Basileus in order to have him turn a blind eye to Epirotian land-grabs. Clearly Georgios' recent power-play has not made him popular among his fellow Douxs, and some of eager to see that he doesn't try it again. At least, by turning the faction against himself, he did not make its' relation with the Emperor any worse.
Accepting that his recent expansion into Thessalia has made him an unpopular figure in the Empire. Georgios plans to try and improve the other Lord's opinion of him, but first he has a more pressing matter. He is certain that his brother Nikolaos's wife,is trying to be flirtatious with him, something which could cause a divide within the Palaiogoloi family, if Georgios was to let it.
Luckily Georgios' passion proves more temperate & controlled than his father, and his able to resist Georgia's supposed advances.
It is not only the Lord's of the Empire that are concerned with Georgios' scheming. Alexios, who had been unable to intervene with the conquest of Thessalia due to being on campaign, questions Georgios motivations for such a war. Luckily, as the Basileus' adviser, Gerogios commands a lot of faith from Alexios & ensures him that Michael was an upstart trouble-maker & that the province of Thessalia would be better served in the hands of a loyal vassal such as himself.
With Alexios settled for now, Georgios continues with his schemes, sending swerves of envoys off to a number of Themes to court favor with the ruling Doux, while at the same time trying to draft a convincing forged document that traces the lineage of Manthos Touvakes, the first Doux of Dyrrachion, to the House of Palaiogolos. Eventually the stresses of all his work catches up to Georgios & he becomes an irritable & short-tempered man.
Eventually, however, his hard work pays off & Georgios sends the rather convincing document to Romanos to begin touring around Dyrrachion. With his claim of the province settled, Georgios soon begins to prepare for war.
A large war between The Holy Roman Empire & France ends with Aquitaine becoming an independent duchy after neither side is able to claim victory.
Georgios finally has a child with his wife, Evanthia Diogenes, a son whom he names Nikephoros. Much to Georgios grief, however, Evanthia does not survive childbirth.
Alexios' wars have now fully eroded the good sentiments between him and many of the political factions, including the tradition faction. Georgios, who still maintains good relationships with his Basileus, decides to abandon the faction of his father & join the Prosperity faction, lead by Andronikos Doukas of Nikaea, a good friend & ally of Georgios.
One of the loudest voices in opposition to Alexios is that of his nephew Doux Staurakios of Armeniacon, the son of Manuel. Alexios speaks with Georgios about the grief that young Staurakios is giving him & asks for his adviser to lecture the young Councillor about the Divine authority of the Emperor. Being both a pious man & a skilled negotiator, Georgios is able to do this with ease & earns a favor from Stuarakios, who is thankful for the teachings, for his troubles.
As 1097 dawns, Georgios receives a message from Romanos that he has persuaded a prestigious Greek lawman that his claim over Dyrrachion is true. Ecstatic at this news, Georgios demands that Doux Loukas Synadenos of Dyrrachion recognize his claim. As predicted, the Doux refuses and Georgios invades.
The Epirotian army quickly wins a decisive victory over the unprepared Dyrrachions...
As war continues between Epirus & Dyrrachion, the Doux of Thrace declares rebellion against Alexios, attempting to press Staurakios' claim on the Empire.Many have become jealous & worried of Alexios' power & his enforcement of his absolute rule, and so there is general support for Thrace, however most refuse to aide his rebellion as Alexios is still a popular figure in the Empire due to his great victories - and so the rebellion seems in vain.
Georgios offers his support to Alexios, and orders his army to break the siege of Adrianopolis, which was under attack from rebels. Thankful for the aide, Alexios agrees to recognize Georgios' claim on Dyrrachion as a reward.
In the Middle East, the mighty Alp Arslan has passed away, and with his death, the Seljuk Sultanate begins to fracture...
Georgios claims victory over the Doux of Dyrrachion & the province of Dyrrachion is ceded over to Epirotian rule. Elsewhere in the Empire, Alexios destroys the remaining rebels in battle, ending Thrace's revolt & enforcing his absolute rule once more.
This victory causes an influx of Dyrrachion nobles to flock to the Epirotian court in order to alleviate their positions in their new Doux's eyes & gain his support in various disputes. Among these new courtiers is a "holy man" who openly criticizes the Orthodox faith & declares Georgios a Zealous madman. Georgios reacts by doing the only logical thing & orders the filthy heretic arrested & prepared for execution.
Fortunately however, the holy man revels himself a true to the Orthdox faith & that he was merely testing the legendary devoutness of the Doux of Epirus. Appeased enough by the man's words, Georgios orders him released.
Georgios also receives news all the way from France, sent by a religious sect that called themselves the Cathars...
In March 1102, Theoktiste falls pregnant again.
Georgios' expansions have earned him some powerful enemies among the other Douxes of the Empire, who fear the rising power of his Theme, which had traditionally been a backwater province. Now rumours of Adrianopolitan & Athenian spies rummaging around the court of Epirus are ripe, but Georgios maintains a calm & disinterested air so to give of the opinion that he isn't worried about these petty rivals.
Georgios is informed that his friend & ally, Doux Andronikos of Nikaea has passed away & has given leadership of the prosperity faction over to Georgios. Georgios immediately calls a faction meeting, so to set an agenda. Unfortunately, the Doux of Achaia is a member of the faction, and furious with Georgios' expansionism, decides to call his leadership into question.
Georgios is an experienced diplomat & politician, but the upstart Doux of Achaia has an equally glib tongue and is able to sway a number of the faction to his cause, declaring that the faction should not follow a puppet of the Emperor, and that the authority of the faction would be severely undermined if Georgios was allowed to keep his position. However, Georgios does not ideally take this slander & is able to accuse his challenger of treasonous talk by refusing to listen to the Basileus' own Adviser. Lastly, Georgios secures victory by threatening that the authority of the faction would be undermined even more severely should the strongest Doux (Georgios) decide to leave it. The implications of these words hit home.
Victorious, Georgios gets a good look at his faction. Most share an amiable disposition towards Alexios and none are outright hostile, though a few nurse hidden grievances. Bearing this in mind, Georgios decides that it is best to cerement his own position in the faction before trying to sway it to Alexios' side.
The meeting is a huge success & Georgios is able to rally the entire faction to his side. Complaints about Epirotian aggression seem a thing of the past, as everyone, including the Doux of Achaia, begin to praise Georgios ' name.
When the faction meeting is over, Georgios finds himself in a pious mood & his thankful to Jesus for guiding his tongue in such a testing moment. To show his how grateful his is, Georgios spends his night praying with sinners in the chapel and encouraging patience & forgiveness,
Georgios has began to cultivate an opinion of being a diligent, pious & level-headed man. While this is not exactly the entire truth of what he is, more & more people from around the Empire are speaking of him with great respect. However the admiration of Georgios is felt greatest by his own family, who applaud him for making the Palaiogoloi one of the most powerful & influential Douxes in the Empire. Because of his many deeds, his niece, Gabriella, has written him a song in his honour.
Georgios is truly an idol for many aspiring young Palaiogoloi.
Georgios begins to receive more & more messages from Doux Michael, the new Doux of Nikaea following the death of his father, Andronikos. Michael has claimed the title of Doux of Thessalonika, as well as Nikaea & is intent of reclaiming Thessalia which he believes is rightfully part of his realm. Georgios, of course, is not prepared to back down & tries to sooth things over with the ambitious young Doux.
Hearing nothing more from young Doux Michael, Georgios is sadly informed that his brother Romanos has passed away at the age of 53. Romanos was an incredibly useful ally of Georgios & his skilled at diplomacy & persuasion was a key factor is allowing Georgios' expansion, by forging claims for his brother on neighbouring states. He will be missed & there is certainly no replacement for the position of chancellor that is quite so qualified as him.
Georgios is given even more saddening news just a few months later, Polykarpos has caught the terrible disease known as Pneumonia, a life threatening disease - especially for one so young.
In just a few weeks, he is dead.
Overcome with grief, for both his sons have died, Georgios joins them in grave by the end of the year having live 55 years. While Nikephoros Palaiogolos will always be remembered as the first landed Palaiogoloi, it will Georgios who will go down in history who propelled the dynasty to the epicentre of Imperial Power. He savvy reforms & expansionist wars would enable Epirus to become the most powerful of all the Byzantine Themes, while his maintenance of power within the Imperial court would ensure favour from Alexios, not only for him, but for his entire family.
As reward for Georgios being a loyal servant and vassal, Alexios allows Anastasia to keep the Theme of Epirus.
Now it remains to be seen if Anastasia will be able to hold on to her father's hard won power, or will all of Georgios' ambitions be for nought.
Georgios soon receives word of both an Adrianopolitan army approaching Epirus & the joint armies of his allies crossing near Constantinople. Georgios orders his army to sail from Epirus & join up with Cilicia & Anatolia at the Adrianopolitan capital. The outmanoeuvre works, and the armies of Georgios' alliance converge with each other, giving him numerical superiority in the war. Knowing this, Georgios decides to pursue Michael's army.
The pursuit ends at Ioannina in Epirus, where battle is drawn between the two armies. Georgios has a clear advantage, with more numbers than the Adrianopolitans & more heavy cavalry.
The Adrianopolitans fight with bravery, but Georgios' joint army is in too much of an advantageous position to loose. The battle of Ioannina is a great victory for the Epirotians, and Andronikos Doukas, the brother of Doux Michael, is captured.
With the Adrianopolitans in retreat, Georgios begins the siege of Thessalia. Epirus also recieve news of Alexios' victory in Crimea against the Altaic Khagans.
After a few successful sieges & another minor battle, the war in Thessalia is almost won. Meanwhile, Basileus Alexios does not return to Constantinople after his victory in Crimea, but instead declares war on the duchy of Apulia. Apulia had been taken from the Empire by the Normans not half a century ago. Since then the Apulian Dukes has expanded their lands to consist of almost all of Sicily & Southern Italy.
On the 26th March 1091, Georgios accepts peace with Michael, who concedes that he cannot win the war & recognizes the Palaiogoloi's rightful claim over Thessalia. Thessalia is a wealthy province that give Epirus direct access to the western Aegean sea. However, this does little to sate Georgios' appetite & he hungrily looks for where to expand Epirus next
In Western Europe, under the competent leadership of King Hugues II, France has been able to reconquer Normandy from England, after exploiting the political turbulence caused by King William the Conquerors death. While in Scotland, their recent embarrassing defeat at the hands of England has not stop their aggression towards their neighbors, with the Scots successfully taking Ulster & currently invading the isle of Mann, the last of the Kingdom of the Isles.
Lastly in Germany (not pictured), the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry IV, has won a controversial victory against Pope Lucius II, and made the Papal States a tribute of the Holy Roman Empire.
Eastern Europe continues to resolve around the petty struggles of the Rurikovich and the wars against the Baltic Pagans in the north & the Altaic nomads in the south. Svaitoslav's Kingdom of Novgorod has broken down into a collection of warring states following his death & the unification of the Rus has been halted as a result.
Hungary, under the rule of the ambitious King Salamon, has successfully expanded at the expense of the Pecheneg Khaganate, while Poland continues its' endless struggles against the Curonians, Pruthenians The Kingdom of Pomerania was formed by the late King Krutoj, a legendary commander.Now his son, King Gryn, leads the fledgling realm, who is rumored to by sympathetic to the Christian faith.
Georgios begins to plan his next war of expansion, sending Romanos into Dyrrachion to fabricate another claim, with hopes to adding to the province to his demesne will provide him with easy access to Italy. Meanwhile, Alexios is victorious yet again in Apulia, finally giving the Byzantine Empire a foothold in Italy once more.
A few of the Lords in the Empire are, despite his constant triumphs,beginning to criticize Alexios' ebullient & nonstop wars of expansion & aggression. A number of these are in Georgios' faction, the tradition faction & so Alexios sends Georgios to treat with them as his Adviser. Despite Georgios excellent negotiating skills, the meeting does not go well, as many, even those loyal to Alexios, accuse Georgios of being his puppet & manipulating the Basileus in order to have him turn a blind eye to Epirotian land-grabs. Clearly Georgios' recent power-play has not made him popular among his fellow Douxs, and some of eager to see that he doesn't try it again. At least, by turning the faction against himself, he did not make its' relation with the Emperor any worse.
Accepting that his recent expansion into Thessalia has made him an unpopular figure in the Empire. Georgios plans to try and improve the other Lord's opinion of him, but first he has a more pressing matter. He is certain that his brother Nikolaos's wife,is trying to be flirtatious with him, something which could cause a divide within the Palaiogoloi family, if Georgios was to let it.
Luckily Georgios' passion proves more temperate & controlled than his father, and his able to resist Georgia's supposed advances.
It is not only the Lord's of the Empire that are concerned with Georgios' scheming. Alexios, who had been unable to intervene with the conquest of Thessalia due to being on campaign, questions Georgios motivations for such a war. Luckily, as the Basileus' adviser, Gerogios commands a lot of faith from Alexios & ensures him that Michael was an upstart trouble-maker & that the province of Thessalia would be better served in the hands of a loyal vassal such as himself.
With Alexios settled for now, Georgios continues with his schemes, sending swerves of envoys off to a number of Themes to court favor with the ruling Doux, while at the same time trying to draft a convincing forged document that traces the lineage of Manthos Touvakes, the first Doux of Dyrrachion, to the House of Palaiogolos. Eventually the stresses of all his work catches up to Georgios & he becomes an irritable & short-tempered man.
Eventually, however, his hard work pays off & Georgios sends the rather convincing document to Romanos to begin touring around Dyrrachion. With his claim of the province settled, Georgios soon begins to prepare for war.
A large war between The Holy Roman Empire & France ends with Aquitaine becoming an independent duchy after neither side is able to claim victory.
Georgios finally has a child with his wife, Evanthia Diogenes, a son whom he names Nikephoros. Much to Georgios grief, however, Evanthia does not survive childbirth.
Alexios' wars have now fully eroded the good sentiments between him and many of the political factions, including the tradition faction. Georgios, who still maintains good relationships with his Basileus, decides to abandon the faction of his father & join the Prosperity faction, lead by Andronikos Doukas of Nikaea, a good friend & ally of Georgios.
One of the loudest voices in opposition to Alexios is that of his nephew Doux Staurakios of Armeniacon, the son of Manuel. Alexios speaks with Georgios about the grief that young Staurakios is giving him & asks for his adviser to lecture the young Councillor about the Divine authority of the Emperor. Being both a pious man & a skilled negotiator, Georgios is able to do this with ease & earns a favor from Stuarakios, who is thankful for the teachings, for his troubles.
As 1097 dawns, Georgios receives a message from Romanos that he has persuaded a prestigious Greek lawman that his claim over Dyrrachion is true. Ecstatic at this news, Georgios demands that Doux Loukas Synadenos of Dyrrachion recognize his claim. As predicted, the Doux refuses and Georgios invades.
The Epirotian army quickly wins a decisive victory over the unprepared Dyrrachions...
As war continues between Epirus & Dyrrachion, the Doux of Thrace declares rebellion against Alexios, attempting to press Staurakios' claim on the Empire.Many have become jealous & worried of Alexios' power & his enforcement of his absolute rule, and so there is general support for Thrace, however most refuse to aide his rebellion as Alexios is still a popular figure in the Empire due to his great victories - and so the rebellion seems in vain.
Georgios offers his support to Alexios, and orders his army to break the siege of Adrianopolis, which was under attack from rebels. Thankful for the aide, Alexios agrees to recognize Georgios' claim on Dyrrachion as a reward.
In the Middle East, the mighty Alp Arslan has passed away, and with his death, the Seljuk Sultanate begins to fracture...
Georgios claims victory over the Doux of Dyrrachion & the province of Dyrrachion is ceded over to Epirotian rule. Elsewhere in the Empire, Alexios destroys the remaining rebels in battle, ending Thrace's revolt & enforcing his absolute rule once more.
This victory causes an influx of Dyrrachion nobles to flock to the Epirotian court in order to alleviate their positions in their new Doux's eyes & gain his support in various disputes. Among these new courtiers is a "holy man" who openly criticizes the Orthodox faith & declares Georgios a Zealous madman. Georgios reacts by doing the only logical thing & orders the filthy heretic arrested & prepared for execution.
Fortunately however, the holy man revels himself a true to the Orthdox faith & that he was merely testing the legendary devoutness of the Doux of Epirus. Appeased enough by the man's words, Georgios orders him released.
Georgios also receives news all the way from France, sent by a religious sect that called themselves the Cathars...
Georgios is then called to arms by the King of Georgia who is facing an independence rebellion in territories that he had recently conquered. Georgios accepts the call & mobilizes the Epirotian armies for the second time this year.
However as he is about to leave to aide his allies, Georgios is stricken by the news that his son, Nikephoros, has died of an illness that had gone undetected. The fact that his son has died, in so short a time after his wife perished also, is enough to depress Georgios. Despite this, he knows that he must remarry & produce another heir, and so he marries Theoktiste Bryennios & forges an alliance with her father, the count of Rhodes.
Georgios also seizes upon a unique opportunity, Theoktiste is the heir of her father, and so if he was to die all-of-a-sudden, his lands & titles would pass onto her, and from her onto any Palaiogoloi child she had. After drinking enough intoxicants to drown out his conscience, Georgios begins looking for other individuals who share the same goal of seeing the Count of Rhodes dead.
With the determination of a man eager to maintain his hard won power, Georgios quickly get his new wife pregnant, and soon she gives birth to a daughter called Anastasia.
News of his daughters' birth also coincide with the defeat of the Georgian rebels.
News from the North soon begins to flood into the Byzantine Empire, that the Prince Stanislav of Ryazan has conquered Novgorod, Pereyaslavl & Rostov and declared himself King of all the Russians, ending the dynastic war brought about by Svaitoslav's death. This is not the first time such as thing has happened, and many around the world still remember Svaitoslav of Novgorod, however none before have achieved quite such dominance.
The Polish certainly believe this new 'Kingdom of Rus' to be a threat and have invaded Kiev in order to strengthen themselves against their new eastern rivals.
In March 1102, Theoktiste falls pregnant again.
By the end of the year, she gives birth to a new heir for Georgios, a son named Polykarpos.
Under Georgios' rule, Epirus has become one of the leading Themes of the Empire, with both the clergy & the feudal vassals providing the Doux with a substantial amount of tax & levies. Still, Georgios is keen for more & convinces his council to pass a new law that demands even greater obligations from the clergy.
On the 11th February 1103, Georgios hears from his co-conspirator, the Bishop of Samos, about developments in their plot to kill the Count of Rhodes. He tells Georgios that he has plans to sabotage a carriage that the Count will be travelling in & has arranged for the people & equipment needed to do so
The Plan is a great success, Rhodes' carriage tumbles off the edge of a cliff, and Georgios provides the bribe money that ensures that the driver's tongue doesn't waggle about the plotters' involvement.
On May 30th, 1104, Georgios is approached by his chancellor, Romanos, who had been Achaia for sometime doing underhanded work for Georgios. Romanos tells him that a specific document has been found in the castle library of Monemvasia, that details an old agreement between some ruler of Epirus & the Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros I that hands the ownership of northern Achaia to the Theme of Epirus. Chancellor Romanos eagerly insists that Georgios uses this document to press his claim on North Achaia immediately, as dubious as it may appear.
Georgios wastes no time...
...And the War is quickly won. With northern Achaia added to Epirus, the Theme has become perhaps the strongest & wealthiest of all in the Empire & Georgios remains in the perfect position to keep Alexios turning a blind eye to his gains. It seems as if nothing can be done to stop the rise of Epirus.
Despite some grievances with Alexios's policy of constant expansion, his reign has universally been seen as a new Golden Age for the Byzantine Empire, and the recent chaos of the Seljuk Sultanate has allowed it to reclaim its' position as the Power in the East. Alexios is known as 'The Great' throughout Christendom & even in his old age, his diligent administration of his great Empire is proof to the integrity of this name.
Despite some grievances with Alexios's policy of constant expansion, his reign has universally been seen as a new Golden Age for the Byzantine Empire, and the recent chaos of the Seljuk Sultanate has allowed it to reclaim its' position as the Power in the East. Alexios is known as 'The Great' throughout Christendom & even in his old age, his diligent administration of his great Empire is proof to the integrity of this name.
Georgios' expansions have earned him some powerful enemies among the other Douxes of the Empire, who fear the rising power of his Theme, which had traditionally been a backwater province. Now rumours of Adrianopolitan & Athenian spies rummaging around the court of Epirus are ripe, but Georgios maintains a calm & disinterested air so to give of the opinion that he isn't worried about these petty rivals.
Georgios is informed that his friend & ally, Doux Andronikos of Nikaea has passed away & has given leadership of the prosperity faction over to Georgios. Georgios immediately calls a faction meeting, so to set an agenda. Unfortunately, the Doux of Achaia is a member of the faction, and furious with Georgios' expansionism, decides to call his leadership into question.
Georgios is an experienced diplomat & politician, but the upstart Doux of Achaia has an equally glib tongue and is able to sway a number of the faction to his cause, declaring that the faction should not follow a puppet of the Emperor, and that the authority of the faction would be severely undermined if Georgios was allowed to keep his position. However, Georgios does not ideally take this slander & is able to accuse his challenger of treasonous talk by refusing to listen to the Basileus' own Adviser. Lastly, Georgios secures victory by threatening that the authority of the faction would be undermined even more severely should the strongest Doux (Georgios) decide to leave it. The implications of these words hit home.
Victorious, Georgios gets a good look at his faction. Most share an amiable disposition towards Alexios and none are outright hostile, though a few nurse hidden grievances. Bearing this in mind, Georgios decides that it is best to cerement his own position in the faction before trying to sway it to Alexios' side.
The meeting is a huge success & Georgios is able to rally the entire faction to his side. Complaints about Epirotian aggression seem a thing of the past, as everyone, including the Doux of Achaia, begin to praise Georgios ' name.
When the faction meeting is over, Georgios finds himself in a pious mood & his thankful to Jesus for guiding his tongue in such a testing moment. To show his how grateful his is, Georgios spends his night praying with sinners in the chapel and encouraging patience & forgiveness,
Georgios has began to cultivate an opinion of being a diligent, pious & level-headed man. While this is not exactly the entire truth of what he is, more & more people from around the Empire are speaking of him with great respect. However the admiration of Georgios is felt greatest by his own family, who applaud him for making the Palaiogoloi one of the most powerful & influential Douxes in the Empire. Because of his many deeds, his niece, Gabriella, has written him a song in his honour.
Georgios is truly an idol for many aspiring young Palaiogoloi.
Georgios begins to receive more & more messages from Doux Michael, the new Doux of Nikaea following the death of his father, Andronikos. Michael has claimed the title of Doux of Thessalonika, as well as Nikaea & is intent of reclaiming Thessalia which he believes is rightfully part of his realm. Georgios, of course, is not prepared to back down & tries to sooth things over with the ambitious young Doux.
Hearing nothing more from young Doux Michael, Georgios is sadly informed that his brother Romanos has passed away at the age of 53. Romanos was an incredibly useful ally of Georgios & his skilled at diplomacy & persuasion was a key factor is allowing Georgios' expansion, by forging claims for his brother on neighbouring states. He will be missed & there is certainly no replacement for the position of chancellor that is quite so qualified as him.
Georgios is given even more saddening news just a few months later, Polykarpos has caught the terrible disease known as Pneumonia, a life threatening disease - especially for one so young.
In just a few weeks, he is dead.
Overcome with grief, for both his sons have died, Georgios joins them in grave by the end of the year having live 55 years. While Nikephoros Palaiogolos will always be remembered as the first landed Palaiogoloi, it will Georgios who will go down in history who propelled the dynasty to the epicentre of Imperial Power. He savvy reforms & expansionist wars would enable Epirus to become the most powerful of all the Byzantine Themes, while his maintenance of power within the Imperial court would ensure favour from Alexios, not only for him, but for his entire family.
As reward for Georgios being a loyal servant and vassal, Alexios allows Anastasia to keep the Theme of Epirus.
Now it remains to be seen if Anastasia will be able to hold on to her father's hard won power, or will all of Georgios' ambitions be for nought.
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