Crusader Kings
Translatio Imperii
On the 23rd of February, the Byzantine Empire was startled by the news that Anastasia Palaiogolos, the Strategitissa of Epirus had crowned herself Exarchessa, a title reserved for the ruler of Kingdoms within the Empire. By crowning herself as such at rank, the message Anastasia sent across the Empire was explicit, she viewed herself as the greatest of all the Lords of Byzantium - perhaps second only to the Emperor himself.
However if Anastasia hoped to provoke a response from Basileus Ioannikios, she was sadly mistaken, for the new Emperor feigned disinterest in the matter. In reality he knew that his reign was unstable, partially due to its shortness & partially due to the retrospective autocratic rule of his father, that had left bitters vassals eager to seize lost power on his sons succession. These factors aligned themselves to make Ioannikios' brief reign fraught with rebellion & so the last thing he needed was Epirus, the strongest of his vassals, in conflict with the crown.
Faced with no other option, Ioannikios makes a pact of non-aggression with Anastasia. In return for Anastasia keeping her new crown, Epirus was to help the Emperor in putting down any rebellious faction that may appear. Anastasia gladly accepts, for this alliance not only confirms her position as the Emperor's second, but also promises to return stability to the Empire.
Doux Ioannikios also agrees to give Anastasia control of the rest of Achaia by transferring the vassalage of the Doux of Achaia over to Epirus.
Her territorial & political ambitions sated for now, Anastasia focuses her efforts on ensuring her husband's succession of the Imperial Throne. In an attempt to solidify her new position, Anastasia holds a great feast at Epirus
At the feast, her new vassal the Doux of Achaia, asks Anastasia to grant him rule over Northern Achaia, which is still directly controlled by Epirus. Anastasia decides that it would be in her best interest to make a deal with her new Doux, granting him both Northern Achaia & a seat of the council - in return for his support in any law she may want to pass.
Doux Anthimos accepts her proposal & a few days later Anastasia is able to enact another reform that grants more power to her position
Seeing Anastasia's effectiveness at pacifying the Doux of Achaia, who had been troublesome to say the least, Basileus Ioannikios also grants her rule over the Doux of Krete an ambitious but thoroughly incompetent man who had been an overall headache for the poor Emperor.
As the feast continues Anastasia becomes certain that she heard one of her vassals say "power hungry witch" in her general direction. Well perhaps it was all in her head, or possibly the drink - but a fight soon broke out, one Anastasia was at the center of.
Despite the brawl, Anastasia's guests leave the party thinking very highly of the new Exarchessa, a great success for Anastasia.
On the 11th of October 1132 Basileus Ioannikios dies at the age 45 of a natural death, despite his young age. Though his early reign was notably unstable, Basileus Ioannikios was a great & wise ruler by the end of his days, almost as highly regarded as his father, a left behind a strong & stable Empire for his half-brother Kallinikos Angelos-Komnenos, Long live the new Basileus.
This is great news for Anastasia as it puts her son, Alexios Palaiologos, in line to become the next Basileus. However a number of factors could spoil her plans, chief among them is her husband, Basileus Kallinikos himself.
Kallinikos is a good man, being quick of wit & astute of mind, with a care for both justice & moderation. However he has a number of failings that are widely known throughout the Empire. While his mind is strong, his body is weak & frail, a substantial flaw when compared to the fearless warrior King that was his half-brother. His sexual tastes are also widely speculated & frowned-upon, partially due to Anastasia's own doing. While his has provided a healthy number of children for his wife, many have heard rumors, thought-up by Anastasia herself, that the new Emperor favors men over women.
However Anastasia is determined to see the House of Palaiologoi inherit the throne, and thus is determined to see Kallinikos retain his throne. To do this she plans to take control of the Court faction, the most powerful vassal faction of the Empire & turn it in favour of Kallinikos' reign.
Kallinikos' coronation is on the 3rd December 1132
The celebration for the new Emperor is magnificent & the crowing moment of the ceremony is when Kallinikos announces a reconquest of the important city of Aleppo, which had not been in Byzantine control since 987. This is in hopes of paving the way for an eventual Byzantine reconquest of Jerusalem, this time hopefully a permanent one.
Anastasia's attempts a solidifying her rule have bared fruition, with her vassals organizing a feast in her honour. Truly the prospects of the Palaiogoloi are only getting better & better, and many throughout the Empire envy Anastasia's position.
However if Anastasia hoped to provoke a response from Basileus Ioannikios, she was sadly mistaken, for the new Emperor feigned disinterest in the matter. In reality he knew that his reign was unstable, partially due to its shortness & partially due to the retrospective autocratic rule of his father, that had left bitters vassals eager to seize lost power on his sons succession. These factors aligned themselves to make Ioannikios' brief reign fraught with rebellion & so the last thing he needed was Epirus, the strongest of his vassals, in conflict with the crown.
Faced with no other option, Ioannikios makes a pact of non-aggression with Anastasia. In return for Anastasia keeping her new crown, Epirus was to help the Emperor in putting down any rebellious faction that may appear. Anastasia gladly accepts, for this alliance not only confirms her position as the Emperor's second, but also promises to return stability to the Empire.
Doux Ioannikios also agrees to give Anastasia control of the rest of Achaia by transferring the vassalage of the Doux of Achaia over to Epirus.
Her territorial & political ambitions sated for now, Anastasia focuses her efforts on ensuring her husband's succession of the Imperial Throne. In an attempt to solidify her new position, Anastasia holds a great feast at Epirus
At the feast, her new vassal the Doux of Achaia, asks Anastasia to grant him rule over Northern Achaia, which is still directly controlled by Epirus. Anastasia decides that it would be in her best interest to make a deal with her new Doux, granting him both Northern Achaia & a seat of the council - in return for his support in any law she may want to pass.
Doux Anthimos accepts her proposal & a few days later Anastasia is able to enact another reform that grants more power to her position
Seeing Anastasia's effectiveness at pacifying the Doux of Achaia, who had been troublesome to say the least, Basileus Ioannikios also grants her rule over the Doux of Krete an ambitious but thoroughly incompetent man who had been an overall headache for the poor Emperor.
Despite the brawl, Anastasia's guests leave the party thinking very highly of the new Exarchessa, a great success for Anastasia.
On the 11th of October 1132 Basileus Ioannikios dies at the age 45 of a natural death, despite his young age. Though his early reign was notably unstable, Basileus Ioannikios was a great & wise ruler by the end of his days, almost as highly regarded as his father, a left behind a strong & stable Empire for his half-brother Kallinikos Angelos-Komnenos, Long live the new Basileus.
This is great news for Anastasia as it puts her son, Alexios Palaiologos, in line to become the next Basileus. However a number of factors could spoil her plans, chief among them is her husband, Basileus Kallinikos himself.
Kallinikos is a good man, being quick of wit & astute of mind, with a care for both justice & moderation. However he has a number of failings that are widely known throughout the Empire. While his mind is strong, his body is weak & frail, a substantial flaw when compared to the fearless warrior King that was his half-brother. His sexual tastes are also widely speculated & frowned-upon, partially due to Anastasia's own doing. While his has provided a healthy number of children for his wife, many have heard rumors, thought-up by Anastasia herself, that the new Emperor favors men over women.
However Anastasia is determined to see the House of Palaiologoi inherit the throne, and thus is determined to see Kallinikos retain his throne. To do this she plans to take control of the Court faction, the most powerful vassal faction of the Empire & turn it in favour of Kallinikos' reign.
Kallinikos' coronation is on the 3rd December 1132
The celebration for the new Emperor is magnificent & the crowing moment of the ceremony is when Kallinikos announces a reconquest of the important city of Aleppo, which had not been in Byzantine control since 987. This is in hopes of paving the way for an eventual Byzantine reconquest of Jerusalem, this time hopefully a permanent one.
Anastasia's attempts a solidifying her rule have bared fruition, with her vassals organizing a feast in her honour. Truly the prospects of the Palaiogoloi are only getting better & better, and many throughout the Empire envy Anastasia's position.
On the 11th March 1135, Anastasia is informed that Western Krete has been inherited out of her realm by the Doux of Adrianopolis. Andrianopolis is a fierce opponent of Basileus Kallinikos & so he eagerly allows Anastasia to declare war on the Doux & reclaim her rouge territory,
Epirus is miles more powerful than any other vassal of the Empire & suffice to say that the war is easily won.
Meanwhile a vote of no confidence of the old leader, establishes Anastasia as the head of the Court faction. Immediately she goes about attempting to improve her own standing among the most power Lords in the realm.
Unfortunately Anastasia never had the way with words of her father, Georgios, who could've united the entire Empire behind him with a single, perfectly-articulated sentence & meticulously-timed gesture. However she is able to give a fairly decent speech that receives a polite amount of applause & her position is certainly stronger than it was...
Young Alexios is swiftly approaching the time for his presentation at the Epirotian court, which would be the first step towards his succession of the Imperial Throne. Anastasia wants everything to go to plan & Alexios to behave as best as he can, following her example of course.
Anastasia's intervention is successful & she pesters Alexios into developing her outspoken sense of justice & fairness. At last it is time to introduce Alexios into the Epirotian Court...
Meanwhile Kallinikos is victorious in his war in the Middle East, the Byzantine is now at its' greatest extent in a long time.
As Alexios introduction progresses it is clear that he learnt well for his tutors and has the making of a great ruler. He impresses a number of guests with his knowledge of politics & affairs and compliments them with such skill & grace that his grandfather would be proud.
Alexios comes of age in 1139. He is a Brilliant strategist with a preternatural understanding of all things martial. He is also shrewd of mind, courageous of heart & diligent of head - the makings of a truly exalted ruler. With all this in mind, Anastasia allows him to cultivate a bit of a prideful nature, for he shall be peerless.
With a strong heir, Anastasia works to improve the sentiment of the court faction towards Basileus Kallinikos. In a recent meeting she is able to rally much of the faction towards her husband & liege, improving the factions opinion of their Basileus.
In Iberia, in 1140, the Duke of Barcelona with aide from Aragon, has successfully defeated the Moors reclaiming the important city of Valencia. The victory is hailed as a sign that the reconquista has not ended, despite the stalemate that remains between Muslim & Christian in the rest of Spain. Castille still remains the major power in the peninsular, however the Banu Abbad Emirate of Seville is rising to dispute that.
Western Europe has also seen little change in recent years. Poitou & Aquitaine still remain Independent of France, but only with the good-will of the German Emperor, and that is swiftly changing as relations between France & the Holy Roman Empire improve. In a recent war, King Gelduin almost conquered all of Poitou, until Kaiser Augustin reluctantly intervened on the Duke of Poitou's behalf and settled peace, with the duchy being forced to cede the province of Thouars to France.
The British Isles have also remained relatively peaceful as Scotland has seemingly given up hope of reconquering Cumberland & Northumberland. However the Scottish invasion of Northern Ireland has persuaded King Ralph II of England to also expand outside of his boarders, conquering most of Welsh states with the exception of the Western coast.
In Central Europe, The Holy Roman Empire is by far the greatest Power.The Piast realms of Hungary & Poland feud with each other for now, however the Hungarian King Zygmunt is in a position to inherit Poland & unite the two Kingdoms into a major power. Rus continues to prosper as a power Eastern European Kingdom, however its' founder, King Stanislav, is old & ailing. With tensions between the Russian Princes re-emerging, can Rus survive Stanislav's succession? Lastly the emerging Kingdom of Pomerania has been sacked & almost destroyed by the Prussians and their ineffectual King Jindrich has been unable to do anything in response. Will Pruthenia rise to replace Pomerania as a power in Baltic?
With all her ambitions on the verge of reality, Anastasia begins to relax herself. No longer the fiercely outspoken & hardworking ruler she used to be, Anastasia shakes off her diligent nature in favour of lounging around her castle & letting the influx of new servants do all the work...being Basilissa has its' perks after all.
However as Anastasia becomes slothful in her duties, she also becomes negligent in her ambitions, and is thus taken completely aback when Kallinikios folds into the demands of Doux Theodoros of Wallachia, and Basileios Komnenos is installed as the Basileus Basileios III of the Byzantine Empire...
In a single moment, Anastasia's greatest achievement crumbles down around her. She begrudgingly agrees to attend to the new Basileus' coronation.
Anastasia is furious, but decides not to openly show it by refusing to go to the coronation. She is well aware that she is aging, now 40 years old, and needs to rely on the Basileus' good will for her son to inherit Epirus. That will not stop her from doing whatever she can to reinstall her husband as Emperor, however.
The new Emperor is a skilled negotiator, with a glib tongue & charming wit. He is also Ambitious to outdo his fellow Komnenoi Emperors, a stretching ambition to say the least, and is proud of his prestigious heritage. He is strong of stature and nurses heavily religious * conservative sentiments, but is also conscious to keep them in moderation & prevent them from influencing him or his vassals too much.
Anastasia is determined to, at the very least, leave the earth with her son having a shot on the throne. To help ensure this, she is determine to reinforce the power of Epirus by retaking the province of Korinthos (eastern Achaia) which had been inherited out of the Exarchate.
The war is quickly won.
On the 17th October 1143, Anastasia is informed that Kallinikos has risen his banner in rebellion against Basileios III, having found support among a number of minor Douxes who are eager to rise in power. Anastasia let's out a sigh upon hearing this news, if only the fool would've
waited...
...the Palaiologoi where so close to achieving the mantle of Imperium, and yet so far.
In a single moment, Anastasia's greatest achievement crumbles down around her. She begrudgingly agrees to attend to the new Basileus' coronation.
Anastasia is furious, but decides not to openly show it by refusing to go to the coronation. She is well aware that she is aging, now 40 years old, and needs to rely on the Basileus' good will for her son to inherit Epirus. That will not stop her from doing whatever she can to reinstall her husband as Emperor, however.
The new Emperor is a skilled negotiator, with a glib tongue & charming wit. He is also Ambitious to outdo his fellow Komnenoi Emperors, a stretching ambition to say the least, and is proud of his prestigious heritage. He is strong of stature and nurses heavily religious * conservative sentiments, but is also conscious to keep them in moderation & prevent them from influencing him or his vassals too much.
Anastasia is determined to, at the very least, leave the earth with her son having a shot on the throne. To help ensure this, she is determine to reinforce the power of Epirus by retaking the province of Korinthos (eastern Achaia) which had been inherited out of the Exarchate.
The war is quickly won.
On the 17th October 1143, Anastasia is informed that Kallinikos has risen his banner in rebellion against Basileios III, having found support among a number of minor Douxes who are eager to rise in power. Anastasia let's out a sigh upon hearing this news, if only the fool would've
waited...
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