Twin Eagles of Rhumania- A Byzantine Timeline

[Albert Blake]

Naiz shifts uncomfortably in the heat of the tavern. He has been here for about two days and had been detained by suspicious officials who view him as a barbarian and pagan. He is here to do one job only, he reminds himself. Naiz wipes his brow and looks around at the architecture of Constantinople through a window, coming from the steppes of Central Asia he has never seen such majesty, however through all the pomp and splendour outside he sees the massive urban slums where beggars prowl the streets and half-starved women look hauntingly at their bundles cradled in their arms.

Naiz listens to the wisps of conversation he can understand.

“When will he be here?”

“Soon. Be patient.”

Kaykaus II of Rum then steps through the tavern as he grins at the bartender who sighs and hands him the alcohol. He drains the glass and walks around greeting the patrons of the establishment. He is clearly well-liked.

A loud bang is heard as the tavern doors flew open. Roman tagma storms the small building and soon are in front of Kaykaus.

“We are arresting you for your crimes against the people of Rhomania.” The leader snarls.

Sultan Kaykaus sneers at the soldiers who hold a sword to his chest “I am Roman, you blithering fool. Stand down now or it will be far worse for you when the emperor hears of this.”

The soldier smirks. “Is that so? Let’s see if that’s true.”

With a single thrust he stabs Kaykaus through the heart. Naiz blanches as the sultan topples backwards and crashes to the floor, blood flowing from the chest wound.

 

[Albert Blake]

1275- The murder of Kaykaus II sparks a massive diplomatic incident. The soldiers had been acting on the orders of the Patriarch Joseph I who is a hard-line Orthodox practitioner who views the friendship of the Muslim sultans as unacceptable. The happiness of the birth of Princess Irene is washed away when Emperor John hears the news. It is said he was so angry he tossed the messengers out the room where he then launches into a tirade lambasting the Patriarch and their “Latin” pretensions of supremacy to him in matters of state.

John immediately removes Patriarch Joseph as a conciliatory gesture to now Sultan Suleiman III who is understandably upset over the murder of his father. However, the Orthodox priest has supporters who raise parts of the empire into revolt against the Emperor and his “most disgusting allegiance with the eternal enemy of Christendom.”

The Orthodox Schism has begun.

1277- Kilij Arslan I of Kurdistan dies with his son Saljuk I succeeding him as Sultan. Kilij is known to the Kurds as the Unbeatable for how he expanded the small state he had formed and never outright lost a major conflict. Saljuk immediately opens up diplomatic channels with his legitimate cousin to try and mend the rift their fathers had created. Civil war breaks out in Rum when Kaykaus’s two male bastards, Kayqubad and Masud declare themselves sultan due to being born before their brother.

The War of the Three Sultans has begun

 

[Albert Blake]

 

[Albert Blake]

 

[Albert Blake]

Masud grins smugly as the soldiers of Ankara and much of the surrounding areas defect to him, his other bastard brother Kayqubad has seized the east while poor Sulieman only keeps the south. “Not for long,” he thinks as he rides through the city. It had been humiliating, to be passed over as firstborn, for a third son who had shown none of the traits of a successful ruler. He was uncomfortable leading his troops, showed favouritism to the wrong people and had a tense relationship with the imams. His second brother was a drunkard of glory and an Arabophobe to boot.

First, he’d take Konya and then march on Erzurum. Masud would then finally have the recognition he deserved.

 

[Albert Blake]

1278- Meanwhile in Europe, all of Macedonia is raised in revolt against the Empire, the fact it is centred in Europe is not at all surprising when Kaykhusraw, as regent, had encouraged migration to western Anatolia. This has paid off somewhat in the twenty years since then as a generation of mixed blood children had been brought up in lands where both Sunnis and Orthodox lived together in general harmony although sectarian strife is not uncommon. Thus, when the Patriarch calls upon “all of Orthodoxy, to fight against the great tide of Islam that once again threatens our heartlands.” The few that do revolt are crushed by their fellow practitioners who do not wish to see some of their Turkish friends slaughtered on the orders of a radical priest.

1279- The revolutionaries fight viscously and do not surrender; former Patriarch Joseph is now the public face of the revolt. John IV appoints a new patriarch, Zacharias I who is from the Anatolian provinces. As such he is a great deal more tolerant of Sunnis and is even good friends with Suleiman III who often sought advice from the popular prelate. Naiz is finally given an audience with the emperor who is surveying the Theodosian Walls at the time.

Meanwhile, a young Turkish nomad general named Osman distinguishes himself in the battle of Ankara against Masud’s forces.

 

[Whiteshore]

Are the rebels allied with Bulgaria by any chance?

 

[Albert Blake]

Are the rebels allied with Bulgaria by any chance?

Bulgaria is fully focused on Silvania to bother helping the rebels. Besides, The kind of radical theology that Joseph is preaching is absurd to them. They don’t have a border with a Muslim power after all.

 

[Albert Blake]

Naiz sits down in the chair, clearly nervous as John stares back, the Roman’s eyes drooping from a lack of sleep and general exhaustion. Naiz had been back to Silvania and the situation is grim. Hungary controls all of Transylvania and Bulgaria rules the Black Sea ports it had possessed and was encircling Bayarkhot, the capital. He is willing to make any concessions now.

John speaks first. “Why should we help you? We are in the middle of a revolt and your state is on the brink of collapse. You can offer no aid and nothing of importance. We are too busy to help.”
Naiz swallows, his face pale and gaunt. “Our Khan is willing to convert to Orthodoxy and give you dominion of Bulgaria. That is the only thing we can offer at this time.”

The Emperor laughs bitterly. “Orthodoxy? Which kind? Bulgaria is a nice prize but what do you want in return?”

The question catches the diplomat off-guard. “We simply request aid.” Naiz is tense, if this fails then the state which the last warriors of Genghis Khan had birthed would die a lonely and inglorious death.
John smiles. “Then your Khan is one man in a million.”

 

[Albert Blake]

1280- The Macedonian Revolt is crushed and Joseph flees to the Russians where he ends up in Novgorod. He proclaims that the See of Novgorod is the bastion of the “true faith”. Rhomania then marches north to relieve Silvania, its Khan is immensely grateful for Naiz’s efforts and makes him the permanent ambassador to Constantinople.

1281- The Battle of Tarnovo is a devastating defeat for the Bulgarian garrison as all their best men are in the north sieging Bayarkhot. It leads to the Romans occupying much of Bulgaria which cripples their war effort. Hungary had been overextended in the war trying to put down a Croatian revolt as well so they decide to make a peace that is seen as a victory for them while Bulgaria is left out to dry.

Masud is defeated and he is killed rallying his troops in Sinop. Kayqubad surrenders to Osman a month later and is executed along with his entire family by an Arab mercenary who lost his siblings to his frequent massacres in Syria.

The Treaty of Nis was signed the month after Tarnova. Some of Transylvania would be given to Hungary, Bulgaria would lose all coastal lands up to Varna to Silvania as compensation and Kosovo would be granted to Rhomania. Serbia, who joined the war in its final stages on the side of the Romans, would also gain some borderlands from Bulgaria.

The Second Bulgarian Empire would then be split into two kingdoms, the Kingdom of Tarnovo and the Kingdom of Sofia. The former would be a Roman satellite and the latter independent.

1283- The Poles undergo a civil war that ultimately leaves them much more eastern-orientated with its capital in Lublin. The HRE expands into much of Silesia. This builds up on Fredrick II’s centralisation efforts and leads to a further disengagement from North Italy. Burgundy leads a war against Emperor Wencelaus I and it briefly succeeds until the death of Robert II. This plunges Burgundy into crisis that is only resolved when the HRE invades and conquers it all.

In Rum, Osman is given a noblehood by Sultan Sulieman III and the House of Osmanolgu is known as a military family.

A diet is then called in Prague that addresses how to handle the now greatly expanded state. Centralisation was barely around and only Bohemia and Silesia were only states under the House of Premyslid’s direct control.

 

[Albert Blake]

Wencelaus sits upon his throne in Prague Castle as the dukes, his vassals, squabbled about the latest compromise and what it meant for their positions. To be frank, they should shut up and bow, and he makes that clear.

“Enough! I’m sick of your petty issues. If you want more power than the others then serve me well. Do not and your “noble” families will be subject to unfortunate accidents. UNDERSTOOD!” Wencelaus roars. “I am your king and emperor, now kneel or die.”

The four other families besides his own that he has given pre-eminence sink to the floor immediately to profess their undying loyalty to the Holy Roman Emperor, the others fall in line soon enough.

Wencelaus the Tyrannical smiles.

 

[Albert Blake]

1285- The Diet of Prague ends with the following resolution. The HRE will be divided under a series of grand dukes that would rule areas of the empire. They all swore loyalty to the Emperor who would be crowned in Prague, the new capital.

Five families made the key electors and they were given rule of two grand duchies in the Empire. The Grand Duchies are: Bohemia, Brandenburg, Thuringia, Saxony, Rhine, Frisia, Lorraine, Bavaria, and Switzerland.

The spiritual electoral votes are instead given to the ten papal legates of each duchy which the pope sends each time a diet or new election is called.

 

[Albert Blake]

 

[Albert Blake]

 

[Albert Blake]

1286- England intervenes in the Scottish dynastic crisis and Edward, Prince of Wales is married to Margret of Norway although it won’t officially take place until she was fifteen. The Irish states gain the support of France and together they launch an invasion of English possessions. France conquers Aquitaine while the Irish unite under a warrior named Iaoch who flies the banner of a united Ireland, a golden harp with a green background.

They lead a brutal war that lasts for ten years. Edward is known for his brutal executions of any captured Irish and even the peasantry is roused into action by this.

1287- The Teutons halt the expansion on the Baltic and they focus on Poland, beginning a steady control of the kingdom. This causes a schism in the order’s elite and the Order of Prussia is formed which launches constant raids in Poland. The new government and eastern focus is unpopular with the nobles so Poland is routinely battered as the nobles cut deals that leaves their lands untouched.

1288- Venice declares war on Rhomania due to the killing of a Venetian merchant who was caught cheating officials, (The fact the officials were corrupt is conveniently ignored in the trial) and attempting to make off with the large amount of money he got from selling the expensive glassware. Crete erupts into revolt and Greeks seize the island while the Ionian Isles fall within the year. The Venetian fleet is poorly manned as they had not expected to be at war.

 

[Albert Blake]

Lorenzo is shaken out of his sleep by his shipmate, Matteo who looks terrified.

“Get up now, lazy bastard, we need to get to the Dandelore before Ziani screams at us for being a minute late.”

“What, it’s… it’s like barely even morning.” Lorenzo yawns as he staggers out. “Why?”

Enrico sighs as he prevents his friend from tripping over. “I don’t know. I just got told I need to get us ready for sailing. He cringes for a second at Lorenzo’s body odour “I’ll be waiting outside, be out in five minutes.”

 

[Albert Blake]

1288- Denmark is invaded by Saxony who conquers Schleswig-Holstein, adding it to the HRE.

In Asia, Khorasan invades Khordestan, Fars, and Khuzestan. Its sultan then declares the formation of the Fatih Dynasty and its capital in Khorasan.

1289- Kurdistan invades Aleppo along with Rum and they take small amounts of land. The Chagatai Khanate conquers parts of the Golden Horde and breaks off khanates past the Urals. These khans are minor nobles who felt dissatisfied with the Ruthenian-orientated Golden Horde.

1290- Meanwhile in Europe, Sweden continues the colonisation of Finland slowly but it faces stiff resistance by the Sampi who begin to unite under a charismatic leader. Sweden also forges a union with Norway and the Kingdom of the Norse was born. The Norwegian royalty are then found dead under mysterious circumstances. Margret of Norway is spared and sent to England to be with her future husband.

1292- Sardinia is annexed by Aragon who invades the island to expand their Mediterranean empire which includes Navarre. Castile pursues closer ties to a Portugal that recently lost a war to Andalusia who conquers the southern tip of Portugal after that.

1294- Europe is revolted as the Battle of Venice begins, Roman troops land and they begin to rampage through the city. Catholic churches are torn down and the hatred of Latins bleeds out through the normal rigid discipline of Rhomania. The Doge’s Palace is burnt down and the Doge of Venice is drowned in the Adriatic. Roman troops only leave once the sound of only crackling fire can be heard. In total, a third of Venice’s population was murdered.

When John IV tears down the flag of Venice and raises the one of Rhomania, he is hailed by his soldiers.

Thus, ends the rise of the purple phoenix as the Rape of Venice is concluded ninety years after the Sack of Constantinople.

 

[Albert Blake]

 

[Albert Blake]

 

[Albert Blake]

Should I continue this TL? This thread hasn’t been getting a lot of attention so I’m wondering whether it’s worth posting more of the story.