1890: Alternative Divergence [AH][OOC-DEAD]

[Tracian Empire]

Regarding that, I would drop Nepal and any Boer republic. I would either be Brazil (it's uncertain if it is going to be French, Spanish, Portuguese, English, Dutch or German), Madagascar (who is in control of some Indian islands and some parts of the African mainland) or Arabia (who is either Sunni or Ibadi). Which one is better?

I think Madagascar or Arabia would give you the most options.

Brazil is missing pretty much all of its best parts and would be at the mercy of the powers around it.

Conquering the Amazon would be difficult for any of the powers involved, but yes, it's fair to say that Brazil couldn't do much without gaining an alliance with at least one of its neighbours

[Arvenia]

Regarding that, I would drop Nepal and any Boer republic. I would either be Brazil (it's uncertain if it is going to be French, Spanish, Portuguese, English, Dutch or German), Madagascar (who is in control of some Indian islands and some parts of the African mainland) or Arabia (who is either Sunni or Ibadi). Which one is better?

Well, your own preferences are of course what would matter the most. Madagascar would probably the most difficult to play, due to fierce European competition in the area, but not impossible, since you could hypothetically receive support from Asian nations. Brazil could be anything you want it to be, but playing it would require juggling with the allegiances of the nearby states. Arabia would probably be the easiest to play - it would have its challenges, but you would probably be allied to Persia.

As for what we need the most, well, I'm obviously biased towards Arabia since I'd be your neighbour, but Brazil would give another neighbour to a lot of people too. Madagascar would lack direct neighbours, but it could easily interact with the Asian colonial powers.

Then it's down to Brazil and Arabia. I found some pros and cons about the two countries.

Brazil
Brazil would likely be industrialized (just like IRL) and have plentiful of necessary resources. However, I'm not sure about what European culture would dominate Brazil (given that Brazil is Portuguese IRL), due to the fact that Iberia has no control over it or other real-life colonies. I would also have it operate as a socialist republic.

Arabia
With Arabia, I might not only control what's left of the Middle East, but also control some areas in East Africa (especially coastal Ethiopia and all of Somalia) and some islands in the Indian Ocean. However, I don't know if Arabia is industrialized and/or has access to firearms. Also, I am not sure if it's going to be a caliphate or a Saudi-like monarchy.

[Tracian Empire]

Well, your own preferences are of course what would matter the most. Madagascar would probably the most difficult to play, due to fierce European competition in the area, but not impossible, since you could hypothetically receive support from Asian nations. Brazil could be anything you want it to be, but playing it would require juggling with the allegiances of the nearby states. Arabia would probably be the easiest to play - it would have its challenges, but you would probably be allied to Persia.

As for what we need the most, well, I'm obviously biased towards Arabia since I'd be your neighbour, but Brazil would give another neighbour to a lot of people too. Madagascar would lack direct neighbours, but it could easily interact with the Asian colonial powers.

Then it's down to Brazil and Arabia. I found some pros and cons about the two countries.

Brazil
Brazil would likely be industrialized (just like IRL) and have plentiful of necessary resources. However, I'm not sure about what European culture would dominate Brazil (given that Brazil is Portuguese IRL), due to the fact that Iberia has no control over it or other real-life colonies. I would also have it operate as a socialist republic.

Arabia
With Arabia, I might not only control what's left of the Middle East, but also control some areas in East Africa (especially coastal Ethiopia and all of Somalia) and some islands in the Indian Ocean. However, I don't know if Arabia is industrialized and/or has access to firearms. Also, I am not sure if it's going to be a caliphate or a Saudi-like monarchy.

Brazil operating as a socialist republic is probably bound to cause the most amounts of conflict, since none of the colonial overlords around you would be too friendly. The Aztecs have a somewhat syndicalist society from what I remember from discussions with Nova, so they might be willing to support you. I'm not sure how industrialised Brazil would be however - it would probably be concentrated in the few coastal areas that you have, since the German colonies takes away all the real life population centres of Brazil.

As for Arabia. it could be at least semi-industrialised. It would indeed lack some resources, but it could gain access to the technology through trade. If it would be a Caliphate, there would also be a good chance that you could be allied with Persia.

[Arvenia]

Then it's down to Brazil and Arabia. I found some pros and cons about the two countries.

Brazil
Brazil would likely be industrialized (just like IRL) and have plentiful of necessary resources. However, I'm not sure about what European culture would dominate Brazil (given that Brazil is Portuguese IRL), due to the fact that Iberia has no control over it or other real-life colonies. I would also have it operate as a socialist republic.

Arabia
With Arabia, I might not only control what's left of the Middle East, but also control some areas in East Africa (especially coastal Ethiopia and all of Somalia) and some islands in the Indian Ocean. However, I don't know if Arabia is industrialized and/or has access to firearms. Also, I am not sure if it's going to be a caliphate or a Saudi-like monarchy.

Brazil operating as a socialist republic is probably bound to cause the most amounts of conflict, since none of the colonial overlords around you would be too friendly. The Aztecs have a somewhat syndicalist society from what I remember from discussions with Nova, so they might be willing to support you. I'm not sure how industrialised Brazil would be however - it would probably be concentrated in the few coastal areas that you have, since the German colonies takes away all the real life population centres of Brazil.

As for Arabia. it could be at least semi-industrialised. It would indeed lack some resources, but it could gain access to the technology through trade. If it would be a Caliphate, there would also be a good chance that you could be allied with Persia.

Okay, I might go for Arabia.

[Tracian Empire]

Brazil operating as a socialist republic is probably bound to cause the most amounts of conflict, since none of the colonial overlords around you would be too friendly. The Aztecs have a somewhat syndicalist society from what I remember from discussions with Nova, so they might be willing to support you. I'm not sure how industrialised Brazil would be however - it would probably be concentrated in the few coastal areas that you have, since the German colonies takes away all the real life population centres of Brazil.

As for Arabia. it could be at least semi-industrialised. It would indeed lack some resources, but it could gain access to the technology through trade. If it would be a Caliphate, there would also be a good chance that you could be allied with Persia.

Okay, I might go for Arabia.

Sure! Make a reservation for it and you'll be all set!

[Arvenia]

Where's China? I see it is yellow on the map, but it doesn't exist on the roster yet.

[Arvenia]

Reservation

Nation Name: Kingdom of Jaziria
Official Territory: Arabia (including Hejaz), Somalia and Eritrea
Map Color: Purple/Violet
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*Note: Reservations will last for 48 hours. The OP board reserves the right to be subjective in regards to accepting and removing reservations.

[Tracian Empire]

Where's China? I see it is yellow on the map, but it doesn't exist on the roster yet.

It was on the roster, it was probably accidentally deleted. Krugmar is playing it

[Tracian Empire]

Reservation

Nation Name: Kingdom of Jaziria
Official Territory: Arabia (including Hejaz), Somalia and Eritrea
Map Color: Purple/Violet
#AltDiv (Do not delete this, it is used to keep track of the apps)

*Note: Reservations will last for 48 hours. The OP board reserves the right to be subjective in regards to accepting and removing reservations.

Accepted, though I can't make any promises about the coloraturas, purple might look too much like the Roman purple

[The Hindustani State]

As I've said, I am perfectly willing to work with you and have you in the region. My only request is that your territories are on the south. I believe it is a fair compromise.

Alright, sure, but we need to work out the history so it makes sense, how a band of rebels managed to break free from the much larger Mughal empire. The reason I wanted the Deccan area is because, historically, the drylands and hills of the Deccan provided the Marathas with the perfect landscape for guerrilla warfare, but the South is much easier to fight in and hence put down a rebellion fast

[Tracian Empire]

As I've said, I am perfectly willing to work with you and have you in the region. My only request is that your territories are on the south. I believe it is a fair compromise.

Alright, sure, but we need to work out the history so it makes sense, how a band of rebels managed to break free from the much larger Mughal empire. The reason I wanted the Deccan area is because, historically, the drylands and hills of the Deccan provided the Marathas with the perfect landscape for guerrilla warfare, but the South is much easier to fight in and hence put down a rebellion fast

Maybe your rebels received help from the British? Or maybe they initially rebelled in the Deccan, liberated the south, then lost the Deccan, and an armistice was signed?

It's up to Sao Nova Europa in the end though, for sure.

[The Traansval]

Alright, sure, but we need to work out the history so it makes sense, how a band of rebels managed to break free from the much larger Mughal empire. The reason I wanted the Deccan area is because, historically, the drylands and hills of the Deccan provided the Marathas with the perfect landscape for guerrilla warfare, but the South is much easier to fight in and hence put down a rebellion fast

Maybe your rebels received help from the British? Or maybe they initially rebelled in the Deccan, liberated the south, then lost the Deccan, and an armistice was signed?

It's up to Sao Nova Europa in the end though, for sure.

I'd be willing, although that would kind of imply that this rebel state would be under heavy British influence which he might not like as it might be limiting.

[Latvijas Otra Republika]

Map looks like a 1984 scenario

[Tracian Empire]

Map looks like a 1984 scenario

Really? It's been a while since I read that book, so I don't remember all of it.

But any similarities are organ - each player comes up with their own nation, as long as it fits in the larger whole, so we didn't do it with anything particularly in mind xD

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Map looks like a 1984 scenario

Really? It's been a while since I read that book, so I don't remember all of it.

But any similarities are organ - each player comes up with their own nation, as long as it fits in the larger whole, so we didn't do it with anything particularly in mind xD

In 1984, there are just three nations covering the entirety of eart... Something that this RP can really suffer from, I believe. Since it leaves little room, yet somehow all these empires with vast territories and complex, differing cultures are all stable. I think that's what being pointed out.

[Tracian Empire]

Really? It's been a while since I read that book, so I don't remember all of it.

But any similarities are organ - each player comes up with their own nation, as long as it fits in the larger whole, so we didn't do it with anything particularly in mind xD

In 1984, there are just three nations covering the entirety of eart... Something that this RP can really suffer from, I believe. Since it leaves little room, yet somehow all these empires with vast territories and complex, differing cultures are all stable. I think that's what being pointed out.

It makes sense, yeah.

Personally I've always been more than open to giving parts of my lands away for other players unless it absolutely put my nation in a worse situation. Now of course, each person has its own concept, so I don't mean to bash the others and their claims, a lot of players have had their nations as concepts for a few years now, so changing them would be somewhat difficult.

I'll keep this in mind for whatever future iteration of this will happen though.

[Sao Nova Europa]

As I've said, I am perfectly willing to work with you and have you in the region. My only request is that your territories are on the south. I believe it is a fair compromise.

Alright, sure, but we need to work out the history so it makes sense, how a band of rebels managed to break free from the much larger Mughal empire. The reason I wanted the Deccan area is because, historically, the drylands and hills of the Deccan provided the Marathas with the perfect landscape for guerrilla warfare, but the South is much easier to fight in and hence put down a rebellion fast

If the British player agrees, we can have your rebels supplied by the British with relatively modern weapons that allowed them to gain independence.

Otherwise, considering that in my history the Mughals were facing many rebellions (such as in the Deccan - which they crushed because it is important region) during this same period and financial problems, we could just say that they decided that it wasn't worth the cost in men and finance to crush this revolt, and they decided to let the region gone (as in my history the south was Mughal for a few decades only). It would make sense as they would be too focused on other revolts, allowing your state to be established.

[Draos]

Really? It's been a while since I read that book, so I don't remember all of it.

But any similarities are organ - each player comes up with their own nation, as long as it fits in the larger whole, so we didn't do it with anything particularly in mind xD

In 1984, there are just three nations covering the entirety of eart... Something that this RP can really suffer from, I believe. Since it leaves little room, yet somehow all these empires with vast territories and complex, differing cultures are all stable. I think that's what being pointed out.

since I can only speak for my self well the Spanish and Portugese are pretty much brothers culturally so it's easier for them to be united as well as them being part of the same kingdom for over 400 years with the Moroccans being described as quite peeved about being under Iberian rule and attempts at rebellion are still commonplace.

[Revlona]

Really? It's been a while since I read that book, so I don't remember all of it.

But any similarities are organ - each player comes up with their own nation, as long as it fits in the larger whole, so we didn't do it with anything particularly in mind xD

In 1984, there are just three nations covering the entirety of eart... Something that this RP can really suffer from, I believe. Since it leaves little room, yet somehow all these empires with vast territories and complex, differing cultures are all stable. I think that's what being pointed out.

Well we are out of the age of revolution mostly

Most empires were rather stable in this period

[Empire of Techkotal]

Full Nation Name : Tawantinsuyu
Majority/Official Culture : Inca culture
Territorial Core :
Territorial Claim : The Incas desire the east coast of their continent. Though that might be hard to get.
Capital City : Cuzco
Population : 18.000.000

Government Type : constitutional Monarchy
Government Ideology/Policies : expansionistic, traditionalists
Government Focus : The goverment greatly focuses on culture and their economy.
Head of State : Sapa Inca .....
Head of Government : Chancellor
Government Description :

Majority/State Religion :
Religious Description : The Inca still belief in their many gods and bring regularly offerings to the shrine, but many practices have ceased and new ones have taken their place. The sun god Inti and patreon god of Cuzco became the most important over the last centurys.

Economic Ideologies : Capitalism
Major Production : Iron, copper, gold, silver, coal, tin, lead, tabacco, caco, coffee, vine, bovine, citrus fruits, sugar cane, tea, bananas and some industrial consumer goods.

Economic Description : The Incas use a labor taxe imposed by the goverment to do major projects and to keep the empires centralised economy runnign. The goverment chooses one healthy male that is aged between 16 and 40 years from every family that has more then one male of that age in it. Those laborers build the roads, railways, factorys and many of the houses in the empire. They also maintain the state run infrastructure and serve as man pool for the army.
Many companys and plantations are state owned.
The rest of the family is free to work as what they can. They can form their own company and produce their own goods as long as those arent weapons. Through the market being quite free and only a small additional tax of 25% being imposed on it, the private economy is booming as it has never before. The parts of the economy that arent state owned are free to foreign investment and foreign labor.

Development: Industrialized-modern
Development Description : Tawantinsuyu has come far with their development. An extensive railway system connects the economy, the citys and the ports. Every city is connected with roads. The industry itself is more concentrated on the lower lands in IRL Argentina. Most of the children have to go six years to school. The richer citizens can afford to send their children ten years to school or to send them to a private school. After graduating they can go to one of the many Univeritys. Thanks to the great copper deposits many citys enjoy electric light.

Army Description : [[Describe your nation's army in as much detail as you can]]
Army Weakness :

Naval Description : While Tawantinsuyu had never any overseas possesions it always had a navy, that was able to protect their trade. The Inca navy has been neglected for many years. No one thought that a big navy was needed until Sapa Inca .... took power. He started a new naval program and laid many ships down. Most of them have been laid down during 1889 and all of them are still under construction.

Naval Weakness : The Incan navy has so long been neglected that it is severly outdated and is in a dire need of an update.

Further Military Description : [[OPTIONAL]]

National Goals : Drive the Europeans of the continent or make a deal with the more reasonable once.
National Issues : Tawantinsuyu doesnt play a big role on the world market yet, but they are striving for more open markets and ways to sell their products. While the Incas control most of the west coast of south America they dont control enough on the east coast. Many goods the Incas would like to export cant br sold, because the Europeans draw a lot of resources out of their colonys and dont want to buy Incan goods.
National Figures of Interest : [[OPTIONAL]] [[Are there any Mother Teresas or Moses that we need to know about?]]
National Ambition/Aspirations : [[OPTIONAL]] Gaining international recognition of their great power on the market and open up as many markets as possible.

History :
1532:

RP Sample: [[Either a link to a past post, or an example written right here.]]

#AltDiv (Do not delete this, it is used to keep track of the apps)

[Tracian Empire]

Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων
Basileia tōn Rhōmaiōn
The Empire of the Romans

Βασιλεία Ῥωμαίων
Basileía Rhōmaíōn
The Roman Empire

Η βασιλεύς Σύγκλητος και ο Λαός της Ρώμης
I Basileus Sýnklitos kai o Laós tis Rómis
The Emperor, Senate and People of Rome


Βασιλεύς Βασιλέων Βασιλεύων Βασιλευόντων
Basiléus Basiléon Basilévon Basilevónton
Emperor of Emperors, Ruling Over Those Who Rule

Full Nation Name : The Roman Empire (Βασιλεία Ῥωμαίων-Basileía Rhōmaíōn|Imperium Romanum), the Empire of the Romans (Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων-Basileia tōn Rhōmaiōn|Ἀρχὴ τῶν Ῥωμαίων-Archē tōn Rhōmaiōn|Imperium Romanorum). The phrase: the Emperor, Senate, and People of Rome (Η βασιλεύς Σύγκλητος και ο Λαός της Ρώμης - I Basileus Sýnklitos kai o Laós tis Rómis|Imperator Senatusque Populusque Romanus) is used to officially refer to the Roman state, which is also commonly referred to simply as Rome (Ρώμη-Rómi|Roma) or the New Rome (Νέα Ῥώμη-Néa Rómi|Nova Roma). Other names like the Roman Republic (Πολιτεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων-Politeia tōn Rhōmaiōn|Res Publica Romana) and Rhomania (Ῥωμανία|the Land of the Romans), with the derived (Βασιλεια Ρωμανια-Basileia Rhōmania|Imperium Romaniae) also exist. Foreigners sometimes use the historical exonyms of the Byzantine Empire (Bυζαντινή Αυτοκρατορία-Byzantiní Autokratoría|Imperium Byzantinium), or of the Eastern Roman Empire (Ανατολική Ρωμαϊκή Αυτοκρατορία-Anatolikí Romaïkí Autokratoría|Imperium Romanum Orientale) but they are not actively used by the Romans themselves. The nation is also sometimes designated as the Empire of the Greeks (Βασιλεία των Ελλήνων-Basileia ton Ellínon|Imperium Graecorum), but its usage is considered to be an insult by the Romans.

Majority/Official Culture: As most things in this ancient empire, the situation is complicated. The main and official culture recognized by the government is the Roman culture (Ρωμαϊκή-Romaïkí), which in this case strictly refers to the culture of the Eastern Empire. The Roman view on the culture of its citizens is a little different from the view held by most of the other nations of Europe. The Roman perspective is based around the concept of Ρωμανότητα-Romanótita (Romanity, or Romanism). This is the idea of the Roman civilization and culture rather than the ethnic reality. Included among its concepts are the very ideals of the Roman Empire and of the Roman people, military, and government. The inhabitants of the Empire refer to themselves as Roman (Ρωμαιοι-Romaioi) or Roman citizens (Ρωμαίοι πολίτες-Romaíoi polítes), and consider themselves to be the true Romans, the true heirs of Ancient Rome. To be a Roman citizen is more than belonging to a simple ethnic group, it’s to accept that you belong to world of right belief and order, to belong to the one, true, universal empire, and the one, true, universal faith. The Romans consider their realm to be a part of God’s plan, to be the earthly reflection of the Kingdom of Heaven, an empire destined to endure until the Second Coming. To be a true Roman, and to be part of this empire, one has to accept its mission - it means taking part in God’s plan for the world and protecting the empire until it will truly rule the entire world again. Ethnicity and blood pale in front of such substance, and as such, the pillars of the Roman civilization are what unite the Roman citizens. The use of the true Roman language, the (Ρωμαικα-Romaika|Roman/ Roman language) what some may call “Greek”, the one true Orthodox Christian faith, and subordination to the imperial authority. The Roman identity and culture of today is a true successor of both the Roman and the Hellenistic worlds of the Antiquity and of the Middle Ages. And the Romans of the East, while aware of their Greek origins, fully consider themselves to be the heirs of Rome, to be the ones carrying the flame of both Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece onward into the future.

Other cultures which refuse to acknowledge this divinely ordained scheme of things or dare to challenge are guilty of a form of heresy in the eyes of the Roman culture, to be pitied or to be condemned, as people of the nations (έθνη), and as barbarians (βάρβαροι). Followers of different faiths, like Muslims or pagans are pitied as victims of invincible ignorance, while those who willingly reject the truth, like the Protestant heretics, are nothing more than willful and unrepentant deviationists. Such cultures present throughout the Empire are then actively persecuted using this reasoning, being forced to go through a cultural process known as Romanization, the process of acculturation, integration and assimilation of those inhabitants of the Empire which do not belong to the Roman culture. The process itself contains a variety of methods and is justified by the imperial government as an attempt to civilize barbarian people. Perhaps more aggressive than the Romanization of the antiquity, this process has been raised to the status of a state policy during the Empire's long existence, with it being currently used in some areas of Egypt and certain parts of the Levant. The process is mostly based on the strong promotion or even enforcement of Greek, of Roman laws and customs, and of Orthodox Christianity, an attempt to eradicate the cultural and religious identity of those groups that are romanized, accomplished through various means, like forced conversions, the existence of Roman colonists, education controlled by the Roman state, depopulation and forced resettlement, together with certain incentives, like granting the Roman citizenship to those loyal to the Empire.

Territorial Core:

• 1. Theme of Thrace|Thema Thrakēs - Θέμα Θράκης|Adrianople
• 2. Theme of Scythia|Thema Skýthis - Θέμα Σκύθης |Constantia
• 3. Theme of Paristrion|Thema Paristrion - Θέμα Παρίστριον|Dorostolon
• 4. Theme of Strymon|Thema Strymōnos - Θέμα Στρυμώνος|Serres
• 5. Theme of Thessalonica|Thema Thessalonikēs - Θέμα Θεσσαλονίκης|Thessaloniki
• 6. Theme of Diocleia| Thema Diokleías - Θέμα Διοκλείας |Nysos
• 7. Theme of Dyrrachium|Thema Dyrrhachiou - Θέμα Δυρραχίου|Dyrrachium
• 8. Theme of Nicopolis|Thema Nikopoleōs - Θέμα Νικοπόλεως|Nikópolis
• 9. Theme of Hellas|Thema Helladikoi - Θέμα Ελλαδικών|Thebes
• 10. Despotate of Morea|Despotáton toú Moréos - Δεσποτᾶτον τοῦ Μορέως|Mystras
• 11. Theme of the Aegean Sea|Thema Aigaiou Pelàgous - Θέμα του Αιγαίου Πελάγους|Mytilene
• 12. Theme of Crete| Thema Krētēs - Θέμα Κρήτης|Megalo Kastro
• 13. Theme of Cyprus|Thema Kyprou - Θέμα Κύπρου|Lefkosia
• 14. Theme of Optimates|Thema Optimatōn - Θέμα Ὀπτιμάτων|Nicomedia
• 15. Theme of Opsikion|Thema Opsikiou - Θέμα Ὀψικίου|Nicaea
• 16. Theme of Samos|Thema Samou - Θέμα Σάμου|Smyrna
• 17. Theme of the Cibyrrhaeots|Thema Kibyrrhaiotōn - Θέμα Κιβυρραιωτῶν|Attaleia
• 18. Theme of the Anatolics|Thema Anatolikōn - Θέμα Άνατολικῶν| Amorion
• 19. Theme of the Bucellarians|Thema Boukellariōn - Θέμα Βουκελλαρίων|Ancyra
• 20. Theme of Paphlagonia|Thema Paphlagonias - Θέμα Παφλαγονίας|Gangra
• 21. Theme of the Armeniacs|Thema Armeniakōn - Θέμα Άρμενιάκων|Amaseia
• 22. Theme of Cappadocia|Thema Kappadokias - Θέμα Καππαδοκίας|Tyana
• 23. Theme of Seleucia|Thema Seleukeias - Θέμα Σελευκείας|Seleukeia
• 24. Despotate of Trebizond|Despotáton tis Trapezoúntas - Δεσποτᾶτον της Τραπεζούντας|Trapezous/Trebizond
• 25. Theme of Koloneia|Thema Kolōneias - Θέμα Κολωνείας|Koloneia
• 26. Theme of Cilicia|Thema Kilikías - Θέμα Κιλικίας|Adana
• 27. Theme of Iberia|Thema 'Ivirías - Θέμα 'Ιβηρίας|Theodosiopolis
• 28. Theme of Vaasprakania|Thema Vaasprakanías - Θέμα Βαασπρακανίας|Eua
• 29. Theme of Mesopotamia|Thema Mesopotamias - Θέμα Μεσοποταμίας|Kamacha
• 30. Theme of Melitene|Thema Melitenéos - Θέμα Μελιτενέος|Melitene
• 31. Theme of Antioch|Thema Antiócheia - Θέμα Αντιόχεια|Antioch
• 32. Theme of Palmyra|Thema Palmyrénio - Θέμα Παλμυρένιο|Palmyra
• 33. Theme of Syria|Thema Sýrios - Θέμα Σύριος|Dionysias
• 34. Theme of the Galilee|Thema Galilaíos - Θέμα Γαλιλαίος|Berytus
• 35. Theme of Palestine|Thema Palaistínios - Θέμα Παλαιστίνιος|Jerusalem
• 36. Theme of Arabia|Thema Arabikós - Θέμα Aραβικός|Eliat
• 37. Theme of Sinai|Thema Sinaíos - Θέμα Σιναίος|Saint Catherine
• 38. Exarchate of Alexandria|Exarchía tis Alexándreias - Εξαρχία της Αλεξάνδρειας|Alexandria
• 39. Exarchate of Syrene|Exarchía tou Syrene - Εξαρχία του Συρενη|Syene
• 40. Despotate of Taurica|Despotátis tis Tavrikís - Δεσποτάτης της Ταυρικής|Cherson

Territorial Claim: At least as a part of the Roman imperial theory, the Romans consider all the countries which belonged to the Roman orbis, to the Roman world, to be their everlasting and incontestable possessions, as the inhabitants of the one universal empire which survived the storms of the barbarian invasions. As such, territories in West have been considered ever since the Middle Ages to be simply the pars occidentalis of the empire, temporarily fallen into barbarian hands due to the sins of mankind. This translated during the Middle Ages in the slightly more pragmatic concept of an European family of kings, with the institution of complicated honorary degrees of affinity granted to other European monarchs by the Roman Emperors from their position as the head of this family, as the paterfamilias. In practice however, this imperial theory has never quite recovered from the countless shocks which it has received throughout history, and such ancient claims have been ignored for centuries. The current, more pragmatic Roman foreign policy simply wishes to secure its borders, to strengthen the empire's position in Africa and to ensure that the straits of Dire are controlled by a friendly power. The Romans also wish to somehow solve the issue of the Hesperium Imperium in Italy.
Capital City : Constantinople, Konstantinoupolis, the New Rome, the Second Rome, the Eastern Rome, Roma Constantinopolitana, the Queen of Cities, the Great City, the City of the Emperors, the Reigning City, the City, the God-Guarded City,the Great City of the Romans, the Throne of the Romans, the Eye of the World, the Envy of the World, the City of the World's Desire,the City of Sins, Byzantium
Symbols:

• Flags
• Dynastic Banners
• Naval Flags
• Greater Coat of Arms
• Lesser Coat of Arms
• Dynastic Emblem
• Chi-Rho Monogram
• Saint Andrew the Apostle
• Saint Constantine the Great
• Saint Justinian the Great
• Roma (personification of the Roman state)
• Motto: Βασιλεύς Βασιλέων Βασιλεύων Βασιλευόντων-Basiléus Basiléon Basilévon Basilevónton|Imperator Imperatorum Imperans Imperantibus|Emperor of Emperors, Ruling over Those Who Rule
• Alternative Mottos: Σταυρὲ βασιλέως βασιλέων βασιλεῖ βοήθει - Stavrὲ Basiléos Basiléon Basileῖ Bíthi|Cross of the King of Kings aid the Emperor; Σταυρὲ βασιλέως βασιλέων βασιλευούσῃ βοήθει - Staurè Basileùs Basiléon Basileuoúse Boéthei|Cross of the King of Kings aid the Ruling City; Σταυρὲ βασιλέως βασιλέων βασιλεύων βασίλευε - Staurè Basileùs Basiléon Basileúon Basíleue|Cross of the King of Kings, Rule in Reigning; Σταυρέ, βοήθει - Staurè, Boéthei |Cross, Come to Our Aid

In regard to color, Tyrian purple is the official one, representing the imperial authority and the Emperor. But because of the price of the purple dye the purple is generally reserved only for those flags and emblems used personally by the Emperor, while red is used for the rest.

Population: Around 58 million. Based on a population of 37,390,175 for the historical, real life population of the areas under Roman control, and increasing it to account for the fact that the Byzantines never lost Anatolia and went through a subsequent demographic collapse, and for the areas under Roman control never experiencing the same kind of demographic and economic decline as that in the latter half of the Ottomans, combined with a better Roman administration in both urban and rural areas, with an improved agriculture due to the Byzantine system of free peasants, and an earlier introduction of industrialization.
Government Type: The Roman Empire is a highly administrative and bureaucratic caesaropapist absolute monarchy, with the Roman Emperor holding the supreme authority in both secular and religious matters. In practice however, the empire has certain elements which would belong to a more mixed type of government. The monarchy is of course, clearly embodied in the person of the Emperor, which rules the nation as a hereditary despotic autocracy. The aristocracy is largely represented by the Senate, but certain democratic elements do exist through the influence of the demes. Officially, the Roman state considers itself as the communion of the Emperor, Senate, and People of Rome.
Government Ideology/Policies: Absolutism, Autocratism, Conservatism, Roman Nationalism, Orthodox Traditionalism, Imperialism, Pragmatism, Imperialism
Government Focus: The Empire of the Romans is currently focused on continuing the industrialization and development of the realm in order to stay in line with or ahead of its rivals.
Head of State: Basileus Autokrator Mikhail Palaiologos Sebastos (Short Title)
His Imperial Majesty, Mikhael Palaiologos, in Christ Basileus and Autokrator of the Romans, Kaisar, Kyrios and Despot of the New Rome, Forever Sebastos and Sotiras, Sebastokrator and Nobelissimos, Hypatos, Arkhistrategos and Arkhiexarkhos, Porphyrogennetos, Viceroy of Our Lord Jesus Christ on Earth, the Pious and the Blessed, Defender of the One True Orthodox Faith, Great Protector of the Holy Cities of Constantinople, Rome, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Alexandria, Protector of the Holy Council Cities of Nikaea and Chalkedon, Despot of All Moesia and All Anatolia, of Greece, Macedonia and Dacia, Scythia and Taurica, of Thrace, of Armenia, Syria, Libya and Palestine, of the Oriental Islands, Protector of the Cities of Thessaloniki, Perhabinon, and Berytos, Kyrios of All Egypt, Sovereign of the Holy Order of the True Cross, Grand Master of the Order of Saint Andrew, of the Order of Constantine the Great and of the Order of Justinian the Great, King of Kings, Ruling Over Those Who Rule (Grand Title)
Head of Government: Grand Logothete and Hypatos Alexandros Kantakouzenos
Government Description :

The Roman Empire is considered to be the earthly reflection of the Kingdom of Heaven, the perfect form of government, as God had intended it to be, more than just a temporal phenomenon, but as the perfect realm that will survive through the ages until the Second Coming and the Final Judgement. For the Romans, this presents itself largely as a Cesaropapist Absolute Monarchy, even if some influence rests with the aristocratic and oligarchic Senate, and a very vague democratic element could be represented by the Demes and their political influence. A small theocratic element also exists in the form of the Roman Orthodox Church, represented through the Four Patriarchies under Roman control, which have a lot of influence in the Empire's affairs, and through the divine mandate and role of the emperor.

The first and most important power belongs to the Basileus. Known as the Emperor and Autocrat of the Romans, the monarch has the supreme authority in both secular and religious matters, acting like a true absolute monarch. He is the elect of God, crowned by God and guarded by God, his person is scared, and he is ruling from the Sacred Palace in the Queen of Cities as God's regent on Earth. He is the terrestrial image of the Logos of God. He governs the the Empire, under his supreme executive power, his primary legislative authority, and his divine mandate as Viceroy of Jesus Christ on Earth. The political powers of all other magistrates are subsidiary to and derived from his as he stands on the top of the Roman state's hierarchy. He is unquestionable, and he can theoretically dissolve the Senate at any moment's notice. The Emperor is also in charge of naming the military commanders of all provinces, and through his imperium, he is also the supreme commander of the military. From nearly all points of view, he is an absolute monarch, a despot and an autocrat. Violating his sacrosanctity is considered to be the highest form sacrilege and treason - punishable by death.

The Roman Empire has a complicated succession system, mostly inherited from its ancient and medieval past. At least in theory, the succession to the imperial throne is hereditary, following the agnatic-cognatic primogeniture principle. The oldest child of the ruler inherits all titles, and women are able to gain the imperial throne if there are no eligible males. The succession is also dynastic, for a ruler to inherit the throne, he or she has to be blood-connected to the ruling dynasty, a principle that was introduced and enforced by the Palaiologoi. However, the Roman system has certain particularities which make the succession pretty complicated. The first particularity is the existence of the purple-born system. The title of purple-born means that children born under certain conditions can have a higher position in the line of succession. For a prince or princess of the imperial family to be purple-born, they must respect certain requirements. The child has to be legitimate, born in the Purple Room of the Great Palace of Constantinople. The child's father must be a reigning Emperor, and the child's mother must be an Empress, married to the Emperor. The Empress also must have undergone a formal, sacred ceremony creating her an Augusta. Children who meet all these conditions receive the honorary title of Πορφυρογέννητος-Porphyrogennetos or Πορφυρογέννητη-Porphyrogénnētē, and they rank higher in the succession line than those who don't, like children born to an Emperor before his coronation, children who weren't born in Constantinople, or children who were born to a concubine.

The other particularity is that the Emperors are able to nominate their successors, even if those successors are not in line with the agnatic-cognatic primogeniture system - the only requirement is for them to be a part of the dynasty. Successors are normally nominated by being awarded important titles, like the title of Despot. It has already become a custom for the Emperor to nominate his successor by awarding him or her the title of Despot or Despotess of the Morea. The other way for an Emperor to nominate his successor is to raise a member of the dynasty to the rank of co-emperor. A co-emperor is the awarded the title of Kaisar, ranking immediately below the original Emperor. As such, when the older emperor eventually dies - his successor would already be crowned and have experience at ruling, decreasing the risk of rebellion or usurpation. This practice has however fallen out of use due to the internal stability that the Empire has been experiencing for the past few centuries.

The second power in the Roman Empire is formed by the Roman Senate (Ρωμαϊκή Σύγκλητος-Romaïkí Sýnklitos), the unicameral assembly of the Roman senators. The Senate has a certain legislative power, in that in can propose laws and can express its opinion in regard to the decisions of the Basileus, while also having a role in governing the Empire. Traditionally, the Senate has been a place of the patricians, the aristocracy, and that is visible even today, as the most influential political faction of the Senate represents the nobility. But over the half century, as times have changed, senators representing the plebeians have been entering the Senate, and currently, a faction of the Senate which represents the interests of the general population and especially of the developing bourgeoisie has been gaining more and more power. The Empire lacks the traditional, European concept of political parties - instead, the senatorial factions, like in the days of old, have come to be associated with the chariot factions of Constantinople, the so-called demes (δήμοι). The Blue deme is mostly associated with the aristocratic/imperial faction, while the Greens are closely associated with the more liberal and progressive part of the Senate. The Red deme, dead for centuries, has also been recently recreating, vying for the support of the Empire developing industrialized workers class.

Senators are directly appointed by the Basileus, and in theory the monarch is free in his choices, in practice however, an unofficial tradition exists with the acclamation of the demes. During chariot races in the empire's largest cities, the different demes acclaim their preferred candidates, and the monarch listens to his subjects, which leads to a certain part of the senators being chosen through popular support. The Emperor has the theoretical power to dissolve the Senate at will, but that has never happened in the last half century, and the Senate itself has the power to protest against any decisions of the Emperor that seem unfair, through a system of official petitions, even if said petitions can be ignored.

The Senate is theoretically led by the Consul (Yπατος-Hypatos), a mostly ceremonial position. The Hypatos supervises and organizes the debates and the affairs of the Senate, and more often than not, the one receiving this position is the one also holding the position of the Grand Logothete (Μέγας Λογοθέτης-Megas Logothetes), the leader of the Roman administration. His role is to supervise and coordinate the departments of the administration, which are led by the Logothetes (Λογοθέτης-Logothetes), who are acting like ministers. The Logothetes are chosen by the Emperor personally, sometimes with the support of senatorial factions. As such, Constantinople as a centralizing power in terms of administration, coordinating, and supervising the themes and implementing the decrees of the Basileus. The administration is highly hierarchical, ceremonial, rigid, and bureaucratic, forming an elaborate system that is at the same time, effective and extremely intricate. While the aristocracy plays an important part in the administration, and while corruption can be a mild issue, the system of the civil service is built on meritocratic pillars - while the Romans do not employ a combined civil service exam like some Asian powers, exams are needed in order to enter the administration, leading to a lot of skillful bureaucrats entering the service, which somewhat balances the aristocratic elements. At the same time, the Empire is still infamous for its continued practice of using eunuchs in some of the higher positions - while their numbers are much smaller than the eunuchs present in some Asian courts, they continue to play a part in the court and in the civil service.

The third power in the state theoretically belongs to the common citizens, the People of Rome (Λαός της Ρώμης-Laós tis Rómis), but this power is of course, mostly symbolic.

The Roman citizens enjoy extensive rights and obligations, and from this point of view, although they live in an absolute monarchy, they sometimes enjoy more freedom than the citizens of many other nations. The Roman citizenship (Ρωμαϊκή Iθαγένεια-Romaïkí Ithagéneia) is the individual possession of every Roman man recognized as such by the Basileus and Senate. For a person to be a Roman citizen (Ρωμαίος πολίτης-Romaíos polítis) they must be 16 years of age or older and they must satisfy one of the following conditions:

• To be born to two Roman citizens.
• To be born to one Roman citizen within a Roman province and to have served a set term in the Roman military.
• To be recognized as a citizen by the Emperor

The citizenship of a Roman citizen is irrevocable without extreme violations of the Empire's laws and regulations. While in Roman territory, citizens of nations allied to the Roman Empire receive certain rights, similar to a limited form of citizenship. Still, not all the people living inside the borders of the Empire are recognized as citizens. The unofficial criteria in order to be accepted as a Roman citizen is to speak Greek, to be a member of the Orthodox Church and to follow the Roman customs. As such, many other ethnic and cultural groups are oppressed and not recognized as Roman, and members of such minorities are, besides from the cultural oppression, sometimes forced or influenced into accepting milder forms of slavery, which more of most them brings with it a much better situation than the one they were born in. The issue of slavery is as such a little complicated and has been mostly ignored. Slavery is not widespread by any means in terms of numbers, and it can be divided into two forms. The first is employed in the Levant and in Africa, where the Romans use uncooperative natives, mostly Muslims, for public works - the construction of the Suez Canal being the most famous example, but ever since its completion, moderate numbers of such slaves have been used for infrastructure works, even if the Romans do not refer to them as slaves, and pay them small amounts of money for their forced work. The second form of slavery comes through the use of servants in the empire's great cities, mostly by the aristocracy. Such slaves are most often foreigners and non-Christians, and this is only tolerated as long as the slaves are treated well, with the administration and the people just pretending that they are regular servants. And third form of slavery is represented by the eunuchs, but said eunuchs are normally freed upon entering the court or the civil service.

The fourth, unofficial power is represented by the Roman Orthodox Church (Ρωμαϊκή Ορθόδοξη Εκκλησία-Romaïkí Orthódoxi Ekklisía). The Roman Orthodoxy is the official religion of the Roman Empire, and the Four Patriarchs must be confirmed by the Emperor before being chosen. In exchange for the protection of the Emperor, the Orthodox Church continues to recognize the Roman Emperor as the Viceroy of Jesus Christ on Earth, and the Roman Empire as the true successor of the Roman Empire of old.

As such, the ideal Roman Empire should exist through the balance between the Emperor, the Senate, and the People of Rome (Η βασιλεύς Σύγκλητος και ο Λαός της Ρώμης-I Basileus Sýnklitos kai o Laós tis Rómis), and under the blessings of the Roman Church (Ρωμαϊκή Εκκλησία-Romaïkí Ekklisía).

From an administrative and military point of view, the Roman Empire follows the principles of the so called system of themes. The main administrative division of this system is a theme (θέμα - théma), known in plural as themes (θέματα - thémata). The main particularity of its system is its double existence, as it is used both by the military and by the civil administration of the Empire. The origin of the themata lies in the Slavic and Arabic invasions of the 7th century, when the old Roman provincial system created by Diocletian and Constantine was abandoned. The areas of encampment formed by the field armies of the Roman Army served as the basis of this system, which allowed the Roman Empire to successfully survive this crisis. The themata were then periodically reorganized and improved, in the 11th, in the 12th, in the 15 and in the 18th centuries, with the most recent changes having been applied in 1848.
Each theme is led by a military commander known as a Strategos (Στρατηγός), plural Strategoi(Στρατηγοί). The Strategoi are named and sacked directly by the Emperor, and they answer to him personally. As such, their authority is derived directly from that of the monarch, and all their decisions and orders are made in the Emperor's name. The Strategos enjoys near unlimited military authority in his own theme, being directly responsible for the theme's defense. He is seconded by the Antistrategos (Aντιστράτηγος), another military officer, the second in command of a theme's military forces. The civilian government of such a province, in charge of the administrative and civilian matters, is the Anthypatos (Aνθύπατος), who deals with the civilian, administrative, and economic issues of a theme. The central administration in Constantinople closely supervises the work of the three officials in each and every one of the themes, in order to prevent corruption and to maximize their performance. With such a pressure and with an organized and centralized authority, the regional officials tend to be extremely competent.

Themes are further subdivided into eparchies. An eparchy (ἐπαρχίᾱ, eparchia) , is led by an eparch (ἔπαρχος, eparchos), and is then divided into an administrative unit known as a prefecture (νομός, nomós). Under the prefectures lie the local administration, cities, towns, and rural communies.

There are however some exceptions from the themata system. The first of them is represented by the city of Constantinople. Theoretically under the authority of the Theme of Thrace, the city of Constantinople is an independent division. It is considered to be the Emperor's personal domain, and it is led by the military officer known as the Protostrategos (Πρωτοστράτηγος) of Constantinople, and by the civilian official known as the Eparch (Έπαρχος-Éparchos) of Constantinople. The second exception is represented by the Despotates. A Despotate (Δεσποτάτο-Despotáto), plural Despotates (Δεσποτάτες-Despotátes), is in most aspects, extremely similar to a normal theme, organized in the same military-civilian way. The main difference lies in the leader of such a province. Instead of a Strategos and an Anthypatos, a Despotate is led by a Despot (Δσπότης -Despótēs), who is a member of the imperial family. Theoretically, any theme can be promoted to the status of a Despotate if a member of the imperial family is tasked with ruling it, but the Empire only has three Despotates with historical tradition, the Despotate of Morea, the Despotate of Trebizond and the Despotate of Taurica. These are most often given to the Emperor's sons, with the princes using this as a chance to prove their military and administrative capabilities and to finalize their education as future rulers. Of course, only the one receiving the Despotate of Morea, most often the Emperor's oldest son, becomes heir-apparent to the throne. Currently, the Despotate is temporarily held by the younger brother of Basileus Michael, Prince Konstantinos Palaiologos, as the Emperor's heir-apparent, with the Basileus being currently unmarried. The third exception is represented by the Exarchates. An Exarchate (Εξαρχία - Exarchía) is an autonomous military province of the Roman Empire, led by an Exarch (Eξαρχος - Exarchos), a governor of sorts, with considerable political and military authority, answering directly to the Emperor, with their powers however unchecked by the central administration in Constantinople. There are currently three Exarchates and three Exarchs, in Africa, the Exarchate of Alexandria, the Exarchate of Syrene and the Exarchate of Nubia.

Majority/State Religion: The Empire is a part of the Greater Chalcedonian Church, through its own Eastern/Roman Orthodox Church. Orthodoxy is actively enforced and spread throughout the territory of the Empire, with imperial authorities trying to convert all other believers.
Religious Description: The Roman or Eastern Orthodoxy, is one of the groups inside of the Christian Chalcedonian Church. The One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Orthodox Church practices what it understands to be the original faith passed down from the Apostles. Ever since the mending of the Great Schism through the effort of the courts in Rome and Constantinople, the two sides of the Chalcedonian Church have continued to exist in full communion, albeit an uneasy one, following the formula of one church, two heads. The West generally follows the authority of the Pope and the Latin rite, but the Patriarchates in the East, unofficially led by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, who is recognized as "primus inter pares" (first among equals) between all the Orthodox bishops and patriarchs, consider the Pope to be merely another Patriarch - a leader of the church, a first among equals on the same level as the Ecumenical Patriarch due to their descendance from the greatest apostles (Saint Peter for the Pope, and Saint Andrew for the Ecumenical Patriarch), but still a Patriarch and a member of the Pentarchy. The Orthodox side of the Chalcedonian faith then considers the Church to be a union of various autocephalous patriarchates in full communion with each other, the Catholic Church in the West being counted as a single autocephalous entity. Besides from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the other Patriarchates under Roman control are the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, and the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa. In the East, the Emperor, due to his supreme authority in both secular and religious matters, is considered to be divinely ordained, as the Viceroy of Jesus Christ on Earth, and all Patriarchs must receive his confirmation before taking their positions.

Economic Ideologies: Overall, the Roman Empire is in an interesting situation. Principles of mercantilism and protectionism were slowly abandoned over the past century, with the notable exceptions of a few specific industries, replaced with a push for free trade and elements of capitalism, but the autocratic government of the empire still reserves the right to regulate trade as it sees fit, especially in order to protect its internal markets from foreign pressure, so the current economic policy of the empire is the result of the decisions of the imperial administration, rather than a result of a specific, promoted economic ideology.
Major Production: Agricultural products, iron, coal, minerals, silk, clothing, industrial products
Economic Description: The Roman Empire stands as an economically divided nation. Industrialization entered the empire relatively early, especially through its contacts with Italy and later on Korea, but the industrial development of the nation happened in a varied manner. Some areas of the country have developed very well and very quickly, but this development was mostly concentrated along coastal areas and large cities, while the government struggle to undo the power of the old guild system. Anatolia became the core of Roman industrial development early on, especially its western areas, and so did Thrace and Lebanon. Textiles formed the early core of this development, with more heavy industry following later on, after the discovery of more natural resources. Egypt however became the most prized project of the empire. It quickly developed to even overtake Anatolia, even more so due to imperial investment and Korean capital. It quickly became one of the most productive cotton industries in the world. The discovery of coal in other areas of the empire and the construction of the Constantinople - Heliopolis railway led to the development of heavy industry, and Egypt industrialized rapidly - its traditionally advantageous transport network through the Nile being supplemented by a railway system. And of course, the crown jewel was represented by the Suez Canal, the greatest public work project of the empire, partially funded by Constantinople and partially by foreign capital.

Of course, the more mountainous areas of the empire and those that lacked resources or strong imperial oversight remained behind the times. Greece is in a weird position. Lacking resources and mostly mountainous, from an industrial perspective it only developed a few shipbuilding facilities in Ermoupolis and Piraeus, but its agriculture has been developing really well. The mountainous parts of Anatolia are also similarly underdeveloped, with free peasant communities being the norm, and Syria and Palestine have also remained mostly agrarian.

Due to its good position, its ownership over the Dardanelles and the Bosporus, due to its ports in the Red Sea and its agreements with various foreign nations, with Constantinople still acting as the primary western terminus of the Silk Road, and most specially because of the Arsinoe Canal the Roman Empire is a trade hub between Europe, Africa, and Asia. The Arsinoe Canal is directly owned by the Roman state through its Emperor, with the Roman Empire having built it, and protected it ever since. The Canal has shortened the journey between the North Atlantic and the Indian Oceans ever since it was completed in 1869, and its ownership plays an important role in the economic policies of the Empire. The state still reserves the right to control its internal and the international trade if needed, maintaining a durable and flexible monetary system adaptable to its trade needs.

Development: Modern in in some provinces, semi-industrialized in others
Development Description: The core areas of the Empire are very well developed and urbanized, with certain issues present in their most mountainous areas. In its Levantine possessions and in Egypt, the development and the main cities are focused on the coastal areas and around major rivers.


Army Description :

Roman Army
Ρωμαϊκός Στρατός
Exercitus Romanum

Motto: Μεθ ημων ο Θεος! (Meth imon o Theos!|God with us!)


The Roman Army (Ρωμαϊκός Στρατός- Romaïkós Stratós|Exercitus Romanum), or the Army of the Romans (Στρατός τῶν Ῥωμαίω-Stratós tōn Rhōmaiōn|Exercitus Romanorum), sometimes also known just as the Army (Στρατός-Stratós|Exercitus) is the land force of the Roman Empire. A direct and uninterrupted continuation of the Roman army of old and of its traditions, the Stratós is renowned for its level of discipline, strategic prowess and organization, and for its soldiers. The glory of Rome was achieved through armed power and blood, and ever since Romulus founded the Eternal City, the army has stood at the core of the Roman state, influencing and often controlling its destiny. It was through the prowess of its soldiers that the East managed to avoid the collapse experienced in the West, and for more than a thousand years, the Roman Army has constantly fought countless wars on three continents, continuously adapting in order to maintain an edge over those who would wish to bring the eternal empire to its end. As such, the empire can wield a conscripted army formed around a core of professional officers and soldiers, and arguably one of, if not the best in its region, truly a force to be reckoned with. One of the army's biggest assets are the Roman soldiers themselves, still called "legionnaires" (λεγεωνάριοι-legeonárioi) by some, due to their morale, discipline, obedience, and harsh training. Being a part of the army is more than an honor in Roman culture - it is one's duty, for a Roman citizen cannot be a citizen and a man without serving in the army. Soldiers are as such indoctrinated before they even join, they military, convinced that they are the heirs of the Roman legions of old, with the empire skillfully using nationalism and religion to its advantage. Soldiers perform a personal oath to the Emperor and are followed in battle by priests and holy icons. The training of a Roman soldier is also very thorough and even somewhat harsh, putting a lot of emphasis not only on the soldier's individual skills but also on his ability to fight as part of a unit, in a process that other nations often try to copy. At the same time, harsh but fair punishments for any deserters or traitors and an attention on unit cohesion lead to a situation where the Romans can regularly field extremely motivated and loyal soldiers, with the most important units sometimes even bordering on the edge of fanaticism, often leading to Roman units being unwavering in their attacks or in their stands.

At the same time, the almost obsessive attention that the Romans put into the organization of their army brought with it a lot of other advantages. The Stratós uses a conscription system built from the combination of the French levée en masse with the old Roman systems. All able-bodied citizens serve a three-year term in the main army, after which only a small core of professionals is kept during peacetime. The rest then spend four years in the active reserve, in the so-called Auxiliary Force (Συμμαχία- Simmakhía), which is divided into the respective forces of each theme. The auxiliary forces still train periodically and are ready to be mobilized in case of war, the process of mobilization being also very well organized, compartmentalized through the comprehensive military organization system, which is closely intertwined with the civil administrative system. After those four years, the soldiers are moved into the normal reserve up to the age of 45, but a part of them is still assigned to the militia force of their respective theme. These militia forces, known as Akritai(Aκρίται), are normally formed specifically in the border regions of the empire, and their members retain their weapons and uniforms during times of peace. Preponderantly formed by the inhabitants of those regions, and also containing men older that the maximal reserve age, these units are specialized as irregular units to be used in case of an enemy invasion, using guerrilla tactics and their knowledge of the land in order to harass the invading forces. This system provides a large reserve force that can be mobilized in case of war, and the organization provides both a certain regional pride and loyalty to the units - being tied to their respective theme, but most of the army's units can trace their lineage even as far back as the creation of the themata system, while others have started to claim the heritage of famous Roman units of old, leading to a pride in their own units which maximizes morale and cohesion.

The officer corps is a bit of a mixed bag. It is a professional institution, with a core of experienced, veteran officers, and at least in theory, it emphasizes the need of a meritocratic perspective, it has a few very renowned military academies and the army's organization promotes the creation of such officers. However, the meritocratic elements are often tainted by aristocratic influence - a military career can often really increase a noble's or a politician's reputation, and as such, a lot of noble families tend to make sure that their members receive the ranks that are worthy of them. At the same time, officers are expected to bring in results and victories, and the pressure of continuing a millennial heritage means that officers will try to achieve their objectives at every cost, which can also be a benefit - as officers which fail will often be replaced, keeping the quality high. Being in a constant race to keep up or to maintain an edge over the empire's rivals, the officer corps will often try to adapt itself as quickly as possible, learning from the enemy in the characteristic Roman way.

The army is overall also well equipped, as the empire has the industrial base to sustain its forces, and the interest to do so. As such, the imperial forces enjoy domestically produced bolt action rifles, machine guns, and artillery, and are also able to use a few unique weapons - mostly centered around Greek fire using flamethrower units, and experimental uses of the substance.
In terms of strategy and tactics, the Romans use mixed elements. The Empire's long borders and often precarious position, combined with the disastrous experiences of the attrition wars fought in the Levant, Arabia and Mesopotamia, has led to the core principle that wars have to be as short as possible. That is why the empire will often combined the idea of a static defense on its easily defensible fronts, and of strong and direct offensives on the fronts were such a defense is impossible, attempting to crush enemy formations and to outmaneuver them before they can react properly, with the danger of a war on multiple fronts leads to the strict idea that wars should be won through decisive battles.

Army Weakness:

Despite all of its strengths, the Stratós still has to face significant weaknesses. The first shortcoming is created by the very geography and borders of the empire. While some borders, like the northern Balkan border, anchored on the Danube and strengthened with forts, or fortified regions like Taurica can be defended easily, the empire's eastern border is one of the longest and most difficult to defend borders in the entire world, draining significant resources and focus. The sheer size of the empire also makes coordinating the mobilization and thorough organization of resources and units on such a scale a daunting and exhausting task. The strong organization of the military, while with its own advantages, can also be rather stiff, and overly cumbersome, held back by anachronistic elements and concepts- there is a reason for why the word "byzantine" has such a meaning in the West. At the same time, not all themes are created equal. While the more developed regions have the industry and infrastructure to mobilize quickly and efficiently significant forces, the empire's Levantine and African territories are significantly lagging.

The officer corps can, as mentioned before, be easily tainted by aristocratic influence, so its abilities can often suffer. The upper echelons, while fully aware of how the adaptability of the Romans has saved them in the past, and focused on modernization, can also be led by a rather conservative style of thought, leading to tactical and strategical innovations being adopted relatively slowly - which does mean that the Roman Army is even more so prone to same strategic and tactical weaknesses experienced by real life European armies of this era. The idea that an officer must prove his worth through victories in the field and through achieving his objectives also means that the higher ranks will often try to do anything they can in order to follow their orders, which can easily lead to catastrophic results and to an inflexibility in the chain of command. Combine that with obedience and loyalty being preached as great values of a Roman soldier and officer, and you have a very rigid chain of command and officers who will not question orders. The beliefs which stand both at the core of the Roman outlook on the world, and the pride created by the concept of being a legionary and a member of such a fighting force can also lead to a certain arrogance that can be seen regardless of rank.

The biggest weakness of the army is however created by several combined issues. The reserve system, as good as it is, is just barely enough to compensate for the sheer size of the empire and the differences in development, and this does mean that the empire will suffer in the case of wars of attrition. This issue is exacerbated by the high morale and fanaticism of many of their soldiers - Roman units are expected to follow orders to the very end - often being decimated instead of stopping their attack or withdrawing. Surrendering is seen as an unforgivable shame and fighting until death is a behavior often observed in such units.

The reserve system is also fundamentally imperfect in that in only takes citizens or potential citizens into account, the Army having so far refused to conscript non-Romans.

Naval Description:

Roman Navy
Ρωμαϊκό Ναυτικό
Classis Romanum

Motto: Σταύρος Νικά! (Stauros Nika!|The Cross is victorious!)

The Roman Navy (Ρωμαϊκό Ναυτικό-Romaïkó Nautikó|Classis Romanum), or the Navy of the Romans (Ναυτικό τῶν Ῥωμαίω-Nautikó tōn Rhōmaiōn|Classis Romanorum), sometimes known simply as the Navy (Ναυτικό-Nautikó|Classis), is the naval force of the Roman Empire. The Nautikó is a well-organized and moderately sized force in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. It is not a weak force, as its vessels are fairly modernized, and they do maintain a degree of discipline and organization like that of the army. Mainly oriented towards defense, and benefiting from a series of ports, bases, and forts along the coasts of the Empire, the Nautikó is a force that would deter enemies from attacking the Romans without thinking twice. As such, the Nautiko excels at defending the Roman coasts, the Bosphorus, the Dardanelles and the Suez Canal, and it does so with the help of a strong network of coastal forts, with bases in important fortified islands such as Crete and Cyprus, with irregular naval forces formed by smaller ships which can harass the enemy with the help of the Aegean Sea's many islands and with the help of a very well organized minelaying effort that can be deployed in case of war. At the same time, the empire employs a moderately effective brown-water force on the Danube, with a strictly defensive and auxiliary role, and with a force on the Nile intended to mostly protect the commercial and logistic ships sailing there.

The network of defensive forts is from certain points of view a marvel, even more so than the Navy, with an excellent coastal defense augmented by the use of a secret weapon, the Greek or the Roman Fire, an extremely inflammable substance that can even burn on water. Even if it is no longer what it used to be, now in this era of ships of steel and steam, it is still employed on naval and coastal fortifications, and in defensive operations, while secret projects exist that are trying to use in various other ways.

Naval Weakness: The Nautikó has never in the history of the Roman state enjoyed the same level of prestige as the army. As such, it was never completely embraced by the Roman state - it is considered to be somewhat "un-Roman", and it has often been neglected, with the desire to the protect the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and to defend the straits and the Suez Canal being the only reason for why it is a more or less competent force today. The Navy has never received the same amount of funding as the army, and its relative lack of popularity does reduce the number of potential recruits willing to join, with this also having a negative effect on the navy's officer corps. The lack of funding also makes its numbers smaller than one would otherwise expect. This has led to a situation where the Nautiko is strictly a green-water navy, and is only intended to fight forces such as that of the French Navy in cooperation with the naval forces of the West. With such a defensive role, the Navy is competently dependent on its defensive installations, and will often refuse to meet the enemy in areas where it cannot be easily reinforced. As such, it will have major difficulties in any offensive operations, and it will also simply be unable to ever match the navies of more competent powers in direct combat. A certain reticence of the upper echelons to lose to lose vessels, further paralyzes the navy's ability to react - the loss of prestige that would be equated with the loss of an ironclad is something that many Roman commanders can't stomach. Combined with simply put a lack of innovation that has the Romans lagging from a naval perspective.
#AltDiv (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)

>app continues in the next post

[Tracian Empire]

Further Military Description:

The Roman Army is in theory led by the Basileus himself, but the actual powers are delegated to a military officer known as the Grand Domestic (Mέγας Δομέστικος-Mégas Doméstikos). Immediately below him are the commanders of the distinct theaters of war (θέατρα-théatra), each led by a commander known simply as a Domestic (Δομέστικος-Doméstikos). The old Domestic of the East (Δομέστικος της Ανατολής, Domestikos tis Anatolís ), leading Asia Minor and the Levantine territories of the empire, and the Domestic of the West (Δομέστικος της Δύσης-Domestikos tis Dýsis), commanding over the empire's Balkan territories and Taurica, have been supplemented by the Domestic of Africa (Δομέστικος της Αφρικής-Domestikos tis Afrikís), nominally in charge of the three Roman Exarchates in Africa (with his powers slightly limited by the relative autonomy of these provinces), and by the very controversial Domestic of Italy (Δομέστικος της Ιταλίας-Domestikos tis Italías), who commands the Eastern Roman forces in the Western Empire. Subordinated to them are the forces of each theme, under the command of that theme's Strategos, and in times of war, the Domestics take over command of their respective theaters of war, reuniting the forces of each theme into larger groups. The theoretical organization is as follows, although it should be noted that the actual numbers can vary significantly based on the forces of each theater or of the individual themes. It should also be noted that although they share the same name, the Romans make a difference between a Strategos of a theme, and a Strategos commanding an army in the field.

Name	Personnel	Subordinate units	Officer in command
Théatra	~	~multiple Sóma Stratoú	Domestikos
Sóma Stratoú	~160,000	~2 Themata	Protostrategos
Stratevma	~80,000	~2 Legeonai	Strategos
Legeona	~40,000	~2 Tagmata	Legatos
Tagma	~20,000	~2 Menarchiai	Katepánō
Menarchia	~9,600	~4 Tourmai	Menarches
Tourma	~2,400	~6 Droungoi	Tourmarches
Droungos	~400	~2 Banda	Droungarios
Bandon	~200	~2 Kentarchiai	Komes
Kentarchia	~100	~2 Pentekentarchiai	Kentarches
Pentekentarchia	~50	~5 Kontoubernia	Pentekontarches
Kontoubernion	~10	N/A	Dekarchos

Varangian Guard
Τάγμα τῶν Βαράγγων

The Varangian Guard (Τάγμα τῶν Βαράγγων - Tágma tōn Varángōn) is an elite unit of the Roman Army, having been created in the 10th century under Emperor Basil II. The Varangians are different from the rest of the units of the Roman Army, as their ranks are mostly formed by foreigners. The Guard was created at the height of the Viking Age, with its first members being provided by the Nordic warriors of the Kievan Rus. The Nordic warriors quickly proved their loyalty, and their battle prowess became legendary. The Guard is no longer formed only by men of Nordic heritage, nor is it formed only by Germanic people, as it was during the late 11th century, but the Varangians are still worthy of their heritage. Like in the days of old, the "axe bearing foreigners" are some of the best warriors under the command of the Romans, more than able to clash directly with any elite units foolish enough to challenge the Roman Empire.
Like in the days of old, the Varangians are only recruited from among foreigners, though, the Romans normally avoid recruiting their guards from neighboring countries and declared enemies. In order to join the Guard, potential members must meet strict physical, moral, and psychological requirements. They must pass a series of tough tests, and they must prove their willingness to fight and to die in the Guard. Of course, they must also pass a complete background check, and an unofficial requirement is to be recommended by a veteran member or officer of the guard, and of course, to be approved by the Emperor himself. As such, the Varangians are pretty much handpicked to be the best they can be. Before they actually join the Guard though, they must take part in extensive training sessions. The Varangians must be able to fight anywhere, and at any time, as a conventional army unit, armed with rifles, but also in unconventional situations and in close quarters combat. They are also trained to perform bodyguard, ceremonial and police duties.
The Varangians mainly serve as the Emperor's personal bodyguards, swearing an oath of loyalty to him. They perform ceremonial duties as retainers and acclaimers and they also perform some police duties, especially in cases of treason and conspiracy. Their loyalty is in most cases, unquestionable. They are united by a bond of brotherhood as members of the Guard, by their heritage, their status, and by their oath of loyalty to the Roman Emperor. The Varangians are extremely well paid, and they enjoy a sense of prestige that can rarely be found somewhere else. The idea of the Varangians betraying their Emperor is often unthinkable, simply because there would be nothing, they could gain out of it. On the contrary, the assassination of an Emperor would be a disaster for the Guard, and the loyalty of the Varangians was crucial in the establishment of the hereditary monarchy under the Palaiologos dynasty. When a Roman Emperor dies of a natural death, the Varangians have the unique right of running to the imperial treasury and taking as much gold and as many gems as they could carry, a procedure that is still known by its Old Norse name of "palace pillaging" (polutasvarf). This special privilege allows many of the Varangians to return to their home as rich men, only serving to further strengthen their loyalty.
The Varangians are easily recognizable not only because of their foreign origin. It's a tradition for most of the Varangians to have long hair, and all of them wear red rubies in their left ears. Their ceremonial uniforms are decorated and ornamented with dragons sewn on their shirts and tunics. Their Guard is organized as a tagma unit, commanded by a trusted, native Roman officer known as the Akolouthos (Aκόλουθος|"follower, attendant"). The unit itself is traditionally divided into two. The Hetaireia (Ἑταιρεία-the Company), formed by those Varangians known as the Companions (Εταίροι), is the part of the Varangian Guard directly responsible for guarding the Emperor and the members of the imperial family, led by an officer known as the Hetaeriarch (ἑταιρειάρχης - hetaireiarchēs). The Warriors (Πολεμιστές-Polemistés) are those Varangians which are used directly on the battlefield when needed, led by an officer known as the Domestikos of the Warriors (Δομέστικος των Πολεμιστών - Domestikos ton Polemistón)

Palatine Schools
Σχολαί Παλατιναι
Scholae Palatinae

The Palatine Schools (Σχολαί Παλατιναι-Scholaí Palatinai|Scholae Palatinae) are an elite unit of the Roman Army. Even if they have lost their role as the main guards of the Roman Emperor in the 10th century, this elite unit, with its origins during the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great, continues to exist and to persevere, as one of the best and proudest parts of the Roman military. Much like the Varangians, the Scholarians (Σχολάριοι - Scholarioi|Scholares) are among the best trained and equipped units of the Roman military. Formed by native Romans, the Schools are used as guards in Constantinople and other important cities, but also as elite units deployed during the critical moments of a battle. The entire unit is organized as a tagma, with each individual school being organized as a tourma, though, it should be noted that the Schools do not follow the exact same organization in terms of numbers as the regular army.
The Scholai are led by an officer known as the Domestic of the Schools (Δμέστικος τῶν Σχολῶν- Domestikos tōn Scholōn). He is helped by two subordinate officers, the Domestic of the Schools of the East (Δομεστικος [τον Σξηολον] τες Ανατολεσ-Domestikos [tōn Scholōn tēs] Anatolēs) and the Domestic of the Schools of the West (Δομεστικος [τον Σξηολον] τες Δψσεσοσ - Domestikos [tōn Scholōn tēs] Dyseōs), one responsible for the Schools operating in Europe, the other one for the Schools operating in Asia and Africa. As it might be obvious due to the unit's name, this elite guard is divided between multiple so called "schools", each of them with its own origin, emblem, history, and name.

• The Exkoubitoi or Exkoubitores (Excubiti|Ἐξκούβιτοι, "the Sentinels"). Established by Emperor Leo I, the currently serve a role similar to the Varangian Companions. They guard the Emperor and the members of the imperial family. During times of war, they have the honor of guarding the Emperor's camps. The School of the Exkoubitoi is led by the Domestic of the Excubitors (Δομέστικος τῶν Eξκουβίτων/Eξκουβιτόρων - Domestikos tōn Exkoubitōn/Exkoubitorōn).
• The Vigla (Βίγλα, "guard watch") another one of the Schools. Smaller in terms of the numbers of its members, it has the honor of guarding the imperial palaces. They are led by the Droungarios of the Watch (Δρουγγάριος τῆς βίγλης/βίγλας - Droungarios tēs Viglēs/Viglas).
• The Noumeroi (Νούμεροι, from the Latin numerus, "number"), are a unit used as an elite police force. They started as one of the garrison regiments of Constantinople, tasked with guarding the Great Palace and the Noumera prison. Now, while they still sometimes retain their position as prison guards, they are mainly used as a shock force in internal affairs, against internal dissent, and in order to maintain public order. They are infamous for their role in suppressing the revolt of an Egyptian city in 1891. They are led by the Domestic of the Numbers (Δομέστικος τῶν Νουμέρων - Domestikos tōn Noumerōn)
  
• The Hikanatoi (Ἱκανάτοι|"the Able Ones") are a specialized unit of the schools, mostly used for covert and guerrilla operations. Not much is known about their unit, but they are led by the Domestic of the Hikanatoi (Δομέστικος τῶν Ἱκανάτοι - Domestikos tōn Hikanatoi)
• Teichistai (Τειχισταί) or the Schole tōn Teicheōn (Σχολή τῶν Τειχέων|" School of the Walls"), are another really old unit. They started as the regiment of the Schools manning the Walls of Constantinople, and they have evolved to become an elite unit specialized in defensive operations, like protecting forts and defending rivers and mountain passes. They are also one of the only elite units of the Empire seriously specialized in urban warfare.
• The Optimatoi (Ὀπτιμάτοι|"the best"), are an unit of the Schools specialized in an amphibious warfare of sorts. Their reorientation started with their deployment in the Aegean Islands, in order to fight the more aggressive Berber raids that were threatening to break through in an attempt to reach Constantinople. From there on, the unit was re-purposed in order to closely mimic the raiding tactics of others.
• The Immortals (Ἀθάνατοι - Athanatoi) are an elite cavalry unit, created in the 10th century. Probably inspired by the old Immortal Guard of the Babylonn Empire, today they are used as an elite unit of dragoons.
• The Archontopouloi ( Ἀρχοντόπουλοι|"sons of the Archons") is the smallest of the Schools. It is most often considered to be a palace officer-training corps, and it is formed by orphans of Roman officers and soldiers who have died in battle. The orphans are taken by the state from when they are little, with the agreement of their remaining guardian of course, and they are trained and indoctrinated, turned into a loyal unit that is often described as fanatic.

The Eastern Romans have for nearly a thousand years used a particular inflammable substance, known by many names. The "sea fire" (πῦρ θαλάσσιον - pŷr thalássion), "Roman fire" (πῦρ ῥωμαϊκόν - pŷr rhōmaïkón), "war fire" (πολεμικὸν πῦρ - polemikòn pŷr), "liquid fire" (ὑγρὸν πῦρ - hygròn pŷr), "sticky fire" (πῦρ κολλητικόν - pŷr kollētikón), or "manufactured fire" (πῦρ σκευαστόν-pŷr skeuastón). Or as it is known to the West – Greek fire.
It is a highly combustible substance that can burn even on water, and the exact secret of the compound has been kept secret by the Romans for more than a millennium now. It was developed around 672 AD and it was used to great success in the two Arab sieges of Constantinople, becoming an integral part of the tactics and weapons of both the Roman Army and the Roman Navy. Its naval use was a lot more widespread from the beginning, but in recent years, great naval developments such as the ironclad have decreased its importance at sea, while the Romans continue to experiment with many potential new uses – all while jealously guarding their secret.
The part of the Roman military that deals with the Greek fire can be in many ways described as an almost a caste. The actual secret of the composition is known only to two men – the Emperor and his succession, while three handpicked chemists who oversee its production each know a part. The production itself is highly divided and compartmentalized, so that no single manufacturer has the entire recipe, with the entire process closely guarded by the Arkeoi, the Roman secret police, and this in turn is also the Greek fire’s greatest weakness – all the precautions taken in order to keep the production a secret means that the Romans are unable to mass-produce it on an industrial scale.
The caste-like connotations continue to its actual usage. Those in charge of the fire, whether in the navy or the army are known as “fire-wielders” (πυρχειριστές - pirkhiristés), and have a special status when compared to normal soldiers.
The Romans use the fire in a few different forms. In the Navy, the fire continues to be used through a tubular projector known as (σίφων - siphon). The emergence of ironclad naval designs has greatly reduced the role of such projectors, so they have been mostly relegated to coastal forts and coastal defense ships. In the Army, the fire is used through a hand-held projector, a flamethrower, known as a hand-siphōn (cηειροσιπηōν - cheirosiphōn). The continuous refinement of this design means that it is more advanced than the real life prototypes of this era – with some models able to project a jet fire to up to 28 meters away.
The Empire is actively working on developing more modern weapons that would use this fire – as experimental grenades and artillery shells are being experimented on.

National Goals: Protect the Empire by any means, strengthen the Roman military, defend the Suez Canal, create new alliances with other powers, accelerate the development of the Empire's Oriental provinces, expand into the Horn of Africa.
National Issues: A heavy and often cumbersome bureaucracy and administration, tensions between the aristocracy and the general population, a general desire for more reforms conflicting with the conservatism of the government, the rising popularity of movements demanding democratic concessions, the rising popularity of workers’ movements, conflicts with some the neighbors, a navy that might not necessarily match the empire's ambitious foreign policy, religious tensions between Orthodox Christians, Oriental Christians, and Muslims, a resistance against Hellenization in certain parts of Africa and of the Middle East, differences between more developed regions and those who are still underdeveloped, and a geographical and regional position that is a double edged blade.
National Figures of Interest:

• Constantine the Great
• Justinian the Great
• Basil II the Bulgar Slayer
• Alexios I Komnenos
• Michael VIII Palaiologos

• Emperor Michael IX Palaiologos
• Prince Konstantinos Palaiologos, current Despot of Morea, younger brother of Emperor Michael
• Prince Manuel Palaiologos, Despot of Trebizond, youngest brother of Emperor Michael
• Princess Sophia Palaiologos, twin sister of Emperor Michael
• Princess Maria Palaiologos, younger sister of Emperor Michael
• Princess Anastasia Palaiologos, youngest sister of Emperor Michael
• Alexandros Kantakouzenos, Grand Logothete and Hypatos
• Ecumenical Patriarch Anthimus VI of Constantinople

National Ambition/Aspirations: A series of reforms meant to strengthen the Empire and to avoid the fall of its autocratic system, creating trade relations with the Oriental nations, improving the Empire's diplomacy, resolving the tense relations with the West.
Rival: Difficult to say. The Triple Monarchy sees the Empire of a Romans as a rival, but this rivalry is only partially reciprocated, while the Romans view the radical republics of the West, in France and the British Union, with suspicion.

RP Sample: I'm Thrace

History :

The long and glorious history of the Eastern Roman Empire begins of course, in the year of our Lord 284, when the Roman Emperor Diocletian divided the once mighty Empire into two. Rome was weak and sick... in order to survive and to persevere, it had to shed its filthy pagan origins, and to be reborn. The rebirth of Rome truly began with the reign of Constantine the Great. Roman Emperor and Saint, Equal-to-the-Apostles, protector of Christianity, savior of the Empire. He founded the New Rome, a capital that would reach and surpass the glory of the Eternal City.. the Queen of Cities. Constantinople. While the Western Empire continued to rot and to decade, and while the Old Rome was sacked by the Vandals...the righteous looked East. Majorian was the last competent Emperor of the old Western Empire, and while the West was broken, again and again, the East continued to grow even stronger. With the barbarous Vandals threatening their African possessions, the Emperors of Constantinople forced Majorian to attack them, an attack which ended in failure. A final, desperate attempt was made, but a joint Roman force was utterly defeated in the Battle of Cap Bon. The Roman war efforts against the Vandals ended in 470, as the West was breathing its last.
And when the Western Empire fell to the accursed barbarian known as Odoacer, Emperor Zeno knew that the time had come. With the death of Julius Nepos, and the abdication of Romulus Augustulus, the West had no Augustus... and when he received the imperial insignia of the West, Zeno declared himself Emperor of both the West and the East. The Roman Empire was reborn that day.
Unfortunately, the Romans were unable to take back Italy on their own, so Zeno negotiated with the Ostrogoths under Theodoric, who was sent to crush Odoacer as the magister militum per Italiam. While the Italian Peninsula was still nominally under Roman rule, any dreams of restoration had to wait. The one who would restore the Empire to its older glory had to be someone else. The Leonid dynasty soon died, with the energetic reformer known as Anastasius I as its last member. The Justinian Dynasty followed.
Oh, Justinian the Great, Emperor and Saint, Restitutor Orbis... the Restorer of the World. Justinian assumed the throne in 527, with a dream to restore the Roman Empire to its former glory. The Eastern Empire signed a peace with its eternal enemy Parthia in 523, and with the help of his wife Theodora, the eunuch Narses, and the generals Belisarius and Mundus, the Emperor used the Blue faction against the Green faction in order to bring an end to the Nika Riots. In 533, the Romans started their long campaign of reconquering the West. This reconquest began with the Roman attack on Vandal Africa under the command of the great general Belisarius. Taking advantage of the overthrowing of the friendly King Hilderic by his fanatic cousin Gelimer, the Romans invaded the Kingdom of the Vandals in order to bring Hilderic back on the throne. After a short and glorious campaign, the forces of Gelimer were crushed in the Battle of Ad Decimum, with Belisarius entering triumphantly in the ancient city of Carthage. With Africa mostly secured, the Romans turned towards Italy, the former heart of the Empire, where internal struggle had left the Ostrogothic Kingdom weakened. In 535, the Romans took back Sicily, before landing in Italy proper, but due to Gothic resistance, the war was prolonged. The Roman expedition would have probably been defeated if not for the genius of Belisarius. On the brink of defeat, the Ostrogoths offered Belisarius the title of Emperor of the West, but Belisarius fooled them, remaining loyal. Rome, Naples, and Ravenna were all conquered, and the Italian peninsula was brought back under Roman control. Perhaps influenced by Theodora, perhaps by the Patriarch or by the Pope, Justinian decided to reward Belisarius by making him his junior emperor, the Caesar of the West. Imperial rule in Italy was strengthened, and Athanaglid, a Visigothic noble from Hispania, called for the Empire's help against the Visigothic King, leading to the reconquest of a small slice of Hispania's coast. With that, the Empire was truly reborn. Roman troops, led by Belisarius and his son, managed to crush the Lombard-Saxon force that was threatening to invade Italy, keeping it under Imperial rule. Eventually, both Belisarius and Justinian died, bringing their new empire on the brink of destruction.
Justin II and Tiberius II were both mediocre Emperors, losing bits and pieces of Roman territory. However, their successor Maurice, was an extremely competent general-emperor, energetic and aggressive. He stopped the decline, intervening against Parthia, pushing the Avars and the Slavs back over the Danube. But this was not going to last. Maurice was murdered by the usurper Phocas the Accursed, and the Parthians pushed into Anatolia. A civil war soon started, led by Heraclius the Elder. Nicetas invaded Egypt, and after taking over Cyprus and Syria, Heraclius the Younger sailed to Constantinople with an icon affixed to the prow of his ship, managing to rally the citizens of the capital against the tyrant. Heraclius personally killed and beheaded Phocas, before the usurper's body was mutilated, paraded through the streets of Constantinople, and burned. The Parthians soon advanced against the Levant, taking over Damascus and Jerusalem, taking the True Cross to Parthia. The counterattack of Heraclius took the form of a holy war, with an acheiropoietos image of Jesus Christ being carried as a military standard. Constantinople was saved from an Avar siege by Patriarch Sergius and what was claimed to be an intervention by the Virgin Mary, which allowed the Emperor to focus on the Parthians. The enemy forces were destroyed at Nineveh in 627, and a peace treaty was signed. All captives and Christian relics were returned, while the borders before the war were restored. The True Cross was taken to Constantinople and placed high atop the altar of Hagia Sophia. Heraclius planned to return it to Jerusalem, and the Romans all expected their Emperor to lead them into a new age of glory. But the clouds of war were gathering at the Empire's borders. The Arabs had arrived.
The war with the Parthians had exhausted both empires, but the Roman forces in the Orient were still strong. The Battle of Ajnadayn ended indecisively, with the Romans managing to withdraw with most of their forces. Damascus and Jerusalem were both besieged, and Heraclius quickly gathered all his available forces, perhaps also receiving help from Parthia. Heraclius closely prepared this offensive, with the Muslim forces geographically divided, the Romans tried to exploit this situation, and to fight the enemy forces one by one, concentrating large forces against each of the Muslim armies before they would be able to consolidate their troops. In 636, leaving Antioch under the command of Theodore Trithyrius and Vahan, the Roman forces pushed through Syria. Having been unable to find out about the plans of the Roman forces, the Arab forces continued to remain divided. The Romans managed to avoid a decisive battle, as the forces of Theodore crushed the forces of Yazid near Damascus. Before the Arab commanders managed to realize the danger, the forces of Vahan fought and destroyed the Muslim forces in Emesa, while a third army, led by Heraclius' son Constantine, managed to inflict serious damage to the forces of Shurahbil in Kordan. The remains of the Muslim forces withdrew towards the besieged Jerusalem, where Khalid ibn al-Walid tried to draw the Roman forces into a situation where the Arabs would be able overcome their numerical disadvantage. Their armies clashed near Jerusalem, but the arrival of a force led personally by Heraclius took Khalid by surprise. Enraged, and unwilling to lose all his achievements because of this barbarian invasion, Heraclius managed to overcome his fear of the open sea, and to lead a force that had landed at Tyre, before it moved south, never found by the Muslims. The forces of Islam were surrounded, but Khalid led a final counterattack that allowed some of them to break through. Jerusalem was saved, but the Roman forces were exhausted, and weakened by internal tensions. The effort made by Heraclius in this battle was too much for his old age, and the Emperor died a few weeks later, in Jerusalem. With his death, the Roman Empire was unable to stop the Arab forces from storming Egypt and expanding into Africa. The eternal curse of the empire, blood being shed for the purple cloak of an emperor. A war for succession fought between the sons of Heraclius threatened everything that the Romans had fought for. Constantine died of tuberculosis, and the regency of Martina for Heraklonas was weak and corrupt, allowing the Muslim forces to push again, defeating the Roman forces near Jerusalem and sacking the city, before pushing towards Syria. As Heraklonas was overthrown by the general Valentinus, the empire was reduced to its Balkan possessions and Asia Minor, teetering on the brink of collapse.
In the Balkans, the weakened Roman lines were unable to stop the invasion of the Slavs, spearheaded by the Bulgars and the Khazars. In 680, Roman forces sent to take care of the Slavs were defeated, and Constantine IV signed a treaty with the Bulgar khan, creating the Bulgarian state that would threaten the Empire for centuries to come. Expeditions in 688 under Justinian II managed to strengthen imperial rule in Thrace, Macedonia, and Epirus, stopping the Slavs from advancing even further and saving Greece from further damage. Conflicts with the urban aristocracy however brought the reign of the Heraclian dynasty to an end. The Twenty Years' Anarchy followed, but neither the Slavs nor the Arabs were able to properly take advantage of it. For the Romans, it seemed like the end of times was there, and desperate for an answer and a solution, the people turned on the icons. Considering them to be idolatrous and claiming that the defeats of the empire were God’s punishment for heresy, the Iconoclasts came into power through Leo the Isaurian in 717. The Second Arab Siege of Constantinople was stopped with Greek Fire and with Bulgarian help as some said, but to the Iconoclasts, it was the divine confirmation they needed. Iconophiles and Icons were persecuted, starting the period of the Iconoclast Wars.


Salvation came through the system of the themata, a military-administrative reorganization around the army groups in Asia Minor, which allowed it to keep the Arabs at bay.
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The reforms of Michael III, from 842 to 886 A.D. set the ground for the Macedonian Renaissance, which officially began with the establishment of the Makedon Dynasty by the energetic and aggressive Emperor Basil I. Good financial policies increased the gold reserves of the Empire, while the iconoclast movement was breathing its last, declining, suppressed by the Emperors who were promoting religious unity. The themata system was perfected, and the legislative, cultural, and economic situation continued to improve. The support of the Emperors for the iconodule cause turned the Church once again into a great supporter of imperial rule and the power of the aristocracy was weakened.
But the Bulgarians were at the gates. Tsar Simeon I had defeated the Roman forces in 896, and by 912, Constantinople itself was threatened, with the Romans being forced to grant Simeon the crown of Basileus of Bulgaria, while the young Emperor Constantine VII was forced to marry one of the daughters of Simeon. A great imperial expedition was then defeated, and the Bulgarians pushed into Greece, but the death of Simeon weakened the Bulgars, giving the Romans time to breathe. But the empire would not forget the dangers it had experienced, and the ever-present enemy to the northwest. Emperor Basil II came to power, and taking advantage of silence on the Anatolian theater, he fought back. The Reconquest of the Balkans as it would become known, was a twenty years long war. A systematic conquest of Bulgaria that would have made Caesar proud was led by Basil. The Slavs were massacred, assimilated and converted, their population pushed out of the cities, replaced with colonists from Asia Minor. The Bulgarian army, the deadly rival of the legions, was definitively crushed in the Battle of Kleidon. Legends say that from the Bulgarian survivors, 99 out of every 100 soldiers were blinded, with the remaining hundredth man left with one eye as to lead his comrades home. The last Bulgarian Tsar, Samuil, is said to have died of heart attack after seeing the remains of his forces. Bulgaria surrendered, being defeated and removed from history. The Danube frontier was permanently restored. Basil the Great would remain known in history as the Bulgar Slayer (Βουλγαροκτόνος - Boulgaroktónos)
However, he unfortunately never planned his succession, and his death weakened the Empire. The professional army created by the Macedonian emperors was difficult to maintain, and the economy of the empire declined. Unlike in real life however, the continuous distrust between the two sides of the Roman Empire forced Constantinople to not completely reliant on mercenary troops, the tagma forces under the command of the Emperor retaining a certain level of organization. But the tensions between Rome and Constantinople exploded in 1040.

The Great Schism still happened in 1054, as an outburst of all the tensions between Rome and Constantinople.
The Seljuk Turks crossed into Armenia in 1067. The new emperor, Romanos Diogenes, broke a peace treaty with the Seljuk forces in order to attack them and liberate Armenia, but during the fateful Battle of Manzikert in 1071, the Roman forces were defeated and for the first time in history – a Roman Emperor was captured by a Muslim host. The name of Manzikert would forever be remembered as a tragedy and perhaps the most dangerous moment in the history of the empire.
The captured Romanos was brought in front of Sultan Arp Aslan, and while their meeting is surrounded by myth and legend, it is known that the Sultan released the Basileus, and imposed light terms on the defeated empire. The Anatolian heartland would have been spared, even if Antioch and other territories would have been lost – and Romanos accepted. Luckily for everyone involved, the traitor Andronikos Doukas, who had caused the rout of the Roman army during the battle, was captured by Romanos and by the Mamluk guards the Sultan had given to him – which resulted in Doukas being promptly blinded. This meant that the co-emperor in Constantinople, Michael VII Doukas, was not emboldened to conspire against the defeated Romanos, and Romanos with his remaining forces managed to defeat and kill the traitor Roussel de Bailleul and his mercenaries. Romanos remained in Anatolia, where he managed to strengthen the remaining Roman garrisons. He was however then assassinated upon returning to Constantinople, but his actions meant that the Seljuks were faced with resistance when invading Anatolia, and as such, they failed to displace the natives as much as they did in real life.
Meanwhile, the empire further fell into civil war, through rebellions against the incompetent Michael VII, and fights between the various generals - Nikephoros III murdered and replaced Michael, but he was outplayed by the Komnenoi family, who managed to convince the soldiers of Nikephoros, led by Nikephoros Melissenos, the brother in law of the young Alexios Komnenos, to revolt – leading to Alexios entering the city and being proclaimed Basileus without the need for Seljuk support. The period of civil strife ended with a much-weakened empire – but one that still had control of the core of Anatolia.
Under Alexios the Great, the Romans finally managed to fight back against the Turks and the Caliphate. Alexios was one the first Eastern Emperors to realize that reconciliation with Rome was necessary for the survival of both sides of the Roman Empire. The Western Empire was divided, with local princes and city-states holding more power than the imperial throne in Rome, and the New Rome was teetering on the verge of collapse.
This created some trust, and personal efforts by Alexios managed to soften the blow of the recent Schism. He married one of his daughters to the prince of Naples and became the first Eastern Emperor ever since Arcadius to visit the Old Rome.
The West accepted the East’s request for help. But not in the way Alexios would have expected. The Basileus was simply hoping for some reinforcements, some Western tagmata troops to help take the pressure off as he reorganized the themata. But instead, the East was swarmed by hordes of Catholic knights and peasants, fanaticized by the speeches of the Pope and Catholic priests about retaking the Holy Land. Thus, the crusades began. The People’s Crusade pillaged its way through the Balkans, and Alexios’ mercy was the only thing that stopped the Imperial Army was massacring them. Instead, he gave them escorts and tried to send them to one of the Anatolic themes in order to provide them with equipment and training, but they abandoned their escorts, pillaged their way through Anatolia, and attacked the Seljuks – only to be ambushed near the Cilician Gates.
It took another few months for the actual crusaders to reach Constantinople, and the tensions between the West and the East once again made themselves be known. Alexios tried and managed to gain oaths of allegiance from the crusader leaders, making them swear that they would return any liberated territories to the East’s rule. As such, a grand campaign began – but the Roman reinforcements sent with the crusaders were stopped by a Seljuk attack. The crusaders attacked and conquered Antioch without any help and believing that Alexios had breached his part of the deal – the Principality of Antioch was born.
While the cooperation between the Romaoi of the East and the crusaders continued, relations quickly broke down. With Eastern reinforcements, the crusaders pushed along the coast and eventually reached Jerusalem, but the crusader force was much larger than the imperial one. The Western knights besieged and them sacked Jerusalem in a frenzy, despite the best attempts of the Roman troops to calm them down. During the chaos, Roman forces however managed to gain control of the place where the Church of the Holy Sepulchre once stood, leading to further tensions between the "Latins“ and the Romans, which continued as further crusader states were established.
In terms of prosperity and expansion, the Komnenian period was a true rebirth. The close relation with the Italians and the other Westerners led to Roman art, culture, knowledge being spread towards the West, while various Western ideas and customs were also brought to the Empire. The death of this great Emperor however cut the personal relations between Rome and Constantinople, planting the seeds for what was to come.
His son, Ioannes II, was not content with seeing whom he thought of as barbarians as traitors occupying the rightful lands of the empire. He crushed the Pecheneg threat, and defeated the Hungarians and the Serbs in the Balkans, further pushed the Seljuks towards the Caucasus, and perhaps most important for the future – he demanded the submission of the Crusader states, who appealed to Rome for help. The Western Caesar was hesitant, but some of the states under his control weren’t. John managed to finally liberate all of Anatolia and to conquer Antioch, and he was also the one to finally reconquer Taurica for the Empire. His successor, Manuel II, was even more aggressive – he personally invaded and obtained the surrender of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and he then rallied his armies and the armies of the now vassal crusaders for an attack of Egypt – that ended in the disastrous Battle of Pelousion.
1180 marked the final decline of the Komnenoi, as the regency of the Frankish mother of the young Alexios II Komnenos was incredibly unpopular. Andronikos I, a grandson of Alexios I, launched a revolt, overthrowing and killing Alexios II and massacring many of the Latins of Constantinople, who were believed to be the true power behind the regency. This only further destroyed whatever goodwill there was left between the two halves of the empire.
The reign of Andronikos began with a strong campaign against corruption, which earned him the support of the peasantry, but his struggle against the nobility earned him many enemies. Andronikos was never overthrown like in real life, and as such, the Komnenoi survived for a little longer, with his son, Ioannes III Komnenos, as the next Emperor. A mediocre leader, Ioannes was unable to do anything significant towards repairing the relations with Rome, and during his reign, an Islamic counterattack took over Jerusalem.
After his death, he was followed by his younger brother, Manuel II Komnenos, a son of Andronikos with the Western princess Agnes. Manuel was a much better leader than his predecessor, and his few reforms attempted to strengthen the empire. However, in the last years of his reign, Manuel fell under the control of the manipulative noble and Grand Logothete Alexios Angelos. Angelos married a daughter of Manuel, hereby gaining a vague claim at the throne, all in the hope of stopping Manuel’s firstborn son, Alexios Komnenos, who was perceived as pro-Western due to his half-blood, from taking the throne.
The plot of the Angeloi failed, but Manuel’s son was merciful after taking the throne, a mistake that would cost him his life.
From 1198 to 1204, the Fourth Crusade was planned pretty much just like in real life, but with the objective of retaking Jerusalem. The Crusade was spearheaded by Venice, and instead of paying the Venetians, the crusaders agreed to help them establish Venice's rule again in the Western Roman city-state of Zara. The Pope and the Western Emperor were both was reluctant to intervene against Venice, and as such, it continued. Alexios Angelos however, having been sent into exile, was seeking for aid in order to press his claim to the throne. Angelos offered to put the Ecumenical Patriarchy under the control of the Pope, to play the crusaders 200,000 silver marks, and to join the crusade against Jerusalem with all the troops at his disposal, while also promising to grant the crusaders their claims over the Levant. The Pope tried to stop this plan, but his letter arrived after the crusaders had left Zara. Alexios III was not expecting the crusaders to be hostile, so the city was unprepared. He was murdered in front of the gates of Constantinople, after the crusaders had deceived him to leave the walls in order to take part in a ceremony. Along with loyal Roman troops, Alexios Angelos took over the city, while the crusaders awaited their payment along the walls. Angelos was crowned as Alexios IV, killing the wife of the previous emperor, but the young daughter of Alexios III, Princess Eirene, was hidden in a monastery inside the city by Komnenoi supporters. Before a civil war could even properly start, tensions rose sharply between the crusaders and the Romans. In a coup d'etat against Alexios, yet another Alexios, Doukas this time, a noble who had married a cousin of Alexios III, started a revolt in the city, his men murdering every foreigner and Latin they could find. Alexios IV was murdered in front of the Hagia Sophia, and the crusaders attacked the city. Alexios Doukas was then murdered by someone else, and the imperial throne was left open, in the Thirty Years' Anarchy that had just started. A young noble called Michael Palaiologos, born earlier in this timeline, was in the city when the chaos started, and the young officer mobilized the remaining forces against the crusaders. Using burning ships and Greek fire, the garrison of Constantinople managed to burn parts of the Venetian fleet, forcing it to withdraw. The remaining crusaders managed to break into the city through an opened gate, although historians debate to this day whether the gate had been damaged in the fighting or intentionally let open by an ally of the crusaders inside the city. As soon as they properly entered the city however, the crusaders abandoned any sort of organized form of fighting, looting and raiding, killing and raping, even going so far as to attack and burn churches inside the city, and to rape the nuns serving in them. In the disaster which would become known as the Sack of Constantinople, the crusaders caused great damage but were unable to take over the city, being pushed back and then hunted to the last man by the garrison. Barely just remaining in control, Michael Palaiologos managed to pacify the city over the next few weeks, secretly saving as much innocent, Latin civilians as possible, ferrying them from Galata towards the other side of the Bosporus.

Led by the remains of the Venetian forces, the crusaders caused chaos in Macedonia, sacking and burning the city of Thessaloniki, creating their own states, including a so-called Latin Empire which claimed the Eastern imperial position. Venetian forces took over parts of the Aegean islands, over Morea and parts of Epirus, while other crusaders created a small state in Thrace after they took Adrianople through trickery. Meanwhile, in Asia Minor, a Doukas pretender claimed the throne, and the remaining Angeloi did the same, creating a state with the capital in Mytilene. In Trebizond, another alleged Komnenoi claimed the imperial mantle. Isaac Komenos had a short reign in Cyprus before being assassinated, and the Muslim forces started new offensive in the Levant. Everything seemed to be lost. But Michael, hailed as the savior of Constantinople, was there to take control. The Palaiologoi was crowned as Emperor by the Ecumenical Patriarch in early 1205, acclaimed by the people of Constantinople, by the army and by the senate, marrying Princess Eirene in order to solidify his claim to the throne. At the same time, the Senate awarded him the honorary title of Soter (Σωτήρ), the Savior, a title which would remain the epithet of all Palaiologoi monarchs from that point onward. The new Emperor was young and aggressive, calling the native Roman population to fight against the vilified crusaders. In a swift move, Michael attacked Adrianople, taking it after some of the inhabitants opened one of the smaller gates. The captured crusaders were executed, but before he was able to move on to Macedonia, the Doukas pretender attacked the loyal city of Nicaea. Michael crossed the Bosporus, reaching Asia Minor, defeating the pretender in the Battle of Nicaea. With the sudden and mysterious disappearance of the entire Angeloi family from Mytilene, Michael was able to retake the entire theme of Thrace, including its Asian lands.
..
For the next thirty years, for most of his reign, Michael managed to wage successful wars against most of his enemies, alternating campaigns between Europe and Asia. The death of the Doukas pretender 10 years later brought an end to the rebellions in Asia Minor, and the region was pacified. With a lot more strength than before, the Romans defeated the crusaders in the Battle near Mount Chortiatis, pushing into Macedonia and Greece. The death of Michael in 1235 found the core territories of the empire back under Constantinople's rule. His status as a hero and a saint greatly improved the prestige of the Palaiologoi, and a series of extremely successful emperors managed to properly create a proper hereditary legitimacy for the succession to the imperial throne, hereby creating the Palaiologos dynasty.
The chaos of the Thirty Years' Anarchy and the wars between the Romans and the Crusaders weakened the overall Christian position in the Middle East, and the Muslims under the Ayyubid Caliphate of Saladin had already crushed most of the crusader states and brought most of Palestine and Syria back under Muslim control. Internal issues after Saladin's death stopped the Caliphate from trying to push into Anatolia, but soon after the death of Michael Palaiologos and the succession of his son, Andronikos, to the imperial throne, three centuries of Roman-Ayyubid Wars began in their earnest. The reign of Andronikos and of his immediate successors were generally defensive, as the Romans did what Romans do best - protect their borders and gather their forces. The two greatest accomplishments of the reign of Andronikos were the reorganization of the themata system, which finished his father's military reforms, and his economic reforms which kickstarted an economic recovery that the East Romans so desperately needed. The son of Andronikos, Gregorios, recreated the beleaguered Roman Navy from scratch, and the new Palaiologan navy managed to crush the Venetian Navy in the Sea or Marmara and later in the Aegean Sea, ending the Venetian dominance of those seas permanently, and leading to the eventual reconquest of Crete and Cyprus.
Further Palaiologoi continued to strengthen the empire, waging continuous wars in the East while also attempting to repair the destroyed relations with the West. Two Emperors, Konstantinos VII and Manuel IV eventually managed to do just so, sending military aid to Rome in their time of greatest need, organizing an Ecumenical Council of Ravenna in 1450 that canceled the mutual excommunications of 1054 and mending the Schism, bringing the churches back together, at least from a political point of view. The split in the Church along doctrinal, theological, linguistic and geographical lines was however never going to be healed, as proven even today by the followers of the Catholic, Latin rite, and by the followers of the Orthodox, Greek rite. One church with two heads, as many say even today, that was the formula that the council adopted.
Manuel IV is also the one who managed to recover Antioch from the Mamluk Sultanate, as the Romans finally went on the offensive. By 1500, Damascus had fallen, and despite setbacks like the defeat in the Battle of Sidon, the Romans gained the upper hand, liberating Jerusalem in the Mamluk-Roman War of 1552. By 1587, the Romans managed to gain the Sinai Peninsula, breaking the Mamluk possessions into two, and by 1642, Cairo and Alexandria were liberated, breaking the Mamluk state. Further wars with the self-declared Caliphate of Asyut led to the Romans pushing south along the Nile, and by 1681, Basileus Alexios IX celebrated the liberation of Egypt with a triumph in Constantinople. Over the next century, the neutral relations between the Parthians and the Romans denigrated yet again, leading to chaotic and pointless wars being fought in 1731 and 1757, before the establishment of yet another Eternal Peace, that allowed following Emperors to focus more on Europe, and to play a role in the Revolutionary Wars. Roman victories confirmed the rising power of the two Empires, but relations further deteriorated, as a stronger and larger Eastern Empire attempted yet again to push the West into submission. Further contact with Europe accelerated changes into the empire, however.
Ioannes came into power at a turning point for the empire. The reforms of his predecessors had greatly modernized the state, but they also led to the introduction of more and more enlightened ideas into the realm. Students in Constantinople rebelled against autocratic rule in the day of his coronation, and the new Basileus responded to the situation in the same way he would face all issues throughout his reign – initially with brute force, by sending the Varangians and Numeroi to disperse the rebels, and then through diplomacy, promising token reforms and then finding a foreign enemy to focus on. For Ioannes, this enemy was found not outside the empire, but inside – in the Muslim community of Egypt. Restrictions unlike ever before were placed, the process of Romanization was reformed and reorganized, and those who opposed it were basically forced into slavery – for Ioannes had a great ambition. For too long had the Suez Isthmus interfered with Roman dominance in the Red Sea. The dream of a grand canal to connect the Mediterranean to the Red Sea and Asia beyond already existed, being proposed by several Roman and foreign engineers for close to a decade now. Ten years into his reign, in 1858, Ioannes officially began the construction of the canal, using large numbers of forced workers, and the Canal of Suez was officially opened in 1869. Ioannes also focused on an expansive and complicated foreign policy. The Basileus tried to further improve the relations between the two sides of the empire, but also to subtly undermine the position of the Western Caesar. In the East, rising tensions with Parthia led to several conflicts, while further East, good trade relations and military cooperation were established with Korea and its Viceroyalty, while also accepting the delegation of the newly created Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Such policies turned the empire and the Suez into the Western terminus of the Asian-European trade, greatly benefitting its economy. Economically, Ioannes properly led the empire into the age of industrialization, turning parts of the empire’s European possessions and Asia Minor into industrialized areas, while also coordinating land and agriculture reforms, supervising policies of urbanization and colonization in Egypt and the Levant. Internally, the Emperor relied on the support of the demes, turning the Blues and the Greens against each other, emphasizing their political role while also stopping them from effectively forming a common front against him, while his popular policies mellowed any sort of concrete popular opposition to his rule. Known as Ioannes the Great, the Basileus eventually died in 1880, being followed by his son, Andronikos.
Andronikos V Palaiologos was a different man. He was every bit as capable as his father, but he was arrogant, easy to anger, a very demanding perfectionist, and a complete and utter believer in his divine right to rule. Whatever reforms Ioannes had tried to organize internally, they were squashed, as the new monarch relied on his own autocratic powers, on the support of the Orthodox Church and on Roman nationalism to support his reign. Internally, he continued the campaigns against the non-citizens in the East, he suppressed the remaining powers of the Senate, and relied heavily on the aristocracy and the Blue deme. He involved the Empire in the Scramble for Africa, taking over Nubia and trying to exert some influence over Ethiopia. In the East, his aggressive policies led to the Roman-Parthian War of 1880-1882 a pointless and brutal war in the desert of Mesopotamia. Further to the East, he received a delegation from the Taiping that included members of their imperial family, and he hosted them in Constantinople for nearly two years, but upon realizing just how heretical the Taiping faith was from an Orthodox perspective, he broke relations with the Heavenly Kingdom and banished the delegation. To the West, he tried to further emphasize the authority of the Basileus in Constantinople over that of the Caesar in Rome, repeatedly trying to undermine the authority of the Western Emperor, and even going as far as to request Alessandra, the Caesara who took over the throne from her father in 1889, to personally come to Constantinople to receive her imperial insignia from his hands, something she refused to do, paralyzing relations between the two states.
Andronikos further became known as a ruthless, brutal ruler after stories of how he treated his children began to appear – as he took personal charge of their education, naming all three of them as Despots and even going as far as to have them conscripted as regular soldiers in the field. But just as Europe was waiting to see what he would do next, Andronikos died in sleep in the Great Palace of Constantinople, in December 1889.
And now, the imperial throne belongs to his son, Michael X Palaiologos.

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[Of Leben]

Reservation

Nation Name: Ruthenian Empire
Territory: All of the historical Russian empire, including Wallachia and Moldavia.
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[Elerian]

Full Nation Name : Kaiserliche Union von Deutschland (Imperial Union of Germany)

Majority/Official Culture : German
Territorial Core : On the Map
Territorial Claim : Colonial Ambitions
Capital City : Frankfurt
Population : European population: 63,750,000
African Colonies: 2,000,000
South American Colonies: 13,000,000

Government Type : Semi-Constitutional monarchy
Government Ideology/Policies : Imperialist, Monarchism, Traditionalism
Government Focus : Legitimacy and Stability first, followed by the Military, then the Economy
Head of State : Kaiser Carloman III
Head of Government : Reichskanzler Otto Von Bismarck
Government Description : Most of the power still resides with the Monarch, the elected Senate is administered by the Reichskanzler who is appointed by the Kaiser. The Senate can veto the Kaiser's decree with a 2/3rds majority. Laws made by the Senate must be okayed by the Kaiser unless the Senate overrules him with a 2/3rds majority. The King has a number of executive powers and can grant amnesty or declare a state of emergency giving him full power with just the acceptance of the Reichskanzler.

Majority/State Religion : Majority Protestant and Catholic
Religious Description :

Economic Ideologies : Protectionism
Major Production : Coal, Steel, Chemicals, Heavy Industry, Light Industry, Agricultural Goods
Economic Description : Leading the world in several industries including finance, arms manufacturing, and chemicals, Germany maintains a powerhouse economy that is increasingly enriched by industrial manufacturing.

Development: Modern
Development Description : A leading nation in European industrialization, Germany has long been at the forefront of growing its industry and attempting to maintain pace or surpass rivals.

Army Description : With a standing army of 30 infantry divisions and eight cavalry divisions, the German army theoretically has 760,000 professional soldiers at any given time. However, the divisions are often under strength during peacetime. In reserve, the Germans may call upon a further 100 infantry divisions and another eight cavalry divisions. Armed with the Gewehr 88, the entire mobilized military stands at 3.32 million soldiers, among the largest in the world. Since the wars of Religion, the Imperial Army was characterized by its initiative, maneuverability, and aggressive command at the operational level of war. The German states often had fewer resources and manpower than their rivals, and thus the Empire focused on quickly achieving a decisive victory to avoid a war of attrition. This is due in large part to the lack of central authority in centuries past. The German emphasis on attack is well ingrained in its officer corps, and wars of movement and quick strikes have suited the Empire well since their institution.
Army Weakness : German military systems are often regarded as weak in intelligence, counterintelligence, and logistics. The Imperial Army is used to relying on superior organization and tactical factors such as order of battle to focus superior troops against inferior ones. This is important for when the enemy forces are of an equal or lesser quantity, but when the enemy has superior numbers this is far less effective. However, they become considerably less important when the German armies face forces that outnumber their own. Additionally the Imperial army remains an institution controlled by the Aristocracy, often requiring its officer’s to purchase commissions, therefore the Army is hardly a meritocratic institution.
Naval Description : The Imperial Navy is split into several theaters including the Baltic, North Atlantic, and South Atlantic. The Navy is an all-volunteer force that draws heavily from areas of the Empire with a strong maritime tradition, like the Netherlands and former Hansa member cities. The Empire’s naval institution is based in the Frisian and Dutch Provinces of the Empire, with more Easterly German ports serving secondary roles. More well paying than the Army, the naval academy at Rotterdam is highly selective and demanding. Relying on meritocratic promotion rather than relying on the Aristocracy, creating an officer corps that is highly competent.
Naval Weakness : With colonial territories to patrol, the German navy is spread thin. Because of this, there is almost no way that the fleet can utilize all their potential in one theater without sacrificing security in others. Imperial German warships place a greater emphasis on speed and utilization of more secondary guns than primary guns. As such, German warships are often less armed and armored than some of her rivals.
Further Military Description : There is an intense rivalry between the Navy and Army, each representing very different strata of society. The Army represents tradition and the elite, and the Navy represents progress and the middle class.

National Goals : Strengthen the Economy, Maintain Stability, and Enlarge Colonial Possessions
National Issues : Radical Republicanism to the West, Russian Industrialization to the East, Maintaining overseas colonies
National Figures of Interest : Luitpold the Bavarian, Otto von Bismarck, Arminius, etc.
National Ambition/Aspirations : Establishing a Status Quo with Germany as top dog

History :
907 - Grand Prince Árpád makes an effort to cross the Danube with his horse archers, but during the crossing, Margrave Luitpold of Bavaria attacks the Hungarians in the river and destroys them, killing Árpád in the process, and gaining a pyrrhic victory at Pressburg
908 - For his victory over the Hungarians at Pressburg, Luitpold is named Duke of Bavaria
911 - Louis the Child dies of severe depression and an ill constitution at the age of 17
911 - After the death of Louis the Child, Luitpold is elected king of East Francia on 10 November 911 at Forchheim by the rulers of Saxony, Swabia and Franconia, establishing the Huosian dynasty in Eastern Francia
911 to 918 - Luitpold works to limit the power of the stem duchies, but is only marginally successful
918 - With the death of Luipold the Bavarian, his son Arnulf the Bad assumes the Kingship of East Francia
919 to 923 - Fewer raids are forthcoming from the Germans, and Arnulf is able to divert his attention to the nobility and expanding on Monarchic authority
923 to 935 - Arnulf gains the moniker The Bad for his campaigns against East Francia’s nobility, utilizing Church lands and funds to bolster his position
936 - Arnulf the Bad passes peacefully at his residence in Regensburg, hated by both the Church and Nobility
937 - Arnulf’s son, Eberhard assumes the throne with little fanfare
938 to 946 - Eberhard’s reign is marked only by his decision to move the Capital to Regensburg, before passing in 946
947 to 955 - Eberhard’s son, Carloman II strengthened the royal authority by re-asserting the old Carolingian rights over ecclesiastical appointments. He wrested from the nobles the powers of appointment of the bishops and abbots, who controlled large land holdings. Additionally, Carloman revived the old Carolingian program of appointing missionaries in the borderlands of the Empire. Carloman continued to support celibacy for the higher clergy, so ecclesiastical appointments would never become hereditary.
955 - In the battle of Lechfeld, German forces of King Carloman annihilated a Hungarian army. With this victory, further invasions by the Magyars into Germany were ended.
957 - Riding the high of his victory over the Hungarians, Carloman is named father of the fatherland by his army, and crowned as Emperor
978 to 980 - West Francia invades and captured Aachen, but Carloman, counterattacks and reached the walls of Paris. In 980 West Francia is forced to renounce their rights to Lotharingia and cede Flanders
983 - Carloman II dies, leaving behind no legitimate heir, the house of Huosian is extinguished

The death of Carloman marked the end of the Huosian Dynasty in 983, and in combination with a famine the following year led to civil war. A system of elective monarchy was established with the Salian Dynasty ascending to the throne in 986 by the decision of a council of the stem dukes to elect Otto of Worms as the new Emperor. The country then started a gradual recovery from the succession crisis following the extinction of the Huosian dynasty.

The death of Carloman led to a great reduction of the Imperial authority enjoyed by the Huosians. The Stem Duchies and nobility would remain as the dominant force for centuries. The Salians held the Imperial Crown for three successive generations before their own dynasty died out with Henry V in 1125. The Salian dynasty’s major contribution to Imperial Authority was through developing a permanent administrative system based on a class of public officials answerable to the crown.

Following the demise of the Salians, Duke Frederick II and Conrad, of the Hohenstaufen Dynasty, by their mother Agnes, were grandsons of late Emperor Henry IV and nephews of Henry V. Frederick succeeded to the throne of the Empire through a customary election, defeating the Saxon duke Lothair of Supplinburg. Like the Salians and Huosians before them, the Staufers ruled the Germans for a number of generations until their own house ceased with Conrad IV in 1254. It's during the death throes of the Salian dynasty that Lower Austria is initially lost to the Bohemians.

Supported by the Pope, William II of Holland took the throne of the Germans the year following Conrad IV’s death. Using his influence, William established his dynasty as the next series of Emperors for some years. His base in Holland and Frisia ensured the Old Dutch would remain a part of the Empire until modern times. Unfortunately however, the Hollands permanently lose Austria to the Bohemian crown, effectively removing Bohemia from the Empire's influence. It's during the time of the Holland dynasty that the stem duchies begin to lose their power and fracture into smaller constituent states. Because of a lack of effective succession laws, the German Dukes and their domains became fractured in the centuries since the rule of the Huosians and Karlings. The Holland dynasty is short lived as it ends with the grandson of William II, John I in 1299.

A cadet branch of the Hollands inherits the County of Holland, Zeeland, and other Imperial Holdings. Using their newfound power, the House of Avesnes takes the Imperial Throne through election. The first Empress of the Empire is from the Avesnes dynasty, taking the throne in 1345, but in turn ending the male line of the House of Avesnes.

The throne passed seamlessly to her son, William V, of House Wittelsbach. This shifts the powerbase of the Empire away from Holland and back to Bavaria. But the Empire thereafter begins a decline. Difficulties began, with frequent raids from many sides. Agriculture suffered from the beginning of the Little Ice Age. As in the rest of Europe, plague was a frequent occurrence between 1340 and 1490, as with the infamous Black Plague.

The 1500’s were little better for the Empire. With the publication of the Ninety-five Theses by Martin Luther in 1517, there the seeds of the Protestant reformation would be sown. The 1521 Edict of Worms condemned Luther and officially banned citizens of the Empire from defending or propagating his ideas, and would lead to over a century of bloodshed.

The Reformation would leave Germany a smoldering wreck, and ultimately remove the Wittelsbach dynasty from their century of Imperial Rule. Yet, at least with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, the wars of religions for Germany were largely behind her. Although battered and bruised, the Empire of the Germans ended the war with some territorial concessions, including Prussia from the Swedes.

The next two centuries follow with the Empire first looking inward, and then outward. The Dutch had lost much of their influence following the rise of the Wittelsbach, but with the discovery of the New World, they had moved their attention overseas. In the late 16th century, the elite of the Dutch, Frisians, and Flemish chartered a company with the mission of exploring North America's Rivers and Bays for a direct passage through to the Indies. Along the way, explorers were charged to claim any uncharted areas for Lothier. Although many colonies were established by the Dutch, and influenced by the wider German state, most were lost in the subsequent wars of religion to hungry colonial powers. Divided, the Empire could have never hoped to become a major colonial power, but following the wars of religion more focus could be placed on expanding the colonies that still remained to them.

Additionally, with the rise of radical Republics in France and Britain, the Empire required allies so as to not succumb to the ire of these new powers. It was firstly in the Empire’s best interests to make peace with their former enemies in Bohemia. An olive branch was extended and well received by the Triple Monarchy.

To the North lay the distant kin of the Germans in Scandinavia. Once a great power in its own right, the Scandinavians had become less influential in Europe. Yet, their navy was strong and would couple well with Germany’s own.

Next, in the last few decades the Empire has ingratiated itself to the Iberians who share a similar form of government, and also fear from the French menace.

And so Germany finds itself in a precarious situation in Europe. She has many friends, but just as many enemies...

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[Theyra]

Full Nation Name : Parthian Empire, or simply known as Parthia or rarely Persia
Majority/Official Culture : The two main cultures of the empire are Parthian, which is more than half of Persia while the rest is predominantly Persian. Other cultures exist in the empire and are tolerated.
Territorial Core : Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait
Territorial Claim : Turkmenistan
Capital City : Rhages (Shahr-e Rey, Iran)
Population : 14,450,000

Government Type : Absolute Monarchy
Government Ideology/Policies : Light Militarism, light Irredentism, Industrialism
Government Focus : Defense of the Empire from all threats takes top priority and expanding the economy via industry a second priority and expanding the borders the third priority unless an opportunity presents itself.
Head of State : Shahanshah Ararad Askari
Head of Government : Same as above
Government Description : While the Parthian Empire is an Absolute Hereditary Monarchy with House Askari currently at its head. The Empire has a constitution of sorts in the Basic Laws of Parthia, outlining important tenets of the empire along with guaranteeing fundamental rights to its people. The succession of the throne is determined by the Council of Seven or The Seven Clans. The Council is made up of the seven oldest and powerful Parthian clans in the empire who vote and decide who inherits the throne. Any of the previous ruler's children are eligible for rulership, and an Imperial Regent is in charge of the empire until the council makes it decision. In the event that the Council can not decide under a certain time, then the regent chooses whoever has the most votes among the council. House Suren, the unofficial leader of the council, has the personal right to crown the new ruler at each coronation.

Majority/State Religion : Zoroastrianism
Religious Description : While Zoroastrianism is the state religion and is followed by the majority of citizens of the empire. Religious tolerance is a long practiced tradition of the empire. People are allowed to freely worship what they want as long as it does not hinder the empire or harm other citizens.

Economic Ideologies : Capitalism with some nationalization industries
Major Production : Petroleum, Natural Gas, Industrial Products, Textiles, Iron, Copper, Minerals and Agricultural Products
Economic Description : the Petroleum industry heavily supports the economy while other industries are growing around it, such as steel and copper. The empire continues to be a major center of trading on the Silk Road, with Hecatompylos being a major trade node in the region.

Development: Semi-Industrialized
Development Description : The empire after despite decades of modernizing, it is still modernizing. Where Mesopotamia and coastal regions of Persia are fully Industrialized. Persia and Afghanistan are lacking behind due to mountianous environment of the two regions hindering process. Though some places in Persia and Afghanistan are Industrialized like the captial of Rhages and Kabul. At least three railroads have been made to connect the empire from east to west.

Army Description : The Parthian Army, with the glaring knowledge that larger nations surround the empire, formed a strong military tradition that stresses efficient and high-quality troops. Specialized in defense tactics and using their cavalry as skirmishers to harass the enemy flank and rear. Static forts are located in strategic locations along the borders and are made with the intent to inflict as much damage as possible and prolong the enemy advance further inland. In the event, a fort falls or is going to fall. The army falls back to secondary forts deeper in the empire, and the cavalry focuses on raiding and harassing enemy supply lines along with being sensibly trained to fight in desert and mountain terrains. The empire maintains a standing army of 289,000, with 200,000 in reserves. Conscription is enforced for males and females and a minimum of two years of service before being placed in the reserves.

Army Weakness : Militarily smaller than its neighbors, rely on static defenses and the local environment to delay the enemy. Trained in defensive tactics and not offensive tactics.
Naval Description : Small but effective with 30 ships ready for naval combat. More ships can be pressed, primary merchant ships. Their main focus in a war is to deny entrance into the Persian Gulf then engage a rival fleet in open waters.
Naval Weakness : With the focus on the land army, the navy lacks funding and quality personal.
Further Military Description : N/A

National Goals : Preservation of the empire and current territory, Securing diplomatic ties with possible allies and reclaiming lost territory
National Issues : Surrounded by larger neighbors, Growing public support for a more democratic government, tensions between the Shahanshah and the Council of Seven clans.
National Figures of Interest : Shahanshah Ararad Askari
Shahbanu Mirna Askari
Shahdokht Serine Askari
Khigar Suren - head of Clan Suren

National Ambition/Aspirations : N/A

History :

While the ancient history of the Parthian Empire officially starts in 247 BC, when Arsaces, the elected leader of the Parni tribes, led an invasion of Parthia after its satrap seceded from the Seleucid Empire. The Parni tribe swiftly conquering Parthia and Arsaces founded the Arsacid Dynasty.

224 AD is considered the starting date for the beginning of the road of modern Parthia and near collapse of the empire. Parthia was weakened by civil wars and losing wars with the Romans that a Parthian vassal named Ardashir I based in southern Persia, started to exploit the weakness of the empire by conquering nearby regions against the wills of Parthians. The current Shah Artabanus V, after losing several battles against Ardashir, personally led a final battle against the rebel that would decide the fate of the empire. The Parthians, after a costly battle, succeeded in killing Ardashir and ultimately defeating his forces. However, Artabanus was maimed during the battle and died a week later to his injuries. The throne would have gone to Artabanus's brother Vologases VI who Artabanus ousted from the throne in a previous civil war. However, the nobility was tired of the civil strife that plagued the empire under the Arsacids. Eight clans led by Tevan Sarian of Clan Sarian, a clan with blood ties to the Arsacids, decided that letting another Arsacid on the throne would only lead to more civil wars and further weakening of the empire till nothing was left. The clans under Tevan launched a coup against Vologases as before he could resume his rule of Parthia. Starting a brief civil war where Vologases VI failed to retake his throne and was exiled from Parthia. Permanently ending the Arsacid Dynasty's rule of the Parthia Empire in 226 AD.

Under the Sarian Dynasty, the first course of action for the empire after Tevan secured his hold over the empire was the formation of the Council of Seven. The council made up of the seven clans that helped Tevan become the Shahanshah and formed to help deal with future succession problems. The council decided who among the Tevan's line would become the next Shahanshah and would pledge their loyalty to their chosen candidate. As the Shahanshah would always have the support of the seven clans and return, the Shahanshah would allow them always to retain their power and even reclaim what they lost under the decline of the empire. Tevan spends the rest of his rule rebuilding the empire.

In 322 AD under Tevan's son and later grandson Vahaken Sarian. The empire fared well, but while under Vahaken's reign, a series of rebellions broke out in Persia by ambitious nobles. After defeating them and seeing how the current system of Led to him wanting to centralize the Empire. Though he shortly died to a heart attack before he could start and his son Jivan would try to finish what his father started. This was met with resistance by the nobles who did not wish to give of their semi-autonomy. In the end, Jivan was unable to centralize the empire due to fears of more noble revolts and would instead seek to improve infrastructure in the empire.

In 435 AD under Shahanshah Yezras, following like his forebears Vahaken and Jivan, wished to centralize the empire and in preparation for doing so. He made alliances with the major clans and with some money going to certain nobles. Yezras managed to centralize the empire and hoped that now there would be less of a chance nobles becoming rebellious and make the central government stronger. Thus, making him more powerful and would spend the rest of his reign building up the empire while dealing with some raiders in the north.

512 AD under Shahanshah Diran, the empire would see a decline due to corruption taking hold in the court. Diran despite being chosen by the Council for his ability to rule the empire properly. He had proven to be a lier and a conniving schemer who seemly pretend to be a fair ruler to be selected to be able to abuse his powers as Shahanshah. Increasing taxes on the people to fill his own coffers so he could engage of a life of great luxury. Delegating his duties to others allowing unscrupulous individuals to "donate" to him so they can get what they want. There was a rebellion against Diran but, it was harshly put down, and Diran put measures in place to put the people in their place. He would later be known as Diran the Terrible.

633 AD under Shahanshah Nazar was when the Empire was raided and then invaded by the growing Rashidun Caliphate in the south. In response, Yezras raised an army to deal with the invaders. During an important battle in Mesopotamia, Nazar was killed, and the Parthian army was beaten. Mesopotamia was taken, and while the Council of Seven was busy deciding on Nazar's successor, which none of them seem up for the task of ruling. Shahdokht(Princess) Sybilla, Nazar's only sibling, was chosen as regent and quickly took control of the imperial army to plan to retake Mesopotamia from the Caliphate. The Caliphate, now under Umar, tried to invade Persia proper and had mixed results. Sybilla, with the help of a Parthian general named Kapriel Salehi. The Parthian army, after four years of war, managed to drive the Caliphate forces out of Perisa after a decisive battle. Out of Mesopotamia and a peace was signed. Soon after, seeing how Sybilla handled herself during the war and after much consideration. The council decided that she would be Nazar's successor. Becoming the first female ruler of the empire and worked to stop the decline of the empire. Rooting out corruption and making reforms.

746 AD Under Sybilla's heirs, Shahanshah Tevan II reign was plagued by raiders from the north and internal struggles. When a sizeable nomadic tribe called the Rul started to make significant raids in the empire's northern held lands of Turkmenia. Tevan II raised an army and went north to deal with the raiders. Meanwhile, while he was away, his relative Arakel, a descendant of Nazar believing that Nazar's line should be ruling the Empire and not Sybilla's line. Arakel organized a rebellion to take control of the empire. When Tevan II found out he has a chance, tried to defeat the raiders and secure the Parthian's old homeland or move south and deal with Arakel. Either way, Tevan II would lose something and, after much thought. He chose to take on Arakel, ordered his army away from the Turkmenia, and rushed to meet his relative in battle. The rebellion soon becoming a civil war. The civil war would last six years before Tevan II would eventually defeat his Arakel and was later executed for treason. While the war was going on, the Rul managed to conquer the Turkmenia, and when the war was over. Tevan II tried to reclaim the Turkmenia but was unable to. Due to the civil war weakening the army. Tevan II would spend the rest of his reign recovering from the civil war and building up the army.

825 AD Under Shahbanu(Empress) Vartiter rule was defined by trying to retake Turkmenia from the Rul. Known was the Rul Wars, which she managed to retake the Turkmenia for a time before the Rul counterattacked and pushed the Parthians out the Turkmenia. Eventually, the Rul would launch an invasion into Persia and before being repulsed. Neither side was able to get an advantage on the other, and when the Rul Wars would last for ten years before peace was signed and the inability to reclaim Turkmenia from the Rul was a strain on Vartiter's rule.

901 AD Under Shahanshah Vahram would see a wave of smallpox swept through the empire. Many died, including most of the royal family. Vahram himself would contact the plague but would survive with many scars. Earning the name Vahram the Scarred. Hindering trade and while the Rul did try to take advantage of this but found their people contracted the disease. Despite the weakened state of the empire, Vahram managed to fend off the Rul advances. Along with some ambitious satrap who fought, it was a good time to secede. Crushing the rebels and Vahram would spend the rest of his reign, improving infrastructure and building more temples.

1037 AD Under Shahanshah Vahe saw the realm being invaded by the Seljuks who had conquered the Rul a decade before. The war would take a turn for the Parthians after losing a series of battles were Vahe was killed and led the Seljuks to occupy half of Persia. Including the capital of Asaak, where the royal family was unable to escape in time. The Seljuks would then kill off the royal family and left the empire leaderless. It was during this time and while the Seljuks moved to take the rest of Persia. A general by the name of Kevork Hayati managed to rally the army and halt the Seljuks at the Battle of Isfahan. After a series of indecisive battles, Kevork led his forces to crush the Seljuks at the Battle of Yazd. From there, Kevork with his forces starts to push the Seljuks out of Persia. The war ending in 1042 and with the Sarians gone. For his efforts for saving the empire, Kevork was chosen as the new Shahanshah of the Parthian Empire, starting the Hayati Dynasty. Moving the capital from Asaak to Rhages and went to strengthing the empire.

1124 AD Under Shahbanu Rouzan's reign was marked by the achievement of reconquering Turkmenia. Attacking the weaken Seljuks in a war that lasted for three years. Ending the Seljuks nation and bringing the ancient Parthian homeland back in the empire's hands. Making the empire whole again, and Rouzan organized a celebration to mark this occasion. With the empire restored, Rouzan focused her efforts internally. Improving infrastructure, education, and reforming the economy. Along with ushering a series a Basic Laws to add stability to the empire. Such as the Basic Law that granted religious freedom. Later being named Rouzan the Great.

1255 AD Under Shahbanu Verjin, the empire experienced a famine due to crop failure that left the empire starving. Verjin tried her best to remedy the situation the best she could. But, it was not enough, and food riots started to spread throughout the empire. Verjin regretfully ordered the riots to be crushed. The imperial army brutally put down the riots. This caused outrage among the people would in turned revolted against her rule. Which saw several military units defect to the rebellions. In the end, the rebellions would put down, but, it left a stain on the dynasty's image.

1311 AD Under Shahanshah Kevork II his rule became tyrannical after a near assassination attempt on his life. He did not know who tried to have him killed, and he became paranoid. Acting like a dictator and then with reports of a large tribe invading Turkmenia and took an army to deal with them. No one was sure of what happened other then the Imperial army was defeated, and Kevork II himself was killed while in his tent. With invaders in the north and Kevork II died not having a living heir. Which then prompted the Council to elect one of Kevork II's siblings. Before the can happen, an influential satrap named Fazel Mofid stated that none of Kevork II's siblings are incapable of ruling the empire and rather than risk another tyrannical ruler. Fazel started a rebellion to take the throne. Ushering in a civil war that last for three years and in the end. Fazel would win and established the Mofid Dynasty. His first act was to disband the Council of Seven and killed off the rest of the Hayati to secure his power. Changing the succession laws and ruled the empire how he seemed fit. Getting rid of the Basic Laws. However, he would lose control over Turkmenia to the invaders.

1425 AD Under Shahanshah Khosrow the empire would grow corrupt as Fazel' heirs proved incompetent or tyrannical to remain in power. Earning the ire of the people and the satraps. In secret, a notable clan who claimed to be related to the Sarians and lead by Aramouhi Askari, who planned to oust the Mofids. She gathered the support of other clans, including the former Council of Seven clans. On the anniversary of the Mofid's rise to power, did Aramouhi and her allies strike. Starting a four-year-long civil war that ended with Aramouhi winning the war. Rather than kill off the Mofids as they did with the previous royal family, Aramouhi chose to exile them from Parthians lands and with the backing of the clans. She would become the next Shahbanu of the empire and founded the Askari Dynasty. Quickly reforming the Council of Seven and went to remove the corruption from the empire. Along with bringing back the Basic Laws and adding more.

1565 AD Under Shahanshah Dirayr would see a return of the Mofids. After being exiled from the Parthian Empire, the Mofids, through unknown means, managed to hire an army of mercenaries to retake the throne. Starting a war known as the Usurper War and would last four years before the Mofids were defeated. Dirayr after the war and though great effort, managed to capture the remaining Mofids. Unlike Aramouhi, who granted them mercy by exiling them. Dirayr, not wanting the threat of the Mofids to arise again, so he had them all executed. Ending the Mofid bloodline and their threat to the empire. Though Dirayr was not able to find out how the Mofids managed to acquire the funds need to hire an army of mercenaries. Suspecting a rival empire funded them and not knowing which one did it. Dirayr resolved to keep a close eye on his neighbors and watch out for any more threats to the empire.

1646 AD Under Shahanshah Vahaken II, reign was marked by a period of revival. Under his care, the empire underwent a cultural renaissance. Vahaken II promoted the arts and sciences as he started to become a patron of several Parthian artists and free-thinkers. Being known as the Parthian Renaissance and would see the empire enter into a mini-golden age.

1752 AD Under Shahbanu Zabel rule would be marked by civil war when her brother Shahpur(Prince) Karekin was outraged despite his best efforts. He was not chosen to be Shahanshah by the Council of Seven and, in secret, strove to take what he believed to be his. Gaining a selection of allies, and when he was ready, he declared himself Shahanshah and tried to have her sister assassinated. But, Zable would survive thanks to the intervention of the royal guards. The civil war would last for three years and would end with Karekin's forces being defeated. Karekin himself was captured and rather to be executed. Zabel chose instead to place him under house arrest for the rest of his life. However, he would escape two years later and would be captured as he tried to rally some clans to his cause. This time Zabel choose to have him executed and Zabel would later focus on industrializing the empire.

1890 AD Under Shahanshah Ararad would inherit an empire would be stable and a modern one at that. Keeping up its neighbors, especially with the Western Roman Empire. The ruler that has yet to be truly tested and faced several problems. Such as the Council of Seven clan's growing power and the cry for a more democratic government. This and other challenges await the Shahanshah, and time will tell if Ararad can handle the pressure of being a Shahanshah like the ones before him. Or if he will fail and be known as a lesser Shahanshah or worse.

RP Sample: RP Sample: Fallout:South of the Mason

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