Monday, June 24, 2013

A Tale of Five Empires, Part 4

The Old Man of Europe

Advanced age has finally set in for Emperor Svend the Great, once known as the Boy Sovereign when he took the throne at the age of 6. He aches, creaks, and groans, but is determined to remain strong in the eyes of his loyal vassals. He did not lead Europe through one of its periods of greatest turmoil only to quietly recede into the distance now. As a positive sign of things to come, the wound Svend received while fighting rebels after the ill-fated Syrian jihad has begun to heal, leaving behind a scar to mark his valiant efforts.















Scars of the Past

No sooner have his old wounds healed, however, then adventurers and peasants start clamoring for territory again. Grumbling, His Majesty sends out the legions to deal with them. Do they never learn? They are nothing but a thorn in his side, an irritation that no amount of salve can soothe. They spit on the Empire's protection, denying all the good it has done them over the years. But there are more pressing matters to attend to. Scandinavia is facing the possibility of a devastating succession crisis, and there have been recent outbreaks of disease in several larger cities. Speaking of which, the Emperor hasn't been feeling well lately...













Sickness

Svend coughs and feebly makes his way to his bedchambers. This illness could not have come at a worse time. He suspects one of the servants must have given it to him, perhaps a careless cook who sneezed into his supper. The pain tortures him through most of the summer, but halfway into August the symptoms finally begin to disappear. Svend emerges from his quarters feeling recharged and triumphant, and throws himself into the Empire's governance with renewed ferocity. And it is a ferocity that will be well-needed, for the very next year...













The Andalusian Crusade

At long last, another Crusade! Scandinavia has not taken part in one of these wars since the time of Svend's father, being far too preoccupied with internal affairs and its own expansion goals. But now, the Timurids are turned back and the nobles are happy. The Emperor may at last join his fellow Christians (however few aren't already under Imperial control) in the massive undertaking that is a Crusade. He begins calling up the local garrisons in Leon and Southern France, as well as a contingent of forces near Constantinople. However, before he can leave, chariot races begin in the Hippodrome. Being secretly an avid fan of chariot racing, His Majesty decides to bet on the Blue Team and delay his invasion plans for a few more days. Days well spent, it would seem, as Svend's wager pays off when the Blue Team ends up winning the races. With a short chuckle he orders the ships to cast off and head for the Iberian Peninsula, his massive treasury now ever so slightly larger.













Svend Marches to War

While traveling the Mediterranean, a most peculiar event happens back at the Imperial Palace...

























The Attempted Murder

Apparently, the Emperor's body double was nearly murdered by a man claiming to be the appointed Imperial regent. Since no regent has been appointed for nearly 40 years, the man can only be assumed to be out of his mind, especially considering the intended murder weapon was an overweight guard. Svend makes a note to have the man exiled to Timurid territory, where he may manage to "accidentally" kill someone of importance, if he isn't killed first himself. With that matter out of the way, the fleet moves on to the Crusade's target...













A True Crusader at Last

After nearly four and a half months of pitched battles and intense assaults on strongholds and castles, the Aftasid Sultan sends a messenger under a white flag to the Pope...















Praise the Almighty!

Due to his overwhelming contribution to the war effort, Emperor Svend is given the Andalusian territories. He begins the long task of appointing new barons, mayors, counts, and dukes to oversee the conversion of these formerly infidel lands. Meanwhile, on the other side of Europe, the young French king, also a member of the Estrid dynasty, has been engaged in a war of his own. Svend returns to Constantinople after signing away dozens of titles to discover that the French have staged a takeover of Hungary, pressing the young monarch's claim on the kingdom. Through a series of civil wars and succession struggles, the French king's half-brother had somehow managed to take the throne of Hungary, giving his close relatives claims in the process. The French forces made short work of the Hungarian soldiers while the rest of the Empire was focused on Andalusia, uniting the two countries and making King Henri Estrid the single most powerful vassal under Emperor Svend. 

Svend contemplates this situation with some degree of apprehension; relations with the French branch of the family have historically been strained, and while they are currently happy with the main family, it would now be even easier for them to turn the tide of a massive independence war. There are, however, silver linings. Hungary is now a territory of Scandinavia, without His Majesty ever having to lift a finger. And there is a chance to increase his prestige even further...















The Sixth Empire

All of the courtiers in Constantinople bow in awe as the six-pointed crown is placed on Svend's head. Preparations are immediately made to craft a new throne that includes a representation of the newly created Carpathian Empire. The Emperor's age no longer seems to bother him as much. In fact, he decides to personally lead the forces tasked with conquering those few bits of the Iberian Peninsula that remained under Muslim control after the Crusade. For a year and a half he can be seen at the forefront of every battle, charging forward on his armored warhorse and fearlessly standing man-to-man with every soldier that thinks to challenge him in personal combat. But one day, a man comes up from behind...













Incapable!

The world fades in and out of existence as Emperor Svend falls backward, the man whose warhammer struck him raising the weapon for another blow. Fortunately, a small group of Imperial troops notices this and rushes over, severing the man's arms and kicking him to the ground so that he might writhe in pain before his eventual death. Two of the soldiers carry Svend, who has now fallen into a coma, to the command tent at the rear of the battle. Arrangements are immediately made to send him back to Constantinople, where the Royal Physicians may see to his care. Chancellor Antoine is named as regent until such a time as the Emperor recovers. A gentle-hearted man, he begins a program of giving away some of the Treasury's vast wealth to the poor. It is said that His Majesty moaned and shook his head back and forth rather violently when this was mentioned in his presence.













Unwanted Charity

The Emperor's condition does not improve in the two years following the "Andalusian Incident". He shouts at times for his children, shortly followed by ramblings from which only a few words can be made out, such as Mathieu, Pope, Rome, and seven. No one has much of an idea of what these babblings mean, least of all Aleksander Estrid, his father's last male heir since Prince Mathieu's appointment to a bishopric after the Crusade. He listens to his father intently at first, wondering if he will pass on any wisdom or hidden secrets, but his interest at listening to the broken speech of a madman soon fades. He goes back to his wife Sophia, former Queen of Hungary, and assists in running her two small counties as chancellor. Then, on September 25, 1431 A.D., a courier arrives and asks if he may be invited in to rest and eat, as he has traveled a long way. Aleksander and Sophia happily oblige, for the man bears Scandinavia's coat of arms on his chest. As he sits down to begin eating the bread and cheese brought by servants, he pulls out a parchment bearing the Imperial Crest and hands it to Aleksander, explaining that he was asked to deliver the message swiftly without being told what it contained. The Prince carefully breaks the wax and unfolds the parchment, at which point he frantically calls for his horse to be saddled...













The Emperor is Dead. Long Live the Emperor!

-Arcthos

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