ASOIAF/GOT The Komneniad: A Very Byzantine ISOT.

Well there are the Ghiscari legions iron legions.

But given how most Essosi forces are mercenaries and Constantinople is really rich-I'd expect a lot of the mercenary outfits in the Disputed lands to defect for roman gold if offered. Even if the GC did not due to their upholding of their contracts.

As it was, there were Catalonian and Aragonese companies in the late Byzantine empire, not sure if this time. So I expect the empire is at least somewhat familiar with dealing with mercenary companies as either enemies or potential soldiers.

And so has some experience in understanding the mercenary mindset and incentives.
There were also mercenaries brought along. Not just the Varangians, but also Cumans, Pechnegs, Normans, Rus' and assorted westerners, and even the odd bunch of Arabs or Turks under Imperial Service.
We'll see the Romans getting local mercenaries in due time.
 
Chapter 10
Upon learning of the defeat of their armies, the leaders of Myr sent emissaries to treat with the Basileus, and it was finally agreed that Myr would pay ten thousand Hyperpyra in indemnities and sign a treaty by which they would not turn their arms against Rome. This came to be as the Imperial Army was a few days of march away from the city.

Then, Basileus Ioannes turned south, for it was said that the armies of Volantis had finally been moved. And the Triarchs of Volantis had bought ten thousand Unsullied and sent them alongside the Volantene militias and War Elephants. And they began to approach the Heel of Essos from the east as the Romans and the mercenaries came south after dealing with Myr.

As the armies marched to meet, the Megas Droungarios and his fleet finally forced a larger battle out at sea, and at last he unleashed the Sea Fire by sending his dromons armed with siphons to strike at the rear of the Volantenes, and the might of Volantis' fleet burned as the Lyseni retreated. But Neither of the cities agreed to come to terms when the Basileus sent envoys to them.

It was then, that emissaries came from Braavos and from the Basileus of the Andals. For Braavos did not look favorably upon the chance that Volantis could enforce its will upon the straits, and Basileus Aerys, despite his illness and his madness still counted the Romans as friends.

And Braavos and the Iron Throne convinced the Triarchs of Volantis and the rulers of Lys to come to terms, and it was agreed that they would meet in Sunspear with Basileus Ioannes, for although Basileus Aerys would have wanted them to meet in King's Landing, they would have had to pass through Roman lands or take long travels over land.

And they were hosted by the Prince of Dorne, and Basileus Ioannes met with emissaries of the Triarchs as he left his friend Nikephoros Bryennios in command of the Armies in the Heel of Essos. For twenty days they discussed terms to end the war. For the Volantenes wanted heavy reparations to be paid by the Empire, while the Lyseni were content with ensuring free trade and free pass through Imperial waters.

Thus it was that Lys came to terms first, agreeing to end its war so long as the Romans removed their governor and armies from Tyrosh and not impose upon Tyrosh a new tribute. While Tyrosh would agree to surrender its claims on the Heel of Essos to the Romans -for they had still broken a treaty-. And when news came of the defeat of the Volantene Fleet, Volantis did ratify these terms, for most of their goals were met anyway, while they needed to gather the rest of their fleet, but they had not the time to do so.

And so it was, that in the palace of the Prince of Dorne a treaty was ratified, and it was also agreed in separate negotiations, that the princess Theodora[1], youngest of the daughters of Basileus Ioannes was to marry the Prince of Summerhall[2], but the ceremony was to be made in Hagia Sophia first, and then in King's Landing.

[1] NOT the same Theodora born in 1115 to John II Komnenos, assume that unlike in Westeros, all children in the Byzantine Empire born too close to the event were subject to Butterflies
[2] Daeron Targaryen, born in 269 AC, survived into adulthood. The full extent of the butterflies in Westeros will be shown in the next chapters
 
Chapter 10.5: Westeros
Author's Note: This might be important for later chapters... Let's say that there are more babies in this Westeros for once. Also, I had numbered originally as an interlude due to its lenght, but it's a bit too important to be considered just an interlude so... yeah...

Taken from Alessander Crofter's "A History of Westeros" Published in 421 A.C by the White Harbor Publishing House

To understand the circumstances of the last years of the reign of Aerys the Mad, it becomes necessary to take a look at the status of the Great Houses and at the marriages celebrated around that period.

Thus, Houses Arryn and Tully came to ally with the betrothal of Lord Jon's eldest son Ronnel[1], and lady Catelyn Tully. House Baratheon would ally with House Stark with the betrothal of Robert Baratheon and Lyanna Stark. House Targaryen did participate this time, with the betrothal between Viserys, Prince of Duskendale[2], and the lady Ellyn Baratheon[3]. Further south, House Martell would ally itself with the second house of the Reach, as Princess Elia Martell would thus marry Baelor Hightower, while Lady Alla Tyrell [4] would be betrothed to Jaime Lannister, heir to the Westerlands. As a web of alliances was weaved, the situation would only be worsened by King Aerys' decision to once more seek a foreign bride for Daeron, Prince of Summerhall[5]. With the King increasingly paranoid about his own subjects after the attempted kidnapping and later razing of Duskendale, while the Free Cities refused to provide more brides for Westerosi after the fate of the lady Serala of Duskendale, he chose to turn to the Rhomans in this.

[1] Jon Arryn's First Wife survived, they currently have two children, Rowena (who in canon was stillborn) and Ronnel.
[2] Duskendale, or rather its remains, were to become the seat of the Third Son of the King. most of the city was destroyed by order of the King after the failed attempt on the his life by Lord Darklyn.
[3] Lady Cassana Baratheon (nee. Estermont) had twins for her last pregnancy, little Renly and the lady Ellyn. She and Lord Steffon Baratheon died in circumstances fairly similar to canon, however the girl they did find, survived and married Rhaegar as was planned.
[4] a younger sister for Mace Tyrell, and one of the earliest butterflies in Westeros.
[5] Daeron Targaryen, conceived and born one year earlier than in canon, actually survived his first year and is still alive at that point.
 
Chapter 11
Author's Note: Buckle your seatbelts, we're seeing butterflies really get going now.

Taken from Alessander Crofter's "A History of Westeros" Published in 421 A.C by the White Harbor Publishing House

By the end of 281 A.C[1], the situation across Westeros was tense. The madness of King Aerys was widely known among his lords, as was his cruelty. Thus, when Lord Whent called for a great tourney, it was plain as day who was actually financing the tourney and to what end.

In the end it came to nothing, as King Aerys rode for the first time in four years from the Red Keep, and made an appearance at the feasting. While he had made sure to groom his beard and nails, his words made it clear that he was mad with paranoia. Merely a year earlier he had sacked his Lord Hand, Tywin Lannister, and he was yet to appoint a new Hand. so the appearance of the King did much to sour the events.

For what is worth, it was Rhaegar Targaryen who won the jousts, while Robert Baratheon took the melee and one Stephanos, a Rhoman who was part of the retinue of the Rhoman emissary to King's Landing won the archery contest. Prince Rhaegar would thus crown his wife, Lysara Whitefyre[2] as Queen of Love and Beauty, and for once it seemed that the Seven Kingdoms had dodged a scorpion bolt.

It was not to be, as in the aftermath, Rhaegar Targaryen did call a Great Council a few weeks later, once it had been confirmed that the King had reached King's Landing and that Prince Daeron was embarked on a ship to Constantinople as part of the agreements that led to his marriage to the princess Theodora. His plan however was widely seen as too rash by the Lords, with Lords Tyrell and Lannister, aware that this would result on a civil war but not too keen on defending the King, agreed to sit out of the matter and accept the result -Just on the off case that the Grand Council and its supporters found themselves unable to actually depose King Aerys.

Soon enough, the inherent weakness of the Throne in the design of the Seven Kingdoms was shown, as King Aerys could only fully rely on the Narrow Sea Houses, long supporters of the Royal faction at court as opposed to the Princely faction, and on some of the Crownlands houses such as the Hollards[3], Buckwells and Farrings.

The Campaign began with Lord Lucerys Velaryon trying to put Storm's End to siege, however, between his numeric inferiority (The Stornlands stood relatively united for reasons that will become apparent soon) and the weather forced him to break from the siege.

Shortly afterwards, the Lords Stark, Arryn and Tully agreed to back Prince Rhaegar and the Princely faction. Although Gulltown did declare its loyalty to King Aerys, the Tarth fleet managed to outmaneuver the Velaryons just past Cracklaw point, submitting Gulltown to a blockade. The ill-fated attempt to besiege Storm's End, and a great deal of convincing from Lord Arryn convinced Lord Robert Baratheon to march with those Stormlords not part of the Princely faction, and join what had become the full might of the Stormlands behind the rebel cause.

In what was perhaps the last of his moments of clarity, Aerys Targaryen had Queen Rhaella, Prince Viserys and his grandson Aegon sent to Dragonstone, while he laid Wildfire across the city and sent an emissary to Constantinople, demanding that Basileus Ioannes II aid him with troops and gold to pursue the war. It would be, perhaps ironically, the young Prince Daeron who, together with Nikephoros Bryennios persuaded him to avoid such a military adventure.

Lord Brandon Stark would be killed in a skirmish near the ruins of Duskendale[4]. However the greatest blow -albeit temporary- to the Rebel cause, was caused when a lone arrow struck Rhaegar Targaryen on the neck during the Battle of the Blackwater Rush. The Rebels would stop for two weeks to fully ensure an agreement between the Princely Faction and the Lords Declarant. Most tense was the relationship between Jon Connington and Robert Baratheon. In the end however, Lord Connington, as leader of the Princely Faction, agreed to call a Great Council upon the dethronement of King Aerys.

However, the time taken by the Rebels to ensure that no fights came from the rivalry between Baratheon and Connington, caused them to delay their final march on the Capital until the eve of the Maiden's Feast.

What they found, was King's Landing burning in green flames.

Under such a situations, word was sent to the Lords Tyrell and Lannister, and to Prince Doran Martell, that a Great Council was to be held in Harrenhall.

From the outset, two factions began to form. They soon coalesced around two different claims to the Throne. On one hand, the former Princely faction, alongside a decent portion of the lords that had once formed part of the Royal faction at court coalesced around Jon Connington, backing the proclamation of the Prince Aegon as King Aegon VI -and entering a long regency. Soon this faction found the favor of Lord Tywin Lannister, who aspired to lead this regency and eventually mold the King. A Second Faction which drew support from the rest of the rebel lords coalesced around Rickard Stark and Robert Baratheon, arguing for the claim of Prince Daeron Targaryen, and seeking to ensure a swift transition to a fairly stable rule to be done in short order.

The discussions at Harrenhall in 283 A.C. were long and drawn out, and things were complicated when some, perhaps seeking to force a compromise among the rest, floated around the idea of Demetrios, the son of the late Maelys the Monstruous. However all they did was ensuring that they would not be taken seriously in further discussions. Some smaller Stormlander Lords also put forward the name of Robert Baratheon, but this claim was also widely ignored, and disavowed relatively soon by the Lord Baratheon himself.

After nearly a month of deadlock, Prince Daeron Targaryen arrived with his wife Theodora Komnene -in the confusion they had been married in Hagia Sophia by the Patriarch Leo, and in the Blue Sept at Constantinople- After another two weeks, a compromise was agreed, where Daeron Targaryen took upon the title of Lord Protector and became Regent for his nephew Aegon.

In order to further secure the situation, Prince Daeron, now acting as the eldest male Targaryen, confirmed his younger brother's betrothal to the lady Ellyn Baratheon, and soon enough the attention of the realm turned to the reconstruction of King's Landing.

[1] The events of the Year of the False Spring are moved up one year, however the Rebellion starts much sooner after that than in Canon, alongside a myriad of other changes.
[2] King Aerys granted the name Whitefyre (as opposed to "those traitorous Blackfyres") to the Lyseni Targaryens who were descended from Aerion Brightflame. However they would continue to use their maternal surname of Rogare instead.
[3] The full wrath of King Aerys fell upon the Darklyns and their cadet branches, the Hollards were left alone, save for a couple of hostages
[4] Up to that point work had not yet begun on the formal reconstruction of Duskendale. Some informal work existed but it was halted due to the war
 

ATP

Well-known member
There were also mercenaries brought along. Not just the Varangians, but also Cumans, Pechnegs, Normans, Rus' and assorted westerners, and even the odd bunch of Arabs or Turks under Imperial Service.
We'll see the Romans getting local mercenaries in due time.

If Dothraki could terrorize Essos, then what could do Cumans,real horse archers with light armours and using tactic ?
Maybe they should take steppes there from Dothraki ?
 
D

Deleted member 88

Guest
I'm not sure if I asked this on the SB thread, but do the Romans develop sustained contact with Yi Ti?

Also are Ulthos and the Shadowlands ever explored in depth by roman diplomats, traders, and adventurers?
 
I'm not sure if I asked this on the SB thread, but do the Romans develop sustained contact with Yi Ti?

Also are Ulthos and the Shadowlands ever explored in depth by roman diplomats, traders, and adventurers?
The former is beyond the scope of the Story, the latter, I didn't touch on at all... I might make some changes in both areas, but I've not decided yet.
 
Chapter 12
When Basileus Ioannes returned from Sunspear, he set out to continue with his rule. And he had forts built in the Heel of Essos, and the Navy rearranged. And it all pointed that the rest of his reign would be peaceful, for Lys was appeased, Volantis spent, and Myr subdued -yet not made tributary. So he made a great celebration in the feast of Nativity, and to it attended Prince Oberyn Martell. And despite his questionable actions, his charm made sure that he left in good terms with the men of Rome, and on even better terms with more than one Woman. And during the celebrations there were Races at the Hippodrome, and food was distributed among the people of the Queen of Cities.

And at the end of the feasts, A ship from Westeros arrived, and in it was the young Prince Daeron Targaryen. Thus was a smaller feast celebrated for his arrival. And in these days he took to speaking with Nikephoros Bryennios and with the Patriarch Leo. And after one month of his stay in Constantinople he agreed to be baptized, although in order to keep appearances it was decided that he would still celebrate a ceremony with a Septon when it came to his marriage.

It was only three days after Prince Daeron and the Princess Theodora were married that another ship came from King's Landing. And Basileus Aerys demanded that Ioannes took the field against his son Rhaegar and the Lords that supported him. But Prince Daeron and Nikephoros Bryennios spoke to the emperor, and convinced him that such an expedition would not succeed against the grand army that the Rebels had gathered.

And so the Empire kept its armies and fleets ready for war, until word came to Constantinople, that the Basileus of the Andals was dead, and the Great Lords were deciding on who would succeed him, for Prince Rhaegar had perished in battle. And after much discussion, Prince Daeron boarded a ship with his wife the Princess Theodora Komnene, and with him traveled priests and engineers and men learned in matters of law. And upon their arrival at Harrenhall they could make the Great Lords make a compromise.

And thus was Daeron Targaryen made Regent for his Nephew. But he had to consent to have Tywin Lannister as his Megas Domestikos. And thus he set about to rebuilding King's Landing, which had been destroyed by fire and sorcery unleashed by Aerys.
 

ATP

Well-known member
They will get to actually meet the Dothraki a bit too late for that, I'm afraid.
So, other nomads from Earth destroyed them .Which one ? arabs,turks,other cumans - all could do the trick.
Personally i am shocked, how enemy as stupid as Dothraki could conqer anything except stone age hunter-gatherers..Well,Sarnor still used chariots,so...
Another writers take mongols and made their own,or even super-mongols.GRRM take mongols, and made their parody terrorize Westeros.
 
So, other nomads from Earth destroyed them .Which one ? arabs,turks,other cumans - all could do the trick.
There will be no more ISOTs, if I told you who will do so, I'd be spoiling the story for those that have not read it in SB or AH.

Personally i am shocked, how enemy as stupid as Dothraki could conqer anything except stone age hunter-gatherers..Well,Sarnor still used chariots,so...
They appear to have been smarter, as in, actually showing some degree of tactical prowess during their conquest of Sarnor. (And considering that warfare in Essos was likely very stagnant throughout the Valyrian dominance because no one could really go up against Dragons, the Chariots would have been quite effective, not to mention that against infantry-based armies they can be effective even in later periods) Personally, I'd say that the Dothraki have simply fallen stagnant and even devolved in terms of warfare from the Century of Blood...
And in the books, they are not as stupid as in the show (as in, actually using horse-archers)
 
Chapter 13
Taken from Alessander Crofter's "A History of Westeros" Published in 621 A.C by the White Harbor Publishing House

The Regency of Prince Daeron Targaryen would begin in an auspicious manner. Aerys II had transferred most of the Royal Treasury to Dragonstone in his final days, thus the Royal Coffers were full, even with the loss of large amounts of gold in the destruction of King's Landing. And the Lord Protector soon put it to good use in cleaning the rubble and tearing down the Walls of the city -which had been erected by Jaehaerys the Conciliator and had seen major overhauls under Aegon III- Soon the ambitious scale of the Prince's rebuilding project became known. Using both, Maesters versed in engineering as well as Rhoman engineers, Prince Daeron set out to create a proper city.

With the Old Walls demolished, a new set of walls, modeled after the famed Theodosian Walls of Constantinople would be built, encompassing a much larger area than the size of the city before the fire. Then he undertook the construction of the new structures.

It was quite fortuitous, but it would also cause the first of his problems during the regency, that Rhoman priests were quick to give relief to the thousands of homeless left among the ruins. And as the new city took shape, many of them converted. This of course caused a small confrontation with the High Septon -one known as "The Tall One", who was elected in the aftermath of the war, for his predecessor had perished in the flames. It finally ended when both, High Septon and Lord Protector came out together atop Visenya's Hill, in front of the ruins of the Great Sept of Baelor. And they issued a joint declaration.

It was decided that just as the followers of the Old Gods were to not be disturbed, the Christians were to attain a similar status. Both the Faith of the Seven and the still barely existing Church in Westeros having the right to come to the Royal Justice. And in the end, after a very close run, the tension finally dissipated.

Having overcome this hurdle, Prince Daeron saw that he needed an act of good faith and goodwill towards the vast majority of his subjects that did follow the Faith, and thus he began the reconstruction of the Great Sept. Although the current building, which was built during the Regency, is still called "Great Sept of Baelor" The Roman style and its influence is undeniable. Instead of the frail Crystal dome, a Stone dome was built. Inspired by the tales of the Pantheon built by the pagan emperor Hadrian, the new dome was not fully enclosed, at the top of it sits a crystal seven-pointed star. While on each of the seven sides of the main structure was placed a great Window of stained glass, allowing each of the altars to be properly illuminated. And although the shape of the main structure is different, it is undeniable that the Great Cathedral of the Holy Wisdom in Constantinople served as inspiration[1].

The Ruins of the Dragonpit were also cleared. and it would become the site of a new palace, built once again modeled after the Imperial palaces of Constantinople. More precisely after the Imperial residence of the Blachernae Palace, albeit with an undeniably Andal bent. Within the palace there were a small sept, a Godswood, and a Christian chapel, so as to service properly all visiting lords.

The Third of the Great Buildings of King's Landing was built atop Aegon's High Hill, however, it was not a Royal residence, instead, it would be a Fortress to serve as a redoubt in case of a siege. The High Fort replaced the Red Keep, this one being the building with the least Rhoman influence in its build. A new City Watch would also be based on the High Fort.

In the city proper, a Basilica was also built, although later kings would build the current structure of the Cathedral of Saint Andrew. The church built during the regency would suffer greatly in later years, and it would be replaced with a more impressive structure in the late 380s A.L.

The reconstruction of King's Landing took over most of Prince Daeron's regency. However, by the time of the ascension of King Aegon VI, he received not a smoking ruin, but a city reborn from its ashes and more grandiose than it was before.

[1] Hagia Sophia
 

ATP

Well-known member
Without Red Keep as Palace, there would be less place for little birds.Althought i bet,then there would still be many hidden passages.
 
Chapter 14
Taken from: "The Komneniad" by Princess Eudokia Komnene, translated by Alyn Waters, Seahorse Publishers, Driftmark, 731 AC

And Prince Daeron sent word to Constantinople, and engineers and artists flocked to him, for he was rebuilding the city of King's Landing. And these works are widely chronicled elsewhere.

In those days the Roman priests made way across Essos. Pentos and Myr soon saw a great many converts, and they followed Braavos in allowing a Cathedral to be built. But Volantis soon began to suffer. For it was in this city that the greatest temple to the Red Demon[1] stood in the West. And its new High Priest was one Benerro, who expanded the slave guard into a true militia. And on the night of the feast of Nativity, as the Christians were worshipping and celebrating, the Slave warriors of the temple fell upon them and slaughtered many.

But the Triarchs saw this as a challenge to their power, and soon they assembled their own Militia of Old Blood, and forbade access of all Red Priests to the Old City behind the Black Walls. For although they could wipe out this Fiery Hand in one fell swoop, to do so would invite a revolt that they would be unable to quench.

And when news came to Constantinople, Basileus Ioannes, who was a man of a normally gentle disposition exploded in a rage that some claimed was more fit of the Storm Kings of Old. And once his wrath had subsided, he ordered that emissaries were to be sent to Lys, Myr, Tyrosh and Braavos, to seek assurances that they would not intervene in favor of Volantis. For the Basileus argued that the Triarchs had lost control upon the city beyond the Black Walls. Which was true in a sense, for many a christian would be butchered, and many others went into hiding or managed to flee.

And this time Basileus Ioannes approached both, the Company of the Rose and the Golden Company, for it was known that the Triarchs had approached them before this happened to march on Volantis and scour the temple. And the leaders of both accepted Roman gold, and they began marching on Volantis.

And the Romans set sail from Rhodos, and their fleet found no opposition, for the Lyseni chose to remain neutral, as a humbling for Volantis was good for their own fleet. And many a Volantene ship did join the Romans, mostly crewed by men who had no love for the Red Demon. But other ships, and those that were docked in Volantis were hastily gathered into a fleet by Benerro, and sent to meet the Romans, for it was expected that the sorcery worked by these zealots would see them victorious.

[1] Don't expect Eudokia to refer to R'hllor by any other title
 
Appendix: The Regent's Small Council
Appendix: The Small Council on the early years of the regency of Lord Protector Daeron Targaryen

Hand of the King: Lord Tywin Lannister
Grand Maester: Grand Maester Gormon
Master of Ships: Lord Paxter Redwyne
Master of Whisperers: Alyn Merryweather[1]
Master of Laws: Lord Jason Mallister
Master of Coin: Osric Arryn (House Arryn of Gulltown)[2]
Lord Commander of the Kingsguard: Ser Gerold Hightower

[1] and [2]: Original Characters, including an uncle for one Orton Merryweather...
 
Chapter 15
Taken from Alessander Crofter's "A History of Westeros" Published in 621 A.C by the White Harbor Publishing House

Although the Reconstruction of King's Landing was rather swift, it would take a few years before the court could be held in the city, thus, for the first three years of the Regency, the King remained with his mother and grandmother at Dragonstone, while the court itself would be held at Harrenhall.

The Harrenhall court period of the Regency would set the tone for the relationship between the members of the Small Council. Soon enough, a rivalry began to form between Prince Daeron and Lord Lannister. And although it would never reach the levels of tension that Lannister's relation with King Aerys did, it caused the Council to try to coalesce into two factions. Osric Arryn, the Master of Coin, soon went in to support the Regent in most affairs, while Lord Mallister wound up falling in line more often than not with Lord Lannister. Lord Redwyne and Allyn Merryweather would be fairly neutral -much to Lord Lannister's surprise. As would be Ser Gerold Hightower.

The first of these confrontations came a year after Jaime Lannister and Alla Tyrell's Marriage. The birth of little Joanna caused the Lord Hand to try and bypass the Lord Regent in securing a betrothal between the girl and the then four name-days old King Aegon. In this, Queen Dowager Rhaella managed to put an end by simply stating that she would "consider" such a matter when both children were older. However it was widely known at court that Prince Daeron was very much opposed to it.

As this happened, Tywin Lannister looked for ways to ensure a more reliable alliance in the realm -as his alliance with Lord Mace Tyrell would prove to not be enough to see him with a firm hold on the politics of the Realm. Thus he sought a marriage between his daughter Cersei, and the now heir to the North, Lord Eddard Stark. However, Lord Rickard Stark thought that strenghtening the North's ties with the rest of what had been the Lords Declarant faction in the Mad War was more important. Leading to the admittedly awkward marriage of Eddard Stark to Rowena Arryn. With no groom adequate enough for his daughter, Tywin Lannister decided to up the stakes. And managed to secure her marriage to Isaakios, the third son (and eldest living son at that time) of Basileus Ioannes. It would be done in a lavish ceremony in Hagia Sophia, which saw Lord Lannister visiting Constantinople for the second time -His first visit had been during the War of the Ninepenny Kings.

However, his plans to seek a greater influence in an indirect manner by securing a tie to the Komnenoi would prove to not be too feasible. Not only because Basileus Ioannes' close confidant and by that point, Megas Domestikos, Nikephoros Bryennios was a friend to Prince Daeron since his own time in the Empire, but because of his daughter's character. Contemporary chroniclers such as the Emperor's sister Anna, are not too favorable on her. A further blow would come in 293 A.C when Basileus Ioannes named his younger son Nikephoros as Co-Emperor, effectively declaring his own preference as to the succession[1]

[1] In real life, John II's fourth son was named Manuel, and John did bypass Isaac in the succession, his two eldest children died before John's OTL death in 1143. They still died earlier than their father in this timeline, the circumstances of their deaths will be known soon enough
 
Chapter 16
Author's Note: And back to the Volantenes

Taken from: "The Komneniad" by Princess Eudokia Komnene, translated by Alyn Waters, Seahorse Publishers, Driftmark, 731 AC


Thus, the Roman fleets clashed with the Volantenes on the Orange Coast. And for some time it seemed that the Volantenes would win the day, but Basileus Ioannes, who had taken command personally, aided by his two eldest sons Alexios and Andronikos, unleashed the War Fire. For some minutes the Volantene Zealots cheered, for they thought that surely their god would turn the fires against the Romans. And indeed for a moment their sorcerers kept the flames at bay. But soon enough the Volantene fleet began to burn.

But the day was not without losses, for Alexios was struck by an arrow, and he lived for five days, but in the end he was met with death. And Andronikos' own ship was taken, and he was chained and paraded in Volantis. And this Benerro tried to turn him to their Red Demon, but for ten days he resisted, until by orders of this sorcerer he was burnt.[1]

And Ioannes once more came to a rage very much unlike his gentle nature, and he ordered that every man they found praying to the Red Devil was to be put to the sword, or tied and thrown into the sea. And he swore to sack the temple of the Red Devil and to put Benerro to the sword himself. And the Romans swore oaths to avenge their princes as they reached the bay of Volantis.

And they came just in time, for the men of the Company of the Rose and Company of the Cat were setting up siege works alongside the outer walls of Volantis. And an emissary from the Triarchs came to the Romans, sneaking at great peril from the Old City. And offered them great rewards in Gold in exchange for not sacking Volantis, although they gave Ioannes leave to do with the Temple of the Red Demon as he saw fit.

And as Volantis was besieged, all across the Free Cities there was clashing of swords, for in Myr, Pentos and even in the streets of Braavos did followers of the Red Demon and Christians fight. But in all these other cities, the local militias put down the revolts staged by both groups. For the Christians submitted as soon as the militias arrived to quell the riots, while those who followed the demon kept fighting against them, urged by their priests and sorcerers.[2]

And after one month, a brave man by the name of Nyessos threw open the Western door of Volantis. And the Golden Company and Company of the Cat were informed of the deal with the Triarchs, so they entered, and there was great death but their commanders could restrain most of the men from looting the City. And upon hearing of this the Romans staged an assault on the port, and swiftly took it and moved towards the Temple. While the Old Blood militias sortied out of the Black Walls, emboldened by the arrival of the sellswords and the Romans.

And as he had sworn, Ioannes led the assault that broke the Fiery Hand, and once he had conquered the temple he had all items of worship taken down, and all the priests were thrown to the great river Rhoyne, all save for Benerro, who was taken in chains and brought back to Constantinople. But all the other temples to the heathen gods were left untouched, for their followers had not aggraviated the Romans, and instead they rose against Benerro and his zealots when the Romans landed.

And it speaks greatly of the wrath of Basileus Ioannes, for never before did he give out such a punishment, nor did he after, nor even to the most henious traitors. For Benerro was blinded, castrated and had his ears and nose cut off, but he was not killed, instead he would remain in chains in a cell until his death.[3]


[1] in OTL, Alexios Komnenos, the eldest son of John II, died in 1142, as did Andronikos a few weeks after. Both succumbed to an illness while out in campaign. John II would die in 1143
[2] Not entirely true, in Pentos, the Militias were not entirely able to quell the riots, and the Christians did not quite surrender so peacefully, nor did the R'hllorites
[3] in OTL, John II Komnenos is reputed to have never sentenced anyone to death or mutilation, as was common in the Roman Empire of his era. He is also described as a man with great self-control.
 

CarlManvers2019

Writers Blocked Douchebag
What’s the story behind the other “heathen” religions attacking the Red Temple? I know there’s a problem with the latter’s fanatacism, but is it vengeance?
 

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