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The Second Rome: A Quest of Ancient Byzantium

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I suppose military makes sense, but I do think that, this being Byzantium, intrigue and diplomacy might be more useful?
 
Telamon said:
Remember, discussion and explanation of choices is appreciated, and may very well be rewarded.
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Alright.

I want to play as a warrior character. While we could go a diplomatic route or an intrigue route, we didn't pick the lady or the noble character in the previous vote so I feel like we should commit to being a warrior, the soldier who slays his foes and the general who crushes the enemies of the Empire. Let others scheme and plot against each in the background while we loyally lead the armies of the Roman Empire against the heathens, heretics and infidels that beset the greatest empire in the world.

Our character's father was a general and I want Michael to follow to follow in his footsteps. That means doubling down on being a warrior/general for me. Michael shall grow up on the campaign, watching his father at work and see the army of Roman Empire in action. He will not grow up in court, knowing to scheme, plot and talk his way into trouble and then back out again, but shall instead be a soldier to the core, willingly and ready to fight for his people. He shall be at home on the battlefield and amongst his fellow soldiers and not those scheming vipers back in the court.

As for the blessing, if we are going to be a mighty warrior, then Saint Michael is the only choice. Let's increase our military skills and be the greatest of Rome's warrior. Saint Gabriel is good, but we are not a talker who needs to sway the nobles, merchants and priests to his side. Saint Constantine could serve us well, but we need to fight all of Rome's enemies and not just the non-Christians and why split our focus on military skill when we can go all in? No, Saint Michael shall guide his namesake and Michael Drakonopoulos shall be a promising young soldier who shall become one of the greatest generals that Rome has ever seen.
 
[X] Mikrodrakon
[X] Blessing of Saint Michael

Of all the options available, these feel the most thematic; a legacy of military excellence establishing its place in the empire just feels good.

Plus, while being charismatic is well and good, martial competence tends to be the route of building up significance in the Byzantine court despite having little in the way of a history, and since dearest father already bought a significant jump in that department, following through that direction would really cement things so that it seems less a fluke and more a rising line of military paragons. Which I expect would earn a tremendous amount of influence.
 
[X] Mikrodrakon
[X] Blessing of Saint Michael

It is better to go all in on one aspect to accumulate power than trying to make a more mediocre character that can do many things just good enough to survive. We have the soldier background and I think it would serve us well to follow this way to the end.
 
[X] Mikrodrakon
[X] Blessing of Saint Michael

The intrigue option is tempting but I find most quests do better in a military setting as it's easier to write convincingly.
 
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I'm thinking we go for the classic martial/diplomacy combo. There's not much you can't do if you know how to kill and make men follow you to hell.

[X] The Dragon's Tongue
[X] Blessing of Saint Constantine
 
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[X] Mikrodrakon
[X] Blessing of Saint Michael

I really like going with the two things that would guarantee that we be one of the greatest military minds in the western world and perhaps even beyond.

However, I would be willing to support another pairing of traits so long as they are directly connected. No need to do this by half measures. I would like to lean fully into whatever we do and not try to weaken ourselves by appealing to two worlds.
 
saganatsu said:
@Telamon
Is Manuel still the emperor? if someone else has replaced manuel, how is the current emperor's relationship to our old father?
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Your father was a political enemy of the Emperor Manuel when he was just one of the Imperial princes. Few expected him to rule until the untimely deaths of his brothers, so he was an active player in court politics. After his ascension, his old political rivals simply fell out of Imperial favor or were exiled from the City altogether.

You father is dead now, but were I you, I would hope the Emperor does not hold grudges.
 
I have a feeling our family line is going to end up as the one every Emperor call upon when they need someone to take care of a march...
 
I must admit, I kind of wished we could have fought the mongol, or taken a time where the empire was in dire strait but oh well.
Being the underdog is always fun.
 
Arlos said:
I must admit, I kind of wished we could have fought the mongol, or taken a time where the empire was in dire strait but oh well.
Being the underdog is always fun.
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Genghis Khan Temujin will be born in five years. You are 18, and Khan lives until 1224. If you live to be mid-60s, you will be alive during the height of the Mongol conquests — and if Byzantium truly expands across the Crusader States and the Near East as Manuel hoped during his reign, then it will be the biggest thing in their way, and will replace the Mamluks and Hungarians as the last and best chance to stop the Mongols from penetrating the West.

It would be the ultimate test, the greatest of the wars of the Byzantine Empire. A vast and unwashed horde of barbaroi at the doors of Christendom. Truly, any man who stepped up to lead the empire to victory in such a bitter age would be immortalized in history alongside Justinian, Constantine, and the very Saints themselves.

*cough*

Assuming you live to the end of the year, that is.
 
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Telamon said:
Genghis Khan will be born in five years. You are 18, and Khan lives until 1224. If you live to be mid-60s, you will be alive during the height of the Mongol conquests — and if Byzantium truly expands across the Crusader States and the Near East as Manuel hoped during his reign, then it will be the biggest thing in their way, and will replace the Mamluks and Hungarians as the last and best chance to stop the Mongols from penetrating the West.

*cough*

Assuming you live to the end of the year, that is.
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Yah, but what can we really do in our 60s? That's very Old for the time period and I somehow doubt someone living a military life will be all that healthy by then, maybe our son ? :p
Let's focus on surviving first, surely, Manuel will find someone with extreme military talent but abysmal skill in every others matters to be someone useful.
 
Arlos said:
I must admit, I kind of wished we could have fought the mongol, or taken a time where the empire was in dire strait but oh well.
Being the underdog is always fun.
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Literally impossible without some alterations to the timeline first, considering that the Mongols didn't even conquer Khawarazm until 1219 and by 1261 their empire was already splintered.
 
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