Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Literature / AnAgeOfMiracles

Go To

1%%
2%%
3%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample are not allowed, and have been commented-out.
4%%
5%% Please add context before uncommenting anything.
6%%
7%%
8
9
10[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dragos_cel_mare_330.jpg]]
11[[caption-width-right:300:A modern rendition of The Dragon and his Knights by Gottfried Liss, painted in 1499.]]
12
13->''"Blessed are we above all men, for we live in [[TitleDrop an age of miracles]]."''
14-->-- '''John XII Cosmas, Patriarch of Constantinople, August 29, 1300.'''
15
16''An Age of Miracles: The Revival of Rhomaion'' is an AlternateHistory series being published at Website/AlternateHistoryDotCom. The main point of divergence is the birth of a healthy young [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_II_Laskaris Theodoros II Laskaris]], who does not inherit epilepsy from his father; as a result, he is able to quickly reunite the successor states to the UsefulNotes/ByzantineEmpire in the aftermath of the chaos caused by the [[UsefulNotes/TheCrusades Fourth Crusade]]. There is at least one other known point of divergence, in the form of difficulties encountered by Charles of Anjou in the conquest of Italy.
17
18The thread where the series is written and discussed can be found [[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=217912 here]]. Edited and finalized sections of the narrative are published [[http://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=227279 here]].
19
20----
21!! This work provides examples of:
22* ArcWords: The "Age of Miracles" quote functions as this. A somewhat bastardized version that replaces the word "miracles" with "dragons" ends up rising to prominence after the Emperor's Battle as a reference to the achievements of Dragos cel Mare, Vlad Dracul, Dragos Musat, and Vlad Drakos.
23%% * AwesomeButImpractical: The huge bombards constructed by Thomas Laskaris during the War of the Five Emperors. The crowning example is the bombard "George," which throws five hundred pound cannonballs and ''isn't even the largest gun constructed.''
24* BigBad: The Timurid Empire is the distaff counterpart of the UsefulNotes/ByzantineEmpire, and has on multiple occasions attempted an invasion. Venice can also lay claim to this position as a result of its actions during the Fourth Crusade, the War of the Five Emperors, and [[spoiler: the Black Day.]]
25%% * BigBadassBattleSequence: Cappadocian Caesarea. Manzikert. The Emperor's Battle. Any time the Romans call out multiple tagma, it's a safe bet that one of these is in the works.
26* ColdBloodedTorture: Subverted by Kristina and her spy network/secret police. Suspects are suspended from the ceiling of a room and left alone while horrendous screams echo through the dungeons. They invariably confess. [[spoiler: Obviously, the screams were from actors paid to do so, allowing confessions to be obtained through minimal bloodshed.]]
27%% * CoolShip: The ''purxiphoi'', which can best be described as a primitive battleship.
28%% * CurbStompBattle:
29%% ** The battle of Ain Sijni, to the point where it is upheld as the pinnacle of military science ITTL.
30%% ** Dragos cel Mare's Italian campaigns were this as well. And his campaigns in support of Arles. Really, the man was such an increadible badass, most of his battles can be classified as these [[spoiler: except for his last]].
31* DisproportionateRetribution: Andreas harbored a grudge against the city of Venice as a result of [[spoiler: the Black Day]]. He draws up plans for [[spoiler: the complete extermination of the Venetian population, with the exception of the Jews, Croats, and Mamelukes in the city. He and Zoe are rather disappointed when they realize that killing that many is impractical, and end up allowing some of the children to be spared.]]
32%% * DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale: [[spoiler: Andreas]] does not put faith in this trope.
33* EndOfAnAge: The Fourth Crusade, which begins the narrative, also serves as a more violent example of this trope, shattering the concept of Byzantine invulnerability.
34%% ** The death of [[spoiler: Alexios Palaeologus]], the last of the great generals who fought at Manzikert and during the War of the Five Emperors.
35%% ** [[spoiler: The Black Day and the sack of Smyrna.]]
36%% * FakingTheDead: [[spoiler:Andreas does this not only to reveal Rhomania's enemies (i.e., Hungary), but also to begin the Time of Troubles.]]
37%% * FalseFlagOperation: How [[spoiler: Andreas arranges a war with Aragon-Sicily.]]
38%% * FlashbackCut: Half the scenes involving Andreas. He has a certain tendency towards hallucination.
39%% * FlashbackEcho: Half the scenes involving Andreas. He has a certain tendency towards hallucination.
40* GoldenAge: Under Demetrios Megas, the UsefulNotes/ByzantineEmpire is restored to levels of power not seen since Justinian.
41%% * KingIncognito: Andreas, after Leo's exile, to determine his sons' (and one grandson's) competence.
42%% * LaserGuidedKarma: The Byzantines eventually repay the Fourth Crusade by invading and sacking its primary instigators, Venice.
43* MeleeATrois: The War of the Five Emperors eventually boils down to this: Thomas Laskaris, Demetrios Komnenos, and Manuel Doukas. [[spoiler: Manuel and Demetrios come to an agreement by which the two are appointed co-emperors, Demetrios as the senior emperor, in order to quickly take out Thomas and respond to the threat of a returning Timurid invasion.]]
44%% * MurderTheHypotenuse: [[spoiler: Kristina kills Maria.]]
45%% * MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Andreas revels in this trope. Combined with PTSD from [[spoiler: The Black Day]], the resulting demons torment him for most of his life.
46%% * ObfuscatingStupidity: [[spoiler: Theodoros Komnenos]] is assumed to be a fool by most, even his own father Andreas.
47%% * RapeAsDrama:
48%% ** What happened to [[spoiler: Princess Zoe]], and the reason why [[spoiler: she and Andreas]] have frequent flashbacks.
49%% ** [[spoiler: Leo]] also does this to [[spoiler: his brother's wife.]] He gets exiled to Arles.
50* RedBaron: Andreas Niketas, known variously as the "Little Megas," "the Vanquisher of all Rhomania’s Foes”, “the Scourge of the Latins”, “the Undefeated”, or “the Shatterer of Armies.”
51* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler: Leo]] dies heroically in battle attempting to redeem himself and his many sins.
52%% * RunningGag: Andreas Komnenos and his amazing virility.
53%% * ScarpiaUltimatum: Vlad making Andreas marry his daughter to gain his support against Anastasia.
54%% * ShockingDefeatLegacy: [[spoiler: Cappadocian Caesarea. Also, the sack of Smyrna.]]
55%% * SpotlightStealingSquad: Andreas manages to become one of these all on his own.
56* ThatOldTimePrescription: The medicinal use of willow bark is pioneered by George Doukas, who discovers that it's effective at treating headaches.
57%% * VestigialEmpire: Not anymore.
58%% * WhamLine: "I will be a Timur to the state of [[spoiler: Venice]]."
59* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Andreas after his ascension to the throne. Having [[spoiler: your mother raped and murdered in front of you can really mess you up.]]
60%% * YoungConqueror: Andreas, the "Little Megas."
61%% * YourHeadASplode: Happens to King Francis I of France (no not the OTL one) courtesy of an English cannonball.

Top