I felt like writing a more detailed introduction to the Elysian Empire campaign based on the in-game introduction. I enjoy giving my campaign some story and this is how I interpreted the start of the game. So I thought I would post it here. Keep in mind I’m not a writer and English isn’t my native languages.

14 November 1444, the early morning.

Archon Basileus Ioannes VIII was up early again to watch the sun rise over the Bosporus. On the other side of the Bosporus lay the land that once belonged to the empire of his ancestors. Now it was, just like most of the former Roman Empire, overrun by the Turks. Only Konstantinopolis and the Peloponnese remained under the Basileus’ control and the city state of Athens was still loyal to the crown, for what that was worth.

Ioannes cherished every sunrise he could experience because for all he knew any could be his last one. The amount of treats of course weren’t few. Internally people started questioning what the title of Basileus was still worth. Some believed the end was inescapable and that putting up a fight would be pointless. Others took problem with the wealth of the Basileus and his court in these difficult times. But Ioannes had barley time to worry about these internal problems compared to the external threats that have been brewing on the borders for decades. Not only were there the Turks, successors of the Arabs, who call them self the Ottomans now. To the west lay the lands of the Serbs and Hungarians who saw a golden opportunity to take their piece of the cake. Then there were also the Venetians who were always looking to expand their power over the Mediterranean trade.

It may look like Ioannes had given up hope but he knew these times required leaders that are willing to take risk, wiling to think different, willing to defy faith. He knew he had to do something, he wasn’t going to be the last emperor of Rome. Ioannes had a plan, a plan that if successful would not only mean the survival of his people but it will also mean he could become one of the greatest emperors in the history of the Romans, maybe even on the level of Augustus, Constantine and Justinian. But if it failed he would lead his people to the end of their existence.
His brother, and current heir to the throne, Konstantinos had joined Ioannes to watch the sun rise. It was he who first came up with the plan. Konstantinos was close with what remained of the Varangian Guard, one of their senior officers trained him as a kid. One of the legends, so called saga’s, they told him was about some of the ancestors of the Varangian Guard, the Norsemen, who sailed west in search for more land to settle and raid. Even though they found land it allegedly wasn’t suitable to settle. In the years after some tried to find the land know as Vinland, but none were successful. A few more tales were told about travels returning from Vinland but none of those provided evidence. Common believe was that these were just tales and that their was nothing to be found to the west.
But there are always people who believed that these story’s of a failed expedition were a lie, a cover up perhaps for a land full of riches. Among the Varangian Guard there were some of these men. Konstantinos showed interest in the idea of finding a new land for the Byzantine people to prosper once again. Together with his brother and some of the guards who believed in this idea, he delved in the enormous library of Konstantinopolis where hidden somewhere deep in the library, covered by century’s of newer litterateur, some om the old Norse litterateur remained from the time they came to these lands on their longships. What they had found was promising, some notes from Leif Erikson himself that described how he felt about what he had found. He said the land he found was rich enough to support a settlement but he also expressed his worry about excessive migration from people at home. This could explain the theory of the guards that believed the story of a failed expedition was a lie. Something else promising they found where plans for longships that could traverse deep waters. For the imperial brothers this was good evidence that the Norse were up to something and that, with extensive planning their was perhaps a brighter future possible for their people. Although a long shot, today was the day Ioannes would present the plans he and his brother had made to his advisers to finalize the plan and start the process of an exodus of the last Romans.

After a day of presenting the plan and debating its implementation Ioannes awaited the advisers judgment. Not all advisers were interested in what the Basileus proposed. In particular the older ones, who knew they hadn’t long for this world anyway, and therefore weren’t willing to take part in this with risk filled adventure. Ioannes knew tough he needed support from the majority of advisers. Ioannes turned his back to his advisers as he contemplated how he would proceed, how could he convince the majority to support his cause. Silence fell upon the room as every one awaited what the Basileus had to say. Then one the advisers stood up. He was one of Ioannes most intelligent advisers and he taught history and the court. He was originally from the Peloponnese region where he learned a lot about the ancient Greek culture. He then started a monologue about why they had to undertake this adventure. He tried to convince the other by telling them about two ancient Greek epics: In Homer’s Odyssey Odysseus faced hardships on his way back home. But it was the second one he put the most emphasis on. In Vergil’s Aeneid Aeneas was forced to flee the city and was led by Jupiter and Venus to found the city Lavinium after a great Odyssey of his own. This city would later be known as the city from which Romulus and Remus's mother originated. This was especially important to the adviser because the second Odyssey lay at the foundation of the Roman Empire. So it would only make sense to him that to safe the Byzantine people they had to undertake a similar journey and found a new empire that will succeed the Roman Empire. Now more people grew in favor of the plan and quickly a majority was reached. A plan was started to retrofit the Byzantine galley’s with what was needed according to the Norse documents. Also goods and resource would have to be stored to undertake the journey. All of this would have to be done in secret to prevent upset among the people until everything was in order. If the plans became too public even neighboring nations might undertake action against the Byzantine empire. In secret the preparations began for the journey west, the exodus of the Byzantine people.

That evening, after a long day of debates, Basileus Ioannes VIII stood on the majestic western walls of Konstantinopolis, build over many century’s it had protected Konstantinopolis and its people.Ioannes was watching the sunset of his land. For now it still was his land but soon he would have to give it all up, a difficult sacrifice, but a sacrifice well worth it. He knew that one day his descendants would return to retake what is rightfully theirs, and who knows maybe he, in a coffin, would one day return to the glorious city of Konstantinopolis.
As he stood there, looking in the distance, he whispered in the wind: “And so it begins, the Third Odyssey.”