Basil I Nikolaides
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Born the bastard son of Nikolaos II Doukas and an Ardhean merchant's widow, Basil was raised in the imperial court and granted the surname Nikolaides, acknowledging his imperial parentage. A quick-witted and bright child, Basil quickly became a favorite child to the basileus, fanning the jealousy of his older half-brother, Nikolaos' heir apparent, Demetrios. The two boys often quarreled and fought each other, resulting in Basil's frequent beating at the hands of his brother.
The jealousy continued to the year 461 AFE, when Demetrios IV Doukas was crowned and assigned his 17-year-old half-brother the command of a disastrous military campaign against the fierce Khanakian federation in northern Katsarata, a post largely considered across the imperial court as an effective death sentence. Basil thanked his older brother for the opportunity to prove himself and set out from the capital at once. Over the course of a ten-year campaign, Basil led imperial troops deep into the Khanakian territory and established defensive forts at key points, and his base camp converted into a city to serve as the region's administrative center.
Returning to Lapara in 472, Basil was met by the basileus, who had changed much over the past decade. Demetrios organized a triumph in the honor of his half-brother, eagerly embracing him before the Senate house, and organizing his marriage to the beautiful Eirene Angelina. During his stay in the capital, Basil was appointed tot he post of Lord High Marshall, oversaw the empire's response to separatist movements in Ardhéa and secured the empire's new northern border.
Some time later, Basil was approached by his long-time friend and brother-in-law, Gregorios Angelos, who had long nursed an ego wounded by the basileus. In this meeting, Gregorios spoke plainly of his plan for rebellion and reestablishment of the Angelos dynasty. Lord High Marshal Basil Nikolaides immediately arrested Angelos, and entrusted his care to Loukas Melissanos, the basileos' own brother in law. As Basil rode to the palace to inform his brother of the development, Melissanos released his prisoner, launching the Angelos Restoration.
Rallying the loyalist forces, and appointing his twin sons to military posts, Basil fought valiantly on behalf of the Doukos dynasty, however, the forces arrayed against the reigning monarch proved to be too numerous for the imperial forces. In 498, Demetrios was forced to abdicate his throne in favor of Gregorios II Angelos , who immediately exiled Basil into exile to the savage deserts of Ardhéa. Furthermore, his wife was forced to divorce him, and his sons executed, effectively destroying the Nikolaides family.
When, a scant few months after claiming the imperial throne for himself, Gregorios II was murdered at the hands of his palace guard without a clear successor, the Senate met to appoint the next basileus. With The Imperial House Angelos disgraced, and The Imperial House Doukas without a suitable candidate, Basil Nikolaides, as an imperial bastard of advanced years who had shown himself both loyal to the empire and capable of leadership, was rapidly recalled from exile to reign as Basil I Doukas, but he refused the imperial name, choosing to keep the name of his birth.
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