Mehmed: Sultan of Conquests

Driven by his vision of the "Three Romes" and inspired by the Battle of Yarmouk, Mehmed the Conqueror sets his sights on the Pontic Empire, prompting Emperor David Komnenos to seek support from Pope Pius II and forge strategic alliances using sacred relics from the Sumela Monastery. As political tensions rise, a mysterious Aramaic-inscribed parchment discovered in Hagia Sophia draws Mehmed’s attention, leading him to summon the eccentric "Mad Lütfi" and assign Vlad Tepeş to decipher its secrets. Amid dynastic maneuvering and shifting allegiances, the unfolding drama tests not only imperial ambitions but also Mehmed’s deepest personal dilemma: choosing between the survival of his empire and the fate of his own children.

Sultan Mehmed faces a harrowing dilemma between safeguarding his empire and disciplining his son Beyazıd, who defies orders and stirs unrest by leaving his sanjak amid Karamanid threats demanding his surrender. As Mehmed puts Beyazıd on trial, a deeper conspiracy unfolds: Pontic Emperor David Komnenos and Pedri ally with Karaman to incite rebellion among Turkmen lords, while Mehmed pursues a sacred icon hidden in Hagia Sophia. Provoked by the Karaman envoy’s threats, Mehmed executes the ambassador and launches the Pontus Campaign to crush Roman influence in the Black Sea, confronting both internal discord and the remnants of Byzantine power.

As Sultan Mehmed struggles with internal strife sparked by Prince Beyazıt’s rebellion and the dismissal of İshak Pasha, tensions escalate within the palace and harem, while external threats loom as Pontus and Karaman seek alliances against the Ottomans. Vlad and the Karatuğs pursue sacred relics amid Vatican conspiracies, facing both enemies and inner turmoil. Süleyman, blaming Beyazıt for Julia’s death, stirs rebellion through İsfendiyaroğlu Kasım Bey. After Beyazıt is gravely wounded in an ambush, Sultan Mehmed, consumed by fury, rallies the Janissaries and declares war on traitors, plunging the empire into a dark tide of vengeance.

Sultan Mehmed faces a turbulent chapter marked by personal grief and political upheaval, as the critical condition of Prince Beyazıd stirs unrest within the palace. Amid rising tensions in the imperial court—fueled by rivalries between Mahmud Pasha and İshak Pasha, and debates over Zağanos Pasha—Mehmed navigates shifting alliances against Karaman, Pontus, and the Vatican. While Beyazıd clings to life, Mustafa is ceremoniously inducted into the Janissary corps and sent on campaign. As Vlad Tepes plots in Pontus and the Karatuğs endure torture, Basat grows wary of betrayal. Mehmed’s decision to recall Zağanos Pasha signals a pivotal shift, just as the Ottoman army marches toward Beyşehir, where an impending battle and palace power shifts will shape the empire’s destiny.

Power struggles and shifting alliances unsettle the palace as Grand Vizier Mahmud Pasha maneuvers to regain influence, testing the bond between Mehmed’s former tutors amid the revelation of a buried secret. Prince Beyazıt’s political marriage to Gülperi Hatun, haunted by his love for Julia, sets the stage for betrayal, with Gülperi’s covert correspondence hinting at looming catastrophe. Meanwhile, in Pontus, a deadly race for sacred relics unfolds, threatening to reshape religious and imperial destinies, as hidden alliances and dark motives fuel the bloodshed. With the relics’ potential to spark a new Crusader front, Mehmed reconsiders his military strategy, ultimately launching a secretive expedition under his sole command.

Sultan Mehmed launches a grand military campaign shrouded in strategic ambiguity, sowing confusion among allies and enemies alike as he sets his sights on Pontus. A pivotal naval battle in the Black Sea threatens to alter the course of the war, while secret diplomacy intensifies across Karaman, İsfendiyar, and the Vatican—where the Pope appoints a mysterious new commander. Amid rising tensions, an assassination attempt at the Ottoman camp sparks unrest, and in the capital, Gülperi’s bold move against Prince Bayezid disrupts palace dynamics. As turmoil brews on all fronts, Mehmed presses forward with unwavering resolve.

An assassination attempt throws the Ottoman headquarters into turmoil, gravely wounding Grand Vizier Mahmud Pasha and prompting Sultan Mehmed to vow silence until the traitor is exposed. As tensions rise with the murder of Karaman ambassadors and suspicions swirl around Vlad, Molla Lütfi’s investigation reveals deeper conspiracies. Internal strife escalates as Janissaries and Solaks clash, threatening military unity, until Mahmud Pasha’s recovery stabilizes the ranks. Meanwhile, an unseen enemy stirs unrest across the empire, alliances blur, and a secret meeting in Danishmend lands reshapes the campaign’s course. Amid whispered plots and shifting power, the state prepares to rise from unexpected quarters—heralding the beginning of a decisive victory march.

Suspicion surrounds Vlad Tepes after an assassination attempt on Mahmud Pasha and Basat’s death, but Sultan Mehmed releases him due to lack of evidence, unsettling the palace. Janissary Ağa Kurtçu Doğan’s self-sacrifice spares Zeynel from punishment, yet Kurtçu continues probing Vlad’s actions. Just as the truth nears, Vlad returns triumphant from Pontus with a sacred relic and a rescued captive, earning Mehmed’s trust as a “brother.” In Constantinople, Prince Bayezid uncovers a plot against him by Kasım Bey but chooses mercy over vengeance. Meanwhile, Mehmed launches a campaign against İsfendiyaroğlu, while Pontus Emperor Komnenos sends Draven to strike from behind. In Mehmed’s silence lies the strategy that shapes empires and stirs history anew.

Following his triumph in the İsfendiyaroğlu campaign, Sultan Mehmed turns his focus to the Pontus Empire, aiming to secure Ottoman control over the Black Sea by targeting Trabzon. He launches a two-pronged offensive—Bali Bey leads a land assault toward the formidable Serpentine Castle, while Bahadır Pasha commands a naval bombardment from the sea. Yet, as the campaign unfolds, internal tensions rise within the palace; trust erodes, and hidden agendas emerge. Vlad, though appearing loyal, harbors secret motives, drawing Zeynel into a dangerous web of intrigue, while Kurtçu Doğan faces a personal reckoning involving both his brother and his friend.

Amid the grief over Zeynel’s death, Sultan Mehmed galvanizes the fractured Ottoman heartland with a vow of vengeance, uniting rivals like Kurtçu and Bali Bey against the growing Pontic threat. As Komnenos’ fury and Uzun Hasan’s support for Pontus destabilize regional power, internal palace tensions and dissent among officials complicate Mehmed’s response. On the eastern front, Princes Beyazıt and Mustafa lead fortification efforts against the advancing Akkoyunlu, while the Ottoman army struggles through treacherous terrain and internal discord at Kadırga Plateau—where Mehmed reignites their resolve with a stirring speech. Yet, the gravest peril still looms in the shadowed depths of Gelevera Valley.

During the fierce siege of Pontus, Sultan Mehmed confronts both external enemies and internal threats, interrogating figures like Vlad Tepeş as old rivalries resurface. At the same time, his army struggles against Draven’s traps and Komnenos’s maneuvers in the perilous terrain. Amid looming losses, secret pacts and betrayals emerge, forcing Prince Bayezid, Bali Bey, and the raiders to fight desperately on separate fronts. Ultimately, the fate of the city and the army hinges on Mehmed’s decisive command, and at dawn, an unexpected opening of the gates transforms the square into a brutal battlefield where Ottoman valor clashes with the enemy’s final stratagems.

The Akıncı raiders’ infiltration into Pontus ends in a bloody trap set by Draven, prompting Mehmed to suspect treachery rather than military error, with Raider Mustafa’s intelligence pointing toward Vlad Tepeş, whose dark “Vlaciu” whispers even unsettle Bayezid. Meanwhile, Pontus’s megaduke Yorgo secretly vows to open the gates for Mehmed, but Draven intercepts him, leaving his fate uncertain as the camp anxiously awaits a signal that never comes. Resolute, Mehmed unleashes the mighty Şahi cannons against the Notia walls, allowing Janissaries, sappers, and raiders to storm the city, while the wounded Eren fulfills his dream’s trust by raising Ulubatlı Hasan’s three-crescented banner under a hail of arrows, sealing Pontus’s downfall. Yet in the shadows, Vlad departs with a chilling vow to destroy the Conqueror within Mehmed himself.

The Ottoman advance toward the Black Sea gateway becomes a brutal struggle of betrayal and resistance, fought street by street within the city. As Sultan Mehmed makes a decisive move, secret plots and dark alliances deepen the conflict, turning the conquest into a test of cunning, loyalty, and courage where history records not only victory but unexpected confrontations.

Şehzade Bayezid and Mustafa escape Süleyman’s deadly trap thanks to a timely intervention that shifts Anatolia’s power balance, while Sultan Mehmed crushes traitors in Tokat and signals that betrayal will be met with death. As he declares the Eastern Roman Empire finished and turns westward, a new Crusader plot rises, Vlad Tepeş re‑emerges more dangerous than before, and a shocking palace upheaval forces decisions that will reshape the empire and the region’s future.

Sahabettin Pasha’s martyrdom sends shockwaves through the empire, driving Sultan Mehmed into a relentless quest for vengeance as political schemes in Bosnia push the Balkans toward catastrophe, with Vlad making his own ruthless bid for power. In the capital, vacant posts ignite fierce rivalries as former allies turn into opponents, while raiders marching toward Bosnia stumble into a deadly web of betrayal that unexpectedly sparks a new resistance. Amid these storms, Mehmed’s strategic brilliance prevails once more, transforming even treachery into a tool that serves his ambitions.

A financial scandal disrupts the Harem‑i Hümayun, forcing Sultan Mehmed to rethink palace duties and loyalties just as Princess Rose arrives with revelations about Bosnia’s hidden power struggles, pushing him toward a difficult political and moral choice. At the same time, Hüseyin Agha’s harsh rule sparks unrest among the Janissaries, drawing Kurtçu Doğan and Mahmud Pasha into a dangerous confrontation over authority. Meanwhile, Mehmed’s test of Vlad’s loyalty destabilizes the fragile balance between Vlad, Stefan, and Radu, setting the stage for an unpredictable clash of interests.

Mahmud Pasha and Hüseyin Agha’s attempt to sideline Kurtçu Doğan fuels dangerous tension in the Janissary Corps, while Radu’s plea for pardon forces him and Vlad to face hard truths before Mehmed. In Bosnia, papal pressure endangers the Bogomils and shifts the power struggle, and in the capital, an East Turkestan delegation pushes Mehmed to respond to their oppression. Kurtçu Doğan’s defiance deepens internal rivalries, and new palace decisions unsettle roles and loyalties within the harem.

Sultan Mehmed faces rising Janissary unrest while events in Bosnia spiral after Stefan and Vlad’s decisions, drawing Bahadır Bey and Bali Bey into a conflict that reaches the palace. Princess Rose’s arrival in Edirne threatens to shift political balances, Queen Katerina’s hunt for gold leads her into danger, and a leak from Vlad’s circle gives Mehmed a new advantage as ambushes, losses, and celebrations signal the start of a new era.

Sultan Mehmed wages a calculated and patient campaign against the Crusader alliance on the Bosnian front, even as a corruption scandal and attempted rebellion erupt in the capital, forcing him to confront treachery head‑on. While Prince Mustafa moves swiftly to enforce justice at home, Prince Bayezid travels to Ragusa to cut off the enemy’s financial support, only to be caught in a deadly ambush by Vlad the Impaler that thrusts him into a brutal, close‑quarters battle.

Sultan Mehmed steadies the capital for a vast campaign as palace loyalties and ambitions collide, a political marriage to Princess Rose hints at hidden costs, and a frontline trap draws enemies toward a decisive clash. With the council targeting the last “heads of the dragon,” the march from Konstantiniyye may mark the beginning of a new epic on the Ottomans’ path to the Red Apple.

Fatih Sultan Mehmed names Bosnia the new Kızılelma to outmaneuver Matthias Corvinus through diplomacy, sending Prince Bayezid as envoy—a move that alarms İshak Pasha, who secretly tries to shield the prince even as palace intrigue closes in. Meanwhile, Vlad and Gabor plot to cripple the empire before war begins, Balkan loyalties shift under pressure, and the tension culminates in a narrow valley where Bayezid faces the Hungarian army, his mission hanging between diplomacy and the steel that may decide history once more.

Sultan Mehmed secretly shifts the campaign from Bosnia to Hungary, unsettling both his army and Europe. Bayezid’s covert mission exposes cracks among the Hungarians but strains his bond with his father. İshak Pasha’s victory at Drina is darkened by revenge, while in Europe Gabor defies his king and schemes to seize Bosnia through Queen Katerina, risking a wider conflict. Mehmed is left balancing war, politics, and family as a larger storm gathers.

Mehmed prepares a bold move toward Bosnia, but a massive Hungarian force is approaching. Before he can act, Vlad murders Hüseyin Agha and sparks a Janissary revolt that Mehmed must crush to save the army. In Wallachia, Vlad’s confrontation with Radu shifts the war, while a betrayal brews through Karamanlı Süleyman. In Europe, King Matthias triggers a deadly Vatican plot. With order restored, Mehmed marches out, warning that all who oppose him will kneel or fall.

As Ishak Pasha steps down due to illness, the Imperial Council reshapes the command that will decide the coming campaign. The Pope’s death fractures the Crusader alliance, even as Matthias arms Bosnia with new cannons. Shamil Bey’s trapped volunteers are saved by a sudden, decisive maneuver, while Vlad escapes captivity, seizes Suleyman, and unleashes a brutal reckoning. Mehmed’s strategy closes in on the enemy, leading to a final, fateful confrontation between Sultan and Impaler—a reckoning that will decide empires.

Mehmed nearly captures Vlad, but Katerina’s brutal artillery strike lets him escape. In Bosnia, Mehmed establishes justice and wins the Bogomils’ loyalty as “Evlad‑ı Fatihan.” A wounded Vlad hides in mountain caves while Bahadır Pasha closes in. Rose Hatun’s peace mission ends in betrayal when Aron—secretly with Katerina—stabs her, and Mehmed kills him. Vlad’s fate and Rose’s survival remain uncertain.

The Bosnian trap exposes hidden truths and destabilises the Ottoman camp as Çiçek Hatun’s critical injury shifts palace power, while Vlad turns captivity into a new plan for vengeance, threatening Radu’s fragile rule in Wallachia. At the same time, a growing ideological rift between Mahmud Pasha and Prince Bayezid deepens the struggle over the empire’s future, and although Zağanos Pasha secures Bosnia, the victory may be only the calm before a greater storm.

Sultan Mehmed races toward campaign season as palace politics flare: his resource push reshapes power, unity rises among beys and dervishes, but Gülşah Hatun and Bahar Hatun’s manoeuvres intensify the fragile rivalry between Mustafa and Bayezid. Vlad returns to Wallachia with brutal ambition, Bahadır Pasha’s rescue mission takes an unexpected turn, and alarming news from Radu reveals just how close the danger now looms.

Sultan Mehmed is shaken by the news of Bahadır Hamza Pasha’s death and immediately redirects the campaign toward Wallachia, while Vlad Dracula sinks deeper into darkness after the killing. Radu’s loyalty remains uncertain, the rivalry between princes Mustafa and Bayezid simmers on the march, and as the Ottoman army reaches the Danube, they face a new, ominous barrier whose dangers are still unknown.

Mehmed reels from the Niğbolu attack as he races to aid Ali Bey, pushes a risky night crossing of the Danube while Vlad sabotages the river, and rising rivalries and ambushes shift the war’s balance, even as enemy revenge plots unfold and Karamanoğlu Süleyman quietly prepares his own strike against Dragon.

An ambush tests the princes and sparks tension between Mustafa and Bayezid, while Mahmud Pasha’s interference derails Mehmed’s secret plan and raises fears of a grave mistake. As new intelligence about Targoviste emerges, Vlad launches a deadly ruse using plague‑stricken decoys before infiltrating the camp himself, ending in a charged face‑off that signals an even greater clash ahead.

Mehmed, shaken by heavy losses and Ali Bey’s death, struggles to rebuild his army as Vlad deepens his terror in Târgoviște, political schemes unsettle both camps, and rising tensions from princes to raiders force a decisive choice that will shape the war and the state’s future.

Mehmed nears Targovişte as Vlad grows feral, palace plots explode, and Radu’s matricide shakes the empire, while prince rivalries sharpen and Vlad’s desperate night raid on Mehmed twists into a shocking surprise.

Vlad’s failed raid leaves his army shattered, Mustafa rides out alone to prove himself, and Vlad traps him in the forest where his Janissaries die protecting him, forcing the prince to flee as Mehmed anxiously awaits word while marching toward a final reckoning at Targovişte.