Chapter 6: Might is Right (1 January to 8 April 868)
Gumarich Schreiber wrote that the new year of 868 (by the infidel Christian styling) began by King Rurik declaring he would pursue a ‘New Way of Life’ as ruler. He decided he needed to be able to focus his life and has declared that his first such pursuit would be in Hunting. He asserted that “Hunting was good martial practice for all good Norse warriors and was a boon to health.” Barring hunting accidents, of course!
Chancellor Hrörekr, on advice from the recent
Thing, abandoned his unnecessary mission contriving a claim in
Toropets, given the legal wisdom held abundant reasons to attack, including an extant de Jure claim, already existed. He arrived back at
Holmgarðr in early January. While he would now have to wait until 2 July to be ready for a new mission, at least he would not be subject to discovery and apprehension at the hands of the Spymaster of
Toropets.
On 8 February, a bandit raid on the Holmgarðian forces besieging the Temple of Hiiumaa in
Saaremaa supposedly ‘killed many of the besieging soldiers’, although Rurik’s commanders reported it seemed no more than around 20 soldiers had been lost.
“The siege is unaffected, my King,” said his principle commander, Chief Svetozar of Luki. “They resist in vain. We will soon be looting and pillaging this heathen temple.”
“Good news, Svetozar,” answered Rurik, his eyes gleaming with the light of religious zeal. “They will pay heavily in blood and treasure for their heathen ways, by Odin’s teeth! When we are done here, we will return with our loot to Ingria. And then, we shall dismiss the levies and muster the rest of the army to impose our will on Toropets. Our Holmgarðian dukedom will be reunited soon: if that wastrel Sviatopolk refuses to bend the knee, he will have my blade at his neck!”
Less than a week later, Hiiumaa fell, with just a few light casualties due to that earlier bandit raid. The temple yielded a good haul of gold, nearly twice what had been pillaged from the surrounding countryside and tribal holdings.
The raiding party had embarked the galleys with all their loot and headed back to
Ingria on 21 February, arriving without incident on 7 March, to a very warm welcome.
A job well done, back home now.
The boost to the King’s prestige matched the haul of gold, with some beneficial knock-on effects that would last for years to come. A good start and instructive for all concerned: when next the fleets went to sea to raid, the targets would be richer and more distant, and the glory greater. Danger? Who cares!
With his prestige growing
[now around 189] and firm legal advice about his rights to claim de Jure rights over
Toropets (and indeed
Torzhok after that), Rurik took his next course with confidence. He would dismiss his own demesne levies: the Nygarðr regiment of 937 men and the Aldeigjuborg Regiment with another 602. And muster his standing army – now numbering over 1,200, with his original raiders and the zealots currently quartered in
Luki – in the capital and thus be in a position to legally declare war and have a sizable host ready to immediately march on
Toropets, catching them before they were able to muster their meagre levy (estimated at around 524 when summoned).
Even with the requirement to besiege the holdings, it may be that the standing army alone may be enough to do the job. Especially as a report is received from agents in Chief Sviatopol’s court that on 4 March he saw fit to sack one of his commanders (one Briachislav by name) – and the Chief himself was no military heavyweight
[8 compared to Rurik’s personal score, which is now 28 since he took up the Hunting focus]. It was hoped they might be in some disarray by the time Rurik came calling – Sviatopol’s feast preparations would be crashed! The orders went out and the troops began marching immediately (on 7 March).
As Rurik marched with his raiders from
Ingria, on 27 March he was met on the road by a messenger from his trusty Steward, Alfgeir. A learned man for a ruler of the time, Rurik read the scroll himself. Great news – and his gratitude for his Steward’s industrious efforts was manifest. There would be no problem providing these new recruits with some action, lest they become restless. The same stood for those zealots recruited last year by Seer Porolfr – they needed some action to blood them, sooner rather than later.
By 8 April, Rurik makes his triumphal return to
Holmgarðr. There are hearty backslaps and a nice tapestry each (looted from
Saaremaa) for his Steward and Seer. The additional troops they have mustered are merged into a single army of almost 2,000. All is now in readiness to bring
Toropets into its rightful place as part of the realm. There will be no time for feasting or celebrating for now: there will be a quick council meeting to decide on the precise form of the declaration of war on the hapless Sviatopolk, then the now unified army will march.
Chancellor Hrörekr advises there are two cases for war that seem the most relevant out of four available. He presents their essential elements. The debate is over which is the ‘best’ in the interests of the King.
Prince-Marshal Helgi argues in favour of a straight conquest.
Toropets would go directly to the King, to manage as he would. He would also gain moral authority among Germanic peoples for 20 years. Hrörekr, coming from a more legalistic viewpoint, believes the de Jure claim should be exercised, bringing
Toropets into the realm and making Sviatopolk the King’s vassal.
Gumarich recorded a healthy debate was had by the councillors, with vassals naturally gravitating towards a more diffused county governance and less power to the King through a de Jure claim, while Helgi naturally favoured an approach that kept things more closely held “in the family”. A decision would be reached that afternoon, but first they broke for a hearty lunch. Perhaps some jugs of ale and a haunch of venison would make the decision easier!
Questions
Ch 6 Q1: Moral Authority. While the de Jure claim on Toropets seems more ‘traditional’, a straight conquest is open to Rurik. He gets the county all to himself and gains ‘Moral Authority’ as well. First question is what benefit ‘Moral Authority (among Germans) brings. What is the effect and is it worthwhile? This has a bearing on which case for war Rurik should press – on Toropets and in the future.
Ch 6 Q2: Declaration of War. Second, are there any ‘hidden’ consequences to adopting one course or the other form later, other than those listed in the effect descriptions? Because otherwise, I think Rurik is tempted by a straight conquest, which seems to be a course that has slightly more long-term advantage to him, gets rid of a potentially unhappy and not very effective vassal and then allows him to keep or reallocate the county as he chooses.
Any advice or views on either of these questions or any other general comments or suggestions is most welcome. For now, I know character development and prose narrative is a little light, but that is in part due to the focus on gameplay, part due to the early days of the campaign. I’ll see where that part of the story takes us as things move forward.
that’s enjoyable too 
