Blood and Empire: A Clash of Civilisations

[Bullfilter]

Chapter 80: Ear We Go (1244-1249)

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Raiding

While raiding continued apace in Egypt-Abyssinia in Aswan, Fustat, Asayita and Quena, the smaller raiding army in Italy set sail for Greece in May 1244. They landed in Achaia later that month to begin a raid of the non-Byzantine Greek provinces that would last through to 1249, eventually yielding over 2,100 gold from Achaia, Euboia, Korinthos, Monemvasia in Greece and Smyrna on the Aegean coast of Anatolia.

A one-sided battled against a Suhailid garrison in Buhairya ended on 14 March 1245 to begin a new raid there, with half the enemy force of 2,400 killed for just 32 Rurikid casualties. A year later, a series of more serious challenges would arise after the targeted countries had rebuilt some of their previously smashed armies. The first of these arose in Aswan, where a similar sized Suhailid-Abazid army attacked the raiders in their siege camps.

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As the battle raged, another 2,600 enemy troops were on their way from the south. Had the battle been lost, all Suhailid raiding would have been stymied (as in had been in the Abbasid Caliphate). But in the end the raiders, not led by any recognised commander but defending behind a small river, won the day and soon received three commanders in case of any further attack.

Just after that battle began, the raiders initiated another ‘raid skirmish’ in Tadjoura, clearing out around 2,700 defenders for only minimal loss to start a new raid on 18 April. Soon after, word came of an even more serious challenge to the west in Kassala, in Shewa territory.

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A large Shewa army was advancing from the north-west which would heavily outnumber the defending raiders. Arngrimr in Semien was ordered to break siege and reinforce but had a long approach march: battle would be joined well before he could arrive.

The attack in Kassala came on 8 May, with the Rurikid raiders outnumbered by almost 3,000. Both sides boasted elite commanders, with the defenders commanded by three of their best generals. The Russians held on grimly and when the melee phase was joined they attacked viciously, inflicting heavy casualty and morale losses on the attackers.

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It was too much for the Shewa, whose right and centre wings broke first, allowing their remaining left wing to be flanked from three directions. In the end, the raiding campaign was saved after the enemy suffered the devastating loss of most of their army. Arngrimr’s troops were not even required and they turned south to begin a new raid on Gondar when word came of the victory.

A new raiding program in Palestine struck Jerusalem, Acre and Asqalan from 1246-49, while the Egypt-Abyssinia campaign was finally ended in June 1249 when a far larger Suhailid force hit the sole remaining raiding army in Dotawo, forcing it to withdraw on contact and suffer around 700 casualties. Along the way 12 counties were pillaged in the region from 1244-49 but by the end, most of the raiders had moved away to other tasks, as will be explained later. In net terms and despite reinforcement costs, buildings and other expenses, the Russian treasury grew from 7,800 to 16,800 gold over the period, largely off the back of raiding (primarily), ransoms and tax revenue.

Raiding Map for 1244-49 showing the three separate campaigns during the period.

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Domestic, Vassal and Foreign Affairs

When it was noticed that the King of Axum had voluntarily converted to Reformed Germanicism, this plus the awesome power of the Rurikid Empire was enough to convince him to join as a vassal in August 1244. King Haraldr of Aquitaine was given the task of his supervision.

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King Rikulfr of Könugarðr took advantage of an opportunity to grab some Byzantine territory during a revolt in a short war that lasted from January 1245 to October 1246. He got three counties and an excellent nickname from the victory.

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In February 1245 Khagan Chagatai decided to retake Nikaea, which had seceded recently, unconcerned by the relatively weak network of alliances that tried to support the mini-state. The Mongols had reclaimed the county before the year ended.

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With over 9,500 gold in the treasury and raiding continuing apace, infrastructure improvements were commenced in the Barony of Meaux and the Hospital of Valencia in April 1245.

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In sad news, Toste’s sister Iliana, who had been married to the Crown Prince of Noregr, died ‘of depression’ in May 1246 aged only 22. She and Prince Kolbjörn had no children and the non-aggression pact their marriage had secured was dissolved. Not that Toste was particularly concerned.

Around the Aegean, Russian vassal lords did their bit to conquer ex-Byzantine counties with the annexation of Abydos and Euboia in 1245-46.

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The ‘old guard’ Kings of England, Germany and Bohemia were succeeded by their sons between 1245-49. None of the new rulers were particularly distinguished in their abilities and none were considered powerful enough to be contenders for the Imperial Council.

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There were relatively few peasant revolts around this time, but a persistent one broke out in Kent in January 1246. Though the rebels lost men through repeated siege events during the year, no local magnate mobilised to deal with them. After the fall of Dover Castle in December of that year, the English levy – now in the new King’s capital in the north – was called out and started the march south.

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It took until the following April to come to grips with the rebel scum and then justice was swift and summary, their leader left swinging from the nearest tree.

The next Mongol expansion was again small, for the county of Kanj Rustaq on their border with Pala. Pala had no allies and was still weak from previous wars. Even so, it took from January 1246 to April 1248 for the Khagan to successfully wrap up the conquest.

On the political front, by January 1247 there were no Imperial level factions at all agitating against the Emperor. They would return again over the next couple of years, with four weak groups (the largest 13.6% of Toste’s strength) extant but under control in November 1249.

Another peasant revolt broke out in the former Arabian county of Madaban in August 1247. General Bo’s raiding army was nearby in in Acre and was sent to wipe them out. While this was an easy task, Bo was unlucky enough to be one of the 93 casualties, killed leading his men during the final pursuit.

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Toste was so incensed by this he decided to ensure the rebel leader was badly punished. Rather than a simple and quick execution, Magni was tortured and released from the captivity as an example to others. Broken and maimed, he didn’t even last another month before his ignominious death.

Toste’s spirits – and vassal opinion and army morale – were improved when a Great Blot was celebrated in late 1247. There were the usual human sacrifices and vassal misbehaviour during the feast: good fun unless you were a victim of the hangman’s noose!

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In part to stop infighting but mainly to enable some major legislative change, realm peace was approved in December 1247 and enforced four months later. The measure passed easily, in part because King Þorbjörn of Irland was losing a civil war over increased council power at the time. Unfortunately for him, he would lose before the 1 April 1248 deadline.

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Three wars were halted immediately and another three (two from the restive Tolir of Volga Bulgaria, who seemed to be a slow learner) would be stopped as soon as they started over the next couple of years.

The legal change Toste made was to introduce Agnatic-Cognatic Primogeniture inheritance laws for the Empire and the kingdoms he ruled personally on 7 May 1248. At a stroke, the succession was narrowed to his own children exclusively – and by then he had accumulated a sizeable brood!

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The most significant succession of the period occurred in February 1249, when long-time Chancellor, Designated Regent and powerful magnate King Haraldr ‘the Pious’ of Aquitaine died aged a respectable 62 years old. Toste went for loyalty over ability in choosing his brilliant concubine Þyra Veðr as successor. Diplomacy was actually her weakest skill but she would be a Loyalist on the Council.

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Haraldr’s passing also ended Toste’s language tutoring (more on that later).

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Byzantium

The latest Byzantine civil war was triggered in December 1244 when another of Basileus Alexandros’ many revocations was resisted by Innokentios Melissenos. His rebellion was weaker than those preceding it and he was later, as noted above, attacked by Könugarðr for Alania. This time Toste did not offer help and would not be asked for it, as the formal alliance had lapsed previously.

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Despite this, Innokentios would lose Alania to Könugarðr before his successor as revolt leader, Doux Zenon II of Palmyra, concluded an ‘early’ white peace with Alexandros in September 1247.

A far larger revolt would break out just two months later after another rejected revocation. This one was far larger, although Alexandros’ army had recovered somewhat by this point and he would win a few land battles early on against Elaiodora the Holy.

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During this war, one of Alexandros’ vassals would reclaim Achaia from independent hands in a side-war in January 1248. By January 1249, the Rebels were ahead in the war [+33%], though mainly because they had not lost any holdings to the Loyalists yet. As the Loyalist cause ebbed in March [-41%], Toste decided he had better prop up his brother-in-law lest he be overthrown: his offer to join the war was gratefully accepted on 1 April 1249.

Soon over 56,000 vassal levies were heading to the Danube border: no Imperial demesne levies were raised at this point. In the Middle East, a couple of Guard armies were ‘de-toggled’ and sent from Palestine (where they had been raiding) to assist in the south at Baalbek, which was put under siege on 1 May [warscore -50%, despite +20% from two battles won by Alexandros to that point]. This was changed completely when the first holding in Baalbek fell on 24 July [+17% for the Loyalists].

Moesia was besieged in early July, then in August the levies began arriving along the north-western Balkans. Zachlumia was besieged, enemy cleared out of Diadora so that it and Rama were invested on the same day.

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The Smyrna raid was ended on 12 September and the army sent up to Kaliopolis – though it wasn’t ‘de-toggled’, which would have a knock-on effect later. And in November, the Spanish levy army finally arrived in Gaeta.

Even though the war’s balance was not excessively in Alexandros’ favour by this time [+27%], Queen Elaiodora decided enough was enough and another white peace was concluded on 26 November 1249. This also stopped an attempted Mongol land grab against rebel-held Dorylaion.

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But because Hysing’s army in Kaliopolis had been on raiding duty, this sparked a confrontation with Elaiodora’s main army which arrived two days later, before Hysing had headed off (or though to conduct a ‘de-toggling’ ceremony with his Godi). Reinforcements were called for though may not be needed. The other levy armies in the north-west Balkans and Gaeta began marching home.

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The Khaybar War

Before the Russian intervention in Byzantium’s latest civil war, in June 1248 Guard troops returning from raiding in Egypt were offered to assist King Þorbjörn’s long-running and stalled conquest of Khaybar, on the north coast of the Red Sea. He soon accepted, allowing Toste to take over the running of the war. At that time, the very much weakened main army of the Caliphate was concentrated in Al Jawf, where they had one of Þorbjörn’s castles under siege.

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One army was sent across to relieve in Al Jawf, the other to strike at Khaybar itself. Effective Abbasid resistance was broken by General Þorgil at the Battle of Al Adan in Al Jawf on 5 September. The rest of the war would be straightforward from there.

Þorgil had besieged Hijaz by 10 October, Arngrimr doing likewise in Khaybar after destroying a local regiment of 550 Abbasid soldiers on 6 November. The first holding taken there in February 1249 instantly swung the warscore in the Russian’s favour [+31%]. Khaybar was fully occupied by 25 August and Hijaz by 7 September.

This was enough to force peace, with the treaty signed later that month in favour of a happy King Þorbjörn.

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Personal and Dynastic Events

In April 1244, Toste was furious to discover that one Snorri of Kazakh had tried (and thankfully failed) to use one of his concubines to help seduce his wife, the Empress Khorijin. A bitter rivalry was formed – as was a plot to kill the hated cocksman. Bribes were soon paid to help recruit conspirators.

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In May 1244, there was more domestic disturbance when Toste’s brilliant concubine Tuuli Rova (mother of two of his children) died aged 36 from ‘poor health’. She was soon replaced by the low-born but equally clever and very attractive Sigrid, aged 17.

The burdens of the world led to the diligent but ‘simple’ Fylkir to become stressed in mid-1244 – something he hoped the completion of the much-awaited monument promised by Steward Barid later that year. But the result, while it gained him a little prestige, baffled the unsophisticated Toste. And most of the court, too, it had to be admitted.

A confused Fylkir Toste IV ponders the strange monument he spent so much money for. He wasn’t sure the investment was worth it but eventually shrugged his shoulders and left it in the courtyard of his palace in Nygarðr, where it can still be seen today. [Bing AI/DALL-E]​

Meanwhile, the vile lecher Snorri was reckless enough to keep up his attempt to seduce Khorijin. This time evidence was retrieved and it was enough to see him summarily arrested. The cad! Toste soon had him rotting in the oubliette, hoping an early death would ensue. It was then that a mystery was noted.

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The plot to kill Snorri had not been suspended … and two months later it appeared Snorri had managed to go into hiding despite being in the deepest, darkest and dirtiest hole in the Imperial Dungeon! It was beyond the confused Toste to work out. [Must be one of those little game anomalies. This would end up having deleterious consequences later.] An even angrier Toste redoubled his efforts to kill Snorri with more bribes to willing conspirators [plot power to 122%] by November 1244. But it was not enough to find Snorri any time soon.

In the period between February 1245 and October 1248, no fewer than five children (two sons and three daughters) were born to Empress Khorijin (a girl and a boy) and the concubine Þyra Bertilsdottir (a boy and two girls). Two of the girls (one to each of the mothers) was born sickly but the accomplished Physician Gyrið managed to quickly and completely cure both of them completely soon after their births: a truly gifted healer.

During this time, Toste built on his abilities through hard work. All the raiding done on his behalf saw him recognised as a Sea King in July 1246, while some wise court judgements led to him being hailed as a just ruler the following month.

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Later that year, it was deemed time to find a bride for the Crown Prince, Björn. It was to be the young Princess Markia Sellokalas, then heir to the Byzantine throne (though a some would be born later to take precedence over her). It still left open some possibilities later for bringing Byzantium into an even closer union with the Rurikid Dynasty – though some skullduggery may be required!

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Apart from the fame, gold and hostages it brought, the raiding campaign also turned up a few precious artefacts. One looted from Gondar would contribute marginally to Toste’s reputation. Of interest, by this time Toste’s status and high-quality military artefacts had given him an impressive personal combat skill. Despite his ‘lack of wits’ and physical frailty, he yearned to prove everyone wrong in a valiant duel to the death one day.

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And having turned 25 years old, Toste decided to ‘put away childish hairdos’ (and designer stubble) for a more ‘manly’ look befitting the Sword of the Lord and smiter of Catholics.

[Portrait from Bing AI/DALL-E]​

The new-look Fylkir soon found a chance to ‘prove his worth’ when he became offended at his kinsman King Rikulfr. Rikulfr knew when he was out-matched and declined the holmgang challenge. Toste was disappointed but it was no doubt for the best: had he gone ahead and ended up killing Rikulfr, he would have no doubt been branded a kinslayer! It would not have stopped him, though.

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He would die shortly afterwards but in April 1248 Chancellor King Haraldr offered language lessons to the young Fylkir, who was always eager to learn. However, this would end once Haraldr shuffled off his mortal coil.

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A more enduring benefit would be gained when a truly top-class artefact was plundered from Emir Murad in Dotawo a few days later. The Dagger of Glory replaced a far less impressive piece in the Imperial treasury. At that time, Toste had a new look, eight children and almost 325,000 troops to his name if called upon. Only his espionage skills remained non-existent after all his self-improvement efforts.

Then in June, the despised Snorri broke cover, thinking the danger must have largely passed by now. In this, he had made a fatal error. By October, the still-extant murder plot had become well-backed and an attempt was being prepared: the famed manure bomb. “How fitting,” was Toste’s gleeful comment. “Do it!”

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The plot did indeed work but it was here the Fylkir’s pathetic personal stealth skills may have led to the success of the explosion casting some manure back in his direction: he would henceforth be known as a common murderer. More trouble than the pathetic Snorri had been worth, no doubt, but Toste remained pleased it had worked anyway.

An era ended on 14 November 1248 with the passing of kinsman, one-time heir, veteran commander and Court Jester (a petty gesture that had never been rescinded) Prince Bersi Rurikid, claimed by cancer at the age of 66.

As 1249 was drawing to a close, two wars had just been won, the coffers were full, he had nine children and the Crown Prince seemed to be developing well enough at the age of 10. But the Empress had just caught the flu (for which she was receiving some effective treatment for Gyrið) and the recent murder had considerably reduced the general opinion of Toste (and therefore the vassal levy numbers he could call upon).

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The realm seemed to be as strong as ever and the medieval world was increasingly less diverse by country …

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… and in religion, where in addition to conversions to Germancism within the Empire, more conversions in non-Russian Byzantine and African lands had been noted over the last seven years (including those from the previous chapter).

 

[StrategyGameEnthusiast]

In part to stop infighting but mainly to enable some major legislative change, realm peace was approved in December 1247 and enforced four months later. The measure passed easily, in part because King Þorbjörn of Irland was losing a civil war over increased council power at the time. Unfortunately for him, he would lose before the 1 April 1248 deadline.

Thorbjorn must feel like a fool...

The burdens of the world led to the diligent but ‘simple’ Fylkir to become stressed in mid-1244 – something he hoped the completion of the much-awaited monument promised by Steward Barid later that year. But the result, while it gained him a little prestige, baffled the unsophisticated Toste. And most of the court, too, it had to be admitted.

Barid must be a lunatic/possessed, but I've never seen that outcome before.

The plot to kill Snorri had not been suspended … and two months later it appeared Snorri had managed to go into hiding despite being in the deepest, darkest and dirtiest hole in the Imperial Dungeon! It was beyond the confused Toste to work out.

Somehow, Snorri dug his way out...

 

[Wraith11B]

Are they sure that they grabbed the right Snorri?

 

[Chac1]

Great to see a new chapter. Thanks as always.

A confused Fylkir Toste IV ponders the strange monument he spent so much money for. He wasn’t sure the investment was worth it but eventually shrugged his shoulders and left it in the courtyard of his palace in Nygarðr, where it can still be seen today. [Bing AI/DALL-E]

This was an excellent part of the chapter and quite surprising. Liked the artwork you provided to show it off. Of course, that artist was ahead of his time. If that piece had landed in the mid-20th Century it would be hailed as genius.

The plot to kill Snorri had not been suspended … and two months later it appeared Snorri had managed to go into hiding despite being in the deepest, darkest and dirtiest hole in the Imperial Dungeon! It was beyond the confused Toste to work out. [Must be one of those little game anomalies. This would end up having deleterious consequences later.] An even angrier Toste redoubled his efforts to kill Snorri with more bribes to willing conspirators [plot power to 122%] by November 1244. But it was not enough to find Snorri any time soon.

Hmmmm.... an interesting bug. Another reason to detoggle a plot once you arrest someone. Who knew it provided them with a means of escape!?! Glad you took care of Snorri in the end. You would think even if the fylkir was branded a murderer, by upholding his honor and his wife's honor that has to count for something, right?

During this time, Toste built on his abilities through hard work. All the raiding done on his behalf saw him recognised as a Sea King in July 1246, while some wise court judgements led to him being hailed as a just ruler the following month.

Huzzah! Again, congratulations are due.

Nicely done. The fylkir's new look is excellent.

A more enduring benefit would be gained when a truly top-class artefact was plundered from Emir Murad in Dotawo a few days later. The Dagger of Glory replaced a far less impressive piece in the Imperial treasury. At that time, Toste had a new look, eight children and almost 325,000 troops to his name if called upon. Only his espionage skills remained non-existent after all his self-improvement efforts.

Despite Toste's drawbacks, he has worked hard and he is truly on top of the world. Congratulations to you both.

To All: Thanks so much for sticking with me, for votes in the awards for this old beast and your comments and readership. Next chapter out soon.

Well deserved. Again, great to see this chapter.

 

[jak7139]

When it was noticed that the King of Axum had voluntarily converted to Reformed Germanicism, this plus the awesome power of the Rurikid Empire was enough to convince him to join as a vassal in August 1244. King Haraldr of Aquitaine was given the task of his supervision.

He probably also wants to avoid the viking raiders at his doorstep.

Toste was so incensed by this he decided to ensure the rebel leader was badly punished. Rather than a simple and quick execution, Magni was tortured and released from the captivity as an example to others. Broken and maimed, he didn’t even last another month before his ignominious death.

Very cruel, but most Norse probably agree with Toste's decision here.

Guard troops returning from raiding in Egypt were offered to assist King Þorbjörn’s long-running and stalled conquest of Khaybar, on the north coast of the Red Sea.

At the gates of Medina. How long until Islam's holiest cities fall?

A confused Fylkir Toste IV ponders the strange monument he spent so much money for. He wasn’t sure the investment was worth it but eventually shrugged his shoulders and left it in the courtyard of his palace in Nygarðr, where it can still be seen today. [Bing AI/DALL-E]

Is Barid feeling okay? He seems to have knowledge of things we don't.

[Must be one of those little game anomalies. This would end up having deleterious consequences later.]

Never seen that bug. Cancelling and restarting the plot might have fixed it. Glad you got an interesting story beat out of it though.

 

[diskoerekto]

King Rikulfr of Könugarðr took advantage of an opportunity to grab some Byzantine territory during a revolt in a short war that lasted from January 1245 to October 1246. He got three counties and an excellent nickname from the victory.

yeah, the threat level will realistically never fall below 50%. Are there any coastal realms to the east, present day Myanmar (if there's anything except Rashtrakutra or Pala which I assume are in the pact) or the Tamil kingdom on the south edge of the Indian subcontinent, are they also part of the pact? Since we now have a lot of vassals around the Red Sea and Arabian Peninsula there might be enough ships to levy and carry troops there.

A confused Fylkir Toste IV ponders the strange monument he spent so much money for. He wasn’t sure the investment was worth it but eventually shrugged his shoulders and left it in the courtyard of his palace in Nygarðr, where it can still be seen today. [Bing AI/DALL-E]

The plot to kill Snorri had not been suspended … and two months later it appeared Snorri had managed to go into hiding despite being in the deepest, darkest and dirtiest hole in the Imperial Dungeon! It was beyond the confused Toste to work out. [Must be one of those little game anomalies. This would end up having deleterious consequences later.]

As 1249 was drawing to a close, two wars had just been won, the coffers were full, he had nine children and the Crown Prince seemed to be developing well enough at the age of 10. But the Empress had just caught the flu (for which she was receiving some effective treatment for Gyrið) and the recent murder had considerably reduced the general opinion of Toste (and therefore the vassal levy numbers he could call upon).

As we always see in this AAR with the less than desirable heirs that become rulers, he's doing great! He even humiliatingly kills his rivals and that was a great storyline

 

[Eurasia]

India is still FREE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

 

[Bullfilter]

Thorbjorn must feel like a fool...

He timed things ... poorly.

Barid must be a lunatic/possessed, but I've never seen that outcome before.

I'm sure he is - a mad genius and around seven centuries before his time

Somehow, Snorri dug his way out...

Little good it did him in the end MWAHAHA!

Are they sure that they grabbed the right Snorri?

Yes, I went back and double checked it. Must be all those bugs scuttling around in the oubliette.

Great to see a new chapter. Thanks as always.

And you're welcome as always.

This was an excellent part of the chapter and quite surprising. Liked the artwork you provided to show it off. Of course, that artist was ahead of his time. If that piece had landed in the mid-20th Century it would be hailed as genius.

Yes, not what I was expecting. Not very practically useful, but good narrative (and artistic) fun.

Hmmmm.... an interesting bug. Another reason to detoggle a plot once you arrest someone. Who knew it provided them with a means of escape!?! Glad you took care of Snorri in the end. You would think even if the fylkir was branded a murderer, by upholding his honor and his wife's honor that has to count for something, right?

Indeed, I'll try to remember next time if there is one!

Huzzah! Again, congratulations are due.

Thanks mate.

Nicely done. The fylkir's new look is excellent.

Thanks. He's a man of many variations on the theme

Despite Toste's drawbacks, he has worked hard and he is truly on top of the world. Congratulations to you both.

Well deserved. Again, great to see this chapter.

<Doffs hat on Toste's and own behalf>

He probably also wants to avoid the viking raiders at his doorstep.

Without doubt. They have relatively few places they can easily and profitably access by now.

Very cruel, but most Norse probably agree with Toste's decision here.

He has a sense of justice, but it is a hard Norse one that places considerable stock on revenge and severe punishment.

At the gates of Medina. How long until Islam's holiest cities fall?

Encroaching all the time, via the willing vassals.

Is Barid feeling okay? He seems to have knowledge of things we don't.

Haha. I think he's a strange but brilliant one. Well beyond Toste's ability to understand, that's for sure.

Never seen that bug. Cancelling and restarting the plot might have fixed it. Glad you got an interesting story beat out of it though.

I suspect it would have, though I wouldn't have bothered restarting it. The oubliette was meant to mitigate the risk of getting discovered in a murder ... oh well.

yeah, the threat level will realistically never fall below 50%. Are there any coastal realms to the east, present day Myanmar (if there's anything except Rashtrakutra or Pala which I assume are in the pact) or the Tamil kingdom on the south edge of the Indian subcontinent, are they also part of the pact? Since we now have a lot of vassals around the Red Sea and Arabian Peninsula there might be enough ships to levy and carry troops there.

I doubt I'll regularly be able to get it below 90%, sometimes down to around 75% maybe but the vassals keep acquiring things and bringing it up anyway. And yes, most of the time every nation is in one of the pacts, unless I have an NAP with them.

As we always see in this AAR with the less than desirable heirs that become rulers, he's doing great! He even humiliatingly kills his rivals and that was a great storyline

Thanks - I enjoyed it. It has some echoes in the next chapter ...

India is still FREE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I think it will be the last bastion, relatively safe from the Mongols, Aztecs and even the omnipresent Rurikid Scourge!

 

[Bullfilter]

Chapter 81: An Unhealthy Obsession? (1249-1253)

Spymaster Freyr whispers conspiratorially into the ear of Fylkir Toste, c. September 1252. [Bing AI – DALL-e]

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Imperial Raiding and Wars

A raiding battle still continued against former rebels in Kaliopolis in early December 1249; a left-over from the recent Russian intervention in the last Byzantine Civil War. The numbers were roughly even to start with, but the arrival of a reinforcing army on 24 December tipped the balance well and truly in the Russian’s favour. It was all over by 11 January 1250, with 629 Russian and 3,553 enemy dead. Through December and January, the various levy armies made their way back to Russian home territory and were disbanded.

Even as that was happening, King Valdemar II of Wallachia declared war on the Suhailids for Quena on 19 December. The Fylkir’s offer of assistance was accepted by 1 January and by the 10th, the first Guard army, under King Þorgil of Irland, had arrived in Quena from nearby Asyut to lay siege. Fustat (19 April) and Aswan (12 June) would follow. In all, seven holdings would be taken for the loss of 794 men by the time the war ended on 12 February 1251.

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In Palestine, Einarr’s raiders discovered they were able to raid Abbasid lands again when they put Al-Karak under siege on 13 January. From then until August 1253, Rurikid raiders would sack 24 holdings throughout northern Egypt, Palestine and Arabia for 2,600 gold and the loss of around 4.800 men. By the end of the period, the Abbasid counties of Wadi Musa, Tabuk and Sanaa remained under the Viking raiders’ heel.

Not long after Quena had been taken, Fylkir Toste was aiding another new conquest, this time for King Þorfinn of Sviþjod to conquer the southern Arabian county of Mahra from the Hindu Bedouin Shaiban Emirate. The offer was accepted on 1 April 1251 and around 14,000 men began long marches from Palestine and northern Egypt along each coast of the Red Sea to meet at Aden then prosecute the war.

Even as that was being arranged, Grand Mayor Gorm of Venice began an attempt to conquer Nikomedeia, which (along with Nikaea) had become independent after a Mongol leadership succession (more on that in the next section). The war began on 9 May 1251 and by the 26th Gorm had accepted the Fylkir’s offer of help. The end of a raid in Bostra in eastern Syria on 23 June allowed the raiding army there to peel off to assist, but not before a gruelling march through central Anatolia, without supplies and over some difficult terrain. A short skirmish at Malaginan in Nikomedeia was over by 14 November and the siege began of its castle to begin.

After linking up in Aden, King Þorgil’s army marched east and encountered the main Shaiban force in Bayda on 2 January 1252. A convincing victory was won, with Þorgil chasing the survivors east all the way to Mahra.

​

Þorgil would arrive there on 20 April, where the unfortunate Shaiban survivors of the defeat at Bayda had just finished their rout. The remaining 2,700 Shaiban troops were wiped out for around 70 Russian casualties by 10 May.

Up in Anatolia, the first siege in Nikomedeia was won by 8 April, but the army had been out of supply by then for 75 days and was beginning to suffer attrition. They broke their lines to head west to Russian-controlled Abydos, planning to resupply and return to assist the Venetians. But while they were there Chief Kallinikos of Nikomedeia died on 22 May, his son Anatolios rejoining the Byzantine Empire and causing the war to lapse.

​

In August, the army in Abydos would begin a long march over to the Caucasus to explore raiding options in a breakaway county that had been under Nikaean control when they broke from the Mongol Empire.

The three sieges required to take Mahra were completed between 10 May and 22 November 1252, with the Guard losing another 680 men, in combination with the two large battle victories bringing the war to a successful end.

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ​

Vassal and Foreign Affairs

As usual, the Russian vassals – even in the second and third tiers – also remained active during the period, whether in unassisted conquests or other wars which the Emperor could not join. One of these was the Modenian conquest of formerly Byzantine Ankon (Ancona) in Italy in February 1250 by Prince Knut ‘the Cleansing Flame’, Jarl of Modena, Sardinia and Sinai. Soon after came Jarl Hroðgar II ‘Hårdråde’ of Brandenburg and Bjarmia, who added the Jarldom of Samos (another Byzantine breakaway) to his holdings in March.

There were not too many internal successions in these years, with the minor Kingdom of Norðrríki seeing the overthrow of Imperial commander Päiviö in January 1251, only for him to perish in battle against other rebels in April the following year.

​

And in November 1252, King and Rurikid kinsman Ingemar of Volga Bulgaria died in an unspecified ‘accident’, to be succeeded by his son Bragi.

The Mongols also went through a period of instability following the death of old Khagan Chagatai in January 1251. Burundai, the youngest and last surviving son of Temujin, reined for little more than a year before he was apparently murdered, replaced by the teen-aged Khagan Yeke, a son of Chagatai.

​

On each succession, one or two holdings (mainly former Byzantine lands) would manage to gain independence. None of these were willing to become Russian vassals due to religion, culture and/or distance.

In August 1251, in a significant victory Jarl Geirr ‘the Fat’ of Lower Lorraine and Tyrol successfully supported a claim on the Jarldom of Ostlandet for Jarl Þorgil Yngling that effectively gutted most of the remaining Kingdom of Noregr, brining it under the King of Lotharingia and the Russian Empire.

​

And in the east, in October 1251 Jarl Ottarr of Perm brought Khojand into his realm and the Empire.

​

The new year of 1252 saw Irland officially incorporated as a de jure part of the Russian Empire of the Rurikids.

​

While in March 1253, in the Middle East the rich county of Acre was conquered by Jarl Magni of Greater Poland and Petra was taken by Chief Hrane of Aden, a Swedish vassal.

By mid-1253, the period of realm peace had ended, with several internal wars breaking out. The largest was in the great Kingdom of Aquitaine, where King Anundr (around 28,000 men) was challenged by the rebel faction of Jarl Ormr of Barcelona (48,000 men), seeking to install gavelkind inheritance on the kingdom.

At the end of August 1253, the Aquitainan rebels were slightly ahead [+6%]. In the main European and Middle Eastern areas of Russian interest over this time, the Empire had again been expanded incrementally and raiding (though limited somewhat by side-wars to assist vassal conquests) had proved lucrative once more, though the manpower toll had been rather higher than usual.

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ​

Domestic Matters

As the period started, the treasury contained a large reserve of 16,800 gold. It would be about a 1,000 less than that by August 1253, with more modest raiding income offset by some recurrent and a few significant one-off outlays, rather than any grand building projects.

Factional activity remained under control, with the threat peaking from April 1251 where the independence faction, including the power King Anundr of Aquitaine, had around 29.6% military strength compared to Emperor Toste. These concerns were added to when reports came in July that Klas Siggurðsson Rurikid, a grandson of Toste's great grandfather Fylkir Ottarr, had begun raising men for claim war on Toste’s crown. It would taken another two years for the adventure to come to fruition.

In August, the old Court Physician Gyrið died and was temporarily replaced by the renowned physician Sigbjörn. Barid was one of four Loyalists on the Imperial Council that gave Toste a healthy majority.

​

However one of these, the Chancellor Concubine Þyra, was more loyal than she was competent. In November 1251, she was replaced by the more experienced, effective and even more loyal Empress Dowager Saga.

A peasant revolt in Sussex proved a rare outbreak in the early 1250s in an otherwise fairly calm landscape. No local vassals had responded and Arundel fell to the rabble in December 1252, who perpetrated a terrible massacre of mainly noble women and children who had been bottled up in the castle.

​

The English levy was mustered and eventually destroyed the worn-down rebels (who had lost strength to siege attrition and skirmishes in the interim) by the end of April 1253. Their leader was subjected to the ultimate Norse punishment for his vile crimes.

When an opportunity arose to expand Holmgarðr further in May 1252, the treasury had expanded to over 18,000 gold making the decision to proceed easy to make. A new city would be built to further enrich the grand Imperial capital county.

​

In January 1253, advances in legalism were made, unlocking some additional legal options that Toste would seek advice on from a Þing to be held later that year.

[Image from Bing AI – DALL-e]​

The focus was on civic laws, with strong Council support for adopting centralised administration. But while this would increase the Imperial demesne capacity, fewer vassals could be directly controlled – a significant problem in such a large Empire where subordinate consolidation had already reached its limits. Using his casting vote, Toste could probably also push through the adoption of Kingdom level vice-royalty, but this would decrease vassal handling capacity even further.

​

Imperial administration would solve the vassal span problem to offset these changes but required a higher level of majesty research and also needed absolute rule enforcement, removing the Council’s last voting privileges and some of the administrative benefits an empowered council provided – though also increasing demesne size.

[Image from Bing AI – DALL-e]​

Toste sought all views on options and sequencing for a legal program and if it was worth doing anything now. His Lawspeaker’s first though was that absolute rule should be forced through first, but to wait until Imperial administration could be implemented next (or at least would be within the five-year cooling off period following the first law change). Then centralisation and vice-royalty could perhaps be implemented subsequently.

In early 1253 a chance arose to obligate King Anundr (whose civil war had not yet started at that point), forcing him out of the independence faction and thus removing over half its strength. Once more, factionalism was no more than a background irritation.

It was in July 1253, that Klas’s adventure was declared, coming out of the Danish enclave in southern Poland. And with more than 28,000 men to his name, it was larger than had been expected. The demesne levies of the Core Counties were mobilised, plus the very large Swedish vassal levy, all due to concentrate south of the capital to meet the expected attack.

​

With Steward Barid having defected to the ‘cross benches’ in the Council and Marshal Dag dying in late August, Toste ensured a loyalist was appointed as his successor, the well-regard Commander Hrolfr to maintain a narrow hold on the numbers.

​

On the religious front, Reformed Germanicism continued its slow but steady spread from 1250-53. But, as will be seen later, a series of cascading events in Byzantium had seen its Germanic leadership replaced by … something else.

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ​

Personal Events

In December 1249, Toste decided he’d had enough of concentrating solely on stewardship in his reign thus far. He decided that the constant implications about his mental acuity would be countered by a sustained period of scholarship. Fortunately, the change did not harm his administrative capacity for handling his vassals any further. He immediately began building an observatory to help pursue his studies.

​

And although the repercussions of his recent murder of that wretched cocksman Snorri had damaged his reputation, some good came of it too. For the first time in a long time, the stresses of the role were lifted from Toste’s shoulders, improving his frail health and wider administrative abilities.

​

From the completion of the observatory in May 1250 through to November that year, Toste’s studies eventually improved his learning and diplomatic abilities, with his status as an accomplished falconer cementing the latter gain.

​

In October 1250 the heir, Crown Prince Björn was almost 11 years old and reputedly had an eclectic mix of traits. He seemed to be developing well enough in all abilities.

​

His father continued to study, with some minor achievements recorded between November 1250 to November 1251 and a renewed commitment to improve himself by studying the stars.

​

When Björn turned 12 in October 1251, it was decided a formal education in diplomacy would be the best course for his future development.

​

But his young brother Sölvi developed a severe case of dysentery in January 1252 and would unfortunately not survive the year to celebrate his fifth birthday despite the efforts of the court physician.

​

Toste sank his attentions into his studies even when things became difficult in May 1253, fortunately without seeing a return to the stress of his earlier reign.

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ​

Turmoil in Byzantium

Finally, we come to tumultuous events in Byzantium. All through 1250 to mid-1252, Byzantine strongman Alexandros IV ‘the Mutilator’ was very busy with almost constant revocations and vassal transfers. This time, there were no more revolts and by July 1250 he commanded up to 45,000 men with that growing over the next two years by around another 10,000.

At that point, it was not revolt but an apparent (and unattributed) assassination that finally unseated him. But Byzantium had changed to elective succession since Alexandros had taken the purple and the crown passed not to his son but to another house entirely: Antiochos of House Maleinos. A Christian sympathiser and known sly trickster. Nothing could be proven, but Toste suspected him of having been behind Alexandros’ likely murder.

​

In any case, Toste looked past this and arranged something of a diplomatic coup: the matrilineal marriage of Antiochus’ son and heir of the same name to his daughter Princess Þora. His young grandson Antiochos was heir to his grandfather’s Duchy of Adrianopolis – but would he also inherit the Empire and bring Toste’s scheme to fruition? It was difficult to tell.

In any case, at that stage it appeared he might be leading candidate [I may have either misread the elective succession screen at that point, or it changed soon after, perhaps when Prince Kyrillos achieved adulthood soon after] and the new relationship was cemented with a renewed non-aggression pact to get Antiochos out of the anti-Rurikid pact.

​

In September 1252 Toste became impatient and initiated a murder plot in the hope of getting his preferred candidate to inherit quickly. It had gold invested and the Captain of the Varangian Guard recruited as a start conspirator. However, by October it was clear a new (older) heir presumptive had taken priority: Chief Kyrillos of Al Bichri, one of the Basileus’ younger sons, had turned 16 and rose to the top of the candidate list. The ‘Russian Candidate’ had been quickly supplanted.

​

Perhaps inadvisedly, Toste doubled down in the plot on Antiochos, thinking he might kill his way to see Antiochos Minor return to his position of favouritism. He bribed and tried to recruit the Basilissa herself but she would not comply – though did not ‘blow the whistle’ on the plot.

Hoping the cut the Gordian Knot of the Byzantine succession by ‘direct action’, Toste’s plot rapidly gathered momentum and more money was spent on recruiting as many conspirators as possible through the end of 1252. By May 1253 the plot was ready …

​

… and was carried out perfectly a month later, with no blame attributed to the already murderous Russian Emperor.

Once more, Antiochos Minor seemed to be the presumptive heir. But the new Basileus Kyrillos’ wife was pregnant: there was no time to lose! The same day Toste suggested a non-aggression pact renewal his agents had already formed a new plot to kill the Byzantine emperor! And there was no shortage of willing plotters, with more to hand ‘for a few dinars more’.

​

By the time the unsuspecting Kyrillos had accepted the treaty proposal, the plot was overwhelmed with support. Including from his own pregnant wife, the Basilissa Romane for just 15 gold! By 1 August, when the plot was ready to go in record time, support was overwhelming. By the end of the month, Kyrillos was dead. He had ruled for just over two months and Toste was again held blameless.

But Toste’s meddling had made things even worse in the red-hot mess that was the Byzantine elective succession. The inheritance had now shifted to a far-removed branch of House Maleinos and the latest occupant of the throne was an Orthodox Christian, to boot.

​

And the new heir was not even of the new ruling dynasty while Antiochos Minor did not even have a distant claim on the throne. Something inside Toste snapped. That betrothal would in all likelihood soon be broken but in the meantime, another path would be chosen.

The latest events had left the new Basileus Chrysogonos without a non-aggression pact with Russia and not yet having joined the defensive pact against them. What Toste could not gain by the dagger he would look to take by the sword. The levies summoned to counter Klas’s invasion were temporarily dismissed on 31 August.

This enabled Toste to declare war – the long-awaited next Germanic Great Holy War. With the cosy relationship with Byzantium of recent years shattered by a series of three unsolved murders (two of them by Toste’s hand), and no significant ‘nearby Orthodox rulers’ or other allies to aid him, Toste determined to make a play for the rich provinces of Greece, thereby splitting the Byzantine Empire into fragments and laying claim to the great city of Constantinople itself. Russia would profit by the chaos it had almost accidentally sowed.

 

[StrategyGameEnthusiast]

And with more than 28,000 men to his name, it was larger than had been expected. The demesne levies of the Core Counties were mobilised, plus the very large Swedish vassal levy,

28,000 is nowhere near enough to take an empire the size of Russia. Obviously these claimant adventurers scale with realm size, but it seems that there reaches a point where no adventurer stands a chance.

[I may have either misread the elective succession screen at that point, or it changed soon after, perhaps when Prince Kyrillos achieved adulthood soon after]

Obviously this save was created before Byzantium got a unique elective succession that it can't get rid of without mods/console commands - Imperial Elective, where electing a child is more or less impossible without lots of favors - but I'm pretty sure the AI gets a malus to supporting underage characters in elective successions. And it probably prefers to support sons to grandsons in elective rather than defaulting to primogeniture (and because he's a grandson that's why he doesn't get a claim as he wasn't 2nd or 3rd in the election). Going by the wiki, this distant relative must have either had a claim or been an elector (i.e. a duke-tier vassal). As the grandson of the previous branch doesn't have a claim and is landless, he's not eligible under elective succession.

With the cosy relationship with Byzantium of recent years shattered by a series of three unsolved murders (two of them by Toste’s hand), and no significant ‘nearby Orthodox rulers’ or other allies to aid him, Toste determined to make a play for the rich provinces of Greece, thereby splitting the Byzantine Empire into fragments and laying claim to the great city of Constantinople itself. Russia would profit by the chaos it had almost accidentally sowed.

Surely this is more beneficial for Russia in the long run, other than Byzantium no longer being an ally I suppose.

 

[Eurasia]

To be fair the Byzantine Empire does not need outside help to fall apart.

 

[jak7139]

Spymaster Freyr whispers conspiratorially into the ear of Fylkir Toste, c. September 1252. [Bing AI – DALL-e]

A great picture! But I worry about the consequences this scheme will have. It can't be good.

In August 1251, in a significant victory Jarl Geirr ‘the Fat’ of Lower Lorraine and Tyrol successfully supported a claim on the Jarldom of Ostlandet for Jarl Þorgil Yngling that effectively gutted most of the remaining Kingdom of Noregr, brining it under the King of Lotharingia and the Russian Empire.

A great victory!

When an opportunity arose to expand Holmgarðr further in May 1252, the treasury had expanded to over 18,000 gold making the decision to proceed easy to make. A new city would be built to further enrich the grand Imperial capital county.

And a nice investment into the future.

Toste sought all views on options and sequencing for a legal program and if it was worth doing anything now. His Lawspeaker’s first though was that absolute rule should be forced through first, but to wait until Imperial administration could be implemented next (or at least would be within the five-year cooling off period following the first law change). Then centralisation and vice-royalty could perhaps be implemented subsequently.

Viceroyalties are good because they revert back to you on vassal death, so you can prevent vassals from becoming too powerful or expanding outside their de jure territories. However given your strategy revolves around the powerful marcher lords, I don't think it's necessary.

Absolute rule of course makes your vassals less loyal and the council will become defunct. If you weren't going for RP, I'd say you have more than enough money to bribe through any law changes without needing to dissolve the council.

Centralization might be nice. But what's your domain limit like currently? What provinces would you want to add to your set? Miklagard perhaps?

He immediately began building an observatory to help pursue his studies.

Perhaps Barid was right. They are watching. They are listening. Toste will find out the truth.

A Christian sympathiser and known sly trickster.

A sly trickster you say? There's only one god who can be behind that...

his agents had already formed a new plot to kill the Byzantine emperor! And there was no shortage of willing plotters, with more to hand ‘for a few dinars more’.

Intrigue and civil wars go hand-in-hand in Byzantine politics.

Toste determined to make a play for the rich provinces of Greece, thereby splitting the Byzantine Empire into fragments and laying claim to the great city of Constantinople itself. Russia would profit by the chaos it had almost accidentally sowed.

To war! This has been a long time coming.

And maybe Toste could murder a few more foes elsewhere to break other parts of the defensive pact?

 

[diskoerekto]

Toste sought all views on options and sequencing for a legal program and if it was worth doing anything now. His Lawspeaker’s first though was that absolute rule should be forced through first, but to wait until Imperial administration could be implemented next (or at least would be within the five-year cooling off period following the first law change). Then centralisation and vice-royalty could perhaps be implemented subsequently.

duchy/kingdom viceroyalties are quite powerful, you give them to a person and it comes back when they die so you can give another person. this way you make sure you have bunch of vassals who're very happy to be your vassal and have that privilege only through you and not their surname. Bigger demesne is also good. I say do them all and for smoother change do it the way his lawspeaker suggests.

In October 1250 the heir, Crown Prince Björn was almost 11 years old and reputedly had an eclectic mix of traits. He seemed to be developing well enough in all abilities.

Erudite, kind and proud ruler; or a frail, content and cruel one. Odin casts his die...

In any case, Toste looked past this and arranged something of a diplomatic coup: the matrilineal marriage of Antiochus’ son and heir of the same name to his daughter Princess Þora. His young grandson Antiochos was heir to his grandfather’s Duchy of Adrianopolis – but would he also inherit the Empire and bring Toste’s scheme to fruition? It was difficult to tell.

Great work! I have no idea if this will work but if it does that would be such a coup!

However, by October it was clear a new (older) heir presumptive had taken priority: Chief Kyrillos of Al Bichri, one of the Basileus’ younger sons, had turned 16 and rose to the top of the candidate list.

so first assassinate him then the emperor?

But Toste’s meddling had made things even worse in the red-hot mess that was the Byzantine elective succession. The inheritance had now shifted to a far-removed branch of House Maleinos and the latest occupant of the throne was an Orthodox Christian, to boot.

And the new heir was not even of the new ruling dynasty while Antiochos Minor did not even have a distant claim on the throne. Something inside Toste snapped. That betrothal would in all likelihood soon be broken but in the meantime, another path would be chosen.

keep on with the assassinations until our guy makes it there?

This enabled Toste to declare war – the long-awaited next Germanic Great Holy War. With the cosy relationship with Byzantium of recent years shattered by a series of three unsolved murders (two of them by Toste’s hand), and no significant ‘nearby Orthodox rulers’ or other allies to aid him, Toste determined to make a play for the rich provinces of Greece, thereby splitting the Byzantine Empire into fragments and laying claim to the great city of Constantinople itself. Russia would profit by the chaos it had almost accidentally sowed.

now that's more viking!

 

[Sanvone]

I keep reading and looking through your journey. This time you got really lucky with that prosperity holding slot. On your current ruler the chances are abysmally low:

==================================================================================
Fylkir Toste IV 'the Sword of Lord' MTTH for Prosperity Events (Diligent, 10 Stewardship, 8 Learning)

New Holding slot - 58.5 years
Province modifier - 40.5 years
==================================================================================​

Dumb characters are always a challenge to develop. Partially too late now but you could make a bunch of 12+ Attribute friends for areas in which your current character has less than 8 (this makes you eligible for event that increases your stats by +1). That's my go-to method on really bad rulers to keep improving them passively without focuses (well after making those friends with Carousing). Rulership also wasn't bad, as it can improve Stewardship education, give Just/Diligent/Ambitious and lifestyle Administrator modifier/trait. Only problem those events fire don't fire often and are coin toss if they end in success or not.

Out of curiosity what are your plans with such character focus wise?

 

[Chac1]

Apologies that I am a bit late to this new chapter. Lately, I am far behind in my reading (and posting too). However, another great chapter, with the usual excellent supporting artwork. You seem to have found a path toward victory after unintentionally manipulating the Byzantines away from your alliance and religion. As others ( @Eurasia in particular) have noted, the Byzantines fall apart fine on their own. Even a nudge can be an over-correction.

In August, the old Court Physician Gyrið died and was temporarily replaced by the renowned physician Sigbjörn.

Sorry that your Gyrið did not last long. You are always welcome to come visit her long lost relative in my AAR.

At that point, it was not revolt but an apparent (and unattributed) assassination that finally unseated him. But Byzantium had changed to elective succession since Alexandros had taken the purple and the crown passed not to his son but to another house entirely: Antiochos of House Maleinos. A Christian sympathiser and known sly trickster. Nothing could be proven, but Toste suspected him of having been behind Alexandros’ likely murder.

Yes, all this seems to be the normal setting for those Byzantines as noted before. Have to agree with @jak7139 : the sly trickster god of the Norse pantheon may be at work here. No doubt the next chapter will set it all right.

 

[Bullfilter]

28,000 is nowhere near enough to take an empire the size of Russia. Obviously these claimant adventurers scale with realm size, but it seems that there reaches a point where no adventurer stands a chance.

Indeed not, but enough to make a bit of a distraction when also fighting a GHW. It would indeed be a mighty adventure to shake an empire this big!

Obviously this save was created before Byzantium got a unique elective succession that it can't get rid of without mods/console commands - Imperial Elective, where electing a child is more or less impossible without lots of favors - but I'm pretty sure the AI gets a malus to supporting underage characters in elective successions. And it probably prefers to support sons to grandsons in elective rather than defaulting to primogeniture (and because he's a grandson that's why he doesn't get a claim as he wasn't 2nd or 3rd in the election). Going by the wiki, this distant relative must have either had a claim or been an elector (i.e. a duke-tier vassal). As the grandson of the previous branch doesn't have a claim and is landless, he's not eligible under elective succession.

This game is a beta from before the Holy Fury DLC and associated patch, so years ago. Had to do that as the update otherwise killed the game. And because I had to retrieve a save, it also killed the ironman achievements even though I still had to continue in ironman mode. <shrugs>. Yes, I think I would have been ok had they not had that recent succession law change. A sword to slice through this Gordian Knot was required ...

Surely this is more beneficial for Russia in the long run, other than Byzantium no longer being an ally I suppose.

Probably, though I tried to presrve Byzantium and keep the RP relationship going - even as I destroyed it

To be fair the Byzantine Empire does not need outside help to fall apart.

Haha fair point.

A great picture! But I worry about the consequences this scheme will have. It can't be good.

Thanks. They will be unintended, but the Rurikids always try to bend events to their will - with brute force if finesses doesn't work.

A great victory!

And we didn't need to lift a finger!

And a nice investment into the future.

Making Holmgardr the envy of the world.

Viceroyalties are good because they revert back to you on vassal death, so you can prevent vassals from becoming too powerful or expanding outside their de jure territories. However given your strategy revolves around the powerful marcher lords, I don't think it's necessary.

Absolute rule of course makes your vassals less loyal and the council will become defunct. If you weren't going for RP, I'd say you have more than enough money to bribe through any law changes without needing to dissolve the council.

Centralization might be nice. But what's your domain limit like currently? What provinces would you want to add to your set? Miklagard perhaps?

I do like the demesne increase, but good vassal span brings lots of levies ... and with so many subordinate kingdoms now it's hard to keep under the vassal limit. Demesne limit usually hovers around 10 but has gone down to 9 due to Toste's shortcomings: he's held the extra barony (the third in Holmgardr) and born the malus for one extra now for years. We'd like at least one more than the 10 - yes Constantinople if/when we can grab it.

Perhaps Barid was right. They are watching. They are listening. Toste will find out the truth.

Cue Twilight Zone music ...

A sly trickster you say? There's only one god who can be behind that...

He's always popping up - and laughing in the background.

Intrigue and civil wars go hand-in-hand in Byzantine politics.

Horse and carriage ...

To war! This has been a long time coming.

And maybe Toste could murder a few more foes elsewhere to break other parts of the defensive pact?

Yes, at least the cloud had had a purple lining . And the method could prove useful in the future, indeed.

duchy/kingdom viceroyalties are quite powerful, you give them to a person and it comes back when they die so you can give another person. this way you make sure you have bunch of vassals who're very happy to be your vassal and have that privilege only through you and not their surname. Bigger demesne is also good. I say do them all and for smoother change do it the way his lawspeaker suggests.

Right, thanks for that. If I can maintain vassal span while increasing demesne by 1-2, I'd be delighted. Will have to see what can be done. I've been eyeing viceroyalty for a while, but the timings hasn't been there. And there are so many kings for now - might need to conduct a few revocations to broaden its application!

Erudite, kind and proud ruler; or a frail, content and cruel one. Odin casts his die...

The die tumbles ,,,

Great work! I have no idea if this will work but if it does that would be such a coup!

so first assassinate him then the emperor?

keep on with the assassinations until our guy makes it there?

I did keep trying, but each one removed the succession further away.

now that's more viking!

Too right ... enough of this pussy-footing around.

I keep reading and looking through your journey. This time you got really lucky with that prosperity holding slot. On your current ruler the chances are abysmally low:

==================================================================================
Fylkir Toste IV 'the Sword of Lord' MTTH for Prosperity Events (Diligent, 10 Stewardship, 8 Learning)

New Holding slot - 58.5 years
Province modifier - 40.5 years
==================================================================================​

Dumb characters are always a challenge to develop. Partially too late now but you could make a bunch of 12+ Attribute friends for areas in which your current character has less than 8 (this makes you eligible for event that increases your stats by +1). That's my go-to method on really bad rulers to keep improving them passively without focuses (well after making those friends with Carousing). Rulership also wasn't bad, as it can improve Stewardship education, give Just/Diligent/Ambitious and lifestyle Administrator modifier/trait. Only problem those events fire don't fire often and are coin toss if they end in success or not.

Looks like this one came out with surprising benefits! Oh, do friends do that? Didn't know.

Out of curiosity what are your plans with such character focus wise?

Well, this is still my first and only CK2 game so I still learn as I go. No real plan or usual approach per se. For Toste, I started with stewardship to boost those stats, now learning. Next I'd probably try to build his diplo skills with one of those focuses I suppose.

Apologies that I am a bit late to this new chapter. Lately, I am far behind in my reading (and posting too). However, another great chapter, with the usual excellent supporting artwork. You seem to have found a path toward victory after unintentionally manipulating the Byzantines away from your alliance and religion. As others ( @Eurasia in particular) have noted, the Byzantines fall apart fine on their own. Even a nudge can be an over-correction.

None needed! Thanks for the readership - I know what it's like trying to keep up (I do try to read many AARs but do get a bit behind as I need to turn my own stories over). A bit of chaos has gone a long way here and provided a nice distraction with fringe benefits.

Sorry that your Gyrið did not last long. You are always welcome to come visit her long lost relative in my AAR.

Yes, she was already quite old when she joined the court. Yours will presumably live for many years yet!

Yes, all this seems to be the normal setting for those Byzantines as noted before. Have to agree with @jak7139 : the sly trickster god of the Norse pantheon may be at work here. No doubt the next chapter will set it all right.

Well, set it right for one side, anyway.

 

[Bullfilter]

Chapter 82: The Great Holy War for Greece (1253-1254)

‘The Sword of Lord Odin’, a later statue from the 16th century commemorating Fylkir Toste IV’s war against Byzantium for Greece fought in 1253-54. [Leonardo AI, Phoenix 1.0]

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ​

Initial Moves

With the Imperial Guard and Jomsviking regulars all off raiding in Arabia, it would fall to the levies of Fylkir Toste IV and his vassals to prosecute the main campaign in Europe against the Byzantine Empire during the Great Holy War for Greece. Tens of thousands of troops were call out from most parts of the Empire, though not in Volga Bulgaria, Mali, Irland and England – as numbers were deemed sufficient and the distances or need for sea transport led to them staying at home.

Due to some inattention when the notices were sent out, the Wallachian levy was mustered right into the middle of a siege by one of Klas Rurikid’s large invasion forces. This embarrassing oversight led to over 800 men being lost before the mustering levies were even organised to fight, though retreating as soon as they could saved the bulk of the raw recruits.

​

Around the capital, Toste’s own levies and those of the King of Könugarðr (in Belo Ozero) were ordered to rendezvous at Minsk in order to confront Klas’s other host. The rest were directed to either Rome or the Danube for the Great Holy War.

​

By 2 October, the two minor Orthodox mini-states of Nikaea and Tyana joined Byzantium in the defence of Christianity. None of the other minor Norse kingdoms would volunteer to participate on behalf of the Old Gods.

Even as the war preparations continued, Toste’s study of the stars went on at his Imperial Observatory. This produced more useful results in November 1253.

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The first minor battle of the war was fought in Tripoli from 1-10 December 1253, when King Dag led a group of 7,000 Guard troops (which had dutifully de-toggled from raiding in Arabia) to clear out around 1,200 local Albanian troops before setting up their siege works.

At home, another daughter was born to Toste and Empress Khorijin in December 1253, but the child was both slow and sickly. She would survive with some treatment by the court physician, however.

Of more practical detriment to the Empire was the relatively early death through cancer of the brilliant Steward Barid af Holmgarðr in January 1254. Despite his many gifts and the special place he held in Toste’s heart as the last and most successful of his childhood Regents, Barid had been a little mad, paranoid and stressed. For example, his enigmatic ‘Ear’ monument would still confound observers for centuries after his death.

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His place would be taken by a close though also rather ‘colourful’ and eccentric friend of Toste’s, an until then obscure and reasonably competent but highly loyal courtier at Nygarðr named Þorsteinn af Holmgarðr (no relation to Barid).

Along the Danube, the Russian levies began to arrive and begin their sieges from early December onwards in Diadora (10 December 1253) and Zachlumia (5 January 1254). This process was punctuated by the revenge administered by General Arngrimr on Klas’s northern army in Podlasie where the castle had just fallen five days before.

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A big victory was won between 31 January and 23 February, followed by the quick reoccupation of Castle Droiczyn after an assault. Arngrimr then headed south to confront Klas’s other army in Wallachia.

Back in the capital county, the new City of Pestovo was declared at the same time the attack in Podlasie began. A new mayor was appointed and a generous ‘starting gift’ of a town market pai8d for by the Imperial Treasury. Such development would continue to see Holmgarðr grow as one of the great centres of the known world.

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One of the two remaining raids in Arabia at Tabuk finished on 20 February and the army headed up to join King Dag in Byzantine Syria, leaving Sanaa and Semender (the Nikaean county up in the Caucasus) as the last two money making raids being conducted. Semender would yield 321 gold from three holdings for 446 casualties by October 1254. Sanaa would provide 395 gold from three holdings for no casualties between August 1253 and September 1254.

New sieges against the Byzantines in Rama (20 February) and Thrake (28 February) followed. Then in late March, a large Byzantine army appeared on the Adriatic coast, making a move to advance on the Russian siege of Diadora. The enemy baulked when the Russian reserve army in Senj (which had been waiting to see which of the two sieges of Diadora or Zachlumia Byzantine commander Doux Neophytos might have attacked) advanced to reinforce Diadora.

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ​

Blood and Battle

Once the Russian reinforcements arrived in Diadora, a detachment was left to continue the siege and the bulk of the combined levy army marched south to confront the Byzantines in Spalathos. Due to another administrative oversight (with so many different Russian armies in the field by that time) there was no assigned general in command when the attack began on 22 April.

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With another 8,800 enemy on their way to reinforce Doux Neophytos, Jarl Asbjörn was sent with another 5,500 men from Zachlumia to reinforce and take command of the battle, which he would do on 28 April, before the new enemy force would arrive on 6 May.

Up in Terebovl in Wallachia, the main castle had fallen to Klas’s other army on 16 April. Two weeks later they were attacked by Arngrimr and soundly defeated by 19 May. After another quick assault the castle was retaken and Klas found sheltering within.

​

The rogue Rurikid was clapped in irons and would have been executed (standard Imperial practice for most rebels) but his friends in Denmark protested on his behalf while all of Toste’s vassals would have considered it an act of kinslaying. Instead, the Danes offered a ransom, which was duly accepted. Klas had been saved by his dynastic connections. Arngrimr’s army was now free to head south to join the war for Greece.

As he read the reports from the battle front, Toste did not neglect his studies. Through hard work he had overcome the disadvantage of his ‘slow’ intellect’ and would now be considered a genuine scholar. With a number of paths on offer, he chose to continue his studies in secret rather than antagonise the clerics, cashing in his chips or denying his discoveries to pursue a life of religious zealotry.

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The fight in Spalathos at the Battle of Tragyrion proved to be a long and bloody one as both sides threw in fresh troops to try to gain the upper hand. Over 67,000 men would be engaged (and 23,000 of them killed) before it ended in a decisive Russian victory on 6 June.

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The siege of Spalathos was again left to a detachment, with the reduced main Russian army proceeding along the coast to Raugia without a pause.

Baalbeck (in Syria) would be besieged on 13 June and Raugia on the 24th. Meanwhile, two battles commenced on the same day (15 June) in southern Italy after the western levy armies had made their way past Rome and Salerno. King Þorbjörn heavily outnumbered his opponent in Rhegion and would defeat Mayor Leon of Anatolia by 11 July, wiping out over half the enemy force.

​

The battle at Leuca in Brendesion was closer. Þorgil had the numerical advantage but a combined Byzantine army defending it had the better terrain. This fight would go down to the wire.

A new major distraction occurred on 1 July when word came of a large Arabian Liberation Revolt in Aden. For now, the large Guard army in Sanaa would continue its raid and keep an eye on these rebels.

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The sieges of Tortosa (Syria, 3 July, after a skirmish), Rhegion (11 July) and Zeta (12 July) commenced as the Russians cleared their way through Byzantine opposition. But in Brendesion, the tide of battle was turning against the Russians by 11 July.

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Þorgil’s left flank carried on after he was forced from the field and almost won a victory but was eventually defeated, the pursuit ending on 26 July after a close Byzantine victory.

On the other side of the Adriatic, Gandalfr now had the command and kept pushing south, leaving another detachment in Zeta on 12 July before heading on towards Lychnidos. By then, there were reports of new Byzantine armies beginning to mass in Greece, but Gandalfr pushed on anyway.

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In Arabia, the Liberation Revolt expanded on 15 July, with another 17,000 rebels appearing in Russian territory on the northern Red Sea coast. This threat would eventually need to be confronted with more troops, but for now a ‘Byzantium First’ policy prevailed. Mid-July was proving to be a hectic time: it would become more so in the following days.

Gandalfr had gone all the way onto Thessalonike by 18 August but at that point had been halted when he encountered a new and slightly larger Byzantine vassal army which he attacked anyway. Scouts also reported yet another large Byzantine Imperial army heading up from the south to likely support their comrades.

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The sieges of Zeta and Rama were ended and those troops ordered south to reinforce Gandalfr. Meanwhile, the army that had defeated Klas had reached Mesembria and tasked to swing south-west in the same direction. New sieges in Arsa and Constantinople (26 July) and Rascia (15 August) had since also been established.

And just as all this was coming to a head, another peasant revolt broke out in Lepiel, south-west of Holmgarðr, on 1 September. This one would be left for a while in the hope a passing vassal would deal with it. Because in the Balkans, both the armies seeking to relieve Gandalfr at Servia in Thessalonike ran into enemy detachments (11 September in Lychnidos and 13 September in Philippopolis) which slowed down their advance.

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The same day the battle in Lychnidos started, the Doux Neophytos reinforced in Thessalonike and a drawn-out losing battle became an expensive rout. Over 6,200 Russian levy soldiers were killed, four times the enemy’s losses. And more enemy contingents were lurking in the area.

The enemy were destroyed in Philippopolis on 24 September and King Þorbjörn kept swinging around to relieve the army still fighting (almost having won) in Lychnidos as Neophytos bore down on them, due there on 6 October.

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By this time, the Byzantines were reaching saturation point and were close to surrender – but not quite there yet. The Black Knight of Constantinople claimed “it was but a flesh wound”!

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Fortunately, the fall of the castle in Salerno on 1 October push the Basileus over the edge and prevented the further needless effusion of blood, even as a new skirmish had begun just to its south in Kroton.

Even as the gates of Salerno were about to open, the raid in Sanaa was ended after Hodeida fell on 28 September as Prince Valdemar of the Jomsvikings started the approach march to attack the Arabian rebels in Aden.

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And Basileus Chrysogonos, who had personally commanded the left wing in the Byzantine victory at Thessalonike, was forced to swallow the bitter pill of defeat on 1 October 1254. In little more than a year, a ‘full court press’ by the Rurikid forces had caused defeat but not disgrace for Byzantium, who had put up a worthy fight against superior numbers.

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ​

When the War is Over

The main thrusts, sieges and battles of the European campaign are shown below. Toste had won three of the six battles, two were won by the Byzantines and one incomplete (though largely won by Russia) and Lychnidos. Many sieges had been started but relatively few completed by the time the war ended. Casualties and number of holdings for those are shown below [with the green stars showing the number of VPs gained by these for the warscore].

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In Syria, skirmishes had been fought to clear and then continue the sieges in Tripoli and Tortosa, where local Albanian forces had then repeatedly (and fruitlessly) kept attacking Tortosa up until the last week of the war. The four completed sieges in Tripoli had been a major factor in convincing the Byzantines to give up.

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The three guard armies in Syria were ordered to converge on Acre, where they would combine to take on the northern army of the Arabian rebels. All other levy armies in Europe were disbanded if on Russian soil or march to the nearest safe point to do so.

The Byzantine Empire was now split into a number of disparate regions as the Green Tide of the Rurikids continued to inundate much of the known world.

​

Toste was temporarily the master of over a hundred holdings with the absorption of most of the rest of Greece, the vast majority of which would have to be carefully disbursed to one or more of his magnates. He was now considered reasonably well educated and a fair administrator, mediocre in diplomacy and martial affairs but a hopeless dunce in the field of intrigue. Nine of his ten children remained alive.

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First among those imperial offspring was the heir, Crown Prince Björn. Who was developing into quite a well-rounded young man now aged 14. He was by all accounts diligent, ambitious and trusting, if also chaste. There were high hopes for him, though his father may well have decades yet left to him to reign.

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Naturally, Basileus Chrysogonos was embittered by his defeat and hungry to reclaim a lot of his lost lands, especially the grand capital of Constantinople – under foreign rule for the first time since its founding while Old Rome was still a unified empire.

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The great city was naturally a likely target for absorption into Toste’s personal demesne. It would take time to repair the damage but then the ample Russian treasury could be used to further improve its already formidable infrastructure. Either a trade-off of an existing barony, a change of laws or the courting of even more vassal discontent would be examined.

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One thought, which Toste would welcome advice on, was how to break up the new lands he had won. He was minded to distribute them as de facto jarldoms, either to a number of vassals or even to one alone (or mainly) as a virtual new kingdom. This would in time make such a magnate a greatly powerful marcher lord who could seek to expand further on his own initiative to avoid the pact network arrayed against Toste personally.

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King Valdemar of Wallachia might be the most logical recipient of that largesse. Wallachia was a marcher realm already, bordering the area, but not yet among the most powerful few. It could make him strong enough to fight either Byzantium or even the Mongols in Anatolia. Especially if the Empire could lend him support if needed.

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And any past disagreements between the two could be easily glossed over if a rich new kingdom was delivered to the Spaki scion.

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Of course, the extant revolts – the Arabian one in particular – remained on the ‘to do’ list foe Emperor Toste.

 

[StrategyGameEnthusiast]

The rogue Rurikid was clapped in irons and would have been executed (standard Imperial practice for most rebels) but his friends in Denmark protested on his behalf while all of Toste’s vassals would have considered it an act of kinslaying. Instead, the Danes offered a ransom, which was duly accepted. Klas had been saved by his dynastic connections.

Hopefully he remembers this act of mercy.

 

[jak7139]

Barid had been a little mad, paranoid and stressed.

Madness, or genius!

Fortunately, the fall of the castle in Salerno on 1 October push the Basileus over the edge and prevented the further needless effusion of blood, even as a new skirmish had begun just to its south in Kroton.

The result was never in doubt, even if the Greeks gave a good fight.

Well done on this graphic, by the way! Very nice!

Toste was temporarily the master of over a hundred holdings with the absorption of most of the rest of Greece, the vast majority of which would have to be carefully disbursed to one or more of his magnates.

A rich conquest indeed, but who will share in the spoils?

One thought, which Toste would welcome advice on, was how to break up the new lands he had won. He was minded to distribute them as de facto jarldoms, either to a number of vassals or even to one alone (or mainly) as a virtual new kingdom.

I think giving the duchies out to new vassals works, then giving Wallachia the kingdom title so they're all under Valdemar's power.

 

[Chac1]

Congratulations on winning the holy war. Now Byzantium is split asunder and will likely continue to wither. Russia is large enough to deal with the Mongols and who knows if the Aztecs will ever appear. (And if they do, they are likely to target the Byzantines first.)

The Black Knight of Constantinople claimed “it was but a flesh wound”!

The inevitable Python reference returns. Liked your use of the screenshot from the film to enhance your graphics too.

The Byzantine Empire was now split into a number of disparate regions as the Green Tide of the Rurikids continued to inundate much of the known world.

Indeed, it is doubtful any force can counter your empire.

One thought, which Toste would welcome advice on, was how to break up the new lands he had won. He was minded to distribute them as de facto jarldoms, either to a number of vassals or even to one alone (or mainly) as a virtual new kingdom. This would in time make such a magnate a greatly powerful marcher lord who could seek to expand further on his own initiative to avoid the pact network arrayed against Toste personally.

I think giving the duchies out to new vassals works, then giving Wallachia the kingdom title so they're all under Valdemar's power.

I like some of what Jak recommends here, but my many thousands of hours in CK2 tell me not to enhance Wallachia further. Yes, build a new kingdom but don't give more power to existing lords. Keep what lands you decide are economically best, but remember any king you crown or other neighbors will lust after those properties so that sows the seeds for problems. Care should be kept to empower whatever new king (and I suggest a new king, perhaps unlanded until you give him new lands) you appoint, but also split up these properties so that king is not too powerful. Such windfalls of property are always interesting to sort out. Sometimes the CK2 ecosystem of power takes care of any mistakes you might make. I've seen new viceroys or kings I've appointed overthrown by vassals in a few years after their appointment, in such cases. Which is why there is a balance between creating powerful marcher lords and making sure they aren't too powerful to create troublesome factions later. Have fun. I always enjoy handing out the property after a big victory like this.