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I haven't fully read your other CK2 AAR, despite my best attempts to catch up. But I'm glad to be here for the start of this one.
 
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Well, the empire is still expanding, but I imagine that the Black Death will harm that.

Let's hope that the Black Death affects the Christians at least as much as the Rurikids and their subjects...
 
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Credit to Santois for somehow lasting this long.

Earlier I said that it wouldnt surprise me if the eastern frontier soon heard the thundering of hooves, I guess I should have said the scurrying of rats.

Hopefully Hrodulfr doesnt have cause to lament only having 2 living sons of his 11 children........
 
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I was about to suggest the same thing to be done, I think the war against time can be won in this case hopefully
Oh no I was wrong it's coming too fast
luckily it's taken the southern route, but still too fast. let's see if the hospital in Tana is finished in time. Things will change until black death has passed.
Yes, it's working through Persia and Mesopotamia now and hasn't crept too far into Rurikid lands ... yet. We'll build as much medical protection for the Imperial demesne counties as we can, given the large treasury surplus. Other counties will just have to fend for themselves. The main aim will be to do what's possible to maintain comparative demesne strength v vassals during these dark times.
I haven't fully read your other CK2 AAR, despite my best attempts to catch up. But I'm glad to be here for the start of this one.
Well, it's always there as a prequel if you ever find the time for it, but the preamble for this one is I hope enough to provide useful context for this new work. It's a pleasure to have you along for the ride! :)
Black Death is coming on a pale horse. Or...more likely a flea covered rat. Oh joy.
Yes, a bacterium, in a flea, on a rat, to people. Isn't nature ingenious? :eek:
Well, the empire is still expanding, but I imagine that the Black Death will harm that.

Let's hope that the Black Death affects the Christians at least as much as the Rurikids and their subjects...
Yeah, I'm kind of hoping the impact is at least proportionate. It may well weaken some more or earlier than others. So I suppose there could be some opportunities too ...
Credit to Santois for somehow lasting this long.
Yes, given I've not been initiating many conquests myself for years, the vassals have been doing a pretty decent job of steadily clearing up the border gore.
Earlier I said that it wouldnt surprise me if the eastern frontier soon heard the thundering of hooves, I guess I should have said the scurrying of rats.
The pitter patter of little feet - I'm curious to see whether this current plague reaches everywhere eventually or only some regions before receding.
Hopefully Hrodulfr doesnt have cause to lament only having 2 living sons of his 11 children........
Yes, though there are plenty of pretenders lurking in the wings, now is a time for safety in numbers of heirs! :eek:

To All: next chapter (second half of the last play session) all written up now and ready to publish. Will get to it some time today.
 
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Chapter 9: Hel’s Prophet (January 1068 – May 1070)
Chapter 9: Hel’s Prophet (January 1068 – May 1070)

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

1068 – Death Stalks the Land

Even as disease and pestilence seemed to be approaching from many quarters at the beginning of 1068, especially the horrendous black death (or “Hel’s Breath”, as the Norsemen started to call it), the general life and business of the Rurikid Empire carried on much as usual.

Only a few years after the bicentennial of the Rurikid dynasty’s founding, the Kingdom of Sviþjod was formally acknowledged to have become part of the de jure Russian Empire.

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To add to the concerns of disease in the realm, a new outbreak of slow fever, already raging in England, Normandy and the Low Counties, broke out in Nantes.

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As Hel’s Breath, already overrunning Persia and Mesopotamia, approached the borders of the main Byzantine Empire.

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Byzantium, powerful as it remained, was by now also attracting a heavy raiding presence by various Norse chieftains and adventurers. Prince Arni became the latest of many, landing in Smyrna in early February 1068.

The raid of Baden had finished on 6 January, with five holdings looted for 337 gold with 1,338 raiders killed. The whole force then headed south back to Italy for the next expedition.

In mid-February, Ivar ‘the Sword of Odin’ started a powerful revolt to increase council power on the child-Jarl Rikulfr II of Champagne. With Ivar commanding 10,500 men and Rikulfr 7,400, Hroðulfr wanted nothing that was going to weaken one of his most powerful and active marcher lords for no good reason. For the loss of a little Imperial prestige, Ivar was forced to yield his cause, which he did with good grace and no further demand a few days later. A couple of weeks later, the Emperor announced realm peace would be enforced, to come into effect in three months.

The fairly recently installed Jarl Anlaufr of Bolghar was doing good work again, fighting the right kind of foe in mid-February. The Orthodox Duke Asalup of Kimak did not look likely to be able to put up much resistance.

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As if there wasn’t already enough pestilence in the world, a new outbreak of the deadly small pox erupted in Rurikid Bulgaria at the start of May. If it spread north, it could soon be making inroads into southern Russia, while the plague still advanced towards the Byzantine heartland and all along the eastern Arabian coast and into northern India. Slow fever still raged in the west.

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Avoiding the nearby consumption outbreak, the next big looting raid began in May 1068 when the entire professional standing army fell on an unfortunate Pisan force, who were entirely wiped out for the loss of just a couple of Rurikid soldiers. From then until the following January, five holdings would be sacked for 358 gold and the loss of 624 men.

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In early June Warchief Surt was the next to launch a conquest bid, with Aquitaine once again the target.

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Momchil’s army was detached from the Pisan raid a few days later and marched west to aid the Jomsviking’s latest adventure. Then enforced realm peace came into effect on 3 July 1068.

By early August, Basileus Eustratios II ‘the Mutilator’ had nine different raids striking his lands and two wars in progress, with the plague now penetrating into eastern Anatolia. The smallpox outbreak in Bulgaria had spread south and hit Constantinople. The Byzantines looked to be in for a hard time of it in coming months!

With the threat of disease and old age on his mind, in October Hroðulfr decided to shift from carousing to a more family-oriented lifestyle, hoping the health benefits may help to shield him from Hel’s sinister approach.

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A week later, Momchil’s army had arrived in Marsan to support the Jomsviking effort and Surt immediately used them to start assaulting Aquitanian strongholds. Between October 1068 and February 1069, four holdings fell for the combined loss of 803 men.

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

December 1068 – Hel Comes Calling

The month began with news that yet another outbreak of slow fever had hit the Empire, this time to the north in Austerbotn. By 2 December, the first round of six new hospitals had been completed and sick houses (costing 2,085 gold in total) were commenced in each to get some serious disease protection in place.

But the very next day, far more momentous news signalled the arrival of Hel in Nygarðr: Hroðulfr fell not to the sword or disease, but simply the passage of time. Though his more than 36-year reign would be considered favourably by most later historians, at the time many complained about his revenue policies, which had nonetheless made the Empire strong and prosperous.

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Fylkir Toste came to power, a man grown and of acknowledged abilities. What was not widely known at the time was that the previous rumours of apostasy covered a far more sinister secret: he had already fallen under the influence of the Fellowship of Hel in his younger years! His ascension also created four vacancies on the Imperial Council, which the recently resigned Councillors were legally unable to fill.

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It seemed Toste had joined the Fellowship all the way back in 1053, during his time with the Varangian Guard. He was eligible for promotion to the rank of Visendamaðr, which he immediately requested. History does not record what dark deeds he may have committed to get to that level, but from that point forward a dark journal exists of his secret career. He would become known to history as Hel’s Prophet: in a time when Helheim seemed to be coming to the land of men.

He now sought to publicly focus on family matters and privately on advancing within the Fellowship, hoping to one day head it as his ‘illustrious’ forbear Eilif II ‘The Dark Fylkir’ had. With a Council yet to be appointed marring his administrative capacity and an initial lack of authority depleting the size of the vassal forces he could call upon, the early days of his reign were a bit disorganised.

But the Empire was more widespread than it had ever been and faced no mortal threat – except perhaps for the deadly touch of disease. The Abbasids were facing a major revolt, Catholicism had been humbled, the marcher lords kept expanding and the Byzantines remained preoccupied with internal matters.

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Four new appointments were made to a Council that would be generally discontented and a bit unruly for a while yet. King Botulfr, one of two Advisors retained from the old Council, was currently disaffected but Toste hoped he could be brought around – without needing to resort to dark powers! Gifts were sent to improve loyalty where they would do some good and weren’t too exorbitant.

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Toste’s son and heir Arni was made Marshal, which would get him out of the heat of battle. Old Surt would make an excellent Spymaster and Jarl Klas of Vladimir a well-qualified Steward. A competent Seeress was appointed and sent to Gnesen to continue the work of converting it to Germanicism. None of the new appointees were Hel Fellows. At this time, Toste was keeping a low profile on the darker side of his life.

The clock was reset on any Council law changes Toste may wish to make, but at present not a single member would support a vote if advanced. He would have to wait until he could get a Loyalist clique to support him.

One thing he could do to get his reign off to a favourable start was to call a Great Blot. He wasted no time in doing so. From then until the end of January the usual ceremonies and festivities were conducted, the prison emptied of another four ‘useless’ inmates and the traditional benefits gained, especially the welcomed temporary boost to vassal opinion and army morale.

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Having now gained the titles he had desired for so long, Toste took the only other ambition available to him - to see the realm prosper.

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A fully functioning Council and improved vassal opinion had soon increased his ruling capacities in most areas and the number of vassal levies he could call on. As the month drew to a close, Toste also took on three concubines: “As long as they’re young, healthy and can bear children, I don’t care much who they are,” was his dismissive attitude.

The day after the Emperor’s death, the leading Rurikid general Botulfr died while leading his raiders in Pisa, meaning new commanders were also being recruited and assigned.

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Needing to trim his vassal span by one, Osnabruck was transferred to young King Sumarliði of Lotharingia in mid-December, making that internal border less gory and ensuring the loyalty of that powerful vassal for years to come.

When considering his wife, the Empress Ingibjörg, Toste may have harboured thoughts about ‘trading up’ for a spouse who may better support the administration of such a vast empire, but no record exists of such thoughts from that time.

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Crown Prince Arni, now Imperial Marshal as well as chief of the rich trade terminus of Tana, was by then a renowned military commander, though not so skilled in the other areas of leadership. Unfortunately, like his grandfather, he had picked up the black mark of being a kinslayer, having had an old cousin of Hroðulfr’s murdered a year before, for reasons now lost to the mists of time. This had badly tarnished his diplomatic reputation, so important for a great ruler.
In a final development for the busy month of December 1068, Toste’s promotion was approved by Trollmaðr Holmger. Of the 77 active Fellowship members at that time, Toste now ranked fifth. Of course, his aim was to become the heir apparent as soon as possible.

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ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

1069 – War and Pestilence

The new Emperor tried to bed down his reign and keep doing ‘business as usual’ as Hel’s footsteps seemed to approach from all directions and 1069 initially saw him seeking to remake disrupted diplomatic relations among the Norse kingdoms. On 4 January, King Ivar of Denmark had joined the Pagan defensive pact. This was soon reversed by the conclusion of a new non-aggression pact, signed on 11 January 1069. King Alfgeir of England refused to sign one for now but King Knut ‘the Bold’ of Noregr was happy to do so, concluding an NAP on 19 January.

Anlaufr had his victory in Kimak by mid-February, adding another little piece to the eastward expansion on the steppe, earning a handsome nickname in the process.

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But another advance was moving even more steadily. Plague was now stalking the land just south of Tana and advancing through Anatolia on a broad front. Dire warnings continued to be received from the east of the empire.

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But this did nothing to daunt the ambitious marcher lords in the west, with Lotharingia next moving against Bavaria to conquer Nassau.

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With the raid on Pisa finished, Hrörekr (now commanding the late Botulfr’s army) was ordered up to provide some support, even though young King Sumarliði was likely to be able to handle the war well enough himself.

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Various battles between the Jomsvikings and Russian armies and those of Aquitaine would continue through the first half of 1069. Momchil continued to run interference for Warchief Surt as he tried to subdue enough Aquitanian territory to force them to surrender Marsan. Marsan was fully occupied by 19 February and Bordeaux (again with Imperial assistance) by 13 April.

After a skirmish in Perigord from 10-20 July, Momchil would head north to confront a medium-sized Aquitanian army at the Battle of Angouléme from 26 July-15 August, winning another clear victory, while the Jomsvikings besieged Agen [masked behind that raiding force].

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At the same time in Byzantium, the ‘two plagues’ had joined together along the Black Sea coast. Worrying reports of smallpox having killed half the population of the great city of Constantinople were being received. And that was before the black death had struck!

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Despite recent vassal expansions, by mid-September Russian threat was now below the significant 75% mark, one piece of good news in these dangerous times. But, showing the rich and powerful were not immune to the ravages of the plague, in October news came that the father of the Basileus had succumbed to Hel’s Breath. It was the first detailed description in Nygarðr of the horrors of the buboes that were the hallmark of this terrible pestilence.

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Between 9-27 October, the six new sick houses were finished, with five new leper colonies (another 2,093 gold) commenced in the imperial demesne counties, though not in Tana.

In Aquitaine, the siege of Angouléme was ended after just the main castle had been taken on 25 October: Momchil was headed south-east to Perigord to head off a new threat to the Jomsviking siege of Agen, with 7,500 men under Mayor Hugues reported to be heading to Toulouse.

Up in Germany, Hrörekr was on his way to assist the Lotharingians in Bamberg when he essentially rode over the top of an incautious Bavarian army that got in the way.

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Momchil reached Perigord in time to divert to Agen as Mayor Hugues was descending on it. It would be enough to scare them off.

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Hrörekr struck another Bavarian army in Bamberg in support of Lotharingia on 5 December and by 14th had won the day there, heading back west again, planning to raid Leiningen.

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Then on 19 December, King Botulfr of Sviþjod declared an ambitious holy war on Hungary to gain the de lure duchy of Brandenburg, which was at that time losing a war to take Holstein from Denmark. And the year ended with the death of the venerable Jarl Þorbjörn ‘the Cruel’ of Moldau at the age of 80. He had been less aggressive in recent years and his inheritance was split upon his death.

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

January-May 1070 – Threats and Opportunities

Northern Germany had become a busy place in recent months, with Botulfr’s new war in late December and the continued Lotharingian conquest of Nassau, which they had well in hand. The Danes closed off their defence of Holstein as the northern raiders, now under the command of Birger, moved up to assist the Swedes in Brandenburg.

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Then for the first time in living memory, the Romans found themselves embroiled in a major civil war, even as raiders and epidemics engulfed them. A revocation attempt gone wrong saw a revolt led by Narses gain around twice the support Basileus Eustratios could count on. Covetous Rurikid eyes were turned on the Duchy of Itil, for which a holy war would be a tempting ploy if the circumstances could be played right: conquering it from the rebels without incurring the wrath of the pacts and while the civil war continued.

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The new Fylkir also had good news on 27 February when one of his new concubines, Bothildr, announced she was pregnant. The same day, Birger arrived in Brandenburg only too find it overcrowded with the Swedes already there. By 2 March, he was ordered all the way across to the border with Itil, in case an action against the rebels was initiated.

Back in France, by 10 March Momchil was encamped in Limousin, doing some raiding while keeping watch on the flanks of the Jomsviking siege of Agen. Birger had still not left Brandenburg. In Bavaria, Lotharingia was comfortably on top in their own war of conquest.

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Byzantium was now in a bad way, ravaged by civil war as the black death spread ever further west towards Constantinople, which had already been ravaged by smallpox. To top it off, the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch had excommunicated Basileus Eustratios on 11 March!

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A new conquest was declared in the name of Jarl Karl of Lothian in April 1070 to conquer the rich county of Pisa, which remained badly weakened by the Russian raid of the year before.

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In France, Aquitaine was on the march again in April, sending a large army towards Toulouse. Momchil broke his siege of Limousin to intercept them and once more protect the Jomsviking flank in Agen.

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The main Aquitanian army stopped short on Momchil’s approach on 9 May, leaving a smaller force to his not-so-tender mercies. They were heavily defeated by the 25th.

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And Nassau was absorbed into Lotharingia and the Empire on 19 May, another victory for the young King, who had not even come of age yet. The Swedes were currently untroubled in their siege of Brandenburg.

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ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

Building and Religion - 1066-1070

In addition to the hospitals (6), sick houses (6) and leper colonies (5) purchased during the period, Chudovo got new castle fortifications (III) in 1066, Okulovka a keep (III) in 1068 and Rouen training grounds (II) in April 1070. In all, in these four and a half years, 5,541 gold was spent by the Imperial treasury on infrastructure improvements.

Only the one conversion to Germanicism happened, in Eu (France) in September 1069. On the Dark Side, now secret reports were being received by the new Emperor Toste, from his ascension on 3 December 1068 to April 1070, four Fellows of Hel were burned at the stake and two more captured and imprisoned. With new inductees over the same period, this left 73 active fellows as the period ended.

The first year and a half of Toste’s reign had so far been quite successful, while he eyed the developing situation in Byzantium with predatory interest and Birger’s elite force made their way across central Russia.
 
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Byzantium needs to get its act together.

There are multiple plagues now. That's... really annoying. Of course, if these plagues only affected the Russians, it might be the wrath of the Aesir against the new Helborn Emperor...
 
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NB: just edited to add in some building and religion info I left off before in Chapter 9.
 
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That's really unfortunate timing for the Byzantines on that civil war.

I wonder what dark deeds the new Emperor will get up to.
 
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e had already fallen under the influence of the Fellowship of Hel in his younger years!
:eek: this time with his own volition!

Covetous Rurikid eyes were turned on the Duchy of Itil, for which a holy war would be a tempting ploy if the circumstances could be played right: conquering it from the rebels without incurring the wrath of the pacts and while the civil war continued.
niiiice
 
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Byzantium needs to get its act together.
It does. Toste's job is to make sure they don't! This could be the once-in-a-century opportunity to cut them down a peg or two and stop that flanking expansion into the steppe. Until the Mongols come along, anyway - but Toste doesn't know they're coming.
There are multiple plagues now. That's... really annoying. Of course, if these plagues only affected the Russians, it might be the wrath of the Aesir against the new Helborn Emperor...
Yes, it's all taken off. Perhaps increased trade and prosperity are helping to spread them more quickly and widely.
Can the new Emperor grow his eye back if he joins the Fellowship of Hel?
Hmm, I don't think so. ;)
That's really unfortunate timing for the Byzantines on that civil war.
Yes, for a long time they've been remarkably stable. Now they get the perfect waves ...
I wonder what dark deeds the new Emperor will get up to.
He may not be as bloodthirsty or depraved as the Dark Fylkir was, but he hasn't had much opportunity yet to spread his bat-wings! :eek:
:eek: this time with his own volition!
That's right, it saves me feeling bad for sending another emperor into the Hel Worshippers :p
It's looking like a good target of opportunity for now, we'll see if it works out. Even if the whole Byzantine rebellion took us on, we can still outnumber and defeat it, I believe.
 
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Chapter 10: Under the Shadow of Death (June 1070 – July 1071)
Chapter 10: Under the Shadow of Death (June 1070 – July 1071)

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

June-December 1070: Blind Luck

The shadow of the black death hung over all people by now as it broke out of Asia Minor into Thracia by June 1070. In Constantinople, it had merged with smallpox to afflict the East Roman capital, even as rebellion tore that empire in two.

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By then, Toste was aware the rebels had large armies in southern Italy (10,500) and southern Thrace (12,600), while Basileus Eustratios had two armies of 7,000 and 8,600 in the northern Balkans. The whereabouts of any other major armies or battles was not known.

By 25 July, the larger Rebel army had engaged one of the Loyalist forces south of the Danube in central Bulgaria: the Loyalists were outnumbered by almost two-one and would be heavily defeated.

Toste’s Dark History recorded the first of his known Hellish escapades from August 1070: as usual, dark power and friendship was balanced against the damage done to a small part of his vast realm. The Fylkir didn’t seem to care much about that.

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He also took on a formal mission from the Trollmaðr but did not act on it immediately and it soon slipped his mind in the rush of events. He was not as madly committed to Hel’s cause as Eilif II had been, it seems.

The self-sufficient Jarl Anlaufr, undaunted by the threat of plague, launched yet another campaign for Sibir against Cumania in early September 1070.

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Even as Hel’s Breath spread into Greece and along the Black Sea coast, as one (of increasingly many) reports of Russian noble deaths came in.

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Currently far from any spread of the great plague, Warchief Surt completed his conquest of Marsan on 10 September, leaving the Rurikid raiders to continue heir raid for plunder in Toulouse with impunity.

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At the end of the month, Toste had good news with the birth of a daughter – his fourth child – to his concubine Bothildr. Though he would have preferred a second son as a ‘spare heir’ in these perilous times.

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Not long after, Momchil was forced to cut his raid of Toulouse short when called to respond to a large Catholic uprising centred in Münster (one holding, 93 gold).

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Then on 11 October, Birger’s army reached the Itil border. Toste decided to throw away his ambition for realm peace and growth for an opportunistic land grab while the one-sided Byzantine Civil War still continued. A Holy War for Itil was launched the next day, as the Imperial levies from the core Russian counties were called up.

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The main Loyalist army in Bulgaria (around 10,200 men) was heading south from the Danube, so no direct threat to the Russian heartland was anticipated, though Amalfi could be in danger if either of the Byzantine sides turned their attention that way.

Birger crossed over the Volga into Saray in Itil on 7 November. From there, the Rurikid invaders would besiege the larger tribal forts but assault the less well defended holdings whenever they could. Meanwhile, the plague crept closer, striking Tana by 22 November and forcing the heir Prince Arni into seclusion the next day.

As the Byzantine Rebels continued to gain ground, another 5,000-odd vassal levies based in Russia and the steppe were called up to help speed the invasion of Itil – before it was too late.

Then in early December 1070, a seemingly trifling incident in the courtyard of the Imperial Palace in Nygarðr threatened the stability of the whole Rurikid empire at one of its pivotal points in its history. Rather than risk appearing weak in front of his court and vassals, Emperor Toste tried to turn a small mishap into an opportunity for bravado.

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Given his hubris and worship of Hel, it seems highly likely that Odin did hate Toste and sent the rock to where it would do the most damage. Not only was the Emperor now fully blinded, but the newly emptied eye socket became infected, leaving him severely injured.

In Saray, the first siege ended on 13 December with a small haul of gold rather than occupation of the holding: Birger had neglected to call on a priest to revoke the Sacred Raiding Toggle before arriving! He did so now and set to work with a series of assaults to reduce the weakened Roman garrisons. Saray’s three holdings would be fully occupied by 11 January 1071 for the loss of just 51 Rurikid troops.

The turbulent year ended with Toste wondering whether he might be able to attain the next level in the Fellowship and access some dark healing. It may not restore his sight but may at least alleviate his suffering. But this remained out of his present reach.

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ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

January-June 1071: More War and Pestilence

The Catholic rebels in Münster were finally confronted in January 1071. Falki had charge of the army that decisively defeated them at the Battle of Dortmund. The rebel leader was shown what was now the standard harsh Rurikid justice for rebels. But given Toste’s secret beliefs, the rebel scum suffered a particularly horrifying end.

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After this victory, Falki would proceed to Würzburg in Germany by 7 March for some commercial raiding to help replenish the coffers.

Reports of the rise of the Shi’a sect of Islam were received later that month, but as with previous similar reports no evidence could be found of their substantive presence in any known lands.

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With Saray fully occupied, Momchil moved onto Uzen next, destroying a small force (545 men) they found there by 4 February to start the next siege. Uzen’s two holdings would be subdued by 18 March for the loss of only five Rurikid soldiers.

As the holy war for Itil slowly built momentum, the Black Death had moved rapidly along the Adriatic coast and then down to infect most of the Italian peninsula. For example, a young member of the extended imperial family fell victim in Amalfi in February 1071.

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By the end of the month, it had encircled the whole of the Black Sea coast, but reports from the east indicated it was beginning to abate near the source of the pandemic. A levy army under Hrörekr had just begun to besiege Lower Volga and another smaller force commanded by Prince Borkvard was in Pecheneg.

With the Middle East ravaged by plague, the end of March saw it having moved across into the Lothian holdings of southern France and poised to spread into Egypt.

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In mid-April, Hel’s Breath was being felt in Sarpa, just to the south-west of the war in Itil.

On 25 May, spies from the court of the Basileus reported he had lost all hope of winning the civil war led by Narses and the Ecumenical Patriarch Polyeuktos II [-100% warscore]. The Rurikid forces threw themselves into gaining as much ground in Itil as quickly as they could.

Lower Volga had been fully occupied by 1 May (three holdings, 80 attackers lost). Momchil had moved from Uzen to Itil itself on 10 April and would finish its occupation by mid-June (three holdings, 347 casualties).

As June drew to a close, one holding in Pecheneg had been occupied (113 casualties) and Hrörekr had moved onto Atryau. The plague was now spreading rapidly north through Hungary and expanding into southern France and north-east Spain, but was barely advancing in the sparser lands of southern Russia.

The month ended on a high note among the growing avalanche of plague death reports among the minor Russian nobility, with Sviþjod winning its holy war for Brandenburg against Hungary. This formally completed the long-awaited land corridor between the western and eastern halves of the Rurikid Empire.

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ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

July 1071: Hel Waits for No Man

Momchil moved onto Kuma on 5 July, looking to take more territory to force the Byzantine Rebels to the bargaining table.

But at the capital, Toste had never recovered from his blinding injury and died a miserable death on 6 July 1071. Those writing his epitaph at the time had no idea of his secret life: he was more likely down in Helheim than in Valhalla with Odin! Toste had reigned for only two and a half years, his death undoubtedly sparing the Empire from the tender ministrations of another Fellow of Hel.

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The commentators were optimistic about his son Arni, who would carry forward the dashing golden locks of his father into yet another new reign.

Once more, the inheritance laws ensure all holdings transferred seamlessly to Arni, added to his possession of Tana. Arni had just one child, a daughter, and one concubine. His personal demesne was increased to ten, while his ability to control them without dissent was limited to eight. He would soon have to decide what he did about both that and the number of vassals reporting directly to him.

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Empress Asa, a daughter of the King of England, was also a well-qualified consort who boosted Arni’s ruling abilities, which were modest away from his strength of martial pursuits.

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Arni’s uncle Prince Borkvard, who was actually a few years younger than the new Fylkir, was the current heir, unless and until Arni bore a son to inherit.

Arni, who would become known for his largesse with coin, quickly bribed much of the Imperial Council he had inherited, including the newly hired Marshal, selected as much for his loyalty than his military ability. For now, the cost of bribing the discontented King Botulfr was deemed too great.

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But the easing of the plague from the east was gathering pace, along the same corridors it had first come in from, balanced by its gathering pace in the west.

On 14 July, Tana would be granted to the young Jarl Egill of Bryansk, who owned lands nearby and would soon come of age – if he survived Hel’s Breath. Arni would ride out the malus he would attract from keeping all nine of the core imperial baronies in Russia and France: too much had been invested in them to let them go lightly. He hoped to ‘earn the right’ to keep the extra one freely, in time. The Fylkir would also change his personal focus to rulership, so he would not be forced to shed more vassals.

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The same day, Arni (now relocated to Nygarðr) opened the gates to abandon his seclusion – which he would not be able to undertake again for another year, if the plague struck Nygarðr. Arni also started recruiting more concubines, conscious of the need to produce an heir of his own if he wanted his branch of the family to maintain the unbroken line of succession since the founding of the dynasty in 867.

Despite having occupied enough territory to make Itil Russian, the lack of a major field battle victory seemed to be preventing Narses from agreeing to peace terms. A few days later, Momchil broke his siege in Kuma (two holdings taken, no casualties) and headed south looking for battle.

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As the month ended, raiders that had previously been sent before Arni had become Emperor (unnoticed by the court in Nygarðr for some days) were jumped in Italy. They had attempted to evade a larger Byzantine force approaching from the south by heading to their ships, but were detained by a small holding force long enough to be badly mauled before breaking contact.

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The occupation of Atyrau would be completed by Hrörekr the same day (three holdings, 275 casualties).

As the period ended, the raid of Würzburg continued in Germany. Three conversions, two in France and one on the steppe, occurred from October 1070 to May 1071.

On the building front, the five leper colonies were completed from August-September 1070, and five new soup kitchens [+4% disease resistance] plus a barracks in Okulovka (IV, February 1071) were begun at a total cost of 2,151 gold. The soup kitchens in Torzhok and Toropets would be completed during July 1071, bringing those two (level 2) hospitals to their full technological capacity in those counties.

Arni’s first task after having secured his succession as best he could was to complete the conquest and annexation of Itil. This would provide much prestige and allow him to grant landed titles to bolster his political position with influential magnates.
 
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That was a very fitting death for Toste. I love it!
 
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Given his hubris and worship of Hel, it seems highly likely that Odin did hate Toste and sent the rock to where it would do the most damage. Not only was the Emperor now fully blinded, but the newly emptied eye socket became infected, leaving him severely injured.
:eek: maybe the dark powers would help to regenerate eye(s)?

The turbulent year ended with Toste wondering whether he might be able to attain the next level in the Fellowship and access some dark healing. It may not restore his sight but may at least alleviate his suffering. But this remained out of his present reach.
:/

The month ended on a high note among the growing avalanche of plague death reports among the minor Russian nobility, with Sviþjod winning its holy war for Brandenburg against Hungary. This formally completed the long-awaited land corridor between the western and eastern halves of the Rurikid Empire.
Praise Thor!

But at the capital, Toste had never recovered from his blinding injury and died a miserable death on 6 July 1071. Those writing his epitaph at the time had no idea of his secret life: he was more likely down in Helheim than in Valhalla with Odin! Toste had reigned for only two and a half years, his death undoubtedly sparing the Empire from the tender ministrations of another Fellow of Hel.
Oh... Well he had that coming

Arni’s first task after having secured his succession as best he could was to complete the conquest and annexation of Itil. This would provide much prestige and allow him to grant landed titles to bolster his political position with influential magnates.
good luck to the new warrior emperor!
 
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Odin has gotten his revenge on Toste.

Arni looks like he'll be a good ruler.

The attack on Byzantium will likely hurt Russia's reputation and ensure that the defensive pacts last longer... Is Russia strong enough to take on one of the defensive pacts, actually? That could be a way to expand. Or will all of the pacts attack them at once if they attack anyone?
 
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This formally completed the long-awaited land corridor between the western and eastern halves of the Rurikid Empire.
At long last.

Loved that event with Do you hate me Odin...my OTHER eye

Two dead emperors in two chapters, lets hope Arnis place in the saga is more substantial.
 
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So, the second chapter covering the last play session is done and I'll probably publish it tomorrow (my time). But first some comment feedback:
That was a very fitting death for Toste. I love it!
I know, what a great event? I role played his attempt to catch it, but it hadn't occurred to me he may get fully blinded. Very well played by the game designers there, I reckon.
:eek: maybe the dark powers would help to regenerate eye(s)?

:/
He did think of that, but alas for him (but probably good for his subjects) that recovering his eyesight became the lesser of his worries!
Praise Thor!
Yes, by his Mighty Hammer! And it was largely the marcher lords who did it too.
Oh... Well he had that coming

good luck to the new warrior emperor!
He did. While I hadn't tried to kill him off early and would have role played him through as a kind of lesser Dark Fylkir, I was actually quite pleased too when he succumbed to the wound. It gives Arni a good run at things. If he can survive medieval Russia, the plague and the ill chances of life!
Odin has gotten his revenge on Toste.
I had that thought too: I almost wrote that Odin couldn't stand to have the one-eyed False Fylkir appearing to imitate the Allfather like that.
Arni looks like he'll be a good ruler.
He should be a good war leader, anyway, though he's not so hot in the other areas. But if he gets the time, he may be able to work on that.
The attack on Byzantium will likely hurt Russia's reputation and ensure that the defensive pacts last longer... Is Russia strong enough to take on one of the defensive pacts, actually? That could be a way to expand. Or will all of the pacts attack them at once if they attack anyone?
Oh, you're very right there. Still, short of a Great Holy War for Hungary, it was a great opportunity to grab some useful land, take Byzantium down a peg and cut off their unwelcome spread (and that of Orthodoxy) into the steppe lands.
At long last.
Yes, it's been a long time, but the dream first kindled when Brabant was first acquired so many decades ago has now come to pass.
Loved that event with Do you hate me Odin...my OTHER eye
It was great, I agree. And perfect for a Hel-worshipping Fylkir too.
Two dead emperors in two chapters, lets hope Arnis place in the saga is more substantial.
Yes, after such a long reign, it has been a quick passage from one to the next. But (unless the plague gets him) Arni should make a more wholesome Fylkir than his flawed father. One can hope, anyway.

Thanks everyone for the comments and readership. And remember, it doesn't have to be for this work, but the ACA and YAYA award votes are just about to end. Not too late to get in a last minute ballot if you haven't already. See the sticky notes on the various thread lead pages.
 
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Chapter 11: Itil Be Alright in the End (August 1071 – July 1072)
Chapter 11: Itil Be Alright in the End (August 1071 – July 1072)

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

1 August to 8 September 1071

The new Fylkir Arni was in a race to seal his opportunistic holy war for Itil before the Byzantine rebellion achieved its seemingly inevitable victory over Basileus Eustratios II ‘the Cruel’. On 8 August, Pecheneg’s main castle fell, with a suitably grisly artefact being added to the Imperial treasury.

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Arni also went through the process of reviewing and renewing non-aggression pacts with the other Norse Germanic kingdoms after being alerted to the need when word came of King Ivar of Denmark joining the anti-Rurikid pagan defensive pact on 10 August. Both he and King Knut of Noregr were approached with new offers, both of which were accepted on 24 August. The previous hold-out under his father Toste had been England, but Arni’s marriage to Empress Ana, daughter of King Alfgeir, had automatically conferred a non-aggression pact on Arni’s succession.

Next was an assessment of the principal factions, always something a new Emperor was well-advised to keep an eye on. Two of the most powerful magnates were involved in serious factions to increase the power of the Imperial Council and to gain independence, led by the influential Chief Starkaðr of Stolp. Though not yet imminent threats, neither of these could be allowed to build much further.

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In the meantime, reports were coming in thick and fast about how Hel’s Breath was afflicting both foreign lands and Rurikid territory, in addition to the many personal reports of the death of individual Russian nobles and dignitaries, especially in southern France.

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Despite suggestions that he may not be completely ready to surrender, Narses of the Byzantine Revolt was approached on 17 August to see if he had had enough. It turned out he had: the entire de jure Duchy of Itil passed into Rurikid hands on 21 August 1071. The one downside was that the long diplomatic campaign to reduce Russian threat in the minds of the world’s leaders was set back almost to its starting point.

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At the same time, the last three Imperial demesne hospitals (in addition to Holmgarðr, Torzhok and Toropets) was brought up to their maximum level of improvement from 18-26 August. There was little more Arni could do for now to protect his holdings from the onset of the terrible plague.

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The remnants of Arni’s personal adventuring host made it safely to their ships in the Gulf of Venice on 18 August and began heading for the relative safety of Amalfi – with the added bonus of carting over 430 gold from raiding done up to that point, largely before Arni had become emperor.

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And despite the ravages of plague, young Jarl Rikulfr’s still sought to gain more Aquitanian territory with a new conquest of Rouergue launched on 7 September.

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In Itil, all the levies (imperial and vassal) engaged for the Itil campaign were safely disbanded by the same day. Momchil’s standing raiding army, reduced now to around 6,700 men mainly from attrition, were on their way back from rebel territory in the Caucasus to the safety of ‘non-infected’ southern Russia. The northward march of the plague seemed to have halted in Sugrov for now, where it had been for some time.

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And Arni handed out the new titles gained from Itil. First, he made his uncle and heir Borkvard chief of Itil, Saray and Uzen and created and granted him the new title of Jarl of Itil. That should ensure his loyalty for the mid-term, without giving him overmuch military power, even when the counties recovered from their war damage.

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Lower Volga, Pecheneg and Atryau were allocated to three different jarls whose loyalty was deemed in need of assuring. All this helped Arni to bolster the stability of his early reign. Indeed Jarl Bertil, the Chancellor and one of the recipients, was now one of Arni’s greatest supporters.

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The most powerful of the top Rurikid magnates at last now had a reasonably positive view of the new Emperor, with most of the rest now also supportive. Hopefully more could be done to improve opinion (and thus the size of vassal levies when called out) over time.

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ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

September-December 1071

The Byzantine Civil War ended on 11 September 1071, with Eustratios deemed a tyrant and deposed, the victorious rebels replacing him with another member of the Makedon dynasty: his sister and now Basilissa Maria. Arni sent her a small gift as a modest form of congratulations, which yielded a disproportionate benefit in her opinion of him.

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Interestingly, Eustratios remained heir to the throne as Maria had not yet been able to marry her young betrothed and so had no child of her own yet to inherit.

Arni’s court scholars provided a report on the severe effect the plague had on economic activity in ravaged provinces. Though they did seem to recover fairly quickly in those areas where the plague had come and gone along the northern Silk Road.

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Arni was well pleased with welcome boost of 435 gold that came on 19 September when his raiding fleet docked in Amalfi. He celebrated the next day by adding two more concubines to the existing Pulcheria Katakalizes – an Orthodox woman who had no love for her master. The famously charitable Arni, trying to ensure he sired an heir and to alleviate any discord (and danger) in his own household provided gold and jewellery (15 gold each) to her and Kraaka Momchilsdottir (his new second concubine) but had no need to with his third, Ingfrid Geirrsdottier, a young noblewoman who already had a high opinion of the young Fylkir.

A small Imperial fleet was despatched from northern France the same day to pick up Arni’s Host from Amalfi – the accompanying fleet had disappeared when it docked there the day before.

Jarl Karl of Lothian, a recent recipient of land in Itil, ceased his factional activity on 26 September. This left the powerful King Botulfr of Sviþjod as a dedicated plotter as well as a disruptive influence on the Council as an advisor. Arni decided to use a good proportion of his recently won loot to offer Botulfr a large ‘loyalty gift’ of 239 gold, which soon had him thinking quite well of his young Fylkir as well, though was still a member of his two factions by the end of the month.

By mid-October, the Loyalist faction on the Council was large enough for Arni to start considering legal reforms, even if Botulfr had not yet come around.

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Jarl Karl of Lothian successfully concluded his latest expansion down the coast of Italy at the end of October, which ratcheted up Russia’s threat perception to the maximum once more. Even without any further conquests, it would take over 35 years to reduce this to zero.

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In another by now traditional post-succession action, Arni took advantage of the reset ‘Blot clock’ to set off his new reign with a popular celebration that lasted until the end of the year.

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Ever vigilant for factional mischief, when Warchief Surt joined the faction advocating gavelkind succession in Russia, Arni once again opened the purse strings, giving Surt an 87 gold ‘donation to his Jomsviking brothers’, which impressed their Chief [+57 opinion]. Arni hoped it would be enough to induce Surt to abandon his plotting.

Momcil’s army finally arrived back in Itil on 7 November and began a long trek back through Russia towards Poland. But just four weeks later they interrupted their march to respond to the outbreak of two peasant rebellions. The first, in Belo Ozero, had surprised a local army that had just been mustered for some project of their jarl’s. They would not be able to cope with this rising on their own.

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By this time, the plague had spread to most of northern France and was now entering Brabant. The hospital in Paris could only offer limited resistance for the population – ironically, due to the additional commerce that brought them their prosperity. It was a similar case in Rouen, where Hel’s Breath had not yet quite spread.

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In mid-December, despite the universal presence of plague in southern France, a Champagnan army was engaging the Toulousans in Rouergue, where they had more than twice the enemy’s numbers and would win a clear victory a few weeks later. Rikulfr should be able to handle this one himself.

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At the year drew to a close, Arni used his numbers in the Council to push through another winding back of Council powers. The same day, King Botulfr decided to take a more pragmatic approach in Council matters and also left the Independence faction. Clearly, money spoke!

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Factional activity had now shrunk in both scope and significance, with Surt now an Arni loyalist and likely to leave the one remaining faction of note soon.

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ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

September-December 1071

The year began with the small Imperial fleet arriving off Amalfi. But Arni’s Host had been able to recruit in the intervening weeks and was now a little too large to all be transported at once. The main body was loaded and would sail to the Gulf of Finland to eventually join Momchil put down the peasant rebellions. Hrörekr would take the remaining few hundred over land through the plague lands to join the other raiding army in Germany.

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In mid-January, another cavalry retinue was raised in Holmgarðr. By early February, the advance of the plague was still halted in southern Russia but had engulfed all of France, much of the Low Counties, had spread into northern Spain and was closing in on Germany from both the south and west. Despite having the most advanced hospital in the empire, the capital’s disease resistance was limited by its booming economy.

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The hospitals in Torzhok and Toropets were insufficient to offset the effect of their booming economies, while that in Ladoga was only just enough to provide minimal resistance for their flourishing county. All the inhabitants prayed to the Gods to protect them from Hel’s Breath, as it appeared there was little the best efforts of men could do to protect them from catching the plague, though the hospitals may provide some protection against the risk of significant depopulation.

Some interesting intelligence was received on 18 February, with a report that King Botulfr of Sviþjod was seeking to fabricate a claim on the Sumarliði’s Kingdom of Lotharingia. It could pit the realm’s two most powerful magnates against each other if it ever came to blows. Just a few weeks later, Lotharingia was attacked by a far more immediate and deadly enemy: the plague took Queen Mother Skuld on 5 March, at the age of 48. Even the highest nobility were not spared.

The reckoning came for the rebels in Belo Ozero on 17 March, with the snow still on the ground, where Momchil had completely overwhelmed the rebel scum by 1 April. Their leader was simply hanged – nothing too elaborate for this new Fylkir.

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In Germany, Hrörekr had joined up with the raiders there to take command and had moved on in advance of the onrushing plague towards Meissen after finishing the looting of Würzburg (7 March 1071-11 February 1072, 4 holdings, 238 gold, 502 men lost). By the time they arrived to sweep away a small hostile company in early May, plague had already reached the county and was beginning to take the lives of the troops.

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They would flee to the north-west to try to escape Hel’s Breath as soon as the skirmish was over, because three different epidemics had made any raiding in the usually rich western Mediterranean a most unattractive prospect for the time being.

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Arni’s host arrived in the Gulf of Finland on 11 May and began disembarking in Kexholm, to await Momchil’s army before taking on the almost 3,800 rebels in southern Finland.

As Hrorekr arrived in Brandenburg, the plague was racing east across Germany just behind him. With no safe or lucrative raiding to be had anywhere nearby, they started heading all the way to Poland. Plague and Arni’s new reign had decreased the amount of tax income flowing in, while the need to rebuild the retinues was demanding heavy expenditure as raiding opportunities were very limited. A monthly deficit of over 40 gold could be sustained for a while, but opportunities to save money would be sought where possible.

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Eustratios 'the Mutilator's’ sad life came to an end on 10 June 1072. The former Basileus, by then a possessed husk of his former self, was burnt at the stake – perhaps for some Satanic worship, though this was not known. Curiously, this seemed to have been adjudged a ‘natural death’ by Byzantine chroniclers of the time.

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Momchil picked up Arni’s Host in Kexholm on 18 June and marched immediately for the rebel stronghold of Nyland. A two-week fight ended with the defeat of the rebels and the hanging of their leader on 24 July.

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In the meantime, Jarl Klas, the Imperial Steward, had secluded himself in his castle in Rügen, hoping to escape the ravages of the Black Death. This temporarily reduced Arni’s ability to effectively manage his vassals, but he would try to ‘tough it out’ for now and retain those he controlled.

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July 1072 saw the plague receding along its original path, but still raging in both the east and west and not yet having affected the bulk of the Rurikid Russian heartland.

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There were two more conversions to Germanicism in Germany (Thüringen) and the Steppe (Atyrau in recently conquered Itil) in early 1072, while the reports on Hel Fellows dried up after Toste’s death in 1071. No more new builds were initiated in this period. Raiding only provided about 350 gold during the period and none after February 1072 as the plague or the Byzantine civil war drove raiders away from all the most lucrative targets.
 
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Plague and Arni’s new reign had decreased the amount of tax income flowing in, while the need to rebuild the retinues was demanding heavy expenditure as raiding opportunities were very limited. A monthly deficit of over 40 gold could be sustained for a while, but opportunities to save money would be sought where possible.
It's interesting how the disease is still heavily affecting the Empire, even if it hasn't reached the core Russian lands yet.
Curiously, this seemed to have been adjudged a ‘natural death’ by Byzantine chroniclers of the time.
Perhaps it was "natural" in the sense that it was a fitting death for a deposed, possessed, potentially Satanic monarch.
 
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