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I like letting the boys run amok among themselves. The more energy that they expend on each other, the less to bother me. Third son's name sounds and his portrait looks more Norse than his brother. Hopefully the daughter, being sent to the British Isles, is not a daughter of the Empress. No uncle/niece. Thank You
This is true. I only stop it when it gets in the way of them doing something more useful for the empire. Otherwise, it's just good healthy fun. ;) There seems to be a bit of range in appearance between the kids (some of the concubines come from far-flung areas), even if they are all Norse culturally and Germanic. Hope there's no Hapsburg level inbreeding there, but Arni didn't really take much notice when he agreed to the arrangement: politics first! :eek:
great pun :D
:D
Catholicism never does well in most of these AARs....
Yes, I think unless someone is deliberately trying to play for it, it suffers. From what Ive read, anyway (as this is the only game I've played, so can't speak from experience.
Sacking Rome is becoming a rite of passage that every Flykir must do at least once in their reign....similar to how each pope must call a suicidal crusade at least once in their career, though with Tokes attack on Rome we may have seen the last true remnant of catholic resistance to the empire go out with a whimper rather than a bang, and perhaps the cycle of stupid papal attacks will be ended.
It has been - though that might now be consigned to history. Perhaps there will be a new ritual target. To be quasi-historical, perhaps that should be Constantinople, but we aren't there yet. I wonder if we've now seen the last Catholic crusade?
 
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Chapter 16: Arni Ascendant (October 1080 – July 1082)
Chapter 16: Arni Ascendant (October 1080 – July 1082)

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

On Viking: October 1080 – April 1081

The raid of the Tulunids in Tunisia continued with the latest sacking in Bizerte revealing a key for the latest mysterious locked chest. At least this time it wasn’t just a pile of mouldy rubbish …

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In Italy, Ofeig’s army arrived in Rome on 9 October to aid Jarl Toke of Lothian’s siege. Urbanus would be made to pay further for his earlier impudent and foolish tilt at France.

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The earlier funds invested in Council influencing paid off in mid-October when the Loyalist faction reached sufficient strength to send the latest legal change to a vote. The Steward, young Jarl Karl of Rostov fell to cancer. He was replaced with Arni’s very loyal (from being made Jarl of Itil after that conquest) uncle Prince Borkvard. He was only a capable rather than exception money manager, but could be thoroughly relied upon to support his similarly-aged nephew.

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The most powerful magnate in the realm after the Emperor, King Oddr of Lotharingia, won his war with King Þorsteinn of Sviþjod – the third most powerful – before the month ended.

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In November, the Tulunids had finally managed to assemble a force large enough to threaten the raiders in Tunisia. While they could have combined to fight them, there was no desire to risk heavy casualties, even in a winning battle. For now, the raiders would seek to finish their current well-progressed sieges and then take to the boats before the Tulunid armies could close with them.

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The raid of Bizerte finished on 19 November (2 holdings, 138 gold, 918 men lost) and Mahdia the next day (2 holdings, 249 gold, no casualties). The whole raid had produced over 1,000 gold since September 1079, not including ransoms countryside pillaging along the way. By 28 November, both fleets were heading back to Amalfi to bank their loot.

The fleets docked between 11-15 December, providing a considerable boost to the treasury and helping Holmgarðr’s slow economic recovery from the plague.

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By 25 December, the raiders (over 15,000 strong in total) were ready to head off again for another raid – this time headed for the other end of the Tulunid realm in Palestine.

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

The new year of 1081 began with more good news for the Fylkir: the birth of his fourth son, Einarr, to his ‘cold consort’ Pulcheria.

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It took the Vikings until the third week of February to reach their new targets in Palestine: the wealthy counties of Sur and Acre.

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No longer faced with the hard choices of the days of Hel’s Breath, Arni lost his reputation for arbitrariness in March 1081.

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By mid-April, as the raids continued in Palestine and the siege work in Rome, complaints became louder from the 14 vassals whose levies (ships and troops) had been raised (8 x -10 malus, 6 x -4). Arni decided it would be wise to rest them after the current raid and war for Rome [+66% war score by then] were over.

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

Rome Falls - Again: May to December 1081

The Council vote on execution sovereignty had fizzled earlier in the year (for some arcane reason: the personnel hadn’t changed) but now, with an absolute Loyalist majority now supporting Arni, the vote was restarted in early May. By mid-June the latest clawing back of Imperial prerogatives had succeeded.

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During that time, a very strange episode occurred when the Völva Yrsa burst into the Fylkir’s private bed chamber with an alarming waning.

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Devoted as Arni was to the Gods in most of their manifestations, this was one rabbit hole he was not prepared to leap down, valuing his relationship with the Empress more highly. Though of course both parents would now worry for the rest of Asa’s pregnancy, in case Yrsa’s prediction became true!

On 2 August 1081, the Imperial-backed Lothian siege of Rome had not reached its final stages (3 holdings taken for Lothian, 1,473 combined casualties) yet but it was enough for the Pope to despair and offer to capitulate of his own volition. Naturally, this offer was accepted by the Emperor on Toke’s behalf. The Pope was now unseated!

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While still the fifth most widespread religion, Catholicism had virtually no moral authority left. And four different heresies also fragmented and sapped its remaining strength.

King Oddr, well advised and a promising prospect even as a youth, made a betrothal proposal in mid-August that Arni was happy to accept, to an aunt who was in fact two decades his junior. This would ensure Oddr’s arm was not raised against his liege in the future, whatever other factional problems might arise.

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Ofeig’s army in Rom, numbering a little over 11,000, had soon invoked the sacred raiding toggle and was soon marching north to support High Chief Falki of Kola’s prepared invasion of Italy against Duchess Margherita of Latium, joining the Kolans for some siege work in nearby Orvieto, which would begin on 30 August.

Meanwhile in Palestine, substantial Tulunid and Radhi (vassal) forces had gathered around the northern raiding army in Sur by 10 September. Birger’s larger army in Acre broke off its looting (4 holdings, 310 gold, no casualties) to reinforce their comrades in Sur.

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This caused the Radhi army to break off its advance on Sur, while a smaller Tulunid army skirted around the raiders to the east.

The vassal-led expansion in Italy continued with Toke now setting his sights on Cinarca in southern Corsica on 20 September. By this time, after the recent conquest of Rome, the threat posed by Arni had run back up to near maximum again.

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Two days later, a quickfire series of assaults ordered by the Kolans saw Orvieto’s 5 holdings taken between 30 August and 12 September for the combined loss of 1,049 men. After that, Ofeig had tried to raid in Firenze, but for some legalistic reason his army was not able to loot, despite bordering Russian territory. By 2 October, he was headed to Venetian-owned Bologna instead.

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The next marcher lord to try his hand was Jarl Dyre of Moldau, who would attempt to wrest Meissen from the Hungarians. He may eventually need some help, given how many troops Hungary could muster, not even counting possible Orthodox allies who may aid them in the Holy War.

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Arni’s seventh child – a daughter named Alfhildr – was born without any apparent problem on 6 November. No red eyes, forked tongue, cloven hoof or a tail! And the Rurikid military potential was higher than it had ever been, even if tax revenues had not fully recovered.

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The raid in Bologna had started on 16 October: after the first holding fell on 3 December, the Fylkir was usefully hailed as Arni the Ravager.

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The raid on Sur in Palestine was completed without further incident on 15 December (5 holdings, 385 gold, 1,364 men lost). A week later, the last of the troops and treasure were aboard the fleets and they were headed back to Italy: this time, to Rom.

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ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

Italian Adventures: January to July 1082

After a quiet January, in early February an urgent messenger arrived from the Kolan army in Monferrato: their siege had been interrupted by the arrival of a large Latin force. By this time, the Kolans had begun to flee the field of battle and were being pursued. Ofeig immediately lifted his raiding siege of Bologna (2 holdings, 119 gold, no casualties) and made for Monferrato to preserve the Kolan gains that had been made there and deal with this substantial threat.

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The same day, the raiding party returned from Palestine. By now the vassals were getting quite irate, particularly those whose fleets had been raised for so long. The money was banked and all levied ships and troops disbanded by 10 February, as Birger took the professional Retinue and Jomsviking forces north to engage a small enemy army lurking in Orbetello.

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By 23 February, the reduced Kolan army was fleeing to France and a Latin-allied army of 6,000 was in Monferrato and Ofeig was marching through Lucca on his way to Genoa. The loss had set back the Kolan war progress somewhat – something Arni was keen to reverse.

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To the south, on 4 March Birger fell upon an army from Parma in Orbetello as the Norwegians (fight their own Italian campaign) fought a small Italia-Teutonic force to their north. By 19 March, Birger had won a devastating victory.

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Just as that pursuit was finishing, Ofeig had closed with the Italians in Monferrato. The battle was sharp enough, with over 600 of the best Rurikid troops killed, but enemy casualties were far higher and the enemy fled in disarray, losing three senior officers captured in the pursuit by 4 April.

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Ofeig stayed to raid in Monferrato while Birger had headed north after his victory in Orbetello to resume raid Bologna anew. He took one holding there between 29 April to 1 June for 57 gold. But at that point a Bavarian-led army was spotted heading to Orvieto. Birger quickly picked up and headed south to ensure the Kolan gains there were not endangered.

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Sadly, a few weeks later one of Russia’s best veteran generals (and siege specialist) Momchil Bleik, Kraka’s father, died a natural death.

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The next day, in a reorganisation Prince Falki took over the southern army, allowing Birger – the other remaining siege specialist – to join Ofeig in the siege of Monferrato.

The Bavarian-Italian army had only recently arrived in Orvieto when Prince Falki descended on them from the north in early July with the fury of a Valkyrie. The Battle of Amelia was more of a slaughter, with the latest threat to the Kola’s Italian campaign defeated by 25 July 1082.

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There was grave concern in the Imperial household when Arni’s young son Toste was diagnosed with dysentery: as Arni well knew, this was often a fatal affliction. Naturally, the trusted Court Physician Chief Hysing Rurikid was called in to ply his trade. And fortunately, the case was deemed mild: still very serious for the boy, but not as bad as it could have been.

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Even better, Hysing once again produced the goods, with a successful treatment ameliorating the worst of the remaining symptoms. There was every chance Toste would survive this nasty illness, but only time would tell. Old Hysing was once again rewarded by a grateful Fylkir.

By the end of July 1082, Poitou had broken away from Aquitaine as an independent Duchy. And its Duke, Ricard, followed the Lollard Catholic heresy.

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In the wider empire, factionalism had virtually disappeared.

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Over the last five years, revenue had generally risen up to January 1080, after which time it had plateaued. It was unlikely to recover much further until peasant resentfulness in the Imperial demesne counties dissipated, probably in around another three years. The main feudal taxpayers were listed in a report to the Fylkir: naturally, the four subordinate kingdoms and three largest jarldoms were the biggest contributors.

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Expenditure fluctuated with whether Imperial levies were called out, but mainly whether the retinue required replacements and the rate of that replacement. As at July, a modest monthly surplus was again being delivered, while raiding and war settlements and a lack of new building had boosted the treasury to just over 4,000 gold once again. The threat level had decreased slightly but would inevitably rise again once some of the magnates succeeded in their expansion attempts.

On the religious front, the end of the Black Death, Rurikid expansion and the moral collapse of Catholicism in the west had seen fourteen counties from France to the steppe convert to Reformed Germanicism over the last five years. Most of these were in France, Italy, the Low Counties and Germany. The spread of Catholic heresies (which were being gradually eliminated in the Empire) in its former heartland saw the religion ever more fragmented: the new Duchy of Poitou had entirely converted to Lollardy, for example.

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While disease had retreated somewhat in most areas of the empire by mid-1082, for some reason Scandinavia had remained a hotbed of slow fever outbreaks, with three separate ones since 1079 still spreading.

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The closest had started in Reval just four months before but seemed to be spreading south along the Baltic coast rather than east towards the Imperial capital. Arni had no desire to close the gates or see his demesne ravaged by disease again so soon after the Black Death.

NB: This now brings the AAR fully back up to date with game play.
 
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King Oddr, well advised and a promising prospect even as a youth, made a betrothal proposal in mid-August that Arni was happy to accept, to an aunt who was in fact two decades his junior. This would ensure Oddr’s arm was not raised against his liege in the future, whatever other factional problems might arise.
Oddr seems like he will become a great ally and lord of the realm. May he have a long and successful reign!
Arni’s seventh child – a daughter named Alfhildr – was born without any apparent problem on 6 November. No red eyes, forked tongue, cloven hoof or a tail! And the Rurikid military potential was higher than it had ever been, even if tax revenues had not fully recovered.
No supernatural signs yet. But maybe as Alfhildr ages.
 
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Why did the Duke of Poitou think that was a good idea? Does he at least have alliances with other powers?

I wonder what will happen with Alfhildr. If she does have demonic heritage, it could prove to be useful to Russia as a realm... as long as it remains a secret from the other rulers of the world.
 
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Why did the Duke of Poitou think that was a good idea? Does he at least have alliances with other powers?

I wonder what will happen with Alfhildr. If she does have demonic heritage, it could prove to be useful to Russia as a realm.
 
First some initial comment feedback - still open for comment on Chapter 16:
Oddr seems like he will become a great ally and lord of the realm. May he have a long and successful reign!
If he survives to adulthood - only a few years away now - he should prove a powerful and hopefully loyal vassal. Though it will probably mean trying to get him onto the Council as soon as possible. It would be nice if he ended up being good at something to allow a merit-based appointment rather than waiting for an adviser to either kick the bucket or having to evict one!
No supernatural signs yet. But maybe as Alfhildr ages.
Hmm, that will be an interesting one to keep an eye on.
Why did the Duke of Poitou think that was a good idea? Does he at least have alliances with other powers?
No great allies, but I suppose it was done from religious conviction and Aquitaine has been going down rapidly anyway.
I wonder what will happen with Alfhildr. If she does have demonic heritage, it could prove to be useful to Russia as a realm... as long as it remains a secret from the other rulers of the world.
Yes, I look forward to finding out if something happens with her ... or it was just a delusion on Trsa's part.

To All: what follows is a summary chapter. So far, the story (like its predecessor) has naturally focused on the Rurikids and their interests, even while glimpses of the rest of the world and the occasional focus on other important realms have been given. This next chapter will be a more thorough review of the Rurikid's place in the known world and some of the other great powers. As said above, still taking comments on the last game play chapter, #16.
 
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Chapter 17: The World in 1082 (31 July 1082)
Chapter 17: The World in 1082 (31 July 1082)

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

The World Situation

This chapter provides a summary of the world in mid-1082 and the Rurikid Empire’s place in it. Fylkir Arni was at this time into the prime years of his reign, after weather the relative instability of the early years and then the trauma of the Black Death, from which many areas were still recovering.

The last chapter summarised where the Empire and its ruler were up to, including military, economic and religious power. This chapter will take that outwards, review relevant current wars, pacts, plague recovery and future options for Rurikid expansion.

First, Norse culture, though spreading more slowly than Reformed Germanicism, was now widespread across many parts of the Empire and in England, though less so in France and Germany.

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As expected, with Russia’s high threat level, the three main defensive pacts opposing Arni (Christian, Muslim and Hindu) covered most of the known world and made any serious longer term war a dangerous proposition. Though, as had been shown before the Black Death, a smaller war won quickly could avoid too many adverse consequences. The Pagan pact was almost non-existent, with the main three other Germanic countries (England, Denmark and Noregr) all in non-aggression pacts with Russia.

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The world map showed some larger realms that sought to rival Russia, though military potential may be a better indicator than geographical reach as to the relative power rankings.

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ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

The Top Five Contenders

After Russia, five other powers had theoretical military strength of more than 20,000 soldiers (with the Rurikids then numbering around 61,000).

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ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

Byzantine (Roman) Empire

As had been the case for decades, the Byzantine (Roman) Empire was the next most powerful realm. Its theoretical strength was estimated at almost 48,000 men, though their current actual strength was less than half that. They were also slightly in debt under a new ruler, Basileus Pankratios of the long-ruling Makedon dynasty.

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Apart from the usual array of raiders, Pankratios faced three wars, all defensive. The most progressed was a more distant ‘side-conflict’ against the Rurikid vassal King Anlaufr of Volga Bulgaria over Yugra in the northern steppe, where Anlaufr was slightly ahead. The other two were against the two largest Muslin dynasties and were in their early days: Caliph Talib II of the Talibids (Arabian Empire) for Azerbaijan and Sultan Abdullah of the Tulunids (Egypt) for Edessa. Byzantium had its hands full, as usual.

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ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

Tulunid Sultanate (Egypt)

Second on the contenders list by military potential was the Tulunid dynasty that ruled Egypt. And at that time, their actual strength was very close to their theoretical power at over 26,000 men. Their only current war was the one mentioned above against the Romans, which had begun just a few months before on 17 March 1082.

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ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

Pala (Bengal) Empire

The pre-eminent empire in the sub-continent was that of the Pala dynasty, ruling the Bengal Empire. Their theoretical military strength was just over 25,000 troops, but their vassal levy base in particular was currently badly under-strength, meaning Samrajni Amrapali’s regent could currently only muster around 9,200 men on her behalf.

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Pala had just one war they were participating in at the moment, as an ally (one of four) assisting their fellow Hindu Maharaja Ishtpala of the Pratihara Kingdom to defend Pratiharan lands in Zabulistan from the formidable Aurang ‘the Great’ of Kabulistan, a powerful Satrap of the Samanid (Tansoxiana) Shahdom. Aurang was currently well ahead in that war.

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The de jure duchy of Zabulistan overlapped the north-central region of the Kingdom of Pratihara, not far from Aurang’s capital in Kabul.

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ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

Talibid (Arabian) Empire

The fourth of the five contenders was the Talibid dynasty of the Muslim Caliph Talib II, Badshah of the Arabian Empire. He, like Sultan Adbdullah of the Tulunids, had a current military strength close to his theoretical maximum of around 24,500. Again as mentioned above, he just had the one war going, against Byzantium. It had started around seven months before but neither side had yet made much progress.

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ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

Samanid (Transoxiania) Shahdom

Another young ruler with a regent, Shah Khodadad led the Samanids, a Muslim empire stretching from the eastern steppe all the way to the south-east shore of Caspian Sea. It shared borders with major powers including Russia, Arabia, Pratihara and Pala and – near the Aral Sea – even Byzantium. Khodadad could currently call on around 16,700 men, below his maximum of about 22,000. Presumably, many of those vassal levies would have been provided by Satrap Aurang of Kabulistan, then in his own border war with Pratihara.

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He was involved in a parallel holy war with Pratihara over Kerman, which had been going on since March of the previous year. Shah Khodadad was well advanced in that war, too and Pala was not a party to that conflict, meaning the Samanids and Pala remained at peace with each other.

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

Rurikid Demesne: Post-Plague Recovery

In the capital county, the peasants remained furious. This severely restricted the tax take in the two baronies still directly controlled by Emperor Arni (Nygarðr and Chudovo) and Okulovka (now owned by his son and heir, Prince Arnfast). At least the county no longer suffered from post-plague depopulation.

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In Torzhok, the peasants were still unruly, but minor depopulation still affected the county (taxes and levies) and Arni’s barony of Yamsky Gorodok.

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Toropets was a little better off, with just civil unrest depressing income.

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The same applied to the Barony of Aldeigjuborg in Ladoga.

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In France, the two imperial demesne baronies in Paris were also just affected by civil unrest.

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But Rouen remained severely depressed, still suffering from significant depopulation, civil unrest and now also piracy (which had not yet been eradicated).

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ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

Wars in Italy

Italy remained a hotly contested battleground, and not only by various Rurikid vassals. As we have been following, High Chief Falki (Rurikid) of Kola was doing well in his prepared invasion of Italy targeting Duchess Margherita of Latium. That war had been in progress since early 1080 and Kola currently had an army fighting a skirmish against a small Latin force in Lombardy.

Jarl Toke of Lothian had made quick progress in his conquest of Cinarca in Corsica, launched less than a year before. And Sturla of Ugra (owner of Istria and Ravenna) had been making fair progress in his recently declared war against Veglia: but his enemy had managed to assemble a large army now besieging Istria, while Sturla could muster less than a quarter of that number, and one third of them were still on the long march from the far-distant county of Ugra itself.

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As mentioned previously, Noregr was conducting its own prepared invasion against Queen Lodovica of Italy. King Knut was winning that conflict, even though Lodovica had brought in a range of allies to help her. Noregr had just started a battle against an Italian-allied army in Modena where the y outnumbered the defenders by over three-to-one. And Venice was in a civil war for the increase of council powers: the rebels army – hostile to Russia due to some previous raiding – could yet get tangled up in some of the fighting.

Urbanus III had no troops and just a few gold to his name, still listing Rom as his residence in the purely titular role of Pope but not as a Russian vassal.

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ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

Aquitaine’s Troubles

King Adrien II’s realm was much reduced by now and under multiple attacks. Emir Hakam of Jattabid (un Ummayyad vassal) was doing well in a war to take Barcelona and a peasant revolt in Urgell was also gaining ground.

The independent Lollard Duchy of Poitou had recently split off and the enclave in Burgundy was under attack from two different Rurikid vassals. Jarl Dyre of Ryazan was well advanced in his conquest of Aargau. Chief Folki of Gévaudan – a vassal of Jarl Rikulfr of Champagne and another Rurikid family member – had just commenced a conquest of Narbonne.

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But Chief Buðli’s holy war for Upper Burgundy had been dented somewhat, even though he had seized Aquitanian land there. This was explained by an earlier occupation of Buðli’s capital of Boulogne by King Adrienne, which had cancelled out much of Buðli’s advantage.

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ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

Hungary

As we saw in the last chapter, the powerful marcher lord Jarl Dyre of Moldau had begun a holy war for Meissen in November 1081. His main army had already advanced into Hungarian territory to press the claim. He was aided by the Hungarian king’s existing preoccupation with a war against Denmark for Mazovia, which had been going very well for him up to that point.

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ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

Rurikid War Prospects

The irritation of the Teutonic Order’s Barony of Kozolets on Russian soil in Chernigov looked set to continue for now. As Hochmeister Liutpold was not a Rurikid vassal, it would take a holding war to evict him. And that would in turn bring in the entirety of the world’s defensive pacts against Russia. It could be a possibility in the future, as a quick ‘smash and grab’ assault by a force of elite Russian troops could end a war almost as soon as it began. They would need to get into position first, but it remained a possibility for the future.

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Another longer term project, which would require a very large reduction in Russian threat to become workable (below 50%, so as not to trigger multiple pact intervention) could be a Great Holy War against Byzantium to take the rest of Bulgaria. This would also deal a blow to the current number one contender to Russian hegemony.

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Another – and long-preferred – option would be a GHW for Hungary, which would yield a good deal more territory and would take out a large chunk of the land that sat between the eastern and western halves of the Empire.

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This was probably still the favoured objective for the next major Russian war of expansion, but it may take years to be able to bring it off without risking a huge and drawn-out conflict. Even at below 50% threat, unless something could be done Byzantium would still intervene on behalf of its co-religionists, making it a dangerous and expensive prospect.

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

So stood the known world and its largest powers as Arni prepared to move into the hopefully most fruitful years of his reign: heirs and spares secured, internal factional dissent quashed, military base largely rebuilt, treasury full from raiding and revenue recovering, non-aggression pacts with all the other Germanic realms locked in, expansionist marcher lords hard at work, the Imperial Council dominated by loyalists and Reformed Germanicism spreading strongly in most directions.
 
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If Alfhildr is evil, it should be revealed by age 3. Does your map include Jade Dragon additions or is minus both Holy Fury and Jade Dragon patches? Thank you
Right, I’ll keep an eye on it.

Nothing from when HF was about to be implemented, so no update either, nor Jade Dragon or anything that includes China.
 
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First, Norse culture, though spreading more slowly than Reformed Germanicism, was now widespread across many parts of the Empire and in England, though less so in France and Germany.
How the tables have turned in this timeline and the Greeks have assimilated the Turks instead

The irritation of the Teutonic Order’s Barony of Kozolets on Russian soil in Chernigov looked set to continue for now. As Hochmeister Liutpold was not a Rurikid vassal, it would take a holding war to evict him. And that would in turn bring in the entirety of the world’s defensive pacts against Russia. It could be a possibility in the future, as a quick ‘smash and grab’ assault by a force of elite Russian troops could end a war almost as soon as it began. They would need to get into position first, but it remained a possibility for the future.
I wonder what would happen if he changed religions. Isn't it possible for his direct liege to ask him to convert?

Another – and long-preferred – option would be a GHW for Hungary, which would yield a good deal more territory and would take out a large chunk of the land that sat between the eastern and western halves of the Empire.
this

unless something could be done Byzantium would still intervene on behalf of its co-religionists, making it a dangerous and expensive prospect.
they'll implode again at one point

Right, I’ll keep an eye on it.
a run as a demon child as next ruler might be a fun one :D
 
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Another – and long-preferred – option would be a GHW for Hungary, which would yield a good deal more territory and would take out a large chunk of the land that sat between the eastern and western halves of the Empire.
If Byzantium was at max army strength, it would be an even fight with them and Hungary. But Russia is probably economically much stronger and could hire mercenaries.
 
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How the tables have turned in this timeline and the Greeks have assimilated the Turks instead
So far, anyway. If I can give the Byzantines a bloody nose or two in the future, maybe they will start to decline?
I wonder what would happen if he changed religions. Isn't it possible for his direct liege to ask him to convert?
This is the thing: Arni is not his liege. He holds the barony as an independent ruler. The screen you see there contains all the available interactions. So I will need to take him down militarily, I’m assuming. I also wonder whether the head of a Christian military order can be converted - you’d think there might be a prohibition on that?
I’d really like to try it, but it will be hard. Even if I can get the threat below 50%, Byzantium and all remaining Christian pact countries will join in.
they'll implode again at one point
Here’s hoping!
a run as a demon child as next ruler might be a fun one :D
Though it’s a girl, so alas I don’t think she can get that high. :(
If Byzantium was at max army strength, it would be an even fight with them and Hungary. But Russia is probably economically much stronger and could hire mercenaries.
Yes, especially if I can keep the treasury high. But I still need to get the threat down, or I’ll be facing all the Muslim and Hindu pacts as well as all the other Christians. It remains my primary mid term objective, though.
 
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Right, I’ll keep an eye on it.

Nothing from when HF was about to be implemented, so no update either, nor Jade Dragon or anything that includes China.
The Jade Dragon patch did not add China just Tibet. I think that I figured out the province # of the HF additions. Do you have any of Dobrzyn, Sieradz, Lomza and Lublin in Poland? Another marker is Cinarca in southern Corsica, which was added with Jade Dragon. HF added roughly 25% more counties. The number of counties on the ledger page overvalues losing (Catholic) religions and undervalues gaining (Germanic) as ownership precedes conversion with culture conversion even slower than religious. (After HF, there are 1740 counties). Catholicism is dead, unless the Mongols or the Aztecs adopt it. Thank you
 
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This is the thing: Arni is not his liege. He holds the barony as an independent ruler. The screen you see there contains all the available interactions. So I will need to take him down militarily, I’m assuming. I also wonder whether the head of a Christian military order can be converted - you’d think there might be a prohibition on that?
Ahh, so he's not even a vassal of a vassal (of a vassal)? I thought the problem was him not being a direct vassal. If he's an independent baron indeed there's not much to do. If he was a vassal's vassal his liege could've asked him to convert, a zealous person could've been made his liege etc. I was hoping if he converted he'd be another Germanic military order, but I'm now suspecting as you say there's a prohibition to that, if even a vassalage is prevented. Normally there isn't a thing as an independent barony.
 
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Ahh, so he's not even a vassal of a vassal (of a vassal)? I thought the problem was him not being a direct vassal. If he's an independent baron indeed there's not much to do. If he was a vassal's vassal his liege could've asked him to convert, a zealous person could've been made his liege etc. I was hoping if he converted he'd be another Germanic military order, but I'm now suspecting as you say there's a prohibition to that, if even a vassalage is prevented. Normally there isn't a thing as an independent barony.
Yes, I think it's more he's an independent ruler as the Head of a Military Order, who happens to hold that barony as one of his original titles. I think they've owned it since the order was formed.
 
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Well, Russia isn't alone against the world. Its brothers in faith won't join the inevitable dogpile. At least the vassals seem to be able to expand the empire... although that could become a problem as they ask for more autonomy.

It seems like the Middle East is at war. Shouldn't that mean that a war against Byzantium now is the best idea? While they're preoccupied with the Muslims (so the Muslim Pact shouldn't interfere)?
 
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The pope is no more......

I like the idea of a ''smash n' grab'' force expelling the Teutonics, a foreign religous order in the heart of the empire cannot be tolerated.

It appears that the late Flykir Toste is angry about the rather inauspicious way the left the world (failing to catch a rock) and has sent little Alfhildr to continue his dark work in the Fellowship of Hel and avenge his clumsy end from beyond the grave(if Rurikid emperors are buried that is), if I were Tryggve I would be on the lookout for any murderous demon children.

Speaking of Tryggve (kid who threw the rock at Toste) is he still living?, being able to say he was the one that killed the dark Flykir has to be a great conversation starter.
 
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The Jade Dragon patch did not add China just Tibet. I think that I figured out the province # of the HF additions. Do you have any of Dobrzyn, Sieradz, Lomza and Lublin in Poland? Another marker is Cinarca in southern Corsica, which was added with Jade Dragon. HF added roughly 25% more counties. The number of counties on the ledger page overvalues losing (Catholic) religions and undervalues gaining (Germanic) as ownership precedes conversion with culture conversion even slower than religious. (After HF, there are 1740 counties). Catholicism is dead, unless the Mongols or the Aztecs adopt it. Thank you
I’ll double check but yes, I think all of them are there and certainly know Cinarca is (as Jarl Toke is seeking to conquer it). Catholicism seems on the way out, yes.
Well, Russia isn't alone against the world. Its brothers in faith won't join the inevitable dogpile. At least the vassals seem to be able to expand the empire... although that could become a problem as they ask for more autonomy.
The other Norse kingdoms have generally been kept out of the pacts via dynastic marriages and Russia normally leaves them alone. And the vassals have shown little desire to rebel for a long time, even the most powerful ones. We’ be trying to keep it that way!
It seems like the Middle East is at war. Shouldn't that mean that a war against Byzantium now is the best idea? While they're preoccupied with the Muslims (so the Muslim Pact shouldn't interfere)?
Except that would bring the rest of the pacts in against me. Though the time will come one day. And they’re only small wars (in scope) and will probably not last long, while the standing army is over in the west.
The pope is no more......
Only in title now, no troops at all.
I like the idea of a ''smash n' grab'' force expelling the Teutonics, a foreign religous order in the heart of the empire cannot be tolerated.
It will be a short term project.
It appears that the late Flykir Toste is angry about the rather inauspicious way the left the world (failing to catch a rock) and has sent little Alfhildr to continue his dark work in the Fellowship of Hel and avenge his clumsy end from beyond the grave(if Rurikid emperors are buried that is), if I were Tryggve I would be on the lookout for any murderous demon children.
That would be a good twist!
Speaking of Tryggve (kid who threw the rock at Toste) is he still living?, being able to say he was the one that killed the dark Flykir has to be a great conversation starter.
Not sure what happened to young Tryggve …
 
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The Pope will hang around for a while. Calling for Crusades, demanding money, freeloading off of the remaining Christians. Kind of sad really...
He's still hiding out somewhere in the Catacombs of Rome, sending out messengers to stir up trouble with members of his dwindling cult ...
 
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