Update two:
I write in italics when somebody thinks something.
Still Peace:
1090-1093
1090: Wladyslaws third daughter Dobronega got sixteen and a Flamboyant Schemer. Small Pox was in retreat in Yatvyagi.
1091: Dobronega Piast came to her father speaking softly: “Father I’m a good steward, let me be your new.”
“No, my current one is good enough.”
After that Dobronega started crying.
“See, your stewardship stat is only 7, my stewards is 11. You see you’ll never be good enough to be my steward.”
Dobronega cried even more.
“I’ll have to marry her away fast, she cries too much.”
A few days later Dobronega married Marshal Robert Premyslid of Bohemia a cousin of the current King.
Wiaczeslawa gave birth to a stillborn child.
1092: A noble warrior fled to Wladyslaws court. Four months later the next noble warrior fled to the court. Through a mass-scale conversion Podlasie got catholic. In October the Polish Herald ran into the castle of Plock. He shouted: “The King of Poland your nephew” he made an accent on the last word while entering the castle, “needs your troops to fight the Hungarian scum!” Wladyslaw asked calm:
“Why, does he want to take Pressburg?”
“No. They attacked our peaceful realm.”
“Okay, he shall get my men helping him. But I won’t pay for them. He’ll have to do that himself.”
1093: The Polish-Hungarian war ended with a total victory for Poland. Salamon King of Hungary yielded his claims on Cieszyn, Galich and Orava. Bartosz King of Poland got Pressburg, Sopron, Marmaros, Szekelyföld, Torki and Korsun, this were all Hungarian lands but Beretsy, he also got Orava from a Count a few days before.
Mscivoj Gryf got new Mazovian Marshal this year too.
NRW: Germany got nearly all Egypt and has a boundary with the Seljuks at Ar’ar. But their King is a Kinslayer and the realm nearly implodes. Peryaslavl got not (how I suggested) King of Cuman because they fight against Cuman, a quite big Pechenegs and Tribe of Ural. After it looked like the Reconquista would be made in a few years last update, Sevilla now was able to beat Leon-Castille (but the start-Castille is part of Navarra-Aragon) and got nearly all territories the Muslims have in 1066 in Iberia back. Sweden took Halland from Denmark. Skane got independent from Denmark. England conquered Smyrna and Kyzikos. Leon owns Maverannahr, Bukhara and Merv, these are in Transoxiana. The Seljuks now also took Alexandretta, Archa, Hama, Palmyra and Damascus. Their ally Georgia took Teluch, Aintab, Aleppo, Antioch, Tortosa and Homs.
1094: Wiaczeslawa died in labour, Wladislaw Adwaniec got new Spymaster.
Wladyslaws seventh daughter Salomea was born.
Steward Danuta of Podlasie entered the room.
“My lord, I proposed to reduce the tax in Podlasie.”
“How dare you to do something without asking me.”
“I didn’t do it yet. I wanted to ask you before, that’s why I’m here.”
“Then it’s good. How much will that cost me?”
“2, 37 Gold.”
“That’s not much.”
“And it will show that you are a pious man.” Chaplain Jaroslaw Halicz makes a step forward.
“Am I?”
“Of course you are. God liked to see you crushing the Yatvyags and converting Podlasie.”
“God or the Pope?” Jolanta Adwaniec, Wladyslaw Herman’s wife, who sat quiet next to him now asked.
“Since the Pope is the representer of God on this world, it’s quite the same. Anyway, it’s good for you.” The Chaplain answered quickly.
“He’s right, especially because it will your peasants and burghers loyalty.”
“Then do it.”
After that Wladyslaw got even more money and after one month he got the gold back.
Until 1097 really nothing happened. Wladyslaw, who gathered troops till then, now spoke to his citizens in Plock.
“The Lithuanians have pillaged our lands. They burned our homes and robbed our wives. They threatened us enough. Today is the day of revenge. It’s time to fight. To war!”
Tribe of Prussia declared war on Mazovia but made peace two months later. They stayed at war with the rest of Poland and got crushed by them.
Przemyslaw got sixteen and a grey eminence. He got chancellor.
1098: Lithuanians were annexed. Wladyslaw meanwhile had to make useless courtiers Counts to loose not even more money. To this time also his daughters Beata and Salomea died. From nine kids only two were alive now. Przemyslaw Piast married Margrethe Knýtling. After the marriage Wladyslaw spoke to his son.
“My son, it’s time for you to get lands. I give you Vitebsk, West Dvina, Polotsk and Orsha.”
“Thanks dad.”
A while after Wladyslaw Herman held his next speech to his army. “Only one province to take and I am the King of Lithuania. Brave men of Mazovia, our time has come to get a Kingdom. Take Sambia and we will be free!”
So war was declared on Sambia. All worked perfect until a small man came to Wladyslaws tent. He looked southern and not really Slavonian. “Your aggressive politics may now come to an end. We will not longer let your men raid in our lands. Hungary declares war on you, you pitiable scum!”
This time the Teutonic Order also declared independence from Poland the first time.
1099: Sambia was taken. Wladyslaws grandson now became Count of Kujawy, Plock and Galindia.
Chaplain Jaroslaw approached to his liege. “My lord, you are an intelligent and pious man, we both know this would be the perfect moment to bring Sudovia the right faith.”
“That’s why we liberated it. Here is some money. Bring them our faith.”
Typhoid fever arrived in Minsk.
Spymaster Wladislaw Adwaniec: “My lord, there is a great opportunity for intrigue against your liege.
“No, this time I stay loyal. Only 479 Gold to my own Kingdom, an intrigue now could only harm my realm. And I will get it soon, without intrigue and without fighting.”
New courtiers arrived on Wladyslaws court. He made Jolanta of Galindia Chancellor, Dobrawa Jagiello Spymaster, and Kugis of Sambia Marshal.
1100: “My lord, feudalism takes root in our realm. Shall we institute it?” his new Chancellor Jolanta asked.
“Why not, do it if you want.”
1101: Wladyslaw got on a stage in Yatvyagi and spoke to them.
“Brave men…”
“And women!” shouted a female peasant.
“Oh my god, feminists in my ages, where’s my pension? Okay another try:”
“Brave men and women of Lithuania…”
A worker shouted: “Do you speak to us? Because this here is Mazovia. What is a Lithuania anyway?”
“Brave men and women of Lithuania, our time has come to…”
“I told you this is Mazovia.”
“Soldiers, kill him! Where did I stop? Oh, here. Brave men and women of Lithuania, our time has come to become independent. From this time on this Land will be known as Kingdom of Lithuania.”
Wladyslaw gave his Duke-titles away, Przemyslaw, his son, got Duke of Polotsk; Skabimir Topor Count of Podlasie got Duke of Podlasia and his grandson Ziemomysl Halicz got Duke of Mazovia.
The Kingdom of Lithuania.
On the beginning of 1103 Wladyslaw Herman got bored. So he asked in his Court.
“Did anything interesting happen last year and how are our neighbors doing?”
His Marshal, who had to watch what the neighbor armies were doing, answered.
“Your nephew in Poland is stable, but we might have to fight them and for that we should get stronger. The Baltic Pagans in the east are weak but don’t own much land. The tribe of Livonia in the north is only a bit weaker than we are, we maybe should go on a crusade against them. But what is even more interesting is that our neighbors in the east, the Cumans who would be stronger than us, get crushed by the Hungarians, so we should fight them for two reasons. First, I don’t know when they will get weak enough to fight them, or if they ever will again. Second, we can’t let the Hungarians get strong in the east too, they are strong enough now.”
“Well then we should seize the moment and declare war too, we might take some of their provinces. To war!”
War was declared on Cuman, Hungary took Lyubech and after that Smolensk.
1104: Wladyslaw Herman took Mstislavl, Novgorod Seversky and Pronsk. In the battle of Kolomna he got wounded badly. As revenge he took Kolomna.
Wladyslaws end: The enemy army came over the Don, slow but they came. While the first fights began Wladyslaw didn’t fought with them that day. He was too weak to get up, he maybe could recover, nobody knew. His son Przemyslaw led the troops. He just killed his enemy and wanted to fight the next one when he saw the herald of his father riding as fast as possible to them. This could mean nothing good, his father had to be very sick. So he jumped on his horse, and speechless rid to his fathers tent. Przemyslaw entered the tent of his father. A bad sweated smell was in it. Przemyslaw rumped his nose and tried to not recognize it.
“My son, I’m dying.”
Przemyslaw started crying. “No you can’t! Don’t let me alone.”
“I’m old, we both know it.”
“You are not old! You have a plenty years to live.”
“You know you’re not right. Let me die in peace Give me a funeral at my fathers churchyard in Plock. But let your courtiers do that, you have to win this war.”
“Yes Father.”
Now Przemyslaw a young man was King of Lithuania. Although he had a very different personality he first did like his father and kept fighting. He took Mordvins and Khopyor and his wife in Polotsk got a daughter, he produced her before this war.
A messenger arrived at the court of Polotsk.
“My dear Countess, I have to tell you that your husband King Przemyslaw Piast is dead. He died due to his bad illness. Your Son Stanislaw is now King of Lithuania.”
So Stanislaw was sent to the Castle of Sudovia where he now was King. His mother stayed in Polotsk, she was still a Countess. This was not the best situation for Lithuania. The Cumans got quite strong again, the Hungarians made peace with Cuman and its King was only a five year old Kid, who knew nobody in his court. Przemyslaws generals swore him they would keep on fighting, no matter what happened. The new power in the state took Stanislaw’s grandmother Jolanta Awdaniec. She could, together with the Chancellor Jolanta of Galindia, make peace with the Cumans. After that Jolanta found out Lithuania was at war with the Teutonic Order, without knowing it, and made peace with them too.
In the castle of Sudovia, the Steward of Lithuania, Rycheza of Galindia spoke to Stanislaw.
“My lord, our efficiency is much too low. I support you to grant some titles. The best would be some in the west. The pagans there don’t stop to revolt, and in the east the population is Christians, although some are Orthodox this is much better to get money.”
Jolanta came out of a shadow. With a softly nice voice she said.
“Don’t listen to her. This is our home. Are we Russians or are we Poles? We will the Pagans in these regions convert soon. Who will if not we? Nobody! Only you, the mighty King of Lithuania can. Give the Russian lands to Boris Salah, he is Russian, and make him Duke of Pronsk. We have no use for him here; he will serve us there better.”
So Stanislaw, or better Jolanta, made Boris Salah Count of Kolomna, Pronsk and Novgorod Seversky; and Duke of Pronsk. Jolanta also made Stanislaw’s mother, who was Countess of Orsha, also Countess of Vitebsk and Duchess of Polotsk.
In November 1106 the nobles, which tried to give Stanislaw bad advises, sent their herald to the castle of Sudovia. He entered and said.
“My dear lord, your vassals have seen you, as a young man, are very intelligent for your age. You know it’s the best for you and your family to have an elective law. But what is even more important it is the Lithuania and that is what we all want. Or not? You know it’s the best, you know what’s right. Do the right, do the best for Lithuania."
Jolanta, who sat to the left of Stanislaw and listened carefully said calm, but with a strong voice, getting louder while speaking:
“How dare you question him, he will rule like his father and grandfather did.”
“How dare you speak woman? Let the men do their work and cook.”
“How dare you want to know what’s the best for Lithuania? Only the King can. Do you want to question the Kings actions? Get out of here!”
“But you are not the King, you’re not even the Queen. Let him speak.”
Stanislaw said with a low calm voice: “She is right. Let her talk.” And shouted: “Guards, get him out of here. And if he comes back, kill him!”
The guards grabbed the herald and while leaving the room he shouted: “This will have an afterpiece!”
Stanislaw now calm again: “We will see.”
The new chaplain showed intolerance in Jacwiez. Through that it got Catholic. Meanwhile the peasants in Sambia demanded they would have no power. Although Jolanta knew they were right she damned them to hell to keep the prestige but then gave them the power they wanted.
In February 1107 the Chaplain denounced carnal pleasures of Stanislaw, although Stanislaw was only seven to this time. Stanislaw went with it’s a sin, since he didn’t even know what that was, and this was a pious act.
1108: Exact one year later the Chaplain showed that the current Marshal was a heretic (he was Orthodox) and should convert. Since Stanislaw was a very pious kid he told the Marshal to convert or die. So Marshal Yaroslaw died.
Since Stanislaw always had a plenty of friends he got energetic.
What a strange coincidence the Chaplain Wladislaw of Lithuania got new Marshal.
The Pagans in Sambia got crushed and it converted to Catholicism.
1109: In December Konrád Guthkeled, the only guy in Polish succession line that was in front of Stanislaw, slipped in his Bathtub and fell on a sharp object.
1110-1112 nothing happened.
In June 1113 Stanislaw paid 1000 gold for getting an intrigue of 8.
1113-1115 no Event happened, Stanislaw was just gathering troops for the crusade he wanted to go on when he was sixteen.
1116: In March Zhmud got Catholic. In July Stanislaw got sixteen, he finished his education and became a grey eminence.
In October Stanislaw spoke to his Chancellor: “We were peaceful long enough. Today it’s time for war. Send this letter to Memel: ‘Your aggressive politics against us is a permanent threat for the peasants of Lithuania. For the peace of Lithuania I will have to crush your Pagan cult. Even your pact with the devil will not help you anymore. My warriors fight with god they will bring you the right faith. We now have war!’”
“Yes, my lord”
In November they arrived in Memel, Chancellor Jolanta, who waited on the boundary for them, gave Stanislaw a message.
Stanislaw opened the message, it was in a quite bad polish, but readable, this is the English version:
“Der King Lituna of, we never tretend yu, we don’t want war, so ur anser is: ‘No’ pleze let us live in peze.”
“How dare they think this was a suggestion!”
The war ran quite well, the troops from Memel were crushed fast.
1117: In January Memel was taken and Stanislaw who got bored of this weak enemy attacked the Pagan neighbor of Memel in the north, the tribe of Kurs, he just let his Chancellor make a copy of the message he sent to Memel and send that to Kurs. In April Kurs was taken.
A herald of the Teutonic Order arrived at the Lithuanian camp, now at the boundary between Zemigalians and Kurs. “Give us Memel, it is gods will!” he shouted while entering Stanislaw’s tent.
“I thought you would have Marienburg, so what are you doing here.”
“Not longer anymore, your cousin has wiped them out three times.” Stanislaw’s Marshal said.
Stanislaw started laughing.
“He is right to do that.”
“Now give us our land!” the herald got a bit aggressive.
“It’s not your land.”
“No, but it is also not your land. It is the land of god. And it is gods will to give it us.”
“How do you want to know what god wants? You wouldn’t even understand him, nemci! Get out of here or die! If you want land ask Poland.”
In the battle of Zemigalians Stanislaw could only win because he got help from his troops from Aukshatys.
At the end of the year, Marshal Bolko of Lithuania ran to Stanislaw’s tent.
“My lord, the tribe of Livonia have declared war on us, what shall we do now?”
“This is great news. So we don’t have to declare war. This sounds even better if we just wipe them out as defender. They would have been the next in this crusade anyway.”
The crusade lasted until 1120. Here he stopped crusading. He crushed Memel, Kurs, Livonia, the Estonians and Karelia (which was in Novgorod) on his way. He granted Livs, Dorpat and Reval to his Chaplain and made him Archbishop. Jan of Lithuania got Count of Pskov and Velikie Luki; and Duke of Pskov. Bryachaslav of Kasogs (what does he do in Lithuania?) got Count of Narva and Duke of Estonia. Mscivoj Jagiello was granted the titles Count of Torzhok, Vodi, Kexholm, Novgorod, Stary Russa and Bezhentsky Verh; and Duke of Novgorod. And Piotr Vsevolodovich got Count of Chud.
Lithuania after the crusade.
This is Stanislaw's bride. He married her before but I was to busy fighting til now.
In July the Chaplain came together with a herald of the Pope and brought great news.
“My lord, the Pope saw your pious acts. He know what you did for the Church, you brought the right faith to the Baltic. And you always lived a faithful live. Therefore the Pope gives you the power to fight the wrong and heretics in Christianity.”
“These are really great news!”
The herald of the Pope gave him a small golden Cross that was attached on a chain. Stanislaw took it over his neck. “Oh, and if you could help us get Rome back from Naples we would be very thankful.” the herald said and got now out of his castle while Stanislaw’s Chaplain stayed.
“How much power will this give me?” Stanislaw asked.
“Now it will give you no power since the Pope is very weak and has not enough influence to ban anybody from the Church, it would have no effect.”
“That’s bad. And when will it give me power.”
“This could take a long time since the guys that will probably get next Popes have even less influence. But it can give you power against Orders like the Teutonic. And you are now even more prestigious than you were before.”
In 1122 Stanislaw’s second daughter, after his first child Matylda, Swinislawa was born. He now also took the cross and got a crusader.
Until January 1125 nothing happened.
Stanislaw entered the castle of Lettigalians. If you could call it castle. It was more a hill fort. He remembered giving this County to his old Chaplain and now Archbishop of Livonia. But now the Teutonic Order was in this County.
“What are you doing here?” the herald of the Teutonic Order asked, it was the same that asked for Memel before.
“The question is not what I am doing here but what you do here.”
“This is our land. It was gods will.”
“I told you, you wouldn’t understand him, némec.”
“Maybe I would not. But the Pope does, and he told us to convert the heathens here.”
“That is my occupation. And I am the representer of the Pope here. See this.” Stanislaw took out the Chain he got from the Pope’s herald. A golden cross was fixed at it. The German could remember it he saw it a long time ago at the neck of Matilda of Canossa. It was a sign of the Pope.
“You have two chances. Get my vassal and nothing will happen to you. Or do not and die.”
So the Teutonic Order got a vassal of Lithuania.
The Teutonic-Lithuanian Agreement.
Here ends the second Update. I first thought of making a NRW now. But if nobody likes it, it is just to much work for nothing. Tell me if you liked it.
o
