Haha yeah, quite a cliffhanger. I look forward to the next episode. Thanks for doing this AAR, my computer can't handle CKII either, so I just bought CK a few days ago, still learning.
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Eek, a cliffhanger!
But an assassin? That's hard to understand, what has Mstislav ever done that could make someone want to kill him?!? :rofl:
I know! What kind of monster uses assassins? :unsure:
Good to know I'm not the only one who can't run CKII. FYI you should check out General_BT's Rome AARisen. It is truly epic.
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The assassin burst into Mstislav's chamber and immediately plunged his sword into the bed. It was empty, and a surprised Mstislav peered over from his desk. Raising his ow sword the Prince of Novgorod showed his attacker what thirty years of training with swords looked like.
The attack had a strong effect on Mstislav: his lust for power had been in decline, but now he lived with a vigor he had not felt since his youth. Some of it was anger, some greed, but mostly it was just the fear that he would die before his ambitions could be realized. This fear was what drove him back home to Novgorod.
Relaxing from such ambition for a while, Mstislav held a feast to celebrate the birth of his latest son, Pavel Rurikovich. Few questioned the addition of a food-taster to his entourage.
The assassination attempt failed to put a dent in Mstislav's libido, as Arsinde was expecting again by the end of the month.
News arrived in Novgorod that the wars had ended and the land distributed among the nobles. A sizable part of that land went to young Pavel, who became a Count not long after his birth. The war had been a simple matter, and the nobility laughed at the idea that the Finns could oppose an attack by Russia in the middle of winter.
The new lands meant that Novgorod had finally attained not just power, but dominance. None of its immediate neighbors could match it, and even the great kingdoms of Poland, Hungary and Bohemia could only hope to be its equal. The Prince had come a long way from the leader of Novgorod to the clear power in Russia. All that remained was to become Russia itself.
Another baby arrived before any actions could be taken in this direction. This one was a little boy named Ilya, and Mstislav threw another feast to welcome him.
The other Russian states had mostly collapsed, with most of their former lands ruled by petty counts or minor Princes. Rostov was one of the latter, and Mstislav took advantage of its lack of both allies and vassals to invade and conquer them. The Novgorod warhost was readied and their territory was seized in under a month.
The much more capable realm of Pereyaslavl was next, but before action could be taken the upstart Count of Peremshyl declared independence. The army was turned from Pereyaslavl and faced toward its new target.
Mstislav chose to sit this war out, and during his time at home he came to understand the depth of his love for his wife. This surprised him greatly, considering his previous bad luck with marriage. He had always frequented the local brothels, but since his marriage to Arsinde he had not gone once. That alarmed him, but it was also a little comforting.
On the front, Peremyshl is quickly captured and returned to Greater Novgorod. Russia returns to peace for a while.
In early 1091, Mstislav sat and contemplated his life: he had made a great realm for himself. He had proven himself far superior to his brothers. He had found the love of his life. All that remained was a gift to his sons. He fully intended that gift to be the crown of a king.
It had been a long-held dream of his to raise Novgorod to the point where it could be called a Kingdom. A point where it could be said to command all Russia. That dream was finally within reach, if he could just grab it. Unfortunately it was one thing to be as powerful as a king and another to actually be one. He would have to control the majority of the old Rus' lands before the other Princes would even consider calling him King.
Determined to see the Kingdom of Rus-Novgorod, Mstislav readied his host. They clashed with the barbarians to the northeast of Novgorod who dared to hold land rightfully belonging to Rus'. He insisted on riding among the vanguard, and on a scouting trip they found the enemy's pathetic army. Rather than waiting for reinforcements and overwhelming them, Mstislav spurred his horse and charged deep into the skirmishers' camp.
His retinue followed close behind, and soon the savages were in open retreat from the surprise attack. They had fallen before a scant 300 men, and Mstislav's cavalry quickly wheeled round and cut down the routing enemy.
The men hailed this as the actions of a born conqueror, but Mstislav knew better. It was truly the defiant reaction of one fearing death in obscurity.
In September Mstislav got wind of the newly-founded Kingdom of Jerusalem. He told himself that if a single city could call itself a kingdom then Novgorod would certainly be able to.
King seemed to be the word on everyone's lips as the King of Sweden requested an alliance with Novgorod. Kingdom or not, Mstislav's realm was clearly powerful enough for its rivals to take note. The alliance was agreed, as Novgorod needed friends in Europe.
That night in camp Mstislav slept uneasily. He was convinced he was hearing voices.
"Come on Mstislav. The camp followers await." whispered the voice. "Don't you need comfort?"
"No, I mustn't think like that!" he told himself. "I only laid with whores because my wife hated me!"
"Just keep telling yourself that. Truth is you're a bad man. You cheated on your wife. Then you killed her."
"Wha- how do you know that?"
"Oh I know all about you. Remember who else you killed?"
At that he hurled his covers across the tent and stormed out. The guard at the entrance started after him, but his friend held him back.
Mstislav made his way down to the stream they had been drawing their water from. He cupped his hands and splashed water on his face.
When his panic had subsided he stood there, gazing at his reflection.
"I can't be crazy," he told himself. "I can't. I can't. I can't."
He looked up to the sky, begging for some miracle to save him from his torment.
"Oh can't you?" said the voice.
He looked back at the stream. This time there were two reflections.
The attack had a strong effect on Mstislav: his lust for power had been in decline, but now he lived with a vigor he had not felt since his youth. Some of it was anger, some greed, but mostly it was just the fear that he would die before his ambitions could be realized. This fear was what drove him back home to Novgorod.
Relaxing from such ambition for a while, Mstislav held a feast to celebrate the birth of his latest son, Pavel Rurikovich. Few questioned the addition of a food-taster to his entourage.
The assassination attempt failed to put a dent in Mstislav's libido, as Arsinde was expecting again by the end of the month.
News arrived in Novgorod that the wars had ended and the land distributed among the nobles. A sizable part of that land went to young Pavel, who became a Count not long after his birth. The war had been a simple matter, and the nobility laughed at the idea that the Finns could oppose an attack by Russia in the middle of winter.
The new lands meant that Novgorod had finally attained not just power, but dominance. None of its immediate neighbors could match it, and even the great kingdoms of Poland, Hungary and Bohemia could only hope to be its equal. The Prince had come a long way from the leader of Novgorod to the clear power in Russia. All that remained was to become Russia itself.
Another baby arrived before any actions could be taken in this direction. This one was a little boy named Ilya, and Mstislav threw another feast to welcome him.
The other Russian states had mostly collapsed, with most of their former lands ruled by petty counts or minor Princes. Rostov was one of the latter, and Mstislav took advantage of its lack of both allies and vassals to invade and conquer them. The Novgorod warhost was readied and their territory was seized in under a month.
The much more capable realm of Pereyaslavl was next, but before action could be taken the upstart Count of Peremshyl declared independence. The army was turned from Pereyaslavl and faced toward its new target.
Mstislav chose to sit this war out, and during his time at home he came to understand the depth of his love for his wife. This surprised him greatly, considering his previous bad luck with marriage. He had always frequented the local brothels, but since his marriage to Arsinde he had not gone once. That alarmed him, but it was also a little comforting.
On the front, Peremyshl is quickly captured and returned to Greater Novgorod. Russia returns to peace for a while.
In early 1091, Mstislav sat and contemplated his life: he had made a great realm for himself. He had proven himself far superior to his brothers. He had found the love of his life. All that remained was a gift to his sons. He fully intended that gift to be the crown of a king.
It had been a long-held dream of his to raise Novgorod to the point where it could be called a Kingdom. A point where it could be said to command all Russia. That dream was finally within reach, if he could just grab it. Unfortunately it was one thing to be as powerful as a king and another to actually be one. He would have to control the majority of the old Rus' lands before the other Princes would even consider calling him King.
Determined to see the Kingdom of Rus-Novgorod, Mstislav readied his host. They clashed with the barbarians to the northeast of Novgorod who dared to hold land rightfully belonging to Rus'. He insisted on riding among the vanguard, and on a scouting trip they found the enemy's pathetic army. Rather than waiting for reinforcements and overwhelming them, Mstislav spurred his horse and charged deep into the skirmishers' camp.
His retinue followed close behind, and soon the savages were in open retreat from the surprise attack. They had fallen before a scant 300 men, and Mstislav's cavalry quickly wheeled round and cut down the routing enemy.
The men hailed this as the actions of a born conqueror, but Mstislav knew better. It was truly the defiant reaction of one fearing death in obscurity.
In September Mstislav got wind of the newly-founded Kingdom of Jerusalem. He told himself that if a single city could call itself a kingdom then Novgorod would certainly be able to.
King seemed to be the word on everyone's lips as the King of Sweden requested an alliance with Novgorod. Kingdom or not, Mstislav's realm was clearly powerful enough for its rivals to take note. The alliance was agreed, as Novgorod needed friends in Europe.
That night in camp Mstislav slept uneasily. He was convinced he was hearing voices.
"Come on Mstislav. The camp followers await." whispered the voice. "Don't you need comfort?"
"No, I mustn't think like that!" he told himself. "I only laid with whores because my wife hated me!"
"Just keep telling yourself that. Truth is you're a bad man. You cheated on your wife. Then you killed her."
"Wha- how do you know that?"
"Oh I know all about you. Remember who else you killed?"
At that he hurled his covers across the tent and stormed out. The guard at the entrance started after him, but his friend held him back.
Mstislav made his way down to the stream they had been drawing their water from. He cupped his hands and splashed water on his face.
When his panic had subsided he stood there, gazing at his reflection.
"I can't be crazy," he told himself. "I can't. I can't. I can't."
He looked up to the sky, begging for some miracle to save him from his torment.
"Oh can't you?" said the voice.
He looked back at the stream. This time there were two reflections.
It's good to know that at least there's still a few of us who can't run CKII.
Hopefully Mstislav survives to bash pagans, take their land, and hear the lamentations of their women, but if not at least he has young heirs.
Hopefully Mstislav survives to bash pagans, take their land, and hear the lamentations of their women, but if not at least he has young heirs.
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Great update. And another cliffhanger ending, haha sheesh. I like what you're doing with his personality, and I hope it continues.
I'm playing through the game for the first time, as a former count of Braganza turned Muslim, and creating a Muslim Portgual. I made my first ruler superhuman, but I'm thinking I'll play fair after that. Its on very easy, so I should have no problems now that I've already created a whole kingdom larger than the size of IRL Portgual.
Only qualms I have is that it's quite difficult to find Muslim bride to marry. Not only does the ledger show only Catholic and Orthodox wives, but young Muslim girls seem incredibly rare, and for whatever reason, I always get refused so I have to "byzantium" cheat my way to getting marriages. None of the out-of-game utilities (bridefinder, crusadered) on this site seem to work for me.
I'm playing through the game for the first time, as a former count of Braganza turned Muslim, and creating a Muslim Portgual. I made my first ruler superhuman, but I'm thinking I'll play fair after that. Its on very easy, so I should have no problems now that I've already created a whole kingdom larger than the size of IRL Portgual.
Only qualms I have is that it's quite difficult to find Muslim bride to marry. Not only does the ledger show only Catholic and Orthodox wives, but young Muslim girls seem incredibly rare, and for whatever reason, I always get refused so I have to "byzantium" cheat my way to getting marriages. None of the out-of-game utilities (bridefinder, crusadered) on this site seem to work for me.
Very nice progress, the nation is looking much more well-rounded now. Mstislav seems to have his share of opponents however... Perhaps even in his own family (judging by the "Remember who else you killed?" part)?
Becoming King of Rus seems like a cool enough goal.
:rofl:
Becoming King of Rus seems like a cool enough goal.
:rofl:
I was thinking my characters were a little 2D and I wanted to flesh them out a bit. Thats the thing I'm most concerned about, so if anyone reading this can give me their opinion on the characters I would really appreciate it.
Yeah, Greater Novgorod is finally looking like kingdom material. It's been rough though, and I'm not sure the other rulers appreciate Mstislav's leadership style.
Mstislav and his assailant stood there, each daring the other to make the first move. In the end it was the assassin who took a swipe. The Prince caught his attacker's arm and hurled him into the stream.
Mstislav made a run for the camp. A splash and a thud told him that the assassin was already back on the ground and charging after him. Judging by the rapid footsteps it would be moments before they met.
The guards had spotted them and were running to the rescue. God be praised, he could get out of this alive!
Then his back exploded in agony. He fell, revealing a throwing knife stuck to the hilt. The soldiers swarmed and cut the assassin down, but it was too late.
Mstislav's last thoughts were of his son, and the Kingdom that would never be.
The Prince is dead.
LONG LIVE THE PRINCE!
The loss of their liege spelled disaster for the campaign. The grand host of Novgorod was in disarray and they were pushed back across the border by the skirmishers of Bulgar.
This was only a temporary setback, and the moment the noblemen managed to reassert a semblance of order they marched back into Bulgar. This time there were no mistakes, and the emirate was annexed. It did little to soften the blow of Mstislav's death.
The territories were given to Koz'ma, Mstislav eldest bastard son. Prince Vasilii was unsure as to why his big brother was so interested in land, but he thought it best not to argue.
Vasilii was only a child, and while his father had tried to instill in him all the ideals necessary to rule the Rus', a child can only learn so much about such subjects before he loses interest. The nobility of the realm no doubt intended to make use of this, and sure enough they began to expand their own power.
Vasilii's 6th birthday rolled around and his mother Arsinde, the de facto master of Novgorod, allowed him to partake of the wine at the feast. Koz'ma demanded to be allowed the same and got very angry when he was told he wasn't allowed. Teenagers.
It was decided in September 1093 that Vasilii would lead a campaign. The boy was being manipulated by the nobility, and it would do both him and Marshal Rurik some good to be away for a while.
Decked out in full scale armor and sharing a horse with the Marshal he looked more like a bad joke than a valiant ruler. Arsinde watched them leave with a tear in her eye. The moment they were out of sight she returned to the castle. Not long after she emerged wearing a servant's robe.
The war gave Marshal Rurik a purpose again, and he quickly recovered from his previous breakdown. Her was eager to instruct the young Prince on the finer points of warfare, and his liege was a fast learner.
Back home, things got worse and worse. Gangs sponsored by the nobility fought openly in the streets, and anarchy ruled. Bodies littered the streets, and those loyal to the Prince were really just a better armed gang.
News of the brutality reached the warhost soon after. After reading the letter from the city Rurik sat in silence. Vasilii asked what what the letter said, but the Marshal remained silent. He asked again and Rurik left the tent to saddle his horse. A few minutes later he had left the camp.
Not long after Vasilii received another letter. This one said something about the noblemen casting 'votes' to 'elect' the Prince. He had no idea what those words meant, so he just signed where he was told to.
Fortunately under this new law young Pavel Rurikovich was still at the head of the pack for succession.
That didn't last long, as Count Domislav of Starya Russa quickly jumps into the lead. To make matters worse, Vasilii falls ill.
Despite his deteriorating health Vasilii excelled at his studies, proving himself an intelligent and dedicated pupil.
The war concluded uneventfully, with Vasilii never even seeing battle. Greater Novgorod stood militarily strong, but politically divided. Only time would tell if it could hold together.
Mstislav made a run for the camp. A splash and a thud told him that the assassin was already back on the ground and charging after him. Judging by the rapid footsteps it would be moments before they met.
The guards had spotted them and were running to the rescue. God be praised, he could get out of this alive!
Then his back exploded in agony. He fell, revealing a throwing knife stuck to the hilt. The soldiers swarmed and cut the assassin down, but it was too late.
Mstislav's last thoughts were of his son, and the Kingdom that would never be.
The Prince is dead.
LONG LIVE THE PRINCE!
The loss of their liege spelled disaster for the campaign. The grand host of Novgorod was in disarray and they were pushed back across the border by the skirmishers of Bulgar.
This was only a temporary setback, and the moment the noblemen managed to reassert a semblance of order they marched back into Bulgar. This time there were no mistakes, and the emirate was annexed. It did little to soften the blow of Mstislav's death.
The territories were given to Koz'ma, Mstislav eldest bastard son. Prince Vasilii was unsure as to why his big brother was so interested in land, but he thought it best not to argue.
Vasilii was only a child, and while his father had tried to instill in him all the ideals necessary to rule the Rus', a child can only learn so much about such subjects before he loses interest. The nobility of the realm no doubt intended to make use of this, and sure enough they began to expand their own power.
Vasilii's 6th birthday rolled around and his mother Arsinde, the de facto master of Novgorod, allowed him to partake of the wine at the feast. Koz'ma demanded to be allowed the same and got very angry when he was told he wasn't allowed. Teenagers.
It was decided in September 1093 that Vasilii would lead a campaign. The boy was being manipulated by the nobility, and it would do both him and Marshal Rurik some good to be away for a while.
Decked out in full scale armor and sharing a horse with the Marshal he looked more like a bad joke than a valiant ruler. Arsinde watched them leave with a tear in her eye. The moment they were out of sight she returned to the castle. Not long after she emerged wearing a servant's robe.
The war gave Marshal Rurik a purpose again, and he quickly recovered from his previous breakdown. Her was eager to instruct the young Prince on the finer points of warfare, and his liege was a fast learner.
Back home, things got worse and worse. Gangs sponsored by the nobility fought openly in the streets, and anarchy ruled. Bodies littered the streets, and those loyal to the Prince were really just a better armed gang.
News of the brutality reached the warhost soon after. After reading the letter from the city Rurik sat in silence. Vasilii asked what what the letter said, but the Marshal remained silent. He asked again and Rurik left the tent to saddle his horse. A few minutes later he had left the camp.
Not long after Vasilii received another letter. This one said something about the noblemen casting 'votes' to 'elect' the Prince. He had no idea what those words meant, so he just signed where he was told to.
Fortunately under this new law young Pavel Rurikovich was still at the head of the pack for succession.
That didn't last long, as Count Domislav of Starya Russa quickly jumps into the lead. To make matters worse, Vasilii falls ill.
Despite his deteriorating health Vasilii excelled at his studies, proving himself an intelligent and dedicated pupil.
The war concluded uneventfully, with Vasilii never even seeing battle. Greater Novgorod stood militarily strong, but politically divided. Only time would tell if it could hold together.
Yes, I do wonder if this prodigal son can maintain control. Perhaps he'll wise up to those taking advantage of him soon, if he's so smart.
This AAR is a perfect mix of story and gameplay for me. I don't really want to read a novel written on a forum, and thus, many of the other AARs are too long for my taste. Anyway, keep up the good work, Beelz.
This AAR is a perfect mix of story and gameplay for me. I don't really want to read a novel written on a forum, and thus, many of the other AARs are too long for my taste. Anyway, keep up the good work, Beelz.
The succession situation is worrying, especially considering that Vasilii's illness could mean that there's no time to waste when it comes to taking care of the matter. At least he's showing promise in other ways.
Holy smoke! Good AAR (I just read both pages) but man does CK II look a hell of a lot better. 
I'm glad you like my style. Keep reading and I hope you'll like what you see.
We had better hope Vasilii recovers soon, because without a succession young Pavel only has two poor counties and a few coins I've squirreled away in his coffers.
Holy smoke! Good AAR (I just read both pages) but man does CK II look a hell of a lot better.
CK2 may look better but graphics mean nothing to gameplay! (it has nothing to do with me not being able to run it, honest
)
Like the AAR I've always wondered how old the original was just because of the graphics!!!
Sorry I'm still fairly new to PI, played EUIII a bit a long long time ago, but I had no idea they've been making all these other Grand Strategy games. Needless to say very impressed with the change of graphics from CK to CKII, and hell if you ever are able to get up on CKII sometime, would love to see a Ruri aar as I don't think I've seen one active on there in a while.
Sorry I'm still fairly new to PI, played EUIII a bit a long long time ago, but I had no idea they've been making all these other Grand Strategy games. Needless to say very impressed with the change of graphics from CK to CKII, and hell if you ever are able to get up on CKII sometime, would love to see a Ruri aar as I don't think I've seen one active on there in a while.
The original CK was released in 2004. A wonderful year for both computers and consoles if memory serves.
And I have every intention of making an AAR once I get my hands on CK2 (and a computer that can run it) but I don't think I'll be playing with Russia for a while once I finish with the Rurikoviches.
In May 1096 Vasilii Rurikovich made a new friend. At he least he hoped he was a friend. The man had an interest in seeing Count Domislav fall, and was sure the Child-Prince would be agreeable.
In August the nobles at court came before Vasilii with a proposal to stabilize the realm. He agreed, assuming stability was worth any price.
With the treasury empty and Novgorod in debt, Lady Arsinde convinced her son to re-institute the old Scutage tax his father had abolished. This increased the income of Novgorod to the point where it would soon pull itself back out of its debt.
In January of 1097 a monk came before the court and offered to cure Vasilii in exchange for funds to repair damage to his monastery's roof. The Prince jumped at the chance to be healthy once more, and quickly scraped together enough coin to pay.
Not long after Vasilii recovered. Immensely grateful to the man who may very well have saved his life Vasilii swore to uphold the Orthodox faith in all he did. His family were just glad he was okay.
With their liege recovered and the anarchy on the streets declining the realm was ready to expand again. Vasilii was older now, and he had learned how to use his authority properly. The boy commanded his troops with the skill of a great general, and as they adjusted to answering to a child they became a well-disciplined force.
The target was Pereyaslavl, ruled by the increasingly distant relative Vladimir Rurikovich. The goal of the war was not simply to defeat him though: Vasilii fully intended to strip him of every title he had, take his vassals from him, and send him into exile.
The political side of the war was left to Lady Arsinde, who made frequent trips out of the castle and often returned with legal-looking documents. Her work served to give Vasilii a seemingly legal claim on the land of several of the Pereyaslavl Counts, as well as all of Vladimir's titles. This would prove very useful.
Before the war was even declared Arsinde showed yet more political skill, managing to justify claims against a disloyal vassal. In truth this was useless, but it was always nice to see a widow recovering so well.
When the army finally gathered from every corner of the realm to march against the enemy, war was declared.
The northern counties of Pereyaslavl were quickly overrun and Lady Arsinde's plans bore fruit in the negotiations. The Counts agreed to join Greater Novgorod in exchange for cessation of all claims against them.
Soon after the Prince of Pereyaslavl surrendered everything he had, going from being a powerful ruler to a penniless nobody in moments.
The seizure of these titles was rather controversial among the Russian nobility, and Vasilii's reputation among his followers took a sudden dive.
Fortunately the taxes from Greater Novgorod were enough that Vasilii could ride out the unrest with bribery. More importantly, he now possessed enough of Russia to call himself its rightful king. All he needed now was enough funds to organize a coronation.
Proceedings hit a snag when Ivan Yurievich, the bishop who had been chosen to crown Vasilii, was found to have embraced a heretical sect.
Vasilii was pious, and so sent for a more orthodox priest. When the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church himself arrived, Vasilii almost fainted from shock.
The carpet before him and the pews on either side seemed to go on forever. He held his head high, even as he fought the urge to flee. He started to shake, and felt his mother's hand on his shoulder. He sighed. This would be all right. It was time to become king.
After what seemed like an eternity he reached the front of the Church. All was silent now as he stood before the Patriarch. He had been rehearsing this part all day, but as he was handed the Crown he still fumbled his words.
"I-In the name of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit" Vasilii said.
"Most God-fearing, absolute, and mighty Lord, Tsar of all the Russias, this visible and tangible adornment of thy head is an eloquent symbol that thou, as the head of the whole Russian people, art invisibly crowned by the King of kings, Christ, with a most ample blessing, seeing that He bestows upon thee entire authority over His people." spoke the Patriarch as he handed Vasilii an orb and scepter. "God-crowned, God-given, God-adorned, most pious Autocrat and great Sovereign, Emperor of All the Russias. Receive the scepter and the orb, which are the visible signs of the autocratic power given thee from the Most High over thy people, that thou mayest rule them and order for them the welfare they desire."
Then the crowds rose for a hymn.
LONG LIVE THE KING.
In August the nobles at court came before Vasilii with a proposal to stabilize the realm. He agreed, assuming stability was worth any price.
With the treasury empty and Novgorod in debt, Lady Arsinde convinced her son to re-institute the old Scutage tax his father had abolished. This increased the income of Novgorod to the point where it would soon pull itself back out of its debt.
In January of 1097 a monk came before the court and offered to cure Vasilii in exchange for funds to repair damage to his monastery's roof. The Prince jumped at the chance to be healthy once more, and quickly scraped together enough coin to pay.
Not long after Vasilii recovered. Immensely grateful to the man who may very well have saved his life Vasilii swore to uphold the Orthodox faith in all he did. His family were just glad he was okay.
With their liege recovered and the anarchy on the streets declining the realm was ready to expand again. Vasilii was older now, and he had learned how to use his authority properly. The boy commanded his troops with the skill of a great general, and as they adjusted to answering to a child they became a well-disciplined force.
The target was Pereyaslavl, ruled by the increasingly distant relative Vladimir Rurikovich. The goal of the war was not simply to defeat him though: Vasilii fully intended to strip him of every title he had, take his vassals from him, and send him into exile.
The political side of the war was left to Lady Arsinde, who made frequent trips out of the castle and often returned with legal-looking documents. Her work served to give Vasilii a seemingly legal claim on the land of several of the Pereyaslavl Counts, as well as all of Vladimir's titles. This would prove very useful.
Before the war was even declared Arsinde showed yet more political skill, managing to justify claims against a disloyal vassal. In truth this was useless, but it was always nice to see a widow recovering so well.
When the army finally gathered from every corner of the realm to march against the enemy, war was declared.
The northern counties of Pereyaslavl were quickly overrun and Lady Arsinde's plans bore fruit in the negotiations. The Counts agreed to join Greater Novgorod in exchange for cessation of all claims against them.
Soon after the Prince of Pereyaslavl surrendered everything he had, going from being a powerful ruler to a penniless nobody in moments.
The seizure of these titles was rather controversial among the Russian nobility, and Vasilii's reputation among his followers took a sudden dive.
Fortunately the taxes from Greater Novgorod were enough that Vasilii could ride out the unrest with bribery. More importantly, he now possessed enough of Russia to call himself its rightful king. All he needed now was enough funds to organize a coronation.
Proceedings hit a snag when Ivan Yurievich, the bishop who had been chosen to crown Vasilii, was found to have embraced a heretical sect.
Vasilii was pious, and so sent for a more orthodox priest. When the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church himself arrived, Vasilii almost fainted from shock.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
The procession rode into the city through the South gate. Vasilii was decked out in gold-plated armor and looked majestic atop his charger, far from he ridiculous sight he had been on his first campaign. His honor guard flanked him as they headed across the bridge toward the Cathedral. There were cheering crowds all along the streets, all the pain of the past few years forgotten for that one perfect day. The sun was shining and the people were cheering as Vasilii entered the Cathedral.____________________________________________________________________________________________________
The carpet before him and the pews on either side seemed to go on forever. He held his head high, even as he fought the urge to flee. He started to shake, and felt his mother's hand on his shoulder. He sighed. This would be all right. It was time to become king.
After what seemed like an eternity he reached the front of the Church. All was silent now as he stood before the Patriarch. He had been rehearsing this part all day, but as he was handed the Crown he still fumbled his words.
"I-In the name of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit" Vasilii said.
"Most God-fearing, absolute, and mighty Lord, Tsar of all the Russias, this visible and tangible adornment of thy head is an eloquent symbol that thou, as the head of the whole Russian people, art invisibly crowned by the King of kings, Christ, with a most ample blessing, seeing that He bestows upon thee entire authority over His people." spoke the Patriarch as he handed Vasilii an orb and scepter. "God-crowned, God-given, God-adorned, most pious Autocrat and great Sovereign, Emperor of All the Russias. Receive the scepter and the orb, which are the visible signs of the autocratic power given thee from the Most High over thy people, that thou mayest rule them and order for them the welfare they desire."
Then the crowds rose for a hymn.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
On September 28th, in the year of our lord 1098, Vasilii became the King of Rus'. The 12-year-old Prince had achieved what his father had so desperately attempted. Russia was one.____________________________________________________________________________________________________
LONG LIVE THE KING.
God save the Tsar! Well done.
The Russian monarchy seems to have better luck with miracle workers in your timeline compared to the real one.
Well done.The Russian monarchy seems to have better luck with miracle workers in your timeline compared to the real one.
God save the Tsar!
The Russian monarchy seems to have better luck with miracle workers in your timeline compared to the real one.
I have my doubts about how well Russia will do once the Horde arrives. I have around 100 years before that, so I have some consolidating to do. That other green blob next to Rus' is the Cuman Khanate, and I'm debating whether I should completely occupy them or use them as a buffer.
Also, I was considering doing a sort of election, giving the other handful of readers some options to vote on big decisions. Do you think that would work?
Upon the degree that Vasilii was King of Rus', several minor Russian counts swore allegiance to him. This peaceful integration was good for both them and Vasilii, as they both knew the alternative.
Another good thing was his new legal status: as a Prince he was legally unable to be the liege of other Princes. Now that he was a King he could give his Princely titles to his vassals without harming the integrity of the realm. This was done immediately, and with the titles and privileges of Princedom extended to many noble families the where dissenters among them had plotted against their King they now simply gossiped about the Royals.
BEFORE
AFTER
The peace and quiet didn't last long. n December 1098 the pagans in Chortitza became enraged over a Church celebration held on their sacred ground. The situation quickly escalated into a fistfight, and all reports indicate than father Ivan delivered a fantastic right hook.
Arsinde continued her covert campaign, and while it no longer served Russia's immediate purposes Vasilii saw no reason to question the actions of his mother, particularly considering her immense loyalty.
The street violence had subsided, but in the wake of the coronation the gangs reemerged. This time the peasants were organised and they knew exactly what they wanted. Vasilii was not the brutal man his father was, and decided that giving the people what they wanted was more important than his own reputation.
His father had laid the foundations for Russia, and Vasilii was determined it would not shatter the moment the wars stopped like some petty despotism. But he was not some warrior-king intent on conquering the world. He saw far more purpose for diplomacy and negotiations than his father had, and it was with this softer approach that he conviced the Principalities of Smolensk and Novgorod-Seversk to join the Rus'.
But this did not mean he saw no place for the sword: the pagan tribes would never agree to be ruled by a Christian, and so needed to be absorbed for the good of Russia. The first to learn this were the handful of Finnish tribes still surviving in the far North.
The next to be absorbed were the tribes of Estonia and Livonia.
Shortly after these conquests Vasilii crowned himself King of Finland. He felt some small pride that he held two Royal Crowns while his father had never managed to attain one.
Later that year he crowned himself King of Lithuania after conquering a vast swathe of land around the Baltic.
Russia finally stood strong enough not only to fight its Western neighbors, but to win too.
Another good thing was his new legal status: as a Prince he was legally unable to be the liege of other Princes. Now that he was a King he could give his Princely titles to his vassals without harming the integrity of the realm. This was done immediately, and with the titles and privileges of Princedom extended to many noble families the where dissenters among them had plotted against their King they now simply gossiped about the Royals.
BEFORE
AFTER
The peace and quiet didn't last long. n December 1098 the pagans in Chortitza became enraged over a Church celebration held on their sacred ground. The situation quickly escalated into a fistfight, and all reports indicate than father Ivan delivered a fantastic right hook.
Arsinde continued her covert campaign, and while it no longer served Russia's immediate purposes Vasilii saw no reason to question the actions of his mother, particularly considering her immense loyalty.
The street violence had subsided, but in the wake of the coronation the gangs reemerged. This time the peasants were organised and they knew exactly what they wanted. Vasilii was not the brutal man his father was, and decided that giving the people what they wanted was more important than his own reputation.
His father had laid the foundations for Russia, and Vasilii was determined it would not shatter the moment the wars stopped like some petty despotism. But he was not some warrior-king intent on conquering the world. He saw far more purpose for diplomacy and negotiations than his father had, and it was with this softer approach that he conviced the Principalities of Smolensk and Novgorod-Seversk to join the Rus'.
But this did not mean he saw no place for the sword: the pagan tribes would never agree to be ruled by a Christian, and so needed to be absorbed for the good of Russia. The first to learn this were the handful of Finnish tribes still surviving in the far North.
The next to be absorbed were the tribes of Estonia and Livonia.
Shortly after these conquests Vasilii crowned himself King of Finland. He felt some small pride that he held two Royal Crowns while his father had never managed to attain one.
Later that year he crowned himself King of Lithuania after conquering a vast swathe of land around the Baltic.
Russia finally stood strong enough not only to fight its Western neighbors, but to win too.
With Russia's ever-growing power offering it a great deal of security from outside threats, Vasilii found himself looking inward for the first time. Russia was still a new Kingdom, but Vasilii had many ideas to strengthen it from within.
In his first major decree since the foolish institution of Elective Law Vasilii reformed religious law. The monasteries would receive additional rights and be given the privilege to run their own feudal estates. In exchange they would provide a token payment to their liege.
The silence broke when Lady Arsinde was accused of murdering Agathe de Normandie, a rival from her life in England. It was true she had recently take a trip to the west, but she assured her son that it was to visit her brothers. With no evidence Vasilii dismissed the accusations.
In December 1102 Vasilii Rurikovich finally came of age: though he had been Prince since he was 4 and had run a Kingdom since age 12, it was only on his 16th birthday that he was legally acknowledged as a man. His mother wasted no time in finding him an appropriate bride, and a few days later he was wed to Ida von Nordheim, sister to the King of the Germans.
Being from such a prestigious family, Ida also had an impressive dowry.
A month later the Patriarch made a request for a new Bishop to be given the heretic Ivan's old position in the Diocese. The man's name was Mstislav Mstislavich, and taking this as a sign from heaven Vasilii immediately accepted.
Despite his promising skills Vasilii had developed a weakness with money: being in control of such a vast Kingdom had simply ruined his sense of scale, it would seem.
He worried little about monetary problems when he finally got a chance to relax with his wife.
In the Spring of 1103 Lady Ida began spending more time than was considered proper with Vasilii's cousin Volodar. The courtiers, the servants and even Vasilii's family were suspicious, but he assumed his German bride had simply misunderstood Russian customs and decided not to trouble his wife over rumors.
In April 1103 the campaign against the pagans continued. The tribe of Aukshayts were surrounded on all sides by Russian territory, and a small force was readied to seize their lands.
The war ended in under a month and Vasilii appointed his cousin Ulitis as Count.
In October 1103 the royals celebrated the birth of Olga Rurikovich, the first daughter in the Rurikovich household in two generations.
Vasilii's desires to move eastward had been delayed for some time, but now he gathered the host and marched on the Cumans. The barbarians had sat on Russia's doorstep for too long.
(The territories marked with X's are my expected gains from this war).
Even amid the war the royal couple had time to enjoy each other.
In May 1104 the Cumans finally surrendered, facing almost total annihilation. They had been saved by their war with the Turkmen, whose obstruction of the Russian host had prevented the attack from reaching the Caucasus. No matter, they would be finished off in time.
That time came much sooner than expected as Russia's Danish allies dragged it into a war with the very tribes it had just agreed to peace with.
They reentered the pagan territories and seized them, along with the territories of Denmark's Crimean enemies.
Russia had grown once more, but it was quickly running out of pagan neighbors to conquer. Only time would tell where Vasilii's ambition would drive them next.
In his first major decree since the foolish institution of Elective Law Vasilii reformed religious law. The monasteries would receive additional rights and be given the privilege to run their own feudal estates. In exchange they would provide a token payment to their liege.
The silence broke when Lady Arsinde was accused of murdering Agathe de Normandie, a rival from her life in England. It was true she had recently take a trip to the west, but she assured her son that it was to visit her brothers. With no evidence Vasilii dismissed the accusations.
In December 1102 Vasilii Rurikovich finally came of age: though he had been Prince since he was 4 and had run a Kingdom since age 12, it was only on his 16th birthday that he was legally acknowledged as a man. His mother wasted no time in finding him an appropriate bride, and a few days later he was wed to Ida von Nordheim, sister to the King of the Germans.
Being from such a prestigious family, Ida also had an impressive dowry.
A month later the Patriarch made a request for a new Bishop to be given the heretic Ivan's old position in the Diocese. The man's name was Mstislav Mstislavich, and taking this as a sign from heaven Vasilii immediately accepted.
Despite his promising skills Vasilii had developed a weakness with money: being in control of such a vast Kingdom had simply ruined his sense of scale, it would seem.
He worried little about monetary problems when he finally got a chance to relax with his wife.
In the Spring of 1103 Lady Ida began spending more time than was considered proper with Vasilii's cousin Volodar. The courtiers, the servants and even Vasilii's family were suspicious, but he assumed his German bride had simply misunderstood Russian customs and decided not to trouble his wife over rumors.
In April 1103 the campaign against the pagans continued. The tribe of Aukshayts were surrounded on all sides by Russian territory, and a small force was readied to seize their lands.
The war ended in under a month and Vasilii appointed his cousin Ulitis as Count.
In October 1103 the royals celebrated the birth of Olga Rurikovich, the first daughter in the Rurikovich household in two generations.
Vasilii's desires to move eastward had been delayed for some time, but now he gathered the host and marched on the Cumans. The barbarians had sat on Russia's doorstep for too long.
(The territories marked with X's are my expected gains from this war).
Even amid the war the royal couple had time to enjoy each other.
In May 1104 the Cumans finally surrendered, facing almost total annihilation. They had been saved by their war with the Turkmen, whose obstruction of the Russian host had prevented the attack from reaching the Caucasus. No matter, they would be finished off in time.
That time came much sooner than expected as Russia's Danish allies dragged it into a war with the very tribes it had just agreed to peace with.
They reentered the pagan territories and seized them, along with the territories of Denmark's Crimean enemies.
Russia had grown once more, but it was quickly running out of pagan neighbors to conquer. Only time would tell where Vasilii's ambition would drive them next.
