Chapter 1. Out with the old, in with the new
In September of 1066, Durgulel, guardian of the pass, summoned all the lords and noblemen from his realm to Vovnushki, a small wooden fortress on the slopes of the Caucasian mountains. Among those invited were counts of Kuma, Kasogs and Yegorlyk. All young men in their prime, unmarried and eager. Summonings of this sort were rare, but everybody assumed Durgulel was finally succumbing to his old age and wanted to make sure all the lords remain loyal to his son, Yasynya upon his assention to the throne. Yasynya, on the other hand, knew the truth couldn't be more different.
Alania in 1066
A few days ago his father asked him to join him for a talk in his dining hall. A talk which shortly turned into a vigorous monologue. The young heir was stunned by his fathers' sudden strength and resolve, as he went on about his urge to move, to go south, to go east. Yasynya never saw his father this fired up about anything, he was used to a slow, quiet old man. The more he listened the clearer the picture his father was painting with his words became. He had an audacious plan – the Al-Lans were to secure alliances with the west and march together with them against the Muslims in the south. This meant both the father and the son had to take wives from afar – father will ask to marry a Hungarian princess while the son will be betroth to a Byzantine one. As soon as the marriages would be agreed, an army will be assembled and war declared against Muslim states to the south. Before Yasynya could object or question his father's decision, he found himself planning the moves of the armies and finding ways to secure all the alliances needed. His father's spirit was contagious.
Durgulel greeted all the arrivals and welcomed them to a feast of mutton and wine. As the night went on and the young counts were getting more relaxed he started proclaming his great plans. At first nobody took him seriously – ramblings of an old duke dizzy with wine. Still it became evident that he meant every word he said – armies are to be raised, soldiers armed and wars declared.
The next day messangers were sent to Constantinole and Pest requesting marriages. Both marriages were accepted, and before the month's end father was married and son betroth.
A few weeks later good news came from the south – it seemed that Alanian first neighbor, the Emir of Debrent was engulfed in a was with Emir of Azarbaijan, a most fortunate turn of events for the old duke. The Duke was wise enough to know that fortunate times must be seized, even if one is not ready, so he proceeded to declare war against the infidels in the south. A great number of people living there were christian, the remnants of ancient Armenian kings, and he knew this gave him great opportunities.
He immediately declared war on the numerically superior Emir. All the levies are to be gathered in the north, far from the suspicious eye of the enemy. The army was assembled led by the duke himself. Just as they were starting the march south two messengers came, one with good and one with bad news. The good news was that Georgians agreed to join in the duke's war, the bad – a large Debrent army was approaching the capital. Obviously the Emir decided to forfeit his southern war and focus on the north.
potential spoils from the war
The duke was reluctant to meet the numericaly and technologicaly superior enemy in an open battle and instead led his army around Emir's back, along the coast of the Caspian see to besiege Semender. For a few months the two armies were besieging each other's lands, with not a single skirmish between them. The situation was not looking good, Emirs army was at an advantage and the duke knew that if Vovnushki fell, emir's army would quickly turn south to destroy his forces and his dreams with them.
In September news came that the duke's capital has fallen. This was too much for the old men. His heart could not take it. As he was laying on his death-bed, he made Yasynya promise he would pursue his dream, and that he would require the same promise from his sons, and their sons. Duke Durgulel the old died in a foreign land under a foreign city surrounded with enemies in a perilous situation.
Yasynya had no choice but to continue the siege, but the gloom and dread of his father's death would soon be replaced by rejoicing, as news came of Georgian army engaging Emir's forces in Alania – this was exactly what the late duke hoped for. Georgians were victorious and drove the infidels out of Alania, while Alan forces were taking cities and forts in the south. After taking the bishopic of Khatti-Baku, the small church was used for a ceremony of marriage between the new duke, and emperor's daughter – Anna, a marriage agreed by the old man.
Georgians engaging the Emir's forces while the new duke continues the siege in the south
With the important alliance secured for the alans Emir saw there was no way for him to win, and surrendered to the duke. This meant all the lands controlled by he Emir were Alan now. But before the dust settled the new duke made another daring move – he declared war on Kartli and Dwin – two small independent Muslim nobles. He needed their lands to connect his new province of Albania to the rest of his holdings as it was behind a great mountain, unreachable from the north.
Emir agrees to the peace terms
Their forces were quickly dispatched, and their forts besieged, but a large rebel band, twice the size of anything the new duke could muster besieged Albania – it was to be the race against time. The Byzantines, although formally a part of duke's wars never appeared, and Yasynya had to rely on mercenaries to take the two provinces and engage the rebels. Both counties were taken, but the rebels were not to budge. Three attacks were subsequently made, and all three battles ended in the defeat for the duke. In the end it would not be the sword, put the will that was to be the end of the rebels. Yasynya was, first and foremost a diplomat – and he managed to persuade the rebels to disband.
Mercenaries come to the rescue
After seven years of constant warfare, Alania was finally at peace. The war had ravaged the countryside and claimed lives of the old duke, and two of the smaller counts whose land passed to Yasynya as they had no heirs. Still, the situation was far from desperate – Alan holdings were doubled in the two wars and rich prosperous lands were added to the duchy. Yasynya made his capital in Chukhur Kabala, in a newly conquered province of Albania. From there he pondered his next move while holding in his hands his young baby boy - his heir.
Alania after the wars
