[SS 6.3 AAR] Primus Inter Pares - The Kievan Rus *COMPLETED* (w/ Behind the Scenes and a video trailer)

[Radzeer]

The time limit is indeed a real pest when sieging. I consider it one of the greatest flaws of the game. Good idea with the nightfall as explanation, did you use a custom battle for that last picture? It looks notably darker.

Petr seems to be in peril. No longer able to hold his front alone, will Sbyslav and Yurii support him? More updates at once please!

Hmm, have they gone hording? I thought the Khwarezmians were rather settled.

Thank you, and yes, the timer was against me. Actually I screwed up a bit, because I spent too much time with the catapults and trying to capture some good screenshots. By the time the outer walls were taken, the timer was half up I think.
The last picture was from the siege too, I just tweaked the input levels of the picture in Photoshop which made it darker, and added some little red to have a small touch of sunset.
As for the "nomadic people", that's more like how a Kievan would see those tribes, especially that some nomadic people are already on their way...

what I can see is that almost always you win the battles with:
"Almost a third of the Kievan army was lost"

Now that you are saying, it seems that it is jinxed! Or maybe I have a limited vocabulary.
Part of the reason is that the Kievan roster has quite a few weaker units that tend to suffer larger casualties. Also, as a house rule (from my Hungarian AAR) I try to limit the use of horse archers as the AI is not very skilled countering them. More HA units would make better casualty ratios for me. And finally, I use cheap archers in the first line to take some of the initial charge, and they almost always end up with many casualties.

Great update! I'm really enjoying the Caucasus theater of war. It's so far from Kiev proper that it really makes you feel as if the Rus are pushing and straining themselves to the very limits of their territorial expansion. Keep up the good work, your avid readers love you for it!

Thank you Thokran! It is really part of the plot to extend the Rus so much to the southeast as opposed to against the Cumans for example. Also, from Kiev it seems a long way to the Caucasus, but if somebody is sitting in Azaq, it's the natural neighborhood ready to be taken.

Lovely battle.
I liked the outcome, with the soldiers obliged to come back because of the night. I think it is realistic.
The catapults shooting at the walls all the morning, and then, failing to break them, letting the place to the infantry, remembered me some memories.

Ah ah, I'm eager to learn what is going to happen now that the fortress is rioting and that you don't have sufficient soldiers to maintain it.
Is it the beginning of a long retreat?

Ah, there is no retreat!
Fortunately Baku is isolated apart from a sea invasion across the Caspian Sea, but the AI is not very good at that, so I may have time to bring reinforcements.
And I think the chronicler of the siege must have been around when the English besieged Paris... or heard that story from somebody, maybe from some guy named Olivier in the Holy Land or something...

[Posantio of Umbria]

Great update Radzeer, I'm very interested in how this will turn out for Petr (I'd say: "Stratagem 36: Run Away" )

[Radzeer]

Great update Radzeer, I'm very interested in how this will turn out for Petr (I'd say: "Stragem 36: Run Away" )

Thank you! The next update should be up within an hour. For the continuation of Petr's story you need to wait for a few days though.

[Maximinus Thrax]

Your shots were great.

Radzeer's pics are some of the best I've ever seen in an AAR. The narrative aspect and the sheer scale of battles are awesome (the depiction of the siege of Baku is pure win). Interesting how you keep track of your characters

[Radzeer]

List of characters

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The royal family

Grand Prince Vladimir
The first Grand Prince, leading the early expansion of the Rus. He has found the Holy Grail after taking Oleshe. At the end of his life he retired and transferred the power to his son and heir, Mstislav. He died peacefully in Kiev.

Grand Prince Mstislav
The second Grand Prince, and the oldest son of Vladimir. He fought against the Cumans, and conquered Smolensk in the north overthrowing the Novgorod-friendly council. A skilled politician and determined leader with a vision to expand toward the Baltic Sea. He established the Rus as a major power, and died peacefully in Kiev.

Grand Prince Gostislav
The third Grand Prince, Mstislav's oldest son, the governor of Pereyaslav and Hrodna. Quite unremarkable as a child, he still has a lot to prove.

Prince Nikifor
Faction heir, Gostislav's first son.

Petr
Mstislav's second son, the governor of Ryazan in the east. He is leading the royal troops the Caucasus campaign.
Oleg
Mstislav's third son, the governor of Kiev.

Yaropolk
The second son of Vladimir. Veteran commander, hero of many wars, and the conqueror of Lithuania where he acquired territories for his sons.

Zhirovit
Yaropolk's oldest son, the governor of Vilnius. A violent and unpredictable character, he is fighting in Poland to revenge his brother's death.
Moimir
Yaropolk's second son, governor of Mensk - anything but a field commander.
Tikhomir
Yaropolk's third son, former governor of Smolensk. He died in battle against Poland at Mensk.
Volodislav
Yaropolk's youngest son, the governor of Riga.

Yurii
The third and youngest son of Vladimir, Lord of Azaq. It was difficult for him to be in the shadow of his two brothers. He made an alliance with the Patrikeev clan and married the clan leader's daughter, Natalia to start building his own princedom in the east, including his attack on the Caucasus. The main conspirator, constantly plotting to get closer to power.

Ostromir
Yurii's oldest son, governor of Caffa.
Sbyslav
Yurii's second son, governor of Sarkel, commander of the Caucasus campaign.

Vassals and non-blood relatives

Danislav Severskii
An exile from Novgorod who became Mstislav's vassal and the governor of Smolensk. He died in battle against the Lithuanians.

Dobrozhir Severskii
The only son of Danislav. He revenged his father and killed the Grand Duke of Lithuania, but died in battle shortly after.
Stroislav Kubenskii
A Kievan noble who married Dobrozhir's oldest sister. Governor of Baia.

Milogost Fominskii
A Kievan noble who married Princess Eupraxia, Vladimir’s only daughter and thus became a member of the royal family. He is the governor of Zhytomyr. He saved Kiev from two Polish invasions and was wounded severly in battle.
Georgii Patrikeev
Governor of Tmutarakan in the east, and an ally of Yurii who married his daughter. He died peacefully in Sarkel.

The three brothers

Alexios
The oldest of three brothers who as children were rescued by the Kievans after a Cuman raid. He is a cleric and a chronicler in the Court. He is in Trebizond looking after his brother, Rurik.
Rurik
Alexios’ younger brother. Trained as a warrior, he used to belong to Yaropolk’s bodyguard escort. He was wounded in Trebizond in a battle and was thought to be dead for a long time.
Oleg
The youngest brother of Alexios and Rurik. He disappeared in a Cuman raid and was sold as a slave in Azaq. His brothers have been searching for him for years until they were reunited in Trebizond. Currently he is the chief supply officer for the Court, and the author of the Miloslavich Diary.

30. Family matters

It did not take long for Gostislav to realize that being the Grand Prince comes with responsibilities he did not anticipate. One of these was the marriage arrangements of the younger members of the family. A few months before he died, his father sent Princess Evfrosinia, Gostislav’s younger sister to Constantinople to find a husband for her. The Roman allies supported the idea, and Pavlos Komnenos was named as Evfrosinia’s future husband. However, a few weeks before the wedding, bad news arrived.



With that Evfrosinia was publicly disgraced, which offended everybody in Kiev, especially Gostislav. He could not believe this, and was looking for an explanation. Finally, the leader of the Kievan envoy to Constantinople arrived back, and confidentially told Gostislav that the marriage plan was abandoned after Ammonios Komnenos, the governor of Trebizond intervened. Apparently, he had some quarrel with Yurii at the siege of Kutaisi and this was his retribution.

Gostislav expected nothing but trouble from Yurii, but he was still offended by the official treatment. It was not possible to find a suitable husband for Evfrosinia in Constantinople any more. While he weighted the possible steps, he felt the difficulties of his position. He was a prince for only a relatively short period, most of which he spent in the newly conquered Hrodna, overseeing its incorporation to the Rus. He was the governor of Pereyaslav for a long time, but neither of these positions prepared him for the strategic political decisions he was expected to make. Finally, he instructed the Kievan envoy to travel to the west.

Yet, something had to be done to show that the Rus alliance cannot be a subject of petty complaints. After some consideration, Gostislav decided to make peace with the Seljuks, who were looking for this opportunity already. This was a blow for Constantinople as they were at war with the Seljuks and now could not expect Kievan help. Moreover, this also served as a warning to Yurii who was looking for expanding his territories at the expense of the Seljuks. The peace reminded him that he cannot make political decisions at this level on his own. Gostislav was ready to show that he can fill the space his father has left behind.



Shortly after the Seljuk envoy left, Gostislav got even more disturbing news. A spy was caught in Smolensk, and before he was executed he confessed whom did he work for.





Yaropolk Bryanskii was a noble in the Kievan court. He had holdings in Smolensk, but most of his family lands were in Bryansk. The spy revealed that Bryanskii was planning a loyalist revolt in Smolensk, supported by Novgorod money. Apparently, Novgorod wanted to exploit the political changes in Kiev to get Smolensk back after losing it to Mstislav many years before. Gostislav decided to be swift. He summoned the Novgorod diplomats and promptly informed them that the alliance and military cooperation is over.



This decision led to a far larger shock than the rejected marriage. Novgorod was seen as a trusted ally by many in Kiev. But Gostislav did not back down, remembering what his father told him about Novgorod. But first, he had to make sure that Bryanskii is punished for his revolt against the Grand Prince. He ordered Prince Nikifor to lead an army against him.



Nikifor was confident that he could defeat Bryanskii with mostly archers and catapults. Since Bryanskii had almost twice as many men, he assessed the situation differently, and walked into the trap.



His troops decided to charge Nikifor’s soldiers as soon as the Kievan catapults started to fire. Nikifor ordered his men to hold their grounds. Bryanskii’s spearmen were stronger than the archers and the catapult crew, but Nikifor did not plan to let them to fight a prolonged melee.





As soon as Bryanskii’s soldiers reached the Kievan lines, Nikifor charged them from behind the hill. The enemy troops were not prepared for this, and once Bryanskii was cut down, they routed.



Nikifor did not let them escape. His bodyguards pushed the fleeing rebel soldiers toward a cliff from where there was no way out. The prisoners were executed and the rebellion was over before it could begin.





Upon his return to Kiev, Prince Nikifor learned that a Venetian envoy arrived, looking for trade partners and allies. Venice was at war with the Romans, so normally they would not have been welcomed, but Gostislav was still upset about the rejected marriage. The Venetians stayed in Kiev for several weeks, and during that time Nikifor fell in love with a lady from the Doge’s family, Florentia. She was admirable, but also a strong and proud person and this was what attracted Nikifor the most. As the Prince, his marriage was a subject of politics, but due to the disgrace in Constantinople and being overjoyed about the birth of his second son, his father did not oppose the wedding. Some nobles were not happy with a Catholic wife for the future Grand Prince, but they were reminded that Mstislav’s wife was also Catholic, and it did not have any affects on state politics.





As a wedding gift, Nikifor was appointed as the governor of Halych. The city was at the Polish border, but Gostislav was confident that Nikifor could handle its administration. Halych was taken by Zhirovit when he killed the Polish king, and he used it as a base of his operations. But Zhirovit went finally back to Vilnius after his rampage in Poland. Gostislav needed Nikifor to oversee the Polish frontier, and keep an eye on Yaropolk and his sons, while he visits the northern cities and gathers information on Novgorod.



The wedding also meant an alliance with Venice. Gostislav needed western allies, and Venice was in good terms with most of the Catholic kingdoms. Needless to say that this alliance made Constantinople quite upset, but Gostislav loved his sister and he was not willing to let the Roman insult go.



Before Nikifor and his new wife departed for Halych, Gostislav wanted to talk to him once more. Father and son met in the throne room, and Nikifor saw maps on the table.



“Before you leave, I want to be sure that you understand our strategic situation.” Mstislav never included his son in such discussions, but Gostislav wanted Nikifor to be prepared. “Let us see the west first. The red color shows the extent of our central regions. The light blue indicates Rus territories governed by Yaropolk and his sons. The dark blue is Novgorod.”

Nikifor just realized how far to the west Halych is. “I should not expect any help from Yaropolk’s family, right?” he asked.

“Probably not. But I have a plan. Strategically, the war with Poland is not in our interest, because it hurts our good relations with the Catholics. I intend to make peace with them. But before that, I want to teach them a lesson. I ordered Stroislav Kubenskii, our vassal in Baia to join me with his troops on a campaign against Plock later this year. One more victory and Poland should be eager to make peace.”

“It will not be easy to take Plock.”

“You are right, but we don’t need to take it. I just need a major victory against them. And once we make peace, Halych will be quite safe. Just make sure to prevent Yaropolk’s sons, especially that madman Zhirovit, to cause trouble.”

“I understand, father.”

“Let us take a look at the east then.” Gostislav unfolded another map.



“Yurii and his two sons now control six regions. He is stronger than ever, but he needs to be in the Caucasus to consolidate his rule. Therefore he will be away, and as long as he fights with the local Muslim kingdoms, we have nothing to worry about.”

“But we just made peace with the Seljuks.”

“Yes, we did, but I think it won’t be long before Yurii provokes or attacks them again. Anyway, our main interest is now Baku. Petr will stay there, and I already sent him reinforcements. He will be a force Yurii cannot neglect, especially that they hate each other. But this means that I have to take over most of our northern lands, in case the conflict with Novgorod will lead to a war. And this is why I need you in the west.”

Nikifor was determined. “I will do my best, father. But let me fight on your side against Poland!”

“Not this time. You will have enough battles in your life. You are the Prince now, and you have to start thinking as a ruler.”

Nikifor knew that his father was right. He bowed and left Gostislav with the maps.

It was already winter when Kubenskii arrived with the Baia troops, and the Plock campaign started. The scouts have reported only weak Polish forces in the area, sent to stop some Lihuanian raiders. Lithuania was an obedient vassal of the Rus, fighting a war against Poland on its own. Gostislav wanted to exploit the presence of the Lithuanians, and was pleased when their captain arrived, asking for a coordinated action.



The plans were discussed, and next day Gostislav marched to the west on the main road. Things went well for a while, but then his light cavalry ran into strong Polish forces. The Lithuanians were nowhere to be found, and Gostislav realized that he fell into a Polish trap. The Lithuanians were defeated, or maybe there weren’t ever any of them just a trick to surround him. When he and his captains could finally make sense of the confusing reports, it became clear that he ran into four separate Polish armies. Two relatively small ones were coming from the east at his back, while a large force and the newly appointed Duke Stanislaw were waiting in front of him to close the trap.





Gostislav divided the Kievan army. Kubenskii was given the task to hold against the smaller Polish army in the east. He had two units of crossbowmen and mounted archers, but only one company of mercenary spearmen. He hoped to cause enough damage to the Polish army before they reach his lines.



Facing west was Gostislav’s main army, with most of his spearmen and heavy infantry. They were about the same strength as the western Polish army.



Finally, Gostislav and his boyar cavalry was on the south side of the formation to attack a smaller Polish contingent of field artillery which was the closest to the hill the Kievans occupied.



The Polish trebuchets and catapults did not have much time before Gostislav and the Kievan cavalry were on them. They were hardly able to fire one round, before the riders arrived and charged the artillery crews.



The Polish artillery was protected by a single unit of spearmen, but they did not have time to properly deploy against the Kievan cavalry. The riders pushed the Polish soldiers back between the machines where the horses trampled them all. A few minutes later, dead bodies littered the scene.





While Gostislav defeated the small Polish contingent, the attack has begun on Kubenskii’s side. The eastern Polish infantry charged up the hill, and although they suffered heavy casualties, they broke through the line of crossbowmen and engaged the mercenaries. Kubenskii ordered his horse archers to go around the enemy, and then led his bodyguards to battle.



No matter how heroically Kubenskii fought, he had fewer troops, and the Polish attackers could flank him. One of the enemy companies went around Kubenskii’s lines and charged the back of Gostislav’s main army which was deployed facing west. Just as Gostislav’s spearmen turned to fight them, the first cavalry company of the western Polish army appeared from behind the hill. Their timing was perfect. The Kievan captains yelled to their men to turn back just before the riders reached their lines.



The captain of the eastern Polish infantry was killed exactly when the first riders of the cavalry reached the Kievan lines.



Gostislav arrived back to the hill just in time. Kubenskii’s line held, and after the death of their captain the eastern Polish army was in disorder. But Gostislav had no relief. As the western army approached, he saw that the commander did not only field regular Polish infantry, but a large number of crusaders too.



The Kievans have not fought crusaders before, but they knew that these soldiers are fierce and fanatic warriors. Originally recruited to fight the Muslims, the Polish duke now led them against the Orthodox troops. Gostislav was not sure if these fanatics would see any difference between the armies of Islam and the armies of the Rus. But there was no time to think about this, as the crusader knights charged right through the first line of Kievan spearmen on the left, and then their infantry arrived too, attacking the dismounted druzhina holding the center.





The crusaders were indeed strong opponents in the melee. Gostislav was looking to the east, and saw that Kubenskii has won the fight against the eastern army, and started to redeploy his troops on the Kievan right. But before the mercenaries and the remaining crossbowmen could take positions, suddenly the duke appeared and charged. While the Kievan commanders were focusing on the left and the center where the crusaders attacked, the duke and his bodyguards were able to get close unnoticed.



The charge was devastating. The mercenary spearmen could not form a solid line, and had to fight the Polish knights on their own. For a moment it looked like that the Kievan right flank would collapse.



But fortunately for Gostislav, the duke did not have any reserves to widen the gap in the Kievan lines. After the first charge, his bodyguards turned back for the next one. The mercenary spearmen were still shocked and half the company was killed already. But before the Polish knights could smash into the Kievan lines again, Kubenskii led his bodyguards against the duke, saving the Kievan right flank.



By now the entire western enemy army was there, and the melee became very intensive at the center, The Polish crusaders had better armor, but the Kievans were more determined to hold the line. The air above the fighting soldiers was full with arrows and catapult shots.





Gostislav had no field artillery. But, just like several times before, the catapult fire for the Polish army was a disaster waiting to happen. It did not take long before one of the catapult shots landed in the crowded lines of the attackers, throwing heavily armed men up and around like toys.



The Polish troops were shocked, and a large gap appeared in their ranks. Gostislav wanted to use this opportunity and signaled a counterattack. To rally the crusaders, the duke rode into the first line, encouraging his troops. A few minutes later a Kievan spear stabbed his stallion, and he fell on the ground. He did not give up the fight, and killed two Kievan spearmen who tried to capture him.



Gostislav saw that the duke is fighting on foot. He knew that this is the time to turn the battle around. He led his bodyguards, and galloped into the middle of the fight. The crusaders saw his banner, and tried to overwhelm him with sheer numbers. But Gostislav was in a much better position. He noticed the duke, and spurred his horse to run him down. The duke was fighting with another soldier and never saw Gostislav coming, who did not give him a chance for a fair fight and quickly cut him down.





After the fall of the duke, the Polish lines fell into disorder. Then when Kubenskii and the boyars charged the back of the crusader army, the Polish soldiers broke and fled.



The Kievan cavalry ran down many who tried to leave the battlefield. Meanwhile, Kubenskii’s horse archers attacked and routed the catapult and ballista crews.





The battle was a decisive victory for Gostislav. Of the close to two thousand Polish soldiers, only a handful escaped. The Kievans took more then seven hundred prisoners who awaited their fate with terror.





After the victory, the Polish forces fell back to Plock, as they did against Zhirovit two years before. Some of the nobles suggested besieging the city, but Gostislav wanted to end the war with Poland. He sent an envoy to the enemy, and after some negotiations, the hostilities ceased. Gostislav released the enemy soldiers without asking for any ransom. Even the crusader soldiers got their freedom back. The treasury was full, so he was less in need of money than that of Catholic friends. Not all nobles agreed with him, and some noted that Poland cannot be trusted for too many kings and dukes died of Kievan hands. But for now, Gostislav got what he wanted. There was only one war, with Khwarezm far in the east, which for him meant a clear focus on the treacherous people of Novgorod.



Gostislav left Poland, and sent Kubenskii back to Baia to recruit more troops. Everything seemed to be in good order. Nikifor was settling in his new home in Halych, and Yaropolk’s family was silent. Gostislav even wondered how he could use them against Novgorod, but this was a question for the future. Things were looking good for him, but just as he felt that the family pressure has eased, very upsetting news arrived from Azaq.

While Gostislav was fighting in Poland, Yurii has proclaimed himself the Grand Duke of Azaq, an equal to the Grand Prince of the Rus. With that he openly challenged the political order of the Rus, and Gostislav’s control over the southeast disappeared. Baku was now isolated, and that was only one of Gostislav’s problems. The eastern stronghold of Serdobinskaya, one of Petr’s fiefs just north of Azaq was undermanned and without a commander should Yurii plan to expand there. Gostislav had to put his Novgorod plans on hold. His uncle made it clear that he is the ruler of a new principality, strong enough to be independent and he is not willing to follow the Grand Prince anymore. After so many years in the shadow, Yurii’s time has finally come.


~

[Maltacus]

Good update, nice idea with the dismounted Polish general. The grand duke of Azaq title was also very stylish. It's customized, I presume? Go Yurii!

[Ganbarenippon]

Nice touch with Yurii! So, the young(ish) Grand Prince must prove himself. And against his Uncle no less! Now what is Yaropolk gonna do?! Gostislav has a lot to deal with now, but this has been coming since his Grandfather's time.

[Radzeer]

Radzeer's pics are some of the best I've ever seen in an AAR. The narrative aspect and the sheer scale of battles are awesome (the depiction of the siege of Baku is pure win). Interesting how you keep track of your characters

Thank you, I really appreciate your support!
The trick with the characters is to focus on a few. The second generation has eight family members and two non-family generals. There are a few that seldom make it to the story (like Oleg, the Kievan governor, Moimir the non-commander, Ostromir). If all got a large share, the story would become very complex. Also, I tend to "phase out" characters, like there was not much to read about Yaropolk lately. He is over 70, and it's time for the sons to do their thing.

Good update, nice idea with the dismounted Polish general. The grand duke of Azaq title was also very stylish. It's customized, I presume? Go Yurii!

Thanks you! Yurii's title is in fact customized. The idea came from this post:

All hail Grand Duke Yurii of Azaq

After that I took some time to read about scripting, and made some basic changes. I actually learned more than I thought I would, but some of the options are not save game compatible, so we won't see it until my next AAR. What I have done here is the most basic trick, just tweaked the Azaq governor ancillary description and scripted it so when Yurii dies the title does not disappear, but goes to his son.

Nice touch with Yurii! So, the young(ish) Grand Prince must prove himself. And against his Uncle no less! Now what is Yaropolk gonna do?! Gostislav has a lot to deal with now, but this has been coming since his Grandfather's time.

Thank you, and thanks again for the idea!
Yeah, I wished Vladimir lived less long as it put both Mstislav and especially Gostislav behind in age. But I noticed that the generals tend to hang around in my game, which means a lot of trouble with new sons not being born (no matter how much I expand). It will be an interesting plot for sure.

[Mr. Bean Laden]

Still the best of the best, I'm almost getting jealous for your skill lol.

[Beer Money]

Not totally caught up but read the last chapter - excellent stuff.

Also nice to not get caught in the trap of too many significant characters! Its a tough one.

[Msp]

I'm not used to SS, so what really means Yurii's title?
Also, the relations with romans are getting...nice.

[Radzeer]

Still the best of the best, I'm almost getting jealous for your skill lol.

Thank you, but believe me if I could do it anybody can!

Not totally caught up but read the last chapter - excellent stuff.

Also nice to not get caught in the trap of too many significant characters! Its a tough one.

Thanks and good to have you back! I'm still suffering from the lack of sons in the youngest generation, so the number of significant characters will decrease in the future...

I'm not used to SS, so what really means Yurii's title?
Also, the relations with romans are getting...nice.

Yeah, the Romans are... interesting to say the least. It will become even more interesting shortly.

About Yurii's title: in terms of the game mechanics it does not mean much. I simply replaced the original Azaq title (ancillary) that SS gives with a more powerful one. The original had I think the usual 5% increase in trade (SS gives city governor titles to characters if they stay in the city, and the title usually adds to the trade and in some occasions it adds other things too, like bonus movement), and I changed that to these additional command, law etc. factors. Then I renamed the title itself (the "grand" duke) to reflect a more equivalent status in the plot. So in the game, Yurii became a somewhat stronger character by simply boosting the good traits the title has. It has more importance for the plot though. Yurii was a great commander when he was young (he had quite a few heroic victories), and as he became old he turned more into a plotter.

[la coupe est pleine]

Strategical chapter.
You cleverly used Gotislav future projects to describe well the borders of your "large" empire, and the difficulties that have to be dealt with.

Well done. And congratulation for the big polish battle. (Even if I would have loved a crucial defeat, threatening the west flank... but your ideas to invade Novgorod had to be followed first. ).

Did you also customized the "envies he heir" trait?
Because it fits exactly with your anti-heroe...

[Scottish King]

After a week of reading I finally caught up! Great story, can't wait till the next update!

[Radzeer]

Strategical chapter.
You cleverly used Gotislav future projects to describe well the borders of your "large" empire, and the difficulties that have to be dealt with.
Well done. And congratulation for the big polish battle. (Even if I would have loved a crucial defeat, threatening the west flank... but your ideas to invade Novgorod had to be followed first. ).
Did you also customized the "envies he heir" trait?
Because it fits exactly with your anti-heroe...

Thank you my friend. Well, I would have loved a defeat too. (I had some small ones, and believe it or not I liked when Severskii was beaten in that night battle.) What I have seen though is the seemingly increasing quality difference between units. The Catholics will have tougher units on the long run I believe. And Poland still has a few tricks.

I did not customize the "envies the heir" trait. It was just perfectly given to Yurii by the game. It actually should be "envies the king".

After a week of reading I finally caught up! Great story, can't wait till the next update!

Thank you, and I hope that the next updates will not be disappointing either.

For tavix:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Thank you!

Unfortunately it looks like that the next update may be a day late. I really wanted to post it on Sunday, but I am working on my Critics Quill article which takes up a lot of time. The next chapter will probably arrive on Monday. Thank you for your patience!

[Radzeer]

List of characters

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The royal family

Grand Prince Vladimir
The first Grand Prince, leading the early expansion of the Rus. He has found the Holy Grail after taking Oleshe. At the end of his life he retired and transferred the power to his son and heir, Mstislav. He died peacefully in Kiev.

Grand Prince Mstislav
The second Grand Prince, and the oldest son of Vladimir. He fought against the Cumans, and conquered Smolensk in the north overthrowing the Novgorod-friendly council. A skilled politician and determined leader with a vision to expand toward the Baltic Sea. He established the Rus as a major power, and died peacefully in Kiev.

Grand Prince Gostislav
The third Grand Prince, Mstislav's oldest son, the governor of Pereyaslav and Hrodna. Quite unremarkable as a child, he still has a lot to prove.

Prince Nikifor
Faction heir, Gostislav's first son.

Petr
Mstislav's second son, the governor of Ryazan in the east. He is leading the royal troops the Caucasus campaign.
Oleg
Mstislav's third son, the governor of Kiev.

Yaropolk
The second son of Vladimir. Veteran commander, hero of many wars, and the conqueror of Lithuania where he acquired territories for his sons.

Zhirovit
Yaropolk's oldest son, the governor of Vilnius. A violent and unpredictable character, he is fighting in Poland to revenge his brother's death.
Moimir
Yaropolk's second son, governor of Mensk - anything but a field commander.
Tikhomir
Yaropolk's third son, former governor of Smolensk. He died in battle against Poland at Mensk.
Volodislav
Yaropolk's youngest son, the governor of Riga.

Yurii
The third and youngest son of Vladimir, Lord of Azaq. It was difficult for him to be in the shadow of his two brothers. He made an alliance with the Patrikeev clan and married the clan leader's daughter, Natalia to start building his own princedom in the east, including his attack on the Caucasus. The main conspirator, constantly plotting to get closer to power.

Ostromir
Yurii's oldest son, governor of Caffa.
Sbyslav
Yurii's second son, governor of Sarkel, commander of the Caucasus campaign.

Vassals and non-blood relatives

Danislav Severskii
An exile from Novgorod who became Mstislav's vassal and the governor of Smolensk. He died in battle against the Lithuanians.

Dobrozhir Severskii
The only son of Danislav. He revenged his father and killed the Grand Duke of Lithuania, but died in battle shortly after.
Stroislav Kubenskii
A Kievan noble who married Dobrozhir's oldest sister. Governor of Baia.

Milogost Fominskii
A Kievan noble who married Princess Eupraxia, Vladimir’s only daughter and thus became a member of the royal family. He is the governor of Zhytomyr. He saved Kiev from two Polish invasions and was wounded severly in battle.
Georgii Patrikeev
Governor of Tmutarakan in the east, and an ally of Yurii who married his daughter. He died peacefully in Sarkel.

The three brothers

Alexios
The oldest of three brothers who as children were rescued by the Kievans after a Cuman raid. He is a cleric and a chronicler in the Court. He is in Trebizond looking after his brother, Rurik.
Rurik
Alexios’ younger brother. Trained as a warrior, he used to belong to Yaropolk’s bodyguard escort. He was wounded in Trebizond in a battle and was thought to be dead for a long time.
Oleg
The youngest brother of Alexios and Rurik. He disappeared in a Cuman raid and was sold as a slave in Azaq. His brothers have been searching for him for years until they were reunited in Trebizond. Currently he is the chief supply officer for the Court, and the author of the Miloslavich Diary.

31. The riches of the east

The Miloslavich Diary - Trebizond

This is a beautiful morning. I arrived late yesterday and could not make the trip to Trebizond, but I am now ready to leave this outpost. Today, I will meet with my brothers. It has been so many years since we parted. I traveled to the Lithuanian and Polish frontier, the eastern plains and the Caucasus since then. My son, Andrei, who was a small boy when we left for Kiev is now in Grand Prince Gostislav’s court. This land used to be dangerous and people were afraid of the Seljuk raids. Today it is peaceful and prosperous. The riches of the east are here to take. Life has changed a lot, but my love for my brothers and my family has remained the same.

Alexios closed the diary. “Very impressive, Oleg,” he said with a smile. “You have become quite a chronicler.”

“Yes, little brother,” added Rurik. “You seem to have many talents.”

“My talents are nothing compared to your skills, Rurik.” Oleg was still amazed how Rurik was able to survive the battle of Trebizond. “And I’d love to hear the story of your escape.”

Rurik sighed. He did not want to remember that day which separated him from his brothers for so long. But finally he began to talk.

“I remember that all too well… I looked back for a moment and saw you two running into the gatehouse. I was hoping that there were no more soldiers hiding there, but I knew I had to prevent those Seljuks going after you. Luckily, they wanted to get me first. They probably thought that I will be easy to kill, and just ran at me. I was able to kill the first one, then the second, and grabbing his spear, I stabbed the third one. I’m sure they did not expect this.” Rurik grinned. “I probably looked like a tired mercenary.”

“And what happened after that?” asked Oleg.

“They stopped for a moment as none of them wanted to be the next to attack me. While they were waiting for each other, I ran into the yard of the building next to the gate. It was abandoned, but I thought that out in the open street they could surround me easily. Three of them chased me, while the others tried to go around the house to cut off my way out in the back. I ran into the building, which was some sort of a two-story warehouse. I heard the soldiers at the back door, so I had no choice but quickly climb upstairs. I thought I could climb out there, as we did before. But there was no window. The three soldiers that chased me came up too. They knew that they trapped me. One of them suddenly attacked, and I could hardly avoid his weapon. Fortunately, their spears were too long in that small space. When the attacker was trying to make another move, I stabbed him. And at that moment, the floor caved in. It must have been weakened in the fight before. We all fell. I remember that my sword was still in the soldier’s body as we hit the ground. Then the roof collapsed, and I don’t remember anything else.”

Oleg was without words. Alexios did not speak either.

“I woke up in a monastery. I was told that they found three Seljuks dead around me, hit by the debris. It was a miracle that I’m alive today. The others must have left when the building collapsed, thinking that we were all dead. So, in fact I only killed four.”

This was the old Rurik again. Rurik, the warrior, Rurik the strong, and Rurik who still retained some of his youngish attitude.

“So what are we going to do now?” asked Oleg.

“I want to go back to Kiev,” said Rurik. “My wounds are healed and I would like to see Lord Yaropolk once more. I guess we can all go home, right?”

“I am not sure about myself,” said unexpectedly Alexios. When he saw his brothers’ surprise, he added, “Let’s take a walk, and I’ll explain why.”

~~~

Many miles to the north, an old enemy appeared again.

It was late winter, when one morning the garrison of Sarkel woke up to see a large Cuman army, besieging the castle. The Kievan commander was caught off guard, as the Cumans have not been hostile for many years. The enemy army was about a thousand men strong, fortunately only slightly larger than the garrison was. Sarkel was training troops for Yurii, and now these troops were about to be tested.



Sarkel had an outer and inner castle. The Kievan captain decided to put only a few companies to defend the outer section. Levy archers were on the walls, and a peasant militia was ordered to defend the gate as best as they can. A depleted Pecheneg unit was waiting for the attackers there too.



The inner wall had additional archers, and the second gate was defended by a Tatar spearmen company. Finally, the best soldiers of the druzhina heavy infantry were waiting as reinforcements on the main square.





The battle started well for the defenders, who could set the Cuman ram on fire. The Cuman archers scattered as the soldiers tried to escape the flames and the arrows from the towers.



It did not take long for the enemy to regroup, and their commander sent in his infantry to attack the walls with ladders and a siege tower. He also ordered a second ram to be deployed. Soon the Kievan archers had to fight for their lives on the walls.





The second ram eventually broke through the gate. The militia fought bravely, but could only delay the inevitable. The Cuman infantry was too strong for them, and only a few of the defenders could make it back to the inner castle. However, the Cumans paid a heavy price.



The ladders and the ram were redeployed, and the attack on the inner castle began.



The archers were able to set the second ram on fire, leaving the Cumans with only the siege ladders. But it was difficult to secure the ladders on the icy slopes and snow covered ground. The Cuman troops were tired already, and the relentless fire from the towers decimated their ranks. Discipline was not very high, and some of the soldiers started looting. Soon the ladders were dropped, and the Cumans decided to abandon the siege.





The battle was a victory for Kiev. The casualties were high among the levy and militia troops, but those were easy to replace. The Cumans have lost most of their army, partly because the Kievans could trap and kill many of the scattered looters. Sarkel was now safe, but the question remained whether the Cumans would return next year, better prepared and more disciplined.

~~~

“I am very disappointed, Romanov,” said Gostislav.

The man whose face was not known by many had nothing to respond. The Grand Prince was usually happy in his summer residence just outside of Pereyaslav, but not this time.

“It has been almost two years since my uncle named himself the Grand Duke of Azaq. I have tried to reason with him, but he did not even listen! He does not respect me, and refused to come to Kiev.” Gostislav took a sip of wine. “Sometimes I feel that more extreme measures should be considered.”

Romanov sighed. He knew what was coming.

“But not like that failed attempt on Ostromir’s life! That was inexcusable.” Gostislav was still upset about that. It was he who ordered Ostromir to be killed, hoping to destabilize Yurii’s power while he and his son were fighting in the Caucasus. Gostislav was only a prince at that time, but his father was ill so he approached Romanov, the assassin master employed by Mstislav to arrange the deed. But Ostromir survived.

“My lord,” said Romanov cautiously. “Your uncle has tightened the security of his family. They are surrounded by bodyguards from Lady Natalia’s family clan. It is very difficult to find a man for a job you refer to.”

“I don’t need excuses, Romanov. And let me tell you this. It is exactly how Novgorod started. They proclaimed independence, and then they grew into a monster. I cannot let that happen with Azaq, because then Volodislav in Riga will be the next. I’m sure you can see that too.”

Over the past years, Romanov became a close advisor for Gostislav. The new Grand Prince did not know it, but his father asked Romanov to keep an eye on him. Romanov was not a strategist, but sometimes he had good points and was not afraid to speak up. “Maybe that Cuman attack on Sarkel helps your uncle realize that independence comes with dangers he did not anticipate,” he said.

Gostislav was not so sure about this. “The problem is that the Cumans may not see it that way. I have no intention to keep them away from Yurii’s lands. But here is my dilemma, Romanov. If I do not recognize Yurii’s rule, then as the Grand Prince of the Rus I have to defend those regions. And if I do not defend them, people will think that I recognize Azaq.”

Romanov was again silent. He knew when he was not supposed to talk.

Gostislav went on. “And then my brother who was supposed to keep an eye on him takes the troops I sent him and sails across the Caspian Sea!”



“Yes, my lord. That was very surprising.” This news shocked everybody in Kiev. Petr could barely hold Baku, and now he marched even further to the east. Romanov knew that Petr was an impulsive character, but this step was difficult to explain.

“We do not have any interest conquering lands there. It’s just desert and mountains as I heard.” Gostislav was tired. His attempts to deal with Yurii using political means have failed. He even tried to convince Constantinople to discipline his uncle, but the Romans rejected his request, making it clear that Gostislav fell out of favor after the Seljuk peace and Nikifor’s Venetian marriage. But what bothered Gostislav the most was that he could not use the peace with Poland to mobilize against Novgorod. The new Cuman war and Yurii’s unpredictable behavior meant enough trouble in the east.

“What does the Council think, my lord?”

“The Council wants me to be tough on Yurii, and some still cannot get over the peace with Poland. Many are sympathetic with Novgorod, which is bad. And they are silent about Petr. What do you make of that?”

“Well, my lord, the nobles may not want to speak against him. He is your brother after all, while your other brother is the Kievan governor. But…”

“But what?”

“Some may even think that it should be you, my lord, not your brothers who discipline your uncle. You are the Grand Prince.”

“That I know Romanov, and I would like you to remember that as well. My father would have cut your tongue out for that remark.”

Romanov knew that Gostislav’s father was much smarter than that. But he also knew that it never pays to argue with the Grand Prince. “Maybe we get some good news soon,” he said in a conciliatory tone.

“Maybe we will, Romanov,” replied Gostislav. “But if not, we’ll have to make sure to arrange some good news for ourselves.”

~~~

It was the second month of the siege, and Petr felt that it might have been a mistake to cross the Caspian Sea and attack Gorgan, the Khwarezmian stronghold. After a few months in Baku, which the small garrison spent mostly hiding inside the walls, it became clear that Khwarezm would not try to take the city back. Then reinforcements came from both Ryazan and Kiev, and Petr became more and more confident with every passing day. Gostislav expected him to keep an eye on Yurii, but Petr was more interested in the riches of the east. His soldiers, especially the newly arrived troops, were looking for action and he also wanted to impress his wife who was expecting a baby. He planned a quick raid on Gorgan, the rich merchant city, and promised to return by the time his child was to born. But the winds were not favorable, the crossing took a long time, and the siege now seemed more difficult than before.




The leader of the garrison was il-Arslan, the Khwarezmian faction heir. He was an old man, loyal and noble, the sultan’s right hand, and was certainly no fool. When the Kievan army arrived, he sent a rider to bring reinforcements hoping that he could hold Gorgan until additional troops arrive. The siege went slow, and Petr and his soldiers were caught by surprise when the relief army arrived and attacked.



Petr deployed his troops on a small hill overlooking an open area across which the enemy relief army and the garrison were expected to come. He put most of his cavalry, including the mercenary horse archers on the left flank where they had enough space to operate, while he strengthened his right flank with reserve infantry hiding among the trees.



The Khwarezmian relief army approached the small forest where Petr deployed his troops. At the southern horizon, the Elburz Mountains stood like a mighty wall, offering no pass to escape through. The enemy cavalry was deployed facing the Kievan left, showing that the Khwarezmian commander assessed the topography of the battlefield similarly to Petr.



As soon as the enemy infantry was close enough, the catapults started to fire. Not many of the flaming missiles hit the Khwarezmians, but the impressive display boosted the Kievan morale. Petr’s archers were more effective, and the Khwarezmian infantry had to endure a rain of fire arrows before they engaged the Kievan lines.





On the Kievan left, the enemy Tatars saw Petr and his bodyguards, and immediately attacked.



Petr was able to defeat the Tatars, but it meant that he was separated from the main battle when the Khwarezmians engaged his troops. The tall grass and the bushes made the fight chaotic. The pressure on the Kievan battle line was uneven. Some companies had only scattered attackers to face, but others had to bear the weight of hundreds of enemy soldiers.





Once the Khwarezmian cavalry was defeated, Petr and his boyars charged the back of the enemy infantry, and dispersed the reserve spearmen. The Khwarezmian battle formation broke up, and the enemy soldiers had to fight the Kievan cavalry man to man. It was an uneven fight, and soon the Khwarezmians routed.





But victory was not yet secured. Just as the remnants of the first Khwarezmian army were destroyed, the garrison troops have also arrived. Had they been faster, the collapse of the first army could have been prevented.



The garrison was not willing to try their luck against the Kievan cavalry. Instead, they attacked the Kievan right flank. Here Petr’s javelinmen were deployed in a great mass, and decimated the enemy infantry before they reached the Kievan lines.



The battle was undecided for long, but Petr was able to redeploy his infantry from the left flank, and attack the Khwarezmian side. The fight under the trees was as chaotic as the rest of the battle, but the relative numeric advantage of the Kievans eventually broke the enemy army. At the end, il-Arslan personally let his bodyguards against Petr’s druzhina. It was a heroic charge, but this part of the battlefield was not suitable for cavalry action. Soon a cheer among the trees indicated that il-Arslan was killed.



With the death of the enemy commander, the Khwarezmian attack collapsed. All that remained was rounding up the fleeing enemy soldiers, in which the mounted druzhina had a key role. Then Petr’s catapults destroyed the Khwarezmian ballistae across the hill, and the battle was over.





At the end of the day, the Kievan battle line remained unbroken. Of the 2,800 Khwarezmian soldiers, only about three hundred could escape. But Petr suffered heavy casualties as well, losing more than five hundred of his men. Many soldiers who were confident in Baku now lay on the field dead or in final agony.





Gorgan was now undefended. Petr let his troops loot the city, but he did not occupy Gorgan as he did not want his soldiers to be trapped there. Lacking any military or civilian control, soon rioting broke out in the city, which in a few days led to open revolt claiming six thousand lives. The merchant district was largely destroyed and the fires burned for three days.





Petr was considering sending his troops to the city to suppress the revolt when a messenger arrived from Baku, bringing important news.



Petr was waiting for this for a long time. He wanted a son to inherit his lands and take care of his family when he was gone. Now his wish was granted, but he felt the terrible sadness not being there when he was born. No matter how much treasure he looted from Gorgan, he realized that the real riches of the east are in fact in his family in Baku. He left the city to its fate, and ordered his troops to board the ships. As they were leaving for Baku, he got news that the Khwarezmians arrived to reclaim Gorgan. But for Petr that did not matter. He just wanted to be with his family again.

~~~

“Remember this house?” asked Rurik. “We spent the last night here before the siege.”



Oleg remembered the marching feet of the Roman soldiers that woke them up on that fateful morning. Now the street was empty except for a lone sentry. As if the siege was only a bad dream, thought Oleg.

“Why can’t you come back to Kiev?” he asked Alexios. “It is the letter, Grand Prince Mstislav sent you, right?”

Alexiso nodded. “In that letter, he asked me to reason with Yurii. He suspected that his brother wants to be independent soon. Now we know that Azaq became a separate principality.”

Rurik did not understand it. “But what can you do? The letter was written a long ago, and the situation has changed.”

“I feel partly responsible for this,” said Alexios. "Before I first came to Trebizond to look for you Oleg, I was assigned by Mstislav to accompany Yurii in Caffa. I left, and he immediately went to visit Patrikeev in Azaq. Then they have made a pact, Yurii married Patrikeev’s daughter, and this is how it all started. I should have been there to prevent this.”

They reached the west gate, where the Seljuks broke through during the siege. There was some commotion as riders arrived. Apparently something unusual was happening.

“Talk to him, little brother,” said Rurik to Oleg. “Maybe you can convince him that this was not his fault. I’ll go and see what that commotion is about.”

But Oleg understood Alexios better than Rurik. He suspected that Alexios has already made up his mind. But he was concerned about his safety.

“I’m sure Yurii will not reason with you. He may even throw you in the dungeon or simply kill you.”

“It is possible, but not very likely. And I have to try at least. I own this to Mstislav, and the realm he fought for many years.”

Rurik came back. “So what have you decided?”

“He wants to talk to Yurii,” said Oleg with sadness in his voice.

“Well, you don’t need to travel anywhere than. The men who arrived are Kievan scouts. Yurii and his army have landed not far from here, and they are coming. They are on the way to the Holy Land.”
~

[Maltacus]

Nice summer residence! Where is it, I have to conquer it in my current Novgorod campaign? I would probably rent it out for the rest of the year though, it must be cold as hell on a windy day with no forest or cliffs around.

Everyone who is supposed to guard Yurii find something else to do and when they get back he has disappeared and they have failed. This is one incompetent bunch of characters...

Excellent pictures from the battle at Gorgan also, great quality.

[Radzeer]

Nice summer residence! Where is it, I have to conquer it in my current Novgorod campaign? I would probably rent it out for the rest of the year though, it must be cold as hell on a windy day with no forest or cliffs around.

Everyone who is supposed to guard Yurii find something else to do and when they get back he has disappeared and they have failed. This is one incompetent bunch of characters...

Excellent pictures from the battle at Gorgan also, great quality.

Thank you!
The summer residence is exactly one square southwest from Smolensk. I fought a rebel army there and got that battlefield. The fight was fairly uninteresting, but I took a few pics of that building to use them later. I'm not sure how the game assigns battlefields at particular points of the map though. I'm really curious if you'll get that field too.

Update is coming soon.

[Radzeer]

List of characters

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The royal family

Grand Prince Vladimir
The first Grand Prince, leading the early expansion of the Rus, annexing several independent cities. He has found the Holy Grail after taking Oleshe. At the end of his life he retired and transferred the power to his son and heir, Mstislav. He lived a long life and died peacefully in Kiev.

Grand Prince Mstislav
The second Grand Prince, and the oldest son of Vladimir. He fought against the Cumans, and conquered Smolensk in the north overthrowing the Novgorod-friendly council. He was a skilled politician and determined leader with a vision to expand toward the Baltic Sea. He established the Rus as a major power, although at the end of his reign he had difficulties with his brothers who wanted to have their separate ways. He died peacefully in Kiev.

Grand Prince Gostislav
The third Grand Prince, Mstislav's oldest son, the governor of Pereyaslav. Quite unremarkable as a child, he still has a lot to prove, which he mostly wants to do against Novgorod. However, he seems overwhelmed administering a large empire. He had difficulties to contain his uncles, especially Yurii, who set up his own principality around Azaq.

Prince Nikifor
Faction heir, Gostislav's first son. His marriage to a Venetian princess was supposed to build good connections to Catholics, but the alliance was short-lived.

Petr
Mstislav's second son, the governor of Ryazan in the east. He is leading the royal troops the Caucasus campaign. He took Baku and Gorgan from Khwarezm.
Oleg
Mstislav's third son, the governor of Kiev. Although talented, he is a quite member of the family, satisfied with administering Kiev and helping his brother, Gostislav in his rule.

Yaropolk
The second son of Vladimir. Veteran commander, hero of many wars, and the conqueror of Lithuania where he acquired territories for his sons. His personal tragedy that only his youngest son, Volodislav loves him.

Zhirovit
Yaropolk's oldest son, the governor of Vilnius. A violent and unpredictable character, he is fighting in Poland to revenge his brother's death. He hates Catholics and pagans alike.
Moimir
Yaropolk's second son, governor of Mensk - anything but a field commander.
Tikhomir
Yaropolk's third son, former governor of Smolensk. He died in battle against Poland at Mensk.
Volodislav
Yaropolk's youngest son, the governor of Riga.

Yurii
The third and youngest son of Vladimir, the Grand Duke of Azaq, the prcipality he declared independent from Kiev. It was difficult for him to be in the shadow of his two brothers. He made an alliance with the Patrikeev clan and married the clan leader's daughter, Natalia to start building his own princedom in the east, including his attack on the Caucasus. The main conspirator, constantly plotting to get closer to power.

Ostromir
Yurii's oldest son, governor of Caffa. An unremarkable person.
Sbyslav
Yurii's second son, governor of Sarkel, commander of the Caucasus campaign. He is talented in both politics and war.

Vassals and non-blood relatives

Danislav Severskii
An exile from Novgorod who became Mstislav's vassal and the governor of Smolensk. He died in battle against the Lithuanians.

Dobrozhir Severskii
The only son of Danislav. He revenged his father and killed the Grand Duke of Lithuania, but died in battle shortly after.
Stroislav Kubenskii
A Kievan noble who married Dobrozhir's oldest sister. Governor of Baia.

Milogost Fominskii
A Kievan noble who married Princess Eupraxia, Vladimir’s only daughter and thus became a member of the royal family. He is the governor of Zhytomyr. He saved Kiev from two Polish invasions and was wounded severly in battle.
Georgii Patrikeev
Governor of Tmutarakan in the east, and an ally of Yurii who married his daughter. He died peacefully in Sarkel.

The three brothers

Alexios
The oldest of three brothers who as children were rescued by the Kievans after a Cuman raid. He is a cleric and a chronicler in the Court. He is in Trebizond looking after his brother, Rurik.
Rurik
Alexios’ younger brother. Trained as a warrior, he used to belong to Yaropolk’s bodyguard escort. He was wounded in Trebizond in a battle and was thought to be dead for a long time.
Oleg
The youngest brother of Alexios and Rurik. He disappeared in a Cuman raid and was sold as a slave in Azaq. His brothers have been searching for him for years until they were reunited in Trebizond. Currently he is the chief supply officer for the Court, and the author of the Miloslavich Diary.

32. Yaropolk the Conqueror

At the end of the winter, the Council was summoned in Pereyaslav. After two years of relative peace during which Yurii was the main problem, the foreign relations were suddenly in upheaval. The Catholics were fighting with each other, which would not have bothered Gostislav, but this time the diplomats brought news about the worrying rise of England, and their apparent desire to subjugate all other Catholic kingdoms.



Venice, Kiev’s only Catholic ally since Prince Nikifor’s marriage was not at war with England. But they were asking for a different favor, putting Gostislav and the Council in a difficult position.



Most nobles argued against Venice. They saw the Catholics as unreliable allies, and several of them opposed Prince Nikifor’s marriage a few years before. At that time, Gostislav was able to push that arrangement through because of his sister’s canceled marriage in Constantinople. But since then the Romans were not willing to help Gostislav against Yurii. The Grand Prince felt that this would be a time to repair the relations with Constantinople. Most in the Council supported the decision against Venice, and even Nikifor did not speak favorably about his wife’s people. The Venetian request was denied, and with that the alliance ended. This spoiled Gostislav’s image among the Catholics, but the even worrying result was that several Kievan nobles now talked openly about the uselessness of the alliance in the first place, implying that the Grand Prince has made a mistake.

This put the Cuman war in a different context. There were no more attacks, but Gostislav felt that the Cumans have to be punished, mostly to demonstrate his strength to the Council. Petr was back in Baku, and Gostislav instructed him to sail to Astrakhan, the Cuman stronghold at the north of the Caspian Sea, and attack the enemy forces there. The city itself was not a top priority, although Gostislav felt that it could serve as another Kievan threat to Yurii’s back.

During the discussion one of the diplomats spoke about some turmoil in the east.



Gostislav was not interested in this. Nomadic tribes have always appeared beyond the Cuman territories. He did not see why this would be any different. Then a runner arrived from Kiev, diverting the discussion. His news made it clear for everybody that the foreign policy of Gostislav has indeed failed.



Apparently, Poland only needed a little breathing room after the defeat at Plock. Now two Polish armies attacked Halych, exploiting that Prince Nikifor attended the Council meeting, while three others were spotted to march on Hrodna. There was no time to send the royal army to the west, so it all depended on Yaropolk and his sons. Fortunately for Gostislav, Yaropolk was a more loyal uncle than Yurii, and was willing to fight for Halych. He was already in his late 70s, yet his reputation backed by countless campaigns in both the east and the west created fear among the enemies of the Rus.

The first Polish army has already besieged Halych. Yaropolk sent a messenger to the garrison to stay in the fortress while he attacks during the night. He was planning to fight the two armies separately, and was hoping to catch the first one by surprise.



It was the last day of the winter, and spring was in the air. The night was calm, the sky was clear, and it was not long before sunrise when Yaropolk’s army approached the Polish camp from the north. Yaropolk deployed his cavalry far to the right with the explicit order to attack the enemy commander when he appears on the battlefield.





It took some time for the Polish army to move into battle formations. The commander ordered the siege engines to turn toward Yaropolk’s troops, and sent forth his infantry.



While the Polish infantry was slowly marching against the Kievan army, the trebuchets opened fire. Soon flaming missiles flew across the battlefield, and hit Yaropolk’s troops with deadly precision.





The Kievan catapults responded with equal skills, destroying some of the trebuchets exactly when the Polish heavy cavalry was under them.



The Polish commander wanted to use his cavalry unit to flank the Kievan lines. But once he was spotted, Yaropolk’s riders charged. The Polish knights were better armed, but the Kievans had the numeric advantage. For a long time the fight was even, but it also meant that the Polish commander was separated from the main battle.



As the Polish infantry approached the Kievan lines, suddenly hundreds of small stars appeared in the sky. The soldiers knew all too well that they got close enough to be shot at with fire arrows. While spectacular and sometimes horrifying, the fire arrows were quite inefficient, and the infantry melee started.





During the melee, the Polish trebuchets did not cease fire. Not even sparing their own troops, they send dozens of flaming missiles into the ranks of the fighting men.



Soon however, the Polish captain was killed. Yaropolk personally led his bodyguards to the battle breaking the shocked enemy troops. Once he cut through their ranks, Yaropolk charged the enemy siege artillery. The fight was short and brutal, and by the time the Polish infantry fell back followed by the Kievan troops the siege engines were captured.





The night assault was a great success for Yaropolk. The enemy army was destroyed and Halych relieved. Yaropolk could now focus on the second Polish army.



The two armies were circling each other for weeks. The Polish commander did not have a great desire to fight Yaropolk after the Kievan victory at Halych. It was not sure for Yaropolk if he was expecting reinforcements, or just wanted to escape. Finally, on a beautiful spring afternoon, the Kievans were able to trap the Polish commander who could not withdraw from the battle.



Yaropolk positioned his troops on the high ground, except for the left flank. The Polish army was to the north, as their dust cloud indicated. Between the two armies there was a small forest, partially hiding the Polish troops.



The Polish captain knew that he had no other way but to cut across the Kievan lines. His infantry troops started to march across the forest and up the hill in one mass.



As the Kievan soldiers were waiting for the enemy to arrive, a large explosion up in the air signaled that the Polish artillery opened fire. Previous experience showed that friendly fire caused as much damage to Poland as the Kievan weapons, and Yaropolk hoped that it would not be different this day either.



There was not much time to watch the fire in the sky though. The Polish commander decided to overwhelm the Kievan lines on the left where the advantage of the high ground did not support Yaropolk’s troops. First the heavy cavalry, and then the Polish infantry attacked at the same place.





While the center of the fight was at the left flank, the enemy commander tried to circle the Kievan lines on the right. Similarly to the previous battle, Yaropolk had his cavalry to intercept him.



The Polish second wave attacked the center. While they were still away from the Kievan lines, their artillery tried to hit the Kievan infantry. But as many times before, the mangonels were inaccurate, and brought fiery rain upon their own troops.





The friendly fire and the death of the Polish captain broke the enemy troops. Yaropolk charged the last remaining spearmen company which routed after a few minutes of fight. Finally the Kievan infantry took the Polish field artillery, and the battle was over.







Of the 2,400 Polish soldiers who set out to take Halych, only about a hundred escaped back to Poland. Yaropolk was now called the Conqueror. His two victories were not heroic ones against overwhelming odds, rather coldly calculated battles with minimal casualties. His reputation paralyzed the enemy even before the fight, and Poland gave up taking Halych entirely. Now the attention turned to the north, where much larger Polish armies approached Hrodna.
~

[napoleonic]

did you photoshop all these pics? why the skies are pixelated?